LONDON: Calls for the UK to re-classify Hezbollah as a terrorist organization in its entirety are intensifying, following demands from both UK MPs and US President Donald Trump to outlaw the organization.
UK politicians have secured a cross-party parliamentary debate to take place on Jan. 25 with the aim of ramping up pressure on the government to completely ban the Lebanon-based group “without further delay or excuses,” Jennifer Gerber, director of the Labour Friends of Israel (LFI), said.
“Hezbollah is a terrorist organization, driven by an anti-Semitic ideology, which seeks the destruction of Israel. The British government has repeatedly failed to take action to ban it in its entirety.”
The upcoming debate was secured by the LFI chairperson and Labour MP Joan Ryan.
Trump also demanded all US allies to designate all of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization in a speech on Jan. 12 where he called Iran “the world’s leading state sponsor of terror,” which has enabled organizations such as Hezbollah “to sow chaos and kill innocent people.”
Hezbollah, which is funded and armed by Iran, is among 60 groups defined as foreign terrorist organizations by the US State Department.
The UK only categorizes Hezbollah’s military wing as a terrorist organization, excluding the group’s political wing. It made that proscription in 2001 and extended the ban to Hezbollah’s Jihad Council in 2008.
The EU also names the military arm of Hezbollah on its list of terror groups, but does not include the political arm. The EU designated Hezbollah’s military arm as a terrorist entity in 2013 after a bus of Israeli tourists in the Bulgarian city of Burgas was bombed.
“This false distinction means that Hezbollah flags can be flown on the streets of Britain,” LFI said in a statement last week, referring to the flags seen in the Al Quds Day parade held in London in June last year. Al Quds Day is an annual event first established by Iran to encourage people to march in support of Palestine and against Israel.
The parliamentary debate has been welcomed by many groups eager for the government to crack down on Hezbollah and its presence on the streets of the UK.
“On June 4, 2017, the day after the London Bridge terror attack, Prime Minister Theresa May said that the UK was too tolerant of extremism. Two weeks later, people walked down the streets of London waving Hezbollah flags,” said Michael McCann, director at the Israel Britain Alliance.
“Hezbollah is a genocidal terror organization that operates on the orders of Iran. It illustrates the prime minister’s point perfectly. On Jan. 25, MPs can send a message to the British government — our country stands against terror in all its forms,” he said.
McCann’s comments are echoed by David Ibsen, the executive director of the Counter-Extremism Project, a US-based non-government organization.
“The UK and the EU must recognize the semantic fallacy of a difference between the military and political wings of Hezbollah,” he said.
“There is only one Hezbollah, a terrorist organization founded by and heavily funded by Iran. Even Hezbollah’s top officials brazenly acknowledge that the same leaders who ordered attacks against British soldiers in Iraq direct Hezbollah’s work in the Lebanese Parliament.
Ibsen said it was time for the UK and the EU to join countries such as the Netherlands, the Arab League, Canada and the US that have banned the group in its entirety.
While the distinction between the political and military arms may not even be recognized by Hezbollah itself, Filippo Dionigi, lecturer of politics and International relations at the University of Bristol, said it could be useful in supporting the UK’s diplomatic relations with Lebanon.
“This distinction (however artificial) allows to those states and institutions that adopt it (including the EU) to implement measures against Hezbollah’s militant activity, but avoids the condemnation of Hezbollah’s political activity which is important, given that this group plays an influential role also within the Lebanese government and institutions,” he said.
He said that the UK government would need to weigh its foreign policy priorities before making a decision to reclassify Hezbollah.
“It will depend on the government’s priorities and interests whether to adopt a more comprehensive ban on Hezbollah or not.
“Doing so will signal greater amenability to President’s Trump demands (and those of Israeli nationalist groups), but may have the effect of rendering relations with Lebanon more unstable given that the president of the country enjoys Hezbollah’s support and the government is partly composed by Hezbollah-supported members,” he said.
While the focus of the UK debate will probably be on Israel, Hezbollah’s actions in other countries like Syria, where it has provided a crucial military buttress to Bashar Assad, will also be under scrutiny.
“Hezbollah’s current crimes against Syrian civilians should be our most urgent concern,” a spokesperson for opposition group Syria Solidarity UK, said.
