ORIENT
Bilad al-Sham بلاد الشام
"And I have found both freedom and safety in my madness, the freedom of loneliness and the safety from being understood, for those who understand us enslave something in us. But let me not be too proud of my safety. Even a Thief in a jail is safe from another thief. "
Khalil Gibran (How I Became a Madman)
Khalil Gibran (How I Became a Madman)
Lübnan Marunîleri / Yasin Atlıoğlu
NEWS AND ARTICLES / HABERLER VE MAKALELER
Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Hezbollah is just an agent for Iran in its geostrategic conflict with Israel - opinion - The Jerusalem Post
The phrase “yawash yawash” (little by little) – uttered by Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, in the context of tensions with Israel – has become a trend, making him a contender for social media stardom.
This phrase did not appear in Nasrallah’s speech randomly but as part of the philosophy and general objectives of his discourse. Nasrallah realized that his audience had grown weary of threats and promises, and that the cost of Hezbollah’s behavior in Lebanon had escalated.
Lebanon, already facing many accumulated problems, would now potentially be subject to a wide-scale Israeli attack in response to any major military operation the political party might carry out, either in retaliation for the killing of one of its senior leaders, Fuad Shukr, or participating with Iran in its potential attack against Israel – or both.
MP Sayegh: Open Qleiat airport and announce plans to open Hamat and Rayak Airbases - LBC
MP Salim Sayegh held a press conference at the Parliament, where he argued that the best course of action would be to open Qleiat airport and plan to open Hamat Airbase once legal and technical preparations are completed, with similar steps for Rayak airbase.
Sayegh announced that an urgent draft law with a single article would be submitted to expedite the necessary study within three months, requiring the government to begin implementation.
He noted that this basic legislative approach represents the minimum commitment and will be signed by the Lebanese Kataeb Bloc.
He voiced concerns that the war could escalate before the parliamentary process is completed, which would delay necessary actions.
He stressed that while the legislative process is essential, immediate steps should be taken on the ground without any delay.
He noted that Qlayaat Airbase doesn't require new legislation and can be immediately operational.
The delay is due to a minister's claim about the absence of a control tower, which is invalid given coverage from other towers in Beirut, Cyprus, and Syria.
He noted that Hamat Airbase is suitable for military and some civilian flights. It will likely handle most foreign evacuations during wartime, proving its capability as a civilian airport.
He noted that for Rayak Airbase, it is essential to prepare the necessary studies to convert it into a mixed military-civilian airport as part of Lebanon's overall aviation plan.
He emphasized that the best approach is to open Qleiat Airport and announce plans to open Hamat Airport as soon as legislative and study processes are completed, followed by Rayak Airbase.
Hezbollah attacks Golan in response to overnight Bekaa strike - Naharnet
Hezbollah has launched more than 50 rockets, hitting a number of private homes in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.
The attack on Wednesday came a day after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with fellow mediators Egypt and Qatar as he pressed ahead with the latest diplomatic mission to secure a cease-fire in the war in Gaza, even as Hamas and Israel signaled that challenges remain.
Hamas in a new statement called the latest proposal presented to it a "reversal" of what it agreed to previously and accused the U.S. of acquiescing to what it called "new conditions" from Israel. There was no immediate U.S. response.
First responders in Golan Heights said they treated a 30-year-old man who was moderately wounded with shrapnel injuries in Wednesday’s attack. One house was engulfed in flames, and firefighters said they prevented a bigger tragedy by stopping a gas leak.
Hezbollah said the attack was in response to an Israeli strike deep into Lebanon on Tuesday night that killed one and injured 19. On Tuesday, Hezbollah launched more than 200 projectiles toward Israel, after Israel targeted a Hezbollah weapons depot some 80 kilometers from the border, a significant increase in the daily skirmishes.
Israel and Hezbollah have traded near-daily strikes for more than 10 months against the backdrop of Israel’s war on Gaza. The exchanges have killed more than 500 people in Lebanon — mostly militants but also including around 100 civilians and non-combatants — and 23 soldiers and 26 civilians in Israel.
Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed it, saying it needs the strategic plateau for its security. The United States is the only country to recognize Israel’s annexation, while the rest of the international community considers the Golan to be occupied Syrian territory.
