Interior Minister Calls for Complete Israeli Withdrawal from Lebanon

Interior and Municipalities Minister Ahmed al-Hajjar stated that President Jozef Aoun's visit to Washington is part of joint efforts with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and coordinated with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to resolve Lebanon's crisis and end the consequences of war.

In a televised interview, al-Hajjar explained that Lebanon's foremost demand is the complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese lands, enabling the state to extend its authority and allowing the Lebanese army and security forces to deploy across the entire territory to restore sovereignty. He expressed hope that the outcomes of meetings in Washington would translate into effective American pressure on Israel to achieve this goal. He also noted that the positive stances of U.S. President Donald Trump toward Lebanon and President Aoun inspire optimism.

Al-Hajjar emphasized that the Lebanese army's deployment in several southern towns, including Western Zoutar, represents an initial implementation of the agreed path. He considered the full Israeli withdrawal a fundamental condition for completing the army's deployment. He clarified that the Lebanese government has not received any external directives regarding the exclusivity of arms, and its commitment to this principle stems from the ministerial statement and decisions taken since its formation, aiming to extend state authority over all Lebanese territories.

Regarding Speaker Nabih Berri's position, al-Hajjar confirmed that Berri prioritizes southern Lebanon and welcomes any effort leading to Israeli withdrawal and army redeployment, aligning with the president's stance.

He observed that regional developments affect Lebanon, but the Lebanese state pursues an independent diplomatic course aimed at securing Israeli withdrawal and restoring sovereignty. He considered the United States the party most capable of exerting pressure on Israel to realize this objective.

Al-Hajjar stated that Lebanese people agree on essential goals: achieving Israeli withdrawal, regaining sovereignty, the return of displaced persons, releasing Lebanese detainees, and reconstruction. He indicated that differences lie only in the methods to accomplish these aims.

He denied any Lebanese-Syrian coordination related to Syrian military intervention in Lebanon or halting arms supplies to Hezbollah. He affirmed that existing coordination between the two countries is limited to border control and combating smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people, serving the interests of both states. He noted ongoing coordination with the Syrian interior minister, Syrian President Ahmad al-Shar'a, and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, who have clearly stated no intention of military intervention in Lebanon but expressed Damascus's readiness to assist Beirut in coordination with the Lebanese state. He considered that neither country benefits from any military intervention.

Discussing the Interior Ministry's performance during the war, al-Hajjar said the ministry acted from the early hours of escalation by activating the central operations room and coordinating with the government, governors, district chiefs, municipalities, and security agencies to manage displacement waves and provide rapid assistance to those affected.

He highlighted that the ministry took exceptional measures to facilitate displaced persons obtaining official documents from any civil registry office and established alternative centers within the ministry building to serve citizens forced to leave their areas. He praised the roles of civil defense, internal security forces, and local authorities in managing the crisis.

Al-Hajjar confirmed that the security situation remained stable despite exceptional circumstances, attributing this to coordination among security agencies and public awareness, which helped prevent security breakdowns during displacement.

Assessing the current security situation, he stressed that security in Lebanon is very good despite ongoing Israeli attacks in the south. He noted that crime rates remained at last year's levels, with some crimes decreasing in certain areas.

He pointed out that the ministry's proactive security policy yielded tangible results, especially in combating terrorism, organized crime, and drug trafficking. He revealed that security agencies recently arrested a prominent collaborator and a senior ISIS official, considering these achievements reflective of the effectiveness of Lebanese intelligence and proactive security work.

Minister al-Hajjar asserted he faces no political pressure in his work, noting that communication with the president and prime minister occurs mainly to congratulate and commend upon successful security operations, not to interfere in ministry affairs.

He emphasized there is no political cover for any offender, affirming that all political forces understand that terrorism, drug trafficking, and major crime cases cannot be protected or concealed.

Regarding combating drug networks, he said this issue received priority in state efforts. He mentioned that removing political cover from offenders and recent regional developments contributed to significant results, including dismantling laboratories and networks and arresting major dealers and wanted persons.

He noted that Lebanese security agencies closely coordinate with Arab and international security bodies, particularly in Gulf countries, as well as with Syrian agencies. He confirmed that information exchange and joint operations helped thwart networks, seize shipments, and arrest suspects across several countries.

