Lebanon’s government wins confidence vote, says only armed forces should defend country in war

GENEVA: The UN rights chief on Wednesday rejected as “unlawful” proposals for the annexation of or forced transfer from Palestinian territories, warning they posed a threat to the entire region.
“We must resist any normalization of unlawful conduct, including proposals for annexation or forced transfer,” Volker Turk told the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Such proposals “could threaten the peace and security of Palestinians and Israelis, and of the wider region,” he warned, insisting that “this is the moment for voices of reason to prevail.”
Turk did not give details, but there have been rising levels of violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank and calls for annexation after Israel announced expanded military operations in the occupied Palestinian territory.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly proposed emptying war-ravaged Gaza of Palestinians.
He has floated the idea of a US takeover of Gaza under which its Palestinian population would be relocated — a proposal met with widespread condemnation, but welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump later appeared to soften his plan, saying he was only recommending the idea, and conceding that the leaders of Jordan and Egypt — the proposed destinations for relocated Gazans — had rejected any effort to move Palestinians against their will.
But the US president’s official social media accounts on Wednesday posted an apparently AI-generated video depicting war-ravaged Gaza rebuilt into a seaside resort, replete with a towering golden statue of Trump himself.
Presenting a fresh report on the rights situation in the Palestinian territories, Turk said Wednesday: “We urgently need to end the conflict.”
To do so, he said it was vital to hold accountable perpetrators of a vast array of abuses committed since the war in Gaza erupted after Hamas’s deadly October 7, 2023 attacks inside Israel.
“Israel’s means and methods of warfare have caused staggering levels of casualties and destruction, raising concerns over the commission of war crimes and other possible atrocity crimes,” he said.
But he raised “serious doubts” about the Israeli justice system’s ability to deliver justice “notably in relation to the unlawful killing of Palestinians in Gaza or in the West Bank.”
He also noted that “Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups have taken, held, and tortured hostages in Gaza, and have indiscriminately fired projectiles into Israeli territory, amounting to war crimes.”
To his knowledge, none of these groups had taken measures to punish those responsible, he said, adding that such “impunity begets more violence.”
So to did “delegitimising and threatening international institutions that are there to serve people and uphold international law also harms us all,” he warned.
All violations and abuses need to be investigated independently, he said.
While Turk mentioned no names, earlier this month Washington sanctioned the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court Karim Khan over the ICC’s investigations targeting US personnel as well as alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza.
Khan was responsible for the request that led the ICC to issue arrest warrants late last year for Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant.

BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun expressed hope that “the upcoming extraordinary Arab Summit, scheduled to be held next week in Cairo, would yield a unified Arab position to address the region’s current challenges, especially since it targets the joint interests of the brotherly Arab countries.”

Aoun received on Wednesday Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al-Busaidi, who was accompanied by a diplomatic delegation.

He said that “amid the developments in southern Lebanon, Syria and Palestine, the challenges are significant and ongoing and require a unified Arab stance to face them.”

He added: “The presence of a unified (front) is enough to strengthen the Arab stance and allow it to impact the sequence of events.”

Aoun thanked Oman for “the assistance provided to Lebanon, including medicines, medical support, organizing training courses, and offering university scholarships.”

He also hoped that “the Omani airline would resume flights to Lebanon as soon as possible.”

The Omani minister conveyed Sultan Haitham bin Tariq’s greetings to Aoun “on his election as president” and highlighted “the strong relations between Lebanon and Oman.”

He also extended to Aoun “an official invitation to visit Oman and discuss ways to develop and activate bilateral relations in the interest of the two brotherly countries.”

Al-Busaidi said: “This visit proves that the sultan puts Lebanon as a priority and emphasizes the solidarity of the Omani people with the brotherly Lebanese people.”

He affirmed that “Oman is looking into activating the work of the joint committee between the two countries, signing agreements and memoranda of understanding, and exchanging delegations, especially cultural and economic ones.”

Meanwhile, discussion sessions on the ministerial statement of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government resumed in parliament. MPs are expected to give a vote of confidence to the government by a significant majority.

MP Ibrahim Mneimneh called for “opening the books to examine the reasons behind the losses and who benefited from them. The rule of accountability is the only standard capable of addressing the crisis.”

MP Ghassan Skaff said the government is required to function as a “foundational body” during a transitional period. “While we understand that the government’s term may not allow it to accomplish all that was outlined in its ministerial statement, it is imperative that we begin the challenging journey ahead,” he added.

MP Wael Abu Faour called for “the lifting of immunities, the liberation of the judiciary from political influence, sectarianism, and corruption, as well as a reevaluation of the Supreme Council for the Trial of Presidents and Ministers.”

MP Halima Kaakour said she hopes that the ministerial statement does not “cater to certain influential parties and interests,” while MP Adib Abdel Massih hopes that it includes “an economic vision to raise the GDP.”

Herve Magro, French ambassador to Lebanon, conveyed to Yassine Jaber, Lebanon’s finance minister, the readiness of his country to provide unwavering technical and political support to the government and its reform approach.

According to the finance minister’s office, Magro discussed with Jaber “the reform steps adopted by the ministry and the support projects existing between the ministry and the Agence Francaise de Developpement in the context of preparing the 2026 budget.”

The French diplomat revealed “the interest and intention of French President Emmanuel Macron to help establish a fund to support the reconstruction process, especially since Lebanon has declared its determination to show transparency in its reforms.”

Meanwhile, Israeli reconnaissance planes flew intensively over Beirut and its suburbs throughout the day.

Israeli airstrikes were carried out before noon on Jabal Al-Rayhan in the Jezzine district. The warplanes carried out mock raids over the villages and towns of Tyre district and the border villages.

On Tuesday night, Israeli airstrikes targeted the town of Janta in the Baalbek district, “killing two people and injuring three others,” according to the Ministry of Health.

The victims were traveling in a transport vehicle in Shaara in the Janta region when they were targeted by an Israeli drone. This is a border area where illegal crossings abound.