Lebanon on Friday marks 20 years since former prime minister Rafik Hariri’s assassination amid seismic political changes that have weakened Hezbollah and its backers and could herald a comeback for Hariri’s son Saad.
Memorial in remembrance of Rafik Hariri at the very site of the attack in downtown Beirut © Mena Today
Lebanon on Friday marks 20 years since former prime minister Rafik Hariri’s assassination amid seismic political changes that have weakened Hezbollah and its backers and could herald a comeback for Hariri’s son Saad.
Rafik Hariri, a towering political figure, had resigned as premier when a suicide bombing targeted his convoy in Beirut, killing him and 21 others on February 14, 2005.
In 2022, a UN-backed court sentenced two Hezbollah members in absentia to life imprisonment for the bombing that killed him, though the terror group has refused to hand them over.
His son Saad, who served twice as prime minister, is based in the United Arab Emirates but has again returned for the annual commemorations for his father.
The Israeli military announced Sunday the elimination of Walid Mohammad Dib, described as "a senior official in Hamas's financing system" responsible for "funding the organization's military activities in Lebanon », killed earlier in the week at an undisclosed location.
Ground fighting between the Israeli Defense Forces and Hezbollah continued through the night of Saturday to Sunday in South Lebanon, with the most intense clashes concentrated in the eastern sector of the border, particularly around the towns of Taybeh and Khiam.
Iran's military issued a stark warning Saturday, threatening to launch "violent strikes" against the UAE emirate of Ras Al Khaimah if Abu Dhabi allowed attacks against Iranian-controlled islands in the Gulf.
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