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Lebanon: Disputes Emerge Between FPM, Hezbollah

Supporters carry Hezbollah and Amal Movement flags as they ride in a convoy past a poster depicting Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc Mohamed Raad, as votes are being counted in Lebanon's parliamentary election, in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon May 15, 2022. REUTERS/Issam Abdallah
Supporters carry Hezbollah and Amal Movement flags as they ride in a convoy past a poster depicting Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc Mohamed Raad, as votes are being counted in Lebanon's parliamentary election, in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon May 15, 2022. REUTERS/Issam Abdallah
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Lebanon: Disputes Emerge Between FPM, Hezbollah

Supporters carry Hezbollah and Amal Movement flags as they ride in a convoy past a poster depicting Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc Mohamed Raad, as votes are being counted in Lebanon's parliamentary election, in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon May 15, 2022. REUTERS/Issam Abdallah
Supporters carry Hezbollah and Amal Movement flags as they ride in a convoy past a poster depicting Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc Mohamed Raad, as votes are being counted in Lebanon's parliamentary election, in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon May 15, 2022. REUTERS/Issam Abdallah

For the first time since the signing of the Mar Mkhayel Agreement in 2006, a dispute emerged between former President Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and Hezbollah.

The conflict between the two sides was publicly announced in the media on Monday, following the participation of Hezbollah’s ministers in a cabinet meeting called for by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati to make some “emergency” decisions.

The FPM, which had announced its boycott of the session, strongly criticized the party, saying that its participation in the ministerial meeting has “shaken” the Mar Mkhayel agreement.

In a press conference, the head of the FPM, MP Gebran Bassil, said: “Our problem is with the truthful ones who reneged on the agreement, the promise and the guarantee,” hinting at Hezbollah.

The party responded, in a statement on Thursday, saying that the FPM’s behavior as “unwise and inappropriate.”

“We don’t want to engage into a debate with any of our friends, although much of what was mentioned in Minister Bassil’s words needs discussion. We find ourselves concerned with clarifying two issues for the public opinion. The first is that Hezbollah did not make a promise to anyone that the caretaker government would not meet until all its components agreed to meet, so that Minister Bassil would consider that the government meeting that took place is a breach of the promise,” the statement read.

It added: “The language of treachery… especially among friends, is unwise and inappropriate behavior. Our concern for friendship… remains the basis of our dealings with any reaction, especially since Lebanon today is in dire need of communication, dialogue and internal discussion… to overcome difficult crises…”

On Thursday, the two parties tried to mitigate the impact of the crisis, when Hezbollah’s MP, Ali Fayyad, said: “We are not engaging into a discussion about the future of the relationship with the FPM.”

Other signs pointed to an attempt to mend the relations, including a meeting between Hezbollah MPs Ali Ammar and Hassan Fadlallah, with FPM MPs Bassil and Ghassan Atallah.

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Syrian Defense Ministry Begins Reshaping Military Affairs in Daraa

Meeting in Busra al-Sham, Daraa Countryside, attended by Col. Binyan al-Hariri (Daraa News Network)
Meeting in Busra al-Sham, Daraa Countryside, attended by Col. Binyan al-Hariri (Daraa News Network)
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Syrian Defense Ministry Begins Reshaping Military Affairs in Daraa

Meeting in Busra al-Sham, Daraa Countryside, attended by Col. Binyan al-Hariri (Daraa News Network)
Meeting in Busra al-Sham, Daraa Countryside, attended by Col. Binyan al-Hariri (Daraa News Network)

The Syrian Ministry of Defense has begun reorganizing military affairs in the southern province of Daraa, days after the Eighth Brigade — a former opposition group integrated into the army — surrendered its weapons to government forces.

The move comes as part of Damascus’s efforts to tighten its grip over southern Syria, particularly in areas previously outside its full control.

Separately, the Interior Ministry said it had seized a large cache of weapons and ammunition hidden inside a vehicle and arrested the driver as he attempted to smuggle the arms into the neighboring province of Sweida.

Daraa police said late on Sunday they discovered another stockpile of weapons concealed under piles of hay in a truck in the eastern town of al-Sahwah.

Authorities seized a significant weapons cache, including Katyusha artillery shells, anti-tank Malutka missiles, heavy machine guns, and ammunition, in a smuggling attempt from Damascus to Sweida.

The haul was intercepted by security forces, with images released by the General Security Directorate showing the captured items.

The vehicle, which was stopped by security patrols, was reportedly en route from the Syrian capital, Damascus, to Sweida when the arms were discovered. Authorities transported the confiscated weapons to the security center in the town of Izraa for further investigation.

Reports from Daraa have varied, with some claiming the shipment was intended for the group of Ahmad al-‘Awda, leader of the Eighth Brigade, based in Busra al-Sham in southern Daraa. Others suggest the weapons were meant for his affiliates and were to be sent later to Sweida.

There are also concerns that some members of the Eighth Brigade, who had previously retained their weapons after the group's dissolution announcement, may use the arms to stir unrest in the region.

The Syrian Ministry of Defense began accepting recruitment applications on Monday from residents of the eastern Daraa countryside. The registration process is taking place at one of the ministry’s offices west of Busra al-Sham.

Local sources in Daraa reported that the recruitment campaign will extend to other villages and towns in both central and western Daraa in the coming days. A training course for new recruits is expected to begin within two weeks.

The recruitment drive follows a meeting held on Sunday in Busra al-Sham, which included Col. Binyan al-Hariri, commander of the 40th Division, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Defense and former leaders from the area.

The meeting aimed to organize military affairs and register both new and former personnel into the Ministry of Defense.

According to local reports, the upcoming training will include new recruits from Busra al-Sham and its surrounding areas.