
Israeli air strike on south Lebanon kills one
An Israeli strike on southern Lebanon killed one person on Saturday, the Lebanese health ministry said, in the latest violation of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
In a statement, the health ministry said that an Israeli drone strike on a car in the village of Kunin killed one man in a preliminary toll.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the incident.
The attack comes a day after Israel killed a woman and wounded 25 other people in heavy strikes across the country's south.
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that the woman was killed in an Israeli drone strike on a residential apartment in the city of Nabatiyeh.
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Friday's air strikes were "the most intense" on southern Lebanon since the end of the 66-day war last November, according to residents.
The Israeli military claimed, without evidence, that the site was part of a damaged underground project that Hezbollah had attempted to repair in recent days.
Israel is reported to have violated the November 2024 ceasefire that ended over a year of hostilities with Hezbollah almost daily.
At least 173 people have been killed and more than 400 wounded in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire went into effect, Hussein Chaabane, an investigative journalist with Legal Agenda who has been tracking the strikes, was quoted as saying by the Washington Post.
Under the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah was to pull its fighters back north of the Litani river, some 30 kilometres from the Israeli border, leaving the Lebanese army and United Nations peacekeepers as the only armed parties in the region.
Hezbollah has previously said the majority of its military sites in southern Lebanon are now under the control of the Lebanese army.
"Out of 265 Hezbollah military positions identified south of the Litani [River], the movement has ceded about 190 to the army," a party source told AFP in April.
Israel was required to fully withdraw from the country but its forces still occupy in five "strategic" locations in south Lebanon.
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Zaman told MEE: 'As a public servant, an ambassador cannot be involved in any business activity without specific approval of the government. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters 'The first question, therefore, is whether such approvals were obtained. An equally important question is what is the source of the capital he has invested. 'More importantly, an in-service public official cannot have business relationships with the government. No less important is the potential reputational damage caused by an ambassador.' Middle East Eye has contacted Alhmoudi, the Emirati embassy in Dhaka, the Emirati foreign ministry, the Bangladeshi government and the companies and individuals named in this story but none had responded at the time of writing. Bangladeshi officials with knowledge of the deal also refused to comment due to concerns that speaking out would jeopardise Bangladesh's relationship with the UAE. Deal signed by previous government The new passenger information system is being implemented in order to bring Bangladeshi airports in line with international standards requiring the collection of Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) data. In December 2022, the governments of Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly explore setting up API and PNR systems in Bangladesh. Shattered Lands: How Doha and Dubai could have joined India or Pakistan in 1947 Read More » An Emirati state-owned business, Emirates Technology Solutions (Etek), based in Fujairah was appointed to lead the project. In turn it subcontracted the work to a Dubai-based company named Identima which was registered in 2021 by Alhmoudi. 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But the International Civil Aviation Organization recommends a fee of $3.50 per passenger, while SITA is understood to charge $1.50 per passenger for providing the same services in the UAE, according to sources familiar with these details. SITA typically makes agreements with governments, airport authorities, or national aviation bodies. Any third party involved in handling SITA systems would need to be authorised either by the company itself or by the relevant contracting government entity. MEE contacted multiple aviation experts who declined to comment on SITA and its pricing, citing commercial sensitivity. The documents also raise questions about the appropriateness of Alhmoudi's apparent business interests in the project. Alhmoudi has promoted the UAE's deepening involvement in Bangladesh's aviation sector in his official duties. In Septemberr, he met Monjur Kabir Bhuiyan, the chair of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, to discuss expanding cooperation in areas including 'ground handling services, anti-drone systems, and passenger information systems', according to Bangladeshi media reports. 'As a public servant, an ambassador cannot be involved in any business activity without specific approval of the government' - Iftekhar Zaman, Transparency International Bangladesh A memorandum of understanding signed between Etek and Identima in October 2021, which is signed on Identima's part by Shahariar and by Alhmoudi as a witness, notes that each company 'warrants that no conflict of interest exists or is likely to arise'. It states that each company will notify the other if a conflict arises, and that both will seek to resolve it. MEE has asked Alhmoudi, Shahariar, and both companies whether they have taken any steps to address Alhmoudi's apparent conflict of interest. The Vienna Convention, the United Nations treaty governing the conduct of international diplomacy, strictly forbids diplomats from profiting from professional or commercial activities in the countries where they are based. Alhmoudi was appointed ambassador in Dhaka on 21 September 2022, just over three months before the memorandum was signed on 28 December that year. Zaman, of Transparency International Bangladesh, told MEE: 'All these matters should be thoroughly investigated through due process to ensure the accountability of the ambassador, as well as those who were involved in the approval of this contract.' The revelations about Alhmoudi's involvement come as the current MoU between Bangladesh and the UAE is due to expire at the end of this month. MEE has seen a copy of a renewal agreement dated 2 July 2024 which was signed by Alhmoudi on behalf of the government of Fujairah. In a letter to the Bangladeshi foreign ministry dated 22 May, the UAE's embassy in Dhaka requested a further extension until 30 June 2026. 'Slow progress' The future of the project now appears clouded by uncertainty. In April, Bangladesh's Financial Express reported that CAAB was 'making slow progress' in implementing the passenger information system It reported that a committee had been created earlier this year to review and evaluate proposals from different countries. 'A revolution': Bangladeshis hope for democracy and justice after Hasina flees Read More » A CAAB official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the newspaper that the aviation authority planned to implement SITA through a company charging a "comparatively higher cost" than the ICAO recommendation of $3.50 per passenger, and raised concerns that the additional burden would fall on passengers, namely Bangladeshi labourers working abroad. 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