EU Announces Extra 30 Mln Euros Humanitarian Aid for Lebanon

A woman walks past damaged buildings and debris in the aftermath of a strike, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon October 3, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
A woman walks past damaged buildings and debris in the aftermath of a strike, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon October 3, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
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EU Announces Extra 30 Mln Euros Humanitarian Aid for Lebanon

A woman walks past damaged buildings and debris in the aftermath of a strike, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon October 3, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
A woman walks past damaged buildings and debris in the aftermath of a strike, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon October 3, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

The European Commission announced on Thursday an extra 30 million euros ($33.1 million) in humanitarian aid for Lebanon, which has been hit by clashes between Israel and Hezbollah.

"I am extremely concerned by the constant escalation of tensions in the Middle East. All parties must do their outmost to protect the lives of innocent civilians," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

This comes in addition to the 10 million euros already announced on Sept. 29 and brings total EU humanitarian assistance to the country to over 104 million euros this year.

Israel and Hezbollah have traded fire across the Lebanon border almost daily since the day after Hamas’ cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

Israel has mostly concentrated its airstrikes in south and eastern Lebanon, as well as the southern suburbs of Beirut where Hezbollah has a strong presence, but its attacks have spanned the entire country and killed many civilians.



Iran’s Supreme Leader Says Syrian Youth Will Resist Incoming Government

A defaced portrait of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is seen in Damascus, Syria, 18 December 2024 (issued 22 December 2024). (EPA)
A defaced portrait of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is seen in Damascus, Syria, 18 December 2024 (issued 22 December 2024). (EPA)
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Iran’s Supreme Leader Says Syrian Youth Will Resist Incoming Government

A defaced portrait of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is seen in Damascus, Syria, 18 December 2024 (issued 22 December 2024). (EPA)
A defaced portrait of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is seen in Damascus, Syria, 18 December 2024 (issued 22 December 2024). (EPA)

Iran's supreme leader on Sunday said that young Syrians will resist the new government emerging after the overthrow of President Bashar sl-Assad as he again accused the United States and Israel of sowing chaos in the country.

Iran had provided crucial support to Assad throughout Syria's nearly 14-year civil war, which erupted after he launched a violent crackdown on a popular uprising against his family's decades-long rule. Syria had long served as a key conduit for Iranian aid to Lebanon's armed group Hezbollah.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said in an address on Sunday that the “young Syrian has nothing to lose" and suffers from insecurity following Assad's fall.

“What can he do? He should stand with strong will against those who designed and those who implemented the insecurity," Khamenei said. “God willing, he will overcome them.”

He accused the United States and Israel of plotting against Assad's government in order to seize resources, saying: “Now they feel victory, the Americans, the Zionist regime and those who accompanied them.”

Iran and its armed proxies in the region have suffered a series of major setbacks over the past year, with Israel battering Hamas in Gaza and landing heavy blows on Hezbollah before they agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon last month.

Khamenei denied that such groups were proxies of Iran, saying they fought because of their own beliefs and that Tehran did not depend on them. “If one day we plan to take action, we do not need proxy force,” he said.