BEIRUT: Lebanese judge Tarek Bitar resumed his investigation into the deadly 2020 Beirut port blast on Thursday, charging 10 people including security, customs and military personnel, a judicial official said.
The fresh charges come after a two-year hiatus in the investigation into the August 4, 2020 explosion that killed more than 220 people, injured thousands and devastated swathes of Lebanon’s capital.
Nobody has been held responsible for the blast, one of history’s biggest non-nuclear explosions.
The probe stalled two years ago after Lebanese militant group Hezbollah had accused Bitar of bias and demanded his dismissal, and officials named in the investigation had filed a flurry of lawsuits to hamper it from going forward.
The resumption comes with Hezbollah’s influence weakened after a war with Israel.
It also follows the election of a Lebanese president after the top position had been vacant for more than two years, with the new head of state Joseph Aoun last week pledging to work toward the “independence of the judiciary.”
The judicial official told AFP that “procedures in the case have resumed,” speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
The official said that “a new charge sheet has been issued, charging three employees and seven high-ranking officers in the Lebanese army, in the General Security, in customs,” whose interrogations would begin next month.
In March and April, “investigating sessions” would resume with those previously charged in the case, including former ministers, lawmakers, security and military officers, judges and port management employees, after which Bitar would ask public prosecutors to issue indictments, according to the judicial official.
Lebanon’s new Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, until recently the presiding judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, on Tuesday promised “justice for the victims of the Beirut port blast.”
Analysts say Hezbollah’s weakening in a war with Israel last year allowed Lebanon’s deeply divided political class to elect Aoun last week and back him naming Salam as premier on Monday.
The Beirut blast probe has been repeatedly stalled since 2020.
In December 2020, lead investigator Fadi Sawan had charged former prime minister Hassan Diab — who had resigned in the explosion’s aftermath — and three ex-ministers with negligence.
But Sawan was later removed from the case after mounting political pressure, and the probe was suspended.
His successor, Tarek Bitar, also summoned Diab for questioning and asked parliament, without success, to lift the immunity of lawmakers who had served as ministers.
The interior ministry also refused to execute arrest warrants issued by Bitar, further undermining his quest for accountability.
The public prosecutor at the time, Ghassan Oueidat, thwarted his attempt to resume investigations in early 2023, after Bitar charged him in the case.
Hundreds of individuals and organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have called for the United Nations to establish a fact-finding mission — a demand Lebanese officials have repeatedly rejected.
Beirut blast investigator resumes work after two years: judicial official
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Beirut blast investigator resumes work after two years: judicial official
- The fresh charges come after a two-year hiatus in the investigation into the August 4, 2020 explosion
- The resumption comes with Hezbollah’s influence weakened after a war with Israel
UN Security Council calls for ‘swift’ formation of government in Lebanon
- Council members underscore important need for continuing international support as the country navigates this critical period
- They also express concern about violations of ceasefire agreement with Israel
NEW YORK CITY: The UN Security Council on Monday reaffirmed its strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon, as it urged the country’s leaders to take swift action to form a government following the election last week of Joseph Aoun as president and the designation of Nawaf Salam as prime minister.
The council expressed its approval of the successful election of Aoun, describing it as a crucial step toward resolving Lebanon’s prolonged political crisis. The office of president had been vacant since the end of his predecessor’s term in October 2022, as political factions were unable to agree on a successor.
The council also welcomed the appointment of Salam as prime minister-designate, and underlined the fact that the formation of a government remains the next key step in efforts to ensure the stability and resilience of Lebanon amid ongoing domestic and regional challenges.
“The election of a new president is an important and long-awaited and critical step to overcome Lebanon’s political and institutional crisis,” council members said.
They stressed that the formation of a government is now imperative to help ensure Lebanon can address the many challenges it faces, both within its borders and across the wider region. The council encouraged all political factions in Lebanon to act with a renewed unity and determination to swiftly form a government.
Members also underscored the importance of continuing international support for Lebanon as it navigates this critical period, and acknowledged the international community’s role in creating the conditions that allowed for the election of Aoun.
The council also discussed the security situation in the country, expressing concern about violations of the cessation-of-hostilities agreement between Lebanon and Israel. The ceasefire deal struck on Nov. 27 to halt the war required Hezbollah to immediately lay down its arms in southern Lebanon, and gave Israel 60 days to withdraw its forces from this area and hand over control to the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers.
