Latest news with #AhmadAbdelHadi
The National
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Hamas in Lebanon 'fully committed' to Israeli-Lebanese ceasefire
Hamas in Lebanon is 'fully committed' to the country's ceasefire agreement with Israel, a representative of the militant Palestinian group said on Thursday, adding it has already shown co-operation with the Lebanese state by handing over three people accused of firing rockets towards Israel in late March. 'Hamas is committed to Lebanon's sovereignty, security, stability, and laws, as well as to the ceasefire decision,' said Ahmad Abdel Hadi, the group's representative in Lebanon. The ceasefire, which ended a 14-month conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, called on Lebanon's government to disarm all armed groups in the country and dismantle non-state military infrastructure. Mr Abdel Hadi said the March rocket launch, which prompted deadly retaliatory attacks from Israel, was 'an individual act carried out by several young people' and that Hamas had no prior knowledge of the plot. The unaffiliated individuals shot rockets into Israel out of 'grief and in reaction to the war of extermination and massacres committed by [Israel] in Gaza after it violated the ceasefire agreement,' he added. Three of the four accused have been surrendered to the Lebanese state, according to Mr Abdel Hadi, with co-operation continuing to find the fourth. Lebanese authorities last week warned Hamas not to conduct operations that compromise the security or sovereignty of Lebanon, amid increasing pressure from the US to disarm militant groups outside Lebanese state control. The country's highest security body threatened the 'harshest measures' if Hamas in Lebanon were to launch attacks on Israel. Hamas has maintained a presence in Lebanon for decades, and the country has hosted Palestinian refugees since they were displaced from their land in 1948 during the creation of Israel. The UN estimates about 250,000 Palestinians reside in refugee camps throughout Lebanon, and the state has limited authority in these areas. Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun, who took office in January following the establishment of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, has vowed to bring all weapons in the country under the state's authority. Accomplishing such a task would be unprecedented in a country historically known for hosting powerful non-state actors. 'Until now, no official body in the Lebanese state has informed us of any request regarding Palestinian weapons,' Mr Abdel Hadi said. 'When the state requests it, we will respond with a unified Palestinian position.' The Hamas representative added that the movement plans to hold dialogue among Palestinian factions in Lebanon 'to prepare for the development of a unified Palestinian vision' on the issue of weapons, as well as Palestinian rights and security in Lebanon. Hezbollah's successive setbacks during the war with Israel – including the killing of most of its leadership – has cost the group its dominance in Lebanon's political scene and paved the way for efforts to disarm it.
The National
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Hamas in Lebanon 'fully committed' to Israel-Lebanon ceasefire
Hamas in Lebanon is 'fully committed' to the country's ceasefire agreement with Israel, a representative of the militant Palestinian group said on Thursday, adding it has already shown co-operation with the Lebanese state by handing over three people accused of firing rockets towards Israel in late March. 'Hamas is committed to Lebanon's sovereignty, security, stability, and laws, as well as to the ceasefire decision,' said Ahmad Abdel Hadi, the group's representative in Lebanon. The ceasefire, which ended a 14-month conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, called on Lebanon's government to disarm all armed groups in the country and dismantle non-state military infrastructure. Mr Abdel Hadi said the March rocket launch, which prompted deadly retaliatory attacks from Israel, was 'an individual act carried out by several young people' and that Hamas had no prior knowledge of the plot. The unaffiliated individuals shot rockets into Israel out of 'grief and in reaction to the war of extermination and massacres committed by [Israel] in Gaza after it violated the ceasefire agreement,' he added. Three of the four accused have been surrendered to the Lebanese state, according to Mr Abdel Hadi, with co-operation continuing to find the fourth. Lebanese authorities last week warned Hamas not to conduct operations that compromise the security or sovereignty of Lebanon, amid increasing pressure from the US to disarm militant groups outside Lebanese state control. The country's highest security body threatened the 'harshest measures' if Hamas in Lebanon were to launch attacks on Israel. Hamas has maintained a presence in Lebanon for decades, and the country has hosted Palestinian refugees since they were displaced from their land in 1948 during the creation of Israel. The UN estimates about 250,000 Palestinians reside in refugee camps throughout Lebanon, and the state has limited authority in these areas. Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun, who took office in January following the establishment of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, has vowed to bring all weapons in the country under the state's authority. Accomplishing such a task would be unprecedented in a country historically known for hosting powerful non-state actors. 'Until now, no official body in the Lebanese state has informed us of any request regarding Palestinian weapons,' Mr Abdel Hadi said. 'When the state requests it, we will respond with a unified Palestinian position.' The Hamas representative added that the movement plans to hold dialogue among Palestinian factions in Lebanon 'to prepare for the development of a unified Palestinian vision' on the issue of weapons, as well as Palestinian rights and security in Lebanon. Hezbollah's successive setbacks during the war with Israel – including the killing of most of its leadership – has cost the group its dominance in Lebanon's political scene and paved the way for efforts to disarm it.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel hits southern Lebanon as Hamas agrees to ceasefire from there
Tel Aviv/Beirut (dpa) — Israeli fighter jets carried out a series of heavy airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Thursday, targeting a Hezbollah site near the city of Nabatieh, according to Lebanese security sources. At least 15 strikes were reported in the area, resulting in the death of one person and leaving eight others injured, Lebanon's Health Ministry said. The Israeli military confirmed the operation, stating that the targeted Hezbollah facility was used to manage weapons systems related to both offence and defence. The base was described as part of a major underground project run by the Iranian-backed militia. "The strike targeted terrorists, weapons and tunnels," the military said, adding that the facility has been rendered inoperable. Israel accused Hezbollah of violating a ceasefire agreement that has officially been in place since late November 2023. Though both sides have repeatedly blamed each other for violations, Israel maintains it will continue to strike militant targets in Lebanon if deemed necessary to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its capabilities. The latest escalation highlights the fragility of the truce between Hezbollah — an ally of the Palestinian militant organization Hamas — and Israel, as tensions in the region remain high. Hamas, which mainly operates in the Gaza Strip and was responsible for attacking Israel, along with others on October 7, 2023, which started the current conflict, said on Thursday that it is fully committed to an Israel-Lebanese ceasefire. This came after a recent rocket-launching incident by Hamas that raised tensions there. In a statement, Ahmad Abdel Hadi, Hamas's representative in Lebanon, said the group had informed Lebanese authorities of its stance and was cooperating with the state to address the matter. He described the rocket fire as an unauthorized act carried out by individuals reacting emotionally to Israel's ongoing offensive in Gaza. Hamas, he emphasized, had no prior knowledge of the launch and did not approve it. In response to a formal request by Lebanese authorities, Hamas handed over three of the four individuals allegedly involved and is continuing coordination with Lebanese security services. Despite the November ceasefire, Israeli airstrikes and intermittent rocket fire from Lebanese territory have continued, including two unclaimed attacks on March 22 and 28. Israel has said it reserves the right to continue targeting militant groups in Lebanon. On Wednesday, another Hamas commander was killed in such an attack. In April, the Lebanese Army arrested several Lebanese and Palestinian individuals reportedly connected to those attacks, including three members of Hamas, according to security sources. Abdel Hadi called his recent meetings with senior Lebanese officials 'positive and constructive,' and denied rumors of tension with the state. He stressed Hamas's respect for Lebanese sovereignty, stability, and laws. The statement also said Jordan had not raised any concerns about Hamas's presence in Lebanon, following claims by Jordan's Intelligence Department that it foiled plots linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, a group ideologically close to Hamas.
