Latest news with #UnitedNationsInterimForceinLebanon
MTV Lebanon
11-07-2025
- Politics
- MTV Lebanon
Salam meets ambassadors of EU countries
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam received at the Grand Serail, the ambassadors of European Union countries, in the presence of the European Union Ambassador to Lebanon, Sandra De Waele. Premier Salam thanked the representatives of the European Union countries for their continued humanitarian and economic support to Lebanon, and briefed them on the progress of the ongoing reforms and those expected to be implemented in the coming weeks and months. Salam stressed that the state proceeds to extend its authority over all its territories, as stipulated in the Taif Agreement and the ministerial statement. On the other hand, The PM commended the EU countries' contribution of more than $600 million to areas affected by the aggression, considering that "this support constitutes a fundamental pillar for strengthening the resilience of the population and maintaining stability." The Prime Minister also stressed "the importance of renewing the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for an additional year, given its pivotal role in endorsing stability in the south and implementing Resolution 1701." For their part, the ambassadors affirmed the European Union's unwavering commitment to supporting Lebanon, emphasizing their "continued support for the reform process, particularly in the economic and financial sectors, as well as for the independence of the judiciary." They also expressed their "support for steps that facilitate the safe and sustainable return of displaced Syrians to their homeland." Salam also received US Ambassador to Lebanon, Lisa A. Johnson, with whom he discussed the general situation and political developments.
Al-Ahram Weekly
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Lebanon at a crossroads
Negotiations to resolve the tensions between Lebanon and Israel are ongoing despite continuing Israeli incursions into Lebanese territory. Last Monday, US Envoy Thomas Barrack held a press conference in Beirut following his meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, during which he received a response to the US proposal to resolve the crisis between Lebanon and Israel. 'We are at a very important moment for Lebanon and the entire region. This is an opportunity that everyone must seize, and no one is better than the Lebanese at making use of opportunities,' Barrack said. 'The time has come. The region is changing very rapidly.' He praised the Lebanese response, saying that 'I am very grateful for the Lebanese response to the points we discussed. It was a responsible response that takes many issues into account. We are working on a plan that requires serious dialogue, and we have made great progress which I am satisfied with, but we must address all the details to reach an actual solution.' According to Lebanese sources, the US proposal, whose content has not been officially disclosed, includes several provisions, among them the surrender of Hizbullah's heavy weaponry, specifically missiles and offensive drones. Light and medium arms are considered a domestic Lebanese matter. This disarmament is to be completed within six months or by the end of November. The withdrawal of weapons from all other armed factions, whether Lebanese or non-Lebanese, is also required. Lebanon is expected to present a detailed implementation mechanism outlining the disarmament plan. The Lebanese state is not only facing challenges from Hizbullah, but also numerous Israeli violations involving incursions into Lebanese territory. Israeli forces repeatedly advance and then withdraw again, at times leaving behind barriers or destroying infrastructure. These actions often necessitate the intervention of the Lebanese Army in coordination with United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) forces. On the night of 26 May, an Israeli infantry force infiltrated Lebanese territory east of the southern town of Meiss El-Jabal and crossing the border by 100 metres. The force advanced into the town, deployed in an open area, and used flashlights. It was accompanied by two bulldozers near the border. The incursion was the first of its kind this year and since the cessation of military operations between Israel and Hizbullah south of the Litani River. The Israeli Army did not comment on the incursion, prompting the Lebanese Army to arrive at the site of the breach. The Lebanese Army stated on X that it had 'discovered and dismantled an Israeli espionage device camouflaged and equipped with a camera in the outskirts of Blida – Marjayoun,' adding that it had 'removed two earthen barriers erected by Israeli forces in Blida and Mays Al-Jabal – Marjayoun.' On the following day, another Israeli infantry force penetrated Lebanese territory, this time consisting of two tanks, a bulldozer, and several soldiers in Bir Shuaib – Blida. The purpose was probably to deploy a larger force with tanks to intimidate the Lebanese Army. However, the latter responded decisively, which made the Israeli force retreat. 