Tunisia’s Ennahda to Take Part in Jan. 14 Demonstrations against Saied

A handout picture provided by the Facebook Page of the Tunisian Presidency on December 13, 2021 shows President Kais Saied attending a cabinet meeting in the capital Tunis. (AFP)
A handout picture provided by the Facebook Page of the Tunisian Presidency on December 13, 2021 shows President Kais Saied attending a cabinet meeting in the capital Tunis. (AFP)
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Tunisia’s Ennahda to Take Part in Jan. 14 Demonstrations against Saied

A handout picture provided by the Facebook Page of the Tunisian Presidency on December 13, 2021 shows President Kais Saied attending a cabinet meeting in the capital Tunis. (AFP)
A handout picture provided by the Facebook Page of the Tunisian Presidency on December 13, 2021 shows President Kais Saied attending a cabinet meeting in the capital Tunis. (AFP)

Tunisia's moderate Islamist party Ennahda on Monday called on its supporters to take part in demonstrations planned for Jan. 14 to protest against President Kais Saied's moves to take near total power.

Saied announced in September he will rule by decree and ignore parts of the constitution as he prepares to change the political system. Ennahda is the biggest party in the parliament that Said suspended in July.

"The Ennahda movement calls on its supporters and all social forces to participate strongly in the demonstrations planned on Jan 14," the party said on Facebook.

The demonstrations are planned on the day which used to mark the anniversary of the revolution that toppled ruler Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali a decade ago. Saied changed the date to Dec. 17, when fruit seller Mohammed Bouazizi set himself ablaze after an altercation with a policewoman, an incident which ignited the uprising.



Netanyahu Says Israel Won't Stop Striking Hezbollah

Lebanese army soldiers and residents stand in front of a damaged building in the southern suburb of Beirut following an Israeli raid, in Beirut, Lebanon, 26 September 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
Lebanese army soldiers and residents stand in front of a damaged building in the southern suburb of Beirut following an Israeli raid, in Beirut, Lebanon, 26 September 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
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Netanyahu Says Israel Won't Stop Striking Hezbollah

Lebanese army soldiers and residents stand in front of a damaged building in the southern suburb of Beirut following an Israeli raid, in Beirut, Lebanon, 26 September 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
Lebanese army soldiers and residents stand in front of a damaged building in the southern suburb of Beirut following an Israeli raid, in Beirut, Lebanon, 26 September 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel is striking Lebanon’s Hezbollah “with full force” and won’t stop until its goals are achieved.

Netanyahu spoke as he landed in New York to attend the annual UN General Assembly meeting and as US, European and some Arab officials were pressing for a 21-day halt in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah to give time for negotiations.

Netanyahu said Israel’s “policy is clear. We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with full force. And we will not stop until we reach all our goals, chief among them the return of the residents of the north securely to their homes.”

He added that he approved the “targeted killing operation” of the head of Hezbollah’s drone unit in south Beirut Thursday.

Israel has dramatically escalated strikes in Lebanon this week, saying it is targeting Hezbollah. Israeli leaders have said they are determined to stop more than 11 months of cross-border fire by the group into Israel, which has forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of Israelis from communities in the north.