Lebanon Pine Forest Blaze Begins Wildfire Season

A firefighting helicopter drops water on the Batramaz forest fire in Lebanon's northern district of Minieh-Danniyeh, on June 8, 2022. (AFP)
A firefighting helicopter drops water on the Batramaz forest fire in Lebanon's northern district of Minieh-Danniyeh, on June 8, 2022. (AFP)
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Lebanon Pine Forest Blaze Begins Wildfire Season

A firefighting helicopter drops water on the Batramaz forest fire in Lebanon's northern district of Minieh-Danniyeh, on June 8, 2022. (AFP)
A firefighting helicopter drops water on the Batramaz forest fire in Lebanon's northern district of Minieh-Danniyeh, on June 8, 2022. (AFP)

Emergency teams brought under control a massive blaze in Lebanon's largest pine forest on Wednesday that authorities said could be deliberate, as the country braced for another summer of fires.

The fire in the northern Dinniyeh region broke out on Tuesday night, prompting the army and volunteer firefighters to scramble to save one of the Middle East's lushest pine forests.

The army on Wednesday said it dispatched helicopters, dropping water by giant buckets onto the blaze.

"Unfortunately, the forest fire season started," Environment Minister Nasser Yassin said.

After several hours of work in difficult conditions, the fire was "brought under control", Yassin told AFP. "The affected region is under surveillance to avoid a new fire."

Yassin, who visited the area on Wednesday, said it was "possible that the fire was sparked deliberately".

Hamad Hamdane, a member of the civil defense, said teams were ensuring the smouldering embers had been extinguished.

"We are going to walk into the forest... to make sure the fire is completely under control," Hamdane said.

Lebanon is grappling with its worst-ever financial crisis and lacks the tools and capabilities to combat catastrophic wildfires that have increased in recent years, partly because of rising temperatures due to climate change.

The corruption-ridden Mediterranean state has repeatedly needed foreign assistance for disaster response.

The government's shortcomings have angered environmental activists, who warn of the damage being done to the country's ever-shrinking natural treasures.

A local official said there had been an increase in illegal logging operations in the forest in recent years.

"May God forgive those who did not appoint forest guards, who left forest areas without fire fighting equipment, and who neglected the development and support of civil defense," environmental activist Paul Abi Rached wrote on social media.

Last July, it took Lebanon days to extinguish wildfires that ravaged pine forests in the north, left a 15-year-old volunteer firefighter dead and forced many people from their homes.

In 2019, the government's failure to contain devastating wildfires was one of the triggers of an unprecedented, nationwide protest movement against perceived official incompetence and corruption.

Scientists have warned that extreme weather and fierce fires will become increasingly common due to man-made global warming.



Syria's Sharaa Says Country Ready to Welcome UN Forces in Buffer Zone with Israel

This handout picture released by the Syrian Arab News Agency SANA, shows Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) welcoming Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani in Damascus on January 16, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
This handout picture released by the Syrian Arab News Agency SANA, shows Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) welcoming Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani in Damascus on January 16, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
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Syria's Sharaa Says Country Ready to Welcome UN Forces in Buffer Zone with Israel

This handout picture released by the Syrian Arab News Agency SANA, shows Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) welcoming Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani in Damascus on January 16, 2025. (SANA / AFP)
This handout picture released by the Syrian Arab News Agency SANA, shows Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) welcoming Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani in Damascus on January 16, 2025. (SANA / AFP)

Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Thursday his country is ready to welcome UN forces into the UN established buffer zone with Israel.

"Israel's advance in the region was due to the presence of Iranian militias and Hezbollah. After the liberation of Damascus, I believe that they have no presence at all. There are pretexts that Israel is using today to advance into the Syrian regions, into the buffer zone," he said, answering a Reuters question.

Sharaa received in Damascus Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani, who demanded that Israel "immediately withdraw" from its buffer zone with Syria.

The same day Bashar al-Assad was toppled in December, Israel announced its troops were crossing the armistice line and into a UN-patrolled buffer zone that has separated Israeli and Syrian forces on the strategic Golan Heights since 1974.

Israel occupied much of the Golan Heights from Syria in a war in 1967, later annexing the territory in a move largely unrecognized by the international community.

"The Israeli occupation's seizure of the buffer zone is a reckless... act and it must immediately withdraw," Sheikh Mohammed said at a press conference with Sharaa.

Sharaa said his authorities were counting on the support of Qatar to help stop Israel from making any further advances into Syrian territory.

Israel's army should return to "where it was before," he said, adding Qatar "supports this view and will use all means available to exert pressure on Israel".

On Wednesday, an Israeli air strike hit a target belonging to Syria's new authorities for the first time, killing three people, a war monitor and a medical source said.

Sheikh Mohammed also vowed to support the rehabilitation of Syria's infrastructure, devastated by nearly 14 years of civil war.

"We will provide the necessary technical support to make the needed infrastructure operational again and provide support to the electricity sector," said Sheikh Mohammed.

"The agreement includes supplying power with a capacity of 200 megawatts and gradually increasing production," he added.

Last week, Syria's national electricity company said Qatar and Türkiye would send power ships to increase supply after the United States eased some sanctions.

Qatar "extends its hand to our Syrian brothers for future partnerships," Sheikh Mohammed said, adding that essential needs include "continuing to provide public services to the Syrian people".

Last week, a diplomatic source said Qatar was weighing a plan to provide Syria with funds after Damascus decided to increase public sector salaries.

Earlier this month, ministers from Syria's transitional government including top diplomat Asaad al-Shaibani met with the Qatari prime minister in Doha.