Israel escalates attacks on Lebanon as strikes hit near Beirut airport

Special A rescuer and a member of the Malaysian battalion of UNIFIL treat a soldier wounded in an Israeli airstrike near Sidon. (AFP)
A rescuer and a member of the Malaysian battalion of UNIFIL treat a soldier wounded in an Israeli airstrike near Sidon. (AFP)
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Updated 07 November 2024
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Israel escalates attacks on Lebanon as strikes hit near Beirut airport

A rescuer and a member of the Malaysian battalion of UNIFIL treat a soldier wounded in an Israeli airstrike near Sidon. (AFP)
  • Drone strike near Sidon kills three and injures Lebanese soldiers and UN peacekeepers
  • Former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah’s uncle and family members also killed

BEIRUT: At least 10 people were killed in Lebanon on Thursday in Israeli drone attacks on roads across the south, Mount Lebanon and Bekaa.

Former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah’s uncle and his family members were also killed by strikes in southern Lebanon.

In Baalbek-Hermel, dozens of victims were laid to rest. They died trapped under the rubble of several flattened buildings, some adjacent to the Baalbek Temple.

In the afternoon, an Israeli strike targeted Tyre.

An Israeli drone hit a car on the Araya road in Mount Lebanon, killing the driver, a 30-year-old woman, making her Israel’s first female target.

Doaa Mattar’s family said that they lost contact with their daughter at the time of the raid.

A relative said that Mattar had taken her friend’s car to drive her family from Beirut to Bhamdoun.

Her body was taken to Hezbollah’s Al-Rassoul Al-Azam Hospital, while two injured passersby — a man and his grandson — were transported to the Sacre Coeur Hospital.

Hours later, another Israeli drone targeted a car on the Awali River road at the entrance to the city of Sidon, south of Beirut.

The strike killed three people inside the vehicle, injured three Lebanese soldiers at a nearby checkpoint and damaged several cars, including a passing UNIFIL convoy bus.

It resulted in five minor injuries among Malaysian UNIFIL soldiers and two civilian injuries.

Meanwhile, Beirut’s southern suburb experienced a violent night of airstrikes that continued until the early hours of Thursday morning, targeting Haret Hreik, Burj Al-Barajneh, Tahwitat Al-Ghadir and Ouzai.

One of the strikes came close to a runway at Beirut airport, causing damage to facilities.

However, airport operations continued, with Middle East Airlines switching to alternative runways for landing minutes after Israel issued evacuation warnings.

All planes heading for Beirut landed shortly before midnight ahead of the Israeli-imposed deadline.

The airstrikes on the southern suburb of Beirut caused extensive damage to residential buildings, shops, schools, social facilities and health centers.

A week of relative calm in Beirut’s southern suburb was shattered as warning sirens caused recently returned residents to flee north.

Many families were forced on to the streets, waiting in their vehicles at a safe distance from the targeted areas.

The Israeli military claimed to have conducted precision strikes against Hezbollah command centers and military infrastructure in the Lebanese capital, according to military spokesman Avichay Adraee.

Israel’s systematic destruction of southern Lebanese towns continued with renewed intensity. Israeli forces reportedly rigged and detonated entire neighborhoods in the border town of Mays Al-Jabal.

Israeli warplanes conducted strikes on the outskirts of Yahmar Al-Shaqif near the Litani River, hitting the town center and eastern areas. The predominantly Christian town of Rmeish, whose residents have steadfastly refused to leave, was also targeted.

In Jbaa, located in the Tuffah region, airstrikes caused significant damage. A separate strike on Bazouriye killed four members of Nasrallah’s extended family, including his uncle, cousins and their grandson.

Reports indicate that Israeli forces used internationally prohibited cluster bombs in their targeting of agricultural fields.

The scope of destruction has reached unprecedented levels in Nabatieh, where medical facilities, businesses, institutions, warehouses and residential buildings have been severely damaged.

Footage shared on social media revealed that entire neighborhoods had been turned into rubble.

Violent clashes erupted on Wednesday evening between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli forces near Rmeish and Yaroun, opposite the Dovev settlement.

Exchanges of fire were also reported near Aita Al-Shaab when Israeli forces attempted to advance into Lebanese territory.

The death and injury toll continues to mount, with the Bekaa region alone reporting 60 casualties, with dozens wounded.

Scenes of mass burials echoed those from Gaza. Among the dead are multiple generations of families, including the Abu Asbar family, who lost parents, children, grandchildren and in-laws during a single Israeli strike.

The attacks have also threatened Lebanon’s cultural heritage, with damage reported near the historic Baalbek Castle complex and the century-old Al-Manshieh building, known for its cultural artifacts.

The Palmyra Hotel, which has hosted decades of Baalbek festivals, also sustained damage.

