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Lebanon Prepares Health, Social Plan Amid War Risks

A Lebanese inspects homes destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in the town of Khiam in southern Lebanon (AFP)
A Lebanese inspects homes destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in the town of Khiam in southern Lebanon (AFP)
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Lebanon Prepares Health, Social Plan Amid War Risks

A Lebanese inspects homes destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in the town of Khiam in southern Lebanon (AFP)
A Lebanese inspects homes destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in the town of Khiam in southern Lebanon (AFP)

Lebanese political and diplomatic efforts to calm tensions between Hezbollah and Israel in southern Lebanon have not eased fears of a potential all-out war. This has led Lebanese ministries to prepare for the worst.

Firas Abyad, the Minister of Public Health in the caretaker government, stated that his ministry has activated a war emergency plan and increased readiness among medical teams.

The Ministry of Social Affairs has also developed strategies to mitigate the impact and respond if a conflict erupts.

“We have a four-month supply of medicines. We’ve strengthened our energy sources like fuel, electricity, and the internet. We’ve also trained our staff for wartime conditions and expect hundreds of thousands to be displaced internally,” said Abyad a few days ago.

A source from the Ministry of Health explained that proactive measures taken in anticipation of potential conflict aim to avoid unexpected situations like those experienced in 2006.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat under the condition of anonymity, the source mentioned that Abyad has been actively involved in refining contingency plans.

“The minister has been actively involved in refining this preparedness plan for months, regularly updating it. We’re also coordinating with international bodies for assistance, which has been positively received,” revealed the source.

The source emphasized that while emergency plans aren’t based on specific war warnings, it’s crucial for the ministry, along with other government bodies, to remain prepared for any unforeseen events.

The source affirmed that the ministry is readying government hospitals, particularly emergency and operating rooms, and coordinating closely with private hospitals.

The ministry is also identifying suitable spots for field hospitals to handle emergencies, providing quick aid to the injured. Additionally, it’s preparing ambulance teams to be available 24/7.

Brig. Gen. Mohammed al-Kheir, the head of Lebanon’s Higher Relief Commission, assured Asharq Al-Awsat that HRC is fully prepared to handle any developments.

He emphasized their focus on providing food, bedding, and supplies to displaced people, particularly those currently fleeing from the south.

Al-Kheir mentioned that the commission operates within its modest annual budget and receives additional aid, including medicines for the Ministry of Health and government hospitals.

For security reasons, he declined to reveal the locations of new shelters or aid storage centers to prevent them from being targeted.

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Arab World

Israeli Fire Kills Father and Son in Gaza, Medics Say

Palestinians inspect tents buried under rocks and earth a day after a large sandstone slab collapsed at a displacement camp, killing at least five people, including four children, according to health officials, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Monday, Nov. 9, 2026. (AP)
Palestinians inspect tents buried under rocks and earth a day after a large sandstone slab collapsed at a displacement camp, killing at least five people, including four children, according to health officials, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Monday, Nov. 9, 2026. (AP)
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Israeli Fire Kills Father and Son in Gaza, Medics Say

Palestinians inspect tents buried under rocks and earth a day after a large sandstone slab collapsed at a displacement camp, killing at least five people, including four children, according to health officials, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Monday, Nov. 9, 2026. (AP)
Palestinians inspect tents buried under rocks and earth a day after a large sandstone slab collapsed at a displacement camp, killing at least five people, including four children, according to health officials, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Monday, Nov. 9, 2026. (AP)

Israeli forces ‌killed at least three Palestinians, including a father and his 13-year-old son, in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, local health officials said.

Medics said Fadi Rajab and his son Abubakr were killed in an airstrike that hit the roof of a displacement shelter in the Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City, while a ‌third person ‌was killed by gunfire in Khan ‌Younis, ⁠in the south ⁠of the enclave.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on either of the incidents.

A US-brokered ceasefire last year called for the eventual reconstruction of Gaza, but little progress has been made. Negotiators ⁠have failed to agree on ‌terms for ‌Hamas to disarm or for Israel to withdraw its ‌troops, which control about two-thirds of ‌the territory and from which residents have been ordered to leave.

Israel says Hamas is trying to regroup and refill its arsenal, while ‌Hamas says it is committed to the ceasefire agreement and accuses ⁠Israel ⁠of trying to undermine it.

At least 1,600 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since the ceasefire agreement, according to the territory's health officials, while Israel says four soldiers have been killed.

