Lebanon’s Al-Rahi Objects to Appointment of New Army Chief amid Presidential Vacuum 

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi is seen during his sermon on Sunday. (Maronite Patriarchate on Facebook)
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi is seen during his sermon on Sunday. (Maronite Patriarchate on Facebook)
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Lebanon’s Al-Rahi Objects to Appointment of New Army Chief amid Presidential Vacuum 

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi is seen during his sermon on Sunday. (Maronite Patriarchate on Facebook)
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi is seen during his sermon on Sunday. (Maronite Patriarchate on Facebook)

Lebanon’s Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi declared on Sunday his objection to the appointment of a new commander of the army amid the vacuum in the presidency.

Lebanon has been without a president since November 2022 after the term of Michel Aoun ended with political blocs bickering over a successor.

Army commander Joseph Aoun is expected to retire in January, leaving the top military post vacant. Officials have been debating appointing a successor.

Under normal circumstances, the government would be tasked with appointing a new army commander. Given the presidential vacuum, it is now operating in a caretaker capacity, which bars it from making state appointments.

During his Sunday sermon, Rahi warned that attempts to name a new commander would undermine the unity of the military and trust in its leadership.

He therefore called on politicians to elect a president as soon as possible.

This is the “easiest” way to resolve “all political problems” and restore normal functioning at state institutions, he remarked.

He called on officials to “abandon their narrow, personal and sectarian interests,” and to prioritize the needs of the people.

This will help safeguard Lebanon’s unity, diversity and coexistence between Muslims and Christians, he stressed.

The Free Patriotic Movement has been pushing for the appointment of a new army commander, while its rival Lebanese Forces has been seeking the extension of the current commander’s term.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, the Progressive Socialist Party and Sunni lawmakers have proposed delaying Joseph Aoun’s release from service and the appointment of a presidential council.



US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
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US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)

The United States is deferring the removal of certain Lebanese citizens from the country, President Joe Biden said on Friday, citing humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon amid tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

The deferred designation, which lasts 18 months, allows Lebanese citizens to remain in the country with the right to work, according to a memorandum Biden sent to the Department of Homeland Security.

"Humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon have significantly deteriorated due to tensions between Hezbollah and Israel," Biden said in the memo.

"While I remain focused on de-escalating the situation and improving humanitarian conditions, many civilians remain in danger; therefore, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Lebanese nationals who are present in the United States."

Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have been trading fire since Hezbollah announced a "support front" with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, triggering Israel's military assault in Gaza.

The fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 100 civilians and more than 300 Hezbollah fighters, according to a Reuters tally, and led to levels of destruction in Lebanese border towns and villages not seen since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.

On the Israeli side, 10 Israeli civilians, a foreign agricultural worker and 20 Israeli soldiers have been killed. Tens of thousands have been evacuated from both sides of the border.