Baalbek Mayor Mustafa Al-Shall said: “The enemy is targeting poor and residential neighborhoods, and it did not spare archaeological, heritage and historical sites. The number of martyrs in Baalbek is very high.”

One Israeli strike targeted soldier Raed Dandash, born in 2003, as he was driving his car in the town of Talia, in the Bekaa.

An official statement said: “Along with Raed, the strike killed his sister Nathalie and his brother Mohammed, while their mother was seriously injured.”

Airstrikes hit new areas in northern Bekaa, including the towns of Fakeha and Harfouch, killing one.

Lebanon’s officials were shocked by the attacks that targeted the vicinity of Baalbek Castle.

Culture Minister Mohammed Wissam Mortada sent an urgent appeal to UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay through the head of Lebanon’s permanent mission to the organization, Mustafa Deeb, to “save the castle.”

Several MPs also sent a letter to Azoulay, calling on the international organization to “protect the common heritage of humanity.”

In the letter, MP Najat Saliba called for “the protection of historical sites in Lebanon, especially Baalbek, Tyre, Sidon and other valuable landmarks that are in grave danger due to the escalation of atrocities.”

She said: “These landmarks are priceless not only for our nation but for humanity. They are facing a growing danger with the escalation of the war. Their protection is a responsibility that needs to be assumed in order to preserve a part of human civilization that belongs to our common global and international heritage.”

One building destroyed by Israeli strikes bore an etching showing the year 1928. It was once frequented by French officers during France’s rule over the country.

The Israeli army announced that one of its soldiers “was killed in battles in southern Lebanon, while 60 Hezbollah members were killed during the past 24 hours.”

Hezbollah issued a statement calling on settlers in northern Israel to leave their settlements, warning that they had become become military targets.


Syria families reunite after years as militants take Aleppo

Syria families reunite after years as militants take Aleppo
Updated 36 sec ago
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Syria families reunite after years as militants take Aleppo

Syria families reunite after years as militants take Aleppo
  • The fall of Syria’s second city, Aleppo, to Islamist-led militants has brought flight and displacement for some, but for others like Bahria Bakkur, it has led to long-awaited reunions
ALEPPO:The fall of Syria’s second city, Aleppo, to Islamist-led militants has brought flight and displacement for some, but for others like Bahria Bakkur, it has led to long-awaited reunions.
After almost a decade apart, 43-year-old Bakkur was finally able to embrace her son, separated when government forces reclaimed control of their city.
The Islamist-led militants’ lightning assault on Aleppo has revived a war that had been mostly dormant for years.
The fighting in northern Syria since last week has killed hundreds and heightened concerns for civilians, but for Bakkur, it meant being with her son again.
“I wasn’t expecting this to happen. I thought I would die before getting to see him,” said Bakkur, tears in her eyes.
She last saw her son Mohammed Jomaa, now 25 years old and a father of four, in 2016, when Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces retook Aleppo’s eastern districts after a brutal siege.
Jomaa was one of tens of thousands who had fled the city earlier in the war, only to return in recent days.
“It’s an indescribable joy,” he said. “I still can’t believe I’m back in Aleppo.”


Since leaving Aleppo, Jomaa spent several years in rebel-held Afrin, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from his family home.
“We knew that we couldn’t stay in Aleppo because we were labelled ‘terrorists’. We were trapped and had to leave Aleppo,” said Jomaa, donning a military vest and a traditional red-and-white keffiyeh scarf.
His mother said she was “counting the minutes and the hours until I see him.”
“Praise God, I’ve seen him. It’s like the entire world is smiling at me.”
In some parts of the city, the streets are quiet and residents are anxious, fearing the situation could deteriorate.
The United Nations said on Wednesday that 115,000 people had been “newly displaced across Idlib and northern Aleppo” by the fighting.
UN envoy Geir Pedersen said that the latest “developments have provoked different reactions among the Syrian people — a grave threat for some, a signal of hope for others,” urging the protection of civilians.
For Jomaa, the joy of reuniting with his family was incomplete.
He said his father was detained by regime forces after they had regained control of Aleppo in 2016, and since then, “we don’t know anything about him.”
“I only wish my dad would come back.”
Just outside the house, relatives and neighbors came to greet Jomaa upon his return, though the conversation quickly turned to the latest news from the battlefield.


Ahmed Orabi, 35, has also returned home to Aleppo, reunited with his young daughter.
Seven years ago, they fled to Idlib province, where many people were displaced to from elsewhere in Syria.
But escalating air raids had again forced Orabi’s wife to seek safety, returning to her family in Aleppo along with their daughter, Acil.
Orabi, an opposition media activist, did not want to stay far from his family and hometown for so long, but could not return so long as Aleppo was under Assad’s control.
“Coming back was like a dream,” he said.
“When the battles started, I didn’t wait. I wanted to see my daughter... I decided to go to her.”
Though “the road wasn’t completely clear,” Orabi said he made it to the neighborhood where his daughter lived.
“I called out her name” and “once I saw her, it was such a beautiful moment,” he said.
He regrets the years spent apart, but is now trying to make up for lost time.
“I didn’t know how being a father felt like — I couldn’t hug her in my arms and kiss her.”
With the family back together in Aleppo, Orabi took his daughter to a public park where they can play and create memories together.
“As a father, these are the happiest moments,” he said.

