US presents a 'bridging proposal' for a cease-fire talks, set to resume next week: Day 315 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. 

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

- Residents reported Israeli artillery fire on the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil).

- Hezbollah announced that it targeted "Israeli soldiers in the settlement of Metula," which faces the Lebanese village of Khiam (Marjayoun), in retaliation for repeated Israeli strikes on Kfar Kila (Marjayoun).

- Hezbollah announced its seventh attack of the day, using a squadron of exploding drones, targeting "the headquarters of the 188th brigade's armored battalions in Rawiya barracks."

- According to our correspondent in the Bekaa, Sarah Abdallah, Israeli fighter jets were heard flying over Baalbeck at low altitude.

⚡ U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Israel this weekend to conclude a cease-fire agreement in Gaza, the State Department has announced, quoted by AFP.

Blinken will leave on Saturday and will seek "to conclude an agreement for a cease-fire and the release of hostages and prisoners via the compromise proposal" presented Friday by the United States during talks in Doha, the statement added.

The U.S. Embassy in Lebanon has issued a new advisory to its citizens, reiterating the security measures outlined in previous messages since late July. The embassy advises U.S. citizens to leave the country "if possible before a crisis begins," to take personal security precautions, and to stay informed about developments.

Recently, the United States updated its travel advisory for Lebanon from Level 3 ("Reconsider Travel") to Level 4 ("Do Not Travel") and recommends that citizens residing in Lebanon depart "if possible before a crisis begins."

The fire in Bint Jbeil, South Lebanon, following an Israeli strike on a house (Credit: Photo provided by our correspondent Muntasser Abdallah)

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

- Hezbollah has announced two new attacks, marking its fourth and fifth of the day. Using artillery fire, the first attack targeted the Israeli position at al-Assi, across from the Lebanese town of Mais al-Jabal in the Marjayoun district. The second attack hit the area of Natu’a, opposite Lebanese Sammoukha (Bint Jbeil), using "appropriate weapons."

- Civil Defense teams from the Union of Bint Jbeil Municipalities and rescue workers from the al-Rissala Scouts Association reported participating in efforts to extinguish a fire caused by an Israeli strike earlier today.

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

- Israeli warplanes targeted a house between Maroun al-Ras and Bint Jbeil (Bint Jbeil district), residents told our correspondent.

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

- Multiple sirens sounded across Israel's north over suspected hostile aircraft intrusion, according to Haaretz.

Israel hopes pressure from international mediators and the United States will lead the Palestinian group Hamas to accept the cease-fire for hostage release deal proposed on May 27, Reuters reported citing a statement released today from the Israeli prime minister's office. 

"Israel appreciates the efforts of the U.S. and the mediators to dissuade Hamas from its refusal to accept a hostage release deal," the statement said

⚡ Hamas senior official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters on Friday that the U.S. administration is trying to create a "false positive atmosphere" and has no real intention of stopping the war in Gaza and is only trying to buy time.

The U.N. special rapporteur on torture today condemned what she called a "particularly gruesome" case of the alleged sexual abuse of a Palestinian prisoner by Israeli soldiers and said the perpetrators of such crimes must be held accountable, reported Reuters. 

"There are no circumstances in which sexual torture or sexualized inhuman and degrading treatment can be justified," Special Rapporteur Alice Jill Edwards said in a statement. 

To find out more about what came in the report, press here.👈

French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne will continue his Middle East tour with a visit to Egypt tomorrow, according to the Quai d'Orsay.

Sejourne, who arrived in Lebanon yesterday and Israel today, will meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi in Cairo tomorrow and hold talks with his Egyptian counterpart.

The Egyptian Foreign Minister, Badr Abdel Aaty, said in Beirut today that a ceasefire in Gaza is "key" to preventing the region from escalating into "all-out war."

Find out more about the Abdel Aaty's visit to Beirut and what he had to say, press here.👈

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

- Hezbollah announced that it used Falaq missiles to target Israeli soldiers deployed around the Jal al-Deir outpost, facing the Lebanese village of Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil), at 4:30 p.m.

- Israeli drones targeted a house on the outskirts of Kfar Shuba (Hasbayaa), residents told our correspondent.

Hamas rejected the 'new conditions' in proposed Gaza deal, officials told AFP.

A senior Hamas official told Reuters that what the group was briefed on regarding the results of ceasefire talks in Doha does not commit to what was agreed upon on July 2.

