'Hezbollah will respond, Iran will respond, Yemen will respond, and the [Israeli] enemy waits,' concluded Nasrallah: Follow LIVE - Day 305 of the Gaza war

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

We will resume our coverage starting tomorrow morning. 

Two Israeli airstrikes targeted the southern Lebanese town of Kfar Kila in the Marjayoun district. 

The airstrikes specifically targeted the area surrounding the village's municipality, which was destroyed in an earlier Israeli strike today.

"We must increase military pressure, particularly by striking Lebanon's infrastructure," stressed Israeli Minister Benny Gantz in a statement relayed by several media outlets.

"We will fully support the government if it decides to take offensive measures against Hezbollah," he added.

⚡ Hamas announced in a statement "the appointment of Major Yahya Sinwar as head of the group's political bureau."

Sinwar, who was the head of Hamas in Gaza, succeeded Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran on July 31.

Previously, the Israeli army had announced that they had killed him. 

The last person reported missing in Israel after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 has been confirmed dead following a "thorough investigation," the Israeli army announced on Tuesday evening, cited by AFP. Additionally, the army's statement added that they have informed her family.

"Israel must not respond to Hassan Nasrallah, Israel must assassinate him," Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote on X during the Hezbollah Secretary-General's speech.

🔴 Key Takeaways from Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's Speech:

- "Our loss is very great with the martyrdom of sayyed Mohsen [Fouad Shukur's party nickname], but it does not shake us at all and does not make us hesitate or stop."

Throughout the first part of his speech, the Hezbollah leader emphasized the importance of Shukur's role, the commander killed by Israel last Tuesday in the southern suburbs of Beirut. However, he downplayed the effects of this assassination on the organization, affirming that it had not impacted its military capabilities. "The assassination of Fouad Shukur and that of Ismail Haniyeh are Israeli achievements, but not victories," he stated.

- "If Israel prevails, there will no longer be a Hashemite kingdom in Jordan. In Syria too, the Israelis will install an ally in power."

Here, the Hezbollah leader sent messages to Amman and Damascus. As Iran prepares to respond to the assassination of Haniyeh, Nasrallah seems to suggest that the ongoing battle between the 'axis of resistance' and Israel also aims to protect Syria and Jordan — two countries that, each in their own way, are distancing themselves from Hamas' al-Aqsa Flood.

- "The Israeli wait for a week is part of the punishment."

The Hezbollah leader asserted that the psychological warfare but also, especially, the economic losses of Israel (which he estimates at several billion) are part of the response to the assassination of Shukur. This implies that even though the response to the attack on the southern suburbs of Beirut is delayed – and could have a relatively moderate effect – the retaliation has already begun and is already hurting the Israelis.

- "The response will surely come. One must act with courage but also with finesse. One must not be impulsive."

As in his first speech, the Hezbollah leader advocates a "wise" response to "the Israeli aggression against the southern suburbs." While he insists that the retaliation this time will be more intense than previous assassinations, Nasrallah continues to give the impression that he does not want the clashes to escalate to an all-out war.

"It is the Israelis who went towards the escalation," he reminded, adding: "We have always taken into consideration the situation in Lebanon and have managed the battle in a way that there is simultaneously in Lebanon an open support front, music festivals, crowded restaurants..." In this context, he called on his supporters not to be impulsive. "I did not give you a lyrical speech," he told them. "We will forge our future together."

(Credit: Photo provided by our correspondent in the region, Muntasser Abdallah.)

The Civil Defense of the Amal-affiliated Al-Risala Scouts announced that their teams have participated in firefighting operations after the Israeli airstrike on the town of Kfar Kila (Marjayoun). 

Hezbollah claimed to have targeted the air and missile defense headquarters in the Kila'a barracks with dozens of Katyusha rockets, in response to the Israeli strike on Mayfadoun, in the southern Lebanese district of Nabatieh.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army said that 10 rockets crossed over from Lebanon into Israel. While some were intercepted, others caused fires to break out near Kiryat Shmona, reported Haaretz. 

In his speech, Hassan Nasrallah stated that "the Israeli army has admitted that what happened in Nahariya was caused by an interceptor missile, but it does not dare to tell the truth about what happened in Majdal Shams."

