Sovereignty for Lebanon Sues Hamas

UNIFIL members inspect a farm destroyed by Israeli shelling after rockets were fired from southern Lebanon on April 7, 2023. (AP)
UNIFIL members inspect a farm destroyed by Israeli shelling after rockets were fired from southern Lebanon on April 7, 2023. (AP)
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Sovereignty for Lebanon Sues Hamas

UNIFIL members inspect a farm destroyed by Israeli shelling after rockets were fired from southern Lebanon on April 7, 2023. (AP)
UNIFIL members inspect a farm destroyed by Israeli shelling after rockets were fired from southern Lebanon on April 7, 2023. (AP)

The ‘Sovereign Front for Lebanon’ filed a complaint before the military court against the Hamas movement, over the firing of rockets from southern Lebanon at Israel more than two weeks ago, and threatening Lebanon’s security.

The political group requested “an investigation with any foreign party that violates Lebanese sovereignty.”

In the first judicial case against Hamas in Lebanon, the front expressed its rejection to the establishment of “11 military bases outside the Palestinian camps, belonging to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, which extend from Naameh south of Beirut to Qusaya on the Lebanese and Syrian borders.”

“The most dangerous of these military bases is the Naameh base, which overlooks Beirut International Airport, the Beirut-South Highway, the Shouf Road, and others, and includes military tunnels and warehouses for weapons and missiles,” the group warned.

These bases “contain hundreds of armed men, and are outside the authority of the Lebanese state, not subject to the Palestine Liberation Organization, and receive orders from the Syrian regime,” it added.

On April 6, southern Lebanon witnessed security tension as a result of the firing of 34 rockets from Lebanese territory towards Israeli settlements. The attacks did not result in casualties, but prompted Israeli artillery fire that targeted Hamas positions in the Rashidieh camp, south of Tyre.

While observers put the operation in the context of “responding to the Israeli police’s violation of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the attack on worshipers, and the Israeli raids that targeted Iranian sites in Syria,” Hezbollah’s deputy secretary-general, Naim Qassem, confirmed that the operation “consolidated the bases of deterrence adopted by the axis of resistance against the Israeli enemy.”

In comments to Asharq Al-Awsat, member of the ‘Sovereign Front for Lebanon’, Lawyer Elie Mahfoud, said: “What we have done is a formal but legal step. It serves as a legal cry that the Lebanese people and … countries interested in Lebanese affairs must hear, that there are those who seek to turn Lebanon into a military base.”

Whether the front had evidence and documents confirming the involvement of Hamas in firing rockets at Israel, Mahfoud explained that the main foreign, Arab and even local media reported that Hamas was behind the operation, adding that the movement itself did not deny it.



Arab League: Gaza ‘Is Not for Sale’

Abu Al-Gheit during the meeting of the Economic and Social Council (Arab League)
Abu Al-Gheit during the meeting of the Economic and Social Council (Arab League)
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Arab League: Gaza ‘Is Not for Sale’

Abu Al-Gheit during the meeting of the Economic and Social Council (Arab League)
Abu Al-Gheit during the meeting of the Economic and Social Council (Arab League)

The Arab League has reiterated its firm opposition to any attempts to displace Palestinians. Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit declared on Thursday that Gaza “is not for sale” and called for an “emergency relief plan” to support the Palestinian people.

Speaking at the opening session of the 115th ministerial meeting of the Economic and Social Council at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Aboul Gheit emphasized the fast-moving developments in the Arab region.

He condemned Israel’s ongoing expansionist policies in the West Bank and the repositioning of its military forces, as well as rising calls from Israeli and American voices advocating for the forced displacement of Palestinians.

He reaffirmed the Arab League’s unwavering stance, rejecting any attempts to remove Palestinians from their land under any pretext.

The Arab official also warned that such actions constitute a clear violation of international law, an infringement on Palestinian rights, and a direct threat to the Palestinian cause, which he described as “the central issue of the Arab world.”

“Gaza is not for sale,” Aboul Gheit stated. “For Palestinians and Arab nations alike, it is an inseparable part of the future Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, alongside the West Bank, with no separation between them, in line with the internationally recognized two-state solution.”

Palestinian Minister of Economy Mohammed Al-Amour also said: “Any talk of displacing our people from Gaza or the West Bank is nothing but an illusion that has no place in reality.”

He praised the steadfast Arab position in rejecting any attempts to undermine the Palestinian cause, stating: “Gaza will not break, and Palestine will never surrender.”

Al-Amour also commended Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan for their firm stance against forced displacement and their support for Palestinian statehood.

“Our people are not excess baggage, nor can they be forcibly removed,” he asserted. “Palestine is neither for sale nor for trade.”

The Economic and Social Council meeting comes amid widespread regional and international condemnation of US President Donald Trump’s proposal to “take control of Gaza” and transform it into what he described as the “Middle East Riviera.”

His plan also suggested that Egypt and Jordan should accept Palestinian refugees from Gaza—an idea that Cairo and Amman have repeatedly rejected, viewing it as an attempt to erase the Palestinian cause.

Regarding the situation in Gaza, Aboul Gheit stressed the need for continued and effective Arab action on all international and regional fronts—politically, economically, and socially—to mitigate the devastating consequences of Israeli crimes.

He stated that Israel’s war, which began in October 2023, has yet to reveal its full toll. “Beyond the human losses, this is the costliest war in every sense. The material devastation is immense, and the psychological scars left on the Arab consciousness will take years to heal,” he said.

Aboul Gheit urged the Economic and Social Council to adopt emergency relief plans to support the Palestinian people. He also called for clear mechanisms to ensure the coordinated and comprehensive implementation of these plans, as well as the effective management of Arab aid efforts.