Traffickers arrested after the reopening of illegal border crossings
Israeli reconnaissance planes return to Beirut’s airspace after rockets launched from southern Lebanon
Updated 24 March 2025
NAJIA HOUSSARI
BEIRUT: The Lebanese Army Command announced on Monday the arrest of several Lebanese and Syrians suspected of involvement in smuggling operations and the reopening of illegal border crossings in the Masharih Al-Qaa area of eastern Lebanon.
In an official statement, the Army Command said that a patrol from the Directorate of Intelligence foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons from Syrian territory into Lebanon, seizing several handguns and other smuggled goods in the Zahle area in the Bekaa.
Investigations are ongoing to apprehend others suspected of involved in the operation.
FASTFACT
Parliamentary and party statements have urged the Lebanese government to reveal the findings of the investigation aimed at identifying the party responsible for launching the rockets from southern Lebanon.
UN Resolution 1701, which Lebanon is required to implement, highlights the importance of the Lebanese government’s complete control over all Lebanese territory.
This is outlined under UN Resolutions 1559 and 1680, as well as the relevant provisions of the Taif Agreement.
It stipulates that no weapons should exist without the approval of the Lebanese government, which should be the soul executor of authority in the country.
The resolution urges the Lebanese government to strengthen security at its borders and entry points to stop the unauthorized influx of weapons and related materials into Lebanon.
Meanwhile on Monday, Israeli artillery resumed its shelling of Lebanese border areas, targeting the outskirts of Shebaa.
Throughout the day, Israeli reconnaissance aircraft flew over southern Lebanon, extending as far as Beirut’s southern suburbs.
On Sunday, the Israeli Army killed Hezbollah member Hassan Al-Zein in a drone strike that targeted his vehicle in his hometown of Aita Al-Shaab, near the border.
On Monday morning, the Lebanese Army, in coordination with UNIFIL forces, removed an earth barrier an Israeli armored unit had put up.
The Israeli Army’s spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, stated that the targeting of a Hezbollah member was part of ongoing military operations to address the threats posed by the group in the region.
The Israeli Army will continue to implement necessary measures to ensure the security of Israel and protect it from any potential threats arising from Lebanese territory, he said.
Intensive diplomatic communications carried out by President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Foreign Minister Youssef Raji helped to contain the situation, their respective media offices stated.
The military escalation came after unidentified individuals launched five rockets from an area north of the Litani River toward the Israeli settlement of Metula on Saturday.
This incident resulted in multiple casualties, and at the time, Israeli officials warned of a “Beirut for Metula” equation.
Aoun will travel to Paris in four days for a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace.
The discussions will focus on developments in Lebanon and aim to advance three key issues: the release of Lebanese detainees held by Israel, urging Israel to withdraw from five strategic hills it currently occupies along the southern border, and addressing the disputed land border points with Israel.
At the same time in Beirut, parliamentary and party statements urged the government to reveal the findings of the investigation aimed at identifying the party responsible for launching the rockets from southern Lebanon.
Independent MP Fouad Makhzoumi inquired about the steps the government plans to take to identify those responsible for the launches and their backers.
He also inquired about measures to ensure that Lebanon is not held hostage by their actions.
He stated that it was not permissible to classify the incident as an unidentified act, considering the risk of renewed Israeli aggression against Lebanon.
In a related development, the Lebanese Forces Party issued a warning in a statement that if the ceasefire agreement was not upheld, tensions and instability along the southern border would persist, turning Lebanon into a battleground.
The party stated: “While the prime minister and foreign minister urge adherence to international commitments for Lebanon’s protection from military escalation, those advocating for the implementation of international resolutions and ceasefire agreements face accusations of treason. This is a desperate attempt to silence calls for stronger security and sovereignty in Lebanon.”
The Lady of the Mountain Gathering political group stated that the recent rocket attacks on Israel represented a perilous escalation.
It urged the Lebanese Army to identify the party responsible for launching the rockets and to assert the state’s sovereignty over all Lebanese territory under the constitution, the oath of office, and the ministerial statement.
Gaza civil defense describes medic killings as ‘summary executions’
Israel also accused of seeking to ‘circumvent’ its obligations under international law
Updated 21 April 2025
AFP
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Gaza’s civil defense agency on Monday accused the Israeli military of carrying out “summary executions” in the killing of 15 rescue workers last month, rejecting the findings of an internal probe by the army.
