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Tag: Lebanon

  • Tensions soar as IDF tanks breach UNIFIL base

    Tensions soar as IDF tanks breach UNIFIL base

    The UN Interim Force in Lebanon said two Israeli tanks destroyed the main gate of a post in Ramyah, located near the Israeli border, and demanded that the peacekeepers turn off their lights.

    The UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon reported that Israeli tanks forcibly breached one of its positions early Sunday morning.

    According to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), two Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) tanks destroyed the main gate of a post in Ramyah, located near the Israeli border, and demanded that the peacekeepers turn off their lights.

    Following this incursion, rounds were fired in the vicinity, causing smoke to enter the camp and resulting in skin irritations and gastrointestinal reactions for 15 peacekeepers stationed there.

    In a contrasting account, the IDF asserted that their tanks entered the UNIFIL position to evacuate soldiers injured by an anti-tank missile.

    They reported that two soldiers were seriously injured in the attack while others sustained minor injuries.

    To assist with the evacuation, the IDF deployed smoke screens and maintained communication with UNIFIL, insisting that their activities posed no threat to the peacekeepers.

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned any attacks on peacekeepers, warning that such actions could amount to war crimes.

    He underscored that UNIFIL personnel and their facilities must never be targeted, reiterating that assaults on peacekeepers violate international and humanitarian law.

    This incident is part of a series of escalating confrontations between UNIFIL and Israeli forces. Israel has repeatedly requested that UNIFIL withdraw from southern Lebanon amid its ongoing ground operations against the militant group Hezbollah.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged peacekeepers to “immediately” relocate to avoid becoming “hostages” of Hezbollah, a directive that UNIFIL has not yet accepted.

    Israel has faced international backlash for prior incidents in which UNIFIL personnel were harmed due to IDF fire.

    In response, UNIFIL reminded the IDF of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and properties, labeling the breach of the Ramyah post as a blatant violation of international law.

    Moreover, UNIFIL reported that Israeli troops obstructed critical logistical movements near Meiss El Jebel, exacerbating tensions further.

    The IDF claimed that Hezbollah had launched rockets and missiles from sites near UNIFIL positions, accusing the militant group of exploiting their proximity to UN forces.

    ‘Refusal to evacuate turns UN forces into hostages’

    Netanyahu stated that the refusal to evacuate UNIFIL soldiers has effectively turned them into hostages of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terrorist group operating in Lebanon.

    In a video address on Sunday Netanyahu affirmed, “We are marking one year of the harsh war that was forced on us – the war of redemption against Iran’s axis of evil, which has risen up to destroy us.”

    Further, he emphasised Israel’s determination to ensure its future and defeat its enemies. He highlighted the military’s successes in Lebanon and affirmed, “We eliminated Nasrallah and his senior personnel. Our heroic soldiers are destroying Hezbollah’s weapons, command centers, and terrorist tunnels.”

    Netanyahu highlighted that Israel is not fighting the Lebanese people but rather ‘Iran’s terrorist proxy Hezbollah’, which has occupied Lebanon.

    Addressing the UN Secretary-General directly, Netanyahu said, “The time has come for you to withdraw UNIFIL from Hezbollah strongholds and from the combat zones. The IDF has requested this repeatedly and has met with repeated refusal, which has the effect of providing Hezbollah terrorists with human shields. Your refusal to evacuate UNIFIL soldiers has turned them into hostages of Hezbollah. This endangers both them and the lives of our soldiers.”

    “We regret the harm to UNIFIL soldiers and we are doing our utmost to prevent such harm. But the simplest and most obvious way to ensure this is simply to withdraw them from the danger zone. Secretary General, get the UNIFIL forces out of harm’s way. It should be done right now, immediately,” he added.

    Arab League condemn Israeli moves

    Jordan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi on Sunday reaffirmed Jordan’s rejection and condemnation of two Israeli draft bills that could prevent operations of the UN Palestine relief agency, UNRWA, in the occupied Palestinian territories.

    The Israeli parliament approved two bills last Sunday aimed at ending UNRWA’s activity and privileges in Israel.

    Safadi called the bills a blatant violation of international law and a deprivation of the Palestinian people’s essential rights and services recognized by the international community, according to a statement by Jordan’s Foreign Ministry.

    During his meeting on Sunday with UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, Safadi stressed the need for the international community to reject such bills to show support for UNRWA and its mandate since its inception.

    The foreign minister stressed that UNRWA’s role is irreplaceable, warning that Israel’s targeting of the UN agency is part of its broader attempt to eliminate the refugee issue. He said it must be resolved in accordance with resolutions of international legitimacy as part of a comprehensive solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that ends Israel’s occupation and ensures the return of refugees.

    Safadi and Lazzarini discussed the necessary actions to counter this Israeli threat to the UN agency in cooperation with regional and international partners, while underscoring the importance of providing political and financial support for the agency to continue its lifesaving operations.

