Israel Offers Lebanon Aid after Beirut Port Blasts
Israel on Tuesday offered humanitarian aid to Lebanon, with which it is still technically at war, following the huge explosions that rocked Beirut, killing dozens of people and wounding thousands.
"Following the explosion in Beirut, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, on behalf of the State of Israel, have offered the Lebanese government -- via international intermediaries -- medical and humanitarian aid, as well as immediate emergency assistance," said a joint statement from the two ministries.
The offer comes after two weeks of heightened tensions between the rival neighbors.
Last week, Israel accused Lebanon's Hizbullah of trying to send gunmen across the U.N.-demarcated Blue Line and said it held the Lebanese government responsible for what it termed an attempted "terrorist" attack.
Hizbullah and Israel last fought a 33-day war in the summer of 2006.
General chief Abbas Ibrahim said Tuesday's blast may have been caused by explosive materials confiscated years ago and stored at the city's port.
05 August 2020, 00:25
02
So now that Israel has offered humanitarian and medical aid to Lebanon following on the terrible explosion in Beirut Port, I can only presume that the Lebanese Government controlled by Hizballah will refuse this aid.
05 August 2020, 00:31
41
Israel bombed Beirut many times, with worse casualties, and they are probaly behind this blast too.
05 August 2020, 00:38
13
phillipo, have you no shame? We aren't interested in your whitewashing of israel. You will even use a tragedy to try to make israel look good as if we have forgotten the bloody scenes israel caused in our cities or what you did and still do in palestine. Get lost
05 August 2020, 04:41
30
whyaskwhy, seriously? Are you still stuck in the 70:s or something? . Your racism and prejiduce is outdated and completely uncalled for especially at a time like this. I have seen palestinians care plenty about lebanon, while there are lebanese willing to burn down the country. Are you shedding a tear for lebanon tho? I doubt it since you had time to post such a dumb comment. FYI, i am anti-hezb. That does not prevent me in any way from condemning israel and its shill philippo. Who are you to tell me to leave my country alone? You and your civil war mentality should leave lebanon alone since you have nothing but division to offer this land
06 August 2020, 01:45
00
This isn't about making israel look good. From everyone i spoke to and everything i saw there is a general feeling of concern and empathy for the people of Lebanon as fellow human beings. Even the right wing minister who was annoyed at Tel Aviv large display of solidarity with the huge lebanese flag still agreed that offering the assistance to Lebanon was the right thing to do morally at this time. For the record I'm a believer in peace and coexistence and I am so sick of Netanyahu and so i do not often defend current Israeli policies but you can hate us if you want but you're fooling yourself if you think this is just propaganda and we don't really care.
05 August 2020, 17:24
00
Phillipo... you only crawl out of your hole when Israel is mentioned. Our government is controled by the Hizb. The Hizb is a blight on Lebanon. They cost us our friends. A corrupt ruling elite destroyed the country. And despite all of this, we are not willing to take your fake humanitarian gestures. If you had any, you would not expel millions of people from their land and displace them.
06 August 2020, 01:47
00
This isn't about making israel look good. From everyone i spoke to and everything i saw there is a general feeling of concern and empathy for the people of Lebanon as fellow human beings. Even the right wing minister who was annoyed at Tel Aviv large display of solidarity with the huge lebanese flag still agreed that offering the assistance to Lebanon was the right thing to do morally at this time. For the record I'm a believer in peace and coexistence and I am so sick of Netanyahu and so i do not often defend current Israeli policies but you can hate us if you want but you're fooling yourself if you think this is just propaganda and we don't really care.
