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UN Calls for End to Violence in Lebanon

An army soldier carries a schoolchild as civilians flee after gunfire erupted erupted in Beirut - Reuters
An army soldier carries a schoolchild as civilians flee after gunfire erupted erupted in Beirut - Reuters
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UN Calls for End to Violence in Lebanon

An army soldier carries a schoolchild as civilians flee after gunfire erupted erupted in Beirut - Reuters
An army soldier carries a schoolchild as civilians flee after gunfire erupted erupted in Beirut - Reuters

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for an immediate end to violence in Lebanon, following deadly violence in Beirut.

The Secretary-General was deeply concerned about the situation, his Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told journalists in New York.

“The UN calls on all concerned to immediately cease acts of violence and to refrain from any provocative actions or inflammatory rhetoric,” he said.

“The Secretary-General reiterates the need for an impartial, thorough and transparent investigation into the explosion at the port of Beirut that took place last year.”

At least six people were killed in Beirut on Thursday amid a protest organized by Hezbollah and the Amal movement against the lead judge probing last year’s blast at the city’s port.

Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said the clashes started with gunshots by snipers, saying that one person was shot in the head.

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Palestinian President Names Interim Successor If He Has to Leave Post

FILE PHOTO: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 79th United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters in New York, US, September 26, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 79th United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters in New York, US, September 26, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
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Palestinian President Names Interim Successor If He Has to Leave Post

FILE PHOTO: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 79th United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters in New York, US, September 26, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 79th United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters in New York, US, September 26, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has named a temporary successor who would take over from him should he die or leave his post, addressing concerns of a possible power vacuum following his departure.
In a statement released late on Wednesday, Abbas said the chairman of the Palestinian National Council should serve as interim president for no more than 90 days, during which presidential elections should be held.
The current chairman of the Palestinians' top decision-making body is Rawhi Fattouh, 75, who also served briefly as a stop-gap leader following the death of Yasser Arafat in 2004.
Abbas, 89, has been Palestinian president since 2005 and has had regular health problems in recent years, prompting repeated speculation on who might replace him when he finally stands aside.
He does not have a deputy and a source told Reuters earlier this month that Saudi Arabia had pressed him to appoint one.
Wednesday's announcement clears up uncertainty over what should happen when he dies, but Fattouh was not named as his deputy, meaning there was still no visibility on who might replace Abbas in the long term.
Israel's Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter, a member of the inner security cabinet, told a group of foreign reporters this week that the Israeli army would take over the West Bank if someone from the militant group Hamas tried to become president.
Abbas was elected to a four-year term in 2005, but no presidential ballot has been held since.