Monday's Space on a Tuesday

The Spaces examined ongoing crises across Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen through on-the-ground claims, political analysis, and contentious debate. Host Leila and contributors Nina, NY, TJ, Sean and others alleged continued Israeli military actions in Gaza amid worsening weather, limited aid, and a reported Knesset measure easing extrajudicial force. A large portion detailed 19 Lebanese detainees held by Israel since late 2024, including seven fighters and multiple civilians (fishermen, a shepherd, a paramedic), and criticized Beirut’s inaction. Along the Lebanon–Israel frontier, speakers said Israel resumed building a concrete barrier inside Lebanese territory, risking an end to “rules of engagement.” The Spaces asserted that Abu Mohammad al-Julani is being rehabilitated to legitimize U.S. presence in Syria’s east and normalize relations with Israel, while playing a recording to argue Qatar followed U.S. requests to engage Hamas and the Taliban. Additional themes included alleged U.S. interference in Lebanon’s financial policy, Iraq’s low-turnout elections possibly enabling attempts to disarm the PMF, a reported Yemeni counterintelligence roundup of spy cells, and prospective U.S. basing in eastern Syria/Eastern Mediterranean. Historical recollections of the 2006 war and brief Fed-policy commentary rounded out a highly charged session.

MENA Uncensored Space: Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen — Field Updates, Allegations, and Strategic Analysis

Participants and roles referenced

• Leila (host; Mina Uncensored): anchors the briefing, provides on-the-ground and archival/recorded-source claims; outlines Lebanon, Syria, and detainee dossiers.
• Nina (co-host): delivers Gaza humanitarian/security updates; weighs ethical and international-law issues.
• NY (co-host/contributor): provides strategic framing and media/political analysis; sharp critiques of Western/Israeli policy and information operations.
• TG (guest): queries about US deployments/airbases; brings historical-scientific asides; engages on regional control lines.
• Sean (guest): closing remarks on mobilization and framing (ceasefire narrative, accountability).
• Additional names mentioned: Shamin/Shamine (expected co-host), Kevin (team), Constance (from the Yemeni Armed Forces/Defense Ministry; expected in future session), David Miller (linked to an anti-Zionist political initiative in the UK).

Note: The session contained live technical issues and platform interruptions; the team alluded to suppression and attempted interference during playback of archival audio.

Gaza: operational tempo, humanitarian collapse, and an alleged Knesset bill

• Operational picture (per Nina):
  • Air and naval activity described as ongoing: drones and fixed-wing aircraft overhead; naval assets restricting Palestinian fishermen; continued strikes and demolitions, including on already-damaged structures.
  • Civilian impact: near-total cessation of meaningful medical and food aid access reported; winter conditions worsening exposure risks; severe hunger and mounting famine indicators; encampments visible along the coast.
• Legal/impunity concern: speakers highlighted a first-reading passage in the Knesset purportedly broadening impunity for on-the-spot executions of Palestinians. They criticized international media for minimal coverage. They referenced visual/forensic allegations of hostages returned with signs of gagging, binding, and execution-style killing.
• Framing: panel rejects the “ceasefire” narrative, asserting hostilities persist in Gaza and the West Bank and that the international system remains non-responsive.

Lebanon–Israel front: wall works, UNIFIL inaction claim, and resistance rules-of-engagement warnings

• Border engineering and encroachments (per Leila):
  • Israel restarted and accelerated concrete barrier construction initially begun in 2012, now allegedly extending inside Lebanese territory beyond the Blue Line (examples cited near Metula/Matula opposite Kfarkila; western sector expansions from Ras Naqoura toward areas opposite Hanita/Shlomi/Stoula).
  • UNIFIL maritime and land elements characterized as ineffective; Lebanese Army described as constrained by central government directives; accusations that Israel is fortifying new outposts inside Lebanese-administered areas.
• Resistance posture: Hezbollah signaled that continued breaches could absolve it of previous rules of engagement, indicating a potential shift to broader targeting “the Israeli way,” should encroachments and attacks persist.

Lebanese detainees and prisoners (Nov 2024–mid/late 2025)

