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Hezbollah Says it Won't Hand Over Weapons While Israeli Troops Remain in Southern Lebanon

(FILES) Mourners attend the funeral of slain Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium on the outskirts of Beirut on February 23, 2025. (Photo by IBRAHIM AMRO / AFP)
(FILES) Mourners attend the funeral of slain Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium on the outskirts of Beirut on February 23, 2025. (Photo by IBRAHIM AMRO / AFP)
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Hezbollah Says it Won't Hand Over Weapons While Israeli Troops Remain in Southern Lebanon

(FILES) Mourners attend the funeral of slain Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium on the outskirts of Beirut on February 23, 2025. (Photo by IBRAHIM AMRO / AFP)
(FILES) Mourners attend the funeral of slain Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium on the outskirts of Beirut on February 23, 2025. (Photo by IBRAHIM AMRO / AFP)

The leader of Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group said on Friday that its fighters will not disarm as long as Israeli troops remain in southern Lebanon and the Israeli air force regularly violates Lebanese air space.
Naim Kassem addressed supporters in a speech broadcast on Hezbollah’s television station. Kassem took over Hezbollah after Israeli airstrikes killed longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah, his successor Hashem Safieddine and other top Hezbollah figures last year, decimating the group's leadership, The Associated Press said.
Kassem said Hezbollah had implemented its commitments related to the US-brokered ceasefire that halted the fighting in Hezbollah’s latest, 14-month war with Israel.
Since the ceasefire went into effect in late November, Israeli airstrikes have killed scores of people in Lebanon including civilians and Hezbollah members. Israel says it’s targeting Hezbollah holdouts in southern Lebanon.
On Tuesday, the office of the UN high commissioner for human rights said that at least 71 civilians, including 14 women and nine children, have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon since the ceasefire took effect.
Hezbollah launched its own attacks on Israel a day after the Israel-Hamas war erupted on Oct. 7, 2023 with the Palestinian Hamas’ attack on southern Israel, saying it was doing so to ease the pressure on Gaza by keeping part of the Israeli military busy along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon.
In response, Israeli troops pushed into Lebanon. The 14 months of the Hezbollah-Israel war killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon and caused destruction that will take $11 billion to rebuild, according to the World Bank.
As part of the ceasefire, Hezbollah was to pull out from parts of southern Lebanon and give up its military positions and weapons south of the Litani River while Israeli forces were to pull back into Israel. The Lebanese army was to take over Hezbollah's positions and guarantee security in the south, along with the UN peacekeeping mission.
Israel withdrew much of its troops from southern Lebanon in February but kept five posts inside Lebanese territory in what Lebanon says is a violation of the ceasefire deal.
Last week, deputy US Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus visited Beirut and called on the Lebanese state to assert its control all over Lebanon — and not only in the south along the border with Israel south of the Litani River.
“We will not allow anyone to remove Hezbollah’s weapons,” Kassem said. “These weapons gave life and freedom to our people."
Kassem spoke hours after two separate Israeli drones killed two people in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military said it killed two Hezbollah members in the strikes.
“Does anyone expect us to discuss a national defense strategy as warplanes fly over our heads and there is occupation in south Lebanon,” Kassem asked. “These are not discussions. This is surrender. Let Israel withdraw first and stop its flights in the air.”

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Arab World

Jordan Says Security Officer Killed in Amman in Stabbing Attack

Jordan's capital, Amman (AFP)
Jordan's capital, Amman (AFP)
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Jordan Says Security Officer Killed in Amman in Stabbing Attack

Jordan's capital, Amman (AFP)
Jordan's capital, Amman (AFP)

Jordanian authorities said a security officer was stabbed to death in the country's capital Amman on Thursday, calling it a "terrorist attack".

"The Public Security Directorate mourned the martyrdom of Corporal Jawad Ali Khalaf Al-Salaytah, who was killed in a cowardly terrorist attack," the directorate said in a statement.

Another officer was injured in the incident, it added.

Authorities said the attack took place in front of the Sri Lankan embassy, where the victim was stabbed with a "sharp object".

The officer was rushed to hospital but later died from his injuries, the directorate said.

A nearby police patrol responded immediately and arrested the attacker, it added.