L'Orient-Le Jour
08-05-2025
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Hamas assures compliance with Lebanon cease-fire and cooperation with state
BEIRUT — Hamas' representative in Lebanon, Ahmad Abdel Hadi, said in a Thursday statement that the Palestinian Islamist movement "fully respects the cease-fire" with Israel in Lebanon and is coordinating with the Lebanese state, adding that the unclaimed rocket fire towards Israel on March 22 and 28, which led to deadly reprisals on Lebanon, were "individual acts." The statement noted that the group turned over three suspects to Lebanese authorities, noting that a fourth is still being sought. "The rocket firing incident was an individual act perpetrated by a group of youths, driven by pain and in reaction to the genocide and massacres committed by the Zionist enemy in Gaza after breaking the cease-fire agreement [on March 18, 2025]," stated its representative. "Hamas was not informed in advance of this action and did not decide it." The rocket firings were not claimed, fueling suspicions about their perpetrators. "From the very first moment, and after the Lebanese state's official request to hand over the four wanted persons, the movement cooperated positively and handed over three of them," the statement said. "Coordination is ongoing with the relevant security services to complete the remaining steps." A cease-fire took effect on Nov. 27, 2024, between Hezbollah and Israel, ending 13 months of conflict that killed more than 4,000 people and injured over 16,500 others in Lebanon, according to Lebanese Health Ministry. "Hamas took part in the support war alongside the Islamic resistance, Hezbollah, the Amal movement, the Jamaa Islamiya, and other Palestinian factions to face the Zionist aggression against Lebanon," said Abdel Hadi. The day after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, Hezbollah opened a "support front" for Gaza, which escalated into a full-scale war on Sept. 23, 2024, following a major Israeli air offensive on Lebanon. 'Close cooperation' with the Lebanese state Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected on May 21 in Beirut to discuss "the extension of the authority" of Lebanese power to Palestinian refugee camps escaping its control, thus, the disarmament of these overcrowded camps, where some 250,000 refugees live. Nonetheless Abdel Hadi claimed that "no official authority of the Lebanese state informed us of requests" regarding Palestinian weapons, explaining that "the day the state does so, we will respond with a unified Palestinian position, taking into account the sovereignty and interest of Lebanon, as well as those of the Palestinian people." The statement specified that an "inter-Palestinian dialogue is ongoing in Lebanon to develop a unified Palestinian vision on this subject and others: human and social rights, the security and stability of our camps, and other issues." It also mentioned "positive and constructive" meetings with the Director General of the General Security, General Hassan Choucair, and the Director of Intelligence Tony Kahwaji, laying "the foundations of close cooperation on issues related to the Palestinian presence in Lebanon in the future." In an interview on April 30, President Joseph Aoun stated that the authorities were "working to remove heavy and medium weapons from the entire Lebanese territory" and that he should discuss the disarmament of Palestinian camps with Abbas. On May 2, the Supreme Defense Council warned Hamas, for the first time, "not to use Lebanese territory to conduct any actions compromising national security, under penalty of taking the strictest measures and actions to put an end to any violation of Lebanese sovereignty."
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hamas in Lebanon says it fully supports Israel-Lebanon ceasefire
The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in Lebanon reaffirmed on Thursday its full commitment to the ceasefire along the Lebanese-Israeli border, following a recent rocket-launching incident that raised tensions there. In a statement, Ahmad Abdel Hadi, Hamas's representative in Lebanon, said the group had informed Lebanese authorities of its stance and was cooperating with the state to address the matter. He described the rocket fire as an unauthorized act carried out by individuals reacting emotionally to Israel's ongoing offensive in Gaza. Hamas, he emphasized, had no prior knowledge of the launch and did not approve it. In response to a formal request by Lebanese authorities, Hamas handed over three of the four individuals allegedly involved and is continuing coordination with Lebanese security services. Despite a ceasefire agreement reached in November between Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli airstrikes and intermittent rocket fire from Lebanese territory have continued, including two unclaimed attacks on March 22 and 28. Israel has said it reserves the right to continue targeting militant groups in Lebanon. On Wednesday, another Hamas commander was killed in such an attack. In April, the Lebanese Army arrested several Lebanese and Palestinian individuals reportedly connected to those attacks, including three members of Hamas, according to security sources. Abdel Hadi called his recent meetings with senior Lebanese officials 'positive and constructive,' and denied rumors of tension with the state. He stressed Hamas's respect for Lebanese sovereignty, stability, and laws. The statement also said Jordan had not raised any concerns about Hamas's presence in Lebanon, following claims by Jordan's Intelligence Department that it foiled plots linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, a group ideologically close to Hamas.
