Latest news with #LailaBassam
Ya Libnan
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
President Aoun steps up calls on Hezbollah to disarm
By Laila Bassam BEIRUT – Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stepped up his calls for Hezbollah to disarm on Thursday, suggesting failure to do so would give Israel an excuse to continue attacks and saying the issue would be on the agenda of a cabinet meeting next week. The comments reflect mounting pressure over the issue of Hezbollah's arms, which has loomed over Lebanon since the Iran-aligned group was pummeled in a war with Israel last year. Washington wants Hezbollah disarmed – a demand echoed by the Beirut government as it aims to establish a monopoly on weapons. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, who fled to Tehran last October said in a televised speech on Wednesday that calls for its disarmament served only Israel. In a speech to army officers, Aoun said the government would next week discuss Lebanon's amendments to a U.S. roadmap to disarm Hezbollah, deemed a terrorist group by Washington. Lebanon's counter proposal demands an immediate halt to Israel's attacks, its withdrawal from positions held in the south, the establishment of state control over all Lebanon and the disarmament of armed groups including Hezbollah, he said. Aoun urged all parties 'to seize this historic opportunity … and push for the exclusivity of weapons in the hands of the army and security forces'. He said the government would set a timeframe to implement the steps. Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah, backed by Tehran, was the only Lebanese group allowed to keep its weapons at the end of the 1975-90 civil war on the grounds it needed them to fight Israeli troops who occupied the south but withdrew in 2000. Hezbollah's arsenal has long divided Lebanese, with critics saying it has undermined the state and dragged Lebanon into conflicts. Washington has been pushing Lebanon to commit to disarming Hezbollah before talks can resume on halting Israeli military operations, Reuters reported earlier this week . Hezbollah has so far refused, though the group has been considering scaling back its arsenal . 'PRETEXTS FOR AGGRESSION' Addressing Hezbollah and its followers but without naming them, Aoun called on those who 'have faced the aggression' to 'rely solely on the Lebanese state'. 'You are too honorable to risk the state-building project, and too noble to provide pretexts for an aggression that wants to continue the war against us,' he said. Israel killed many Hezbollah commanders and thousands of its fighters last year, while also destr oying much of its arsenal. The U.S. proposal delivered in June would require Hezbollah to disarm within four months in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli troops occupying several posts in south Lebanon, and a halt to Israeli air strikes. Hezbollah had already relinquished a number of weapons depots in southern Lebanon to the Lebanese army in line with a U.S.-brokered truce designed to end last year's war. Aoun said the proposals to be discussed next week include seeking $1 billion annually for 10 years to support the army and the security forces and plans for an international conference to later in the year to support reconstruction efforts. Upates Aoun has a point about the consequences that Lebanon could face if Hezbollah doesn't disarm : On Thursday Israel's defense minister Israel Katz said Hezbollah 'was working to restore its capabilities' in the sites that were targeted in south Lebanon. Katz also said the warplanes that attacked the Eastern Mountain Range in the Bekaa targeted Hezbollah's 'biggest precision missile production plant' in the country. Three Israeli airstrikestargeted Brital's outskirts, a strike targeted al-Nasriyeh's outskirts while eight strikes have targeted the heights of the southern towns of al-Aishiyeh, al-Mahmoudiyeh and al-Jarmaq. In another development Al-Arabiya reported that the Beirut airport has imposed strict inspection measures to prevent the smuggling of any funds. Hezbollah has been using the airport for smuggling cash from Iran and neighboring counties like Iraq and Turkey Al-Arabiya quoted diplomatic sources as saying : 'All Lebanese areas, including Beirut, will face the threat of bombardment if Hezbollah refuses to hand over its arms to the Lebanese army Al-Arabiya also quoted diplomatic sources as saying : Lebanon risks being put on the black list and will be facing economic pressure if Hezbollah does not disarm arms. President Aoun met in Baabda with U.S. Central Command chief Michael Kurilla and discussed with him the cooperation and ties between the Lebanese and U.S. armies Hezbollah's arms have become a huge burden for Lebanon and its Shiite community which suffered the most during the past 2 wars due to Hezbollah's miscalculations and inability to match Israeli military power. Tens of thousands of Shiite homes were destroyed and hundreds of thousands were displaced . No country in the world is willing to help Lebanon in reconstructing these homes unless Hezbollah disarms Reuters
