Defense Minister Benny Gantz this week forwarded to Lebanon a proposal to send humanitarian aid through UNIFIL, in light of the difficult economic situation, and against the background of Hezbollah’s attempts to bring Iranian investments into the country.
Lebanon’s Caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab on Tuesday appealed to the international community to help his country avert a looming disaster, warning that the country’s collapse would have repercussions on the stability of the entire region. Speaking during a televised address, Diab warned that Lebanon was on the brink of a disaster that would see its “repercussions reverberate outside the country.”
On August 10, 2020, Diab resigned in the aftermath of the Beirut harbor explosion over his government’s failure to prevent the disaster, exacerbated by existing political tensions and upheavals within the country. He requested President Aoun to call for early parliamentary elections and continues to rule as head of a caretaker government.
According to Al Akhbar, Diab gave his resume to Qatari officials during a visit there, trying to secure a job after the end of his premiership.
On Tuesday, Gantz said at the inauguration ceremony of the South Lebanon Army monument in Metula: “As an Israeli, as a Jew, and as a person, my heart aches at the sight of pictures of the hungry on the streets of Lebanon. Israel has already offered aid to Lebanon in the past, and today, too, we are ready to act, as well as influence other countries to help and reach out for Lebanon’s growth and emergence from the crisis.”
PM Diab warned in a meeting with foreign ambassadors in Beirut that Lebanon is only a few days away from a “social explosion.”
Gantz responded: “Israel has left Lebanon with the aim of ending the conflict. Were it not for Hezbollah and its Iranian affiliates, I believe we would have reached peace by now. Step by step, Iranian entities and Iranian investments are entering Lebanon, and with them the attempts to infiltrate weapons and extremist ideology. All of these are a danger to Lebanon, its citizens, and the peace of the region. Israel is keeping an eye open, and will take every action and everything necessary to prevent any attempt to harm its citizens or violate its borders.”
More than 60% of Lebanon’s population has fallen below the poverty line, and the Lebanese pound has lost more than 91% of its value, making most basic commodities inaccessible. One thousand Lebanese pounds are worth 66 US cents today. And so, fuel shortages have hit hospitals, bakeries, and most households. Two of Lebanon’s four power plants are about to shut down, and the state-owned telecom company Ogero is struggling to keep its online service.