Qassem calls on the Lebanese government to reverse its decision to ban flights from Iran; three Israeli strikes on Bekaa | Live.

Lebanon

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam held a series of talks throughout the day to rally broad support for Lebanon’s position on the cease-fire with Israel, which calls for a full withdrawal of the Israeli army from Lebanese territory by the agreed-upon date.

As part of these efforts, Salam contacted Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Jordanian Prime Minister Jaafar Hassan, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, and Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, who represents Arab states at the UN Security Council.

Lebanon

Massad Boulos, the Lebanese-American businessman and father-in-law of one of Donald Trump’s sons-in-law, who was appointed in December as a Middle East adviser, told MTV that the U.S. administration is working to prevent funds from reaching Hezbollah, whether through Iran or other countries.

South Lebanon

Discussions are ongoing between the Lebanese Army, the Lebanese Red Cross, and UNIFIL to allow rescuers to recover the body of Khadijeh Atoui, the Lebanese woman who was shot and killed earlier in the day by the Israeli army after entering Houla (Marjayoun), according to our correspondent.

The Houla municipality has, in turn, called on all parties to act quickly to evacuate the citizens still trapped in the area.

Iranian plane issue

The director of Civil Aviation in Lebanon stated to the National News Agency (NNA) that flights from Iraq were arriving normally at Beirut airport, denying any ban on these air links.

Lebanon

According to the latest available information, three Israeli strikes targeted Bekaa at the beginning of the Hezbollah leader’s speech: in Hrabta, the area of Wadi Zineh in Bouday and the hills of this village, in the Baalbeck district. No information was immediately available regarding casualties.

The Israeli army claimed, in a post by its Arabic-speaking spokesperson Avichay Adraee on social media, that “precision strikes were carried out on several military sites in Lebanon containing RPGs and weapons.” “Hezbollah activities had been detected” at these targeted sites, violating the cease-fire agreement, according to the Israeli military.

Naim Qassem, regarding the funerals of Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine on the 23rd: “The funerals will be exceptional, befitting these two exceptional figures. We call for no gunfire into the air and for actions that could compromise the event. High-ranking personalities from Arab and Muslim countries and all religious sects will be present.”

Naim Qassem, commenting on the issue of the Iranian plane being denied entry at Beirut airport: “Prime Minister Nawaf Salam made the decision to prevent the plane from landing under the pretext of ensuring the safety of aviation and civilians. However, this is the implementation of an Israeli decision.

I urge the Lebanese government to reverse its decision to ban Iranian flights and to take a stance that respects Lebanon’s sovereignty.”

Naim Qassem: “I propose to the government to proceed with appointments in the public administration based on competitive exams, to choose the most competent individuals, away from the quota system between different parties.

We are ready to cooperate and ensure that the necessary reforms are carried out.”

Naim Qassem: “We will not leave anyone in shelters for displaced people, without a renovated or rebuilt home. If God wills, the homes will be even more beautiful than before.”

Naim Qassem on political changes in Lebanon: “We have done everything to keep the institutions afloat, and everyone can testify that it was the tandem that made the presidential election successful. We are satisfied with the formation of the government.”

Naim Qassem on political changes in Lebanon: “We have done everything to keep the institutions afloat, and everyone can testify that it was the tandem that made the presidential election possible. We are satisfied with the formation of the government.”

Naim Qassem: “We condemn and reject any displacement of Palestinians in the region. The U.S. ‘plan’ is a danger to all, especially Arab and Muslim countries. These countries must reject any displacement of Palestinians, and as Hezbollah, we are ready to contribute if Arab countries have an alternative plan to reject the displacement of Palestinians.”

Naim Qassem: “The statements of U.S. President Donald Trump on the Palestinian issue are very dangerous, as they aim to end Palestine and its people. This is a process of political extermination, following the failure of Benjamin Netanyahu and America to eliminate the resistance.”

Donald Trump proposed a “plan” for Gaza, which has been condemned worldwide, including plans to relocate 2.4 million Gazans to Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Naim Qassem: “We do not surrender and we do not let ourselves be defeated. The advantage of the martyred commanders is that they combine the moral dimension of faith with the military dimension.”

Naïm Kassem also honored the memory of Imad Mughniyeh, a Hezbollah commander killed in February 2008 near Damascus in a car bomb attack.

“Jihad against the Israeli enemy was a priority for the martyred commanders,” stated the Hezbollah leader.