    Also on Sunday, the Arab League (AL) and Egypt condemned Israel’s plans to seize the East Jerusalem headquarters of UNRWA and convert the site into a settlement.

    In a statement, AL Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said Israel is implementing a plan to “eliminate the role of UNRWA and liquidate it,” expressing full Arab solidarity with the UN agency.

    Aboul-Gheit called on the international community to defend UNRWA against Israel’s “fiercest” liquidation campaigns.

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  • UN warns against ‘catastrophic’ regional conflict

    UN warns against ‘catastrophic’ regional conflict

    UNIFIL spokesman fears an Israeli escalation against Hezbollah in south Lebanon could soon spiral out of control “into a regional conflict with catastrophic impact for everyone”…reports Asian Lite news

    UN peacekeepers in Lebanon warned Saturday against a “catastrophic” regional conflict as Israeli forces battled Hezbollah and Hamas militants on two fronts, on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

    Israel has faced a fierce diplomatic backlash over incidents in south Lebanon that saw five Blue Helmets wounded. On Saturday, the Lebanese health ministry said Israeli air strikes on two villages located near the capital Beirut killed nine people.

    Israel had earlier told residents of south Lebanon not to return home, as its troops fought Hezbollah militants in a war that has killed more than 1,200 people since September 23, and forced more than a million others to flee their homes.

    “For your own protection, do not return to your homes until further notice… Do not go south; anyone who goes south may put his life at risk,” Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on X.

    Hezbollah said Saturday it launched missiles across the border into northern Israel, where air raid sirens sounded and the military said it had intercepted a projectile.

    UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti told he feared an Israeli escalation against Hezbollah in south Lebanon could soon spiral out of control “into a regional conflict with catastrophic impact for everyone.” The UN force said five peacekeepers have been wounded by fighting in south Lebanon in just two days, and Tenenti said “a lot of damage” had been caused to its posts there. Around Israel, markets were closed and public transport halted as observant Jews fasted and prayed on Yom Kippur.

    After the holiday, attention is likely to turn again to Israel’s expected retaliation against Iran, which launched around 200 missiles at Israel on October 1. Israel began pounding Gaza shortly after suffering its worst ever attacks from Iran-backed Hamas militants on October 7 last year, and it launched a ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon on September 30.

    On Friday, Israel faced criticism from the UN, its Western allies and others over what it said was a “hit” on a UN peacekeeping position in Lebanon. Two Sri Lankan peacekeepers were hurt in the second such incident in two days, UNIFIL said Friday.

    Israel’s military said soldiers had responded to “an immediate threat” around 50 meters (yards) from the UNIFIL base in Naqura, and has pledged to carry out a “thorough review.” The Irish military’s chief of staff, Sean Clancy, said it was “not an accidental act,” and French President Emmanuel Macron said he believed the peacekeepers had been “deliberately targeted.”

    Both countries are major contributors to UNIFIL whose peacekeepers are on the front line of the Israel-Hezbollah war. Efforts to negotiate an end to the fighting have so far failed, but Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said his government would ask the UN Security Council to issue a new resolution calling for a “full and immediate ceasefire.”

    Lebanon’s military said Friday an Israeli strike on one of its positions in south Lebanon killed two soldiers.

    Meanwhile, India joined a statement from troop-contributing countries condemning recent attacks on UNIFIL peacekeepers in Lebanon, as a fifth peacekeeper was injured on Saturday.

    Poland released a joint statement from 34 countries troop contributing countries of UNIFIL who have sent troops which said that it “strongly condemn recent attacks on the UNIFIL peacekeepers”.

    The statement said that the actions “must stop immediately and should be adequately investigated”. It doesn’t name Israel in the statement.

    Though India was not initially listed as a co-signatory, the Indian permanent mission at the UN put out a tweet that India had “fully aligned itself with the statement”. “Safety and security of peacekeepers are of paramount importance and must be ensured in accordance with extant UNSC Resolutions,” it added.

    Later on Saturday evening, in a fresh tweet, the Polish mission said support for the statement was growing and thanked India, Germany, Greece, Colombia and Uruguay for joining. The joint statement urged “the parties of the conflict to respect UNIFIL’s presence, which entails the obligation to guarantee the safety and security of its personnel at all times, so that they can continue to implement its mandate and continue their work of mediation and support for peace and stability in Lebanon and the entire region”.

    “We reiterate our commitment to multilateral cooperation with the UN at its core. We call for respect for the international law, in particular the Charter of the United Nations as well as the relevant resolutions of the Security Council,” it said.

    The statement also said that the countries reaffirmed their “full support for UNIFIL’s mission and activities, whose principal aim is to bring stabilisation and lasting peace in South Lebanon as well as in the Middle East, in line with relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council”. “We consider UNIFIL’s role as particularly crucial in light of the escalating situation in the region,” it said.

