US State Department: Israel criticism can be grounds for visa revocation
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L'Orient-Le Jour
2 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Cabinet meeting: Hezbollah supporters mobilize as calls grow for disarmament
BEIRUT — Ahead of Tuesday's 3 p.m. Cabinet meeting on Hezbollah disarmament and following Monday night protests by Hezbollah supporters in Beirut, several politicians stressed the urgent need to disarm Hezbollah after the recent war with Israel. Nawaf Salam's government is expected to meet today at the Baabda Palace to discuss the handover of Hezbollah's arsenal. The party does not reject the principle of a debate on the state's monopoly on weapons, but conditions any disarmament on a prior Israeli withdrawal and the end of cease-fire violations, as well as the release of prisoners and the launch of reconstruction efforts after the recent war. In a video published Monday night, Hezbollah asserted that resistance was "the only choice and support for the Lebanese Army." Political contacts continued Monday night in an effort to reach a formula the government might adopt Tuesday. According to our information, the party made its participation conditional on prior knowledge of the decisions that would result from the meeting. 'Labayka Nasrallah' Protesting the Cabinet meeting on the party's disarmament, Hezbollah supporters paraded on motorcycles Monday night in several neighborhoods of Beirut's southern suburbs. Videos posted on social media show dozens of motorcyclists waving the party's yellow flags as they drove through neighborhoods in the southern suburbs, chanting "Labayka Nasrallah" (at your command, Nasrallah), in reference to the former leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, assassinated by an Israeli strike on Sept. 27, 2024. Reacting to this display, Kataeb MP Nadim Gemayel called Monday night "on the security services to fulfill their responsibilities as soon as possible." "If the security services do nothing against these intimidation attempts before tomorrow's session, no one will stand by idly," he warned, cautioning against confrontations between Hezbollah supporters and their opponents. According to information reported on social media, security services blocked access to Salam's residence Monday night. Hezbollah also reportedly prepared several trucks loaded with dirt and debris to block roads if necessary Tuesday, according to local media. In recent days, those close to Hezbollah have not hesitated to threaten a new show of force, similar to that of May 7, 2008. At the time, Fouad Siniora's government tried to break Hezbollah's security grip, to which the party responded by storming West Beirut and the Mountain. 'Collusion with the Israeli-American plan' In statements Monday night to NBN, Hezbollah MP Ali Mokdad said that the Cabinet meeting "should not have taken place" and that those calling for the party's disarmament "are in collusion with the Israeli-American plan." "By tomorrow morning, we will make a decision based on the response given to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berry and Hezbollah." Sunni tribes, for their part, on Monday expressed support for the authorities and the Lebanese Army against Hezbollah. "We call for respect for the Lebanese Constitution and the Taif agreements (...) and for ensuring a monopoly of arms in the hands of the army," these tribes said in a statement. In addition, a call for a demonstration Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Riad al-Solh Square "in support of President Aoun's call for a monopoly on arms in the hands of the army" was launched by the "Free Lebanese" group. 'Take into account only Lebanon's interests' A few hours before the government session, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said that "we will take into account only Lebanon's interests and will ensure to do everything that does not threaten its security." According to the daily an-Nahar, Berri also said he was "in favor" of the participation of Amal and Hezbollah ministers in Cabinet and "opposed [to its] boycott." Several political figures have emphasized the necessity of the state's monopoly on weapons. Justice Minister Adel Nassar said in an interview with MTV that the government "will demand a timetable for the handover of arms," saying that "it is unacceptable for Hezbollah to drag the Lebanese people with it toward suicide." MP Paula Yacoubian, for her part, said that "returning to the fold of institutions is no longer a political luxury, but a condition for the nation's survival." "No legitimacy surpasses that of the state, and no weapon should prevail over its own," she added. Hezbollah MP Kassem Hachem told the news site al-Nashra that political contacts related to the session would continue up until the final moments before the Cabinet meeting, with the aim of reaching "a consensus position" that takes Lebanon's interests into account. The international community insists on the need for the country to begin the process of reclaiming the monopoly on arms and to develop a clear implementation plan with set deadlines. Israel, believes it has achieved victory and that Lebanon, like Hezbollah, is in a position of weakness after the strikes they suffered. This means, according to Tel Aviv, that Hezbollah must make the expected concessions and that Lebanon should commit to the proposed path.