“In particular, Hezbollah is directly responsible for besieging and forcibly displacing several civilian communities, blocking food and medical aid, and killing civilians.”
The group called for a full ban on Hezbollah by the UK.
Calls for UK to follow US crackdown on Hezbollah
Calls for UK to follow US crackdown on Hezbollah
Aoun urges UNHCR chief to organize the return of Syrian refugees
- Joseph Aoun said that Lebanon ‘wants the return of Syrian refugees to their country as soon as possible, especially since the reasons for their displacement no longer exist’
- Filippo Grandi: Return of refugees ‘must be accompanied by financial support and respect for rights to prevent displacement again’
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called on the UNHCR’s commissioner, Filippo Grandi, to “start organizing return convoys for the displaced Syrians in Lebanon.”
Aoun said Lebanon “can no longer support the burden resulting from their presence at different levels.”
He called on the international community to provide material and humanitarian support to achieve the return of displaced Syrians.
Some countries have already started their support, he added.
Grandi visited Aoun at the Presidential Palace to congratulate him on his election.
During the meeting, the president affirmed that Lebanon “wants the return of Syrian refugees to their country as soon as possible, especially since the reasons for their displacement no longer exist.”
Aoun, who also met with Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam, tackled the infiltration of several Syrians into Lebanon following the developments in the neighboring country.
He emphasized “the importance of working to stop infiltration on both sides of the Lebanese-Syrian border.”
Citing UNHCR estimations, Grandi said that more than 200,000 displaced Syrians had returned to their country from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and other countries since the fall of the former Syrian regime on Dec. 8.
Many others also wish to return home, he added.
He added that a survey conducted by the UNHCR showed that the number of those wishing to return had increased from about 1 percent to 30 percent in a matter of weeks.
Grandi affirmed that the UNHCR was “supporting those who returned and that we have already started doing so.”
He said the UNHCR’s relationship with the new authorities across Syria was constructive, and they had started prioritizing the issue.
Grandi said UNHCR wanted to work with Lebanon to build a practical way to support the return of Syrians.
To achieve this, the president can play a vital role with the international community, he added.
After the meeting Grandi explained that his visits to Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Turkiye aim to “discuss the issue of Syrian refugees, particularly in light of recent political changes in Syria.
“We believe that these changes may allow refugees to return to their home country and leave their host nations, including Lebanon, which has hosted them with great generosity and patience for nearly 14 years.”
He added: “During the most recent war in Lebanon, between September and October, over 450,000 Syrian refugees returned to Syria.
“We believe that, with the return of this significant number of Syrian refugees, sustained support is crucial to ensure their permanent return.
“Therefore, we began implementing a program designed to support returnees from different countries by offering material assistance and other means of support.
“Material support is essential, as well as efforts to restore life in the areas where refugees are resettling,” he said.
“Otherwise, they will leave again, most probably to their host countries.
“It is important to note that the new Syrian authorities have welcomed the Syrian refugees back, which is a positive sign,” Grandi said.
“However, the new authorities must stay on course — respecting minorities, preserving the rights of all citizens, and lifting Syria to new horizons that rebuild trust among Syrians, including returning refugees,” he added.
Grandi held talks as Lebanese military authorities prepared for the withdrawal of Israeli forces following their incursion into southern Lebanon since Oct. 1. The 60-day stage of the ceasefire deal is set to expire at dawn on Sunday.
In a meeting with acting Lebanese Army Commander Maj.-Gen. Hassan Odeh, caretaker Defense Minister Maurice Slim underlined Lebanon’s “firm commitment to the withdrawal of the Israeli forces within the agreed deadline in the ceasefire agreement.”
Slim’s office stated that the discussion focused on the deployment of the Lebanese Army in all the areas from which the Israeli forces would withdraw.
Slim said the army was ready to be deployed in throughout the region.
The Lebanese Army entered the border town of Kafr Shuba in the eastern sector.
Units had been stationed on the outskirts of the town, facing Al-Sammaqa, an Israeli military site.
Other units have been deployed in Hanin, where Civil Defense teams recovered the bodies of several Hezbollah fighters.
Also on Saturday, the Israeli military destroyed rest facilities on the banks of the Wazzani River, and eight houses in the town of Taybeh were deliberately burned.
