Clashes continue in Tartous and Latakia, western Syria, where more than 1,000 people were killed, Syrian President Ahmad Al Sharaa called for ‘national unity’ in the country, Israel launches largest attach on south Lebanon since the cease-fire, Ultra-Orthodox Israelis enter southern Lebanon under army escort, In Riyadh and Cairo Aoun anchors himself into the Arab camp, Israeli PM Netanyahu touts opposition to October 7 probe, The World Food Program has only two weeks of supplies left in Gaza, Israel’s Energy Minister orders complete cut off of electricity supply to Gaza, Jenin, Tulkarm, Nur Shams refugee camps ‘uninhabitable’, UNRWA says, The Israeli army claimed responsibility for a drone attack on a van that injured two people in southern Lebanon, Lebanese soldier hit by Israeli fire in Kfar Kila succumbs to injuries, Amnesty urges Lebanese government to authorize probe into Israeli war crimes, New government adopts the 2025 budget, US bill to cut Lebanese Army aid, Higher Shiite Council claims ownership of funds seized at Beirut airport last week, US and Israel rejected an Arab plan for Gaza adopted in Cairo, Hamas has approved the creation of a committee to lead the Gaza Strip until elections are held, Israel to send team for Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar, New Syrian authorities arrest Ibrahim Houeija, suspected of involvement in Kamal Jumblatt’s assassination, 180 children have been killed or injured in Syria by war remnants, Israel says it will let Syrian Druze workers cross into Golan Heights, Fire ravages tent in Beqaa Syrian refugee camp, Education Minister issues circular requiring Lebanese national anthem to be sung in schools every Monday, Escalating bird poaching crisis in Lebanon’s Akkar region, Ghada Aoun files charges against Riad Salameh, Najib Mikati and his brother Taha, New Central Bank governor could be appointed by end of March, Lebanese Forces demand justice for Roland Murr, killed 3 months ago, Alarming regression in path to peace in South Sudan, UN commission warns, Sudan’s army captures strategic bridge in eastern Khartoum
It is what many have feared would happen. An endless count of civilian deaths, including women and children, a hellish merry-go-round of more than thirty names of Alawite villages, on the Syrian coast and on the banks of the Orontes, where the bodies of those killed have been lying in the streets for a long time – in houses, on sofas, among olive groves and newly-blossomed wheat fields – and where houses have burned after the passage of Sunni militiamen, Syrians but also foreigners: mainly Caucasian, Central Asian and Chinese fighters, who have remained in the mountains between the Idlib and Latakia regions for the past three months. Of the Western and Arab countries, only France – and secondarily Germany and the United States – have condemned the violence against the Syrian Alawites, but not only, carried out since last Friday, March 7, on the coastal area and west of Hama. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has been documenting violations in the country for almost twenty years, has so far counted since last Friday the killing – by pro-government Sunni militiamen, who until a few weeks ago belonged to the dissolved HTS coalition led by Al Jolani – house by house, of 973 Alawite civilians, a branch of Shi’ism identified for decades with the power of the former Assad family regime, which fell on 8 December last year. In addition, around 250 pro-Assad fighters were killed, the Observatory added, as well as about 230 members of the government’s security forces – taking the overall death toll to more than 1,450.
Video stills of summary executions scroll by; decomposed bodies; others lying on their stomachs as if hanging by a thread of blood – their throats cut; children murdered in their rooms – in the center of their childhood – with a bullet hole: in the head, in the belly, in the chest. And the tally is constantly being updated, as obituaries of exterminated families arrive from the various affected localities, along with numerous photos of deceased bodies – the authenticity of which has partially been verified by cross-referencing various testimonies on the ground, but at the same time questioned by the exponential spread of fake news, sometimes falsely claiming the slaughter of members of the Christian community. Yet conflicting narratives persist – even on how to recount death accounts – serving the purpose of those on the outside who wish to attribute responsibility, or draw political judgements: for example, recounting the welcoming, in Qadmus – untouched, but located between two of the massacred villages, Alhittaneh and Hammam Wasil – of the men of Public Security Department – the loyalists of Al Sharaa, whom in these hours it feels easier easier to call Al Jolani – by the civilian population, without mentioning that while the survivors among the Alawites have fled into the woods, the Sunnis – who constitute a minority in the coastal area – have remained, still confident that the new administration can restore the fragile order under threat.
Or, encapsulating the tragedy in the desemantized banality of the term that has been associated, as if by inertia, with Syria for fourteen years: chaos.
As much as the rhetoric of hunting down ‘members of the former regime’ (in Arabic fulul an-nizam) is still prevailing – and has marked the before and during of these sad events, especially after the ambush near Jabla – south of Latakia, Syria’s main port – and Baniyas – already the site of a massacre of more than a hundred people in 2013 at the hands of Assad’s forces – by Alawite militiamen against members of the security forces under Al Sharaa’s orders: sixteen killed – is not enough to justify the atrocities committed, their incredible scale. But it does perhaps give an idea of how much normalization, institutional and international, can do nothing against the brooding anger, the thirst for revenge, which certainly does not vanish in an eleven-day-long advance.
While Syrians from civil society are desperately asking to stop the violence, to stop hate speech and incitement to sectarian hatred; while the new administration is losing all its legitimacy – proving that it, too, can kill: or watch its representatives doing so, in unprecedented proportions; while militias are behaving as regime thugs in killing, humiliating, stealing – and their efforts to present themselves as a reliable actor are collapsing in front of the world’s astonished eyes, with all the terrible consequences, internally, but also at the international level -, the perpetrators should be held accountable.