⚡ According to the White House, quoted by AFP, the U.S. has presented a "bridging proposal" to secure a cease-fire deal in Gaza. The talks are set to resume next week in Cairo.

⚡ Qatar, the U.S. and Egypt have issued a statement saying that the path to an agreement has been mapped out and that "technical" meetings are due to take place in the next few days, according to several Arab media outlets, including MTV and al-Jazeera.

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

- Hezbollah announced that it fired rockets at Israeli soldiers deployed around the Mattat barracks, opposite the Lebanese village of Rmeish (Bint Jbeil), at 2:40 p.m.

- Israeli artillery fire targeted Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil), the outskirts of Beit Lif and Ramiyeh (Bint Jbeil), and the village of Shebaa (Hasbaya), residents told our correspondent.

(Credit: Photo sent by al-Rissala Civil Defense to our correspondent)

The al-Rissala Civil Defense Scouts, affiliated with the Amal party, announced that they had helped extinguish the fire caused by the Israeli strike in Mais al-Jabal, reports our correspondent.

The German Foreign Ministry has condemned yesterday's attack by Jewish settlers on a village in the occupied West Bank, denouncing "unacceptable violence."

"Palestinians have a right to live in safety. Israel has an obligation to protect Palestinians in the West Bank, stop these attacks, and prosecute the perpetrators. There must be no impunity for such acts of violence," the ministry continued on X.

Forty-one Palestinian civilians wounded during the war in Gaza have gone to Malaysia for treatment, officials said. The individuals, aged between eight months and 62 years, were evacuated from Cairo on two Malaysian Air Force planes, AFP reported.

"We undertook this mission solely for humanitarian reasons and to demonstrate our solidarity with the Palestinian people," Malaysian Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said at a press conference upon the arrival of the wounded. "This also reflects our nation's stance against this inhumane genocide," he added.

(Credit: Photo courtesy of the Grand Serail press office)

Regional tensions and diplomatic efforts were the focus of a meeting at the Grand Seraglio between caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aati.

"Lebanon appreciates the international and Arab efforts to end the cease-fire in Gaza and the Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon," Mikati said in a Serail press release. "Lebanon reiterates its commitment to the full implementation of UN Resolution 1701. It is essential to pressure Israel to uphold the resolution and halt its aggression against Lebanon," he added.

In response, Abdel Aati voiced Egypt's support for Lebanon, highlighting ongoing efforts to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza and reduce tensions. The meeting was also attended by Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, Egyptian Ambassador to Lebanon Alaa Moussa, Lebanese Ambassador to Egypt and the Arab League Ali Halabi, and the Prime Minister’s advisors Nicolas Nahas and Boutros Assaker.

Hezbollah released a four-minute video featuring explicit images of its tunnel network.

Published by the party’s war media, the video provides a glimpse into a network of interconnected underground passages known as “Imad 4.” The name is a tribute to Hezbollah commander Imad Moghnieh, who was assassinated in Syria in 2008. The party confirmed this reference to L'Orient Today.

👇 To watch the video, follow our post on X: 

Hezbollah released a four-minute video showcasing explicit images of its tunnel network. Published by the party's war media, the video provides a glimpse into an interconnected network of underground passages named "Imad 4," which translates to "Pillar 4" in Arabic, referencing Hezbollah commander Imad Moughnieh, who was assassinated in Syria in 2008. This reference was confirmed to L'Orient Today by the party.

➡️ More information here.

Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army's Arabic-speaking spokesperson, said in a post on X that the Israeli Army attacked Hezbollah fighters "from the air after they were spotted entering a military building."

"Earlier today, an IAF aircraft attacked a military building in which Hezbollah terrorists were operating in the Aitaroun area of ​​southern Lebanon," he added.

"In addition, IDF forces fired artillery shells towards the areas of Blida and the village of Kfar Kila in southern Lebanon," he said.

Earlier today, an intelligence-gathering drone was found in the Beit Jan area of ​​the Galilee without causing any injuries. "The incident is under investigation," he also said.

European foreign policy chief Josep Borrell announced that he plans to propose sanctions against Israeli officials in response to the "nearly total impunity" for attacks by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank, according to AFP.

"The Israeli government must immediately stop these unacceptable actions," Borrell said on X. "I confirm my intention to present an EU sanctions proposal against those who enable these violent settlers' actions, including some members of the Israeli government," he added. 

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday that he expects his allies to "join Israel" in "attacking Iran" if the Islamic Republic were to target his country. This statement came during meetings with his French and British counterparts, according to AFP.

