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Hariri Links Increasing Number Of Ministers to Disrupting Vetoing Third

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri (Dalati & Nohra).
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri (Dalati & Nohra).
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Hariri Links Increasing Number Of Ministers to Disrupting Vetoing Third

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri (Dalati & Nohra).
Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri (Dalati & Nohra).

A prominent political source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the head of Lebanon's Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), former Minister Gebran Bassil, was still obstructing the formation of a new government and disregarding recent European warnings about imposing sanctions on Lebanese officials.

In an official communiqué last week, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has warned Lebanese officials of EU pressure if they continue to obstruct government-making after months of deadlock.

Le Drian warned of “identifying European Union leverage for stepping up pressure on those responsible for the deadlock”, in an allusion to potential sanctions. The statement came after the French minister spoke by phone with Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, the Lebanese political source said that Hezbollah, along with other mediators, communicated with Bassil in an attempt to persuade him to drop his conditions that are obstructing the formation of the government.

According to the source, Bassil insisted on his demands, despite some flexibility shown by Aoun with regards to the vetoing third - a flexibility that remains insufficient without the approval of the president’s son-in-law and political heir.

The source avoided answering a question about the role of Hezbollah and its willingness to pressure Bassil to soften his position. He noted however that Hariri, who conducted a short visit to the UAE earlier this week, was maintaining communication with Berri on the government issue.

In this regard, the political source stressed that Hariri expressed utmost flexibility to any move that would be proposed by Berri, but insisted on Aoun’s consent to drop his condition regarding obtaining the vetoing third in the government.

He added that the premier designate would only accept increasing the number of ministers from 18 to 24, as demanded by Aoun, if the latter relinquishes his insistence on the blocking third.

Hariri, according to the source, remains fully committed to the road map drawn up by French President Emmanuel Macron, which stipulates the formation of a government of specialists and independents, who will work on a reform program as the condition to obtain financial and economic aid.

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UN Food Agency Says Its Food Stocks in Gaza Have Run out under Israel’s Blockade

A girl puts a pot to her head as Palestinians wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen, in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, April 24, 2025. (Reuters)
A girl puts a pot to her head as Palestinians wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen, in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, April 24, 2025. (Reuters)
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UN Food Agency Says Its Food Stocks in Gaza Have Run out under Israel’s Blockade

A girl puts a pot to her head as Palestinians wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen, in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, April 24, 2025. (Reuters)
A girl puts a pot to her head as Palestinians wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen, in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, April 24, 2025. (Reuters)

The World Food Program says its food stocks in the Gaza Strip have run out under Israel’s nearly 8-week-old blockade, ending a main source of sustenance for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the territory.

The WFP said in a statement that it delivered the last of its stocks to charity kitchens that it supports around Gaza. It said those kitchens are expected to run out of food in the coming days.

Some 80% of Gaza’s population of more than 2 million relies primarily on charity kitchens for food, because other sources have shut down under Israel’s blockade, according to the UN. The WFP has been supporting 47 kitchens that distribute 644,000 hot meals a day, WFP spokesperson Abeer Etefa told the Associated Press.

It was not immediately clear how many kitchens would still be operating in Gaza if those shut down. But Etefa said the WFP-backed kitchens are the major ones in Gaza.

Israel cut off entry of all food, fuel, medicine and other supplies to Gaza on March 2 and then resumed its bombardment and ground offensives two weeks later, shattering a two-month ceasefire with Hamas. It says the moves aim to pressure Hamas to release hostages it still holds. Rights groups have called the blockade a “starvation tactic” and a potential war crime.

Israel has said Gaza has enough supplies after a surge of aid entered during the ceasefire and accuses Hamas of diverting aid for its purposes. Humanitarian workers deny there is significant diversion, saying the UN strictly monitors distribution. They say the aid flow during the ceasefire was barely enough to cover the immense needs from throughout the war when only a trickle of supplies got in.

With no new goods entering Gaza, many foods have disappeared from markets, including meat, eggs, fruits, dairy products and many vegetables. Prices for what remains have risen dramatically, becoming unaffordable for much of the population. Most families rely heavily on canned goods.

Malnutrition is already surging. The UN said it identified 3,700 children suffering from acute malnutrition in March, up 80% from the month before. At the same time, because of diminishing supplies, aid groups were only able to provide nutritional supplements to some 22,000 children in March, down 70% from February. The supplements are a crucial tool for averting malnutrition.

Almost all bakeries shut down weeks ago and the WFP stopped distribution of food basics to families for lack of supplies. With stocks of most ingredients depleted, charity kitchens generally can only serve meals of pasta or rice with little added.

World Central Kitchen -- a US charity that is one of the biggest in Gaza that doesn’t rely on the WFP -- said Thursday that its kitchens had run out of proteins. Instead, they make stews from canned vegetables. Because fuel is scarce, it dismantles wooden shipping pallets to burn in its stoves, it said. It also runs the only bakery still functioning in Gaza, producing 87,000 loaves of pita a day.

The WFP said 116,000 tons of food is ready to be brought into Gaza if Israel opens the borders, enough to feed 1 million people for four months.

Israel has leveled much of Gaza with its air and ground campaign, vowing to destroy Hamas after its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. It has killed over 51,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, whose count does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

In the Oct. 7 attack, gunmen killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251. They still hold 59 hostages after most were released in ceasefire deals.