BEIRUT: When Israel bombed buildings outside the southern Lebanese city of Sidon, Mohamed Arkadan and his team rushed to an emergency unlike anything they had ever seen.
About a dozen apartments had collapsed onto the hillside they once overlooked, burying more than 100 people. Even after 17 years with the civil defense forces of one of the world’s most war-torn nations, Arkadan was shocked at the destruction. By Monday afternoon — about 24 hours after the bombing — his team had pulled more than 40 bodies — including children’s — from the rubble, along with 60 survivors.
The children’s bodies broke his heart, said Arkadan, 38, but his team of over 30 first responders’ inability to help further pained him more. Firetrucks and ambulances haven’t been replaced in years. Rescue tools and equipment are in short supply. His team has to buy their uniforms out of pocket.
An economic crisis that began in 2019 and a massive 2020 port explosion have left Lebanon struggling to provide basic services such as electricity and medical care. Political divisions have left the country of 6 million without a president or functioning government for more than two years, deepening a national sense of abandonment reaching down to the men whom the people depend on in emergencies.
“We have zero capabilities, zero logistics,” Arkadan said. “We have no gloves, no personal protection gear.”
War has upended Lebanon again
Israel’s intensified air campaign against Hezbollah has upended the country. Over 1,000 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since Sept. 17, nearly a quarter of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes, sleeping on beaches and streets.
The World Health Organization said over 30 primary health care centers around Lebanon’s affected areas have been closed.
On Tuesday, Israel said it began a limited ground operation against Hezbollah and warned people to evacuate several southern communities, promising further escalation.
Lebanon is “grappling with multiple crises, which have overwhelmed the country’s capacity to cope,” said Imran Riza, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Lebanon, who said the UN had allocated $24 million in emergency funding for people affected by the fighting.
Exhausted medical staff are struggling to cope with the daily influx of new patients. Under government emergency plans, hospitals and medical workers have halted non-urgent operations.
Government shelters are full
In the southern province of Tyre, many doctors have fled along with residents. In Nabatiyeh, the largest province in southern Lebanon, first responders say they have been working around the clock since last week to reach hundreds of people wounded in bombings that hit dozens of villages and towns, often many on the same day.
After the bombing in Sidon nearly 250 first responders joined Arkadan’s team, including a specialized search-and-rescue unit from Beirut, some 45 kilometers (28 miles) to the north. His team didn’t have the modern equipment needed to pull people from a disaster.
“We used traditional tools, like scissors, cables, shovels,” Arkadan said.
“Anyone here?” rescuers shouted through the gaps in mounds of rubble, searching for survivors buried deeper underground. One excavator removed the debris slowly, to avoid shaking the heaps of bricks and mangled steel.
Many sought refuge in the ancient city of Tyre, 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the border with Israel, thinking it was likely to be spared bombardment. More than 8,000 people arrived, said Hassan Dbouk, the head of its disaster management unit.
He said that there were no pre-positioned supplies, such as food parcels, hygiene kits and mattresses, and moving trucks now is fraught with danger. Farmers have been denied access to their land because of the bombings and the municipality is struggling to pay salaries.
The humanitarian situation is catastrophic
Meanwhile, garbage is piling up on the streets. The number of municipal workers has shrunk from 160 to 10.
“The humanitarian situation is catastrophic,” Dbouk said.
Wissam Ghazal, the health ministry official in Tyre, said in one hospital, only five of 35 doctors have remained. In Tyre province, eight medics, including three with a medical organization affiliated with Hezbollah, were killed over two days, he said.
Over the weekend, the city itself became a focus of attacks.
Israeli warplanes struck near the port city’s famed ruins, along its beaches and in residential and commercial areas, forcing thousands of residents to flee. At least 15 civilians were killed Saturday and Sunday, including two municipal workers, a soldier and several children, all but one from two families.
It took rescuers two days to comb through the rubble of a home in the Kharab neighborhood in the city’s center, where a bomb had killed nine members of the Al-Samra family.
Six premature babies in incubators around the city were moved to Beirut. The city’s only doctor, who looked after them, couldn’t move between hospitals under fire, Ghazal said.
One of the district’s four hospitals shut after sustaining damage from a strike that affected its electricity supply and damaged the operations room. In two other hospitals, glass windows were broken. For now, the city’s hospitals are receiving more killed than wounded.
