FILE PHOTO: A general view shows the Lebanese village of Adaisseh on the left-hand-side of the Israel-Lebanon border, as seen from Kibbutz Misgav Am in northern Israel August 26, 2019. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows the Lebanese village of Adaisseh on the left-hand-side of the Israel-Lebanon border, as seen from Kibbutz Misgav Am in northern Israel August 26, 2019. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo
Rocket warning sirens sounded in northern Israel near the Lebanese border on Friday, following what turned out to be a false report that a drone had crossed into Israel, its military said.
Israel has been on high alert in recent weeks as tensions have escalated with Hezbollah.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday pledged a tough response to any threats against his country after Israel struck Syrian military targets in retaliation for an attempted attack in the occupied Golan Heights.
Israel launched airstrikes on military targets in southern Syria late Monday. The army said it was retaliating after an attempt to lay explosives in the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel since 1967.
Last month, five Iran-backed fighters were killed in an Israeli missile strike south of Damascus, according to Britain-based monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Then last Monday, Israel said it had thwarted an infiltration attempt from Lebanon by up to five Hezbollah gunmen, a claim denied by the Iran-backed group.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Friday stepped up his criticism of the Lebanese-Israeli negotiation process, arguing that the seven rounds of talks held so far have produced no results.
He announced the party's rejection of both direct negotiations and the substance of the framework agreement, while reaffirming its commitment to the 2024 agreement.
In a speech marking the anniversary of the July 2006 War, Qassem criticized the Lebanese authorities, saying: "Give us a single achievement from the seven rounds of negotiations."
He also asserted that the Lebanese authorities must “acknowledge their failure."
Qassem accused the authorities of subjecting the country's armed forces to undue pressure by implementing the framework deal agreed with Israel to end hostilities.
The June trilateral framework, to which the United States is also a party, involves Hezbollah’s disarmament and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon's south, where it has occupied several areas.
It also includes the deployment of the Lebanese army to areas where Israel's military has pulled out, starting in test areas known as "pilot zones.”
"How can you accept this ongoing humiliation of the Lebanese army, exposing it to bombardment and Israeli pressures, instead of acting as its protectors?" Qassem said in a speech.
"Israel is attempting to bind Lebanon to an inquiry committee that oversees the army's deployment, operations, and internal details. Where is the patriotism? Where is the dignity of the army that ought to be preserved?" he said.
Hezbollah has repeatedly rejected the direct talks and refuses to surrender its weapons.
US Engaged in Shuttle Diplomacy between Lebanon, Israel to Salvage the Negotiationshttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5307002-us-engaged-shuttle-diplomacy-between-lebanon-israel-salvage-negotiations
US Engaged in Shuttle Diplomacy between Lebanon, Israel to Salvage the Negotiations
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri receives Issa and Clearfield (National News Agency)
Head of the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon (MCG4L) US General Joseph Clearfield met on Friday with top officials in Beirut as part of follow up efforts with Lebanon and Israel on the military aspect of the framework agreement signed between the two countries in June.
The United States has been trying to broker an end to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which has raged since March in parallel with the wider US-Israeli war against Iran.
The June agreement says the Lebanese army will gradually restore control over all of Lebanon, disarming Hezbollah.
The first phase began in two pilot zones. The talks did not, however, produce an agreement on the next area from which Israeli troops would withdraw so that Lebanese troops could take control.
Clearfield, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa and the accompanying military delegation, visited on Friday Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh.
The discussions, which were attended by Berri’s Media Advisor Ali Hamdan, touched on the situation in southern Lebanon, as well as the Group’s work in light of the start of identifying the pilot areas and establishing a mechanism to verify the Israeli withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese Army.
Berri stressed that "Israel has not ceased its violations and attacks against Lebanon and the south since November 2024,'' adding that the attacks have continued systematically, involving the destruction of villages, bulldozing of fields and agricultural areas, and the burning of forested areas, "not to mention targeting heritage sites and cultural heritage."
