Caretaker Minister of Energy and Water Walid Fayad announced that "the process of distributing diesel to accommodation centers for displaced persons in all Lebanese regions, launched last Thursday, will be extended and its pace accelerated from tomorrow, to reach at least 200,000 liters per day, or one million liters per week, in order to cover as many accommodation centers as possible in the shortest possible time."
He added that his ministry adjusts these deliveries "according to the approved plan and requests received from the Ministries of Social Affairs and Education, on the basis of which it determines which centers to supply with diesel." He also specified that "the quantity required for the first phase is 1.5 million liters, which will be distributed to all Lebanese regions within a week or ten days."
Within this framework, he plans to supply the Western Bekaa in particular, and has obtained a commitment from the distribution companies to increase deliveries from tomorrow morning, in order to distribute the 167,000 liters requested by the shelters in these regions within two or three days.
⚡ The Israeli army has issued an evacuation warning for Beirut's Bachoura neighborhood.
⚡ Around 45 minutes after an evacuation warning issued by the Israeli army's Arabic-language spokesperson on his X account, the Israeli army has bombed the southern suburbs of Beirut.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the announcement of a cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon, saying in a statement that he hopes this agreement will put an end to the violence, destruction and suffering experienced by the populations of both countries.
Guterres urged the parties to fully respect and swiftly implement all their commitments under the agreement and to take immediate steps towards the full implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701.
The statement also reiterated that both the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL) and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stand ready to support the implementation of this agreement, in accordance with their respective mandates.
The U.S. Middle East Command (CENTCOME) said in a statement on X that it had carried out a strike on a pro-Iranian group's weapons storage site "in response to an attack carried out by Iran against U.S. forces present in the country on Monday."
Quoted in the statement, the head of CENTCOM, General Erik Kurilla, said, "As we have previously indicated, we will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or those of our coalition partners (and) we will take all necessary steps to ensure their protection." CENTCOM added that it is currently assessing its attack, which has so far revealed no civilian casualties, and plans to update the information obtained.
Almost all access points to border crossings and authorized crossing points between northern Lebanon and Syria have been destroyed by a series of airstrikes carried out by the Israeli army, our correspondent in the north reports.
These bombardments took place this evening and targeted routes on both sides of the border. The northern Lebanese border crossings of Abboudieh - Daboussieh and Aarida, as well as the two bridges crossing the Nahr al-Kabir, were bombed as was a General Security center.
U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron said in a joint statement that Washington and Paris would work to ensure that the cease-fire agreement in Lebanon is "implemented in its entirety."
"The United States and France will work with Israel and Lebanon to ensure that this arrangement is implemented in its entirety and enforced," the two heads of state declared. "They remain determined to ensure that this conflict does not provoke a new cycle of violence."
The French president's personal representative for Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, will visit Lebanon tomorrow at Emmanuel Macron's request, to discuss resolving the political crisis.
⚡ The Israeli army has once again called for the evacuation of several buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs, ahead of anticipated airstrikes. Two of these buildings are located in Ghobeïri, a few meters from the headquarters of the Shiite Higher Council and the Bahman Hospital, and the third in Bourj al-Barajneh, opposite the Mojtaba secondary school and the Siraj gas station.
The cease-fire announced in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah is "very encouraging news, above all for the Lebanese and Israeli peoples affected by the fighting," said President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. "Lebanon will have the opportunity to strengthen its internal security and stability thanks to the reduced influence of Hezbollah."
Updates from our correspondent in the Bekaa:
• Israeli aircraft targeted Libbaya in the western Bekaa, killing several people and wounding several more.
• More injuries are reported from another strike near Beit Mchik, south-west of Boday.
• A third strike targeted Janta.
• A strike on Masaa al-Zahra killed a baby that was only 15 days old.
• An airstrike strike in Karm Shbat killed at least 11 people.
⚡ According to Al-Jadeed, another Israeli strike targeted the Noueiri neighborhood in central Beirut. This neighborhood has already been bombed at least twice today, without prior warning.
🔴 The Israeli government has approved the cease-fire decision by 10 votes to one, the one opposing vote belonging to far-right Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir, Israeli media reported, citing an official statement.
Biden: I welcome the courageous decision by the leaders of Lebanon and Israel to end the violence. It reminds us that peace is possible.
Biden: "Let me be clear: If Hezbollah or any other organization violates the agreement and poses a direct threat to Israel, Israel retains the right to self-defense in accordance with international law. This is the same principle that applies to any country facing a terrorist group advocating its destruction.
"At the same time, this agreement supports Lebanon’s sovereignty, marking a fresh start for the nation."
Biden: "The full normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel (...) remains possible, and during the remainder of my presidency, I will work tirelessly to advance this vision of an integrated, secure, and prosperous region, which will strengthen U.S. national security."
"If the agreement is fully implemented, it could pave the way for Lebanon to embark on a path toward a future of dignity. Just as the Lebanese people deserve a future of security and prosperity, so too do the people of Gaza deserve an end to the fighting. The people of Gaza have endured hell, their world shattered, with far too many civilians suffering unimaginable hardships."
Biden: "What remains of Hezbollah and other organizations will not be allowed. I want to emphasize that they will not be permitted to threaten Israel again. The terrorist infrastructure will be dismantled, and such structures will not be allowed to rebuild in Lebanon. Over the next 60 days, Israel will gradually withdraw its remaining forces from southern Lebanon, allowing civilians on both sides to return safely."
