Lebanon’s Govt Reverses Decision to Delay Daylight’s Savings

The landmark clock tower in front of the parliament building in Beirut's downtown district indicates the time on March 26, 2023, after Lebanon's government announced a decision to delay daylight savings. (AFP)
The landmark clock tower in front of the parliament building in Beirut's downtown district indicates the time on March 26, 2023, after Lebanon's government announced a decision to delay daylight savings. (AFP)
TT
20

Lebanon’s Govt Reverses Decision to Delay Daylight’s Savings

The landmark clock tower in front of the parliament building in Beirut's downtown district indicates the time on March 26, 2023, after Lebanon's government announced a decision to delay daylight savings. (AFP)
The landmark clock tower in front of the parliament building in Beirut's downtown district indicates the time on March 26, 2023, after Lebanon's government announced a decision to delay daylight savings. (AFP)

Lebanon's caretaker premier said the cabinet had voted to move clocks one hour ahead on Wednesday night, reversing his decision to postpone the move to daylight savings time by a month that had sparked uproar across the country.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Monday the decision had been taken after a "calm discussion" and that the state needed 48 hours to re-adjust their operations.

Mikati angered many Lebanese when he decided last Thursday not to start daylight savings time over the last weekend of March but instead to roll clocks forward an hour on April 20.

That decision came after a meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in which Berri asked him to postpone the time switch, according to footage of the meeting seen by Reuters.

It was seen as an attempt to score points among Muslims who are fasting until sunset during the holy month of Ramadan. Moving clocks forward means Muslims would have to fast an additional hour as sunset would be at a later time on the clock.

But the move was defied by Lebanon's top Christian authority as well as some schools, media outlets and businesses, which rolled their clocks forward on Saturday night.

Mikati even faced objections from within cabinet, including the justice minister who said Lebanon had more important challenges to focus on.

The country has been without a president for five months and a protracted financial crisis has brought most public institutions to a standstill.

Mikati referred to the crises in his comments on Monday.

"Let us be clear. The problem is not winter or summer time... Rather, the problem is the vacuum in the top post in the republic," he said.



Israel Expands Syria Intervention Under ‘Druze Protection’ Pretext

Syrian Druze fighters participate in the funeral of those killed in clashes with Syrian government forces in Sweida on Saturday (AFP)
Syrian Druze fighters participate in the funeral of those killed in clashes with Syrian government forces in Sweida on Saturday (AFP)
TT
20

Israel Expands Syria Intervention Under ‘Druze Protection’ Pretext

Syrian Druze fighters participate in the funeral of those killed in clashes with Syrian government forces in Sweida on Saturday (AFP)
Syrian Druze fighters participate in the funeral of those killed in clashes with Syrian government forces in Sweida on Saturday (AFP)

Israel expanded its involvement in Syria, launching one of its most intense airstrikes in years on Friday night and into Saturday morning.
The broad operation included what Israeli media described as “covert operations,” which ranged from air drops of humanitarian aid to evacuating wounded individuals to Israel, along with other undisclosed activities.
The Israeli military carried out an extensive offensive across Syria between Friday and Saturday, targeting military sites, air defense systems, and ground-to-air missile infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the army distributed aid to the Druze community in the southwestern city of Sweida and evacuated five wounded individuals to Israel.
Reports in Israel indicated that a helicopter landed in Sweida, dropped off the aid, evacuated the wounded, and then took off shortly after.
These reports are often used by Israeli media when military censorship prevents the release of details from within the country.
The Israeli military announced that its fighter jets launched a series of airstrikes in Syria, less than 24 hours after targeting a site near the presidential palace in Damascus.
The strikes came amid Israeli warnings to Syria’s new rulers not to harm the country's Druze minority, following sectarian clashes. The military said the raids targeted a military facility, anti-aircraft artillery, and ground-to-air missile infrastructure.
Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported that Israel is preparing a list of additional military and government targets for future strikes inside Syria.
The announcement from the Israeli military came about two hours after Syria's state news agency, SANA, reported that Israeli airstrikes had targeted areas near Damascus, as well as locations in Latakia, Hama, and Daraa in the south.
In addition to the airstrikes, the Israeli military confirmed that five Syrian Druze were evacuated to Ziv Hospital in Safed. The army also stated that “Israeli forces are deployed in the southern Syrian region, prepared to prevent hostile forces from entering the area and Druze villages.”
This development marked a significant escalation in Israel's involvement in Syria.
A military analyst writing for Maariv noted that the Israeli military has expanded its intervention in the conflict between Syrian government forces and the Druze, confirming that helicopters transported aid to the Druze forces and evacuated the wounded to Israel.
They mentioned that the Israeli side has refrained from providing further details about the operation.
According to the analyst, there are several reasons for Israel’s intervention in Syria, one of which is the belief that the Syrian Druze could help stabilize the northern Golan Heights.
According to Israeli strategy, the area between the border and 80 kilometers deep inside Syrian territory should remain demilitarized, which is why Israel has a vested interest in supporting the Druze living in this buffer zone.