Berri said that "the key to stability remains compelling Israel to halt its war and withdraw to the international borders."
Asked about the talks between Lebanon and Israel and the date of the next round, Ambasssador Issa said: "The negotiations will continue, but no date has been set yet."
The US delegation also visited Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the Grand Serail to discuss the military aspect of the negotiation framework and developments in southern Lebanon.
Salam stressed the need for Israel to halt its destruction operations, expand the scope of the pilot zones, and establish a clear timetable for Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam receives Issa and Clearfield (National News Agency)
Previous rounds of talks had focused on the sequence of the Israeli withdrawal, the deployment of the Lebanese Army, and the verification mechanism, without reaching a decision on moving to a new area. Issa reiterated this point on Friday, stating that defining the status of the current areas must precede discussions about other areas.
Shuttle Diplomacy Between Beirut and Tel Aviv
Friday's meetings were part of a shuttle diplomacy conducted by Clearfield between Beirut and Tel Aviv to follow up on the implementation of military arrangements.
Clearfield arrived in Beirut on Wednesday from Tel Aviv, where he had held talks with Israeli officials.
In the Lebanese capital, he met with President Joseph Aoun and Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal before departing again for Tel Aviv later that afternoon. He returned to Beirut on Friday.
During that stop in Beirut, Clearfield discussed measures related to implementing the framework agreement and developments in southern Lebanon, at a time when the implementation process continues to face issues related to the Israeli withdrawal, the deployment of the Lebanese Army, the verification mechanism, and the transition to additional pilot areas.
Iraq Steps Up Anti-Corruption Campaign, Detains Electricity Ministry Officialhttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5306992-iraq-steps-anti-corruption-campaign-detains-electricity-ministry-official
Iraq Steps Up Anti-Corruption Campaign, Detains Electricity Ministry Official
PM Ali al-Zaidi Visits the Border Ports Authority. Photo: Iraqi Prime Minister Media Office
An Iraqi Commission of Integrity (COI) force arrested on Friday a deputy minister at the Ministry of Electricity on suspicion of involvement in financial violations, as Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered tighter oversight of border crossings and stronger efforts to combat corruption and smuggling.
The official Iraqi News Agency reported on Friday, citing a security source in Salahuddin province, that a COI force arrested Khalid Ghazai Attiya, Deputy Minister of Electricity for Transmission and Distribution Affairs, over alleged violations that are currently under investigation.
The source did not disclose the nature of the violations or details of the case, saying legal procedures against the detained official are being conducted in line with the law.
Neither the Commission nor the Ministry of Electricity issued an official statement regarding the arrest or the charges against Attiya.
The arrest comes as the Iraqi government continues its anti-corruption drive and efforts to recover public funds. The first phase of the campaign, launched on June 28 under the name "Operation Dawn Strike," targeted politicians, members of parliament, and business figures.
Government sources had previously stated that legal procedures for the campaign's second phase had been completed. The new phase is expected to focus on corruption cases in the health, oil, and electricity ministries, while also tracking funds and properties inside and outside Iraq and compiling new lists of suspects.
Border Crossings
In a related development, al-Zaidi instructed the Border Ports Authority during a visit to its headquarters in Baghdad on Friday to operate under a self-financing system through tax and customs revenues, with fees deducted before transfers are processed.
He also directed that all border crossings be linked to a unified electronic system, that daily reports on operations and revenues be submitted, and that the automation project for border crossings be accelerated to reduce fraud, corruption, and manipulation.
Al-Zaidi said that fighting corruption at Iraq’s border crossings will be a top priority, with the government planning tougher measures.
Drug and medicine smuggling, attempts to evade regulatory authorities, and other forms of trafficking pose serious threats to Iraqi society, he said, warning that those involved would face government action.
The government is also reviewing a draft law aimed at scrutinizing the sources of wealth of public officials.
Meanwhile, COI said that arrest warrants are being executed under judicial supervision as part of efforts to pursue those involved in corruption and recover public funds.
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