US resumes strikes against Islamic State in Libya - Thomas Joscelyn & Bill Roggio (Long War Journal)
Palestinian Reconciliation: Abbas Says No to "Hizbullah Model" in Gaza as Hamas Seeks to Retain Armed Wing - Jack Khoury (Ha'aretz) The pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat reported over the weekend that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has stipulated three conditions for reconciliation. First, that Hamas dismantle its military wing; second, that there be no foreign involvement in the administration of Gaza; and third, that any money for restoration and development only be channeled through the Palestinian government. According to Palestinian officials, these conditions are intended to block any involvement by former Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan or countries like Qatar.
4,500-Year-Old Bronze Age Settlement Flattened by Hamas Bulldozers (AP-The National-Abu Dhabi) Palestinian and French archaeologists in Gaza unearthed a rare 4,500-year-old Bronze Age settlement 20 years ago. Now Hamas bulldozers are flattening the last remnants of the excavation - Tel Es-Sakan - the largest Canaanite city between Palestine and Egypt. In 2013, Hamas seized the 3,000-year-old Anthedon Harbor to build a military training camp, parts of which were bulldozed. In 2016, the remains of a Byzantine church were discovered in Gaza, but authorities are believed to have destroyed them.
Drone Strike Kills 8 Hizbullah Fighters in Syria (AFP-Al-Monitor) On Monday an unidentified "drone hit a Hizbullah position near the town of Sukhna (in central Homs province) killing eight fighters, and injuring more than 20," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The War in Syria Is Far from Over - Anshel Pfeffer (Ha'aretz) The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported this week that September was the bloodiest month this year, with 3,055 people killed - at least a third of them civilians, among them 207 children. There are still significant pockets of resistance, with most of the casualties caused by the fighting against ISIS in Raqqa and the Euphrates Valley. Idlib province in northwest Syria, where rebels remain largely in control, has seen ferocious Syrian and Russian airstrikes in recent weeks.
In Moscow, Saudi king slams Iran, signs billion dollar defense, energy deals (Times of Israel) In first official visit by a Saudi monarch to Russia, King Salman tells Putin Iran must stop regional meddling, says wants to see Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as capital
Turkey Opens Large Military Base in Somalia - Abdi Latif Dahir (Defense One)
A terrorist defies the BBC’s narrative (BBC Watch) Anytime the BBC reports on a terror attack against Israelis, the corporation tends to tell its audience something like, "Israelis blame Palestinian incitement; Palestinians blame frustration over the occupation." But sometimes terrorists themselves unambiguously deny the BBC's narrative. Ziad Awad, who was recently sentenced for an April 2014 terror attack, confirmed his religious motivation to his son before the attack, saying that "according to Islam, whoever kills a Jew goes to heaven." The BBC only belatedly reported on the original attack and ignored the arrest, indictment, and the motive behind the murder.
