Welcome to President Aoun’s signing of the “General Amnesty” law.. Israeli army sets fire to a neighborhood in “Zotter al-Sharqiya”
As soon as President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, signed the general amnesty law and Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam ordered its publication in a special issue of the Official Gazette, it drew clear praise from the two deputies from North Lebanon, Faisal Karameh and Ashraf Rifi, as well as from Beirut deputy Fouad Makhzoumi. The “Sunni MPs” also thanked him, stating in a communiqué that the law reflected “his national and humanitarian concern, and underscored the importance of turning the page on the painful episodes Lebanon has endured, and his efforts to achieve full justice for citizens by activating the judiciary, accelerating trials, and addressing the difficult conditions in prisons.”
In addition to the Prime Minister’s call to the President of the Republic, in which he appreciated his signing of the general amnesty law, former Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati phoned Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajar, commending the Internal Security Forces’ “Information Branch” for uncovering “a security network suspected of planning attacks to destabilize Lebanon and the Syrian coastal region.”
President Aoun’s signing of the law occurred shortly before Friday prayers, so mosque preachers were unable to learn of it in time to base their sermons on it. Instead, their speeches focused on Lebanese unity to avert fitna (sectarian strife) and emphasized that “the army is the shield that protects us,” as some put it.
Meanwhile, the Mufti of Rashaya, Waqih Hijazi, called on the state to convene an inclusive national conference to examine the Lebanese reality, warning against “the chaos of uncontrolled weapons.”
In the meantime, Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara al-Ra’i, during his reception of the new French ambassador to Beirut, Patrick Dorlhiac, expressed “his appreciation for Lebanese-French relations and the interest Paris shows toward Lebanon and its people.”
As for the situation in southern Lebanon, Israel set fire to a neighborhood in the eastern town of Zaitoun after it was targeted by a Merkava tank, while the Israeli occupation army carried out a major explosion in the vicinity of the town of Kafr Kanna.
In this context, the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon published the text of the response from the U.S. State Department spokesperson to media inquiries, which stated: “As a result of U.S.-led mediation, Israel has released Lebanese detainees.” He added, “We continue to facilitate dialogue between Israel and Lebanon on a daily basis, and we look forward to the next round of talks in Rome. We remain committed to the full implementation of the Tripartite Understanding.”
