Sanctions Against Lebanon’s Bassil a ‘Message’ to Aoun

 File photo: President Michel Aoun and his son-in-law former Lebanese foreign minister Gebran Bassil. Reuters
File photo: President Michel Aoun and his son-in-law former Lebanese foreign minister Gebran Bassil. Reuters
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Sanctions Against Lebanon’s Bassil a ‘Message’ to Aoun

 File photo: President Michel Aoun and his son-in-law former Lebanese foreign minister Gebran Bassil. Reuters
File photo: President Michel Aoun and his son-in-law former Lebanese foreign minister Gebran Bassil. Reuters

US sanctions against the former foreign and energy minister, Gebran Bassil, could affect the Lebanese presidency and his Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), which has supporters in the United Sates, observers said.

They believe that the sanctions will have repercussions on Baabda Palace and FPM supporters in the US despite Bassil and several of his followers attempting to send positive signals to Washington by stressing their keenness to preserve a good relationship between the two sides.

“It is still too early to talk about the impact of the sanctions on the relations between the two countries,” sources familiar with the position of President Michel Aoun, who is Bassil’s father-in-law, told Asharq Al-Awsat Tuesday.

The sources recalled that Aoun has asked for documents proving the charges against Bassil and earlier the two former ministers, Ali Hassan Khalil and Youssef Fenianos.

“This request would be followed up through diplomatic channels,” the sources said, although there has been no such contact yet between the presidency and the US since the sanctions were imposed on the Lebanese figures.

The US Treasury Department said in September it had designated Fenianos and Hassan Khalil for engaging in corruption and leveraging their political power for financial gain.

Last week, the Treasury said it had targeted Bassil "for his role in corruption in Lebanon", alleging in particular that he "steered Lebanese government funds to individuals close to him through a group of front companies" as energy minister.

However, Lebanon’s former Ambassador to Washington Riad Tabbara said the sanctions against Bassil are part of a “message sent to President Michel Aoun, including a US pressure to speed up the formation of the next government.”

“So far, it is not clear what are the long-term objectives of these sanctions. But, if we look at recent events, we find that sanctions against Khalil and Fenianos led to the announcement of negotiations with Israel on the demarcation of maritime borders. It seems that the sanctions on Bassil aim to speed up the formation of the government,” the ambassador told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Tabbara said the US is keen on preventing Lebanon from collapsing, adding that FPM followers in the US would not be affected by the recent decision.

Global ambassador at PeaceTech Lab and director for Business Development Nizar Zakka stressed the need to separate between the sanctions and the Lebanese Presidency or the FPM.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that further sanctions could be soon issued against other party leaders, including figures close to Washington.

Echoing the FPM’s position, MP Hikmat Deeb said the US sanctions would not affect the movement’s relationship with the American people and administration.

In remarks to the newspaper, Deeb said that Bassil is the only figure with whom the US administration held talks before imposing the sanctions.



UN Calls for Independent Probe into Civilians Harmed Trying to Get Food in Gaza

 Palestinians carry bags filled with food and humanitarian aid provided by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed organization approved by Israel, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (AP)
Palestinians carry bags filled with food and humanitarian aid provided by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed organization approved by Israel, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (AP)
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UN Calls for Independent Probe into Civilians Harmed Trying to Get Food in Gaza

 Palestinians carry bags filled with food and humanitarian aid provided by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed organization approved by Israel, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (AP)
Palestinians carry bags filled with food and humanitarian aid provided by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed organization approved by Israel, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (AP)

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres on Tuesday slammed as "unacceptable" the deaths of Palestinians seeking food aid in Gaza, a spokesman said, calling the loss of life in the territory "unthinkable".

"The Secretary-General continues to call for an immediate and independent investigation into these events and for the perpetrators to be held to account," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

"We are witnessing unthinkable loss of life in Gaza (and) the secretary-general condemns the loss of lives and injuries of Palestinians seeking aid," he said. "It is unacceptable civilians are risking and in several instances losing their lives just trying to get food."

At least 27 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded by Israeli fire near a food distribution site in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, local health authorities said, in the third day of chaos and bloodshed to affect the aid operation.

A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross told Reuters that its field hospital in Rafah received 184 casualties, adding that 19 of those were declared dead upon arrival, and eight died of their wounds shortly after.

The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation launched its first distribution sites last week in an effort to alleviate widespread hunger amongst Gaza's war-battered population, most of whom have had to abandon their homes to flee fighting.

The Foundation's aid plan, which bypasses traditional aid groups, has come under fierce criticism from the United Nations and established charities which say it does not follow humanitarian principles.

The private group, which is endorsed by Israel, said it distributed 21 truckloads of food early on Tuesday and that the aid operation was "conducted safely and without incident within the site".

However, there have been reports of repeated killings near Rafah as crowds gather to get desperately needed supplies.

On Sunday, Palestinian and international officials reported that at least 31 people were killed and dozens more injured. On Monday, three more Palestinians were reportedly killed by Israeli fire.

The Israeli military has denied targeting civilians gathering for aid and called reports of deaths during Sunday’s distribution "fabrications" by Hamas.