“The video filmed by one of the paramedics proves that the Israeli occupation’s narrative is false and demonstrates that it carried out summary executions,” Mohammed Al-Mughair, a civil defense official, said, a day after an Israeli army probe denied any execution-style killings. He also accused Israel of seeking to “circumvent” its obligations under international law.
The Palestine Red Crescent also rejected the findings of an Israeli military investigation that blamed operational failures for the killing of 15 Gaza emergency service workers, denouncing the report as “full of lies.”
“The report is full of lies. It is invalid and unacceptable, as it justifies the killing and shifts responsibility to a personal error in the field command when the truth is quite different,” Nebal Farsakh, spokesperson for the Red Crescent, said.
Israeli opposition leader fears political violence over Shin Bet affair
The supreme court froze the government’s initial attempt to sack Bar, and earlier this month it gave the cabinet and the attorney general’s office until the end of the just concluded Passover holiday to work out a compromise
Updated 21 April 2025
AFP
TEL AVIV: Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said he feared an outbreak of political violence connected to what he called a campaign of hate against the country’s internal security chief, whom the government has moved to sack.
“The red line has been crossed. If we don’t stop this, there will be a political murder here, maybe more than one. Jews will kill jews,” Lapid said at a press conference in Tel Aviv, adding that “the most serious threats are directed at the head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar.”
Bar’s dismissal as head of the internal security agency has been challenged in court by the opposition, which decried it as a sign of anti-democratic drift on the part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government.
Bar has suggested his ouster was linked to investigations into Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack “and other serious matters,” while Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has warned of “a personal conflict of interest on the part of the prime minister due to the criminal investigations involving his associates.”
The supreme court froze the government’s initial attempt to sack Bar, and earlier this month it gave the cabinet and the attorney general’s office until the end of the just concluded Passover holiday to work out a compromise.
Bar could resign soon, according to media reports, which would bring the matter to a close.
Lapid, leader of the center-right Yesh Atid party, argued that Bar should resign over his agency’s failure to prevent the October 7 attack, and acknowledged the government had the legal authority to dismiss him, provided it was done through due process and “approved by the court.”
But he also held Netanyahu responsible for a campaign of threats levelled at Bar.
Lapid presented screenshots of social media posts containing death threats against the security chief, telling Netanyahu: “Stop this.”
“Instead of supporting incitement (to hatred), support the Shin Bet, the security forces, the systems that keep this country alive,” he added.
In 1995, the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin by a Jewish extremist after a campaign of violent rhetoric against him sent shockwaves through Israel.
Some accused then-opposition leader Netanyahu of not doing enough to discourage incitement to violence at the time.
The delegation included National Assembly deputies Francois Ruffin, Alexis Corbiere and Julie Ozenne from the Ecologist party, Communist deputy Soumya Bourouaha and Communist senator Marianne Margate
Updated 21 April 2025
AFP
PARIS: Israel’s government canceled visas for 27 French left-wing lawmakers and local officials two days before they were to start a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories on Sunday, the group said.
The action came only days after Israel stopped two British members of parliament from the governing Labour party from entering the country.
It also came amidst diplomatic tensions after President Emmanuel Macron said France would soon recognize a Palestinian state.
Israel’s interior ministry said visas for the 27 had been canceled under a law that allows authorities to ban people who could act against the state of Israel.
French left-wing lawmaker Francois Ruffin was among lawmakers who had their visas cancelled by Israel. (AFP file photo)
Seventeen members of the group, from France’s Ecologist and Communist parties, said they had been victims of “collective punishment” by Israel and called on Macron to intervene.
They said in a statement that they had been invited on a five-day trip by the French consulate in Jerusalem.
They had intended to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories as part of their mission to “strengthen international cooperation and the culture of peace,” they added.
“For the first time, two days before our departure, the Israeli authorities canceled our entry visas that had been approved one month ago,” they said.
“We want to understand what led to this sudden decision, which resembles collective punishment,” said the group.
The delegation included National Assembly deputies Francois Ruffin, Alexis Corbiere and Julie Ozenne from the Ecologist party, Communist deputy Soumya Bourouaha and Communist senator Marianne Margate.
