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Lebanon Divided over Return of Displaced Syrians

A camp for the displaced Syrians in Al-Rayhaniyah, in the Akkar governorate, northern Lebanon (AFP)
A camp for the displaced Syrians in Al-Rayhaniyah, in the Akkar governorate, northern Lebanon (AFP)
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Lebanon Divided over Return of Displaced Syrians

A camp for the displaced Syrians in Al-Rayhaniyah, in the Akkar governorate, northern Lebanon (AFP)
A camp for the displaced Syrians in Al-Rayhaniyah, in the Akkar governorate, northern Lebanon (AFP)

Some political parties and local communities have called for the deportation of Syrian refugees, while others and international organizations considered that the conditions for their return were not suitable.

In light of this situation, there have been warnings against potential “Syrian-Lebanese clashes”, especially with anonymous calls for the displaced Syrians to demonstrate outside the UNHCR headquarters on Wednesday, in parallel with a similar invitation by the Lebanese demanding their deportation.

On Tuesday, the head of the Kataeb Party, MP Samir Gemayel, said that Lebanon could no longer tolerate the presence of refugees.

During a press conference in Beirut following a meeting with UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka, Gemayel said: “Lebanon received more than 1.8 million displaced people, and dealt with them in the best humane way; but today we are facing a new phase as the hostilities in Syria have ended, and there are no more open battles. Thus, it is possible for them to return to their country.”

“It is time for us to change the way we dealt with this issue,” he underlined.

The former deputy speaker of parliament, Elie Ferzli, warned against a potential “Syrian-Lebanese infighting”.

In remarks following a meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri on Tuesday, Ferzli said that some Syrians abroad were “shouting extremely dangerous slogans.”

“We have an interest in expediting the election of a president, who would deal with and resolve this file as soon as possible,” he stated.

On the other hand, the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) demanded guarantees for the return of refugees to their country.

MP Hadi Abul-Hassan told Asharq Al-Awsat: “In our opinion, the refugees must return to their country… but with international guarantees” especially for anti-regime figures.

He added that the guarantees must include a safe return and appropriate social conditions.

Meanwhile, calls for demonstrations on Wednesday in front of the UNHCR headquarters in Beirut, were raised by a group presenting itself as the “National Campaign to Liberate Lebanon from the Syrian Demographic Occupation,” and to “confront the arrogance of the occupier”.

The organizers said that their move came in response to an invitation from the displaced Syrians to demonstrate before the Commission, to reject their forced deportation.

Maroun Khouli, head of the General Confederation of Lebanese Trade Unions, which launched the campaign last week, told Asharq Al-Awsat: “We called for the protest in parallel with the demonstration held by the displaced Syrians because we will not allow them to stand against the decisions of the Lebanese army and the laws.”

On the other hand, a displaced Syrian in Lebanon confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that calls from unknown sources circulated among the refugees, urging them to demonstrate. He stressed that this was an attempt to stir tension between the Lebanese and the Syrians.

Following information that pointed to the deportation of more than 50 Syrians from Lebanon, Amnesty International called on the Lebanese authorities to “halt the illegal deportations of Syrian refugees for fear that they will be subjected to torture or persecution by the Syrian government upon their return.”

Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Aya Majzoub, released a statement saying: “No refugee should be returned to a place where his life would be in danger.”

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Arab World

Washington Targets Hezbollah’s Alternative Funding Networks

Hezbollah supporters hold up a portrait of the group’s former secretaries-general, Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, during the second anniversary of their assassinations in Beirut’s southern suburbs (AP). 
Hezbollah supporters hold up a portrait of the group’s former secretaries-general, Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, during the second anniversary of their assassinations in Beirut’s southern suburbs (AP). 
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Washington Targets Hezbollah’s Alternative Funding Networks

Hezbollah supporters hold up a portrait of the group’s former secretaries-general, Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, during the second anniversary of their assassinations in Beirut’s southern suburbs (AP). 
Hezbollah supporters hold up a portrait of the group’s former secretaries-general, Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, during the second anniversary of their assassinations in Beirut’s southern suburbs (AP). 

The United States is stepping up efforts to track alternative financing channels used by Hezbollah as tighter sanctions threaten its traditional sources of funding, particularly Iranian money that has long underpinned the group’s military and security capabilities and political influence in Lebanon.

Washington’s campaign extends beyond restricting Iranian transfers to tracing foreign funding networks and cross-border commercial activities that Hezbollah could use to compensate for any decline in Tehran’s support.

A Reuters report last week that Hezbollah had received $200 million in cash from Iran the previous month to assist tens of thousands of families displaced by the war prompted a response from the US State Department.

The department expressed doubt that the money had reached Hezbollah but reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining pressure on the group’s funding sources through sanctions, while supporting the legitimate Lebanese government’s efforts to rebuild southern Lebanon.

