Israeli troops to remain in 5 Lebanese positions after Tuesday deadline

Israeli army forces patrol in the village of Kfarshuba in southern Lebanon on February 17, 2025. (AFP)
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Updated 21 February 2025
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Israeli troops to remain in 5 Lebanese positions after Tuesday deadline

  • President calls on ceasefire brokers to ‘fulfill responsibilities’ and ensure total withdrawal
  • Drone strike kills Hamas military commander in south Lebanon

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s president on Monday voiced concern that Israel may fail to withdraw its forces from the country by the Tuesday ceasefire deadline.

Joseph Aoun’s comments followed an Israeli drone strike in south Lebanon that killed a Hamas commander and pledges from some Israeli officials to keep troops in 5 strategic positions across south Lebanon.

The president is “following up on contacts at various levels to push Israel to abide by the ceasefire agreement, withdraw on the specified date and return the hostages,” his office said.

He called on the brokers of the Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire to “fulfill their responsibilities and assist us.”

During his meeting with the head of the UNIFIL mission, Maj. Gen. Aroldo Lazaro, Aoun renewed his condemnation of last week’s attack on a peacekeeping convoy.

He reiterated his support for investigations into the incident.

Egyptian Ambassador to Lebanon Alaa Moussa joined Aoun in a meeting of the envoys of the five countries monitoring Lebanese developments.

Moussa confirmed the commitment of the five countries to push Israel to withdraw on the scheduled date.

He said that the quintet is communicating with all parties to achieve the withdrawal.

Lebanon has not received any assurances confirming that it will be completed on time, presidential spokesperson Najat Charafeddine said.

Israeli troops have been stationed in Lebanon’s southern border area since last October.

Israeli officials have said the army will maintain control over five strategic hills along the Lebanese border even after Feb. 18.

Several conflicting Israeli statements were issued regarding the complete withdrawal.

The Israeli Army Channel announced on Monday afternoon that Israel “will withdraw tomorrow from Lebanon, except five strategic positions, where it will remain indefinitely.”

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz claimed that the Lebanese state “did not adhere to the ceasefire agreement, as Hezbollah is rearming itself,” adding: “The army should not be withdrawn from Lebanon.”

Citing an Israeli official, some Israeli media outlets said that troops “will withdraw on time,” while other outlets reported “direct threats to bomb Lebanon and Hezbollah’s strongholds anywhere.”

On Monday noon, Israel intensified its air and land ceasefire violations by targeting a Hamas leader in Saida.

More raids were also launched deep inside Lebanese territory on Sunday night.

Bulldozing operations and burning of facilities were carried out in several towns on Monday.

On Monday morning, an Israeli drone targeted a car on Sidon’s coastal road that was heading toward Beirut, killing its driver, later identified as Hamas military official Mohammed Shahin.

Shahin was head of Hamas’ operations directorate in Lebanon, said Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee, adding that the operation was a joint effort between the Israeli army and Shin Bet.

Adraee said that Shanin was “an important and experienced Hamas operative, and was involved in carrying out various attacks during the war, including launching rockets at Israel’s home front.”

He had recently been working to promote plans “under Iranian direction and funding from Lebanese territory,” the spokesperson claimed.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left his trial session to approve the assassination.

An Israeli drone dropped a grenade in the town square of Kfarchouba to intimidate residents who were monitoring an Israeli incursion into the center of the town despite the deployment of the Lebanese army on its outskirts.

Israeli forces also set fire to several homes in the town of Odaisseh and carried out an explosion in Yaroun.

Israeli jets conducted airstrikes on locations in northern Bekaa on Sunday evening, claiming that the sites were linked to Hezbollah.

The airstrikes coincided with a speech by Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem in which he warned the Israeli army that Hezbollah would regard “the presence of the Israeli army at any location as an occupation.”

Qassem said: “There is no justification for Israel to refrain from withdrawal, nor to remain at five points or any other details.

“While we will not specify how to deal with the occupier, it is well understood by all how such situations are typically addressed.”

In a related development, Air France and Emirates Airlines announced the cancellation of their flights to Lebanon on Feb. 23.

The date coincides with the funeral of former Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah and his successor, Hashem Safieddine.


