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Lebanon calls on France to support Syrian refugees

Lebanon remains the country hosting the largest number of refugees per capita, with the government estimating around two million Syrian refugees…reports Asian Lite News

Lebanese Defence Minister Maurice Slim has called on France to support Lebanon in returning Syrian refugees to their homeland, media reported.

“We call on France to convey Lebanon’s message to the international community about returning Syrian refugees to their homeland,” Slim said on Monday during his meeting in Beirut with Joelle Garriaud-Maylam, a member of the French Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Armed Forces.

Slim called on the international community to take necessary steps to support the Lebanese appeal for the return of the displaced Syrians to their country, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Lebanese Minister also praised the continuous French support for Lebanon and the initiatives to find solutions to its ongoing crises.

For her part, Maylam expressed her confidence in “the ability of the Lebanese to overcome the crisis that weighs heavily on Lebanon,” affirming “France’s permanent support for Lebanon in various fields, especially the military one”.

Lebanon remains the country hosting the largest number of refugees per capita, with the government estimating around two million Syrian refugees.

The country has been suffering from an unprecedented financial crisis, and the presence of large amount of refugees weighs heavily on the country’s economy and infrastructure.

ALSO READ-Lebanon logjam continues

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Lebanon logjam continues

Lebanon failed to elect a President since October 2022 when the term of former President Michel Aoun ended….reports Asian Lite News

The Lebanese parliament has failed to elect a new President for the republic during its 12th session, plunging the country into further political uncertainty.

In the presidential race, Sleiman Frangieh, leader of the Marada Movement who was supported by the two Shia parties Hezbollah and Amal Movement, trailed behind his main rival Jihad Azour, a former Finance Minister who was backed by the country’s two biggest Christian parties, the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese forces.

Frangieh received 51 votes while Azour gained 59 votes. Neither of them obtained a two-thirds majority or a total of 86 votes during the first voting, while the second round was not held due to a lack of quorum, Xinhua news agency reported.

Lebanon failed to elect a President since October 2022 when the term of former President Michel Aoun ended.

Lebanon has been suffering from an unprecedented financial crisis. The country is in urgent need to elect a President and form a new cabinet to implement the necessary reforms and put the country on the path of recovery.

ALSO READ: Lebanon, France bolster health ties

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Lebanon, France bolster health ties

The agreement aimed at providing a cooperation framework on various health projects through a joint working group to define priority projects…reports Asian Lite News

Lebanon and France have signed an agreement to activate health cooperation between the two countries, media reported.

Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad and his French counterpart Francois Braun signed the agreement in France to provide a cooperation framework on various health projects through a joint working group to define priority projects and ensure the desired benefit is achieved, the National News Agency reported on Tuesday.

“The framework agreement includes various areas of cooperation, including primary healthcare, ministry programs for mental and psychological health, organ donation, the preparation of medical and nursing cadres, and strengthening health systems,” Abiad said.

Lebanon has been facing an unprecedented financial crisis, weighing heavily on the country’s health sector as hundreds of physicians and nurses emigrated for better opportunities abroad, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier this year, Abiad signed an agreement with France’s Merieux Foundation to support Lebanon in developing its medical laboratories, including empowering the lab workers, amid its current crisis.

ALSO READ: Jaishankar holds talks with ministers of France, B’desh, UK

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Mobile medical services launched for Lebanon

The strength of our partnership with Aster Volunteers lies in our shared vision of creating a world where everyone has access to quality healthcare…reports Asian Lite News

Aster Volunteers, the global CSR arm of Aster DM Healthcare, flagged its latest Mobile Medical Service for Lebanon. The newly launched unit, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, shall reach Lebanon from Dubai by mid-June 2023. The mobile unit, customized for the region’s climatical conditions and integrated with solar panels on its roof, will provide electricity for day-to-day operations during camps and outreach programs. Furthermore, it is equipped with advanced Tele-Health System, leveraging technology to extend the reach of healthcare services beyond physical boundaries. Through Tele-Health, individuals in remote areas, particularly the people in the Bekka Valley including the Syrian Refugees, can connect with healthcare professionals via video consultations enabling them to receive specialty care promptly.

