Lebanese army expands presence in areas along Litani River

Waste is pictured in the waters of the Litani River as it crosses by the village of Jib Jannine in the southern Bekaa Valley on May 4, 2019. (AFP)
Waste is pictured in the waters of the Litani River as it crosses by the village of Jib Jannine in the southern Bekaa Valley on May 4, 2019. (AFP)
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Updated 02 April 2025
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Lebanese army expands presence in areas along Litani River

Lebanese army expands presence in areas along Litani River
  • It follows the launch last week of rockets toward Israel, and retaliatory Israeli airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut

BEIRUT: A large contingent of the Lebanese army entered Yohmor Chkeif, north of the Litani River in Nabatieh governorate, southern Lebanon, on Wednesday. Rockets were launched from the area toward Israel last week.

A security source said forces patrolled the village, which is surrounded on three sides by the river. A video shared on social media appeared to show the troops entering the village.

The residents of another village north of the Litani River reported seeing Lebanese army Cessna drones in the skies over Nabatieh on Wednesday. An army unit, in cooperation with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, recently entered Zawtar Al-Charqiyeh, which is located in the same governorate.

Ali Al-Amin, the editor-in-chief of the Janoubia news website, told Arab News the region is characterized by its valleys, mountains and rugged terrain. Under Hezbollah directives, only civilians are allowed in the area. But a Lebanese army unit entered Hezbollah military sites in Wadi Zawtar Al-Charqiyeh, close to the river, he added.

The valley was targeted by at least 200 raids during the recent war between Israel and Hezbollah. It reportedly contains large Hezbollah camps, training centers and weapon storage facilities.

The arrival of the Lebanese army in the area effectively marks the end of Hezbollah’s military presence there, Al-Amin said, though the group has not officially stated this. He suggested that Hezbollah might have reached an understanding with the army behind closed doors.

Last week, the army seized empty rocket launchers that had targeted Israel twice in the space of a week. An investigation has been launched in an attempt to identify those who fired the missiles. They remain unknown, although the Lebanese army said it arrested suspects from Syria and Palestine.

The launch of the rockets resulted in a significant deterioration in the security situation in Lebanon, jeopardizing the ceasefire agreement as retaliatory Israeli airstrikes targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut for the first time since the peace deal came into effect four months ago. Dozens of people were killed or injured by the Israeli strikes.

Army commander Gen. Rodolphe Haikal inspected the South Litani Sector Command two days ago and reinforced the Lebanese military’s commitment to the implementation of UN resolutions and the ceasefire agreement.

Army command said the general had highlighted the continued presence of Israeli forces in occupied Lebanese territory as the main obstacle to deployment of the army south of the Litani, and reinforcement of the ceasefire.

Further Israeli violations of the peace agreement were reported on Wednesday. According to media reports from southern Lebanon, the Israeli army “opened fire on a citizen from the border town of Odaisseh, injuring him slightly while he was driving his car on the Kfarkela-Odaisseh road.” The Ministry of Health also said a citizen was wounded by Israeli gunfire in the Odaisseh area.

The Israeli army also continued to target shelters being built by residents in border areas near homes destroyed during the conflict. A combat drone destroyed one such shelter in the center of the town of Yaroun but no casualties were reported.

At dawn, Israeli vehicles and demolition equipment based in the Labouneh area east of Naqoura, inside Lebanese territory, advanced toward Ras Naqoura. According to the National News Agency, they raised a dirt barrier that blocked the road on both directions opposite the Israeli Jal Al-Alam site, which overlooks the towns of Naqoura and Alma Al-Shaab.

The latest developments come as Russia Today reported that Lebanese security officials had received “concerning signals” suggesting that Israeli authorities intend to resume their campaign of targeted assassinations. A security source said Tel Aviv is committed to dismantling Hezbollah’s military arsenal and considers the Lebanese government’s efforts so far to achieve this to be inadequate.

The rising tensions followed a pre-dawn Israeli strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Tuesday that killed Hezbollah member Hassan Badir and his son. Civilians in a neighboring apartment were also reportedly killed.

In a separate security operation, the Lebanese army said on Wednesday it had shut down two illegal border crossings in the Hermel and Mashari Al-Qaa regions as part of its ongoing efforts to combat smuggling and unauthorized movements across the country’s northern and eastern border with Syria.

 


EU, Norway, rights groups rap West Bank settlement plan

EU, Norway, rights groups rap  West Bank settlement plan
Updated 20 sec ago
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EU, Norway, rights groups rap West Bank settlement plan

EU, Norway, rights groups rap  West Bank settlement plan
  • Palestinians fear land fragmentation will rob them of any chance to build a state of their own in the area

MAALE ADUMIM: Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced work would start on a long-delayed settlement that would divide the West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, a move his office said would “bury” the idea of a Palestinian state.

