Israel used US-made bomb in attack on Hezbollah head, US senator says

A portrait of Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah hangs on a street in Baghdad on September 29, 2024. (AFP)
A portrait of Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah hangs on a street in Baghdad on September 29, 2024. (AFP)
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Israel used US-made bomb in attack on Hezbollah head, US senator says

Israel used US-made bomb in attack on Hezbollah head, US senator says
  • Mark Kelly, chair of the Senate Armed Services Airland Subcommittee, said Israel used a 2,000-lb (900-kg) Mark 84 series bomb
  • “We see more use of guided munitions, JDAMs, and we continue to provide those weapons,” Kelly said

WASHINGTON: The bomb that Israel used to kill Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut last week was an American-made guided weapon, a US senator said on Sunday.
Mark Kelly, chair of the Senate Armed Services Airland Subcommittee, said Israel used a 2,000-lb (900-kg) Mark 84 series bomb, during an interview with NBC. His statement marks the first US indication of what weapon had been used.
“We see more use of guided munitions, JDAMs, and we continue to provide those weapons,” Kelly said, using an abbreviation that stands for Joint Direct Attack Munitions. “That 2,000-pound bomb that was used, that’s a Mark 84 series bomb, to take out Nasrallah,” he said.
The Israeli military said on Saturday it had eliminated Nasrallah in a strike on the group’s central command headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburbs. The Israeli military has declined to comment on what weapons were used in the attack. The Pentagon was not immediately available for comment.
JDAMs convert a standard unguided bomb using fins and a GPS guidance system into a guided weapon. The US is Israel’s longtime ally and biggest arms supplier.


Lebanon army makes plea for unity after Nasrallah’s killing

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

Lebanon army makes plea for unity after Nasrallah’s killing
  • Mikati sticks to diplomacy, says attacks may have forced up to 1m people to flee homes
  • Al-Rahi demands a president who will engage in peace negotiations

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.


Houthis abduct 428 Yemenis during September revolution anniversary crackdown

Houthis abduct 428 Yemenis during September revolution anniversary crackdown
Updated 20 min 56 sec ago
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Houthis abduct 428 Yemenis during September revolution anniversary crackdown

Houthis abduct 428 Yemenis during September revolution anniversary crackdown
  • Rights Radar, a human rights organization based in Amsterdam, reported on Sunday that the Houthis have arrested people in 10 provinces

AL-MUKALLA: Yemen’s Houthi militia has detained 428 people during a crackdown on commemorations of the 62nd anniversary of the country’s 1962 revolution, a human rights group said.

Rights Radar, a human rights organization based in Amsterdam, reported on Sunday that the Houthis have arrested people in 10 provinces under their control since early last week for commemorating the Sept. 26 revolution in the streets, honoring it on social media, or calling on the others to celebrate.

During the crackdown, the Houthis physically and verbally assaulted people, abducted them, and have prevented them from contacting or seeing their families, according to the organization. 

“Rights Radar has called on the Houthi militia to release all those abducted and detained during these campaigns immediately and to end the ongoing prosecutions related to these celebrations, as security forces are still pursuing dozens in many areas under Houthi control,” it said in a statement.

The province of Ibb had the most detentions, with 179, followed by Sanaa with 109, Dhamar with 56, Hodeidah with 37, and Taiz with 13 cases.

Mahweet, Amran, Hajjah, Al-Bayda, and Dhale also saw people abducted by the militia.

The revolution deposed northern Yemen’s Zaidi Imamate rulers, who had controlled the country for centuries, and paved the way for establishing the Yemen Arab Republic.

Yemenis say that the Houthis and Imamate rulers share the same ideologies that restricted the country’s rule to Hashemite families.

The Houthis have accused the revolutionaries of being tools for the US and other countries to undermine security in areas under their control, as well as to put pressure on them to stop attacking ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The American Center for Justice also said on Saturday that the Houthis launched a “large-scale” campaign against Yemenis commemorating the anniversary, resulting in the abduction of hundreds of people, including lawyers, human rights activists, political party leaders, and others in Ibb, Hodeidah, Dhamar, Sanaa, and Amran.

The center said that the Houthis deployed heavy military vehicles and forces dressed in military uniforms and civilian clothing to disperse gatherings, accusing the Houthis of violating international and local laws protecting people’s rights to free expression and peaceful assembly.

The center “calls on the international community and human rights organizations to pressure the Houthi group to end all forms of repression against Yemenis, immediately release all detainees, and ensure the right of citizens to express their opinions and participate in national celebrations without fear or intimidation,” it said.


Jordan and Ireland explore trade and investment cooperation

Jordan and Ireland explore trade and investment cooperation
Updated 29 September 2024
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Jordan and Ireland explore trade and investment cooperation

Jordan and Ireland explore trade and investment cooperation
  • The meeting between Mohammad Shoha and Marianne Bolger covered key sectors such as industry, technology, renewable energy, and agriculture

LONDON: The chairman of Jordan’s Irbid Chamber of Commerce met with the Irish ambassador to the kingdom on Sunday to discuss strengthening trade and investment relations between the two countries.

