by NAJIA HOUSSARI — arabnews — BEIRUT: As Lebanon entered into complete lockdown for two weeks from Saturday its hospitals are struggling to cope with the number of new COVID-19 patients, which is now around 2000 every day. One 91-year-old, Zuhair Salem Al-Husseini, spent 10 days on a trolley in the section designated for COVID-19 patients at Makassed Islamic Charitable Society Hospital in Beirut because all the beds there were occupied, his daughter Heba told Arab News. Al- Husseini spent two days in the emergency department, to complete his treatment at home because there were no isolation rooms. But his children took him back to the hospital as his condition deteriorated and he was treated with remdesivir.

He said that he did not know where he caught the infection because he rarely leaves home. “About 20 days ago, I felt I needed to vomit and I had a very high temperature. From that moment, my journey with fighting the coronavirus began.” His daughter Heba said that after her father was discharged from hospital he did not receive any special treatment to follow at home. Al-Husseini said: “I have never been to a doctor all my life, and I do not suffer from any disease. I am a smoker and I used to smoke two or three cigarettes with a cup of coffee before I caught the disease. When I learned about my infection, I was not afraid. I accepted it calmly and said I want to survive and encouraged myself.” His 80-year-old wife did not contract the virus even though she accompanied the patient during his illness. There are more than 44,000 COVID-19 patients in Lebanon, 307 of whom are in critical condition, according to Ministry of Health statistics. The total number of cases since last February has exceeded 100,000 cases.

by JAMES R. STOCKER — warontherocks.com — On Oct. 14, Lebanese and Israeli officials began talks over their common maritime border, which has drawn attention in recent years after the discovery of significant amounts of oil and gas in the eastern Mediterranean. The two countries have long disagreed over questions such as what country owns the Shebaa farms, whether Hizballah should be allowed to maintain arms, and if Israeli military aircraft should be allowed to fly over Lebanese air space. After Israel signed a maritime agreement laying out the boundaries of its exclusive economic zone with Cyprus in 2010, Lebanon protested the arrangement and declared its own boundary, creating an area of disputed territory of around 860 square kilometers. It took the two countries 10 years to come to the table, but in September American mediators finally brokered a so-called “framework agreement” governing how the negotiations would proceed.

Given that Israel has recently opened diplomatic relations with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, and seems likely to do so with Sudan, some are asking whether these talks mean that Lebanon might be next. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suggested that the negotiations “might be a first sign for peace,” while cautioning that “there will be no peace with Lebanon as long as Hizballah is in control of it.” Lebanese President Michel Aoun, a Hizballah ally, has declared that peace may be possible under the right circumstances, including the resolution of all outstanding disputes between the two countries, presumably including the sea border. Aoun’s daughter has stated even more clearly that resolving outstanding disputes would make peace possible.

Officials from all sides have been attempting to manage expectations that these negotiations will resolve all of the issues between the two countries. Indeed, at the talks, the two sides have been sitting in the same room, but the Lebanese side refused to address the Israelis directly, insisting that all communications be delivered by U.S. or U.N. mediators. In such an atmosphere, what exactly can the various parties hope to achieve? A look at the history of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon suggests some lessons. For both governments, the prospect of reaching pragmatic, mutually beneficial agreements has often seemed enticing, but mistrust and skepticism about the willingness and ability of the other to deliver on promises mean that these agreements frequently fall apart. However, negotiations have proved likely to succeed, and agreement most likely to endure, when they have narrowly focused on technical issues, included third parties as monitors, and enjoyed support both from a majority of the Lebanese population and from other regional powers.

by middleeasteye.net — Mona Alami — In the southern suburbs of Beirut, Hezbollah’s stronghold, houses last week resonated with live coverage of the US elections. Much has been at stake for Hezbollah, battered by four years of the “maximum pressure” policy on Iran and its allies, adopted by President Donald Trump’s administration. Washington’s approach resulted in multiple sanctions on Hezbollah members and companies linked to the party, and seriously hindered its cash flow from Iran. Now that Joe Biden has won the US election, Hezbollah believes its fortunes may turn once again in Lebanon and in the wider region.

Supporters and analysts close to the party have either rejoiced or shown cautious optimism towards the Democratic candidate’s victory. Hezbollah’s general secretary said on Wednesday he was happy about “the humiliating downfall” of Trump, who he accused of having no restraints, adding that “arrogance and aggressiveness” had heightened the possibility of war. “Everyone has been following the American elections in Beirut’s southern suburbs and rooting for Biden, whether they are Hezbollah supporters or militants,” a source close to Hezbollah commanders told Middle East Eye. “People believe that Biden will be more lenient on Iran and will go back to making a deal with Tehran, which will be consequently good for Hezbollah,” the source added, speaking on condition of anonymity due to sensitivities.

