BEIRUT: Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced on Friday, the 20th anniversary of the assassination of his father Rafic Hariri, also a former PM, the “return of the Future Movement to political activity in all upcoming milestones and events.”
This comes after a three-year suspension of his political engagement and that of his party.
Hariri affirmed that the party, founded by his late father, “will continue, rooted in adherence to the Taif Constitution, state-building, reconstruction, and institutional development. We ask for nothing but a normal state where no weapons exist outside the authority of the state.”
Speaking before crowds that had gathered since the morning from Beirut, Bekaa, and the north, waving Lebanese flags in Martyrs’ Square in downtown Beirut and chanting his name, Hariri stated: “The supporters of Rafic Hariri remain here, and your voices will be heard in every upcoming national milestone. Everything comes in its own time.”
In what politicians have described as a “responsible, non-provocative, and unifying speech,” Hariri emphasized: “We now have a president, a government, and new hope, which was expressed in the inaugural speech and the statement of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. This is a golden opportunity, and our decision is to support it and reject any attempt to circumvent it.”
Addressing the residents of the south, Bekaa, and Beirut’s southern suburbs — who suffered the brunt of the Israeli war against Hezbollah — Hariri said: “You are partners in this opportunity, and without you, it cannot be realized. You must break the previous impression that you are a force of obstruction, domination, and arms. You are partners in building bridges with Arab brothers and in reconstruction. You are key partners in restoring the legitimacy of the state, which alone — through its army, security forces, and institutions — can protect all Lebanese citizens.”
Hariri added: “Demanding a normal state means a state where weapons are exclusively in the hands of the national army and legitimate security forces, where the economy is free, productive, and provides jobs and a dignified life for all Lebanese. It means a state where the judiciary is independent, laws are upheld, freedoms are protected, and justice is served for the martyrs, the wounded, and those affected by the Beirut port explosion.”
He praised citizens who opened their homes to those forced to flee their communities.
“From the south to the Bekaa, from Beirut to its southern suburbs, we honor all those we have lost. The same unity that carried us through conflict must now heal the unified Lebanese body and drive our reconstruction,” he said, calling for a coordinated effort to rebuild affected areas.
“We fully back the presidency and government in their efforts to build a functioning state,” Hariri said, emphasizing the importance of restoring Lebanon’s regional role and maintaining healthy relationships with both Arab nations and the international community.
Hariri expressed strong support for state institutions and the Lebanese army, particularly in their efforts to implement UN Resolution 1701 and ensure complete Israeli withdrawal from occupied villages.
“Twenty years ago, you demanded justice and, through your determination, removed Bashar Assad’s criminal regime from Lebanon. Now after 20 years, and before that, 30 years of sectarian rule, suffering, injustice, murder, imprisonment, torture, and brutality, the heroic Syrian people have risen and expelled this criminal from Syria. Perhaps this marks not just the beginning of justice, but its ultimate triumph.”
Hariri stressed: “We stand firmly with the Syrian people’s aspirations and their right to self-determination. Our vision is clear: a stable, rebuilt Syria engaging with Lebanon as an equal partner, where both nations’ sovereignty and independence are fully respected.”
Addressing regional issues, Hariri reaffirmed his commitment to Palestinian rights and the two-state solution.
He criticized Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s approach saying that “the problem with Netanyahu is his evasion of responsibility and peace in favor of war.”
He warned against attempts to resolve the conflict at the expense of neighboring Arab states including Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
President Joseph Aoun paid tribute to Rafic Hariri, calling him “a statesman par excellence.” He highlighted that “his political stance played a crucial role in strengthening national unity, safeguarding civil peace, and implementing the National Reconciliation Document endorsed by the Taif Conference.”
The ceremony, held near Hariri’s tomb, drew tens of thousands of Lebanese, including supporters of the Future Movement.
The event coincided with Israeli warplanes flying over Beirut and its southern suburbs.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese and Iranian foreign ministries worked to facilitate the return of Lebanese passengers from Tehran after Lebanese authorities denied a plane from the Iranian capital permission to land at Beirut airport under Israeli pressure.
Youssef Rajji, Lebanon’s foreign minister, said on Friday that “the Lebanese and Iranian ministries are in communication through the Lebanese ambassador in Tehran to ensure the return of the Lebanese citizens to Beirut.”
On the same day, all roads leading to Beirut airport were reopened following the army’s intervention, ending hours of protests on Thursday night.
Hundreds of Hezbollah supporters had taken to the streets, setting tires ablaze in protest and accusing “the Lebanese state of yielding to Israeli and American demands.”
