MEA to reduce flights 'by half'; renewed Lebanon-Israel border tensions: Hamas-Israel war Day 14

Thank you for joining our LIVE coverage from day 14 of the Hamas-Israel war. We will be back tomorrow with more news updates.

Israel asked the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) to evacuate five of its schools in Gaza, Al Arabiya reported today. This request implies that the organization's facilities are "no longer safe," said the agency, quoted by the Saudi channel.

The Israeli Army has been multiplying its lethal bombardments since the start of its war against Hamas.

Middle East Airlines (MEA) published a new flight schedule for the weekend to and from Beirut International Airport in a press release on Friday evening. This comes after its announcement that it had to drastically reduce the frequency of its flights due to regional tensions linked to the Hamas-Israel war, and its possible spillover into Lebanon.

The national airline cancelled eight flights on Saturday, including one from London, one from Beirut (ME 313 to Amman) and seven that were expected to arrive in the capital, from Paris (ME230), London (ME204), Amman (ME313), Kuwait City (ME403), Riyadh (ME423), Dubai (ME429) and Doha (ME 435).

The Israeli Army shelled the outskirts of Alma Shaab, Dhayra and Aita al-Shaab in southern Lebanon, according to the National News Agency (NNA).

Almost an hour ago, Israel targeted the outskirts of the villages of Ramaya, Aita al-Shaab and Rmaish, in the district of Bint Jbeil, according to NNA.

Hezbollah issued two new statements earlier today announcing that it targeted an Israeli force near the Branit barracks "with appropriate missiles, causing casualties."

The attack comes after a Lebanese journalist was killed the previous day by Israeli fire in the nearby town of Ibad, the party said in a statement.

The Israeli Army bombed the outskirts of Alma Shaab, Dhayra and Aita al-Shaab in South Lebanon, according to the National News Agency (NNA).

The "Summit for Peace" in the Middle East will be held on Saturday in Cairo, amid Hamas-Israel war, which claimed thousands of lives since Oct. 7.

Initially entitled "Regional and International Summit on the Future of the Palestinian Cause," the conference was proposed last Sunday by Egyptian authorities, shortly before the arrival of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Cairo as part of a regional tour.

According to a list compiled by Reuters, at least 18 state and senior officials are expected to attend. The USA, China and Russia, as well as Israel and Hamas officials, will not be taking part in the summit.

Arab leaders and representatives include Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Jordanian King Abdullah II, Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

EU leaders and representatives include High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, European Council President Charles Michel, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Japanese Foreign Minister Yōko Kamikawa and her Norwegian counterpart Espen Barth Eide will also take part in the conference.

According to Egyptian media reports, the summit organizers also expect Saudi Arabia and Turkey to take part. This information was not confirmed by Reuters.

Hamas claimed it freed an American woman and her daughter who were held hostage in Gaza, as part of negotiations sponsored by Qatar, according to AFP and Reuters.

Amnesty International said in a press release that it "documented unlawful Israeli attacks, including indiscriminate attacks, which caused mass civilian casualties and must be investigated as war crimes."

Amnesty continues to investigate dozens of attacks in Gaza.

US President Joe Biden "believes" that first aid trucks will enter Gaza "within the next 24 to 48 hours," according to AFP.

According to L'Orient Today's correspondent on the ground in South Lebanon, two warplanes flew over the sea, and two others over land along the line extending from the southern borders to Beirut, passing through Saida.

Our correspondent later noticed that the planes turned around and headed towards South Lebanon after arriving to the outskirts of Beirut.

According to state-run National News Agency (NNA), the war planes that penetrated the Southern borders are Israeli.

Image: Warplane seen over Saida on Oct. 20, 2023. (Credit: Muntasser Abdallah/L'Orient Today)

New exchange of fire happened in the early evening in Marjayoun, South Lebanon.

According to local media, artillery fire was launched on the outskirts of southern Lebanese town Mays el-Jabal, near the region's governmental hospital. Rockets were also fired in the direction of the Khiam valley.