RNZ News
19-07-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Clashes rage in Druze region as Syria struggles to enforce ceasefire
By Khalil Ashawi and Laila Bassam , Reuters Tribal and bedouin fighters cross Walga town as they mobilise amid clashes with Druze gunmen, near the predominantly Druze city of Sweida in southern Syria on July 19, 2025. Photo: ABDULAZIZ KETAZ/AFP Sectarian clashes escalated in Syria's predominantly Druze region of Sweida, with machinegun fire and mortar shelling ringing out after days of bloodshed as the Islamist-led government struggles to implement a ceasefire . Reuters reporters heard gunfire from inside the city of Sweida and saw shells land in nearby villages. There were no immediate, confirmed reports of casualties. The government had said security forces were deploying in the southern region to try to keep peace, and urged all parties to stop fighting after nearly a week of factional bloodshed in which hundreds have been killed. Late on Saturday (US Time), the interior ministry said clashes in Sweida city had been halted and the area cleared of Bedouin tribal fighters following the deployment. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitoring group, said clashes since last week around Sweida had killed at least 940 people . Reuters could not independently verify the toll. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said "Arab and American" mediation had helped restore calm, before the clashes escalated. He criticised Israel for airstrikes during the week . The fighting is the latest challenge to the control of Sharaa's Islamist-dominated government, which took over after rebels toppled autocratic president Bashar al-Assad in December. It started last week as clashes between the Druze - a religious minority native to southern Syria, the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and parts of Lebanon and Jordan - and Syrian Bedouin tribes. Government forces then arrived to try to quell tensions, clashing with Druze gunmen and attacking the Druze community. The violence once again pitted Druze against Bedouin, witnesses said. The fighting has drawn in neighbouring Israel, which carried out airstrikes in southern Syria and on the defence ministry in Damascus this week while government forces were fighting with the Druze. Israel said it was protecting the Druze, who also form a significant minority in Israel. But Israel and Washington differ over Syria. The US supports a centralised Syria under Sharaa's government, which has pledged to rule for all citizens, while Israel said the government was dominated by jihadists and a danger to minorities. In March, Syria's military was involved in mass killings of members of the Alawite minority, to which much of Assad's elite belonged. In a statement on Saturday (US time), the Syrian presidency announced an immediate ceasefire and urged an immediate end to hostilities. Sharaa said Syria would not be a "testing ground for partition, secession or sectarian incitement". "The Israeli intervention pushed the country into a dangerous phase that threatened its stability," he said in a televised speech. Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa upon his arrival for a meeting with the French president at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris on May 7, 2025 (L) and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadist group's chief Abu Mohamed al-Jolani (now Ahmed al-Sharaa) in Syria's rebel-held northwestern Idlib province at the border with Turkey, on February 7, 2023. Photo: LUDOVIC MARIN, OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP Sharaa appeared to blame Druze gunmen for the latest clashes, accusing them of revenge attacks against Bedouins. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Sharaa was siding with the perpetrators. "In al-Shara's Syria, it is very dangerous to be a member of a minority - Kurd, Druze, Alawite or Christian," he posted on X. US envoy Tom Barrack announced on Friday (US Time) that Syria and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire. Barrack, who is both US ambassador to Turkey and Washington's Syria envoy, urged Druze, Bedouins and Sunnis, together with other minorities, to "build a new and united Syrian identity". Israel has attacked Syrian military facilities in the seven months since Assad fell, and said it wanted areas of southern Syria near its border to remain demilitarised. On Friday (US Time), an Israeli official said Israel had agreed to allow Syrian forces limited access to Sweida for two days. Mansour Namour, a resident of a village near Sweida city, said mortar shells were still landing near his home on Saturday afternoon (US Time), and that at least 22 people had been wounded. A doctor in Sweida said a local hospital was full of bodies and wounded people from days of violence. "All the injuries are from bombs, some people with their chests wounded. There are also injuries to limbs from shrapnel," director of the hospital Omar Obeid said. - Reuters
