Hezbollah says ties with Lebanese army remain ‘strong and solid’

Hezbollah says ties with Lebanese army remain ‘strong and solid’
A man carries a safe box after he pulls it out of a destroyed building that was hit by Monday’s Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh in the southern suburb of Beirut. (AP)
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Updated 11 November 2024
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Hezbollah says ties with Lebanese army remain ‘strong and solid’

Hezbollah says ties with Lebanese army remain ‘strong and solid’
  • Media officer says group has not received Israeli proposal for ceasefire
  • Israel ‘will never win the war’ by killing women, children, spokesperson says

BEIRUT: Hezbollah has not received any proposals on a truce for Lebanon, a spokesperson for the group said on Monday.

Mohammed Afif, a media relations officer, was speaking at a press conference amid the rubble in southern Beirut after 45 days of aerial bombardment.

“So far, nothing official or specific proposals have reached Lebanon or us regarding a settlement that we hear much talk about,” he said.

“We hear about a related, significant political movement between Tehran, Washington and Moscow, but I do not expect anything specific soon.”

Afif said Hezbollah’s relationship with the Lebanese army was “strong and solid and will remain so. We appreciate the army’s role in protecting the national territory and security.”

His comments came after Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem last week questioned the role of the military in confronting Israeli commandos’ violation of territorial waters and the kidnapping of a sea captain from Batroun.

It also comes after Israel leaked a draft settlement that includes a provision for the Lebanese army to dismantle Hezbollah’s remaining infrastructure south of the Litani River as part of the implementation of UN Resolution 1701.

The draft, which was leaked to the Israeli media, said Hezbollah “will withdraw its forces north of the Litani River and will not renew its military presence in the area between the Litani and the border with Israel.”

It continued: “The Israeli army will withdraw from the current first line of Hezbollah positions in Lebanon and return to the international border. The Lebanese army will dismantle Hezbollah’s remaining infrastructure in the area between the border and the Litani River within 60 days of signing the agreement, which will include international guarantees from the US and Russia to prevent Hezbollah from rearming in Lebanon.”

The draft said that Syria would be responsible for stopping any transfer of weapons from its territory to Lebanon.

“If Hezbollah violates the agreement by rearming or conducting military operations against Israel or Israelis, the Israeli army will have the right to respond while seeking international support for such actions,” it said.

During the press conference, Afif reiterated Hezbollah’s position that “the reality of the battlefield will have the final say in politics and decisions.”

He said the Israelis “will never win the war with aerial superiority, destruction or the killing of civilians, including women and children.”

“If you cannot advance on the ground and take actual control, you will never achieve your political goals and northern residents will never return to the north,” he said.

Responding to claims by Israeli officials that Hezbollah’s missile stockpile had dwindled to 20 percent of its original size, Afif said: “Last week, Hezbollah’s missiles reached the suburbs of Tel Aviv and Haifa. Centers and camps were shelled for the first time in the Golan and Haifa and the Fateh 110 missile was used, and we have more.

“The fighters on the front line have enough weapons, ammunition and supplies for a long war that we are preparing for at all levels.”

A security source told Arab News that aside from Hezbollah’s narrative regarding the course of the conflict, the Israeli army had “adopted a scorched earth strategy in the south to avoid the mistakes made during the 2006 war.”

“The army has altered its combat system, opting to advance with infantry forces instead of tanks, which have become targets for Hezbollah,” the person said.

“The tanks are now utilized as fire support in the second echelon. The Israeli forces are destroying everything in their line of sight before advancing, effectively neutralizing the traps set by Hezbollah operatives.”

The source said the Israeli army “relies on drones to reveal the front sector of infantry units and to identify targets for artillery or airstrikes, which has contributed to the success of its advance in many areas. This is happening in the absence of anti-drone missiles, as their use by Hezbollah would expose the launch sites, presenting the party with an unexpected new challenge.”

Using these tactics, Israel was able to penetrate most of the border villages despite resistance from the fighters, the source said.