    The UN peacekeeping mission currently consists of 10,058 peacekeepers from 50 countries, with Indonesia contributing the largest number of troops, followed by Italy and India.

    A day earlier, India expressed concern about the “deteriorating security situation along the Blue Line.” Without specifically naming Israel, India emphasized that “the inviolability of UN premises must be respected by all, and appropriate measures taken to ensure the safety of UN peacekeepers and the sanctity of their mandate.”

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  • Pakistan Pulls Citizens Out of Lebanon, Syria

    Pakistan Pulls Citizens Out of Lebanon, Syria

    Security, transport and food arrangements were made by the Pakistan Embassies in Lebanon and Syria to ensure smooth evacuation from Lebanon..reports Asian Lite News

    The Pakistani government has evacuated 71 nationals from Lebanon and Syria on a special flight of the Pakistan International Airlines that landed in the south Sindh province on Wednesday.

    The flight carried four from Syria and 67 from Lebanon who travelled to Syria’s Damascus by road before being airlifted to Pakistan, the Foreign Office of Pakistan said in a statement.

    Security, transport and food arrangements were made by the Pakistan Embassies in Lebanon and Syria to ensure smooth evacuation from Lebanon, reports Xinhua news agency.

    Departures from Lebanon began on September 27 and increased last week as Israel intensified its strikes against Hezbollah positions in Lebanon and targeted locations in Beirut.

    ALSO READ: UNSC Denounces terror attack in Pakistan’s Karachi

  • UAE steps up Lebanon aid

    UAE steps up Lebanon aid

    President announces relief package of $30 million in addition to six aircraft carrying around 205 tonnes of medical, relief, food and shelter supplies to Lebanon, to support the Lebanese people….reports Asian Lite News

     President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has directed the provision of an urgent relief package worth US$30 million to displaced Lebanese citizens in the Syrian Arab Republic.

    This initiative is part of the UAE’s continued efforts to help the Lebanese people overcome current challenges, underscoring its firm commitment to providing support in difficult times.

    The UAE has dispatched six aircraft carrying around 205 tonnes of medical, relief, food and shelter supplies to Lebanon, to support the Lebanese people. This comes in addition to the US$100 million aid package launched recently.

    The planes also included aid provided in cooperation with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), which was dispatched over two days via the UAE air bridge as part of the “UAE Stands with Lebanon” campaign.

    These supplies reflect the UAE’s steadfast efforts in cooperation with international partners to provide urgent relief to the people of Lebanon, to alleviate the critical humanitarian and health repercussions.

    The aid aircraft were dispatched following the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to support and assist the Lebanese people, embodying the approach adopted by the UAE, its government, and people in extending a helping hand to nations during crises.

    This humanitarian response aims to mitigate the consequences that have resulted in the suffering of thousands of families due to the lack of medicine, medical supplies, and basic medical services, particularly for the sick, children, the elderly, and women.

    The “UAE Stands with Lebanon” campaign was also launched at the national level to support the brotherly Lebanese people. The campaign will begin on Tuesday, 8th October, until Monday, 21st October, with the participation of society members, institutions, as well as government and private entities.

    Two-week philanthropic campaign

    H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs, and Chairman of the International Humanitarian and Philanthropic Council, has launched a philanthropic campaign in the UAE community in solidarity with the people of Lebanon. 

    Slated to begin on 8th October and continue until 21st October under the slogan “The UAE Stands with Lebanon”, the campaign is aimed at involving the community, institutions, and public sector and private sector organizations.  

    Speaking about the importance of the campaign, H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has stressed the utmost importance given by the UAE under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to helping the people in Lebanon in their tough humanitarian circumstance. 

    He expressed confidence in the UAE community – people, businesses and institutions – in standing with people facing crisis situations and extending support to them.  

    The campaign announcement came close on the heels of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, ordering an urgent relief aid package worth US$100 million as part of the country’s efforts to support the people of Lebanon. 

    The UAE sent 6 planes loaded with around 205 tonnes of medical supplies, food, relief materials, and shelter equipment. This was done in cooperation with international partners such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

    GCC chief appeals to int’l community

    Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), has renewed the call to the international community to uphold its responsibilities and take urgent action to stop the grave Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip.

    He emphasised that one year after the onset of military operations by Israeli occupation forces in Gaza, the humanitarian, security and economic situation in the region has significantly worsened.

    “This necessitates immediate and decisive steps from the international community to put an end to the brutal Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people, de-escalate military operations and lift the blockade, ensuring the provision of humanitarian aid and the opening of crossings to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people,” he said.

    The Secretary-General also underscored the critical importance of protecting civilians, including those involved in relief and humanitarian services, who face severe risks while carrying out their essential duties.

    Furthermore, he reiterated that GCC countries consistently advocate for accountability for those responsible for crimes against humanity, holding the Israeli government accountable for the violations committed by its forces against the defenceless Palestinian people.

