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Israeli Flags on Lebanon Road Violate UN Resolution, UNIFIL Says

A photograph taken from the southern Lebanese village of Chaqra shows an Israeli flag fluttering over the burnt fields of the border village of Mais al-Jabal, burnt during Israeli military operations on August 11, 2026. (AFP)
A photograph taken from the southern Lebanese village of Chaqra shows an Israeli flag fluttering over the burnt fields of the border village of Mais al-Jabal, burnt during Israeli military operations on August 11, 2026. (AFP)
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Israeli Flags on Lebanon Road Violate UN Resolution, UNIFIL Says

A photograph taken from the southern Lebanese village of Chaqra shows an Israeli flag fluttering over the burnt fields of the border village of Mais al-Jabal, burnt during Israeli military operations on August 11, 2026. (AFP)
A photograph taken from the southern Lebanese village of Chaqra shows an Israeli flag fluttering over the burnt fields of the border village of Mais al-Jabal, burnt during Israeli military operations on August 11, 2026. (AFP)

Israeli flags planted on a main coastal highway in southern Lebanon are a violation of a UN Security Council resolution, the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon said on Monday, urging all sides to avoid "provocative actions".

Israel's military invaded a swathe of southern Lebanon during a war with Hezbollah earlier this year, occupying a self-declared security zone it says aims to shield northern Israel from attacks by the Iran-backed group.

A video posted on Sunday by Israel's Channel 12 news journalist Amit Segal showed Israeli flags flying along the Naqoura-Tyre coastal road, a primary artery for southern ‌Lebanon and a route ‌used by the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

The footage ‌appeared ⁠to have been ⁠taken from a military vehicle.

Reuters was able to confirm the location of the video, but could not verify when the footage was filmed. Segal told Reuters he was sent the video by Israeli soldiers.

Peacekeepers have observed several Israeli flags in Lebanese territory, including recently on the coastal road and in Naqoura village, UNIFIL spokesperson Kandice Ardiel said.

Ardiel said the Israeli flags were a violation of UN Security Council resolution 1701, ⁠which ended a 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

"As always, ‌we call on the Israeli army and all actors ‌to cease violations of the resolution and avoid any provocative action that could increase tensions ‌or trigger further violations," Ardiel added.

Israel's military, in response to a request for ‌comment, said that its forces were "operating in southern Lebanon with the aim of removing threats posed by the Hezbollah terrorist organization to Israeli civilians and troops, in accordance with international law".

"Israel is not acting against the Lebanese state or its citizens," the military said.

There was no ‌immediate comment from the Lebanese army.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said last week that Israel won't withdraw from southern ⁠Lebanon until Hezbollah ⁠is disarmed.

A US-brokered deal between the governments of Lebanon and Israel foresees a progressive Israeli withdrawal linked to Hezbollah's verified disarmament.

Hezbollah, founded by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982, strongly opposes Beirut's talks with Israel and has ruled out any discussion of its weapons before an Israeli withdrawal.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing an October election, listed the buffer zone as a major achievement when visiting troops on June 30.

The zone is mostly empty of Lebanese civilians who fled villages that are now all but destroyed.

At least 11 people were killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday, the Lebanese health ministry said, some of the deadliest in weeks. The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah infrastructure in response to actions against its soldiers there.

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Arab World

Bashir Moved to Khartoum Hospital amid Reports He Will Be Flown Abroad

Sudan's ex-president Omar al-Bashir leaves the office of the anti-corruption prosecutor in Khartoum, Sudan, June 16, 2019. (Reuters)
Sudan's ex-president Omar al-Bashir leaves the office of the anti-corruption prosecutor in Khartoum, Sudan, June 16, 2019. (Reuters)
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Bashir Moved to Khartoum Hospital amid Reports He Will Be Flown Abroad

Sudan's ex-president Omar al-Bashir leaves the office of the anti-corruption prosecutor in Khartoum, Sudan, June 16, 2019. (Reuters)
Sudan's ex-president Omar al-Bashir leaves the office of the anti-corruption prosecutor in Khartoum, Sudan, June 16, 2019. (Reuters)

Sudanese former President Omar al-Bashir, 80, has been transferred from the northern city of Merowe to a hospital in the capital Khartoum for continued treatment and tests after he developed symptoms of an “unknown” medical case.

His lawyer, Mohamed El-Hassan El-Amin told Asharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday that his client was transferred to Khartoum two weeks ago for routine medical examinations, confirming that "there is no change in his health status."

However, he noted the emergence of certain symptoms of "unknown cause," which may require travel abroad to undergo testing using advanced medical equipment.

El-Amin declined to provide further details about Bashir’s condition.

However, he noted that the former president suffers from recurrent low blood pressure and infections, adding: "This is all we can disclose at this stage."

On reports about the Sudanese authorities approving Bashir's travel abroad, El-Amin stated: "There is no official decision so far."

However, he revealed that certain government officials expressed no objection.

"This request was raised more than a year ago, but no progress has been made in its implementation," he added.

Bashir's lawyer Mohamed El-Hassan El-Amin. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

El-Amin confirmed that the same official authorities facilitated the travel of the former Vice President, Bakri Hassan Saleh, to the Turkish capital, Ankara, for medical treatment, revealing for the first time his presence outside the country.

The International Criminal Court has accused Bashir of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region during his rule. He was also convicted on charges of corruption and illicit financing and faced other trials before the outbreak of the war in April 2023. At that time, he was held at a military base in Omdurman, prior to his transfer to Merowe in northern Sudan.

