Ship manager calls on Houthis to free Galaxy Leader crew

Ship manager calls on Houthis to free Galaxy Leader crew
A Houthi follower holds a rocket launcher as others carry a cutout banner portraying the Galaxy Leader cargo ship, which was seized by Houthis, in Sanaa, Yemen, Feb. 7, 2024. (Reuters)
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Updated 18 June 2024
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Ship manager calls on Houthis to free Galaxy Leader crew

Ship manager calls on Houthis to free Galaxy Leader crew
  • Galaxy Leader management: ‘There is nothing to be gained by the Houthis in keeping the 25 crew members’
  • Houthis hold captive the Bulgarian ship master and chief officer, along with 17 Filipinos and other sailors from Ukraine, Mexico and Romania

Managers of the Galaxy Leader cargo ship on Tuesday renewed calls for the release of the vessel’s 25 crew being held by Yemen’s Houthi militants for seven months.
The militants used helicopters to attack the Bahamas-flagged ship on Nov. 19. They captured the Bulgarian ship master and chief officer, along with 17 Filipinos and other sailors from Ukraine, Mexico and Romania, the ship managers said.
“There is nothing to be gained by the Houthis in keeping the 25 crew members,” said the ship managers, who requested that they be released to their families without further delay.
The Houthis have used drones and missiles to assault ships in the Red Sea, the Bab Al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden since November, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza war. Since then, they have sunk one ship, seized another vessel and killed three seafarers in separate attacks.
The International Chamber of Shipping, which represents ship owners, has called the Houthi attacks “unacceptable acts of aggression which threaten the lives of innocent seafarers and the safety of merchant shipping.”
Last week, Houthis notched up direct strikes on two ships — the Liberan-flagged Tutor coal carrier and Palau-flagged Verbena, which was loaded with wood construction material.
Those assaults prompted security experts to note a significant increase in the effectiveness of the Iran-aligned militants’ drone and missile attacks.
Rescuers evacuated crews from the damaged ships due to safety risks. One sailor from the Tutor remains missing. Both ships are now adrift and vulnerable to further attack or sinking.
US and British forces on Monday conducted airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Hodeidah International Airport and Kamaran Island near the port of Salif off the Red Sea.


Lebanon army makes plea for ‘unity’ after Nasrallah’s killing

Lebanon army makes plea for ‘unity’ after Nasrallah’s killing
Updated 9 sec ago
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Lebanon army makes plea for ‘unity’ after Nasrallah’s killing

Lebanon army makes plea for ‘unity’ after Nasrallah’s killing
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s army on Sunday warned Lebanese against actions that would disturb public order in the crisis-hit country after Israel’s killing of Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the powerful Iran-backed group Hezbollah.
The army in statement said that it “calls on citizens to preserve national unity and not to be drawn into actions that may affect civil peace at this dangerous and delicate stage” following the massive Friday strike that killed Nasrallah and as Israeli attacks continue.
“The Israeli enemy is working to implement its destructive plans and sow division among Lebanese,” the army statement added.
Tiny Lebanon has long been divided along sectarian lines which had contributed to a devastating civil war in 1975-1990.
Hezbollah, the Shiite Muslim movement that wields great power in Lebanon’s south and whose military might is widely believed to dwarf Lebanon’s national armed forces, has drawn criticism from some Lebanese politicians over its decision to open a “support front” against Israel over the Gaza war nearly a year ago
A Lebanese army official told AFP troops had been deployed since Saturday in Beirut, where thousands have sought refuge from intense Israeli raids on Lebanon’s south, east and Hezbollah’s south Beirut bastion.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati urged Lebanese “to come together” to preserve civil order.
“Our national responsibility at this historic and exceptional moment requires setting aside political differences,” he said on Saturday, after cutting short a New York visit to attend the United Nations General Assembly.
United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert also called for unity in a statement on X on Sunday.
“At this critical moment for Lebanon when uncertainty is rife, now is the time for the country to focus on the common interest that unites its people,” she said.
Hezbollah has been exchanging cross-border fire with Israel in support of ally Hamas after the Palestinian militant group’s unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel triggered war in Gaza.
But this week, Israel shifted the focus of its operation from Gaza to Lebanon, where heavy bombing since Monday has killed hundreds of people and displaced tens of thousands.

Diplomatic efforts for ceasefire with Israel underway, Lebanese minister says

Diplomatic efforts for ceasefire with Israel underway, Lebanese minister says
Updated 59 sec ago
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Diplomatic efforts for ceasefire with Israel underway, Lebanese minister says

Diplomatic efforts for ceasefire with Israel underway, Lebanese minister says

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Information Minister Ziad Makary said during a cabinet session on Sunday that diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire with Israel were underway.
“It is certain that the Lebanese government wants a ceasefire, and everyone knows that (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu went to New York based on the premise of a ceasefire, but the decision was made to assassinate Nasrallah,” Makary said.
The death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was confirmed on Saturday, heightening tensions between Lebanon and Israel after months of conflict along their shared border.
“Diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire are ongoing. The Prime Minister is not falling short, but the matter is not that easy,” he added.


