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Hezbollah says tens of thousands of fighters ready to battle Israel

Update Hezbollah says tens of thousands of fighters ready to battle Israel
People sit in a cafe as they listen to Lebanon’s Hezbollah new leader Sheikh Naim Qassem delivering a televised address, in Beirut, on Nov. 6, 2024. (Reuters)
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Updated 06 November 2024

Hezbollah says tens of thousands of fighters ready to battle Israel

Hezbollah says tens of thousands of fighters ready to battle Israel
  • The Iran-backed group’s leader also warned that nowhere in Israel would be “off-limits” to attacks
  • “What will stop this... war is the battlefield” he said, citing fighting in south Lebanon and Hezbollah attacks on Israel

BEIRUT: Hezbollah said Wednesday that tens of thousands of its militants were ready to fight Israel, adding that the US election result would have no bearing on the war in Lebanon.
The Iran-backed group’s leader also warned that nowhere in Israel would be “off-limits” to attacks, as the Israeli military said about 120 projectiles had been fired across the border on Wednesday.
The Israeli military struck Hezbollah’s main bastion of south Beirut after issuing an evacuation warning.
Israel and Hezbollah have been at war since late September, when the Israeli military widened the focus of its war in Gaza to securing its northern border with Lebanon.
Hezbollah began launching low-intensity cross-border attacks on Israel last year, in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas following its October 7, 2023 attack.
Efforts to end the war in Gaza that was sparked by the Hamas attack have yet to bear fruit, and the war in Lebanon has killed nearly 2,000 people, according to an AFP tally of Lebanese health ministry figures.
“We have tens of thousands of trained resistance combatants” ready to fight, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said in a televised speech marking 40 days since his predecessor Hassan Nasrallah was killed in a strike.
The address was aired after Donald Trump’s victory in the US election was announced, but had been recorded earlier.
He said the result in the race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris would have no impact on any possible ceasefire deal for Lebanon.
“We don’t base our expectations for a halt of the aggression on political developments,” he said.
“Whether Harris wins or Trump wins, it means nothing to us.
“What will stop this... war is the battlefield” he said, citing fighting in south Lebanon and Hezbollah attacks on Israel.
Earlier on Wednesday, Hezbollah said it targeted a military base near Israel’s main airport close to commercial hub Tel Aviv, an attack that Israel’s Airports Authority said did not disrupt operations.
Earlier Wednesday, Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported Israeli air strikes on the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon and the southern city of Nabatiyeh.
An AFP correspondent in the eastern city of Baalbek reported intense strikes in and around the city.
The speech was Qassem’s second since he was named Hezbollah secretary-general last week.
Israel is “betting on prolonging the war so it becomes a war of attrition... We are ready,” he said.
He also called for Lebanese sovereignty to be safeguarded in any truce talks.
Qassem demanded explanations from the Lebanese army after Israeli naval commandos seized a man from north Lebanon on Saturday who they said was a senior Hezbollah operative.
He said the operation was “a great offense to Lebanon” and a “violation” of its sovereignty.
On Tuesday, a Lebanese judicial official told AFP that Israeli commandos used a speedboat equipped with advanced devices capable of jamming UN peacekeepers’ radars for the operation, according to a preliminary probe.
The UN Maritime Task Force has helped the Lebanese military to monitor territorial waters and prevent the entry of arms or related material by sea since 2006, according to the mission’s website.
In Gaza, where the 13-month war has had a devastating impact, people were desperate for a solution and voiced hope Trump might be able to offer one.
Hamas’s October 7 attack resulted in 1,206 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed 43,391 people in Gaza, a majority of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry the United Nations considers reliable.
“We were displaced, killed... there’s nothing left for us, we want peace,” said Mamdouh Al-Jadba, who was displaced to Gaza City from Jabalia.
“I hope Trump finds a solution, we need someone strong like Trump to end the war and save us, enough, God, this is enough,” the 60-year-old told AFP.
Umm Ahmed Harb, from the Al-Shaaf area east of Gaza City, was also counting on Trump to “stand by our side” and end the territory’s suffering.
“God willing the war will end, not for our sake but for the sake of our young children who are innocent,” she told AFP.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his part feted Trump’s return as “history’s greatest comeback.”
“Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America. This is a huge victory!” Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office.
The United States is Israel’s top ally and military backer, and the election came at a critical time for the Middle East.
While maintaining the steady flow of aid to Israel, US President Joe Biden’s administration had for months piled pressure on Netanyahu to agree to a truce.
Analysts say Netanyahu had been hoping for a Trump return, given their longstanding personal friendship as well as the former president’s hawkishness on Israel’s arch-foe Iran.