Instead, by not explicitly condemning the criminal actions of the formations that, however narrated as ‘irregular’, were present at the Victory ceremony staged at the presidential palace in Damascus a few weeks after the dissolution of the Assad regime, Al Sharaa-Al Jolani, in his speech on Friday night, implicitly implied that such actions are outside the law: yet threatening the fulul al-nizam to surrender. And to respond, in the late hours of Sunday – in a move that more than providing a real and profound solution to the crisis, seemed to be finalized at merely avoiding political pressure – he issued a decree establishing a commission declared as ‘independent’ to investigate the deadly events. Made up of five judges, an army officer and a lawyer – most of the commission’s members are former members of the Geneva-based Syrian Constitutional Committee.
As early as Saturday afternoon, government media reported a situation “gradually coming under control;” the Ministry of Defense in Damascus issued a statement urging “citizens to return to their homes, there is no reason to be concerned,” a Ministry spokesman said as the violence by government forces overlapped with the affected civilians and the militias responsible for the massacres – and more shocking videos began to circulate from the theatres of the massacres. “That burnt smell is a good smell,” says a militiaman in Baniyas, chuckling as he films with his mobile phone the street of a stricken neighborhood, now depopulated and where columns of smoke rise from basements: and dozens of militiamen carry off whatever they can from the violated houses. “We did well,” echoes another, “these people only understand this.”
In Lebanon
The scariest night: Israel launched on Friday night the biggest series of airstrikes on southern Lebanon since the 27 November ceasefire. Close to 30 airstrikes were reported in less than half an hour across different towns and villages in Lebanon’s south, as the Israeli army claimed it was targeting sites belonging to Hezbollah.
“The air force attacked Hezbollah military positions in southern Lebanon, where the group’s weapons and rocket launchers were spotted,” the Israeli army said in a statement. “The presence of weapons and launchers at these sites poses a threat to Israel and represents a flagrant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the statement added. No casualties have been reported as the strikes reportedly hit uninhabited areas, according to local media.
Ongoing strikes: Less than 24 hours after a deadly attack on a vehicle carrying an official of the armed wing of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, the Israeli army carried out a strike on Wednesday on a van driving in the Ras al-Naqoura area, in the Tyre district, injuring at least two of its occupants. The Israeli army claimed the attack through its Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee. The van hit by the Israeli drone belonged to two brothers of the Juhair family, who were inspecting their land in Ras al-Naqoura, and were seriously injured.
Residents reported that the drone repeatedly dropped bombs near the targeted vehicle, preventing the army and the Red Cross from reaching it. According to Al-Mayadeen, the passengers of the van were eventually rescued and survived. Later in the afternoon, the Israeli army claimed the shooting, asserting, without concrete evidence, that it involved “a number of suspects identified loading weapons into vehicles in the area.”
Later on Thursday, an Israeli army drone launched a stun grenade at a shepherd that injured him on the outskirts of the village of Rmeish, in the Bint Jbeil district. Israeli fire also wounded three people in Kfar Kila, including a Lebanese soldier who later succumbed to his injuries – continuing near-daily attacks that have killed more than 80 people since the truce began. Even the Lebanese Army condemned Israel’s repeated attacks and violations of air, land and space – describing them as a threat to regional stability. The army also noted that it would continue accompanying the return of southern Lebanon’s residents to the areas evacuated by Israel.
Still there: Meanwhile, Israel remains present at several points in southern Lebanon, in violation of the cease-fire conditions with Hezbollah, which came into force on November 27. On Tuesday, it claimed to have eliminated Khodr Said Hashem, described as “the commander of Radwan naval forces,” Hezbollah’s élite unit, in a drone strike still in the Tyre region. After the strike, drones continued to fly over the area.
The Zionist state has prolonged its occupation of southern Lebanon under the claim that the Lebanese Army had not sufficiently mobilized to prevent Hezbollah’s resurgence. Lebanon’s Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri on Wednesday denied US news source Axios’ claim that there was a quiet agreement between the US, Israel and Lebanon on the continued occupation.
Apart from the Ras al-Naqoura strike, few security incidents were reported on the border with Israel although an Israeli drone dropped a stun grenade in the direction of a civilian on the road leading to Tal al-Nahas, in the village of Kfar Kila, district of Marjayoun. A drone also flew over Naqoura at low altitude well before the strike on the van.
In the afternoon of Wednesday, Israeli soldiers fired a machine gun from the al-Assi position towards areas southeast of the Lebanese town of Mais al-Jabal to scare away residents inspecting their destroyed homes. A civilian vehicle was damaged by the shooting, but no injuries were reported. During the first half of the week, no incidents were recorded in the Beqaa either, except for a drone flying at a low altitude over western Beqaa in the middle of the day.
At the same time, several funerals were held in southern Lebanon, as the final death toll of the 15-month war between Hezbollah and Israel is still unknown – the provisional toll estimates over 4,000 dead. The civil defense has also recovered the remains of a person killed by Israeli bombings in Markaba, Marjayoun. In this regard, in Doueir and Habboush, near Nabatieh, Hezbollah notably held funerals for two of its members killed during the conflict. In Touline, Marjayoun, during another funeral, Hezbollah MP Ali Fayad called for “Lebanon’s unity at a time when Israel is trying to divide the country.”
Crossing all lines: A group of ultra-Orthodox Israelis entered southern Lebanese territory near Houla, in the Marjayoun district, on Friday morning for a “religious visit” organized by the Israeli army, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported. The site is believed to be the tomb of Babylonian rabbi Rav Ashi, located inside Lebanese territory, near the Israeli locality of Manara.
According to The Times of Israel, hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jewish pilgrims visited the site, escorted by the Israeli army. Images published by Israeli military radio GLZ showed the visitors praying near the location, which is adjacent to a concrete border wall built by the army. The outlet reported that similar visits, coordinated by the Israeli army, had taken place in the past. The site is located along the Blue Line, within a militarized zone between an Israeli army post and a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) base, The Times of Israel reported. It lies opposite the Lebanese village of Houla.
On Thursday, Israeli media outlet i24News reported that the Israeli army planned to allow 250 ultra-Orthodox Jews to enter the site at night under military escort. The report described the visit as an “exceptional authorization” granted for March 7, the date in Jewish tradition marking both the birth and death of the prophet Moses, a day when ultra-Orthodox Jews visit several holy sites.
