عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Armenia Recognizes Palestine as a State, Says Armenian Foreign Ministry 

A Palestinian flag is placed on the ground during a protest from the Freedom for Palestine Platform in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Madrid, Spain, June 15, 2024. (Reuters)
A Palestinian flag is placed on the ground during a protest from the Freedom for Palestine Platform in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Madrid, Spain, June 15, 2024. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Armenia Recognizes Palestine as a State, Says Armenian Foreign Ministry 

A Palestinian flag is placed on the ground during a protest from the Freedom for Palestine Platform in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Madrid, Spain, June 15, 2024. (Reuters)
A Palestinian flag is placed on the ground during a protest from the Freedom for Palestine Platform in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Madrid, Spain, June 15, 2024. (Reuters)

Armenia has officially recognized a Palestinian state, the Armenian foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday, the latest country to do so despite opposition from Israel. 

Armenia supports a United Nations resolution on an immediate ceasefire in Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza and is in favor of a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the same statement said. 

The Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank under Israeli military occupation, welcomed Armenia’s decision. 

"This recognition contributes positively to preserving the two-state solution, which faces systematic challenges, and promotes security, peace, and stability for all parties involved," the Authority's presidency said in a statement. 

Spain, Ireland and Norway are among Western countries to officially recognize a Palestinian state, prompting Israel to pull its ambassadors from Madrid, Dublin and Oslo last month. 

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Expats Flock to Lebanon Despite Fears of War with Israel

A vehicle dressed like a double decker bus drives near revelers during the Beirut Street Festival in downtown Beirut on June 22, 2024. (AFP)
A vehicle dressed like a double decker bus drives near revelers during the Beirut Street Festival in downtown Beirut on June 22, 2024. (AFP)
TT
TT

Expats Flock to Lebanon Despite Fears of War with Israel

A vehicle dressed like a double decker bus drives near revelers during the Beirut Street Festival in downtown Beirut on June 22, 2024. (AFP)
A vehicle dressed like a double decker bus drives near revelers during the Beirut Street Festival in downtown Beirut on June 22, 2024. (AFP)

Expatriates flocked to Lebanon despite the international warnings against traveling to the country due to the rising tensions with Israel.

June alone witnessed the arrival of 400,000 people, the majority of whom are expatriates.

General Director of Civil Aviation Fadi al-Hassan told Asharq Al-Awsat that the number of arrivals is almost similar to the figures recorded last year.

As of June 24, 363,623 people arrived at Rafik Hariri International Airport, or around 10,000 and 16,000 people per day. The arrivals in June 2023 stood at 427,355.

“The recent tensions have not affected the number of arrivals,” al-Hassan added, noting: “We haven’t even reached the peak period of activity at the airport.”

France, home to tens of thousands of Lebanese expats, issued a travel warning against heading to Lebanon in April. The advisory did not deter Elie N. from traveling to Lebanon where he will stay for the next two months.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said he and hundreds of thousands of expatriates have been waiting impatiently for the summer to spend their vacation in their homeland.

“The constant threats of war will not stop us from visiting Lebanon,” he stressed.

President of the Syndicate of Travel and Tourist Agents in Lebanon Jean Abboud said activity at the airport should peak starting July 4 and 5.

He predicted that hotels will reach full capacity and the arrivals will top 12,000 – 13,000 per day. Beirut airport will receive 80 to 85 flights a day.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged near-daily cross-border strikes since the Oct. 7 attacks that launched the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, and they have been escalating gradually.

The Israeli army said last week that it has “approved and validated” plans for an offensive in Lebanon, although any decision would come from the country’s political leaders.