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On blogging and citizen reporting from warzones

18 July 2006


Electronic Lebanon has finally been incorporated as a special section of the Electronic Intifada website. Our diary section, “Live from Lebanon”, has been extremely popular, offering accounts from Beirut and other cities under bombardment in Lebanon. There has been a lot of media interest in these diaries, and many U.S. news networks are offering reports about voices from the ground and blogs to varying degrees in their reporting. Some networks have been reporting that the phenomenon of blogging from warzones is “new”. This is not the case. Members of the Electronic Intifada team have been pioneering alternative media reporting from Middle Eastern warzones for over 10 years. 

Middle East: Bloggers Divide over Hezbollah

18 July 2006


Arab bloggers - as well as Arab states - are divided over their support or censure of Lebanon’s Shiite militant group Hezbollah. Chat rooms and forums show mixed reactions on the current fighting in Lebanon and Israel. The ‘Electronic Lebanon’ website - created by the bloggers behind ‘Electronic Intifada, a site on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - [has been visited by 270,000 people since June 27th] and posts reports from the Lebanese. “My entire life has changed only because someone decided that it could change: Who gave them the right to do that?” complains Zena el-Khalil. Bilal, another web surfer, supports the cause of Hezbollah while a Lebanese blogger nicknamed Miss Levantine said she had initially thought the conflict would only last a couple of days. 

European citizens must raise their voice

Adri Nieuwhof and Jeff Handmaker 18 July 2006


During the course of the G8 Summit meeting in the European city of St. Petersburg, world leaders have been forced to address the crisis in the Middle East caused principally by Israel’s military aggression, both in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and in Lebanon. While the response of the United States has been predictably devoid of criticism against Israel, messages coming from the European Union appear to be taking a different turn. Time will tell whether Israel’s current atrocities will generate more than just strong words. But history can be shaped as well. Just as what happened in the 1980’s concerning apartheid South Africa, Europe, its leaders and its citizens must take the opportunity to raise their voices against injustice and oppression. 

Lebanon: The pride of my heart

Zeinab Saab Beirut 16 July 2006


To all of you who sent messages and emails of concern and support, and who called my family in the US to make sure I am safe. I am so, so touched. What can I say - I am living a nightmare. Just last week, Lebanon was expecting 1.6 million tourists, a record number since before the civil war. We were expecting $4.4 billion to be injected into our economy. Now it’s in shambles. Imagine a militia in the US that acts on its own and kidnaps two Candian soldiers, imagine Canada in response bombing our ports, roads, bridges, residences, neighborhoods - killing US citizens, destroying lives, creating refugees … stopping life. Lebanese did not want this war … we are fed up; we have no voice. 

Numbers of displaced peoples rise as attacks continue

18 July 2006


The number of people displaced countrywide due to ongoing Israeli attacks has been estimated by the government at 65,000, with most seeking shelter in Beirut and in the north of the country. “The last update we have from the authorities suggests 65,000 people could be displaced,” said Hicham Hassan, spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Beirut. “But thousands of people are on the move to other areas and it’s difficult to track.” … “People are stranded and villages in the south are isolated from one another and the rest of the country.” 

UN team leader cites 'promising first efforts' but says much work remains

17 July 2006


The head of a three-member United Nations team dispatched to the Middle East to defuse the growing crisis said today in Beirut they had made “some promising first efforts” following high-level discussions with Lebanon’s Government, but he stressed there was much diplomatic work ahead and the consequences of failure could be grave. “I can announce today that we have made some promising first efforts on the way forward. My team has discussed concrete ideas with the Government of Lebanon. We leave shortly for Israel, where we will convey these ideas for further discussion,” Vijay Nambiar told reporters. 

UN team leader in Lebanon 'as an act of solidarity with the people'

15 July 2006


The head of a three-member United Nations team dispatched to the Middle East in response to the unfolding crisis there arrived today in Beirut as an “act of solidarity” with the Lebanese people bearing a call from Secretary-General Kofi Annan for the protection of civilians, support for Lebanon’s Government and the release of all those held captive. “I have come to Lebanon as the head of this United Nations mission as an act of solidarity with the people of this country and the region, who have suffered untold misery as a result of this escalating conflict,” Vijay Nambiar told reporters following a meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora. 

Security Council should discuss possible stabilization force for Middle East – Annan

17 July 2006


The United Nations Security Council should discuss a package of practical actions aimed at stemming the spiraling violence in the Middle East, as well as the possibility of a new stabilization force for the region, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today following meetings with the Group of 8 countries in Saint Petersburg, Russia, where he also called on the parties to avoid civilian casualties. Mr. Annan said the team he dispatched to the region – led by Vijay Nambiar and including Terje Roed-Larsen and Alvaro de Soto – would report to the Security Council on its return. 

UN publishes Revised Emergency Appeal to Meet Most Urgent Needs of Palestinians

17 July 2006


On July 14, United Nations (UN) Emergency Relief Coordinator, Jan Egeland, called on the donor community to assit the United Nations and its partners in their efforts to meet the most urgent needs of the Palestinian population and respond promptly and generously to the revised emergency Appeal for the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) 2006. Norway, Spain and Sweden convened a meeting in Geneva to encourage the international donor community to increase it response to the deterioration humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian territory. 

ICRC bulletin - Gaza

17 July 2006


Last Thursday (13 July) was particularly heavy in terms of casualties, as the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced the death of 26 people within 24 hours. During the reporting period, air, land and sea shelling continued in various areas of the Gaza Strip, causing many casualties, including civilians. On 13 July, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) declared the central part of the Gaza Strip a closed military zone and imposed a curfew on its 1,200 residents till the next day. On 16 July, the IDF heavily shelled Beit Hanun. The exact number of casualties is unknown, but at least three houses were destroyed.