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Cyprus Says a Proposal to Set Up Safe Zones in Syria for Refugees to Return is Advancing

File photo: Members of the German charity Sea-Watch 3 rescue ship team help migrants on a wood boat during a rescue operation in the Mediterranean Sea, February 26, 2021. Selene Magnolia/Sea-Watch/Handout via REUTERS
File photo: Members of the German charity Sea-Watch 3 rescue ship team help migrants on a wood boat during a rescue operation in the Mediterranean Sea, February 26, 2021. Selene Magnolia/Sea-Watch/Handout via REUTERS
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Cyprus Says a Proposal to Set Up Safe Zones in Syria for Refugees to Return is Advancing

File photo: Members of the German charity Sea-Watch 3 rescue ship team help migrants on a wood boat during a rescue operation in the Mediterranean Sea, February 26, 2021. Selene Magnolia/Sea-Watch/Handout via REUTERS
File photo: Members of the German charity Sea-Watch 3 rescue ship team help migrants on a wood boat during a rescue operation in the Mediterranean Sea, February 26, 2021. Selene Magnolia/Sea-Watch/Handout via REUTERS

A Cyprus government proposal to enable repatriations of Syrian refugees by designating specific areas within the country as safe zones is “gaining ground” among the island nation's fellow European Union member states, the Cypriot interior minister said Friday.
Minister Constantinos Ioannou said after talks with European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas that it’s the “conviction of several states that the time has come to collectively dare” to discuss the possibility of designating safe zones 13 years after the start of the Syrian conflict.
Ioannou said that in light of the danger that the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza may engulf Lebanon and other Middle Eastern states, it’s incumbent on the EU to reach a collective decision on Syria, The Associated Press said.
The minister said Cyprus police has set up a dedicated unit charged with breaking up people smuggling rings that he said are responsible for a recent upswing of Syrian refugee arrivals by boat.
The Cypriot government is urging both Europol and the EU’s border protection agency FRONTEX to bolster patrols along the bloc’s southeastern maritime borders to head off migrant arrivals.
“The repatriation of Syrian nationals under strict conditions would decongest our migrant reception facilities and contribute to the successful integration of migrants,” Ioannou said.
Last week, some 450 Syrian migrants aboard six boats were spotted off the southeastern coast of Cyprus within a 24-hour span. All six boats had departed from Lebanon.
Official figures show that although overall migrant arrivals to Cyprus are significantly down, the influx of Syrian refugees has risen sharply.

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US Delegation Inspects Destroyed Hezbollah Site in South Lebanon

A Lebanese Army soldier escorts a military bulldozer clearing roads in southern Lebanon (Directorate of Guidance). 
A Lebanese Army soldier escorts a military bulldozer clearing roads in southern Lebanon (Directorate of Guidance). 
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US Delegation Inspects Destroyed Hezbollah Site in South Lebanon

A Lebanese Army soldier escorts a military bulldozer clearing roads in southern Lebanon (Directorate of Guidance). 
A Lebanese Army soldier escorts a military bulldozer clearing roads in southern Lebanon (Directorate of Guidance). 

A US delegation, accompanied by a large Lebanese Army force, inspected a former Hezbollah military site previously bombed by Israel in the town of Yohmor al-Shaqif, located on the northern bank of the Litani River.

This visit coincided with a field patrol by a French unit from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the Wadi al-Hujayr area, and came as Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged the UNIFIL commander that the “continued Israeli occupation of the five hills must end as soon as possible.”

Aoun informed UNIFIL Force Commander General Aroldo Lazaro—during a meeting at Baabda Palace with a UNIFIL delegation—that the Lebanese Army “continues to deploy in the southern villages and towns vacated by Israel, working to clear them of landmines and eliminate all armed presences, despite the vast and rugged nature of the southern terrain, which makes the task time-consuming.”

Aoun emphasized that the “continued Israeli occupation of the five hills must end promptly to ensure stability and security along the southern border, paving the way for the return of displaced residents.”

He also stated that the recruitment process for 4,500 soldiers, as approved by the Cabinet, is ongoing.

“These troops, along with the existing forces, will help establish security in the South and implement Resolution 1701 in cooperation with UNIFIL, whose efforts in coordination with the army we highly value,” according to a statement from the Lebanese Presidency.

Lazaro, for his part, discussed the outcomes of his recent meetings at the UN Security Council, particularly Lebanon’s request to renew UNIFIL’s mandate. He confirmed “the high level of coordination with the Lebanese Army deployed in the South, which is fully carrying out its responsibilities with the support and coordination of UNIFIL.”

On the political front, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reaffirmed the Lebanese government’s commitment to security, stability, and extending sovereignty over all Lebanese territory, noting that this sovereign stance protects Lebanon and its people and opens the door to recovery on various fronts.

On the ground, local media reported that the US delegation toured the Dabsh area in Yohmor al-Shaqif, where previous Israeli airstrikes had destroyed a Hezbollah military site. The site was reportedly used by Hezbollah as a “monitoring point.”

This visit carries significant field and political implications, as Yohmor is a strategically vital town in southern Lebanon due to its elevation on the north bank of the Litani River and its view over northern Israel. While it lies north of the Litani, Israel includes it within the zone it believes should fall under the same restrictions as the area south of the river.

According to the Central News Agency, the US delegation spent more than half an hour in the area, moving in a convoy of SUVs accompanied by Lebanese Army vehicles, before leaving as part of a broader tour of several points in the South.

The US team also visited Wadi al-Hujayr, accompanied by Lebanese Army personnel. In parallel, a French UNIFIL unit conducted search patrols in the wooded areas of the valley, looking for potential Hezbollah installations. This valley is considered one of the South’s most strategic locations and has frequently been used by Hezbollah for surveillance and storage. The patrols reflect the scope of international coordination and the strict monitoring of the ceasefire terms.

According to available information, Hezbollah has so far handed over around 190 of its 265 military sites located south of the Litani. Other reports suggest the group has dismantled more than 500 military positions.

Israeli media has also noted these developments. The newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth quoted an Israeli military official as saying: “The situation continues to evolve, and we must work constantly to prevent Hezbollah’s return.” He added that the Lebanese Army is taking action against the group beyond what was expected before the ceasefire. The paper noted that while Israel still has the desire to intervene, “the situation in Lebanon is no longer what it used to be.”

Ongoing Israeli Violations

Despite these developments, Israeli violations in the South continue. Artillery shelling was reported in the Suddaneh area near the town of Shebaa, along with bulldozing activity near the edge of Adaisseh. Israeli drones were also seen flying intensively over the Bekaa Valley and western sectors.