Ya Libnan
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
Hezbollah weighs scaling back its arsenal in wake of Israel conflict
File photo: A parade by the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah militia (which is the only militia that refused to hand over its arms following the end of the civil war ) . It is now the most powerful group in Lebanon and acts as ' the state within. none -state '. Calls on it to disarm intensified after its leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed. ' Either Lebanon Army or Hezbollah's arms . These 2 cannot coexist according to experts. Hezbollah has reportedly concluded that the arsenal it had amassed to deter Israel from attacking Lebanon had become a liability. By Laila Bassam and Maya Gebeily Summary BEIRUT – Hezbollah has begun a major strategic review in the wake of its devastating war with Israel, including considering scaling back its role as an armed movement without disarming completely, three sources familiar with the deliberations say. The internal discussions, which aren't yet finalized and haven't previously been reported, reflect the formidable pressures the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group has faced since a truce was reached in late November Israeli forces continue to strike areas where the group holds sway, accusing Hezbollah of ceasefire violations, which it denies. It is also grappling with acute financial strains, U.S. demands for its disarmament and diminished political clout since a new cabinet took office in February with U.S. support. The group's difficulties have been compounded by seismic shifts in the regional power balance since Israel decimated its command, killed thousands of its fighters and destroyed much of its arsenal last year. Hezbollah's Syrian ally, Bashar al-Assad, was toppled in December, severing a key arms supply line from Iran. Tehran is now emerging from its own bruising war with Israel , raising doubts over how much aid it can offer, a regional security source and a senior Lebanese official told Reuters. Another senior official, who is familiar with Hezbollah's internal deliberations, said the group had been holding clandestine discussions on its next steps. Small committees have been meeting in person or remotely to discuss issues including its leadership structure, political role, social and development work, and weapons, the official said on condition of anonymity. The official and two other sources familiar with the discussions indicated Hezbollah has concluded that the arsenal it had amassed to deter Israel from attacking Lebanon had become a liability. Hezbollah 'had an excess of power,' the official said. 'All that strength turned into a weak point.' Under the leadership of Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed last year , Hezbollah grew into a regional military player with tens of thousands of fighters, rockets and drones poised to strike Israel. It also provided support to allies in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. Israel came to regard Hezbollah as a significant threat. When the group opened fire in solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas at the start of the Gaza war in 2023, Israel responded with airstrikes in Lebanon that escalated into a ground offensive. Hezbollah has since relinquished a number of weapons depots in southern Lebanon to the Lebanese armed forces as stipulated in last year's truce, though Israel says it has struck military infrastructure there still linked to the group. Hezbollah is now considering turning over some weapons it has elsewhere in the country – notably missiles and drones seen as the biggest threat to Israel – on condition Israel withdraws from the south and halts its attacks, the sources said. But the group won't surrender its entire arsenal, the sources said. For example, it intends to keep lighter arms and anti-tank missiles, they said, describing them as a means to resist any future attacks. Hezbollah's media office did not respond to questions for this article. Isreal's military said it would continue operating along its northern border in accordance with the understandings between Israel and Lebanon, in order to eliminate any threat and protect Israeli citizens. The U.S. State Department declined to comment on private diplomatic conversations, referring questions to Lebanon's government. Lebanon's presidency did not respond to questions. For Hezbollah to preserve any military capabilities would fall short of Israeli and U.S. ambitions. Under the terms of the ceasefire brokered by the U.S. and France, Lebanon's armed forces were to confiscate 'all unauthorized arms', beginning in the area south of the Litani River – the zone closest to Israel. Lebanon's government also wants Hezbollah to surrender the rest of its weapons as it works to establish a state monopoly on arms. Failure to do so could stir tensions with