The medical unit was flagged of by Ms. Mariam Al Hammadi, Director – The Big Heart Foundation, representing HH Sheikha Jawaher, Dr. Azad Moopen, Founder Chairman and Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare, and Mr. Elie Yared, President of University of St. Joseph (SJU) in UAE, at Medcare Multi-Specialty Hospital, Al Safa in Dubai.

Speaking at the launch, Dr. Azad Moopen, Founder Chairman and Managing Director, Aster DM Healthcare, said, “We are happy to extend our Aster Volunteers Mobile Medical Services to Lebanon through the latest mobile clinic. Partnering with The Big Heart Foundation and working closely with University of St. Joseph, the mobile clinic will meet the requirements of the basic healthcare needs of the people of Lebanon. We are thankful to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Public Health in Lebanon for their strategic support in this project. We also express our heartfelt appreciation to HH Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi for her kindness towards communities and the continuing partnership with Aster in our global CSR Missions”.

Speaking at the launch, Ms. Mariam Al Hammadi, Director of The Big Heart Foundation, said “This mobile clinic represents more than just a vehicle equipped with medical facilities. It is a symbol of hope, resilience, and compassion—a tangible embodiment of our unwavering dedication to improving the lives of individuals and families in underserved areas. The strength of our partnership with Aster Volunteers lies in our shared vision of creating a world where everyone has access to quality healthcare. Together, we have witnessed the transformative power of mobilizing medical services and delivering care directly to those who are often overlooked.”

Aster Volunteers Mobile Medical Services (AVMMS) is a one-of-a-kind CSR initiative by Aster DM Healthcare launched with the goal of delivering medical and healthcare services directly to disadvantaged individuals. As part of this initiative, Aster DM Healthcare has already deployed around 25 medical vans to reach out to individuals residing in remote regions with limited or no access to medical facilities. Six more medical units have been scheduled for immediate launch in India – at Ramanathapuram, Chennai, Silchar, and across Qatar, Bangladesh, and Zanzibar. These mobile medical vans are equipped with all the necessary resources to offer basic diagnostic and medical tests, as well as consultations and first-aid treatment. With its operations across India, Middle East & Africa, Aster Volunteers Mobile Medical Services (AVMMS) has treated close to a million individuals till date.

ALSO READ-Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award 2023 Worth $250,000

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Tensions high in Lebanon and Gaza

On Friday night, a tourist was killed and five others were injured during a shooting and run-over attack in the Israeli capital city of Tel Aviv,

Tensions have remained high despite an easing of the fightings between Israel and militants in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, lowering fears of a major escalation in the region.

On Friday night, a tourist was killed and five others were injured during a shooting and run-over attack in the Israeli capital city of Tel Aviv, reports Xinhua news agency.

The attacker was identified as an Arab citizen of Israel from Kafr Qasim, east of Tel Aviv, Israel’s state-owned Kan TV news reported.

Also on Friday, two British-Israeli sisters, aged 16 and 20, were killed in a drive-by shooting in the northern West Bank, and their mother was critically injured, according to Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service.

Following the attack in Tel Aviv, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the border police and military to call up reserve forces “in the wake of terrorist attacks,” according to a statement issued by his office.

Friday’s Ramzan prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem concluded without any major incidents after consecutive nights of violence.

Israel lifted the high alert level in the south, which had required residents in communities near the Gaza Strip to stay indoors and close to shelters.

However, Israel’s Chief of the General Staff called up reservists, particularly from the Air Force, citing concerns of further escalation.

Fire and smoke are seen following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, on April 7, 2023. Israel launched an airstrike on the Palestinian enclave of Gaza Strip late Thursday night, in response to earlier rocket attacks from Lebanon. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

On Thursday, militants in Lebanon fired 34 rockets at northern Israel, in the largest rocket attack since the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel.

The attack injured two civilians and caused damage to several buildings and cars.

Israel accused Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that governs Gaza, of being responsible for the attack.

In response, Israel carried out airstrikes in southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip late Thursday night, targeting Hamas sites.

The escalation was triggered by two consecutive days of Israeli raids at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem.

Israeli police forces fired gas canisters and stun grenades at Palestinian worshipers.

It came during a sensitive time when Muslims are observing the holy month of Ramzan with prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, while Jews were commemorating the Passover holiday.

