7 Hezbollah fighters killed in Israeli strikes

A Lebanese army soldier inspects the wreckage of a car that was targeted in Israeli strike early on Mar. 2, 2024, near the southern Lebanese town of Naqoura. (AFP)

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Updated 02 March 2024

NAJIA HOUSSARI

March 02, 2024 16:46

7 Hezbollah fighters killed in Israeli strikes

Three of the fighters died when their car was targeted by an Israeli drone early on Saturday on the coastal road from Al-Naqoura toward the city of Tyre

Updated 02 March 2024

NAJIA HOUSSARI

March 02, 2024 16:46

BEIRUT: Israeli air and drone strikes have killed seven Hezbollah fighters, including a field commander, in less than 24 hours.

Three of the fighters died when their car was targeted by an Israeli drone early on Saturday on the coastal road from Al-Naqoura toward the city of Tyre.

The car caught fire, killing all the occupants — field commander Hussein Badawi from Deir Qanun Al-Nahr, Abbas Khalil from Al-Sama’iyya, and Farouk Mohammed Harb from Al-Halusiya.

Another four fighters — Ali Shalhoub, Mohammed Ghebreyes, Mustafa Salman, and Ali Qasim — died on Friday night in Israeli air strikes on the towns of Aita Al-Shaab and Blida in Lebanon’s southern border region.

Avichay Adraee, spokesperson for the Israeli Army, said on X that Israeli Air Force planes destroyed a car carrying fighters who had launched rockets at Israeli territory.

“These individuals were affiliated with the Imam Hussein Brigade, which is linked to Iran and operates on behalf of Hezbollah,” he added.

Israeli artillery also targeted the outskirts of Labbouneh, Tayr Harfa, Al-Jebain, the Al-Wazzani area, and the southwestern neighborhoods of Mays Al-Jabal and Ramiya. Incendiary shells were fired by the Israeli Army near Al-Naqoura, Jabal Al-Labbouneh, and Alma Al-Shaab.

Israeli fighter jets remained in the skies above southern Lebanon and also flew at low altitude over Beirut’s southern suburbs on Saturday.

Hezbollah said that it launched a successful drone strike on a new Israeli sector headquarters in Liman, and also struck the Israeli military border site of Jal Al-Alam.

Brig. Gen. Pablo Gomez Lera, commander of UNIFIL forces in southern Lebanon’s eastern sector, met with Rawad Salloum, mayor of Hasbaya, to discuss the indiscriminate bombing of villages and towns in the area, the forced displacement of residents in border towns, and relief projects for those who remain.

He expressed his dismay at the expansion of military operations, but also said that he hoped a ceasefire would be in place before the likely start of Ramadan on March 11.

Mohammed Fneish, a former Hezbollah minister, warned the group will continue its operations against Israel.

Violence in Palestine must be addressed and efforts to halt the bloodshed prioritized over any discussions regarding peace, he said.

“Hezbollah sets the rules of engagement on Israel and it (Israel) cannot transcend these rules,” Fneish added.

Topics: Lebanon Hezbollah War on Gaza Israeli strike

Women rally for equal rights in Syria after Assad’s fall to Islamists

Updated 21 sec ago

Reuters

December 23, 2024 23:44

Women rally for equal rights in Syria after Assad’s fall to Islamists

Hostilities between the SDF and a Turkiye-backed Syrian force known as the Syrian National Army have escalated since Assad was ousted, with the SDF driven out of the northern city of Manbij

