Hamas to halt cease-fire negotiations reported AFP, The movement denies: Day 282 of the Gaza war

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Stay tuned for more coverage starting tomorrow morning. 

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan accused Israel of having "no intention of peace" in Gaza during a press conference with his Saudi counterpart in Istanbul, as reported by AFP.

Fidan criticized Israel and its Prime Minister Netanyahu for committing "new massacres every time there is a positive atmosphere." 

"After the attack on civilians in Khan Younis yesterday, we understand that Israel's intention is not to end this conflict, but to continue its policy of exterminating the Palestinian people," he continued.

Here are the latest updates from the South Lebanon-Israeli border: 

- Israeli artillery Blida (Marjayoun district), Saddanah, Rashaya Fawqar and Kfar Hammam — all in Hasbaya district, residents reported. 

- Hezbollah announced that it targeted Israeli enemy troops deployed near the Roueissat al-Alam site in the occupied Lebanese hills of Kafr Shuba, using Burkan missile at 3:10 p.m. 

⚡ The Israeli army claims that Rafa Salama, commander of Hamas's Khan Younès brigade, was killed in an air strike on Saturday that also targeted the head of the group's armed wing, Mohammad Deif, Reuters reports.

The strike targeted al-Mawasi refugee camp, a designated safe area, and resulted in the death of 92 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry. 

The Israeli army stated that Salama was one of Deif's closest associates and was involved in planning the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. His death "considerably hinders Hamas's military capabilities," the army said.

Hamas has not confirmed this information.

The Israeli army's Northern Command "continues to prepare for combat in Lebanon", said Arabic-speaking Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee on X.

He stated that the armed forces have conducted military exercises to "enhance the readiness and preparedness," training on mobility in "rugged terrains advancing on mountainous routes, and utilizing firepower and information-gathering methods." 

He added that "reserve forces improved their readiness for various combat scenarios, including protecting northern towns and attacking the enemy."

The situation in South Lebanon this morning has been relatively calm, with the exception of two attacks announced by Hezbollah.

- Hezbollah claimed an attack on the Israeli site of Hadeb Yarine, facing the Lebanese village of Dhaira (Sour) at 10:45 a.m.

- They also targeted "the headquarters of the 91st Brigade in Eilat ... using several suicide drones ..., in response to Israeli attacks on southern villages ... and civilians, particularly in Arnoun and Khardali."

Israel's military offensive has killed at least 38,584 Palestinians and injured 88,881 others in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to Gaza's health ministry.

This marks an increase of 141 deaths from the previous day, Reuters reported.

French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking Saturday evening to troops preparing to parade for the national holiday on July 14, emphasized the need to ensure the security of Lebanese citizens amid the "risk of escalation" in the Middle East. He asserted that Paris would not tolerate any obstruction to the UNIFIL mission.

Macron noted that France has 700 military personnel serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), speaking from the Hotel de Brienne before a gathering of military personnel. "Their mission is crucial and is being carried out under conditions that I recognize as complex," he added, acknowledging the daily challenges faced by U.N. peacekeepers amid ongoing exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel over the past nine months.

⚡ "What has been reported by AFP and other media about a decision by Hamas to halt negotiations in response to the massacres in al-Mawasi is false," stated the Palestinian movement in a statement.

"This escalation by Netanyahu and his government against our people aims to obstruct the path to an agreement that ends the aggression against our people. This is clear to everyone," it emphasized.

A fire truck parked on a bridge near a crater after an Israeli strike targeted the Kafr Sousa neighborhood of Damascus on July 14, 2024. (Credit: Louai Beshara/AFP)

The official Syrian news agency Sana, citing a military source, reported at dawn that one soldier was killed and three others injured in Israeli airstrikes targeting several positions near Damascus and its surroundings, according to AFP.

"A soldier was killed and three others injured as a result of an aerial aggression launched by the Israeli enemy after midnight today [Sunday]," Sana stated. "The aggression was launched from occupied Syrian Golan, targeting multiple military positions in the southern region and a residential building in the Kafr Sousa neighborhood in Damascus," the statement added.

To read more about the incident, press here. 👈

On Saturday evening, Hamas's political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to block a cease-fire by committing "heinous massacres," according to a statement from the movement quoted by AFP.

He added Hamas had shown "a positive and responsible response" to new proposals for a cease-fire and prisoner exchange, but "the Israeli position taken by Netanyahu was to place obstacles that prevent reaching an agreement," according to the Hamas statement.

He also stated that the "decision to halt negotiations due to the occupation's [Israel's] lack of seriousness, continued policy of procrastination and obstruction and the ongoing massacres against unarmed civilians", the official said. 

Israel said it targeted two senior Hamas leaders in the Khan Younis area: Mohammed Deif, head of the armed wing, and Rafa Salama, commander in Khan Younis for Hamas. They were described as "two masterminds of the Oct. 7 massacre," referring to the Islamist movement's attack in Israel that triggered the Gaza war, according to AFP.

⚡ Hamas has decided to halt cease-fire negotiations in Gaza after an Israeli strike targeted its military chief, Mohammed Deif, who, according to two senior Palestinian movement officials speaking to AFP on Sunday, "is fine."

The decision follows the Israeli airstrikes on Saturday that killed 92 Palestinians in the al-Mawasi displaced persons camp and a designated safe area in the southern territory near Khan Younis, as reported by the Gaza health ministry and Hamas. Civil defense officials also reported 20 deaths in the Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City.

On Sunday, a senior Hamas official informed AFP of the movement's decision to halt cease-fire negotiations, criticizing Israeli actions as lacking seriousness and accusing them of committing massacres against unarmed civilians. Hamas's political bureau chief, Ismail Haniyeh, communicated this decision to mediators and regional stakeholders during a series of calls.

More updates from last night on the South Lebanon-Israeli border, after 9:30 p.m.:

- The Israeli army shelled Jdida, Tal el Dibbayn and Khiam, all in the Marjayoun district.

- Hezbollah announced in a statement that they attacked Israeli soldiers around the military position of Tal Shaar, facing the Lebanese village of Aita al-Shaab, at 8:55 p.m.

- An Israeli drone strike and artillery fire targeted Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil).

- The Israeli army opened fire on the outskirts of the Lebanese village of Shebaa (Hasbaya) at 12 a.m.

Here are the last night's updates from the South Lebanon-Israeli border, at around 9 p.m.:

- The Israeli army launched airstrikes and fired artillery shots at Kfar Kila in the Marjayoun district.

- The Israeli airstrikes targeted two houses in Houla in Marjeyoun, with no casualties recorded.

- The Israeli drones targeted Aita al-Shaab in the Bint Jbeil district.

Good morning ☀️

Thank you for joining our live coverage of the Gaza war and its impact on the region, particularly Lebanon.