Despite the heightened tensions, conflicting sides expressed a desire to avoid a full-fledged war, with Israel’s army spokesman stating that “quiet will be answered with quiet” during a press briefing.

The peacekeeping UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has appealed for calm and stated that it was in contact with Israeli and Lebanese authorities.

ALSO READ: Palestine condemns Israel’s ‘national guard’ move

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Lebanon is in peril, warns IMF

Lebanon, which is facing the worst economic crisis in its history, has failed to implement necessary reforms to unlock aid from the IMF….reports Asian Lite News

Ernesto Ramirez Rigo, Head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation to Lebanon, has called on Lebanese authorities to accelerate the implementation of financial reforms to unlock a rescue package.

“Lebanon is in a perilous situation; the progress of reforms in Lebanon is slow, given the degree of complexity of the situation,” he told a press conference at the end of his visit to Lebanon, the Elnashra website reported on Thursday.

“We were expecting more regarding approving and implementing legislations related to financial reforms in Lebanon,” Rigo said, stressing that the final draft of the Capital Control Law does not meet the goals and needs amendments, Xinhua news agency reported.

He also urged the Lebanese government to stop borrowing from the Central Bank of Lebanon, adding that everyone must bear losses due to the financial crisis in Lebanon as the Lebanese banking system lacks liquidity and capital at this stage.

Lebanon, which is facing the worst economic crisis in its history, has failed to implement necessary reforms to unlock aid from the IMF.

ALSO READ: Lebanon slams Israeli FM’s racist remarks on Palestinians

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Lebanon slams Israeli FM’s racist remarks on Palestinians

Lebanon ministry had urged the international community to reject the deliberately provocative statement aimed at abolishing a peaceful solution…reports Asian Lite News

Lebanon has condemned the latest racist remarks made by Israel’s far-right Finance Minister, who denied the existence of Palestinian people.

The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement on Tuesday urged the international community to take deterrent measures and reject the deliberately provocative statement aimed at abolishing a peaceful solution and exacerbating the deteriorating situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, Xinhua news agency reported.

During an event held in the French capital of Paris on Sunday, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also heads the Religious Zionist Party, said “there’s no such thing as Palestinians because there’s no such thing as a Palestinian people”.

He made the remarks on a stage that featured a map of “Greater Israel” that included the territory of modern-day Jordan and the occupied Palestinian territories in accordance with hardline aspirations by some early Zionist groups.

Jordan on Monday summoned the Israeli Ambassador in Amman to protest Smotrich’s “provocative acts”.

ALSO READ: Jordan slams Israeli minister over ‘Greater Israel’ map

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Arab League calls for speedy election in Lebanon

The AL chief started his visit to Lebanon on Monday to participate in the Arab Forum for Sustainable Development for 2023 held in the Lebanese capital of Beirut…reports Asian Lite News

Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the Arab League (AL), has called for the speedy election of a new President in Lebanon, warning about the “dangerous” political vacuum in the country.

“There will be a new President for Lebanon; it is a matter of time. However, we must accelerate this step because the situation is dire,” Aboul Gheit was quoted by the National News Agency as saying on Tuesday, following his meetings with Lebanese House Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

On October 31, 2022, Lebanon entered a political vacuum as the country failed to elect a new President after the end of the term of former President Michel Aoun, due to the lack of consensus among different political parties, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, Aboul Gheit said this year’s AL summit will be held in May in Saudi Arabia, adding that it will focus on the economy and ways to help the needy Arab countries.

The AL chief started his visit to Lebanon on Monday to participate in the Arab Forum for Sustainable Development for 2023 held in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

Palestinian refugees take part in a protest in Tripoli, northern Lebanon. (Photo by Khalid/Xinhua/IANS)

Currency hits all-time low

The Lebanese currency (LBP) has collapsed to 100,000 LBP per US dollar for the first time in history as the country’s financial crisis and political deadlock continues.

The value of the Lebanese currency lost 8,000 pounds from two weeks ago when it stood at 92,000 pounds against the dollar, reports Xinhua news agency.

In 1997, the pound was pegged to the dollar at 1,500 LBP to $1, and the two were convertible until October 2019.

On February 1, the Central Bank of Lebanon shifted its long-standing official exchange rate from 1,507.5 LBP to 15,000 LBP against the dollar, but is still well below the real value of the dollar.

