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Airlines Extend Flight Suspensions to and from the Middle East 

An airplane prepares to land at the Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport, Lebanon, August 10, 2024. (Reuters)
An airplane prepares to land at the Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport, Lebanon, August 10, 2024. (Reuters)
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Airlines Extend Flight Suspensions to and from the Middle East 

An airplane prepares to land at the Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport, Lebanon, August 10, 2024. (Reuters)
An airplane prepares to land at the Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport, Lebanon, August 10, 2024. (Reuters)

Airlines are extending their suspension of flights to and from the Middle East as the region braces for possible Iranian and Hezbollah retaliation for the targeted killing of two top militants that were blamed on Israel. 

The Lufthansa Group, which also includes Austrian Airlines and Swiss, said Monday that its flights to Tel Aviv, Tehran, Beirut, Amman and Erbil will remain suspended until Aug. 21 inclusive. Its airlines also won’t use Iranian and Iraqi airspace during that time. 

The company said passengers who aren’t affected by the current suspensions but have flights to or from those five destinations booked through Aug. 31 can cancel without cost. 

Air France said it has extended the suspension of its flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Beirut — as well as flights to and from Lebanon operated by its subsidiary, Transavia France – until Wednesday Aug. 14 due to the security situation in Lebanon. 

Air France suspended flights to Beirut on July 29 after a rocket attack on the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights killed 12 children and teens. 

Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair said it was canceling all flights to and from Ben Gurion International Airport outside of Tel Aviv from Tuesday until Aug. 26 “due to operational restrictions which are beyond our control.” The airline did not elaborate. 

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Arab World

Outrage in Yemen Over Houthi Takeover of Sanaa University Land

A schematic of the area that the Houthi group decided to allocate to an investor (X)
A schematic of the area that the Houthi group decided to allocate to an investor (X)
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Outrage in Yemen Over Houthi Takeover of Sanaa University Land

A schematic of the area that the Houthi group decided to allocate to an investor (X)
A schematic of the area that the Houthi group decided to allocate to an investor (X)

The decision to transfer land from Sanaa University to investors connected with the Houthi group has caused outrage among Yemen’s academics and raised fears that other state lands and facilities could be targeted in the same way.
A recently leaked document shows that Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the so-called Supreme Political Council (the Houthis’ ruling body), ordered the allocation of 10,000 libnah (about 44.44 square meters for each libnah) of the university’s land to an unknown individual, Abdu Ali Hadi, for medical investment projects.
In late May, a directive ordered the allocation of an additional 40,000 libnah of land to Abdu Ali Hadi in the Bani Matar area west of Sanaa. This was proposed by the same individual who received land from Sanaa University.
University academics told Asharq Al-Awsat that these actions are seen as a deliberate attack on higher education, aimed at blocking the university’s future expansion.
One academic criticized the decision, noting that there are plenty of state-owned lands in and around Sanaa that could be used for development, but they are controlled and misused by the Houthi group.
The academic argued that targeting the university’s land suggests a systematic effort to weaken the educational system and turn its institutions into tools for promoting the Houthi agenda.
In recent years, al-Mashat has ordered the transfer of parts of Sanaa University’s land and buildings to the Endowment Authority, a Houthi-controlled body. This was widely criticized by academics and students as an attempt to plunder the university.
Another academic noted that the university’s Houthi-led administration has remained silent about these actions, suggesting a coordinated effort among Houthi leaders to misuse the university’s assets as part of their broader strategy to seize public property.
A third academic noted that before the Houthi takeover, corruption at Sanaa University involved only leasing land for the university’s benefit. In contrast, under al-Mashat, land is being allocated to individuals, benefiting specific people rather than the university.
The academic pointed out that previous corrupt officials did not dare to systematically target the university as the Houthis do, aiming to deprive the community of education and exploit public resources.
A university faculty member also recalled that three years ago, the Houthi administration decided to sell some university land to support combat fronts. The faculty member regretted that this decision was not well-publicized and the fate of the land remains unknown.
Criticism of the land decision has not only come from academics and social figures opposed to the Houthis but also from within the Houthi ranks. Some Houthi leaders and activists have expressed dissatisfaction and called for the decision to be reversed and for al-Mashat to be held accountable.
Pro-Houthi lawyer Hashim Sharaf al-Din has threatened to sue al-Mashat, arguing that the decision to allocate university land is illegal. He claimed it violates multiple laws, including those governing public institutions and state property, and has pledged to take legal action to overturn the decision.