Lebanon Christian Cleric Urges State Control of Weapons after Clash

Lebanon's Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai. (Reuters)
Lebanon's Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai. (Reuters)
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Lebanon Christian Cleric Urges State Control of Weapons after Clash

Lebanon's Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai. (Reuters)
Lebanon's Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai. (Reuters)

Lebanon's top Christian cleric called for state control over weapons on Sunday, days after a deadly clash between Christian villagers and the heavily armed group Hezbollah over an overturned truck of ammunition.
A Hezbollah member and a Christian resident were killed in Wednesday's exchange of fire in the village of Kahaleh, near Beirut, which began when a Hezbollah truck carrying ammunition turned over while driving through the area, said Reuters.
It was the deadliest confrontation between the Iran-backed Hezbollah and Lebanese who oppose it since clashes in Beirut two years ago, further rocking the stability of a country already suffering deep political and economic crises.
In his sermon on Sunday, cleric Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai called for "all parties" and other elements of the country "to unite under the banner of the state, especially regarding the use of weapons".
"It is not possible to live on one land with more than one state, more than one legitimate army, more than one authority, and more than one sovereignty," Rai said, in an apparent reference to Hezbollah's arsenal.
Hezbollah, founded by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982, is Lebanon's most powerful group. Its arsenal has long been a point of conflict in Lebanon, where its opponents accuse the group of undermining the state.
Lebanon has been suffering a four-year-long financial collapse that has marked its most destabilizing episode since the 1975-90 civil war. It was caused by decades of corruption and profligate spending by ruling politicians.



Lebanon Extends Suspension of Flights from Iran

Passengers departing from Lebanon walk with their luggage to the airport due to a protest by supporters of Hezbollah in front of the entrance to Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, 15 February 2025. (EPA)
Passengers departing from Lebanon walk with their luggage to the airport due to a protest by supporters of Hezbollah in front of the entrance to Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, 15 February 2025. (EPA)
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Lebanon Extends Suspension of Flights from Iran

Passengers departing from Lebanon walk with their luggage to the airport due to a protest by supporters of Hezbollah in front of the entrance to Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, 15 February 2025. (EPA)
Passengers departing from Lebanon walk with their luggage to the airport due to a protest by supporters of Hezbollah in front of the entrance to Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, 15 February 2025. (EPA)

Lebanon extended the suspension of flights to and from Iran and directed security agencies to ensure access to the country’s only airport.

Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem said Sunday that Israel threatened to strike if an Iranian plane landed at Beirut airport and criticized the Lebanese government for banning last week's Iranian commercial flight from Beirut. The Israeli military has accused Iran of smuggling cash to Hezbollah via commercial flights.

Travelers stuck in Tehran are still unable to return, and Lebanon's foreign minister has been tasked to ensure the safe return of Lebanese nationals, according to a statement following a Cabinet meeting with President Joseph Aoun.

Hezbollah supporters have protested and blocked roads outside the Beirut airport in recent days. The outgoing deputy commander of the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was injured Friday when protesters attacked a convoy taking peacekeepers to the airport.

Hezbollah has attempted to distance itself from the incident. Qassem said Hezbollah was “against the attack on UNIFIL” but also criticized the Lebanese army for tear gassing protesters who gathered “peacefully” on Saturday.