BEIRUT: Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said on Saturday that he will not accept Iran-backed Hezbollah’s positions that “affect our Arab brothers or targets the security and stability of their countries,” a statement from his press office said.
Hariri announced his resignation from his post on Nov. 4 in a televised statement from Saudi Arabia.
After returning to Lebanon this week, he shelved the decision on Wednesday at the request of President Michel Aoun.
On Saturday, he said that his decision to wait instead of officially resigning is to give a chance to discuss and look into demands that will make Lebanon neutral and allow it to enforce its “disassociation” policy.
“Disassociation” is widely understood in Lebanon to mean its policy of staying out of regional conflicts. The regional role played by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah political and military movement has greatly alarmed Saudi Arabia, Hariri’s long-time ally.
Lebanon’s Hariri: Hezbollah positions affecting Arab allies are unacceptable
Lebanon’s Hariri: Hezbollah positions affecting Arab allies are unacceptable
Jordan’s FM urges halt to ‘ethnic cleansing’ in Gaza, warns of regional war risk
- Safadi condemned the humanitarian crisis and called for an end to Israeli actions he said were exacerbating instability in the region
LONDON: Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi made an urgent appeal on Friday for international pressure to halt what he described as “ethnic cleansing” in northern Gaza.
In a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in London, Safadi condemned the humanitarian crisis and called for an end to Israeli actions he said were exacerbating instability in the region.
“We do see ethnic cleansing taking place, and that has got to stop,” Safadi told Blinken, as he warned of the growing risk of regional conflict.
“We really stand at the brink of regional war now. The only path to save the region from that is for Israel to stop the aggressions on Gaza, on Lebanon, and cease unilateral, illegal measures in the West Bank which are pushing the situation to an abyss,” he added.
As the second Arab nation to formalize peace with Israel, Jordan has taken a prominent role in advocating for de-escalation.
Blinken acknowledged Jordan’s leadership, particularly in efforts to ensure humanitarian assistance reached Gaza’s affected areas.
The discussion between the two diplomats focused on the urgent need to cease hostilities in Gaza, uphold Lebanon’s stability, and fully implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
Both Safadi and Blinken also highlighted the necessity of sustainable humanitarian aid to Gaza’s civilians and called for a halt to Israeli actions in the West Bank to prevent further escalation.
In addition to their shared security concerns, Safadi and Blinken emphasized their commitment to strengthening the robust strategic partnership between the US and Jordan across various sectors, reinforcing their undertaking to seeking a peaceful resolution to the escalating crisis in the region.
Watchdog FATF places Lebanon on financial crime watchlist
- “Of course we recognize the extreme, grave situation that Lebanon is currently facing,” Elisa de Anda Madrazo, FATF’s president said
- “Lebanon’s status on the grey list should not impede relief efforts ... “
BEIRUT/PARIS: Lebanon has been placed on the so-called “grey list” of countries under special scrutiny by financial crime watchdog FATF, FATF said on Friday.
“Of course we recognize the extreme, grave situation that Lebanon is currently facing,” Elisa de Anda Madrazo, the watchdog’s president, told journalists.
“Lebanon’s status on the grey list should not impede relief efforts ... We are working to make sure that channels of humanitarian aid remain open,” she added.
Lebanon has been in a financial crisis since 2019 that has been left to fester by the country’s leaders and now faces growing damage from Israeli airstrikes and ground operations against Hezbollah.
Madrazo said Lebanon had been accorded some flexibility regarding deadlines set in its action plan, but did not provide details at the news conference.
A source told Reuters earlier on Friday that the war had led the FATF to give Lebanon until 2026 instead of 2025 to address the issues that led to its grey-listing, including concerns over terrorism financing and a lack of judicial independence.
The grey-listing is likely to further deter investment in Lebanon and could affect the relationship between some Lebanese banks and the global financial system.
Gaza ministry says Israeli forces detain hundreds at hospital
- “Israeli forces have stormed and are present inside Kamal Adwan Hospital” in the city of Jabalia, the ministry said in a statement
- World Health Organization chief Tedros Ghebreyesus said that contact with the hospital had been lost since Friday morning
GAZA: Gaza’s health ministry said Israeli forces detained hundreds of staff, patients and displaced people during a raid on Friday on the last functioning hospital in the territory’s embattled north.
“Israeli forces have stormed and are present inside Kamal Adwan Hospital” in the city of Jabalia, the ministry said in a statement.
“They are detaining hundreds of patients, medical staff and some displaced individuals from neighboring areas who sought refuge in the hospital from continuous bombardment.”
World Health Organization chief Tedros Ghebreyesus said that contact with the hospital had been lost since Friday morning.
“Since this morning’s reports of a raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, we have lost touch with the personnel there,” Ghebreyesus said on X.
“This development is deeply disturbing, given the number of patients being served and people sheltering there.”
The Israeli army confirmed that its troops were operating in the hospital area, accompanied by agents of the Shin Bet domestic security service.
Army and Israeli Security Agency forces “are operating in the area of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Jabalia, based on intelligence information regarding the presence of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure,” it said in a statement.
Israeli forces had surrounded the hospital in Jabalia refugee camp before entering the premises, Gaza’s civil defense agency said.
