Lebanon president says PM-designate incapable of forming cabinet

Lebanese prime minister-designate Saad Hariri addressing reporters following a meeting with President Michel Aoun (unseen) at the presidential palace in Baabda on March 18, 2021. (File/AFP)
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Updated 21 May 2021
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Lebanon president says PM-designate incapable of forming cabinet

  • Aoun’s letter described as ‘full of fallacies and distorted facts’ as he asks parliament to dismiss PM-designate Hariri
  • MP Yassin Jaber tells Arab News: ‘I do not expect solutions, but I fear debate will take on a sectarian dimension’

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun said that he believes Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri is incapable of forming a government to pull the nation out of its financial crisis.

Aoun’s verdict was contained in a letter read out to parliament on Friday and which will be discussed on Saturday.

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri postponed discussion of the controversial letter.

In the letter, Aoun said he would not be responsible for the consequences of obstructing the formation of the government, and held Hariri responsible for the delays in an attempt to have him dismissed and assign a replacement.

Hariri, however, described Aoun’s letter as “exercising the policy of distorting facts, and covering up the racist diplomatic scandal of the foreign minister toward the brothers in the Arab Gulf.”

The letter sets a precedent in the history of Lebanese politics, and according to a number of parliamentarians and jurists, it is “an attempt to amend the Taif Agreement and the constitution.” The MPs also expressed their fear that “the scientific and substantive constitutional debate will diverge into a sectarian and doctrinal nonpolitical debate.”

Former prime ministers Najib Mikati, Fouad Siniora and Tammam Salam expressed their astonishment at Aoun’s letter, which they described as “full of fallacies and distorted facts.”

They were dismayed that Aoun “assigned himself the role of guardian of the mission and the role of the prime minister-designate, but he went beyond that to give himself the role of the officer of his mission.”

The former prime ministers stressed in a statement that Hariri “stated more than once that he was ready for dialogue with the president of the republic to reach an understanding with him over the government, but he did not receive a response and was not met with cooperation.”

They added: “Rather, the president tried to impose obstacles, including the issue of the blocking third, and other new norms that are inconsistent with the provisions of the constitution.”

The former prime ministers recalled “the principle of separation of powers, and that every authority must abide by the limits of its powers.”

They described the contents of Aoun’s letter as “a true coup against the constitution.”

The three former leaders demanded that “Aoun sign the decree forming the government according to the lineup presented to him by Hariri and send it to parliament.”

The parliamentary session, which was held on Friday at the UNESCO Palace instead of the parliament headquarters due to social distancing measures, lasted only a few minutes.

As soon as the director-general of the sessions, Riad Ghannam, finished reading Aoun’s message to the MPs, including Hariri and MP Gebran Bassil, Speaker Berri announced that the session would be concluded and held again on Saturday for discussion.

Hariri, who returned from abroad to attend the session, and Bassil avoided looking at each other as they entered the parliamentary session in light of the raging disagreement between them.

It was reported before the parliamentary session that Bassil had prepared a tirade to confront Hariri, and that the prime minister-designate had set out a speech in an effort to put the record straight.

MP Yassin Jaber of the Development and Liberation bloc told Arab News: “I do not expect solutions tomorrow during the parliamentary debate, which I fear will take on a sectarian dimension. But there is a dilemma.”

The MP added: “The Sunni sect in Lebanon has designated its representative, who represents them most, to hold the position of prime minister, and in return, the president and his team say that they are the best representatives of their sect and want to name the Christian ministers in the government.

“How can a strong president remove the most representative prime minister?”

In the letter, which parliament released to the media, Aoun said that the delay in forming the government after more than six months of Hariri’s assignment damaged political stability as well as health, social, economic, financial and service security, and prevented the effective handling of critical files.

Aoun said: “It is not permissible to have no deadline for the formation of the government.”

He accused the prime minister-designate of “insisting, to date, not to present a government lineup that enjoys our agreement and the required confidence from parliament in accordance with the constitutional provision.”

The president said: “This is in addition to his interruption of conducting the necessary parliamentary consultations with various parliamentary blocs as well as refraining from the continuous and necessary consultation with the president to agree on a government lineup.”

Aoun also said that Hariri presented to the president a government lineup that failed to meet the principles set by the president in order to achieve national partnership.

“In light of this, the situation cannot remain as it is.”

According to Aoun’s party, the Free Patriotic Movement, Hariri “did not respond to the calls addressed to him to present a lineup of 24 ministers as the parties agreed.”

Hariri and his political team “want to deny the president the right to participate in forming the government and want him to be just someone who signs the decree, contrary to the phrase ‘by agreement’ in the constitution,” the party claimed.


Israeli bulldozers flatten more Palestinian buildings in Tulkarm refugee camp

Updated 4 sec ago
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Israeli bulldozers flatten more Palestinian buildings in Tulkarm refugee camp

  • Entire residential area reduced to rubble in recent days, residents say
  • Israeli forces plan to destroy 58 structures in Tulkarm, 48 in Nur Shams

LONDON: Israeli forces have conducted demolitions for the third consecutive day in the Palestinian refugee camp of Tulkarm in the northern part of the West Bank, the site of military operations since January.

On Sunday, Israeli bulldozers resumed demolition of numerous residential buildings in the camp. The demolitions are part of the destruction plan of 58 structures in Tulkarm and 48 in the Nur Shams refugee camp.

More than 250 housing units and dozens of commercial establishments have been destroyed in both locations, according to Wafa news agency.

Residents say that an entire residential area in the Tulkarm camp has been reduced to rubble in recent days, with debris hindering access to surrounding buildings.