• Dataset presented: 19 Lebanese held by Israeli forces since the cessation-of-hostilities framework (signed 26 Nov 2024; full implementation effects cited around 26 Jan 2025). Of these, 7 are characterized as fighters (POWs) and 12 as civilians (hostages).
• Patterns claimed:
  • Several detentions occurred during or after the onset of the ceasefire regime.
  • Medical deprivation reported; at least one minor turned 19 in captivity; some detainees were allegedly wounded at the time of capture without access to treatment.
  • Lebanese government accused of inaction in pursuing releases, with only minimal high-level acknowledgment noted.
• Illustrative cases (as read in-session; spellings reflect live transcription):
  • Ali Hassan Tahini (b. 2006, Jibshit): vocational student; wounded by “dum-dum” round during an unarmed march toward Adaisseh (28 Jan 2025) and taken while bleeding; reportedly unable to sit/stand/lie comfortably due to abdominal injury; turned 19 in detention.
  • Hussein Amin Karake (b. 1989): shot while walking unarmed with mother and sister toward a liberated area; mother killed; he was abducted while injured (26 Jan 2025).
  • Two fishermen seized in Lebanese waters off Naqoura (e.g., 4 Jun 2025; 2 Feb 2025).
  • A shepherd (Shebaa/Jabal al-Sheikh sector) detained 7 Jun 2025.
  • A hospital paramedic from Aita al-Shaab taken Oct 2024 described as a war crime.
  • Multiple fighters from Aita al-Shaab captured mid-October 2024 during intense battles (e.g., Ibrahim Munif Khalil b.1990; Hassan Akil Jawad b.1987; others on/around 15 Oct 2024).
  • A municipal councilor from Maroun al-Ras abducted from his home (16 Feb 2025), with a blood trail indicating a possible shooting during capture.
  • Two Hermel-origin civilian tradesmen (aluminum/woodwork) reportedly kidnapped in Shaqra while on reconstruction assignments.
  • A civilian sea-captain trainee (b. 1986) allegedly abducted during a northern coastal raid; the team asserted US Embassy security personnel appeared on CCTV, disputing Israeli naval commando attribution and implying US/Israeli cooperation.
• Overarching claim: A pattern of kidnappings/POW detentions of both civilians and fighters in/near front-line areas during a declared ceasefire regime.

Syria: al-Jolani’s US visit, alleged rehabilitation, and strategic aims

• Subject: Abu Mohammad al-Jolani (Ahmad al-Sharaa) of HTS (ex-Nusra/Al-Qaeda Syria).
• Core allegation (Leila, NY): al-Jolani is undergoing a US-supported “legitimization” process (mainstream media rebranding, engagement with US political figures, potential delisting), with the objective to:
  • Legitimize continued US military presence and expansion in eastern Syria (including a military airbase adjacent to Conoco oil fields) as “legal” rather than occupation.
  • Enable “normalization” arrangements with Israel and tacit acceptance of Israeli control/activities in southern Syria (speakers asserted ~700 km² under Israeli grip, with checkpoints, home demolitions, and new pipelines siphoning Yarmouk Basin water).
• Media/IO critique: panel described a funded social-media campaign to whitewash al-Jolani, including uniform message sets and carefully curated interviews (e.g., his answer distancing himself from 9/11 decisions).
• Qatar’s role (archival audio played):
  • Leila played clips from a 2015 recording with a former Qatari foreign minister (later defense minister) describing US requests in 2006 to “befriend” Hamas and induce it to run in elections, later used as pretext for Gaza sanctions. He also referenced US-requested facilitation vis-à-vis the Taliban in Doha.
  • Speakers extrapolated that US/Gulf covert policy fostered, funded, and leveraged Islamist groups (including Muslim Brotherhood networks), with catastrophic outcomes in Syria, and that Qatar continued to bankroll influence campaigns.
• US basing rumor control: Leila explicitly denied reports of a new US airbase at Damascus/Mezze; reiterated US expansion near Conoco and existing presence at al-Tanf.

Western/Israeli influence in Lebanon: financial pressure, basing, and security incidents

• AML/CFT leverage: The US Treasury team’s visit to Beirut was characterized as coercive, with anti–money laundering and counter–terror finance demands framed by speakers as an attempt to suffocate resistance financing under the guise of compliance.
• Embassy scale and intelligence posture: The new US Embassy compound in Beirut was cited as the 2nd-largest US mission globally, allegedly serving regional CIA/Mossad logistics; UK assets said to operate surveillance along the Lebanon–Syria border.
• Maritime/shore incursion (Batroun area): In the abduction of the Lebanese civilian sea-captain trainee, Leila argued that CCTV suggested non-Israeli embassy-linked personnel (US Embassy security uniforms visible), implying coordination rather than a pure Israeli Shayetet 13 operation; UNIFIL Maritime (German-led) was accused of facilitating Israeli sea access.

Iraq: low-turnout elections and concern over PMF disarmament

• Turnout and stakes: Roughly 40% of 20.063 million eligible voters participated (≈8 million), with Sadrists boycotting. Speakers warned pro-US blocs could secure enough seats to push for Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF/PMU) disarmament and absorption into the regular army.
• Strategic risk: Disarmament/integration could degrade resistance’s asymmetric agility (hit-and-run, decentralized posture), turn units into static “sitting ducks,” and increase vulnerability to ISIS pockets and cross-border infiltration — a divide-and-conquer scenario, per the panel.

Yemen: espionage rings, civilian targeting, and information operations

• Pending guest brief: Constance (Yemeni Armed Forces/Defense Ministry) expected to detail arrests of espionage rings.
• Summary of claims (from prior Arabic space, recounted by Leila):
  • Mossad/US actors, aided by Saudi officers, recruited local collaborators for attacks on civilian venues (wedding halls), mapping civilian infrastructure for strikes to psychologically pressure Ansar Allah when battlefield pressure failed.
  • Broader infiltration efforts (media placement, NGO/WHO-linked health initiatives framed suspiciously by the speakers) and social-engineering attempts were cited; most were said to have been disrupted.
  • Yemeni support to Gaza continues, per the speakers.

