One killed in Israeli strike on a car near Sour: Day 258 of the Gaza war

⚡ Hamas criticized the International Criminal Court's (ICC) "false accusations" against it in a statement.

The statement reads, "The ICC prosecutor's declaration is full of inaccuracies, errors, and biases in favor of the occupying state, which is committing genocide against our people in the Gaza Strip — in addition to the crimes committed by the occupying army and the hordes of settlers in the West Bank and the occupied city of Jerusalem."

This comes after ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan said in a statement that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Hamas’s Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri (Deif) and Ismail Haniyeh “bear criminal responsibility” for murder, extermination and taking hostages – among numerous other crimes – since the Gaza war erupted. 

The ICC statement added that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, Israeli Defence Minister, are responsible for other crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of the State of Palestine.

The health ministry in Gaza said today that at least 37,431 people have been killed in the territory since the beginning of the war. 

While there have been conflicting reports on the Israeli death toll, Haaretz stated, "About 1,200 people were killed in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack."

Here are the latest developments from southern Lebanon, as reported by residents and our correspondent:

- Israeli airstrikes targeted AItaroun (Bint Jbeil district).

- Israeli aircraft bombed the village of Houla (Marjayoun). The Red Cross sent ambulances to the scene; no casualties have been reported yet.

- Israeli airstrikes hit Mais al-Jabal (Marjayoun). A two-story building in the al-Qandouli neighborhood was destroyed. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.

- The Israeli strike reported earlier this evening on Yaroun (Bint Jbeil) destroyed a house. No casualties or injuries have been reported. 

Here are the latest developments from southern Lebanon: 

- Israeli aircraft bombed Yaroun (Bint Jbeil district), according to residents

- Israeli artillery shelled Kfar Kila and the outskirts of Khiam (Marjayoun), according to locals. Our correspondent confirmed five shells were counted in Khiam.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent criticism of delays in U.S. military aid to Israel is "deeply disappointing and certainly vexing,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told journalists, as quoted by AFP.

The United States has indicated that it is reviewing a single shipment of 2,000-pound bombs (a little over 900 kilograms) due to concerns about their potential use in densely populated areas. 

White House advisers are scheduled to meet with an Israeli delegation in Washington to discuss the situation in Gaza. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's top advisers will meet with White House adviser Jake Sullivan and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken today amid tensions over Israel's actions in Gaza, officials told Reuters.

Israeli national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and Ron Dermer, Israel's Strategic Affairs Minister, will speak with Sullivan, as plans for a larger "strategic dialogue" meeting are being rescheduled, a White House official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Blinken is scheduled to meet with the Israeli delegation at 3 p.m., Reuters cited a senior State Department official.

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati received a call from British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, during which they discussed relations between the two countries and the situation in Lebanon and the region, according to a statement released by the Grand Serail.

During the call, Cameron expressed his "country's readiness to undertake any contacts and endeavors to ease tensions in southern Lebanon and to establish security and stability."

The CEO of Noga, which manages Israel's electrical systems on behalf of the government, warned that the country is "utterly unprepared" for a war with Hezbollah and the potential impact on its power infrastructure, according to Haaretz.

"We are not ready for a real war. We live in a fantasy world, in my eyes," said Shaul Goldstein at a conference organized by The Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Sderot, southern Israel.

Latest Hezbollah attacks from the southern Lebanese-Israel border: 

- Hezbollah announced that it targeted a group of Israeli soldiers at the Israeli site of al-Samaqa and fired heavy machine guns at the Israeli site of Rwaisat al-Alam in the Kfarshouba hills at 3:20 p.m.

- The party added that it fired artillery shells at the Israeli site of Zebdine in the disputed Shebaa farms at 3:20 p.m.

More updates from the southern Lebanese-Israeli border:

- The Israeli army announced that around 25 rockets were launched from Lebanon into Zar'it in northern Israel earlier, Haaretz reported. The chief of the village, Itzik Ben Moha, told Haaretz that "several houses were directly hit and sustained serious damage." "One of the rockets started a fire, and emergency squads are working to put it out."

- Around an hour ago, Hezbollah announced that it fired "dozens of Katyusha rockets" at the Israeli barracks of Zar'it, facing Marwahine (Sour district) — in response to an Israeli airstrike in Deir Kifa that killed a member of the party. 

More updates from southern Lebanon and northern Israel:

- An Israeli drone targeted a pickup truck — used to collect scrap iron — on the road to the village of Hanaway (Sour district), a security source told our correspondent in the South. According to paramedics at the scene, two people sustained minor injuries.

