Hamas official killed in Israeli strike on Saida; L'Orient Today reporting from the scene: Day 308 of the Gaza war

This concludes our coverage for today. Be sure to return tomorrow for the latest updates.

Goodnight!

The United States will ultimately not impose sanctions on the Israeli army's Netzah Yehuda Battalion and has decided to end an investigation into potential rights violations by the unit in the occupied West Bank, Axios reports, cited by Reuters.

Citing two senior U.S. and Israeli officials, Axios reports that Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of the change during a conversation Friday. Israeli media had previously reported that Washington would impose sanctions on the battalion over its treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank.

Besides the targeted strike in Saida, here are the rest of the latest developments in southern Lebanon:

- Israeli jets targeted the towns of Kfar Kila, Houla and Markaba (Marjayoun) as well as Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil), residents told L'Orient tOday's correspondent.

- Hezbollah targeted "buildings used by enemy soldiers in the settlement of Doviv (opposite the village of Yaroun) with appropriate weapons."

Photo sent by the Civil Defense of the Scouts of al-Rissala to L'Orient Today's correspondent

Rescuers from the al-Rissala Scouts Civil Defense (affiliated with the Amal Movement) helped evacuate the scene after the targeted strike in Saida that killed Hamas official Samer al-Hage.

According to several witnesses in Saida, the Jeep was hit a first time at a roundabout, and Samer al-Hage was killed instantly. Then the Israeli drone struck a second time as the vehicle continued on its trajectory, before hitting the side of the road.

"We are all affected by what happened. Given the assassination, it must be important," a young man confided about Samer al-Hage. "It was a totally cowardly operation, just like Saleh Arouri (who was killed in January). There was only one body transported, maybe the other injured person was outside the car," he said.

(Credit: Hamas Media Office)

Hamas officially announced the death of its "commander and fighter" Samer al-Hage in a statement. "The blood of our martyrs strengthens our path and builds victory," the statement said.

"I was repairing a car, and suddenly I heard a bang," said a mechanic who was at the scene at the time of the strike. "A man was injured next to me, I'm fine. I ran to see what was happening, then help came," he continued. "I live in Saida, and I'm afraid for my children. Now this city is part of the front."

"We heard a drone above our heads, then the two missile impacts one after the other," the friend of a shopkeeper present in Saida told L'Orient Today. "We saw the car, it exploded. Then the smoke. We ran towards the car. But the army arrived and blocked our access," he said. "We're not afraid of anything, we are all loyal to the resistance!" Another confided that he was "afraid of this war."

(Credit: Lyana Alameddine)

At the scene of the strike that killed Samer al-Hage, the car was apparently towed away, and the windows of nearby businesses were shattered. Traffic continues on the city's roundabout, with car debris strewn across the ground. The army has been deployed to the site.

A medical source told L'Orient Today's correspondent that the bodyguard who was with Samer al-Hage in the Jeep targeted by Israel in Sidon is not dead, contrary to what Hamas claimed. He is being treated at the hospital.

More details on the targeted strike that killed Hamas official Samer al-Hage in Saida:

The car in which the target and his bodyguard were traveling was hit very quickly, shortly after it left the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Helweh, according to a Palestinian source quoted by L'Orient Today's correspondent. Hundreds of camp residents began a "march of anger," going as far as in front of Samer al-Hage's home in the camp. "Oh Sinwar, destroy Tel Aviv!" some chanted.

This photo shows the Hamas official killed in Sidon today, Samer al-Hage (left) alongside Khaled Mashaal, a founding member of the Palestinian movement who escaped an assassination attempt in Amman by Mossad agents on Sept. 25, 1997. (Photo sent by r

According to a Palestinian source quoted by L'Orient Today's correspondent, Samer al-Hage was a security officer in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Helweh, near Saida, where he was killed.

