Hezbollah MP raps Arab states for remaining silent on Israel crimes

A lawmaker from the parliamentary bloc of Lebanon’s resistance movement Hezbollah has blasted Arab countries for remaining silent vis-à-vis Israeli crimes against Palestinians in the occupied lands.

“One of the worst things to happen in the region today is that the Arab nations are turning a blind eye to what is happening in Palestine, destroying religious sites in Jerusalem (al-Quds) and attacking Gaza,” Hasan Fadlallah said in a statement on Thursday.

The remarks come as the occupied territories have been the scene of deadly tensions between Israeli regime forces and Palestinians over the past few days. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, at least 30 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troopers since October 1.

The recent violence was triggered by Israel’s imposition of sweeping restrictions on entries into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East al-Quds on August 26 and Israeli settlers’ repeated attacks on the sacred site.

Al Saud to blame for Hajj tragedy

Touching on the deadly crush during Hajj rituals in Mina, near the holy Saudi city of Mecca, the Hezbollah lawmaker said the incident proves that Riyadh is not capable of handling the annual pilgrimage.

“Saudi Arabia’s continued recklessness only convinces us more that it is incapable of organizing Hajj,” said the Hezbollah MP, stressing that Riyadh should provide “clear answers to the Muslim world over what happened” in Mina.

The crush occurred on September 24 after two large masses of pilgrims converged at a crossroads in Mina during the symbolic ceremony of the stoning of Satan in Jamarat.

Saudi Arabia claims nearly 770 people were killed in the incident, but officials at Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization say about 4,700 people lost their lives in the tragedy. However, the tally of foreign deaths stands at 1,674.

US-led strikes in Syria ‘ineffective’

Regarding the ongoing crisis in Syria, the official criticized the US-led coalition purportedly fighting Daesh Takfiri terrorists, saying, “The West is using terrorism to control Syria and divide the people.”

Since September 2014, the US along with some of its allies has allegedly been conducting airstrikes against Daesh extremists inside Syria without any authorization from Damascus or a UN mandate. The airstrikes in Syria are an extension of the US-led aerial campaign against alleged Daesh positions in Iraq, which started in August 2014. Many have criticized the ineffectiveness of the coalition raids.

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