Spiritual summit in peace push amid continued Israeli massacres in southern Lebanon

Spiritual summit in peace push amid continued Israeli massacres in southern Lebanon
Islamic and Christian spiritual authorities in Lebanon have called unanimously for “the immediate and full implementation of Resolution 1701,” which includes supporting the Lebanese army and enhancing its capabilities to defend the country. (NNA Lebanon)
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Updated 16 October 2024
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Spiritual summit in peace push amid continued Israeli massacres in southern Lebanon

Spiritual summit in peace push amid continued Israeli massacres in southern Lebanon
  • The summit took place on Wednesday at the Maronite Patriarchate headquarters in Bkerke amidst escalating Israeli attacks and included Shiite representatives
  • In its closing statement, it added: “Solutions for Lebanon will only, and must only, come through comprehensive national solutions

BEIRUT: Islamic and Christian spiritual authorities in Lebanon have called unanimously for “the immediate and full implementation of Resolution 1701,” which includes supporting the Lebanese army, enhancing its capabilities to defend the country, and ensuring its widespread deployment south of the Litani River and across all Lebanese territories.
The summit took place on Wednesday at the Maronite Patriarchate headquarters in Bkerke amidst escalating Israeli attacks and included Shiite representatives, despite previous differences between the sect and Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi over Lebanon’s neutrality and Hezbollah’s weapons.
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon was praised for “remaining at their positions despite unjustified Israeli harassment and warnings aimed at removing any witnesses to the brutal massacres Israel is committing against our nation.”
In its closing statement, it added: “Solutions for Lebanon will only, and must only, come through comprehensive national solutions.
“These solutions should be based on adherence to the Lebanese constitution, the Taif Agreement, the Lebanese state, its unified authority, its free decision-making, and its responsible role in protecting the nation, national sovereignty, and its responsibilities toward its people, ensuring their security, stability, and prosperity.”
The summit stressed the need for “reforming constitutional institutions, especially for parliament to immediately begin the election of a president who enjoys the trust of all Lebanese, in accordance with the provisions of the constitution, with as much understanding and consensus as possible, based on a collective Lebanese will, adhering to the spirit of the National Pact, prioritizing the national interest, and surpassing external interests.”
It also called on the government to “fully assume its responsibilities and to cooperate with parliament according to the Constitution, to mobilize the efforts of Arab brothers and the many friends around the world, to contribute with the Lebanese in saving Lebanon.”
Parallel to the summit, Israeli attacks and confrontations continued along the border.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health announced a case of cholera 01 in a Lebanese woman in the Akkar region As a result, the national cholera plan and containment measures were being deployed.
Some 1.2 million people have been displaced from the south, Bekaa and Beirut’s southern suburb as a result of the war, moving toward central and northern Lebanon. Hundreds are without shelter, sleeping outdoors or in their cars.
Israeli airstrikes have targeted the southern suburb of Beirut — specifically the uninhabited area of Haret Hreik — following a week-long cessation of such attacks. It came after a warning to evacuate residential buildings was issued by Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee on social media, claiming the raids “targeted, with precise intelligence guidance from the Military Intelligence Service, a strategic weapons depot for Hezbollah that was stored in an underground warehouse in the southern suburb.”
Airstrikes targeted the city of Nabatieh, 56 km from Beirut, unleashing a series of missiles that destroyed the municipal building.
At the time, the mayor, council members and administrative personnel were organizing humanitarian aid for displaced people in the region. The attack left six people dead, including Mayor Dr. Ahmad Kahil, and 43 injured.
Condemning the attack, Prime Minister Najib Mikati said it was “a message to the world that remains deliberately silent on the crimes of the occupation, which encourages it to persist in its transgressions and crimes.”
He added: “If all the countries in the world are unable to deter a blatant aggression against the Lebanese people, what is the point of turning to the Security Council to demand a ceasefire? What can possibly dissuade the enemy from committing atrocities that have escalated to the point of targeting peacekeeping forces in the south? What solution can be anticipated in light of this reality?”
The UN’s special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, called for “the protection of civilians at all times.”
She said “violations of international humanitarian law are entirely unacceptable. It is imperative that all concerned parties immediately cease hostilities and pave the way for diplomatic solutions.”
Media reports indicated that Israel had captured three additional members of Hezbollah after initially detaining four on Tuesday. This was not confirmed by the organization.
Airstrikes on the town of Qana at dawn left three people dead and 54 more injured. The Ministry of Health confirmed rescuers were working to clear rubble in an effort to reach those trapped beneath it, while an infant who was found still alive had been taken to hospital.
Mourners and rescue teams in cemeteries in Jouya were also targeted by airstrikes as they tried to buy the victims of previous attacks, resulting in additional injuries.
Direct confrontations between the Israeli army and Hezbollah continued along the routes of Taybeh, Rab El-Thalathine, Markaba, Hula, Ramya, Aita Al-Shaab, and Qaouzah.
Shebaa also experienced heavy artillery shelling, prompting the intervention of the Lebanese Red Cross to evacuate several elderly individuals who insisted on remaining in the town rather than relocating to Hasbaya.
The Israeli army reported 13 injured soldiers along the Lebanese front in the past 24 hours. A statement said: “Israeli naval forces attacked dozens of Hezbollah terrorist targets, in cooperation with the fighters on the ground.”
Meanwhile, it also waged psychological warfare by calling civilians directly.
The Ghandour Hospital in Nabatieh Al-Fawqa, which closed some years ago, received warnings to evacuate after hosting displaced people from border villages. A man driving his car on the coast ride in Sidon was also prompted to flee his vehicle after he received a call.
Six people were wounded in airstrikes on the town of Yammoune, while Israeli drones flew at low altitude over the Lebanese-Syrian border area in Hermel in an attempt to prevent the reopening of crossings shelled in previous attacks.
Hezbollah announced a series of targets on the Israeli side, including Safed, the Yeftah settlement and Israeli army artillery positions in Dalton, Dishon and Misgav Am.
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported that two Israelis were wounded after five Lebanese rockets struck the yard of a house in Safed.
The Israeli army said 50 missiles had been launched from Lebanon toward the north of the country at dawn, some of which were intercepted.