- Missiles have been fired towards Israeli military sites in the Western Galilee, a security source told L'Orient Today .

- Rocket sirens have sounded in northern Israel, according to Haaretz.

- The Israeli army said it conducted an airstrike on Rihan (Jezzine district), claiming that "Hezbollah forces launched missiles [from that area] and posed a threat to the aircraft operating over Lebanon," Haaretz reported. 

- Earlier today, L'Orient Today reported that Israeli warplanes struck an area in Rihan.

Here are the latest updates from the southern Lebanese-Israeli border:

- The Israeli army announced that it killed the "commander of Hezbollah's operations" in an area between Jwayya and Deir Kifa, both in Sour district. 

- The statement added that the commander was responsible for the "ground forces in the Jwayya area" and was responsible for "planning and executing" attacks on Israel. 

- Earlier today, Hezbollah announced the death of one of its fighters — Abbas Hamada from Shehabieh, Sour district. According to our correspondent in the South, Hamada was killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted his car in the village of Deir Kifa earlier today. 

*This brings the total death toll of Hezbollah fighters to 350 since Oct. 8, according to L'Orient Today's count.  

Hezbollah announced the death of one of its fighters Abbas Hamada from Shehabiyeh (Sour district).

According to our correspondent in the area, Hamada was killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted his car in the village of Deir Kifa (Sour district) earlier today.

Israel has killed 350 Hezbollah members in Lebanon and Syria since October.

Latest updates from southern Lebanon and northern Israel:

* Israeli warplanes raided the heights of Rihan (Jezzine district), residents told our correspondent in the area.

* Israeli artillery shelling targeted the village of Kfar Kila and the southwestern outskirt of Khiam (Marjayoun district), residents told L'Orient Today.

* Hezbollah announced its first strike of the day against the Israeli barracks of "Zar'it," facing Marwahin in the Sour district. The strike, with "dozens of Katiusha rockets", was a response to the "assassination in Deir Kifa," an Israeli strike that killed a member of the party. Cited by Haaretz, the Israeli army said that more than ten rockets were launched from Lebanon towards Zar'it in northern Israel.

Gaza's Health Ministry has announced a new death toll of 37,431 since the start of the war more than eight months ago.

At least 35 people have been killed in the last 24 hours, it said in a statement, adding that 85,653 people had been wounded in the Palestinian territory.

U.S. officials estimate that of the 116 hostages believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza, only 50 are still alive, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The assessment, based on a combination of Israeli and U.S. intelligence, puts the number of deceased hostages at 66, a far higher number than Israel has publicly confirmed.

The Israeli army has confirmed the deaths of only 41 hostages still in captivity, based on intelligence and findings obtained by troops operating in Gaza.

A squad commander in Hamas’s Nukhba force, which orchestrated the Oct. 7 attack, was killed in a recent airstrike in northern Gaza’s Beit Hanoun, the Israeli army said, as cited by the Times of Israel.

According to the Israeli army, Ahmed Hassan Salameh al-Swarkeh invaded Israeli towns on Oct. 7 and was behind sniper attacks against Israeli forces in Beit Hanoun.

The army stated it had been tracking Swarkeh for a while before he was located by the “troops of the 414th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit,” before being killed by an Israeli Air Force drone attack.

“Before the strike, steps were taken to prevent harm to civilians. No civilians were harmed,” the military said in a statement.

A person was killed in the Israeli airstrike that targeted a car in the village of Deir Kifa (Sour district) around 45 minutes ago, a medical source told our correspondent.

⚡An Israeli drone has fired three missiles on a car in the village of Deir Kifa (Sour district), a security source told our correspondent in southern Lebanon. A person has been critically injured, according to the same source.

This comes after a short period of calm with no reported strikes since 6 a.m.

The Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Lebanon announced that it “will not be receiving any visa applications or papers for legalization on June 20, 2024.”

This announcement comes a day after Hassan Nasrallah’s comments on Hezbollah’s readiness to attack the country if it allows Israel to use its airports and military bases.

To refute this correlation, the Foreign Affairs Ministry told LBCI that the decision to close the Cypriot embassy for one day has “nothing to do with Hasan Nasrallah's remarks.” The closure was reportedly “pre-scheduled for administrative reasons related to the increase in visa fees, and the embassy will resume operations starting tomorrow.”

The U.S. army announced last night that it had struck two Houthi sites in Yemen, including a command center, following a series of attacks on ships in recent days.

