Latest news with #AmalMovement
L'Orient-Le Jour
3 days ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
‘Resistance is more necessary than ever,' says Hezbollah
Amid rising tensions along Lebanon's southern border, Amal Movement MP Ali Hassan Khalil and Hezbollah MP Hassan Ezzeddine on Saturday warned against persistent Israeli violations, urging stronger local governance and renewed commitment to 'resistance.' Speaking at a meeting with municipal officials from Sour, Bint Jbeil and Marjayoun, Khalil described Lebanon as facing 'one of the most complex phases' in decades, marked by political, security, and regional geopolitical challenges. He emphasized the essential role of municipalities, according to the official National News Agency (NNA). 'Major issues are unfolding in the region that will inevitably impact Lebanon's internal stability […] That is why municipal councils must be able to respond and guide their local communities through these challenges,' he said. Khalil also warned of escalating tensions at the border: 'We live in direct contact with the Israeli enemy, who is now trying to impose its will through daily aggressions. This places us all in a position of responsibility.' He called for legislative reform to empower local authorities, highlighting ongoing efforts to draft a Municipal Empowerment Law and criticizing the current municipal fund as insufficient and unsustainable. Addressing regional dynamics, Khalil accused Israel of pursuing a broader plan to erase Palestinian identity and geography. 'Syria has effectively become an Israeli protectorate,' he stated, warning that Israel now seeks to extend this project to southern Lebanon 'through fire, politics, and possibly occupation.' 'Resistance is more necessary than ever' In a similar tone, Hezbollah MP Hassan Ezzeddine condemned what he called Israel's 'continuous aggression' during the inauguration of a Qur'anic Institute and Martyrs' Hall in Maaroub (Sour). 'What the Zionist enemy is doing today goes beyond simple violations — it is a perpetual war,' he said, accusing Israel of targeting homes and infrastructure under the pretext of disrupting 'resistance' networks, 'despite public statements from the Lebanese Army, UNIFIL and international organizations confirming that no such infrastructure exists south of the Litani River.' Ezzeddine further described Israel as the regional arm of American power. 'When Israel cannot act, the United States intervenes directly, as seen in the attack on the Islamic Republic of Iran,' he stressed, asserting that 'defending our land requires no one's permission; it is a natural right.' 'That is why resistance remains more necessary than ever. It protects us from isolation and attacks,' he added. Washington has called for a clear roadmap for Hezbollah's disarmament, including a timetable and enforcement mechanisms. However, the party has firmly rejected any new agreement, insisting Israel must first comply with existing accords. Hezbollah refuses to surrender its weapons or commit to a disarmament schedule. « La résistance est plus nécessaire que jamais », affirme un député du Hezbollah
Roya News
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
US proposes new deal as if ‘Israeli' violations never happened: Hezbollah's leader
Sheikh Naeem Qassem, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, recently addressed the escalating tensions in the Middle East, highlighting key concerns regarding US and 'Israeli' actions in the region. Qassem criticized the United States for proposing a new agreement that seemingly ignores eight months of previous violations. He asserted that the true goal behind ongoing aggression is to disarm Hezbollah in order to reassure 'Israel'. The Hezbollah leader condemned 'Israel' for conducting airstrikes on Syria without any genuine threats, describing 'Israel' as an expansionist entity and a real danger to regional stability. He warned of ongoing attempts to suppress any resistance that could hinder Israeli expansion. Qassem also accused 'Israel' of seeking control over every part of the region under the pretext of 'Israeli security.' He expressed deep concern over threats to Lebanon, including warnings from the US envoy linking Lebanon's fate to another state and inciting discord within the country and its military. Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Qassem said Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal Movement, feel they face an existential threat to both the resistance and Lebanon's diverse communities. He pointed to direct 'Israeli' threats and proxy forces operating in other areas as the greatest dangers facing Lebanon today.
LBCI
04-07-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Amal Movement demands Israeli withdrawal, rejects political conditions tied to reconstruction
The Amal Movement said that Israel's occupation of parts of Lebanon and its ongoing attacks—despite Lebanon's commitment to U.N. Resolution 1701—constitute a violation of the countries sponsoring the ceasefire agreement. The movement called on those countries to pressure Israel to withdraw and release the detainees. In a statement marking the movement's martyrs' day, it firmly rejected linking reconstruction efforts to any political conditions that contradict Lebanon's national and sovereign principles. It also urged the government to fully implement the Taif Agreement, warning against attempts by certain groups—'guided by dark rooms'—to question the identity and authenticity of a fundamental component of the Lebanese nation. Amal stressed that it has the patience and awareness to avoid being dragged into such a descent.