On the prison file, al-Hajjar explained that legally prisons should be managed by the Ministry of Justice, and he raised this issue from the first day he assumed his duties, acknowledging that preparations are needed. He stated that the file is under the Interior Ministry and Municipalities' disposal through the Internal Security Forces, but resources are very limited, and overcrowding in prisons is a major problem. He said solving overcrowding requires building new prisons or closing existing ones, but constructing prisons faces considerable difficulties since donor countries are unwilling to provide assistance for prison construction, meaning overcrowding remains an issue. He added that slow judicial rulings also contribute to the problem, though this is not the judiciary's fault, as the judicial corps suffers from significant shortages and needs support. He said efforts are doubled to alleviate the crisis and that the best solution is the general amnesty law proposed by a group of parliamentarians, hoping for its approval.

When asked whether the parliamentary session might be canceled and thus the law fail, he replied that nothing is absolutely lost or guaranteed. He stressed the law must be approved fairly and balanced to lift grievances from all victims. He said the Interior Ministry's concern is to see every offender behind bars, noting that security forces exert efforts and sacrifice to arrest perpetrators, making it difficult to see them free outside prisons. However, the difficult prison conditions led the Interior Ministry to give a positive opinion through the government and parliament supporting the general amnesty law as a means to reduce overcrowding and improve humanitarian conditions inside prisons.

He noted that the issue might be reconsidered later, not soon, as there is consensus on the need to address overcrowding and grievances. All these circumstances make the general amnesty law necessary at this stage.

Regarding Islamist detainees, he pointed out that in a meeting at the Saraya Palace, a member claimed those handed over to Syrian authorities are released in Syria, but the justice minister clarified this is incorrect and that those transferred complete their sentences in Syrian prisons. He said about 90 Syrian detainees remain in Lebanon.

On the return of Syrian displaced persons, al-Hajjar confirmed that the return has not stopped and continues. He said the government took important decisions on the matter and formed a committee chaired by the deputy prime minister, of which he is a member. The committee implemented its approved plan and coordinated the return with the UNHCR, exchanging data with the Ministry of Social Affairs. Large numbers of Syrians have returned. Approximately 650,000 displaced persons were removed from the UNHCR database out of 1.4 million, aiming to legalize the Syrian presence in Lebanon through lawful means and prevent people from holding displaced status. He stated the return continues and that he spoke with the General Security Director, who set the date of 31/7/2026, which will be extended to 30/9/2026 to facilitate procedures for displaced persons wishing to return to Syria. If they want to return to Lebanon, it must be through legal and legitimate channels. This measure is expected to encourage Syrians to go back to their country.

Regarding traffic safety, al-Hajjar thanked the mention of the committee chaired by the Interior Minister, including all relevant ministries such as Health, Public Works, Transport, concerned parties, civil society representatives, and the judiciary. He said the committee was revived. He acknowledged some shortcomings during the recent war and that after each meeting, recommendations were agreed upon and sent to the ministries of Public Works and Health and other institutions to organize matters and assign responsibilities through integrated efforts. He said periodic meetings are held at the Interior Ministry with governors and relevant security agencies to facilitate traffic, redeploy radars, and address numerous speeding violations. Traffic signals and cameras linked to the traffic control room at the Traffic Management Authority, which had been neglected after the port explosion, were reactivated with external funding. The control room serves both security and traffic purposes and is connected to the operations room. A plan was developed to combat motorcycle violations, which disturb citizens and generate daily complaints.

He added that the motorcycle issue has several dimensions, including economic factors that led many people to use motorcycles to save fuel. The ministry reactivated Article 12 of the traffic law, which prohibits selling any motorcycle without registration. Compliance was widespread, and a significant increase in motorcycle registrations was observed. The ministry reorganized driving license booklets. Regarding motorcycles, preparations are underway for a decision to destroy motorcycles after three months of seizure if the owner does not appear to settle their status. Efforts are systematic, starting with changing traffic culture through adherence to laws and guidelines, aiming to spread awareness.

He noted that measures are applied in all areas, especially in Beirut due to traffic and displaced persons crises. He mentioned a plan coordinated with the Beirut governor, municipal guard, and the traffic detachment in Beirut police.