Houthis release 5 Yemeni UN staffers in Sanaa after weekend detention at offices

Houthis release 5 Yemeni UN staffers in Sanaa after weekend detention at offices
Updated 20 October 2025

Houthis release 5 Yemeni UN staffers in Sanaa after weekend detention at offices

Houthis release 5 Yemeni UN staffers in Sanaa after weekend detention at offices
  • The Houthis have a long-running crackdown against the UN and others working in Yemen’s rebel-held areas, including capital Sanaa, the coastal city of Hodeida and rebel stronghold in the northern province Sadaa
  • One mourner, Ayham Hassan, said “Israel is the biggest enemy for Arabs and Muslims”

ADEN, Yemen: Houthi rebels released five Yemeni United Nations staff members and allowed 15 international ones to move freely within the UN compound after detaining them there in Sanaa over the weekend, a UN spokesperson said Monday.
Stéphane Dujarric, the UN spokesperson, also said Houthi security forces had left the compound after the latest of such raids on international organizations.
The Houthis have a long-running crackdown against the UN and others working in Yemen’s rebel-held areas, including capital Sanaa, the coastal city of Hodeida and rebel stronghold in the northern province Sadaa.
The rebels have repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that the detained UN staff and employees of other organizations and embassies were spies, which the UN has denied.
Dozens of people have been detained. A World Food Program worker died in detention earlier this year in Sadaa.
Dujarric also told reporters Monday that Secretary-General António Guterres spoke with the foreign ministers and leaders of Iran, Yemen and ֱ earlier in the day regarding the detainment of staff.
He said that as the UN engages in the sensitive negotiations with the Houthis, it is important for member states who have influence in the region, like those three countries, to use their leverage to assist in the release of international and national staff.
Funeral for military chief
Earlier Monday, the Iran-backed rebels held a funeral for their military chief of staff who was killed in a recent Israeli strike, with more than 1,000 people gathered in Sanaa.
The Houthis acknowledged last week that Maj. Gen. Muhammad Abdul Karim Al-Ghamari was killed in an Israeli airstrike along with other rebel leaders. The Houthis did not say when the strike took place. The death further escalated tensions between the rebels and Israel.
Nearly two months ago, Israeli airstrikes killed senior Houthi government officials in Sanaa, including their prime minister, Ahmed Al-Rahawi.
The Houthis said Al-Ghamari was killed along with his 13-year-old son, Hussain, and “several of his companions,” according to the rebel-controlled SABA news agency, which didn’t provide further details.
Many in the funeral crowd on Monday vented their anger at Israel.
One mourner, Ayham Hassan, said “Israel is the biggest enemy for Arabs and Muslims.” He spoke to The Associated Press by phone from Sanaa.
The UN sanctioned Al-Ghamari for his “leading role in orchestrating the Houthis’ military efforts that are directly threatening the peace, security and stability of Yemen, as well as cross-border attacks against ֱ.”
The US Treasury sanctioned him in 2021 for his responsibility in “orchestrating attacks by Houthi forces impacting Yemeni civilians” and said he had been trained by Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group and Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
The US and Israel had launched an air and naval campaign against the Houthis in response to the rebels’ missile and drone attacks on Israel and on ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis have said they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians over the war in Gaza.
Their attacks over the past two years have upended shipping in the Red Sea, through which about $1 trillion of goods pass each year.

