https://www.middleeastmonitor.com Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa Tue, 08 Aug 2023 10:16:33 +0000 en-GB Middle East Monitor 30 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com 32 32 116394717 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230808-lebanon-sets-measures-to-stop-ain-al-hilweh-clashes-spreading-out-of-the-camp/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 07:59:03 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658625 Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said yesterday that measures have been taken to maintain security in Lebanon after clashes that broke out in the Ain Al-Hilweh refugee camp last month and killed 11 people. Mawlawi said in a press conference that Lebanon is as concerned for the Arabs on Lebanese soil as it is for the Lebanese citizens, and security violations and the endangering of lives will not be tolerated. The head of the Federation of Tourism Syndicates in Lebanon, Pierre Al-Ashqar, said that nothing has changed after some foreign embassies had issued warnings over the past few days against their citizens travelling to Lebanon. OPINION: Who ignited Ain Al-Hilweh and why?]]> 658625 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230806-will-saudi-arabia-make-friday-a-working-day/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 15:45:33 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658192 In a thought-provoking op-ed published on Friday by Saudi Arabian daily newspaper Okaz, entitled "Friday is a working day," writer Mona Al-Otaibi questions whether the Kingdom's traditional Friday-Saturday weekend needs an overhaul, igniting a debate on social media. The piece highlighted the potential financial losses incurred due to Friday being an important workday in the financial world, and it has sparked discussions about whether Saudi Arabia should consider shifting its weekend to Saturday-Sunday, following in the footsteps of neighbouring UAE which made the controversial change last year, after plans were announced in 2021. At the time, the Emirati the government said it would "ensure smooth financial, trade and economic transactions with countries that follow a Saturday-Sunday weekend, facilitating stronger international […]]]> 658192 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230806-brazilians-remember-beirut-port-tragedy-at-copacabana-beach/ Sun, 06 Aug 2023 15:13:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658185 READ: Lebanon marchers mourn port blast victims three years on, angry at stalled probe]]> 658185 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230805-saudi-arabia-urges-its-citizens-to-quickly-leave-lebanon/ Sat, 05 Aug 2023 13:20:26 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658098 Saudi Arabia called on its citizens to quickly leave Lebanese territory and to avoid approaching areas where there have been armed clashes, the Saudi embassy in Lebanon said in a statement posted late on Friday on X, formerly known as Twitter, Reuters reports. The kingdom did not specify which areas in Lebanon that it was advising its citizens to avoid. The embassy stressed "the importance of adhering to the Saudi travel ban to Lebanon," the statement added. READ: Hamas, Lebanon discuss stabilising Ain Al-Hilweh ceasefire  Kuwait also issued an advisory early on Saturday calling on Kuwaitis in Lebanon to stay vigilant and avoid "areas of security disturbances" but stopped short of asking them to leave the country, according to a statement […]]]> 658098 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-lebanon-marchers-mourn-port-blast-victims-three-years-on-angry-at-stalled-probe/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 19:07:57 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658068 Thousands of mourners and protesters marched in the Lebanese capital on Friday to remember those killed in a huge port blast three years ago, as religious leaders and rights groups decried the lack of accountability amid a stalled investigation, Reuters reports. The explosion killed at least 220 people and wounded thousands when hundreds of tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse detonated just after 6 p.m. (1600 GMT) on 4 August, 2020, sending a huge cloud over the city. Despite the devastation, no senior figures have been held to account and an investigation has been obstructed by legal measures, prompting outrage in Lebanon and abroad. On Friday, a few thousand protesters marched from the Beirut Fire Brigade – which lost 10 members in the blast – to the port. […]]]> 658068 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-lebanon-mourns-blast-victims-after-three-years-with-no-accountability/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 15:03:59 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658032 Lebanon, on Friday, mourned those killed in the port blast that devastated Beirut three years ago, as religious leaders and rights groups decried the lack of accountability among political leaders who stymied the official investigation, Reuters reports. The explosion killed at least 220 people and wounded thousands more when hundreds of tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse detonated just after 6 p.m. (1600 GMT) on 4 August, 2020, sending a huge cloud over the city. Despite the devastation, no senior figures have been held to account and an investigation has been obstructed by legal measures, prompting outrage in Lebanon and abroad. Survivors and the families of victims say the lack of accountability has kept them stuck in 2020. […]]]> 658032 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-hamas-lebanon-discuss-stabilising-ain-al-hilweh-ceasefire/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 12:29:40 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658009 The head of Hamas' political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, has made a series of contacts with senior Lebanese officials and discussed the latest developments in the Ain Al-Hilweh refugee camp, Quds Press reported citing a Hamas statement issued yesterday. According to the statement, Haniyeh spoke on the phone with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah and Palestinian Ambassador to Lebanon Ashraf Dabour