Cease-fire talks began in Doha: Day 314 of the Gaza war

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

We will resume reporting tomorrow morning. 

An Israeli army spokesman said today that its troops had "eliminated more than 17,000 terrorists" in Gaza since the start of the war. 

"Our forces continue to fight in Gaza ... we have so far eliminated more than 17,0000 terrorists", said Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.

This figure is impossible to verify, and Hamas refuses to disclose its losses. The Gaza health ministry has released today a new death toll of 40,005 killed since the start of the war on October 7, without detailing the number of civilians and combatants killed.

Israeli fighter jets targeted the town of Yaroun (Bint Jbeil) twice, residents told our correspondent in southern Lebanon. 

⚡A White House spokesman on Thursday spoke of a "promising start" to the talks that have just begun in Doha on a cease-fire and the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip.

John Kirby, the spokesman for the National Security Council, said he expected the talks to continue on Friday, adding: "We're at a point where the framework of the agreement is generally accepted and the gaps to be filled are in its implementation."

Here's the latest update from the southern Lebanese-Israeli border: 

- The civil defense of the al-Rissala scouts association, affiliated with the Amal movement, said in a statement that it had participated in rescue operations in Kabrikha (Marjayoun), targeted earlier by an Israeli strike. One injured person was transferred to a local hospital.

- The Israeli army struck the outskirts of Deir Seriane and Taybeh (Marjayoun), causing fires to ignite, according to residents quoted by our correspondent.

- An Israeli strike also targeted Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil), but the missile did not explode, according to residents.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati is scheduled to travel to Beirut tomorrow to meet Lebanese officials, according to NBN.

Abdel Ati is expected to meet with his Lebanese counterpart, Abdallah Bou Habib, at 10 a.m. on Friday.

The armed wing of Hamas published today a photograph of a hostage killed by one of its guards in "revenge," with the Israeli army responding that it had recovered the body photographed in November in the Gaza Strip.

"After investigation, it was established that the conscript assigned to guard the slain enemy prisoner had acted in revenge, contrary to instructions, after learning of the death of his children in an enemy massacre," Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obeida said in a statement.

The photo published was of "a murdered hostage whose body was found during a joint operation" between the Israeli army and security forces in November, the Israeli army told AFP. "The family concerned has been informed," it added.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced to the Turkish Parliament on Thursday his decision to "go to Gaza," which he has not been able to visit since 2007.

"I have decided to go to Gaza with other brothers from the Palestinian leadership," the Fateh leader told Turkish MPs, who gave him a standing ovation.

"I will go. Even if it costs me my life. Our life is not more worthy than the life of a child. Victory or martyrdom," he insisted, adding that he would then go "to Jerusalem, our eternal capital."

"Gaza belongs to us and we will not accept any proposal aimed at dividing it," warned Abbas, even though no one has been able to enter the Palestinian territory, which has been besieged by Israel.

According to Haaretz, citing Palestinian sources, Abbass could possibly enter Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, which would pose a challenge to the United States and Egypt.

In a statement, Hezbollah recalled "the memory of the great war of July, its true promise and divine victory," on the occasion of the 18th commemoration of the end of the 2006 war in Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel, which ended on Aug. 14, 2006.

"Today, at a time of major historical transformations in the region, which was sparked by the victorious operation of the Al-Aqsa deluge ... the Islamic resistance in Lebanon ... confirms that it is still committed to its principles, with all the supporting fronts of the axis of resistance. The resistance stands by the oppressed Palestinian people in preventing the enemy from achieving its objectives," the text continues.

With more than 40,000 Palestinians killed in nearly 10 months of the war in Gaza, the day "marks a grim milestone for the world," said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk today — while pointing out that "most of the dead are women and children." 

"On average, about 130 people have been killed every day in Gaza over the past 10 months. The scale of the Israeli military’s destruction of homes, hospitals, schools and places of worship is deeply shocking."

"This unimaginable situation is overwhelmingly due to recurring failures by the Israeli army to comply with the rules of war."

"The hostages must be released. Palestinians arbitrarily detained must be freed. Israel’s illegal occupation must end and the internationally agreed two-State solution must become a reality," he concluded. 

According to Haaretz, the Israeli army said it had intercepted a drone sent from Lebanon, after sirens were activated in northern Israel, in Israeli-annexed Syrian Golan Heights region. In addition, the army said it had identified around twenty other launches from Lebanon, most of which fell on fields.