The second officer wounded in the incident sustained injuries to their face as he tried to intervene and is in a stable condition.

Security agencies were investigating, the directorate said.

Arab World

Egypt, US Sign Strategic Objective Agreement to Expand Cooperation

Egypt and the US seek greater cooperation across multiple sectors (Egyptian Foreign Ministry). 
Egypt and the US seek greater cooperation across multiple sectors (Egyptian Foreign Ministry). 
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Egypt, US Sign Strategic Objective Agreement to Expand Cooperation

Egypt and the US seek greater cooperation across multiple sectors (Egyptian Foreign Ministry). 
Egypt and the US seek greater cooperation across multiple sectors (Egyptian Foreign Ministry). 

Egypt and the United States signed a Strategic Objective Framework Agreement on Enhancing Mutual Prosperity on Wednesday, aimed at expanding cooperation across several sectors, according to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty attended the signing ceremony alongside the ministers of finance, supply and internal trade, and higher education and scientific research.

The agreement was signed by Egypt’s Deputy Foreign Minister for International Cooperation, Dr. Samar El-Ahdal, and US Chargé d’Affaires in Cairo Robert Silverman.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ambassador Nader Zaki said the framework agreement aims to strengthen cooperation with the United States to achieve tangible economic growth in Egypt.

He explained that its objectives include expanding cooperation in key sectors and adopting US institutional and technological innovations to improve the efficiency of Egypt’s water, energy and infrastructure systems.

The agreement also seeks to modernize education, healthcare and governance, develop the skills of Egyptian professionals and create more jobs, particularly in areas of shared strategic interest such as water management, artificial intelligence and energy.

Another objective is to strengthen Egypt’s food security through science-based agriculture.

The signing comes amid repeated statements by both sides emphasizing the strategic nature of relations between Cairo and Washington and their longstanding ties.

Former US Ambassador David Satterfield identified three main reasons behind Washington’s strategic view of Egypt: preserving the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, ensuring access to and transit through the Suez Canal, and maintaining stability within Egypt itself.

Satterfield told Asharq Al-Awsat that the peace treaty “remains, even in light of the Abraham Accords, the cornerstone and fundamental pillar of stability and peace in the broader Middle East.”

He explained that the United States considers its engagement with and support for Egypt vital to preserving the treaty.

“Egypt’s geographical location gives it particular importance to the United States because of the Suez Canal,” he added.

A Congressional Research Service report updated on February 25, 2026, supports this assessment, linking Egypt’s importance to US national security to its geographical position, population and diplomatic influence.

The report notes that facilitating the passage of US naval vessels through the Suez Canal provides Washington with a significant advantage when it needs to deploy forces rapidly to the Gulf and Indian Ocean.

US interests, however, extend beyond the canal and the peace treaty.

Satterfield warned that instability in Egypt, whether driven by economic or political factors or both, “would threaten not only US interests but those of the broader Middle East.”

In his assessment, Egypt’s stability is therefore a strategic interest in its own right, rather than merely a desired outcome of bilateral cooperation.

Ben Fishman, a researcher at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and former director for North Africa at the US National Security Council, agreed.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the United States maintains a longstanding strategic relationship and strong military partnership with Egypt, while the peace agreement with Israel “remains a pillar of regional stability.”

The two countries’ interests also converge in Gaza. Washington needs a regional partner to help negotiate and implement security arrangements, while Cairo requires US cooperation to support a resolution to a crisis affecting its borders and security.

The Congressional Research Service notes that Egypt played a key role, alongside other partners, in mediating the October 2025 Gaza ceasefire and hosted the Sharm el-Sheikh summit in support of the agreement.

Despite the importance of their relationship, Cairo and Washington do not agree on every issue.

Fishman explained that US and Egyptian interests converge in some conflicts and diverge in others, which is natural in a relationship based on mutual interests.

Satterfield echoed that assessment, stressing that such differences do not undermine the strategic nature of bilateral ties.

“Disagreements also exist between the United States and NATO countries, but they do not diminish the fact that both sides view the relationship as strategic,” he said. “That is the nature of international relations.”

In a related development, Abdelatty discussed the latest regional developments with Massad Boulos, senior adviser to the US president for Arab and African affairs, during a telephone call on Wednesday.