Biden: "We are determined that this conflict will not become just another cycle of violence. Therefore, the United States, with the full support of France and our other allies, is committed to working with Israel and Lebanon to ensure this agreement is fully implemented."
Biden: "There will be no U.S. troops deployed in southern Lebanon. This is consistent with my commitment to the American people not to send U.S. forces into combat in this conflict. We, along with France and others, will provide the necessary assistance to ensure this agreement is fully and effectively implemented."
Biden: "How many Hezbollah leaders have been killed, including its long-time leader Nasrallah? (...). But ultimately, the security of the peoples of Israel and Lebanon cannot be achieved solely on the battlefield. That is why I directed my team to work with the governments of Israel and Lebanon to forge a cease-fire and bring an end to the conflict.
Under the agreement reached today, which will take effect at 4 a.m. tomorrow, all fighting along the Israeli-Lebanese border will cease. This agreement aims to establish a permanent cessation of hostilities."
Biden: "Over the next 60 days, the Lebanese Army and state security forces will be deployed in southern Lebanon to regain control of their territory."
Biden: "Since the start of the war with Hezbollah, over 70,000 Israelis have been forced to live as refugees within their own country, helplessly witnessing their homes, businesses, and communities bombed and destroyed. More than 300,000 Lebanese have also been displaced within their own country due to a war imposed by Hezbollah. This conflict is the deadliest between Israel and Hezbollah in decades."
According to Lebanese authorities, nearly 1.5 million Lebanese have been displaced by the conflict, while the U.N. estimates the number at approximately 800,000 internally displaced persons.
The Arabic-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, issued a warning to residents near two buildings in a neighborhood in Sour, southern Lebanon. These two adjacent buildings are located southeast of the Mawaheb Creative Center, according to the map included with the message.
Biden: “Let's be clear: Israel did not start this war. Nor did the Lebanese people seek this war. Nor did the United States.”
🔴 Joe Biden has begun his address.
"Today, I have good news to share. I just spoke with the prime ministers of Israel and Lebanon, and I am pleased to announce that both governments have accepted the U.S. proposal to end the devastating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. I also want to thank President Macron of France for his partnership in helping reach this agreement."
Two senior Lebanese officials told Reuters that the United States has informed Lebanon that a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah will come into effect at 4 a.m. (local time) tomorrow morning, Wednesday (02:00 GMT).
For the second time today, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a rocket attack at 5:20 p.m. on the Shraga base, which it describes as the administrative headquarters of the Golani brigade command, north of Acre, the Israeli town north of Haifa Bay.
The Israeli army claimed, via a message posted on X by its Arabic-speaking spokesman Avichay Adraee, that the air force had “targeted areas linked to the administration and storage of Hezbollah funds,” notably in Beirut, Saïda, Sour and the Bekaa.
The strikes targeted “warehouses storing cash and branches of the al-Qard al-Hassan association.”
The three suspects accused of murdering an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi, Tzvi Kogan, in the United Arab Emirates, were arrested in Istanbul in a covert operation carried out over the weekend by Turkish intelligence and police, a Turkish security source said on Tuesday, quoted by Reuters.
The suspects, all Uzbek nationals, were extradited to the United Arab Emirates at the request of the Emirati government, the source added.
The office of caretaker Labor Minister Moustapha Bayram issued a statement denying reports that all Lebanese institutions and businesses would be closed tomorrow, calling such claims "false and even suspicious."
The office of caretaker Labor Minister Moustapha Bayram issued a statement denying reports that all Lebanese institutions and businesses would be closed tomorrow, calling such claims "false and even suspicious."
The office of caretaker Labor Minister Moustapha Bayram issued a statement denying reports that all Lebanese institutions and businesses would be closed tomorrow, calling such claims "false and even suspicious."
Speaking after a meeting of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc, MP Hassan Fadlallah criticized the fact that “the agreement presented to Lebanon is not the same as the one that was published.” However, he noted that Israel “was unable to impose its political terms” on the party.
“The Resistance will stand firm until the very last moments,” Fadlallah said, acknowledging that Israel is “capable of instilling fear in the hearts of civilians.” He added that despite its advanced technologies, the Israeli army “has not succeeded in halting Hezbollah’s operations south of the Litani River.”
He went on to say that “the day after the war, the residents of the South, the Bekaa, and Beirut’s southern suburbs will raise the banner of resistance and liberation.” However, he warned of “a dangerous and delicate night” ahead.
Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed 55 people on Monday and injured at least 160 others, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Health.
Thirty people were killed in the South Lebanon governorate, ten in the Nabatieh governorate, 12 in the Bekaa, two in the Baalbeck-Hermel and one in Mount Lebanon, which includes the southern suburbs of Beirut, the ministry announced.
⚡ Shortly before Netanyahu began his speech, Israeli jets launched an airstrike against the Ras Beirut neighborhood in Beirut's Hamra district, according to local media. Ten minutes ago the Israeli army bombed central Beirut again, targeting the Mar Elias neighborhood, close to the Shami bakery.
Netanyahu:
"We have managed to change the situation over the past year. We have fought on seven fronts. And we are changing the face of the Middle East."
"A good agreement is one that is implemented. And we are going to implement it."
