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The al-Rissala Scouts Civil Defense reported that its members helped put out fires and remove rubble after an Israeli attack on Kfar Kila (Marjayoun), in southern Lebanon.
Further details on the targeted Israeli drone strike on a motorcycle in Kfar Roummane:
A medical source provided to our correspondent confirms that a Syrian national was killed. Mohammad Khalaf, 25 years old, and succumbed to his injuries. Another Syrian was lightly injured, along with three Lebanese individuals.
In the early evening, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for two strikes against military surveillance posts near the Lebanese-Israeli border, which it said were "directly targeted and destroyed." The first strike was at 5:30 p.m. on the Abad and Dachma sites, and the second at 5:53 p.m. on the Hadab Yarine site, according to the party's statement.
Additionally, the Civil Defense of the Scouts of al-Rissala (affiliated with the Amal movement) reported assisting in extinguishing the flames after an Israeli bombardment in Markaba (Marjayoun district).
The Israeli drone strike targeting a motorcycle in Kfar Roummane resulted in one death and two injuries. The deceased was a Syrian national who was present at the scene, while one of the injured is also a Syrian national.
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, received a phone call from Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aaty regarding the situation in Lebanon and the latest Israeli threats and ongoing aggression in South Lebanon.
In a statement issued by his press office, Mikati emphasized the importance of Resolution 1701 and its full implementation. Abdel Aaty expressed Egypt's solidarity with Lebanon and rejected any aggression against it. He also asserted that only a political solution could end the crises and wars, as reported by the Serail.
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian warned that Israel would be making a "serious mistake" if it attacked Lebanon, following a deadly strike on the occupied Golan Heights attributed by Israel to the Lebanese Hezbollah. This warning came during a call with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to AFP.
"The Zionist regime (Israel) will make a grave mistake with serious consequences if it attacks Lebanon," Pezeshkian told Macron, as reported on the Iranian presidency's website.
In his conversation with Macron on Monday, Pezeshkian also accused Israel of violating "all international frameworks and laws" by committing "crimes" against Palestinians.
Photo sent by al-Rissala Scouts Civil Defense to our correspondent
Latest developments in South Lebanon:
- Israeli drones launched a missile at a motorcycle in the village of Kfar Roummane (Nabatiyeh district), according to our correspondent and local residents. A car at the scene was hit by shrapnel. Initial reports indicate that the strike caused injuries. Rescue teams promptly arrived on site.
- White phosphorus munitions from Israel bombarded the towns of Markaba and Oidaisseh (Marjayoun district), causing fires, according to local residents.
- The al-Rissala Scouts' Civil Defense, affiliated with the Amal movement, stated in a press release that its members conducted rescue and firefighting operations following the Israeli raid on Kounin (Bint Jbeil district). The injured have been transported to hospitals.
The White House has expressed "confidence" in its ability to prevent a broader war between Israel and Hezbollah, AFP reports, following a significant increase in tensions in the region after an attack that killed 12 young people on the annexed Golan Heights on Saturday.
"No one wants a broader war, and I am confident that we can avoid such an outcome," said John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council.
Hezbollah claimed several attacks in the afternoon:
At 3:20 p.m., Hezbollah announced that it had targeted and directly hit a "technical espionage system" recently installed at the Israeli site of Malkiya (opposite Aitaroun in the Bint Jbeil district of southern Lebanon).
The group stated that at 4:10 p.m., it had targeted and destroyed newly installed technical equipment on the "Israeli hill of Karantina," located across from Yaroun (Bint Jbeil district).
Finally, at 4:30 p.m., Hezbollah reported having directly struck an Israeli Merkava tank situated at the Rahab military post on the Lebanon-Israel border.
The Vice President of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council, Sheikh Ali Al-Khatib, offered his condolences to Syria’s President, Bashar al-Assad, for the killing of 12 people in the town of Majdal Shams.
“We received with greater pain and sadness the news of the martyrdom of several innocent civilians in the occupied town of Majdal Shams, as a result of a Zionist terrorist act that adds to the crimes it is committing in Gaza. “We condemn this terrorist act against sister Syria and its brotherly people, we extend our respect to you, the dear Syrian people, and the families of the martyrs.”
Recent developments in southern Lebanon over the past hour:
* Israeli airstrikes have targeted various locations in southern Lebanon, according to witnesses, reports our correspondent. One strike hit the town of Houla (Marjayoun), and another in Kounin (Bint Jbeil) struck a vehicle, injuring two people.
* Additionally, Israeli artillery shelled a residence in Shebaa (Hasbaya district) without causing casualties. Residents also reported that the Israeli army dropped white phosphorus bombs on the outskirts of Kfar Kila (Marjayoun).