Lebanon

According to our correspondent in Bekaa, two Israeli strikes targeted the region during Naim Qassem’s speech: the first hit Hrabta, and the second struck the hills of Bouday, both located in the Baalbeck district.

Naim Qassem speaks about the former commanders and leaders of Hezbollah, Ragheb Harb, who was assassinated in February 1984, and Abbas Moussaoui, who led Hezbollah between 1991 and 1992 before being killed by Israel in 1992.

Lebanon

The strike on Bekaa targeted the hills of Bouday, according to our correspondent.

Lebanon

The Israeli air force has carried out a strike in northern Bekaa, according to reports from our correspondent, Sarah Abdallah.

Sheikh Qassem congratulated the Lebanese people on the anniversary of Rafik Hariri’s assassination, stating: “Let the blood of the martyrs be a source of strength for Lebanon.”

In addition to this commemoration, Naim Qassem, at the beginning of his speech, also referenced the annual commemoration of the Islamic Revolution in Iran on Feb. 11, as well as the 20th anniversary of the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on Feb. 14, 2005.

Three Hezbollah members — Salim Ayyash, Habib Merhi and Hussein Oneissi — were sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, an international criminal court, in 2021 and 2022.

Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, begins his speech on the occasion of the party’s “Annual Commemoration of the Martyred Commanders.”

South Lebanon

The Israeli army has also detonated a house on the outskirts of Labbouneh, in the Sour district, in the western border area, according to our correspondent.

Gaza truce

Israel’s Security Cabinet will meet on Monday to discuss the second phase of the Gaza truce, according to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, cited by AFP. This announcement follows a conversation between Netanyahu and the U.S. president’s Middle East envoy.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently spoke with the U.S. president’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and informed him that he will convene the Security Cabinet tomorrow [Monday] to discuss the second phase of the cease-fire agreement,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement. The cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has been in effect since Jan. 19.

South Lebanon

The Israeli army has blown up several buildings in Mais al-Jabal, in the Marjayoun district, according to reports from our correspondent.

South Lebanon

Following gunfire targeting residents of Houla who entered the village earlier today — resulting in at least one death —  and the abduction of several Lebanese, including two paramedics, by the Israeli army, the Lebanese Army is preparing to deploy in the area, according to reports from the National News Agency (NNA).

Lebanese Army units are stationed at the village entrances alongside several vehicles from the Lebanese Civil Defense, which will be responsible for evacuating the body of the woman killed earlier in the day, as well as other wounded individuals.

South Lebanon

The Press Photographers’ Union in Lebanon has condemned the Israeli gunfire targeting photographers and journalists after a Lebanese journalist was injured in Houla earlier today.

In a statement, the union emphasized that journalist Mohammad Zenati was “injured after tripping while trying to move away” from shots fired in his direction.

South Lebanon

The Lebanese Health Ministry has strongly condemned the abduction of two paramedics from the Scouts of the Islamic Mission, the rescue unit of the Amal Movement (an ally of Hezbollah), by the Israeli army in Houla.

According to a statement from the ministry, the two medics were “taken to an unknown location while carrying out their humanitarian duty of evacuating the wounded from Houla.” The ministry denounced the act as a “flagrant violation of international and humanitarian laws” and called for their “immediate release.”

Israeli artillery fire targeted an uninhabited area between Mais al-Jabal and Houla (Marjayoun), according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the south.

One of the people abducted by the Israeli army earlier today in Houla (Marjayoun) is a rescuer who works with the al-Rissala Scout Association, affiliated with the Amal Movement, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the south.

The Israeli government confirmed the appointment of Eyal Zamir as chief of staff, replacing Herzi Halevi, according to Haaretz. He will take up his duties on March 6, as previously announced. This confirmation, which was expected, is the last step in the appointment procedure that began after Herzi Halevi's resignation at the end of January.

The Israeli army has carried out a large explosion between Kfar Hamam and Hebbarieh (Hasbaya), according to L'Orient Today correspondent in the south.

The Israeli army also demolished a house on the road between Kfar Shouba and Shebaa (Hasbaya).

After his meeting with the Israeli prime minister, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with President Isaac Herzog on Sunday, saying that President Trump was "deeply committed to the goal of returning every hostage home," according to Haaretz.

"This remains an absolute priority," he continued.

The Lebanese army responded to accusations made against it regarding the clashes during Saturday's Hezbollah demonstration that blocked the road to Beirut airport. It said the army had communicated with the organizers in advance, but that the situation evolved unexpectedly and negatively on the ground.

