‘We reject war,’ Lebanon tells Iranian foreign minister

BEIRUT: The Lebanese army continued to deploy units in Rab Al-Thalathine, Tallouseh, and Bani Hayyan on Monday after the withdrawal of Israeli troops.

The deadline for their complete pullout, extended until Feb. 16, is approaching under the ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and the Israeli army.

The Lebanese army carried out armored patrols on the road and cleared mounds of earth and rubble.  It also began searching for bombs and unexploded ordnance in houses and along roads.

Municipalities in the three areas urged citizens to follow the army’s instructions and avoid returning until their towns had been fully secured and cleared of explosives.

Despite the Israeli troop withdrawal, localities such as Maroun Al-Ras, Yaroun, Blida, Houla, Mhaibib, Mays Al-Jabal, Kfarkila, Markaba, Abbasieh, and the outskirts of other towns remain under Israeli occupation.

Also on Monday, the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s call for “establishing a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia.”

The ministry reiterated support for Saudi Arabia in confronting everything that threatens its security, stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It affirmed Lebanon’s rejection of any displacement of Palestinian people from their land.

The ministry called for “a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause based on the two-state solution, international legitimacy resolutions, and the Arab Peace Initiative issued by Beirut’s Arab Summit in 2002, which enhances peace and stability in the region.”

The ministry statement came as Israeli forces continued to demolish and bulldoze houses and facilities in border villages, alleging connections to Hezbollah.

Israeli warplanes again flouted the ceasefire agreement, striking deep inside Lebanese territory on Sunday night.

The raids targeted the Rihan Heights between Sejoud and Rihan, north of the Litani River.

Israeli aircraft raided the area between Aazze and Bfaroueh in four phases.

A cautious calm has descended on the northeastern border since the deployment of the Lebanese army in the area. Last week, the region experienced violent clashes between members of the new Syrian military administration and armed members of Lebanese tribes.

The unrest occurred in an area where smuggling operations have increased due to the overlapping territories of the two countries.

According to the National News Agency, Lebanese tribal gunmen withdrew after the Lebanese army deployed, retreating behind the line established by the army.

President Joseph Aoun’s media office reported that he contacted Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa recently. They agreed to coordinate efforts to control the situation on the Lebanon-Syria border and prevent the targeting of civilians.

The media office of the Syrian government in Homs province announced last Thursday that the Border Security Administration had launched an extensive campaign in the village of Hawik — a Lebanese village that overlaps with Syrian territory — to close smuggling routes for weapons and contraband.

Lebanese from the Zaiter and Jaafar tribes inhabit the town.

These clashes resulted in fatalities, injuries, and mutual kidnappings.

The Lebanese Red Cross and Civil Defense took 21 injured people to hospitals in Hermel two days ago, including civilians, after shelling and clashes.

The Lebanese army has sent reinforcements to the Qaa and Qaa Projects areas along the Syrian border in eastern Lebanon.

The army’s move follows heavy shelling from armed people on the Syrian side, particularly targeting the Jusiyah area.

The situation escalated after armed forces from Syria in the countryside of Al-Qusayr, opened fire on farms on the Qaa plain and the outskirts of Hermel using medium and heavy machine guns.

Israeli warplanes also entered the conflict, on Sunday night striking an illegal crossing between Lebanon and Syria.

The Lebanese Army Command announced that military units have been ordered to respond to sources of fire coming from Syrian territory that target Lebanese land, following a series of shelling incidents in areas near the eastern border.

The command clarified that its units were implementing exceptional security measures along these borders, which included the establishment of monitoring points, the deployment of patrols, and the erection of temporary barriers.

The army also said that it was closely monitoring the situation and taking appropriate action in response to developments.

In the context of security measures implemented by military institutions in various regions, army units — with patrols from the Directorate of Intelligence — raided the homes of wanted individuals in Al-Qasr in Hermel and Al-Asfouriyeh in Akkar.

A significant quantity of rocket shells, hand grenades, military weapons and ammunition was seized during these operations.

A state of cautious calm has prevailed along the northern Lebanon-Syria border since Sunday evening, with no reports of gunfire or shelling.

The Lebanese army strengthened its presence at illegal crossings and has issued orders for an immediate response to any sources of gunfire directed toward Lebanese territory.

In a statement, the Lebanese Al-Jaafar clan emphasized “the fraternal relations between the Lebanese and Syrian peoples,” announcing “the withdrawal of its armed members.”

However, it pointed out that displacement had affected residents and urged “the Lebanese state and military to address the situation.”

JERUSALEM: Israel’s opposition leader accused the government on Monday of resisting a state probe into the events surrounding Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, after an inconclusive, court-ordered cabinet meeting about a potential inquiry.
The Hamas attack, which triggered more than 15 months of war in the Gaza Strip, was the deadliest in Israeli history. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused accepting responsibility for failures, and his government has suggested that any probe should wait until after the fighting is over.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid, speaking in parliament, said that “the government did everything yesterday to bury this commission,” referring to a cabinet meeting late Sunday which ended with no decision on a formal inquiry.
Lapid said that an investigation was needed so that a similar attack “won’t happen again.”
He also accused Netanyahu of having ignored intelligence warnings before of the cross-border attack, and pursuing a policy to “strengthen Hamas” over several years prior to it.
The Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.
Militants also took 251 hostages, of whom 73 remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
Following appeals from relatives of victims and hostages as well as NGOs, Israel’s supreme court on December 11 demanded the government meet within 60 days to discuss the creation of an inquiry commission.
The government met on the subject on Sunday and took no decision.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Monday defended the government’s position and said that “in the middle of a war, it is not the right time to investigate.”
A fragile truce since last month has largely halted Israel’s military operations in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, whose health ministry says the war has killed at least 48,208 people in the territory.
Smotrich said that while he was “in favor of investigating” the October 7 attack, he “does not trust” the judiciary — a frequent target of criticism from Netanyahu’s government — with the responsibility.
According to Israeli law, if the government decides to set up a state commission of inquiry, it must inform the president of the Supreme Court, who is then responsible for appointing its members.
Since the 1960s, more than a dozen such commissions have been formed in Israel, notably after the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, a 1982 massacre in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon by Israeli-backed militias, and the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995.
More recently, state commission was launched into a deadly 2021 stampede in which 45 people lost their lives during a Jewish pilgrimage in Israel’s north.
A bill to form a state commission of inquiry into October 7 was rejected by a majority of lawmakers on January 22.