That's it for today's live coverage of the Gaza war and the parallel war between Hezbollah and Israel along Lebanon's southern border. Thanks for joining us. We'll be back tomorrow morning with more news updates and analysis. Goodnight!
Updates from southern Lebanon:
• Hezbollah announced that its fighters targeted the Israeli "Ramtha" site in the Kfar Shuba hills at 6:05 p.m.
• The party also attacked the settlements of Jaatoun, Ain Yaacoub and Yehiam with Katyusha missiles in retaliation for the strike that targeted an ambulance of the Islamic Health Committee, Hezbollah's health association, earlier today in Naqoura. According to our correspondent, this is the first time that the settlements of Ain Yaacoub and Yehiam have been targeted since the start of the war.
• Hezbollah announced the death of one of its fighters, Abbas Haydar Boussi, from Bint Jbeil. According to our correspondent, he was killed in an Israeli raid on the village of Yaroun in the afternoon.
During a surprise address at the White House this evening, US President Joe Biden announced that Israel has sent a new cease-fire proposal to Hamas via mediator Qatar.
"Everyone who wants peace now must raise their voices and work to make it real. It's time for this war to end," he said.
The proposal includes three phases, Biden explained. The first includes a "full and complete cease-fire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza and the release of a number of hostages including women, the elderly and the wounded, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners."
During phase one, Hamas and Israel would continue negotiations in order to usher in phase two, which would be "a permanent end to hostilities." Biden specified that if negotiations take longer than the six weeks allocated for phase one, the cease-fire would hold as long as needed to complete negotiations.
Phase two would also include another exchange of prisoners for the remaining living hostages held in Gaza. During phase three, major reconstruction plans for Gaza would commence and the bodies of hostages who have died would be returned.
On June 11, Jordan will host an international conference on humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip, devastated by almost eight months of relentless Israeli bombardment, the royal palace announced, cited by AFP.
The aim of the conference, organized in collaboration with the United Nations and Egypt, is "to identify ways to strengthen the international community's response to the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip," according to the palace statement.
"Heads of state as well as heads of international humanitarian organizations" will take part in the meeting, which will be held on the shores of the Dead Sea, it added. No further details regarding the conference's attendees were given.
Hundreds of parents whose children are fighting in the Israeli army signed a letter to the Israeli government, demanding that it cease its "endless and purposeless war" on Gaza, and then held a protest outside the home of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant earlier today, Haaretz reports.
In the letter, the parents asked the Israeli government to "stop the daily bloodshed of our fighter sons, on an unimaginable and unbearable scale, in an endless and purposeless war inside the Gaza Strip."
The group of parents say they supported the army for many months, but, "Since we saw ... that the fate of our sons was neglected, we realized we could not stand by. Our sons are repeatedly led into death traps in the name of empty slogans of 'total victory.'"
The parents referred to remarks by Gallant and other war Cabinet members who said that the war is being waged without a political horizon, and wrote that "A river of blood flows from the air to the land, from Gaza to the military to the rehabilitation wards."
Saint-Georges Hospital - Hadath has issued a statement condemning the Israeli attack on an ambulance belonging to the Islamic Health Committee, Hezbollah's first-aid organization, in Naqoura.
"Once again, the Zionist enemy expresses its hatred towards rescue teams," the statement reads. "The administration of St. George's Hospital - Hadath, as well as the medical and nursing teams, strongly condemn this criminal attack."
The hospital holds responsible "the international community ... and in particular the World Health Organization and the International Committee of the Red Cross, whose rules and statutes insist on the need to protect health workers, their centers and their means of transport."
The Israeli army has killed 20 medics in its strikes on southern Lebanon since cross-border fighting began on Oct. 8. The deadliest attack killed seven healthcare workers in Hebbarieh, in March, in a late night strike on the town's health center.
Updates from the last hour in southern Lebanon:
• Missiles were launched from southern Lebanon toward Israeli positions in the disputed Shebaa Farms and Kfar Shuba hills, some of which were intercepted, as well as toward northern Israel, a security source told L'Orient Today.
• The Israeli army shelled the outskirts of the southern Lebanese areas of Rashaya al-Fukhar and Hebbarieh, in Hasbaya district, residents say.
• The Israeli army shelled the southern Lebanese villages of Alma al-Shaab, Dhaira and Tayr Harfa in Sour district, according to the villages' residents.
Here are some notable quotes from Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah's speech this evening:
• "In the face of American threats, Benjamin Netanyahu continues his genocide in Gaza and Palestine, while the countries and leaders of the world remain silent."
• Nasrallah hailed the commitment and "awakening" of students as protests in support of Palestine fill campuses around the world, saying it was "the first time that the 'Axis of Resistance' has extended to this extent."
