BEIRUT: The vice governors of crisis-hit Lebanon’s central bank urged authorities on Thursday to name a successor to embattled bank chief Riad Salameh, whose mandate expires at the end of July.

Despite reeling from nearly four years of economic meltdown, Lebanon has been governed by a caretaker Cabinet with limited powers and without a president since 2022.

Once hailed as the guardian of the country’s financial stability, Salameh has been accused of amassing a fortune during some three decades in the post.

NABLUS, Palestinian Territories: A Palestinian gunman shot dead an Israeli soldier near a settlement in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, the army said, in an attack claimed by a Palestinian militant group.
Shilo Yosef Amir, 22, was the second Israeli soldier to be killed within a week as violence again surges in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
He was killed during a “routine activity” near the settlement of Kedumim, the army said in a statement.

RAMALLAH: Palestinians on Thursday began counting the cost of the damage inflicted by the Israeli offensive on the Jenin refugee camp and its infrastructure. 

The most intense Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank in nearly two decades left a trail of wrecked streets and burned-out cars, and sparked fury across the Arab world.

Palestinian residents encountered scenes of widespread destruction as they emerged from their homes and returned from nearby shelters.

NEW YORK CITY: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday condemned Israeli authorities for their excessive use of force during a two-day raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank this week.

At least 12 Palestinians were killed during the operation, including five children. In addition, more than 4,000 were forced to flee, and houses, apartment buildings and other infrastructure were damaged.

CAIRO: The Arab Organization for Agricultural Development has requested Egypt’s support to strengthen fish farming in Lebanon.

The matter came up during Thursday’s talks between Egyptian Agriculture and Land Reclamation Minister El-Sayed El-Quseir and an AOAD delegation led by Director General Ibrahim El-Dukheri.

El-Quseir stressed the importance of cooperation between his ministry and the AOAD during the meeting, adding that Egypt offered all its agricultural expertise to fellow Arab states in implementation of the directives of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.