the group's Lebanese rivals, which accuse Hezbollah of leveraging its military might to impose its will in state affairs and repeatedly dragging Lebanon into conflicts. All sides have said they remain committed to the ceasefire, even as they traded accusations of violations . PART OF HEZBOLLAH'S 'DNA' Arms have been central to Hezbollah's doctrine since it was founded by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to fight Israeli forces who invaded Lebanon in 1982, at the height of the 1975-1990 Lebanese civil war. Tensions over the Shi'ite Muslim group's arsenal sparked another, brief civil conflict in May 2008. The United States and Israel deem Hezbollah a terrorist group. Nicholas Blanford, who wrote a history of Hezbollah, said that in order to reconstitute itself, the group would have to justify its retention of weapons in an increasingly hostile political landscape, while addressing damaging intelligence breaches and ensuring its long-term finances. 'They've faced challenges before, but not this number simultaneously,' said Blanford, a fellow with the Atlantic Council, a U.S. think tank. A European official familiar with intelligence assessments said there was a lot of brainstorming underway within Hezbollah about its future but no clear outcomes. The official described Hezbollah's status as an armed group as part of its DNA, saying it would be difficult for it to become a purely political party. Nearly a dozen sources familiar with Hezbollah's thinking said the group wants to keep some arms, not only in case of future threats from Israel, but also because it is worried that Sunni Muslim jihadists in neighboring Syria might exploit lax security to attack eastern Lebanon, a Shi'ite-majority region. Despite the catastrophic results of the latest war with Israel – tens of thousands of people were left homeless and swathes of the south and Beirut's southern suburbs were destroyed – many of Hezbollah's core supporters want it to remain armed. Um Hussein, whose son died fighting for Hezbollah, cited the threat still posed by Israel and a history of conflict with Lebanese rivals as reasons to do so. 'Hezbollah is the backbone of the Shi'ites, even if it is weak now,' she said, asking to be identified by a traditional nickname because members of her family still belong to Hezbollah. 'We were a weak, poor group. Nobody spoke up for us.' Hezbollah's immediate priority is tending to the needs of constituents who bore the brunt of the war, the sources familiar with its deliberations said. In December, Secretary General Naim Qassem said Hezbollah had paid more than $50 million to affected families with more than $25 million still to hand out. But there are signs that its funds are running short. One Beirut resident said he had paid for repairs to his apartment in the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs after it was damaged in the war only to see the entire block destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in June. 'Everyone is scattered and homeless. No one has promised to pay for our shelter,' said the man, who declined to be identified for fear his complaints might jeopardize his chances of receiving compensation. He said he had received cheques from Hezbollah but was told by the group's financial institution, Al-Qard Al-Hassan, that it did not have funds available to cash them. Reuters could not immediately reach the institution for comment. Other indications of financial strain have included cutbacks to free medications offered by Hezbollah-run pharmacies, three people familiar with the operations said. SQUEEZING HEZBOLLAH FINANCES Hezbollah has put the onus on Lebanon's government to secure reconstruction funding. But Foreign Minister Youssef Raji, a Hezbollah critic, has said there will be no aid from foreign donors until the state establishes a monopoly on arms. A State Department spokesperson said in May that, while Washington was engaged in supporting sustainable reconstruction in Lebanon, 'this cannot happen without Hezbollah laying down their arms'. Israel has also been squeezing Hezbollah's finances. The Israeli military said on June 25 that it had killed an Iranian official who oversaw hundreds of millions of dollars in transfers annually to armed groups in the region, as well as a man in southern Lebanon who ran a currency exchange business that helped get some of these funds to Hezbollah. Iran did not comment at the time, and its U.N. mission did not immediately respond to questions from Reuters. Since February, Lebanon has barred commercial flights between Beirut and Tehran, after Israel's military accused Hezbollah of using civilian aircraft to bring in money from Iran and threatened to take action to stop this. Lebanese authorities have also tightened security at Beirut airport, where Hezbollah had free rein for years, making it harder for the group to smuggle in funds that way, according to an official and a security source familiar with airport operations. Such moves have fueled anger among Hezbollah's supporters towards the administration led by President Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam, who was made prime minister against Hezbollah's wishes. Alongside its Shi'ite ally, the Amal Movement, Hezbollah swept local elections in May, with many seats uncontested. The group will be seeking to preserve its dominance in legislative elections next year. Nabil Boumonsef, deputy editor-in-chief of Lebanon's Annahar newspaper, said next year's poll was part of an 'existential battle' for Hezbollah. 'It will use all the means it can, firstly to play for time so it doesn't have to disarm, and secondly to make political and popular gains,' he said. (Reuters)