Photo provided by camp residents to L'Orient Today's correspondent Muntasser Abdallah

Dozens of Palestinians from the Ain al-Helweh camp, near Sidon, demonstrated after the Israeli strike that killed Samer al-Hage, a Hamas official, and his bodyguard, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent. They shouted and demanded revenge

The person targeted by the strike is Samer al-Hage, a Hamas official, the Palestinian movement confirmed to L'Orient Today's correspondent in South Lebanon. He was accompanied by a bodyguard, this source added. Both died in the strike, several sources confirmed.

Photo sent by residents to L'Orient Today's correspondent

A Jeep was targeted by two Israeli drone missiles in Saida, near the entrance to a shop in the city, L'Orient Today's correspondent in South Lebanon reported, citing residents. The number of victims of this strike is not yet known, but some witnesses say it is at least two people.

An Israeli strike on Mhaibib in southern Lebanon. (Photo sent to L'Orient Today's correspondent Muntasser Abdallah)

Latest developments in southern Lebanon:

- Israeli artillery fire targeted residential areas of the village of Mhaibib (Marjayoun), residents told L'Orient Today's correspondent. The Israeli air force also targeted this village.

- Israeli jets fired several missiles at Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil), residents told L'Orient Today's correspondent.

- Israeli jets fired several missiles at Kfar Hamam (Hasbaya), residents told L'Orient today's correspondent.

British Foreign Minister David Lammy called for a ceasefire deal in Gaza to be "urgently" finalized as Israel agreed to resume talks next week on a truce and the release of hostages held by Hamas, AFP reported.

"A deal is on the table, and it is in the long-term interests of Israelis, Palestinians and all parties concerned to urgently accept it and end this devastating conflict," the foreign minister said in a statement, referring to the framework agreement proposed by U.S. President Joe Biden at the end of May.

London "fully supports" the call by the United States, Qatar and Egypt, which are mediating between Israel and Hamas, for an immediate resumption of negotiations aimed at introducing a cease-fire and freeing the hostages, he added. "There can be no more delay, the fighting must stop now," insisted the minister, who also pleaded for more humanitarian aid to enter the besieged Palestinian territory.

Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health condemned, “in the strongest terms,” Israel’s attacks on ambulance teams, “whose members put their lives at risk in southern Lebanon to save lives.”

“Today, the occupation forces targeted a car belonging to al-Risala Association in the town of Mais al-Jabal, while the association’s team was working to accomplish a humanitarian health mission in the area,” the statement said. “The team miraculously survived, noting that the commissioner was injured by shrapnel, which required special treatment in the hospital.”

The ministry reiterated its “appeal to the international community to condemn these Israeli attacks, which constitute a clear and explicit violation of the laws and customs in force in times of war and confirms that it is continuing to document all violations that affect the health sector and its agencies.”

Lebanon would struggle to meet "even a fraction" of its humanitarian aid needs in the event of a full-scale war with Israel, caretaker Environment Minister Nasser Yassin told Reuters.

According to the minister, who has been tasked by the government with contingency planning in the event of a widespread conflict, Lebanon would need $100 million per month for food, shelter, health care and other needs in a worst-case scenario.

"A small fraction, even 10 to 15 percent of this amount, would be huge for the government. We will need help from donors," Yassine said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza to save lives and restore hope for peace, as Israel agreed to resume talks on a truce on Aug. 15, AFP reports.

The move, backed by efforts by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, comes after the appointment of Yahya Sinwar as Hamas leader, a development that could further complicate negotiations. Israel has vowed to eliminate Sinwar, who is considered one of those responsible for the Oct. 7 attack and has not been seen in public since.

An update on the situation in South Lebanon:

- Hezbollah said in a statement that it targeted the Samaka site in the occupied Lebanese hills of Kfar Shouba with rockets at 1:25 p.m.

- Hezbollah said it managed to target "buildings used by [Israeli] soldiers in the Manara settlement," opposite the Lebanese village of Houla (Marjayoun), using "suitable" weapons.

