Things are not looking very good for Hezbollah in Lebanon. Last week the Lebanese army chief was elected President who stated that Hezbollah needs to be completely disarmed. This week, Nawaf Salam, the head of the International Court of Justice, won enough support to become Lebanon's next prime minister after backing by a majority of lawmakers. This represents a significant shift among the power factions in Lebanon as Hezbollah is squeezed out. Salam and others in their ICJ court roles have previously outlined Hezbollah has committed war crimes against the people of Lebanon. Lebanon's Salam wins enough support to become PM, angering Hezbollah https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/lebanon-name-prime-minister-new-phase-begins-2025-01-13/ BEIRUT, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Nawaf Salam, the head of the International Court of Justice, won enough support to become Lebanon's next prime minister after a majority of lawmakers backed him for the post on Monday, a big blow to Hezbollah which accused opponents of working to exclude it. The support for Salam underlined the major shift in the power balance among Lebanon's sectarian factions since the Shi'ite group Hezbollah was pummelled in a war with Israel last year, and its Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad was toppled. Senior Hezbollah lawmaker Mohammed Raad, whose Iran-backed group had wanted incumbent Najib Mikati to stay in the post, said Hezbollah's opponents were working for fragmentation and exclusion. He said the group had "extended its hand" by electing Joseph Aoun as president last week only to find the "hand cut". Last week's election of army commander General Aoun, who enjoys the support of the United States and Saudi Arabia, was another sign of shifts in the political landscape, in which Hezbollah had long held decisive sway. Aoun, a Maronite Christian, was holding consultations over the choice of prime minister with parliament's 128 lawmakers on Monday. He is obliged to pick the candidate with the greatest number of votes. Salam had secured the backing of 85 of the lawmakers by Monday afternoon, with the consultations yet to conclude. The prime minister must be a Sunni Muslim according to Lebanon's sectarian power-sharing system which parcels out state positions on the basis of religious affiliation. The presidency goes to a Maronite Christian and the speaker of parliament must be a Shi'ite Muslim. Hezbollah lawmakers attended their meeting with Aoun later than scheduled, delaying their arrival as they saw the momentum building behind Salam, a Hezbollah source said. Hezbollah believed a political understanding had been reached on Mikati's election before the group agreed to elect Aoun last week, the source said. CHALLENGES AHEAD Sunni and Christian allies of Hezbollah were among those who named Salam. Faisal Karami, a Sunni lawmaker aligned with the group, said he had nominated Salam, citing demands for "change and renewal" and Arab and international support for Lebanon. Aoun's election and the designation of a new premier are steps towards reviving Lebanese government institutions which have been paralysed for more than two years, with the country having neither a head of state nor a fully empowered cabinet. The new administration faces huge tasks including rebuilding areas levelled by Israeli airstrikes during the war with Hezbollah, and launching long-stalled reforms to revive the economy and address the root causes of the collapse of Lebanon's financial system in 2019. In his former role as commander of the U.S.-backed army, Aoun played a critical role in the implementation of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah. The terms require the Lebanese army to deploy into south Lebanon as Israeli troops and Hezbollah withdraw forces. Raad said Hezbollah would follow the next steps, and "proceed with calm and wisdom, out of concern for the national interest, and we will see their actions ... to expel the occupier from our land".
Looks like Hezbollah is trying to rile up strife in Lebanon. The residents want no part of it. The Lebanese army has finally started arresting the terrorists. Hezbollah Provocations Spark Condemnation in Lebanon, Refusal to Be Drawn to Strife https://english.aawsat.com/arab-wor...-condemnation-lebanon-refusal-be-drawn-strife Hezbollah supporters have resorted to provocative rallies in several areas in Beirut, Mount Lebanon and the South to "deliver messages" to President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam. Supporters of the Iran-backed party have since Sunday mobilized motorcycle convoys, with riders raising Hezbollah flags and chanting sectarian slogans, in areas that are opposed to the party. Hezbollah had constantly employed such methods to deliver security messages whenever Lebanon was in the process of meeting political deadlines, such as the formation of a government as is the case at the moment. The first fallout from the provocations was United Arab Emirates businessman Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, the head of Dubai conglomerate Al Habtoor Group, announcing on Tuesday that he had cancelled all planned investments in Lebanon due to continuing instability, and would sell all his properties and investments in the country. Al Habtoor said in a statement that the unrest and instability in Lebanon by "factions loyal to armed militias in the country paint a grim picture." "The continued dominance of armed militias (the Shiite militias) and the failure to establish rule of law make it impossible for any investor to proceed with confidence in such an environment," he said. Last week, Al Habtoor had expressed an intention to invest in Lebanon once a new government was formed. Provocative convoys The motorcycle convoys had departed from Beirut’s southern suburbs, known as Dahieh, a Hezbollah stronghold. They headed to several neighborhoods in the capital that are known for their opposition to the party. The same scenes took place in the Christian town of Maghdouche in the South, leading to a scuffle between the motorists and locals. On Monday, the locals awoke to Hezbollah slogans spraypainted over their town’s entrance sign. Similar provocations took place in Christian-majority regions in Mount Lebanon, drawing condemnation from Christian parties and their supporters. The