Ali el-Amine reveals what the children know about the Beirut custody battle.

The father of the children at the centre of the Beirut child abduction saga, Ali el-Amine, has revealed what his children have been told about the whole ordeal.

In an interview with The Project on Thursday night Carrie Bickmore asked el-Amine about the children.

“How are the kids going – how do the kids understand what’s happening here?”

“They don’t know what’s happening. They saw Sally for a day and I told them – first of all – they said, their first thing was when they saw me was: ‘Why are mummy’s friends so tough and rough?’,” el-Amine said.

“And I said: ‘Oh they just work out they’re big guys, and they work out and they didn’t mean to hurt you, they were just trying to surprise you’.”

“I never told them what went on. I just told them mummy had to get on a plane and head back home because she had work. I never told them she went to jail.”

The topic was raised by Bickmore in a discussion about how el-Amine had been received as a parent by the Australian people.

"Parents are taking sides not knowing the full story but it's hard to get our heads around the idea that Sally now as their mum, won't get to see her kids very much." Bickmore said.

El-Amine explained that Faulkner could communicate with the children using video software such as Skype or in visits if she were to return to Lebanon.

"Just until things settle and you know, let all of it, put everything behind us,  and then down the line we could probably head over to Aus or  meet up in some country where you know, uh, she can be around her babies and we're all together," el-Amine said.

"The whole family thing, she went down her own road and you know, I'm here working with the kids. It's difficult, I guess."

Co-host Waleed Aly then pressed el-Amine to elaborate on future custodial arrangements.

"Do you think you would like an arrangement where Sally gets to see the kids, regularly?" Aly said.

"Yeah. I mean, I told her from day one. I never told her she can't see the kids. I just stopped communications with her. Because during that time I could see she was contacting child abduction companies.

"The way it happened is uh, that company CARI they were was in touch and he explained exactly how it was going down so I had an idea that they were going to try an escape via the sea," el-Amine said.

When Aly pressed el-Amine to explain why he'd taken the children out of the country, the father said he'd made no legal errors.

"They were as much my kids as her kids - I mean, they're dual citizens. I didn't break any laws," el-Amine said.

The children will remain in el-Amine's custody with Faulkner able to visit.

El-Amine also told The Project's hosts that he had not accepted any financial compensation from Channel Nine in exchange for dropping the charges.

However, when asked by Aly if anyone around him had been compensated, el-Amine said he was unable to comment on the matters.