Overview
- The Arab Media Summit in Dubai this week pushed a coordinated plan to boost credibility, train content creators, and make Gulf-backed platforms central tools for shaping regional narratives.
- Lebanese President Jousaph Aoun has appealed for international support to strengthen the Lebanese Army and is pursuing an explicit security agreement with Israel as Beirut seeks replacements for UNIFIL ahead of its planned December 2026 exit.
- Israel’s chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, said the Israeli military will continue operations and hold forward positions inside Lebanon until Hezbollah’s heavy weapons are removed, signaling a sustained security posture on the northern frontier.
- Violence in the occupied West Bank has risen, marked by an Israeli helicopter insertion in Yatta and armed settler attacks on homes and fields in Masfer Yatta and Nablus, prompting debate about the army’s role and whether some attacks receive political protection.
- Brussels’ proposal to grant Canada a new ‘partner’ status drew applause in Europe and threats of severe U.S. trade measures from President Trump, highlighting a shifting web of transatlantic economic and security alignments.