Netanyahu:
"If Hezbollah arms itself, rebuilds infrastructure next to the border, if they build tunnels, we will attack."
"People say to me, well Hezbollah will lay low for a year or two then rearm itself ... but Hezbollah will reach a breach of the agreement even if they try to rearm themselves."
"Why a truce today? There are three reasons. Firstly, we need to focus on the Iranian threat. Secondly, we simply need to allow the troops to rest and we need to acquire new munitions to protect the soldiers. The third is the isolation of Hamas."
Netanyahu:
"At any given moment in this war, I have all my eyes on every front at the same time. This is what I did, when conditions were right, when I decided to attack Hezbollah. This is what I am doing today as well. I'm seeing all fronts simultaneously. I'm looking at all fronts at the same time. I'm looking at the big picture, and I want to give our soldiers everything they need to preserve their lives and achieve victory."
"This is why I'm bringing before the Cabinet a plan for a cease-fire with Lebanon."
Netanyahu is speaking to the press about the cease-fire agreement with Hezbollah:
"I am determined to do whatever it takes to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. That is the most important thing. Eliminating this threat [Iran's nuclear capabilities] is the main objective in order to guarantee the survival of the State of Israel."
"Hezbollah chose to attack us from Lebanon. But it's not the same Hezbollah anymore. We pushed Hezbollah decades back. We killed Nasrallah, the head of the snake, we've killed all of the leaders ... we've killed thousands of terrorists. We've attacked strategic targets throughout Lebanon. Lebanon is not the same."
"Only three months ago all of this would have sounded like science fiction, but it's not. We made it."
Analysis (3/3): According to informed sources interviewed by Mounir Rabih, the Lebanese government will not publicly discuss the terms of the agreement.
Even during the ministerial meeting scheduled for tomorrow morning, the details will not be presented to the ministers to avoid leaks. Lebanon's negotiating team continues to stress that the real challenge lies in the implementation and in ensuring that Israel fully respects the terms of the agreement.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati will therefore limit his actions tomorrow to:
• Announcing the cease-fire agreement and praising its conclusion.
• Thanking the Americans and the French for their efforts.
• Announcing the beginning of the Lebanese Army's deployment in southern Lebanon, alongside UNIFIL.
• Working towards strengthening security, stability, and reconstruction.
After the ministerial meeting, Army Commander Joseph Aoun will visit the Serail to be officially briefed on the political decision to reinforce and deploy troops in southern Lebanon.
Sources familiar with the discussions report that Hezbollah insists on not handing over its weapons to the Lebanese Army and not removing them publicly or in front of the media. The party has requested a delay to organize the necessary arrangements for the withdrawal of its weapons south of the Litani.
Analysis (2/3): Lebanon has emphasized fundamental points that oppose the Israeli proposals, Mounir Rabih reports:
• A categorical refusal to allow Israeli freedom of movement in Lebanon: in case of a violation, the monitoring committee would be notified, and the task of responding would be assigned to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the Lebanese Army.
• The withdrawal of Israeli forces should begin immediately after the cease-fire, followed by the deployment of the Lebanese Army.
• Once the Lebanese Army is deployed in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah should begin its withdrawal.
🔴 The Israeli government has approved a cease-fire with Lebanon, according to Israeli television reports cited by Reuters.
Analysis (1/3): According to information obtained by Mounir Rabih, one of the reasons Lebanon is concerned about the post-cease-fire period is the leak of three key points by the Israelis that could derail the agreement:
• Their insistence on obtaining the permission to act freely within Lebanese territory in case of a violation of the agreement, with a U.S. guarantee on this matter.
• Their demand for Hezbollah's withdrawal to begin within the first days of the cease-fire, before the Israeli occupation forces begin their withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
• Their insistence that Hezbollah publicly hand over its weapons to the Lebanese Army under the supervision of a monitoring commission led by an American general.
In the last hour, rocket sirens have gone off four times in three different areas in northern Israel, Haaretz reports. The Israeli army also announced having intercepted "several" drones that had entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon.
⚡ A third strike has targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, the state-run National News Agency reports. The Israeli army bombed Haret Hreik, which did not receive an evacuation warning this evening.
Italy said there were "many doubts" about an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying it was not feasible to arrest him as long as he remained in charge of the government, Reuters reports.
Italy, which currently chairs the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies, hosted a foreign ministers meeting which issued a final statement that stopped short of directly mentioning the ICC warrants for the Israeli and Hamas leaders.
"Netanyahu would never go to a country where he can be arrested," Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, told a news conference at the end of the two-day meeting Italy hosted in the spa town of Fiuggi. "The arrest of Netanyahu is unfeasible, at least as long as he is prime minister," he said.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the U.S. is “in the final stages of securing a cease-fire agreement” between Israel and Lebanon, Haaretz reports.
Blinken spoke at a press conference concluding a G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Italy. “We're not there yet, but I believe we're in the final stages,” he added.
The secratary added that the agreement could be “a big difference” in “creating the conditions that will allow people to safely return to their homes.” He added that “by deescalating tensions in the region, it can also help us to end the conflict in Gaza.”
“Hamas will know it can't count on other fronts opening up in the war. We're tracking this very closely, and I hope and believe we can get this over the finish line.”
⚡Two strikes have hit the southern suburbs of Beirut in the last 10 minutes. The first strike targeted Jnah and a second, also in the southern suburbs according to al-Jadeed, was especially powerful, but the exact location of the strike is not yet known.