Jordanian authorities arrest 10 drug traffickers in major anti-narcotics operations

Jordanian authorities arrest 10 drug traffickers in major anti-narcotics operations
Updated 19 sec ago
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Jordanian authorities arrest 10 drug traffickers in major anti-narcotics operations

Jordanian authorities arrest 10 drug traffickers in major anti-narcotics operations
  • Among most significant arrests was that of notorious suspected synthetic cannabis dealer in Irbid Governorate

AMMAN: Jordan’s Anti-Narcotics Department arrested 10 alleged drug traffickers and smugglers in five high-profile cases as part of an ongoing crackdown on drug-related crimes across the country, a spokesperson for the Public Security Directorate announced on Sunday.

Among the most significant arrests was that of a notorious suspected synthetic cannabis dealer in Irbid Governorate.

Authorities also detained three individuals said to be involved in the production and distribution of the potent “Joker” drug, which is a synthetic cannabinoid, also known as a neocannabinoid, which are designer drugs that mimic the effects of cannabis.

A raid on the main suspect’s apartment led to the seizure of 6 kg of the substance, along with hazardous chemicals used in its manufacture. Three additional suspects were arrested in Ramtha District on suspicion of assisting in the operation.

In Aqaba Governorate, an alleged drug dealer was apprehended in possession of 60 hashish pills, while another suspected trafficker in Madaba Governorate was caught with 10 palm-sized sheets of hashish, a quantity of crystal meth, and a weapon after resisting arrest.

Meanwhile, authorities in Mafraq Governorate arrested an individual found with half a kilogram of crystal meth.

Additionally, security forces intercepted a suspicious package arriving in Amman from an unamed neighboring country. Upon inspection, they discovered 10,000 narcotic pills. Further investigations led to the arrest of three individuals connected to the case.

The Public Security Directorate reaffirmed its commitment to combating drug trafficking and bringing perpetrators to justice, emphasizing that efforts to dismantle criminal networks will continue nationwide, Jordan News Agency reported.