- Israeli artillery fire targeted an ambulance belonging to the civil defense of the al-Rissala relief association, affiliated with the Amal movement, in Mais al-Jabal (Marjayoun), a source within this organization told L'Orient Today's correspondent. The commissioner of Jabal Amel, Major Ali Manna, was injured by shrapnel. Another doctor present in the ambulance, the commissioner for disaster management, Major Moussa Shaalan, escaped unharmed. The two doctors are now out of danger.

Jaafarite mufti Ahmad Kabalan, close to Hezbollah, has threatened Israel with reprisals if it strikes Lebanon's infrastructure.

"In the case of an expanded war, [Israel] will have to forget about infrastructure, from airports to ports, electricity, communication and industry, because any strike will be followed by a [similar] strike and planes won't be able to land on the tarmac," he said.

"The solution is to stop the war in Gaza," said Kabalan, insisting that what's happening in southern Lebanon "is a war for Lebanon's sovereignty and regional interests."

Update on the situation on the Lebanese-Israeli border:

- Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack on a building used by the Israeli army in Israeli Manara, opposite the Lebanese village of Houla (Marjayoun).

- Hezbollah also announced it attacked the Samaka site in the disputed hills of Kfar Shuba at 1:25 p.m. 

-  Israeli artillery fire targeted the localities of Kfar Kila, Tallousa and Markaba — all in the Marjayoun district —and Rashaya al-Foukhar, the Hasbaya district. 

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, said he was "shocked" by comments made by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. 

Smotrich had suggested that it would be "justified" to let two million Palestinians starve to death in Gaza in order to free hostages. These statements, described as a war crime by the UN, have sparked international outrage and are considered incitement to hatred against civilians. The High Commissioner called Israel to investigate these remarks and immediately stop making such statements.

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

- Hezbollah claimed to have carried out an air attack with a squadron of exploding drones on the headquarters of the Coastal Battalion of the New Western Brigade in Liman, targeting the positions and posts of its officers and soldiers and causing some injuries. According to the statement, the attack came in response to Israeli strikes on Naqoura and Hanaway (Sour).

- Hezbollah also targeted buildings used by Israeli soldiers in Kiryat Shmona, opposite the Lebanese village of Houla, in response to Israeli strikes on Kfar Kila (Marjayoun) and Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil).

- Israeli artillery fire targeted Mais al-Jabal (Marjayoun), causing a fire to erupt near a public health center in the village.

French President Emmanuel Macron insisted on Friday that "the war in Gaza must stop," as Israel agreed to resume talks on Aug. 15 on a truce and the release of hostages held by Hamas.

"The war in Gaza must stop. This must be clear to everyone. It's crucial for the people of Gaza, for the hostages and for the stability of the region, which is at stake today," wrote Macron on X.

"Full support from France to the American, Egyptian, and Qatari mediators," he added.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stressed the importance of quickly reaching an agreement on the release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, during a telephone conversation with his American counterpart, Lloyd Austin, according to a ministry statement.

"While working for Israel's security, Minister Gallant stressed the importance of quickly reaching an agreement that will guarantee the return of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Minister Gallant and Secretary of State Austin agreed on the urgency of this issue," the statement added.

The Lebanese government said in a statement that it "welcomes the joint statement by the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and the United States of America, which stressed the need to put an immediate end to the suffering of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, reach a cease-fire, and conclude an agreement to release hostages and detainees."

The Lebanese government affirmed that "what was included in the statement of the three leaders embodies Lebanon's vision for reducing escalation in the region and defusing the outbreak of an all-out regional war."

This would be achieved through "the immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2735 based on the initiative of U.S. President Joe Biden," the Lebanese government added. "While the Lebanese government thanks the leaders of the three countries for the great efforts they are making to stop the cycle of violence in the region, it stresses the need to exert maximum pressure on Israel to compel it to sit at the negotiating table and implement Security Council Resolution 2735, without any delay, as it is the party that seeks escalation and places obstacles to reaching a cease-fire agreement in Gaza."