"The army command confirms that prior coordination was made with the organizers of the sit-in regarding the commitment to peacefully express the opinion and not to block the road leading to the airport. However, a number of protesters then blocked the road and attacked the military units responsible for maintaining security and their vehicles, which resulted in 23 soldiers, including three officers, suffering various injuries, forcing these units to intervene to prevent the attack on their personnel and to reopen the road," the army said on X.

It added: "The army's intervention was carried out in accordance with the decision of the political authority to prevent the blocking of roads and encroachments on public and private properties, to ensure the functioning of public services and to preserve the safety of travelers, in order to maintain security and stability."

Iran's state-run news agency reported that Lebanon informed Iran that Iranian flights to Beirut are suspended until Feb. 18, a report that was circulating for several days.

According to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the south, a journalist who was among those who entered the village of Houla (Marjayoun) earlier in the day was injured after he tripped while escaping Israeli gunfire.

Initial reports suggested he had been hit by a bullet, but this turned out to be false.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem is scheduled to speak today at 6:30 p.m., according to an announcement made Saturday by the party.

Mortada Hassan Mehanna, a municipal policeman, was abducted by Israeli soldiers, according to security sources contacted by L'Orient Today's correspondent. He had gone to check the condition of his house in the Aqaba neighborhood, on the outskirts of the city of Maroun al-Ras (Bint Jbeil) when he was surprised to see Israeli soldiers inside.

Contacts are underway, through UNIFIL, to try to obtain his release.

Mortada Hassan Mehanna, a municipal policeman, was abducted by Israeli soldiers, according to security sources contacted by L'Orient Today's correspondent. He had gone to check the condition of his house in the Aqaba neighborhood, on the outskirts of the city of Maroun al-Ras (Bint Jbeil) when he was surprised to see Israeli soldiers inside.

Contacts are underway, through UNIFIL, to try to obtain his release.

The Lebanese state should "take on Hezbollah and disarm it," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said again in Israel.

Israel will "finish the job" to counter the threat from Iran, with the support of the United States, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the same press briefing.

“Over the past 16 months, Israel has dealt a severe blow to Iran for its use of terrorism, under the strong leadership of President [Donald] Trump, and with your unwavering support, I have no doubt that we can and will finish the job,” Netanyahu said alongside Rubio. He added that “Israel and the United States stand shoulder to shoulder to counter the threat from Iran.”

Mortada Hassan Mehanna, a municipal policeman, was abducted by Israeli soldiers, according to security sources contacted by L'Orient Today's correspondent. He had gone to check the condition of his house in the Aqaba neighborhood, on the outskirts of the city of Maroun al-Ras (Bint Jbeil) when he was surprised to see Israeli soldiers inside.

Contacts are underway, through UNIFIL, to try to obtain his release.

In a radio interview, former head of the Progressive Socialist Party Walid Joumblatt said that "the previous equation in Lebanon has changed due to political and military circumstances as well as the Israeli aggression." He stated that "the presence of military militias in Lebanon is now a thing of the past," adding that he did not want to see a group of Lebanese become "a tool in the hands of Iran."

Although Joumblatt stressed that there was an agreement on the implementation of international resolutions, he said that Israel was not satisfied with these resolutions and was violating all of them. Despite this, he said he had high hopes for the government and the new era.

In response to a question, Joumblatt ruled out a confrontation within the government, saying that "the main issue before the cabinet is the reforms demanded by the International Monetary Fund, the delayed trials in the port explosion case and the implementation of UN Resolution 1701."

During the meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the latter said that the two countries must present a "common front" against Iran. Benjamin Netanyahu threatened that Israel would open the "gates of hell" in Gaza if all the hostages were not released and "act" to confront the threats on the Syrian border, reports AFP.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Israel was committed to respecting the cease-fire in Lebanon, that it expected the Lebanese government to do the same and that Hezbollah would be completely disarmed, according to comments reported by LBCI.

The Lebanese army called on citizens not to travel to southern villages where the army has not yet been deployed. Residents "must comply with the instructions of the deployed military units to preserve their safety and avoid the loss of innocent lives due to the danger of unexploded ordnance left by the Israeli enemy as well as the possible presence of enemy forces in these areas," the troop said on X.

A woman was killed and three people were injured after Israeli forces opened fire on residents of Houla (Marjayoun).

Firas, a person who entered Houla with other residents earlier in the day, said that when the residents reached the center of the village, they were surprised by sudden Israeli gunfire aimed at them.