In addition to a command center, the U.S. military "destroyed" a control station also located in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, as well as two Houthi unmanned crafts in the Red Sea, the U.S. military's Middle East Central Command (Centcom) said on X.

In the north of Gaza, a strike killed three Palestinians near the Nousseirat camp, according to the Civil Defense.

In Gaza, Israeli bombardments continued, mainly in Rafah.

Several Israeli military vehicles entered a neighborhood in the west of the city, supported by drone and tank fire, according to witnesses. Fighting broke out between soldiers and Palestinian fighters. Seven people were killed, according to rescue workers, by strikes on tents at the gates of Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have taken refuge.

For its part, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for three attacks, launched at around 9 p.m.

- The party claimed to have launched "missiles" against the "Ramtha" position in the disputed Kfar Shuba hills.

- Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a strike against the "Samaka" site, also in the Kfar Shuba hills,

- The third strike was carried out against the "Zebdine" site in the disputed Shebaa farms. 

Following Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah's speech, the night saw several strikes on both sides of the Blue Line, as reported by security sources and according to statements issued by the party.

- At around 9 p.m., Israeli artillery fired on Kfar Shuba and the outskirts of Rachaya el-Foukhar, in the Hasbaya district.

- Around midnight, Israeli artillery fired shells on the south of Khiam, which had already been heavily targeted the previous day.

- At around 6 a.m. this morning, artillery fire again targeted several areas of Khiam. 

Following Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah's speech, the night saw several strikes on both sides of the Blue Line, as reported by security sources and according to statements issued by the party.

- At around 9 p.m., Israeli artillery fired on Kfar Shuba and the outskirts of Rachaya el-Foukhar, in the Hasbaya district.

- Around midnight, Israeli artillery fired shells on the south of Khiam, which had already been heavily targeted the previous day.

- At around 6 a.m. this morning, artillery fire again targeted several areas of Khiam. 

Following Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah's speech, the night saw several strikes on both sides of the Blue Line, as reported by security sources and according to statements issued by the party.

- At around 9 p.m., Israeli artillery fired on Kfar Shuba and the outskirts of Rachaya el-Foukhar, in the Hasbaya district.

- Around midnight, Israeli artillery fired shells on the south of Khiam, which had already been heavily targeted the previous day.

- At around 6 a.m. this morning, artillery fire again targeted several areas of Khiam. 

Following Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah's speech, the night saw several strikes on both sides of the Blue Line, as reported by security sources and according to statements issued by the party.

- At around 9 p.m., Israeli artillery fired on Kfar Shuba and the outskirts of Rachaya el-Foukhar, in the Hasbaya district.

- Around midnight, Israeli artillery fired shells on the south of Khiam, which had already been heavily targeted the previous day.

- At around 6 a.m. this morning, artillery fire again targeted several areas of Khiam. 

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hasan Nasrallah said yesterday that "no place" in Israel would "be spared our rockets," in a televised address broadcast amid spiraling tensions across the Israel-Lebanon border.

Nasrallah also threatened the nearby island nation of Cyprus if it opened its airports or bases to Israel "to target Lebanon."

Cyprus is home to two British military bases including an airbase, but they are in sovereign British territory and not controlled by the Cypriot government.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides denied his country's involvement in the war and said it was "part of the solution," pointing to its role in a maritime humanitarian corridor to Gaza "recognized by the entire international community."

Israel's top army spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said yesterday that Hamas cannot be eliminated, stating that "to say that we are going to make Hamas disappear is to throw sand in people's eyes. If we don't provide an alternative, in the end, we will have Hamas."

"Hamas is an ideology, we cannot eliminate an ideology," he told Israel's Channel 13 broadcaster.

His comments were quickly rejected by the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose cabinet has stated its Gaza offensive will not end until Hamas is defeated.

"The political and security cabinet headed by Prime Minister Netanyahu defined as one of the goals of the war the destruction of Hamas's military and governmental capabilities," his office said in a statement, "The IDF is of course committed to this."

Israeli Religious Services Minister Michael Malkieli said yesterday that his office is "busy preparing itself for bigger things in the north."

In an interview on right-wing news outlet Channel 14, Malkieli said "The Religious Services Ministry, which is in charge of all burial processes in Israel needs to prepare itself for large scenarios."

Malkieli claimed that even before Oct.7, his ministry had called for help in preparing for “emergency burials,” explaining they would need to be informed so they could prepare. He added that “they were having such meetings now,” referring to a possible escalation along the northern front.

Make sure to read our Morning Brief to catch up on yesterday's events.

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