and reviewed the situation in Ain Al-Hilweh camp, in light of the clashes that claimed the lives of a number of the refugees and injured dozens of others. He stressed the need to maintain a ceasefire and return people to their homes. During the calls, Haniyeh has also stressed Hamas' keenness on […]]]> 658009 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-banks-from-4-arab-countries-seek-to-invest-in-lebanon-banks/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 11:22:24 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657994 Banks from four Arab countries are interested in investing in Lebanon's struggling banking sector, according to an Associated Press report. Lebanon is facing the worst economic crisis in its short and turbulent history, which has exacerbated poverty and inflation and paralysed the public sector and infrastructure. Much of the troubles have been blamed on the mismanagement of funds in particular by government officials and the former head of the central bank, Riad Salameh. There have been calls for Lebanon's allies to invest in the country's economy to help boost and revitalise it. Caretaker Economy Minister Amin Salam and Lebanese and regional banking officials called on their Arab counterparts to invest in the crisis-hit country and help revitalise its battered economy. The Secretary […]]]> 657994 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-fatah-leader-warns-of-plot-to-destroy-palestinian-camps-in-lebanon/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 10:49:56 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657988 The commander of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah), and a member of the movement's Lebanon Command, Major General Munir Al-Maqdah, yesterday warned of an "international plot" aimed at "destroying the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, especially the Ain Al-Hilweh camp; which is the epicentre and "capital" of the Palestinian diaspora. Al-Maqdah told Quds Press that the violent clashes that erupted in the Ain Al-Hilweh refugee camp near the southern city of Sidon are "almost over" after the conclusion of a ceasefire agreement. READ: Who ignited Ain Al-Hilweh and why? He pointed out that the Palestinian national and Islamic forces and factions have formed a committee to investigate the assassination of the Palestinian national security commander in […]]]> 657988 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-remembrance-of-beiruts-deadly-blast-overshadowed-by-inaction/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 08:45:19 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657972 The annual commemoration of the Beirut blast has now become a symbol of something else: an outpouring of grief and emotion, accompanied by a staggering lack of action in identifying those responsible. Though the memory of the blast remains vivid, the pursuit of justice seems to have been forgotten. Like many other crimes that have plagued the region, the Beirut blast remains shrouded in mystery and confusion. As the years have passed, no tangible information about the perpetrators has come to light. This is but one in a series of explosions and criminal acts that have yet to be investigated or resolved, leaving a trail of unanswered questions. For those affected by the blast, the anniversary is not only a […]]]> 657972 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-palestine-archbishop-events-in-lebanon-camp-are-shameful/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 08:06:32 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657962 Archbishop Atallah Hanna, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Sebastia, has slammed events in the Ain Al-Hilweh camp in Lebanon as "shameful." "The use of weapons in the camps between brothers is a very serious issue," he said in reference to fatal shootings that recently took place in the camp. He expressed hope that steps being taken to end this "strife" and "thwart the satanic scheme that aims to harm our camp" and undermine the Palestinians' right of return are successful. "What happened in Ain Al-Hilwah is an insult to our people … and an attempt to distort and undermine the justice of our cause," he said. "We hope that these events will be dealt with in a spirit of wisdom […]]]> 657962 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-lebanon-extradites-suspected-drug-dealer-to-italy/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 18:28:03 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657946 Lebanon, on Thursday, handed over to Italy a suspected Italian drug dealer arrested weeks ago near the capital, Beirut, the Italian police said, Anadolu Agency reports. Sought with an international arrest warrant, Bruzzaniti was arrested while he was having dinner at a restaurant in the city of Jounieh. He is accused of being responsible for the smuggling of around two tons of cocaine a month from South America to Italy. He was a fugitive since October last year, when Italian police arrested more than 30 people accused of being part of a criminal group responsible for the smuggling of tons of cocaine from South America to the southern Italian region of Calabria, a stronghold of 'Ndrangheta', an Italian organised crime […]]]> 657946 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-no-one-has-been-held-responsible-in-2020-beirut-port-explosion-amnesty-international/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 15:31:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657926 No one has been found guilty in connection with a port explosion in Lebanon in 2020, Amnesty International said Thursday, Anadolu Agency reports. "The Lebanese authorities have had three years to investigate what caused the devastating explosion in Beirut's port and to hold those suspected of criminal responsibility to account," said Aya Majzoub, spokesperson for the Middle East and North Africa Director at the rights group. "Yet, to this day, absolutely no one has been held responsible for the tragedy that unfolded on 4 August 2020," she said in a statement. READ: Beirut Port blast justice postponed as renewed probe is rejected Majzoub alleged that authorities have "shamelessly" obstructed the legal process and employed all means to avoid