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Arab News
22 minutes ago
- Arab News
Lebanese state and Hezbollah face their most difficult hour
Can Lebanon become a normal state again, one that makes decisions through state institutions and that respects its commitments in line with international laws? Can Hezbollah acknowledge that the 'Axis of Resistance' is no more, and that it has no choice but to return to Lebanon and close the chapter of the 'regional player?' Can the party agree to a lesser role for Lebanon if Iran agrees to a lesser role in the region in recognition of the new balance of power? It does not take a genius to recognize that the situation in Lebanon has not changed, even though the features of this new reality have yet to be fully formed. Joseph Aoun was sworn in as president with Arab and international backing and under the slogan of reclaiming the state with all of its institutions. Nawaf Salam was named prime minister with the same goals. However, it was evident that Lebanon would not enjoy regional and international support for its reconstruction unless the decisions that are carried out in the south are restored to the state alone. I recalled what an Arab politician once told me. He said the Axis of Resistance was based on three pillars: The first was Gen. Qassem Soleimani, with his unique position in the Iranian supreme leader's circle and role in exporting the revolution that is enshrined in the Iranian constitution. The second was Hassan Nasrallah, who was Soleimani's partner in building the axis in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon. The third was Syria, which acted as the supply route for arms, 'advisers,' and funds from Tehran to Beirut passing through Iraq. What is left of Hezbollah's regional role now that Soleimani and Nasrallah are dead, and the Syrian 'bridge' has been severed with the ousting of former leader Bashar Assad? The politician said Hezbollah is undoubtedly going through the most difficult phase since its establishment in the wake of the Israeli invasion of Beirut in 1982. Nasrallah and Soleimani are no more, and the Syrian Arab Republic President Ahmed Al-Sharaa has not forgotten what the pair did to keep Assad's regime alive. Tehran has suffered from Israeli jets breaching its skies. There is no doubt that Hezbollah fought fiercely, but there can be no denying Israel's superiority and how it succeeded in eliminating the pillars of the axis. This reality prompted Aoun to dare to declare the facts as they are after he realized that Lebanon was at risk of more Israeli violations and that it would not get out from under the rubble without paying a price — Hezbollah and its weapons. So, he openly declared what his predecessors had avoided saying explicitly: The possession of weapons should be restricted to the army and Hezbollah must disarm. Hezbollah is obviously having a hard time accepting this demand, which is effectively calling on it to abandon its regional exploits and become a local party that does not monopolize the decision of war and peace and has no military arsenal. In other words, it no longer has the right to name presidents and veto any Lebanese decisions that do not align with its regional vision. In early summer 2004, I held a meeting with Assad, with discussions focusing on the US invasion of Iraq and its impact on the region. I had to ask about Lebanon, where Syrian troops were deployed throughout its territories and where Syria held sway over its decisions. The country was then ruled by President Emile Lahoud. Assad said that his term would end in the fall. I asked him about the rumors that the term would be extended, to which he replied: 'Wasn't the extension of Elias Hrawi's term costly?' I agreed, and Assad added: 'Don't you think Lahoud's extension will be even more costly?' And I had to agree. Assad revealed that he had a list of possible presidential candidates, including Jean Obeid, whom he said was skilled at politics, but would be no match for Rafik Hariri. Asked who his preferred candidate was, he tried to imply that the Lebanese themselves would decide in the end. I told him that I was not some ignorant stranger and that I knew how things worked in Lebanon. At my insistence, Assad told me he favored Suleiman Frangieh, whom he praised. Will Hezbollah assume the responsibility for the isolation that will befall Lebanon if it insists on hanging on to its arsenal? Ghassan Charbel In the end, Lahoud's term was extended and Frangieh was ruled out as a candidate, perhaps because he was a family friend of the Assads. I returned to Syria that fall and asked Assad what prompted the extension, to which he replied that a 'friend' advised him that Frangieh needed to forge more foreign relations, especially in the region. Frangieh would later reveal to me that the 'friend' was none other than Nasrallah, who urged Assad to extend Lahoud's term, a decision that would be costly for Syria after Hariri's assassination. Hezbollah made presidents and governments in Lebanon. It kept the presidential palace vacant for two-and-half years so that it would be able to elect Michel Aoun as president, putting him at odds with Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri from day one of his term. Can a party that used to change Assad's decisions and that sent advisers to Yemen and Iraq return to the Lebanese map without its rockets? Will the party assume the responsibility for the isolation that will befall Lebanon if it insists on hanging on to its arsenal or if it sparks a new Israeli war on Lebanon? The party has lost its strong leader, its influence in Syria, and its ability to fight Israel, so what role does its arsenal have left to play? Can it take the decision to lay down its arms?