“But you don’t know what will happen when the intensity of attacks increases. We will definitely need more.”
Making do with what they have
Hosein Faqih, head of civil defense in the Nabatiyeh province, said that “we are working in very difficult and critical circumstances because the strikes are random. We have no protection. We have no shields, no helmets, no extra hoses. The newest vehicle is 25 years old. We are still working despite all that.”
At least three of his firefighters’ team were killed in early September. Ten have been injured since then. Of 45 vehicles, six were hit and are now out of service.
Faqih said he is limiting his team’s search-and-rescue missions to residential areas, keeping them away from forests or open areas where they used to put out fires.
“These days, there is something difficult every day. Body parts are everywhere, children, civilians and bodies under rubble,” Faqih said. Still, he said, he considers his job to be the safety net for the people.
“We serve the people, and we will work with what we have.”
Lebanese emergency services overwhelmed and desperate for supplies
https://arab.news/jesre
Lebanese emergency services overwhelmed and desperate for supplies
- The civil defense forces of one of the world’s most war-torn nations are shocked at the destruction underway in Lebanon
- An economic crisis that began in 2019 and a massive 2020 port explosion have left Lebanon struggling to provide basic services such as electricity and medical care
Egypt will host Gaza reconstruction conference when ceasefire reached: Egypt PM
- “Egypt will, as soon as we reach a ceasefire, host an international reconstruction conference on the Gaza Strip to mobilize the necessary funding for the Arab-Islamic reconstruction plan”
UNITED NATIONS, United States: Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said Monday that his country would host a Gaza reconstruction conference as soon as a ceasefire had been reached in the devastated territory.
“Egypt will, as soon as we reach a ceasefire, host an international reconstruction conference on the Gaza Strip to mobilize the necessary funding for the Arab-Islamic reconstruction plan,” he said at a conference on the two-state solution at the United Nations.
Spanish PM calls for full UN membership for Palestinian state
- “The state of Palestine must be a member”
- The left-wing Spanish prime minister has been one of the most vocal critics of Israel’s devastating offensive in Gaza launched in response to the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas
WASHINGTON: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, an outspoken critic of Israel’s war in Gaza, called Monday for a state of Palestine to be admitted to the UN after a French-led summit on recognition.
“This conference marks a milestone, but it’s not the end of the road. It’s only the beginning,” Sanchez said at the United Nations General Assembly.
“The State of Palestine must be a full member of the United Nations,” he continued.
“The process for the State of Palestine to join this organization must be completed as soon as possible, on an equal footing with other states,” he said.
“Second, we must take immediate measures to stop the barbarism and make peace possible.”
The left-wing Spanish prime minister has been one of the most vocal critics of Israel’s devastating offensive in Gaza launched in response to the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas.
Spain, alongside Ireland and Norway, already recognized a Palestinian state in May.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar recently described Sanchez as “antisemitic” and a “liar” after the Spanish leader expressed admiration for pro-Palestinian protesters who disrupted Spain’s Vuelta cycling race.
The attack on Sanchez led Spain to summon Israel’s top diplomat in Madrid.
Palestinian Authority says France’s recognition of state ‘historic and courageous’
- “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomes the recognition of the State of Palestine by the friendly Republic of France, considering it a historic and courageous decision that is consistent with international law
RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: The Palestinian Authority on Monday hailed the formal recognition of a Palestinian state by French President Emmanuel Macron as a “historic and courageous decision.”
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomes the recognition of the State of Palestine by the friendly Republic of France, considering it a historic and courageous decision that is consistent with international law and United Nations resolutions and supports ongoing efforts to achieve peace and implement the two-state solution,” the PA’s foreign ministry in Ramallah said in a statement.
Denying Palestinian statehood ‘a gift to extremists everywhere’: UN chief
- Antonio Guterres speaks at landmark conference co-hosted by Saudi Arabia, France — ‘Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people or any form of ethnic cleansing’
NEW YORK: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for “irreversible progress” toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, warning that failure to act risks perpetuating an “intolerable” and worsening crisis.
Speaking at the High-Level International Conference for Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine at the UN General Assembly Hall, he said the decades-long conflict had reached a “morally, legally and politically intolerable” point, citing mounting civilian casualties in Gaza and growing instability in the West Bank.