In addition, a fire broke out near the town of Chamir, in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel, following the explosion of rockets. According to Haaretz, seven teams of firefighters and rescue workers are working to extinguish the blaze.

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

- Israeli artillery fire has again targeted Khiam and the locality of Kabrikha, in the Marjayoun district, residents told our correspondent.

- Israeli artillery fire targeting residential areas in Kabrikha wounded a 10-year-old child, announced the Health Ministry's emergency operation center. The child was admitted to Tebnin government hospital for treatment.

- In a statement, Hezbollah said it had attacked with Katyusha rockets a settlement in Shamir, opposite the Lebanese village of Mais al-Jabal (Marjayoun). This is the first attack on this settlement since the beginning of the hostilities on Oct. 8.  

⚡ According to information from Lebanese channel NBN, Stephane Sejourne will travel to Egypt, Jordan and Israel after his visit to Lebanon.

During his meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berry, the head of French diplomacy said he had no "warnings" for Lebanon but otherwise called for caution.

(Credit: Florion Goga/Reuters)

In Tel Aviv, families of some of the hostages protested outside the headquarters of Netanyahu's Likud party, Reuters reported. 

"To the negotiating team - if a deal is not signed today or in the coming days at this summit, do not return to Israel. You have no reason to return to Israel without a deal," said the brother of a hostage held in Gaza. 

⚡ Gaza truce talks began in Doha, a source with knowledge of negotiations reported to AFP

Senior Hamas leader Osama Hamdan has denied media claims about communication difficulties with the movement’s new leader, Yahya Sinwar.

Sinwar, who has led Hamas in Gaza since 2017, has not been seen in public since the Oct.7 attack. In a statement today, Hamdan clarified, "I mentioned yesterday that, due to the nature of the battle and Zionist aggression, there are some challenges, but communication remains constant and effective, and the management of the movement is proceeding well."

Hamdan added that Hamas leadership is closely following Sinwar and "the process of completing the necessary arrangements for the leadership's work." He assured that "progress is being made smoothly, although it may take some time due to security concerns."

⚡ The head of French diplomacy, Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne, has arrived in Beirut and is scheduled to meet with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain al-Tineh shortly.

👓 What we know about Hamas' participation in the cease-fire talks in Doha today:

- The US and mediation partners Egypt and Qatar will be joined in Doha by Israeli representatives, but Hamas is reportedly not present, according to Ghazi Hamad, a member of the group's negotiating team, interviewed by the Washington Post.

- However, Hamas informed the mediators that it was ready to meet with them after Thursday's session if there were any developments or a serious response from Israel, according to an official familiar with the negotiations also cited by the Washington Post.

- State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said the Qatari diplomats "gave assurances that they would work to get Hamas represented."

- An official briefed on the talks said Hamas was not expected to be present at first but that mediators expected to consult with the Palestinian group, according to Arab News.

(Credit: Bashar Taleb/AFP)

A child looks on from inside a bus as Palestinian cancer patients prepare to leave al-Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis on August 15, 2024, after permission from the Israeli authorities was given to a few patients to depart the besieged enclave through the Kerem Shalom crossing, to receive treatment in Jordan.

(Credit: Bashar Taleb/AFP)

A child looks on from inside a bus as Palestinian cancer patients prepare to leave al-Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis on August 15, 2024, after permission from the Israeli authorities was given to a few patients to depart the besieged enclave through the Kerem Shalom crossing, to receive treatment in Jordan.

A military adviser from Iran's Revolutionary Guard's aerospace force died following injuries sustained in Syria over recent weeks, Reuters reported citing the semi-official Fars news agency. 

⚡ The Gaza Health Ministry announced a death toll of 40,005 and 92,401 wounded, since the beginning of the Israeli offensive on the enclave. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to hold a national security meeting with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, and Foreign Minister Eli Cohen today, according to Haaretz.

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

- Israeli drones targeted Yaroun in the Bint Jbeil district, according to residents who spoke with our correspondent.

-  Israeli phosphorus artillery fire in the town of Khiam caused serious asphyxiation to two individuals, reported the Health Ministry's Emergency Operation Center. They were taken to the government hospital in Marjayoun and treated in the emergency department.

- Hezbollah announced two new attacks:

* The first at 11:05 a.m., targeted Israeli soldiers stationed at the Malikiya site, opposite the Lebanese village of Aita al-Shaab in the Bint Jbeil district, using "appropriate weapons."