Video footage was taken by dozens of residents returning to their villages after the Lebanese Army deployed there, showing the extent of the destruction of property and facilities, especially in the town of Khiyam.
The Israeli military claimed that “forces of the 810th Brigade, operating under the command of the 210th Division, found and seized a large number of weapons in the Shebaa Farms, including anti-tank launchers, rocket launchers, machine guns, binoculars, and rockets aimed at Israeli territory.”
In a statement, the Israeli military said that “the forces of the 7th Brigade, operating under the command of the 91st Division, are continuing their activities in southern Lebanon to protect Israel's security.”
It claimed that “they are operating under the understandings reached between Israel and Lebanon while maintaining compliance with the conditions of the ceasefire agreement.”
Israel’s outgoing ambassador to the US, Michael Herzog, claimed that talks were being held with the administration of President Donald Trump to extend the withdrawal date from Lebanon scheduled for next Sunday.
The Trump administration is pressuring Israel to withdraw from Lebanon in accordance with the scheduled date on Sunday, the Israeli Army Radio reported.
Saudi Arabia optimistic about Lebanon’s future, FM says after meeting President Aoun
- Prince Faisal said Saudi Arabia was “optimistic about Lebanon’s future, in light of the reformist approach outlined in the president’s inaugural address”
BEIRUT: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has congratulated Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on his election as president on behalf of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Following his meeting with Aoun at the Presidential Palace, which lasted about half an hour, Prince Faisal said that they discussed “developments in the region; I conveyed to him the Kingdom’s support for Lebanon and its brotherly people in all fields.”
He emphasized “the importance of adhering to the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon and the importance of implementing Resolution 1701.”
Prince Faisal said that Saudi Arabia was “optimistic about Lebanon’s future, in light of the reformist approach outlined in the president’s inaugural address.”
He added: “We have great confidence in the president and the prime minister-designate to implement the required reforms in Lebanon, which will enhance the world’s confidence in Lebanon and contribute to stabilizing the political and economic situation in the country.
“We are optimistic that Lebanese leaders will seize the opportunity and work earnestly for Lebanon.”
The Kingdom, Prince Faisal said, “will continue to provide full support to Lebanon to achieve stability and development in various fields.”
He stressed the “necessity of continuous coordination between the two countries to achieve their shared goals.”
His visit marked a turning point in years of strained relations between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.
The tension was caused by Hezbollah’s dominance over Lebanon’s political decisions over the past years, and the use of illegal crossings for drug smuggling, particularly Captagon, to Gulf states.
The Saudi minister emphasized from Davos that the election of Aoun as Lebanon’s president was a “very positive development.”
Prince Faisal welcomed the “formation of the government,” but emphasized the need for “real reforms and a forward-looking approach to ensure sustainable progress.”
He also reiterated that “the future of Lebanon rests in the hands of its people to make decisions that steer the country in a new direction.”
Meanwhile, Qatar’s ambassador to Lebanon, Saud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, expressed hope for “the formation of the new government in Lebanon, allowing it to focus on accomplishing its awaited tasks, which would foster stability and ensure the flow of aid for Lebanon’s reconstruction.”
He highlighted “the Gulf’s interest in Lebanon, illustrated by the visits of the Saudi and Kuwaiti ministers of foreign affairs, along with the Gulf Cooperation Council’s secretary-general, to Beirut.
“I believe Israel will withdraw from the territories it recently occupied in southern Lebanon. The international ceasefire monitoring committee is fulfilling its role, with the US and France supporting this outcome.”
The ambassador also said that “Gulf nationals, including Qataris, are expected to return to Lebanon for the summer season.”
Meanwhile, Emirati businessman Khalaf Al-Habtoor said that he plans to invest in a “large and ambitious project in Lebanon once the new government is formed. The project has a vision to contribute to the economic renaissance and provide thousands of jobs, to be a real addition to support the Lebanese economy and restore confidence in it.”
However, Al-Habtoor stressed that any new investment would be contingent on the formation of a properly constituted government.
“The new government must be free of subordination and quotas, and it must not include those who ruined Lebanon, caused the collapse of the economy and instigated its wars,” he said.