Crossing the Lebanese border without authorization is punishable by up to four years in prison under Israeli law. In February, four ultra-Orthodox Israelis, who were seeking to visit Ashi’s tomb, were arrested by the Israeli army after illegally crossing the border into Lebanon. They allegedly threw stones at approaching army soldiers. Earlier in February, at least 20 ultra-Orthodox Israelis illegally entered Lebanon before being arrested by Israeli army soldiers, for a similar reason according to Yedioth Ahronoth. And on December 5, several families from the South Lebanon Settler Movement arrived at the border and crossed the Blue Line by several meters. An account on X named Trusted Sources shared images purportedly showing settlers setting up tents in Maroun al-Ras, in southern Lebanon.
Amnesty urges Lebanon: Human rights watchdog Amnesty International called for Lebanon to grant the International Criminal Court jurisdiction to probe Israel’s attacks on the Lebanese medical sector as war crimes, citing a lack of military justification for its strikes targeting first responders and health infrastructure. Lebanon’s Health Ministry estimates that Israel’s attacks on health facilities and workers, comprising hundreds of strikes on hospitals, emergency response organizations and relief vehicles, have killed more than 222 people.
US bill to cut Lebanese Army aid: Florida congressman Greg Steube proposed a bill cutting aid to the Lebanese Army until Lebanon revokes its recognition of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, bars them from government participation and dismisses charges against Americans persecuted for “shedding light on Hezbollah’s influence.” The bill comes days after the announcement of 95 million dollars in US military aid to the Lebanese Army, which has relied on American support for years, especially since the onset of the economic crisis in 2019.
A similar proposal was launched on September 18, 2024, under the acronym ‘PAGER Act’ (Preventing Armed Groups from Engaging in Radicalism) – one day after thousands of communication devices, including pagers, belonging to Hezbollah exploded in public places across Lebanese territory, killing at least 40 people, including a child, and injuring more than 2,900 – but it did not receive a vote and was not enacted. The act stipulates that funding is prohibited until the Secretary of State certifies to Congress several conditions. These include that the Lebanese government no longer recognizes Hezbollah and other organizations linked to Iran; to prevent individuals affiliated with Hezbollah or other Iranian-linked organizations from holding ministerial positions; Lebanon must also comply with “UN Security Council Resolution 1559 to remove Hezbollah and other militia groups from their territory;” the Lebanese Army “terminates its relationship with Hezbollah, Iran and all foreign terrorist organizations;” Lebanon must destroy all weapons supplied by Iran and its affiliates; and finally, Lebanese courts must agree to “dismiss all charges against Americans unjustly persecuted for shedding light on Hezbollah’s influence.”
This bill would also block US funding and support for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in light of its “corrupt financial ties to top Lebanese military officers,” according to the press release. It would also “provide Congress with biannual reports on Hezbollah’s status in the region,” however, it does not clarify how or by whom those reports would be submitted. The bill was supported by several organizations, including the American Mideast Coalition for Democracy and The Endowment for Middle East Truth.
Government adopts 2025 budget: Lebanon’s new government, in its first meeting since passing Parliament’s confidence vote, adopted the 2025 budget prepared by the caretaker cabinet and tasked each ministry with issuing decrees to implement laws missing the executives’ input. It also detailed implementation schedules for planned reforms.
MP Paula Yaacoubian said she would appeal the budget’s adoption, despite repeated criticism urging its revision and justified by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam as a necessary measure to prevent blockage in public services – alongside a vow for the 2026 budget to include the much-touted reforms. As quoted by the state-run National News Agency (NNA), Information Minister Paul Morcos announced that an inter-ministerial delegation would visit Saudi Arabia to sign bilateral accords during the Fitr holiday.
Morcos also announced the government’s decision to grant tax exemptions to people directly affected by Israeli attacks, noting that beneficiaries would have suffered “damage to residential or commercial properties,” alongside a law proposal to sign loan reconstruction and environmental protection agreements with the World Bank, prolongation to diplomats’ retirement age and appointments of specialized officers to the Internal Security Forces.
In Riyadh: President Joseph Aoun arrived in Riyadh last Monday on his first official trip since acceding to the presidency, saying the visit would pave the way for an upcoming meeting in the kingdom to sign agreements spurring Saudi-Lebanese cooperation. In January, Saudi Arabia sent its foreign minister to Beirut for the first time in 15 years, hailing a rapprochement after years of strained ties and reinforced support to Lebanon, contingent on reforms.
During a speech on Tuesday at the extraordinary Arab summit in Cairo to discuss a Gaza reconstruction plan, Aoun made pointed remarks about Iran and reiterated his commitment to rebuilding strong ties with Arab countries, particularly those in the Gulf.
The Palestinian cause is “a Palestinian national right, an Arab right and a global human right,” he said. “The Palestinian question requires us to always stand by its people, their choices, and their decisions, with their official authorities and legitimate representatives. The Arab dimension of the Palestinian question requires us all to remain strong so that Palestine remains strong,” he continued. “Because when one occupies Beirut, destroys Damascus, threatens Amman, makes Baghdad suffer or takes Sanaa, it is impossible for anyone to claim that this serves Palestine.” His statement was an allusion to the Iranian axis in the region and its allies in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.
Aoun also stated that “Lebanon has suffered a lot, but it has learned from its sufferings.” He stated: “it has learned not to be at the mercy of others’ wars. It has learned not to be the headquarters or corridor for foreign policies. It is also not a stronghold for occupations, tutelage or hegemony.” Aoun also noted that the “existential interests of the country lie with its Arab neighborhood” and that its role in the region is to be “a country of encounter, not a field of conflict.”