Updated 21 sec ago

Reuters

December 23, 2024 23:44

QAMISHLI, Syria: Thousands of women rallied in the northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli on Monday to demand the new Islamist rulers in Damascus respect women’s rights and to condemn Turkish-backed military campaigns in Kurdish-led regions of the north.
Many of the protesters waved the green flag of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), an affiliate of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units militia (YPG) that Turkiye deems a national security threat and wants disbanded immediately.
“We are demanding women’s rights from the new state ... and women must not be excluded from rights in this system,” said Sawsan Hussein, a women’s rights activist.
“We are (also) condemning the attacks of the Turkish occupation against the city of Kobani.”
Kurdish groups have enjoyed autonomy across much of the north since Syria’s civil war began in 2011. The Kurdish YPG militia, which leads the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) armed group, is a major force in the area.
But Syria’s power balance has shifted away from these groups since the Islamist Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham group (HTS) swept into Damascus and toppled Bashar Assad two weeks ago, establishing a new administration friendly to Ankara.
Syria’s dominant Kurdish groups embrace an ideology emphasising socialism and feminism — in contrast to the conservative Sunni Islamist views of HTS, a former Al-Qaeda affiliate.
Turkiye views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been waging an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984 and is deemed a terrorist group by Turkiye, the United States and the European Union.
Hostilities between the SDF and a Turkiye-backed Syrian force known as the Syrian National Army have escalated since Assad was ousted, with the SDF driven out of the northern city of Manbij.
Syrian Kurdish leaders have warned that Turkish forces are mobilizing for an offensive on the SDF-controlled city of Kobani at the Turkish border, also known as Ayn Al-Arab.
There is widespread apprehension among Syrians that the new Damascus administration will gravitate toward hard-line Islamist rule, marginalizing minorities and women from public life.
Obaida Arnout, a spokesperson for the Syrian transitional government, said last week that women’s “biological and physiological nature” rendered them unfit for certain governmental jobs.
Hemrin Ali, an official in the Kurdish-led administration of northeastern Syria, told Reuters at Monday’s rally: “Yes to supporting the YPJ. Yes to preserving the rights and gains of the women’s revolution in northern and eastern Syria.”

Topics: Fall of Assad Syria PKK Syria Kurds Turkiye

Egypt troops to join African Union Somalia mission: Foreign minister

Updated 22 min 56 sec ago

Reuters

December 23, 2024 23:18

Egypt troops to join African Union Somalia mission: Foreign minister

Egypt and Somalia have grown closer amid tensions with Ethiopia over recognition of Somaliland

Updated 22 min 56 sec ago

Reuters

December 23, 2024 23:18

CAIRO: Egypt will contribute troops to an African Union Somalia peacekeeping mission, its foreign minister said on Monday, as ties between the two countries grow closer amid tensions with Ethiopia over recognition of Somaliland.
“Egypt has decided to participate in the mission based on the Somali government’s request and welcoming of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council,” said Badr Abdelatty during a press conference in Cairo to mark a visit by the Somali foreign minister.
The African Union stabilization and support mission, known as AUSSOM, will replace an anti-terror mission ending this year.
A dispute between Ethiopia and Somalia broke out this year over Addis Ababa’s plan to build a port in the breakaway region of Somaliland, which had drawn in regional powers and threatened to further destabilize the Horn of Africa.
After talks mediated by Turkiye, Somalia and Ethiopia said they would work together to resolve the issue.
“We spoke about the situation in Somalia and Egypt’s support of Somalia imposing its authority and sovereignty on all Somali national land and the refusal of any directives or unilateral moves that touch the unity, sovereignty and security of Somalia,” Abdelatty added.
The spat has drawn Somalia closer to Egypt, which criticized the Somaliland deal and has been at odds with Ethiopia for years over Addis Ababa’s construction of a hydro dam on the river Nile.
Following the signing of a joint security pact, Egypt has delivered weapons and ammunition, including anti-aircraft guns and artillery, to Somalia.

Topics: Egypt Somalia African Union

Palestinian victims of Gaza conflict file case against British oil giant BP

Updated 23 December 2024

Arab News

December 23, 2024 22:33

Palestinian victims of Gaza conflict file case against British oil giant BP

Claimants accuse company of violating human rights laws, fueling Israeli war machine
Legal notice also accuses BP of complicity in alleged war crimes

Updated 23 December 2024

Arab News

December 23, 2024 22:33

LONDON: Palestinians affected by the ongoing conflict in Gaza have initiated legal action against British oil giant BP, alleging its involvement in supplying crude oil to Israel facilitates human rights abuses.

The claimants submitted a legal notice accusing the company of violating international human rights laws and its own corporate policies, The Guardian reported on Monday.