The meeting between Mohammad Shoha and Marianne Bolger covered key sectors such as industry, technology, renewable energy, and agriculture, Jordan News Agency reported.

During the talks, Shoha underscored the pivotal role of the chamber in supporting and developing the region’s commercial sector, which boasts a membership of around 16,000 businesses.

He highlighted the vitality of the Jordanian market and the ambition of local traders and investors to expand their operations both domestically and internationally.

Shoha also emphasized the chamber’s role in acting as a bridge between the Jordanian government and the private sector. He stressed the importance of dialog in overcoming obstacles and seizing new opportunities for growth.

While acknowledging the impact of regional political instability on investment, Shoha expressed confidence in Jordan’s ongoing efforts to attract foreign capital.
He said that, under the leadership of King Abdullah II, the government was focused on removing investment barriers by continuously updating laws, legislation, and infrastructure to enhance the business environment.

Bolger affirmed Ireland’s commitment to expanding its trade ties with Jordan and extended an invitation to Jordanian investors to visit Ireland to explore the country’s investment climate and opportunities.

Both sides exchanged views on promoting sustainable cooperation and building strategic partnerships aimed at fostering economic growth and enhancing trade and investment ties between the two nations.


Israel launches strikes on Yemeni Houthi targets

An Israeli fighter jet returning to base flies above an area near Tel Aviv on September 26, 2024. (File/AFP)
An Israeli fighter jet returning to base flies above an area near Tel Aviv on September 26, 2024. (File/AFP)
Updated 29 September 2024
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Israel launches strikes on Yemeni Houthi targets

An Israeli fighter jet returning to base flies above an area near Tel Aviv on September 26, 2024. (File/AFP)
  • Israeli military said in a statement that dozens of aircraft, including fighter jets, attacked power plants and a sea port at the Ras Issa and Hodeidah ports

TEL AVIV: Israel launched strikes at Houthi targets in Yemen on Sunday after the Houthi militants fired missiles at Israel over the past two days, marking a fresh exchange in another front of the regional conflict.
The Israeli military said in a statement that dozens of aircraft, including fighter jets, attacked power plants and a sea port at the Ras Issa and Hodeidah ports.
The strikes caused power outages in most parts of the port city of Hodeidah, residents said.
“Over the past year, the Houthis have been operating under the direction and funding of Iran, and in cooperation with Iraqi militias in order to attack the State of Israel, undermine regional stability, and disrupt global freedom of navigation,” the statement said.
Yemen’s Houthi militants have fired missiles and drones at Israel repeatedly in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians, since the
Gaza war
began with a Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
In their latest attack, the Houthis said they had launched a ballistic missile on Saturday toward the Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, which Israel said it intercepted. Israel also intercepted another Houthi missile on Friday.
The Houthi movement earlier mourned Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, its ally in an Iran-backed alliance opposing Israel, following his death in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut.


Pope Francis, asked about Israeli strikes, slams attacks that go ‘beyond morality’

Pope Francis talks to journalists on the flight back to Rome at the end of his four-day visit to Belgium and Luxembourg.
Pope Francis talks to journalists on the flight back to Rome at the end of his four-day visit to Belgium and Luxembourg.
Updated 29 September 2024
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Pope Francis, asked about Israeli strikes, slams attacks that go ‘beyond morality’

Pope Francis talks to journalists on the flight back to Rome at the end of his four-day visit to Belgium and Luxembourg.
  • Pontiff said countries cannot go “over the top” in using their military forces
  • “War is immoral. But the rules of war give it some morality,” he said

ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT: Pope Francis, asked on Sunday about Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon that killed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as well as non-combatants, criticized military attacks that he said go “beyond morality.”
On the flight back to Rome from Belgium, the pontiff said countries cannot go “over the top” in using their military forces. “Even in war there is a morality to safeguard,” he said. “War is immoral. But the rules of war give it some morality.”
Responding to a question during an in-flight press conference about Israel’s latest strikes, the 87-year-old pope said: “Defense must always be proportionate to the attack. When there is something disproportionate, you see a tendency to dominate that goes beyond morality.”
Francis, as leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, often makes calls for an end to violent conflicts, but is usually cautious about appearing to determine the aggressors. He has spoken more openly in recent weeks about Israel’s military actions in its nearly year-long war against Hamas.
Last week, the pope said Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon were “unacceptable” and urged the international community to do everything possible to halt the fighting. In a Sept. 28 press conference, he decried the deaths of Palestinian children in Israeli strikes in Gaza.
Francis said on Sunday he speaks on the phone with members of a Catholic parish in Gaza “every day.” He said the parishioners tell him about conditions on the ground, and “also the cruelty that is happening there.”