“It also destroyed the tunnels adjacent to the border. Israel may be inclined to delay its operations and negotiations to cut off the supply routes to Hezbollah and shift the situation in its favor.”

A significant decrease in hostilities was reported on Monday as Lebanon issued a fresh complaint to the UN Security Council in response to Israel’s “repeated aggressions on UNIFIL forces and its further violation of the Blue Line by removing two barrels that signify the withdrawal line.”

The Foreign Ministry submitted the complaint through Lebanon’s permanent mission to the UN in New York.

Also on Monday, the Israeli army reiterated its warning to Lebanese people living in 21 towns along the border area to evacuate. It also blew up several houses on the outskirts of the border town of Aita Al-Shaab.

Israeli airstrikes resulted in the deaths of three individuals in the town of Sarifa. The attacks also affected an area close to Batoulieh near the Rashidiya Palestinian refugee camp in Tyre, as well as towns in Marjeyoun and Nabatieh districts.

Baalbek-Hermel Gov. Bashir Khadr said that a survey of the Baalbek archaeological site had been finalized and that there were no people or objects there that could justify Israel’s attack on the site.

He was speaking after the castle surrounding the site and an ancient building nearby were hit by several airstrikes over the past week.

The strikes resumed on Monday in Shmustar and Taraya, coinciding with the funerals of victims from the deadly and destructive attacks that took place in the region on Sunday.

The death toll reached 18, with the majority of victims women and the elderly.

Since the start of the Israeli onslaught in the Baalbek-Hermel region and extending into central Bekaa, 796 people have been killed and more than 1,350 injured. In that time there have been 1,157 airstrikes.

Hezbollah said it targeted two military gatherings on the outskirts of the Lebanese border town of Maroun Al-Ras, as well as Al-Abad in Israel, the occupied city of Safed and the settlements of Ma’a lot-Tarshiha and Avivim.

The Israeli side said 13 people were injured as a result of a missile barrage targeting Upper Galilee and Western Galilee.


Netanyahu says Israel offering $5 mn reward for each Gaza hostage freed

Netanyahu says Israel offering $5 mn reward for each Gaza hostage freed
Updated 20 November 2024
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Netanyahu says Israel offering $5 mn reward for each Gaza hostage freed

Netanyahu says Israel offering $5 mn reward for each Gaza hostage freed
  • During Oct. 7, 2023 attack which triggered war in Gaza, Hamas took 251 hostages
  • Of those, 97 are still held in Gaza, including 34 who have been confirmed dead

JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel was offering a reward of $5 million to anybody who brings out a hostage held in Gaza.
“Anybody who brings out a hostage will find with us a secure way for them and their family to leave” Gaza, Netanyahu said in a video filmed inside the Palestinian territory, according to his office.
“We will also give them a reward of $5 million for each hostage.”
Wearing a helmet and a bullet-proof jacket, Netanyahu spoke with his back to the Mediterranean in the Netzarim Corridor, Israel’s main military supply route which carves the Gaza Strip in two just south of Gaza City.
“Anyone who dares to do harm to our hostages is considered dead — we will pursue you and we will catch up with you,” he said.
Accompanied by Defense Minister Israel Katz, Netanyahu underlined that one of Israel’s war aims remained that “Hamas does not rule in Gaza.”
“We are also making efforts to locate the hostages and bring them home. We won’t give up. We will continue until we’ve found them all, alive or dead.”
During Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack which triggered the war in Gaza, militants took 251 hostages. Of those, 97 are still held in Gaza, including 34 who have been confirmed dead.


