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Arab Parliament Welcomes Spain's Request to Join South Africa's Lawsuit Against Israel

A general view of the Arab League delegates meeting. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
A general view of the Arab League delegates meeting. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
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Arab Parliament Welcomes Spain's Request to Join South Africa's Lawsuit Against Israel

A general view of the Arab League delegates meeting. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
A general view of the Arab League delegates meeting. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

The Arab Parliament welcomed Spain's request to join the lawsuit filed by South Africa against the Israeli occupation before the International Court of Justice. The lawsuit aims to try Israel for the genocidal war and massacres committed against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories since last October, according to SPA.
In a statement, the Arab Parliament stated that Spain’s participation in this lawsuit represents a victory for the voice of truth and law, and strengthens international justice in prosecuting and holding war criminals accountable for the crimes of ethnic cleansing committed against the Palestinian people.
The Arab Parliament emphasized that this step reflects the world's growing awareness of the racist and criminal nature of the occupation entity. They urged countries worldwide to join this lawsuit and abandon the state of shameful silence regarding the crimes and massacres committed by the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories.

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Australia Starts Evacuating Nationals from Lebanon via Cyprus

Australian nationals evacuated from Lebanon, due to ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli forces, arrive at Larnaca International Airport, in Larnaca, Cyprus, October 5, 2024. (Reuters)
Australian nationals evacuated from Lebanon, due to ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli forces, arrive at Larnaca International Airport, in Larnaca, Cyprus, October 5, 2024. (Reuters)
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Australia Starts Evacuating Nationals from Lebanon via Cyprus

Australian nationals evacuated from Lebanon, due to ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli forces, arrive at Larnaca International Airport, in Larnaca, Cyprus, October 5, 2024. (Reuters)
Australian nationals evacuated from Lebanon, due to ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli forces, arrive at Larnaca International Airport, in Larnaca, Cyprus, October 5, 2024. (Reuters)

Australia started evacuating its nationals from Lebanon via Cyprus on Saturday, in the first large-scale operation to get citizens out of the country amid an Israeli onslaught on Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Some 229 people arrived on the east Mediterranean island, which lies a 40-minute flight time from Beirut, on a commercial airline chartered by Australia. A second flight is scheduled later in the day.

More evacuation flights could be expected based on demand, Australian and Cypriot officials said.

At Cyprus's Larnaca airport, civilians of all ages transferred from the aircraft into a terminal and then escorted onto waiting coaches. Children helped themselves to red apples and water provided by Australian military staff.

"They are exhausted, exceptionally happy to be here but heartbroken because they left family behind," said Fiona McKergow, the Australian High Commissioner (Ambassador) to Cyprus.

More and more countries are using close hubs like Cyprus to assist in evacuations from Lebanon. Israel has sharply escalated attacks on Hezbollah in recent weeks, with a barrage of airstrikes and a ground operation in the south of the country, after nearly a year of lower-level cross-border conflict waged in parallel with Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.

In the past week, Cyprus assisted evacuations by China, Greece, Portugal and Slovakia. Britain and the United States have also moved personnel to Cyprus to assist in military evacuations, if necessary.

Cyprus had been used to evacuate close to 60,000 people from Lebanon in the last serious escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.

Some of those evacuated on Saturday said they did not think they would ever return to Lebanon.

"Never, ever. I was traumatized, my kids were traumatized. It's not a safe country, I won't be back," said Dana Hameh, 34.

She added: "I feel very sad leaving my country but I'm very happy to start a new life in Sydney. Life goes on. I wish the best for everyone."