 


What Trump’s ‘historic dawn of a new Middle East’ means for Gaza’s fragile peace

What Trump’s ‘historic dawn of a new Middle East’ means for Gaza’s fragile peace
Updated 20 October 2025

What Trump’s ‘historic dawn of a new Middle East’ means for Gaza’s fragile peace

What Trump’s ‘historic dawn of a new Middle East’ means for Gaza’s fragile peace
  • Gaza ceasefire offered a pause in the fighting, but disputes over governance and arms threaten lasting peace
  • After the exchange of hostages and prisoners, analysts warn the toughest tests of the truce still lie ahead

LONDON: Hopes were high when the US-brokered ceasefire took effect in Gaza on Oct. 10, bringing about the first real pause in fighting in many months and the genuine prospect of peace. Events over the weekend, however, have cast those hopes into doubt.

Having previously declared the deal “the historic dawn of a new Middle East,” US President Donald Trump insisted on Sunday that the ceasefire is still holding after Israel launched deadly strikes on Hamas positions, accusing the group of violating the truce.

Trump, who brokered the deal, downplayed the role of Hamas’ leadership, instead blaming “some rebels within.” He added: “We want to make sure that it’s going to be very peaceful with Hamas. It’s going to be handled toughly, but properly.”

Gaza’s civil defense agency said at least 45 people were killed in the strikes. The Israeli army said it had “renewed enforcement of the ceasefire” but would “respond firmly to any violation.” Hamas denied breaching the truce, accusing Israel of fabricating “pretexts” to resume the war.

Meanwhile, Hamas politburo member Mohammed Nazzal has told Reuters that the group is only committed to a ceasefire lasting up to five years, with guarantees for what happens next depending on Palestinians being given “horizons and hope” for statehood.

Trump had unveiled the ceasefire deal to great fanfare with a whirlwind visit to Israel and Egypt last week to formally declare an end to the war at a summit in Sharm El-Sheikh attended by dozens of world leaders.

However, the situation on the ground has remained volatile. Israel warns it will resume major operations if its terms are not met, while Hamas is already reasserting control across the embattled enclave.

Tensions escalated on Oct. 16 when Israel threatened renewed fighting after Hamas said it could not recover more remains of deceased hostages without specialized equipment to reach bodies trapped under the rubble.

Since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that triggered Israel’s retaliatory war on Gaza, at least 90 percent of the territory’s civilian infrastructure has been leveled, the BBC reported on Oct. 13.

Under the first phase of Trump’s 20-point peace plan, Hamas released all 20 surviving hostages, while Israel freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

This phase also calls for unrestricted humanitarian access to enter Gaza. However, Israeli officials said the Rafah crossing into Egypt — critical for relief efforts — would open “at a later stage” — not on Oct. 16 as planned.

As aid stalls, Hamas security forces have returned to the streets, clashing with armed groups and killing alleged gang members in what they call an effort to restore order in areas vacated by Israeli troops.

Video released in mid-October showed Hamas fighters executing eight blindfolded men accused of being “collaborators and outlaws.”

While some Palestinians reportedly welcome the crackdown after months of chaos, the show of force risks undermining the fragile truce.

As both sides test the ceasefire’s limits, analysts question whether Trump’s proclaimed “new Middle East” marks a genuine turning point or merely another brief pause in a conflict with no real end in sight.

Firas Maksad, director for Middle East and North Africa at the Eurasia Group, said that even among attendees of the Gaza peace summit in Sharm El-Sheikh on Oct. 13, “there are a myriad of questions about what comes next.”

He told CNN on Oct. 14 that there are “a lot of gaps still to be filled,” including the structure of a security mechanism in postwar Gaza.

Much, he said, will depend on “sheer political will,” which includes Washington pushing the next phase, Israel’s prime minister managing his right-wing coalition, and Hamas ceding governance while refusing to disarm.

“So much is riding on the sheer political will and investment — the political investment that President Trump has made in seeing that ceasefire through fruition in the various phases ahead,” Maksad said.

Indeed, key questions remain unanswered. Whether Israel and Hamas have agreed on postwar governance, reconstruction, or disarmament remains unclear.

Chris Doyle, director of the London-based Council for Arab-British Understanding, said “the parties have not reached an agreement,” adding that first, “we need to define who the parties really are.”

