BEIRUT: Syria’s ambassador to Lebanon says his country wants Syrian refugees in its tiny neighbor to return home to help in reconstruction of the war-torn country.
Ali Abdul-Karim Ali made his comments Monday after handing a letter to caretaker Foreign Minister Gibran Bassil from his Syrian counterpart related to Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
The letter by the Syrian Foreign Minister to Bassil came after the Lebanese official expressed concerns over a 2018 property law, known as Law 10, that some human rights groups say empowers authorities to confiscate property without compensating the owners or giving them an opportunity to appeal.
Bassil expressed fears that this would make many of the Syrians living in Lebanon stay here. Lebanon is home to some 1.2 million refugees or a quarter of the country’s population.
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Syria wants its citizens in Lebanon to return, help rebuild
Syria wants its citizens in Lebanon to return, help rebuild
Israel accuses Hamas of violating Gaza truce, says it will respond
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the claim after a military officer was wounded by an explosive device in Rafah
- Gaza’s health ministry says Israel has killed more than 400 people in the territory since the ceasefire went into effect
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas on Wednesday of violating the Gaza ceasefire agreement after a military officer was wounded by an explosive device in Rafah and Israel vowed retaliation.
His office said in a statement that Hamas must fully uphold the October agreement, noting that it envisaged the militant group being removed from power in Gaza as well as demilitarization and deradicalization of the territory.
“Israel will respond accordingly,” the statement added.
The Israeli military earlier said that an explosive device had detonated against a military vehicle in the southern Rafah area of Gaza and that one officer had been lightly injured.
Violence has subsided but not stopped since the Gaza truce took effect on October 10, and the sides have regularly accused each other of violating the ceasefire. Gaza’s health ministry says Israel has killed more than 400 people in the territory since the ceasefire went into effect.
A 20-point plan issued by US President
Donald Trump
in September calls for an initial truce followed by steps toward a wider peace. It ultimately calls for Hamas to disarm and have no governing role in Gaza and for Israel to pull out of the territory, which remains in ruins after two years of war.
The sides have not fully agreed to everything in it. Hamas has said it will only hand over its arms if a Palestinian state is established.
His office said in a statement that Hamas must fully uphold the October agreement, noting that it envisaged the militant group being removed from power in Gaza as well as demilitarization and deradicalization of the territory.
“Israel will respond accordingly,” the statement added.
The Israeli military earlier said that an explosive device had detonated against a military vehicle in the southern Rafah area of Gaza and that one officer had been lightly injured.
Violence has subsided but not stopped since the Gaza truce took effect on October 10, and the sides have regularly accused each other of violating the ceasefire. Gaza’s health ministry says Israel has killed more than 400 people in the territory since the ceasefire went into effect.
A 20-point plan issued by US President
Donald Trump
in September calls for an initial truce followed by steps toward a wider peace. It ultimately calls for Hamas to disarm and have no governing role in Gaza and for Israel to pull out of the territory, which remains in ruins after two years of war.
The sides have not fully agreed to everything in it. Hamas has said it will only hand over its arms if a Palestinian state is established.
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