Palestinian Refugee Camps in Lebanon on Alert in Wake of Gaza Escalation

People hold Palestinian flags during a rally to express solidarity with Palestinians, in Kfar Kila village near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, October 8, 2023. (Reuters)
People hold Palestinian flags during a rally to express solidarity with Palestinians, in Kfar Kila village near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, October 8, 2023. (Reuters)
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Palestinian Refugee Camps in Lebanon on Alert in Wake of Gaza Escalation

People hold Palestinian flags during a rally to express solidarity with Palestinians, in Kfar Kila village near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, October 8, 2023. (Reuters)
People hold Palestinian flags during a rally to express solidarity with Palestinians, in Kfar Kila village near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, October 8, 2023. (Reuters)

Head of Hamas’ National Relations Abroad Ali Baraka denied on Monday claims that the Al-Aqsa Storm operation against Israel was planned by officials that included “resistance axis” members in Beirut.

In southern Lebanon, Palestinians rallied at the border with Israel in support of the operation and to condemn the Israeli assault on Gaza. Some demonstrators threw rocks towards Israel, while others attempted to infiltrate the border, leading to clashes.

Baraka told Asharq Al-Awsat: “It would be difficult to rein in the people given Israel’s vicious retaliation.”

He did not rule out the possibility of operations being launched from Lebanon.

Israel’s military said early Tuesday that a deputy Israeli commander was killed in clashes on the northern border with Lebanon.

The military identified the deputy commander as Alim Abdallah, but did not specify the exact circumstances of his death.

Palestinian militants from the Islamic Jihad group slipped from Lebanon into Israel, prompting Israeli shelling into southern Lebanon. Lebanon’s Hezbollah party said five of its members were killed, and it retaliated with a volley of rockets and mortars at two Israeli army bases across the border.

Baraka made his remarks prior to these developments.

“We had hoped that all fronts would have been opened against the enemy. We could have reclaimed all of our occupied territories,” he added.

Hamas was the sole party that planned the Al-Aqsa Storm surprise operation against Israel, he stressed, denying that Beirut, Damascus or Tehran were involved.

“We are a resistance defending our land and we take our decisions independently,” Baraka stated.

Leading Fatah member in Lebanon Mounir al-Maqdah told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Palestinian refugee camps are on alert.

The Palestinian people in the Palestinian territories or abroad are one, he declared.

“Every Palestinian, no matter where they are, must be prepared to come to the aid of our people in Gaza to defeat the occupation,” he added.

“We will not remain silent over the massacres that are taking place in Gaza. Should the assault continue, we are prepared to wage a major battle that would completely end the occupation,” he warned.

On whether he supports attacks on Israel from southern Lebanon, he replied: “We are waiting to see how things develop. Our people are fighting on their land and we are prepared to stand by their side and fight with them.”

Lebanon is hosting some 230,000 Palestinian refugees, according to statistics from the Central Administration of Statistics and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. They are spread throughout 12 refugee camps in Lebanon.

In an outdated survey conducted 11 years ago, UNRWA says some 483,000 Palestinians are living in Lebanon.



Lebanese Judge Questions Former Top Security Chiefs over Beirut Port Blast

FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2020 file photo, a drone picture shows the destruction after an explosion at the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)
FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2020 file photo, a drone picture shows the destruction after an explosion at the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)
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Lebanese Judge Questions Former Top Security Chiefs over Beirut Port Blast

FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2020 file photo, a drone picture shows the destruction after an explosion at the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)
FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2020 file photo, a drone picture shows the destruction after an explosion at the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)

The Lebanese judge investigating the massive 2020 Beirut port explosion questioned two former security chiefs on Friday, including a former head of the General Security Directorate who appeared in court for the first time since being summoned nearly four years ago, according to four judicial and two security officials.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. The hearings mark a rare breakthrough in the long-stalled probe, The Associated Press said.
Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim and former head of State Security Maj. Gen. Tony Saliba, are among several officials charged in connection with the blast that killed over 220 people. The specific charges have not been disclosed.​
Ibrahim appeared in court for the first time, where Judge Tarek Bitar questioned him about the operations of the General Security Directorate during his tenure and requested related documents, which Ibrahim’s lawyer is expected to submit next week.
Ibrahim, who headed the General Security Directorate between 2011 and 2023, is known for wide connections with local, regional and international figures, including the Iran-backed militant Hezbollah group, the Syrian government and Western nations, making him a key political mediator.
Ibrahim’s attorneys said in a statement that the former General Security chief appeared in court despite having previously filed a legal challenge against Judge Bitar and despite claiming that he was immune from prosecution.
His attorneys said he appeared as a “mark of respect for the families of the martyrs and victims, his belief in justice and truth, and his commitment to upholding legal procedures and the course of justice.”
Saliba, appearing in court for the fourth time, cooperated with the hearing, providing documentation pertaining to his role at State Security. After the hearing, Saliba described the proceedings as “positive" in a statement.
On Aug. 4, 2020, hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate detonated in a Beirut Port warehouse, killing at least 218 people, injuring more than 6,000 and devastating large swaths of the capital. The blast, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history, caused billions of dollars in damage and sent shockwaves through the nation’s capital.
Following years of political obstruction, Bitar resumed the stalled investigation in mid-January, questioning port and customs employees, retired military officials, the former head of port security, the former army intelligence director, and 12 witnesses.
This development coincides with significant political changes in Lebanon, including the election of Joseph Aoun as president and the appointment of Nawaf Salam as prime minister. Both are perceived as outside the traditional political establishment, which includes many figures charged in the port explosion case.​
Several officials implicated in the investigation have accused Bitar of bias, refused to testify, and filed legal complaints against him.
Next week, Bitar is expected to question top former political leaders. Former Prime Minister Hassan Diab, who was in office at the time of the port explosion and is among those charged by Bitar, is scheduled to appear in court in May. His hearing will be followed by the questioning of four judges.
Meanwhile, a French delegation is expected to submit their findings from their investigation into the explosion later in April. France initiated its own probe into the explosion in 2020 after three French nationals were killed in the blast. However, French judges have faced obstacles accessing documents from the Lebanese investigation, which has been hindered by political interference.