According to the National News Agency (NNA), an Israeli drone bombarded the outskirts Qlaya, an area known as Hosh, with five rockets.

A Telegram channel close to Hezbollah reported that ten rockets were fired towards the outskirts of burj al-Muluk and Qlaya. MTV reports that Hoch was targeted by six Israeli rockets after two other projectiles were launched from this area towards Israel.

According to Israeli media, alarm sirens are sounding in Metula.

AFP reported that the Israeli army announced its intention to evacuate the northern town of Kiryat Shmona on Friday.

The toll of French victims killed in Hamas attacks on Israel has risen, with a total of 30 dead and seven missing, a diplomatic source announced today, quoted by AFP.

From Cairo to Baghdad to Tunis, tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Arab capitals today in support of Palestinians in Gaza, who have been bombarded by Israel since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, according to AFP and other news agencies.

Image: Demonstrator burns Israeli flag and doll bearing image of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during rally in Istanbul today. (Credit: Bulent Kilic/AFP)

The White House asked Congress to release $14.3 billion in assistance to Israel, as part of an "emergency aid package," several news agencies — including Reuters — and Israeli media reported.

This amount is part of a global package worth $105 billion, part of which is intended to help Ukraine, which has been at war with Russia for over a year and a half.

Much of the $14.3 billion allocated to Israel will enable the country's army to strengthen its military capabilities in the air and missile defense fields. This exceptional budget is three times greater than the aid that the US normally gives to Israel every year.

The $105 billion must be approved by Congress, whose lower house, the House of Representatives, has not replaced its president since the ousting of Republican Kevin McCarthy.

"Lebanon must not be drawn into a regional conflict," said UK Defence Senior Advisor to the Middle East and North Africa (DSAME) Martin Sampson, concluding a two-day visit to Lebanon, as announced in a statement by the UK embassy in Beirut.

"The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) continues to play a vital role in safeguarding Lebanon’s security and stability, which remains a priority for the UK," added Sampson.

He met with Chief of Defence for the Lebanese Army General Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Najib Mikati. In their discussions, Sampson reaffirmed the UK’s unwavering support for the people of Lebanon and the LAF.

During a phone call with United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Head of Mission Major General Aroldo Lázaro, Sampson expressed the UK’s support for UNIFIL and its significant role in maintaining peace and stability. At Hamat Air Base, Sampson received a briefing on various UK military training activities in Lebanon.

This visit is "part of his regional tour, which includes Egypt and Jordan, aimed at reassuring and demonstrating support for the UK's partners in the region, including Lebanon," added the statement.

"We are not neutral, but at the heart of the battle. While we are gathered here to show our support and solidarity with our Palestinian brothers, there are men who are getting ready to do their duty," stated Hezbollah MP Ali Ammar at a demonstration in support of Palestine held in the southern suburbs of Beirut. The demonstration was called by the Shiite parties Amal and Hezbollah.

"During this period, we are asked to be ready to take orders ... To Hassan Nasrallah, we say we are at your disposal," he added.

Secretary General of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah has not spoken publicly since the start of the Hamas-Israel war.

Image: Ammar giving speech in the southern suburbs of Beirut. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin/L'Orient Today)

The Israeli military announced plans to evacuate the northern city of Kiryat Shmona on Friday, after days of clashes with Hezbollah fighters along the border with Lebanon, according to AFP.

Israeli Army claims they destroyed "terrorist unit" in Lebanon, Hezbollah claims two new attacks

A new round of fighting took place in the past hour on the Lebanese-Israeli borders; this is what we know so far:

• Israeli Army spokesperson Daniel Hagari claimed that 30 rockets were fired at Mount Dov and the Israeli Army retaliated by attacking and killing a "terrorist unit" in Lebanon, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported. Hagari added that the rockets did not cause casualties.

• Hezbollah claimed that it attacked the Hermon site using "guided missiles and appropriate weapons," and targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers in the Honin Barracks (Ramim), "inflicting confirmed casualties" among them.