The president also said Lebanon will not give up its land and that “every inch” of its territory will be liberated. The Israeli army still holds positions in southern Lebanon despite its alleged official withdrawal from the country on February 18. “In my country, just like in Palestine, there are still lands occupied by Israel. Lebanese prisoners are in its jails,” the head of state said. “We do not give up our land, we do not forget our prisoners, and we do not abandon them. There is no peace without the liberation of every inch of our territory, recognized internationally, documented, validated and delineated by the United Nations. And there is no peace without a Palestinian state,” he added, aligning with the Saudi position on the issue.
Aoun also claimed that Lebanon’s complete and stable sovereignty is strengthened by the full restoration of Syria and the complete independence of Palestine. “Any destabilization of an Arab neighbor is a destabilization for all its neighbors. And vice versa,” he concluded.
Aoun’s meetings: On the sidelines of the summit, Aoun met with several Arab representatives, including the UN Secretary-General, with whom he discussed the situation in southern Lebanon and the Israeli military presence in certain parts of the national territory. Aoun also met with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, who affirmed “his country’s willingness to continue supporting the Lebanese Army and helping finance vital projects, such as the development of the electricity sector,” according to the Lebanese presidency.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II, during his meeting with Aoun, said a new batch of military vehicles will be sent to Lebanon to support the army. The head of state also met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. “We support all measures taken by the Lebanese government to strengthen state sovereignty over its entire territory and implement Resolution 1701,” Abbas said.
Aoun also spoke with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa and his Syrian counterpart, Ahmad Al Sharaa. According to the Lebanese presidency, Aoun and Sharaa, meeting for the first time, “discussed several pending issues.” “It was agreed to coordinate through joint commissions that will be formed after the composition of the new Syrian government,” the presidency said, without giving further details. It was also “agreed on the need to control the borders between the two countries.”
A Saudi-Lebanese cooperation: The day before, the President was in Riyadh, where he met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two discussed the importance of ensuring that the Lebanese state holds a monopoly on arms, disarming Hezbollah, and securing the withdrawal of the Israeli army from all Lebanese territories, according to a joint statement released Tuesday.
The statement, published by the official Lebanese and Saudi agencies, said Aoun and the Crown Prince agreed to strengthen cooperation between their countries, coordinate positions on major regional and international issues, and explore ways to bolster Lebanese sovereignty. Regarding bilateral relations, both parties agreed to begin examining the obstacles hindering the resumption of Lebanese exports to Saudi Arabia and the necessary measures to allow Saudi citizens to travel to Lebanon, the statement said.
On Lebanon’s economic recovery, both sides “agreed on the need to launch the required international-level reforms based on principles of transparency and enforcement of binding laws.” The statement affirmed that “Lebanon is a genuine member of the Arab community and that its relations with Arab countries are the guarantee of its security and stability.” The statement concluded by mentioning Aoun’s invitation to the Saudi Crown Prince, who received it “favorably.”
Aoun’s official visit to Riyadh is seen as a significant step in warming Lebanese-Saudi relations, long strained by tensions related to Iran and Hezbollah. Saudi nationals are still prohibited from traveling to Lebanon, and trade relations have been frozen for years. On October 29, 2021, the kingdom announced retaliatory measures after then-Information Minister Georges Cordahi’s comments about the war in Yemen and the role of Gulf countries in the conflict. The crisis deepened due to Hezbollah’s influence over Lebanese politics and drug smuggling operations hidden in imported products.
Shortly after departing Riyadh for Cairo, Aoun sent a final message to bin Salman, thanking him for his “welcome, which reflects the depth of the historical Lebanese-Saudi brotherly relations.” “Our discussions laid a solid foundation for a new phase in relations between our two countries, which we agreed to activate and develop in all fields,” he wrote.
The Shiite funds: Lebanon’s highest Shiite authority the Higher Shiite Council claimed ownership, and demanded restitution, of 2.5 million dollars, suspectedly intended to finance Hezbollah, seized from a passenger traveling from Turkey last week as they arrived at Beirut’s international airport. The case has been transferred to Mount Lebanon Court of Appeals investigative judge Nicolas Mansour. The unprecedented seizure followed Israel’s threat to attack Lebanon’s airport to force the turning away of an Iranian flight and a subsequent and ongoing ban on all airfare from the Islamic Republic to Beirut.
Illicit enrichment: Mount Lebanon’s chief prosecutor, Ghada Aoun, filed charges on February 28 – one day before her retirement – against former Prime Minister Najib Mikati, his brother Taha, and former Banque du Liban (BDL) Governor Riad Salameh for illicit enrichment. Aoun accuses the Mikati brothers of borrowing 300 million dollars from Bank Audi and using those same funds to purchase shares in the bank. They allegedly acquired more than 10 percent of the shares, despite regulations prohibiting a company from purchasing more than 5 percent of a bank without board approval. The brothers reportedly circumvented this rule by falsely presenting themselves as separate entities.
Aoun also alleges they used the loan receipts as collateral for the loan. While the alleged offense dates back to 2010, she argues it remains prosecutable, as illicit enrichment is not subject to a statute of limitations. The Mikati brothers have previously denied wrongdoing.
Aoun also filed charges against Salameh, accusing him of “facilitating” the Mikati brothers’ alleged scheme through influence peddling and his control over banks, according to the same source. This is not the first time Aoun has targeted the former Prime Minister. In October 2019, she filed illicit enrichment charges against Najib, Maher and Taha Mikati, as well as Bank Audi. That case stemmed from media reports alleging that public figures misused the BDL’s subsidized housing loan program between 2009 and 2018.
The case, which involved tens of millions of dollars, was later reassigned to Beirut’s interim chief examining magistrate, Charbel Abou Samra, after then-Attorney General Ghassan Oueidat temporarily suspended Aoun. In 2021, Abou Samra dismissed the case on the grounds that the alleged offenses had occurred before a 2020 legal amendment abolished the statute of limitations for such crimes. Several legal advocacy groups, including Legal Agenda, contested the ruling.