Hezbollah fighter killed as drones target cars in Sidon and Beit Leef - Naharnet
An Israeli drone targeted Wednesday a car in the city of Sidon near the Ain el-Helweh camp, hours after another drone strike on a car in the southern town of Beit Leef killed a Hezbollah fighter.
In response to the Beit Leef strike, Hezbollah targeted the Hadb Yaroun post in northern Israel.
The group also targeted Israeli soldiers in the Zar'it barracks with artillery shells.
Sources told Saudi Al-Arabiya news channel that the man targeted in Sidon is Khalil al-Maqdah, the brother of Fatah Movement official Mounir al-Maqdah.
Hezbollah had launched Wednesday more than 50 rockets on the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights in response to a midnight strike on Bekaa that killed a Hezbollah fighter and injured 20 people.
An Israeli army spokesman accused Hezbollah of "firing indiscriminately at Israeli civilians" in the Golan's Katzrin, warning that Israel will act to "protect its citizens."
Four Hezbollah fighters were also killed Tuesday in the southern border village of Dhayra and two Syrian civilians, including a shepherd, were killed Wednesday in Israeli shelling on al-Wazzani and the outskirts of al-Khiam.
Israeli artillery shelled Wednesday al-Litani and the outskirts of Deir Mimas in south Lebanon.
Warplanes and drones had raided overnight the southern border towns of Aita al-Shaab, Houla, Alma al-Shaab, al-Naqoura and Wadi Hamoul.
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
IDF strikes Hezbollah military structure in southern Lebanon - The Jerusalem Post
The IAF struck a military structure in the Al-Matmoura area of southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah terrorists were operating, the IDF announced on Tuesday.
The strike was in response to a Hezbollah unmanned aircraft incursion over the Upper Galilee and the Golan Heights.
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-815617
Lübnan'dan İsrail'in kuzeyine onlarca füze ve İHA saldırıları düzenlendi - Anadolu Ajansı
İsrail ordusundan yapılan yazılı açıklamada, Lübnan'ın güneyinden İsrail'in kuzeyine 40 füze fırlatıldığı belirtildi.
Ordu açıklamasında akşam saatlerinde çok sayıda İHA'nın Lübnan topraklarından İsrail'in kuzeyine gönderildiği aktarıldı.
Hava savunma sistemlerinin İHA'ların bazılarını düşürdüğü, bazı İHA'ların ise Golan Tepelerine düştüğü ifade edildi.
Hizbullah'tan yapılan yazılı açıklamada ise İsrail ordusuna ait 2 askeri karargahın hava saldırısıyla hedef alındığı kaydedildi.
Açıklamada, saldırılarda ölen ya da yaralanan olup olmadığına dair bilgi verilmedi.
Hezbollah rockets rain down on Israeli army bases after airstrikes hit east Lebanon - The Cradle
Hezbollah launched dozens of rockets at Israeli bases in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights on 20 August in response to heavy airstrikes that hit eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa region hours earlier.
“In response to the Israeli enemy’s aggression that targeted the Bekaa region, the Islamic Resistance fighters bombed … the headquarters of the 210th Golan Division in the Nafah barracks and the headquarters of the Artillery Regiment and Armored Brigade of the 210th Division in the Yarden barracks, with intensive barrages of rockets,” Hezbollah said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Israeli army said around 55 rockets were fired at the Galilee and Golan Heights on 20 August, claiming some were intercepted and others hit open areas.
According to Al Mayadeen, Hezbollah fired over 100 rockets during the operation.
“Barrages were also fired at settlements that had not been evacuated, some were intercepted – and fires broke out in the area,” the Hebrew news site Ynet reported.
The Hezbollah rocket attack came the morning after violent Israeli airstrikes targeting Al-Safri, Tamnin al-Tahta, and Sareyn in the Bekaa Valley. Massive explosions were seen in videos circulating on social media.
Rockets from Lebanon ignite fires in northern Israel - Naharnet
Israel’s military said that a barrage of 55 rockets from Lebanon has ignited fires in northern Israel.
The military said Tuesday that only some of the projectiles were intercepted by Israel’s air defense systems, while others fell in open areas. Firefighters were working to contain the blazes.
