Al-Sadr calls for aid to Lebanese refugees; PM Al-Sudani extends visas for Lebanese in Iraq

Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, the leader of the Sadrist movement Muqtada al-Sadr called on the owners of Hussainia processions in Iraq to open their doors to Lebanese refugees fleeing the ongoing events in their country.

On X, al-Sadr called on everyone, particularly those with capital who are not corrupt, to collect financial donations exclusively to establish processions in Lebanon and Syria to assist the injured and displaced individuals.

Al-Sadr directed that financial donations be collected at the "Al-Bunyan Al-Marsous" headquarters in Najaf only, with a receipt to be issued for such contributions.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, ordered the extension of entry visas for Lebanese citizens currently in Iraq and exempted them from the foreign residents' law due to the attacks Lebanon has been facing.

The Prime Minister also directed the "exemption of Lebanese citizens currently in violation of the law from the penalties stipulated therein, and the continuation of free entry visa issuance for Lebanese citizens arriving at Iraqi border crossings," according to a statement from the Iraqi government.

The statement attributed the issuance of these decisions to the "difficult circumstances faced by the Lebanese people, who have been under Israeli aggression for several days, and in solidarity and support from Iraq, both government and people, with our brothers in Lebanon."

The Israeli military launched a series of intense and unprecedented air raids on Monday, targeting approximately 1,300 Hezbollah positions across Lebanon.

The death toll from the airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon has risen to 492, with more than 1,645 injured, marking the deadliest day in the year-long escalation between Hezbollah and Israel.

Lebanon's Ministry of Health reported that among the dead were 35 children and 58 women.