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lebanon drafts reply to US demand for Hezbollah to disarm, sources say
By Laila Bassam and Maya Gebeily BEIRUT (Reuters) -Lebanese officials were drafting a response on Tuesday to U.S. demands for armed group Hezbollah to relinquish its weapons across the country by November in exchange for a halt to Israeli military operations, two sources briefed on the matter said. The deadline has turned up the heat on Iran-backed Hezbollah, which was struck hard by Israel during last year's war, is suffering a financial crunch and faces pressure in Lebanon to disarm. Washington's demands were conveyed by Thomas Barrack, U.S. special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey, during a trip to Beirut on June 19. The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters Barrack had shared a written roadmap with Lebanese officials and told them he expected to hear back by July 1 on any proposed amendments. The six-page document centers on the disarmament of Hezbollah and other militant groups, and urges Lebanon to improve ties with neighbouring Syria and implement financial reforms, they said. It proposes a phased approach to disarmament, in which Hezbollah would hand in its arms throughout Lebanon in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli troops occupying areas in south Lebanon, the sources said. Barrack said full disarmament should be completed by November or by the end of the year at the latest, they said. Disarmament would end Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah members and unlock funds to rebuild parts of Lebanon destroyed by Israeli forces last year, they said. The U.S. has said Washington will not support reconstruction in Lebanon without Hezbollah laying down arms. The proposal also refers to establishing a mechanism overseen by the United Nations to secure the release of Hezbollah-linked prisoners by Israel, the sources said. They said Barrack had urged Lebanese officials to seize the opportunity laid out in the roadmap as it "may not come up again." He is set to return to Lebanon next week. Barrack had not yet gotten Israeli approval for the roadmap, the sources said. There was no immediate response from the U.S. state department, Israel's prime minister's office or Israel's foreign ministry to Reuters requests for comment. 'THE RIGHT TO SAY NO' Lebanon has appointed a committee to formulate a preliminary response, comprised of delegates from the offices of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, President Joseph Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, the sources said. It was not clear whether the initial reply would be ready by Tuesday. The U.S. proposal includes a condition that the final deal be sealed with a unanimous decision by Lebanon's government, the sources said. The second source, and a third source briefed on the matter, said Berri was in close communication with Hezbollah to secure the group's input. "Hezbollah has not refused to cooperate with the committee and in fact began sending signals of cooperation - but has not committed to disarming," the third source said. The prospect of securing Hezbollah's disarmament - unimaginable two years ago - underlines the big shifts in the Middle East power balance to the detriment of Iran's allies across the region since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah ally Hamas in October 2023. Some of Hezbollah's arsenal was destroyed by Israeli airstrikes, and other depots in southern Lebanon were handed over to Lebanon's army in accordance with the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that ended that round of conflict. That deal called for the disarmament of armed groups across Lebanon. Hezbollah has said it applies only to the group in Lebanon's southernmost districts. Hezbollah has not commented publicly on Barrack's proposal. But in a televised address on Monday, its secretary general, Naim Qassem, reiterated Hezbollah's resistance to U.S. and Israeli pressure and urged other Lebanese to do the same. "We have the right to say 'no' to them, 'no' to America, 'no' to Israel," Qassem said. "We call on you in Lebanon: do not help Israel and America with their plans." Qassem said the U.S. and Israel "want to exploit the moment to turn the equation in the entire region in their image."
