Beirut:Â Ali Elamine, the father at the centre of the 60 Minutes child snatch operation, says there is nothing more that should be aired about his bitter and public custodial battle with his ex-wife Sally Faulkner that is in the interests of their children's wellbeing.
Mr Elamine is refusing to comment on claims aired on Australian television that he begged his ex-wife Sally Faulkner to abort their second child and once before separated their first child from her.
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Faulkner: Ex took my baby before
Sally Faulkner reveals on ABC's Australian Story that her estranged husband Ali Elamine had taken their baby daughter before, years prior to the Lebanon 60 Minutes saga. Video courtesy: Australian Story.
The ABC's Australian Story program on Monday broadcast the first in a two-part series about Sally Faulkner's botched attempt to take her two children, Noah and Lahela, from Lebanon where they live with their father, since he refused to send them home after their visit to Beirut in 2015.
The 31-year old father again hit out at the Australian media for taking Ms Faulkner's side and insisted he has only ever been focussed on the children's wellbeing.
Ms Faulkner is facing charges in Lebanon over her bungled attempt to recover her children using the child abduction agent Adam Whittington who was paid for by the Nine Network's 60 Minutes program.
Speaking to Fairfax Media from Beirut, Mr Elamine said he was not interested in having a "back and forth" with his ex-wife via the media about her latest allegations about their defunct relationship.
"I [would] rather not comment about what Sally has to say," the surf-instructor said.
"I believe the story is over and what is most important now is the wellbeing of the kids," he said.
Ms Faulkner claims Mr Elamine separated her from their first child believing she flirted with a tradesman when she offered him a glass of water.
But Mr Elamine would not be drawn on his ex-wife's latest set of claims.
"She knows the truth and she can say what ever she wants," he said.
Ms Faulkner lost custody of her children in April, when, as part of the deal struck with Mr Elamine to secure her freedom from jail and that of the Nine network television crew, she agreed to hand over all custodial rights. As part of that deal, Ms Faulkner and the Nine Network were forced to agree to never air the footage of the children being snatched off the street.
She spent two weeks in jail after the operation was foiled and Lebanese police arrested her, the 60 Minutes crew, Mr Whittington and his three associates, who had snatched Lahela and Noah from a busy shopping strip in the Hezbollah-controlled district of Hadath.
Mr Elamine, who has long complained the Australian media is against him, again criticised its role in taking sides.
"From day one she was going on her own and the media took her side while I was concerned about the kids' state of mind, and how they should recover from the trauma they went through during the kidnapping."
"The kids are doing well now in relation to what they went through and everything else does not matter. "