Amnesty says Israel carrying out ‘genocide’ in Gaza

Amnesty says Israel carrying out ‘genocide’ in Gaza
Updated 05 December 2024
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Amnesty says Israel carrying out ‘genocide’ in Gaza

Amnesty says Israel carrying out ‘genocide’ in Gaza
  • Israel has treated Palestinians in Gaza as subhuman group unworthy of human rights, says Amnesty 
  • Rights group releases 300-page report featuring satellite images showing devastation in Gaza, ground reports

THE HAGUE: Amnesty International on Thursday accused Israel of “committing genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza since the start of the war last year, saying a new report was a “wake-up call” for the international community.
The London-based rights organization said its findings were based on “dehumanizing and genocidal statements by Israeli government and military officials,” satellite images documenting devastation, fieldwork and ground reports from Gazans.
“Month after month, Israel has treated Palestinians in Gaza as a subhuman group unworthy of human rights and dignity, demonstrating its intent to physically destroy them,” Amnesty chief Agnes Callamard said in a statement.
“Our damning findings must serve as a wake-up call to the international community: this is genocide. It must stop now,” she added.
The Palestinian group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack inside southern Israel on October 7, 2023, triggering a deadly Israeli military offensive as Israeli officials vowed to crush the militants.
Israel has repeatedly and forcefully denied allegations of genocide, accusing Hamas of using the Palestinian people as human shields.
“There is absolutely no doubt that Israel has military objectives. But the existence of military objectives does not negate the possibility of a genocidal intent,” Callamard told AFP at a press conference in The Hague.
The 300-page report points to incidents where there “was no Hamas presence or any other military objectives.”
It cites 15 air strikes in Gaza between October 7, 2023 and April 20, which killed 334 civilians including 141 children, for which the group found “no evidence that any of these strikes were directed at a military objective.”
In addition to tens of thousands of deaths and physical and psychological trauma, the report also points to the conditions on the ground, where it said Palestinians are subjected to “malnutrition, hunger and diseases” and exposed to a “slow, calculated death.”
“States that transfer arms to Israel violate their obligations to prevent genocide under the convention and are at risk of becoming complicit,” Callamard added during the press conference.
Since the start of the war, at least 44,532 people have been killed in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, deemed reliable by the UN.
Amnesty International has also announced that it will publish a report on the crimes committed by Hamas during the October 7 attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,208 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures, which includes hostages killed in captivity.
Hamas also seized 251 hostages during the attack, some of whom were already dead. Of those, 97 are still held in Gaza, including 35 the Israeli army says are dead.


Amnesty says Israel carrying out ‘genocide’ in Gaza

Amnesty says Israel carrying out ‘genocide’ in Gaza
Updated 05 December 2024
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Amnesty says Israel carrying out ‘genocide’ in Gaza

Amnesty says Israel carrying out ‘genocide’ in Gaza

THE HAGUE: Amnesty International on Thursday accused Israel of “committing genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza since the start of the war last year, saying a new report was a “wake-up call” for the international community.
The London-based rights organization said its findings were based on “dehumanizing and genocidal statements by Israeli government and military officials,” satellite images documenting devastation, fieldwork and ground reports from Gazans.
“Month after month, Israel has treated Palestinians in Gaza as a subhuman group unworthy of human rights and dignity, demonstrating its intent to physically destroy them,” Amnesty chief Agnes Callamard said in a statement.
“Our damning findings must serve as a wake-up call to the international community: this is genocide. It must stop now,” she added.
The Palestinian group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack inside southern Israel on October 7, 2023, triggering a deadly Israeli military offensive as Israeli officials vowed to crush the militants.
Israel has repeatedly and forcefully denied allegations of genocide, accusing Hamas of using the Palestinian people as human shields.
“There is absolutely no doubt that Israel has military objectives. But the existence of military objectives does not negate the possibility of a genocidal intent,” Callamard told AFP at a press conference in The Hague.
The 300-page report points to incidents where there “was no Hamas presence or any other military objectives.”
It cites 15 air strikes in Gaza between October 7, 2023 and April 20, which killed 334 civilians including 141 children, for which the group found “no evidence that any of these strikes were directed at a military objective.”
In addition to tens of thousands of deaths and physical and psychological trauma, the report also points to the conditions on the ground, where it said Palestinians are subjected to “malnutrition, hunger and diseases” and exposed to a “slow, calculated death.”
“States that transfer arms to Israel violate their obligations to prevent genocide under the convention and are at risk of becoming complicit,” Callamard added during the press conference.
Since the start of the war, at least 44,532 people have been killed in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, deemed reliable by the UN.
Amnesty International has also announced that it will publish a report on the crimes committed by Hamas during the October 7 attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,208 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures, which includes hostages killed in captivity.
Hamas also seized 251 hostages during the attack, some of whom were already dead. Of those, 97 are still held in Gaza, including 35 the Israeli army says are dead.