“The agreement has been between the US and Israel, between Donald Trump and (Israeli) Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu — and then Hamas, on behalf of all Palestinians, is meant to sign off on the issue of reconstruction and governance,” Doyle told Arab News.

“But at the same time, Hamas is meant to have no role at all in the future of the Gaza Strip,” he said, arguing that this is “a contradiction.”

“It means a party that the sponsors of this agreement consider to be beyond the pale, unfit to rule Gaza, are being given the authority and legitimacy to agree to a deal that defines the future of Gaza,” Doyle said.

He said a legitimate solution must involve the Palestinian Authority. “There should be a deal that involves the Palestinian Authority — the State of Palestine — on the future of Gaza,” he said.

Doyle noted that all Palestinian factions agree Palestinians must lead reconstruction efforts, supported by international donors.

“There is not a single Palestinian faction or leader who believes that it should not be Palestinians who determine the nature of reconstruction, its priorities, and who carries it out under what terms,” he said.

“Every single Palestinian political figure will agree that it must be Palestinians in charge of that, albeit with, of course, international assistance, advice and donor funding.”

Long-term stability, he said, depends on Palestinians governing themselves across all Occupied Territories, making the two-state solution a critical step.

Governance “cannot be solely imposed from the outside — at least not for the medium term,” he said. “There needs to be a legitimate process whereby Palestinians are in control of their destiny, not just in Gaza, but also within the West Bank.”

While some analysts highlight the lack of clarity on governance, others point to unequal pressure on the warring parties.

Muhammed Shehada, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, argued that the delay in reaching a ceasefire resulted from insufficient pressure on Netanyahu, not Hamas.

“Hamas was under immense pressure — inside Gaza, in Qatar, in Turkiye … they were hammered very heavily; Gaza was going through a genocide,” he told Arab News. It’s the lack of pressure on Netanyahu that prevented the deal for so long.”

He said the current agreement mirrors proposals dating back to December 2023, involving Hamas stepping down from governance, an administrative committee taking over, the release of hostages, suspension of operations, and a gradual withdrawal.

“Once Netanyahu was finally pressured, he folded,” Shehada said. “It was only a process of persuasion — telling him it would be good if you signed this deal; it wouldn’t be so bad if you signed that deal.”

So far, only the first phase of Trump’s plan is being implemented. The thorniest issues — including Hamas’ disarmament and Gaza’s future governance — remain unresolved.

Observers now debate whether Trump’s claim that peace was achieved through US support for Israel’s decimation of Iranian proxies holds up — or whether optimism should be tempered given the mixed results in Lebanon and the resilience of Iran’s regional allies.

Despite suffering severe blows, both Hamas and Hezbollah have refused to disarm. On Oct. 11, a Hamas official told AFP that disarmament is “off the table” and “not up for discussion.”

Trump, however, insisted on Oct. 14 that Hamas will be forced to disarm. “If they don’t disarm, we will disarm them and it will happen quickly and perhaps violently,” he said.

Maksad said Hamas is willing to hand over governance to a technocratic administration, but not its weapons.

“It’s a scenario that was not too different from where Hezbollah was in Lebanon for many years,” he told CNN on Oct. 9. “They don’t bear any of the responsibility of providing for the people, but that they’re the shadow force that maintains the weapons.”

Still, Maksad said a repeat of that model is unlikely. “There is a need for some creative diplomacy,” he added, referring to suggestions that Egypt could play a role in holding Hamas’ weapons under international supervision.

Hezbollah’s own disarmament remains unresolved in Lebanon.

After the Iran-backed militia’s mauling by Israel in September 2024, the Lebanese government agreed to a phased plan placing all weapons under state control by the end of the year — driven by US pressure and the need for aid.

However, Hezbollah has rejected the plan. “We will never abandon our weapons, nor will we relinquish them,” Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said on Sept. 27, pledging to “confront any project that serves Israel.”

The group continues to demand Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territory.

Tel Aviv maintains control over five hilltop positions near the Blue Line, citing “strategic value” and pledges to occupy them indefinitely, even though the November 2024 ceasefire agreement requires Israel to withdraw its forces within 60 days of implementation.

Given the ongoing volatility, Doyle said that it is “totally premature to see the Middle East somehow all at peace.”

