Activists in Beirut Protest Killing of Hezbollah Critic Lokman Slim

Activists gather two days after the killing of prominent Hezbollah critic Lokman Slim demanding a transparent investigation into the crime, in downtown Beirut, Lebanon February 6, 2021. (Reuters)
Activists gather two days after the killing of prominent Hezbollah critic Lokman Slim demanding a transparent investigation into the crime, in downtown Beirut, Lebanon February 6, 2021. (Reuters)
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Activists in Beirut Protest Killing of Hezbollah Critic Lokman Slim

Activists gather two days after the killing of prominent Hezbollah critic Lokman Slim demanding a transparent investigation into the crime, in downtown Beirut, Lebanon February 6, 2021. (Reuters)
Activists gather two days after the killing of prominent Hezbollah critic Lokman Slim demanding a transparent investigation into the crime, in downtown Beirut, Lebanon February 6, 2021. (Reuters)

Around a hundred activists rallied in downtown Beirut on Saturday to protest the killing of prominent Hezbollah critic Lokman Slim and to demand a transparent investigation.

Slim, a Shiite publisher in his late fifties, ran a research center, made documentaries with his wife and led efforts to build an archive on Lebanon’s 1975-1990 sectarian civil war.

He was a vocal critic of what he described as armed group Hezbollah’s intimidation tactics and attempts to monopolize Lebanese politics.

He was shot dead and found in his car on Thursday in south Lebanon - the first killing of a high-profile activist in years.

Slim had gone missing the night before. He had four bullets in his head and one in his back.

On Saturday morning Slim’s wife, Monika Borgmann, tweeted for the first time since his death, sharing a two-word banner with a black background that said “zero fear” in Arabic.

The same two words appeared on a banner at the protest where activists blamed the Iranian-backed Hezbollah for the killing.

“If Hezbollah is really innocent of this crime or refuses it and condemns it, then they have to help the security apparatus and Lebanese judicial authorities especially that Lokman Slim was killed in their area of security influence,” said one of the protesters, Youssef Diab.

“If that doesn’t happen then they are still suspects.”

Hezbollah condemned the killing on Thursday, which Lebanese officials, including the president, called an assassination.

“We will not kill him again with our silence,” said one demonstrator who gave her name as Nelly. “My one fear is that people will be scared and remain silent, then Lebanon will be in danger.”



Palestinian Authority Says Internet Down in Gaza After Attack on Fibre Optic Cable

Palestinians charge their mobile phones from a point powered by solar panels provided by Adel Shaheen, an owner of an electric appliances shop, as electricity remains cut during the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed
Palestinians charge their mobile phones from a point powered by solar panels provided by Adel Shaheen, an owner of an electric appliances shop, as electricity remains cut during the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed
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Palestinian Authority Says Internet Down in Gaza After Attack on Fibre Optic Cable

Palestinians charge their mobile phones from a point powered by solar panels provided by Adel Shaheen, an owner of an electric appliances shop, as electricity remains cut during the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed
Palestinians charge their mobile phones from a point powered by solar panels provided by Adel Shaheen, an owner of an electric appliances shop, as electricity remains cut during the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed

The Palestinian Authority said internet and fixed-line communication services were down in Gaza on Thursday following an attack on the territory's last fibre optic cable it blamed on Israel.

"All internet and fixed-line communication services in the Gaza Strip have been cut following the targeting of the last remaining main fibre optic line in Gaza," the PA's telecommunications ministry said in a statement, accusing Israel of attempting to cut Gaza off from the world, AFP reported.

"The southern and central Gaza Strip have now joined Gaza City and the northern part of the Strip in experiencing complete isolation for the second consecutive day," the ministry said in a statement.

It added that its maintenance and repair teams had been unable to safely access the sites where damage occurred to the fibre optic cable.

"The Israeli occupation continues to prevent technical teams from repairing the cables that were cut yesterday", it said, adding that Israeli authorities had prevented repairs to other telecommunication lines in Gaza "for weeks and months".

The Palestinian Red Crescent said the communication lines were "directly targeted by occupation forces".

It said the internet outage was hindering its emergency services by impeding communication with first responder teams in the field.

"The emergency operations room is also struggling to coordinate with other organisations to respond to humanitarian cases."

Maysa Monayer, spokeswoman for the Palestinian communication ministry, told AFP that "mobile calls are still available with very limited capacity" in Gaza for the time being.

Now in its 21st month, the war in Gaza has caused massive damage to infrastructure across the Palestinian territory, including water mains, power lines and roads.