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Tag: Lebanon

  • US Steps Up Military Presence in Middle East

    US Steps Up Military Presence in Middle East

    Lloyd Austin is ordering the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East to replace the Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group…reports Asian Lite News

    The US Defense Department will move a fighter jet squadron to the Middle East and maintain an aircraft carrier in the region, the Pentagon said, as President Joe Biden made good on his promise to beef up the American military presence to help defend Israel from possible attacks by Iran and its proxies and also safeguard US troops.

    In a statement, the department said on Friday that Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin also ordered additional ballistic missile defence-capable cruisers and destroyers to the European and Middle East regions and is taking steps to send more land-based ballistic missile defence weapons there.

    The shifts come as US leaders worry about escalating violence in the Middle East in response to recent attacks by Israel on Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, which triggered threats of retaliation.

    Biden in a call on Thursday afternoon with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed new US military deployments to protect against possible attacks from ballistic missiles and drones, according to the White House.

    In April, US forces intercepted dozens of missiles and drones fired by Iran against Israel and helped shoot down nearly all of them.

    The assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday and senior Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur in Beirut on Tuesday risk escalating the fighting into an all-out regional war, with Iran also threatening to respond after the attack on its territory.

    Israel has vowed to kill Hamas leaders over the group’s October 7 attack, which sparked the war.

    Lloyd Austin is ordering the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East to replace the Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group, which is in the Gulf of Oman but scheduled to come home later this summer. This decision suggests the Pentagon has decided to keep a carrier consistently in the region as a deterrent against Iran at least until next year.

    The Pentagon did not say where the fighter jet squadron was coming from or where it would be based in the Middle East. A number of allies in the region are often willing to base US military forces but don’t want it made public.

    The White House in a statement said that Biden “reaffirmed his commitment to Israel’s security against all threats from Iran, including its proxy terrorist groups Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis”.

    Earlier on Friday, Sabrina Singh, Pentagon Spokeswoman, told reporters that moves were in the works.

    She said Austin “will be directing multiple” force movements to provide additional support to Israel and increase protection for US troops in the region.

    In addition, a US official said that two US Navy destroyers that are currently in the Middle East will be heading north up the Red Sea toward the Mediterranean Sea. At least one of those could linger in the Mediterranean if needed. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss troop movements.

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  • Indian Embassy Issues Lebanon Travel Advisory

    Indian Embassy Issues Lebanon Travel Advisory

    The advisory came after Israel said that Hezbollah will “pay the price” after a rocket attack at Golan Heights killed 12 children, for which Tel Aviv blamed the Lebanese group…reports Asian Lite News

    The Indian Embassy in Lebanon issued an advisory on Monday for Indians living in the west Asian country after Israel’s warning to the Lebanon-based Hezbollah group sparked fears of a war.
    India issued a travel advisory which stated that Indians in Lebanon or Indians planning to travel to Lebanon must remain in contact with the Embassy in Beirut.

    In a post on X, the Indian Embassy said, “In view of the recent developments in the region, all Indian nationals in Lebanon and those planning to travel to Lebanon are advised to exercise caution and remain in contact with Embassy of India in Beirut through their email id: cons.beirut@mea.gov.in or the emergency phone number +96176860128.”

    The advisory came after Israel said that Hezbollah will “pay the price” after a rocket attack at Golan Heights killed 12 children, for which Tel Aviv blamed the Lebanese group. Hezbollah has “firmly” denied the allegations that it was behind the strike, the deadliest to hit Israel or Israeli-controlled territory since the October 7 attacks.

    Israeli warplanes conducted airstrikes against Hezbollah targets “deep inside Lebanese territory” and along the border overnight Sunday, the Israeli military said in a statement from the military on Sunday morning. But, it was not immediately clear whether there were any casualties from those strikes.

    Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant pledged a heavy response during a visit to the town of Majdal Shams near the Syrian and Lebanese borders, where the rocket attack left children and teenagers dead on Saturday.”Hezbollah is responsible for this and they will pay the price,” Gallant said. In an earlier statement from his office, he added: “We will hit the enemy hard.” The Saturday attacks on the region involved “approximately 30 projectiles” crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory. Israel’s military quickly blamed the Iran-backed group for the attack. (ANI)

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  • US, Russian embassies warn against Lebanon travel

    US, Russian embassies warn against Lebanon travel

    The Israeli military last week announced “plans for a broader attack in Lebanon.”…reports Asian Lite News

    Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati discussed “the situation in southern Lebanon and the region” in a phone call on Thursday with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg.

