82 MPs arrive at the parliament for the 2nd vote to elect a new president.

Hezbullah and its allies will vote with a white paper, as no candidate is able to get enough votes to win yet.

⋯ The voting session has been adjourned due to the lack of a quorum.

Parliament speaker Nabih Berri calls for a new session next Thursday on the 20th of October.

All those arrested for involvement in the Tayouneh massacre have been released from prison.

No one was convicted for the murder of 7 protestors and locals affiliated with Amal-Hezbullah.

President General Michel Aoun, will deliver a speech this evening to inform public about maritime demarcation negotiations.

U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea met Thursday with Internal Security Forces chief Major General Imad Othman on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of joint cooperation.

⋯ Then-U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman signed the first letter of agreement providing an initial $60 million of assistance to strengthen the skills, equipment, and administration of the ISF on October 5, 2007.

"Through U.S. Department of State programs, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut has supported the travel of hundreds of ISF officers to international trainings and cooperation with the FBI," added Shea.

The Council of Lebanese Medical Association in Beirut announced an increase in the minimum fees by doctors:

- Medical examination for general medicine: 450,000 LBP.

- Medical examination for specialized medicine: 650,000 LBP.

Lebanon intends to repatriate Syrian refugees despite lack of cooperation from Damascus. (The Cradle)

President Michel Aoun announced on 12 October that the process of returning Syrian refugees to their country in batches starts next week. However, Lebanon has yet to receive a response from the Syrian authorities about Syria’s readiness to accommodate the 483 families being deported.

Aoun’s announcement comes just two weeks before he is set to leave his post after six years in office, and coincides with the landmark border deal made with Israel.

⋯ An informed source revealed to The Cradle that Damascus has not yet responded to Beirut’s request for the repatriations, over a month after it submitted the names of 1,600 refugees who plan to go back home

This confusion raised several questions about Aoun’s public statement concerning the Syrian refugees, considering Lebanon’s inability to complete this step without Syrian cooperation.

⋯ Nonetheless, this move falls under Aoun’s plan to end his presidency while claiming his success in completing two of his most important objectives: the maritime deal with Israel, and solving the refugee crisis in Lebanon.

A new case of cholera was registered in Qab Elias camp for Syrian refugees.

It has been isolated and the necessary health measures have been taken.

بيان الغرفة للضفة و القدس بإختصار:

فَاذْهَبْ أَنتَ وَرَبُّكَ فَقَاتِلَا إِنَّا هَاهُنَا قَاعِدُونَ

The dollar exchange rate reaches a new all-time high exceeding 40,000 for the first time in history.

🚨 ‘Poisoned Wells’: New Research Reveals Israeli Army's 1948 Biological Warfare

On 14 ⁠October 2022, Israeli newspaper Haaretz wrote extensively on the research by historians Benny Morris and Benjamin Z. Kedar:

“For decades, rumors and testimonies swirled about Jewish troops sent to poison wells in Arab villages. Now, researchers have located official documentation of the ‘Cast Thy Bread’ operation.”

David Ben-Gurion's diary mentions “biological materials” purchased for $2,000 (entry from May 1948). The diary proves the involvement of Israel's soon-to-be first PM, in a secret operation to poison drinking water.

➡️ Read the thread

⋯ This operation was partially exposed decades ago when rumors and oral testimonies were reported in newspapers and books about an attempt in 1948 by the IDF to poison wells in Acre and Gaza by adding bacteria to the drinking water.

⋯ The newly unearthed documents show that this operation was much broader in scope than earlier believed and that other top military and political figures besides Ben-Gurion were involved.