being accused. She […]]]> 657926 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-three-years-since-port-blast-lebanons-fire-fighters-grind-on-as-challenges-pile-up/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 14:15:09 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657889 For nearly three years now, 10 portraits on the outer wall of a Beirut fire station have honoured its fire-fighters killed in the explosion at the city's port, Reuters reports. Their surviving colleagues, grinding on as Lebanon's economic meltdown guts their salaries and budgets for repairs and equipment while a threat of wildfires looms large, say 4 August, 2020, remains burned in their memories. "As a fire brigade, we extract corpses, we see ugly things other people can't bear … but the port blast was something else," Brigade chief, Captain Ali Najem, told Reuters. Ten members of the Beirut Fire Brigade, who arrived at the port that evening following a call about a fire, were eviscerated minutes later by one […]]]> 657889 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-beirut-port-blast-three-years-on-victims-still-await-accountability/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 14:07:25 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657885 Lebanon, on Friday, marks the third anniversary of the Beirut port explosion which killed at least 220 people, wounded thousands and damaged swathes of the city. Despite the devastation, an investigation has brought no senior official to account. Here is a summary of what happened and how the investigation has been stymied: The explosion  The blast is thought to have been set off by a fire at a warehouse just after 6 p.m. (1600 GMT) on 4 August, 2020, detonating hundreds of tonnes of ammonium nitrate. Originally bound for Mozambique aboard a Russian-leased ship, the chemicals had been at the port since 2013, when they were unloaded during an unscheduled stop. No one claimed the shipment, tangled in a legal […]]]> 657885 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-who-ignited-ain-al-hilweh-and-why/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 13:25:17 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657379 The events of Ain Al-Hilweh began with Muhammad Zubaidat, nicknamed Al-Somali, who is affiliated with the Fatah movement and the Palestinian National Security, opening fire in the market last Saturday 29 July. Mohammad Al-Siddiq Farhood, who is affiliated with the Al-Shabab Al-Muslim group, was killed and others, including children, were wounded. On Sunday afternoon, the Brigadier General of the Palestinian National Security, Abu Ashraf Al-Armoushi, and four of his companions were assassinated in Ain Al-Hilweh camp, in an area largely controlled by Fatah. In this context, the Fatah movement initially accused Asbat Al-Ansar of being responsible for the assassination. After the group denied responsibility for the assassination, the accusations were directed at Al-Shabab Al-Muslim, who also denied responsibility for the […]]]> 657379 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-nasrallah-attacks-muslim-countries-for-weak-stance-on-quran-burnings/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 11:42:10 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657239 The Secretary-General of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement has called those who desecrate the Holy Quran to be punished. Hassan Nasrallah described the position taken by Muslim countries in defending the Holy Quran as "weak and disappointing," albeit not surprising. "If the insult had been directed at a king or a member of their family, they would have been furious, but for the burning of the Quran, they did nothing," he added. "If the rulers in our Islamic world do not have the courage and zeal to defend the Holy Quran, how will they have the courage to defend our land, Lebanon, or Al-Aqsa Mosque?" Iraqi Christian Selwan Momika burned pages from the Quran in front of the Swedish parliament building in […]]]> 657239 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-israel-files-complaint-against-lebanon-at-un-security-council/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 09:45:38 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657209 Israel yesterday submitted an official complaint against Lebanon at the United Nations Security Council, demanding the Lebanese government and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) take immediate action to prevent Hezbollah's ongoing construction of military infrastructure on Israel's northern border, Anadolu news agency reported. Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, submitted the complaint with the Security Council, warning of a "catastrophe" if no preventive measures are taken against Hezbollah's actions. "If the Security Council does not condemn Hezbollah's destabilising activities and demand that Lebanon take action against the illegal military build-up on its territories, or at least work to enable UNIFIL to fully carry out its mandate, the situation on the ground will continue to deteriorate […]]]> 657209 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-lebanon-ngo-suspends-services-in-ain-al-hilweh-refugee-camp/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 08:19:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657195 A Lebanese relief NGO said on Tuesday that it had suspended its services in the Ain Al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near the city of Sidon. Al Shifaa for Medical and Humanitarian Services explained that it took this decision after its staff, vehicles and ambulances were targeted specifically by one of the conflicting parties in the camp. The NGO said that its staff will continue to work outside the refugee camp. It reiterated that all of its work is humanitarian and that "it does not discriminate" between beneficiaries. "We stand at the same distance from all parties in the camp." Al-Shifaa called for the fighting to stop for the sake of everyone's "interests". Its staff, the NGO insisted, will not resume […]]]> 657195 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-head-of-lebanon-hezbollah-urges-halt-to-palestinian-camp-clashes/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 