“The very idea that President Trump and the US really had a handle in creating the right environment regionally for peace I think should be treated with extreme caution,” he said.

“The tensions are very much there, and not least in the West Bank, which people seem to be ignoring at the moment, where we have seen 999 Palestinians killed since Oct. 7, 2023,” he added, citing figures from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Doyle said the region faces “a massive escalation in tensions,” pointing to Israel’s military presence on Lebanese and Syrian territory and ongoing clashes with Iran-backed groups such as the Houthis in Yemen.

Israel took control of parts of southwestern Syria after the collapse of Bashar Assad’s regime last December, declaring the 1974 Disengagement Agreement void and establishing military outposts deep inside Syrian territory.

Having suffered major blows in its own 12-day war with Israel, not to mention the US strikes on its nuclear sites earlier this year, Iran’s regional influence has dramatically declined.

Shehada said Iran’s “influence on Hamas’ long-term thinking is limited.”

Some Hamas leaders once envisioned a “multi-front confrontation” involving coordinated attacks by Iran, Hezbollah, and allied groups across the region — but “that vision never materialized,” he said. “Hezbollah was quickly neutralized and forced into a ceasefire, and Iran stepped back.

“The concept of a multi-front war had already collapsed long before Trump ordered strikes on Iran. Earlier confrontations between Israel and Iran had resulted in limited exchanges — sporadic bombardments and retaliations — that both sides soon agreed to end through ceasefires.

“These episodes revealed Iran’s priorities. Tehran was unwilling to risk national destruction for Gaza’s sake; its main concern was self-preservation.”

While the Gaza ceasefire has offered a desperately-needed pause after months of devastation, key issues like Hamas’ disarmament and governance remain unresolved.

And although Trump’s plan has raised justifiable hopes for a “new Middle East,” one question lingers: Is this the start of a lasting peace for the region, or just another brief lull in a seemingly endless conflict?


King Abdullah II urges coordination at MED9 Summit to ensure Gaza ceasefire holds

King Abdullah II urges coordination at MED9 Summit to ensure Gaza ceasefire holds
Updated 20 October 2025

King Abdullah II urges coordination at MED9 Summit to ensure Gaza ceasefire holds

King Abdullah II urges coordination at MED9 Summit to ensure Gaza ceasefire holds
  • Accompanied by Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah, the king highlighted the EU’s key role in supporting the Palestinian National Authority

LJUBLJANA: Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Monday attended the MED9 Leaders’ Summit of Southern European countries in Portoroz, Slovenia, where he called for coordinated action by Middle Eastern and southern European nations, in partnership with the US and others, to ensure full implementation of the agreement ending the war in Gaza.

Accompanied by Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah, the king highlighted the EU’s key role in supporting the Palestinian National Authority and stressed the urgent need for humanitarian aid to reach all areas of the Gaza Strip to alleviate the conflict’s devastating effects.

King Abdullah and French President Emmanuel Macron meet at the summit. (X/@RHCJO)

He also referenced the recent two-state solution conference in New York City, jointly organized by ֱ and France, urging countries to build on its outcomes and increase recognition of the State of Palestine.

King Abdullah underscored the importance of comprehensive calm in the West Bank and Jerusalem, warning against unilateral measures and highlighting support for Palestinian steadfastness.

He added that the challenges facing the Middle East and southern Europe require sustained cooperation, with the MED9 Summit serving as a platform for dialogue and joint solutions.

The summit brought together leaders from nine Southern European nations bordering the Mediterranean — Slovenia, Cyprus, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Croatia — to discuss the Gaza ceasefire, its implementation and the roles these countries could play in fostering lasting peace.

On the sidelines of the summit, King Abdullah held a series of meetings with European leaders, the Jordan News Agency reported.

In Ljubljana, he met Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar to discuss regional developments, reaffirm Jordan-Slovenia relations and emphasize the importance of implementing the Gaza ceasefire.

The leaders also addressed the West Bank and Gaza situation, stressing the need for comprehensive calm and opposing settlement expansion.

