SIDON: Lebanon said an Israeli strike on the country’s largest Palestinian refugee camp killed two people on Friday, with Israel’s army saying it had targeted the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The official National News Agency said “an Israeli drone” targeted a neighborhood of the Ain Al-Helweh camp, which is located on the outskirts of the southern city of Sidon.
Lebanon’s health ministry said two people were killed in the raid. The NNA had earlier reported one dead and an unspecified number of wounded.
An AFP correspondent saw smoke rising from a building in the densely populated camp as ambulances headed to the scene.
The Israeli army said in a statement that its forces “struck a Hamas command center from which terrorists operated,” calling activity there “a violation of the ceasefire understandings between Israel and Lebanon” and a threat to Israel.
The Israeli military “is operating against the entrenchment” of the Palestinian militant group in Lebanon and will “continue to act decisively against Hamas terrorists wherever they operate,” it added.
Israel has kept up regular strikes on Lebanon despite a November 2024 ceasefire that sought to halt more than a year of hostilities with the militant group Hezbollah.
Israel has also struck targets belonging to Hezbollah’s Palestinian ally Hamas, including in a raid on Ain Al-Helweh last November that killed 13 people.
The UN rights office had said 11 children were killed in that strike, which Israel said targeted a Hamas training compound, though the group denied it had military installations in Palestinian camps in Lebanon.
In October 2023, Hezbollah began launching rockets at Israel in support of Hamas at the outset of the Gaza war, triggering hostilities that culminated in two months of all-out war between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group.
On Sunday, Lebanon said an Israeli strike near the Syrian border in the country’s east killed four people, as Israel said it targeted operatives from Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad.
Lebanon says two killed in Israeli strike on Palestinian refugee camp
https://arab.news/v9dpg
Lebanon says two killed in Israeli strike on Palestinian refugee camp
- NNA said “an Israeli drone” targeted a neighborhood of the Ain Al-Helweh camp
- It reported that one person was killed and an unspecified number wounded
Syria holds data governance workshop with global bodies
- The discussions focused on establishing a unified framework for data governance within social protection programs, including data mapping, protection standards, interoperability and institutional coordination
DAMASCUS: Officials from the Syrian government and international organizations attended a high-level technical workshop on data governance and social protection as part of efforts to modernize social safety systems and improve policy coordination in the country.
Organized by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, the workshop brought together representatives from the World Bank, World Food Programme, UNICEF and the International Labour Organization.
The discussions focused on establishing a unified framework for data governance within social protection programs, including data mapping, protection standards, interoperability and institutional coordination.
Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Kabawat stressed the need for a national data governance framework to improve efficiency, fairness and public trust, and said reliable data was essential for sustainable financial planning and targeted social support.
She emphasized the importance of state-owned systems that safeguard institutional sovereignty and personal data protection.
Finance Minister Yisr Barnieh highlighted the role of accurate data in allocating resources to key service sectors such as health and education, underscoring its importance in poverty reduction efforts and improving the effectiveness of social spending.
Officials from the Planning and Statistics Authority and Ministry of Communications and Technology underscored the need for an integrated digital infrastructure and secure electronic linkage between institutions to support evidence-based decision-making and reduce duplication and waste.
A World Bank representative reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to supporting the Syrian Arab Republic in developing an effective social protection system, stressing that coordinated international engagement and clearly defined responsibilities are critical to strengthening national capacities.
The workshop formed part of broader efforts to develop a national social protection strategy capable of responding to growing economic and social challenges facing Syrian families.