Lebanese army had announced the arrest of several of the motorists. In statement, it said that it carried out the arrests after "some citizens, riding on motorcycles, rode around several Lebanese regions while carrying party flags, firing gunshots and chanting provocative slogans." It added that it deployed patrols to "prevent the undermining of security and stability", calling on the people to "act responsibly to protect national unity and coexistence." Amal warns against provocations The Amal movement – a close Hezbollah ally – notably warned its supporters against joining the Hezbollah convoys. In a statement, it warned them against taking part in "any provocative act that goes against the orders of the movement command, which calls for respecting all Lebanese people regardless of their sect." It specifically cautioned against "joining motorcycle convoys or carrying out any provocative act and chanting sectarian slogans that violate the movement’s treaty and vision." Any violators will risk being expelled from the movement, it added. The provocations were discussed by parliament Speaker and Amal movement leader Nabih Berri and deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab at Ain el-Tineh. Bou Saab said these convoys "only serve the enemy (Israel). I hope they can be stopped because everyone in Lebanon took in the residents of the South and Dahieh" during Israel’s war on Hezbollah. He described the convoys as "unacceptable", stressing the need for unity with residents of the South who bore the brunt of the Israeli war. Unity cannot be achieved through such provocations, he remarked. No to strife Hezbollah’s opponents are in agreement in rejecting the rallies, declaring that they will not be dragged to strife and saying that the army will maintain calm. Lebanese Forces sources said the convoys are clearly aimed at sending messages to the president and PM-designate. "The state may have opened a new chapter, but one team is still acting arrogantly and refuses to acknowledge these changes. So, it has resorted to delivering messages that say that it represents de facto powers, and it will continue to act this way," they told Asharq Al-Awsat. Another message aims to impose conditions on the formation of the new government and drafting of its ministerial statement to include the "army, people and resistance (Hezbollah)" term, it went on to say. Regardless of the provocations, the sources stressed that the LF will not be lured to strife and it will continue to turn to the army to maintain stability, noting its statement and arrest of some of the motorists. Kataeb Party MP Salim al-Sayegh condemned the convoys, saying: "We will not play Hezbollah’s game no matter the cost." "We will not be dragged towards terrorist methods they are using against the residents of Beirut and Mount Lebanon," he said in televised remarks. "We are adhering to the state and laws and banking on the army." "Confronting Israel does not take place in Beirut and Mount Lebanon. They cannot make up for their heavy losses (in the war) by striking ‘victories’ against their fellow countrymen," he added. MP Michel Mouawad condemned Hezbollah, stressing: "We will always choose partnership while respecting the state, its sovereignty and constitution." "No matter what, we will not yield to those who believe they can break the will of the Lebanese people through extortion, domineering methods and accusations of treason," he said on the X platform. Head of the Free Patriotic Movement MP Gebran Bassil – a former Hezbollah ally – condemned the provocations. The residents of the South were "heroic" as they returned to their homes on Sunday, while "sectarian provocations that night only served to tarnish this heroism," he said in a post on the X on Monday. He added that the sectarian provocations only serve to "deepen the divisions and advocates of this division. Extremism only leads to extremism and Lebanon will be the loser in the end."
Hezbollah has been given the boot from southern Lebanon and nearly all of its infrastructure torn down. Over 90% of Hezbollah infrastructure in south dismantled by Lebanese army - report "We have dismantled over 90% of the infrastructure in the area south of the Litani," the security official told AFP. https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-852260 Over 90% of Hezbollah's infrastructure has been dismantled by the Lebanese army since the start of the November ceasefire, a security source said on Wednesday, according to French international news, Agence France-Presse (AFP). "We have dismantled over 90% of the infrastructure in the area south of the Litani," the official told AFP. In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that the army has taken over control of over 85% of the southern part of Lebanon. According to the ceasefire deal that was made in November, Lebanese troops and United Nations peacekeepers are the only forces in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah terrorists were to pull their fighters north of the Litani River, and dismantle any remaining infrastructure. According to the source, the majority of the underground terror infrastructure was "filled and closed." Lebanese army takes control of southern Lebanon A reinforcement of Lebanese soldiers controlling crossing points into the area south of the Litani River is there "to prevent the transfer of weapons from the north of the river to the south." While on a diplomatic visit to the United Arab Emirates, Aoun said that the Lebanese army was "fulfilling its role without any problems or opposition." According to Aoun, five sites along the border remain under Israeli control, which he described as the "only obstacle" to full deployment. These positions, considered by Israel to be of strategic significance, remain occupied despite stipulations in the UN-brokered ceasefire calling for a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. The security source also indicated that Hezbollah has stepped back from the border area. "Hezbollah withdrew and said ' do whatever you want'...there is no longer a military (infrastructure) for Hezbollah south of the Litani." The official also said that the majority of munitions that were found by the Lebanese army were either "damaged" by airstrikes from Israel or "in such bad shape that it is impossible to stock them."