“More than 150 patients and staff, including medical and nursing teams, are besieged by the Israeli army inside Kamal Adwan Hospital,” agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said.
COGAT — the Israeli defense ministry body responsible for civil affairs in the Palestinian territories — said Friday it had allowed the transfer of 23 patients out of the hospital the previous night in Palestinian ambulances and UN vehicles.
Kamal Adwan is the last functioning hospital in north Gaza. It has been struggling with shortages of medicines and medical equipment since the start of war, which have been aggravated by the launch of a major Israeli operation in north Gaza earlier this month.
“There has been no supply or provision of food, medicine, or essential medical supplies needed to save the lives of the injured and sick in the hospital,” the health ministry said, calling the situation “catastrophic in every sense of the word.”
COGAT said it had allowed the transfer of one fuel truck, “180 blood units and a truckload of medical equipment” donated by UN agencies.
Tedros said the WHO and partner agencies had reached the hospital late Wednesday and managed to transfer 23 patients and 26 caregivers to Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital.
“Kamal Adwan Hospital has been overflowing with close to 200 patients — a constant stream of horrific trauma cases. It is also full of hundreds of people seeking shelter,” he said.
Hamas called the storming of Kamal Adwan “a war crime and a flagrant violation of international laws.”
Israel launched a major operation in north Gaza on October 6 that has killed 770 people, according to civil defense agency figures.
“Since the start of operational activity in Jabalia, approximately 45,000 Palestinian civilians have evacuated, and IDF (Israeli army) troops have eliminated hundreds of terrorists,” the Israeli military said.
‘Darkest moment’ of war unfolding in northern Gaza: UN rights chief
- Volker Turk pointed out that already “more than 150,000 people are reportedly dead, wounded or missing in Gaza”
- “Unimaginably, the situation is getting worse by the day“
GENEVA: The UN rights chief said the “darkest moment” of the conflict in Gaza was unfolding in the north of the territory, warning Friday that Israel’s actions could amount to “atrocity crimes.”
Volker Turk pointed out that already “more than 150,000 people are reportedly dead, wounded or missing in Gaza” since the war there erupted just over a year ago.
“Unimaginably, the situation is getting worse by the day,” he said.
“My gravest fear is, given the intensity, breadth, scale and blatant nature of the Israeli operation currently underway in North Gaza, that number will rise dramatically.”
Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, warned that Israel’s policies in northern Gaza “risk emptying the area of all Palestinians.”
“We are facing what could amount to atrocity crimes, including potentially extending to crimes against humanity.”
He called on the world’s leaders to act, stressing that all states are obligated under the Geneva Conventions to ensure respect for international humanitarian law.
His statement stressed the urgency of the situation, warning that “today the darkest moment of the Gaza conflict is unfolding in the north of the Strip, where the Israeli military is effectively subjecting an entire population to bombing, siege and risk of starvation.”
“The bombing in North Gaza is non-stop,” he said.
At the same time, “the Israeli military has ordered hundreds of thousands to move, with no guarantees of return. But there is no safe way to leave,” he warned.
The UN rights chief cautioned that there was “extremely limited access to this part of Gaza, (and) next to no aid has reached the area in weeks, with unlawful restrictions remaining.”
“Many are now facing starvation.”
At the same time, he said, “the Israeli military is striking hospitals, and staff and patients have been killed and injured or forced to evacuate simultaneously.”
Turk’s statement pointed out that Palestinian armed groups also reportedly continue to operate among civilians, including in places of shelter, putting civilians in harm’s way “which is totally unacceptable.”
UN peacekeepers say Israel troops fired at Lebanon post
- “IDF (Israeli army) soldiers fired at” an observation post near the border village of Dhayra
- “The duty guards withdrew to avoid being shot“
BEIRUT: United Nations peacekeepers said Friday that Israeli soldiers fired at one of their observation posts in south Lebanon this week, adding the security situation was “extremely challenging” amid other unidentified attacks.
“IDF (Israeli army) soldiers fired at” an observation post near the border village of Dhayra on Tuesday, a statement from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said, adding “the duty guards withdrew to avoid being shot.”
Separately, it reported three incidents of unidentified fire impacting UNIFIL positions, teams and vehicles this week, adding no peacekeepers were hurt but calling the security situation “extremely challenging.”
“Since early October, peacekeepers have observed clashes on the ground in or around” a dozen south Lebanon villages and towns, UNIFIL said, noting “rocket fire from Lebanon and heavy air and artillery strikes from Israel have continued.”
The Israeli military “has repeatedly demanded that UNIFIL vacate its positions... and has deliberately damaged camera, lighting, and communications equipment” at some positions, the UN force said.
“Despite the pressure being exerted on the mission and our troop-contributing countries, peacekeepers remain in position and on task,” it added.
“All actors are reminded of their obligation to avoid actions putting peacekeepers or civilians in danger.”
Initially set up in 1978 to monitor the withdrawal of Israeli forces after they invaded Lebanon, UNIFIL has around 10,000 peacekeepers from some 50 countries deployed in south Lebanon.
Also Friday, UNIFIL said two Indonesian peacekeepers who were wounded on October 10 when “an observation tower at UNIFIL’s Naqura headquarters was hit by Israeli tank fire” were back on duty after having “spent three days in intensive care.”