A successor for Riad Salameh: Finance Minister Yassin Jaber said in an interview with Asharq Business – an Arabic-language media partner of Bloomberg – and reported by local media, that the appointment of a new governor of the Central Bank (BDL) could occur before the end of March “to ensure continuity of work at the bank.” The former Amal MP stated that it was necessary for the future governor to have a “good reputation” and “extensive experience in financial and monetary fields.”
Since the end of Riad Salameh’s sixth term in July 2023, the first vice-governor of the BDL, Wassim Mansouri, has been acting as the interim head, due to divisions within the political class on the choice of a successor.
The situation has changed since the election of Joseph Aoun to the presidency – which ended more than two years of vacancy – followed by the formation of Nawaf Salam’s government, which replaced Najib Mikati’s which was in caretaker status since May 2022. Negotiations are continuing behind the scenes at the Baabda Palace, the Grand Serail, and the Ministry of Finance to find a successor.
When asked about the fate of the billions of dollars of deposits blocked by banks since the beginning of the crisis in 2019, which need to be subject to a restitution and restructuring plan of the banking sector, the Minister assured during this interview that it was “out of the question” for these deposits to be purely and simply canceled, among other statements.
Intra-Christian clashes: Three months to the day after the killing of Roland Murr, head of the Lebanese Forces office in Karm al-Zeitoun, the party held a press conference Tuesday titled ‘The Murder of Justice Will Not Go Unpunished’ to discuss the latest security and judicial developments in the case. Murr was shot dead in early December during a brawl in the heart of Achrafieh involving members of the group Jnoud al-Rabb (‘Soldiers of the Lord’).
For this crime that “shook civil peace in the Karm el-Zeitoun neighborhood,” Lebanese Forces MP Ghassan Hasbani said that “so far, we are still waiting for justice to be done and for the criminals to be sanctioned.” He noted that some suspects are still at large despite being the subject of arrest warrants. He thanked security services for their cooperation in arresting those already detained and issuing the necessary warrants but criticized “flagrant negligence by certain security bodies, though they are competent in such operations.” He did not name specific agencies. “These same forces have proven their effectiveness by making very rapid arrests in other cases where the murderer was unknown. However, in this specific case, the culprit and his accomplices are identified, yet they still roam freely,” Hasbani added.
The incident involving Jnoud al-Rabb has sparked outrage within the Lebanese Forces, prompting party leader Samir Geagea to implicitly call for the group’s dissolution in an appeal to then-caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi.
During Tuesday’s press conference, Violette Murr, lawyer and daughter of the killed official, denounced Jnoud al-Rabb as an “extremist group that neither reflects God’s teachings nor words and above all, bears no resemblance to the residents of Achrafieh,” according to the Lebanese Forces’ account.
Elie Charbachi, the Lebanese Forces coordinator in Beirut, announced that the party has filed a complaint with the competent prosecutor against Jnoud al-Rabb “for all the crimes it has committed in recent years, the most recent being the assassination of Roland Murr.” The group was notably involved in an attack on Aug. 12, 2023, against an LGBT bar in the Mar Mikhael district of Beirut. Charbachi said the case is “currently being followed by the first investigating judge of Beirut with seriousness and professionalism, in accordance with legal procedures.” He concluded by affirming that “the judicial process will continue until justice is served.”
Refugee camp on fire: A fire broke out Thursday in a Syrian refugee camp at the entrance to the village of al-Marj in the Beqaa Valley, destroying a tent. The blaze, reportedly caused by an electrical short-circuit, was quickly contained by Civil Defense teams, preventing it from spreading to nearby tents, according to local sources.
The fire, which erupted in the early hours of Thursday, gutted one of the tents in the camp, where many Syrian refugees live in vulnerable conditions. The swift response from Civil Defense teams ensured that the fire did not reach the other tents in the camp, averting further damage.
This incident follows a tragic event a month ago when a Syrian girl lost her life in a similar fire at a refugee camp in Kab Elias, also in the Beqaa. That fire destroyed two tents, highlighting the ongoing risks that Syrian refugees face in Lebanon’s makeshift camps.
Living conditions for Syrian refugees in Lebanon remain precarious, with overcrowded camps and inadequate infrastructure leaving them susceptible to accidents and natural disasters. Authorities and humanitarian organizations continue to address these risks, but many refugees remain exposed to the dangers of their temporary shelters.
Illegal hunting in Akkar: Activists have raised alarms over an escalating bird poaching crisis in Lebanon’s Akkar region. Animal protection advocate Ghina Nahfawi Baltagi shared a video on Wednesday showing dozens of hunters targeting migratory storks in Arida, accompanied by photos and videos on social media. She tagged relevant ministries to highlight the urgent issue.
Poaching has spread across several areas in Akkar. The gravity of the situation prompted both the ministers of Environment and Agriculture to address the issue, with Information Minister Paul Morcos highlighting the “need to protect migratory birds” during a Cabinet meeting Thursday, though no further details were provided.
Lebanon is a key migratory birds corridor between Africa and Europe. The country’s numerous water sources attract migratory birds, yet a hunting law that could regulate this activity has never been fully enforced. Former Environment Minister Nasser Yassine, who also headed the Higher Hunting Council, advocated for a complete hunting ban but was unable to curb rampant poaching. This illegal hunting is twofold: first, migratory birds, storks in this case, are not included on the list of legally hunted species and are protected by international conventions; second, hunting them during their nesting season is criminal.
The school and the nation: Education Minister Rima Karameh issued a circular urging schools, high schools, institutes and vocational schools to commit to singing the Lebanese national anthem at the beginning of each week, the state-run National News Agency reported on Monday. It also called for the removal of partisan symbols, raising of the Lebanese flag over all schools.
The circular stated that “in order to strengthen students’ sense of national belonging and in accordance with applicable administrative regulations and procedures, school principals and directors of public high schools and vocational institutes are required to permanently raise the Lebanese flag over the buildings housing these institutions.”