New round of sanctions

Sami Nader, director of the Middle East Institute for Strategic Affairs, described the measures as part of a new round of US sanctions aimed at tightening financial pressure on Iran and its regional affiliates.

“The issue is not specifically Hezbollah, but primarily Iran,” Nader told Asharq Al-Awsat, pointing to a recent US announcement describing Hezbollah as an integral part of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Nader said Tehran had developed alternative channels to circumvent financial restrictions, particularly through gold and cryptocurrencies.

He described an expanding network of such activities across the region, with links to Iran and Hezbollah.

The latest sanctions are designed to target these alternative mechanisms, he explained.

Nader added that if cryptocurrency offices linked to these networks are found to exist, Lebanese authorities would likely be asked to shut them down and take action against them, while also tightening oversight of gold transactions.

Four sources of financing

Hezbollah has long relied on multiple funding sources, particularly under previous Lebanese administrations that turned a blind eye to billions of dollars reaching the group, including through official border crossings.

Economist Antoine Farah identified four principal sources of financing: The first was direct Iranian support, provided through regular transfers from Tehran. The second involved illicit activities, particularly drug smuggling and the Captagon trade, which Farah said Hezbollah had engaged in both inside Lebanon and abroad, notably in several Latin American countries. The third consisted of substantial donations from Shiite financiers and supporters around the world. The fourth was a network of front businesses established to generate additional revenue, launder money and conceal the origins and destinations of funds.

Farah told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hezbollah’s ability to draw on most of these sources had declined considerably, while the group faced mounting pressure from legislative and regulatory measures being strengthened in Lebanon.

Stricter financial oversight

Farah highlighted amendments being introduced to Law No. 44 on combating money laundering and terrorist financing, particularly provisions requiring the identification of the ultimate beneficial owners of companies and commercial enterprises.

Identifying who ultimately benefits from commercial activities, while tracing the origins and destinations of funds, would help restrict the operations of front businesses established by Hezbollah, he explained.

Farah also pointed to measures being taken by Banque du Liban, Lebanon’s central bank, to regulate currency exchange dealers and money transfer companies.

He said the measures were making it increasingly difficult to exploit these sectors to transfer money and channel financing to Hezbollah.

Arab World

Syrian Security Forces Step Up anti-ISIS Operations, Pursue Former Regime Loyalists

A scene from the arrests carried out in Masyaf (Hama Security Correspondent).
A scene from the arrests carried out in Masyaf (Hama Security Correspondent).
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Syrian Security Forces Step Up anti-ISIS Operations, Pursue Former Regime Loyalists

A scene from the arrests carried out in Masyaf (Hama Security Correspondent).
A scene from the arrests carried out in Masyaf (Hama Security Correspondent).

Syrian security forces have intensified operations against ISIS cells following a deadly September bus attack near Masyaf in central Syria, while separately pursuing former regime operatives accused of crimes against civilians.

Within a week, authorities announced the dismantling of an ISIS cell in Homs province, following the arrest of the group’s alleged military commander there. Seven former regime suspects were also detained as part of transitional justice efforts.

The Internal Security Forces announced that raids in the Houla area of northern Homs, conducted with the General Intelligence Directorate, had dismantled an ISIS-linked cell and foiled planned attacks on places of worship and security patrols.

Two suspects were arrested and two explosive devices were seized. Preliminary investigations indicated that the detainees had received and transported explosives and monitored potential targets as part of plans to incite unrest and undermine security.

One suspect was caught attempting to plant an explosive device on a railway track, authorities reported. Investigations are continuing to identify other cell members and their connections.

The operation followed the arrest about three days earlier of Khaled Raed Bayrouni, known as Abu Hassan Doshka, in Hujayra, near Damascus. The Interior Ministry described him as ISIS’s operational arm in Homs and the group’s overall military commander in its so-called Homs province.

Bayrouni is accused of planning and overseeing bombings and sectarian attacks, including an explosion at an Alawite mosque in Homs that killed eight people in late 2025.

Authorities also launched raids and arrests following a Sept. 27 attack on a bus transporting workers near the Masyaf bypass bridge, on the road linking Masyaf and Homs, that killed seven civilians.

Despite ISIS’s territorial defeat in Syria and Iraq, its small cells remain a security threat, exploiting instability and security gaps, particularly in remote areas.

In early October, the international coalition against ISIS pledged more than $75 million to support Syria’s counterterrorism efforts, including measures to address security vulnerabilities and dismantle dormant cells.

Separately, the Defense Ministry reported Saturday that a Syrian army soldier had died of wounds sustained in a shooting by unidentified gunmen Tuesday evening in Buqrus, eastern Deir Ezzor province.

