لبنان على خط التوتر: تعليق رحلات طيران.. وإغلاق مدارس الجنوب

In light of the escalating tension between Israel and Iran, Lebanon is living in a state of cautious anticipation amid public questions and fears of slipping into the heart of the confrontation.

While rumors circulated about the intention to close Rafic Hariri International Airport, the Director of Civil Aviation in Lebanon, Amin Jaber, confirmed today (Friday) that there is no decision to close the airport, emphasizing that flights are continuing normally, especially through Middle East Airlines (MEA), which operates its flights regularly.

In contrast, several Arab and foreign airlines announced the suspension of their flights to Beirut as a precautionary measure, most notably: EgyptAir, which has frozen its flights between Cairo and Beirut until further notice; Qatar Airways, which temporarily suspended all its flights to Lebanon; and both Emirates Airlines and Etihad Airways, along with Flydubai, have halted some of their flights to the Lebanese capital, awaiting stabilization of the situation.

The Israeli military escalation was met with swift field measures in the southern suburbs of Beirut, and schools were announced to be closed as a precautionary measure following the Israeli bombardment of sites suspected of being linked to Iran, which increased citizens' concerns about the expansion of the targeting.

Politically, Lebanese President General Joseph Aoun considered that the Israeli attacks on Iran did not only target the people but also aimed at undermining all international efforts made to maintain stability in the Middle East and neighboring countries and to avoid escalation there. Aoun stated that such attacks aim to undermine all existing initiatives and mediations currently in place to prevent the deterioration of the situation, which had made significant progress towards achieving realistic and fair solutions that would distance the threat of war from the countries and peoples of the region.

The Lebanese president called on the international community to take effective and swift action to prevent Israel from achieving its goals, which are no longer hidden from anyone and which threaten, if they continue, to have the most dangerous consequences.

The Lebanese Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, condemned the dangerous Israeli aggression against Iran, considering it a blatant violation of international law and Iran's sovereignty, with repercussions that threaten the stability of the entire region, not to mention global peace.