Lebanon: From Deadly Explosion to New PM Resignation

An army helicopter drops water on a fire at warehouses at the seaport in Beirut. (AP)
An army helicopter drops water on a fire at warehouses at the seaport in Beirut. (AP)
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Lebanon: From Deadly Explosion to New PM Resignation

An army helicopter drops water on a fire at warehouses at the seaport in Beirut. (AP)
An army helicopter drops water on a fire at warehouses at the seaport in Beirut. (AP)

From the Beirut port blast to premier-designate Mustapha Adib stepping down on Saturday after less than a month of trying to form a new cabinet, here are developments in crisis-hit Lebanon:

Devastation

On August 4, one of the world's biggest ever non-nuclear explosions destroys much of Beirut's port and devastates swathes of the capital.

The detonation was caused by a fire in a warehouse which Lebanese authorities acknowledge held a vast stockpile of ammonium nitrate for the past six years.

The huge explosion leaves more than 190 dead, over 6,500 injured and ravages large parts of Beirut.

The tragedy strikes as Lebanon has for months been mired in its worst economic crisis in decades, marked by an unprecedented depreciation of its currency, massive layoffs and drastic banking restrictions.

'Apocalyptic situation'

Beirut is in a state of shock, with residents looking for the missing, tending to the wounded and searching gutted buildings for pets and belongings.

It is an "apocalyptic situation", says Beirut governor Marwan Aboud, a day after the blast. A state of emergency is declared. International aid starts to fly in.

Macron weighs in

On August 6, Macron visits Beirut and walks through the devastated Beirut neighborhood of Gemmayzeh.

His visit is praised by many Lebanese angry at their own leaders, whom they accuse of corruption and incompetence.

Macron calls for an international probe and for the "deep changes" that the Lebanese population has been demanding for months.

President Michel Aoun the next day rejects any international probe into the disaster.

Protests

On August 8, following a handful of lawmakers resigning, thousands of Lebanese call for vengeance against their leaders over the explosion.

Clashes erupt between security forces, using tear gas and rubber bullets, and protesters.

Demonstrators storm a series of ministries and the banking association, occupying the foreign ministry for several hours.

International aid

On August 9, the international community pledges around $300 million in emergency aid at a video conference jointly organized by France and the United Nations.

The international community promises to stand by Lebanon but demands that its aid be directly distributed to the population, and a transparent probe be carried out.

Government resigns

On August 10, prime minister Hassan Diab announces the resignation of his government.

Demonstrators again take to the streets of Beirut and clash with security forces.

System criticized

On August 28, Macron points to the "constraints of a confessional system" in a country where political posts are allocated by sect.

"If we let Lebanon go... it will be civil war," he warns.

Two days later, Hassan Nasrallah, chief of the Iran-backed Hezbollah party , says his group is "open" to a French proposal for a new political pact for Lebanon.

Aoun calls for the proclamation of a "secular state" during a televised address to mark the centenary of the Lebanese state.

New premier

On August 31, diplomat Mustapha Adib is named as Lebanon's new premier.

He vows to carry out reforms demanded by the international community and to conclude an accord with the International Monetary Fund.

Macron lands in Beirut hours later, extracting a promise from all political sides to help Adib form a crisis government of independents in less than a fortnight.

PM-designate resigns

On September 26, less than a month later, Adib bows out, apologizing to the Lebanese people over his "inability to realize its aspirations for a reformist team".

His resignation follows weeks of deadlock, including over the insistence of the two main Shiite parties Hezbollah and Amal on keeping the finance ministry under their control.

President Michel Aoun accepts Adib's resignation and is set to "take the appropriate measures according to the requirements of the constitution".



War-Ravaged Gaza Faces Multi-Billion Dollar Reconstruction Challenge

Destroyed buildings are seen through the window of an airplane from the US Air Force overflying the Gaza Strip, on March 14, 2024. (AP)
Destroyed buildings are seen through the window of an airplane from the US Air Force overflying the Gaza Strip, on March 14, 2024. (AP)
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War-Ravaged Gaza Faces Multi-Billion Dollar Reconstruction Challenge

Destroyed buildings are seen through the window of an airplane from the US Air Force overflying the Gaza Strip, on March 14, 2024. (AP)
Destroyed buildings are seen through the window of an airplane from the US Air Force overflying the Gaza Strip, on March 14, 2024. (AP)

Billions of dollars will be needed to rebuild Gaza after the war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, according to assessments from the United Nations.

Israel and Hamas agreed to a deal to halt fighting in the enclave and swap Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, an official briefed on the agreement said on Wednesday.

Here is a breakdown of the destruction in Gaza from the conflict prompted by the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas, which at the time ruled the Palestinian enclave.

HOW MANY CASUALTIES ARE THERE?

The Hamas attack on Israel killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's retaliation has killed more than 46,000 people, according to Gaza's health ministry.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO CLEAR THE RUBBLE?

The United Nations warned in October that removing 42 million tons of rubble left in the aftermath of Israel's bombardment could take years and cost $1.2 billion. A UN estimate from April 2024 suggested it would take 14 years to clear the rubble.

The debris is believed to be contaminated with asbestos, with some refugee camps struck during the war known to have been built with the material. The rubble also likely holds human remains. The Palestinian Ministry of Health estimated in May that 10,000 bodies were missing under the debris.

HOW MANY BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN DESTROYED?

Rebuilding Gaza's shattered homes will take at least until 2040, but could drag on for many decades, according to a UN report released last year.

Two-thirds of Gaza's pre-war structures - over 170,000 buildings - have been damaged or flattened, according to UN satellite data (UNOSAT) in December. That amounts to around 69% of the total structures of the Gaza Strip.

Within the count are a total of 245,123 housing units, according to an estimate from UNOSAT. Currently, over 1.8 million people are in need of emergency shelter in Gaza, the UN humanitarian office said.

WHAT IS THE INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGE?

The estimated damage to infrastructure totaled $18.5 billion as of end-January 2024, affecting residential buildings, commerce, industry, and essential services such as education, health, and energy, a UN-World Bank report said.

An update by the UN humanitarian office this month showed that less than a quarter of the pre-war water supplies were available, while at least 68% of the road network has been damaged.

HOW WILL GAZA FEED ITSELF?

More than half of Gaza's agricultural land, crucial for feeding the war-ravaged territory's hungry population, has been degraded by conflict, satellite images analyzed by the United Nations show.

The data reveals a rise in the destruction of orchards, field crops and vegetables in the Palestinian enclave, where hunger is widespread after 15 months of Israeli bombardment.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization said last year that 15,000 cattle, or over 95%, of the total had been slaughtered or died since the conflict began and nearly half the sheep.

WHAT ABOUT SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITIES, RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS?

Palestinian data shows that the conflict has led to the destruction of over 200 government facilities, 136 schools and universities, 823 mosques and three churches. Many hospitals have been damaged during the conflict, with only 17 out of 36 units partially functional as of January, the UN humanitarian office's report showed.

Amnesty International's Crisis Evidence Lab has highlighted the extent of destruction along Gaza's eastern boundary. As of May 2024, over 90% of the buildings in this area, including more than 3,500 structures, were either destroyed or severely damaged.