Thick smoke rises along the hills of southern Lebanon following an Israeli bombardment, Dec. 10, 2023. (Credit: Jalaa Marey/AFP)
Public administrations, private and public schools and universities, banks and archaeological sites will be closed on Monday Dec. 11 in Lebanon as a sign of solidarity with the Palestinian people, the Grand Serail, the Ministries of Education and Culture and the Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL) announced on Sunday.
In a statement, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers announced the closure of public administrations, institutions and municipalities in response to the international call for a strike "in solidarity with the Palestinian people and the inhabitants of Gaza and the Lebanese villages on the border with Israel."
Outgoing Education Minister Abbas Halabi said that private and public schools, technical institutes and universities would close "to express solidarity with the Palestinian people, who are facing extermination, displacement and murder."
The outgoing Minister of Culture, Mohammad Mortada, also announced that "the Ministry's offices and archaeological sites will be closed on Monday."
ABL said that all banks would close on Monday "in solidarity with the Palestinian people," according to the National News Agency (NNA).
Banque du Liban (BDL) also said in a statement that it would close its doors.
These announcements come as hostilities on the southern Lebanese border between Hezbollah and Israel have continued on an almost daily basis since Oct. 8, and the Hamas-Israel war continues to rage in Gaza.