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Tanker Carrying 750 Tons of Diesel Fuel Sinks Off Tunisia

Ships carrying fuel off the coast of Tunisia - FILE/AFP
Ships carrying fuel off the coast of Tunisia - FILE/AFP
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Tanker Carrying 750 Tons of Diesel Fuel Sinks Off Tunisia

Ships carrying fuel off the coast of Tunisia - FILE/AFP
Ships carrying fuel off the coast of Tunisia - FILE/AFP

A tanker carrying 750 tons of diesel fuel sank Saturday in the Gulf of Gabes off Tunisia’s southeast coast, a local court said.

“The ship sank this morning in Tunisian territorial waters. For the moment, there is no leak,” court spokesman Mohamed Karray said.

A “disaster prevention committee will meet to decide on the measures to be taken,” he added, AFP reported.

The Equatorial Guinea-flagged Xelo was headed from the Egyptian port of Damietta to the European island of Malta when it requested entry to Tunisian waters on Friday evening due to bad weather.

It began taking water around seven kilometers (over four miles) offshore in the Gulf of Gabes and the engine room was engulfed, according to a Tunisian environment ministry statement.

Tunisian authorities evacuated the seven-member crew which was at risk of sinking.

The defense, interior, transport and customs ministries were working to avoid “a marine environmental disaster in the region and limit its impact,” the environment ministry said, stressing that the situation is under control.

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Lebanese Army Says It’s Moving Troops into the Country’s South as Part of Ceasefire Plan

A Lebanese army vehicle drives past destruction in Lebanon's southern village of Bint Jbeil on November 27, 2024, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect. (AFP)
A Lebanese army vehicle drives past destruction in Lebanon's southern village of Bint Jbeil on November 27, 2024, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect. (AFP)
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Lebanese Army Says It’s Moving Troops into the Country’s South as Part of Ceasefire Plan

A Lebanese army vehicle drives past destruction in Lebanon's southern village of Bint Jbeil on November 27, 2024, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect. (AFP)
A Lebanese army vehicle drives past destruction in Lebanon's southern village of Bint Jbeil on November 27, 2024, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect. (AFP)

The Lebanese army said on Wednesday it was moving additional troops into the country's south on Wednesday to extend state authority in coordination with the UN peacekeeping mission there.

“The concerned military units are moving from several areas to the South Litani Sector, where they will be stationed in the locations designated for them,” the Lebanese military said in its first statement since the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire went into effect.

Under the ceasefire deal, Israeli troops would pull out of Lebanon and Hezbollah is required to move its forces north of the Litani River, which in some places is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border.

The ceasefire agreement gives Israel and Hezbollah fighters 60 days to withdraw from areas of southern Lebanon near the border. Thousands of Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers will patrol the area, and an international committee will monitor compliance.

The Lebanese army has largely stood on the sidelines during the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah, although dozens of its soldiers have been killed amid the fighting.

Meanwhile, international aid groups welcomed the ceasefire and urge donors to provide funding to help rebuild parts of Lebanon and assist the displaced.

The aid groups are concerned about the aftershocks of the war on Lebanon’s already struggling economy. With more than 1.2 million people displaced, they warned that the damage would leave many struggling and without homes.

More than 100,000 homes have been either partially or fully destroyed across southern Lebanon, Bekaa and Beirut, the International Rescue Committee said.

Mercy Corps said that half of Lebanon’s population now lives below the poverty line. It called on donors to fulfill pledges to support immediate humanitarian efforts and the long-term recovery.

“There will undoubtedly be a great deal of grief and trauma. Many will have no homes to return to, no schools for their children, and livelihoods destroyed,” Norwegian Refugee Council Secretary-General Jan Egeland said.