Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 29 augusT 2017
Netanyahu rips UN, says Iran building missile sites in Syria

By ILAN BEN ZION manufacture of “precision- accept. This is something chief, Netanyahu criticized being, according to Israel,
Associated Press guided missiles,” with the the U.N. should not ac- the United Nations, saying soft on Iranian-backed He-
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli aim of deploying them cept.” that it fails to check Pales- zbollah forces in the border
Prime Minister Benjamin against Israel. The Israeli leader offered no tinian hate speech, “ab- area.
Netanyahu greeted visit- Both Hezbollah fighters and specifics to support his alle- surdly denies” Jewish con- Guterres vowed that he
ing U.N. Secretary-General Iran have backed Presi- gations. nections to Jerusalem and will “do everything in my
Antonio Guterres on Mon- dent Bashar Assad’s gov- Guterres arrived on Sunday has not stopped arms from capacity” to ensure UNI-
day with blistering criticism ernment forces in the civil for a three-day visit to the reaching Hezbollah in Leb- FIL fulfills its obligations. The
of the international body’s war that has ravaged Syria. region, his first since taking anon. U.N. peacekeeping force’s
treatment of Israel and ac- “Iran is busy turning Syria office at the beginning of He was referring to a recent mandate is up for renewal
cusing it of failing to prevent into a base of military en- the year. His meetings with U.N. cultural agency resolu- at the end of the month
arms from being smuggled trenchment, and it wants Israeli and Palestinian lead- tion about Jerusalem that and Israel is pressing for the
to Lebanon’s Shiite Hezbol- to use Syria and Lebanon ers are aimed at encour- angered Israel, which said it force to have an increased
lah militants. as warfronts against its de- aging the resumption of diminishes Jewish ties to the presence to better moni-
Netanyahu also claimed clared goal to eradicate Is- peace talks. city. Israel also criticized the tor and prevent what Israel
that Iran is building sites in rael,” Netanyahu said. “This Speaking at a joint press U.N. peacekeeping force says is Hezbollah building
Syria and Lebanon for the is something Israel cannot conference with the U.N. in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, for up its weapons.q
After deal, IS allowed to leave Syria-Lebanon border area

a controversial negotiat- pressure IS on the Syrian
ed deal with the extremist side of the border.
group to end its presence In a televised speech Mon-
there, Lebanese and Syrian day night, Hezbollah leader
media reported. Hassan Nasrallah declared
The militants and their fami- victory and said the coun-
lies headed in buses to- try was now free of “terror-
ward a town held by the ists” after buses evacuated
Islamic State group in far 670 people, including the
eastern Syria, near the bor- militants and their families.
der with Iraq, effectively “The Lebanese army can
ending the presence of now set up checkpoints
Sunni militant groups on the along the border comfort-
Lebanon-Syria border, af- ably because the security
ter al-Qaida-linked fighters threat on the other side is
were evacuated earlier this no longer there,” Nasrallah
month. said. He said 11 Hezbollah
The transfer comes near- fighters died in the week-
ly a week after Lebanon long operation on the Syr-
launched a military cam- ian side of the border.
paign to drive IS from the The transfer of the militants
rugged mountainous area marks the first time the Is-
along its border with Syria. lamic State group has ne-
Lebanese soldiers rest on top of an armored personnel carrier during a media trip organized by The Syrian army and the gotiated a forced evacua-
the Lebanese army, on the outskirts of Ras Baalbek, northeast Lebanon, Monday, Aug. 28, 2017. Lebanese Hezbollah group, tion for its fighters. It is part
Lebanon’s Hezbollah TV is reporting that Islamic State militants started leaving the border area
with Syria on Monday as part of a negotiated deal to end the extremist group’s presence there. which has been fighting of a deal that came into
(AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) alongside President Bashar effect following negotia-
Assad’s forces in Syria since tions, led by Hezbollah, to
By HASSAN AMMAR RAS BAALBEK, Lebanon gan leaving a border area 2013, have been waging determine the fate of nine
SARAH EL DEEB (AP) — Islamic State mili- between Lebanon and their own separate but si- Lebanese soldiers who
Associated Press tants and their families be- Syria on Monday as part of multaneous offensive to were captured in 2014.q
New Hamas leader says it is getting aid again from Iran

By FARES AKRAM chief, Israeli Prime Minister ing with journalists, Sinwar convicted of mastermind- In his meeting with Guterres,
JOSEF FEDERMAN Benjamin Netanyahu com- said those ties have been ing the abduction and kill- Netanyahu alleged Iran is
Associated Press plained about what he restored and are stronger ing of two Israeli soldiers, building sites in Syria and
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) called rising anti-Israel ac- than ever. has close ties with Hamas’ Lebanon to produce “pre-
— Hamas’ new leader in tivity by Iran and its allies in “Today, the relationship militant wing and takes a cision-guided missiles” to
the Gaza Strip said Mon- the region. with Iran is excellent, or very hard line toward Israel. be used against Israel.
day his group has repaired Iran was once the top excellent,” Sinwar said. He Israel and Iran are bitter “Iran is busy turning Syria
relations with Iran after a backer of Hamas, an Is- added that the Islamic Re- enemies, and Israel has re- into a base of military en-
five-year rift and is using its lamic militant group that public is “the largest back- cently expressed concern trenchment, and it wants
newfound financial and seeks Israel’s destruction. er financially and militarily” that Iran and its Lebanese to use Syria and Lebanon
military aid to gear up for But Hamas broke with Iran to Hamas’ military wing. proxy Hezbollah are seek- as warfronts against its de-
new hostilities with Israel. in 2012 after the group It was the first time that Sin- ing a permanent military clared goal to eradicate Is-
The announcement by Ye- refused to support Iran’s war has met reporters since presence in Syria near the rael,” Netanyahu said. “This
hiyeh Sinwar came as U.N. close ally, Syrian President he was elected in Febru- Israeli border. Both Hezbol- is something Israel can-
Secretary-General Antonio Bashar Assad, in the Syrian ary. The 55-year-old Sinwar, lah fighters and Iran have not accept. This is some-
Guterres was visiting Israel. civil war. who spent two decades backed Assad’s forces in thing the U.N. should not
At a meeting with the U.N. During a four-hour meet- in Israeli prison after being the Syrian war. accept.”q