Asharq Al-Awsat
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Fear of Losing Seats Drives Resistance to Reforming Expat Voting Law in Lebanon
The Lebanese Parliament's recent tensions over electoral reforms have laid bare the political calculations of the main blocs. Statements by Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad that 'there is no level playing field in expat elections' capture why the Shiite Duo (Hezbollah and the Amal Movement), along with the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), refuse to amend the current voting law. That law limits expatriate voters to strictly electing six MPs, rather than allowing them to vote in their home constituencies like residents. This stance is rooted in the 2022 elections, when overseas ballots overwhelmingly favored opposition candidates, especially independents and reformists. For Hezbollah, Amal, and the FPM, any shift risks further eroding their parliamentary share. Lebanon's political forces are sharply divided: on one side are Hezbollah, Amal, and the FPM, who oppose amending Article 122, which reserves six seats for expatriates; on the other side stand the Lebanese Forces, Kataeb, the Democratic Gathering, independents, and reformist MPs, all of whom back proposals to let expatriates vote in their districts in 2026. Tensions flared during Monday's parliamentary session when Speaker Nabih Berri rejected efforts to place the amendment on the agenda. Researcher Mohammad Shamseddine told Asharq Al-Awsat the refusal stems from a fear that expanded expatriate voting would yield even more unfavorable results for these factions. Shamseddine noted that about one million Lebanese abroad are eligible to vote, almost a third of the electorate. In 2022, around 141,000 expatriates cast ballots, influencing outcomes in eight districts and twelve seats, mostly favoring reformists. The number of overseas voters could rise to 250,000 in 2026, amplifying their impact. According to Shamseddine, Hezbollah and its allies secured only around 29,000 expat votes in 2022, compared to 27,000 for the Lebanese Forces alone. This gap is expected to widen further. For analyst Sami Nader, director of the Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs, Hezbollah's resistance also reflects its desire to prevent military setbacks from morphing into political defeat. He argues the party is keen to cling to what influence it has left, especially since it struggles to mobilize diaspora voters as effectively as it does domestically. Meanwhile, expatriate groups and Maronite bishops abroad have pressed Lebanon's government to protect their right to vote in their home constituencies. Maronite Bishop Charbel Tarabay warned against any attempt to 'deprive expatriates of their connection to the homeland.' Opposition parties, including the Lebanese Forces and Kataeb, have vowed to fight what they see as an effort to sideline the diaspora. As Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea declared: 'We will use every democratic and legal means to restore expatriates' right to vote in their districts, to keep them tied to Lebanon.'
LBCI
25-05-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
A quarter-century later: Two wars, two realities for Hezbollah
Report by Wissam Nasrallah, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian A quarter-century has passed since Israeli forces withdrew from Lebanese territory—reluctantly, not voluntarily—under the pressure of persistent resistance operations. That remains a fact. Since then, Israel has launched two wars on Lebanon. In the first, the July 2006 war, Hezbollah emerged victorious. Few can deny the footage showing Merkava tanks hit by Kornet missiles in Wadi al-Hujeir—missiles that Israel was unaware Hezbollah even possessed at the time. Nor can anyone claim Israel succeeded in assassinating any top Hezbollah leader during that war. The prisoner exchange that followed revealed the fate of two captured Israeli soldiers—returned in coffins in exchange for five living Lebanese detainees and the remains of nearly 200 others. The second war, however, told a different story. That is also a fact. Just as it is difficult to dismiss Hezbollah's battlefield accomplishments in 2006, it is harder to overlook the scale of Israeli strikes since the September 2024 offensive. From the operation involving pager explosions to thousands of airstrikes over a short period, the toll includes thousands of casualties, the assassination of much of Hezbollah's command-and-control unit—including Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah—and the destruction of southern villages during the ceasefire, followed by Israeli incursions into Lebanese territory. Still, Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal Movement, have reasserted their local support, winning a majority of municipal councils in Shiite-majority areas of the south and the Bekaa. The question remains: how much does the win matter to Washington, especially following a war that shifted the balance of power and intensified U.S. calls for Hezbollah's disarmament? Hezbollah, for its part, maintains that the issue of disarmament applies only to the area south of the Litani River. The reality after 2006 is not the same as the one after 2024. Simply put, the outcomes of the two wars are not just different—they are contradictory. The question now is how Hezbollah will navigate this new phase—and, more critically, what timeline Washington has set for achieving its stated goals.
