Hariri On Full Blast to Reorganize Al-Mustaqbal Movement

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri speaks during a news conference in Beirut, Lebanon October 18, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri speaks during a news conference in Beirut, Lebanon October 18, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
TT

Hariri On Full Blast to Reorganize Al-Mustaqbal Movement

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri speaks during a news conference in Beirut, Lebanon October 18, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri speaks during a news conference in Beirut, Lebanon October 18, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri is trying to unify the ranks of the Al-Mustaqbal Movement ahead of the holding of the party’s general conference.

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hariri has “extended his hand to veterans to activate the role of his parliamentary bloc in the political life after he realized that there was a need to bridge the gap between the leadership and its base.”

Several ministers and former deputies - who are considered as “veterans” because they formed the political team of late former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri - said that Saad has “changed, and this calls for optimism that he will move forward towards change within Al-Mustaqbal.”

They emphasized that Hariri has made a critical review of the reasons that aborted the political settlement that brought General Michel Aoun to the presidency, including the role that the head of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), MP Gebran Bassil in this regard.

The same sources noted that Hariri has decided to devote himself to settle the affairs of his movement, “in a manner that allows him to address his partisans and his audience with a coherent political speech that would get them out of confusion that afflicted them since he stepped down from the premiership.”

They revealed that Hariri has recently strengthened his parliamentary bloc with several former deputies and ministers, who are now attending the bloc’s meetings, including former Deputy Speaker Farid Makkari, Ahmed Fatfat, Raya Al-Hassan, Mustafa Alloush, Nabil de Freij, Ghazi Youssef, Ammar Houry, Mohammad Qabbani, Jamal Al-Jarrah, Antoine Andraous, and Bassem al-Shabb.

The sources also noted that the “veterans” would be regarded as the Movement’s “Shura Council”, and they could be joined at a later stage by some political figures, who were among the political team that accompanied the late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

They also expressed their satisfaction with Saad’s decision to communicate with the Union of Beirut families but stressed that most of these meetings were held away from the media.



Israel Hits Beirut’s Southern Suburbs

A damaged car lies amid the destruction in the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the neighborhood of Haret Hreik in Beirut's southern suburbs on November 23, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah.  (Photo by AFP)
A damaged car lies amid the destruction in the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the neighborhood of Haret Hreik in Beirut's southern suburbs on November 23, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (Photo by AFP)
TT

Israel Hits Beirut’s Southern Suburbs

A damaged car lies amid the destruction in the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the neighborhood of Haret Hreik in Beirut's southern suburbs on November 23, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah.  (Photo by AFP)
A damaged car lies amid the destruction in the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the neighborhood of Haret Hreik in Beirut's southern suburbs on November 23, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (Photo by AFP)

The Israeli army carried out airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, called Dahiyeh, again on Saturday.

It warned residents in parts of the suburbs that they were residing near Hezbollah facilities, which the army would target in the near future.

The warning, posted on X, told people to evacuate at least 500 meters away.

The army said that over the past day it had conducted intelligence-based strikes on Hezbollah targets in Dahiyeh, where Hezbollah has a strong presence. It said it hit several command centers and weapons storage facilities.