Israeli operations in Tulkarm for the past 133 days and in Nur Shams for the past 120 days have resulted in the deaths of 13 Palestinians and the displacement of almost 25,000 residents.

At least 400 homes have been destroyed and 2,573 damaged after Israeli forces sealed off roads and entrances with earth barriers and barred Palestinian residents from returning, the Wafa added.


Egyptian, Turkish FMs discuss Gaza ceasefire, mass graves in Libya

Updated 59 min 51 sec ago
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Egyptian, Turkish FMs discuss Gaza ceasefire, mass graves in Libya

  • Ministers warn of a ‘humanitarian disaster’ in war-ravaged Palestinian enclave
  • They also discussed the discovery of dozens of bodies in mass graves in the Libyan capital, Tripoli

LONDON: Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed developments in Gaza and Libya with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan.

The ministers, during a phone call on Sunday, highlighted the urgency of a ceasefire in Gaza and described the situation there as a “humanitarian disaster” amid Israeli attacks and military actions in the area.

They discussed efforts to achieve a ceasefire, secure the release of Israeli hostages and ensure the delivery of humanitarian, medical and shelter aid to the enclave.

Abdelatty and Fidan discussed recent developments in Libya, including the discovery of dozens of bodies in mass graves in the capital, Tripoli.

The Egyptian minister highlighted Cairo’s support for Libya’s unity and integrity, ensuring that Libyans can hold presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously, without interference, as soon as possible, Kuwait News Agency reported.

Abdelatty said that Cairo and Ankara continue to cooperate in the economic, investment and trade sectors, and exchange views on urgent regional matters.


Israel vows to prevent an aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists from reaching Gaza

Updated 08 June 2025
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Israel vows to prevent an aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists from reaching Gaza

  • The vessel departed Sicily last Sunday on a mission that aims to break the sea blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid, while raising awareness over the growing humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave

Israel’s defense minister has vowed to prevent an aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists from reaching the Gaza Strip.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that Israel wouldn’t allow anyone to break its naval blockade of the Palestinian territory, which he said was aimed at preventing Hamas from importing arms.
Thunberg, a climate campaigner is among 12 activists aboard the Madleen, which is operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. The vessel departed Sicily last Sunday on a mission that aims to break the sea blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid, while raising awareness over the growing humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave.
The activists had said they planned to reach Gaza’s territorial waters as early as Sunday.
Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, is among the others onboard. She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians.
After a three-month total blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas, Israel started allowing some basic aid into Gaza last month, but humanitarian workers have warned of famine unless the blockade and the war end.
An attempt last month by Freedom Flotilla to reach Gaza by sea failed after another of the group’s vessels was attacked by two drones while sailing in international waters off Malta. The group blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the front section of the ship.


Gaza rescuers say 10 killed in Israeli attacks

Updated 08 June 2025
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Gaza rescuers say 10 killed in Israeli attacks

  • The civilians had been heading to an aid distribution center west of Rafah, near a site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation
  • The United Nations refuses to work with the GHF, citing concerns over its practices and neutrality

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Gaza’s civil defense agency said Israeli attacks on Sunday killed at least 10 people including two girls in the Palestinian territory, as the Israel-Hamas war entered its 21st month.

“Five martyrs and dozens of wounded were taken to Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis after the (Israeli) occupation forces opened fire on civilians at around 6:00 am,” agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said.

The civilians had been heading to an aid distribution center west of Rafah, near a site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed group that has come under criticism from the United Nations and humanitarian agencies.

The United Nations refuses to work with the GHF, citing concerns over its practices and neutrality.

Asked to comment on the latest killings, the Israeli military said it fired on people who “continued advancing in a way that endangered the soldiers” despite warnings.

It said the area around the distribution point had been declared an “active combat zone” at night.

“Around 4:30 am, people started gathering in the Al-Alam area of Rafah. After about an hour and a half, hundreds moved toward the site and the army opened fire,” eyewitness Abdallah Nour Al-Din said.

Outside the Nasser hospital, where the emergency workers brought the casualties, AFPTV footage showed mourners crying over blood-stained body-bags.

“I can’t see you like this,” said Lin Al-Daghma by her father’s body, while a man lay over his brother’s corpse.

They gave the same account as Din, and spoke of the struggle to access food aid after more than two months of a total Israeli blockade of Gaza, despite a recent easing.

Dozens of people have been killed near distribution points since late May, according to the civil defense.

Bassal said another five people, including two young girls, were killed around at 1:00 a.m. in a strike that hit a tent in the Al-Mawasi displaced persons camp in southern Gaza.


Israeli military hits Hamas member in southern Syria

Updated 08 June 2025
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Israeli military hits Hamas member in southern Syria

  • Israel and Syria have recently engaged in direct talks to calm tensions

CAIRO: The Israeli military said on Sunday that it struck a member of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in southern Syria’s Mazraat Beit Jin, days after Israel carried out its first airstrikes in the country in nearly a month.

Hamas did not immediately comment on the strike.

Israel said on Tuesday it hit weapons belonging to the government in retaliation for the firing of two projectiles toward Israel for the first time under the country’s new leadership. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz held Syria’s President Ahmed Al-Sharaa accountable.

Damascus in response said reports of the shelling were unverified, reiterating that Syria does not pose a threat to any regional party.

A little known group named “Martyr Muhammad Deif Brigades,” an apparent reference to Hamas’ military leader who was killed in an Israeli strike in 2024, reportedly claimed responsibility for the shelling. Reuters, however, could not independently verify the claim.

Israel and Syria have recently engaged in direct talks to calm tensions, marking a significant development in ties between states that have been on opposite sides of conflict in the Middle East for decade.