Israel's security cabinet will meet tomorrow, Sunday, at 7:30 p.m. local time, at the Israeli army headquarters in Tel Aviv, according to a report from Axios journalist Barak Ravid, who also once served in the Israeli army's largest intelligence unit, Unit 8200.
A Lebanese man who the Israeli army claims was a member of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force, has died in Israeli detention, according to reports in Israeli media.
The Israeli army announced on Sunday that it had captured three men it said were Hezbollah fighters during one if its ground incursions into southern Lebanon. Photos released of the three men include an image of a hole in what appears to be the tiled floor of a residential building where it says they were found. The army claims the men were inside a tunnel that is part of Hezbollah's underground infrastructure.
Following the man's death, the Israeli army summoned soldiers suspected of involvement in the incident for questioning. One soldier was subsequently arrested, Haaretz reported.
The death toll from Israeli strikes on Beit Lahia in northern Gaza have risen to at least 73, the Gaza government press office said, in a report from Reuters.
For more than a week now, the north of the besieged Strip has come under a violent military onslaught. Earlier in the day, the spokesperson from the enclave's Civil Defense announced that more than 400 people had been killed since Oct. 6 in the area, notably in Jabalia, Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun, which the Israeli army has called for to be evacuated.
In their letter to Israeli officials, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Israel that it could face consequences with regards to military support if it doesn't "end the isolation of northern Gaza by reaffirming that there will be no Israeli government policy of forced evacuation of civilians from northern to southern Gaza."
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack carried out with "quality missiles" — the name it seems to use when referring to its precision-guided missiles — against Kiryat Ata, east of Haifa.
The strike was part of Operation Khaybar, a series of attacks launched shortly after the death of its leader Hassan Nasrallah. It was intended in particular as a "retaliation to the massacres" carried out by Israel in Lebanon, "particularly in Nabatieh." On Oct. 16, the Israeli air force bombed Nabatieh and its surroundings around 15 times, including the direct targeting of Nabatieh's city hall. The attacks killed the mayor, several members of the municipal council, and volunteers from the Civil Defense, who were meeting to discuss rescue and aid operations for the city's residents.
Iran's United Nations mission says that Lebanon's Hezbollah group, armed and financed by Tehran, was behind a drone attack on the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier today, Reuters reports.
"This action was taken by the Lebanese Hezbollah," the mission said in response to a question about Iran's role in the attack, according to the official IRNA news agency.
Earlier today, Netanyahu accused Hezbollah of trying to kill him after his office said a drone from Lebanon had hit the premier's family home. "The attempt by Iran's proxy Hezbollah to assassinate me and my wife today was a grave mistake," Netanyahu said in a statement.
Hezbollah has not yet acknowledged the attack.
(Credit: Unifil Telegram channel)
UNIFIL peacekeepers in Mais al-Jabal, southern Lebanon, were finally able to restock their essential supplies after having run out of water following weeks of their supply route being cut off, the mission said in a statement.
"Access to positions near the Blue Line has been tough," the statement reads. "While most positions have enough food and water for over 10 days, this one hadn’t received supplies since Sept. 29 due to blocked roads."
Fighting and warnings of military activity issued by the Israeli army have delayed operations to clear the roads of debris, but finally, last night, the position was able to receive a stock of supplies, including food, water and essentials, "allowing our peacekeepers to continue their work."
Hezbollah released a statement announcing that it had carried out a rocket attack at 9:25 p.m. against Israeli soldiers in Abirim, a town in northern Israel about six kilometers from the Blue Line.
The Israeli army announced that a soldier has died of his wounds, sustained during fighting in southern Lebanon, Haaretz reports. Sgt. Maj. Netanel Greenbaum, a 38-year-old from Lod was wounded 10 days ago on Oct. 9.
Israel's military police has opened an investigation after a member of Hezbollah died after being captured by the military in southern Lebanon, according to Haaretz.
A rescue worker from the Islamic Health Committee, Hezbollah's relief organization, was killed in a drone strike while riding his motorcycle in Siddiqine, in the district of Sour, reports the National News Agency.
An Israeli strike on a house in Bzaliieh, Bekaa, killed one person, according to information from our local correspondent Sarah Abdallah. Four other people were injured in the raid, one of them seriously.
A bombing earlier today in Zellaya killed three people.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a rocket attack, carried out at 6:30 p.m., on an artillery platform in Dishon, opposite Maroun al-Ras.
In southern Lebanon, Israeli aircraft hit Tayr Harfa, Majdal Zoun and Mansouri in the Sour district, as well as Kfar Houne in the Jezzine district, Kfar Roummane in the Nabatieh district and Khiam in the Marjayoun district. Jbaa, in the Nabatieh district, was hit by a drone.