Pirc Musar praised Jordan’s humanitarian role in Gaza and its support for Palestinian aid delivered through the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation, while reaffirming Slovenia’s commitment to cooperation in digitalization, green technology, education and humanitarian initiatives. The king also met Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob.

King Abdullah held discussions with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, highlighting the importance of maintaining coordination with the EU on regional developments and reaffirming Jordan’s religious and historical role in safeguarding Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites.

King Abdullah also spoke with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (L) and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (R) on the sidelines of the summit. (X/@RHCJO)

During his trip, King Abdullah also visited the Muslim Cultural Center in Ljubljana, where he was briefed by Mufti Nevzet Poric on the center’s religious, cultural and educational programs.

The mufti commended the king’s initiatives to promote interfaith harmony, including the UN-endorsed World Interfaith Harmony Week, and praised Jordan’s humanitarian support for Palestinians in Gaza, JNA reported.

The king and crown prince toured the center’s mosque, which serves Slovenia’s Muslim community of about 150,000 people.


Trump says Hamas will be ‘eradicated’ if they breach Gaza ceasefire deal

Trump says Hamas will be ‘eradicated’ if they breach Gaza ceasefire deal
Updated 20 October 2025

Trump says Hamas will be ‘eradicated’ if they breach Gaza ceasefire deal

Trump says Hamas will be ‘eradicated’ if they breach Gaza ceasefire deal
  • Trump’s comments came as two of his top envoys met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
  • Added that Hamas was now “far weaker”

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Monday that he would give Hamas a chance to honor the Gaza truce deal with Israel, but warned the group would be “eradicated” if it fails to do so.

“We made a deal with Hamas that they’re going to be very good, they’re going to behave, they’re going to be nice,” Trump told reporters at the White House as he hosted Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

“And if they’re not, we’re going to go and we’re going to eradicate them, if we have to. They’ll be eradicated, and they know that.”

Trump’s comments came as two of his top envoys met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after weekend violence threatened to wreck the fragile ceasefire the US president brokered nearly two weeks ago.

Trump however insisted that American forces would not be involved against Hamas, saying dozens of countries that have agreed to join an international stabilization forces for Gaza would “love to go in.”

“In addition, you have Israel would go in in two minutes, if I asked them to go in,” Trump said.

“But right now, we haven’t said that. We’re going to give it a little chance, and hopefully there will be a little less violence. But right now, you know, they’re violent people.”

Trump said that Hamas was now far weaker, especially given that regional backer Iran was now unlikely to step in on its behalf following US and Israeli strikes earlier this year.


Israeli air strikes raise tensions as Lebanon faces pressure over Hezbollah’s arms

Israeli air strikes raise tensions as Lebanon faces pressure over Hezbollah’s arms
Updated 20 October 2025

Israeli air strikes raise tensions as Lebanon faces pressure over Hezbollah’s arms

Israeli air strikes raise tensions as Lebanon faces pressure over Hezbollah’s arms
  • US envoy Barak warns of ‘major confrontation’ for Hezbollah if group does not disarm, says regional partners ready to invest in Lebanon
  • Discussions with Israel approved by all parties, including Hezbollah, official source told Arab News

BEIRUT: The Israeli Air Force carried out a series of air raids on Iqlim Al-Tuffah in southern Lebanon on Monday, as drones and reconnaissance aircraft violated Lebanese airspace over Beirut and its southern suburbs at low altitudes, reaching as far as the Bekaa Valley.

The strikes coincided with renewed US pressure on Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah.

Israeli aircraft targeted the outskirts of the towns of Jarmaq and Aishiyeh with eight raids in the Jezzine district.

An Israeli military spokesperson confirmed they had struck “terrorist sites” and Hezbollah infrastructure “being rebuilt across Lebanon in violation of existing understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”

The spokesperson confirmed that “the Israeli Army will continue to work to eliminate any threat and protect the State of Israel.”

The escalation comes amid mounting pressure on the Lebanese government to enforce the state’s monopoly on arms.

President Joseph Aoun concluded consultations with Lebanese officials on Monday regarding the initiative he launched last week, parallel to the Gaza agreement, aiming to begin indirect negotiations with Israel.

