Lebanon

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun warned on Friday that Israel would bear the consequences of any attack, days after a flare-up at the border between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.

The frontier between the two countries has remained calm since Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah traded fire on Sunday.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - France’s president is satisfied with Lebanon’s progress on starting an infrastructure investment program, the Lebanese Prime Minister’s office said on Friday, a day after a French envoy criticized the speed at which Lebanon is reforming its economy.

Foreign governments and donor institutions last year pledged $11 billion in financing to Lebanon for a 12-year infrastructure investment program at the “Cedre” conference in Paris, on condition that it carries out reforms.

BEIRUT, Sept 5 (NNN-NNA) – Lebanese Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, denied allegations about Hezbollah being in control of the government.

“Hezbollah does not manage the government. It is only a political party that has a stake in parliament. I am the one who manages the government,” Hariri said.

Hariri, however, noted that, Hezbollah is capable of igniting a war for regional purposes, adding that, he is not responsible for Hezbollah’s activities.

2 September 2019; AFP: An escalation between Israel and Hezbollah has ended after a brief exchange of fire, but tensions remained high along the Lebanese border Monday after a series of accusations from the two enemies.

Burnt fields could be seen in the border area and a new military checkpoint was set up outside the Israeli community of Avivim.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - An Israeli drone violated Lebanon’s airspace on Sunday and dropped incendiary material that sparked a fire in a forest at the border, the Lebanese military said.

The Lebanese army statement said it was following up on the violation with U.N. peacekeepers but gave no further details.

The Israeli military said: “A short while ago, fires broke out in the Lebanese border area. The fires originate with operations by our forces in the area.”

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Sept 1 (NNN-NNA) – The fourth China-Arab States Expo is a good opportunity for China and Arab countries, to broaden their cooperation and build a future for their relations, said an Arab business leader.

Praising the existing cooperation in fields like technology, investment, and tourism, between China and Arab states, Khaled Hanafy, secretary general of the Union of Arab Chambers, hoped for “practical steps” in their relations.

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Sept 1 (NNN-NNA) – Russian Ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, said that, Israel cannot win a war against the Hezbollah.

“Israel would be mistaken to think that it can win a war against Hezbollah and that the resistance is weak, because both Israel and Hezbollah are exerting much efforts, to increase their confrontation capacities,” Zasypkin was quoted as saying.

The ambassador said, any war will lead to a big number of casualties and heavy damages for Lebanon and Israel.

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Sept 1 (NNN-NNA) – Hezbollah leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, said that, Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, is looking for a pretext, to wage war against Lebanon, Al Manar local TV channel reported.

“Netanyahu is trying to convince his people and the international community, that the resistance has factories of precise rockets in Lebanon, for him to wage an attack against our country,” Nasrallah said.

Nasrallah noted that Hezbollah does not own such factories.

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug 31 (NNN-NNA) – Saroj Kumar Jha, the World Bank regional director for the Middle East, said Friday, that, the World Bank has two billion U.S. dollars, allocated for investments in Lebanon.

“There are great opportunities for growth in Lebanon. We have discussed with President Michel Aoun, the potential of investing in transport, roads, and water projects, in the country,” he said, following his meeting with Aoun.

Kumar also announced that, the World Bank fully supports President Aoun and the Lebanese government, with regard to the approved reforms.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria’s Idlib region saw a lull in air raids that have been pounding the insurgent territory, a monitor and rebel official said on Saturday, after the government said it was ceasing fire.

It is the second such truce declared this month in Idlib, which is in Syria’s northwest corner - the only major swathe of the country still in rebel hands after over eight years of war. A ceasefire in early August collapsed three days in, after which the Russian-backed army pressed its offensive and gained ground.