A return to the JCPOA

by CALINE MALEK — arabnews — BEIRUT: Volunteers from across Lebanon have flocked to support Basecamp, an initiative offering everything from food deliveries to garbage collection, from home repairs to mental health support. Under the slogan “Together, we’re stronger; we are the real government,” Basecamp unites Embrace (Lebanon’s national mental health hotline), housing project Baytna Baytak, social justice movement Minteshreen and citizens’ organization Muwatin Lebnene. “We came up with the idea of providing alternative housing for medical heroes and Red Cross members who were in touch with COVID-19 patients,” said Bouchra Boustany of Baytna Baytak. “It was launched among people who met during the revolution (in Oct. 2019), and we organized alternative housing for 450 people.”

Following the Aug. 4 Beirut port explosion, the hotlines reopened and members hit the streets once again to assist those affected. Under the slogan The phone started ringing, and I realized people didn’t want to leave their houses because they were mainly elderly, and most of them have been here for ages,” Boustany said. “We are now (providing) alternative housing to around 20 percent of applicants, and 80 percent are only asking for house repairs.” So far, Baytna Baytak has rehabilitated 225 homes, with 127 in progress and another 132 waiting on finance. “We have a double mission because COVID-19 is growing, so now we are receiving calls from medical heroes. Our aim is to reach 1,000 houses within Beirut alone,” Boustany said. And reaching those who are living alone is a high priority. “Those people are really in pain, if not physically, then psychologically. They’re destroyed. What I am doing is part of a therapy — we just can’t let them down, and it’s a struggle because we don’t have any kind of hope that anything is going to be ok.”

From Fionn Shiner and Maria Lozano — ACN News — One hundred days after the explosion in Beirut on 4th August, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has revealed details of its aid programme which will enable church bells to ring again across the Lebanese capital. The charity announced that its €5million (£4.53m) aid package will be spent mainly on reconstruction, with churches, a cathedral and a convent among the buildings being repaired. The explosion was triggered by 750 tons of ammonium nitrate, creating one of the largest non-nuclear explosions ever recorded, causing more than 200 deaths, 6,500 injuries and leaving 300,000 people homeless. Among the seven projects confirmed by ACN – with a further 19 being considered – is St Saviour’s Melkite Greek Catholic church which lost its roof in the explosion.

Parish priest Father Nicolas Riachy told ACN: “We want to give hope for those who still want to remain here. Our mission is to bring light into the darkness through which we are living. There is no Christianity without the Cross. Christ is our example. It is not easy to be Christians, but many of our people are still very much aware that this land is Holy Land and we cannot abandon it.” Father Riachy stressed that the roof repairs were vital before the harsh winter months: “If the first of the winter rains arrive, they will spoil everything.

by AFP — BEIRUT — An adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron met top Lebanese officials on Thursday in a desperate bid to save a plan Paris put forward to rescue the country’s agonising economy. Patrick Durel, who arrived in Beirut on Wednesday, held talks with President Michel Aoun and other key players, including parliament […]

by arabnews.com — NAJIA HOUSSARI — BEIRUT: Lebanon is expected to head into a total lockdown again as the health sector buckles under the pressure of soaring coronavirus cases, with the head of a doctors’ syndicate warning that the spread of the disease among medical professionals meant there would be nobody left to treat infected patients. The Supreme Defense Council meets on Tuesday, under the chairmanship of President Michel Aoun, to take decisive action about a lockdown in light of increasing complaints from doctors and hospital owners that their resources have been depleted. On Monday, the total number of people infected with the virus was more than 95,000, with daily rates sometimes exceeding 2,000, while the number of deaths has reached 725. The number of COVID-19 cases during the first week of November alone hit 13,000, while the total number of cases in October exceeded 42,000 cases, the highest number recorded since the virus was first detected in Lebanon in February. Sharaf Abu Sharaf, who heads the Doctors’ Syndicate, warned: “Lebanon’s continued abandonment of taking strict measures to contain the spread of coronavirus will mean that no one will remain to treat those infected with the virus in hospitals.” He said 17 doctors were in intensive care units, three doctors had died, and that 100 doctors were under home quarantine.

