Libya Bans Eid al-Adha Prayer in Mosques, Squares


A vaccination campaign in the Libyan city of Khoms (National Center for Disease Control)
A vaccination campaign in the Libyan city of Khoms (National Center for Disease Control)
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Libya Bans Eid al-Adha Prayer in Mosques, Squares


A vaccination campaign in the Libyan city of Khoms (National Center for Disease Control)
A vaccination campaign in the Libyan city of Khoms (National Center for Disease Control)

Several Libyan municipalities have banned performing Eid Al-Adha prayer in squares and mosques in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

The tally of infections and deaths has recently witnessed a remarkable increase. The National Center for Disease Control announced 3,325 confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 225,000.

A total of 184,000 patients have recovered, while 3,300 have died, it said.

In its emergency meeting, the municipal council of Zuwara decided to ban the prayers of Eid al-Adha and ordered the closure of mosques, cafes, restaurants, halls, and gyms for 10 days.

Ahmed Al-Arabi, who is in charge of health matters at Sabratah Municipal Council, urged citizens to abide by the precautionary measures to avoid infection.

A total of 126 random swaps showed 19 positive results, an indication of the alarming situation, which calls for caution.

During televised statements, Arabi said that the quarantine center in Sabratah is running low on beds.

He held the health ministry responsible for shortages of ventilators, anesthetics and staff.

Badreddine al-Najar, director of the National Centre for Disease Control, didn’t deny that the situation is dangerous.

Coronavirus cases are increasing amid the country's inability to handle the situation due to shortages in medicine, equipment and medical staff, he added.

Najar noted that Libyan Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, revealed during his visit to the quarantine centers that the government transferred 100 million dinars to the health ministry to help it fight the pandemic.

However, the slow payment has hindered the process.



UN Rights Chief ‘Gravely Concerned’ by Lebanon Escalation

Smoke billows above Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli airstrike on November 26, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
Smoke billows above Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli airstrike on November 26, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
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UN Rights Chief ‘Gravely Concerned’ by Lebanon Escalation

Smoke billows above Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli airstrike on November 26, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
Smoke billows above Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli airstrike on November 26, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)

The UN rights chief on Tuesday voiced concern about the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon, where his office said nearly 100 people had been reported killed by Israeli airstrikes in recent days, including women, children and medics.

Israel has been locked in fighting with Lebanese armed group Hezbollah since Oct. 2023, and fighting has escalated dramatically since late September of this year.

"UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk is gravely concerned by the escalation in Lebanon with at least 97 people reportedly killed in Israeli airstrikes between the 22nd and 24th of November," Jeremy Laurence, a spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, told a Geneva press briefing.

He said that at least seven paramedics had been reported killed in three Israeli strikes in the south of Lebanon on Nov. 22-23, adding to 226 healthcare worker deaths since Oct. 7, 2023. He did not specify how many of the recent deaths had been verified by UN human rights monitors.

Israel says it targets military capabilities in Lebanon and Gaza and takes steps to mitigate the risk of harm to civilians. It accuses Hezbollah, like Hamas, of hiding among civilians, which they deny.