Palestinians accuse Israeli forces of raiding West Bank hospital

Palestinians accuse Israeli forces of raiding West Bank hospital
Updated 05 December 2024
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Palestinians accuse Israeli forces of raiding West Bank hospital

Palestinians accuse Israeli forces of raiding West Bank hospital
  • Israeli authorities confirmed the raid in which they apprehended a Palestinian injured in an Israeli strike
  • Israelis accuse him of being ‘the third member of a terrorist cell that carried out a shooting’ at Mehola junction

NABLUS, Palestinian Territories: The Palestinian health ministry in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday condemned a raid by Israeli forces on a hospital in Nablus and the arrest of an injured patient.
Israeli authorities confirmed the raid on Wednesday evening in which they apprehended a Palestinian injured in an Israeli strike the day before.
The health ministry in a statement called the raid “a flagrant violation of all international laws and conventions that stipulate the protection of treatment centers and patients.”
The detained Palestinian is from near Tubas in the northern West Bank, where he was targeted in an Israeli strike on Tuesday that the Israeli military said killed three other Palestinians.
Medical sources confirmed the man’s identity to AFP and that he was injured in the strike.
In a joint statement, the Israeli military, the Shin Bet security service and the Israeli police announced that they had arrested the man at a hospital in Nablus.
They accused him of being “the third member of a terrorist cell that carried out the shooting attack” at Mehola junction in August in which an Israeli was killed. They also accused him of planning to carry out further attacks and posing “an imminent threat to Israeli civilians.”
The Palestinian health ministry called on “international institutions” and the Red Cross to “intervene immediately to stop the occupation’s attacks on treatment centers and staff, demanding immediate protection for the health system and all its components.”
The Israeli organizations said: “The security forces will continue to operate wherever necessary to thwart terrorism in the area and to maintain the safety of Israeli civilians.”


Qatar emir and UK prime minister discuss investment relations

Qatar emir and UK prime minister discuss investment relations
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani shake hands at Downing Street. (Reuters)
Updated 04 December 2024
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Qatar emir and UK prime minister discuss investment relations

Qatar emir and UK prime minister discuss investment relations
  • In talks at Downing Street, Keir Starmer welcomed Qatar’s £1 billion investment in British climate technologies
  • Sheikh Tamim wrapped up his two-day state visit to Britain, which included meeting King Charles

LONDON: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed Qatar’s £1 billion investment in British climate technologies as he met the emir on the final day of a state visit to London.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani held talks with Starmer at his Downing Street residence on Wednesday afternoon.

During the meeting, the two leaders agreed that Qatar and the UK’s “thriving investment relationship would continue to grow and deliver significant benefits for both countries,” Starmer’s office said. 

They also discussed strengthening defense ties and Qatar’s mediation role in the Middle East, including in Gaza.

Earlier, the UK announced the agreement with Qatar to invest £1 billion ($1.3 billion) in British climate technologies.

Engineering company Rolls-Royce will receive investment in technology programs that “improve energy efficiency, support new sustainable fuels and lower carbon emissions,” the UK government said.

Qatar is one of the largest purchasers of Rolls-Royce engines, which are used in some Qatar Airways jets.

“Enabling the energy transition through lower carbon technologies is a key part of our strategy,” Rolls-Royce CEO Tufan Erginbilgic said. “We are delighted to welcome Qatar as a strategic partner, who will support the growth of these technologies. They share our ambition to make an impact on the challenge of climate change.”

The UK partnership with Qatar is expected to create thousands of highly skilled jobs and will launch climate technology hubs across the UK and Qatar, the UK government said.

It will include investment in start-ups in the UK and Qatar focusing on energy efficiency, carbon management and green power.

Starmer said that the deal was a “significant step in our ambition to become a clean energy superpower and further evidence that the UK is one of the best places in the world for companies to develop those technologies.”

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Abdulrahman Al-Thani said: “The United Kingdom has a proud history of innovation in cutting-edge technology, and Qatar has long been a trusted investment partner to British businesses.

“This new collaboration aligns with our long-term strategy to invest in the economies of the future.”

On Tuesday, Sheikh Tamim and Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al-Thani were greeted by Prince William and the Princess of Wales, before taking a royal carriage procession to meet King Charles.

On Wednesday the emir visited Sandhurst military academy, which he attended in the 1990s.