“This phase requires trustworthy leaders and a Cabinet of experienced and qualified individuals who are committed to prioritizing Lebanon’s interests. Security and stability are the foundation of any recovery, and these can only be achieved through a strong and independent government capable of restoring the confidence of Lebanese, Arab and international investors.”
Al-Habtoor also cautioned that “any leniency in the formation process or acceptance of subordination will only lead to the continuation of the crisis and will close the doors of investment and renaissance to Lebanon and its people.”
Iraqi amnesty law could free prisoners convicted of attacking US troops
- Judicial sources and lawmakers confirmed that those convicted of attacks against American forces in Iraq could benefit from the law
- Sunni blocs in the Iraqi parliament have been pushing for the law
BAGHDAD: The Iraqi parliament has passed an amnesty law that could lead to the release of thousands of prisoners, including Iraqis convicted of attacks on US soldiers and people who fought for Islamic State, lawmakers said on Thursday.
A copy of the law seen by Reuters shows that those found guilty of terrorism leading to murder or disability, manslaughter, vandalising government institutions, and recruiting for or joining terrorist organizations can request a retrial if they allege a confession was extracted under duress.
Judicial sources and lawmakers confirmed that those convicted of attacks against American forces in Iraq could benefit from the law.
Sunni blocs in the Iraqi parliament have been pushing for the law as many of those in prison on such charges are Sunni Muslims, with most convicted of membership of Al Qaeda and Islamic State and carrying out attacks against Iraqi forces and civilians, mostly between 2004 and 2018.
Sunni lawmakers estimate that at least 30,000 Sunni prisoners will have the chance for a retrial.
Judicial sources say around 700 members of Shiite militias are also in prison convicted of terrorism, having been arrested by US forces between 2004 and 2008, for attacks on US soldiers.
Abul Karim Al-Mohammedawi, the Shiite head of parliament’s security and defense committee, said the top priority of the law should be releasing detainees who fought American forces in Iraq because “they are heroes and should be rewarded for their sacrifices, not left behind bars for the crime of defending their country.”
Sunni lawmaker Raad Al-Dahlaki said: “This law will not lead to the immediate release of prisoners. We, the Sunni bloc in parliament, demanded the retrial and review of all the prisoners’ investigations, and the courts will decide their fate.”
The law applies to all convicted Iraqis and those accused of crimes still under investigation or on trial. It also allows for the review of death sentences.
Government officials and judicial sources say the new law will alleviate pressure on overcrowded prisons, which currently house around 67,000 prisoners, far exceeding their capacity of 25,000.
Tuesday’s session also passed an amendment to the Iraqi personal status law, which was submitted by the majority Shiite blocs in parliament, that would allow Iraqi Muslims to choose either Sunni or Shi’ite sharia laws for personal status matters, instead of one standard regardless of sect or religion.
Critics say amendments that allow sect-based jurisprudence to govern personal matters, such as marriage, divorce, and inheritance, could institutionalize legal divisions between Sunni and Shiite Iraqis, further entrenching sectarian divides.
“This amendment could change the social fabric of the country at a time when sectarian tensions run high and stability remains precarious”, said Sarah Sanbar, Iraq researcher at Human Rights Watch.
The parliament also approved a law, which was pressed by the Kurds, allowing the return of farmlands confiscated before 2003 to their original owners, mainly Kurds.
Jordanian Foreign Ministry condemns Israeli military campaign in Jenin
- Governor of Jenin says Israeli forces cut off electricity
LONDON: The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday condemned the Israeli military campaign in the city of Jenin in the north of the occupied West Bank.
Sufian Al-Qudah, the spokesperson for the ministry, said that Jordan opposed and condemned the aggression of Israeli occupation forces in Jenin, which violated international humanitarian law.
He urged the international community to act to compel Israel to halt the escalation in action in the occupied West Bank, the Jordan News Agency reported.
The Governor of Jenin Kamal Abu Al-Rub told WAFA News Agency that Israeli forces had cut off electricity to the Jenin camp and surrounding areas on Thursday. This had resulted in a power outage at the Jenin Government and Ibn Sina hospitals.
The Israeli operation, which was launched just after a ceasefire in Gaza, has left at least 10 Palestinians dead, according to health authorities.
