Lebanon: Families of Victims Commemorate Port Explosion, Adhere to Justice

A scene of massive destruction in the port of Beirut after the explosion (Archive - AFP)
A scene of massive destruction in the port of Beirut after the explosion (Archive - AFP)
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Lebanon: Families of Victims Commemorate Port Explosion, Adhere to Justice

A scene of massive destruction in the port of Beirut after the explosion (Archive - AFP)
A scene of massive destruction in the port of Beirut after the explosion (Archive - AFP)

The fourth anniversary of the Beirut Port explosion comes amid a blocked horizon for the resumption of the judicial investigations, which have been stalled for two and a half years.
The families of the victims will mark the occasion on Sunday at 5 p.m. by holding two demonstrations. The first begins from Martyrs’ Square in central Beirut, and the second from the headquarters of the Beirut Fire Brigade in the Karantina area. They will later gather in front of the Lebanese Emigrant Statue in the vicinity of the port.

William Noun, brother of victim Joe Noun, called for a massive participation in the event, in order to convey a message to the officials that their “cause will remain alive.”
He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the positions to be launched during the demonstration will all converge on one goal – the “completion of the investigation... so that the Lebanese people know the truth about what happened and (uncover the identity of) those responsible for the crime that killed our brothers.”
The explosion that rocked Beirut on Aug.4, 2020 claimed the lives of 230 people, injured more than 5,000 and destroyed a third of the capital’s buildings.
“The confrontation is difficult with a political team that has no goal other than to undermine the investigation,” Noun said.
Since the judicial investigator Tariq Al-Bitar issued the prosecution list in early July 2021, and included the names of politicians and security leaders, the plan to end his judgeship began through dozens of lawsuits filed by the political defendants against him, which led to the cessation of his procedures since December 23, 2021.
The United Nations Special Coordinator in Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, met on Saturday with the families of a number of victims, who renewed their “resolute endeavor to uncover the truth and enforce justice and accountability.”
The families shared their experiences of the unprecedented tragedy that shattered their lives, homes, and communities, adding that despite their relentless pursuit of truth and accountability over the past four years, their efforts have been in vain, with the investigation into the explosion stalled.
The special coordinator echoed the UN secretary-general’s call for an impartial, thorough, and transparent investigation to bring truth, justice, and accountability.

 



Blinken: US Will Continue to Press Israel to Do More to Spare Humanitarian Sites in Gaza

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken boards his plane at the Chopin Airport in Warsaw on September 12, 2024. (Photo by Mark Schiefelbein / POOL / AFP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken boards his plane at the Chopin Airport in Warsaw on September 12, 2024. (Photo by Mark Schiefelbein / POOL / AFP)
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Blinken: US Will Continue to Press Israel to Do More to Spare Humanitarian Sites in Gaza

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken boards his plane at the Chopin Airport in Warsaw on September 12, 2024. (Photo by Mark Schiefelbein / POOL / AFP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken boards his plane at the Chopin Airport in Warsaw on September 12, 2024. (Photo by Mark Schiefelbein / POOL / AFP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday the United States will continue to urge Israel to do more to spare humanitarian sites in the Gaza Strip after an Israeli airstrike on a UN school complex sheltering displaced Palestinians killed six UN staffers.

When asked at a news conference in the Polish capital about Israel’s bombing of the school complex in central Gaza the day before, Blinken told reporters that “we need to see humanitarian sites protected.”

“That’s something we continue to raise with Israel,” he said.

Wednesday's strike on the UN-supported al-Jaouni Preparatory Boys School in Nuseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza, killed at least 14 people, including two children and a woman, hospital officials said. Among those killed were six staffers from the UN Palestinian refugee agency, known as UNRWA, the main UN relief agency in Gaza.

UNRWA described the strike as the deadliest single incident for its staff members. Among those killed at the school, it said, were the manager of the shelter and others working to help the thousands of displaced people taking refuge there, including teachers.

The head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, said at least 220 UNRWA staffers have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s military offensive began in response to Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Blinken blamed Hamas for continuing to hide its fighters among civilians and said the bombing “underscores the urgency" of reaching a cease-fire in the embattled territory.