Qatar helps in release of US citizen from Taliban’s detention in Afghanistan

Updated 15 sec ago
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Qatar helps in release of US citizen from Taliban’s detention in Afghanistan

  • George Glezmann arrived in Doha on Thursday
  • Release of US prisoner described as ‘gesture of goodwill’

LONDON: Qatar facilitated on Thursday the release of a US citizen in Afghanistan who had been in detention since December 2022.

George Glezmann is the third US citizen to be released by the Taliban government since January. The Taliban’s intelligence agency detained Glezmann, an airline mechanic from Atlanta, in December 2022.

He arrived in Doha on Thursday and will depart for his home country later, the Qatar News Agency reported. A date was not specified.

The Taliban government’s release of the detainee was a “gesture of goodwill,” reflecting its willingness to engage in dialogue with the international community, the QNA added.

The Taliban have been in control of Afghanistan since the summer of 2021, following the withdrawal of US and Western troops from the Central Asian country.

Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed Al-Khulaifi said that cooperation with the mediation process involving the US and the “Afghan caretaker government” had led to the release of Glezmann.

He added that Qatar was dedicated to mediation efforts to find peaceful solutions to conflicts, disputes, and complex international issues.

Qatar has taken a leading role in mediating during some of the most contentious conflicts, including its recent efforts to help end the Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip and to facilitate the release of Israeli captives held by the militant group Hamas.


Lebanon committed to regaining confidence of Arab countries: Aoun

Updated 3 min 2 sec ago
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Lebanon committed to regaining confidence of Arab countries: Aoun

  • German foreign minister makes official visit to Beirut

BEIRUT: Lebanon is committed to regaining the confidence of Arab countries and the world through reforms, President Joseph Aoun said on Thursday.

He was speaking at a meeting of Lebanese businessmen based in Saudi Arabia.

The president thanked the Kingdom for embracing expatriates and their families.

Addressing the delegation of the Lebanese Executives Council in the Kingdom, Aoun said: “It is unacceptable to cover the repercussions of financial and economic mismanagement using depositors’ funds, which have been frozen in Lebanese banks since 2019.”

The issue requires a solution in cooperation with economic bodies, banks, the central bank, depositors and the state as soon as possible, Aoun said.

“Boosting the economic cycle and investment flow requires a trustworthy banking sector,” he added.

“This was a commitment in the oath speech and is at the core of the government’s work, and we look forward to helping the parliament by accelerating the process of issuing the necessary laws.”

The Lebanese president on Wednesday had informed German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock that Israel’s occupation of areas in the south of the country hindered the implementation of UN Resolution 1701 and contradicted the agreement reached last November.

His remarks came during the German official’s visit to Beirut.

Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, left, arrives at the government palace to meet with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, in Beirut, Lebanon, on March 19, 2025. (AP Photo)

Baerbock was then to head to Damascus on Thursday to reopen the German Embassy in Syria.

Aoun said that the Lebanese army, which has been deployed in all areas vacated by Israeli forces, was carrying out its duty to enforce security and seize weapons.

He told the German minister that Israel had rejected all Lebanese proposals to evacuate the five hills it still occupies and replace its forces with international troops.

Diplomatic efforts and negotiations are continuing in a bid to find a solution to the issue, the president said.

Aoun also told Baerbock that Israel continues to hold several Lebanese prisoners and had only released five nationals, an issue that the government is “determined” to resolve.

Also on Thursday, Hezbollah reacted to Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji’s statements a day earlier, accusing the party of “reneging on the ceasefire agreement between it and Israel, despite the agreement being clear on which groups are allowed to bear arms.”

During a meeting with the Maronite League, Rajji highlighted “diplomatic efforts to end the Israeli occupation,” and said that “Lebanon’s goal is to return to the 1949 Armistice Agreement, and the only solution is international pressure, particularly from the US.

“The conditions are clear: The full implementation of Resolution 1701 and the cessation of military operations. These are tough conditions caused by the party that entered the war and delayed acknowledging the necessity of a ceasefire,” he added.

However, Rajji said that Lebanon “will not accept any direct political negotiations with Israel.”

In response, Hezbollah MP Ibrahim Al-Moussawi said on Thursday that the foreign minister’s remarks harmed national interests and distorted facts, “ultimately providing Israel with additional justifications for its aggression.”

Al-Moussawi added that Hezbollah remained committed to “what the Lebanese government agreed upon through UN Resolution 1701.”