Omani FM calls for end to Israel’s ‘genocidal policies’ against Palestinians

Omani FM calls for end to Israel’s ‘genocidal policies’ against Palestinians
Updated 29 September 2024
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Omani FM calls for end to Israel’s ‘genocidal policies’ against Palestinians

Omani FM calls for end to Israel’s ‘genocidal policies’ against Palestinians
  • Addressing UN General Assembly, Badr Al-Busaidi calls for Palestinian state, full membership
  • There should be ‘immediate’ ceasefires in Gaza, Lebanon, Red Sea region

WASHINGTON: Oman’s foreign minister called on Saturday for an immediate end to Israel’s wars in Gaza and Lebanon, and the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Badr Al-Busaidi told the UN General Assembly in New York that Oman is fully committed to the promotion of international peace as a core mission of the organization.

“Oman calls for an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities in Gaza, Lebanon and the Red Sea region,” he said.

“We emphasize the need to address the root causes of these conflicts by ending the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and achieving justice for the Palestinian people based on a two-state solution, leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, along the 1967 borders,” he added.

“Oman stresses the necessity of granting Palestine full membership in the UN and ending the genocidal policies carried out by Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian people, alleviating the humanitarian suffering they endure.”

Since last October, Israel has killed over 41,000 Palestinians in Gaza, and in the last week it has killed hundreds of Lebanese.

Al-Busaidi said Oman’s foreign policy is founded on dialogue and tolerance as a means to address all challenges and issues, based on mutual respect, cooperation and harmony among nations.

Domestically, he said Oman is working on building a sustainable and diversified economy, and fostering social development, including the empowerment of women and youth.

Al-Busaidi added that the country’s Vision 2040 will bring empowerment and prosperity to the different segments of Omani society.

He expressed Oman’s commitment to promoting “peaceful coexistence” and “respect,” and urging nations worldwide to fight “against all forms of discrimination, racism, hatred and violence.”


UN sends emergency food aid for one million Lebanese

UN sends emergency food aid for one million Lebanese
Updated 29 September 2024
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UN sends emergency food aid for one million Lebanese

UN sends emergency food aid for one million Lebanese

ROME: The World Food Programme on Sunday said it had launched an emergency operation to provide meals for one million people affected by the escalating conflict in Lebanon.
“A further acceleration of the conflict this weekend underscored the need for an immediate humanitarian response,” the Rome-based agency said in a statement, announcing that it was distributing ready-to-eat food rations, bread, hot meals and food parcels to shelters across the country.
Israel on Sunday said that it was carrying out new air strikes on dozens of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, two days after killing the Iran-backed group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in bombing raids outside Beirut.
His killing marked a sharp escalation in nearly a year of tit-for-tat cross-border fire between Israel and Hezbollah since the latter’s Palestinian ally Hamas staged its unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The bombing in Lebanon is “compounding the fragility of a population burdened by accumulated crises,” the WFP said.
“In just a few days, WFP assistance has reached thousands of newly displaced people,” the program’s country director for Lebanon, Matthew Hollingworth, said in the statement.
“As the crisis deepens, we are preparing to assist up to one million people through a mix of cash and food support,” he added, calling on the international community to mobilize $105 million to fund the operation through to the end of the year.
“Lebanon is at a breaking point and cannot endure another war,” said WFP regional director Corinne Fleischer.


Grad missile from Lebanon falls in Jordan

Grad missile from Lebanon falls in Jordan
Updated 29 September 2024
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Grad missile from Lebanon falls in Jordan

Grad missile from Lebanon falls in Jordan
  • The missile was likely fired at Israel by Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group

AMMAN: Jordan’s military says a Grad missile fired from Southern Lebanon fell in an open area without causing casualties or damage, state news agency PETRA reported on Sunday.

A military official of the Jordanian Armed Forces Saturday said the Grad missile fell in an uninhabited desert area in Muwaqqar south of Amman.
No damages or casualties were reported.
Security source added that the air defense systems "will deal with any activity of other missiles or drones trying to violate Jordanian airspace."
Jordan and Israel, which share borders, signed a peace treaty in 1994. The Western-allied Arab country also helped intercept missiles fired at Israel by Iran in April.
Jordan has been fiercely critical of Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians and has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in Gaza. It has also said it will not allow its territory to become a battlefield as tensions mount between Israel and Iran.