Author: Steven Sahiounie

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Lebanon has formally entered a new phase of direct negotiations with Israel under the framework of the Five-Party Committee in Naqoura, marking a significant shift in Beirut’s approach to mounting international pressures. Analysts view this development as an important indicator of a qualitative transformation in how the Lebanese state is responding to the current military and political dynamics along its southern border. Reactivation of Technical Dialogue Under U.S. Pressure Experts note that Lebanon’s participation aligns with a U.S. request to reactivate the technical negotiation mechanism at a moment when global powers are seeking to…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On the 50th day of the Gaza ceasefire, Israel carried out continuing airstrikes in defiance of the Trump brokered peace plan. What US President Donald Trump planned on is not holding up in the face of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s impunity. Israeli aircraft launched strikes on the Al-Tuffah and Al-Shujaiya neighborhoods in Gaza City, while artillery units targeted the eastern area of Jabalia. The Nasser Medical Complex reported the killing of a Palestinian in Bani Suhaila, east of Khan Younis. According to the Anadolu Agency, Israeli armored vehicles opened fire overnight on the…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On November 24, US President Donald Trump began a process to legally label some chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Although the Muslim Brotherhood is a global organizations, which includes inside America, this specific order addresses chapters in Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt engaged in or facilitating and supporting violence and destabilization campaigns that harm their own regions, United States citizens, and United States interests. However, the exact wording of the Whitehouse statement leaves it open to perhaps include domestic chapters in the future: “…any Muslim Brotherhood chapters or other subdivisions, including…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On November 18, U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally. Separately, the White House stated the U.S. Saudi Arabia signed a Joint Declaration on the Completion of Negotiations on Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation, which would see American companies partnering with the kingdom to produce civilian electricity, not bombs. The Saudi Arabian Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), returned to the U.S. after seven years, and was successful in going home with almost everything he asked for. However, Trump came out empty handed on one key item…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On November 18, the United Nations Security Council approved U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan for the Gaza Strip, endorsing a draft resolution submitted by Washington. Trump hailed the vote as a “historic moment”, while Palestinian factions—particularly Hamas—condemned the resolution as an act of “international guardianship” imposed on the coastal enclave. The approved plan authorizes the deployment of an international stabilization force in Gaza and outlines political pathways that could eventually lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state. The resolution passed with 13 votes in favor, while Russia and China abstained without exercising their…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On November 10, U.S. President Donald Trump received Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House, and the pair shared a two-hour meeting behind closed doors. According to recent reports, Washington and Damascus are on the verge of a significant political realignment, detailed in a proposed U.S.–Syria framework. The meeting between Trump and al-Sharaa outlined sweeping security, political, and economic measures that could dramatically alter the balance of power in the Middle East. This ambitious U.S. attempt to reshape Syria’s role comes as the new government in Damascus moves rapidly to reverse a decade…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On November 11, tens of thousands of Iraqi voters took to the polls to elect a new parliament, marking the country’s sixth legislative election since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled the regime of late president Saddam Hussein. More than 20 million Iraqis were eligible to cast their ballots to choose 329 members of parliament, with 46 seats allocated to the Kurdistan Region, including five reserved for minority communities. According to the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), voter turnout exceeded 55% of registered voters — a figure described by observers as a positive sign…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Israel carries out multiple attacks across Lebanon on an almost daily basis, despite a US-brokered ceasefire almost 1-year-old. Israel has refused to comply with the terms of the ceasefire, which include withdrawal from five occupied points and the cessation of attacks on Lebanon. Part of the ceasefire agreement is the goal to disarm Hezbollah, the Lebanese resistance organization. However, Hezbollah refuses to disarm while the country has been invaded, attacked and the Israeli military has shown no signs of leaving, or living up to the agreed ceasefire. The Lebanese government is stuck between demanding…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi is a Major general in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) who served as the chief military advocate from September 1, 2021. Previously, she served as the gender affairs advisor to the chief of staff of the IDF. On October 31, she resigned after admitting to leaking footage showing the gang rape of a Palestinian prisoner at the Sde Teiman prison facility on July 5, 2024. The shocking video was broadcast on Channel 12 on August 6, 2024. Tomer-Yerushalmi is a whistleblower now under arrest, and supporters fear for her safety. Supporters of…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator In September, in New York City, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU stands “firmly united” behind a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine after meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of UN General Assembly. Von der Leyen used the word “united”, but the EU is anything but united. The EU is guilty of double standards. In the case of the war in Ukraine, the EU placed sanctions on Russia. But, the EU failed to sanction Israel after they have committed crimes against humanity in Gaza. The EU…