On the fourth anniversary of the Beirut Port explosion, we sadly remember August 4, 2020, a day that marked one of the largest catastrophes in the history of Lebanon and the world. The explosion at the Beirut Port, classified as the largest non-nuclear explosion in history, resulted in the deaths of over 200 people, injuries to thousands, the displacement of hundreds of thousands, and the transformation of Lebanon’s capital into a scene of devastation and ruin.
The Beirut Port explosion, a terrorist and criminal act, was caused by the ignition of a massive quantity of ammonium nitrate stored at the port. These dangerous materials had been stored for years, and it is believed that Hezbollah and the Syrian Assad regime were using them to manufacture barrel bombs that claimed the lives of thousands of Syrians. Additionally, Hezbollah utilized these materials in its terrorist operations in various European countries. Authorities in Cyprus and Germany confirmed Hezbollah’s involvement with these materials and seized quantities of them.
Since the explosion, Hezbollah, an Iranian terrorist proxy occupying Lebanon, wreaking havoc, corruption, killing its people, displacing them, and impoverishing them, has obstructed judicial investigations by all criminal and illegal means available to it, including the use of excessive force, weapons, terrorism, assassinations, accusations, arrests, and the manipulation of the judiciary. Hezbollah officials threatened the judges assigned to the investigation, and several military and civilian officials who had information about the party’s and Assad’s Syria’s involvement in the explosion were assassinated. Among these victims were a banker, two officers who worked at the port (Mounier Abu rjaili and Joseph Skaf) and photographer Joe Bejjani, who was killed in his home in Kahaleh village.
The situation worsened when Wafic Safa, Hezbollah’s security chief, brazenly threatened Judge Tarek Bitar, the investigator assigned on the case, leading to the forced suspension of the investigations and preventing numerous implicated witnesses, including ministers, MPs, and security officials, from testifying.
Today, on August 4, the Families of the Victims Committee will hold a protests to mark the anniversary of the massacre, demanding justice for the victims and the injured. These families, who have lost loved ones and endured unimaginable physical and psychological trauma, call for uncovering the truth and holding those responsible accountable.
In conclusion, we must affirm that justice remains an urgent demand, and the investigation must continue until the truth is revealed and the perpetrators are punished.
It remains that building a safe and stable future for Lebanon is impossible without justice and accountability.
The Beirut Port explosion was not a mere accident but a crime that requires a thorough and impartial investigation to ensure the rights of the victims and restore hope to their families and all Lebanese.
