30 Jun 2025 10:54 AM MP Georges Adwan to MTV: The issue of the electoral law is a matter of principle, and all Lebanese have the right to choose their 128 MPs
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L'Orient-Le Jour
13 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
End of fighting in Sweida: Joumblatt calls for dialogue and a ‘comprehensive political solution' in Syria
Lebanese Druze leader Walid Joumblatt called on Sunday for the opening of a dialogue among all groups in Syria under the leadership of the authorities, following the announcement of a cease-fire that ended a week of bloody communal clashes between Druze fighters and rival groups in Sweida. The Syrian government announced late Saturday into Sunday the end of fighting in the south of the country, which was immediately resumed by Druze groups. The violence between these groups and Sunni Bedouins, which began on July 13 in the Sweida region, has caused 940 deaths, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). A 'comprehensive political solution' in Syria Former Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader Walid Joumblatt emphasized the necessity of a cease-fire in Sweida as a prerequisite to advance the next steps of the process. He insisted that 'a comprehensive political solution is the only way to preserve the authority of the Syrian state and to address the legitimate demands of the inhabitants of the Druze Mountain,' calling for the opening of a dialogue among all religious, political and communal components under the aegis of the denounced 'any declarations calling for international or Israeli protection,' arguing that 'such proposals undermine Syria's sovereignty as well as the national and Arab heritage of Soueida.' Some voices within the Druze community, notably in Syria, have called for Israeli protection of the community amid growing anger against the authority of Ahmad al-Sharaa, who is accused of failing to protect the Druze of Soueida. Joumblatt urged 'an end to the escalation, lifting the siege on the affected areas, and serious efforts to avoid any new surge in tensions.' He also reminded that 'the Druze of Syria are an authentic component of the Syrian national and Arab fabric, and it is unacceptable to exclude them from their Arab identity or to treat them as foreigners in their natural environment.' Blocking the path to Israeli interference In a separate statement, the PSP called on the Syrian state, the people of Sweida, and the Arab tribes to 'work to consolidate the ceasefire, which is more important than any other consideration, including revenge, to ensure Syria's security, stability and unity.' The party urged the Syrian government to act seriously to regain control over the chaotic and unstable situation in the Sweida governorate and to end attacks on Druze villages in the Druze Mountain, thereby preventing calls for international protection or Israeli interference. After a government forces intervention in Sweida during the week, which led to killings in the region, the Israeli army carried out bombings and strikes against military headquarters in Damascus. Walid Joumblatt sharply criticized these Israeli actions, accusing the Israeli state of 'pitting the Druze against all components of Syrian society.'The PSP concluded: 'Consolidating the cease-fire is the gateway to the second phase, namely political dialogue aimed at integrating the Sweida governorate into the Syrian state and its official institutions.'Walid Joumblatt had already called for dialogue in Syria on Friday and requested a 'clear plan to establish security and then absorb armed Druze elements into the Syrian police or army.' He was the first Lebanese political figure to travel to Syria to meet the new leader Ahmad al-Sharaa on Dec. 22, 2024, just weeks after the fall of the Assad regime.
L'Orient-Le Jour
17 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Concrete factory blown up by Israeli army in Yaroun
Amid intensified Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon, new attacks were reported late Sunday. Three Israeli artillery shells targeted the outskirts of the town of Kfar Shuba (Hasbaya district), according to our correspondent in the south. The Israeli army also destroyed a concrete factory in Yaroun, in the Bint Jbeil district of southern Lebanon, overnight from Saturday to Sunday after infiltrating Lebanese territory, according to sources from our correspondent in the South, Muntasser Abdallah. Later in the day, an Israeli drone dropped leaflets over the town claiming that the demolished factory had been 'working for the benefit of Hezbollah.' The explosion occurred amid ongoing Israeli artillery fire reported throughout the night in southern Lebanon. According to our correspondent, around 3 a.m., two loud explosions were heard in the Bint Jbeil area during the detonation of the factory, sparking panic in nearby villages. Several hours later, an Israeli drone dropped leaflets over Yaroun — a village heavily damaged in the last war between Hezbollah and Israel — to justify the destruction of the facility. 'There is no economic benefit to cooperating with Hezbollah. This site was working for Hezbollah, which continues to threaten the region and drag it into danger,' the leaflets read. On Saturday evening around 9 p.m., two Israeli patrol boats crossed the maritime buoy line demarcating the exclusive economic zones of Lebanon and Israel and approached a Lebanese fishing boat off the coast of Naqoura (Sour district). An Israeli drone then dropped a stun grenade near the Lebanese vessel. Overnight strikes At around 10 p.m., Israeli artillery shelled the outskirts of Alma al-Shaab (Sour) multiple times. Other artillery strikes targeted the periphery of Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil), using incendiary shells that ignited fires. Separately, Israeli army Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee announced late Saturday night on X that Israeli forces had 'conducted a strike and eliminated Ahmad Mohammad Salah,' identified as 'the commander of Hezbollah's unit in charge of the Yohmor area' in the Nabatiyeh district. According to the statement, Salah had been working on reconstructing Hezbollah infrastructure in the area. Salah was reportedly killed earlier Saturday in a drone strike while riding a motorcycle in Yohmor al-Chaqif, according to our sources. Another man was killed earlier that day in a separate drone strike on Khiam (Marjayoun), which the Israeli army claimed targeted a 'member of the Radwan Force,' Hezbollah's elite unit. Since the cease-fire that took effect on Nov. 27, the Israeli army has conducted near-daily airstrikes on Lebanon — primarily in the South and the Bekaa — killing more than 270 people. Israeli forces continue to occupy five positions inside Lebanese territory along the border, from which they launch attacks and conduct regular incursions into southern villages.
L'Orient-Le Jour
17 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Salam received by Rai
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met Saturday evening in Dimane, northern Lebanon, with Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai, according to a post on the Grand Serail's X account. Patriarch Rai is currently residing at the summer headquarters of the patriarchate, located in the Bsharri region. On this occasion, Salam emphasized the importance of the role played by the head of the Maronite Church in ''consolidating national principles and strengthening partnership among the Lebanese.'' In recent days, Lebanon has witnessed a resurgence of sectarian tensions linked to clashes between Druze and Bedouin groups in southern Syria. These confrontations have led to the involvement of regular Syrian government forces under Ahmad al-Sharaa, as well as Israeli airstrikes, raising fears of the conflict spilling over into Lebanon. Meanwhile, the issue of state monopoly over arms — and particularly the disarmament of Hezbollah — continues to stir unrest on the domestic political scene. The party refuses to relinquish its arsenal and advocates for dialogue, while its opponents are calling on President Joseph Aoun — who is concerned about the risk of internal destabilization — and the Salam cabinet to enforce disarmament.