• "The Israeli army is incapable and exhausted. It is incapable of achieving any accomplishments."
• The southern Lebanon front is "a strong pressure front. It is part of the battle that is shaping the destiny of Palestine, Lebanon and the region."
Lebanon's mission to the United Nations, following the directives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has filed a complaint today before the Security Council addressing "the targeting by Israel of a car carrying a Lebanese citizen, resulting in his death and the injury of three students on a school bus," Lebanon's National News Agency reported.
The bus was damaged by the airstrike as it passed through the Shoukine-Kfardeblah road, located southwest of the city of Nabatieh, while taking the students to the Shoukine School.
The mission stated: "Given that international humanitarian law guarantees the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, pursuant to Article (27) of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, Israel's deliberate bombing of a civilian car and a school bus carrying students to their school constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law and a war crime."
Lebanon has filed many complaints before the United Nations in objection to Israel violating international law in its attacks on Lebanon, including the killing of journalists.
Updates from southern Lebanon:
• Hezbollah announced that its fighters targeted the Israeli site of "Ma'ayan Baruch," located opposite Ghajar, at 4:05 p.m.
• An Israeli drone targeted the village of Yaroun, in Bint Jbeil district, near its public square. The strike hit a motorcycle, local residents told our correspondent. Ambulances were dispatched to the scene.
👉 Click here to read what we know about the Israeli strike on an ambulance in Naqoura, southern Lebanon, which killed one paramedic and left another wounded.
Israeli forces have "completed their mission" in Jabalia refugee camp, in northern Gaza, Reuters reports, citing an army statement. The troops' withdrawal comes five months after Israel had already claimed victory in the area, having supposedly "cleared" northern Gaza of Hamas.
In a Telegram statement, the army claims that its 98th Division killed "hundreds" of fighters in close and "intense" combat, destroyed 10 kilometers of tunnels, and retrieved the bodies of seven hostages.
Al Jazeera reports that following Israel's 20-day operation in the camp, residents returned to find more than 1,000 homes destroyed and most of the city "in ruins."
“Everything has been destroyed, even the streets. There are dead bodies in the streets, people killed in the streets, we even found animals killed in the streets. What can we say?" Atef Hassouna told AFP.
Belgium's Ghent University has severed ties with all Israeli universities and research institutions, as they no longer align with its human rights policy, Reuters reports, citing a statement from the university.
Students at Ghent have been protesting against Israel's military offensive in Gaza and have been occupying parts of the university campus since early May.
An investigation by the Ghent University, known as UGent, highlighted concerns regarding connections between Israeli academic institutions and the Israeli government, military, or security services, according to the statement. The investigation also referenced a recent World Court ruling that pointed to how much the humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated over recent months, as criticism of Israel's military operation mounts.
UGent, which already severed ties with three Israeli institutions two weeks ago, had 18 ongoing partnerships with Israeli academic institutions, it said.
More information on the targeted strike in Naqoura, southern Lebanon:
The civil defense department of the Islamic Health Committee, Hezbollah's first-aid organization, confirmed to L'Orient Today that one of its ambulances was targeted, and that one of its first-aid workers was killed and another wounded.
According to initial reports from local residents, an Israeli drone has targeted a vehicle in Naqoura (Sour), south Lebanon. According to those present, it was an ambulance, and the strike caused injuries. Shortly afterward, an aerial bombardment also targeted Naqoura, according to a security source.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for several operations:
- The “Biranit barracks,” which, according to the party, houses the headquarters of the 91st division of the Israeli army. It was hit by Burkan missile fire, which reportedly led to its “partial destruction” in a blaze.
- The “Baghdadi” site, facing Mais al-Jabal (Marjayoun).
- The town of Ramot Naftali, below the Lebanese village of Maroun al-Ras (Bint Jbeil).
The party also announced a “suicide drone attack” on Israeli Iron Dome platforms in Zaaoura and the town of Shomera.
An update on the situation in southern Lebanon:
- Israeli artillery fired several shells at the village of Bassatine, in the Wazzani valley (Marjayoun), shortly after 10 a.m. this morning, causing a fire, according to the village mayor contacted by L'Orient Today's correspondent.
The presence of Israeli defense industrialists at Eurosatory, an international land defense and security show opening near Paris on June 17, has been canceled by a decision by the French authorities, the organizer has announced.
“By decision of the government authorities, there will be no Israeli defense industry stand at Eurosatory 2024,” event organizer Coges Events told AFP, without elaborating. Seventy-four Israeli companies were due to exhibit their equipment.
