Israeli Strike Hits Vehicle at Beirut Southern Entrance, State Media Reports
According to the NNA, "an enemy drone targeted a car on the Khalde highway" south of Beirut, AFP reported.
The Israeli army said it "eliminated a terrorist responsible for smuggling weapons and advancing terror attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops, on behalf of the Iranian Quds Force", the foreign operations arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
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Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Malaysia arrests 36 Bangladeshis over IS support
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian police said Friday they have arrested 36 Bangladeshi migrant workers suspected of supporting the Daesh group by promoting its ideology and raising funds through social media. Police inspector-general Mohd Khalid Ismail said the Bangladesh nationals, who had arrived in Malaysia to work in factories, construction sites and petrol stations, were arrested in coordinated operations since April. 'The group attempted to recruit members to fight in Syria or for Daesh,' Khalid said in a televised news conference on Friday. 'They raised funds to be sent to Syria, and also to Bangladesh,' he said, adding that collections were transmitted through e-wallets and international funds transfer services. Once in control of large swathes of Syria and Iraq, Daesh was territorially defeated in Syria in 2019 largely due to the efforts of Kurdish-led forces supported by an international coalition. It has maintained a presence mainly in the country's vast desert. Of those detained by Malaysian authorities, five suspects were subsequently charged for participating in terrorist organizations, spreading extremist ideologies and raising funds for terrorist activities. Another 16 are still being probed for their support of the militant movement, while 15 more have been issued deportation orders. 'We believe they have between 100 to 150 members in their WhatsApp group,' Khalid said, adding investigations were ongoing. 'They collected an annual membership fee of about $118 (500 Malaysian ringgit) while further donations were made at their own discretion,' the police chief said. Asked if the militant group had links to Daesh cells in other countries, Khalid said the police were still working with 'our counterparts in other countries as well as Interpol... to uncover their terror network.' Malaysia depends significantly on foreign workers to meet labor demands in the nation's key manufacturing and agriculture sectors, with tens of thousands of Bangladeshi nationals arriving each year to fill these roles.
Al Arabiya
5 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Israeli settlers, Palestinians clash in West Bank village
Dozens of Israeli settlers and Palestinians clashed Friday in the occupied West Bank village of Sinjil, where a march against recent settler attacks on nearby farmland was due to take place. AFP journalists saw local residents and activists begin their march before locals reported that settlers had appeared on a hill belonging to the village. Palestinian youths marched toward the hill to drive away the settlers, setting a fire at its base while the settlers threw rocks from the high ground. Local Palestinians told AFP that settlers also started a fire. Several Israeli military jeeps arrived at the scene and soldiers fired a few shots in the air, causing Palestinians to withdraw back to the village. Anwar al-Ghafri, a lawyer and member of Sinjil's city council, told AFP that such incidents are not new, but have intensified in recent days in the area, just north of the West Bank city of Ramallah. 'A group of settlers, with support and approval from the Israeli army, are carrying out organized attacks on citizens' land,' he told AFP. 'They assault farmers, destroy crops, and prevent people from reaching or trying to reach their land,' he said, describing the events that had prompted Friday's march. The settlers involved in Friday's clashes could not be reached for comment. Fence erected Israeli authorities recently erected a high fence cutting off parts of Sinjil from Road 60, which runs through the entire West Bank from north to south, and which both settlers and Palestinians use. Mohammad Asfour, a 52-year-old resident, told AFP that the fence was isolating his community, like other Palestinian cities and towns that recently had gates erected by Israel to control access to the outside. 'Sinjil is suffering greatly because of this wall. My house is near it, and so are my brothers' homes. The settler has the right to come to Sinjil -- but the sons of Sinjil aren't allowed to climb up this hill,' Asfour said. Violence in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has soared since the Hamas attack of October 2023 triggered the Gaza war. Since then, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 947 Palestinians, including many militants, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Over the same period, at least 35 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations, according to Israeli figures.