“We are here today to help navigate the only way out of this nightmare,” Guterres added, emphasizing the UN-backed vision of two independent, sovereign and democratic states — Israel and Palestine — coexisting peacefully within secure and recognized borders based on the pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the shared capital.
The event was co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, and marked the most concerted international push in recent months to revive momentum toward a negotiated peace.
Guterres thanked both governments for convening the meeting, and reiterated his disappointment that the Palestinian delegation had been “denied the opportunity (by US visa restrictions) to be fully represented.”
He again condemned the Hamas attack against Israel of Oct. 7, 2023 — calling it “horrific” and reiterating demands for the “immediate and unconditional” release of hostages — and the “systematic decimation” of Gaza in response.
“Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people or any form of ethnic cleansing,” he said, decrying the widespread killing of civilians, starvation of the population and attacks on humanitarian workers. “All of it must stop.”
Guterres also warned that continued Israeli settlement expansion, settler violence, and the de facto annexation of the West Bank pose an “existential threat” to any viable two-state outcome.
“Statehood for the Palestinians is a right, not a reward,” he said. “Denying statehood would be a gift to extremists everywhere.”
He added: “This conference must be a catalyst. It must spur irreversible progress towards ending the unlawful occupation and realizing our shared aspiration for a viable two-state solution.”
Guterres urged all parties to demonstrate “bold and principled leadership,” noting that the alternative — a one-state reality marked by occupation and inequality — is neither sustainable nor acceptable.
“Without two states, there will be no peace in the Middle East,” he warned. “And radicalism will spread around the world.”
The conference comes amid deepening international concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians have been killed by Israel, most of them women and children.
Guterres welcomed recent moves by member states to recognize Palestinian statehood and the UNGA’s endorsement of the Saudi-French New York Declaration, which calls for concrete steps toward a negotiated peace.
“This is the only credible path to a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians — and to wider peace and security in the Middle East,” he said.
‘The time has come,’ Macron tells landmark UN conference as slew of countries recognize Palestine
- Palestinian people deserve ‘justice,’ president tells conference co-chaired by Saudi Arabia, France
- Canadian PM accuses Israel of aiming to ‘prevent the prospect of a Palestinian state from ever being established’
NEW YORK: President Emmanuel Macron received a long standing ovation on Monday as he formally announced France’s recognition of the State of Palestine, calling it a “historic and necessary” step to end the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict and establish a durable peace in the Middle East.
Speaking at the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, he declared that “the time has come” to end the war in Gaza, free the remaining 48 Israeli hostages held by Hamas, and revive the two-state solution.
“We’ve gathered here because the time has come ... The time for peace has come because we’re just a few moments away from no longer being able to seize peace,” Macron said.
“There are hundreds of thousands of people who’ve been displaced, injured, famished, traumatized,” he added.
“Nothing justifies the ongoing war in Gaza. On the contrary, everything compels us to definitively end it.”
Macron again strongly condemned the Hamas attack of Oct. 7, 2023, calling it “the worst terrorist attack in Israeli history” and “an open wound for the Israeli soul and for our universal conscience.”
He also paid tribute to the 51 French citizens killed in the attack, and reaffirmed France’s unwavering support for Israel’s right to security and its fight against terrorism, including antisemitism. “Nothing, never, nowhere can justify having recourse to terrorism,” Macron said.
Invoking the 1947 UN Partition Plan, he emphasized that while the international community fulfilled its promise to establish a Jewish state, the parallel promise of a Palestinian state remains unfulfilled.
“This is a people who never says goodbye to anything,” he said, quoting Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish. “A people with a strong history, roots and dignity.”
Macron added: “The recognition of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people takes nothing away from the rights of the people of Israel.”
He reiterated that France’s recognition of Palestine is not meant to harm Israel but to support a political solution that allows both peoples to live side by side in peace and security.
“A life is a life,” he said repeatedly, recalling his encounters with both Israeli and Palestinian victims.
By recognizing Palestine, Macron joined a broader international movement. He confirmed that countries including Andorra, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Portugal, the UK and San Marino had also answered the call to recognize Palestinian statehood.
“This recognition is a defeat for Hamas,” Macron said. “It is a defeat for all those who ferment antisemitism, nurture anti-Zionist obsessions and who want the destruction of the State of Israel.”
France and Saudi Arabia presented a peace and security plan to the UN General Assembly, formally known as the New York Declaration which was adopted by a large majority.