The other members were left-wing town mayors and local lawmakers.
The statement denounced the ban as a “major rupture in diplomatic ties.”
“Deliberately preventing elected officials and parliamentarians from traveling cannot be without consequences,” the group said, demanding a meeting with Macron and action by the government to ensure Israel let them into the country.
The group said their parties had for decades called for recognition of a Palestinian state, which Macron said last week could come at an international conference in June.
Israeli authorities this month detained British members of parliament Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed at Tel Aviv airport and deported them, citing the same reason. Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy called the action “unacceptable.”
In February, Israel stopped two left-wing European parliament deputies, Franco-Palestinian Rima Hassan and Lynn Boylan from Ireland, from entering.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reacted with fury to France’s possible recognition of a Palestinian state. He said establishing a Palestinian state next to Israel would be a “huge reward for terrorism.”
Moroccans protest ship said to be carrying US fighter jet parts to Israel
The protesters in Tangier also called for the severing of diplomatic relations between Morocco and Israel, which were normalized in 2020 as part of the US-led Abraham Accords
Updated 20 April 2025
AFP
TANGIERS, Morocco: More than 1,000 people protested in the Moroccan port city of Tangier on Sunday against the planned docking of a ship said to be carrying fighter jet parts to Israel.
Dockworkers and organizations supporting Palestinians in Gaza said in separate statements that the Maersk vessel was transporting spare parts for F-35 warplanes from the United States to Israel, and was due to dock in Tangier on Sunday.
A crowd of around 1,500 people chanted, “The people want the ship banned,” and “No genocidal weapons in Moroccan waters” as they marched down a road alongside the Tanger Med container port, according to AFP correspondents at the scene.
Protesters wave Palestinian and Moroccan flags as they march towards the port of Tanger-Med against the planned docking of a ship said to be carrying fighter jer parts to Israel in Tangiers on April 20, 2025. (AFP)
Contacted by AFP, port authorities and Maersk did not comment on the vessel.
The Danish company has said it does not transport weapons or ammunition to conflict zones, though it has a contract with the US government and has previously acknowledged shipments that “contain military-related equipment” derived from “US-Israeli security cooperation.”
The protesters in Tangier also called for the severing of diplomatic relations between Morocco and Israel, which were normalized in 2020 as part of the US-led Abraham Accords.
There have been several large-scale demonstrations in Morocco demanding ties with Israel be cut since the start of its war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip in October 2023.
The North African kingdom has officially called for “the immediate, complete and permanent halt to the Israeli war on Gaza,” but has not publicly discussed reversing normalization.
Frankly Speaking: The view from within the Palestinian Authority
Varsen Aghabekian, Palestinian minister of state for foreign affairs and expatriates, says Israel enjoys immunity, has no intention of stopping war in Gaza
Warns of regional escalation if lack of accountability persists, insists the Arab League’s peace and reconstruction plan remains the best path forward
Updated 20 April 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: As Gaza reels from an unrelenting conflict that has killed tens of thousands and left its infrastructure in ruins, Dr. Varsen Aghabekian, Palestinian minister of state for foreign affairs and expatriates, says Israel has no intention of stopping what she describes as a genocidal war — and continues to act with impunity.
Speaking on the Arab News weekly current affairs program “Frankly Speaking,” Aghabekian urged the international community to step in and halt the offensive, which she said has turned Gaza into a killing field.
“What can be done is a stopping of this genocidal war,” she said. “This impunity, which Israel has been enjoying for a long time, only begets more violence. And today, we see only destruction and killing of more civilians in Gaza.”
Aid to Gaza has been blocked for over a month and a half, and more than 60,000 children face malnutrition, according to international aid agencies. “It’s time to say enough is enough and halt this aggression — this genocidal war with the increasing brutality by the day on Gaza,” she said.
Aghabekian believes the collapse of the ceasefire agreement earlier this year was inevitable, given that Israel’s political and military leadership has made no secret of its broader intentions.
“The ceasefire deal will continue to fall apart because Israel has no intention of stopping this war,” she said. “Its defense minister, Israel Katz, said the other day: ‘We don’t intend to even leave Gaza, Lebanon, or Syria.’ These are very clear messages that this war will continue and will only bring more disaster to the Palestinians in Gaza — and probably the region at large.”
