Drone strike kills motorcyclist in Shebaa, another injured: Day 317 of the Gaza war.

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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who arrived in Israel on Sunday, will travel to Egypt on Tuesday to help advance negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza, which would involve the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, according to the State Department.

In Egypt, Blinken will meet with Egyptian officials as talks, which were paused on Friday in Doha, are set to resume this week in Cairo. The U.S., along with Qatar and Egypt, is one of the three countries mediating between Israel and Hamas, who have been at war in Gaza since October 7.

A British Foreign Office official has resigned in protest over the UK government's arms sales to Israel, claiming the UK may be complicit in war crimes - BBC News reports.

Mark Smith, who worked on counterterrorism at the British Embassy in Dublin, expressed concerns about Israel's actions in Gaza, including alleged war crimes and breaches of international humanitarian law. He claims that despite raising these concerns through official channels, he received only basic acknowledgments.

The Foreign Office has not commented on his resignation but stated that a review is underway to assess Israel's compliance with international law, according to the British news broadcaster.

Hezbollah claimed its seventh and eighth strike today at 06:15 p.m., targeting the Zabadin site with rockets and the Ruwaysat al-Qarn with missile weapons in the disputed Shebaa Farms.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday landed in Tel Aviv, in a visit aimed at intensifying diplomatic pressure to achieve a ceasefire deal in Gaza next week. If successful it would end the months-long bloodshed between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas - Reuters reports.

In his tenth trip to the region since war began last October, the top U.S. diplomat on Monday will meet with senior Israeli leaders including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a senior State Department official.

After Israel, Blinken will continue onto Egypt as part of his Middle East tour. 

The situation in southern Lebanon:

- The Central Civil Defense Operations Room of the Islamic Risala Scouts Association said in a statement that it participated in firefighting operations after Israeli artillery shelling on the town of Bani Hayyan (Marjayoun District).

- Israeli drones targeted the town of Jibbain (Sour district), residents told our correspondent.

- Israeli drones targeted an orchard on the outskirts of the town of Batoulieh (Sour district), residents told our correspondent.

- Israeli warplanes targeted the outskirts of the town of Qabrikha (Marjayoun district), residents told our correspondent.

Hezbollah claimed its sixth strike today, on the Jal al-Alam site, opposite the Lebanese village of Labbouneh (Sour district), with artillery shells.

The Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese Brigades for Resistance group announced the death of one of its members Fadi Qassem Kanaan, who was born in 1985 and comes from the town of Shebaa. Kanaan died in an Israeli strike earlier today in Shebaa.

The Arabic-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli military, Avichay Adraee, stated on X that the strike had targeted "Hezbollah saboteurs."

In northern Israel, alarm sirens sounded multiple times during these strikes, while the Israeli army, as reported by Haaretz, reported "ten intercepted rockets, with others landing in uninhabited areas." The Israeli media also reported that residents still in northern Israel were advised to "reduce their movements and stay close to protected areas."

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for four strikes against Israeli positions between 3:10 PM and 3:45 PM.

- The first strike targeted the Beit Hillel barracks, opposite Khiam (Marjayoun), with "a volley of Katyusha rockets."

- The second strike used artillery shells against the Zar'it barracks, opposite Marwahine (Sour distrct).

- The third strike targeted "surveillance equipment at the Roueissat al-Alam site," in the contested heights of Kfar Shuba. The targeted equipment "was destroyed," according to the party's statement.

- The fourth strike hit the Malikiyah position, opposite Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil) with artillery fire.

Israeli Energy Minister and Likud member Eli Cohen stated in an interview with Army Radio that Israel will insist on maintaining Israeli security control over Gaza, including a "physical presence in the Philadelphia Corridor" between Gaza and Egypt, according to Haaretz.

Cohen described the corridor as a crucial supply line for Hamas in terms of smuggling and armament. He emphasized the importance of having physical control and deploying troops to solidify Israel's presence on the ground.

