Lebanon

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.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon’s banking sector can handle the impact of the U.S. sanctions against Jammal Trusk Bank SAL and guarantee the money of depositors, the finance minister said on Friday.

Ali Hassan Khalil said on Twitter he was confident “of the banking sector’s ability to absorb the implications...and guarantee the money of depositors...and the central bank is doing what is necessary.”

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug 29 (NNN-NNA) – The Lebanese army said Wednesday, it fired at an Israeli reconnaissance drone, in southern Lebanon, near the border.

An Israeli reconnaissance drone violated Lebanese airspace, hovering over a Lebanese army’s position, in Aadaysit area, in southern Lebanon, so the Lebanese army fired at it and forced it to fly back to Israel, according to a statement from the army.

Another Israeli reconnaissance drone, also hovered for a while, over the Kfarkela area in southern Lebanon, then left and flew towards Israel, added the statement.

28 Aug 2019; MEMO: Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri has said that his country depends on Russia to pass the message to Israel that it should stop violating Lebanon’s sovereignty, Quds Press reported on Tuesday.

28 Aug 2019; MEMO: Hezbollah will retaliate against Israel after drones crashed in Beirut’s suburbs, but a new war between the old enemies remains unlikely, the Iran-backed movement’s deputy leader has said, reports Reuters.

“I rule out that the atmosphere is one of war, it is one of a response to an attack,” Sheikh Naim Qassem told Russia’s RT Arabic channel on Tuesday night. “Everything will be decided at its time.”