Page 10 - AT

A10 WORLD NEWS
Friday 20 december 2019
German parliament calls for full ban of Hezbollah activities

By DAVID RISING tion in Germany was ap-
Associated Press proved with a majority
BERLIN (AP) — Germany's show of hands by members
parliament passed a reso- of Merkel's bloc, the Social
lution Thursday calling for Democrats and the Free
a national ban on the ac- Democrats. Other parties
tivities of Hezbollah and represented in the German
for the Lebanese militant legislature all abstained.
group to be put on the Eu- The Left Party said it could
ropean Union's terrorist list. not vote for the resolution
Mathias Middelberg, the because adding Hezbollah
spokesman for Chancellor to the EU terrorist list could
Angela Merkel's conserva- complicate relations with
tives in parliament, said the Lebanon.
joint resolution was agreed Members of the Greens
upon with the junior coali- said they agreed with al-
tion Social Democrats, as most all of the resolution
well as the opposition Free but objected to a point
Democrats. that they said could lead
"It is unacceptable that to "military intervention" in
Hezbollah is waging a ter- the Mideast.
rorist fight against Israel in Johann Wadephul, a law-
the Middle East, which is maker with Merkel's Chris-
being financed through Picture taken on July 2, 2019 shows people taking part in a demonstration under the alliance "No tian Democrats, offered
worldwide criminal activi- Al Quds march 2016! Together against all anti-Semitism!") at Kurfuerstendamm in Berlin, Germany. assurance that the resolu-
Banner left reads "ban Hezbollah".
ties, among other things," Associated Press tion's call for measures to
he said in a statement. "In reduce the influence of
view of Germany's special of Lebanese governments in Europe more extensively move would encourage Hezbollah in the region,
responsibility toward Israel, in recent years. than before." other European countries particularly in Syria, did not
we call on the government "The separation between a However, other member to take similar steps. foresee military action.
to ban all activities for Hez- political and a military arm nations have opposed "The Bundestag's resolu- "But we are all called upon
bollah in Germany." should be abandoned, broadening the scope of tion is an important step in to isolate Hezbollah inter-
The EU now lists Iran- and Hezbollah as a whole the EU's Hezbollah ban. the international struggle nationally," Wadephul told
backed Hezbollah's military should be placed on the Israel welcomed the de- against terrorism, particu- fellow lawmakers. "They
wing as a banned terrorist EU terrorist list," Middelberg cision by German parlia- larly against terrorist orga- threaten Israel, they threat-
group, but not its political said. "This could freeze He- ment, known as the Bunde- nization Hezbollah and its en the peace process in
wing, which has been part zbollah's funds and assets stag, and said it hoped the patron Iran," said Israeli For- the Mideast and therefore
eign Minister Israel Katz. we must confront Hezbol-
The parliamentary resolu- lah." q

Warring sides reach

humanitarian agreement

on key Yemen town

Associated Press U.N.-brokered agreement
CAIRO (AP) — Yemen's last December in Sweden
warring parties agreed that included a cease-
Thursday to create hu- fire for Hodeida and an
manitarian corridors in the exchange of more than
key port city of Hodeida, 15,000 prisoners. But the
which remains the main deal was never fully imple-
entry point for food and mented. This week's talks
aid in a country witnessing focused how both sides
the world's worst humani- would redeploy forces from
tarian crisis. The agreement strategic areas in Hodeida,
follows two days of U.N.- which has seen some of
mediated talks between the war's worst fighting. The
the Houthi rebels and the talks also addressed who
Saudi-led coalition. A coor- will oversee administration
dinating committee sanc- of the country's most im-
tioned by the world body portant shipping port. They
said in a statement that come amid a renewed
both parties were work- push for peace. A Saudi-
ing on redeploying forces led coalition intervened in
to improve humanitarian 2015 and has since waged
access and enable move- war against the Houthis in
ment of civilians. an effort to restore the gov-
The port handles 70% of ernment of President Abed
Yemen's food imports and Rabbo Mansour Hadi to
aid. The two sides signed a power.q