Gaza ministry says Israeli forces detain hundreds at hospital

BEIRUT: Qatar’s prime minister said during a visit to Beirut on Tuesday that Doha would help Lebanon rebuild after a devastating Hezbollah-Israel war, but only after a new government is formed.
Reeling from years of crisis and a conflict, Lebanon has pinned hopes on Gulf states to fund reconstruction, with Qatar having been heavily involved in such efforts after the Hezbollah-Israel war of 2006.
“When it comes to economic support and support for reconstruction, there is no doubt that the State of Qatar will be there,” Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani told reporters after meeting Lebanon’s newly-elected President Joseph Aoun.
“We look forward to ongoing efforts to form a government, and after that, we will discuss these files,” Al-Thani said, adding that he looked forward to forming “a strategic partnership” with Lebanon.
Al-Thani is set to meet other senior officials during what he described as a “visit of support,” including prime minister-designate Nawaf Salam, who has been tasked with forming a government, though efforts have stalled.
Qatar was among five countries, including the United States, France, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, which lobbied heavily for Lebanon to elect a president last month and end a two-year vacuum due to political deadlock.
A fragile Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire has been in place since November 27, after more than a year of hostilities including two months of all-out war.
Al-Thani said it was crucial for Israeli troops to “adhere to the agreement on the withdrawal... from southern Lebanon.”
He also called for implementing a Security Council resolution that states United Nations peacekeepers and the Lebanese army should be the only forces present in the country’s south.
Under the truce deal, Lebanon’s military was to deploy in the south alongside UN peacekeepers as the Israeli army withdrew over a 60-day period.
Hezbollah was also to pull back its forces north of the Litani River — about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border — and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south.
The withdrawal period was extended to February 18 after the Israeli military missed the original January 26 deadline.
Both sides have repeatedly accused the other of violations of the truce deal.
Al-Thani also said Qatar would continue providing humanitarian aid, as well as support for Lebanon’s cash-strapped army.
Washington is the main financial backer of Lebanon’s army but it also receives support from other countries including Qatar, which has granted in-kind and monetary aid.

BEIRUT: The Lebanese army on Tuesday blocked the main road connecting Kfar Hamam and Rashaya Al-Foukhar to prevent an Israeli force with six vehicles from advancing toward the area.

The Israeli convoy had crossed the border line at Shebaa Farms, and advanced toward Kfarshouba in the eastern sector of southern Lebanon.

It then headed toward the surroundings of Kfar Hamam, where the Lebanese army is deployed. Intense gunfire was heard, and the Israeli force withdrew two hours later.

The Lebanese response to the incursion was a step up in tactics against Israeli forces stationed in the border area.

The Israeli presence in the border region has been extended until Feb. 18 upon US approval, although the ceasefire agreement had initially stipulated that Israeli forces should completely withdraw from southern Lebanon within a 60-day period that ended on Jan. 27.

The Lebanese army has avoided entering any village subject to Israeli incursions, instead waiting for notification of their withdrawal from UN peacekeeping forces.

A ceasefire agreement that went into force on Nov. 27 last year put an end to the Israel-Hezbollah war and saw the Lebanese army redeployed in the border area.

Lebanese Army Command said on Tuesday morning: “Military troops were redeployed in Taybeh-Marjayoun in the eastern sector, as well as other regions in south of Litani, following the Israeli withdrawal.”

It added that the deployment was carried out “in cooperation with the Quintet Committee overseeing the implementation mechanism of the ceasefire agreement.”

It also repeated its call for citizens “to adhere to the directives issued in its official statements, and abide by the instructions of the military units deployed in the southern regions, to safeguard their lives and safety.”

Taybeh municipality called on the town’s residents “to cooperate with the army members and abide by their directives, until they make sure that the town is safe, with no Israeli presence.”

In another development, Lebanese Army Intelligence seized a truck loaded with weapons and ammunition left over from a warehouse targeted by Israel in the Al-Wardaniyah area in Iqlim Al-Kharroub.

A security source reported: “The truck driver and his companion noticed an Israeli military drone pursuing them from the air, prompting them to disembark from the truck and flee.

“The truck contained explosives, detonators and rocket shells, and its cargo was concealed under a large cover that obscured the contents from view.”

Meanwhile, Israeli forces across the border area continued demolishing homes and facilities that they claim belong to Hezbollah members.

On Tuesday, Israeli troops destroyed a wastewater treatment plant in the Marjeyoun plain toward Kfar Kila.

An Israeli drone released two sonic weapons in the airspace over the town of Al-Jabin. Additionally, Israeli forces destroyed trees and agricultural land, and burned several homes in the town of Houla.

Israeli forces once again violated the ceasefire agreement by conducting mock airstrikes in the skies over the northern Litani River, specifically above the regions of Nabatieh and the Western Bekaa, at a medium altitude.

The Ministry of Agriculture described the bulldozing of agricultural lands in Houla as a “painful aggression, as the bulldozing included olive groves and fruit trees, in addition to burning some houses in the town.”

The ministry said in a statement: “The Israeli enemy deliberately bulldozed the surroundings of the Israeli Al-Abbad site adjacent to the border, which contains large numbers of oak and pine trees, which causes the destruction of the environment and natural resources that are the source of livelihood for farmers.”

It is “working with the relevant authorities to follow up on the damage caused to the agricultural field in this area. We are also coordinating with international bodies to document these attacks and apply pressure for compensation to the affected farmers.”

The ministry also called on the international community “to take urgent measures to protect Lebanon’s environment and natural resources.

“We urge all relevant authorities to intensify their efforts to help farmers rebuild after the destruction caused by the Israeli aggression, especially under these critical circumstances.”

On Tuesday, Hezbollah released a statement condemning the “unjust decision” by Australia to impose sanctions on its secretary-general, Naim Qassem.

The party said: “This decision has no legal or moral basis; it is a clear bias in favor of the Zionist entity and a cover-up of its aggression and terrorism. The decision will not affect the morale of the loyal resistance supporters in Lebanon or Hezbollah’s position.”

Hezbollah also said that Feb. 23 will mark the day of the popular funerals for former secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah and his successor, Hashem Safieddine, who were both killed in Israeli raids five months ago in the southern suburb of Beirut.

Nasrallah will be buried in a field located along the old road connecting Beirut to the airport, while Safieddine will be laid to rest in his hometown of Deir Kanoun in the Sour district.

The field where Nasrallah will be buried contains a large building constructed by American Insurance in the early 1970s.

Overlooking the western lane of the old airport road, the site spans more than 20,000 sq. meters.

The building was eventually purchased by a Shiite contractor and financier close to Hezbollah for $40 million.

Mahmoud Qomati, a member of Hezbollah’s political council, said on Tuesday that the funeral “will serve as a popular referendum demonstrating adherence to the resistance and commitment to Hezbollah’s principles and Lebanon’s liberation cause.”

He added: “The funeral will be held with the utmost consideration for security and national arrangements. We will be inviting figures from Lebanon and abroad to participate in the event.”