Mirna Doumit, who is head of the Order of Nurses in Lebanon, said the number of people infected in the medical and nursing body had reached 1,500. On Monday it was announced that the director of Tripoli Governmental Hospital was infected with coronavirus. Hariri Governmental Hospital specializes in receiving coronavirus cases. Its general director, Dr. Firas Al-Abyad, said that one infection in every 125 in Lebanon led to death and that this figure rose to one in 10 among the elderly. “Lebanon will enter a new phase of complete lockdown,” he predicted. “Without a complete lockdown, the economic situation will worsen in light of the spread of the virus.” But the idea of a complete lockdown for two weeks, or even a month, has provoked a negative reaction among the Lebanese public. The consensus is that a lockdown is useless without a clear strategy for the next steps.

by By Solange Reyner — newsmax.com — President Donald Trump, should his legal challenges not hold up, is planning to run for president again in 2024, reports Axios. Trump has refused to concede the 2020 presidential election to Democratic challenger Joe Biden, citing voter fraud, though several news outlets, including Fox News, have called the […]

by naharnet — U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea on Monday said Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil had recently expressed to her his “willingness to break with Hizbullah.” “Mr. Bassil may think that it serves his cause to selectively leak information about our exchanges, taken out of context,” Shea said in a video statement. […]

by arabicpost.net —

لى بعد خطوات من إعلان نتائج الانتخابات الرئاسية الأمريكية، باغتت إدارة ترمب لبنان هذه المرة بطريقة مباشرة عبر قرار فرض العقوبات الأمريكية على وزير الخارجية السابق ورئيس التيار الوطني  الحرجبران باسيل والذي كان مرشحاً محتملاً لخلافة عمه رئيس الجمهورية ميشال عون، بعد أكثر من شهرين على فرض عقوبات مماثلة على الوزيرين السابقين والحليفين لحزب الله علي حسن خليل ويوسف فينيانوس، لكن المفارقة أن العقوبات التي شملت باسيل ليست مرتبطة بحزب الله بل مرتبطة باتهامات أمريكية لباسيل في ملفات فساد خلال توليه وزارات مختلفة. العقوبات مستمرة.. وواشنطن لا تنام على ضيم منذ مدة غير قصيرة تلوّح الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية بفرض عقوبات على جبران باسيل، أو على مقربين منه ومن رئيس الجمهورية، وبينهم وزراء سابقون ونواب على علاقة بحزب الله، فيما أكد مساعد وزير الخارجية الأمريكي لشؤون الشرق الأدنى ديفيد شينكر على استمرار بلاده في النظر في العقوبات بموجب قانون ماغينتسكي والذي يحاسب المتورطين بتهم الفساد والاختلاس. وشدد شينكر في مقابلة تلفزيونية على أنّ “العقوبات ستستهدف الموارد المالية الخاصة بباسيل وحساباته المصرفية، ‏وستُظهر كيف تشعر الولايات المتحدة حيال الفساد الذي قام به باسيل خلال السنوات الماضية، ‏بالإضافة إلى علاقته بحزب الله التي سمحت للفساد بالازدهار”

. وأكد على “استمرارية السياسات الأمريكية بغض النظر عن تغيير الإدارة فيها. ورداً على سؤال حول أثر العقوبات المفروضة على باسيل على عملية تشكيل الحكومة العتيدة في لبنان، أبدى شينكر استغرابه قائلاً “لا أرى سبباً لذلك، فهذه العقوبات مستقلة”. من ستشمل العقوبات القادمة؟ تؤكد مصادر دبلوماسية خاصة لـ”عربي بوست” أن العقوبات الأمريكية والتي أكدت واشنطن استمرارها ستشمل مجموعة من القادة والوزراء السابقين وأعضاء البرلمان المتهمين بالفساد وتسهيل سياسة حزب الله التوسعية في هيكل الدولة اللبنانية، ويشدد المصدر على أن لوائح العقوبات تضم وزير الداخلية السابق نهاد المشنوق وهو المقرب من النظامين المصري والإماراتي. حيث ستوجه له تهم متعلقة بتسخير وزارة الداخلية لأغراض شخصية وعقد اتفاقات مع حزب الله في السياسة والأمن والتكتم على معلومات أمنية مرتبطة بحزب الله ونشاطاته في الجغرافيا اللبنانية، وبحسب المصدر فإن التهم ستشمل تغيير نتائج الانتخابات النيابية الأخيرة صيف العام 2018 في مناطق بيروت وبعلبك الهرمل مقابل السماح بتغيير النتائج لصالحه في مدينة بيروت واحتساب أصوات مرشحين آخرين له، كما تضم التهم تهمة منح قوانين التجنيس لمجموعة من رجال أعمال سوريين مرتبطين بنظام بشار الأسد، ويضاف إليها استخدام وزارة الداخلية لمشاريع شخصية له ولمقربين منه وعقد صفقات ومناقصات والاستفادة منها.