⚡ Minister of Education Abbas Halabi has announced the closure tomorrow (Wednesday, Nov. 27) of all public and private schools, vocational and technical establishments and private higher education institutions throughout Lebanon, to guarantee the safety of pupils, educational staff and parents, given the escalating Israeli aggression against the country.
An update from our correspondents in southern and eastern Lebanon:
• In the Bekaa, the Israeli army bombed the towns of Bouday, Chmistar, Khodor, a house in Rasem al-Hadath and another house in Hosh al-Ghanem
• In the district of Hermel, several people were killed in an airstrike on an area known as al-Makhzan. Ambulances have been dispatched to the site.
• Israel attacked Wehbe Street in Baalbeck. Four bodies were retrieved from the site of the strike with efforts ongoing to locate additional victims.
• East of Baalbeck, an Israel airstrike hit the area of Hortaala.
• In Nabatieh district, in southern Lebanon, Israel bombed an area between Choukine and Mfeidoun.
• In Sour district, an airstrike targeted a car in the town of Aitit
The death toll from the Israeli strike against the Barbour neighborhood, which is in Mazraa, in central Beirut, has risen to three, with 10 others injured, according to the most recent statement from the Public Health Emergency Operations Center of the Health Ministry. The statement added that human remains were retrieved from the site, which will need to be identified using DNA testing.
Videos circulating online of the strike show fires burning on several floors of an apartment building.
🔴 At least one person has been killed and six others injured in the Israeli airstrike in the Barbour area, which is in the central Beirut neighborhood of Mazraa, according to an initial casualty count from the Ministry of Health.
⚡ Hezbollah MP Amine Cherri has told Reuters that "no Hezbollah infrastructure is located in the areas hit by Israel in Beirut," the agency reported.
An Israeli airstrike targeted a house in the al-Makhzan area on the Akkar-Hermel road in Beit Jaafar. The house, owned by Mohammad Hassan Jaafar, was home to two families comprising 14 people, our correspondent in the north reported.
One casualty, identified as Mehdi Jaafar, was transported to Our Lady of Peace Hospital, along with other injured individuals.
Eleven people remain trapped under the rubble of the completely collapsed building, as rescue operations continue in search of survivors.
According to the National News Agency, the Israeli army has also attacked the central Beirut neighborhood of Noueiri, not listed in evacuation warnings, for a second time today.
People in Hamra are seeking shelter at the American University Hospital amid Israeli evacuation orders and strikes against central Beirut. (Photo sent by local residents to L'Orient Today)
🔴 Airstrikes have begun against the central Beirut neighborhoods threatened with evacuation warnings less than 45 minutes ago, according to reports from the state-run National News Agency (NNA). The first strikes have targeted the Barbour area of Mazraa, NNA reports, while other outlets are reporting strikes against Mar Elias.
OSINT researcher Ahmad Baydoun geolocated each of the buildings marked by the Israeli army for the four neighborhoods in Beirut that it says will soon be attacked. Streets are blocked with traffic as residents scramble to flee, despite no safe route being indicated by the Israeli army. In recent days, the Israeli army has often bombed marked buildings around an hour after the evacuation orders were published.
In Saida, urgent calls were made urging citizens to avoid Riyad al-Solh Street entirely, effective immediately, to protect their lives and the safety of their families, our correspondent in the South reports.
Warning shots were fired into the air to keep people away from neighborhoods near the street, following threats made by the Israeli enemy targeting a specific building on Riyad al-Solh Street.
🔴 The Israeli army has issued two more evacuation warnings, this time for the southern suburbs of Beirut, telling the residents of two buildings, one in Ghobeiri and the other in Hadath, to leave immediately.
🔴 The Israeli army has issued — for the first time — evacuation orders for neighborhoods in Beirut proper. Residents of four buildings located in Ras Beirut, Mazraa, Msaytbeh and Zokak al-Blat have been told to evacuate immediately. No safe route has been provided and the warnings were only issued on the army's Arabic-speaking spokesperson's X account.
The building marked in the evacuation warning for Ras Beirut is 350 meters from the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC).
The Israeli army has issued an evacuation warning to the residents of two buildings, one in Sour and the other in Saida, telling them to leave immediately.
In a post on X, the Israeli army's Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, said that the residents of these buildings marked on accompanying maps "are close to Hezbollah installations and interests, against which [the Israeli army] plans to operate soon."
The first building is adjacent to the BLC Bank in Sour, while the second is near Bank Audi and a school in Saida. According to our correspondent in the South, the building in Saïda houses the offices of Qard al-Hassan.
Following the attack against Qard al-Hassan branches on Oct. 10, Amnesty International released a report condemning the attacks as possible violations of international humanitarian law insofar as "branches of financial institutions are civilian objects unless they are being used for military purposes. Therefore, these attacks likely constitute a direct attack on civilian objects."
According to the report, "Qard al-Hassan, operating under a license granted by the Lebanese government, is currently Lebanon’s biggest microcredit provider. It is used by many Lebanese civilians, predominantly Shiites, to access small, interest-free loans. Many Lebanese people from various sects have increasingly relied on Qard al-Hassan for loans to pay for education, health care and small businesses, particularly since the collapse of Lebanon’s banking sector in 2019. It has been under U.S. sanctions since 2007."