Avichai Adraee, spokesperson for the Israeli army, posted a claim alleging that “the Quds Force and Hezbollah are using Beirut airport to smuggle funds intended for arming Hezbollah on civilian planes.”
Following a directive from the Ministry of Transport and Public Works, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation at Beirut airport informed Tehran airport that it would temporarily refrain from receiving the Iranian aircraft.
In a statement, the directorate explained that additional security measures would be implemented to ensure the safety of Beirut airport, Lebanese airspace, and passengers, in coordination with airport security authorities.
These measures align with international aviation standards, but their full implementation would require additional time for certain airlines to comply.
Consequently, flight schedules — including those from Iran — have been temporarily adjusted until Feb. 18.
A political source linked the incident to intelligence suggesting that the plane was carrying funds for Hezbollah, raising security concerns.
Given the airport’s heightened surveillance, authorities have taken precautionary measures to mitigate any potential risks.
Hezbollah, through its deputy Ibrahim Al-Moussawi, accused Israel of repeatedly violating Lebanese sovereignty with US complicity.
He urged the state to stand firm against Israeli threats, regardless of the circumstances.
On Jan. 3, an Iranian plane was searched after an Iranian diplomat on board refused to comply with security procedures.
However, the Iranian Embassy later clarified that the funds in the diplomat’s possession were intended for the embassy’s operational expenses.
Hariri returns to politics, backs PM Salam, calls for unity
https://arab.news/mcsc4
Hariri returns to politics, backs PM Salam, calls for unity

- This comes after a three-year suspension of his political engagement and that of his party
- Hariri affirmed that the party, founded by his late father, “will continue, rooted in adherence to the Taif Constitution, state-building, reconstruction, and institutional development”
Six European nations reject ‘any demographic or territorial change’ in Gaza

- Israel’s plan ‘would mark a new and dangerous escalation’ in the war, the FMs of Spain, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway and Slovenia said in a joint statement
- FMs, who apart from Luxembourg represent countries that have recognized a Palestinian state, said the plans would ‘cross another line’ and ‘endanger any perspective of a viable two-state solution’
MADRID: Six European countries said Wednesday that they “firmly reject any demographic or territorial change in Gaza” after Israel announced plans to expand its military offensive in the Palestinian territory.
Israel’s plan “would mark a new and dangerous escalation” in the war, the foreign ministers of Spain, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway and Slovenia said in a joint statement.
Israel has called up tens of thousands of reservists for the planned offensive, which comes after resumed Israeli attacks against militant group Hamas in March ended a two-month truce.
An Israeli military official has said the offensive would include the “conquest” of Gaza, holding territory and moving the strip’s population south “for their protection.”
The foreign ministers, who apart from Luxembourg represent countries that have recognized a Palestinian state, said the plans would “cross another line” and “endanger any perspective of a viable two-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
A military escalation would “worsen an already catastrophic situation” for Palestinian civilians and endanger the lives of hostages held in Gaza, they added.
The ministers also asked Israel to “immediately lift the blockade” it has imposed on Gaza-bound humanitarian aid that has caused shortages of food, fuel and medicine and increased fears of famine.
“What is needed more urgently than ever is the resumption of the ceasefire and the unconditional release of all the hostages,” they said.
The war started after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel from Gaza on October 7, 2023 which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Palestinian militants also abducted 251 people that day, of whom 58 are still held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has killed 52,653 people, mainly civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
Yemen’s Houthis to keep attacking Israeli ships despite US deal

- “The waterways are safe for all international ships except Israeli ones,” Alejri told AFP
- “Israel is not part of the agreement, it only includes American and other ships“
SANAA: Yemen’s Houthi militants will continue targeting Israeli ships in the Red Sea, an official told AFP on Wednesday, despite a ceasefire that ended weeks of intense US strikes on the Iran-backed group.
A day after the Houthis agreed to stop firing on ships plying the key trade route off their shores, a senior official told AFP that Israel was excluded from the deal.
“The waterways are safe for all international ships except Israeli ones,” Abdulmalik Alejri, a member of the Houthi political bureau, told AFP.
“Israel is not part of the agreement, it only includes American and other ships,” he said.
The Houthis, who have controlled large swathes of Yemen for more than a decade, began firing on Israel-linked shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in November 2023, weeks after the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
They broadened their campaign to target ships tied to the United States and Britain after military strikes by the two countries began in January 2024.