    Additionally, Albudaiwi expressed the steadfast stance of GCC member states in support of the Palestinian cause and their commitment to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant United Nations resolutions.

    The Secretary-Genera concluded his statement by calling for the unification of regional and international efforts to achieve an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza and to provide the necessary support to the Palestinian people, thereby contributing to stability and security in the region.

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  • LEBANON SEEKS UN HELP

    LEBANON SEEKS UN HELP

    The complaint stated that Israel has deployed military forces, tanks, and armoured vehicles along the southern border of Lebanon. They have been targeting civilians, aid workers, and journalists while indiscriminately shelling towns and villages with over 8,570 strikes….reports Asian Lite News

    Lebanon has submitted a formal complaint to the UN Security Council and Secretary-General António Guterres regarding Israel’s violation of its territory. Lebanon’s permanent mission to the UN has issued a complaint condemning Israel’s aggression against Lebanon’s sovereignty and the violation of its borders since the night of Oct. 1.

    The complaint also criticizes Israel for disregarding the 2000 Blue Line and Security Council Resolution 1701, which was adopted in August 2006.

    The mission demands a complete cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel, as well as the establishment of a zone between the Blue Line and the Litani River that is free of armed groups, except for the Lebanese Armed Forces and UNIFIL.

    The complaint stated that Israel has deployed military forces, tanks, and armoured vehicles along the southern border of Lebanon. They have been targeting civilians, aid workers, and journalists while indiscriminately shelling towns and villages with over 8,570 strikes.

    Israel has carried out massive airstrikes since September 23, claiming to target Hezbollah locations across Lebanon. These airstrikes have resulted in the deaths of more than 1,100 individuals, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

    In response, Hezbollah has retaliated by launching multiple attacks against Israeli positions in the northern occupied territories. In the past few days, Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets, targeting key Israeli positions.

    Iran FM in Beirut

    Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei announced on his social media account that Foreign Minister Araghchi arrived in Beirut on Friday.

    The Iranian delegation, accompanied by two members of parliament and the head of the Red Crescent Society, will meet with high-ranking Lebanese officials, he added.

    Additionally, he underlined that a shipment of 10 tons of food and medicine would be presented to Lebanon as part of Iran’s humanitarian aid.

    Baghaei emphasized Iran’s unwavering support for the brave people of Lebanon and called on the entire region to recognize the gravity of Lebanon’s situation and its potential impact on their own nations’ futures.

    Araghchi said, “This visit is for consultations with the Lebanese officials and political consultations on the current developments. We have always been and will always be in direct contact with our friends in Lebanon, and now it was necessary to have close consultations”.

    Regarding his other goals for his trip to Lebanon, Araghchi pointed to the issue of providing relief to the people, saying, “The issue of providing relief to the Lebanese people who have been displaced due to the brutal bombings and need to assist is also important”.

    The top Iranian diplomat described Iran’s solidarity with the people of Lebanon against the crimes committed by the Zionist regime as significant, noting, “The Islamic Republic of Iran has always been and still is a supporter of the Lebanese people, the Shiites, and Hezbollah, and we needed to share this with our friends by being in Beirut and saying that they should be sure that the Islamic Republic of Iran stands firmly with its friends in Lebanon.”

    Khamenei Speech

    Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei is delivering a speech at the commemoration ceremony of the late Hezbollah leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, in Imam Khomeini’s Grand Mosalla in Tehran.

    In his Friday Prayer sermons, Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized the importance of Muslim unity, stating that if Muslims come together, they can overcome their enemies.

    He stressed that the enemy of the Iranian nation is also the enemy of the Iraqi, Lebanese, and Egyptian nations, emphasizing that their enemy is the same.

    Referring to the Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, Ayatollah Khamenei called it a legal and international move and affirming the Palestinians’ rightness in their actions.

    He condemned the crimes committed by the Israeli regime and asserted that every nation has the right to defend its country and territory against aggressors.

    Furthermore, Ayatollah Khamenei praised the recent anti-Israeli operation by the country’s armed forces, describing it as a legal and legitimate move. He emphasized that they neither delay nor rush in fulfilling their duty.

    The most important message of Martyr Nasrallah to the loyal people of Lebanon in his life was, “Do not be disappointed and dismayed by the loss of prominent figures such as Imam Musa al-Sadr, Seyed Abbas Mousavi, and others. Do not hesitate in the path of the fight. Increase your efforts and strength. Redouble your solidarity, resist the aggressor enemy by strengthening faith and trust, and thwart them,” Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized.

    The Iranian Supreme Leader highlighted that the enemy’s actions, such as assassination and killing of civilians, are signs of its weakness rather than victory, underling that such finally would lead this “vampire wolf” to elimination.

    He emphasized that any blows to the “Zionist regime” benefit humanity as a whole.

    Additionally, he described Hezbollah’s defence of Gaza as a vital service to the Islamic world and called on all Muslims to support Lebanon.

