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Lebanon Faces Challenge of Reopening Airport, Containing COVID-19

Lebanon will reopen its international airport on July 1. AFP file photo
Lebanon will reopen its international airport on July 1. AFP file photo
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Lebanon Faces Challenge of Reopening Airport, Containing COVID-19

Lebanon will reopen its international airport on July 1. AFP file photo
Lebanon will reopen its international airport on July 1. AFP file photo

Lebanon is facing a new challenge with the reopening of Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport for commercial flights on July 1 even by keeping air traffic at a 10 percent capacity.

“Beirut’s airport opened last Wednesday for private flights, while commercial flights will resume Wednesday with a 10 percent capacity or around 20 flights per day with an expected 2,000 passengers,” Fadi al-Hassan, the facility’s manager, told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He did not expect an increase in the price of tickets contrary to the past phase when expatriates were evacuated from the country and planes returned half empty.

He predicted that Lebanon’s relatively limited cases of the COVID-19 disease will boost its attractiveness as a tourist destination this summer, particularly for Arabs and Lebanese expatriates.

Allowing flights to land in its international airport for the first time in more than three months means that Lebanon could face a hike in coronavirus cases.

Dr. Abdul Rahman Bizri, an infectious disease specialist and member of the emergency committee on coronavirus, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the opening of the airport is essential because several sectors are hinging on the return of tourists to support the dire economic situation.

In addition to the mandatory guidelines set by the airport to restrict the spread of the virus, concerned authorities expect to have individual and social responsibility to avoid a second wave of the pandemic.

“There is an immense responsibility on individuals to respect preventive measures to stop the country from entering a difficult phase,” he said, adding that the medical team tasked with fighting the outbreak is more capable than ever to deal with the pandemic.

PCR tests have become more available, said Bizri.

The Lebanese Health Ministry announced Sunday 21 new coronavirus infections, which raises the total number of confirmed cases to 1,740.

With an aim to contain the spread of the virus among passengers, Middle East Airlines (MEA) released guidelines and conditions for travelers arriving in Beirut starting July 1.

Passengers will be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival and asked to go into home quarantine if testing positive.

Social distancing signs were placed on the airport’s floor. Also, any passenger showing coronavirus symptoms is prohibited from boarding a plane to Lebanon.

Economy class passengers are not permitted to keep carry-ons in the cabin, while business passengers are allowed to do so, provided the luggage compartment marks them on check-in.

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Arab World

Houthi Charges of Espionage: A Tool to Intimidate, Control the Population

Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
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Houthi Charges of Espionage: A Tool to Intimidate, Control the Population

Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)

The Houthi militia has recently released several individuals it had abducted for celebrating Yemen’s September Revolution. However, over the past few days, it has detained hundreds of residents in its stronghold of Saada, accusing them of espionage.

The campaign coincides with the airing of alleged confessions from a purported spy cell and the abduction of a former employee of the US Embassy in Yemen.

Local sources in Saada province, approximately 242 kilometers north of Sanaa, report that the Houthis have launched a widespread campaign of arrests targeting civilians. These individuals have been taken from their homes, workplaces, and businesses under allegations of collaborating with Western nations and Israel. Families of those detained have been warned to remain silent and refrain from discussing the arrests with the media or on social media platforms.

According to the sources, more than 300 individuals, including dozens of women, have been abducted across various districts in Saada. The arrests have also targeted relatives and associates of Othman Mujalli, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, who hails from the region.

The sources suggest that the Houthis are detaining women as hostages to pressure their relatives, who may either be out of the militia’s reach or living outside Houthi-controlled areas. They also appear to be using the women to coerce confessions from male relatives. Last month, the Houthis accused Hamid Mujalli, Othman Mujalli’s brother, of engaging in espionage for Arab and Western nations for nearly two decades.

In a separate incident, the Houthis abducted a former employee of the US Embassy in Sanaa from his home on Monday without providing any explanation for their actions.

Release of Detainees

The Houthis recently released Sheikh Amin Rajeh, a tribal leader from Ibb province, after detaining him for four months. Several other individuals were also freed, none of whom had been formally charged during their detention. Rajeh, a member of the General People’s Congress Party, was one of many political activists, students, workers, and public employees abducted in September for celebrating Yemen’s September 26, 1962, revolution.

One of the released individuals, a shop owner, told Asharq Al-Awsat that he was unaware of the reason for his detention. He had been abducted in November, two months after the Houthis initiated a crackdown on those commemorating the revolution.

Alleged Spy Cell

Houthi-controlled media recently broadcast confessions from what they claimed was a newly uncovered spy cell. The group linked the cell to its broader narrative of “promised conquest and sacred jihad” against the West and Israel.

According to Houthi security officials, the alleged spy cell was working to compile a “target database,” monitor sites linked to missile forces and drones, and track specific military and security locations. They also claimed the cell had been observing the residences and movements of Houthi leaders.

In response, the Houthis issued warnings to residents, forbidding them from discussing or sharing information about militia-controlled sites, facilities, or the whereabouts of their leaders.

The Houthis’ actions reflect mounting concerns over potential strikes targeting their senior leadership, similar to the recent attacks on Hezbollah figures in Lebanon. Those fears come amid ongoing tensions with Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom, following the Houthis’ assaults on international shipping lanes in the Red Sea and missile attacks on Israel.