Hezbollah will remain active after its war with Israel ends, including by helping displaced Lebanese return to their villages and rebuilding areas destroyed by Israeli strikes, senior Hezbollah official and member of parliament Hassan Fadlallah said.
Fadlallah told Reuters that Lebanon was facing "dangerous, sensitive hours" before the anticipated announcement of a cease-fire, given the Israeli air force's intensified strikes this afternoon on Beirut and its southern suburbs.
An update from our correspondents in southern and eastern Lebanon:
• In Saida district, Israel targeted Ghazieh.
• In the Bekaa, airstrikes hit Tamnin, Sarin, Hellanieh, and Hermel.
• Also in the Bekaa, Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes targeting two houses in the town of Sohmor, destroying them. The damage was material, with no casualties reported.
• Israel targeted several neighborhoods in the city of Baalbek, including the Lakkis Street area, and al-Asira.
• Two Syrian nationals were killed in the airstrike reported earlier on Saliba Farm in Baalbeck.
⚡ Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army’s Arabic spokesperson, wrote in a post on X that the Israeli army will, “in the near future, ... target several branches of Qard al-Hassan Association [a charity and financial organization that acts as Hezbollah's own banking system and microfinance company] as these branches contain funds from Iranian financing and other income sources for Hezbollah."
The Israeli army targeted several Qard al-Hassan branches on Oct. 20, including 10 branches of the estimated 30 that exist in the southern suburbs.
“To the people of Lebanon, in the coming hours, we will notify the residents of buildings used by Hezbollah to evacuate them for your safety, according to maps that will be published,” Adraee wrote.
The evacuation warnings issued by Israel have been criticized by various rights organizations and research groups as inadequate and ineffective. They are only posted on X, do not specify safe routes and often leave less than an hour for residents to flee.
An injured child being transported to a hospital on a motorcycle after the Israeli strike on Rashidieh Palestinian camp in Sour. (Photo sent by local residents to L'Orient Today)
⚡ The death toll from the Israeli strike on central Beirut's Noueiri neighborhood has risen to seven, according to a source from the Civil Defense.
🔴 According to reports from Al-Jadeed, a joint U.S.-French statement will be published at 10 p.m. Beirut time announcing that a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Lebanon has been reached.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati is also expected to make a statement at that time, welcoming the agreement, Al-Jadeed reports.
An update from our correspondent in the South:
• In Saida district, an airstrike targeted the Tebna area close to Bassarieh
🔴 Several Israeli airstrikes targeted the Palestinian Rashidiah refugee camp south of the city of Sour, killing three people. This is the first time the camp has been attacked.
• Also in Sour district, a series of airstrikes targeted Naqoura, as well as the outskirts of Bir al-Rihal, the outskirts of Arzay, and the Nahr al-Qasimieh area. A heavy airstrike targeted the town of Deir Qanoun Ras al-Ain
• In Bint Jbeil district, Israeli warplanes launched two airstrikes targeting the town of Kounin
⚡ The strike on Beirut's Noueiri neighborhood killed at least three people and injured 26 more, according to the latest toll from the Ministry of Health. “Rescue and clearance operations are still underway,” the ministry's statement says.
A source from Civil Defense also confirmed that the bodies of five people, including a child, have so far been pulled from the rubble of the targeted two-story building.
🔴 The strike on Nouieri, Beirut, killed at least three people and injured 20, according to an initial report from the Health Ministry's Public Health Emergency Operations Center.
“Rescue and debris removal operations are still ongoing,” the report states.
On X, the Israeli army announced a large-scale attack on Hezbollah infrastructures in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
According to Israeli media, this information was also relayed by Lebanese media, who reported that the army had referred to a “final” offensive. However, this term does not appear in the message published by the Israeli army radio.
A shopkeeper located near the building hit this afternoon by the Israeli army in Beirut's Noueir district, tells L'Orient-Le Jour: “It's an old two-story building, facing the Khatem al-Anbiya' mosque. I didn't see anything, I'm located behind the area, but a man came into my store and told me that he had moved some children away from the scene of the strike.”
A cease-fire in Lebanon is “within reach,” said Germany's Foreign Minister on Tuesday, as Israel's security cabinet is due to meet to discuss a truce agreement.
“A cease-fire and steps towards a political solution in line with U.N. Resolution 1701 are within reach, thanks to the direct mediation of the United States and France,” said Annalena Baerbock on the sidelines of a G7 meeting in Italy.
In the Bekaa, an Israeli attack targeted the towns of Ansar, Yammouneh, Boudai and Hfeir, reports our correspondent.
(Credit: Mohammed Yassin/L'Orient Today)
Israel targeting the southern suburbs of Beirut after evacuation orders for 20 buildings.
🔴 First series of strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs. Around five detonations were heard and observed by residents.
A series of Israeli air strikes targeted the town of Baalbeck, reported our correspondent in the region.
Update on the security situation in southern Lebanon
- Israel targeted Kfar Shuba (Hasbaya) and the outskirts of Naqoura (Sour), according to residents.
- Israel targeted a house it had previously targeted in Kfar Melki (Saida), according to residents.
At 4:20 p.m., Hezbollah targeted a gathering of Israeli forces at Manara, opposite Markaba (Marjayoun), for the second time today, with a barrage of rockets.