• State-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that the Israeli Army shelled al-Awaida hill in Kfar Kila and the outskirts  of Houla moments ago.

• Al Mayadeen's correspondent said that the Israeli Army's artillery shelling targeted the outskirts of Beit Lif in southern Lebanon for the first time earlier on today.

• L'Orient Today contacted United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and Hezbollah for further information but they were not immediately available for comment.

Dozens of Palestinians clutching their foreign passports gathered today at Gaza's border with Egypt, the only crossing which can possibly open as Israel bombards the tiny territory, according to AFP.

Hezbollah claimed in a statement an attack carried out earlier today against the Assi site "using guided missiles and appropriate weapons."

URGENT: Hezbollah claims guided missile strikes on "Israeli positions in the occupied Shebaa Farms" as well as on five Israeli sites: Ramsa, Zebdin, Radar, Rouaisat al-Korn and Rouaisat al-Alm.

Map to better understand the situation at Rafah crossing, where aid trucks from Egypt have been stuck for days. (Credit: Guilhem Dorandeu/L'Orient Today)

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called for "preserving Lebanon as much as possible amid the conflict in Gaza" during a meeting with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, according to a Grand Serail statement. Mikati called for "pressure on Israel to stop its hostilities in Lebanon and achieve a ceasefire in Gaza."

Protester Mohammad Ali stood with a large Amal flag and told L'Orient Today, “We do not want war, but we want to tell the world that there is no country called Israel. It is called Palestine. They must stop bombing people in Gaza."

"I didn’t sleep after the news of the hospital in Gaza. I am angry and I am standing here and I can or do anything," he added.

“We are telling the world where we stand, and we are strong, and we are telling Israel and America that you cannot win against us," he concluded.

At least 2,000 people are now gathered in the center of Beirut's southern suburbs at a rally in solidarity with Palestine. Loud music is blaring. Hezbollah and Amal party flags are being waved.

New exchange of fire at the Lebanese-Israeli borders: Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that 12 guided missiles were launched towards the Israeli site of Ruwaisat Al-Alam, opposite the Lebanese town of Kfar Shuba.

According to MTV's correspondent, sounds of explosions were heard near an Israeli enemy military site opposite the town of Rmaish. LBCI also reported that clashes erupted in the outskirts of the towns of Rmaish and Yaroun as a result of Hezbollah targeting an Israeli site.

LBCI added that Israel is shelling the outskirts of the towns of Kfar Shuba, Bastra, Chanouh, Halta, Marwahine and Habbarieh.

Rocket alarms sounded in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel around the same time, Haaretz reported.

L'Orient Le-Jour contacted a Hezbollah spokesperson who did not comment on the latest exchange of fire.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib met with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Beirut on Friday, state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported.

Bou Habib said during the meeting that "the two-state solution is the gateway to addressing the causes of the conflict in Gaza, and Lebanon is counting on Germany’s influence in Europe and the world ... for an immediate ceasefire and allowing relief convoys to enter the [Gaza] Strip.”

He warned that "the repercussions of this conflict are not only on the security of our region, but also on the security of Europe in particular and the world in general."

Baerbock is currently meeting with Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati according to NNA.

Saudi Crown Prince and President of the United Arab Emirates met on Friday, state media reported, as the two Gulf states worked to overcome their differences amid a conflict between Israel and Hamas that threatens to engulf the Middle East, according to Reuters.

URGENT: Belgium and Russia join the list of countries urging their citizens not to travel to Lebanon or to leave if they are there.

Belgium advised its citizens to "leave Lebanon as soon as possible" due to the "unpredictability of the situation," according to a statement posted on its website on Friday.

"The Belgian Embassy in Beirut is closely monitoring the situation in Israel and Gaza and its possible impact on Lebanon," the message statement said. The text lists several places in Lebanon where any travel is discouraged. "It is also recommended to avoid areas near Palestinian refugee camps," the statement added, also urging citizens to avoid gatherings and protests.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs "advises citizens against traveling to Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and the Palestinian territories," reported the Russian news agency Tass, according to Reuters.

