International

Israel insists on harsh response to Hezbollah

Published

4 months ago

July 30, 2024

Israel insists on harsh response to Hezbollah

BEIRUT: Political and diplomatic communications have intensified between Lebanon and other nations to mitigate the serious escalation between Hezbollah and Israel.

The communications aim to prevent Lebanon from entering into an open conflict, particularly in light of Israel’s decision on Sunday night to strike Hezbollah in response to what it deemed “Hezbollah’s responsibility for the shelling of Majdal Shams.”

Hezbollah has denied responsibility for the attack on Majdal Shams that killed 12 teenagers and children on Saturday.

A Lebanese government source said that “international communications” had so far succeeded in containing an all-out war.

Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee stated: “Our response to Hezbollah will be clear and strong.”

A Lebanese security source confirmed that Hezbollah evacuated several key points in the south and Bekaa since Sunday, near the Lebanese-Syrian border and the vicinity of Sayyida Zainab in Syria, “in anticipation of an Israeli strike.”

Lebanon witnessed a state of anticipation and caution on Monday, especially in the southern regions, the Bekaa, and Beirut.

Movement remained relatively cautious on roads connecting the regions.

The announcement that some airlines were suspending their flights to Lebanon further increased caution.

Foreign ministries, instead of embassies, warned their citizens to leave Lebanon immediately or “prepare for long periods of shelter.”

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati received a call from British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who renewed “the call on all parties to exercise restraint to prevent escalation.”

Lammy stressed the need to “resolve disputes peacefully and through the implementation of relevant international resolutions.”

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Reuters reported that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Israeli President Isaac Herzog and emphasized “the importance of preventing the escalation of conflict after the missile attack in the Golan Heights.”

According to Reuters, Blinken and Herzog discussed “a diplomatic solution that allows residents on both sides of the Israeli-Lebanese border to return to their homes.”

Reuters quoted an Israeli official as saying: “We want to harm Hezbollah, but we are not seeking a full-scale regional war.”

The hostile operations between Hezbollah and the Israeli army did not stop on Monday.

An Israeli raid in the morning targeted two locations.

The first raid targeted a car near Shaqra, and when a motorcycle arrived at the scene, it was targeted by a second raid.

This resulted in the death of two people and the injury of three others, including a child.

Hezbollah mourned its two killed members, Abbas Salami, aged 34, from the town of Kharbat Salem, residing in the town of Shaqra, and Abbas Hijazi, aged 29, from the town of Majdal Salem.

Israeli airstrikes hit Houla, with Israeli artillery bombarding the outskirts of Aitaroun.

Residential areas to the south of Mays Al-Jabal were also hit by artillery and phosphorous shells, resulting in fires.

The outskirts of Markaba, Rab El-Thalathine, and Kafr Hamam were also attacked.

The Israeli army conducted a sweeping operation toward Kafr Kila from its outposts in the settlement of Metula using automatic weapons.

Hezbollah continued attacking Israeli positions.

The Al-Manar channel — affiliated with Hezbollah — reported that “large fires broke out in the forests surrounding the settlement of Kiryat Shmona after missiles fell in the area.”

Hezbollah said it targeted the Al-Baghdadi site with dozens of Katyusha rockets.

It also targeted the Israeli soldiers’ position at the Al-Raheb site with guided missiles.

Israeli media reported the fall of several rockets at the Hagoma junction in Upper Galilee.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reiterated the Israeli threat that Hezbollah “will pay a heavy price, and we will let actions speak, not words.”

On Monday afternoon, Middle East Airlines’ aircraft landed on the runways of Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut after their flights were suspended on Sunday night.

The airline attributed the irregularity in its flight schedules to “insurance risks.”

The airport witnessed a rush of passengers arriving in Lebanon, mostly Lebanese expatriates, while others were departing.

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Hala, an employee at the reception area at the airport, told Arab News: “When we ask arriving passengers if they are afraid to come to Lebanon, they laugh and continue to walk.”

The US Embassy in Lebanon, in a video clip by Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Rena Bitter, advised American citizens to “develop a crisis plan of action and leave before the crisis begins.”

Bitter stressed: “Washington is laser-focused on Lebanon. The US Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas.”

She reminded US citizens of key points on crisis preparedness so they could receive direct alerts from the embassy.

She said: “Regularly scheduled commercial transportation is always the best option, while local communications and transportation infrastructure are intact and operating normally.

“Please ensure your US passports are valid for at least six months. Should commercial airlines not be available, people should be prepared to shelter in a place for long periods.”

The Italian foreign minister also urged Italian nationals to leave Lebanon, while the German government spokesperson advised German citizens to “urgently leave Lebanon.”

