Algeria to 'immediately' send Lebanon fuel after plants went offline
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Electricité du Liban (EDL) declares a total power outage across Lebanon affecting even essential facilities such as the international airport and sea ports.
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Algerian flags flutter in front of the People’s National Assembly (parliament) building in the capital Algiers (AFP)
Algeria will promptly provide fuel to Lebanon's power plants, following Lebanon's announcement that it had exhausted its fuel supplies, according to a statement from Algerian state radio on Sunday.
“Instructed by the Algerian President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Prime Minister Nadir Larbaoui had a telephone conversation today with the Lebanese Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, to inform him of the decision taken by President Tebboune to support Lebanon in these difficult circumstances by immediately providing quantities of fuel oil to operate the power plants and restore electricity to the country,” said the Algerian Prime Minister.
Electricité du Liban (EDL) declared on Saturday a total power outage across the entire country, affecting even essential facilities like the Rafik Hariri International Airport, the Port of Beirut, jails, wastewater treatment facilities, and drinking water pumping stations.
According to a statement from EDL, the last set of production units at the Zahrani Power Plant, which distributes energy to the country, fell offline due to a fuel shortage.
Lebanon's energy company indicated that the power supply would gradually be restored once they obtained new fuel supplies. The oil could come from an ongoing swap agreement with Iraq, which has been in place for years, or from other alternative sources.
This comes as tensions escalate in the region, with "Israel" continuing its genocide in Gaza for nearly 11 months now, and the support front intensifying operations in support of the Palestinians in the Strip.
Tensions grew significantly after the Israeli regime assassinated Hamas' politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, one of Hezbollah's top military commanders, Sayyed Fouad Shokor, in Beirut, and launched an attack on a power plant in Yemen's Hodeidah. These attacks were compounded by daily aggressions on towns and villages in southern Lebanon, killing dozens of civilians in the past ten months. On Friday, "Israel" carried out a massacre in Kfur, southern Lebanon, killing ten members of a Syrian family, including women and children.
Gaza's Resistance Axis allies vowed to respond to the Israeli crimes, leaving both "Israel" and the US on high alert, with Washington bolstering its military assets in the regions to
But while power outtage is an imminent threat to Lebanon in case of an Israeli wider-scale aggression, Tel Aviv also has its severe concerns regarding its energy facilities.
A rocket attack launched by Hezbollah on Saturday in support of Gaza targeted the Upper al-Jalil, igniting fires that damaged high-voltage power lines, disrupting electricity supply to several Israeli settlements in the area.
Israeli media reported widespread fear and panic gripping the settlers in those settlements.
Shaul Goldstein, the CEO of Noga, the Israeli Electricity System Management Company, warned in June that Hezbollah could easily knock out "Israel's" electricity grid for several days, plunging the occupation entity into darkness and making life "impossible" for settlers.
"Suppose a missile hits a power facility, causing a power outage for one hour, two hours, three hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, and so on. What will happen to Israel in such a situation? The bottom line is that after 72 hours, life in Israel would be impossible," he said then.
Noga advised in April Israeli settlers to install solar energy systems on the roofs of houses for routine use, and also to supply them with electricity in emergency situations.
"Israel's" top power provider, Israel Electric Corporation (IEC), conducted unprecedented wide-scale drills back in July in preparations for a potential war with the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon. The main objective is to practice restoring power in case a war erupts with Hezbollah, IEC said.
Goldstein didn't hold back on his warnings, saying "Israel" must prepare for the worst.
"We do not know what Hezbollah is planning," he said.
