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First Repatriation Flight from France Lands in Tunisia

A general view shows Tunis-Carthage International Airport in Tunis, Tunisia, on July 30, 2018. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
A general view shows Tunis-Carthage International Airport in Tunis, Tunisia, on July 30, 2018. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
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First Repatriation Flight from France Lands in Tunisia

A general view shows Tunis-Carthage International Airport in Tunis, Tunisia, on July 30, 2018. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
A general view shows Tunis-Carthage International Airport in Tunis, Tunisia, on July 30, 2018. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi

Carthage International Airport received Thursday the first flight of Tunisian expatriates returning from Paris as Tunisia lifted this week the majority of restrictions put in place in early March to combat the novel coronavirus.

Passengers were sent to a mandatory one-week quarantine in hotels after the Tunisian authorities had earlier called for self-quarantine measures.

Repatriation flights from Paris, Leon, Marseille, Nice, Munich, Frankfort, Kiev, Bucharest, Brussels, Rome, Naples, Palermo, Verona, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar will continue until June 26.

The country has set a condition for returnees to sign a written paper pledging to abide by a 14-day self-quarantine in addition to other measures such as approving follow-up procedures by health teams and having a negative test result for COVID-19 issued 72 hours before arrival.

Meanwhile, the coronavirus response team and the Tunisian Health Ministry discussed the state’s measures as it opens the border to welcome Tunisians residing abroad or foreigners arriving for medical tourism.

Concerning opening the border, Tunisian Minister of Health Abdellatif Mekki said that Tunisians have a “constitutional right” to return home as he highlighted the significance of respecting health instructions to prevent a second wave of the pandemic.

He asserted the border will open gradually.

Tunisia has recorded 1,128 confirmed coronaviruses cases. A total of 1,004 patients have recovered, reaching a rate of around 89 percent.

The country has recorded 50 deaths.

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Arab World

Israel Deliberately Targets Medical Teams, Aid Workers in Lebanon

Volunteers from the Lebanese Red Cross rescue a woman in the city of Nabatieh in South Lebanon (AFP)
Volunteers from the Lebanese Red Cross rescue a woman in the city of Nabatieh in South Lebanon (AFP)
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Israel Deliberately Targets Medical Teams, Aid Workers in Lebanon

Volunteers from the Lebanese Red Cross rescue a woman in the city of Nabatieh in South Lebanon (AFP)
Volunteers from the Lebanese Red Cross rescue a woman in the city of Nabatieh in South Lebanon (AFP)

Over the past three weeks, Israel has systematically targeted hospitals, medical staff, aid workers, and ambulances across various regions of Lebanon, particularly in the heavily bombarded southern areas.
Tel Aviv appears intent on erasing signs of life and sustainability, especially south of the Litani River, aiming to turn the region into scorched earth and establish a buffer zone by force. The exact size of this zone, who will control it, and whether it will involve a permanent occupation remain unclear.
Lebanese Health Minister Firas Al-Abiad recently stated that Israel is “deliberately and systematically” targeting medical teams, revealing that 13 hospitals are no longer operational, more than 150 healthcare workers have been killed, and over 100 medical centers and 130 ambulances have been targeted.
Last week, Nicolas von Arx, the regional director for the Near and Middle East at the International Committee of the Red Cross, issued an urgent call to protect healthcare personnel, ambulances, hospitals, and primary care centers, expressing deep concern over the attacks on medical facilities.
The Islamic Health Authority, affiliated with Hezbollah, reported that over 80 rescue workers have been killed in the past year, 70 of them in the past three weeks alone. The Scout Association of Amal Movement reported losing 21 members. Meanwhile, the Israeli army recently announced that any vehicle suspected of carrying armed militants would be considered a legitimate military target, regardless of its type.
Sobhiya Najjar, a public policy expert and coordinator of the Social Protection for All campaign at the Center for Social Science Research Applications (CESSRA), highlighted that the destruction of Lebanon’s healthcare system is systematic and mirrors what is happening in Gaza. She noted that Lebanon’s healthcare system, particularly in regions like Baalbek-Hermel, Bint Jbeil, and Tyre, was already fragile.
Najjar told Asharq Al-Awsat that Israel targets medical centers, staff, ambulances, and firefighting services to weaken Hezbollah’s ability to treat the wounded and provide essential healthcare, thus increasing pressure on the health system.
This strategy sows chaos and fear among civilians, weakening morale and hindering the delivery of humanitarian aid, including medical and food supplies. She stressed that such actions violate international laws, which protect medical teams as neutral entities.
Paul Morcos, head of the legal organization Justicia, added that while Israel claims medical facilities and ambulances are used to hide weapons and militants, indiscriminate attacks that endanger doctors, nurses, patients, and civilians are prohibited under international law. He cited the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their protocols, which mandate taking precautions to avoid harm to civilians and ensure proportionality in military operations. These rules, he emphasized, have become customary and are binding on all nations.
For her part, political activist Dr. Mona Fayyad described these actions as part of a “genocide” committed by Israel, deliberately preventing the rescue of the wounded. She criticized the international community’s silence and argued that even if some medical personnel support Hezbollah, there is no justification for risking civilian lives under any pretext.