Hamas reaffirms commitment to Lebanon ceasefire
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Hamas' representative in Lebanon calls the incidents of rocket fire from South Lebanon on March 22 and 28 "individual acts".
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Hamas fighters attend the funeral procession of Samer al-Haj, a Hamas official who was killed by an Israeli drone strike, at Ein el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp, in the southern port city of Saida, Aug. 10, 2024 (AP)
Hamas is fully committed to the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, as well as to the country's laws, sovereignty, security, and stability, the group's representative in Lebanon, Ahmad Abdel-Hadi, affirmed, adding that the movement has informed all official Lebanese parties of this position.
In a statement published on Thursday, Abdel-Hadi noted that the incidents of rocket fire from southern Lebanon on March 22 and 28 were "individual" acts carried out by a number of youths as a reaction to the genocide and massacres committed by "Israel" in Gaza after it violated the ceasefire agreement.
Hamas cooperated positively with Lebanese authorities
He also emphasized that Hamas “did not know about this in advance and did not decide to do this” and that “from the very first moment, and after the official request by the Lebanese state to hand over the four individuals involved, the movement responded and cooperated positively.”
In this regard, the Palestinian official clarified that Hamas handed over three of the wanted individuals and that coordination is actively ongoing with the relevant security authorities to complete the necessary steps.
Abdel-Hadi also stated that his meeting with the Director General of Lebanon’s General Security, Hassan Choukeir, and the Director of Military Intelligence, Tony Kahwaji, was “positive and constructive” and laid the groundwork for close future cooperation on matters related to the Palestinian presence in Lebanon.
The Lebanese army confirmed Hamas has handed over three suspects following unclaimed March rocket launches at "Israel", after the country's top security body last week warned the group against using Lebanon for attacks on "Israel".
After the rocket fire on March 22 and 28, "Israel" bombed South Lebanon and Beirut's Southern Suburb. Last month, the Lebanese army said it had arrested several Lebanese and Palestinian suspects in connection with the rocket attacks.
No official request regarding Palestinian arms
The Hamas representative further confirmed that Lebanese authorities had not informed the movement "of any request regarding Palestinian weapons."
He explained that any response to the matter would be issued through a “unified Palestinian position, should the state make such a request, in a manner that upholds Lebanon’s sovereignty and interests on the one hand, and serves the Palestinian people’s interests on the other.”
Hamas took part in fighting against Israeli aggression on Lebanon
Abdel-Hadi revealed that there is an ongoing Palestinian dialogue in Lebanon aimed at “developing a unified Palestinian vision on this matter, as well as on other issues such as civil and social rights, and the security and stability of the [refugee] camps.”
He concluded by stating that Hamas “participated in the support campaign alongside Hezbollah, the Amal Movement, the Islamic Group, and several other Palestinian factions” in confronting the Israeli aggression against Lebanon.
Read more: One person killed in Israeli attack on a car in Saida, south Lebanon