2006 Lebanon war retrospective: Lebanese Army role and Israeli targeting

• Leila highlighted instances where the Lebanese Army (LAF) fought or facilitated resistance:
  • A LAF checkpoint near Tyre (Abbasiya area) held up a Shayetet 13 platoon for ~30 minutes, enabling AMAL/Hezbollah to counter-engage.
  • LAF Navy/engineering units allegedly provided target coordinates (e.g., on an offshore barge) and were subsequently heavily targeted by Israeli strikes; noted high LAF casualties on a single day (18th within the 34-day war window).
• Lesson drawn: Asymmetric resistance retains survivability; conventional forces/barracks are easily targeted. This informs Iraq PMF concerns above.

Eastern Mediterranean footprint: US base ambition and Gaza rumor

• Audience query: “US base in Gaza?”
• Panel’s answer: The US has long sought a robust Eastern Med foothold (complementing British bases on Cyprus and Russian assets in Syria). Leila referenced prior videos mapping US/British/Russian posture circles and reiterated a sustained American drive for an East Med base; the “Gaza base” rumor was nested in this broader strategic ambition rather than confirmed as a concrete plan in Gaza proper.

Ethical posture, reciprocity, and international law

• Norms debate: Leila and Nina argued that when an occupier targets civilians, reciprocity in kind is legally and morally grounded under both international law (right to resist occupation) and certain Islamic jurisprudential readings (respond in kind without being the first aggressor). They contended early, forceful deterrent red lines (retaliation against civilians for civilians) would have constrained Israeli strikes on Lebanese civilians post–Oct 8, 2024.
• Counterpoint context: The panel criticized reliance on “ethics of war” against actors they deem unrestrained, asserting that strict adherence enabled strategic disadvantage.

US/Iran nuclear narrative

• IAEA access: Iran reportedly allowed recent inspections at multiple sites except one.
• Panel’s read: US/Israeli messaging oscillates (from “Iran’s program destroyed” to “HEU smuggled to secret sites”), framed as narrative preparation to justify potential strikes.

US monetary policy aside (market calculus)

• Leila’s forecast: Fed cut 25 bps in September and October 2025; no December cut to avoid gold spikes and preserve equity appeal heading into holidays and an election-cycle market backdrop.

Activism, information environment, and platform dynamics

• Anti-Zionist political initiative in the UK: Panel flagged an “anti-Zionist movement” launch event in Bristol (speaker David Miller and others).
• Platform/information constraints: Multiple mentions of suppression, account throttling, and attempts to disrupt the live space, especially during playback of sensitive recordings.
• Strongly worded critiques: NY delivered extended remarks on “Jewish criminals,” Zionist supremacy, and unequal enforcement across platforms and institutions. The panel emphasized these were directed at criminal acts and impunity, not at religious identity per se, but the rhetoric was explicit and confrontational.

Key takeaways

• Gaza: The panel asserts that hostilities and collective punishment continue; warns of an under-covered Knesset initiative expanding lethal impunity; famine and exposure risks are acute.
• Lebanon: Israel is accelerating border wall and outpost fortifications, allegedly inside Lebanese territory; resistance is signaling a potential move beyond earlier rules of engagement.
• Detainee dossier: 19 Lebanese (7 fighters, 12 civilians) have been taken since the ceasefire regime; cases span fishermen, a shepherd, a paramedic, reconstruction workers, a municipal official, students, and frontline fighters.
• Syria: The panel frames al-Jolani’s rebranding as a US project to legalize/expand US presence in eastern Syria and to facilitate de facto acceptance of Israeli positions in the south.
• Iraq: Low turnout raises the risk of a parliament/government pushing PMF disarmament, which the panel sees as strategically dangerous and aligned with US objectives.
• Yemen: Speakers allege extensive hostile espionage and civilian-targeting networks intended to erode public resolve; arrests have been made.
• Strategic posture: Expect a shift toward more technological conflict; all sides are restocked; nuclear use viewed as highly improbable due to proximity.

Noted claims to independently verify (for readers seeking corroboration)

• The reported Knesset first-reading bill expanding legal impunity for executing Palestinians.
• Exact coordinates and legal status of newly built/extended Israeli barriers and outposts said to be inside Lebanese territory.
• The full, verified list of 19 Lebanese detainees/POWs (names, dates, locations, statuses) and corroborating evidence of medical deprivation and incidents of capture.
• The authenticity and complete context of the 2015 Qatari minister audio clips, and the broader claims about funding flows and command relationships during the Syria war.
• The CCTV and operational details regarding the coastal abduction attributed by the speakers to US Embassy-linked actors rather than exclusively Israeli naval commandos.
• The scale/specifics of Israeli-administered areas in southern Syria, including the Yarmouk Basin water-siphoning infrastructure.
• US basing expansions (Conoco-area runway/airbase development), and any emergent plans for additional East Med basing capability.

Closing

The session’s throughline is that US/Israeli policy and allied regional actors are, in the speakers’ view, actively reshaping facts on the ground across Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen via military pressure, legal/financial tools, information operations, and covert action. The Mina Uncensored team sought to document cases (especially Lebanese detainees) and tie current moves to longer-running strategic designs they argue are entering a consolidation phase.