The Israeli army said it had bombed “Hezbollah weapons depots” and a “headquarters” of the party in the southern suburbs of Beirut, hit between 4 and 6 p.m. on more than a dozen occasions.
Israeli fighter jets hit “several depots,” according to a message posted on X by the Israeli army's Arabic-speaking spokesperson, as well as “the headquarters of the intelligence services” of the party.
Hezbollah announced new attacks
At 4:35 p.m., it said it had struck Israeli soldiers at the Fatima Gate in Kfar Kila with artillery fire.
At 5:30 p.m., the party carried out a rocket attack against the Israeli position of “al-Marj,” which faces Markaba (Marjayoun district).
Twenty five minutes later, it fired rockets at the Beit Hillel barracks opposite Houla (Marjayoun).
In southern Lebanon, the Israeli army carried out late-afternoon strikes on Jabal al-Botom, Rash Qanay, Beit Lif and Tayr Harfa. It launched three missiles at Aita al-Shaab and hit Hanine, as well as Odaisseh and Dhaira.
Three Israeli soldiers were seriously wounded and eight slightly injured on Thursday by a “friendly” tank shell in south Lebanon, claims Haaretz.
A preliminary investigation revealed that an armored unit had intended to fire at a specific building, but mistakenly hit another building in which the soldiers were staying.
The Israeli army said that the shell had been fired accidentally at the building and that the incident was not due to the fact that the soldiers had been mistakenly identified as potential enemy combatants.
An update on Hezbollah attacks against Israeli positions
Hezbollah said it targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers in Zar'it, opposite Marwahine (Sour district), with a missile barrage at 4:50 p.m.
The party also said it had targeted the Israeli city of Safed with a missile barrage at 9:00 a.m.
The Health Ministry reported that four people were killed, 13 wounded and human remains still unidentified in an update on the Israeli air raid on Baaloul in the western Bekaa. The statement said that work was underway to identify the remains found at the site of the raid.
According to the National News Agency and information from our correspondent Sarah Abdallah, the violent strike left five people dead, including the president of the municipality of Sohmor.
Several Israeli strikes targeted the neighborhood of Burj al-Barajneh, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, according to the National News Agency. These “violent” strikes were accompanied by intense overflights of the area by Israeli drones.
An update on the security situation
An Israeli airstrike targeted the valley of the towns of Zibqin and Taybeh (both located in the Sour district), local residents reported.
Three airstrikes targeted an area between the towns of Qana and Siddiqine, local residents reported.
The drone launched in the direction of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence in the Caesarea region did not hit the house, and Netanyahu and his wife were not present at the time of the incident, his office said, according to The Washington Post.
No casualties were reported, added his spokesperson, Omer Dostri.
The Israeli military said three drones had crossed into Israeli territory from Lebanon. Two of them were intercepted and another “hit a structure in the Caesarea region,” according to the American media.
Hezbollah stated that it targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers in the vicinity of the town of Aita al-Shaab (in the Bint Jbeil district) with a rocket salvo at 4:15 p.m.
⚡ According to the National News Agency (NNA), new strikes targeted Haret Hreik, in the southern suburbs of Beirut. One of these strikes was described as “violent,” by the official Lebanese news agency.
Following Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, the official National News Agency (NNA) reported that “consecutive strikes” had targeted the area.
A building in Haret Hreik was hit twice, first by a fighter jet and then a drone. These bombardments totally destroyed the building and damaged surrounding buildings.
Several other Israeli strikes targeted Beirut's southern suburbs, according to local media.
The Israeli army has issued a new evacuation order for the residents of a building in Choueifat, a coastal town south of Beirut.
As usual, the army claimed that the building was “close to Hezbollah infrastructure” and called on residents to move at least 500 meters away.
Five people have been killed and several wounded in an Israeli bombing of a residential area in Jabalia, northern Gaza, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense.
The residential al-Balad area includes the Hissi, Daghma and Raihan families and casualties are mostly children, a statement on Telegram said.
Israeli forces have been conducting a large-scale operation in northern Gaza, which is under siege, as they destroy residential buildings and carry out mass arrests, with families stuck there, according to Al Jazeera.
The Gaza Strip's Civil Defense has said that more than 400 people have died since the start of the Israeli army's offensive in the north of the territory on Oct. 6, targeting Hamas fighters it claims are rebuilding their forces there, reports AFP.
“We have found more than 400 dead in the various sectors targeted in the governorate of Northern Gaza, which includes the town of Jabalia and its refugee camp, the towns of Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun, since the start of the military operation,” Mahmoud Bassal, spokesperson for Gaza's civil defense, told AFP.