Lebanon accuses Israel of continually violating the agreement. Last month, it filed a complaint with the Security Council accusing Israel of carrying out about 816 “ground and air attacks” between the start of the ceasefire and Dec. 22, 2024. The attacks have hindered Lebanese army efforts to deploy in the south and uphold its end of the ceasefire deal, it added.
Meanwhile, Israel accuses Hezbollah of breaching the agreement hundreds of times and has also raised the issue with the Security Council. The allegations include claims that Hezbollah militants are moving ammunition, trying to attack Israeli soldiers, and preparing and launching rockets toward northern Israel.
While the council welcomed the ceasefire as a significant step toward stabilization of the region, it called on all of those involved to adhere to the terms of the agreement, the aim of which is to deescalate tensions along the border between Lebanon and Israel.
“Reports of violations after Nov. 27 are troubling,” the council said. “The Security Council calls on all parties to cease any further violations and to implement the cessation of hostilities in full, with the support of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, in line with their mandates.”
The council reiterated its strong support for UNIFIL, emphasizing the critical role the force plays in maintaining regional stability and assisting Lebanon in its peacekeeping efforts. Council members urged all parties to respect the safety and freedom of movement of UNIFIL personnel, noting that peacekeepers and their facilities must never be targeted.
The council also appealed to the international community to continue providing humanitarian and economic assistance to Lebanon. This includes support for displaced persons, financial aid for reconstruction efforts, help to strengthen state institutions, and promoting the return of displaced Lebanese citizens to their homes under the government’s authority.
Lebanon requires continuing international assistance to help rebuild its institutions and promote long-term stability, the council said. This support should include efforts to strengthen the Lebanese Armed Forces and help secure a lasting ceasefire, it added.
The Security Council’s call for international engagement comes as Lebanon continues to struggle with the aftermath of a series of crises, including political instability, economic collapse and the continuing challenges created by simmering regional tensions.
The council reaffirmed its commitment to the full implementation of previous resolutions adopted over the past 20 years relating to Lebanon, which address issues such as the disarmament of militias, the establishment of Lebanese sovereignty, and the promotion of political independence. These resolutions remain integral to Lebanon’s long-term peace and stability, the council said.
“The Security Council reaffirms that the preservation of Lebanon’s stability is essential not only for Lebanon but also for regional security,” it added.
Arab League condemns attack in Sudan on Africa’s largest hydropower dam
- Organization urges all warring parties to comply with Saudi-mediated ceasefire agreement
- Several Sudanese cities suffered power outages as a result of the attack on Monday morning
LONDON: Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the secretary-general of the Arab League, on Thursday condemned the recent attack on the Merowe Dam and hydroelectric station in northern Sudan.
The attack on the dam, the largest hydropower project in Africa, in the early hours of Monday morning caused power outages in several Sudanese cities, including Merowe, Ad-Dabba, Atbara, Dongola, Omdurman, and parts of Port Sudan.
Aboul Gheit said the incident was “a new violation of international humanitarian law that prohibits targeting civilian infrastructure.”
Since April 2023, Sudan has been ravaged by a conflict between rival military factions in the country that has resulted in the deaths of at least 60,000 people and the displacement of 3 million.
The Arab League urges all warring parties to comply with a Saudi-mediated ceasefire agreement, signed in Jeddah in May 2023, which outlines a path to peace in Sudan, Aboul Gheit added.
US issues sanctions on Sudanese army chief Burhan
- The army’s war tactics have included indiscriminate bombing of civilian infrastructure, attacks on schools, markets and hospitals, and extrajudicial executions
- Washington announced the measures, just a week after imposing sanctions on Burhan’s rival in the two-year-old civil war, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo
NAIROBI/WASHINGTON: The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on Sudan’s leader, army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, accusing him of choosing war over negotiations to bring an end to the conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and driven millions from their homes.
The US Treasury Department said in a statement that under Burhan’s leadership, the army’s war tactics have included indiscriminate bombing of civilian infrastructure, attacks on schools, markets and hospitals, and extrajudicial executions.
Washington announced the measures, first reported by Reuters, just a week after imposing sanctions on Burhan’s rival in the two-year-old civil war, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Two sources with knowledge of the action told Reuters one aim of Thursday’s sanctions was to show that Washington was not picking sides.
Speaking earlier on Thursday, Burhan was defiant about the prospect that he might be targeted.
“I hear there’s going to be sanctions on the army leadership. We welcome any sanctions for serving this country,” he said in comments broadcast on Al Jazeera television.