Hezbollah said it fired “intense barrages of missiles” at military positions in Israel’s north. Israel said it struck the areas where the missiles were launched in Lebanon.
Monday, August 19, 2024
‘Christian role in Lebanon has ended,’ says Hezbollah-affectionate commentator - The Jerusalem Post
Pro-Hezbollah commentator Reda Saad stirred up a virtual storm in Lebanon following a sharp attack against his Christian compatriots, when he claimed that the Christians’ role in the country is over and American battleships are coming to the region to take them away.
In his controversial rant during an interview with Lebanon On News, Saad addressed his “Christian brethren in Lebanon,” as he named them, warning them to pay attention carefully to his words.
“I fear that the Christians in Lebanon will face a similar destiny to that of the Afghans, when they clung to the wheels of the American helicopters and are thrown from the sky,” he said provocatively. “I fear that you won’t have an airport or a port [to flee from]. And perhaps the foreign warships are coming to take you, to the last of you.”
İsrail'in Lübnan'ın doğusundaki Bekaa bölgesine düzenlediği hava saldırısında 8 kişi yaralandı - Anadolu Ajansı
Lübnan Sağlık Bakanlığından yapılan açıklamada, İsrail savaş uçaklarının Bekaa bölgesine düzenlediği saldırılarda ilk belirlemelere göre 6 Lübnan vatandaşı ile 5 ve 15 yaşlarındaki Suriye uyruklu 2 çocuğun yaralandığı belirtildi.
Açıklamada, tüm yaralıların acil servislerde tedavi altına alındığı kaydedildi.
Lübnan resmi haber ajansı NNA, İsrail savaş uçaklarının, Baalbek kentine bağlı 3 beldeye hava saldırıları düzenlediğini duyurdu.
Baalbek'teki Duhur el-Ayrun, Curud Nebi Şit ve Suheyle beldelerinin peş peşe hedef alındığı, Lübnan semalarında İsrail İHA'larının görüldüğü ifade edildi.
İsrail ordusunun Lübnan'ın güneyinde bir araca düzenlediği hava saldırısında da 1 kişinin öldüğü bildirilmişti.
3 UNIFIL troops injured in Israeli airstrike on Dhayra - Naharnet
Three United Nations peacekeepers suffered light injuries Sunday, the U.N. said, after a blast near their vehicle close to Lebanon's southern border, where Hezbollah and Israel have traded near-daily fire.
Hezbollah has exchanged cross-border fire with the Israeli army in support of ally Hamas since the Palestinian militant group's October 7 attack on Israel sparked the Gaza war.
"Earlier today, three peacekeepers on patrol were lightly injured when an explosion occurred near their clearly marked U.N. vehicle in the vicinity of Yarine, in south Lebanon," the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said in a statement.
"All peacekeepers in the patrol returned safely to their base. We are looking into the incident," it added.
Earlier Sunday, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency had reported that "Israeli enemy warplanes" struck the village of Dhayra, about one kilometer (0.6 miles) from Yarine, "resulting in injuries."
A UNIFIL source told AFP the explosion that injured the peacekeepers was probably a nearby air strike, but "not a direct hit."
https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/307333-3-unifil-troops-injured-in-israeli-airstrike-on-dhayra
Reality and Illusion - This is Beirut
The people of the Middle East, particularly Lebanese, Israelis, Palestinians, and their near neighbors are understandably living on a knife’s edge of uncertainty about what’s next ever since the killing of Ismael Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31, 2024. It was a humiliation for the Iranians to have an honored terrorist guest assassinated in a high-security guest house amidst the celebratory inauguration of their new president, whose predecessor had been humiliatingly killed in the crash of a state-owned and controlled helicopter. Iranian leaders could hardly fume and bluster about their intended retaliation without suffering further loss of face.