'A unit of the Lebanese Army, in coordination with UNIFIL, removed several earth barriers and reopened roads in the outskirts of Adaisseh – Marjayoun that had been blocked by Israeli forces,' the Lebanese Army said. 'During the operation, Israeli troops accompanied by a tank attempted to obstruct the Lebanese Army's work but failed to stop the mission.' The Lebanese Army has handled the recent Israeli incursions into Lebanese territory with professionalism and in accordance with the international disarmament agreement south of the Litani River. The Wall Street Journal reported that 'US and Israeli officials say they have been pleasantly surprised by the progress, which has been critical in maintaining the fragile truce struck in November. The question now is whether the Lebanese state can complete the task in the south and extend its efforts to the rest of the country.' According to the Israeli Alma Research Centre, in the period between 21 and 27 May, 21 Israeli strikes were conducted in Lebanon (18 in Southern Lebanon and three in the Beqaa), along with six eliminations of Hizbullah operatives It said that Hizbullah operatives continue to be active and present in Southern Lebanon despite statements by the Lebanese government saying that it has taken control of about 90 per cent of sites south of the Litani River. The political and military leadership in Lebanon is at one in its commitment to preserving the country's sovereignty against Hizbullah's reckless actions and Israeli expansionist provocations. Israel currently controls five fixed positions in the south of the country, primarily on strategic hills that provide radar coverage and tactical advantages in case of an attack. This occupation lacks legal justification and constitutes a violation of Lebanese territory. Hizbullah, meanwhile, refuses to disarm or integrate into the state, leading both sides to exploit the ongoing conflict to legitimise their presence in Lebanon. Earlier this week, Hizbullah's current leader, Naim Qassem, stated during a televised speech marking the religious occasion of Ashura that 'this threat will not lead us to surrender. We are not the ones who should be told to soften our stance. The aggressor should be told to stop. We are not the ones who should be told to lay down our arms.' He thus linked Hizbullah's disarmament to Israel's withdrawal. Armed Hizbullah members were seen during Ashura celebrations in the Zoqaq Al-Blat area of Beirut. The Lebanese Army has been handling both sides with professionalism and seriousness, but it remains small in number and lacks equipment. It urgently needs support and reinforcement, so that Lebanon can once again become one of the most beautiful countries in the Eastern Mediterranean. * A version of this article appears in print in the 10 July, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Nahar Net
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
UNIFIL patrol fires tear gas after clash with Aytit residents
A patrol from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Thursday attempted to enter the southern town of Aytit, but was met with resistance from a group of local youths, the state-run National News Agency reported. According to NNA, the patrol fired tear gas in the direction of the protesters before retreating from the area. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said 'this morning, several individuals in civilian clothes blocked UNIFIL peacekeepers on a planned patrol near Wadi Jilu' and that 'the activity had been previously coordinated with the Lebanese Armed Forces, in support of Lebanon's implementation of Resolution 1701.' 'While the situation was initially calm, the individuals soon began throwing stones at the peacekeepers, who were forced to disperse the crowd with smoke to protect themselves from harm,' Tenenti added, noting that 'the LAF arrived at the scene and the situation was brought under control.' 'As the Lebanese government and army have made clear, peacekeepers can move independently in south Lebanon in performance of their duties to restore security and stability under Resolution 1701. They do not need to be accompanied by Lebanese soldiers,' Tenenti said. Warning that 'any attack on peacekeepers is a serious violation of international law and Resolution 1701,' the spokesman said UNIFIL has requested that the Lebanese authorities bring the perpetrators to justice. 'We will continue impartially monitoring and reporting on violations of 1701, as mandated by the Security Council and requested by the Lebanese government,' Tenenti vowed. Hezbollah supporters in Lebanon frequently accuse the U.N. mission — which was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel's 1978 invasion -- of collusion with Israel. Israel meanwhile accuses the peacekeepers of turning a blind eye to Hezbollah's military activities in southern Lebanon.