* The second with a squadron of exploding drones targeting Israeli officers and soldiers stationed at the Khirbet Ma'ar site, opposite Boustan,

Almost all the Israeli families evacuated from the outskirts of Gaza after the deadly Hamas attack on Oct. 7 have found new homes, the Israeli authorities announced today, ahead of the deadline set for their rehousing.

According to Minhelet Tekouma, the office in charge of these families, 80% of the more than 50,000 residents evacuated from southern Israel had returned home between March and July.

⚡ French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne, the head of diplomacy, is set to arrive in Beirut today for a visit focused on "de-escalation in the region." This visit comes amid ongoing clashes between Hezbollah and Israel in southern Lebanon, which have been occurring almost daily since October 8, following the conflict in Gaza.

"In a few hours' time, I will be meeting the Lebanese authorities to support ongoing diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation in the region," Sejourne posted on social media platform X earlier this morning. 

During his visit, Sejourne is scheduled to meet with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri at 2:15 p.m. in Ain al-Tineh, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati at 3:30 p.m. in the Grand Serail, and his counterpart Abdallah Bou Habib at 4 p.m., according to the official National News Agency (NNA), and confirmed by our correspondent Hoda Chedid.

(Credit: AFP)

An analysis published this morning by Haaretz suggested that the Biden administration is determined to ensure the success of the talks in Doha and may present a non-negotiable proposal to both Israel and Hamas.

According to the Israeli daily, if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects the proposal, Washington might hold him responsible for the failure and could consider taking additional measures against the far-right within his government.

Two Palestinians were killed early today in an air strike on a refugee camp in the northern Israeli-occupied West Bank, near which Jewish worshippers were visiting a disputed holy site, the Palestinian Ministry of Health and the Israeli army report.

"Two men, aged 18 and 20, were killed and seven people were wounded, one of them seriously, in Balata," a refugee camp in Nablus. The camp, housing 33,000 people, is situated in a mere quarter of a square kilometer.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa added that a woman and a child were among those injured in the Israeli drone strike.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris "were briefed Wednesday by their team of national security advisers on developments in the Middle East," said the White House, against the backdrop of threats of an Iranian attack on Israel.

The meeting, held in the Situation Room — where the U.S. manages international crises — focused on "U.S. military efforts to support Israel's security" and "diplomatic efforts to ease regional tensions and secure a cease-fire and hostage release agreement" in the Gaza Strip.

The United States and Qatar yesterday called on all parties not to "undermine" truce negotiations in Gaza, in a veiled warning to Iran, Hamas and Israel on the eve of talks on the subject in Doha.

U.S. diplomatic chief Antony Blinken and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani insisted in a telephone exchange that "no party in the region should take actions that would undermine efforts to reach a deal," according to U.S. State Department spokesman Vedant Patel.

Hamas "will not participate in the cease-fire negotiations scheduled for Thursday in Doha, Qatar," a source within the Palestinian Islamist movement in Lebanon told L'Orient Today on Wednesday. Concerns that the conflict in the region could escalate if these negotiations fail are rising. However, another senior Hamas official in Lebanon provided a more nuanced response in statements to the Associated Press.

Can Hamas avoid participating in the Doha negotiations?

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The site of the Israeli shelling in al-Khiam square (Credit: Photo provided by our correspondent Muntasser Abdallah)

In today's updates from the southern Lebanese-Israeli border, the precarious calm of this morning was shattered by new incidents:

- Three Israeli artillery shells targeted the al-Azzieh hill, between Deir Mimas and Kfar Kila (Marjayoun caza), residents told our correspondent in the region. 

- Israeli artillery fire targeted al-Khiam square, in the center of the village with the same name (Marjayoun), residents told our correspondent. As a result, a store selling electrical appliances caught fire.

- Israeli artillery fired on the outskirts of Naqoura (Sour).

- Hezbollah said in a statement that at 09:10 it had targeted the Israeli site of Ma'ayan Baruch, opposite the Lebanese village of Khiam (Marjayoun caza), with artillery shells.

Also in South Lebanon, last night:

- After midnight, the Lebanese Health Ministry released an updated death toll from the previous day's Israeli strike on a car in Marjayoun. The revised toll is one dead and nine wounded, down from the initial report of two dead and eight wounded. One person initially counted as dead was later resuscitated during transfer to the hospital, according to the ministry’s statement.