Lebanon’s economists have been calling on authorities to elect a new President and form a new cabinet to end the political deadlock and allow the country to implement necessary reforms and stop the collapse.

ALSO READ: Saudi’s new airline aims to connect 100 destinations

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Lebanon’s Aoun demits office leaving power vacuum

Aoun departed the palace despite the failure of political parties to reach a consensus on the appointment of a new president for the republic…reports Asian Lite News

Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Sunday departed the presidential palace a day before the end of his term, leaving the country in a presidential vacuum amid a steep financial crisis.

Hundreds of supporters gathered at Baabda Palace to bid farewell to Aoun by chanting slogans and carrying portraits of the president.

Aoun departed the palace despite the failure of political parties to reach a consensus on the appointment of a new president for the republic.

A caretaker cabinet currently governs Lebanon as Prime Minister Najib Mikati failed to form a government for the past six months.

Lebanon needs a new president who can negotiate with parliament members on appointing a new prime minister to form a cabinet capable of implementing necessary reforms to save the country from its multiple crises.

Lebanon has been suffering from a protracted financial crisis amid ongoing political uncertainties.

Cholera in Lebanon

Lebanese caretaker Health Minister Firass Abiad warned on Sunday that cholera could become “endemic” in Lebanon if the country fails to curb the spread of its infection, the National News Agency reported.

Making the remarks during a visit to public hospitals in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, Abiad urged Lebanon to grasp the “golden opportunity” to stop the transmission, as “the epidemic is still in its infancy and can be stopped.”

The health ministry has been monitoring preparedness work in securing enough hospital beds for a possible surge in cholera inpatients, Abia added.

He warned that the epidemic would not only impact Lebanon’s health sector but also agri-products exports and tourism.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease that can kill within hours if left untreated, and the supply of safe water and sanitation is critical to the prevention and control of its transmission, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The WHO published a fact sheet on cholera in March, saying a cholera-endemic area is an area where confirmed cholera cases were detected during the last three years with evidence of local transmission, meaning the cases are not imported from elsewhere.

The ministry’s updated Cholera Surveillance Report on Saturday shows that the country logged 10 new confirmed cases and one new death, bringing the respective totals to 381 and 17.

The WHO said in its report that on Oct. 6, the Lebanese Health Ministry notified it of two lab culture-confirmed cholera cases reported from the northern part of the country, which represents the first cholera outbreak in Lebanon since 1993. 

ALSO READ: Emirates highlights support for long-standing UAE-Egypt ties

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A rare maritime deal between Israel and Lebanon

For Lebanese government it may prove to be a shot in the arm to bolster its flailing economy and workout a package, which puts the nation back on the tracks for economic recovery and attracting potential investors, writes Asad Mirza

After decades of enmity, Israel and Lebanon last week signed a historic agreement agreeing to demarcate their maritime boundaries and also demarcating the disputed area in Qanaa prospect, which is believed to be rich in oil and gas reserves.

Further, it has in a de-facto manner, forced Lebanon to accept Israel as a sovereign nation, which it has refused to do so till now, as it maintains no diplomatic relations with Israel.

The disputed 860 sq.km area of the Mediterranean Sea potentially holds billions of dollars’ worth of oil and gas. Tensions between Israel and Lebanon worsened earlier this year when, in June, a London-based vessel arrived to develop a gas field for Israel.

Though at present the deal seems to be a win for both sides, future security threats can’t be ruled out after this maritime agreement.

Welcome by Lebanon

Lebanese Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab has described the maritime border agreement as a “game changer” with hope that “People will start talking to Lebanon again,” adding that the deal will give Lebanon’s youth “hope”.

For Lebanese government it may prove to be a shot in the arm to bolster its flailing economy and workout a package, which puts the nation back on the tracks for economic recovery and attracting potential investors.

Under the US-brokered deal, Lebanon would be able to begin gas exploration in the Qanaa prospect, which lies within Lebanon’s exploration block but crosses over into Israeli waters. The Qanaa gas field is yet to be explored, but Lebanon believes it is rich with resources. It is currently estimated to be worth around $3 billion altogether. That could bring Lebanon between $100 and $200 million a year.