An Israeli army investigation — cited earlier today by Haaretz — has concluded that the rocket that wounded two people, one of them seriously, in Nahariya, north of the city of Acre, was an "interceptor" missile that "missed its target" before "falling to the ground." The report added that it was not a direct Hezbollah shot.

This Israeli Iron Dome strike followed an attack claimed by Hezbollah, which said it had targeted the "Shraga barracks, which is headquarters of the Golani Brigade and Egoz Unit 621," also located in northern Acre, some 15 km from the Lebanese border inside Israeli territory.

Hezbollah has announced the death of another fighter, Mohammad Hussein Taleb, born in 1992 and originally from Burj al-Shemali in the Sour district of South Lebanon.

According to our correspondent in South Lebanon, the victim was killed in the Israeli strike on Robb al-Thalathin (Marjayoun).

More updates from the South Lebanon-Israeli border: 

- Shortly before 6 p.m., multiple Israeli airstrikes targeted Kfar Kila (Marjayoun), hitting the municipal headquarters and a house, according to witnesses. Rescue teams were dispatched to the scene of the strike.

- Shortly before 6 p.m., Israeli artillery fire targeted the localities of Tallousa, Wadi Slouki, Houla and Markaba, all in the Marjayoun district, according to residents.

- Hezbollah announced that it targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers on the hill of Karantina, facing the Lebanese village of Yaroun, with artillery shelling at 5 p.m.

Here are the latest developments in South Lebanon as of 5 p.m.:

- Israeli airstrikes targeted Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil), simultaneously Israeli artillery was bombarding the village.

- Israeli bombardment also targeted Yaroun (Bint Jbeil), reported our correspondent in the region

- At around 5:35 pm, Israeli artillery fire targeted the outskirts of Naqoura (Sour).

- At around 5:45 p.m., Israeli artillery shelled Kounin (Bint Jbeil), according to residents.

⚡ "Our response will come, God willing, alone or as part of a collective response from the whole front," Nasrallah warned. 

He also concluded his speech by stating, "Our response will come, God willing, and it will be strong."

Nasrallah: "The enemy's calculation in contemplating a large-scale war is difficult, complex and cumbersome. It's not an easy decision, and things aren't that simple. On the other hand, when [Israel] wants to go to war, it doesn't need a pretext."

"We are acting with courage and caution," emphasized Hezbollah's leader.

"The [Israeli's] wait is part of the punishment, the retaliation and the battle, which is also psychological," said Nasrallah.

Nasrallah highlighted that "Iran was forced to fight after the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, and now it is forced to fight after the assassination of Ismael Haniyeh in Tehran."

Addressing the Lebanese, Nasrallah continued, "Some people in Lebanon need to understand the scale of the dangers in the region. They express their fear if the resistance triumphs in battle. I tell them that they must fear the victory of the [Israeli] enemy. For those who don't support us in Lebanon, we ask them not to betray the resistance and not to take part in the psychological warfare against us."

⚡ "Hezbollah will respond, Iran will respond, Yemen will respond, and the enemy waits, watches and evaluates each reaction. The main thing is that the determination, the decision and the capability are there," Nasrallah asserted.

"We are in a battle that has an end. We call on the resistance in Gaza and the West Bank to show more patience and firmness. We call on the support fronts in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen to continue supporting Gaza despite the sacrifices. We call on Arab countries to wake up to the danger threatening the region", pleaded Nasrallah.

"The Israeli danger cannot be faced by playing ostrich and running away from the storm, because the enemy fights without red lines. What is needed is confrontation and confrontation, not hesitation and submission," he continued.

Nasrallah considered "the assassination of leaders Fouad Shukur and Ismail Haniyeh to be an Israeli success," but said it "does not change the nature of the battle."

"Israel is still in a difficult situation, even after the assassination of Haniyeh and Shukur, and its situation has become even more complex, by its own admission," he noted

"Israeli radars and American satellites are on high alert for fear of retaliation, and today our drones reached the eastern part of the city of Acre," Nasrallah stated.

"The aim of this battle is to prevent Israel from achieving victory and to avoid the elimination of the Palestinian resistance and the failure of the Palestinian cause," stressed Hezbollah's leader.

