Amid Israel-Hezbollah strikes, Lebanon says only US can stop fighting

Lebanon's Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib holds a press conference with his Iranian counterpart (unseen) in Beirut on February 10, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 25 September 2024
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Amid Israel-Hezbollah strikes, Lebanon says only US can stop fighting

  • "The United States is the only country that can really make a difference in the Middle East and with regard to Lebanon”

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM: An Israeli airstrike on Beirut killed a senior Hezbollah commander on Tuesday as cross-border rocket attacks by both sides increased fears of a full-fledged war in the Middle East and Lebanon said only Washington could help end the fighting.
Hezbollah early on Wednesday confirmed senior commander Ibrahim Qubaisi was killed by Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday on the Lebanese capital as Israel announced earlier. Israel said Qubaisi headed the group’s missile and rocket force.
Israel’s offensive since Monday morning has killed 569 people, including 50 children, and wounded 1,835 in Lebanon, Health Minister Firass Abiad told Al Jazeera Mubasher TV.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Israel kills Hezbollah commander in Beirut

• Lebanese health ministry says two-day death toll is 569

• UN Security Council to meet Wednesday

• Fears of a wider conflict are growing

The new offensive against Hezbollah has stoked fears that nearly a year of conflict between Israel and the militant Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza is escalating and could destabilize the Middle East. Britain urged its nationals to leave Lebanon and said it was moving 700 troops to Cyprus to help its citizens evacuate.
The UN Security Council said it would meet on Wednesday to discuss the conflict.
“Lebanon is at the brink. The people of Lebanon – the people of Israel – and the people of the world — cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said.
At the UN, which is holding its General Assembly this week, US President Joe Biden made a plea for calm. “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest. Even if a situation has escalated, a diplomatic solution is still possible,” he said.
Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib criticized Biden’s address as “not strong, not promising” and said the US was the only country “that can really make a difference in the Middle East and with regard to Lebanon.” Washington is Israel’s longtime ally and biggest arms supplier.
The United States “is the key ... to our salvation,” he told an event in New York City hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
In Beirut, thousands of displaced people who fled from southern Lebanon were sheltering in schools and other buildings.
At the Technical Institute of Bir Hassan, volunteers brought water bottles, medicine and other supplies for the new arrivals.
In one classroom, 11-month-old Matila slept on a mattress while children elsewhere stood on chairs to pass time by scribbling on a whiteboard. Rima Ali Chahine, 50, said the shelter provided diapers, pastries and milk for the children.
“It’s a lot of pressure for grownups and children. They’re exhausted and stressed. They could not sleep,” she said. “The kids — they are living through terrible conditions.”
Early on Wednesday, an Israeli strike hit the seaside town of Jiyyeh, 75 km (46 miles) north of the border with Israel, two security sources said.
HEZBOLLAH WEAKENED, SAYS ISRAEL
Half a million people are estimated to have been displaced in Lebanon, said Bou Habib. He said Lebanon’s prime minister hoped to meet with US officials over the next two days.
The US and fellow mediators Qatar and Egypt have so far been unsuccessful in their efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in the nearly year-old war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, a Hezbollah ally.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, whose country and Israel are arch-enemies, told the UN General Assembly the international community must “secure a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and bring an end to the desperate barbarism of Israel in Lebanon, before it engulfs the region and the world.”
Israel’s military said its airforce conducted “extensive strikes” on Tuesday on Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon, including weapons storage facilities and dozens of launchers that were aimed at Israeli territory.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the attacks had weakened Hezbollah and would continue. Hezbollah “has suffered a sequence of blows to its command and control, its fighters, and the means to fight. These are all severe blows,” he told Israeli troops.
He accused the UN of shirking its responsibility to prevent Hezbollah’s attacks into Israel.
Hezbollah said it launched rockets at the Dado military base in northern Israel and attacked the Atlit naval base south of Haifa with drones, among other targets.
Suspected Israeli missiles were also launched at the Syrian port city of Tartous and were intercepted by Syrian air defenses, Syrian army sources said. The Israeli military declined to comment on the report.
Since the Gaza war started in October, Israel has intensified a years-long air campaign targeting Iran-aligned armed groups and their weapons transfers in Syria.
Funerals were held on Tuesday for people killed in Lebanon by Israel’s bombardment. In the coastal city of Saksakiyeh, Mohammed Helal was defiant as he mourned his daughter Jouri.
“We are not afraid. Even if they kill, dissect and destroy us,” he said.

