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France to host Lebanon conference on October 24
France will hold an international ministerial conference over the crisis in Lebanon on October 24 that will focus on the political situation and humanitarian aid, the Foreign Ministry has said.
"Its objective will be to mobilise the international community to respond to the protection and emergency relief needs of the Lebanese population and to identify ways of supporting Lebanon’s institutions, in particular the Lebanese Armed Forces, which are the guarantors of the country’s internal stability,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said the conference would include regional and international partners of Lebanon, the UN as well as civil society partners.
“Faced with a serious and profound political and humanitarian crisis, France will recall through this conference the urgency of a cessation of hostilities and a diplomatic solution,” it said, adding that the appointment of a president should be a first step.
Urgency? Then why wait another 2 weeks. It should be held 2 weeks ago.
Israel’s economy is suffering from the war on Gaza, unlike the US
The fact that the cumulative weight of bombs dropped on Gaza exceeds that of those dropped during World War II is “extraordinary”, Will Hutton, political economist and journalist, tells Al Jazeera.
Israel could not have done this without US military aid, but it could have “done substantial damage on their own”, he said, adding that it is a “militarised society” and a “militarised economy”.
However, he said the war has not benefitted the Israeli economy, which is “flat lining and may even be in a recession”. He said almost everybody in Israel from the ages of 18 to 30 has either been called up or served in the military, which has led to a loss of manpower.
In contrast, he said, he could presume that the US, which is supplying the weapons, is manufacturing them using private companies, which are making a profit from the war on Gaza.
A man pushes a stroller while walking with a weapon in Tel Aviv, Israel
Canada pledges humanitarian funding for Lebanon
Canada will provide 15 million Canadian dollars ($11 million) in new humanitarian assistance to support civilians affected by conflict in Lebanon, the Canadian foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
“Canada is deeply alarmed by the rapid escalation of the crisis in Lebanon. We are mobilizing to ensure that Canada is there to bring much-needed assistance to the Lebanese people,” Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said in a statement.