The Palestinian government, allies, and campaign groups condemned the scheme, calling it illegal and saying the fragmentation of territory would rip up peace plans for the region.

Standing at the site of the planned settlement in Maale Adumim on Thursday, Smotrich, a settler himself, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump had agreed to the revival of the E1 development. However, there was no immediate confirmation from either.

“Whoever in the world is trying to recognize a Palestinian state today will receive our answer on the ground, not with documents nor with decisions or statements, but with facts. Facts of houses, facts of neighborhoods,” Smotrich said.

Israel froze construction plans at Maale Adumim in 2012, and again after a revival in 2020, because of objections from the US, European allies, and other powers who considered the project a threat to any future peace deal with the Palestinians.

Restarting the project could further isolate Israel, which has watched some of its Western allies condemn its military offensive in Gaza and announce they may recognize a 

Palestinian state.

Palestinians fear the settlement building in the West Bank — which has sharply intensified since the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that led to the Gaza war — will rob them of any chance to build a state of their own in the area.

In a statement headlined “Burying the idea of a Palestinian state,” Smotrich’s spokesperson said the minister had approved the plan to build 3,401 houses for Israeli settlers between an existing settlement in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

In Maale Adumim, Smotrich said the plan would go into effect on Wednesday.

Breaking the Silence, an Israeli rights group established by former Israeli soldiers, said what it called a land grab “will not only further fragment the Palestinian territory, but will further entrench apartheid.”

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the Palestinian president’s spokesperson, called on the US to pressure Israel to stop settlement building.

“The EU rejects any territorial change that is not part of a political agreement between the involved parties. So annexation of territory is illegal under international law,” European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper said.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said the move by Smotrich, an ultra-nationalist in the ruling right-wing coalition who has long advocated for Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, showed that Israel “seeks to appropriate land owned by Palestinians in order to prevent a two-state solution.”

Peace Now, which tracks settlement activity in the West Bank, said there were still steps needed before construction. 

However, if all goes through, infrastructure work could begin within a few months, and house building could start about a year later.

“The E1 plan is deadly for the future of Israel and for any chance of achieving a peaceful two-state solution. We are standing at the edge of an abyss, and the government is driving us forward at full speed,” Peace Now said in a statement.

Consecutive Israeli governments have initiated, approved, planned, and funded settlements, according to Israeli rights group Yesh Din.

Some settlers moved to the West Bank for religious or ideological reasons, while lower housing costs and government incentives drew others. 

They include American and European dual citizens.

Palestinians were already demoralized by the Israeli military campaign, which has killed more than 61,000 people in Gaza, according to local health authorities, and fear Israel will ultimately push them out of that territory.

About 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. 

Israel annexed East Jerusalem in a move not recognized by most countries, but has not formally extended sovereignty over the West Bank. 

The UN and most world powers say settlement expansion has eroded the viability of a two-state solution by fragmenting Palestinian territory. 

The two-state plan envisages a Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza, existing side by side with Israel.

Most of the global community considers all settlements illegal under international law.

Israel rejects this interpretation, saying the West Bank is “disputed” rather than “occupied” territory.

Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand imposed sanctions in June on Smotrich and another far-right minister who advocates for settlement expansion, accusing both of them of repeatedly inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. 


UAE joins Jordan, EU countries in Gaza humanitarian airdrops

UAE joins Jordan, EU countries in Gaza humanitarian airdrops
Updated 5 min 10 sec ago
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UAE joins Jordan, EU countries in Gaza humanitarian airdrops

UAE joins Jordan, EU countries in Gaza humanitarian airdrops
  • Action is 71st of Operation Birds of Goodness, part of UAE’s Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 to help Palestinians
  • Aid includes essential food supplies donated by Emirati charities

LONDON: The UAE and Jordan, alongside Germany, Italy, Belgium, and France, carried out humanitarian airdrops on Thursday to help deliver relief to the 2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The aid airdrop was the 71st of Operation Birds of Goodness, part of the UAE’s Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 in support of Palestinians facing Israeli attacks, reported the Emirates News Agency.

The aid included essential food supplies which had been donated by charities in the UAE. Since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict in late 2023, the UAE has delivered 3,956 tonnes of various items, including food and essential supplies.

The initiative underscores the UAE’s commitment to supporting the Palestinian people, enhancing resilience, and promoting humanitarian assistance in crisis areas, added WAM.