Sudanese media reports had said that the former president's health had deteriorated significantly over the past few days, necessitating his transfer to Khartoum.

However, high-level sources refuted to Asharq Al-Awsat claims regarding the deterioration of his health, saying that recent measures aim to pave the way for his travel abroad in anticipation of domestic political shifts or regional developments.

The sources said Islamists are seeking to preempt potential rapid shifts in the political landscape that could place the authorities, led by the President of the Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in extreme embarrassment before the International Criminal Court if Bashir remains in the country.

According to the sources, who preferred to remain anonymous, prominent Islamist leaders in the ousted National Congress Party had previously made contacts to arrange Bashir's transfer abroad, after obtaining approval to host him.

The sources added that the ousted president had previously been offered a transfer to Eritrea but refused, despite Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki having expressed his willingness to host him.

Arab World

Hezbollah Denies Any Link to Cell Dismantled in Syria

A man waves Hezbollah flag at the Tahrir Square in Baghdad on September 26, 2026, to mark the second anniversary of killing of Hezbollah's former chief Hassan Nasrallah, in a major strike by Israel on Beirut's southern suburbs in Lebanon. (AFP)
A man waves Hezbollah flag at the Tahrir Square in Baghdad on September 26, 2026, to mark the second anniversary of killing of Hezbollah's former chief Hassan Nasrallah, in a major strike by Israel on Beirut's southern suburbs in Lebanon. (AFP)
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Hezbollah Denies Any Link to Cell Dismantled in Syria

A man waves Hezbollah flag at the Tahrir Square in Baghdad on September 26, 2026, to mark the second anniversary of killing of Hezbollah's former chief Hassan Nasrallah, in a major strike by Israel on Beirut's southern suburbs in Lebanon. (AFP)
A man waves Hezbollah flag at the Tahrir Square in Baghdad on September 26, 2026, to mark the second anniversary of killing of Hezbollah's former chief Hassan Nasrallah, in a major strike by Israel on Beirut's southern suburbs in Lebanon. (AFP)

Hezbollah denied on Wednesday any connection to a cell that Syrian authorities said they had dismantled in the country's south and which they accused of being affiliated with the Lebanese group.

A statement from the Iran-backed movement's media office said it "categorically denies any relationship or connection between Hezbollah and the alleged cell" and emphasized that "it has no presence whatsoever on Syrian territory and has no involvement in any security or military activity there".

On Tuesday, Syria said intelligence services and security forces "thwarted a sabotage plot in the Yarmuk basin in Daraa (province) and arrested a Hezbollah-affiliated cell composed of three individuals".

Authorities said the cell attempted "to prepare rocket launch platforms with the aim of carrying out attacks to destabilize security and stability", without specifying the target.

The Yarmuk basin area, where state media has previously reported Israeli incursions and shelling, borders the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights, as well as Jordan.

Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said there were "indications" that Israel's enemies could try to attack ahead of elections scheduled for late October.

Syria's new authorities, who ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in 2024, are hostile to Hezbollah, which is a sworn enemy of Israel and fought on Assad's side during the Syrian civil war.

Authorities have previously said they dismantled several Hezbollah-linked cells preparing attacks in Syria, accusations the group has denied.

In Wednesday's statement, Hezbollah accused Israel of seeking to disrupt ties between Lebanon and Syria.

It called on Syrian authorities "to identify the real beneficiary of escalating tensions between the two countries, namely the Israeli enemy".

Last month, Hezbollah's chief Naim Qassem said he had no objection to meeting openly with Syria's leadership.

In June, responding to a question about whether he would sit at the table with Hezbollah, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said that "if this serves Lebanon's interests and safeguards Syria's interests, why not".

Arab World

US Removes Syria from Arms Export Ban

A large Syrian flag flutters above Tishreen Park in Damascus on June 4, 2025. (AFP)
A large Syrian flag flutters above Tishreen Park in Damascus on June 4, 2025. (AFP)
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US Removes Syria from Arms Export Ban

A large Syrian flag flutters above Tishreen Park in Damascus on June 4, 2025. (AFP)
A large Syrian flag flutters above Tishreen Park in Damascus on June 4, 2025. (AFP)

The Trump administration is removing Syria from a list of countries that are not allowed to purchase or import US weaponry, a step that is part of a monthslong process of easing sanctions on the new government in Damascus and its leaders.

In a notice published Wednesday in the Federal Register, the State Department said it was amending its International Traffic in Arms Regulations, or ITAR, so that Syria no longer was among the nations subject to a policy of denial for licenses and other approvals needed for the sale of US weapons and munitions.

The change effective Thursday means that arms sales requests from Syria will now be considered on a case-by-case basis.

President Donald Trump acted last year to ease economic sanctions on Syria that had been in place for decades during now-ousted President Bashar al-Assad’s rule. In August, Secretary of State Marco Rubio rescinded Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, helping paving the way for the latest step in drawing closer to the current government.

The State Department has also announced plans to reopen the US Embassy in Damascus. It has been closed for 14 years.

With Syria’s removal from the ITAR blacklist, only seven countries remain subject to the policy of denial for licenses for US arms exports: Belarus, China, Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea and Venezuela.

Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa overthrew the Assad government nearly two years ago and has embarked on a policy of change that has impressed the Trump administration. His moves have led to hopes of eventual stability in a country that was wracked by civil war and the ISIS insurgency that engulfed northeast and western Iraq for years.

Wednesday’s withdrawal of US forces from Iraq may mean that the Syrian government plays a greater role in preventing an ISIS resurgence.