Flame and smoke rise over Lebanon as seen from Israel's border with Lebanon, in northern Israel, on Oct. 10, 2023. (Credit: Ammar Awad/Reuters)
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After being targeted by rockets fired from South Lebanon yesterday, Israel retaliated with artillery fire, the Lebanese Army and the UNIFIL confirmed to L’Orient Today, amid an Israeli siege of Gaza escalating the devastating Hamas-Israeli war. Border crossfire continued for a fourth day with firings from Sour, Qleileh and Naqoura, while UN peacekeepers persisted in their attempts at de-escalation. Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee confirmed that an Israeli helicopter attacked three Hezbollah outposts in response to a rocket attack targeting one of its army’s tanks. Hezbollah, for its part, confirmed that it destroyed an Israeli Zelda tank in response to the helicopter fire. Three Hebzollah members were killed by Israeli fire on Monday after Islamic Jihad members infiltrated across Lebanon’s southern border. You can follow our live coverage of day five of the Hamas-Israel war here.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati called on all ministers to attend tomorrow’s government meeting to discuss “current developments.” Mikati mentioned “delicate circumstances” when the meeting was scheduled yesterday, though the agenda, which also includes discussions on displaced Syrians in Lebanon, does not explicitly reference the Hamas-Israeli war. Ministers affiliated with the Free Patriotic Movement have repeatedly boycotted government meetings, considering them unconstitutional amid the ongoing presidential vacuum.
Fuel supplies to Lebanon proceeded as normal after at least one tanker paused its journey toward Beirut. Fuel distributors’ association representative Fadi Abou Chakra offered assurances that the Lebanese market is “sufficiently supplied with gasoline and fuel oil.” Queues formed Monday evening as motorists filled up on gas amid fears linked to the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel.
A Gaza support march is scheduled to take place this morning near the Red Cross headquarters in Hamra, Beirut, a Hamas official in Lebanon told L’Orient Today. One man died from gunshot wounds after he and three others were shot on Monday during a Gaza solidarity march in Saida’s Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp. Several demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinians have been organized, including a sit-in outside the American University of Beirut on Monday and two separate Hezbollah gatherings.
No budget will be adopted for 2023 after the parliamentary Finance and Budget committee merged the delayed draft’s measures into next year’s spending law, which is on track to be the first budget passed within the constitutional deadline since 2002. A copy of the new budget draft, seen by L’Orient Today, forecasts a deficit of LL18,000 billion, or $211 million at an exchange rate of LL85,000 to the dollar — around LL5,000 below the parallel market. Projected revenues stand at LL277 billion, which committee chief Ibrahim Kanaan said would be “difficult” to achieve. While the parliamentary committee chief expressed concern over imbalances arising from the new exchange rate adopted to increase revenues, the caretaker Finance Minister offered assurances that the rate modification would not be a tax increase. The committee plans to meet again next Monday to continue examining the document, which must be approved by Parliament to become applicable.
In case you missed it, here’s our must-read story from yesterday: “In Beirut’s Shatila camp, Palestinians look to Hamas attack with a mix of hope, dread”
Compiled by Abbas Mahfouz
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