17:47:59 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657144 The head of Hezbollah yesterday called for a halt to days of deadly clashes that have raged between rival factions in the Palestinian camp of Ain Al-Hilweh in southern Lebanon, Reuters reports. At least 11 people have been killed in the camp since fighting broke out on Saturday between Fatah and other Palestinian factions, security sources in the camp told Reuters. "This fighting must not continue because its repercussions are bad – for the camp's residents, for the dear Palestinian people … for the south, for all of Lebanon," Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised address. READ: Despite truce, violent clashes resume in Palestine refugee camp in Lebanon The United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said at least […]]]> 657144 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-despite-truce-violent-clashes-resume-in-palestine-refugee-camp-in-lebanon/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 17:13:53 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657141 Despite a cease-fire agreement, violent clashes resumed in Ain Al-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, Anadolu Agency reports. The largest of 12 Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, the Ain Al-Helweh camp located near Sidon city, has been witnessing clashes since Saturday. The clashes between Islamic groups and Palestinian security forces affiliated with the Fatah movement left 11 people dead and more than 40 others injured, according to UN figures. Clashes erupted again on Tuesday, despite a cease-fire reached late Monday after communications between Lebanese and Palestinian officials. The Lebanese army is working to tighten surveillance and inspection at all entrances to the camp and is patrolling its vicinity, asking citizens not to approach the roads leading to the […]]]> 657141 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-the-vicious-cycle-in-lebanons-tax-culture/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 10:05:59 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656936 On the brink of socio-economic collapse, Lebanon finds itself caught in a relentless and unforgiving cycle that threatens its very foundation. The heart of this vexing challenge lies in a vicious loop where the government struggles with providing essential services, while citizens withhold their tax payments demanding more in return. This deeply entrenched culture has pushed the nation into an enduring swamp, where tax evasion and inadequate public services intertwine as stubborn adversaries. As Lebanon faces this perpetual challenge, a closer examination reveals a web of complexities, unearthing several other systemic factors that compound the crisis. Amidst the prevailing mistrust and the unsettling unfairness of the tax system, additional challenges have emerged, painting a comprehensive portrait of the nation's plight. […]]]> 656936 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-after-30-years-in-his-post-lebanese-central-bank-governor-steps-down/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 08:41:28 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656932 Controversial Governor of the Lebanese Central Bank, Riad Salameh, has stepped down after 30 years in office, news agencies reported, noting he is facing charges of money laundering, fraud and embezzling public funds. The 73-year-old's term ended yesterday, as Lebanon's financial losses stood at in excess of $72 billion, more than three times its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021, the World Bank said. Late Prime Minister Rafic Hariri appointed him to the post in 1993 and he maintained the stability of the Lebanese Lira stable at 1,500 against the dollar, but Lebanon's economy has now almost collapsed and the World Bank has warned that it is facing one of the worst economic crises of the last 150 years. Salameh accused […]]]> 656932 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-palestinian-president-head-of-lebanon-kataeb-party-discuss-developments-in-ain-al-hilweh/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 07:37:30 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656911 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday received a phone from the head of the Lebanese Kataeb Party, Samy Gemayel, during which they discussed the violent events that took place in Ain Al-Hilweh refugee camp, Sama news agency reported. Abbas affirmed his support for what the Lebanese government and the army are doing in the country in order to impose law and order. The president stressed that the Palestinian presence in Lebanon is temporary, as Palestinians are to return to their homes in accordance with international resolutions that stipulate the Palestinians' right of return He expressed his appreciation for the role played by Lebanon in hosting Palestinians and in supporting the Palestinian people and the Palestinian cause in various international forums. Nine people have […]]]> 656911 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-hamas-tries-to-stabilise-ceasefire-in-refugee-camp/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 07:33:49 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656909 The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement has been exerting a lot of effort in order to "stabilise" the ceasefire in Palestinian Ain Al-Hilweh refugee camp in Lebanon. "Meetings with all national and Islamic Palestinian factions have been held," explained Hamas spokesman Jihad Taha. He pointed out that Lebanese officials from all levels are taking part in the meetings, and added that the root causes and consequences of the deadly clashes in the camp are being addressed, including the provision of emergency aid. The Hamas official called for all of the Palestinian people, as well as the Islamic and national factions, to be "responsible towards the issues of the Palestinians and to cut short all routes that lead to sedition and destabilising […]]]> 656909 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230731-fatah-officer-killed-in-lebanon-refugee-camp/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 12:59:25 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656705 