"Israel, fearing the Iranian response or that of Hezbollah, appeals to the United States and Western countries, which proves that its deterrence has diminished, as well as its capability of defending itself," said Nasrallah

"The region is facing real dangers. Everyone must understand that if Israel wins, there will be no Palestine and the al-Aqsa Mosque will be seriously threatened," warned Nasrallah.

"Lebanon and its riches will also be at risk, as will Jordan, whose Hashemite kingdom could disappear. Syria will be threatened, both in the Golan Heights and inside the country, and Israel will work to make the Syrian leader a friend. Egypt and all the countries in the region will also be threatened," he added.

A woman holding a photo of Fouad Shukur standing next to Hassan Nasrallah in the southern suburbs of Beirut, as Hassan Nasrallah delivers his speech. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin/ L'Orient Today)

"If [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and the U.S.-Zionist alliance is victorious over the resistance in Gaza and the West Bank, the entity that kills children will solidify itself in the region," warned Nasrallah.

"We face the danger that the occupying entity will dominate the region," he added.

"Israel seeks to annex the West Bank and claims there is no Palestinian state," Nasrallah continued.

"There is a broad consensus within the enemy entity against the creation of a Palestinian state, regardless of the nature of that state. This is an important development for those who continue to bet on a diplomatic solution to the Palestinian cause," emphasized the leader of Hezbollah.

Nasrallah: "The current battleground includes Palestine, Gaza and the West Bank, in addition to the supporting fronts."

"Our loss is very great with the martyrdom of Sayyed Mohsen, but it doesn't shake us at all and doesn't make us hesitate or stop," assured the Hezbollah leader.

"Al-Sayyed Mohsen [Shukur's party nickname] was a leader in all the resistance's major battles," said Nasrallah.

He was one of the architects of the 2000 victory [withdrawal of Israeli troops from South Lebanon, editor's note] and that of July 2006. He was in charge of the main operations room."

"He had a strategic mind, rich in ideas, and a great capacity for planning." Nasrallah added that Shukur "drew up the general war plans as well as the necessary amendments".

Nasrallah paid tribute to Shukur: "He was an excellent tactician and much more besides that." He also added that the two had spoken a few hours before Shukur's assassination. 

"The [Israeli] enemy is breaking the sound barrier over the southern suburbs to frighten those gathered for the ceremony. It has such a small mind," said Hassan Nasrallah at the start of his speech.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah began his speech, which comes a week after the Israeli strike that killed Fouad Shukur, the party's top military commander, in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Screenshot of video tribute to senior Hezbollah military commander, Fouad Shukur, killed in an Israeli strike in Beirut's southern suburbs last Tuesday. Broadcast on Hezbollah-affiliated TV channel Al-Manar.

Hezbollah announced the death of another of its fighters, Adham Khanjar Hussein Nasser, born in 1997 and originally from the southern Lebanese town of Erkay (Saida district). According to our correspondent, the victim was killed in the Israeli strike on Mayfadoun (Nabatieh) earlier today.

This brings the total number of Hezbollah fighters killed in Lebanon by Israel since October 8, 2023 to 360. 

⚡ Israeli fighter jets broke the sound barrier over Beirut again, causing a loud bang.

Just as the ceremony for the slain Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur and Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah's speech were about to begin, Israeli jets flew over Beirut, breaking the sound barrier — with a sonic boom heard right here in the L'Orient Today's newsroom.

Hezbollah announced two strikes: 

It successfully targeted the Roueissat el-Alam Israeli site in the disputed Kfar Shuba heights (Hasbaya) at 2:45 p.m.

It also targeted a deployment of Israeli soldiers at the Abu Dajaj hills near Zarit barracks, opposite to the Lebanese village of Ramyah, (Bint Jbeil district), with several artillery shells at  4 p.m.

According to Haaretz, an initial investigation by the Israeli army shows that the rocket that wounded two people, one in serious condition, in Nahariya, north of the city of Acre, was an "interceptor" missile that "missed its target" before "falling to the ground," and not a direct Hezbollah shot.

This Israeli Iron Dome strike followed an attack claimed by Hezbollah, which said it had targeted the "Shraga" barracks ... the headquarters of the Golani Brigade and Egoz Unit 621," also located in northern Acre, some 15 km from the Lebanese border inside Israeli territory.