Those of us without access to intelligence can only speculate, but what exactly is it that people think the Iranians are going to do? After their last big humiliation, the assassination of a senior IRGC commander and his immediate staff in Damascus in April, the Iranians launched a salvo of drones and missiles that Israel and neighboring states successfully parried. At the state-to-state level, Iran cannot sustain a fight with Israel. It is likely instead to pursue this phase of its campaign against Israel, which started on October 7, back again at the level of asymmetrical proxy war. That way, Iranian leaders have more advantages and fewer risks. Nonetheless, Hezbollah seems loath to escalate too aggressively; a full-blown war with Israel is hardly in the interest of its Iranian master. After all, Hezbollah’s arsenal was not built to defend Lebanon, but to deter Israel from attacking Iran.
https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/world/283179
Israel strikes Hezbollah arms depots in Baalbek region - Naharnet
Israel struck Hezbollah weapons depots on Monday deep in Lebanon's east, a source close to the group told AFP, away from the southern border that has witnessed near-daily clashes between Hezbollah and Israel.
The source close to Iran-backed Hezbollah said "Israel strikes in the (eastern) Bekaa region targeted Hezbollah weapons depots," and Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) said three locations in Lebanon's east witnessed "enemy Israeli raids this evening."
Videos from the scene showed a large fire and multiple explosions following the initial strike.
A similar scene took place last month after an Israeli airstrike on the southern coastal village of Adloun hit an arms depot, setting off a series of explosions that hit nearby villages with shrapnel.
https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/307349-israel-strikes-hezbollah-arms-depots-in-baalbek-region
Israel intensifies Lebanon strikes, kills Hezbollah commander, hits warehouse - Al-Monitor
Israel said it killed a prominent Hezbollah member on Monday evening, following strikes against weapons warehouse for the Iran-backed group deep inside Lebanon.
The Israeli government said in a post on X that its fighter jets struck Hezbollah weapons storage facilities in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. “Following the strikes, secondary explosions were identified, indicating the presence of large amounts of weapons in the facilities struck,” they said.
Israel added that its air force killed Hussein Ali Hussein in separate strikes in south Lebanon. The Israeli authorities identified him as "significant terrorist" in Hezbollah’s rocket and missile unit based in southern Lebanon, close to the Israeli border. Hussein was in the Deir Qanoun area of southern Lebanon at the time of the strike, the Israeli official readout said.
Hezbollah confirmed Hussein’s death later Monday evening, referring to him as Hussein Ali Hussein Suleiman, also known as Malak. The group said Hussein was born in 1988 in the village of Tarbikha, presently located in Israel just over the Lebanese border, and lived in Deir Qanoun. Hussein was “martyred on the way to Jerusalem,” Hezbollah said, according to its TV outlet, Al-Manar.
Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported that eight people were injured in the Israeli strike on the warehouse in Bekaa. Citing the Health Ministry, the agency said six Lebanese citizens, a 5-year-old Syrian girl and a 15-year-old Syrian girl were being treated in the hospital.
The outlet reported at around 8:50 p.m. local time (1:50 p.m. ET) that three Israeli raids occurred in the Baalbek district of Bekaa. The first occurred in Saraain El Tahta, the second outside of Nabi Chit and the third between Tamnine El Tahta and Qsarnaba, according to the agency.
Al-Manar reported Israeli raids in the same area, citing its correspondent.
Video on social media showed projectiles near the site of the explosion, with some claiming that an arms depot was hit.
Geagea urges involving private sector in power generation - Naharnet
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Monday noted that the electricity crisis of the past two days proves that the management of the electricity sector has been a “total failure” for the past 15 years.
“There is not a single indication that this management will change, and accordingly only one solution remains: involving the private sector immediately in the process of producing electricity and distributing it across Lebanon,” Geagea said.
He accordingly called on the head of the public works parliamentary committee, MP Sajih Atiyeh, to speed up the discussion of one or two draft laws in his possession in order to send them to the Joint Committees as soon as possible.
Geagea also called on Speaker Nabih Berri to call for an urgent parliamentary session in order to “pull the Lebanese citizen out of darkness.”
The state-run Zahrani Oil Installations on Saturday pumped five million liters of fuel oil on loan to the Zahrani power plant through the supply line that connects them, a day after Lebanon’s state utility Electricité du Liban announced that its power plants had exhausted their supply of fuel oil and would stop producing electricity.