A commander from the Palestinian Fatah movement, Abu Ashraf al-Armoushi, was killed in an ambush along with a number of his aides in Al-Basateen neighbourhood in the Palestinian Ain Al-Hilweh refugee camp near Lebanon's southern city of Sidon, Lebanese media reported yesterday. On Saturday, a Palestinian refugee was killed and three others, including two girls, were injured in a failed assassination attempt targeting a leader of another Palestinian group in the refugee camp. Quds Press reported that Abd Farhoud was shot dead after a failed assassination attempt targeting a Palestinian official. The reporter said that efforts are underway to ease tensions in the camp as residents flee the areas out of fear of escalating clashes between rival Palestinian factions. As a result […]]]> 656705 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230731-death-toll-from-clashes-at-palestine-refugee-camp-in-lebanon-rises-to-9/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 12:53:22 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656703 The death toll from clashes between two groups in Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp rose to nine on Monday, Anadolu Agency reports. The largest of 12 Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, the Ain Al-Helweh camp located near Sidon city, has been witnessing clashes since Saturday, with six deaths recorded on Sunday, according to the state-run National News Agency (NAA). Clashes between some Islamic groups and security forces affiliated with the Palestinian Fatah movement are continuing, according to NAA. "The number of casualties inside Ain Al-Helweh camp has reached 49, including nine dead and 40 wounded, as a result of the clashes that have been going on since Saturday," Ghassan Sais, head of the Islamic Medical Association in Sidon, said on […]]]> 656703 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230731-lebanon-closes-entrances-to-ain-al-hilweh-camp/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 12:00:31 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656675 The Lebanese army today closed all entrances to the Ain Al-Hilweh camp for Palestinian refugees, after renewed clashes inside it. The closure of the entrances to the camp, which is located in the southern city of Sidon, comes after renewed clashes between Palestinian groups and the Palestinian National Security Forces affiliated with the Fatah movement, according to the same source. Reuters reported that at least six people were killed in two days of clashes in the camp. Among those killed in an ambush yesterday was a Fatah commander. Several of his aides were also injured in the attack. Four of the aides later died of their injuries, a security source said, adding that sporadic clashes in the camp intensified later. READ: Lebanon: interim central bank governor urges […]]]> 656675 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230731-lebanon-interim-central-bank-governor-urges-reform/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 10:09:47 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656657 The Lebanese Central Bank's first vice governor Wassim Mansouri has urged the government to undertake long-delayed reforms as he confirmed that he will take over as its acting head from Tuesday, replacing long-time governor Riad Salameh, Reuters has reported. Mansouri is due to take over as interim governor after ruling factions failed to appoint a successor to Salameh despite a four-year-long financial crisis. Salameh, 73, leaves office after a 30-year tenure tarnished by the meltdown that has impoverished many Lebanese and paralysed a once sprawling banking system, as well as corruption charges against him at home and abroad. He denies all of the charges. Mansouri told a press conference that the new Central Bank leadership plans to impose severe restrictions […]]]> 656657 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230730-unrwas-western-donors-carry-out-the-mission-of-david-ben-gurion/ Sun, 30 Jul 2023 11:02:27 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656465 In July 1949, upon the complete destruction of Palestine and the expulsion of its people, David Ben Gurion addressed his officers, who were not sure that the emptiness of Palestine was permanent. He quipped, "the old will die and the young will forget". He failed for most of 75 years to achieve his wish about the young. Now the time seems to be right.  In a twist of history, UNRWA Western donors are doing the job for him. Well, the young did not forget or tried to. They became the leaders of the resistance movement which created the Palestine National Council and PLO. After the fiasco of Oslo, Palestine nominal leaders failed to follow the national path. Western colonial powers […]]]> 656465 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-lebanon-cabinet-fails-to-select-successor-to-central-bank-head-as-vacuum-looms/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 14:03:53 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655654 Lebanon's cabinet, on Thursday, failed to meet to choose a successor to long-time Central Bank Governor, Riad Salameh, meaning the bank could be leaderless from Monday as the country lurches towards a fifth year of financial turmoil, Reuters reports. Salameh, 72, leaves office on Monday after 30 years as Governor, with Lebanon's economy in tatters and facing charges of embezzling public funds, which he denies. The looming prospect of a leadership vacuum at the Central Bank raises fears of further state fragmentation, and reflects wider divisions that have also left the presidency vacant and the country without a fully empowered cabinet for over a year. READ: Iraq renews deal to supply Lebanon up to 2m tons of crude for a year Caretaker premier, Najib Mikati, […]]]> 655654 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230726-lebanon-politicians-scramble-to-avoid-central-bank-vacuum/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 15:58:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655233 Lebanese officials were in a last-minute scramble on Wednesday to avoid leaving the crisis-hit country's Central Bank without a leader when Governor, Riad Salameh's 30-year tenure ends next week, Reuters reports. The