Turkiye reports mass return by Syrians

Turkiye reports mass return by Syrians
Updated 13 min 4 sec ago
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Turkiye reports mass return by Syrians

Turkiye reports mass return by Syrians
  • Turkiye’s interior ministry said 411,649 Syrians had so far returned
  • Around 2.5 million Syrian refugees still live in Turkiye

ISTANBUL: More than 410,00 Syrians who fled to Turkiye during the rule of Bashar Assad have returned home since he was overthrown in December, the government announced Thursday.

Turkiye’s interior ministry said 411,649 Syrians had so far returned, the rate picking up in recent weeks, with the immigration service recording 140,000 returns since mid-June.

In June Filippo Grandi, head of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), said 600,000 Syrians had returned homme from neighboring countries.

Syria has seen outbreaks of violence in recent weeks, testing the authorities’ ability to contain inter-religious strife after the fall of Assad.

Around 2.5 million Syrian refugees still live in Turkiye, according to the latest figures, released in early August.

In 2021, Turkiye said up to 3.7 million Syrians had taken refuge in the country.


Sudan army chief rules out any compromise with RSF paramilitaries

Sudan army chief rules out any compromise with RSF paramilitaries
Updated 14 August 2025
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Sudan army chief rules out any compromise with RSF paramilitaries

Sudan army chief rules out any compromise with RSF paramilitaries
  • Sudan’s war, now in its third year, has killed tens of thousands, displaced 13 million
  • So far, mediation efforts led by Washington and Riyadh have failed to secure a ceasefire in Sudan

PORT SUDAN: Sudan’s army chief on Thursday vowed there would be no compromise with paramilitary forces who have been at war with the regular army for more than two years amid a deepening humanitarian crisis.

Speaking on the centenary of the Sudanese armed forces, General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan renewed his commitment to the “battle for dignity, to defeat the rebellion, and to make neither compromise nor reconciliation, whatever the cost.”

The remarks come just days after a confidential meeting in Switzerland between Burhan and US Africa envoy Massad Boulos.

According to two Sudanese government sources, the pair discussed a new US peace plan. So far, mediation efforts led by Washington and Riyadh have failed to secure a ceasefire.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, have attempted to establish a parallel administration in western Sudan, on territory under their control.

The United Nations Security Council strongly condemned the move on Wednesday, calling it “a direct threat to Sudan’s unity and territorial integrity.”

Sudan’s war, now in its third year, has killed tens of thousands, displaced 13 million and plunged the nation into the world’s worst hunger and displacement crisis.

The European Union on Thursday called on all parties in the civil war in Sudan to “urgently” allow the entry of international aid, as the country weathers its worst outbreak of cholera in years.

“Civilians must be protected, and humanitarian access must be granted,” the EU said in a joint statement also signed by countries including Britain, Canada and Japan.


Gaza civil defense says 17 killed in Israel strikes

Gaza civil defense says 17 killed in Israel strikes
Updated 14 August 2025
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Gaza civil defense says 17 killed in Israel strikes

Gaza civil defense says 17 killed in Israel strikes
  • The dead included six civilians who had been waiting for humanitarian aid

GAZA CITY: Gaza’s civil defense agency said at least 17 people were killed Thursday in Israeli strikes as the military intensified its bombardment of Gaza City.

The dead included six civilians who had been waiting for humanitarian aid, said civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal.

“The Israeli occupation forces are intensifying their raids in the Zeitun area” of Gaza City, he said.

The Israeli military has yet to comment.

“For the fourth consecutive day, the area has been subject to a military operation, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries,” said Bassal.

“Since dawn today, we have received 28 calls from families and residents of this neighborhood, some of whose children have been killed.

“Many people cannot leave these areas due to artillery fire,” the spokesperson added.

Maram Kashko, a resident of Zeitun, said the strikes had increased over the past four days.

“My nephew, his wife and their children were killed in a bombardment,” he told AFP.

An AFP videographer said their bodies were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City and buried shortly afterwards at the Sayyid Hashim cemetery.

On Wednesday, the head of the Israeli military said he had approved a new plan for operations in the Gaza Strip aimed at freeing all hostages and defeating Hamas.

The military intends to take control of Gaza City and neighboring refugee camps, some of the most densely populated areas in the Palestinian territory, which has been devastated by more than 22 months of war.

Over the past three days, Zeitun has been the target of repeated air strikes, according to multiple sources, including the military.

Adding to the dire humanitarian situation, Gaza has been experiencing a spell of extreme heat, which is particularly difficult for displaced residents living in tents and makeshift shelters.

“The heat is unbearable. We live in a nylon tent — it’s like an oven. We cannot stay inside during the day, there is no ventilation,” said Umm Khaled Abu Jazar, 40, displaced in the Al-Mawasi camp.

“My children have developed skin rashes. Even the water we drink is hot from the sun. There is nothing to cool us down. The heat only adds to our daily suffering,” the mother of five told AFP.