Hasbaiyya Governor meets new UNIFIL chief to discuss security and development in South Lebanon
The meeting covered security conditions in the district and discussed development projects that UNIFIL plans to implement in villages and towns within its area of operations.
Lt. Gen. Abagnara expressed solidarity with southern residents and voiced regret over the ongoing military operations in the south, expressing hope for a swift and permanent cease-fire to achieve peace and security along the southern border.
He also thanked Governor Salloum for his cooperation and positive engagement with both the Spanish and Indian contingents, praising his role in following up on projects implemented by local authorities in cooperation with international donors.
For his part, Salloum thanked the UNIFIL chief for his visit, wishing him success in his new mission, and commended UNIFIL's humanitarian, development, and service-oriented work.
He stressed the importance of continued full coordination between the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL regarding the evolving security situation along the entire southern border.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LBCI
8 hours ago
- LBCI
Lebanon and Syria launch push to revive trade and transport — can the lifeline be restored?
Report by Ghida Fayad, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian Between Beirut and Damascus, transportation has never been just about crossing the border. It has long served as a vital lifeline, connecting Lebanon to Arab markets, carrying goods and passengers in both directions. In recent years, however, that lifeline has dwindled under the weight of high fees, complicated procedures, and political and security pressures. Now, new agreements aim to restart it by facilitating the movement of goods and passengers between the two countries. Under the agreements, Lebanese and Syrian trucks, as well as public transport vehicles from both countries, will be exempt from any fees when entering or leaving the other's territory. The two sides also agreed to implement the International Road Transport, or transit, agreement in line with the 1977 Arab Convention, and to reduce transit fees for Lebanese trucks passing through the Al-Qaim crossing from 10% to 2%. Regarding the entry of empty trucks and vehicles and loading for a third country, Syria promised to consider allowing Lebanese trucks to transport goods to countries inaccessible to Syrian trucks. Damascus also asked Lebanon to study the possibility of allowing empty Syrian buses to enter Lebanon to transport passengers, with Beirut pledging to coordinate with the relevant authorities on the condition that these buses do not operate within Lebanese territory. The understandings also call for both sides to work with their respective authorities to reduce customs clearance fees, grant an exemption for trucks carrying steel rolls weighing up to three tons, and explore reactivating the 'Orange Card' related to the unified compulsory insurance system. A direct communication unit will also be established to allow immediate coordination in resolving any problems faced by transport vehicles or trucks, whether at the border or inside either country. These agreements are not new, but rather a revival of an accord dating back to 1993 — one that has seen periods of activity and stagnation and is now returning to the forefront in an effort to breathe new life into transportation and trade between Lebanon and Syria.
LBCI
8 hours ago
- LBCI
With US backing, Israel moves to divide West Bank and expand settlements
Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Mariella Succar With full U.S. support, the Israeli government is moving forward with a plan considered the most dangerous yet for derailing the Palestinian state project. The government is expected to give final approval next week for construction plans in the E1 area. The plan would divide the West Bank into two sections, separating the north from the south, forming the backbone of efforts to eliminate the idea of a Palestinian state. The government's approval comes after years of delays due to international pressure and the dramatic, irreversible implications for the future of the territories under Israeli occupation. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich promoted his settlement plan, stating that a key condition of his coalition is to impose full Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank and link settlement activity there with Gaza. He argued that one of the objectives of the Gaza war is to re-establish settlements in the Strip as a condition for victory, asserting that such a plan would permanently end the idea of a Palestinian state. Smotrich, who described any support for a Palestinian state as 'suicidal' for Israel, revealed the start of a plan to expand the Ma'ale Adumim settlement and link it with Jerusalem, as a strategic step to consolidate Israeli control over the West Bank. Meanwhile, the Israeli government, through its relevant institutions, has issued orders to seize thousands of dunams of Palestinian land and allocated billions of shekels for investment in these territories. The plan aims to settle one million new Israeli settlers in the West Bank as part of what has been described as continuous Jewish construction to eliminate the Palestinian state project.
LBCI
8 hours ago
- LBCI
From Kirkuk to Tripoli: Historic oil pipeline poised for comeback
Report by Yazbek Wehbe, English adaptation by Mariella Succar The U.S. Caesar Act, which imposed sanctions on Syria, had delayed efforts to revive the Iraqi oil pipeline running from Kirkuk in northern Iraq to Baniyas in Syria and then to Tripoli in northern Lebanon. The lifting of U.S. sanctions has now put the project back on track, driven by Iraq's interest in supporting Lebanon and expanding its oil exports to the Mediterranean and onward to Europe, particularly amid disputes with Turkey over exports from the Turkish port of Ceyhan. Work on the pipeline began 95 years ago by the Iraq Petroleum Company (IPC). In 1940, the Tripoli refinery was established to process imported crude oil. In the 1950s, a new line was added to the Tripoli route, with a capacity of about 400,000 barrels per day. Sources told LBCI that a technical inspection of the pipeline showed minor damage from Kirkuk to the Baniyas refinery inside Syria, while more significant damage was found between Baniyas and the Al-Buqai'a border crossing between Lebanon and Syria in the Wadi Khaled area. The remaining section from Al-Buqai'a to Tripoli requires replacement, and the Iraqi side is prepared to consider financing this work. The information also indicates that Lebanon — which has hosted two Iraqi technical delegations in the past three months — is ready to work on this file with both Iraq and Syria, fully aware of the economic benefits it would gain if the pipeline were reactivated and a modern refinery built. The Iraqi side is also studying the possibility of constructing a new pipeline from Basra in southern Iraq to Kirkuk, connecting it to the existing line to Tripoli. Before 1984, Lebanon collected transit fees on Iraqi oil, amounting to about $1 per barrel, and Iraq allocated a quantity of oil for Lebanese domestic consumption at preferential prices. The renewed oil cooperation could bring major benefits, especially if the planned Tripoli economic zone — designed to produce all types of petroleum products — is completed. As global competition intensifies over oil and gas fields, export routes, and diverse trade corridors, Lebanon's strategic geographic location could allow it to play an influential and productive role — provided it approaches the matter away from political polarization and, crucially, free from corruption.