According to Lebanese TV channel LBCI, the Israeli Army is shelling the outskirts of Mais al-Jabal and Blida in South Lebanon.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that anti-tank missiles and mortar shells were fired towards Mount Dov in northern Israel.

The CEO of Lebanese airline Middle East Airlines (MEA), Mohammad el-Hout, says that MEA will reduce the number of its flights “by half” following changes to insurance coverage.

Image: An aircraft belonging to the Lebanese company Middle East Airlines landing at Beirut airport. (Credit: AFP)

Image: Palestinian men sit at a round-about as they wait for Israeli soldiers to allow them to take part in Friday noon prayers on the street of the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Ras al-Amud, on Oct. 20, 2023, following an age restriction by Israeli police to worshippers over 50 years old wanting to access the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. (Credit: by Ahmad Gharabli/AFP)

Israeli army says most hostages are still alive

Most of the 200 or so people kidnapped in Israel by Hamas militants and taken to the Gaza Strip are still alive, the Israeli military said today in a statement reported by AFP.

"The majority of the hostages are alive. There were also dead bodies that were taken … to the Gaza Strip," an army statement said.

The military said more than 20 hostages were children, while between 10 and 20 were over the age of 60.

Image: A woman lifts a mock blood-stained shroud during a protest in Beirut's Tariq al-Jdideh neighborhood, in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, on Oct. 20, 2023. (Credit: Anwar Amro/AFP)

URGENT: Alarm sirens are sounding at the headquarters of UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) in Naqoura, southern Lebanon, UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti confirms to L'Orient Today.

"This happens every day," Tenenti adds. "We have not heard any bombing noises in the area. We will keep you updated on the developments."

UPDATE: The Palestinian Health Ministry says 4,137 Palestinians have been killed and more than 13,000 have been wounded in Israeli strikes on Gaza since Oct. 7, Reuters reports.

According to Israeli news outlet Haaretz, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said at a meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that after Israel eliminates Hamas, it will relinquish responsibility for Gaza and establish a new security regime.

"October 7 is the day that started the process of destroying Hamas," Gallant is quoted as saying before adding that the war will be divided into three phases, the first of which is "a military campaign by fire and later by tactical maneuver, the purpose of which will be to assassinate operatives and damage infrastructure" to destroy Hamas.

After that, Haaretz reports Gallant saying that the fighting will continue "at a lower intensity" and then that the final stage of the campaign will include "the creation of a new security regime in the Gaza Strip, the removal of Israel's responsibility for life in the Strip, and the creation of a new security reality for the citizens of Israel."

Tens of people also demonstrated in Tarik al-Jdideh in Beirut to show solidarity with Gaza.

(Image credit: Husam Chbaro)

Hundreds of people are protesting in Tripoli's al-Nour square in North Lebanon to show solidarity with Gaza against the “genocide Israel is committing,” as a sign held by a protester states.

Earlier today, tens of people protested in downtown Beirut against the Israeli war in Gaza. Protesters raised Lebanese and Palestinian flags and chanted “freedom, freedom.”

Another protest, organized by the Amal Movement and Hezbollah in Msharafieh in the southern suburbs of Beirut is set to take place later today at 4:30 p.m.

BREAKING: Israeli military says it has struck three Hezbollah fighters near the Lebanon border, Reuters reports.

"Three Hezbollah terrorists were identified in the area of the border with Lebanon. IDF [Israel' army] aircraft struck the terrorists," Reuters reports the military as saying.

"In addition, a short while ago, IDF snipers opened fire toward gunmen that were identified operating in the area of the border with Lebanon," the military reportedly added.

Oman's embassy in Beirut has urged its citizens to leave Lebanon immediately.

“In view of the events taking place in the region, including the southern regions of the sisterly Lebanese republic, the embassy urges all Omani citizens present in Lebanon to immediately return to the homeland,” the embassy posted on X.

