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Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Thursday called on the ministers of Interior, Justice, and Defense to take “immediate action” and arrest those responsible for projecting images onto Beirut’s iconic Raouche Rock, in defiance of an official ban.
In a post on X, Salam urged that the perpetrators be referred for investigation and “punished in accordance with applicable laws,” describing the incident as a flagrant breach of the approval granted by the Beirut Governor, which explicitly prohibited illuminating the rock from land, sea, or air, or broadcasting any light images on it.
The prime minister said the act represented a “violation of the explicit commitments of the organizing body and its supporters” and marked “a new setback that undermines its credibility in dealing with the logic of the state and its institutions.”
“This reprehensible behavior will not deter us from our decision to rebuild the rule of law and institutions,” Salam added, vowing greater determination to uphold state authority.
Despite the ban, Hezbollah had pressed ahead with the display on Thursday evening, projecting the images of its slain leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine onto Raouche Rock, a move widely viewed as a deliberate challenge to state sovereignty.
https://x.com/ThisIsBeirut_/status/1971243345444995203
A widely circulated video on social media Thursday showed Wafic Safa, head of Hezbollah’s Coordination and Liaison Unit, appearing at Raouche and confirming that the planned illumination would proceed, openly defying government warnings.
The party’s official statement, released also on Thursday, explicitly called on supporters to take part in the ceremony, organized to mark the first anniversary of the deaths of the two leaders. A show of force staged in the heart of the capital, in blatant disregard of established rules.
In response to this escalation, the Ministry of Interior has convened all security forces, aware of the growing tension and the risk of unrest. According to well-informed sources, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri voiced his discontent over this breach of the agreement banning such displays.
This challenge to the state underscores Hezbollah’s determination to impose its own rules, in contempt of institutions and the country’s stability. What is presented as a “symbolic” operation goes beyond commemoration and amounts to a major act of political defiance.