Hezbollah has announced the death of one of its fighters, Amine Hassan Badreddine, born in 1988 and originally from Ghobeiri (Baabda district) in the southern suburbs of Beirut. According to our correspondent, the victim was also killed in the Israeli strike that targeted Mayfadoun (Nabatieh) earlier in the day.

This brings the total number of confirmed Hezbollah fighters killed in Lebanon by Israel since Oct. 8, 2023, to 359.

Hezbollah has announced the death of one of its fighters, Hussein Ali Yassine, born in 1993 and originally from the village of Sultanieh in South Lebanon (Bint Jbeil district). According to our correspondent, the victim was killed in the Israeli strike on Mayfadoun (Nabatieh) earlier in the day.

This brings the total number of confirmed Hezbollah fighters killed in Lebanon by Israel since Oct. 8, 2023, to 358.

Hezbollah has announced the death of one of its fighters, Ali Moustapha Chamseddine, born in 2003 and from Majdal Selm (Marjayoun district). According to our correspondent, the victim was killed in the Israeli strike that targeted Mayfadoun earlier in the day.

This brings the total number of confirmed Hezbollah fighters killed in Lebanon since Oct. 8, 2023, to 357.

According to information from security sources contacted by our correspondent, one of the four other Hezbollah fighters killed in Mayfadoun (Nabatieh district) and not yet identified by the party is Amine Badreddine. He is the nephew of Moustapha Badreddine, the former military chief of Hezbollah in Syria, who was killed near Damascus in 2016.

Moustapha Badreddine was considered the mastermind behind the 2005 assassination of Rafic Hariri.

The Israeli military announced on its X account that "many hostile drones have crossed the border from Lebanon into Israel," stating that "several civilians were injured in the incident" and that "one of the drones was intercepted."

The Golan Regional Council has also advised residents in northern Israel to stay close to shelters and safe areas, avoid crowds, and minimize unnecessary travel and activities, according to Haaretz.

The Golan Regional Council stated that residents of Israel's north must stay near shelters and minimize non-essential travel, Haaretz reports.

The Golan regional council has instructed residents to avoid crowds, and to minimize any unnecessary travel or activities.

Israeli air raids on the outskirts of Odaisseh and Rabb Thalathin (Marjayoun district) have killed one person and left another seriously injured, according to the Ministry of Health and information from our correspondent in the region.

There is no information yet on the identity of the two victims.

Hezbollah announced the death of one of its members in the Mayfadoun strike. His name is Hasan Mansour Mansour, born in 1998, and hails from Jibchit (Nabatieh district) in south Lebanon. This raises the toll of Hezbollah deaths in Lebanon from Oct. 8 to 356.

⚡ Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for the drone attack that injured two Israelis in northern Acre, a locality about fifteen kilometers from the Lebanese border.

The party stated that this operation targeted the "headquarters of the Golani Brigade and Unit 621 of Egoz" and was a response to the Israeli strike on the Lebanese village of Ebba (Nabatieh district) that killed an important member of its elite unit, the Radwan force, on Monday evening.

- Hezbollah said it successfully targeted the headquarters of the Golani Brigade and the headquarters of Egoz Unit 621 in the Shraga barracks, north of Acre, facing Naqoura (Sour district), “causing confirmed casualties.”

- The party also targeted an Israeli tank with guided missiles in the vicinity of the Ruwaisat Al-Alam site in the occupied hills of Kfar Shuba, destroying it and causing casualties. Hezbollah said it had spotted the tank and prepared an ambush for it before targeting it.

- Hezbollah targeted at 11:30 a.m., the Al-Marj site, located opposite the southern Lebanese town of Markaba (Marjayoun district), with artillery shells.

- Israeli aircraft targeted the outskirts of Odeisseh and Rabb Thalathin, (Marjayoun district) with two strikes, residents told our correspondent.

- The Central Civil Defense Operations Room of the Islamic al-Rissala Scouts Association said in a statement that its members participated in rescue and firefighting operations following the strike on the town of Mayfadoun. They transported the injured to nearby hospitals.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has reported that in the past 24 hours, it destroyed three unmanned aerial systems and one drone in areas controlled by the Houthi rebels in southwestern Yemen.

Additionally, U.S. forces targeted a surface vessel, an aerial vehicle, and an anti-ship ballistic missile belonging to the Yemeni rebels in the Red Sea.

