عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Political Reactions After Haniyeh Threatened Israel From Lebanon

Hamas' political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh greets supporters during a visit to the Ein el-Hilweh camp, Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp, near the southern coastal city of Sidon on September 6, 2020. (Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP)
Hamas' political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh greets supporters during a visit to the Ein el-Hilweh camp, Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp, near the southern coastal city of Sidon on September 6, 2020. (Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP)
TT
TT

Political Reactions After Haniyeh Threatened Israel From Lebanon

Hamas' political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh greets supporters during a visit to the Ein el-Hilweh camp, Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp, near the southern coastal city of Sidon on September 6, 2020. (Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP)
Hamas' political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh greets supporters during a visit to the Ein el-Hilweh camp, Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp, near the southern coastal city of Sidon on September 6, 2020. (Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP)

Several Lebanese officials criticized on Monday comments delivered by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh during his visit to Lebanon last weekend when he announced that his organization has missiles capable of striking the city of Tel Aviv, Israel’s commercial and cultural center, and areas beyond it.

“Haniyeh’s visit comes as part of political propaganda planned by forces of the resistance axis to prove their presence in Lebanon,” Mustafa Alloush, former MP and leading official at the Mustaqbal Movement told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He said: “There are some parties that planned the visit to send a message to the inside and outside: If you tighten the noose on us, we will find a way out from somewhere else.”

Alloush said Haniyeh’s comments violated Lebanon’s sovereignty, adding that he was not surprised to see no official statements condemning the Hamas leader’s threats, “because the issue is related to Hezbollah.”

During a visit to Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian camp in the southern port city of Sidon, Haniyeh said, “Our missiles had a range of several kilometers (miles) from the border with Gaza.”

For his part, member of the Strong Republic (Lebanese Forces) parliamentary bloc, MP Wehbe Katisha also denounced the fact that Haniyeh threatened Israel from Lebanon.

“Did we go back to the year 1969 with plans to open a new road to Palestine passing through another Lebanon’s Jounieh (in reference to a popular PLO slogan that said "the road through Jerusalem leads through Jounieh,” a northern, coastal Lebanese city),” the MP wrote on his Twitter account.

Also, resigned MP Nadim Gemayel (Phalange Party) wrote Monday, “Lebanon is not a podium from which positions are announced, one day to express support for Syria, another day for Iran, and another for Palestine.”

Haniyeh had arrived in Beirut last Tuesday, in his first visit to Lebanon in 27 years. The Hamas leader met with Speaker Nabih Berri, caretaker PM Hassan Diab, director-general of the Security General, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, and the Grand Mufti of Lebanon, Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian.

He also met with Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and head of the Progressive Socialist Party Walid Jumblatt.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Widespread Protests in Southern Iraq over Arrest of Activists

Crowds of protesters in central Nasiriyah demanding the dismissal of the police chief (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Crowds of protesters in central Nasiriyah demanding the dismissal of the police chief (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT
TT

Widespread Protests in Southern Iraq over Arrest of Activists

Crowds of protesters in central Nasiriyah demanding the dismissal of the police chief (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Crowds of protesters in central Nasiriyah demanding the dismissal of the police chief (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The city of Nasiriyah, the center of Dhi Qar province in southern Iraq, has recently witnessed large-scale protests, peaking on Friday night. The number of demonstrators is expected to rise following calls from activists to escalate against the local authorities.

Protesters are calling for the dismissal of the city’s police chief and the release of detainees, according to activists. The unrest was triggered by the new police chief, Major General Najah Al-Abadi, who launched widespread arrests of wanted individuals over the past two weeks.

Political sources in Baghdad are expressing concern over the severity of the situation in Nasiriyah, fearing that unrest could spread to other provinces, especially amid the sensitive conditions in the region due to the ongoing Israeli war.

Local and security authorities in the province have justified the arrests, claiming they were carried out under judicial warrants for suspects. However, protest groups accuse the new police chief, who hails from Najaf and is close to the Badr Organization led by Hadi Al-Amiri, of targeting activists from the protest movement that erupted in Oct. 2019. Nasiriyah was a key stronghold of that movement, which lasted for over a year.

According to civil organizations, around 180 protesters were killed and over 5,000 were injured in Dhi Qar during the 2019 Tishreen Protests. On Friday, security forces stormed the protest site in Al-Habboubi Square, leading to injuries among both protesters and police. Police reported that three officers and 19 police members were injured, while activists claim many protesters were also hurt. However, many of them avoided hospitals, fearing arrest or legal repercussions.

The Iraqi Ministry of Interior has emphasized the need to protect demonstrators in Dhi Qar but rejected what it called “unacceptable methods” of protest. Ministry spokesperson Brigadier General Muqdad Miri stated during a Saturday press conference that the ministry “will not allow tire burnings, road blockages, or attacks on public property,” stressing that the authority of the state and the law “will prevail in Dhi Qar.”

Miri also disclosed that security forces had arrested 578 individuals, most of whom, he claimed, were not protesters.

Activists and protest groups present a different narrative, accusing “influential political parties” of being behind the recent escalation in Nasiriyah. Three activists told Asharq Al-Awsat that these parties had pushed government agencies to target those wanted by law, conflating criminal suspects with individuals involved in protests. One activist pointed out that the timing of the arrest campaign, coinciding with the seventh anniversary of the Tishreen Movement, underscores the political motives behind it.