Lebanon’s Protests Regain Momentum

Protesters rally in the city of Tyre on Tuesday. NNA
Protesters rally in the city of Tyre on Tuesday. NNA
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Lebanon’s Protests Regain Momentum

Protesters rally in the city of Tyre on Tuesday. NNA
Protesters rally in the city of Tyre on Tuesday. NNA

Despite a “general mobilization” announced by the authorities to face the COVID-19 disease, Lebanon’s anti-government protests regained momentum on Tuesday as Parliament convened to discuss a number of laws.

Protestors rallied across the country through convoys, adhering to social distancing measures.

Some demonstrators gathered around the UNESCO Palace in Beirut, where deputies held a parliament session, amid heavy security measures.

They called for the recovery of looted funds, the independence of the judiciary, an economic plan, and holding the corrupt accountable.

They also protested against rampant corruption and the devaluation of the Lebanese currency.

“Our revolution will continue until we achieve our demands,” they shouted.

Some of them considered dying from COVID-19 similar to dying from hunger.

“The virus will not stop us from continuing our protests,” they said.

Lebanon has been facing its worst economic crisis in decades, with unemployment figures soaring and the local currency losing more than half of its value against the dollar. Protests broke out nationwide in October against government corruption, further deepening the economic slump.

Over the past months, the protests lost some of their momentum and were subsequently interrupted by the outbreak of the pandemic. Activists, however, said they were resuming the movement but would protest in their cars, in line with safety measures.

Outside Beirut, there were convoys in the north, south and the east, with protesters wearing masks and respecting an Interior Ministry decision that only allows vehicles with license plates ending in an even digit, including zero, to circulate on roads Tuesdays.

The Lebanese Health Ministry reported on Tuesday that no new coronavirus cases have been recorded in the past 24 hours, leaving Lebanon's tally at 677.



UN Says ‘Deliberate’ Choices ‘Systematically’ Depriving Gazans

04 June 2025, Palestinian Territories, Nusirat: Displaced Palestinians gather in a charity kitchen to receive aid amid a shortage of food, in Nuseirat refugee camp. (Belal Abu Amer/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa)
04 June 2025, Palestinian Territories, Nusirat: Displaced Palestinians gather in a charity kitchen to receive aid amid a shortage of food, in Nuseirat refugee camp. (Belal Abu Amer/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa)
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UN Says ‘Deliberate’ Choices ‘Systematically’ Depriving Gazans

04 June 2025, Palestinian Territories, Nusirat: Displaced Palestinians gather in a charity kitchen to receive aid amid a shortage of food, in Nuseirat refugee camp. (Belal Abu Amer/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa)
04 June 2025, Palestinian Territories, Nusirat: Displaced Palestinians gather in a charity kitchen to receive aid amid a shortage of food, in Nuseirat refugee camp. (Belal Abu Amer/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa)

The UN aid chief said Wednesday that recent "horrifying scenes" of Gazans being killed while seeking food aid were the result of "deliberate choices that have systematically deprived" them of essentials to survive.

A US and Israeli-backed group operating aid sites in the Gaza Strip announced the temporary closure of its facilities on Wednesday, with the Israeli army warning that roads leading to distribution centers were "considered combat zones".

The announcement by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation follows a string of deadly incidents near the distribution sites it operates.

On Tuesday, 27 people were killed in southern Gaza when Israeli troops opened fire near a GHF aid site, with the military saying the incident was under investigation.

"The world is watching, day after day, horrifying scenes of Palestinians being shot, wounded or killed in Gaza while simply trying to eat," UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said in a statement.

"Emergency medical teams have confirmed treating hundreds of trauma cases. Yesterday alone, dozens were declared dead at hospitals after Israeli forces said they had opened fire.

"This is the outcome of a series of deliberate choices that have systematically deprived two million people of the essentials they need to survive."

He echoed the call by UN chief Antonio Guterres for immediate independent investigations, saying they were not isolated incidents, and the perpetrators must be held accountable.

"No-one should have to risk their life to feed their children," said Fletcher.

The GHF began operations a week ago, but the UN and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with it over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.

Meanwhile the United Nations has described the amount of aid allowed into Gaza, after Israel partially lifted a more than two-month total blockade, as a trickle.

"We must be allowed to do our jobs: we have the teams, the plan, the supplies and the experience," said Fletcher, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator.

"Open the crossings -- all of them. Let in life-saving aid at scale, from all directions. Lift the restrictions on what and how much aid we can bring in.

"Ensure our convoys aren't held up by delays and denials. Release the hostages. Implement the ceasefire."