In a thread of six tweets, Adraee pointed out 20 buildings, in red, on maps in the following areas:
- One building is adjacent to Bayan High School, another is in a neighborhood near the school, another faces the Lily Shwayri university training center.
- One of the buildings is close to the al-Mustafa school, two are close to the Imam Qassem mosque, and the fourth marked building is close to the Lycee De La Finesse school.
- In another post a building near the Hajj company for food products, a building in the same neighborhood as the Qassem mosque, a third building the street parallel to the mosque was also marked, and a fourth near the Lycee De La Finesse. A building two blocks from Bahman Hospital was marked, another near Imam Sajjad Mosque, another four blocks from Sayeda Zeinab Mosque, and another two blocks from Saint Joseph Church was also marked.
- In Ghobeiri, a building between the Dihab station and the Servants of al-Zahraa organization was marked, another near the Chiyah SDC center, another two streets from the Hawraa pharmacy. In the sixth and final message, Adraee indicated a building marked five streets from the Imam Hussein mosque in Ghobeiri and another building one street from Sunsight optics.
🔴 In the latest in a series of warnings to residents of Beirut's southern suburbs, Israeli army spokesperson Avichai Adraee added that several buildings in the Ghobeiri neighborhood were now also being targeted.
The total is three buildings in Hadath, 10 in Haret Hreik, two in Burj al-Barajneh and five in Ghobeiri.
The Israeli army's Arabic-speaking spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, has issued an evacuation notice to residents of the southern Lebanese border town of Naqoura (Sour), calling on them to “move north of the Awali River,” located at the northern entrance to Saida.
He added that the Israeli army would “soon take action against Hezbollah installations in the region,” where intense fighting has been taking place in the coastal area between Israeli soldiers and party fighters in recent days.
According to reports from the field, the strike on Beirut took place between the neighborhoods of Noueiri and Basta al-Fawqa, near the Khatem al-Anbiya' mosque.
According to reports from the field, the strike on Beirut took place between the neighborhoods of Noueiri and Basta al-Fawqa.
🔴 The Israeli army's Arabic-speaking spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, has issued a new series of warnings in anticipation of Israeli bombings in Beirut's southern suburbs: The neighborhoods of Hadath, Burj al-Barajneh and Haret Hreik.
🔴 At the same time, a loud bang was heard in Beirut. According to residents, Israel bombed the Noueiri neighborhood.
- Hezbollah announced that at 7:20 a.m. it had carried out “an air attack using a squadron of kamikaze drones on the Habushet site, the headquarters of a company belonging to the Hermon 810 Brigade, located on the summit of Mount Hermon in the occupied Syrian Golan. The attack hit its targets with precision.”
- At 11:30 p.m. on Monday evening, the group also targeted “for the first time, an infantry forces training camp in Shafit Ziyon, south of Nahariya, with a volley of advanced rockets.” The strike left at least two people injured, according to Israeli media reports.
Jordanian military aircraft dropped aid in the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday for the first time in five months, to alleviate the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the enclave, an official source told Reuters.
Two Jordanian Air Force C-130 aircraft dropped nearly seven tons of food and basic necessities in areas identified by U.N. agencies as being hardest hit by famine and humanitarian needs, according to the same source.
⚡ According to LBCI news, outgoing Prime Minister Najib Mikati will this evening announce his government's position on the cease-fire agreement, which will be discussed tomorrow by the Cabinet at its meeting scheduled for 9:30 a.m. at the Grand Serail.
Israel's far-right Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has argued that Israel should “conquer” the Gaza Strip and halve the local Palestinian population through “voluntary emigration.”
Speaking on Monday evening at a symposium organized by the Yesha Council, an organization representing settlers in the occupied West Bank, Smotrich declared that “we can and must conquer the Gaza Strip, we must not be afraid of this word.”
“There is no doubt that in Gaza, with the encouragement of voluntary emigration, there is here, in my opinion, a unique opportunity that is opening up with the new [Trump] administration. We can create a situation in which, within two years, the population of Gaza will be reduced by half,” he said.
The Israeli army announced in a statement that its air force had recently attacked six Hezbollah targets in the southern suburbs of Beirut, including “military buildings used by a coastal missile unit, military command centers and infrastructure,” for a total of around “30 targets in total in the Beirut suburbs since the beginning of the week.”
An update on the security situation in southern Lebanon
- An Israeli air strike hit the area between the towns of Bsaliya and Kfar Melki (both in Saida), residents reported.
- Israel targeted Bazourieh (Sour) and Arnaoun (Nabatieh), according to other witnesses.
Update on Hezbollah attacks on Israeli positions
- Hezbollah announced that it had fired a salvo of rockets at a gathering of Israeli forces in Manara, opposite Markaba (Marjayoun), at 11:30 a.m.
- The party also claimed to have targeted a gathering of Israeli forces in Avivim, opposite Marwahine (Sour), with a salvo of rockets at 11:30 a.m.
- Lastly, Hezbollah declared that it had “launched a squadron of kamikaze drones on the Ma'ale Golani barracks, headquarters of the Hermon 810 brigade, opposite Shebaa in Hasbaya, and said that its attack had hit its target.
Israel's Defense Minister, Israel Katz, said on Tuesday that his country would act “forcefully” in the event of a violation of the cease-fire agreement in Lebanon, announced as “close” by the United States.
“If you don't act, we will, and with force,” said Katz, quoted in a statement from his ministry, during a meeting in Tel Aviv with the U.N.'s special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert.