prospect of a vacuum at the top of the Central Bank has added to concerns about the further fragmentation of the State as it barrels towards a fifth year of financial turmoil. Even as the clock winds down, politicians remain split over whether to appoint a successor or allow the Bank's first Vice Governor to take over as laid out in law, reflecting wider divisions that have also left the presidency vacant and the country without a fully empowered cabinet for over a year. Powerful Iran-backed group, Hezbollah, […]]]> 655233 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-israel-enemies-see-opportunity-in-its-crisis/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 19:28:27 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655103 The crisis sweeping Israel has become a focal point for its enemies across the Middle East, who have convened top-level meetings to weigh the turmoil and how they might capitalise on it, sources familiar with the discussions say, Reuters reports. Foes, including Lebanon's Iran-backed, Hezbollah, have been crowing at the sight of Israel fractured by the crisis ignited by government moves to overhaul the judiciary, especially threats by reservists to stop showing up for military service. Away from the propaganda being broadcast by groups eager to see Israel's demise, these factions have also been devoting special attention to the crisis at closed-door meetings, perceiving this as a potential  turning point for Israel. The subject was discussed at a three-hour meeting last week […]]]> 655103 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-egyptians-suffer-as-heat-wave-continues-across-the-middle-east-and-north-africa/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 18:18:35 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655052 Egypt has warned the population not to use lifts for 20 minutes, each hour, whilst it implements power cuts so that it can conserve energy as a gruelling heat wave continues to engulf North Africa and the Middle East. The Electricity Ministry has released a diagram to show the start and end times of the power outages every hour, and when to stay away from the lifts so that people do not get trapped inside them. وفقا لبيان وزارة الكهرباء ، دا رسم بيوضح مواعيد بدء انقطاع التيار الكهربائى كل ساعة، وهى التلت ساعة اللى باللون الأحمر، ويفضل البعد عن الاسانسير خلالها. ربنا يسترها على الجميع. pic.twitter.com/4Fidj9uMYA — Khaled Ali (@Khaledali251) July 23, 2023 The government has said that the […]]]> 655052 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-israel-on-path-to-collapse-after-worst-day-in-its-history-says-nasrallah/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 14:30:31 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655008 The Secretary-General of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement has said that the occupation state is on the verge of collapse. Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah made his comment yesterday on the latest internal civil strife within Israel amid mass protests and strikes against the government's proposed judicial reforms. "Today, as some people say, has been the worst day in the history of the Zionist regime," said the Hezbollah leader in a televised speech. "This is what puts it on the path of collapse, fragmentation and disappearance, God willing." He pointed out that, "There was a time when it was believed that Israel could not be defeated, and that its army was invincible. Many countries in the region considered its threat as an undeniable fact […]]]> 655008 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230724-the-clergy-and-the-modern-middle-east-shii-political-activism-in-iran-iraq-and-lebanon/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 18:30:59 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654896 It is often stated that within the world of Shia Muslim seminaries, the cities of Najaf in Iraq and Qom in Iran represent two contrasting camps in Shia scholarly stances on politics: one of quietism and the other of activism, respectively. This simplistic narrative has not only been perpetuated by Western media and academia, but also embraced by some within the Shia community. However, Mohammad Kalantari, in his book, The Clergy and the Modern Middle East: Shi'i Activism in Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon, sheds light on the complexity of the situation. He argues that this oversimplification obscures the reality, which requires a deeper contextualisation of the political realities faced by the influential Shia clerical elites in the Middle East, particularly […]]]> 654896 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230724-hezbollah-if-israel-is-behind-quran-burnings-we-need-strong-popular-positions/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 09:46:13 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654719 If Israel's Mossad intelligence agency is behind the burning of the Quran, then there needs to be "strong popular and official positions" to stand against it, the Secretary-General of the Lebanese Hezbollah group, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, has said. In statements reported by Al-Mayadeen TV, Nasrallah said that if the Mossad was actually involved in the Quran burnings in Sweden, then there is the risk of facing a "movement that will continue which needs strong popular and official positions." Quran burnings: Free speech or hate speech? Nasrallah called for severing diplomatic ties with Sweden and not to be "deceived by apologies." He added that Iraq's summoning of the Iraqi Chargé d'Affaires from Sweden was the most significant response at the official level, warning that […]]]> 654719 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230724-videos-allegedly-show-protests-in-syria-against-collapse-of-the-pound/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 09:42:49 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654716 Videos are circulating online which allegedly show protests in Jaramana, close to the Syrian capital of Damascus, against the collapse of the Syrian pound. NEW — protesters are rampaging across Jaramana in #Damascus, protesting against the collapse of #Syria's Pound & the #Assad regime's failure to respond. This