According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman, the discussion addressed intensive efforts to promote de-escalation.

Abdelatty stressed “the importance of all parties showing the necessary flexibility to reduce tensions and allow a return to the political track, rather than moving toward a resumption of military operations, whose grave dangers to the region and the world President Sisi has warned against.”

The call also covered “the need to maintain full support for efforts to unify the Libyan government in a way that achieves the security and stability sought by the Libyan people.”

The two officials also discussed the situation in Sudan, emphasizing the importance of ending the ongoing war and launching a Sudanese-owned political process.

Arab World

Lebanon: Four Former Army Generals Questioned as Defendants in Beirut Port Blast Probe

Families of victims of the 2020 Beirut port explosion and ambassadors from several countries commemorate the sixth anniversary of the blast (File photo: AFP). 
Families of victims of the 2020 Beirut port explosion and ambassadors from several countries commemorate the sixth anniversary of the blast (File photo: AFP). 
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Lebanon: Four Former Army Generals Questioned as Defendants in Beirut Port Blast Probe

Families of victims of the 2020 Beirut port explosion and ambassadors from several countries commemorate the sixth anniversary of the blast (File photo: AFP). 
Families of victims of the 2020 Beirut port explosion and ambassadors from several countries commemorate the sixth anniversary of the blast (File photo: AFP). 

The investigation into the Beirut port explosion took a new turn on Wednesday as judicial investigator Judge Tarek Bitar questioned four former Lebanese Army generals as defendants, expanding the scope of legal proceedings ahead of an indictment expected before the end of the year.

The hearing also marked the first attendance of a representative of the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of Cassation, Judge Mohammad Saab.

Those questioned during the lengthy session were former Lebanese Army Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Walid Salman, former Deputy Chief of Staff for Equipment Brig. Gen. Manuel Karjian, former head of the Ammunition Department Brig. Gen. Georges Moussa, and former director of the Equipment Directorate Brig. Gen. Munir Abou Zeid.

Their defense lawyers, lawyers representing the civil claimants and Cassation Advocate General Judge Mohammad Saab attended the hearing.

A judicial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the officers had been summoned based on a substantive submission prepared by Saab, in which he brought allegations against them over suspicions that they had prior knowledge of the presence of ammonium nitrate at Beirut port.

The source explained that the questioning focused on “the suspicions outlined in the submission, in preparation for further investigation and a determination of the judicial position regarding each defendant, without the allegations necessarily establishing responsibility.”

Judicial Cooperation

Saab’s attendance marked the first time a representative of the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of Cassation had participated in an investigative hearing before Bitar in the case.

It also signaled cooperation between the judicial investigator and the prosecutor’s office, which had previously boycotted Bitar and suspended cooperation with him when Judge Ghassan Oueidat headed the office.

The questioning ended without any decision on whether the four officers would be detained or released, leaving their legal status unresolved.

“Bitar did not issue an arrest warrant against any of them, nor did he decide to release them or require them to sign a residence undertaking, leaving the matter unresolved,” the judicial source explained.

The source did not disclose the content of the officers’ statements or their responses to the allegations.

Previously Questioned Defendants to Be Summoned Again

Bitar’s next steps will extend beyond the four former officers.

According to the same judicial source, the investigator is preparing to summon all those he previously questioned without issuing decisions concerning their cases.

They include former Prime Minister Hassan Diab, former Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk, former General Security Director-General Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim and former State Security Director-General Maj. Gen. Tony Saliba, as well as judges and senior officials.

The move will bring previously deferred decisions back before Bitar as he continues investigating the allegations against the four officers.

The upcoming summonses will involve individuals whose procedural status remains unresolved, making the next round a crucial step in determining the measures to be taken before the indictment is finalized.

Those facing allegations will remain in a state of uncertainty over the judicial measures that await them.

Indictment Expected Before Year-End

Meanwhile, the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of Cassation will prepare a supplementary substantive submission concerning the four officers and forward it to Bitar as soon as possible, according to the judicial source.

The supplementary submission will be added to the case file Bitar is reviewing as he prepares his indictment, taking into account the latest questioning sessions and the statements obtained.

The source stressed that Bitar “is committed to issuing the indictment before the end of this year,” adding that he would soon devote his attention to reviewing the case file and drafting the indictment.