⚡ Israel's security cabinet is due to meet “this afternoon” to discuss the cease-fire agreement in Lebanon, where Israel is at war with Hezbollah, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel said on Tuesday.
“The [security] cabinet will meet this afternoon to discuss the agreement,” Haskel told a news conference in Jerusalem, declining to go into details of the text "given the sensitivity of the issue."
Security situation update
- Three people were injured in the strike reported earlier on Srifa (Sour), our correspondent in the south reported.
- Israeli air strikes targeted a mechanic's garage and a tire repair shop on the outskirts of the western Bekaa locality of Ai al-Tineh, our correspondent in the Bekaa reported.
- Israeli aircraft carried out four air strikes on the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil.
- Security sources reported a withdrawal of Israeli military vehicles from the towns of Shamaa and Tayr Harfa towards Alma Shaab (all in the Sour region).
- Israeli aircraft launched two air strikes targeting the towns of Zibqin and Majdal Zoun (Sour), according to residents.
- Israel targeted Hosh (Sour), according to residents.
⚡ The Israeli army claimed to have reached the Litani River, more than 30 km from the border, its biggest advance since the start of the war, according to Haaretz.
The Israeli army recently redeployed its forces from the west of Deir Mimas (Marjayoun), where they had been stationed, to an area overlooking the Litani valley to the east of the village.
In its first statement of the day, Hezbollah said it had targeted Kiryat Shmona, opposite Houla (Marjayoun), at 10:15 a.m. “with a salvo of advanced rockets.”
Hezbollah targeted an Israeli Merkava tank with a guided missile from inside the town of Khiam (Marjayoun) at 11:45 a.m., near the municipal center. The party said that “the attack resulted in the destruction of the tank and its crew members were killed or wounded.”
An Israeli air strike targeted Aita al-Shaab, in Bint Jbeil, which was then pounded by artillery fire, residents reported.
⚡ The Israeli army claimed to have killed Ahmed Sobhi Hazima, a Hezbollah commander responsible for operations on the coast, in a strike in Sour, according to a message posted on X by Arabic-speaking spokesperson Avichai Adraee.
According to him, Ahmed Sobhi Hazima “oversaw numerous terrorist plots, including plans to storm the border and launch anti-tank shells at Israeli towns from the western sector prior to Operation Northern Arrows.”
"He had replaced the previous commander eliminated in another strike on Nov. 17, 2024,” he adds. Hazima assumed his position as successor to the previous commander, assassinated in the same operation.
An update on the security situation in southern Lebanon
- Israel has targeted Srifa and Zibqin (both in Sour), according to residents.
- Israel has also targeted an area between Zifta and Marwanieh (Saida), according to local residents.
A civilian inquiry into the Oct. 7, 2023 attack perpetrated by Hamas and the state's response has concluded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was responsible for undermining decision-making bodies, including the Security Cabinet and the National Security Council, by preventing any serious discussion of security issues, Israeli media including Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post report.
The head of the Israeli government, who has been under an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for the past week, is, according to the investigators, largely responsible for the concept of “silence for cash,” which was aimed at rewarding Hamas for maintaining calm in Gaza, and silencing voices critical of this approach. The investigation also determined that Netanyahu bears significant responsibility for the “gulf that has widened between Israelis and affected the resilience of Israeli society.”
⚡ At least 44,249 people have been killed and 104,746 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, says the enclave's Health Ministry.
Of these, 14 Palestinians were killed and 108 wounded in the last 24-hour period, the ministry adds.
In a statement, Gaza's Health Ministry tallied the total number of Palestinian families who have lost several members to Israeli attacks in Gaza. According to this count,
1,410 families were killed.
3,463 families have only one survivor.
2,287 families have lost members, but have several survivors.
In all, 7,160 families lost at least one member, including 1,281 families who lost at least five members, according to the Ministry.
⚡Israel demands effective U.N. enforcement of any cease-fire agreement with Lebanon and will show “zero tolerance” for any violations, Defense Minister Israel Katz said, quoted by Reuters.
“Any house rebuilt in southern Lebanon and used as a terrorist base will be destroyed, any terrorist weaponry and regrouping will be struck, any attempt to smuggle weapons will be thwarted and any threat against our forces or Israeli citizens will be immediately destroyed,” Katz told U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert.
A portrait of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah stands amid the ruins in Beirut's southern suburbs. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient-Le Jour)
To support or disapprove of Hezbollah? Is it okay to say what one thinks?
The divergent opinions and attitudes surfacing today reflect the complexity of the relationship between the Lebanese and the Shiite party, which is in turn a “resistance” movement, a political party, a social organization or a regional army.
The Lebanese Red Cross has found the body of 84-year-old civilian Yousef Abdallah under the rubble of his house in Jdeidet Marjayoun, which was targeted by a heavy Israeli air strike last night, according to our correspondent in the South.
“I hope we'll get a cease-fire by tonight,” outgoing Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib told Reuters.
He also stressed that “Lebanon will send 5,000 troops to southern Lebanon as part of the truce agreement,” noting that the U.S. could play a role in rebuilding infrastructure in the south.
A projectile hit a building in the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona, opposite Houla (Marjayoun), damaging it, according to the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority.
Firefighters responded to the site of the attack, which occurred shortly after rocket sirens went off in and around the town.