is virtually unprecedented since 2011-12.pic.twitter.com/WHsVtNzah9 — Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) July 23, 2023 This month, the Syrian pound recorded a historic collapse against the US dollar as its exchange rate hit the lowest ever, 12,0000 Syrian pounds to the dollar. At the beginning of this year, the market rate was around 6,500 Syrian pounds to the dollar. Before protests in 2011, Syria's Arab Spring, the Syrian pound traded at 47 to the dollar. Reports online say […]]]> 654716 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230721-iraq-renews-deal-to-supply-lebanon-up-to-2m-tons-of-crude-for-a-year/ Fri, 21 Jul 2023 19:17:12 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654435 Iraq renewed its agreement to provide Lebanon with up to 2 million tons of crude oil for a year, Lebanese Energy Ministry said in a statement on Friday, Reuters reports. The two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Iraq providing Lebanon with fuel oil and crude oil, the Iraqi state news agency, INA, also reported on Friday, without elaborating. In May, Lebanon signed deals to secure more fuel supplies from Iraq, as Beirut battles to produce more power to help it emerge from years of economic crisis. Baghdad also agreed to increase the volume of heavy fuel oil supplied under an existing deal by 50 per cent to 1.5 million metric tonnes this year. Under the heavy fuel oil deal, […]]]> 654435 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230721-france-calls-on-israel-to-end-all-unilateral-measures-likely-to-fuel-tensions/ Fri, 21 Jul 2023 15:00:52 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654383 French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna told her Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen on Wednesday that it is important for Israel to end "all unilateral measures likely to fuel tensions" with the Palestinians, according to a statement issued by the French Foreign Ministry. Colonna also "stressed the need to end the policy of settlement activity, which is illegal under international law and undermines the prospects of peace." In the meeting, sources said Israel asked France to help ensure no war erupts between Tel Aviv and Lebanon's Hezbollah group. "I asked my friend, Foreign Minister Colonna, to exercise France's influence in Lebanon in order to help resolve the tensions efficiently and quickly," Cohen said.Cohen's visit came a day before the UN Security Council was set […]]]> 654383 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230721-fire-breaks-out-in-syrian-refugee-camp-in-lebanon/ Fri, 21 Jul 2023 09:27:35 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654242 A huge fire broke out in a camp for displaced Syrians in the town of Hanine, in northern Lebanon, destroying a large number of tents. Firefighters rushed to the scene and there were no reports of casualties, RT Arabic reported. The presence of Syrian refugees in Lebanon has become a contentious issue with Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib warning that "the Syrian displacement file has begun to pose a threat not only to the Lebanese social structure and economic stability, but also to the continued existence of Lebanon as an entity." He added that Lebanon is not a country of asylum. Commenting on the EU's new 16-point resolution on Lebanon, which says "the conditions required for a voluntary and dignified return of [Syrian] […]]]> 654242 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230720-israel-asks-france-to-intervene-to-prevent-confrontation-with-hezbollah/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 09:44:51 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654079 Israel asked France yesterday to use its influence in Lebanon to prevent the outbreak of a military confrontation with Hezbollah, Anadolu has reported. The Israeli Foreign Ministry made the request during a meeting in Paris between Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and his French counterpart, Catherine Colonna. "The provocation of the terrorist organisation Hezbollah on the Lebanese border could degenerate into a military confrontation," said Cohen. "I asked my friend, Foreign Minister Colonna, to exercise France's influence in Lebanon in order to help resolve the tensions efficiently and quickly." Other regional security issues were also on the agenda, including Iran's nuclear programme. "The fight against the Iranian threat requires the entire international community to act now. The meeting of the IAEA […]]]> 654079 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230720-jordan-ex-prime-minister-calls-for-end-to-soft-diplomacy-with-israel/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 09:27:55 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654076 Former Prime Minister of Jordan Ali Abu Al-Ragheb has called for an end to the Hashemite Kingdom's "soft diplomacy" approach towards Israel in order to suppress what he called the aspirations of the "ruling trinity" of the occupation state — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich — even if it leads to war. Abu Al-Ragheb made his comment during a programme organised by the Amman Group for Future Dialogues titled "Developments of Events in the Occupied Territories and their Impact on Jordan". His speech focused on the potential for Israel to continue its ethnic cleansing of occupied Palestine and forcibly displace Palestinians across the border into Jordan. "We have to strengthen […]]]> 654076 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230720-unemployment-among-palestinian-refugees-in-lebanonrises-to-80/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 07:38:34 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654054 Palestinian rights activist Hassan al Saida has warned of disastrous consequences of high the unemployment rate among Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Quds Press reported yesterday. Al Saida said that unemployment rate among the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon is currently between 80 and 90 per cent. This, he explained, means that they live in abject poverty, noting that this will lead to despair and lack of hope mainly among the young refugees. READ: World Bank says more