Netanyahu says Israel offering $5 mn reward for each Gaza hostage freed

Netanyahu says Israel offering $5 mn reward for each Gaza hostage freed
Updated 59 min 38 sec ago
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Netanyahu says Israel offering $5 mn reward for each Gaza hostage freed

Netanyahu says Israel offering $5 mn reward for each Gaza hostage freed
  • “Anybody who brings out a hostage will find with us a secure way for them and their family to leave” Gaza, Netanyahu says

JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel was offering a reward of $5 million to anybody who brings out a hostage held in Gaza.
“Anybody who brings out a hostage will find with us a secure way for them and their family to leave” Gaza, Netanyahu said in a video filmed inside the Palestinian territory, according to his office.
“We will also give them a reward of $5 million for each hostage.”
Wearing a helmet and a bullet-proof jacket, Netanyahu spoke with his back to the Mediterranean in the Netzarim Corridor, Israel’s main military supply route which carves the Gaza Strip in two just south of Gaza City.
“Anyone who dares to do harm to our hostages is considered dead — we will pursue you and we will catch up with you,” he said.
Accompanied by Defense Minister Israel Katz, Netanyahu underlined that one of Israel’s war aims remained that “Hamas does not rule in Gaza.”
“We are also making efforts to locate the hostages and bring them home. We won’t give up. We will continue until we’ve found them all, alive or dead.”
During Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack which triggered the war in Gaza, militants took 251 hostages. Of those, 97 are still held in Gaza, including 34 who have been confirmed dead.


Turkiye’s Erdogan says Israel’s Herzog was denied airspace en route to Azerbaijan

Turkiye’s Erdogan says Israel’s Herzog was denied airspace en route to Azerbaijan
Updated 20 November 2024
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Turkiye’s Erdogan says Israel’s Herzog was denied airspace en route to Azerbaijan

Turkiye’s Erdogan says Israel’s Herzog was denied airspace en route to Azerbaijan
  • “In light of the situation assessment and for security reasons, the President of the State has decided to cancel his trip to the Climate Conference in Azerbaijan,” the Israeli presidency said

ANKARA: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkiye refused to allow Israeli President Isaac Herzog to use its airspace to attend the COP climate summit in Azerbaijan, highlighting Ankara’s stance amid tensions with Israel.
“We did not allow the Israeli president to use our airspace to attend the COP summit. We suggested alternative routes and other options,” Erdogan told reporters at the G20 Summit in Brazil.
Herzog ended up canceling the visit.
“In light of the situation assessment and for security reasons, the President of the State has decided to cancel his trip to the Climate Conference in Azerbaijan,” the Israeli presidency said. Israel launched a devastating war against Hamas in Gaza a year ago after the Palestinian Islamist group’s deadly cross-border attack.
Turkiye withdrew its ambassador in Israel for consultations after the Gaza war broke out, but has not officially severed its ties with Israel and its embassy remains open and operational.
“But whether he was able to go or not, I honestly don’t know,” Erdogan said on Herzog’s visit to Baku.
“On certain matters, as Turkiye, we are compelled to take a stand, and we will continue to do so,” he said.

 


Hospital chief decries ‘extreme catastrophe’ in north Gaza

Hospital chief decries ‘extreme catastrophe’ in north Gaza
Updated 19 November 2024
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Hospital chief decries ‘extreme catastrophe’ in north Gaza

Hospital chief decries ‘extreme catastrophe’ in north Gaza
  • Kamal Adwan Hospital director Hossam Abu Safiyeh told AFP by phone: “The situation in northern Gaza is that of an extreme catastrophe