Asharq Al-Awsat
6 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Lebanon to Seek US Guarantees in Response to Proposal
Lebanon plans to seek assurances from Washington on the implementation of any future deal involving Hezbollah's disarmament, Lebanese political sources told Asharq Al-Awsat, ahead of a visit by US envoy to Beirut Tom Barrack early next week. The question of US guarantees tops Lebanon's concerns, which are shared not only by Hezbollah but also by the Lebanese state, the sources said. The issue is central to the discussions of a tripartite Lebanese committee that includes representatives of President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, meeting regularly at the presidential palace to draft a unified response to a US proposal. In parallel, the Quintet group - comprising the US, France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Qatar - met at the US embassy in Beirut to discuss the situation, local media reported. Saudi Ambassador Walid Bukhari was absent from the talks, reportedly due to travel. According to the sources, Barrack's visit is not solely to receive Lebanon's response to the US proposal, but also to hold further consultations with the country's top leaders. The US paper outlines a phased plan prioritizing the disarmament of Hezbollah, delineation of Lebanon's land border with Syria, and the implementation of long-delayed financial, economic, and administrative reforms. 'Lebanon views the proposal as the basis for negotiations, not a surrender document,' the sources said, noting that the primary demand to be raised will be related to binding US guarantees. They cited the bitter experience that followed the previous ceasefire deal, after which Israel allegedly continued attacks, held on to five disputed points in southern Lebanon, and hindered the return of displaced residents—all while international aid for reconstruction failed to materialize. 'The committee is meeting almost daily,' one source said. 'There is consensus on the need for an Israeli withdrawal from occupied points and an end to violations as a prerequisite for any deal. These are sovereign principles Lebanon will not abandon.' Despite Hezbollah's public resistance to disarmament, sources described the group's current stance as 'constructive.' Hezbollah is said to be engaging in discussions through the state's official channels, with party officials expressing concern over the absence of international guarantees and the risk of being sidelined politically once it gives up its arms. 'There are internal concerns that Hezbollah could be pushed out of political life, especially after talks around electoral law reforms,' one source said. These fears are compounded by delays in international aid, reconstruction plans, and continued Israeli violations—issues that have persisted since the ceasefire in November. On Wednesday night, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem reiterated the party's rejection of 'any threat of force or foreign meddling,' and insisted that Hezbollah would not 'surrender land or weapons to the Israeli enemy' or compromise on its rights. Qassem also accused Israel of violating the ceasefire more than 3,700 times, while the international community 'watches silently, calling only for concessions.' He said Hezbollah would continue to resist, as it has done for decades. A senior Hezbollah lawmaker said the group remains open to cooperating on strengthening the Lebanese state and restoring its authority across the country—provided Israel withdraws from disputed southern points and halts its ongoing violations. MP Ali Fayyad, a member of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc, said the group 'has consistently shown a positive willingness to cooperate in all matters related to state-building, institutional reform, and improving operational capacities to help achieve the desired stability.' Speaking on Thursday, Fayyad added: 'This includes supporting the state in extending its authority over all Lebanese territory and enabling it to carry out all its duties—chief among them the protection and defense of the people and sovereignty.' However, he warned, 'None of this will be possible unless national efforts unite to achieve a key condition: Israel must withdraw from the five occupied positions it still holds, end its continued violations, and respect Lebanese sovereignty.' Fayyad's comments came amid a broader debate on the future of Hezbollah's weapons and its role within the state. Opposition lawmaker Fadi Karam from the Lebanese Forces party slammed Hezbollah's rhetoric in a post on X. Addressing Hezbollah's Qassem, he wrote: 'Your weapons have destroyed Lebanon and continue to give Israel an excuse to remain on our land. You've tied Lebanon to Iran. And now you claim that handing over your weapons to the Lebanese Army means handing them to Israel? That's delusional and only exposes Lebanon to new wars.' The statements reflect widening divisions over Hezbollah's future role and the path toward national sovereignty and stability, as Lebanon grapples with US-led proposals aimed at de-escalating tensions and launching long-delayed reforms.