Saudia has canceled flights to Lebanon until further notice: Click here to read Ghadir Hamadi's report

Image: A Saudia airplane. (Credit: Facebook/Saudi airlines)

Demonstrators have begun arriving in Martyrs' Square in Saida, south Lebanon, to take part in a protest in solidarity with Gaza, organized by Hamas, L'Orient Today's correspondent in the south, Muntasser Abdallah, reports.

(Credit: Muntasser Abdallah/L'Orient Today)

UN aid trucks need to move to Gaza as quickly as possible, UN chief Antonio Guterres says from the Rafah border crossing: Reuters

Image: A convoy with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres drives past Egyptian Red Crescent trucks as it heads to the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip on Oct. 20, 2023. (Credit: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters)

Bahrain's king, Italy's prime minister and Kuwait's crown prince are all planning to attend tomorrow's peace summit in Cairo, according to Reuters, citing local media reports.

BREAKING: The head of the regional council of Hermon in northern Israel, near the border with Lebanon, has stated that a "terrorist has definitely entered" and search operations are underway, according to Haaretz. The report does not specify what area or village the reported infiltrator has entered.

The Israeli army has reported "gunfire towards Margaliot," a border town near Lebanon. "Soldiers are conducting searches in the area," the Israeli army stated in a message posted on X.

Haaretz also reports a "shooting incident in a village on the border with Lebanon," without specifying the location.

The town of Margaliot is located across from Houla in Lebanon, where a team of journalists was targeted on Thursday. A member of this team, thought to have been working as a fixer with the journalist team, was killed.

On the Lebanese side, several local media outlets are reporting Israeli artillery fire targeting towns in South Lebanon. The LBCI channel reports Israeli artillery fire near Houla and Kfar Shouba. The local media outlets Elnashra and MTV report artillery fire targeting the town of Aita al-Shaab.

Over 200 students gathered at the American University in Beirut to express solidarity with Gaza, L’Orient Today’s Yara Malka reports.

“The stance of AUB students with the Palestinian cause is a reminder that this cause is not only an Arab or religious one, but a humanitarian one. All humans must stand with the Palestinian cause, as it is for all of humanity. At the end, we are the only hope that Palestinians have,” a 19-year-old Palestinian AUB student told L’Orient Today.

“Normalization with the [Israeli] occupation is a move against Palestinians and the Arab people,” a young man wearing the keffiyeh said from a loudspeaker.

Students chanted “free Palestine,” “from the river to the sea, palestine will be free,” and “free free Palestine”

Students also chanted “greeting from Beirut to Gaza’s heroism.”

BREAKING: Eighteen Christian Palestinians were killed in a strike on the compound of a Greek Orthodox church in the Gaza Strip, a Gazan ministry reported to Reuters. The statement blames the deaths on "an Israeli airstrike."

Image: The cracked walls and debris litter the ground a day after the Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church, the oldest church still in use in Gaza, was damaged in a strike on Gaza City, Oct. 20, 2023. (Credit: Dawood Nemer/AFP)

BREAKING: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will participate in Cairo summit for peace on Saturday, official source tells Reuters.

Image: Members of the Lebanese fishermen's syndicate and Palestinian workers wave flags during a symbolic parade against Gaza's sea blockade by Israel in the southern Lebanese city of Saida on Oct. 20, 2023. (Credit: Joseph Eid/AFP)

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna will attend the summit planned in Egypt on Saturday around the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel, says a French diplomatic source cited by Reuters.

Diplomatic sources said there is still a possibility that President Emmanuel Macron will attend the summit.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres flew to Egypt's Sinai Peninsula today in a push to get aid flowing into Gaza, but it remains unclear when delivery will start. Click here for more. 

For what we know so far about the person killed on Lebanon's southern border last night, click here.