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: The World Health Organization expressed grave concern on Tuesday for hospitals still partly operating in war-stricken northern Gaza, where one hospital director described the situation as an “extreme catastrophe.”
“We are very, very concerned, and it’s getting harder and harder to get the aid in. It’s getting harder and harder to get the specialist personnel in at a time when there is greater and greater need,” WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told journalists in Geneva.
She said the organization was “particularly concerned about Kamal Adwan Hospital” in Beit Lahia, where Israeli forces launched an offensive against Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups last month.
Kamal Adwan Hospital director Hossam Abu Safiyeh told AFP by phone: “The situation in northern Gaza is that of an extreme catastrophe.
“We’re beginning to lose patients because we lack medical supplies and personnel,” he said.
Abu Safiyeh added that his hospital had been “targeted many times by the occupation forces, most recently” on Monday.
“A large number of children and elderly people continue to arrive suffering from malnutrition,” the doctor said.
He accused Israel of “blocking the entry of food, water, medical staff and materials destined for the north” of the Gaza Strip.
The WHO’s Harris estimated that between November 8 and 16, “four WHO missions we were trying to get up to go were denied.”
“There’s a lack of food and drinking water, shortage of medical supplies. There’s really only enough for two weeks at the very best,” she said.
A statement from COGAT, the Israeli defense ministry body responsible for civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, said Tuesday: “COGAT-led humanitarian efforts in the medical field continue.”
It said that on Monday, “1,000 blood units were transferred” to Al-Sahaba hospital in Gaza City, outside the area where Israel’s military operations are taking place.
In its latest update on the situation in northern Gaza, the UN humanitarian office OCHA said Tuesday that “access to the Kamal Adwan, Al Awda and Indonesian hospitals remains severely restricted amid severe shortages of medical supplies, fuel and blood units.”
 

 


Turkiye asks export group to help snuff out Israel trade

Turkiye asks export group to help snuff out Israel trade
Updated 19 November 2024
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Turkiye asks export group to help snuff out Israel trade

Turkiye asks export group to help snuff out Israel trade
  • Ankara has faced public criticism that trade may be continuing with Israel since a ban in May

ISTANBUL: Turkiye’s government has asked one of the country’s top export associations to help enforce a ban on trade with Israel, slowing the flow of goods in recent weeks, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Ankara has faced public criticism that trade may be continuing with Israel given a spike in exports to the Palestinian territories since the ban in May. So it turned to the Central Anatolian Exporters’ Association, the sources said.

The Trade Ministry has asked the association to require more checks and approvals of proposed shipments, including vetting with Palestinian authorities, they said.

One of the sources, from an export association, said the new system began in mid-October, causing an initial backlog. The “main concern was goods still going to Israel, so there is a procedural change in exports to Palestine,” he said.

In response to a query, the Trade Ministry said goods were only shipped if approved by Palestinian authorities under a bilateral trade mechanism. “The destination is Palestine and the importer is a Palestinian,” it said.

According to official Turkish Statistical Institute data, Turkiye, among the fiercest critics of Israel’s war in Gaza, has cut exports there to zero since May, from a monthly average of $380 million in the first four months of the year.

But at the same time exports to Palestinian territories — which must flow through Israel — jumped around 10-fold to a monthly average of $127 million in June-September, from only $12 million in the first four months of the year, the data show.

The top goods leaving Turkish ports and earmarked for Palestinian territories in recent months are steel, cement, machinery, and chemicals, according to the Turkish Exporters Assembly, also known as TIM.

The jump in such exports raised suspicions the trade ban was being circumvented, sparking street protests that questioned one of the main policies President Tayyip Erdogan’s government imposed to oppose Israel’s war with Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza.

Opposition lawmakers have also sought answers in parliament.

Trade Minister Omer Bolat said this month that, before the ban, some $2 billion of Turkiye’s $6.5 billion annual trade with Israel was goods ultimately purchased by Palestinian buyers.

Last week, Bolat told parliament that the Palestinian Economy Ministry vetted all shipments. Turkiye’s Trade Ministry said that Palestinian confirmations then run through an electronic system, after which customs declarations require a separate approval.

The Central Anatolian Exporters’ Association is an umbrella body for sector-specific export groups. In the past, they all usually quickly approved shipments with little question, the sources said.

Under the new instructions from the government, the association is the main approval body, two sources said. It must first confirm receipt of information about the proposed export including the Palestinian authorities’ approval, and then approve a separate application for export, they said.

The first source said the system was working now, but slower than in the past due to relevant checks.

In the first 10 months of the year, exports to Palestinian territories were up 543 percent from a year earlier, TIM data show. In the first four months, before the Israel ban was imposed, they were up only 35 percent.