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Israel kills dozens in Gaza; Kremlin awaits Trump envoy ahead of sanctions deadline
In this episode of W News, presented by Leigh-Ann Gerrans, we report on the ongoing war in Gaza, where health officials say at least 40 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire and airstrikes, including 10 who were seeking aid. We also cover the Kremlin's statement that it expects 'important' talks later this week with US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, ahead of Trump's looming deadline to impose new sanctions on Russia unless it makes progress toward a peace deal in Ukraine. Guests: Moshe Elad – Middle East specialist Ahmed Fattouh – Fatah spokesperson Dasha Chernyshova – Correspondent Ander Antikov – Political analyst
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Hundreds gather to mark five years since Beirut blast, but justice still elusive
BEIRUT: Hundreds of Lebanese gathered solemnly near Beirut's coast on Monday to commemorate a half-decade since the cataclysmic port blast of 2020, when more than 200 people were killed in one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history. Carrying Lebanese flags and portraits of some of the victims, many of those standing said they felt deeply disappointed that no one has been held to account for the devastating explosion.'Can someone tell me why five years on we're still standing here? If everyone stands with this cause, then who's against us?' said William Noun, whose brother Joseph, a firefighter, was killed by the blast.'This file needs to close. It's been five years and we don't want to have a sixth,' Noun said from a stage set up near the blast destroyed large swathes of Beirut, leaving tens of thousands of people names of all those killed were read out as protesters stood facing the wreckage of the Beirut grain silos, which were heavily damaged in the blast and continued to deteriorate and collapse for years after. At 6:07 p.m. — the time of the blast five years ago — the few hundred gathered stood for a moment of silence.'I'm here because I find it crazy that five years later, we still don't know exactly what happened,' said Catherine Otayek, 30. 'I had hope for answers in 2020. I didn't think we'd still be here.'Although she did not lose anyone herself, the Lebanese expatriate living in France said she made it a point to return to Beirut every year for the commemoration as a duty to fellow port blast came nearly a year into Lebanon's catastrophic economic collapse, and was followed by a political crisis that paralyzed government and a devastating war between Hezbollah and Israel starting in STYMIEDThe blast is thought to have been set off by a fire at a warehouse on the evening of August 4, 2020, detonating hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate. Lebanese officials promised at the time that an investigation into the blast's root causes would be completed in five days. But years of political interference stymied the probe, with judicial officials and then-ministers continually raising legal challenges against the investigating judges, effectively paralysing the investigation. Some Lebanese have drawn hope from pledges by President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam — both of whom came to power at the beginning of this year — to prioritize justice for blast Monday, Aoun pledged to hold those responsible for the blast accountable, regardless of their position or political affiliation. 'Justice will not die, and accountability will inevitably come,' he president and prime minister did not attend Monday's commemoration. Judge Tarek Bitar resumed his investigation earlier this year and has questioned several officials in recent months — but he has yet to issue a preliminary indictment, which many Lebanese were hoping for ahead of the fifth anniversary.'We want a preliminary indictment that is complete and comprehensive,' said Paul Naggear, whose three-year-old daughter Alexandra was killed in the blast. 'We want to know who was supposed to evacuate our neighborhoods, so that we could get to the hospital, and so my daughter could have survived.'Naggear and his wife Tracy have been among the most vocal advocates for accountability for the groups have pressed for a full investigation that will establish the full chain of responsibility. 'Justice delayed is justice denied,' said Reina Wehbi, Amnesty International's Lebanon campaigner. 'The families of those killed and injured in the Beirut explosion have waited an intolerable five years. They must not be forced to endure another year of impunity.'