Alejri said the Houthis would now “only” attack Israeli ships. In the past, vessels visiting Israel, or those with tenuous Israeli links, were in the militants’ sights.
The US-Houthi deal was announced after deadly Israeli strikes on Tuesday put Sanaa airport out of action in revenge for a Houthi missile strike on Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport.
Sanaa airport director Khaled alShaief told the militants’ Al-Masirah television Wednesday the Israeli attack had destroyed terminal buildings and caused $500 million in damage.
Oman said it had facilitated an agreement between Washington and the militants that “neither side will target the other... ensuring freedom of navigation.”
US President Donald Trump, who will visit Gulf countries next week, trumpeted the deal, saying the Houthis had “capitulated.”
“They say they will not be blowing up ships anymore, and that’s... the purpose of what we were doing,” he said during a White House press appearance.
The ceasefire followed weeks of stepped-up US strikes aimed at deterring Houthi attacks on shipping. The US attacks left 300 people dead, according to an AFP tally of Houthi figures.
The Pentagon said last week that US strikes had hit more than 1,000 targets in Yemen since mid-March in an operation that has been dubbed “Rough Rider.”
Alejri said recent US-Iran talks in Muscat “provided an opportunity” for indirect contacts between Sanaa and Washington, leading to the ceasefire.
“America was the one who started the aggression against us, and at its beginning, we did not resume our operations on Israel,” he added.
“We did not target any American ships or warships until they targeted us.”
Scores of Houthi missile and drone attacks have drastically reduced cargo volumes on the Red Sea route, which normally carries about 12 percent of global maritime trade.
The Houthis say their campaign — as well as a steady stream of attacks on Israeli territory — is in solidarity with the Palestinians.
Hamas says commander killed in Israel Lebanon strike

- The dawn strike killed one person
- The Israeli military confirmed that it killed Ahmed, adding that he was “the head of operations in Hamas’s Western Brigade in Lebanon“
SIDON, Lebanon: Hamas said one of its commanders was killed in an Israeli strike on the south Lebanon city of Sidon on Wednesday, the latest attack despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the dawn strike killed one person.
Hamas named him as Khaled Ahmed Al-Ahmed and said he was on his way to pray.
“As we mourn our heroic martyr, we pledge to God Almighty, and then to our people and our nation, to continue on the path of resistance,” the Palestinian militant group said in a statement.
The Israeli military confirmed that it killed Ahmed, adding that he was “the head of operations in Hamas’s Western Brigade in Lebanon.”
It alleged he had been engaged in weapons smuggling and advancing “numerous” attacks against Israel.
Israel has continued to launch regular strikes in Lebanon despite the November 27 truce which sought to halt more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah including two months of full-blown war.
Under the deal, Hezbollah was to pull back its fighters north of Lebanon’s Litani River, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure to its south.
Israel was to withdraw all its forces from Lebanon, but it has kept troops in five positions that it deems “strategic.”
A Lebanese security source told AFP that Hezbollah had withdrawn fighters from south of the Litani and dismantled most of its military infrastructure in the area.
Lebanon says it has respected its commitments and has called on the international community to pressure Israel to end its attacks and withdraw from the five border positions.
Last week, Lebanon’s top security body the Higher Defense Council warned Hamas against using the country for attacks on Israel.
The group has since handed over several Palestinians accused of firing rockets from Lebanon into Israel in March.
Yemen, Iran will be left ‘unrecognizable’ if attacks continue, says Israeli envoy

- UN Ambassador Danny Danon was speaking at Israeli Independence Day celebrations
- Warning came as Israel ‘fully disabled’ Sanaa airport in retaliatory strikes on Tuesday
NEW YORK CITY: Israel’s UN ambassador threatened Yemen’s Houthi militia and Iran in remarks made during Israeli Independence Day celebrations.
“If the Houthis and their Iranian masters want to play with fire, they will find their own lands unrecognizable,” Danny Danon said on Tuesday at UN Headquarters in New York City.
The warning came as Israel launched a series of attacks on Yemen in retaliation for a Houthi missile attack on Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv days earlier.
Israeli jets struck Sanaa’s international airport as well as the Red Sea port of Hodeidah on Tuesday.
The Yemeni capital’s airport was left “fully disabled” by the attack, the Israeli military said in a statement.
Washington and the Houthi militia on Tuesday also reached a deal to end the militia’s attacks on Red Sea shipping.
But the ceasefire, mediated by Oman, does not include an agreement to limit Houthi strikes on Israel, officials from the militia said later.
Dozens of ambassadors and Jewish community leaders took part in the Independence Day event in New York City.
Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the New England Patriots football team who has deep ties to Israel, also attended.
Danon said: “Israel is not a footnote in history — it is a driving force in history. Even after 77 years of independence, we are still forced to fight for our very right to exist in security and peace.
“But time and again we have shown the world the unbeatable spirit of the Jewish people — the ability to turn suffering into strength, isolation into unity and despair into hope.”
Malawi’s ambassador to the UN, Dr. Agnes Chimbiri-Molande, also took part in the event. She recently joined an Israeli-organized delegation to Auschwitz as part of the March of the Living organization.
Chimbiri-Molande said: “Visiting Israel was a powerful and unforgettable experience for me. I stood in the face of destruction — but also in the face of hope.
“Israel is a living example to the world of how one can continue to build and believe, even when attempts are made repeatedly to destroy it.”
Kraft, founder of the Stand Up to Jewish Hate initiative, has led extensive pro-Israel campaigning efforts in the US. Last year, he likened nationwide university protests against the war in Gaza to the forces that led to the rise of Nazism in Germany during the 1930s.
Kraft said at the Israeli Mission’s event: “Today more than ever we must stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel. The Jewish people have contributed to the entire world — in science, technology, medicine and humanity.
“It is time for the world to recognize and protect this contribution.”
Syrian leader arrives in France in first European trip

- Sharaa, who will hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, received an exemption from the United Nations to travel to Paris as he remains on a terrorism sanctions list
- The two leaders will discuss how to ensure Syria’s sovereignty and security, the handling of minorities after recent attacks against Alawites and Druze
PARIS: Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa arrived in Paris on Wednesday, his first trip to Europe since the overthrow of Bashar Assad in December, as he seeks international support for his efforts to bring greater stability to his war-shattered country.
Sharaa, who will hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, received an exemption from the United Nations to travel to Paris as he remains on a terrorism sanctions list for his previous leadership of Islamist armed group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), a former Al-Qaeda affiliate.
The two leaders will discuss how to ensure Syria’s sovereignty and security, the handling of minorities after recent attacks against Alawites and Druze, counterterrorism efforts against Daesh militants and the coordination of aid and economic support, including an easing of sanctions, French officials said.
The visit marks a diplomatic boost for Sharaa from a Western power at a time when the United States is refusing to recognize any entity as the government of Syria and keeping sanctions in place.
“We are not writing a blank cheque and we will judge (him) on actions,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told TF1 TV channel on Wednesday.
He added that Paris wanted to ensure that Syria focused on fighting impunity to curtail sectarian violence and its full engagement in tackling Daesh militants.
“If Syria were to collapse today it would be like rolling out a red carpet for Islamic State,” Barrot said.
The Franco-Alawite Collective is holding a protest against Sharaa in central Paris on Wednesday afternoon.
The same group filed a legal complaint on April 11 to the Paris prosecutor, seen by Reuters, aimed at Sharaa and some of his ministers for genocide and crimes against humanity over the mass killings in March of Alawaites in the country’s coastal region.
CAUTIOUS RAPPROCHEMENT
France welcomed Assad’s fall and has increasingly fostered ties with Sharaa’s transitional authorities. Macron recently held a trilateral video meeting with Sharaa and Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun as part of efforts to ease tensions on the border.
France last month appointed a charge d’affaires in Damascus with a small team of diplomats as a step toward fully reopening its embassy.
Paris believes it has a card to play in Syria, having cut ties with Assad in 2012 and having refused thereafter to restore ties with his government even after opposition fighters were badly defeated and confined to northern pockets of the country.
It traditionally backed a broadly secular exiled opposition and Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria, where it already has special forces.
Over the past months France played an intermediary role between Sharaa and the Kurds as the United States began reducing its presence and the new Syrian leader looked to bring the area back under centralized control from Damascus.
A French presidency official said Paris had been holding talks with the Americans on how to handle Washington’s withdrawal and how France could play a bigger role.
With the World Bank estimating reconstruction costs in Syria at more than $250 billion, Sharaa is in desperate need of sanctions relief to kickstart an economy battered by 14 years of civil war. During that period the US, the European Union and Britain imposed tough sanctions on the Assad government.
The EU has lifted some sanctions, while some others that target individuals and entities are due to expire on June 1.
Syria hopes the EU will not renew those measures. Their renewal needs consensus among all 27 member states, although the bloc could opt for a limited renewal or delist key institutions such as the Central Bank or other entities that are needed for economic recovery, including energy, infrastructure, finance.