CENTCOM stated, "These weapons pose a clear and imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces, as well as to merchant ships in the region. This reckless and dangerous behavior by Iran-backed Houthis continues to threaten regional stability and security."

The Health Ministry of the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip has reported a new death toll of 39,653 people in the Palestinian territory since the start of the war nearly ten months ago with Israel, according to AFP.

The ministry stated that at least 30 people were killed in the last 24 hours, and 91,535 people have been injured in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7.

Two people were "injured by shell fragments" in Mazra'a, in northern Israel about twenty kilometers from the Lebanese border, according to Haaretz. One of the injured is in "serious condition," and the other is in "moderate condition."

The Israeli media also reported that alert sirens were activated in Acre and 15 other towns in northern Israel due to the infiltration of a "hostile flying object."

In an updated report, Palestinian authorities announced that eight people were killed on Tuesday in two separate Israeli airstrikes in the occupied West Bank, according to AFP.

Four people were killed in the Jenin area (north) and four in the Tubas district (northeast) during pre-dawn raids by Israeli forces, reported the Palestinian Red Crescent and the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah. An initial report had indicated six deaths.

The Israeli military, for its part, stated that it carried out airstrikes targeting "armed terrorist cells" in the Jenin area but did not provide details on the human toll.

In an updated report, Palestinian authorities announced that eight people were killed on Tuesday in two separate Israeli airstrikes in the occupied West Bank, according to AFP.

Four people were killed in the Jenin area (north) and four in the Tubas district (northeast) during pre-dawn raids by Israeli forces, reported the Palestinian Red Crescent and the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah. An initial report had indicated six deaths.

The Israeli military, for its part, stated that it carried out airstrikes targeting "armed terrorist cells" in the Jenin area but did not provide details on the human toll.

⚡ Two people were injured in a drone attack in northern Israel, one of whom is in serious condition, according to Haaretz.

Iran has not made any arrests related to the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas political leader, who was killed in Tehran on July 31 by a short-range projectile.

According to AFP, Iranian judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir stated that the investigation is ongoing and denied reports that around twenty people, including senior intelligence officers, had been arrested.

The three-story building targeted in Mayfadoun (Nabatieh). Photo provided by our correspondent in the area.

This morning, RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades) were fired at vehicles carrying Israeli soldiers near the humanitarian corridor leading to Rafah in southern Gaza, according to Haaretz.

Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedin al-Qassam Brigades, claimed in a statement to have inflicted "several casualties" on Israeli troops in an "ambush" on George Street near the al-Taabeen Mosque, east of Rafah. They also reported that helicopters were deployed to "transfer injured soldiers" and that "clashes" were ongoing.

The Israeli military has not yet commented on the incident.

The Public Health Emergency Operations Center of the Ministry of Public Health said in a statement that the number of those killed in the Mayfadoun strike has risen to five people. Operations to remove the rubble and debris are ongoing.

Meanwhile, the artillery shelling in Wazzani resulted in moderate injury to a 13-year-old teenager.

South Korea's foreign ministry "strongly advised" its nationals in Lebanon and Israel to leave as soon as possible and said that it will issue a ban on its citizens traveling to border areas of the two countries starting from tomorrow, according to Reuters.

"South Korea's government...hopes that diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions such as negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release will not stop," Lee Jae-woong, a ministry spokesperson said.

Israel says it is "preparing for all scenarios," reports AFP.

However, according to a European diplomat stationed in Tel Aviv, the lack of directives from the Israeli military to civilians theoretically suggests that an attack may not be imminent.

The Israeli army continues its bombardments on the besieged Gaza Strip, including several areas of Gaza City, according to AFP.

One person was killed by an Israeli drone strike, according to medics at a hospital in Deir al-Balah, in the central part of the war-torn Palestinian territory, which has been under conflict for nearly ten months.

Hassan Morajea, a regional advisor at Deir al-Balah for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), called for stronger collective action from the world to ensure that humanitarian aid enters Gaza unimpeded and that people receive protection.

- Israeli artillery shelling targeted the outskirts of the town of Shebaa (Hasbaya district), residents told our correspondent.

- Hezbollah said in a statement that it targeted at 11:07 a.m. a gathering of Israeli soldiers near the Birkat Risha outpost, facing the Lebanese town of Boustan (Sour district), with Burkan missiles.