    The reliance of the United States and its accomplices on maintaining the security of the usurping regime is a cover for the deadly policy of turning the Israeli regime into a tool for controlling all the resources of this region and using it in major global conflicts, Ayatollah Khamenei said.

    The aim is to make the Israeli regime a key player in exporting energy from the region to the Western world, while also importing goods and technology from the West to the region, he said, adding that this would ensure the survival of the usurping regime and make the entire region dependent on it.

    The Supreme Leader underscored, “Any blow to the Israeli regime by anyone and any group would benefit the entire region and humanity as a whole. Certainly, this Zionist and American dream is a false and unrealistic fantasy.”

    Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf and Iran’s Judiciary chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei attended the commemoration ceremony of Nasrallah.

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  • Israel strikes turn bustling Beirut into ghost town

    Israel strikes turn bustling Beirut into ghost town

    An area of tightly packed blocks of flats, shops and businesses, Beirut’s southern suburbs are also home to Hezbollah’s main institutions…reports Asian Lite News

    Beirut’s southern suburbs, a stronghold of the Hezbollah militant group, are usually teeming with life but on Wednesday the rubble-strewn streets and burning buildings were almost empty after days of Israeli bombardment and evacuation orders.

    Photographers saw thick smoke rising from buildings hit by overnight strikes while young men on mopeds sped along largely empty roads and residents grabbed what they could from their homes, some driving off with mattresses tied to car roofs.

    Mohammed Sheaito, 31, one of the few not leaving, said that “during the night, the ground shook below us… and the sky lit up” from the force of the strikes.

    “The area has become a ghost town,” said the taxi driver, who has sent his parents, his sister and her children — already displaced by Israeli bombing in south Lebanon — to safety elsewhere.

    An area of tightly packed blocks of flats, shops and businesses, Beirut’s southern suburbs are also home to Hezbollah’s main institutions.

    Israel says it is targeting sites belonging to the Iran-backed militant group, which was founded during the Lebanese civil war after Israel besieged the city in 1982.

    A series of Israeli raids last week hit the southern suburbs — known as Dahiyeh — before a massive strike on Friday killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, with raids on the area increasing after that.

    Thousands have fled the bombings or because of Israeli army evacuation orders on social media posted ahead of some strikes.

    Some are staying with relatives, others in schools turned shelters in Beirut or in rented flats, while those with nowhere to go have been sleeping on the streets.

    “The area was full of people. We used to sit at the cafe or along the street, older people would play backgammon,” Sheaito said.

    Now, everything is “closed — corner stores, restaurants… even the pharmacy,” he said, adding: “I leave Dahiyeh to buy food supplies.”

    Mohammed Afif, the head of Hezbollah’s information office, told journalists on a media tour that was broadcast that all the buildings hit in Dahiyeh were “civilian buildings and are not home to military activity.”

    In one neighborhood, emergency workers combed the rubble of a flattened four-building residential complex in a grim search for survivors. In another, a woman carried a cat as a building burned.

    Rubble blocked some streets, with burnt-out cars scattered around various strike sites.

    “I came quickly to get our identify papers and some other things,” said one resident who declined to be identified, expressing shock at finding an eight-building residential complex behind his home had been destroyed. He said the neighborhood was uninhabitable, with no water, shops, petrol stations or even electricity because generators had shut down in a country where the state network struggles to supply a few hours of power a day.

    “Our apartment is full of dust and there is a strange smell — I left quickly before I choked,” he said. “I only saw one or two people on the street. There is no life here anymore.”

    Germany flies out Beirut embassy staff

    Meanwhile, Germany flew out its Beirut embassy’s non-essential staff, their dependants and some of its citizens in Lebanon with medical conditions, officials said.

    About 110 passengers were aboard the German air force A321 plane, including diplomats, other personnel and some citizens considered in a vulnerable condition. 

    The foreign and defense ministries earlier announced the special flight “to support the departure of the colleagues and their families” as well as staff of some German partner organizations from strife-torn Lebanon.

    “German nationals who are particularly at risk due to medical circumstances are also being taken,” said the statement.

    Israel has been bombing targets of the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Beirut and eastern and southern Lebanon, in strikes that have killed hundreds and forced hundreds of thousands more to flee their homes.

    The Beirut embassy remained operational to help the estimated 1,800 German citizens in the country.

    “The embassy continues to support the remaining Germans in Lebanon in their departure via commercial flights and other means,” the statement added.

    At the weekend, Berlin raised its alert level for the missions in Beirut, Tel Aviv and Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

    A German government spokesman on Monday said that “we are currently at a stage where we support the departure (of citizens) but we are explicitly not in an evacuation scenario.”

    The statement reiterated that “all Germans in Lebanon have been urged to leave the country since October 2023.”

    Hezbollah began low-intensity cross-border strikes on Israeli troops a day after its Palestinian ally Hamas staged its unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, triggering war in the Gaza Strip.