The Israeli army announced that the head of the U.S. Middle East Military Command (Centcom), General Erik Kurilla, was in Israel to assess the security situation, his second visit this week amid tensions in the region.

The Israeli Chief of Staff, General Herzi Halevi, and the Centcom commander, who arrived yesterday, "conducted a joint assessment of the security situation and strategic issues, as well as joint preparations in the region, as part of the response to threats in the Middle East," the army said in a statement.

Kurilla made his first visit to Israel on Monday.

Here are the latest developments in South Lebanon:

- Hezbollah claimed to have targeted the 769th Brigade headquarters in the Kiryat Shmona barracks with Katyusha rockets, in response to the Israeli strike the previous day on the village of Hanaway (Sour district).

- Israeli artillery fire targeted the village of Tallousa (Marjayoun).

Hezbollah has announced the death of one of its fighters, Mehdi Mahmoud Kosseibani, born in 1994 and originally from Harouf,  in the Nabatieh district in South Lebanon.

According to our correspondent, the victim was killed in the Israeli drone strike that targeted Nabatieh this morning.

The U.S. embassy sent its citizens in Lebanon another reminder, encouraging them "to book any ticket available to them, even if that flight does not depart immediately or does not follow their first-choice route."

"We recommend that U.S. citizens who choose not to depart Lebanon prepare contingency plans for emergency situations and be prepared to shelter in place for an extended period of time," the statement added.

Lebanon's caretaker Foreign Minister, Abdallah Bou Habib, affirmed that Egypt supports the need to put an end to the conflict in South Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel, while also assuring that Lebanese diplomacy is "above all interested in peace in Lebanon."

Received in the Grand Serail by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Bou Habib updated the latter on his latest visit to Egypt.

To read more, press here.👈

Kamala Harris is not considering an arms embargo on Israel, Harris's national security advisor Phil Gordon said on X.

He stated that the vice president "has been clear: She will always ensure Israel is able to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups. She does not support an arms embargo on Israel."

To read more, press here. 👈

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack on an Israeli army position near Metula, facing the Lebanese village of Kfar Kila, at 9:40 this morning.

Cited by Lebanese channel LBCI, Israeli Channel 12 reports that four missiles from Lebanon fell in Metula.

A U.S. judge has denied Harvard University's attempt to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Jewish students who accused the school of allowing its campus to become a bastion of antisemitism, Reuters reported.

The judge found that the plaintiffs had plausibly alleged that Harvard's response to on-campus incidents was inadequate and that the university failed to protect its Jewish students.

The lawsuit seeks an injunction to stop Harvard from alleged violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits federal funds recipients from allowing discrimination based on race, religion, and national origin. The lawsuit was filed shortly after former Harvard President Claudine Gay resigned, facing criticism for her handling of antisemitism on campus following the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, as well as plagiarism allegations.

The Palestinian Foreign Affairs Ministry has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for saying it may be “justified and moral” to starve Palestinians in Gaza, al-Jazeera English reported yesterday.

“We can’t, in the current global reality, manage a war. No one in the world will allow us to starve two million people, even though it might be justified and moral in order to free the hostages,” Smotrich said earlier this week.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Smotrich, by saying what he said, is "approving and supporting the policy of genocide."

A merchant vessel has been repeatedly targeted by attacks believed to be carried out by Yemen's Huthi rebels in the Red Sea, maritime security company Ambrey reported, without mentioning casualties or damage.

The Huthis have yet to claim responsibility for the attack. 

The vessel, with a private security team on board, was approached by a small boat and an unmanned surface vessel 58 nautical miles northwest of Hodeida, Ambrey said, adding that this was the third attack on the ship in less than 24 hours. The vessel was previously hit by a drone, which "caused no injuries or material damage," Ambrey added.