than half of Palestinians suffer from depression  "The Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are experiencing the worst economic conditions in decades," the rights activist told Quds Press, warning that the lack of potential solutions for this problem might push young refugees to migrate to Europe. A […]]]> 654054 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230719-israel-lebanon-tension-may-trigger-the-third-lebanon-war/ Wed, 19 Jul 2023 15:30:28 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=653773 Security tension continues to increase along the Lebanese-Israeli border, with the level of provocations increasing with every passing day, in light of Israeli expectations that Hezbollah wants to preserve its image as a fighting organisation and maintain the image of "Israeli weakness". This opens the door to more questions and answers about what is happening in this sensitive border area. The Lebanese border is witnessing more sequences of events recently, as dozens of Lebanese citizens approached the border line, and were pushed away by means of dispersing demonstrations. This issue has become part of the resistance actions that the party has recently promoted, actions that are supposed to be below the level of war for it but, at the same […]]]> 653773 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230718-the-palestinians-are-facing-a-historic-opportunity-that-they-cannot-miss/ Tue, 18 Jul 2023 15:02:08 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=653251 Israel has an extreme far-right government which makes no secret of its racism and neofascist tendencies. Even US President Joe Biden has described it as the most right-wing government in the occupation state's history, as have others. It is stuck in a crisis of its own making with no way out, and the government's options are narrowing. The most important thing for the international community, it seems, is to save Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the group of criminals who are his coalition partners. Together they govern by policies and practices that no one else in the world would accept, and yet its allies accept them in the apartheid state of Israel. The US can no longer justify and […]]]> 653251 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230717-five-nation-group-on-lebanon-says-to-penalise-those-obstructing-presidential-election/ Mon, 17 Jul 2023 19:52:44 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=653215 The five-nation group on Lebanon, which comprises the US, France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt, said on Monday they had discussed several measures against politicians and groups who were obstructing the election of a new president, Reuters reports. Last month, Parliament failed – for the 12th time – to fill the post, reserved for a Maronite Christian in Lebanon's sectarian system, and vacant since the term of the Hezbollah-allied Michel Aoun ended in October. The meeting in Doha, attended by Lebanon's key Western and Arab donors and allies said it was imperative a president was elected and urged Lebanon's leaders to overcome a deepening institutional paralysis in a country where one of the world's worst economic crises has been festering for years. […]]]> 653215 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230717-hezbollah-says-israel-has-to-leave-certain-points-on-border-with-lebanon/ Mon, 17 Jul 2023 09:01:27 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652593 Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said last week that Israel has to leave certain points along the border with Lebanon, Anadolu has reported. He referred specifically to Ghajar village. In a televised speech to commemorate the 17th anniversary of the 34-day war between Lebanon and Israel in 2006, Nasrallah said that "liberating Ghajar is the responsibility of the Lebanese people, state and resistance." He pointed out that Israel has finished building a wall around the northern part of Ghajar and turned it into a tourist area. The Lebanese Foreign Ministry warned on 4 July that Israel was seeking to expand the occupation zone in clear violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which banned entry to the northern part of Ghajar. […]]]> 652593 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230714-tensions-mount-between-hezbollah-israel-at-lebanon-border/ Fri, 14 Jul 2023 13:30:09 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652346 Tensions have escalated, in recent months, between Israel and the Hezbollah movement on Lebanon's southern border over Tel Aviv's full occupation and annexation of the northern part of the village of Ghajar in the Golan Heights, Anadolu Agency reports. Hezbollah leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, spoke Wednesday, saying that Lebanon would not give up the village to Israel. In a televised speech to commemorate the 17th anniversary of the 34-day war between Lebanon and Israel in 2006, he said that "liberating Ghajar is the responsibility of the Lebanese people, state and resistance." He added that Israel had finished building a wall incorporating the northern part of Ghajar and turned it into a tourist area. The Lebanese Foreign Ministry, warning in a […]]]> 652346 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230713-unifil-situation-extremely-sensitive-on-lebanon-israel-border/ Thu, 13 Jul 2023 12:27:48 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652098 The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) spokesperson, Kandice Ardiel, yesterday warned that the situation across the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel is "extremely sensitive", Anadolu reported. Three members of the Hezbollah group were injured by Israeli fire near the border village of Al-Bustan yesterday, according to Lebanese media. There was no comment from the Lebanese group on the incident. "We are aware of disturbing reports about an incident along the Blue Line," Ardiel said in a statement. READ: Lebanon demands full demarcation of border with Israel "We are looking into it. In the meantime, the situation is extremely sensitive," she added, while urging all parties "to cease any actions that may lead to escalation." The Israeli army said that "a […]]]> 652098