Lebanon army says soldiers loyal after US sanctions one over alleged Hezbollah links
· CNA · JoinRead a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
BEIRUT: Lebanon's military said on Friday (May 22) its soldiers were loyal to the institution after the US announced sanctions that included an officer accused of sharing information with Hezbollah.
The sanctions came after the US hosted three rounds of direct talks between Lebanon and Israel aimed at ending the war that began after Hezbollah attacked Israel on Mar 2 and determining the future of relations between the two countries.
The sanctions include Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, three Hezbollah lawmakers and a former minister and two figures from the Hezbollah-allied Amal movement.
They also target army colonel Samir Hamadi, and Khattar Nasser Eldin, a general security officer, marking the first time that officers are sanctioned in Lebanon.
CNA Games
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
Show More
Show Less
The US accused them of "obstructing the peace process in Lebanon".
The army said that "all officers and members of the military institution are performing their national duties with utmost professionalism, responsibility, and discipline".
It emphasised that "the loyalty of military personnel is solely to the military institution and the nation", also saying it was not informed of the sanctions beforehand.
Washington said Hamadi, the army's intelligence head in Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, and Nasser Eldin, the national security chief in the general security service, "shared important intelligence" with Hezbollah "during the ongoing conflict".
A general security statement affirmed its trust in its personnel, adding that if any "employee is found to have leaked any information outside the institution ... they will be subject to fair legal and judicial accountability".
"OBSTRUCT LASTING PEACE"
The sanctions come as Lebanon is forming a military delegation for security talks with Israel at the Pentagon on May 29, a step that was agreed in the latest round of direct talks earlier this month.
A fourth round of negotiations is planned for June.
Hezbollah is opposed to the talks and refuses to surrender its weapons as the government demands.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday they "will continue to take action against officials who have infiltrated the Lebanese government", insisting Hezbollah must be "disarmed".
Hezbollah called the sanctions "an attempt to intimidate the free Lebanese people in order to bolster the Zionist aggression against our country".
Hezbollah lawmakers said the sanctions "will have no practical effect", though the group faces internal pressure following two wars with Israel that caused widespread destruction and pushed Lebanon to negotiate with Israel.
Once a dominant political force, Hezbollah was weakened by a 2023-2024 war with Israel.
The latest war has killed more than 3,000 people and displaced more than a million.
"The sanctions are a continuation of the tightening of the noose around Hezbollah, an attempt to separate it from the state after it managed, over the past 20 years... to embed many elements" in it, military expert Riad Kahwaji told AFP.
"These sanctions show today that no party is immune, regardless of whether it is inside or outside state institutions."
Israel meanwhile continues to strike Lebanon despite a truce in place since Apr 17.
Israeli strikes killed at least 10 people on Friday, including six rescuers, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
Sign up for our newsletters
Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app