    The talks took place as several embassies in Lebanon reissued warnings to their citizens to neither stay in nor travel to Lebanon amid ongoing threats to expand the confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah.

    Schallenberg addressed “international efforts aimed at stopping the Israeli attacks on Lebanon,” according to Mikati’s media office.

    The Israeli military last week announced “plans for a broader attack in Lebanon.”

    Mikati chaired a crucial meeting on Thursday which focused on “ways to support displaced persons and residents in the villages located behind the area exposed to Israeli attacks and how to respond to any emergency if it occurs,” according to Mikati’s office.

    Interior, health, environment, and social affairs ministers, governors of the South and Nabatieh, the secretary-general of the Supreme Defense Council, the National Council for Scientific Research, and a representative from the Ministry of Education attended the talks.

    (240514) — GAZA, May 14, 2024 (Xinhua) — Smoke rises following Israeli strikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on May 14, 2024. Israeli tanks on Tuesday marched towards the center of Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, as tens of thousands of residents fled to evade an Israeli ground offensive, a local source reported. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

    The US Embassy warned its citizens in a statement on social media “against traveling to Lebanon due to the dangerous security situation,” adding that “conditions may change dramatically and rapidly.”

    The Russian Embassy advised its citizens “to refrain from traveling to Lebanon until the situation in the southern part of the country calms down.”

    The statement “is an old version of last year and is still ongoing,” said Russian Ambassador Alexander Rudakov.

    “We advise our citizens not to come to Lebanon before the south settles down, and to the citizens there, we have left them the option of staying or leaving.”

    European countries have also warned their nationals against heading to Lebanon, while the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry has evacuated its citizens.

    Israeli Channel 12 quoted a source in the Israeli military as saying that Tel Aviv might be forced to take a highly offensive step in Lebanon.

    It said the army had begun training soldiers transferred north in preparation for “combat in a complex environment and populated areas.”

    The Israeli source confirmed “a decision to transfer forces from the Gaza Strip to the north,” noting that “officials are aware that tensions in the north are escalating.”

    The US had previously expressed concern “about the outbreak of a comprehensive war with Lebanon.”

    Despite diplomatic efforts, confrontations have intensified between Hezbollah and Israel after the assassination of a senior Hezbollah field commander, Taleb Abdullah, two weeks ago.

    Israeli warplanes struck Aitaroun at noon, destroying a house. No injuries were reported. The area — abandoned by its residents — is subjected to daily Israeli strikes.

    Another raid was carried out on the border town of Houla.

    An Israeli combat drone targeted and killed a motorcyclist on the road to Sohmor in western Beqaa.

    Israeli aircraft flew at a low altitude over the Nabatieh and Iqlim Al-Tuffah regions, creating a loud sonic boom by breaking the sound barrier in two waves.

    An Israeli drone targeted a residential building in Nabatieh, injuring over 20 residents in the Mashaa neighborhood. Members of a displaced family from the border town of Taybeh were among the wounded.

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  • EU offers $1 bln in economic, security support to Lebanon

    EU offers $1 bln in economic, security support to Lebanon

    Von der Leyen said the aid’s distribution will start this year and continue until 2027…reports Asian Lite News

    The EU has announced an aid package for Lebanon of 1 billion euros ($1.06 billion) to help boost border control and halt the flow of asylum-seekers and migrants from the country across the Mediterranean Sea to Cyprus and Italy.

    It comes against a backdrop of increasing hostility toward Syrian refugees in Lebanon and a major surge in irregular migration of Syrians from Lebanon to Cyprus.

    The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, meanwhile, has decided to reduce healthcare coverage for registered Syrian refugees by 50 percent.

    EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said during her visit to Beirut with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides that they hoped Lebanon would conclude a “working arrangement” with Frontex, the EU’s border agency.

    Von der Leyen said the aid’s distribution will start this year and continue until 2027.

    The aid will be dedicated to the most vulnerable people, including refugees, internally displaced people, and host communities.