- A security source told our correspondent that the Israeli strike on Mayfadoun targeted the three floors of the building with several missiles. Each floor was targeted by one or more missiles to kill all those present in the building.

⚡ According to an updated report from the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health's Emergency Operations Center, the number of casualties from the Israeli strike on Mayfadoun (Nabatieh district) has risen to at least five deaths. These individuals are reportedly members of Hezbollah, according to security sources cited by our correspondent.

Hezbollah has not yet confirmed the information or released the names of the fighters who were allegedly killed.

The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health's Emergency Operations Center stated that the Israeli strike on Mayfadoun (Nabatieh district) had killed four people, while the strike on Khiam had resulted in one injury.

Meanwhile, a security source told our correspondent that the number of those killed in the Mayfadoun strike has risen to five.

⚡ An Israeli airstrike killed at least two and injured five others in Mayfadoun (Nabatieh District), according to a security source cited by our correspondent. This is the first time this town has been targeted since the hostilities began on Oct. 8, 2023, he noted.

The raid struck a three-story house. Rescue vehicles have been deployed to the scene to conduct rescue operations in the rubble of the building.

In an updated report, Palestinian authorities announced that six people were killed on Tuesday in two separate Israeli airstrikes in the occupied West Bank, according to AFP.

Four people were killed in the city of Tubas and two in Jenin during the raids, the Palestinian Health Ministry specified. The Israeli military, for its part, stated that it had targeted "armed terrorist cells" in the Jenin area.

The Israeli military announced that it has conducted a series of targeted operations in the Gaza Strip, eliminating around 45 "terrorists" in the past 24 hours.

Among those targeted was Mohammed Mahasneh, a Hamas commander responsible for smuggling operations, who was killed in an airstrike based on intelligence. According to the Israeli military, Mahasneh played a "key role" in the entry and exit of military equipment into Gaza, using tunnels, border crossings and the sea for his operations.

Hamas has not yet commented on this information.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is openly at odds with key defense officials in his government regarding a potential agreement with Hamas that could ease rising regional tensions, according to the Financial Times.

The disagreement among Israel's top leaders comes as the country braces for possible retaliation from Iran and Hezbollah following the recent assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur in Beirut's southern suburbs.

“There are differing opinions on the merits of a deal between Netanyahu and his senior security chiefs,” a source familiar with Israeli deliberations told the FT. “Currently, all security officials believe there is no impede for Israel to finalize an agreement, but Netanyahu must give his approval.” During the last cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu reportedly expressed his willingness to go to great lengths to free all remaining hostages in Gaza while ensuring Israel’s security.

The Brazilian Embassy in Beirut issued a statement on Sunday advising Brazilian citizens living in or passing through Lebanon to leave the country due to escalating tensions in the Middle East.

The statement recommends that Brazilians make arrangements to leave Lebanon "by their own means until the situation returns to normal" in the region. The embassy also strongly advises against traveling to Lebanon at this time to ensure their safety.

The Israeli army has been conducting continuous raids on the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank since Monday night, "destroying homes, infrastructure, and businesses with bulldozers," according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA. Clashes have erupted between residents and Israeli soldiers.

Additionally, four Palestinians have been killed and seven others injured since the beginning of the week due to "shooting at civilians" by the Israeli army during a raid in the town of Aqaba, north of Tubas, in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Iranian media reported that Iran has requested advanced air defense systems from Russia as part of its preparations for a potential attack on Israel, according to the New York Times, citing two Iranian officials.

The officials also stated that Russia has begun delivering radars and advanced air defense equipment.

"Gaz Strip must be transferred under the control of the legitimate Palestinian authorities," said Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in comments reported on Tuesday by Russian news agency RIA.

"Israeli plans for temporary control of the enclave are unacceptable. Gaza must be governed under the auspices of the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) and the legitimate Palestinian government," he added, condemning once again the assassination of former Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, killed in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran on July 31, which he described as a "cowardly and dangerous act [...] aimed at prolonging the conflict in Gaza."

Mahmoud Abbas will visit Moscow from August 12 to 14 for an official visit to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In southern Lebanon, the night saw a relative decrease in the intensity of combat, with a few incidents reported.