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hezbollah seeks boost in Lebanon vote as disarmament calls grow
By Laila Bassam and Emilie Madi NABATIEH, Lebanon (Reuters) - Amid the rubble left by Israeli bombardment of south Lebanon, campaign posters urge support for Hezbollah in elections on Saturday as the group aims to show it retains political clout despite the pounding it took in last year's war. For Hezbollah, the local vote is more important than ever, coinciding with mounting calls for its disarmament and continued Israeli airstrikes, and as many of its Shi'ite Muslim constituents still suffer the repercussions of the conflict. Three rounds of voting already held this month have gone well for the Iran-backed group. In the south, many races won't be contested, handing Hezbollah and its allies early wins. "We will vote with blood," said Ali Tabaja, 21, indicating loyalty to Hezbollah. He'll be voting in the city of Nabatieh rather than his village of Adaisseh because it is destroyed. "It's a desert," he said. The south's rubble-strewn landscape reflects the devastating impact of the war, which began when Hezbollah opened fire in support of Hamas at the start in October 2023 of the Gaza conflict and culminated in a major Israeli offensive. Hezbollah emerged a shadow of its former self, with its leaders and thousands of its fighters killed, its influence over the Lebanese state greatly diminished, and its Lebanese opponents gaining sway. In a measure of how far the tables have turned, the new government has declared it aims to establish a state monopoly on arms, meaning Hezbollah should disarm - as stipulated by the U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Israel. Against this backdrop, the election results so far indicate "the war didn't achieve the objective of downgrading Hezbollah's popularity in the community", said Mohanad Hage Ali of the Carnegie Middle East Center, a think tank. "On the contrary, many Shia now feel their fate is tied to Hezbollah's fate." Hezbollah's arms have long been a source of division in Lebanon, sparking a brief civil conflict in 2008. Critics say Hezbollah has unilaterally dragged Lebanon into hostilities. Foreign Minister Youssef Raji, a Hezbollah opponent, has said that Lebanon has been told there will be no reconstruction aid from foreign donors until the state establishes a monopoly on arms. Hezbollah, in turn, has put the onus on the government over reconstruction and accuses it of failing to take steps on that front, despite promises that the government is committed to it. DISARMAMENT TERMS Hage Ali said that conditioning reconstruction aid on disarmament was intended to expedite the process, but "it's difficult to see Hezbollah accepting this". Hezbollah says its weapons are now gone from the south, but links any discussion of its remaining arsenal to Israel's withdrawal from five positions it still holds, and an end to Israeli attacks. Israel says Hezbollah still has combat infrastructure including rocket launchers in the south, calling this "blatant violations of understandings between Israel and Lebanon". A French diplomatic source said reconstruction would not materialise if Israel continues striking and the Lebanese government does not act fast enough on disarmament. Donors also want Beirut to enact economic reforms. Hashem Haidar, head of the government's Council for the South, said the state lacks the funds to rebuild, but cited progress in rubble removal. Lebanon needs $11 billion for reconstruction and recovery, the World Bank estimates. In Nabatieh, a pile of rubble marks the spot where 71-year-old Khalil Tarhini's store once stood. It was one of dozens destroyed by Israeli bombardment in Nabatieh's central market. He has received no compensation, and sees little point in voting. Expressing a sense of abandonment, he said: "The state did not stand by us." The situation was very different in 2006, after a previous Hezbollah-Israel war. Aid flowed from Iran and Gulf Arab states. Hezbollah says it has aided 400,000 people, paying for rent, furniture and renovations. But the funds at its disposal appear well short of 2006, recipients say. Hezbollah says state authorities have obstructed funds arriving from Iran, though Tehran is also more financially strapped than two decades ago due to tougher U.S. sanctions and the reimposition of a "maximum pressure" policy by Washington. As for Gulf states, their spending on Lebanon dried up as Hezbollah became embroiled in regional conflicts and they declared it a terrorist group in 2016. Saudi Arabia has echoed the Lebanese government's position of calling for a state monopoly of arms. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said it was up to the government to secure reconstruction funding and that it was failing to take "serious steps" to get the process on track. He warned that the issue risked deepening divisions in Lebanon if unaddressed. "How can one part of the nation be stable while another is in pain?" he said, referring to Shi'ites in the south and other areas, including Beirut's Hezbollah-dominated southern suburbs, hard hit by Israel. (Additional reporting by John Irish in Paris, Tom Perry in Beirut and Maha El Dahan in Dubai; writing by Tom Perry; editing by Mark Heinrich)