 

 

 


Syria to import electricity from Turkiye, rehabilitate Kilis-Aleppo natural gas pipeline

Updated 6 sec ago
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Syria to import electricity from Turkiye, rehabilitate Kilis-Aleppo natural gas pipeline

  • Energy Minister discussed with the Turkish side the possibility of mining Syria’s earth minerals
  • Government developing new 80-megawatt transmission line between Turkiye’s Reyhanli district and Syria’s Harem region

LONDON: The Syrian Arab Republic will import electricity from Turkiye and rehabilitate a natural gas pipeline connecting two border regions, the country’s energy minister said on Sunday.

Mohammed Al-Bashir stated that Damascus is finalizing an agreement to import electricity from Turkiye via a 400-kilovolt high-voltage transmission line that links the two countries.

Al-Bashir stated that the government is developing another 80-megawatt transmission line between Turkiye’s Reyhanli district and Syria’s Harem region to supply electricity to towns in northern Syria.

“Additionally, we are working to rehabilitate the natural gas pipeline connecting Kilis and Aleppo,” two cities in southern Turkiye and northern Syria, the minister added.

“Once operational, (the pipeline) could supply 6 million cubic meters of gas per day to Syria’s power generation stations, significantly improving our energy situation,” he added in a statement to the SANA news agency.

The minister said he discussed with the Turkish side the possibility of mining Syria’s mineral deposits, such as phosphate and lithium, and the prospect of exploring natural gas in the country’s national waters. He urged Turkish companies to invest in exploring Syria’s oil and natural gas potential, upgrading power lines and plants, and rebuilding refineries and transportation systems.


Israel vows retaliation against Iran, Yemen’s Houthis over airport attack

Updated 14 min 41 sec ago
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Israel vows retaliation against Iran, Yemen’s Houthis over airport attack

  • It is the first time a missile has directly struck inside Israel's main airport, according to a military spokesperson
  • Netanyahu said Israel would also respond to Iran at 'a time and place of our choosing'

TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed a response to Yemen’s Houthis and their Iranian backers after the militant group struck the area of Israel’s main airport, wounding six people and prompting several major airlines to suspend flights.
The strike came hours before Israel’s army confirmed the call-up of “tens of thousands” of reservists to expand the 19-month war in Gaza against Palestinian militants Hamas.
The military confirmed that the attack, which gouged a large crater in the perimeter of Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, was launched from Yemen and had struck despite “several attempts... to intercept the missile.”
In a video published on Telegram, Netanyahu said Israel had “acted against” the Iran-backed group in the past and “will act in the future.”
“It will not happen in one bang, but there will be many bangs,” he added, without going into further detail.
Later on X, Netanyahu said Israel would also respond to Iran at “a time and place of our choosing.”
A police video showed officers standing on the edge of a deep hole in the ground with the control tower visible behind them. No damage was reported to airport infrastructure.
The police reported a “missile impact” at Israel’s main international gateway.
An AFP photographer said the missile hit near the parking lots of Terminal 3, the airport’s largest. The crater was just hundreds of meters from the tarmac.
Missile inside the airport
“You can see the area just behind us: a crater was formed here, several dozen meters wide and several dozen meters deep,” central Israel’s police chief, Yair Hezroni, said in the video.
“This is the first time” that a missile has directly struck inside the airport perimeter, an Israeli military spokesperson told AFP.
Earlier, the Houthis, who say they act in support of Palestinians in war-ravaged Gaza, claimed responsibility for the attack.
The group said their forces “carried out a military operation targeting Ben Gurion airport” with a “hypersonic ballistic missile.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened a forceful response, saying: “Anyone who hits us, we will hit them seven times stronger.”
Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad later hailed the attack on the airport.
Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service said it had treated at least six people with light to moderate injuries.
An AFP journalist inside the airport at the time of the attack said he heard a “loud bang” at around 9:35 am local time, adding that the “reverberation was very strong.”
“Security staff immediately asked hundreds of passengers to take shelter, some in bunkers,” the AFP journalist said.
“Many passengers are now waiting for their flights to take off, and others are trying to find alternative flights.”
An incoming Air India flight was diverted to Abu Dhabi, an airport official told AFP.
It was one of the airlines to suspend Tel Aviv flights until Tuesday along with Italy’s ITA Airways and Germany’s Lufthansa Group, which includes Austrian, Eurowings and SWISS. Air France announced the cancelation of Sunday flights.
The Houthis, who control swathes of Yemen, have launched missiles and drones targeting Israel and Red Sea shipping throughout the Gaza war.
Israel resumed major operations across Gaza on March 18 amid a deadlock over how to proceed with a two-month ceasefire that had largely stopped the war.


