UNITED NATIONS: The Palestinian envoy to the United Nations on Wednesday urged the Security Council to stop Israel from discriminating against Palestinians, wearing a black mask emblazoned with the phrase “End Apartheid.”
Speaking at a monthly meeting on the Middle East, Riyad Mansour evoked the term “apartheid” 15 times and called on the Council to protect “our long-suffering people.”
“This Council may not be ready to use the word, but apartheid is, and has been, for a while now, our reality,” said the Palestinian envoy.
“Israel may be outraged by the word,” Mansour said, but he added that “everyone else should be outraged by the policy.”
“Condemnations alone will never suffice to deter Israel,” he said.
“It is time to translate your words into actions. Actions to end apartheid.”
In his own address, Israeli ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, did not address the Palestinian’s accusations, but rather chose to direct attention toward Hamas, exhorting the council to recognize the group as a “radical terror organization” for “deliberately targeting civilian populations all in the name of advancing the destruction of the State of Israel.”
“Countries all around the world have recognized Hamas as the terror organization that it is, but sadly, this council has failed to do so,” he added.
The Israeli ambassador criticized the apartheid messaging after the meeting, saying in a statement that it is “a joint campaign between ‘human rights organizations’ and the Palestinians with the mission of delegitimizing Israel as a Jewish democratic state.”
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At UN, Palestinians call on Israel to ‘end apartheid’
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At UN, Palestinians call on Israel to ‘end apartheid’
- Israeli ambassador to the UN sidesteps Palestinian’s accusations by directing attention toward Hamas
Lebanon fighting ‘terror financing’, president tells US
- Since January 2025, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have “transferred over $1 billion” to Hezbollah
- President Aoun called on Sunday for “pressure on Israel to stop its ongoing attacks”
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun told US officials on Sunday his country was tackling money laundering and the financing of terrorism, days after Washington imposed sanctions on three Hezbollah members.
The trio were accused of money laundering to fund Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group, designated a terrorist organization by the United States and other Western powers.
The US delegation’s visit to Beirut, headed by senior director for counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka, came as Washington works to cut off Iran-backed Hezbollah’s funding and Lebanon’s government tries to disarm it.
The group was severely weakened in its most recent war with Israel, which was halted by a November 2024 ceasefire.
“Lebanon strictly applies the measures adopted to prevent money laundering, smuggling, or its use in financing terrorism, and severely punishes financial crimes of all kinds,” Aoun said he had told the delegation.
On Thursday, the US imposed sanctions on three Hezbollah members allegedly involved in the transfer of tens of millions of dollars from Iran, the group’s main sponsor.
Part of the funding was via money exchange businesses that operate in cash, said a US Treasury statement.
Since January 2025, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have “transferred over $1 billion” to Hezbollah, “mostly through money exchange companies,” it added.
“Lebanon has an opportunity to be free, prosperous and secure — but that can only happen if Hezbollah is fully disarmed and cut off from Iran’s funding and control,” deputy director for counter-terrorism John Hurley said Thursday.
Hurley later posted on X that he, Aoun and Gorka had “discussed ways in which we can partner together to stop the flow of money from Iran to Hezbollah and create a safer and more prosperous Lebanon.”
Israel on Sunday carried out new strikes in south Lebanon, killing two people according to the health ministry, putting the toll from Israeli strikes since Saturday at five.
Aoun called on Sunday for “pressure on Israel to stop its ongoing attacks.”
The trio were accused of money laundering to fund Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group, designated a terrorist organization by the United States and other Western powers.
The US delegation’s visit to Beirut, headed by senior director for counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka, came as Washington works to cut off Iran-backed Hezbollah’s funding and Lebanon’s government tries to disarm it.
The group was severely weakened in its most recent war with Israel, which was halted by a November 2024 ceasefire.
“Lebanon strictly applies the measures adopted to prevent money laundering, smuggling, or its use in financing terrorism, and severely punishes financial crimes of all kinds,” Aoun said he had told the delegation.
On Thursday, the US imposed sanctions on three Hezbollah members allegedly involved in the transfer of tens of millions of dollars from Iran, the group’s main sponsor.
Part of the funding was via money exchange businesses that operate in cash, said a US Treasury statement.
Since January 2025, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have “transferred over $1 billion” to Hezbollah, “mostly through money exchange companies,” it added.
“Lebanon has an opportunity to be free, prosperous and secure — but that can only happen if Hezbollah is fully disarmed and cut off from Iran’s funding and control,” deputy director for counter-terrorism John Hurley said Thursday.
Hurley later posted on X that he, Aoun and Gorka had “discussed ways in which we can partner together to stop the flow of money from Iran to Hezbollah and create a safer and more prosperous Lebanon.”
Israel on Sunday carried out new strikes in south Lebanon, killing two people according to the health ministry, putting the toll from Israeli strikes since Saturday at five.
Aoun called on Sunday for “pressure on Israel to stop its ongoing attacks.”
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