An update on the security situation in south Lebanon
Two people were killed, one in the town of Jibbayn and the other in Majdal Zoun, after air strikes against the two towns in the district of Sour, local residents reported.
An air strike hit the town of Zefta, in Saida, for the second time today.
A warplane hit Kfar Shuba in Hasbaya.
A second Israeli strike targeted Beirut's southern suburbs, following the evacuation notice issued by the Israeli army to residents of buildings in Haret Hreik.
An Israeli strike targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, according to local media.
Israeli fighter jets broke the sound barrier over Beirut and Mount Lebanon, causing two loud bangs, according to local media.
An update on the Hezbollah attacks against Israeli positions
Hezbollah said it targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers in the town of Avivim, facing Kfar Shuba (Hasbaya district), with a rocket barrage at 1:10 p.m.
The party said it targeted the Israeli city of Safad, “which is occupied with a rocket barrage at 12:50 p.m.”
The party targeted the Israeli Rosh Pinna town southeast of Safad with a rocket barrage at 1:00 p.m.
Hezbollah said it targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers at the Israeli Malikiyah site, located opposite the Lebanese village of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil), with a rocket barrage at 1:05 p.m.
An update on the security situation
Five people were killed, including Haidar Shahla, the head of the municipality of Sohmor in Western Bekaa, in the Israeli strike that targeted the Baaloul-Qaraoun road in the Bekaa. Our correspondent in the Bekaa reported that several others were also slightly injured.
Israel targeted the towns of Deir Qanoun (Sour district) and Toul (Nabatieh district), local residents reported.
Intense artillery shelling targeted the towns of Kfar Shuba, Kfar Hammam, and Shebaa (all located in the Hasbaya district), local residents reported.
An Israeli airstrike targeted the area between the towns of Baissariyeh and Sarafand (Saida district), local residents reported.
A series of Israeli airstrikes targeted Boudai, Ansar and the outskirts of Baalbeck, our correspondent in the Bekaa reported.
Arabic-speaking Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee has issued an evacuation notice to residents of certain buildings in Haret Hreik, a southern suburb of Beirut.
“You are in the vicinity of Hezbollah installations that the Israeli army will soon attack,” he warned. “For your safety and that of your family members, you must immediately evacuate these buildings and their surroundings and move at least 500 meters away,” he added.
Hezbollah announced in a press release that it had bombarded the Israeli town of Safed, some 30 kilometers from the Lebanese border, with a swarm of missiles at 12:50 p.m.
The death of Gaza Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, considered the architect of the Oct. 7 attack, opens “a new perspective” for a cease-fire in the Palestinian territory, said the head of European diplomacy, reports AFP.
“After the death of Yahya Sinwar, a new perspective has opened up and we must seize it to obtain a cease-fire and the release of the [Israeli] hostages still captive in Gaza, and work towards a political solution,” Josep Borrell told journalists at a meeting of G7 defense ministers in Naples (Italy).
“This should be an opportunity under which an agreement on a cease-fire and the release of the hostages could be achieved. And that would open the door to more humanitarian aid,” he added.
The head of European diplomacy suggested strengthening the mandate of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL), currently unable to stand between Hezbollah and Israel and which accuses the Israeli army of deliberately firing on its positions, reports AFP.
“They can't act autonomously, it's obviously a limited role. We could envisage extending this role, but that would require a decision by the UN Security Council,” Josep Borrell told reporters at a meeting of G7 defense ministers in Naples, Italy.
Israeli aircraft launched raids on the Ansar (Nabtieh) and Rashknaneh (Sour) regions in southern Lebanon.
One person in Israel was confirmed dead in Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on Haifa, earlier this morning, according to Al Jazeera.
Naval drills hosted by Iran with the participation of Russia and Oman and observed by nine other countries have begun in the Indian Ocean, according to Iran’s state TV.
The report said that the exercises, dubbed “IMEX 2024”, are aimed at boosting “collective security in the region, expand multilateral cooperation, and display the goodwill and capabilities to safeguard peace, friendship and maritime security.”
The Israeli army claimed that it found a weapons depot, tunnel openings and warehouses containing combat materials in a school in southern Lebanon.
In a message on X, the Israeli army's Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, stated that his forces had "discovered and destroyed a combat complex located in the area of a school in the heart of a Lebanese village where Hezbollah had positioned itself and set up terrorist infrastructures amid the civilian environment." He specified that "tunnels were discovered in this complex containing a stock of weapons, including RPG rockets, weapon parts and other combat equipment."
The spokesperson added that "the forces of the 7th Brigade continue to fight in southern Lebanon."