The declaration outlines three core priorities: the immediate release of hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza, with Macron urging Israel not to obstruct ongoing efforts led by Qatar, Egypt and the US; the stabilization and reconstruction of Gaza through a transitional administration involving the Palestinian Authority and young Palestinians, backed by international partners to disarm Hamas; and comprehensive reform of Palestinian governance.
Macron said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had committed to disarming Hamas, excluding it from future governance, combating hate speech and renewing democratic institutions.
France pledged to monitor implementation closely, and expressed readiness to contribute to an international stabilization mission and support Palestinian security forces.
Macron emphasized that, together with EU partners, France’s future cooperation with Israel would be contingent on it ending the Gaza war and engaging in peace negotiations.
“It’s thanks to this path that we will get a State of Palestine, sovereign, independent and demilitarized, bringing together all of its territories, recognizing Israel and being recognized by Israel,” he said, urging Arab and Muslim states that have yet to recognize Israel to commit to doing so once a Palestinian state is established.
“Together, we will demonstrate dual recognition for the benefit of peace and security of all in the Middle East,” he added.
“The time has come to do justice to the Palestinian people, and thus to recognize the State of Palestine — a brotherly country, a neighbor in Gaza, in the West Bank and in Jerusalem.”
He added: “The time has come to cast out from these lands the vile face of terrorism and to forge peace.”
Quoting former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated by a Jewish extremist for pursuing peace, Macron reminded the assembly: “‘I fought so long as there was no chance of peace.’ But today, there is such a chance. Today, here, 142 states are proposing this peace.”
Abbas condemned the Oct. 7 attack and called for a ceasefire in Gaza, and an end to Israeli settler terrorism and attacks against Islamic and Christian sites in Jerusalem.
He vowed that the State of Palestine would be the only legitimate entity to govern Gaza, excluding Hamas from any future role.
“Hamas and other factions must surrender their weapons to the Palestinian Authority,” he said. “What we want is one unified state without weapons, a state with one law and one legitimate security forces.”
Speaking via video link from Ramallah, Abbas addressed the Israeli people directly, saying: “Our future and yours hangs on peace. Enough violence and war. Our generations deserve to enjoy freedom and security. Let the people in our region live in durable peace and good neighborliness.”
He also wished Jews worldwide a good new year, and to “our patient Palestinian people in their homeland and everywhere, I would like to tell you that the dawn of freedom and liberty is coming, no doubt.”
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also formally announced his country’s recognition of Palestine amid loud plaudits.
“Portugal’s recognition of the State of Palestine is not an isolated gesture, but a continuation of a longstanding policy and a decisive contribution to the safeguarding of the two-state solution,” he said.
A day after Australia recognized Palestine as a state, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese lamented “the grim pattern over the years: opportunities not taken, compromises rejected, good faith betrayed, a cycle of violence that has crushed generations.”
He called for a “credible cooperative peace plan supporting recovery in Gaza and security for Israel.”
This plan must establish peaceful governance in Gaza and necessarily “exclude Hamas on the day after and every day after that,” he said.
In formally recognizing a Palestinian state, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney accused Israel of aiming to “prevent the prospect of a Palestinian state from ever being established.”
However, Canada is “under no illusions that this recognition is a panacea,” he said. “We take this action as part of a coordinated effort led by France and Saudi Arabia — a coordinated effort to provide the possibility of peace in a two-state solution.”
Carney added: “Recognizing the state of Palestine, led by the Palestinian Authority, empowers those who seek peaceful coexistence and the end of Hamas. It doesn’t legitimize terrorism.”
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said while the recognition of Palestine is urgent, it is all the more urgent that “there exists a Palestinian people in the state that we’re claiming to recognize.”
Palestinian people are being annihilated, he added, urging the international community “in the name of reason, in the name of international law and in the name of human dignity (to) stop this slaughter now.”
Sanchez said: “Today, we take a crucial step forward in calling for a two-state solution at this conference, but let us be lucidly clear, there is no solution possible when the population of one of those two states is the victim of a genocide.
“We are all well aware that the only hope that civilians in Gaza have is that of knowing that the world does not forget them, and this conference nurtures that hope. It is an act of moral rebellion and uprising against indifference and forgetfulness.
“Let us make this conference too a collective commitment to halting brutality and to paving the way for peace.”
