Damascus, Tel Aviv attempt de-escalation in Paris, no concrete agreement
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Rumors, tension over Syrian Druze militia leader's whereabouts in Lebanon: What we know
BEIRUT — Dozens of angry people gathered in front of the Raj hotel in Aley on Tuesday night following rumors claiming that Syrian Druze military leader Laith al-Balous — who some accuse of being expelled from the Syrian city of Sweida over disputes with Druze factions — was staying there. However, Balous told the Saudi news channel Al-Hadath on Wednesday that he was still in the province of Sweida. A source at the establishment and another close to the main Druze political party, Progressive Socialist Party (PSP), told L'Orient Today on Wednesday that Sheikh al-Balous was not present at the scene. Earlier this month, clashes took place between Druze armed groups and Sunni Bedouin tribes in Sweida, backed by governmental forces, leading to massacres that killed more than 1,300 people, including hundreds of civilians. Al-Balous leads a Druze faction called the "forces of dignity," a group that split from the Men of Dignity (a federation of Druze tribes led by Laith's father, Wahid al-Balous). He has cooperated with Damascus and is seen as the regime's primary liaison in Sweida. During the clashes, he has facilitated the army's entry into Druze-held villages. However, after the regime forces pulled out from Sweida and reports of atrocities against Druze emerged, researcher Cédric Labrousse claimed that Laith "may fear for his life." Al-Balous in the Raj hotel? On Tuesday, reports on social media claimed that the Lebanese Army imposed a cordon around the Raj Hotel in Aley after the arrival of Laith al-Balous and that dozens of young men tried to storm the hotel amid gunfire. Contacted by L'Orient Today, a security source was "unable to confirm" these reports on Wednesday. Meanwhile, three mokhtars of Aley said they had no information on the alleged incident. The rumors intensified when the founder of the Druze Tawhid party and former minister Wiam Wahhab wrote on X on Tuesday: "We heard that party members brought a Sheikh, who was expelled from Sweida and pursued by the people [of the city], to Lebanon without stamping his papers at the border. We will follow up on this matter because it is dangerous and unacceptable, and we hope no one is trying to spark strife between people, as whoever is expelled from Sweida will not be welcomed here. The blood of our people is a red line, and whoever tampers with it will be punished." During the Sweida clashes, Wahhab, who says he does not oppose Israeli support to Druze factions in Syria, took a controversial stance, calling for the creation of a militia dubbed the 'Tawhid Army" to support the Druze community there militarily. In comments made to Al-Hadath, Balous stated that he was 'within the geographical boundaries of the province of Sweida' and that he was 'overseeing what is happening there.' Denying that he was in Lebanon, he claimed that these rumors 'were spread by figures with ties to ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Iran and Hezbollah,' in a probable reference to Wahhab. He finally accused 'certain parties,' without naming them, of 'wanting to push Lebanon into sedition.' Contacted by L'Orient Today on Wednesday, a source at the Raj Hotel said that the Lebanese army was dispatched to the hotel for two hours after around 100 men gathered near it. The source added that there was no attempt to storm the hotel and no gunfire took place. It noted that those who gathered in the area, as well as the Lebanese Army, left the premises after the latter confirmed that al-Balous was not in the hotel. PSP involved? A source close to PSP also denied the reports about the sheikh's stay at the Raj hotel and the alleged gunfire: "The rumor is not true, it is a fabrication," it said, noting that the army was present to prevent those who gathered near the hotel from approaching it. An X account, under the name of "Mira Medusa" claimed on Tuesday, without citing any source, that al-Balous was smuggled out through the hotel's parking garage, adding that he was secretly moved to the residence of PSP MP Akram Chehayeb in preparation for his transfer to Mukhtara in the Chouf, which is the political stronghold of the Joumblatt family. The source close to PSP denied these claims, saying that the party does not know anything about al-Balous nor does it have a direct relationship with him. The source added that, to its knowledge, the sheikh is not even in Lebanon. The PSP is politically opposed to Wiam Wahhab, who was a close ally of the Assad regime before its collapse in December 2024. While Wahhab is a strong critic of the new Syrian authorities, Walid Joumblatt, the former leader of PSP, has stressed the importance of preserving Syria's unity and promoting understanding among all its citizens under the authority of the Syrian state. These rumors take place as fears from a sectarian spillover from Syria to Lebanon are being voiced by several political leaders, notably Joumblatt, who has been calling for unity and calm.