He met with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who acts as a mediator between Hezbollah and foreign powers.

“Lebanon is trying to find a way out of the impasse it faces. Claims of obstruction to implementing arms control under state authority are untrue. The Lebanese Army has a plan in place and is carrying it out. Each month, it submits a report on its achievements south of the Litani River to the Council of Ministers and will continue doing so until the end of the year. This plan was approved by the American side and the Mechanism Committee,” an official source told Arab News.

Regarding the Israeli demand that the plan cover all of Lebanon before the end of the year, the source said: “Lebanon currently has 9,300 soldiers deployed south of the Litani River. Increasing this number requires resources the army does not currently possess. It has specific needs and is requesting assistance, which all parties are aware of.

“Adding to these challenges is the Security Council’s decision to withdraw UNIFIL forces from Lebanon by the end of next year,” the source added. “The army’s operations south of the Litani River are conducted in coordination with UNIFIL.”

The official source stressed that “the concept of negotiations with Israel exists on the Lebanese side and is approved by all parties, including Hezbollah, as the choice is between war and diplomacy. The format of these negotiations will be determined in due course.”

Last week President Aoun said: “The region is moving toward negotiations aimed at establishing peace and stability. Through dialogue and negotiations, which will be determined at the appropriate time, solutions can be reached.”

He continued: “Lebanon cannot be excluded from efforts to resolve the region’s ongoing crises, as continued war, destruction, killing, and displacement can no longer be tolerated.”

Aoun added that Lebanon had previously negotiated with Israel under US and UN auspices, resulting in the maritime border demarcation agreement announced from UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura.

“What prevents a similar process from happening again to resolve the outstanding issues, especially since the war went in vain?” Aoun asked.

“Israel resorted to negotiating with Hamas because it had no other option after experiencing war and destruction. Today, the situation in the region is one of compromise, and negotiations are necessary. The framework for negotiations will be determined in due course,” he said.

Thomas Barak, US envoy to Syria, warned in a lengthy post on Monday that “if Beirut fails to take action on disarmament, Hezbollah’s military wing will inevitably face a major confrontation with Israel at a moment of Israel's strength and a point of weakness for the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.”

Barak stated that “while Syria is restoring stability through normalization with its neighbors, including Israel and Turkiye, this step should constitute the first pillar of Israel’s northern security framework. The second pillar must be the disarmament of Hezbollah inside Lebanon and the initiation of security and border discussions with Israel.”

He added that Tehran “continues to fund Hezbollah’s militia despite sanctions, and the Lebanese Cabinet is sending conflicting messages to the Lebanese Armed Forces, which lack the funding and authority to carry out its missions.”

He also noted that “regional partners are ready to invest in Lebanon, provided that Lebanon regains its monopoly on legitimate force under the sole control of the Lebanese Armed Forces. If Beirut continues to hesitate, Israel may act unilaterally, and the consequences will be dire.

“If Israel launches a serious military attack on Hezbollah, and the party loses territory, political power, or reputation, it will likely seek to postpone the parliamentary elections next May to rebuild its military strength and political organization. However, postponing the elections under the pretext of war will lead to major chaos within Lebanon, reigniting sectarian mistrust,” he warned.

“The perception that a single militia can suspend democracy could undermine public confidence in the state, invite regional intervention, and threaten to push Lebanon from crisis to complete institutional collapse,” Barak concluded.

In a separate development, the Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, met on Monday at Dar Al-Fatwa with the Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari.

A statement from the mufti’s media office said the meeting emphasized “the importance of Lebanon’s stability and security (…) as integral to Arab security and to shaping a new, more stable, humane, and secure regional landscape.

“Security and development in Lebanon can only be achieved through comprehensive stability and the state’s full assumption of its national responsibilities,” it added.

The statement said that both sides reaffirmed “their support for the Lebanese Army and other security forces, as well as their backing for extending state authority across all Lebanese territory, based on the army’s efforts to implement government decisions concerning the monopoly on arms and the supremacy of state sovereignty over all its lands.”

They also urged Lebanon’s government to continue taking decisive action toward economic and institutional reform while pursuing balanced diplomacy to restore trust and attract international support.