L'Orient-Le Jour
2 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Israel poised to order new war plan
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared Tuesday to unveil an updated Gaza war plan designed to destroy Hamas and secure the release of dozens of hostages, with Israeli media reporting he would order the total occupation of the Palestinian territory. Netanyahu was expected to meet security chiefs in Jerusalem to issue new orders, even as Israel's diplomats convened a U.N. Security Council meeting in New York to highlight the plight of Israelis held in Gaza. The timing of the security meeting has not been officially confirmed. Netanyahu said Monday that it would be "in the coming days". Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 said Netanyahu would meet the army chief of staff, and the defense and army ministers. Unnamed senior officials told Israeli media he intends to order the re-occupation of Gaza. "Netanyahu wants the Israeli army to conquer the entire Gaza Strip," said a report on public broadcaster Kan. "Several cabinet members who spoke with the prime minister confirmed that he has decided to extend the fight to areas where hostages might be held." The private daily Maariv declared: "The die is cast. We're en route for the total conquest of Gaza." While the reconquest plan has not been officially confirmed, it has already drawn an angry response from the Palestinian Authority and Gaza's Hamas-run government, which insisted it will not shift its position on cease-fire talks. "We want to reach an agreement that ends the war. The ball is now in the hands of Israel and the Americans, who support Israeli positions and delay the conclusion of an agreement," senior Hamas official Husam Badran told broadcaster Al Jazeera. Desperate families After 22 months of combat sparked by the Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border attacks by Hamas that killed 1,219 people and saw hundreds kidnapped, the Israeli army has devastated large parts of the Palestinian territory. More than 60,933 Palestinians have been killed, according to figures from Hams-run Gaza's health ministry, and humanitarian agencies have warned that the territory's 2.4 million people are slipping into a catastrophic famine. But Netanyahu is under pressure on several fronts. Domestically, the desperate and vocal families of the 49 remaining hostages are demanding a ceasefire to bring their loved ones home. Around the world, humanitarians are pushing for a truce to allow in food to the starving, and several European capitals have announced plans to recognise Palestinian statehood, despite fierce US and Israeli opposition. Meanwhile, Netanyahu's far-right allies in his ruling coalition want to seize the opportunity of the war to reoccupy Gaza and tighten control of the occupied West Bank. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar was in New York, where Israel's US ally was helping organise a Security Council meeting to focus world attention on the fate of the hostages rather than the looming famine — which Israeli spokespeople insist is an exaggerated threat. The defense ministry civil affairs agency for the Palestinian territories, COGAT, said Tuesday that Israel will partially reopen private sector trade with Gaza to reduce its reliance on U.N. and aid agency convoys and international military airdrops. "As part of formulating the mechanism, a limited number of local merchants were approved by the defence establishment, subject to several criteria and strict security screening," COGAT said. Israel has been fighting Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza for 22 months and imposed a total blockade on March 2, partially lifted in May to allow a US-backed private agency to open food distribution centres. Aid convoys and airdrops by Arab and European militaries resumed last month, as U.N.-mandated expert reports warned famine was unfolding in the war-torn territory. The COGAT statement said private sector deliveries would be paid for by monitored bank transfers and be subject to inspections by the Israeli military before entering Gaza, "to prevent the involvement of the Hamas terrorist organisation." Staple foods Permitted goods under the new mechanism will include food staples, fruit, vegetables, baby formula and hygiene products, COGAT said. On Monday. Netanyahu insisted Israel's war goals remained "the defeat of the enemy, the release of our hostages and the promise that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel". His statement came after hundreds of retired Israeli security chiefs wrote to U.S. President Donald Trump to urge him to convince Netanyahu to end the war, arguing that Israel has already scored a military victory and should seek to negotiate the hostages' release. The families of the hostages are also horrified by talk of escalation, accusing the government of putting their relatives in renewed danger, even as Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad release propaganda videos showing emaciated captives.
Nahar Net
2 hours ago
- Nahar Net
NATO to coordinate regular and large-scale arm deliveries to Ukraine
NATO started coordinating regular deliveries of large weapons packages to Ukraine after the Netherlands said it would provide air defense equipment, ammunition and other military aid worth 500 million euros ($578 million), most bought from the U.S. Two deliveries are expected this month. The equipment that will be provided is based on Ukraine's priority needs on the battlefield. NATO allies then locate the weapons and ammunition and send them on. "Packages will be prepared rapidly and issued on a regular basis," NATO said late Monday Air defense systems are in greatest need. The United Nations has said that Russia's relentless pounding of urban areas behind the front line has killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians. Russia's bigger army is also making slow but costly progress along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. Currently, it is waging an operation to take the eastern city of Pokrovsk, a logistical hub whose fall could allow it to drive deeper into Ukraine. European allies and Canada are buying most of the equipment they plan to send from the United States, which has greater stocks of ready military materiel, as well as more effective weapons. The Trump administration is not giving any arms to Ukraine. The new deliveries will come on top of other pledges of military equipment. The Kiel Institute, which tracks support to Ukraine, estimates that as of June, European countries had provided 72 billion euros ($83 billion) worth of military aid since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, compared to $65 billion in U.S. aid. Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said that "American air defense systems and munitions, in particular, are crucial for Ukraine to defend itself." Announcing the deliveries Monday, he said Russia's attacks are "pure terror, intended to break Ukraine." Germany said Friday that it will deliver two more Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine in the coming days. It agreed to the move after securing assurances that the U.S. will prioritize the delivery of new Patriots to Germany to backfill its stocks. These weapon systems are only made in the U.S.