    The EU assistance — which is tied to Lebanon’s need to implement the required reforms and control its borders and illegal crossings with Syria — came in the wake of continued hostilities on the southern front between Hezbollah and the Israeli military.

    The two officials arrived in Beirut following the European Council’s special meeting last month.

    At the end of the meeting, the council confirmed the EU’s “determination to support the most vulnerable people in Lebanon, strengthen its support to the Lebanese Armed Forces, and combat human trafficking and smuggling.”

    It also reaffirmed “the need to achieve conditions for safe, voluntary and dignified return of Syrian refugees, as defined by UNHCR.”

    The visit lasted hours in Lebanon and included a meeting with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

    Following a tripartite meeting and an expanded discussion in which ministers and security officials participated, Mikati commended the EU’s understanding of the Lebanese state’s demand to reconsider some of its policies regarding assistance to Syrian refugees in the country.

    Mikati said: “Lebanon has borne the greatest burden, but it can no longer endure the current situation, especially since the refugees constitute around one-third of Lebanon’s population, which results in additional difficulties and challenges and exacerbates Lebanon’s economic crisis.”

    He added: “What is more dangerous is the escalating tension between Syrian refugees and the Lebanese host community due to the crimes that are increasing and threatening national security.”

    Mikati emphasized that “Lebanon’s security is security for European countries and vice versa,” adding that “our cooperation on this matter constitutes the real entry point for stability.”

    He added: “We refuse to let our country become an alternative homeland, and everyone knows that the solution is political excellence.”

    ALSO READ-Lebanon Shuts Airspace as Hezbollah Rockets Target Israel

  • Lebanon Shuts Airspace as Hezbollah Rockets Target Israel

    Lebanon Shuts Airspace as Hezbollah Rockets Target Israel

    Hezbollah said in a statement that it launched its attack in response to the Israeli enemy’s attacks on safe villages and towns in southern Lebanon….reports Asian Lite news

     Lebanon has announced the closure of the Lebanese airspace to aviation due to the Iranian drone attack on Israel.

    “The Lebanese airspace has been closed to all aircraft arriving, departing, and crossing Lebanese airspace, temporarily and as a precaution, as of 1 a.m. on Sunday until 7 a.m.,” the Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamieh said on Saturday evening.

    Iran has launched dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) toward Israel which arrived in the Israeli airspace in the early hours of Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

    Meanwhile, Hezbollah announced early Sunday that its fighters targeted the Israeli Kela barracks with dozens of Katyusha rockets in the occupied Syrian Golan.

    Hezbollah said in a statement that it launched its attack in response to the Israeli enemy’s attacks on safe villages and towns in southern Lebanon.

    Israeli warplanes on Saturday night continued their airstrikes in multiple areas in southern Lebanon, paralleled with violent artillery shelling targeting many towns and villages, Lebanese military sources told Xinhua news agency.

    The military sources, who spoke anonymously, said that Israeli warplanes carried out five raids in southeast Lebanon.

    Eyewitnesses from border villages confirmed to Xinhua, “Dozens of powerful explosions reverberated in most of the border areas, and several drones flew at low to medium altitudes in the airspace of southern Lebanon.”

    Moreover, Israeli artillery fired nearly 80 shells toward more than 21 towns and villages in the eastern, central, and western sectors of the border area in southern Lebanon.

    The military sources reported that they also monitored the crossing of several drones from Lebanon to Israel, most of which were intercepted by the Israeli Iron Dome.

    Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on October 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7 last year. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon.

    Iraq closes airspace

     Iraq suspended all civilian flights within its airspace on Saturday, as a precaution to ensure the safety and security of civil aviation amid regional tensions, the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority said.

    The closure became effective from 11:30 p.m. local time on Saturday to 5:30 a.m. local time on Sunday, the authority said on Saturday, indicating that this suspension might be prolonged if necessary, Xinhua news agency reported.

    Reports from Iraqi media on Saturday evening suggested that several Iranian drones had traversed Iraqi airspace en route to Israel.

    This development follows Iran’s repeated declarations of intent to conduct retaliatory attacks against Israel for the deaths of seven Iranian individuals in a strike on Iran’s consular building in Damascus, Syria, on April 1.