Washington also issued sanctions over the supply of weapons to the army, targeting a Sudanese-Ukrainian national as well as a Hong Kong-based company.
Thursday’s action freezes any of their US assets and generally bars Americans from dealing with them. The Treasury Department said it issued authorizations allowing certain transactions, including activities involving the warring generals, so as not to impede humanitarian assistance.
The Sudanese army and the RSF together led a coup in 2021 removing Sudan’s civilian leadership, but fell out less than two years later over plans to integrate their forces.
The war that broke out in April 2023 has plunged half of the population into hunger.
Dagalo, known as Hemedti, was sanctioned after Washington determined his forces had committed genocide, as well as for attacks on civilians. The RSF has engaged in bloody looting campaigns in the territory it controls.
In a statement, Sudan’s foreign ministry said the latest US move “expresses nothing but confusion and a weak sense of justice” and accused Washington of defending genocide by the RSF.
The United States and Saudi Arabia have tried repeatedly to bring both sides to the negotiating table, with the army refusing most attempts, including talks in Geneva in August which in part aimed to ease humanitarian access.
The army has instead ramped up its military campaign, this week taking the strategic city of Wad Madani and vowing to retake the capital Khartoum.
Rights experts and residents have accused the army of indiscriminate airstrikes as well as attacks on civilians, most recently revenge attacks in Wad Madani this week. The US had previously determined the army and RSF had committed war crimes.
In his final news conference ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that it was a “real regret” Washington had not managed to end the fighting under his watch.
While there have been some improvements in getting humanitarian assistance into Sudan through US diplomacy, they have not seen an end to the conflict, “not an end to the abuses, not an end to the suffering of people,” Blinken said. “We’ll keep working here for the next three days, and I hope the next administration will take that on as well.”
UN’s Guterres in Lebanon on ‘visit of solidarity’
- Guterres will meet political officials and visit UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon during his trip which will last until Saturday
BEIRUT: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Lebanon Thursday on a “visit of solidarity,” he said, after a long-stalled presidential election and a devastating war between armed group Hezbollah and Israel.
“I have arrived in Beirut on a visit of solidarity with the Lebanese people,” Guterres posted on X.
“A window has opened for a new era of institutional stability with a state fully able to protect its citizens and a system that would allow the tremendous potential of the Lebanese people to flourish,” he added.
“We will do everything to help keep that window open wide.”
His deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Guterres would meet political officials and visit UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon during his trip which would last until Saturday.
Lebanon’s deeply divided political class last week finally elected a new president, Joseph Aoun, after two years of deadlock.
Aoun on Monday named Nawaf Salam, until recently the presiding judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, to form a government.
Since Wednesday Salam has been consulting political parties ahead of drawing up a list of cabinet members.
Guterres is visiting the country as the deadline approaches for full implementation of a November 27 ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel in southern Lebanon.
Under the truce, which ended two months of all-out war between both sides, the Lebanese army is to deploy alongside UN peacekeepers in the south as the Israeli army withdraws before January 26.
Hezbollah is due to pull its forces north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border with Israel, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in south Lebanon.
Hard-line Israeli minister Ben-Gvir threatens to quit over Gaza deal
- Itamar Ben-Gvir: ‘The deal that is taking shape is a reckless deal’
- Ben-Gvir urged Bezalel Smotrich to join him in a last-ditch attempt to prevent a ceasefire deal
JERUSALEM: Israel’s hard-line National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on Thursday he would resign from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government if it ratifies the ceasefire deal in Gaza, which he has strongly opposed.
Israeli media outlets reported earlier that the cabinet was expected to vote to ratify the agreement on Friday, but there has been no confirmation from the prime minister’s office.
“The deal that is taking shape is a reckless deal,” Ben-Gvir said in a televised statement, saying it would “erase the achievements of the war” by releasing hundreds of Palestinian militants and withdrawing from strategic areas in Gaza, leaving Hamas undeafeated.
“If this irresponsible deal is approved and implemented, we the members of Jewish Power will submit letters of resignation to the prime minister,” he said.
Ben-Gvir, whose departure would not bring down Netanyahu’s government, this week urged Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to join him in a last-ditch attempt to prevent a ceasefire deal, which he described as a dangerous capitulation to Hamas.
Smotrich has described the deal to halt the fighting in Gaza and exchange Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners as a catastrophe for Israel but has not threatened the quit the government.
Earlier on Thursday, Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party repeated its opposition, threatening to quit the government if it did not go back to war to defeat Hamas after the first six-week phase of the ceasefire was completed.
