Pierre Balanian

Many judge the sentence - which does not condemn Hezbollah and the Syrian government - ridiculous; for others it is the result of a political agreement. The village of Haruf, homeland of Salim Ayash, one of the condemned, celebrates him as a "son of the resistance". Tripoli's Sunnis remain calm. Saad Hariri accepts "what emerged from the Court, though it falls short of expectations".

A surprising verdict is issued after 15 years. For the usual “conspiracists,” the Tribunal’s decision must be due to some deal between Iran and the United States, with France as mediator, to get Lebanon out of its morass. Sunni protesters from Tripoli and Sidon were preparing to invade Beirut. Groups of Christians are set to march on Baabda. In the end, the Tribunal found two men guilty – one, Mostafa Badreddine, is dead; the other, Salim Ayyash, is nowhere to be found.

The historical heart of Beirut was destroyed in the port explosions, and there is the risk of the destruction of the cultural heritage. The devastated parts are relics of the Ottoman tradition and of the first contact with the French West. The campaign of the Ministry of Archaeological Heritage together with Unesco. But there are jackals who are taking advantage of the desperation of the inhabitants. Temporary homes are being prepared for the 300,000 homeless. "It will take years" to rebuild. Our "In aid of devastated Beirut" campaign.

A quarter of the victims at Beirut port were Syrian. Many of them decided to stay in the country to work on rebuilding homes. Damascus' contribution to the care of the wounded. After years of occupation and war, there are small signs of friendship. The stories of Nadir and Rafiq.

Within days, Dr. Rida Zeineddine gathered around him nurses and doctors to treat people who were injured by the port explosions for free. Many of them are elderly, ill with cancer, diabetes, Covid-19 infected and cannot move from home. Join our "In aid of devastated Beirut" campaign.

Thousands of young people are busy clearing the city of debris and rubble; they help elderly people to survive; they offer water and food paying with their own money or collected from friends and relatives. Young Syrian refugees also join in efforts. A Syrian Protestant pastor, a Muslim who converted to Christianity, offers sandwiches and bottles of water to the displaced.

Violent, anti-Hezbollah groups demonstrated in Place des canons and then seized and sacked the Foreign Ministry. Important and sensitive documents were burnt. Papers were also destroyed at the Environment and Economy ministries. A member of the security service is killed. Prime Minister Hassan Diab calls for early parliamentary elections, echoed by the Maronite patriarch who also wants an international inquiry.

Ali Msheik's wife has been waiting for three days in front of the place where he worked as a longshoreman to have news about his fate. Eliane, an artist, asks Christians and Muslims to pray for her son, a dentist, who is in intensive care. Young Christians and Muslims clean up streets and churches, “places of God”. In Beirut, death dis not discriminated. Everything at Holy Rosary Hospital, 300 metres from the site of the blasts, has been destroyed. Patients have been saved and now there is hope to rebuild the hospital. But “we need everything. We have to start from scratch; we need help and the government is unable to help us.”

The blasts, dubbed Beirutshima, have sparked acts of solidarity and brought help from the whole world. The Lebanese are donating blood, sheltering displaced people, and cleaning the debris and rubble from the streets. Russia, Italy, United Kingdom, China, Iran, Iraq, the Emirates, and many others are sending medical supplies and food. French President Emmanuel Macron arrived on a solidarity visit. The number of dead stands at 137, whilst the number of injured tops 5,000. The needs of Beirut residents remain huge. AsiaNews continues its ‘Help devastated Beirut’ campaign.

The toll from yesterday’s blasts now stands at 100 dead and more than 4,000 injured, but many people are still missing under collapsed buildings. Some ships in Beirut harbour have dead and injured on board. Hospitals are full, whilst medicine warehouses have been destroyed. Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab has called for help from the international community. Lebanon’s security chief said that 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded, but remains guarded as to possible causes. Israel has denied responsibility. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah postponed an address he was supposed to make.

The international community has no faith in Lebanon. Even France prefers to manage aid for Lebanese schools through its embassy in Beirut. Two more people take their own life because of the economic situation. Many fear Netanyahu will start a war from the south. Others fear war in the north where Sunni extremists armed by Ankara are ready to take revenge for Rafiq Hariri’s assassination. The International Tribunal will release its final verdict on Friday, likely against Hezbollah and Syria.

Last night 53-year-old taxi driver, Vatchè Ohanian, committed suicide. His business decimated by Covid-19. In July there were a dozen suicides. The economic crisis has worsened since demonstrations against government corruption last October. Unemployment, inflation (a US dollar is now worth 8 thousand Lebanese pounds), an embargo - on Syria and Iran - which also affects Lebanon. And it is the people who are paying the toll.