The Lufthansa Group, which also includes Swiss International Air Line and Eurowings, said in a statement that it would “suspend flights to Beirut until Aug. 5 due to the current situation in the Middle East, and as a precautionary measure.”

Air France and Transavia suspended their flights to Beirut until Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia urged its citizens to “adhere to the decision of not traveling to Lebanon.”

Royal Jordanian Airlines suspended its flights to Beirut.

Turkish Airlines canceled two flights to Beirut.

Turkish low-cost carrier SunExpress, Turkish Airlines’ AJET, Greece’s Aegean Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines also canceled flights.

Israel insists on harsh response to Hezbollah

ARAB NEWS

International

Over 2,000 Russian troops killed in last 24hrs – Ukraine’s military

Published

10 hours ago

November 29, 2024

Trends Admin

Over 2,000 Russian troops killed in last 24hrs – Ukraine’s military

In a significant escalation, Ukraine’s military reported that Russia lost over 2,000 troops in the past 24 hours, marking the highest daily toll since the conflict began.

According to Reuters, Ukraine’s General Staff disclosed these figures during its regular morning update on Friday, noting that over 300 pieces of Russian weaponry and military equipment were also destroyed. However, the numbers have not been independently verified.

The announcement comes as Russian forces push to capture as much Ukrainian territory as possible ahead of the anticipated return of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, with both sides expecting Washington to advocate for ceasefire discussions in early 2025.

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Despite suffering significant casualties, Russia’s military has made substantial territorial gains over the past month, advancing westward at a pace not seen since the initial stages of the 2022 invasion. The area taken during this period is said to be half the size of London.

The General Staff’s report stated that it could not independently verify the loss figures, as assessing battlefield casualties remains notoriously challenging. This number surpasses the 1,950 Russian troops reported by Ukraine on November 12.

Meanwhile, Russia’s eastern offensive continues, with over 100 attacks launched against critical positions in Pokrovsk and Kurakhove. In response to Ukraine’s use of Western long-range missiles on Russian territory, Moscow has intensified its air strikes. Ukraine reported successfully downing 88 out of 132 drones launched by Russia overnight.

On Thursday, Moscow also launched a significant attack targeting Ukraine’s power infrastructure, leading to widespread blackouts across the nation.

Over 2,000 Russian troops killed in last 24hrs – Ukraine’s military

International

Australia bans under-16 from social media platforms

Published

23 hours ago

November 29, 2024

Trends Admin

Australia bans under-16 from social media platforms

Australia yesterday announced a ban on children aged 16 and below from social media use.

The country’s parliament passed world’s first law banning under-16s despite safety concerns.

The bill was passed amid warning that the process had been rushed and that a ban could push teenagers towards the dark web or into isolation.

Australia’s parliament passed a law that will aim to do what no other government has and many parents have tried to stop children from using social media.

The new law was drafted in response to what the Labor Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, described as a “clear, causal link between the rise of social media and the harm [to] the mental health of young Australians”.

Yesterday, the parliament’s upper house – Senate, passed a Bill by 34 votes to 19 banning children under 16 from social media platforms.

But academics, politicians and advocacy groups warned that the ban – as envisioned by the government – could backfire, driving teenagers to the dark web, or making them feel more isolated.

There have been questions about how the ban will be effective.

Many worry that the process has been too rushed, and that, if users are asked to prove their age, it could lead to social media companies being handed valuable personal data. Even Elon Musk has weighed in.

The online safety amendment (social media minimum age) bill bans social media platforms from allowing users under 16 to access their services, threatening companies with fines of up to AU$50m (US$32m) if they fail to comply.

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However, it contains no details about how it will work, only that the companies will be expected to take reasonable steps to ensure users are aged 16 or over. The detail will come later, through the completion of a trial of age-assurance technology in mid-2025.

The bill will not come into force for another 12 months.

It was also silent on which companies the legislation would apply, though Communications Minister, Michelle Rowland, said that Snapchat, TikTok, X, Instagram, Reddit and Facebook are likely to be part of the ban.

YouTube will not be included because of its “significant” educational purpose, she said.

The bill was introduced to parliament last week, with just three sitting days left on the parliamentary calendar. It received 15,000 submissions in a day.

Among these was one from Amnesty International recommending that the bill not be passed because a “ban that isolates young people will not meet the government’s objective of improving young people’s lives”.

The number of responses increased dramatically, the Australian broadcaster ABC reported, after X owner Musk reposted a tweet by Albanese announcing that the bill would be introduced that day, writing, “Seems like a backdoor way to control access to the internet by all Australians.”

Most of the submissions were a form response, the ABC reported, with fewer than 100 submissions made by interest groups.