Hamas has criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's "strategy of procrastination" and his "new demands" at the Rome talks aimed at negotiating a cease-fire in the Gaza war. In a statement, Hamas claimed that Netanyahu's approach represents a "backward step" compared to previous promises made by mediators.
The statement added, "After hearing the mediators describe recent developments at the Rome meeting regarding the ceasefire and prisoner exchange negotiations, it is clear that Netanyahu is reverting to a strategy of procrastination and avoidance of an agreement." Hamas further noted that Netanyahu's new conditions mark a regression from what the mediators had presented as an "Israeli" document that was part of the Biden plan and later a U.N. Security Council resolution.
A quadripartite meeting was held on Sunday in Rome with Egyptian officials, their American and Qatari counterparts, and the head of Israeli intelligence to reach an agreement.
The Israeli military has announced that it has opened an investigation into allegations of "serious mistreatment" of a detainee at a detention center housing Palestinians arrested from the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war on Oct. 7.
"An investigation has been initiated following suspicions of significant mistreatment of a detainee at the Sde Teiman detention center," located in the Negev Desert (southern Israel), the military stated to AFP, without providing further details.
Gaza’s health ministry declared a polio epidemic across the Palestinian enclave, blaming Israel’s military offensive, Reuters reported.
Lebanon’s caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdallah Bou Habib received calls from several high-ranking diplomats, including the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aaty and Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp.
The discussions focused on ways to prevent escalation in southern Lebanon and to ensure the full implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which is crucial for maintaining stability along the border between Lebanon and Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a visit to Majdal Shams, promised a "severe response" following the rocket attack that killed 12 children and teenagers in the Golan Heights city, largely annexed by Israel.
"These children are our children (...) The State of Israel will not, and cannot, let this pass. Our response will come and be severe," Netanyahu declared. According to the Israeli army, the rocket was fired from Lebanon by Hezbollah, backed by Iran. The party has denied being responsible for the deadly attack.
Hezbollah announced that at 3:15 PM, its fighters targeted "an enemy soldier position in al-Raheb" across from Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil) "with guided missiles."
Israeli artillery fire targeted Aita al-Shaab, as reported by residents to our correspondent.
The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) affirmed its commitment to "the unity of Lebanon" and expressed its "solidarity with all Lebanese in the face of any Israeli aggression against the homeland," according to a statement.
The FPM, led by Gebran Bassil, also rejected "the unjust Israeli threats of reprisals against Lebanon following the Majdal Shams incident, for which Hezbollah has confirmed it was not responsible." The FPM had repeatedly criticized Hezbollah's involvement in the war since Oct. 8.
Hezbollah has begun moving precision-guided missiles to be ready for use if necessary, as Israel threatens to launch an attack on Lebanon following the strike on Majdal Shams, reports the Associated Press.
A Hezbollah official told the agency that the party's stance has not changed and that it does not want a full-scale war with Israel, but if a war breaks out, it will fight "without limits." This Hezbollah official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the topic, stated that Hezbollah began moving some of its "precision-guided smart missiles" on Sunday to be used if needed.
About 200 residents of Majdal Shams demonstrated against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit today, following the rocket hit on Saturday which killed 12 children and teenagers, according to Haaretz.
Netanyahu was greeted with chants of "get out" and "murderer. Protesters also shouted at the prime minister: "He is the enemy of all of us," "This man will not enter here" and "Now he remembers the Golan."
The Israeli air force targeted a non-operational poultry farm in the village of Kfar Hamam (Hasbaya), a local resident told L'Orient Today's correspondent.
Flights to Rafik Hariri International Airport by Lufthansa, Eurowings, Swiss, Air France and Transavia have been canceled, as the international community fears an Israeli retaliation against Hezbollah following the deadly strike in the occupied Golan on Saturday evening.
Get the full details here.
The U.S. embassy in Beirut posted a video on its X account in which Rena Bitter, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, recommended " that American citizens develop a plan of action in the event of a crisis and leave before it begins."
Read the full story here.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting Majdal Shams, a town on the Syrian Golan Heights annexed by Israel, where a rocket attack on Saturday killed 12 young people, an AFP journalist noted.
According to the Israeli army, the rocket was fired from Lebanon by Hezbollah. It crashed into a soccer field where many young people were gathered. The 12 dead were aged 10 to 16 and dozens of other young people were injured, according to local authorities.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a phone call with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday, stressed the importance of preventing the conflict from escalating, the U.S. State Department reported, as cited by Reuters.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced that he had spoken with his Israeli and Lebanese counterparts.