Morocco ‘water highway’ averts crisis in big cities but doubts over sustainability

Morocco ‘water highway’ averts crisis in big cities but doubts over sustainability
Updated 30 March 2025
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Morocco ‘water highway’ averts crisis in big cities but doubts over sustainability

Morocco ‘water highway’ averts crisis in big cities but doubts over sustainability
  • Morocco is spending hundreds of millions of dollars on tapping northern rivers to supply water to parched cities farther south

KENITRA: Morocco is spending hundreds of millions of dollars on tapping northern rivers to supply water to parched cities farther south but experts question the sustainability of the project in the face of climate change.
The North African kingdom has spent $728 million so far on what it dubs a “water highway” to redirect the surplus flow of the Sebou River to meet the drinking water needs of capital Rabat and economic hub Casablanca, according to official figures.
In the future, it plans to tap other northern rivers to extend the project to the southern city of Marrakech.
Officials say the project has been a success in heading off the immediate threat to the water supply of the country’s most populous region.
“Transferring surplus water from the Sebou basin in the north allowed us to prevent about 12 million people from running out of water,” said senior agriculture ministry official Mahjoub Lahrache.
In late 2023, the capital Rabat and its surrounding region came perilously close to running out of water when the main reservoir supplying the city ran dry.
Morocco has long suffered from extreme disparities in rainfall between the Atlas mountain ranges and the semi-arid and desert regions farther south.
“Fifty-three percent of rainfall occurs in just seven percent of the national territory,” Water Minister Nizar Baraka told AFP.
In the past, rainfall in the Atlas ranges has created sufficient surplus flow on most northern rivers for them to reach the ocean even in the driest months of the year.
It is those surpluses that the “water highway” project seeks to tap.
A diversion dam has been built in the city of Kenitra, just inland from the Atlantic coast, to hold back the flow of the Sebou River before it enters the ocean.
The water is then treated and transported along a 67-kilometer (42-mile) underground canal to supply residents of Rabat and Casablanca.
Inaugurated last August, the “water highway” had supplied more than 700 million cubic meters (24.7 billion cubic feet) of drinking water to the two urban areas by early March, according to official figures.
But experts question how long the Sebou and other northern rivers will continue to generate water surpluses that can be tapped.
The kingdom already suffers from significant water stress after six straight years of drought.
Annual water supply has dropped from an average of 18 billion cubic meters in the 1980s to just five billion today, according to official figures.
Despite heavy rains in the northwest in early March, Morocco remains in the grip of drought with rainfall 75 percent below historical averages.
The dry spell has been “the longest in the country’s history,” the water minister said, noting that previous dry cycles typically lasted three years at most.
Rising temperatures — up 1.8 degrees Celsius last year alone — have intensified evaporation.
Experts say that climate change is likely to see further reductions in rainfall, concentrated in the very areas from which the “water highway” is designed to tap surplus flows.
“Future scenarios indicate that northern water basins will be significantly more affected by climate change than those in the south over the next 60 years,” said water and climate researcher Nabil El Mocayd.
“What is considered surplus today may no longer exist in the future due to this growing deficit,” he added, referencing a 2020 study in which he recommended scaling back the “water highway.”
Demand for water for irrigation also remains high in Morocco, where the farm sector employs nearly a third of the workforce.
Researcher Abderrahim Handouf said more needed to be done to help farmers adopt water-efficient irrigation techniques.
Handouf said the “water highway” was “an effective solution in the absence of alternatives” but warned that climate challenges will inevitably “create problems even in the north.”
“We must remain cautious,” he said, calling for greater investment in desalination plants to provide drinking water to the big cities.