WEF panel discusses crises beyond Gaza, Ukraine, questions the ‘crisis of crisis management’
- WEF draws attention to world’s flashpoints
DUBAI: More than 300 million people around the world will need humanitarian assistance and protection in 2025, according to the Global Humanitarian Overview.
The conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine have dominated international attention, while other crises — such as those in Sudan, Myanmar and Venezuela — continue to affect millions.
The World Economic Forum in Davos drew attention to these crises, bringing together Comfort Ero, the president and CEO of International Crisis Group; Catherine Russell, the executive director of UNICEF; and Ricardo Hausmann, founder and director of the Growth Lab at Harvard University. The panel they attended was titled “Crises Beneath the Headlines” and moderated by Ishaan Tharoor, the foreign affairs columnist at The Washington Post.
Ero said that it was the first time in the group’s 30 years of operations where its work was dominated by “big power rivalry and major power competition,” which “infects” and influences many conflicts.
Although there are fewer conflicts, particularly in Africa, it does not mean there are not any conflicts, she added.
Ero said: “I do not necessarily think that these conflicts are off the radar; they have been deprioritized because of the bandwidth and the capacity, and because there’s just an inordinate amount of conflicts on the rise at the same time.”
Russell said that UNICEF, too, was struggling to respond to the sheer number and scale of crises.
She said: “We estimate that more than 213 million children live in 146 countries and territories and will need humanitarian assistance. The numbers are just overwhelming.”
Crises in Haiti, Myanmar, Sudan and Syria are also on UNICEF’s agenda, but the organization faces funding issues with 50 percent of the humanitarian funding it receives going to only five emergencies, Russell said.
She spoke about the massive numbers of children affected in Haiti and Sudan.
Some 700,000 people, including 365,000 children, are displaced because of violence perpetrated by armed gangs, and 6 million people need humanitarian assistance, with serious food insecurity an added issue in Haiti.
In Sudan, 19 million children are school-aged and 17 million of them are out of school and have been for more than a year.
While Syria has had a recent moment of triumph, its infrastructure has completely collapsed and millions of children are out of school and living in areas with landmines, which have become a leading cause of death and injury, she added.
“Attention draws resources, and so not having a lot of attention (drawn to these issues) is a problem,” Russell said.
Latin America is not free of issues either, with Venezuela being in the midst of a political and humanitarian crisis exacerbated by Nicolas Maduro, its president, remaining in office despite a six-month-long election dispute, international calls for him to stand aside, and an increase in the US reward offered for his capture.
Hausmann described the country’s downfall as “poetic in some dark sense.”
Despite Venezuela sitting on top of the largest oil reserves in the world, its gross domestic product has collapsed by 75 percent — “that’s three Great Depressions” — and 8 million people have left the country, he said.
Hausmann added that “Venezuela’s biggest obstacle is the government,” which has become an “international criminal organization” involved in “narco trafficking, money laundering, (and) the finance of terrorism.”
He said: “We have a situation where you have a government that has a deep internal sense of illegitimacy, and in the process of trying to survive it has destroyed the legitimacy of all other organizations (such as) the National Assembly, the Supreme Court, the attorney general, the army, etc.”
Looking to the future, he said, Venezuela was receiving mixed messages from the US with some people, like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, “showing a willingness to be helpful in re-establishing democratic order,” while others, like Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno, were “more or less normalizing Maduro.”
Tharoor asked the panel how the work of international groups had been affected at a time when countries were shaping their messaging for a “Trumpist world” and becoming more “nation-first.”
Ero said that we “can’t divorce ourselves” from the nation-first approach or from “national interest.”
But, she added: “There is a serious question mark about the crisis of the crisis management system itself, where it’s very hard now to see who the key mediators are that have the influence and leverage to change the dynamics in a country like Sudan. We are in a crisis of peacemaking.”
Organizations like UNICEF and other humanitarian aid agencies are doing what they can but Russell described them as a “band-aid” that arrives due to political failures.
She said: “We save millions and millions of lives, but we’re not the answer. The answer is to stop the conflict in the first place. We have no power to do that, and so we are at the mercy of this really dysfunctional political system.”
She added that the countries that make up the UN Security Council “have to come together and decide that they’re going to put their own interests aside, hopefully, and try to look out for what’s best for their countries and their regions and the world at large.”