"Israel expects France and the UK to clearly and publicly warn Iran that attacking Israel is unacceptable and that if Iran does attack, the U.S.-led coalition should join Israel not only to defend it but also to strike significant targets in Iran," he said, according to a statement from his office.

The latest developments in South Lebanon:

* Hezbollah reports targeting an assembly of Israeli soldiers stationed at the Birket Risha site, opposite the Lebanese village of Boustan (Sour district), with guided weapons, "causing confirmed injuries."

* Israeli artillery has targeted the outskirts of Dhaira and Mais al-Jabal (Marjayoun), according to residents speaking to our correspondent. The Israeli army also targeted the outskirts of Hanin (Bint Jbeil district).

⚡ The car fire in the Kasmieh area near Sour was not caused by an Israeli strike but by an electrical short circuit, a security source told our correspondent. Earlier, residents had reported it as an Israeli drone strike.

The electrical short circuit triggered a fire that led to the explosion of the car's fuel tank, the source clarified.

Two major U.N. agencies, the WHO and UNICEF, have called for "humanitarian pauses of seven days" in the fighting in Gaza so that over 640,000 children under the age of 10 can be vaccinated against polio in the coming weeks, AFP reports.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF "urge all parties to the conflict to implement humanitarian pauses in the Gaza Strip for seven days to allow the two rounds of polio vaccination campaigns to be carried out," they said in a statement. These campaigns are expected to start at the end of August and continue into September.

Hamas is demanding the implementation of the plan announced by President Biden and refuses to continue negotiations, according to AFP.

On Thursday, a Hamas official, Osama Hamdan, stated that the movement would participate in talks if they aim "to set a timetable for implementing what Hamas has accepted."

Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah stated that "the resistance is determined to respond to the aggression targeting the southern suburbs," which killed senior party leader Fouad Shukur. "The resistance's response will come, but according to its own method and timing, as it does not operate based on analysts' calculations," Fadlallah emphasized during a ceremony held by Hezbollah in honor of fighter Mohammad Hani Haidar, who was killed fighting against Israel.

Condemning Western diplomatic pressures on Lebanon and threats of upcoming Israeli bombings, Fadlallah asserted that "these pressures should rather be directed at the Israeli entity to end the aggression on Gaza... All these threats and pressures will not deter the resistance from exercising its legitimate right to defend its country," he added.

Regarding the ongoing negotiations in Qatar, the Hezbollah MP noted that "the resistance in Palestine, led by Hamas, will decide... What it accepts in these negotiations will be supported and accepted by the resistance axes," he assured.

A medical source tells our correspondent that a woman was injured while near the car targeted by an Israeli strike in Kasmiyeh, near Sour.

Hezbollah has announced the death of one of its fighters, Ibrahim Shawki Salameh, born in 1984 and from Blida in South Lebanon. He was killed in the Israeli strike on Aitaroun this morning, according to our correspondent.

This brings the number of Hezbollah fighters killed in Lebanon since Oct. 8 to 370, according to our count.

⚡An Israeli drone targeted a car on a bridge north of the city of Sour in South Lebanon, according to residents speaking to our correspondent. One person hit by the strike was evacuated, and their condition is still unknown.

The Civil Defense reported that they evacuated the person and helped extinguish the fire caused by the strike.

Hezbollah "will not launch an attack" against Israel during negotiations in Qatar, as retaliation (for the assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah senior commander Fouad Shukur) is "not urgent and not time-bound," according to the Washington Post.

While hostage negotiations continue in Qatar, a source close to the party stated that Hezbollah "will not initiate its retaliation operation during the negotiations in Qatar as it does not want to be held responsible for obstructing the talks or a potential agreement." 

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday described the attack by Jewish settlers on a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank as "organized state terrorism," according to AFP.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the attack on Thursday evening in Jit, a village in northern Palestinian territory, resulted in one death from "settler gunfire" and one serious injury. The White House has called these acts of violence "unacceptable," and they have also been condemned by several Israeli officials.

The latest developments in South Lebanon:

- A fire was sparked in Khiam (Marjayoun district) by a flare fired from Israeli positions, according to residents speaking to our correspondent.

- Additionally, an Israeli drone carried out a raid on an open field near the central square of Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil district).

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office denied yesterday that he spoke with former U.S. President Donald Trump about the Gaza hostage and cease-fire deal on Wednesday, Axios reported. Earlier, Axios claimed that Trump had discussed the deal with Netanyahu, citing two U.S. sources briefed on the call. This comes as critical negotiations involving US, Qatari, Egyptian and Israeli officials took place in Doha to bridge remaining gaps between Israel and Hamas cease-fire negotiations.

