Jordan's King Abdullah Accepts Resignation of PM Razzaz

Jordan PM Omar al-Razzaz. (Reuters)
Jordan PM Omar al-Razzaz. (Reuters)
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Jordan's King Abdullah Accepts Resignation of PM Razzaz

Jordan PM Omar al-Razzaz. (Reuters)
Jordan PM Omar al-Razzaz. (Reuters)

Jordan’s King Abdullah on Saturday accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Omar al Razzaz but asked him to stay on as a caretaker premier until he designates a successor to oversee parliamentary elections on Nov. 10, state media said.

The monarch dissolved parliament last Sunday at the end of its four-year term in a move that under constitutional rules meant the government had to resign within a week.

A new government will pave the way for the November vote, as the country grapples with the rapid spread of COVID-19 infections over the last month for which the last government had been widely criticized.

King Abdullah appointed Razzaz in the summer of 2018 to defuse the biggest protests in years over tax increases sought by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to reduce Jordan’s large public debt.

The monarch told Razzaz in a letter accepting his resignation that mistakes were made in the handling of the pandemic, echoing medical fears the health care system could come to the brink of collapse if the community spread gets out of control.

Jordan reported 1,099 new cases on Saturday bringing the cumulative total to 14,749 infections with 88 deaths.



Lebanon Parliament Speaker Accuses Israel of 'Flagrant Violation' of Truce

Border fence between Lebanon and Israel (AFP)
Border fence between Lebanon and Israel (AFP)
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Lebanon Parliament Speaker Accuses Israel of 'Flagrant Violation' of Truce

Border fence between Lebanon and Israel (AFP)
Border fence between Lebanon and Israel (AFP)

Lebanon's parliament speaker accused Israel of violating a ceasefire, after authorities said two were killed in Israeli strikes on Monday, the sixth day of the truce.

"The aggressive actions carried out by Israeli occupation forces... represent a flagrant violation of the terms of the ceasefire agreement," Nabih Berri, who helped mediate the ceasefire on behalf of ally Hezbollah, said in a statement.

Also, France's foreign minister Monday told his Israeli counterpart that all sides should respect a ceasefire started last week between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, the French foreign ministry said.

Jean-Noel Barrot stressed to Israeli minister Gideon Saar in a phone call "the need for all sides to respect the ceasefire in Lebanon", the ministry said, after several Israeli strikes hit Lebanon since the ceasefire started Wednesday.

At least two people were killed on Monday in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, Lebanese authorities said, as a ceasefire ending more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah appeared increasingly fragile.

The truce, which came into effect early on Nov. 27, stipulates that Israel will not carry out offensive military operations against civilian, military or other state targets in Lebanon, while Lebanon will prevent any armed groups, including Hezbollah, from carrying out operations against Israel.

Lebanon and Israel have already traded accusations of breaches, and on Monday Lebanon said the violations had turned deadly.

One person was killed in an Israeli air attack on the southern Lebanese town of Marjayoun, about 10 km (six miles) from the border with Israel, Lebanon's health ministry said.

Lebanon's state security said an Israeli drone strike had killed a member of its force while he was on duty in Nabatieh, 12 km from the border. State security called it a "flagrant violation" of the truce.

The Lebanese army said an Israeli drone hit an army bulldozer in northeast Lebanon near the border with Syria, wounding one soldier.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to questions from Reuters about the incidents in Marjayoun and Nabatieh. It issued a statement saying it had attacked military vehicles operating near Hezbollah military infrastructure in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley and military vehicles near the border with Syria.

The Israeli military acknowledged that a Lebanese soldier was wounded in one of its attacks and said the incident was under review.