Commenting on the civilian killed in south Lebanon by gunfire on the border with Israel last night, the head of the municipality of Saadnayel in the Bekaa, Hussein Shoubassi, told L’Orient Today that the victim was a Palestinian man from Bar Elias, whose mother is from Saadnayel.

The Lebanese Army has accused the Israeli military of killing this civilian.

A source within the Lebanese Army, however, denied to L’Orient Today reports that the victim was either Palestinian or Iranian, saying that the man was Lebanese. The source says he was either a driver or a fixer helping foreign journalists navigate in the region.

"You talk with those fleeing their homes without noticing their fear; the injured without feeling their pain."

Our correspondent in south Lebanon, Muntasser Abdallah, works every day to deliver quick and accurate information about developments in his region of coverage. Today, he pauses to reflect on war, home and losing his relative and fellow journalist Issam Abdallah. Read his thoughts here. 

Image: Residents of Khiam, a Lebanese border village, mourn journalist Issam Abdallah, who was killed by Israeli artillery fire on Oct. 13, 2023 while covering clashes at the southern border. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin/L'Orient Today)

Humanitarian access update: Reuters reports that the UN's humanitarian office has expressed that it is encouraged by reports that the sides are nearing an agreement on modalities and expects that a first aid delivery to Gaza will start in the next day or so.

Israeli army spokesperson cited by Reuters: Our policy is that any time Hezbollah shoots, we will shoot back.

Ukrainian Embassy in Lebanon updates travel advice

The Ukrainian Embassy in Lebanon recommends Ukrainian citizens "refrain from any travel to Lebanon until the security situation stabilizes" and tells those who are in the country to leave in a message published on its website.

The embassy also addresses those who decide to stay in Lebanon, advising them "to avoid places of mass gatherings, not to participate in demonstrations, to strictly respect security measures and the rules of stay of foreigners in the country [and] to comply with the legal requirements of the police."

“Do not leave your place of residence unless absolutely necessary,” the embassy continues, ​​which lists several specific places in the country where residents should refrain from traveling.

Image: Demonstrators gather at the American University of Beirut on Oct. 20, 2023, to express solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel's ongoing bombardment of Gaza, (Credit: Yara Malka)

Any escalation of Israel's military action in Gaza will be "catastrophic" for people there, the UN high commissioner for refugees says, AFP reports.

"[I] can tell you with certainty that any further escalation or even continuation of military activities will just be catastrophic for the people of Gaza," Filippo Grandi told reporters in Japan.

Image: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrives at al-Arish airport in Egypt on Oct. 20, 2023. (Credit: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters)

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The Dutch government joins a growing list of states advising their citizens against traveling to Lebanon, Reuters reports.

Photos of Israeli army leaflets asking residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs to leave before planned airstrikes circulating on social media in Lebanon date from the July 2006 war, our journalist Ghadir Hamadi finds. Read her report here.

Image: Egyptian military members sit in trucks at al-Arish airport as humanitarian aid for Palestinians awaits the reopening of the Rafah border crossing from the Egyptian side so that they can enter Gaza on Oct. 20, 2023. (Credit: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters)

Over 1,000 Chinese nationals have left Israel amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday, according to Reuters.

According to preliminary statistics, the Chinese nationals who have left have either returned to China or gone to a third country, ministry spokesperson Mao Ning is cited as saying at a press briefing.

Mao said 280 Chinese nationals had been stranded in Sederot, a city in southern Israel near Gaza, when the conflict first broke out, but all have been evacuated. 

BREAKING: The Israeli army has announced the "killing of a saboteur inside Lebanese territory" in a drone strike. The Arabic-speaking spokesperson of the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, said on X that the army "attacked multiple Hezbollah infrastructure in response to missile fire from Lebanon yesterday."

Concrete blocks installed by the Egyptians after Israeli bombings on their border with besieged Gaza have been removed, an Egyptian security source tells AFP. Aid convoys are gathered on the Egyptian side of the border awaiting the go ahead to enter the enclave.