"To date, they have found and destroyed over 120 terrorist infrastructures, several tunnel openings, as well as more than 20 weapons caches. Additionally, the air force has bombarded dozens of terrorist infrastructures in the region," he concluded.
Here’s an update on the security situation:
*Israeli warplanes targeted Wadi al-Hujair on the outskirts of al-Qantara in Marjayoun district, local residents reported.
*Israel targeted the towns of Zallaya and Sohmor in the Western Bekaa district, local residents reported.
"Nothing will deter us. We will continue until victory," stated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shortly after the drone attack targeting his private residence in Caesarea, according to Haaretz.
Several airstrikes targeted the Gaza Strip this morning, including the Jabalia refugee camp, where three homes were struck following a bombardment that killed 33 people and left "dozens" injured overnight, according to Civil Defense, as reported by AFP.
The Israeli army stated it is "verifying" this information.
Witnesses reported heavy gunfire and artillery shelling on this camp, as well as strikes on the Boureij camp in the central area. According to doctors, Israeli forces bombarded the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia, in the north.
The Israeli army declared that it found a weapons depot and tunnel shafts in a school complex in southern Lebanon, according to Haaretz.
At least 42,519 people have been killed and 99,637 wounded in Israeli military attacks on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, the Gaza's Health Ministry says.
Of those, 19 Palestinians were killed and 91 wounded in the latest 24-hour reporting period, the ministry added.
An Israeli attack on a school in Shati camp housing displaced Palestinians has killed and wounded many people.
The Palestinian Civil Defence confirmed the attack and said it was on the UNRWA-affiliated Asmaa School.
Hezbollah declared that it targeted Israeli soldiers in the Israeli town of Bassa, across from Kfar Kila (Marjayoun), "with a significant volley of rockets."
The party also struck the Nashar military base, across from Maroun al-Ras (Bint Jbeil), with "a significant barrage of missiles."
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that "Israel's aggressive stance" is forcing Iran to "take legitimate measures" in response, according to AFP. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Netanyahu is constantly opening new fronts in the region," Fidan said during a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, in Istanbul, adding that "the risk of the war expanding to the entire region should not be underestimated."
Hezbollah announced that at 11:10 a.m., it bombarded the Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona with a swarm of missiles, as well as a gathering of Israeli soldiers at the Al-Marj base, located across from the Lebanese village of Markaba (Marjayoun district).
The party also claimed a missile strike on a gathering of soldiers at 12:10 p.m. in Zar'it, opposite Marwahin (Sour).
One person was slightly injured on Route 70 near the town of Shlomi in northern Israel following a rocket attack from Lebanon, police said, according to Haaretz. A residential building in the town was also damaged by the strike, the statement added.
Hezbollah announced that this morning at 2:45 a.m., they targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers in the Jall el Deir area, northeast of the town of Avivim (across from the Lebanese village of Maroun al Ras), with a swarm of missiles.
Hezbollah claimed to have bombarded the town of Krayot, north of Haifa, at 10:30 a.m. with "a significant volley of rockets."
It also targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers in the Shlomi settlement at 10:50 a.m. with "a significant volley of rockets."
Here's an update on the security situation in southern Lebanon:
*Israeli airstrikes targeted Kfar Roummane and Tayri (Nabatieh district), local residents reported. One person was slightly injured and another was moderately injured in the Kfar Roummane strike.
*Amal Movement announced the death of its member Hamza Fayyad born in 1967 from Majdal Zoun (Sour district) "while performing his national and jihadist duty defending Lebanon and the south."
Last night was particularly turbulent in southern Lebanon, according to our correspondent:
After 10:30 p.m., Israeli aircraft targeted an area east of the highway between Saida and Sour, near the Phoenicia University, as well as the outskirts of the town of Ansarieh (Saida district).
Around 11 p.m., aircraft targeted the town of Kfar Kila (Marjayoun), while artillery bombarded the towns of Kfar Shuba and Birket Naqar, on the Shebaa Heights (Hasbaya). Flares were also launched in the area.
Around midnight, raids targeted the towns of Khiam (Marjayoun) and Aitit (Sour). A three-story building was also targeted and completely destroyed in the town of Kharayeb (Saida), in the Haydar neighborhood.
Injured people were pulled from the rubble, including a father and his son, who sustained minor injuries. A third victim was still being searched for.
Last night was also marked by airstrikes on the town of Khiam (Marjayoun) around 1:30 a.m., and on the Jalil al-Bahar area at the northern entrance to Sour, around 2 a.m.
An Israeli drone targeted a jeep in Sahel Alma, on the western lane of the Jounieh highway, at around 9:15 this morning, the Civil Defense said in a statement.