He further clarified that Israel must have security control over Gaza, which entails the ability to conduct operations anywhere and at any time, insisting that the Philadelphia Corridor must remain under Israeli control.

Information obtained from a Hamas source by the Saudi media outlet Asharq details the new proposal made by Washington for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which the latter has so far rejected. The conditions include:

- A reduction, rather than a withdrawal, of the Israeli military presence in the Philadelphia Corridor.

- The return of the Palestinian Authority to manage the Rafah crossing under Israeli supervision.

- A surveillance system installed by Israel in the Netzarim Corridor.

- The return of displaced persons to northern Gaza.

- A veto right granted to Tel Aviv regarding the release of 100 Palestinian prisoners.

- No withdrawal of the Israeli military from the enclave.

According to the source, these conditions completely contradict the proposal made by the U.S. administration in early July, which the Palestinian Islamist movement is demanding to revert to. The source also added that the U.S. has suggested that negotiations on the reconstruction of Gaza and the lifting of the blockade should be left to the results of subsequent talks following the implementation of the first phase.

Two people have been killed during a Israeli drone strike this morning on a building in Shebaa, the Lebanese Ministry of Health has stated. According to the ministry, both individuals, who are Lebanese nationals, have been hospitalized.

"Norway has closed its representation in the West Bank after Israel revoked the status of Norwegian diplomats responsible for Palestinian territories,” wrote Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on X.

“We will act against those who act against us,” he added.

Active for about thirty years in al-Ram, in the West Bank, the Norwegian representation will remain closed until further notice, reports Haaretz. “Israel stated that the eight Norwegian diplomats whose status was revoked were stationed at the Norwegian Embassy in Israel but were responsible for contacts with the Palestinian Authority,” the media says.

“Following the Netanyahu government's decision to no longer facilitate Norway's representation to the Palestinian Authority, our office in Al Ram, Palestine, must be closed as of today,” the Norwegian government said on Friday.

⚡ Breaking: Three peacekeepers on patrol have been "lightly injured" after an explosion happened near their clearly marked U.N. vehicle in the village of Yarine in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said on Sunday - Reuters reports.

"All peacekeepers in the patrol returned safely to their base," the spokesperson said, without giving further details of the nature of the explosion.

"We are looking into the incident. We are strongly reminding all parties and actors of their responsibility to avoid harm to peacekeepers and civilians."  

Gaza death toll update:

40,099 people have died in Gaza since the beginning of the war with Israel, which has now entered its eleventh month - according to new figured released by the enclave's Ministry of Health.

At least 25 people have been killed in the past 24 hours, according to the ministry in a statement, adding that 92,609 people have been injured in the Gaza Strip since October 7.

Mourners carry the body of a Palestinian militant who was killed during an Israeli air strike, in Jenin camp, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, August 17, 2024. (PhotoL REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta)

Situation update from Southern Lebanon:

- One Lebanese person has been killed and another injured in a Israeli drone strike on a motorcycle yesterday in Shebaa, the Ministry of Health has confirmed. Another person who was injured is said to be in a stable condition. Meanwhile, another drone hit a building in the same area without causing any casualties, according to a security source.

- An Israeli fighter jet bombed a house in Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil), according to local residents.

- A house was also bombed in Dhayra (Sour).

- Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a strike carried out at 8:15 am, using "missiles" against the position of "al-Marj" opposite the Lebanese village of Markaba (Marjayoun).

Here's the update on Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip since this morning, according to al-Jazeera:

In the southern part of the enclave, "Israeli airstrikes hit a family home east of Khan Younes, killing four people," according to the media, which cites its correspondents on the ground, as well as the Palestinian news agency, Wafa.

In central Gaza, seven Palestinians were killed, including six children, in an Israeli bombing of a house in the city of Deir al-Balah.

In northern Gaza, at least one Palestinian was killed and several others injured after Israeli forces bombed a house in the Sabra neighborhood, north of Gaza City. Wafa reports that at least four Palestinians were killed and several others injured after Israeli aircraft bombed two residential buildings in the Jabalia refugee camp.