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First Post
06-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Hezbollah's new chief says group will not surrender to Israeli aggression
Qassem, who succeeded longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah after Israel killed him in September, said the group's fighters would not abandon their arms and asserted that Israel's 'aggression' must first stop. read more One of the armoured vehicles of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers patrols in the Buwayda region of Marjayoun in southern Lebanon by the border with Israel on July 4, 2025. AFP Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said Sunday his group would not surrender or lay down its weapons in response to Israeli threats, despite pressure on the Lebanese militants to disarm. 'This threat will not make us accept surrender,' Qassem said in a televised speech to thousands of his supporters in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, during the Shiite Muslim religious commemoration of Ashura. Lebanese leaders who took office in the aftermath of a war between Israel and Hezbollah last year have repeatedly vowed a state monopoly on bearing arms while demanding Israel comply with a November ceasefire that ended the fighting. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Qassem, who succeeded longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah after Israel killed him in September, said the group's fighters would not abandon their arms and asserted that Israel's 'aggression' must first stop. His speech came as US envoy Tom Barrack was expected in Beirut on Monday. Lebanese authorities are due to deliver a response to Barrack's request for Iran-backed Hezbollah to be disarmed by the end of the year, according to a Lebanese official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Lebanese authorities say they have been dismantling Hezbollah's military infrastructure in the south, near the Israeli border. Israel has continued to strike Lebanon despite the November ceasefire, claiming to hit Hezbollah targets and accusing Beirut of not doing enough to disarm the group. According to the ceasefire agreement, Hezbollah is to pull its fighters back north of the Litani river, some 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the Israeli frontier. Israel was to withdraw its troops from all of Lebanon, but has kept them deployed in five points it deemed strategic. Qassem said Israel must abide by the ceasefire agreement, 'withdraw from the occupied territories, stop its aggression… release the prisoners' detained during last year's war, and that reconstruction in Lebanon must begin. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Only then, according to the Hezbollah chief, 'will we be ready for the second stage, which is to discuss national security and defence strategy'. Supporters dressed in black for Ashura marched through Beirut's southern suburbs before his speech, waving Hezbollah banners as well as national Lebanese, Palestinian and Iranian flags. Some also carried posters of the slain leader Nasrallah. In his remarks, Qassem said that his movement 'will not accept normalisation… with the Israeli enemy', after Israel's top diplomat said his government was 'interested' in such a move. Lebanon, which is technically still at war with Israel, did not comment. Syria, which was also mentioned by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, said it was 'premature' to discuss normalisation.
MTV Lebanon
01-07-2025
- Politics
- MTV Lebanon
01 Jul 2025 18:56 PM PM Salam leads a series of ministerial meetings
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam received at the Grand Serail, a delegation from the Beirut Municipal Council, headed by its Chairman Ibrahim Zeidan. The meeting addressed the most prominent challenges facing the city of Beirut in terms of development and services, in light of the current economic and social circumstances. A number of proposals and demands related to improving the performance of public facilities, in general, and strengthening municipal work were also presented. During the meeting, Premier Salam emphasized the "need to support local authorities to enable them to perform their duties as required." After the meeting, Zeidan said the municipal council delegation discussed with Premier Salam the topics and services related to the city of Beirut, and briefed him on their work program in terms of urgent and long term projects. Premier Salam later received a delegation from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), headed by Force Commander General Diodato Abagnara. During the meeting, the discussion touched on the situation on the ground in south Lebanon, the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, and the ongoing cooperation between UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), particularly with regard to intensifying coordination and joint operations. The emerging challenges facing the international forces' mission were also addressed. Premier Salam affirmed "the Lebanese government's full commitment to UN Resolution 1701 and its keenness to ensuring the appropriate environment that enables UNIFIL to fully implement its mandate," emphasizing "the importance of preserving the safety of its personnel." In this context, President Salam noted that "Lebanon had officially sent a letter to the United Nations requesting an extension of UNIFIL's mandate for an additional year, ending on August 31, 2026, in accordance with the Lebanese government's decision issued on May 14, 2025." On the other hand, Salam met with the Chargé d'Affaires of the Iraqi Embassy in Lebanon, Mohammed Reda Al-Husseini, with whom he discussed the bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to enhance cooperation in areas of common interest. Salam also received the Bangladeshi Ambassador to Lebanon, Major General Muhammad Jubayer Salehin, with whom he discussed te bilateral relations between the two countries.