They are also asked to “sing the Lebanese national anthem every Monday morning before students enter their classrooms and remove any partisan flags or symbols from school buildings,” the circular added. “All principals and directors of schools, high schools, institutes, and public vocational schools are required to comply with this circular,” it stated.
In The Region
The Syrian coast massacre: Fighting has erupted at Syria’s Banias gas power plant, just hours after the country’s interim President Ahmed Al Sharaa urged for peace amid escalating communal violence that has killed hundreds of civilians in the coastal areas. Syria’s state-run news agency SANA reported on Sunday that fighting broke out with security forces at the plant after an attack by “remnants of the former regime.” On the same day, Al Sharaa stated the need to “preserve national unity and domestic peace, we can live together” as newly appointed forces clashed with fighters allegedly loyal to removed President Bashar al-Assad.
The fighting began after the pro-Assad fighters coordinated attacks on Thursday, March 6, killing 16 members of Syria’s new security forces in the coastal area of Latakia, inhabited by an Alawite majority, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported. The SOHR reported earlier helicopter strikes by Syrian security forces targeting the loyalists.
The attacks spiraled into revenge killings as thousands of armed supporters of Syria’s new leadership went to the coastal areas to support the security forces. Several skirmishes have in fact been reported since Assad’s ouster, particularly during a wave of arrests by the new authorities targeting the former regime’s supporters: but never on such a scale. According to the Observatory, at least 973 Alawite civilians have been killed in Latakia and Tartous since Thursday, as well as about 230 members of the government’s security forces. In addition, around 250 pro-Assad fighters were killed, the Observatory added, taking the overall death toll to more than 1,450.
UN rights chief Volker Turk has called for an immediate halt to the violence in Syria. “There must be prompt, transparent and impartial investigations into all the killings and other violations, and those responsible must be held to account, in line with international law norms and standards. Groups terrorizing civilians must also be held accountable,” Turk said. Also US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement on Sunday that “Syria’s interim authorities must hold the perpetrators of these massacres against Syria’s minority communities accountable.”
To respond, Syrian President Ahmad Al Sharaa has issued a decree establishing an independent commission to investigate the deadly events in western Syria since March 6. The commission is made up of five judges, an army officer and a lawyer. Most are former members of the Geneva-based Syrian Constitutional Committee. Its mission is to investigate the factors that led to the outbreak of violence, the abuses committed against civilians and the attacks on state institutions and officials. All state administrations and institutions are required to cooperate with the commission, which will have the power to call on anyone who can help it in its mission. According to the decree, the commission will submit a report to the President within 30 days.
Israel and the Syrian Druze: Unstable security in Syria has also been spurred by repeated Israeli airstrikes across the country, claiming to target the former regime’s weapons, alongside Israeli expansion past a buffer zone bordering the occupied Golan Heights and demands for regions south of Damascus to be demilitarized.
Israel’s Defense Ministry said on Sunday it would let Syrian Druze workers enter the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syrian territory, without saying when the government would start issuing permits. Many Syrian Druze were loyal to deposed President Bashar al-Assad, and a large number of families have relatives living in the Golan Heights. The Israeli government has said Syria’s new leadership is a threat to Israel and has pledged to help protect minorities in Syria, including the Druze.
War remnants still kill: Save the Children warned of the dangers threatening children in Syria due to war remnants, noting that more than 180 children have been killed or injured during the past three months. About 11.5 million people – including 5 million children – still live in areas contaminated with these remnants, according to the organization’s statement.
As thousands of families return to their areas, the risks of unexploded ordnance increase. The organization called for expanding demining operations, launching awareness programs, and providing psychological support to the affected children, emphasizing the need for all parties to commit to protecting them and ensuring their safety.
Kamal Jumblatt’s alleged killer arrested: Ibrahim Houeija, a former Air Force intelligence chief under ex-Syrian president Hafez al-Assad, was arrested in the coastal city of Jableh by the new Syrian authorities on Thursday. Since the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, following a swift offensive led by a coalition of Islamist rebels led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), hundreds of people have been arrested in security operations against the ‘militias’ of Bashar al-Assad, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
On Thursday, the official Syrian news agency Sana reported that Ibrahim Houeija was accused of hundreds of assassinations under Hafez al-Assad, including supervising the assassination of Kamal Jumblatt, leader and founder of Lebanon’s Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) and head of the National Movement during the Lebanese Civil War. On March 16, 1977, Jumblatt was assassinated at the age of 60 when a group of gunmen ambushed his car on a road in the Chouf region just a few hundred meters from a Syrian checkpoint. At the time of his death, Syria had been occupying Lebanon for nearly a year, and Jumblatt strongly opposed Syria’s military intervention.
Walid Jumblatt, son of Kamal and former leader of the PSP, reacted to the announcement of Houeija’s arrest on his X account in two words: “Allah Akbar.” Walid’s son, Taymour, who is the current leader of the PSP, also commented on the news, writing on X: “The blood of Kamal Jumblatt has triumphed over his killer, even if it took time… and the justice of history has triumphed over the bullets of treachery.” In a statement released on Friday, the PSP expressed its appreciation of the efforts made by the Syrian authorities, which led to the arrest of Houeija, hoping that the “investigations with the murderer will bring to light the large number of crimes committed by the former regime and expose them to public opinion.”
Egypt’s alternative plan for Gaza: Arab leaders adopted an Egyptian reconstruction plan for Gaza on Tuesday that would cost 53 billion dollars and avoid displacing Palestinians from the enclave, in contrast to US President Donald Trump’s ‘Middle East Riviera’ vision. The White House said the plan adopted by Arab states did not address Gaza’s reality and that Trump stood by his proposal. At the same time, though, Trump’s plan to displace Palestinians in a US takeover of the enclave received global condemnation last month and echoed long-standing Palestinian fears of being permanently driven from their homes.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said the Egyptian proposal, welcomed in subsequent statements by Hamas and criticized by Israel and the US, had been accepted at the closing of a summit in Cairo. Sisi said at the summit that he was certain Trump would be able to achieve peace as the Gaza Strip has been left devastated by Israel’s military assault.
