• Lebanese soldiers take up position in Khalde after a gun attack on a Hezbollah funeral.
    Lebanese soldiers take up position in Khalde after a gun attack on a Hezbollah funeral.
  • Lebanese soldiers take up position in Khalde, 12km south of Beirut, after a gun attack on a Hezbollah funeral on Sunday.
    Lebanese soldiers take up position in Khalde, 12km south of Beirut, after a gun attack on a Hezbollah funeral on Sunday.
  • Lebanese soldiers take up position in Khalde, south of Beirut, after a gun attack on a Hezbollah funeral.
    Lebanese soldiers take up position in Khalde, south of Beirut, after a gun attack on a Hezbollah funeral.
  • A burnt car is seen after an ambush on a Hezbollah funeral procession in Khalde, Lebanon.
    A burnt car is seen after an ambush on a Hezbollah funeral procession in Khalde, Lebanon.
  • Men drive past a vehicle following clashes in the Khalde area, south of Beirut.
    Men drive past a vehicle following clashes in the Khalde area, south of Beirut.
  • Hezbollah supporters drive past Lebanese soldiers as the army takes up positions amid clashes in the Khalde area, south of Beirut.
    Hezbollah supporters drive past Lebanese soldiers as the army takes up positions amid clashes in the Khalde area, south of Beirut.
  • Flames engulf a vehicle following clashes in the Khalde area, south of the Lebanese capital.
    Flames engulf a vehicle following clashes in the Khalde area, south of the Lebanese capital.

'A declaration of war': tensions in Lebanon's Khalde after Hezbollah clashes


Aya Iskandarani
  • English
  • Arabic

A military checkpoint and five armoured vehicles guarded Khalde, a residential suburb south of Beirut on Monday morning, where gunmen opened fire on a Hezbollah funeral procession the day before in a deadly vendetta.

The soldiers stood on a dormant front line, with the Chebli Centre — a burnt-out building riddled with bullet holes and a Hezbollah flag — behind them.

A few metres away are the homes of the group's sworn enemies: the Sunni Arab clansmen of Khalde.

Close to the Chebli Centre, the Arabs have erected a huge photograph of a young man killed last August in a turf battle between the two groups.

The revenge killing of Hassan Ghosn’s alleged murderer on Saturday, whose funeral procession was the target of violence on Sunday, reignited tensions between local Sunni Arab clansmen and Shiite supporters of the Iran-backed group.

Khalde residents now fear renewed sectarian violence in a country already struck by political paralysis and economic collapse.

“We are preparing for the worst. We told our women and children to stay indoors,” Lawrence Chahine, an Arab clan member said from his family home, metres away from the scene of the fighting.

“If Hezbollah decides to have another big procession for those who died yesterday we will consider it a declaration of war.

It is going to be a massacre.”

Sunni Arab clansmen said that one their own killed Ali Chebli, the Hezbollah member whose procession was attacked, to avenge the killing of the Sunni boy, Hassan Ghosn, last year.

Chebli’s funeral procession ended in bloodshed.

As many as four people are believed to have been killed. Hezbollah confirmed that two people were dead. The Red Cross, which was deployed at the scene, said it will not release a death toll.

Mr Chahine, a cafe owner in his 50s, said the clansmen attacked Chibli’s procession because some people attempted to tear away the image of Ghosn and fired in the direction of the photograph.

He also said that the sight of a huge convoy waving Hezbollah flags and chanting Shiite slogans was a provocation to local clansmen, many of whom live at the corner between the picture and Chebli’s villa.

“When I saw the convoy, I knew there was going to be blood,” he said.

Hezbollah said on Sunday that the procession was “ambushed” by local gunmen and denies wrongdoing.

  • An image depicting slain boy Hassan Ghosn in Khalde, 12km south of Beirut.
    An image depicting slain boy Hassan Ghosn in Khalde, 12km south of Beirut.
  • The house of slain Hezbollah member Ali Chebli. His funeral procession was on its way to the house when it was fired upon.
    The house of slain Hezbollah member Ali Chebli. His funeral procession was on its way to the house when it was fired upon.
  • The Chibli Centre and its surroundings. The Hezbollah building was burnt during clashes last year.
    The Chibli Centre and its surroundings. The Hezbollah building was burnt during clashes last year.
  • The Chibli Centre and its surroundings. The Hezbollah building was burnt during clashes last year.
    The Chibli Centre and its surroundings. The Hezbollah building was burnt during clashes last year.

