⋯ The Ministry of Foreign Affairs to LBCI: “Two members of the Lebanese community are still under the rubble in southern Turkey and have been unable to be contacted. The Lebanese ambassador to Turkey is following the matter closely.”

Update: Minister of Education Abbas Halabi announced the closure of all official and private schools, highschools, vocational schools, and higher education institutions until Wednesday due to the stormy weather and risk of accidents on icy and snowy roads.

After the judicial orders forcing Fransabank to return two peoples' deposits in USD and the bank's consequent refusal and closure, the Association of Banks announced a strike in solidarity.

All banks will be closed “until a solution is found for the judicial decisions.”

Current most trustworthy charities to support Syria in light of this tragedy, and despite sanctions.

Red Cross Syria Appeal (funds Syrian Red Cross):
donate.redcross.org.uk/ap…

SOS Chrétiens d'Orient:
jedonne.soschretiensdorie…

The UN crisis relief:
crisisrelief.un.org/t/syr…

⋯ As of this morning, the number of the dead so far is:
-3381 in Turkey, as reported by the Turkish government
-1597 in Syria, as reported by the UK-funded Syrian Observatory, while the Syrian government reported 812 dead in its areas of control.

⋯ How the Lebanese organize aid for Syria:

1. Personnel sent by the Army & Civil Defense

2. “The port of Tripoli, the airport and the port of Beirut are exempt from all fees and taxes for the delivery of any aid to Syria.” (Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamieh)

3. Air Transport Association: “On behalf of all our unions & workers in the aviation, we are placing ourselves as volunteers to facilitate relief work heading to Syria via Beirut Airport, around the clock.”

4. Personnel sent by the Lebanese Red Cross

5. Personnel sent by Hezbollah's Islamic Health Organization

The Lebanese Red Cross is sending a team of professionals in Search & Rescue operations to Syria, in coordination with the Syrian Red Crescent, and after a request from both the Lebanese and Syrian governments.

🐍 Lebanese from Zionist family exiled in Israel crosses into Lebanon

Last Sunday, and in the 2nd incident in a week, the Lebanese Army Intelligence detained a man from Israel who entered Lebanese territory via the village of Kfarkela.

Of Lebanese origin, the man had taken refuge in Israel with his spy of a father after the liberation of South Lebanon. In 2007, he had already crossed into Lebanon, before returning to Israel.

The IDF admits the man was not identified due to human error and technical malfunctions as a result of poor weather conditions. Talks are being held via the UNIFIL for his release.

Turkish health minister: 5434 dead and 31777 injured so far.

⋯ Elie Lahoud has founded a Christian pro-Hezbullah movement, ‘Resist’. He has gone on record to say that LF leader Samir Geagea should have been executed rather than imprisoned for his crimes.

Lahoud was in financial trouble, but friends and family allegedly said that he wouldn't have committed suicide. The mayor of Mtayleb, Paul Chedid, speaking to Annahar, revealed that according to CCTV, Lahoud arrived alone to the church, lit a candle, and entered the baptismal room. After leaving it, he began walking inside the church right and left, until he chose a corner where he sat, which is not visible on CCTV, to be found later a bloodied corpse.

⋯ The mayor of Mtayleb published the CCTV footage of the late Elie Lahoud.

It confirms that Elie Lahoud was wandering alone in the empty church, acting in a strange way, such as kissing the church door (01:01) and heading left and right. A security source to MTV said that no items were missing or scattered; the forensic doctor Malek Hilal confirmed there was no trace of violence.

It remains to be known why he committed suicide.

Turkey: The death toll has risen to 9,057 so far, the wounded to about 53,000, and the collapsed buildings to 6,444.

Syria: The death toll has reportedly risen to approximately 2,600 according to Syrian officials.