Two customs patrol members were also wounded when unidentified attackers opened fire near Izraa bridge in Daraa province as officers escorted a transit convoy, the General Authority for Ports and Customs announced Saturday.

Former regime suspects arrested

In a parallel operation, security forces detained seven former regime suspects in Masyaf, Hama province, accusing them of serious abuses against civilians.

Nabil Adnan Ismail and Ghazi Mohammed Ismail allegedly commanded groups within militias affiliated with the former Air Force Intelligence Directorate and participated in kidnappings, looting and massacres, including violence in Aqrab village. They also face extortion allegations.

Brothers Taher Youssef al-Mohammed and Talal Youssef al-Mohammed, who served in Air Force Intelligence and the Scientific Studies and Research Center, are accused of repression, arrests and exploiting access to detainees’ files to extort their families.

Faisal Badour, nicknamed “Tiger Cub” for his alleged brutality toward civilians, joined armed militias in 2012 and participated in former regime military operations in Hama and Aleppo provinces.

Another detainee, Assef Salameh, served as a noncommissioned officer at defense factories until 2018.

Authorities had earlier arrested Shaheen Hamdan al-Shaheen, a founder of the Air Force Intelligence-linked Shaheen Regiment militia.

He is accused of involvement in massacres in eastern Hama and along the Athriya–Raqqa road in 2017. His militia allegedly committed killings, arrests, torture and destruction in Palmyra and Deir Ezzor province through 2019.

Arab World

Abbas Calls for Palestinian Presidential, Legislative Elections in September 2027

 A sign promoting Palestinian legislative elections on a road near the West Bank city of Jenin (File photo: EPA). 
 A sign promoting Palestinian legislative elections on a road near the West Bank city of Jenin (File photo: EPA). 
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Abbas Calls for Palestinian Presidential, Legislative Elections in September 2027

 A sign promoting Palestinian legislative elections on a road near the West Bank city of Jenin (File photo: EPA). 
 A sign promoting Palestinian legislative elections on a road near the West Bank city of Jenin (File photo: EPA). 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has issued a decree calling for simultaneous presidential and legislative elections on Sept. 11, 2027, canceling a legislative vote scheduled for Nov. 28, 2026, after his Fatah movement and other Palestinian factions agreed to postpone it.

The widely anticipated decision sets a new date for Palestinians to elect both their president and lawmakers amid concerns over Israeli restrictions and the security situation in Gaza and the West Bank.

The decree calls on Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza Strip to participate in free, direct presidential and legislative elections to choose the president of the State of Palestine and members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, in accordance with the law.

Abbas had previously issued decrees calling for legislative elections on two occasions, most recently scheduling them for November 2026, before canceling the plans.

An informed source told Asharq Al-Awsat that setting a firm date for simultaneous presidential and legislative elections was intended to demonstrate the Palestinian leadership’s commitment to holding the vote and reassure France and the international community that it would proceed with renewing the legitimacy of Palestinian institutions.

The decision followed a recommendation by the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to revoke Decree No. 4 of 2026, which had called for legislative elections in November.

At a meeting Saturday, the PLO Executive Committee approved moving the legislative vote to September 2027 to coincide with the presidential election.

It attributed the decision to national consultations with Palestinian factions and political forces, which had produced a consensus on the obstacles posed by Israeli measures to holding elections on the original date.

The committee also cited the need to establish suitable political, security and on-the-ground conditions to ensure free, fair and comprehensive elections.

In a statement, the committee argued that circumstances had changed substantially since the election date was announced several months earlier, following successful elections for trade unions, professional associations, and local authorities.

It pointed to the failure to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2803, the absence of international stabilization forces and Palestinian police in Gaza, and the continued presence of Israeli troops in the territory.

The committee also cited ongoing attacks, insecurity and restrictions preventing the Central Elections Commission and local and international observers from entering Gaza.

These conditions, it maintained, made it impossible to establish an environment conducive to elections or guarantee the safety of voters, candidates and election workers.

The committee further warned that what it described as catastrophic conditions in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, posed serious obstacles to holding the vote.

It accused Israeli settlers of carrying out daily attacks, including burning homes, uprooting olive trees and stealing crops and livestock, under the protection of Israeli forces.

The statement also condemned what it called the Israeli government’s continued expansion of settlements, seizure of Palestinian land, demolition of homes and attacks on Muslim and Christian holy sites.

It cited checkpoints, movement restrictions, pressure on the Palestinian economy and the withholding of Palestinian funds totaling nearly $7 billion as additional obstacles.

Despite the postponement, the PLO Executive Committee reaffirmed its commitment to holding elections with the participation of all Palestinians in the State of Palestine, including those in Gaza and East Jerusalem.

It stressed that the vote must be conducted safely and fairly, with international observers present, free from Israeli obstruction, while preserving the unity of Palestinian territory, people and institutions.