⚡ This morning's Israeli attack on Aitaroun left one person dead and another wounded, our correspondent reports, citing a security source.

People check a burnt car a day after an attack by Jewish settlers on the village of Jit near Nablus in the occupied West Bank that left a 23-year-old man dead and others with critical gunshot wounds, on Aug. 16, 2024. Negotiators trying to hash out a Gaza cease-fire deal are due to meet for a second day in Qatar today, after the deadly Jewish settler attack on the Palestinian village drew widespread rebuke, including from Israeli officials. (Photo by Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP)

The Israeli army has informed residents of the northern neighborhoods of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, as well as those in the Deir al-Balah area, that they must evacuate, according to Haaretz.

The army stated that "due to the exploitation of the area for terrorist activities and attacks on Israel, it has become dangerous to remain in these areas."

The Israeli attack carried out this morning on Aitaroun injured at least two people, according to residents cited by our correspondent.

An Israeli drone flew over the border villages of Kafra, Yater, and the Botom hills (Bint Jbeil district) last night around 10 p.m., broadcasting provocative slogans in Arabic against Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

The response from the residents of Yater was swift and made waves on social media. "At your service, Nasrallah!" was broadcasted through the mosque's loudspeakers in the town, with the added message, "Israel will disappear," according to videos shared on X by local media.

Developments in South Lebanon this morning and last night, according to our correspondent citing security sources and residents:

- This morning at 7 a.m., the Israeli Air Force bombed the town of Kfar Kila (Marjayoun district), after heavily bombing it last night.

- The Israeli Air Force also bombed the town of Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil district), according to residents.

During the night:

- From 9 p.m., the Israeli Air Force conducted four consecutive raids on Kfar Kila, specifically targeting certain residences.

- The Israeli Air Force also targeted the western outskirts of Rashaya al-Foukhar (Hasbaya district), but the missile did not explode.

- Israeli artillery bombarded the town of Aita al-Shaab (Sour district).

In Doha, the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that negotiations for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip will continue on Friday.

The Qatari, Egyptian and American mediators "remain firmly committed to continuing their efforts to achieve a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip that would facilitate the release of hostages and allow the entry of the maximum possible amount of humanitarian aid into Gaza," the ministry said in a statement.

CIA Director William Burns, along with the heads of Israel’s external (Mossad) and internal (Shin Bet) intelligence services, are present at these talks. Although Hamas is not participating, one of its officials, Osama Hamdan, told AFP on Thursday evening that the movement had informed the mediators in Doha of its position.

"If the discussions aim to set a timeline for implementing what has been presented and accepted by Hamas, then we will participate," he explained. "If the mediators manage to force Israel to accept this, we will participate in the discussions. But, so far, there is nothing new."

"Any agreement must lead to a comprehensive cease-fire, a complete (Israeli) withdrawal from Gaza, and the return of displaced people," reiterated senior Hamas official Hossam Badran in Doha on Thursday evening.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "takes the riots that occurred tonight in the village of Jit seriously," according to a statement from his office cited by AFP, assuring that "those responsible for any criminal act will be arrested and prosecuted."

"The rioters tonight in Jit have nothing to do with settlement or settlers," stated Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (far-right) on X. Smotrich is a major architect of the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which has accelerated since late 2022, particularly since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip.

Negotiations continue on Friday in Doha to reach a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, while a bloody attack by Jewish settlers in the West Bank has sparked widespread condemnation, including from Israeli leaders, AFP reports.

The attack by a group of Jewish settlers on the Palestinian village of Jit, which resulted in one death and one serious injury on Thursday, has been condemned by the United States and many Israeli leaders. President Isaac Herzog even called it a "pogrom."

"I strongly condemn tonight's pogrom in Samaria," Herzog wrote in a message on X, using the biblical name for the northern West Bank. The White House also denounced the attacks as "unacceptable."

According to the Israeli army, dozens of Israeli civilians entered Jit around 8 p.m. (5 p.m. GMT), setting fire to buildings and vehicles, and throwing stones and Molotov cocktails. Soldiers and border police "evacuated the Israeli civilians from the town" and handed one of them over to the police, a military spokesperson told AFP. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, one man was killed "by settler gunfire," and another was shot in the chest.

Make sure to read today's Morning Brief to catch up on yesterday's key events ahead of today's upcoming ones.

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