    Israel said earlier this month it was shifting its focus from Gaza to securing its northern border with Lebanon, in order to allow Israelis displaced since October to return to their homes.

    Hezbollah vowed on Monday to keep fighting Israel and said it was ready to face any ground operation into Lebanon, after its leader was killed in an air strike that dealt the group a seismic blow.

    ALSO READ: World urges restraint after Iran strikes Israel

  • Concerned China opposes violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty

    Concerned China opposes violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty

    The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that Beijing opposes moves that fuel antagonism and escalate tensions…reports Asian Lite News

    Reacting to reports that Israel has launched ground military operations in Southern Lebanon, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated on Wednesday that China is “deeply concerned” about turmoil in the Middle East and opposes violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, the China-based Global Times reported.

    The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that Beijing opposes moves that fuel antagonism and escalate tensions. The spokesperson urged the international community, particularly major nations with influence, to play a constructive role and avoid further turmoil, as reported by the Global Times.

    The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson added that Beijing considers the protracted fighting in Gaza the “root cause of this round of turmoil in the Middle East” and stressed that all parties need to work urgently for a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire, Global Times reported.

    The situation in West Asia continues to escalate. On Wednesday, a day after Iran targeted Israel with a rocket barrage, the IDF called on Lebanese civilians in two dozen villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate immediately.”Hezbollah’s activity forces the IDF to act against it.

    The IDF does not wish to harm you. For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately. Anyone who is near Hezbollah operatives, their facilities, or their weapons, puts themselves at risk,” Colonel Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, said in a statement on X.

    The Israeli military said it will update the civilians when they can return. On Tuesday, the Israeli military issued similar orders to 28 other villages in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military has described its ground operations in southern Lebanon as “limited, localised, and targeted raids,” with the goal of demolishing Hezbollah’s infrastructure in the border area.

    Earlier, in a series of targeted airstrikes, Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets, under precise guidance from the Intelligence Directorate, struck multiple Hezbollah weapons production sites and terrorist infrastructure across Beirut.

    According to a post by the IAF on their official X handle (formerly Twitter), numerous measures were taken to minimise harm to civilians, including advance warnings to those in the affected areas. The statement highlighted Hezbollah’s practice of placing weaponry beneath residential buildings, further endangering the civilian population.

    The Israeli Air Force said, “Fighter jets of the Air Force, under the precise intelligence guidance of the Intelligence Division, carried out a series of targeted attacks in recent days throughout Beirut against a number of munitions production sites and other terrorist infrastructures in the area. Before the attack, many steps were taken to reduce the chance of harm to those not involved, advance warnings to the population in the area.”

    “The terrorist organization Hezbollah places its production sites and means of warfare, including under residential buildings in the heart of Beirut, putting the population in the area at risk. The attacks were intended to damage the organization’s capabilities, and at this time the IDF continues to attack with force to damage and destroy Hezbollah’s military capabilities and infrastructure,” it added. (ANI)

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  • US Voices Concerns After Israel’s Beirut Attack

    US Voices Concerns After Israel’s Beirut Attack

    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: “The choices that all parties make in the coming days will determine which path this region is on, with profound consequences for its people now and possibly for years to come.”

    Hours after the Israeli military launched a series of air strikes on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Friday reiterated his concerns, saying that “diplomacy is the best path forward,” Al Jazeera reported.

    “The choices that all parties make in the coming days will determine which path this region is on, with profound consequences for its people now and possibly for years to come,” Blinken said, while speaking to reporters in New York on Friday afternoon.

    “The path to diplomacy may seem difficult to see at this moment, but it is there and in our judgement, it is necessary,” the top US diplomat added, saying that the Middle East and the world faces “a precarious moment.”

    Blinken’s remarks came a few hours after the Israeli military launched a barrage of missiles in Beirut, accusing Hezbollah of having its “central headquarters” in its southern suburbs, Al Jazeera reported.

    “We will continue to work intensely with all parties to urge them to choose that course,” Blinken said.

    Meanwhile, Israel has confirmed the killing of top Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in the airstrikes carried out by the Israeli military in Beirut.

    In a statement, the Israel Defence Forces said, “Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world.”

    The IDF said that alongside Nasrallah, the commander of Hezbollah’s so-called Southern Front, Ali Karaki, was also killed, along with other commanders, the Times of Israel reported.

    Nasrallah was targeted on Friday at Hezbollah’s main headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold known as the Dahiyeh. The headquarters is underground, beneath residential buildings in the Dahiyeh, the IDF said.

    The IDF also said that dozens of anti-ship missiles stored by Hezbollah under buildings in the Lebanese capital of Beirut were also destroyed in Israeli airstrikes overnight.

    Hezbollah was known by the IDF to be in possession of the Chinese C-704 and C802 missiles, as well as the Iranian Ghader, which have ranges of up to around 200 kilometres, as reported by Times of Israel.