The major questions that need to be answered about Gaza’s future are who will run the enclave and which countries will provide the billions of dollars needed for reconstruction. Sisi said Egypt had worked in cooperation with Palestinians on creating an administrative committee of independent, professional Palestinian technocrats entrusted with the governance of Gaza after the end of the Israel-Gaza war. The committee would be responsible for the oversight of humanitarian aid and managing the Strip’s affairs for a temporary period, in preparation for the return of the Palestinian Authority (PA), he said.
Hamas has agreed it will not field candidates to the Cairo-proposed committee but it would have to give its consent to the tasks, members and the agenda of the committee that would work under the PA’s supervision. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said late on Tuesday the names for the individuals participating in the committee had been decided. Also Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who heads the PA, said he welcomed the Egyptian idea, and urged Trump to support such a plan that would not involve displacing Palestinian residents.
Less than two weeks: The World Food Programme (WFP) announced on March 5 that it has enough food supplies in the Gaza Strip to keep public kitchens and bakeries open for less than two weeks due to Israel blocking the entry of food, fuel, medicine, and other essential supplies. On Sunday, then, Energy Minister Eli Cohen had ordered the immediate stoppage of electricity transmission to Gaza, posting on X: “Enough with the talk, it’s time for action!”. Furthermore, prices of essential supplies have reportedly soared by over 100 percent in the wake of the new Israeli blockade, making essential food items unaffordable for most survivors of the US–Israeli genocide. After an ethnic cleansing campaign that lasted for more than 16 months, Gaza’s population is entirely dependent on trucked-in food and other aid.
From the start of a US-sponsored ceasefire on January 19 until the beginning of March, Israel allowed a steady flow of humanitarian aid to enter the enclave. However, officials repeatedly violated the terms of the deal, carrying out deadly attacks and consistently holding up the entry of essential supplies, including thousands of tents and mobile homes.
UNICEF has warned that the suspension of aid for Gaza will have “catastrophic consequences” for Palestinian children and families on the brink of survival. “The aid restrictions announced yesterday will severely compromise lifesaving operations for civilians,” Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF regional director for West Asia, said on Tuesday. “It is imperative that the ceasefire, a critical lifeline for children, remains in place and that aid is allowed to flow freely so we can continue to scale up the humanitarian response.”
The International Organization for Migration’s regional crisis coordinator, Karl Baker, recently revealed that the NGO has 22,500 tents in its warehouses in Jordan, after supply trucks brought back their undelivered cargo. Other humanitarian agencies say they have tens of thousands of pounds of food, medicine, medical supplies, mattresses, and assistive devices for people with disabilities waiting to enter Gaza.
“Preventing food from entering Gaza is a continuation of Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon of war as part of the ongoing campaign of what the ICJ ruled to be plausible genocide against the Palestinian people,” South Africa’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, referring to the case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). “The people of Gaza are experiencing immeasurable suffering and urgently need food, shelter, and medical supplies. South Africa calls on the international community to hold Israel accountable,” it added.
The fast-deteriorating situation inside Gaza comes as US President Donald Trump doubled down on his plan to ethnically cleanse the strip of Palestinians, rejecting an Arab scheme that would see Hamas give up governance of Gaza before a 53 billion dollar to reconstruct the Strip is put into motion – without forcibly displacing Palestinians.
Gaza cease-fire: Israel has confirmed it will send a delegation to Qatar’s capital for talks on extending a fragile ceasefire with Hamas. On Saturday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a delegation would be sent to Doha on Monday in “an effort to advance negotiations.” This comes after a Hamas team met Egyptian officials in Cairo on Saturday to negotiate the second phase of the ceasefire deal.
“The delegation emphasised the necessity of adhering to all terms of the agreement proceeding immediately to initiate negotiations for the second phase, opening the border crossings, and allowing the entry of relief materials into Gaza without any restrictions or conditions,” it said in a statement. In earlier comments, Hamas spokesperson Abdel Latif al-Qanoua said a day earlier that “indicators are positive regarding the start of negotiations for the second phase.”
Railing against October 7 probe: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposed a state commission investigating Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack in an address to the Knesset accusing Israeli intelligence and security chiefs of conspiring against him amid renewed reports of Israeli government intelligence failures stopping the cross-border ambush.
Netanyahu’s government faced criticism over its handling of the war and from political opponents and relatives of hostages abducted to Gaza – who fought eviction from the session. The Israeli government’s hardliners, meanwhile, took hawkish stances on Gaza and threatened a return to war as the international community continued to plead for resumed aid entry into the enclave after the start of an Israeli ban on medicine, food, fuel and other vital supplies since Saturday, March 1st – coinciding with the date of the end of the first phase of the truce.
US-Hamas talks: Axios and Reuters claimed that US President Donald Trump’s administration held secret talks with Hamas on the liberation of American nationals still held in Gaza alongside negotiations for a wider truce agreement. The report contrasts the growing divergence between Hamas and Israel on continuing the cease-fire after the expiry of the first phase, marked by the imposition of new Israeli demands rejected by Hamas accompanied by cuts to the entry of food, medicine and fuel into the enclave and the threat of resuming the onslaught on Gaza.
The White House has confirmed that the Trump administration engaged in direct talks with Hamas, saying the discussions align with US interests. Following this, President Donald Trump threatened Palestinians in Gaza with deadly consequences if all captives were not released. In a social media post on Wednesday, demanding the immediate release of all captives, Trump addressed the people of Gaza directly: “Also, to the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD! Make a SMART decision,” the American President wrote.
On Sunday, a Hamas official said the group is willing to release American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, 21 – the only American hostage believed to be alive – reported Hamas channel Al-Aqsa TV, as quoted by Reuters on Sunday.