The child, aged three, was first treated at the government hospital in Marjayoun before being transferred to Saint-Georges University Hospital in Beirut due to the severity of his condition. His father is also in critical condition and has been transferred to Beirut. Two other individuals with moderate injuries were sent to Hôtel Dieu hospital in Beirut, while a third with moderate injuries was treated at the Marjayoun government hospital. The remaining three wounded (two women and a Syrian national) received care in the emergency room of the Marjayoun hospital.

- Additionally, three Israeli artillery strikes targeted the outskirts of Deir Mimas (Marjayoun).

An uneasy calm prevailed over the Israeli-Lebanese border early this morning following another turbulent night. Hezbollah lost two more fighters, raising the total number of Hezbollah members killed since October 8, 2023, to 411, with 369 of those deaths in Lebanon.

Overnight Updates:

- After 10 p.m., Israeli artillery fire targeted the Litani River area between Jisr al-Khardali and Deir Mimas (Marjayoun district), igniting fires in the Deir Mimas valley, according to security sources.

- At 10:30 p.m., Hezbollah announced it had attacked the headquarters of the al-Sahl battalion at the Beit Hillel barracks, opposite the Lebanese village of Houla (Marjayoun district), using a salvo of Katyusha rockets.

- At 11 p.m., Israeli artillery struck the outskirts of Markaba (Marjeyoun district), targeting the area towards Wadi Slouki (Bint Jbeil district). Israeli illumination flares were also reportedly thrown in the area, and Israeli aircraft flew over South Lebanon at moderate altitudes during the night.

- Hezbollah paid tribute to its two members killed in separate Israeli strikes. Hussein Yassin Sheito, 29, from the village of Tiri (Bint Jbeil), was killed in the strike on Blida (Marjayoun district). Mohammad Ali Jihad Badreddine, 30, from Harouf (Nabatieh district), was killed in the attack on Marjayoun.

So far, mediators have only achieved a one-week truce in November, resulting in the release of approximately 100 hostages and 240 Palestinians.

On Tuesday, Iran rejected a call from several Western nations to avoid attacking Israel. Its allies in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen have also threatened retaliation for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah military chief Fouad Shukur — who was killed in an Israeli strike near Beirut on July 30 — and Israel's attack on Hodeida in Yemen. 

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has stated that the country remains "on high alert."

In ongoing diplomatic efforts to ease regional tensions, French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne is scheduled to visit Beirut today. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani held talks yesterday, with the Qatari leader also consulting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military continues its offensive in Gaza, with the Civil Defense reporting bombardments on the cities of Gaza, Beit Lahya (north), Deir al-Balah (center), and Khan Younis and Rafah (south).

Israel aims to dismantle Hamas following the group’s attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which resulted in 1,198 deaths. Hamas also kidnapped 251 people during the attack, 111 of which remain in Gaza, with 39 confirmed dead, according to the Israeli army.

The Gaza Health Ministry reports that at least 39,965 people have been killed as a result of the retaliatory Israeli offensive.

New truce talks, facilitated by Qatar, the United States, and Egypt, are set to start today. These discussions are based on a plan announced by President Joe Biden on May 31.

The plan’s initial phase includes a six-week truce, an Israeli withdrawal from densely populated areas of Gaza, and the release of hostages taken during the Hamas attack, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and detainees held by Israel.

CIA Director William Burns, the heads of Mossad and Shin Bet are expected to attend the talks, according to U.S. sources close to the negotiators and the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The participation of Hamas remains uncertain. A senior Hamas official stated on Wednesday that while negotiations with mediators have intensified, Hamas insists on the implementation of the Biden plan rather than engaging in talks for their own sake.

Truce talks for the Gaza Strip are set to commence today in Qatar, as the Palestinian territory endures intense bombardment by the Israeli military. This follows over 10 months of conflict since Hamas's attack on Israeli soil on Oct. 7.

The international community has strongly advocated for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, which have been engaged in violent clashes in the coastal strip.

U.S. President Joe Biden stated on Tuesday that a cease-fire could help prevent an Iranian attack on Israel. Tehran has threatened retaliation for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31, which Iran attributes to Israel.

The White House reported that President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with their advisors in the Situation Room on Wednesday to assess the ongoing crisis.

Good morning☀

Thank you for joining our live coverage of day 314 of the war in the Gaza Strip and its implications on the region, particularly Lebanon.

This is the 313th day since Hezbollah opened a "support" front for Gaza in southern Lebanon.