    Following the announcement of Nasrallah’s killing, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said that Israel will reach anyone who threatens the country and its citizens.

    “The is not the end of the tools in the toolbox. The message is simple: to anyone who threatens the citizens of the State of Israel, we will know how to get to them,” he added.

    Israel on Friday carried out a precision strike against Hezbollah’s central headquarters, located beneath residential buildings in Beirut’s Dahieh.

    Notably, the strikes were carried out on the same day, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, issued a stern warning to Iran and the “proxies of Tehran,” there is “no place” in Iran, where the “long arms” of Israel cannot reach, while adding that it is true for the “entire Middle East.” (ANI)

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  • Carnage continues as Netanyahu rejects truce

    Carnage continues as Netanyahu rejects truce

    Intensive airstrikes from Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) inside Lebanon continue unabated’ more than 90,000 people displaced from their homes in Lebanon…reports Asian Lite News

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged on Thursday to continue “full force” strikes against Hezbollah until the group halts its cross-border rocket attacks, dampening hopes of a ceasefire proposal recently advanced by US and European allies.

    With intensive airstrikes from Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) inside Lebanon continue unabated, and more than 90,000 people displaced from their homes, the Jewish state refused to heed calls for a ceasefire with Hezbollah.

    In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that “the report on a ceasefire is untrue.”

    The office said that Netanyahu “didn’t even respond to” the ceasefire proposal, which was brokered by the United States and France.

    Also on Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Israel would not consider a truce, Xinhua news agency reported.

    “There won’t be a ceasefire,” he wrote on social media platform X. He said the country would continue its fight against Hezbollah “until victory and until residents could return to their homes in the north.”

    Hezbollah Commander killed

    In a significant blow to Hezbollah, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) announced the elimination of Muhammad Hussein Srour, Commander of the organisation’s Aerial Command, in a precision airstrike in Beirut.

    Sharing a post on X, the IDF wrote, “Eliminated: Commander of Hezbollah’s Aerial Command, Muhammad Hussein Srour, in a precise IAF strike in Beirut.”

    The IDF further said that Srour was responsible for advancing numerous aerial terrorist attacks targeting Israeli civilians. “Srour advanced and directed numerous aerial terrorist attacks aimed at Israeli civilians. During the “Iron Swords” war, he executed several terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers using UAVs and explosive devices,” the post said.

    “In recent years, Srour led the manufacturing project of UAVs in southern Lebanon and established UAV manufacturing and intelligence gathering sites in Lebanon, located adjacent to civilian infrastructure in Beirut and southern Lebanon,” the post added.

    The IDF also said that Srour’s role extended to the commander of the surface-to-air missile unit, as well as the “Aziz” Unit of the Radwan Force. It said, “He was also the commander in the surface-to-air missile unit, commander in the “Aziz” Unit of the Radwan Force and Hezbollah’s emissary to Yemen and the Houthi terrorist regime’s Aerial Command.”

    UNSC holds emergency meeting

    Requested by France, the UN Security Council on Wednesday convened an emergency meeting on Lebanon, the second meeting on the country’s deteriorating situation in less than a week, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres saying that “hell is breaking loose in Lebanon.”

    In his remarks, Guterres urged the Security Council “to work in lock-step” to end the escalating violence between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants across the Blue Line, a buffer zone in southern Lebanon.

    Hezbollah and Israel must pull back from the brink of a potentially catastrophic regional war, he insisted, adding that there was now massive civilian displacement from southern and eastern Lebanon towards the Lebanese capital of Beirut, while the Israelis have endured repeated attacks from Hezbollah with more than 8,300 rockets, drones and increasingly high caliber missile attacks on military targets and residential areas.

    90,000 displaced

    Lebanon violence has displaced more than 90,000 people from their homes, with 70,000 cramming into 400 schools and other sites, UN humanitarians said.

    The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) tallied the number of displacements since Monday with data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which reported it expects the numbers to increase, Xinhua news agency reported.

    OCHA said it is gravely concerned over the safety of civilians on both sides of the Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon.

    The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Syria estimated that more than 10,000 people — both Lebanese and Syrians — have crossed from Lebanon into Syria due to the hostilities.

    The office said the world body and its partners provide food, water, mattresses and hygiene kits. The recent escalation of violence is also affecting education, health, and other vital civilian facilities in Lebanon.

    OCHA said Lebanon’s Ministry of Education postponed the start of the school year until October 14, which affects thousands of students nationwide.

    The office said Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday damaged four more water stations, bringing the total number of such facilities impacted since October 2023 to 24, affecting access to clean water for more than 250,000 people.

    OCHA said the fighting forced 18 primary healthcare centres to close on Thursday.