-This morning at around 8 a.m., the calm was disrupted by an attack by Hezbollah on a building used by military personnel in the Israeli locality of Efim, according to a statement.

-Last night, the party claimed responsibility for an "airstrike with a squadron of drones" targeting an Israeli base occupied by the "Golani Brigade" in the Israeli locality of Jabal Niria. The operation reportedly "targeted the positions of its officers and soldiers, hitting their targets with precision and causing significant injuries," according to the statement.

-Israeli aviation continued low-altitude flights over several regions of southern Lebanon, repeatedly breaking the sound barrier.

-Low-altitude drones were also spotted near Arnoun and Kfar Tebnit (Nabatieh district), according to local and security sources cited by our correspondent. Around midnight, Israeli artillery targeted the village of Alma al-Shaab (Sour district), with flares launched from the Israeli military site of Birkat Richa, as well as from the localities of Kfar Kila and Odaisseh (Marjayoun).

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) announced on Monday that an extraordinary ministerial meeting will be held in Jeddah next Wednesday to discuss ongoing Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people, according to several Arab media and news agencies. U.S. media reported that this emergency meeting was requested by Iran.

The OIC's statement mentioned that "the assassination of Hamas' political bureau chief, Ismail Haniyeh," on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, will be among the issues addressed.

Established in 1969 in Rabat, the OIC is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to protecting the political and socio-economic interests of Muslim countries.

China advises its citizens against traveling to Lebanon due to a "serious and complex" security situation and urges those already there to be "very vigilant" amid fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East.

Chinese citizens are urged to "be very vigilant, enhance their security measures, and be prepared for emergencies," the embassy stated Monday evening, adopting a more moderate tone compared to other countries.

Also during the night:

- Americans were injured on Monday in a rocket attack on a military base in Iraq, a few days after a U.S. strike killed four pro-Iranian Iraqi fighters, amid fears of regional conflagration.

- "There was a suspected rocket attack (Monday) on U.S. and coalition (anti-jihadist) forces at the Al-Asad airbase in Iraq. Initial indications report several injuries among U.S. personnel," stated a U.S. Defense Department spokesperson.

Make sure to read today's Morning Brief to stay up to date with yesterday's key events.

Update on the latest events in South Lebanon from Monday night:

- Hezbollah confirmed the death of one of its fighters, Ali Jamaleddine Jawad, known as "Kerbala," originally from Zibdin (Nabatieh district). He was killed in an Israeli air raid conducted on Monday around 6 p.m. near the village of Abba (Nabatieh) while he was in a vehicle. Another person was injured, according to local sources.

- The Israeli army claimed responsibility for this operation on X, stating that they had killed "a commander of the Radwan force," the elite unit of the party.

- Hezbollah has lost 353 fighters in Lebanon since the beginning of the conflict, according to a count by L'Orient Today. The total rises to 394 when including those fallen in Syria.

According to the White House, President Biden also spoke with King Abdullah II of Jordan to prevent any further escalation of tensions between Tehran and Israel.

In this regard, the two "leaders discussed efforts to de-escalate regional tensions, including through an immediate cease-fire and the release of hostages" in the Gaza Strip, the White House stated.

Antony Blinken had just returned from a White House meeting with President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and the National Security Council team in the "Situation Room" to discuss "threats to Israel and U.S. troops in the region posed by Iran and its affiliates," the Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, according to the U.S. presidency, reports AFP.

Regional tensions have intensified since the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31 and the death of Hezbollah military chief Fouad Shukur in an Israeli strike near Beirut hours earlier.

"Escalation is in no one's interest. It can only lead to more conflict, violence, and insecurity. It is therefore crucial that we break this cycle by achieving a cease-fire in Gaza," said Blinken. He stressed the "urgent need for all parties to make the right choices in the coming hours and days."

A recap of the main regional news this morning:

U.S. President Joe Biden held an emergency meeting on Monday to address the risk of war between Iran and Israel. His top diplomat, Antony Blinken, called for a cease-fire in Gaza to "break this cycle" of violence in the Middle East.

"We are engaged in intense diplomacy day and night with a very simple message: all parties must avoid escalation," emphasized Blinken alongside his Australian counterpart, Penny Wong, whom he hosted at the State Department.

Good morning! Thank you for joining us for today's live coverage of the Gaza war and its regional impacts.