BEIRUT, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) — The Lebanese army received on Monday at Port of Beirut 100 armored transport vehicles donated from the British authorities, the National News Agency reported. Brigadier General Ziad Nasr, who represents Armed Forces Commander General Joseph Aoun, thanked the British authorities for their continued support for the Lebanese army, noting that […]

by reuters — BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Hezbollah said on Monday it brought down an Israeli drone that had entered Lebanese airspace, while the Israeli military said one of its drones had fallen inside Lebanon. Hezbollah said in a statement carried by Al-Manar television that it was now in control of the drone. The Israeli military said […]

By DR. DANIA KOLEILAT KHATIB — arabnews.com — Lebanon’s capital of the north is burning. Tripoli has witnessed violent riots in the last few days. The city that was previously a cultural and trade hub has been suffering from poverty and neglect by the central government for decades. The irony is that Tripoli is the home of some of Lebanon’s richest politicians. However, these politicians, who have done well for themselves and become billionaires, have done nothing to lift the city out of poverty. Tripoli is one of the poorest cities in the Middle East, with 80 percent of the population living on less than $2 a day. The city that was already struggling with poverty was also hit hard by the coronavirus disease and those who were hardly able to make ends meet were devastated by lockdown. Those who live from day to day — taxi drivers, porters, street sellers and the like — found themselves without any income. Similar to all the government’s promises, the offer of support was never fulfilled.

Youngsters went all over the city; they were angry and hungry. Last week’s protests led to riots, resulting in 226 being wounded and one killed. However, the riots were expected. More than a year ago, a member of the Tripoli municipality complained to me about the deteriorating situation in the city and the north in general. He told me that people in poor areas surrounding the city, particularly Bab Al-Tabbaneh, threatened him and his colleagues that they would raid the city and take whatever they could if the government did not provide them with minimal relief. The riots did not happen as spontaneously as expected. They were, of course, fueled by the starving population. Nevertheless, outside forces contributed by steering the violence for political purposes. A contact in Tripoli told me of rioters who carried with them hundreds of sticks of fireworks and Molotov cocktails. How can someone who can’t afford to buy a loaf of bread afford such weapons? Another contact told me that he and his peers went to the protests but, when they noticed the violence organized by some elements, they immediately left.