In the face of proposals from foreign powers such as the Trump administration to resettle Palestinians or repurpose Gaza for tourism, Aghabekian maintains that only plans rooted in justice and dignity will succeed.
“We know that the US has unwavering support for the Israelis,” she said. “Any plan for Gaza or the Palestinians must respect the dignity and the rights of the Palestinian people. Any other plan will not work and it will not bring peace to the region.”
Varsen Aghabekian says Israel has no intention of stopping the Gaza war and continues to act with impunity. (AN Photo)
A sustainable peace, she says, depends on international recognition of Palestinian rights. “These rights, as I said, are enshrined in the division plan in 1948. The plan set two states. One state is on the ground today. Now it’s time to materialize the second state,” she said.
She added that the Palestinian state has already gained recognition from 149 countries and has UN observer status. “This is not a contested land; this is an occupied land,” she said. “It is the land of the State of Palestine.”
During his last administration, US President Donald Trump championed normalization agreements between Arab states and Israel under the Abraham Accords. Despite acknowledging the widespread pessimism about his return to the White House, Aghabekian said she remains cautiously optimistic.
“If President Trump wants to forge peace and he wants to leave a legacy of peace, then that peace has a framework and it entails the respect and the rightful rights of the Palestinians,” she told Katie Jensen, host of “Frankly Speaking.”
“So, I remain hopeful that this will get to the table of President Trump and the ears of President Trump, and he sees that the future of the Middle East includes the rights of the Palestinians on their state as enshrined in international law.”
Her comments come as Israeli strikes on Gaza continue to spark international outrage. A recent attack on Al-Ahli Arab Hospital on Palm Sunday forced patients into the streets. Israel claimed the site was being used as a Hamas command center.
“The genocidal war in Gaza is not justified in any way you look at it,” Aghabekian said. “And bombing a hospital that is partially operating and part of a system that has been devastated in the last 19 months is not justified by any means. Bombing a Christian hospital on a Palm Sunday is extremely telling.”
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza came in retaliation for the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which killed more than 1,200 people and saw another 250 taken hostage.
In 18 months, the war has killed at least 51,065 people, according to Gaza health officials. Last week, Hamas formally rejected Israel’s latest ceasefire proposal, saying it was ready to negotiate a deal that would see the release of all 59 hostages it is still holding, 24 of whom are believed to be alive, in return for an end to the war. Israel had offered a 45-day ceasefire in return for the release of 10 hostages.
Aghabekian said the continued killings of Palestinian civilians — including aid workers — in Gaza are a stark indicator of unchecked brutality. “Even after the ceasefire, we have seen that over 2,000 Palestinians have been killed, and these Palestinians are civilians; they have absolutely nothing to do with Hamas,” she said. “Today, nothing has been done because everything passes with impunity.”
Smoke rises from Gaza after an air strike, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, April 20, 2025. (Reuters)
Efforts to establish peace through regional diplomacy are ongoing. Aghabekian pointed to a three-stage Gaza reconstruction plan presented by the Arab League and backed by the Islamic world and parts of Europe. But she acknowledged the resistance it faces, particularly from the US and Israel.
“We have to continue using our diplomatic efforts,” she said. “We know that this military route is getting us nowhere. And our military efforts are directed at mobilizing the international community with several ventures today on ending occupation. We have the forthcoming international conference, spearheaded by France and Saudi Arabia, to take place in New York mid-year. And we have the global alliance on the materialization of the State of Palestine. And we will continue our efforts on the recognition of Palestine and the full membership efforts, as well as our efforts with international organizations, such as the Human Rights Council and UNESCO.”
Despite the challenges, she sees momentum building. “We’ve seen that in the latest summit, and we are seeing support and unity from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). We’ve seen unity from European countries and others giving us positive vibes about the plan and the possibility of sustaining that plan in the future,” she said. “This is the only plan today on the table that may move us forward. It is very much — there’s a consensus on it, and it is in line with the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002.”
Still, the obstacles remain formidable. Israel’s latest ceasefire proposal reportedly calls for the disarming of Hamas and the release of all living hostages. Aghabekian warned such conditions are unrealistic given the devastation Palestinians have endured.