At the heart of the dispute is the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, operated by BP, which carries oil from Azerbaijan through Georgia and Turkey to Israel. It reportedly supplies 28 percent of Israel’s crude oil, a critical resource for its military operations.

According to the claim, oil refined from the pipeline is being used to fuel jets, tanks and bulldozers.

“Israel relies heavily on crude oil and refined petroleum imports to run its large fleet of fighter jets, tanks and other military vehicles and operations, as well as the bulldozers implicated in clearing Palestinian homes and olive groves to make way for unlawful Israeli settlements,” the notice said.

“Some fuel from refineries goes directly to the armed forces, while much of the rest appears to go to ordinary gas stations where military personnel can refuel their vehicles under a government contract.”

The claimants want to take the case to a British court, citing BP’s UK headquarters and the claimants’ British ties.

The legal action argues that BP’s operations breach the UN’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which require companies to avoid contributing to human rights violations.

It also accuses BP of complicity in alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, drawing attention to findings by a UN commission that Israel has committed war crimes during the conflict in Gaza.

The lead claimants include Palestinians who have suffered devastating personal losses during the war, including a British citizen who has lost 16 family members in airstrikes. Others face dire humanitarian conditions, displacement and lack of access to essential medical care.

The legal team stressed the physical and psychological harm endured by the claimants, including amputations and loss of loved ones and said they hoped the case would set a precedent for corporate accountability in conflict zones.

BP has not issued a public response to the claims or responded to media requests for comment.

Topics: War on Gaza Israel Palestine Gaza Hamas BP

Oxfam raises alarm over worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza

Updated 23 December 2024

AFP

December 23, 2024 22:27

Oxfam raises alarm over worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza

Only 12 trucks delivered food in North Gaza since October, says aid group

Updated 23 December 2024

AFP

December 23, 2024 22:27

UNITED NATIONS: Just 12 trucks distributed food and water in northern Gaza in two-and-a-half months, aid group Oxfam said on Sunday, raising the alarm over the worsening humanitarian situation in the besieged Palestinian territory.

“Of the meager 34 trucks of food and water given permission to enter the North Gaza governorate over the last 2.5 months, deliberate delays and systematic obstructions by the Israeli military meant that just twelve managed to distribute aid to starving Palestinian civilians,” Oxfam said in a statement, in a count that included deliveries through Saturday.

“For three of these, once the food and water had been delivered to the school where people were sheltering, it was then cleared and shelled within hours,” Oxfam added.

Israel, which has tightly controlled aid entering the Hamas-ruled territory since the outbreak of the war, often blames what it says is the inability of relief organizations to handle and distribute large quantities of aid.

In a report focused on water, New York-based Human Rights Watch on Thursday detailed what it called deliberate efforts by Israeli authorities “of a systematic nature” to deprive Gazans of water, which had “likely caused thousands of deaths ... and will likely continue to cause deaths.”

They were the latest in a series of accusations leveled against Israel — and denied by the country — during its 14-month war against Palestinian Hamas militants.

Oxfam said that it and other international aid groups had been “continually prevented from delivering lifesaving aid” in northern Gaza since Oct. 6 this year, when Israel intensified its bombardment of the area.

“Thousands of people are estimated to still be cut off, but with humanitarian access blocked it’s impossible to know exact numbers,” Oxfam said.

“At the beginning of December, humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza were receiving calls from vulnerable people trapped in homes and shelters that had completely run out of food and water.”

Oxfam highlighted one instance of an aid delivery in November being disrupted by Israeli authorities.

“A convoy of 11 trucks last month was initially held up at the holding point by the Israeli military at Jabalia, where some food was taken by starving civilians,” it said.

“After the green light to proceed to the destination was received, the trucks were then stopped further on at a military checkpoint. Soldiers forced the drivers to offload the aid in a militarized zone, which desperate civilians had no access to.”

The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution on Thursday asking the International Court of Justice to assess Israel’s obligations to assist Palestinians.