Sunday, August 18, 2024
Rai Unveils What Citizens in Southern Lebanon Sent to Him in Letters - This is Beirut
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai stated, “We have received letters from (inhabitants of) southern Lebanon describing their catastrophic situation due to the war. In front of this dark tunnel, our people are divided: some have been forced to flee, while others have remained on their land to preserve their livelihoods, and this group challenges all difficulties.”
In his Sunday sermon from Diman, the Maronite Patriarch pointed out that “the events we are experiencing, including conflicts, wars, and the maltreatment of Christians, raise many questions,” highlighting “the role of the Church and Christians in preserving the image of Christ in every person.”
Rai also asserted that “at a time when talks are taking place in the region, it is essential to elect a president of the Republic, especially since the Parliament has lost its power of legislation.”
The Last to Leave Switches the Lights Off… - This is Beirut
This sentence was once scrawled along the road to Buenos Aires airport. At that time, amid a crisis, Argentina was experiencing a massive wave of emigration.
In Lebanon, innovation is in full swing. While the last Lebanese hasn’t quite left yet (but we’re getting there), the power has been shut off. Today, the state’s electricity, or “dawleh” as the Lebanese call it, has become a thing of the past. At this stage, one should be entitled to raise some pertinent questions.
So, where did the $45 billion allocated for electricity go? Since 2010, a series of Energy ministers have cycled through, all closely affiliated with the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM). Yet another stellar achievement for the FPM, alongside their alliance with Hezbollah, which has pushed the country into a deadlock on every front. Today, the party is getting a “makeover.” Some of its most prominent and brilliant members have either left or been ousted. Their sin? Thinking. What an absurd notion! The FPM is like a baby walker: it staggers in every direction and bumps into every wall.
Saturday, August 17, 2024
'Not interested in a broad war': Former Hezbollah official says response may be limited - The Jerusalem Post
A former senior Hezbollah official told the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Anbaa on Saturday that he expects a measured response from the organization following the assassination of senior official Fuad Shukr Abu Mohsen, as "the organization is not interested in a broad war."
According to the report, Hezbollah did not place much hope in the talks held by the American envoy Amos Hochstein and French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné, as they claimed that Israel did not commit to reducing tensions and even continued actions against the organization's senior members.
The former official estimated that in his upcoming speech, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah will "console the people" and that the speech is expected to come after the organization's response to Shukr's assassination.
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-815100
Hezbollah attacks Israeli settlement in response to Nabatieh massacre - Arab News
BEIRUT: Hezbollah said on Saturday that it struck the Ayelet Hashahar kibbutz in northern Israel in retaliation for a new massacre in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military said that two soldiers were wounded in a rocket attack from Lebanon, adding that a total of 55 rockets had been fired in the latest strikes.
Hezbollah said that its attack came in response to “the Israeli army’s assaults on the Kfour village in Nabatieh, north of the Litani Line, earlier on Saturday, killing 10 people, including Syrian children and their mother, and injuring others, including Sudanese workers.”
Hezbollah said that it added Ayelet HaShahar to its firing schedule and struck the settlement with Katyusha rockets for the first time.
According to Hezbollah’s military media, the settlement “is located northeast Safad in the upper Galilee and some 10 km from the Lebanese southern border.”
In another statement, Hezbollah announced “targeting a gathering of Israeli soldiers in the Al-Burj site with two attack drones, hitting it directly.”
Israeli media outlets said that “the barrage of rockets fired from Lebanon toward the north landed in areas that weren’t evacuated, causing fires to erupt.”
They added that “violent explosions were heard in Safad and its surroundings, in addition to heavy shelling with dozens of rockets launched from Lebanon toward the upper Galilee, causing casualties.
“Ambulances headed to the perimeter of the Mahanayim intersection, while the Hatzor HaGlilit area experienced a power outage following the bombing.”
Israeli Army Radio said that “around 40 rockets were launched from Lebanon toward the upper Galilee.”
The Israeli media reported that “a drone exploded in Margaliot, the upper Galilee,” adding that “settlers of areas located in the Hula valley in the upper Galilee were instructed to stay near shelters.”
Tension escalated on the Lebanese southern border on Friday night and Saturday morning, as 10 people died in Kfour, Nabatieh, as a result of an Israeli raid that targeted a building in the village.
The raid hit a cement stone factory in the industrial zone of Toul-Kfour.
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