This is the first time in decades that the United States negotiated directly with Hamas, a significant departure from US policy, which ruled out direct engagement with the group that it designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in 1997. Instead, it relied on intermediaries – most recently Qatar and Egypt – to communicate with Hamas.
The stuttering negotiations have led to internal strife in Israel, particularly pitting hostages’ relatives and opponents of the government against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, already the subject of mass protests prior to the Gaza war. There are growing calls within Israel for an investigation into how the negotiations are being handled, compounding other demands for an inquiry into the government’s failure to prevent Hamas’ incursion on October 7, 2023. Last Tuesday, Israel’s Shin Bet internal security agency acknowledged responsibility for failing to prevent the attack, echoing an Israeli military investigation’s findings.
West-Bank inhabitable: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) announced that the Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps in the northern West Bank have become “uninhabitable” due to the ongoing attacks by the Israeli occupation forces. The agency shared in a press statement on Friday: “These large-scale demolitions are an alarming new pattern. They have an unprecedented impact on the Palestinian refugees and seek to permanently change the characteristics of the camps in the northern West Bank.”
According to the agency, this is: “The single-longest and most destructive operation since the Second Intifada.” It added: “The operation has resulted in the largest displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank since the 1967 war, with some 40,000 people forced from their homes.” “Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps have been nearly emptied of their residents. With widespread destruction to civilian infrastructure, including homes, people now face the prospect of having nowhere to return to,” UNRWA described.
UNRWA stated that its teams on the ground: “Are working to meet the needs of those displaced, under the ever-shrinking humanitarian space in the West Bank.”
In Jenin alone, Israel’s continuing deadly raids have killed at least 25 Palestinians and displaced nearly 20,000 this year, the camp’s media committee said. On Thursday, it reported that the Israeli army has also prevented water from reaching four main hospitals in the region and said that 35 percent of Jenin city’s residents have also been deprived of water.
Fighting flares in South Sudan: South Sudan has seen an “alarming regression” as clashes in recent weeks in the country’s north-east threaten to undo years of progress towards peace, the United Nations commission on human rights for the country has warned. The statement on Saturday from Yasmin Sooka, chairperson of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, comes amid a spate of violence between security forces overseen by President Salva Kiir and an armed group his government has alleged is linked to First Vice President Riek Machar.
The situation has put in peril the pair’s fragile power-sharing agreement reached in 2018 to end five years of civil war. It has also sparked fears of war in the country’s Upper Nile state. “We are witnessing an alarming regression that could erase years of hard-won progress,” Sooka said. “Rather than fuelling division and conflict, leaders must urgently refocus on the peace process, uphold the human rights of South Sudanese citizens, and ensure a smooth transition to democracy,” Sooka said.
The latest flare-up began when fighting erupted between the South Sudanese Armed Forces and a group identified by Human Rights Watch (HRW) as an “armed youth militia” in Nasir County in the Upper Nile state in February. While it remains unclear what started the fighting, HRW noted rumours of forced disarmament may have fueled the unrest. Several clashes have since taken place, with fighters using “heavy weaponry”, according to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The agency has also reported fighting in Western Equatoria state in the southwestern part of the country.
Earlier last week, South Sudan’s information minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, blamed the violence, in part, on the White Army, a Nuer armed group operating in Upper Nile. He accused the group of working in league with Machar’s party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM/IO).
SAF advances on the Blue Nile: At the same time, fighting continues to thorn Sudan. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) seized the eastern side of a strategic bridge in the capital Khartoum on Tuesday from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). A military statement said army forces regained control of the eastern side of the Manshia Bridge in eastern Khartoum. The army released a video showing a military commander checking his forces at the entrance of the bridge, the last bridge held by the RSF on the Blue Nile.
The SAF has regained control of nine bridges that connect three key cities in Khartoum, except the Jebel Aulia Bridge on the White Nile in southern Khartoum. There was no immediate comment from the RSF on the army statement.
On Monday, the army advanced into the East Nile district in Khartoum and captured several governmental sites there: in Khartoum State, which consists of three cities, the army now controls Bahri in the north, most of Omdurman in the west, and 75% of Khartoum city, where the presidential palace and international airport are located. However, the RSF still maintains positions in the eastern and southern neighborhoods of Khartoum.
Sudan has been embroiled in a war between the Sudanese army and the RSF since mid-April 2023, killing more than 20,000 people and displacing 14 million, according to the UN and local authorities. Research from US universities, however, estimates the death toll at around 130,000.
What We’re Reading
A new governor for the Central Bank: There has been no consensus on a specific candidate for the governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon. Stakes are high for those who want a Salameh 2.0 or a real reformist of the banking and financial system, Maan Barazy reported.
Ramadan without return: This year Ramadan in Lebanon feels different for thousands of families who have lost loved ones in the recent war, had their homes reduced to rubble and are facing considerable hardships, financially, psychologically and socially. Here Rodayna Raydan’s weekly report.
The Druze dilemma: A lot has been said about the Druze in the region, but little has been done to address the fundamental question: are Druze leaders actually protecting their people, or are they exploiting their fear for political survival? Ramzi Abou Ismail questioned.
Stolen artifacts, returned: Recovered archaeological items from Switzerland mark a significant milestone in Lebanon’s efforts to reclaim its smuggled cultural and historical treasures, wrote Valeria Rando.
Lebanon +
Civilians among hundreds are being murdered in Syria while government forces battle fighters loyal to the deposed Assad regime. President Ahmed Al Sharaa promises accountability for anyone attacking civilians, while the UN envoy expresses alarm. What’s the risk of escalation? In Al Jazeera’s ‘The Inside Story’ last episode, Adrian Finighan dialogued with Marie Forestier, Senior Adviser, European Institute of Peace, Ammar Kahf, Executive Director, Omran Center for Strategic Studies, and Hind Kabawat, Professor of Conflict Resolution, George Mason University.