Khalde is located south of Hezbollah's security complex in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Banners of the slain Iranian commander Qassem Suleimani line the Beirut motorway to Khalde.

The coastal town separates Hezbollah's Beirut stronghold from south Lebanon, where the armed group holds great influence.

Mr Chahine traces enmities between clan members and the Shiite group back to the killing of former prime minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. An international court found last year that Hariri was killed by a Hezbollah operative.

“Wherever there is a force standing in their way they will strike,” Mr Chahine said, accusing the group of “waging war on Sunnis".

Lebanon was at war with itself for 15 years as sect leaders competed for territorial control. An arrangement dividing political portfolios by sect ended the war in 1990.

Lebanon’s sect leaders called for calm on Sunday after the clashes in a rare show of unity.

Blood begets blood. My brother was shot dead last year in Syria. If we had killed his killer, there would be endless bloodshed
Syrian resident of Khalde

They have been embroiled in a year-long fight over their share of ministerial portfolios in the next government. The Cabinet of premier Hassan Diab resigned last August after the devastating blast at Beirut's port.

President Michel Aoun called on “all sides to co-operate” to restore calm to Khalde.

An army spokesperson told The National that military intelligence arrested a local salafist clergyman and his son on suspicion that he "incited the men to shoot at the procession."

The army said on Monday it had also arrested one gunman who shot at Chibli’s procession and that Khalde had returned to normal.

Alone in his empty decor shop by the sea, a local resident said he still fears for his business and his life.

“I am against all forms of violence, especially during a funeral procession. This is simply not right”, Omar, 24, said in a low soft voice.

The Syrian man said that so long as the vendetta remains unresolved bloodshed was inevitable.

“Blood begets blood. My brother was shot dead last year in Syria. If we had killed his killer, there would be endless bloodshed.”

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The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

Results

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m, Winner: Zalman, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)

5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Hisham Al Khalediah II, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash.

6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Qader, Adrie de Vries, Jean de Roualle

6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh180,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Mujeeb, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel

7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 (T) 1,600m, Winner: Shanaghai City, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly

8pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 1,400m, Winner: Nayslayer, Bernardo Pinheiro, Jaber Ramadhan

Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

Profile

Company name: Marefa Digital

Based: Dubai Multi Commodities Centre

Number of employees: seven

Sector: e-learning

Funding stage: Pre-seed funding of Dh1.5m in 2017 and an initial seed round of Dh2m in 2019

Investors: Friends and family 

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
SERIES SCHEDULE

First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Schedule for Asia Cup

Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)

Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)

Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)

Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)

Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four

Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai) 

Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)

Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)

Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 28: Final (Dubai)

Getting%20there%20and%20where%20to%20stay
%3Cp%3EEtihad%20Airways%20operates%20seasonal%20flights%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi%20to%20Nice%20C%C3%B4te%20d'Azur%20Airport.%20Services%20depart%20the%20UAE%20on%20Wednesdays%20and%20Sundays%20with%20outbound%20flights%20stopping%20briefly%20in%20Rome%2C%20return%20flights%20are%20non-stop.%20Fares%20start%20from%20Dh3%2C315%2C%20flights%20operate%20until%20September%2018%2C%202022.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20Radisson%20Blu%20Hotel%20Nice%20offers%20a%20western%20location%20right%20on%20Promenade%20des%20Anglais%20with%20rooms%20overlooking%20the%20Bay%20of%20Angels.%20Stays%20are%20priced%20from%20%E2%82%AC101%20(%24114)%2C%20including%20taxes.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals

Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent   

Seven%20Winters%20in%20Tehran
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%20%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Steffi%20Niederzoll%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Reyhaneh%20Jabbari%2C%20Shole%20Pakravan%2C%20Zar%20Amir%20Ebrahimi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg

Liverpool v Bayern Munich, midnight (Wednesday), BeIN Sports

New schools in Dubai
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
  • 2018: Formal work begins
  • November 2021: First 17 volumes launched 
  • November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
  • October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
  • November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
  • Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000 
  • Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000 
  • HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000 
  • Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000 
  • Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000 
  • Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000 
  • Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000 
  • Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000 
  • Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000 
  • Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
  • Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
  • Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
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Who was Alfred Nobel?

The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.

  • In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
  • Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
  • Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Abu Dhabi World Pro 2019 remaining schedule:

Wednesday April 24: Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, 11am-6pm

Thursday April 25:  Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, 11am-5pm

Friday April 26: Finals, 3-6pm

Saturday April 27: Awards ceremony, 4pm and 8pm

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

Updated: August 02, 2021, 5:00 PM