"It is possible to break the spiral of violence," he wrote on X. He also said that the Italian government was committed to peace and stability, including through Italy's presence in the UNIFIL contingent.
Hezbollah announced that it targeted the Israeli position of al-Baghdadi, opposite the Lebanese village of Mais al-Jabal (Marjayoun), "using about ten Katyusha rockets." This attack comes in response to the Israeli attack on the Shaqra - Mais al-Jabal road, the party said. This attack killed two Hezbollah members.
German citizens should urgently leave Lebanon, a German Foreign Ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by Reuters. The German government calls on all parties to the conflict, particularly Iran, to prevent an escalation, the spokesman also said.
Hezbollah announced the death of two of its members, Abbas Fadi Hijazi, born in 1995 and originally from Majdel Selm (Marjayoun) and Abbas Mohammad Salameh, born in 1991, originally from Khirbet Selm and residing in Shaqra (Bint Jbeil). According to L'Orient Today's correspondent, they were killed in the Israeli strike on the road between Shaqra and Mais al-Jabal. This strike left two dead and three injured. According to L'Orient Today's count, Hezbollah has lost 386 members since Oct. 8, 2023, in Lebanon and Syria.
The Health Ministry in Gaza announced a new death toll of 39,363 in the Palestinian territory since the start of the war almost ten months ago with Israel.
At least 39 people have been killed in the past 24 hours, the ministry said in a statement, adding that 90,923 people have been injured in the Gaza Strip since October 7.
Hundreds of Druze gathered in Majdel Shams for the funeral of a boy killed by a rocket attack on Saturday that killed 12 young people in the largely Israeli-annexed Syrian Golan Heights, AFP reported.
Ten of them were buried Sunday in this small Druze town of about 11,000 inhabitants, and an 11th in Kenya. The victims were aged between 10 and 16, according to local authorities. The 12th young man killed, briefly missing, was buried today in Majdal Shams where more than a thousand people had gathered for the funeral ceremony, according to an AFP journalist.
The ruins of houses in Rab al-Talatine. (Credit: Photo obtained by L'Orient Today's correspondent Muntasser Abdallah)
The situation in southern Lebanon:
- Several houses were damaged after night airstrikes in Rab al-Talatine (Marjayoun). No casualties have been reported so far.
- Residential areas of Mais al-Jabal and the outskirts of Markaba (Marjayoun) were targeted by artillery fire late in the morning, according to local residents.
"Israel wants to hurt Hezbollah but does not want to drag the region into an all-out war," a senior Israeli defense official said, while two other officials said the country was preparing for the possibility of days of fighting, Reuters reported.
MP Taymour Joumblatt, head of the Progressive Socialist Party, commented on the deadly strike in the predominantly Druze town of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-annexed Golan, calling it an "additional stain" on Israel.
"I salute the people of the Arab Golan for their unified stance, which prevented sedition and expelled those who came to exploit this tragedy," he added, referring to the fact that the people of Majdal Shams prevented some Israeli ministers from attending the funerals of the 12 victims of the attack.
Read more about statements from Druze leaders here.
In southern Lebanon:
The Israeli army carried out a sweep from the Metula position, using heavy machine guns and targeting residential neighborhoods in Kfar Kila (Marjayoun), residents reported to L'Orient Today's correspondent.
Last night, after a meeting of the Israeli security cabinet, the body mandated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to decide on the nature and timing of the response to Saturday night's deadly strike on Majdal Shams in the annexed Golan.
The strike left 12 dead, mostly children, and Israel vowed to respond "with force."
The Israeli army announced that it called on residents of al-Bureij and al-Shuhada to evacuate, saying that it would intervene "with force."
Yesterday in Gaza, the Civil Defense said that an Israeli strike hit tents in the Al-Mawassi displaced persons camp, near Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, killing at least five people.
During the night, after 10:00 p.m., flares were launched over Rmaish (Bint Jbeil). An hour later, an Israeli drone targeted a house in Markaba (Marjayoun), without causing any casualties. Shortly after 2:00 a.m., sporadic explosions were heard along the Lebanese-Israeli border, the nature of which is unknown.
An Israeli drone fired a missile at a car on the road between Shaqra (Bint Jbeil) and Mais al-Jabal (Marjayoun), a security source told L'Orient Today's correspondent. A second drone strike targeted a motorcycle near Doubiyeh Castle, also between Shaqra and Mais al-Jabal. The two strikes left two dead and three injured, including a child , according to a medical source. The child, aged one and a half, lost his father among the victims.
Be sure to read the Morning Brief so that you are caught up with what has been happening.
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