He said the foreign minister should have condemned Israel’s crimes and highlighted them to the international community, instead of directing accusations at Hezbollah.

Al-Moussawi urged the government to correct the “irresponsible statements” made by Rajji.

Similarly, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem accused the foreign minister of “providing Israel with an excuse to continue its aggression, a stance that is inappropriate for any Lebanese government official.

“We have adhered to the agreement while Israel continues to violate it,” he added.
 


Israel says struck military sites in east, south Lebanon

Updated 43 min 37 sec ago
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Israel says struck military sites in east, south Lebanon

  • Lebanese state media on Thursday reported Israeli strikes on the country’s south and east
  • Four missiles were fired in the Nabatiyeh area of southern Lebanon

JERUSALEM: Israel’s military said it struck military sites in east and south Lebanon on Thursday, in its latest attack despite a November ceasefire that ended a war against militant group Hezbollah.
“A short while ago, the IDF (military) struck a military site containing an underground terrorist infrastructure site in the Bekaa area in Lebanon, as well as a military site containing rocket launchers in southern Lebanon in which Hezbollah activity has been identified,” the military said in a statement.
Lebanese state media on Thursday reported Israeli strikes on the country’s south and east.
The state-run National News Agency said “enemy aircraft” struck “the eastern slopes of the mountain range within the town of Janta in the Bekaa,” as well as “the outskirts of the town of Taraya, west of Baalbek,” also in the east.
Four missiles were fired in the Nabatiyeh area of southern Lebanon, NNA said.
No casualties were immediately reported.
The November 27 truce largely halted more than a year of fighting between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel, including two months of open war during which Israel sent in ground troops.
Hezbollah had said it was acting in support of Hamas militants fighting Israel in Gaza.
Israel has continued to carry out strikes on Lebanese territory since the truce agreement took effect.
Under the agreement, Israel had been expected to withdraw from Lebanon by February 18 after missing a January deadline, but it has kept troops at five locations it deems “strategic.”
The ceasefire also required Hezbollah to pull back north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border, and to dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south.


Fight against disinformation to continue, says Turkish official

Updated 20 March 2025
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Fight against disinformation to continue, says Turkish official

ANKARA: Following the decision to detain Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality officials and other suspects within the scope of a series of investigations conducted by the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office, we note that some parties, especially leaders of the main opposition party, are making efforts to undermine the integrity of the investigations with political and ideological motives.

Among the political and ideological assessments made without familiarity with the content and details of the investigations that have begun, we are also witnessing irrational slanders against our president.

We will continue to stand firmly against such endeavors aimed at undermining the independence of our judiciary, which exercises its authority on behalf of the Turkish nation, as well as putting our president under suspicion, and will continue to protect the rights of our president against these ideological slander campaigns.

We emphasize our belief that all decisions of an impartial judiciary should be respected by all groups, and we would like to state that we will continue our fight against disinformation as the Communication Directorate in this process.

We ask our valued citizens to support this fight by dealing cautiously with unconfirmed and suspicious content and, as always, please rely on the statements of official institutions and authorities.

  • Prof. Dr. Fahrettin Altun is Head of the Communications Directorate of the Republic of Turkiye.

Houthi militant media reports fresh US strikes on Yemen

Updated 44 min 15 sec ago
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Houthi militant media reports fresh US strikes on Yemen

  • Four strikes hit Hodeida governorate on the Red Sea
  • The Houthis have reported several rounds of US attacks since Saturday

SANAA: Fresh attacks hit two areas of militant-held Yemen, the Iran-backed Houthis’ Al-Masirah TV station reported on Thursday, blaming “US aggression.”
Four strikes hit Hodeida governorate on the Red Sea, and a further attack hit Saada in the north, the birthplace of the Houthi movement, Al-Masirah said.
The attacks came around the same time that Israel’s military said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen for the second time in a day.
The Houthis have reported several rounds of US attacks since Saturday, when a heavy bombardment targeting senior figures killed 53 people, according to the militant group.
In return, the Houthis have repeatedly attacked a US aircraft carrier battle group and twice announced missile launches at Israeli targets.
The US attacks are aimed at stamping out months of strikes by the Houthis on Red Sea shipping during the Gaza war that have crippled the vital trade route.