US negotiator Amos Hochstein meets with Lebanese President Michel Aoun. (Photo Twitter@StateDept_NEA)

However, the immediate economic benefits from Qanaa for Lebanon, seems to be too far fetched, as its current infrastructure is in poor or at nascent stage and it’ll not be able to start extracting natural gas and oil immediately. At the earliest it may take another four to five years.

If TotalEnergies does indeed begin exploration for the Lebanese, it could also offer incentives for other companies to get involved, with these prospects in mind, it is yet to be seen what the direct economic impacts will be.

For Israel also, the potential earnings may start after four to five years, once it signs agreements with France’s TotalEnergies to explore the whole block.

Israeli response

As for the Israeli politicians, they have started hailing it as a decisive victory against Iran-backed and Lebanon-based Hezbollah. These politicians led by Prime Minister Yair Lapid seem to be in a hurry to get the agreement approved by the government and thus be able to mobilise the votes in their favour in the upcoming general elections in the country on November 1.

But the right-wing elements in Israel, led by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have described the agreement as a failure of the centrist-Lapid government and describe this as conceding ground to Hezbollah, which may get further bolstered after this agreement.

But the US negotiator Amos Hochstein dismissed Netanyahu’s criticisms as campaign rhetoric, saying the fact that two enemy countries managed to reach agreement on maritime border is ‘enormously significant’. Overall a regional security crisis seems to have been averted due to economic interests of both sides.

Following the deal’s approval by the cabinet, the agreement was presented to the Knesset for a review over the next two weeks, but not asking for the parliament’s approval. Israel’s Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, has opined that the current government is legally entitled to sign the maritime border agreement, and did not need to hold a referendum on the issue and suggested it would be preferable for the government to allow a Knesset vote on the issue, though it’s under no legal obligation to do so.

Members of the Likud and other right-wing parties approached Knesset speaker Mickey Levy, demanding that the agreement be put to a parliamentary vote.

Countering Netanyahu’s criticism Defence Minister Benny Gantz has said the talks started under his leadership, and if he were prime minister, he would probably “rush to sign the deal right now”. Gantz also said that the deal also “has the potential to reduce Iran’s influence on Lebanon”.

Meanwhile discounting allegations of Lebanon gaining an upper hand in the agreement, Israel’s National Security Adviser Eyal Hulata said though Lebanon received almost all of the waters under dispute with Israel, it did not receive what it was really after.

Tel Aviv city hall lit in the colors of the Lebanese flag after the 2020 Beirut explosion. (By Oren Rozen – Own work)

Behind the scene negotiators

This brings out into the open the real negotiators behind the deal. The negotiations started months before at the US insistence and brokered by France. French diplomats helped US negotiator Amos Hochstein to stitch the deal together.

Thus, apart from political gains for the ruling coalition in Israel, the agreement also brings political benefits for the US President Joe Biden, who also faces mid-term elections for both the houses, next month.

US mediation efforts were key to achieving the deal and it may bolster the Biden administration ahead of the mid-term elections next month. He might use this agreement to assuage the rising resentment amongst American public due to constantly increasing prices of oil and gas in America.

Meanwhile, Europe’s gas crisis is increasing day by day. European governments are doing all they can to shield consumers from price shocks, but the crisis took a further dip after explosions damaged Nord Stream 1 and 2 last month. The Nord Stream 1 pipeline was Europe’s main source of Russian gas.

Israel has said that, once the maritime deal is signed and delivered, it can begin extracting oil and gas from its Karish field and export it to Europe within weeks.

Lapid has repeatedly spoken about the role Israel can play to help Europe as Western countries try to wean themselves off Russian energy.

This development comes in the background of worsening US-Saudi relations, which hit a new low last week when the OPEC+, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, defied the US with the largest output cut since the pandemic, bringing added pressure for Biden Administration.

But, it is also a regional victory for the Biden administration, which lately has seen diplomatic tensions rise with some of its Middle Eastern allies. With the possibility of much needed gas from the Mediterranean and averting a potential security crisis between historic enemies, the US notched an important win in a region where its influence has seemingly diminished.

(Asad Mirza is a political commentator based in New Delhi. He writes on Indian Muslims, educational, international affairs, interfaith and current affairs)

ALSO READ: Israel, Lebanon strike maritime border deal