Union of Municipalities, the mother of battles
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Nahar Net
a day ago
- Nahar Net
Bassil walks fine line on Hezbollah disarmament amid ongoing Israeli attacks
by Naharnet Newsdesk 20 August 2025, 12:36 Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil warned against using force to disarm Hezbollah, saying that it is not acceptable to threaten Hezbollah while Israel has not stopped its aggressions and is still occupying five hills in south Lebanon. Bassil said in an interview Tuesday with Saudi state-owned news channel al-Arabiya that using force against Hezbollah would lead to domestic conflicts after the government tasked the Lebanese army to submit a plan by the end of August to disarm the group. Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea warned Hezbollah Tuesday, saying that if the group would not respect the government's decision, the state might be forced to "enforce the law". The state should use force in that case "with the least possible cost to spare Lebanon any internal conflicts," Geagea said, adding that he still prefers to resolve the thorny issue "in a peaceful manner if possible." Bassil said Lebanon must push for both Israel's halt of attacks and Hezbollah's disarmament. "We cannot focus on the arms alone, it is not the only problem and was in the first place the result of Israeli occupation and aggression," he said. Despite a ceasefire reached in late November, Israel has kept its attacks almost daily especially on south Lebanon. It also is still occupying five hills in south Lebanon that it deems "strategic". Hezbollah says it would not hand over its weapons while Israeli strikes continue. Bassil proposed Hezbollah's weapons be handed over to the army and not destroyed so the army can protect Lebanon as it is still under attack. "Hezbollah has deviated from the Lebanese context of its arms," Bassil said, referring to the latest war in support of Gaza, yet he called for solidarity and unity in the face of external threats from Israel and Syria. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had recently expressed support for the idea of an expanded "Greater Israel", encompassing not only the present-day Palestinian territories of Gaza and the occupied West Bank, but also parts of modern Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Bassil urged the Lebanese to unite against the calls for a "Greater Syria" and a "Greater Israel", calling for national dialogue to protect the war-hit country.
L'Orient-Le Jour
3 days ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
An LF office hit by stray bullets in Ain al-Rummaneh
An office of the Lebanese Forces (LF), located in a shopping center in Ain al-Rummaneh, the Christian southeastern suburb of Beirut, was hit by stray bullets overnight from Sunday to Monday following a dispute that broke out near the center, a local mokhtar told L'Orient-Le Jour on Monday. Ain al-Rummaneh, home to many LF supporters, borders Beirut's southern suburb, a Hezbollah stronghold. The two camps are sharply divided over the issue of the Shiite party's arms, as pressure mounts on the pro-Iranian group after the government's decision to proceed with its disarmament, as well as that of other armed groups, by the end of the year. Contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour, a source within the LF said the party is following up on the issue with the relevant security forces, "awaiting an official statement that will clarify all the ambiguous details of this operation." The same source preferred to refrain from comment until the investigation is complete, stating that "any statement made without all the facts could lead things in the wrong direction." Local channel LBCI, citing security sources, said the shopping center housing the LF office was targeted by automatic weapons fire. "A bullet directly hit the LF office, while other projectiles scattered to different parts of the center," it added. "There are also reports of disputes related to the management of this shopping center," LBCI added.
L'Orient-Le Jour
3 days ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Aoun discusses importance of 'preserving Christian presence in Arab Middle East, curbing emigration'
During a meeting with Patriarch Mar Awa III of the Assyrian Church of the East, President Joseph Aoun emphasized Monday "the importance of preserving the Christian presence in the Arab Middle East and curbing the emigration of Christians," the Lebanese presidency said on X. Aoun stated that Christians are a "fundamental element of both Arab and Islamic societies." The emigration of Eastern Christians refers to the long and ongoing departure of Christian communities from the Middle East, notably from countries such as Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and Palestine, due to a combination of political instability, sectarian violence, economic difficulties and persecution.