A draft resolution by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the health crisis in Gaza was put on hold after the adoption of an Israeli amendment requiring the text to mention the hostages held by Hamas.
Hezbollah's deputy leader, Naim Qassem, reaffirmed last night that the fighting along the Lebanese-Israeli border will only stop “when the fighting ceases completely in Gaza.” He asserted that his group is not afraid of Israeli “threats” to expand the conflict, but is ready to face them. “Instead of some people questioning why we opened the front” in South Lebanon, they should “thank us a hundred times over for doing so, which enabled us to protect their lives, their children's lives, education, culture, history, the economy and their daily lives,” he said.
Read more about Qassem's comments here.
Yemen's Houthis claim to have launched a missile attack against the U.S. aircraft carrier Eisenhower in the Red Sea
Yemen's Houthis have launched a missile attack against the U.S. aircraft carrier Eisenhower in the Red Sea in response to U.S. and British strikes on the Yemeni provinces of Sanaa, Hodeida and Taiz, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a televised statement.
Spain rejects any “restrictions” on the activity of its consulate in Jerusalem and has called on Israel to reverse its decision to ban the consulate from providing any services to Palestinians in retaliation for Spain's recognition of the state of Palestine.
“This morning we sent a note verbale to the Israeli government rejecting any restriction on the normal activity of the Spanish Consulate General in Jerusalem, as its status is guaranteed by international law,” said Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares on Onda Cero radio.
A Yemeni Houthi rebel channel reported 14 dead and more than 30 wounded in overnight strikes in Yemen by U.S. and British forces.
“The death toll in the U.S.-British airstrikes on Al-Hodaidah radio station and Saleef port has risen to 14 dead and more than 30 wounded,” al-Massira said.
Last night along the border between Lebanon and Israel:
- At 8 p.m., Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an artillery strike against the “Zar'it barracks” opposite the Lebanese town of Marwahin (Sour).
- At around 10 p.m., Israeli artillery shells targeted the outskirts of Rashaya (Hasbaya). Machine-gun fire targeted Alma al-Shaab and Dhaira (Sour), over which Israel also fired flares.
- At around 11:30 p.m., Hezbollah claimed responsibility for another attack, “in retaliation” for the strike on Houla, against “a building used by soldiers” in Manara, opposite Houla.
- At 2 a.m., Israeli fighter jets carried out a series of strikes on Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil) and Mais al-Jabal (Marjayoun).
In South Lebanon, following an Israeli strike last night on Houla (Marjayoun), Hezbollah announced that two of its members had been killed. They are Hussein Atoui, born in 1970, and Samer Yassine, born in 1982, both from Houla. A security source confirmed to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the South that they were the two killed in Houla.
Their deaths bring to 323 the number of Hezbollah members killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon and Syria since Oct. 8, 2023.
According to the Axios website, the U.S. is planning a meeting next week in Cairo with U.S., Egyptian and Israeli officials to discuss the reopening of the Rafah terminal and a plan to secure the border between Egypt and the southern Gaza Strip.
The Rafah crossing is crucial for the entry of aid desperately needed by the population of the Gaza Strip, devastated by nearly eight months of war.
Since the deadly strike on a camp for displaced persons in Rafah on Sunday, demonstrations have multiplied in France. Last night, several hundred people gathered outside the headquarters of the private TV channel TF1, near Paris, to protest against the broadcast on the group's news channel, LCI, of Netanyahu's rare interview with a French media outlet.
In a remote interview with French TV channel LCI, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Israel's accusations of targeting or starving civilians in the Gaza Strip as “anti-Semitic slander.” And he claimed that “the number of civilian casualties relative to combatant casualties” of Palestinians was “the lowest rate we've seen in an urban war,” with Israel estimating that around half of those killed since the start of the war in Gaza have been Hamas or Islamic Jihad militants.
The Israeli army is pounding the center and south of the Gaza Strip this morning, after announcing this week that it controlled a strategic buffer zone between the Palestinian territory and Egypt at the heart of its operation against Hamas. In the early hours of the morning, Palestinian witnesses reported Israeli strikes near Rafah, the new epicenter of the war between Israel and Hamas, which yesterday came under intense artillery fire, as well as in the Nousseirat sector.
Yesterday, artillery shelling struck in Zeitoun, a district of Gaza City, according to AFP journalists. Also in the north, Israeli forces targeted Beit Lahia and the Jabalia camp, according to witnesses. “Everything has been destroyed, even the streets. There are dead bodies in the streets, people killed in the streets, we even found animals killed in the streets. What can we say?" Atef Hassouna, a Palestinian walking through the rubble of Jabalia, told AFP.
Make sure to read the Morning Brief so that you are caught up with what has been happening.
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