"The Israelis gave us the illusion that they had evacuated the town," he said, adding that the residents retreated behind the sand barrier under a hail of bullets.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he discussed with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio Trump's "bold vision" for the future of Gaza, AFP reported. He also said Israel and President Trump have a "common strategy" on Gaza.

Iran is the main source of "instability" in the region, Marco Rubio said.

A resident of Houla was critically wounded after Israeli forces opened fire towards the residents of the village, L'Orient Today's correspondent in the south reports.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told visiting World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder on Sunday that the creation of a Palestinian state was "the only guarantee" of lasting peace in the Middle East.

In a meeting with Lauder, the Egyptian president stressed the importance of beginning the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, ravaged by 15 months of war, "without displacing its inhabitants," according to a statement from his office.

Arab countries are currently scrambling to find an alternative to U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for a U.S. takeover of Gaza to turn it into "the Riviera of the Middle East."

The plan, rejected by the Arab world and many Western leaders, calls for the displacement of 2.4 million Gazans, mainly to Egypt and Jordan.

According to the Egyptian presidency's statement, Lauder welcomed Egypt's "serious efforts" to restore stability in the region.

He also said he looked forward to the Egyptian-Arab proposal on Gaza, adding that peace could only be achieved through a two-state solution, namely an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

The Israeli army is still stationed in front of the Imam al-Mahdi mosque in the Mufailha area and in Wadi Kroum al-Attaq, west of the village of Mais al-Jabal (Marjayoun), according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the south.

Meanwhile, the Mukhtar of Markaba (Marjayoun), Hisham Zaraket, told L'Orient Today's correspondent that the residents and the Lebanese army reached the north of the village after the army removed a sand barrier. He added that they are currently waiting for the Israeli army to withdraw from the village to enter it.

The body of one person was found under the rubble in the village of Houla, rescuers told L'Orient Today's correspondent in the south. 

Ambulance workers regularly recover the bodies of people killed during the war.

One of the residents who entered Houla (Marjayoun) said that the village was completely devastated, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent.

"There are no more landmarks to recognize the neighborhoods," he said. "It's hard to find your way around. Everything has changed, there's just rubble. There are no more roads, just rubble on top of rubble."

The group of young Houla residents who crossed the Lebanese army checkpoint and the embankment installed by the Israeli army at the entrance to the town on foot are currently in its center, the municipality's president, Shakib Koteish, told L'Orient Today's correspondent in the south. He added that the residents claimed that Israeli soldiers were not present in the town and that there were no military vehicles.

Koteish stated that he had not yet been informed by the competent authorities and the Lebanese army of the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the village. 

"We are waiting for the competent authorities to inform us of what we are going to do and we will officially communicate the information to the residents," said Koteish.

The Kataeb party responded to Hezbollah's statement issued in the morning, which had likened the mobilization of army party activists in the face of Saturday's demonstrations on the road to Beirut's international airport to a "suspicious maneuver aimed at setting the Lebanese army against the people."

The opposition Christian party led by Samy Gemayel considered that "Hezbollah persists in confronting the Lebanese, first by terrorizing them, blocking roads, attacking legitimate security forces and even attacking the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, before challenging institutions and seeking to bring them down, in a dangerous attempt to reestablish equations that have been irrevocably erased" from the Lebanese political and security spectrum.

He also said "that what Hezbollah is doing sends a very negative message" and condemned the events that occurred in the wake of the Iranian plane that was banned from landing in Beirut. He also questioned the contradictory position taken by Wafic Safa, the head of Hezbollah's liaison unit, judging that "no one was fooled."

"After all the misfortunes, destruction, death and occupation that it brought to Lebanon, it was assumed that Hezbollah would understand that it cannot renege on the commitments it accepted in the ceasefire agreement, and we will not allow it to hinder the progress of the new era and the start of the government's work, because the Lebanese will not compromise their security and stability under any pretext," Kataeb stated. They finally expressed their support for the Lebanese army, the Lebanese presidency and the new government formed by Nawaf Salam more than a week ago.

Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi will depart tonight for an official visit to the United States, which will take place from Feb. 17 to 20. During his visit, he will meet with the U.S. president, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the commander of the Central Command (CENTCOM) and senior U.S. military officials, the Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, reported on X.

The Israeli military said the visit would focus on ongoing strategic and operational issues and opportunities for developing cooperation between the two countries. Deputy Chief of Staff Amir Baram will replace Halevi during his absence.

According to L'Orient Today's correspondent, Israeli jets flew low over the Bekaa.

