"You bear the blood of the innocent": Families of victims from the deadly Aug. 4, 2020 explosion at Beirut's port remain furious. In a statement released Thursday, marking the monthly commemoration of the tragedy, they directly criticize Acting Attorney General Jamal Hajjar and investigating judge Tarek Bitar for stalling the investigation.

The families also denounced caretaker Minister of Public Works Ali Hamiyeh, who recently announced Lebanon's plan to sell scrap debris from the explosion that claimed over 235 lives, injured 6,500, and devastated much of the Lebanese capital. The statement coincided with the monthly sit-in of victims' families by the Emigrant Statue facing Beirut's port.

"One month separates us from the fourth annual commemoration of the Aug. 4, 2020 explosion. The inner workings of the courts and political pressures continue to conceal the truth and bury this matter alongside the victims," the statement begins. 

"We first address Jamal Hajjar: Tell us, what is the obstacle? And what is the main reason that this case remains pending? And to Tarek Bitar: What are you afraid of to carry out your work normally?" 

"We hold you fully responsible today because you are the spearheads of this case, its foundation. You bear the blood of the innocent on you," the text continues. "As guarantors of law enforcement, you swore to support the oppressed and deliver justice!"

The families also criticized Hamiyeh for his decision to sell debris accumulated at Beirut's port. "We remind you that the port kept its entrances and docks open the day after the explosion. Cruise ships were departing, cargo ships were unloading their stocks as usual," they argued. "Instead, you should have sold the debris to help the children of the victims, the devastated loved ones who until now have received no assistance from the companies working at the port," the statement concluded.

The August 4 explosion, ignited by improperly stored ammonium nitrate, continues to traumatize the Lebanese population. The local judicial investigation, led by Bitar, has been at a standstill since February 2023 due to pervasive political interference from all parties.