Beirut – Fuming Lebanese protesters set up new roadblocks Tuesday to vent anger over political inaction in the face of deepening poverty, but security forces managed to reopen some to traffic.
The country has been mired in economic crisis, which has brought surging unemployment and spiraling prices while the currency has plunged to a new low to the dollar on the black market.
The caretaker government — which formally resigned after a massive explosion in Beirut port last August that killed more than 200 people — has failed to agree on a new cabinet since.
Roadblocks have become a near daily occurrence in the small Mediterranean country and lasted all day Monday, including in and out of Beirut.
Demonstrators on Tuesday again cut off some roads in the northern city of Tripoli and the eastern Bekaa Valley region, the state-run National News Agency reported.
Highways leading to central Beirut were also closed, though most later re-opened. Others blinked open and closed throughout the morning.
Some protesters have called for a revival of the nationwide street movement of late 2019 that demanded the removal of Lebanon’s entire political class, widely seen as incompetent and corrupt.
More than half of the population is living below the poverty line, and prices have soared as the Lebanese pound has lost more than 80 percent of its value.
With foreign currency reserves dwindling fast, the authorities have warned they will soon have to lift subsidies on fuel and mostly imported food.
President Michel Aoun has accused demonstrators blocking roads of “sabotage,” but also called for authorities to prevent “the manipulation of food prices.”
No serious clashes between security forces and demonstrators in recent days happened despite growing anger on the streets, in contrast to previous rallies.
Analyst Karim Bitar said “revolution fatigue,” a “lack of clear vision or leadership” and anxiety over coronavirus were some of the reasons behind Tuesday’s smaller numbers, and on-and-off road blocks.
“People are far too busy with the daily struggle to survive. Issues of political change have become secondary,” he told AFP.
Lebanon’s economic crisis has been aggravated by several lockdowns to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
On Monday, the government introduced some relaxations in the latest stay-at-home order, imposed after hospitals became overwhelmed following the winter holidays.
Lebanon protesters block roads over worsening poverty
https://arab.news/7cm2e
Lebanon protesters block roads over worsening poverty
- Half the population lives below poverty line and prices have soared as Lebanese pound lost 80 percent of its value
- President Michel Aoun accused demonstrators of "sabotage", called for authorities to prevent "the manipulation of food prices"
Sweden eyes charges against suspect over 2014 killing of Jordan pilot in Syria
- The suspect has previously been convicted for involvement in attacks in Paris in 2015 and in Brussels in 2016
- No individuals have so far stood trial for the killing of the Jordanian pilot Mouath Al-Kasaesbeh
STOCKHOLM: Swedish prosecutors have requested the detention of a Swedish man on suspicion of war and terrorism crimes over the killing of a Jordanian air force pilot in Syria a decade ago, they said on Monday.
The man, named in Swedish court documents as Osama Krayem, has previously been convicted for involvement in attacks in Paris in 2015 and in Brussels in 2016.
The Daesh militant group, which once imposed a reign of terror over millions of people in Syria and Iraq, captured Jordanian pilot Mouath Al-Kasaesbeh in December 2014 and later published a video of him being burned alive in a cage.
“The man now requested for detention is suspected of having executed the pilot, together with other perpetrators belonging to IS,” the Swedish Prosecution Authority said in a statement.
The prosecutors said Krayem, 32, alongside others, forced the pilot into the cage. The killing of the pilot violates the laws of war, and the killing and video constitute terrorist activities, they said.
No individuals have so far stood trial for the killing of the Jordanian pilot, the prosecutors said.
Krayem’s Swedish lawyer did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Sweden will request that Krayem, who is currently held in France, be transferred to Sweden in the case of a trial in the Nordic country, the prosecutors said.
Daesh group controlled swathes of Iraq and Syria between 2014 and 2017, and was defeated in its last bastions in Syria in 2019.
Under Swedish legislation, courts can try people for crimes against international law committed abroad.
Gazans begin searching for people under rubble on day two of ceasefire
- “We are searching for 10,000 martyrs whose bodies remain under the rubble,” said Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson of the Palestinian Civil Emergency Services
GAZA/CAIRO: Palestinians began searching on Monday for thousands of Gazans believed still buried under rubble, as residents expressed shock at the devastation wrought by 15 months of war on the enclave on the second day of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
The truce in the 15-month-old conflict, which has laid waste to the Gaza Strip and inflamed the Middle East, took effect on Sunday with the release of the first three hostages held by Hamas and 90 Palestinians freed from Israeli jails.
Now attention is starting to shift to the rebuilding of the coastal enclave which the Israeli military has demolished in retaliation for a Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
That assault killed 1,200 people with around 250 hostages taken into Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. In the subsequent conflict, more than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed, Gaza’s health ministry says.
“We are searching for 10,000 martyrs whose bodies remain under the rubble,” said Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson of the Palestinian Civil Emergency Services.
At least 2,840 bodies were melted and there were no traces of them, he said.
Displaced Gazan Mohamed Gomaa lost his brother and nephew in the war.
“It was a big shock, and the amount (of people) feeling shocked is countless because of what happened to their homes — it’s destruction, total destruction. It’s not like an earthquake or a flood, no no, what happened is a war of extermination,” he said.