Jordan’s tourism sector surges in first quarter of year with 19% rise in visitors, 8.9% revenue boost

Updated 30 min 7 sec ago
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Jordan’s tourism sector surges in first quarter of year with 19% rise in visitors, 8.9% revenue boost

  • The surge was fueled by a 19 percent year-on-year rise in international arrivals
  • Enhanced air connectivity, targeted international marketing campaigns and Continued investment in infrastructure reasons given for rise

AMMAN: Jordan’s tourism sector has kicked off 2025 strongly, registering growth in both visitor numbers and revenue, a Jordan News Agency report said on Sunday.

According to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, tourism revenue reached 1.217 billion dinars ($1.72 billion) in the first quarter of the year, which equated to an 8.9 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024.

The surge was fueled by a 19 percent year-on-year rise in international arrivals, which reached 2.125 million between January and April.

Overnight visitors increased by 15.3 percent to 1.765 million, while the number of same-day visitors soared by 41.6 percent to 360,000 compared to early 2024.

April alone saw international arrivals jump by 36.7 percent to 617,000, suggesting that the strong momentum is likely to carry into the second quarter.

Ministry officials attributed the growth to several strategic initiatives.

Enhanced air connectivity, including new direct flights and expanded budget airline operations, has significantly improved access to Jordan, they said.

Meanwhile, targeted international marketing campaigns have successfully spotlighted the kingdom’s diverse tourism offerings, from heritage sites and desert landscapes to adventure and wellness experiences.

Continued investment in infrastructure has also played a role, they said, which has improved the visitor experience and enhanced the country’s overall competitiveness in the global travel market.

Beyond direct economic impact, tourism’s strong performance is boosting Jordan’s foreign currency reserves and generating employment across the hospitality and service sectors, JNA said.

Looking ahead, the ministry reaffirmed its commitment to a national tourism strategy grounded in sustainable development.

Its goals include increasing tourism’s contribution to GDP, creating long-term job opportunities, and solidifying Jordan’s position as a premier global destination by promoting its rich historical, cultural, and natural assets.


Flights again halted to Israel after Houthi missile lands near airport

Travelers pull luggage as they walk toward Ben Gurion airport after main road entrances to the facility were closed by Israel.
Updated 04 May 2025
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Flights again halted to Israel after Houthi missile lands near airport

  • Many foreign airlines subsequently suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv after the missile hit
  • Claiming responsibility for the strike, Houthis’ military spokesperson said Israel’s main airport was “no longer safe for air travel”

