BEIRUT: An Israeli strike on south Lebanon killed one person and wounded another on Wednesday, the Lebanese health ministry said, as Israel warned it would intensify its attacks on Hezbollah.
In a statement, the ministry said that an “Israeli enemy strike” on a vehicle in Burj Rahal in the country’s south killed one person and wounded another.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the strike landed on a road and near a school, causing “panic and terror” among the students.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the incident.
Israel has repeatedly bombed Lebanon despite a November 2024 ceasefire that sought to end over a year of hostilities with Hezbollah, escalating attacks in recent days.
It warned on Sunday that it would intensify its attacks against the group, with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz claiming Hezbollah was “playing with fire, and the president of Lebanon is dragging his feet.”
Hezbollah was badly weakened during the war, and the United States has pressured Lebanon to disarm the Iran-backed group.
On Tuesday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated his call for negotiations with Israel, saying the latter “has not yet defined its position and continues its attacks.”
Lebanon says Israeli strike on south kills one
https://arab.news/z5k52
Lebanon says Israeli strike on south kills one
- The ministry said that an “Israeli enemy strike” on a vehicle in Burj Rahal
- The strike landed on a road and near a school, causing “panic and terror” among the students
Syria’s growth accelerates as sanctions ease, refugees return
- Economy grows much faster than World Bank’s 1% estimate, fueling plans for currency’s relaunch
NEW YORK: Syria’s economy is growing much faster than the World Bank’s 1 percent estimate for 2025 as refugees flow back after the end of a 14-year civil war, fueling plans for the relaunch of the country’s currency and efforts to build a new Middle East financial hub, central bank Governor AbdulKader Husrieh has said.
Speaking via video link at a conference in New York, Husrieh also said he welcomed a deal with Visa to establish digital payment systems and added that the country is working with the International Monetary Fund to develop methods to accurately measure economic data to reflect the resurgence.
The Syrian central bank chief, who is helping guide the war-torn country’s reintegration into the global economy after the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime about a year ago, described the repeal of many US sanctions against Syria as “a miracle.”
The US Treasury on Nov. 10 announced a 180-day extension of the suspension of the so-called Caesar sanctions against Syria; lifting them entirely requires approval by the US Congress.
Husrieh said that based on discussions with US lawmakers, he expects the sanctions to be repealed by the end of 2025, ending “the last episode of the sanctions.”
“Once this happens, this will give comfort to our potential correspondent banks about dealing with Syria,” he said.
Husrieh also said that Syria was working to revamp regulations aimed at combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism, which he said would provide further assurances to international lenders.
Syria’s central bank has recently organized workshops with banks from the US, Turkiye, Jordan and Australia to discuss due diligence in reviewing transactions, he added.
Husrieh said that Syria is preparing to launch a new currency in eight note denominations and confirmed plans to remove two zeroes from them in a bid to restore confidence in the battered pound.
“The new currency will be a signal and symbol for this financial liberation,” Husrieh said. “We are glad that we are working with Visa and Mastercard,” Husrieh said.