With a growing flow of aid into the Palestinian enclave, residents flocked into markets, with some expressing happiness at the lower prices and the presence of new food items like imported chocolates.
“The prices have gone down, the war is over and the crossing is open to more goods,” said Aya Mohammad-Zaki, a displaced woman from Gaza City, who has been sheltering in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza Strip.
The deal requires 600 truckloads of aid to be allowed into Gaza every day of the initial six-week ceasefire, including 50 carrying fuel. Half of the aid trucks would be delivered to the north, where experts have warned famine is imminent.
Warning shots
Residents and medics in Gaza said that for the most part the ceasefire appeared to be holding, although there were isolated incidents. Medics said eight people had been hit by Israeli fire since Monday morning in the southern city of Rafah, without giving details of their condition.
The Israeli military said it fired warning shots against suspects who approached troops deployed according to the ceasefire agreement.
One of the Israeli women hostages released on Sunday, Emily Damari, posted a message on Instagram on Monday.
“I have returned to life, my loved ones,” she wrote, “I am the happiest in the world, to just be,” said Damari, a British-Israeli citizen.
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where most of the freed Palestinian detainees returned, Nidaa Zaghebi was finally able to embrace her three children who she had left behind after her arrest by Israeli forces.
Zaghebi’s daughters Sadan and Cilla were in tears as they hugged their mother when she arrived at their home, wearing a crown of flowers and wrapped in a traditional Palestinian scarf.
“I used to dream of them every night, and imagine what they were doing. I know the family here were very supportive and took good care of them, but motherhood overcomes all other feelings,” she told Reuters.
Billions of dollars will be needed to rebuild Gaza after the war. A UN damage assessment released this month showed that clearing over 50 million tons of rubble left in the aftermath of Israel’s bombardment could take 21 years and cost up to $1.2 billion.
A UN report from last year, said rebuilding Gaza’s shattered homes could take at least until 2040, but could drag on for many decades. The debris is believed to be contaminated with asbestos, with some refugee camps struck during the war known to have been built with the material.
A UN Development Programme official said on Sunday that development in Gaza has been set back by 69 years as a result of the conflict.
Israel said its goal in the war was to eradicate Hamas and destroy the tunnel network it built underground.
Yemen’s Houthis say to limit attacks in the Red Sea corridor
- Houthis have targeted about 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Gaza conflict erupted in October 2023
DUBAI: Yemen’s Houthi militia have signaled they will limit their attacks in the Red Sea corridor to only Israeli-affiliated ships as a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip took hold.
The Houthis made the announcement in an email sent to shippers and others on Sunday. The Houthis separately planned a military statement on Monday, likely about the decision.
The Houthis, through their Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center, made the announcement by saying it was “stopping sanctions” on the other vessels it has previously targeted since it started attacks in November 2023.
The Houthis have targeted about 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip started in October 2023, after Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage.
The Houthis have seized one vessel and sunk two in a campaign that has also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by separate US- and European-led coalitions in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have also included Western military vessels.
China ‘welcomes’ Gaza ceasefire coming into effect
- China has historically been sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and supportive of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict
BEJING: China on Monday hailed the start of a long-awaited truce aimed at ending more than 15 months of war in Gaza.
A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas formally entered into force on Sunday, paving the way for the exchange of Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages.
A spokeswoman for Beijing’s foreign ministry said “China welcomes the Gaza ceasefire agreement coming into effect.”
“We hope that the agreement will be fully and continuously implemented, and that a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire in Gaza will be achieved,” Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing.
“China will continue to work with the international community to promote peace and stability in the Middle East,” she said.
China has historically been sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and supportive of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
It has positioned itself as a more neutral actor on the conflict than its rival the United States, but has repeatedly called on Israel to end what it calls humanitarian disasters in Gaza.
Last summer, China hosted rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah in Beijing, where they signed an agreement to form a “national unity government” in Gaza after the end of hostilities.
UAE launches largest Gaza aid operation as truce starts
- 20 trucks carry essential food supplies, winter clothing and basic necessities
DUBAI: The UAE has launched its largest relief operation in Gaza, under Operation Chivalrous Knight 3, as the Hamas-Israel ceasefire took effect on Sunday.
A convoy of 20 trucks carried over 200 tonnes of essential humanitarian aid including food, winter clothing and other basic necessities for Palestinian families impacted by Israel’s war on Gaza.
To date, Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 has already sent 156 convoys to Gaza, amounting to about 29,784 tonnes of humanitarian aid.
This aid has significantly alleviated the challenging circumstances faced by Gaza’s residents, particularly the most vulnerable groups, by meeting their basic needs, state news agency WAM reported.
Operation Chivalrous Knight 3 has been in operation for over 441 days and has overseen over 500 planeloads of aid, five transport ships, and more than 2,500 trucks from Egypt into Gaza, WAM added.
The UAE’s projects include a field hospital in Gaza, and a floating hospital in Arish, Egypt.
In addition, the country has overseen water supply projects including the construction of desalination plants in Rafah, Egypt, and the “Birds of Goodness” initiative, which involves airdropping aid to areas inaccessible by land, notably in northern Gaza.