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  • Lebanese PM urges UK for ‘maximum pressure’ on Israel

    Lebanese PM urges UK for ‘maximum pressure’ on Israel

    Mikati warned that the “Israeli provocations in southern Lebanon could lead to deteriorating conditions…reports Asian Lite News

    Lebanon’s Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has urged the UK to place “maximum pressure” on Israel to end its campaign on Gaza and the Lebanese border.

    In a meeting with UK Foreign Minister David Cameron, Mikati warned that the “Israeli provocations in southern Lebanon could lead to deteriorating conditions and a full-scale war in the region as a whole.”

    Cameron said that “an escalation of the conflict in Gaza to Lebanon, the Red Sea or across the wider region would add to the extremely high level of danger and insecurity in the world.”

    In a phone call with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, Mikati expressed concern over “the escalation of the Israeli hostilities in southern Lebanon and the widespread targeting of civilians.”

    He added that “the persisting attacks could drag Lebanon into a full-scale confrontation that could affect all countries in the region,” demanding pressure on Israel to “stop its persistent violations.”

    Israel said on Thursday that several drones were launched from Lebanon toward north of Haifa in Israel. In southern Lebanon, confrontations took place between Hezbollah and UNIFIL in border villages, amid increased pressure on Lebanon to implement Resolution 1701.

    A spokesperson of the Israeli army announced that “air defenses were activated against a drone that infiltrated from Lebanon over north of Haifa,” adding that “sirens sounded in the region.”

    Social media activists published pictures of people hiding next to sidewalks following the blaring of sirens.

    Sirens also sounded in other Israeli settlements, including Yiftah, Ramot Naftali, Malkia and Dishon in the Upper Galilee, amid “fears of Lebanese drone infiltration,” according to the Israeli spokesperson.

    Israeli media reported that “air defenses had intercepted a drone launched by Hezbollah from southern Lebanon.”

    The Israeli army said it was “on high alert in northern Israel amid increased attacks carried out by Hezbollah from Lebanon.”

    During a field assessment conducted in the Northern Command in Safad, Israeli Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi said on Wednesday: “We approved plans for a variety of emergencies, and we should be ready to launch an attack if necessary,” adding that “the preparedness of the Israeli army and the Northern Command is at a high level.”

    On Wednesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen addressed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, arning him that “if he doesn’t want an escalation, he must immediately adhere to the UN Security Council’s resolution 1701,” adding that “Hezbollah must withdraw north of the Litani River.”

    He said: “We will opt for the diplomatic option and if it doesn’t work, we will consider every conceivable option. We will not let the residents return to the settlements they fled without ensuring their safety and restoring their sense of security.”

    The Israeli Army Radio announced on Thursday that “the Israeli Air Force carried out a preemptive attack on southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah’s infrastructure.”

    An Israeli jet on Thursday bombed the outskirts of the Ayta Al-Shaab village. Israeli aircraft also hit the Al-Salhani region, located between Ramyah and Marwahin in the western part of southern Lebanon. Four Israeli artillery shells landed between Debel and Hanine.

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  • Lebanese Parliament Approves Historic Social Security Reforms

    Lebanese Parliament Approves Historic Social Security Reforms

    The Lebanese parliament has passed a law to establish a comprehensive pension system for private sector workers, a step that was “delayed for three decades” and considered a “milestone” for the country.

    The International Labor Organization (ILO) said in a statement that it offered technical support to relevant Lebanese parliamentary committees and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) to reach a consensus on the law, ensuring its alignment with world trade body’s standards for social security, reports Xinhua news agency.

    ILO Regional Director for Arab States Ruba Jaradat said that “at a time of unprecedented social and economic crises … stronger public social protection mechanisms and better functioning national institutions are critical to ensure the needed advancement of social justice and economic recovery”.

    “The new system will improve the well-being of Lebanese who reach retirement age and strengthen social solidarity, which is very important for Lebanon these days,” said Luca Pellerano, senior social protection specialist at the ILO regional office in Beirut.

    Mohammed Karaki, director general of the NSSF, praised the program as “one of the most important socio-economic reforms Lebanon has achieved in the past 30 years”.

    Older people in Lebanon have been struck by the financial crisis, which led to an increase in rates of poverty and unemployment across the country.

    Also, the value of the end-of-service indemnity received by the Lebanese plummeted with the collapse of the Lebanese pound.

