Lebanese Govt Completes Security Appointments Based on ‘Experience and Competence

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun confers the rank of “General” on the new Army Commander, Rodolphe Haikal (AP).
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun confers the rank of “General” on the new Army Commander, Rodolphe Haikal (AP).
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Lebanese Govt Completes Security Appointments Based on ‘Experience and Competence

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun confers the rank of “General” on the new Army Commander, Rodolphe Haikal (AP).
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun confers the rank of “General” on the new Army Commander, Rodolphe Haikal (AP).

The Lebanese government has finalized military and security appointments in a single move, selecting candidates based on “experience and competence,” according to Minister of Information Paul Morcos.
The new appointments include Brigadier General Rodolphe Haikal as Commander of the Army, following his promotion to the rank of “General”; Brigadier General Hassan Choucair as Director General of General Security, after being promoted to “Major General”; Brigadier General Raed Abdullah as Director General of the Internal Security Forces, also after his promotion to “Major General”; and Brigadier General Edgar Lawand as Director General of State Security, following his elevation to “Major General.” Additionally, Brigadier General Mourched Hajj Sleiman has been appointed Deputy Director General of State Security.
Morcos emphasized that these military and security appointments were made based on experience and competence, adding: “We, in the Council of Ministers, work with great precision, ensuring strict adherence to standards and qualifications.”
President Joseph Aoun stated that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation “stressed the urgent need to appoint a new Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon and highlighted the importance of passing banking secrecy legislation, which still requires further amendments, as well as restructuring the banking sector.”
During the cabinet session, Aoun briefed the government on his meeting with a delegation from the IMF, revealing that “a committee has been formed, chaired by the Minister of Finance and including the Minister of Economy, the acting Governor of the Central Bank, two advisors, and the Prime Minister’s advisor, Lamia Moubayed, to follow up on the issues raised by the delegation.”
The president added: “The IMF underscored the importance of reaching an agreement with the Fund before the summer, given previous unsuccessful attempts, and stressed the need for cooperation among all relevant Lebanese authorities.”
“The key to restoring confidence in Lebanon—both domestically and internationally—is implementing economic, banking, and financial reforms,” he remarked.
The IMF delegation also reiterated the necessity of appointing a new Central Bank Governor and establishing a centralized data center for all sections of the Ministry of Finance. Furthermore, they stressed the need to pass two key laws: one addressing banking secrecy, which still requires additional amendments despite recent changes, and another focused on restructuring the banking sector.
Regarding recent developments in Syria, Aoun stated that security agencies, along with the Ministries of Interior and Defense, are closely monitoring the situation to ensure full readiness. He also announced that following the release of four Lebanese prisoners previously detained by Israel during the recent conflict, “the fifth prisoner was released on Thursday as a result of indirect negotiations.”
Army Commander
Army Commander General Rodolphe Haikal enlisted as an officer cadet and joined the Military Academy in 1990. He steadily rose through the ranks and held various assignments before being appointed in 2023 as Commander of the South Litani Sector along the border with Israel. Since the summer of 2024, he has served as Director of Operations in the Army Staff for Operations.

 

 



Israeli Airstrike Kills Three in Gaza

FILE PHOTO: A Palestinian man walks near rubble of houses destroyed during the Israeli offensive, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, March 13, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Palestinian man walks near rubble of houses destroyed during the Israeli offensive, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, March 13, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled/File Photo
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Israeli Airstrike Kills Three in Gaza

FILE PHOTO: A Palestinian man walks near rubble of houses destroyed during the Israeli offensive, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, March 13, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Palestinian man walks near rubble of houses destroyed during the Israeli offensive, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, March 13, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled/File Photo

An Israeli airstrike killed three Palestinian men in the Gaza Strip, medics said on Monday, and there was no sign of progress at renewed ceasefire talks.
Medics said the three men were killed near Bureij camp in the center of the devastated Palestinian enclave by a missile fired from a drone. According to Reuters, Israel's military did not immediately comment.
In Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, medics said three people were wounded in another airstrike. Rafah residents have reported frequent fire by Israeli forces deployed in areas adjacent to the border inside the city boundaries.
The persistent bloodshed underscores the fragility of a three-stage ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.
Israel wants to extend the ceasefire's first phase, a proposal backed by US envoy Steve Witkoff. Hamas says it will resume freeing hostages only under the second phase that was due to begin on March 2.
"Hamas has complied fully with the agreement, while the occupation (Israel) didn't comply with some clauses. It (Israel) seeks to foil the agreement and impose new conditions," Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua said on Monday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Saturday negotiators had been instructed to be ready to continue talks based on the mediators' response to a US proposal for the release of 11 living hostages and half of the dead captives.
Hamas said on Friday it had agreed to release American-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander and four bodies of the hostages if Israel agreed to begin talks immediately on implementing the second phase of the agreement. Israel accused Hamas of waging "psychological warfare" on the families of hostages.