Iran rejects direct negotiations with US in response to Trump’s letter

Iran rejects direct negotiations with US in response to Trump’s letter
Updated 30 March 2025
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Iran rejects direct negotiations with US in response to Trump’s letter

Iran rejects direct negotiations with US in response to Trump’s letter
  • unday’s remarks from President Masoud Pezeshkian represented the first official acknowledgment of how Iran responded to Trump’s letter
  • It also suggests that tensions may further rise between Tehran and Washington

DUBAI:Iran’s president said Sunday that Tehran had rejected direct negotiations with the United States in response to a letter from President Donald Trump over its rapidly advancing nuclear program.
The remarks from President Masoud Pezeshkian represented the first official acknowledgment of how Iran responded to Trump’s letter. It also suggests that tensions may further rise between Tehran and Washington.
Pezeshkian said: “Although the possibility of direct negotiations between the two sides has been rejected in this response, it has been emphasized that the path for indirect negotiations remains open.”
It’s unclear, however, whether Trump would accept indirect negotiations. Indirect negotiations for years since Trump initially withdrew America from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers in 2018 have been unsuccessful.
Trump’s overture comes as both Israel and the United States have warned they will never let Iran acquire a nuclear weapon, leading to fears of a military confrontation as Tehran enriches uranium at near weapons-grade levels — something only done by atomic-armed nations.
Iran has long maintained its program is for peaceful purposes, even as its officials increasingly threaten to pursue the bomb as tensions are high with the US over its sanctions and after the collapse of a ceasefire in Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Since Trump returned to the White House, his administration has consistently said that Iran must be prevented from acquiring nuclear weapons. A report in February, however, by the UN’s nuclear watchdog said Iran has accelerated its production of near weapons-grade uranium.


Netanyahu says military pressure on Hamas working, ‘cracks’ emerging in negotiations

Netanyahu says military pressure on Hamas working, ‘cracks’ emerging in negotiations
Updated 30 March 2025
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Netanyahu says military pressure on Hamas working, ‘cracks’ emerging in negotiations

Netanyahu says military pressure on Hamas working, ‘cracks’ emerging in negotiations
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel’s intensified military pressure on Hamas in Gaza has been effective

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel’s intensified military pressure on Hamas in Gaza has been effective, stressing the Palestinian group must lay down its arms.
“We are negotiating under fire... We can see cracks beginning to appear” in what the group demanded in its negotiations, Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting.
Netanyahu’s remarks came as mediators — Egypt, Qatar, and the United States — continued efforts to broker a ceasefire and secure the release of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.
A senior Hamas official stated on Saturday that the group had approved a new ceasefire proposal put forward by mediators and urged Israel to support it.
Netanyahu’s office confirmed receipt of the proposal and said Israel had submitted a counterproposal.
However, the details of the latest mediation efforts remain undisclosed.
On Sunday, Netanyahu rejected claims Israel was not interested in discussing a deal that would secure the release of hostages still held in Gaza, but insisted Hamas must surrender its weapons.
“We are willing. Hamas must lay down its arms... Its leaders will be allowed to leave” from Gaza, he said.
He said that Israel would ensure overall security in Gaza and “enable the implementation of the Trump plan — the voluntary migration plan.”
Days after taking office, US President Donald Trump had announced a plan that would relocate Gaza’s more than two million inhabitants to neighboring Egypt and Jordan.
His announcement was slammed by much of the international community.
A fragile truce that had provided weeks of relative calm in the Gaza Strip collapsed on March 18 when Israel resumed its aerial bombardment and ground offensive in the Palestinian territory.
On Sunday, an Israeli air strike killed at least eight people in Gaza’s Khan Yunis area, including five children, the territory’s civil defense agency reported.


Sudan’s paramilitary RSF chief says war with army is not over

Sudan’s paramilitary RSF chief says war with army is not over
Updated 30 March 2025
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Sudan’s paramilitary RSF chief says war with army is not over

Sudan’s paramilitary RSF chief says war with army is not over
  • Hemedti conceded in an audio message on Telegram that his forces left the capital last week as the army consolidated its gains

CAIRO: The leader of the Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo said on Sunday that his forces would return stronger to the capital Khartoum.
It was Dagalo’s first comment since the RSF were pushed back from most parts of Khartoum by the Sudanese army during a devastating war that has lasted two-years.
Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, conceded in an audio message on Telegram that his forces left the capital last week as the army consolidated its gains.