US Embassy in Beirut lifts departure order for staff families, travel advisory eased
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Ya Libnan
14 hours ago
- Ya Libnan
MP Fouad Makhzoumi calls Barrak's position a 'wake up call'. Urges the state to be courageous in its decision on illegal arms
MP Fouad Makhzoumi said in a statement that 'the position announced by Ambassador Tom Barak regarding Lebanon should be a wake-up call for the state, so that it can take action and act as a decision-maker, not as a hesitant mediator, hiding behind this or that pretext. Greater Lebanon, which we are proud to belong to and defend, requires courageous action at a fateful stage. What is required of the state is to withdraw all illegal weapons, effectively extend its authority over its land and borders, and dismantle the illegal military and security structures. Otherwise, God forbid, Lebanon will be on the political and economic waiting list. The Lebanese are waiting for courageous decisions from their state that go beyond the equations of buying time and managing the crisis.' Existential threat Makhzoumi's comments come after US Special Envoy Tom Barrack warned, in an interview with the Emirati newspaper The National, that Lebanon risks falling into the hands of regional powers unless Beirut moves to resolve the issue of Hezbollah's arms. He pointed out that 'Lebanon needs to resolve this issue, otherwise it could face an existential threat,' adding, 'Israel on one side, Iran on the other, and now Syria is emerging very quickly. If Lebanon doesn't act, it will return to the Levant.' He added, 'The Syrians say Lebanon is our beach resort. So we have to act. And I know how frustrated the Lebanese people are. This frustrates me too.' The Iran-backed Hezbollah militia was severely weakened in its war with Israel. The ceasefire that was agreed last November between Israel and Hezbollah was based on UN resolution 1701 and 1559 which call for disarming all militia in Lebanon. Following his election last January president Joseph Aoun pledged to make the Lebanese army the only entity allowed to bear arms but he has been overly cautious and reluctant in taking the ultimate decision of disarming Hezbollah for fear of a civil war. The majority of the Lebanese have been pressing Aoun to act in resolving the issue of Hezbollah arms and many leaders threatened to pull out of the government if Aoun does not act.
LBCI
16 hours ago
- LBCI
Netanyahu says working with Trump on Arab normalization
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that he is coordinating closely with U.S. President Donald Trump to pursue normalization agreements with additional Arab states, as well as a potential deal in Gaza. In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu said, "I worked with Trump during my last visit to the United States on an agreement regarding Gaza. I hope an agreement is reached, and I believe we will eventually achieve all of our goals in Gaza, including the destruction of Hamas." On Iran, Netanyahu emphasized the importance of maintaining pressure. "We scored a great victory over Iran," he claimed, suggesting that this could lead to "tremendous growth." He also made a controversial remark regarding targeted assassinations, stating: "We have killed Iranian nuclear scientists in the past, but not like the senior scientists we eliminated in the recent war."
MTV Lebanon
a day ago
- MTV Lebanon
Blast in Yemen Kills 5 Children Who Were Playing Soccer
Five children in southwestern Yemen died after an explosive device detonated in a residential area where they were playing soccer, rights groups and eye witnesses said Saturday. The circumstances surrounding their deaths on Friday night in the Al-Hashmah subdistrict of Taiz province remain unclear. However, the Yemen Center for Human Rights and another rights group called Eye of Humanity along with Houthi-controlled Al-Masirah TV said an artillery shell was fired by militias backed by the Islah party, which is allied to the internationally recognized government in south Yemen. A spokesperson for the United Nations children's agency UNICEF told The Associated Press that they are aware of reports about the incident but can't verify the facts at the moment. Two local residents who were eyewitnesses, Ahmed al-Sharee and Khaled al-Areki, told the AP that the children were playing soccer when the explosion happened. At least three people with minor to moderate injuries were also taken to the hospital, according to the eyewitnesses. Meanwhile, Mahmoud al-Mansi, another eyewitness, said the explosive was directed from an area where forces allied with the Islah party were present. The Yemen Center for Human Rights condemned the incident in a report that included graphic photos of the children's torn bodies. Citing healthcare sources at Al-Rafai Hospital, where the victims arrived unresponsive, the group said they died from shrapnel injuries. Two of the children were 12 years old, while two others were 14 years old, according to the group. The age of the fifth child is unknown. Taiz city, the capital of the province of the same name, has been a battleground, pitting the Iran-backed Houthi militias and other militias backed by the Islah party against each other and other factions in Yemen's civil war. The city was under Houthi blockade since 2016, restricting the freedom of movement and flow of essential goods to residents, but Houthis recently opened key roads. Yemen's ruinous civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of northern Yemen, forcing the internationally recognized government into exile. A coalition led by Saudi Arabia and including the United Arab Emirates intervened the following year to try to restore the government to power. The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council controls much of the south, which has been fractured by the civil war. The council advocates for the south's secession and has its own militia forces, allied to the internationally recognized government fighting the Houthis.