Palestinian authorities say more than 74,000 people have been killed in Israel's assault on Gaza, launched after Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

Arab World

Iraq Reopens Border Crossing with Iran

Stranded Iranians and Iraqis wait at the Iraq-Iran border following the Iraqi government's decision to close the Shalamsheh border crossing in the southern Basra province on September 12, 2026. (AFP)
Stranded Iranians and Iraqis wait at the Iraq-Iran border following the Iraqi government's decision to close the Shalamsheh border crossing in the southern Basra province on September 12, 2026. (AFP)
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Iraq Reopens Border Crossing with Iran

Stranded Iranians and Iraqis wait at the Iraq-Iran border following the Iraqi government's decision to close the Shalamsheh border crossing in the southern Basra province on September 12, 2026. (AFP)
Stranded Iranians and Iraqis wait at the Iraq-Iran border following the Iraqi government's decision to close the Shalamsheh border crossing in the southern Basra province on September 12, 2026. (AFP)

Iraqi authorities reopened on Tuesday a border crossing with Iran after closing it last month amid mounting US pressure to isolate Tehran.

The Iraqi government closed the Al-Sheeb crossing in the Maysan province in October. Two political sources told AFP that the US was pressuring Baghdad to close most crossings with neighboring Iran.

The head of Iraq's border crossings authority Alaa al-Waeli told the state news agency (INA) that Al-Sheeb crossing would reopen Tuesday morning after the completion of the "necessary procedures" required to resume operations and "ensure the smooth movement of travelers and goods".

He added that authorities would temporarily close the Al-Mandali border crossing in Diyala province starting on Friday for "maintenance".

The closure of the Al-Sheeb crossing sparked tensions between the central government and local authorities in Maysan, with several protests erupting over the shutdown of a key route.

In September, Baghdad temporarily closed several crossings with Iran after authorities determined that an unclaimed drone attack on a Saudi pipeline originated from an area near Al-Sheeb.

Pro-Iran armed groups have supported Tehran during the Middle East war, claiming hundreds of attacks on US bases in Iraq and across the region.

Arab World

Egypt Permanently Lists Muslim Brotherhood as Terrorist Organization

A scene from a previous trial of Muslim Brotherhood members in Egypt (File photo: AFP). 
A scene from a previous trial of Muslim Brotherhood members in Egypt (File photo: AFP). 
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Egypt Permanently Lists Muslim Brotherhood as Terrorist Organization

A scene from a previous trial of Muslim Brotherhood members in Egypt (File photo: AFP). 
A scene from a previous trial of Muslim Brotherhood members in Egypt (File photo: AFP). 

Egyptian authorities have permanently placed the Muslim Brotherhood on the country’s list of terrorist entities, according to decisions by the Public Prosecution published in the Official Gazette on Monday.

The Brotherhood has been designated a terrorist organization in Egypt since 2013 and has been placed on the country’s terrorist entities list several times.

Most of its senior leaders, including Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie, remain in Egyptian prisons in cases involving violence and murder following the group’s removal from power that year.

Other Brotherhood members wanted by Egyptian authorities remain abroad, where they continue to lead the organization amid deep internal divisions, according to observers.

Under the latest decisions, the Public Prosecution terminated the effects of two temporary listings issued in 2022: Decision No. 6 concerning terrorist entities and Decision No. 13 concerning individuals designated as terrorists. Both were published in Egypt’s official legal gazette, Al-Waqa’i Al-Masriyya, on January 3, 2023.

Prosecutors also ordered the Brotherhood’s permanent inclusion on the list of terrorist entities.

The decision permanently added three Brotherhood figures convicted under final, binding court rulings to the list of designated terrorists.

They were identified as Abdel Rahman Hassan Mohamed Meligy, Jamal Abdel Hamid Jomaa and Osama Ibrahim Mohamed Mostafa.

The Public Prosecution cited Law No. 8 of 2015, governing lists of terrorist entities and individuals, and its subsequent amendments as the legal basis for the decisions.

A judicial source familiar with the procedures explained that listing an individual as a terrorist automatically triggers measures including asset freezes, travel bans, placement on arrival watchlists and the withdrawal or cancellation of passports.

According to observers, publication of the decision in the Official Gazette also activates a range of restrictions against the Brotherhood, including a ban on the organization, suspension of all its activities and closure of its premises.

The measures prohibit direct or indirect financing, fundraising and the collection of material donations on its behalf, as well as civic or religious outreach activities conducted under any name.

Local media reports on Monday explained that the main distinction between temporary and permanent designation lies in their legal basis.

Temporary listing follows a judicial decision issued at the request of the prosecutor general, while permanent designation is based on a final criminal conviction against an organization or individual.

International Campaign Against Brotherhood Expands

The campaign against the Muslim Brotherhood has expanded across the Arab world and internationally in recent months.

In May, US President Donald Trump’s administration discussed a national counterterrorism strategy that focused primarily on the Brotherhood, portraying it as the ideological source of modern extremist terrorism.

The move followed Washington’s designation in January of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and its branches in Jordan and Lebanon as terrorist organizations.

In March, the United States added the Brotherhood’s Sudanese branch to the same list.

Argentina also moved earlier this year to designate the Brotherhood’s branches in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon as terrorist organizations.