JERUSALEM: European and US carriers canceled flights for the next several days after a missile fired by the Houthis on Sunday landed near Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, the country’s main international travel gateway.
Many foreign airlines subsequently suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv after the missile hit, sending a plume of smoke into the air and causing panic among passengers in the terminal building.
Following a ceasefire deal with Palestinian militant group Hamas in January, foreign carriers had begun to resume flights to Israel after halting them for much of the last year and a half since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
That left flag carrier El Al Airlines — along with smaller rivals Arkia and Israir — with a near monopoly. El Al’s shares rose 7 percent, while Israir gained 4.1 percent in a flat broader Tel Aviv market on Sunday.
Delta Air Lines said it canceled Sunday’s flight from JFK in New York to Tel Aviv and the return flight from Tel Aviv on Monday. United canceled its twice daily flights between Tel Aviv and Newark while it monitors the situation.
Earlier, flights from Tel Aviv on Delta and United on Sunday morning departed about 90 minutes late.
Lufthansa Group, which includes Lufthansa, Swiss, Brussels and Austrian, said it had halted flights to and from Tel Aviv through Tuesday due to the current situation.
ITA said it had canceled flights from Italy to Israel through Wednesday, while Air France canceled flights on Sunday, saying customers were transferred to flights on Monday. TUS flights to and from Cyprus were canceled through Monday, while Air India flights from New Delhi were halted on Sunday.
Ryanair suspended flights on Sunday but flights are still scheduled for Monday, according to the Israel Airports Authority. Wizz also halted flights.
“I’m afraid it’s going to be very difficult to go back to France because all European carriers, from what I see on the information (board), have canceled. Lufthansa have canceled, Swiss have canceled, Brussels (Airlines), so no connection is possible,” said Michael Sceemes, 56, whose Air France flight was canceled.
Aegean, flydubai and Ethiopian did not cancel flights.
El Al said it would reintroduce rescue flights to Israel from Larnaca and Athens for passengers stranded by foreign carriers at a cost of $99 and $149, respectively.
Udi Bar Oz, head of Ben Gurion Airport, said the airport was up and running less than 30 minutes after the missile hit a road nearby.
Claiming responsibility for the strike, the Houthis’ military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said Israel’s main airport was “no longer safe for air travel.”
The Houthis, who control swathes of Yemen, began targeting Israel and Red Sea shipping in late 2023, during the early days of the war between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip.
US President Donald Trump in March ordered large-scale strikes against the Houthis to deter them from targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to respond to the Houthis. “We attacked in the past, we will attack in the future ... There will be more blows,” he said.


Two held in Iran after deadly port explosion: state TV

This image shows a crater after an explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port dock southwest of Bandar Abbas.
Updated 04 May 2025
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Two held in Iran after deadly port explosion: state TV

  • April 26 blast at a dock in the southern port of Shahid Rajaee killed at least 57 people and injured more than 1,000, officials said, revising down an earlier death toll

TEHRAN: Iranian authorities arrested two people including a government official in connection with a deadly explosion last month at the country’s main commercial port, state television reported on Sunday.
The April 26 blast at a dock in the southern port of Shahid Rajaee killed at least 57 people and injured more than 1,000, officials said, revising down an earlier death toll.
The judiciary on Sunday said the toll had been revised because “it was determined that some of the bodies considered separate were in fact one body,” adding that it could still change.
At the time of the blast, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni blamed “shortcomings, including noncompliance with safety precautions and negligence.”
Shahid Rajaee is near Iran’s coastal city of Bandar Abbas on the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which one-fifth of global oil output passes.
“A government manager and another from the private sector have been arrested,” state television said on Sunday, citing a report from the investigating committee.
The committee announced on Monday that “false declarations (of goods) were made in some cases.”
It said on Sunday that “suspects have been identified and the summoning process is underway,” without elaborating.
The New York Times has quoted a person with ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss security matters, as saying that what exploded was sodium perchlorate — a major ingredient in solid fuel for missiles.
Iran’s defense ministry spokesman Reza Talaei-Nik later told state television that “there has been no imported or exported cargo for military fuel or military use in the area.”