    According to the ILO, “the new pension benefits will be calculated taking into account two guaranteed minimum amounts: the first is 80 per cent of the minimum wage after 30 years of contribution, and the second is 1.33 per cent for each year of the insured’s revalorised average wage”.

    It added that “benefits will be paid in case of disability and will be transferred to survivors in case of the death of the insured member or the pensioner”.

    “Pension values will also be indexed to inflation through a yearly adjustment process.”

    ALSO READ: Macron Pledges Support for Lebanon’s Stability

  • Macron Pledges Support for Lebanon’s Stability

    Macron Pledges Support for Lebanon’s Stability

    The President also underscored the urgent need to elect a new president for Lebanon to help the country emerge from its current crisis and avoid security deterioration associated with the ongoing conflict in Gaza…reports Asian Lite News

    French President Emmanuel Macron has ssured that his country is keen to support and enhance Lebanon’s stability, security and independence.

    “We have constantly supported these goals,” Macron was quoted as saying in a phone call with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Tuesday.

    The President added that he informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on several occasions that France is concerned about the danger of escalation and the spread of the Gaza conflict into Lebanon, referring to the Hamas militant group.

    Macron warned that the spread of the conflict into Lebanon “will have serious consequences” for the country and its people, adding that “no party should use the Lebanese territory in a way that contradicts the country’s sovereign interests”.

    The President also underscored the urgent need to elect a new president for Lebanon to help the country emerge from its current crisis and avoid security deterioration associated with the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

    The Lebanese southern border has witnessed cautious calm over the past two days after seven weeks of confrontations between the Hezbollah and Israeli forces after the Iran-backed militant group fired dozens of rockets toward the Jewish nation on October 8 in support of the Hamas surprise attack the previous day.

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  • Israeli Airstrikes Hit Southern Lebanon: Two Killed, Five Injured

    Israeli Airstrikes Hit Southern Lebanon: Two Killed, Five Injured

    Israeli artillery fired more than 600 shells at many villages across southern Lebanon…reports Asian Lite News

    Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and military sources have reportedly said that two people were killed and five others were injured in Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon.

    A civilian was killed, and five others were injured in an Israeli air raid on a house on Thursday in Lebanon’s southern village of Aita al-Shaab, while Hezbollah announced that one of its fighters was killed, Xinhua news agency reported.

    Lebanese military sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the news agency that Israeli drones and warplanes on Thursday carried out 13 airstrikes targeting several areas in southern Lebanon, including Iqlim al-Tuffah, 20 km from the Lebanon-Israel border.

    Israeli artillery fired more than 600 shells at many villages across southern Lebanon, the sources added, stressing that the strikes were the most severe since the latest round of escalation along the borderline.

    Hezbollah announced that its fighters attacked an Israeli infantry force hiding inside a house in the Al-Manara settlement, killing four soldiers, in addition to attacking several Israeli positions and the Birkat Risha site on the border.

    Also on Thursday, specialized medical teams at the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health trained around 1,100 health personnel in 63 hospitals to prepare for a possible expansion of Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon.

    The Lebanon-Israel border has been witnessing increased tensions for over six weeks after Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Israel on October 8 in support of the Hamas attack on Israel the previous day. Israeli forces responded by firing heavy artillery at several areas in southeastern Lebanon.

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  • Israel Orders Town Evacuation Near Lebanon Border

    Israel Orders Town Evacuation Near Lebanon Border

    The residents will be relocated to state-subsidized guesthouses…reports Asian Lite News

    The Israeli Defence Ministry on Friday ordered the mandatory evacuation of the northern Kiryat Shmona town near the Lebanon border.

    Kiryat Shmona is home to 23,000 residents, Ministry spokesperson Mayan Lazarovich told CNN, adding that the this was a “mandatory evacuation”.

    The residents will be relocated to state-subsidized guesthouses and the evacuation will be led by the local municipality alongside the Ministries of Tourism and Defence, according to the Ministry. 

    The order was approved by Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and was communicated to the town’s mayor a “short time ago”, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on X.

    On Monday, the IDF announced that it was implementing an emergency plan to evacuate all civilians living up to 2 km from the Lebanese border and would put them up in state-funded guest houses, the BBC reported.

    Kiryat Shmona was not on the list at the time but falls within the radius.

    The town has been hit by rocket fire in recent days amid clashes between armed fighters from the Lebanese Hezbollah group and the Israeli military.

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