To read more about the Houthi attack, press here. 👈

Here are the latest updates in South Lebanon:

- Israeli airstrikes targeted Kfar Kila (Marjayoun), reported our correspondent in the region.

- Israeli artillery fire targeted homes in Khiam and on the outskirts of Kfar Kila, both in the Marjayoun district, according to residents.

- Israeli drones equipped with speakers broadcasting a message disparaging Hezbollah were reported over the Bint Jbeil district. "This is thanks to Hezbollah and Hassan Nasrallah,” the message, which played on a loop, stated.

⚡ An Israeli drone strike on the village of Naqoura in the sour district, killed two people, according to our correspondent in South Lebanon.

According to a security source, the individuals were initially wounded by the strike and later succumbed to their injuries. The death toll was confirmed by the Emergency Operations Center of the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

United Airlines has announced the suspension of its flights to Tel Aviv due to growing security concerns.

Other global airlines are also revising their routes to avoid Iranian and Lebanese airspace.

Here are yesterday night's updates from South Lebanon:

- After 10 p.m.: Two Israeli airstrikes targeted a reportedly unoccupied two-story building in Hanaway (Sour district). Two people were hospitalized, and three others were treated on the scene, according to the Emergency Operations Center of the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

- Israeli airstrikes targeted Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil).

Also yesterday evening, an unexploded missile fell in North Lebanon in the Zgharta district, reported residents, security sources and our correspondent in the region. 

The Lebanese military was deployed to the scene and cordoned off the area near the missile awaiting its disposal after it landed at the same time as the Israeli raid on Syria.

The Lebanese Army has not yet released a statement regarding the source of the missile, and it remains unclear whether it is an Israeli or Syrian interceptor missile.

The situation remained tense on the Lebanese-Israeli border, where Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in deadly fighting since Oct. 8.

In an unprecedented move, Israeli drones equipped with speakers flew over the Bint Jbeil district yesterday evening, broadcasting an Arabic recorded message that incited residents against Hezbollah. “This is thanks to Hezbollah and Hassan Nasrallah,” the message, which played on loop, stated. 

Residents of Ainata, in the Bint Jbeil district, reported hearing the messages broadcasted by the Israeli drone.

Yesterday, the Israeli army once again called on the population to evacuate several areas of Khan Younis, a large city in South Gaza, already ravished by several months of fighting.

The army claimed that the call concerned neighborhoods from which "rockets have been fired." 

Also yesterday, Gaza's Civil Defense reported that five bodies had been found in a bombed house in Khan Younis.

Diplomatic efforts are ongoing on all fronts to avoid a regional conflagration, after Iran promised reprisals for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31 and Hezbollah threatened an imminent response to the assassination of its military chief Fouad Shukur.

The deal is unlikely to be finalized by Thursday, as significant work remains, according to a senior Biden administration official. The talks follow recent discussions between President Biden and leaders from Egypt and Qatar.

The official noted that Israel has shown a positive response to the negotiations and dismissed claims that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is delaying the process.

Fighting continues to ravage the Gaza Strip, with at least 18 people killed yesterday in Israeli strikes on two schools and over 60 wounded, according to the enclave's health ministry. 

Previously, Washington, Cairo and Doha had invited Israel and Hamas to resume their talks on Aug. 15, indicating that a framework agreement was "now on the table, with only the details of its implementation missing."

"As mediators, we are ready, if necessary, to present a final proposal that could resolve the implementation issues [of an agreement] in a way that meets the expectations of all parties," the text stated.

Israel has agreed to resume cease-fire negotiations on Aug. 15, after the U.S., Egypt and Qatar intervened to warn that there is "no more time to lose or excuses" for further delay.

"Following the proposal made by the United States and the mediators, Israel will send a delegation of negotiators on Aug. 15 to the agreed location to conclude the details of an agreement," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced in a statement yesterday evening.

Good morning ☀

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