Taybeh mukhtar killed, legislative session Thursday, Gaza updated death toll: Everything you need to know to start your Tuesday

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Catch up on yesterday’s LIVE coverage of Day 66 of the Israel-Hamas war here.

Israeli shelling on southern Lebanon killed the mukhtar of Taybeh and injured three other people amid continued border clashes with Hezbollah. Two local officials from Taybeh confirmed the death of 78-year-old mukhtar Hussein Ali Mansour after a shell hit his home. Israeli shelling continued to strike across border villages, after a weekend of bombardment that caused some of the highest levels of damage in southern Lebanon since Oct. 7. Hezbollah announced an attack on a military target stationed in a house in Metula, northern Israel in response to Mansour's killing. Israeli news source Haaretz confirmed that a house in Metula was shelled. The party also announced more border strikes against military targets in northern Israel after vowing to match an escalation in Israeli bombardment. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant yesterday called on the international community “to ensure that Lebanon puts an end to this aggression close to the border.” Hezbollah said it would maintain a “support front” for Gaza until the end of the Israel-Hamas war.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri called for MPs to convene on Thursday for a legislative session, the state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported. Previous comments from Berri indicate that the session would tackle the future of the Lebanese Army’s leadership, urgent draft laws and other law proposals from the government. The Lebanese Forces and the Maronite Patriarch back a law to extend by one year the age at which army generals retire ahead of current army chief Joseph Aoun’s retirement in January with no successor in place. The FPM, and associated ministers, have repeatedly criticized the proposal. The NNA reported that Berry would chair a meeting of the joint parliamentary committees today. Holding legislative sessions remains controversial amid the presidential vacuum, which has left several official positions in interim chiefs’ hands. Parliament earlier this year extended municipal council mandates ahead of their expiry — despite a complaint to the constitutional council attempting to repeal the law from MPs who boycotted the session during which it was passed.

At least 18,205 people have been killed by Israel in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to the Gaza Health Ministry’s updated death toll. Continued Israeli shelling killed dozens across Gaza, according to the enclave’s health ministry as reported by AFP. Hamas announced it shelled Israeli soldiers attempting to infiltrate the southern city of Khan Younis. The Palestinian Wafa agency reported at least 25 people were killed by Israeli air raids in Gaza, mounting Sunday’s death toll since Oct. 7 of nearly 18,000 people. The Israeli army, announcing the death of seven soldiers, said over 134 of its soldiers have been killed since the start of the military operation in Gaza. European Union member states have urged other members for the implementation of sanctions against Hamas and its supporters, as well as against Israeli settlers who have attacked Palestinians.

In case you missed it, here’s our must-view video from yesterday: “Lebanese manousheh makes it on UNESCO heritage list”

Compiled by Abbas Mahfouz