“A durable ceasefire entails, of course, meeting the demands of both parties, but today, the Palestinians have been crushed for the last 19 months,” she said. “A durable peace should bring them an opening of the borders, feeding the people, starting immediate relief on the ground, and doing whatever it takes to have this genocidal war stop. We hope that reason prevails on all sides, and we reach the stage today before tomorrow.”
Addressing criticism about the Palestinian Authority’s legitimacy, especially in Gaza, she acknowledged that ongoing hardships and political stagnation have eroded public trust.
“If we see something moving on the political track, people will start realizing that there is a hope for the future,” she said. “And today, whoever is responsible or who has the mandate on the occupied State of Palestine is the Palestinian Authority. And that authority needs to be empowered to be able to meet the needs of its people.”
The Palestine Liberation Organization, she said, remains the umbrella under which all factions must gather if unity is to be achieved. “Anyone can join the PLO, but you need to accept what the PLO stands for, accept agreements signed by the PLO, and accept the political vision of the PLO,” she said.
Asked whether ordinary Palestinians still have confidence in the PLO, Aghabekian said that trust is conditional. “I think that confidence can fluctuate based on what is happening on the ground,” she said. “And, as I said earlier, if people see something moving in terms of the vision of the PLO on a free Palestine, a sovereign Palestine, the liberation of the Palestinian people, bringing people a better future soon, then people will rally behind the PLO, and the PLO can look inwards and think of reform of the PLO.”
Speaking on the Arab News weekly current affairs program “Frankly Speaking,” Aghabekian urged the international community to step in and halt the offensive in Gaza. (AN Photo)
Turning to the West Bank, she expressed alarm at the scale of ongoing settlement expansion. “We’ve seen more and more land grab, we’ve seen increased brutality, we’ve been seeing increased violations on the ground, withholding of our tax money, displacement of people, attacks on UNRWA and refugee camps, grabbing of more land for agricultural herding — and this is something new for the Palestinians,” she said.
“There is entrenchment and emboldening of occupation on all levels.”
She called for greater pressure on Israel to comply with international law. “Statements are void if no actual measures are taken on the ground,” she said. “What needs to be done is holding Israel to account.”
Citing hundreds of UN resolutions and a landmark International Court of Justice opinion calling for the end of Israel’s occupation, she said enforcement mechanisms are long overdue.
“There are steps that are doable now in terms of what do we do with settler violence, with the settlers who are sitting on occupied stolen land. What do we do with settlement products? How do we deal with settlers who have dual citizenship. How do we deal with arms sent to Israel or sold to Israel?” Aghabekian said, adding that it was time for the international community to show its teeth.
While warning of the risk of a third intifada, she said the PA leadership is focused on avoiding further civilian casualties. “We do not want to transfer what is happening in Gaza to the West Bank, and partly it is already being transferred,” she said. “So, the leadership needs to spare the lives of the people.”
Aghabekian said the ICJ ruling provides a legal basis for action. “It has told the whole world that this is not a contested territory, this is an occupied territory, and this Israeli belligerent occupation needs to be dismantled,” she said. “There are steps that are doable.”
The PA is also preparing for governance in Gaza, should the violence end. “The Palestinian Authority is doing its homework and it is preparing and ready to shoulder its responsibilities in Gaza,” Aghabekian said. “There is a plan accepted by 57 countries for Gaza’s rehabilitation, immediate relief and reconstruction. And we hope that we are enabled to start working on that plan.”
However, she said implementation hinges on external support. “Those plans need billions of dollars, they need the empowerment of the Palestinian Authority in terms of actually practicing governance on the ground.”
Asked whether Israel or its allies might eventually accept a modified version of the Arab League’s plan, Aghabekian said all parties must be willing to talk. “It’s a give-and-take thing,” she said. “In the final analysis, what we want is to reach the goal of stopping this genocidal war and letting aid move in and for us to be able to start our relief and construction efforts. If this needs further discussion, I think we’re open for discussion.”
But the human toll continues to mount. “Palestinians will continue to lose their lives because Israel has no intent on stopping this war,” she said. “There is no justification for the continuing of the war, and an agreement can be reached if there is genuine intent.”