A Palestinian boy walks with his belongings at the site of Israeli strikes on a house in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Oct. 20, 2023. (Credit: Mohammed Salem/Reuters)

Image: A view of the site of Israeli strikes on a house in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, Oct. 20, 2023. (Credit: Mohammed Salem/Reuters)

Image: Smoke rises in Gaza on Friday morning following an Israeli strike. (Credit: AFP)

BREAKING: The Palestinian Health Ministry says 13 people have been killed, including five children, in clashes with Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank's Nur Shams refugee camp, Reuters reports.

Hezbollah condemns killing of civilian in south Lebanon

Hezbollah this morning condemned the killing of a civilian in south Lebanon during gunfire coming from Israel, saying that "the Zionist enemy is pursuing its criminal policy of killing civilians and journalists working in the border area."

"The Islamic resistance condemns the new crime committed by the occupation forces near Ibad point, which resulted in the killing of a civilian," it added, without providing further details of the victim.

Are you contemplating leaving Lebanon? Our reporter, Suzanne Baaklini, yesterday weighed the dilemma facing foreign passport holders. Read her report here.

US intelligence services have assessed that between 100 and 300 people died in the rocket explosion at a Gaza hospital earlier this week amid fighting between Israel and Hamas militants, AFP reports on the basis of a document the agency says it has seen.

"We estimate the number of deaths is probably at the low end of the 100-to-300 spectrum," excerpts of the intelligence assessment provided to Congress said, according to AFP.

"We are still assessing the likely casualty figures and our assessment may evolve, but this death toll still reflects a staggering loss of life," the text reportedly continues.

Hamas blames an Israeli airstrike, but Israel says an errant Palestinian rocket caused the bloodshed Tuesday.

Image: A man holds a sign demanding the opening of the Rafah crossing for the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, on the Egyptian side of the crossing point, on Oct. 19, 2023. (Credit: Kerolos Salah/AFP)

Moody's yesterday placed Israel's A1 ratings on review for a possible downgrade, citing the ongoing military conflict with the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, Reuters reports.

Several dead and injured in Israel strike at Gaza church: Hamas

The Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry sayas several displaced people sheltering at a church compound in Gaza were killed and injured after an Israeli strike late Thursday, AFP reports.

The strike left a "large number of martyrs and injured" at the compound of the Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza City, the ministry said.

Witnesses told AFP the strike appeared to have been aimed at a target close to the place of worship where many Gaza residents had taken refuge as the war raged in the Palestinian enclave.

Contacted by AFP, the Israeli army said its fighter jets had hit a command and control centre involved in launching rockets and mortars toward Israel.

"As a result of the IDF strike, a wall of a church in the area was damaged," it said, adding "we are aware of reports on casualties. The incident is under review."

Witnesses said the strike damaged the facade of the church and caused an adjacent building to collapse, adding that many injured people were evacuated to hospital.

Saint Porphyrius is the oldest church still in use in Gaza and is located in the city's historic neighborhood.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will travel to Egypt today, where he will hold talks with counterparts in the region to discuss the situation in Israel and Gaza, his office said.

In the talks, Sunak is expected to stress "the imperative of avoiding regional escalation and preventing the further unnecessary loss of civilian life," his office said.

Image: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak walks after landing at Ben Gurion International Airport in Lod, near Tel Aviv, Israel, on Oct.19, 2023. (Credit: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters)

Israel is set to evacuate residents of the town of Kiryat Shmona near its border with Lebanon, Reuters cites the state's Defense Ministry as saying.

The Israeli authorities "announced the implementation of a plan to evacuate the inhabitants" of this town of around 25,000 inhabitants "into reception houses financed by the state," indicated the army in a press release.

Infographic by Guilhem Dorandeu

For a summary of the situation in Lebanon and Gaza at the outset of day 14 of the Hamas-Israel war, click here to read our Morning Brief.

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Image credit: A view shows Israeli artillery units at a position near Israel's border with Lebanon on Oct. 19, 2023. (Credit: Lisi Niesner/Reuters)

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