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  • US call for ceasefire across Lebanon-Israel border

    US call for ceasefire across Lebanon-Israel border

    Washington hopes a ceasefire could lead to longer-term stability along the border between Israel and Lebanon…reports Asian Lite News

    The US, France and other allies jointly called Wednesday for an “immediate” 21-day ceasefire to allow for negotiations in the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that has killed more than 600 people in Lebanon in recent days.

    The joint statement, negotiated on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, says the recent fighting is “intolerable and presents an unacceptable risk of a broader regional escalation.”

    “We call for an immediate 21-day ceasefire across the Lebanon-Israel border to provide space for diplomacy,” the statement reads. “We call on all parties, including the Governments of Israel and Lebanon, to endorse the temporary ceasefire immediately.”

    The signatories include the United States, Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

    French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told the UN Security Council during a meeting that “we are counting on both parties to accept it without delay.”

    Barrot said France, a former colonial power to Lebanon, and the US had consulted with the sides on “final parameters for a diplomatic way out of this crisis,” adding that “war is not unavoidable.”

    US deputy ambassador to the UN Robert Wood encouraged the council to support the diplomatic efforts but didn’t offer specifics about the plan.

    “We are working with other countries on a proposal that we hope will lead to calm and enable discussions to a diplomatic solution,” he said.

    Earlier Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US administration was “intensely engaged with a number of partners to deescalate tensions in Lebanon and to work to get a ceasefire agreement that would have so many benefits for all concerned.”

    Blinken and other advisers to President Joe Biden have spent the past three days at and on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly meeting of world leaders in New York lobbying other countries to support the plan, according to US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic conversations.

    Americans hope such a ceasefire could lead to longer-term stability along the border between Israel and Lebanon. Months of Israeli and Hezbollah exchanges of fire across the border drove tens of thousands of people from their homes on both sides of the border, and escalated attacks this week have rekindled fears of a broader war in the Middle East.

    Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan and senior advisers Brett McGurk and Amos Hochstein have been meeting with Middle East allies in New York and have been in touch with Israeli officials about the proposal, one of the US officials said. McGurk and Hochstein have been the White House’s chief interlocutors with Israel and Lebanon since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, another Iranian-backed militant group.

    An Israeli official said Netanyahu has given the green light to pursue a possible deal, but only if it includes the return of Israeli civilians to their homes. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing behind-the-scenes diplomacy.

    Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati threw his support behind the French-US plan that “enjoys international support and which would put an end to this dirty war.”

    He called on the Security Council “to guarantee the withdrawal of Israel from all the occupied Lebanese territories and the violations that are repeated on a daily basis.”

    Israel’s UN Ambassador, Danny Danon, told journalists at the United Nations that Israel would like to see a ceasefire and the return of people to their homes near the border: “It will happen, either after a war or before a war. We hope it will be before.”

    Addressing the Security Council later Wednesday night, he made no mention of negotiations on a temporary ceasefire but said Israel “does not seek a full-scale war.”

    Both Danon and Mikati reffirmed their governments’ commitment to a Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 Israeli-Hezbollah war in Lebanon. Never fully implemented, it called for a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon to be replaced by Lebanese forces and UN peacekeepers, and the disarmament of all armed groups including Hezbollah.

    Danon demanded that the resolution be enforced in full without delay: “I make this declaration here today, to remove any doubt: Never again. Never again will the Jewish people hide from the monsters whose purpose in life is to murder Jews.”

    Earlier Wednesday, Biden warned in an appearance on ABC’s “The View” that “an all-out war is possible” but said he thinks the opportunity also exists “to have a settlement that can fundamentally change the whole region.”

    Biden suggested that getting Israel and Hezbollah to agree to a ceasefire could help achieve a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. That war is approaching the one-year mark after Hamas raids in southern Israel on Oct. 7 killed about 1,200 people. Israel responded with an offensive that has since killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, who do not provide a breakdown of civilians and fighters in their count.

    “It’s possible and I’m using every bit of energy I have with my team … to get this done,” Biden said. “There’s a desire to see change in the region.”

    The US and other international mediators have tried and failed for months to broker a ceasefire in Gaza that also would release hostages held by Hamas.

    The US government also raised the pressure with additional sanctions Wednesday targeting more than a dozen ships and other entities it says were involved in illicit shipments of Iranian petroleum for the financial benefit of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah.

    Meanwhile, the chief of Israel’s army said Wednesday that the military is preparing for a possible ground operation in Lebanon as Hezbollah hurled dozens of projectiles into Israel, including a missile aimed at Tel Aviv that was the militant group’s deepest strike yet.

    Blinken has been urging both Israel and Hezbollah to step back from their intensifying conflict, saying that all-out war would be disastrous for the region and that escalation was not the way to get people back to their homes on the Israel-Lebanon border.

    “It would be through a diplomatic agreement that has forces pulled back from the border, create a secure environment, people return home,” Blinken told NBC News. “That’s what we’re driving toward because while there’s a very legitimate issue here, we don’t think that war is the solution.”

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