“Rescue workers immediately went to the scene where the bodies of two victims (a man and a woman) were found in the forest near the site. The bodies were transported to the Bouar government hospital,” it added.
Here's an update on the security situation:
*Israeli warplanes targeted the town of al-Mashrafa (Hermel district) with multiple missiles, our correspondent in the Bekaa reported.
*An Israeli drone struck an apartment in Chtaura (Zahle district) in the Bekaa, specifically targeting an apartment in the Qattaya building on the third floor, local residents and a security source told L'Orient Today. This attack killed a man. His wife and son were injured and transported by the Civil Defense to Baalbek Hospital for treatment. The fire in the apartment was extinguished.
*Two Israeli airstrikes targeted the Lebanese-Syrian border north of Hermel, our correspondent in the Bekaa reported.
*Two airstrikes targeted the town of Khodor, east of Baalbek, our correspondent in the Bekaa reported.
The Arabic-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, announced that on Friday, the military eliminated Nasser Abdel Aziz Rachid, the deputy commander of Hezbollah's Bint Jbeil region.
"Air force planes eliminated yesterday (Friday) the terrorist Nasser Abdel Aziz Rachid, deputy commander of Hezbollah's Bint Jbeil region. The terrorist had encouraged and supervised terrorist operations from the Bint Jbeil area against Israeli citizens," he said on X.
According to Adraee, the Israeli army continues its "limited operations in southern Lebanon, where the 36th Division has located and destroyed numerous war assets, including a multiple rocket launcher and a Kornet rocket launcher that were ready to be fired toward northern communities, in addition to rockets and other combat equipment." He added, "The forces of the 188th Brigade also called in planes to strike a rocket launcher previously used to target forces. These attacks did not result in casualties."
Adraee further stated that, in the past few hours, "forces from the 98th Division have found and destroyed weapons caches during operations in southern Lebanon, including weapons, anti-tank missiles, and other military equipment."
The Lebanese army and Internal Security Forces are deployed at Sahel Alma, on the highway linking Jounieh to Beirut, where an Israeli drone strike targeting a vehicle has caused traffic jams.
According to our correspondent, the drone fired several rockets before killing the passengers as they got out of the car. Their identities have still not been identified.
The raid damaged the Abeille D'or patisserie, located on the freeway opposite the targeted vehicle.
A drone was launched towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's home in the northern Israel town of Caesarea on Saturday, his spokesman said, adding that the premier was not in the vicinity and there were no casualties.
Fady Fayad, a member of the Jounieh municipality, confirmed to L'Orient Today that two people were killed by a drone strike that targeted their car on the Jounieh highway in Kesrouan.
This is the first time since the start of the war that Jounieh has been targeted by Israeli strikes.
"It appears the two victims were coming from Jbeil to Jounieh at the time of the strike," said Fayad, estimating that there were three strikes during the incident.
"We urge citizens to remain vigilant and responsible, and to inform the municipality of any new operations regarding apartment rentals, to ensure the region's safety, as no area can be considered secure," he added.
According to the Ministry of Health, two people were killed in a raid on a car on the Jounieh highway this morning.
According to the Ministry of Health, two people were killed in a raid on a car on the Jounieh highway this morning.
The Israeli army targeted a car in Sahel Alma, on the highway between Jounieh and Beirut, a senior source in the Lebanese army confirmed to L'Orient-Le Jour.
According to our correspondent, an Israeli drone fired several shots at the vehicle, opposite the Abeille d'Or patisserie. The passengers managed to get out.
This morning, the Israeli army announced that a drone identified as coming from Lebanon had hit a "structure" in the coastal city of Caesarea, in central Israel.
The drone "hit a structure in the Caesarea area," the army said without providing details, adding that there were no injuries. Two other drones were intercepted, the army added.
According to the Qatari news agency Al-Araby, the target of the drone attack in central Israel was the home of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Caesarea.
According to Israeli radio, citing information from the al-Hadath channel, the target of the drone coming from Lebanon was the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Caesarea.
On Friday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made a visit to Beirut, where she met caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. She reaffirmed that Israeli attacks on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were unacceptable.
During what was reported to be a tour of areas in southern Lebanon occupied by Israeli troops, Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi claimed that Hezbollah had lost around "1,500 men so far," a statement also reported by Reuters.
The clashes between Hezbollah and Israel, which have escalated into open warfare since late September, were relatively less intense on Friday and more focused on southern Lebanon, where the Israeli army plans to mobilize more troops to continue the fight.
Good morning. Thank you for joining us for today's live coverage of the Gaza and Lebanon wars and their regional impacts.
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