(Photo taken by the inhabitants of Houla and relayed by L'Orient Today's correspondent Muntasser Abdallah)

Dozens of Houla residents headed towards this village in the Marjayoun district after bypassing the Lebanese army checkpoint and the embankments placed by the Israeli army in the middle of the road, local witnesses reported to L'Orient Today's correspondent. They have not yet reported the presence of the Israeli army in the village.

20 ultra-Orthodox Israelis crossed the border into Lebanon, and several were arrested, Haaretz reported, citing Israeli police. The Israeli daily Ynet also reported the report.

Crossing the Lebanese border is punishable by up to four years in prison in Israel.

The Israeli military said Sunday it carried out an airstrike that hit "several armed individuals" in the Gaza Strip, shortly before Hamas said an Israeli airstrike killed two police officers.

On Sunday, "several armed individuals heading towards [Israeli] troops in the southern Gaza Strip were hit by an [Israeli Air Force] plane," the army said in a statement.

Hezbollah said protesters were surprised Saturday when some "members of the Lebanese army fired tear gas at them, in a reprehensible act that constitutes an unjustified aggression against peaceful citizens," in a statement.

On Saturday, the party held a demonstration to denounce "Israel's blatant interference in Lebanese affairs and violation of national sovereignty" on the old airport road.

It also said that the tear gas fired by the Lebanese army during the demonstration was "a suspicious attempt to involve the army in a confrontation with its own people."

Hezbollah called on the Army Command to open an "urgent investigation into this reprehensible attack and to take appropriate measures to preserve the role of the military institution in protecting stability and civil peace."

Hezbollah also called on the Lebanese government to assume its "full responsibilities in protecting peaceful protesters and their right to express their positions and demands" and asked it to "reverse its decision to prevent Iranian planes from landing at Beirut airport and take serious measures to prevent the Israeli enemy from imposing its dictates and encroaching on national sovereignty."

Finally, Hezbollah condemned the incident that occurred the day before yesterday against the U.N. force near Rafic Hariri International Airport and stressed that it rejects any "targeting of UNIFIL, as well as any attack on public and private property."

U.S. Secretary of State Rubio began his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, according to AFP.

Three Palestinian policemen were killed in an Israeli strike near Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, according to Al Jazeera. The Gazan Interior Ministry initially reported two dead, but one later succumbed to his wounds. The ministry also said the victims were receiving humanitarian aid when the strike took place.

Haaretz reported, citing Palestinian media, that the strike was carried out by an Israeli drone.

A shipment of heavy U.S. weapons arrived in Israel overnight, Israeli Defense Ministry Israel Katz said Sunday, as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits Jerusalem for talks with Israeli leaders.

"A shipment of heavy bombs recently made available by the U.S. government was received and unloaded overnight in Israel," the ministry said in a statement, referring to the MK-84 heavy bombs recently authorized by the administration of President Donald Trump.

An Israeli bulldozer, protected by an assault tank, destroyed the surroundings of a water reservoir in the locality of Kfar Shouba (Hasbaya) this morning, on the outskirts of the surroundings of Kfar Hamam and Hebbarieh, residents reported to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the south.

In a separate statement, the Health Ministry said that the Israeli strike on a car in the village of Arab Salim (Nabatieh) yesterday killed two and wounded five. Abbas Hammoud and Ahmad Farhat, executive producer at Nabaa TV, were killed in the strike.

The Israeli military announced last night that it had attacked a senior Hezbollah official in a drone strike in southern Lebanon. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the operative, Hammoud, was one of the leaders of Hezbollah's air unit, which is responsible for launching drones into Israel. "As I announced, if there are drones, there will be no Hezbollah," Katz said in a statement after the strike. "We will not allow the launching of drones toward Israel. The launching of these drones crosses a red line and is a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon."

The ministry added that a third person was killed in the collapse of a building on Saturday in Ain Qana (Nabatieh), which had been the target of an Israeli strike earlier.

Saturday in Lebanon saw new tensions created by the issue of Iranian planes banned from landing in Beirut.

Hundreds of Hezbollah supporters carried yellow flags and portraits of their assassinated leader Hassan Nasrallah and an hour and a half of tense sit-in in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

In Israel, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Sunday, the day after the exchange of three Hamas hostages held in the Gaza Strip for 369 Palestinian prisoners.

Rubio, making his first trip to the Middle East since taking office, is expected to discuss President Donald Trump's proposal to seize control of the Gaza Strip and move its residents to Egypt and Jordan.

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