Topics: War on Gaza Oxfam Palestinian civilians

Mobile cinema brings Tunisians big screen experience

The bright red truck has transformed parking lots into pop-up theaters. (AFP)

Updated 23 December 2024

AFP

December 23, 2024 21:27

Mobile cinema brings Tunisians big screen experience

Mobile cinemas have long existed in other countries, but Heraghi said CinemaTdour was “unique” for turning a truck into a full-fledged theater

Updated 23 December 2024

AFP

December 23, 2024 21:27

DJEMMAL, Tunisia: Like many of his fellow Tunisians, 23-year-old Amine Elhani has never been to the cinema, but now, thanks to a mobile theater touring the country, he can finally enjoy the big screen.
The bright red truck of CinemaTdour, or “moving cinema,” has transformed parking lots and factory grounds in underserved towns and neighborhoods across the North African country into pop-up theaters.
In the central town of Djemmal, dozens of workers unloaded the expandable truck, easily setting up a fully equipped outdoor movie theater with 100 seats.
“The screen is huge, and the sound effects are amazing,” said Elhani, who had so far only watched films on his phone or computer.
He had “never had the chance to go to a movie theater,” he told AFP.
“It’s a fantastic experience, especially because I’m watching with friends.”
Movie theaters are scarce in Tunisia, numbering at just 15 and largely concentrated in major urban hubs.
Recognizing this gap, CinemaTdour was launched in May by private cultural network Agora and nonprofit Focus Gabes, with funding from private donors.
“We wanted a way to reach as many viewers as possible, in a short time and on a limited budget, while offering them an authentic cinematic experience,” project director Ghofrane Heraghi told AFP.
Mobile cinemas have long existed in other countries, but Heraghi said CinemaTdour was “unique” for turning a truck into a full-fledged theater.
Without government funding, CinemaTdour relies heavily on partnerships with private companies to cover costs like film rights, maintenance and staffing.
The truck itself was purchased on credit for about one million Tunisian dinars ($315,000), Heraghi said, with annual operating expenses of around 500,000 dinars.
For 10 days in Djemmal, residents could watch films for free thanks to a partnership with German car parts manufacturer Draxlmaier, which has a factory in the town.
Jihene Ben Amor, Draxlmaier’s communications manager in Tunisia, said the company wanted to “contribute to the development” of remote and underserved regions where it operates.
For many workers, earning up to 1,000 dinars a month, the cost of tickets and the journey to a main city with a movie theater can be prohibitive.
“Having this cinema right outside their workplace also gives workers a sense of pride and belonging,” said Ben Amor.

After Djemmal, CinemaTdour set up in Hay Hlel, an impoverished neighborhood of the capital Tunis.
Many children gathered around the pop-up theater, eager for their turn.
Yomna Warhani, 11, was beaming with excitement, anticipating her first ever movie screening.
“I can’t wait to see what it’s like inside and what films they’ll show,” she said.
Nejiba El Hadji, a 47-year-old mother of four, said: “It’s not just the kids who are thrilled, believe me.”
To her, the mobile cinema was a rare source of joy in an otherwise bleak environment.
“We have nothing here, no cultural centers and no entertainment, just the streets,” said Hadji.
“People say our kids are lost, but no one does anything about it.”
CinemaTdour’s two-week stay in Hay Hlel was funded by the World Health Organization, with screenings themed on mental health, smoking and drug abuse, and violence against women.
The shows were tailored for younger audiences as well as for viewers with hearing or visual impairments.
Heraghi, the project head, said that “what drives us is the social impact of culture.”
“We want to break stereotypes, shift mindsets, and promote values like social cohesion and community spirit.”
In just a few months, CinemaTdour has reached more than 15,000 people, including 7,500 in the southern oasis town of Nefta where a month of free screenings was sponsored by a date exporter.
The project now hopes to secure funding for additional trucks to expand its activities across the country.
But Heraghli has even bigger aspirations, she said, “taking it to Algeria, Libya, and maybe even across Africa.”

Topics: Tunis cinema

7 Hezbollah fighters killed in Israeli strikes

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7 Hezbollah fighters killed in Israeli strikes

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