This morning, during a ceremony honoring a Hezbollah fighter killed in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah stated that Israel’s “expansion” of the conflict and its “targeting of civilians” in southern Lebanon would be met with attacks on new Israeli settlements.

Following the deadly strike near Kfour in the Nabatieh district, which resulted in ten deaths, Hezbollah launched an attack on the village of Ayelet Hashahar, which had never been targeted before.

“When the resistance demonstrates some of its capabilities, as seen in the 'Al-Hodhod' and 'Imad 4' scenes, it serves a purpose. These capabilities are part of our deterrence, constant preparation, and confrontation capabilities,” he added. Al-Hodhod is the name given by the party to a drone that, according to Hezbollah, has filmed various targets within Israeli territory, while Imad 4 is an underground facility that Hezbollah showed images of last week.

Update: The motorcyclist who was targeted by a Israeli drone strike in Shebaa, southern Lebanon has died, according to a medical source contacted by our correspondent and Lebanon's National Information Agency (NNA). The medical source also confirmed that the victim's brother was injured in the attack.

Around 10 a.m., an Israeli drone fired a missile at a motorcycle in Shebaa, in the Hasbaya district. The rider was injured and taken to the hospital, according to local residents who witnessed the incident.

For its part, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an artillery strike against Israeli soldiers stationed in the Shtoula forest, opposite the Lebanese village of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil), according to a statement released around 10 p.m.

After a deadly previous night, which included a strike on the Nabatieh region that killed ten people, last night was relatively calm along the Lebanon-Israel border. According to security sources contacted by our correspondent in the South, Mountasser Abdallah, the following incidents were reported:

Around 10 p.m: Israeli airstrikes targeted the outskirts of Tiri and Rshaf in the Bint Jbeil district.

At 11 p.m: Israeli fighter jets flew at low and medium altitudes over southern Lebanon, reaching the Zahrani coastline.

At midnight: artillery fire targeted Aita al-Shaab in the Bint Jbeil district.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stated his intention to continue the war until Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007 and is considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, and the European Union, is destroyed.

Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv, thousands of people gathered to demand an agreement that would bring home the hostages being held in Gaza. "We all know that there is a real possibility of an agreement," said Mor Korngold, the brother of one of the hostages.

Israel announced overnight that it had killed "two senior Hamas officials" in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank: Ahmad Abu Ara, "responsible for explosives manufacturing," and Raafat Dawasi, a "local military leader."

The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, confirmed the deaths of the two men, noting that they were involved in "planning and carrying out several high-profile operations." Last night, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported the deaths of two Palestinians in a car bombing in Jenin.

For Washington, a ceasefire in Gaza would help prevent a regional escalation following threats from Iran and its allies to retaliate for the assassination, attributed to Israel, of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31, and of the Lebanese Hezbollah's military chief, Fouad Shukur, who was killed the day before in a strike claimed by Israel near Beirut.

After a two-day round of negotiations in Doha aimed at establishing a truce, marked by a new U.S. compromise proposal, President Joe Biden mentioned on Friday that an "agreement" was near. However, Hamas, the ruling power in Gaza, responded yesterday by calling this an "illusion" and condemning the "imposition of American diktats." The group rejects any revised proposal and demands the implementation of the plan announced by Biden at the end of May.

A Hamas official, Sami Abou Zohri, criticized the notion of a ceasefire agreement being "close" as an "illusion," stating that the latest U.S. proposal represents a significant step backward. Hamas accuses Israel of adding "new conditions," including the "retention of Israeli troops" at the Gaza-Egypt border and "veto power" over Palestinian prisoners who could be exchanged for hostages.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has flown to Israel as part of Washington's latest effort to secure a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. This is Blinken's ninth visit to the Middle East since Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7. He is expected to meet with Israeli leaders.

Negotiations are set to resume next week in Cairo, under the auspices of the United States, Egypt, and Qatar. However, no further stops for Blinken have been announced during this trip.

Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of Day 317 of the Gaza war, and subsequent developments in southern Lebanon.