No casualties were reported.
(Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient-Le Jour)
Simultaneous Israeli strikes targeting Beirut's southern suburbs.
A series of simultaneous strikes continued to target the southern suburbs of Beirut. According to Al-Jadeed, at least five bombardments targeted Burj al-Barajneh and Tahwitat al-Ghadir in the space of a few minutes.
A second Israeli strike targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut. Smoke billows over the area.
According to local media, the strike targeted Burj al-Barajneh, which the Israeli army had called for evacuation.
🔴 A first strike targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, less than an hour after the evacuation notice issued by the Israeli army.
Displaced people in shelters in Fakeha, north of Baalbeck, have issued urgent appeals for heating fuel due to low temperatures that reached around 3 degrees overnight, according to our correspondent in the Bekaa.
The Israeli army targeted Toul (Nabatieh), residents told our correspondent.
The Amal movement mourned the death of two of its members. Bassel Dbouk, born in Khirbet Selm (Bint Jbeil) in 1996, died “defending Lebanon and the South,” the party announced, noting that another member, Ali Kdouh, was killed in Nabatieh, without giving further details.
The Gaza Strip's Civil Defense announced on Tuesday morning that 11 people had been killed in night-time Israeli strikes and shootings in several parts of the Palestinian enclave.
In the far north, seven people died and several others were wounded in an air strike on a residential house in Jabalia, Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal told AFP. Another died in an air strike on a house in Beit Lahia, he added.
In central Gaza, two people died after artillery fire hit the Nousseirat camp. In Rafah, in the south of the territory, an air strike also left one person dead and several injured, according to Bassal.
More than 44,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, the majority of them civilians, according to data from Gaza's Health Ministry.
⚡ The Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ministry has instructed Lebanon's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York to submit a new complaint to the U.N. Security Council in response to Israel's continued and deliberate targeting of the Lebanese Army since the start of its aggression against Lebanon on Oct. 8, 2023, according to an official statement.
The complaint details the serious attacks against the army, its posts and its vehicles recorded from Nov. 17 to 24, 2024 in several villages in South Lebanon, which resulted in the death of 10 soldiers and the injury of 35 others, some of whom are still in critical condition.
🔴 Two of the three buildings in the second series of strikes, in Burj al-Barajneh, are located between the cemetery to the north of the elementary school for girls mentioned in the first warning.
The third, in Tahwitat al-Ghadir, is south of the Collège de la Charité.
🔴 The Israeli army has issued a second notice concerning three other buildings in the same two neighborhoods in Beirut's southern suburbs.
🔴 The Israeli army has issued a second notice concerning three other buildings in the same two neighborhoods in Beirut's southern suburbs.
🔴 Three buildings are targeted in the first notice
In Burj al-Barajneh, between the Cherri supermarket and the Ekkawi pastry shop.
Also in Burj al-Barajneh, between the Cherri supermarket and the “Official Secondary School for Girls.”
In Tahwitat al-Ghadir, just west of Burj al-Barajneh high school.
🔴 The Israeli army's Arabic-speaking spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, has issued a series of warnings in anticipation of Israeli bombings in Beirut's southern suburbs. The neighborhoods of Burj al-Barajneh and Tahwitat al-Ghadir, very close to Beirut's international airport, are targeted.
Update on southern Lebanon, according to our correspondent
- Sounds of clashes, including machine-gun fire and grenades, can be heard from the neighborhoods of the town of Khiam, which the Israeli army has been trying to capture for almost two weeks.
- The Israeli air force targeted the locality of Deir Antar, in Bint Jbeil.
- Other air strikes targeted Kfour, Doueir and Arnoun (Nabatieh), then Maashouq (east of the city of Sour).
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for three strikes carried out at dawn on Monday using kamikaze drones. The first targeted soldiers on the southeastern outskirts of Deir Mimas, while the second and third respectively targeted military vehicles south of Khiam and south of Ibl al-Saqi, in Marjayoun.
On Monday, the party claims to have launched a missile at midday at Israeli soldiers in the south of Khiam (Marjayoun). It then carried out three strikes at 3 p.m., all using kamikaze drones, against an artillery battery and military vehicles in Yarin (Sour), Israeli soldiers in Hadabat al Ejel, north of the Israeli town of Kfar Youval, and army dormitories in the Israeli town of Kabri.
The White House said on Monday that U.S. Middle East envoy Brett McGurk would travel to Saudi Arabia today to discuss the possibility of using a possible cease-fire in Lebanon to reach a similar agreement to end hostilities in Gaza, according to information relayed by several media outlets.
Several Israeli attacks took place in southern Lebanon on Monday evening, according to our correspondent
- Israeli fighter jets hit an area between Toul and Harouf, as well as the outskirts of Ansar (Nabatieh).
- Hahn artillery strikes on a cow farm run by a Syrian family on the outskirts of Rashaya Fawqar, as well as on the outskirts of Mari and Shebaa (Hasbaya).
- Violent strike on Khiam (Marjayoun) with artillery fire and cluster bombs.
- Strike on the town of Nabatieh which hit the Sabbagh residential complex in Makassed street, killing three people, including 91-year-old Abou Hussein Kaddouh, the region's oldest stockbreeder, who was killed in his home after refusing to leave the premises.
- A house in Jdeidet Marjayoun (Marjayoun) was hit, injuring several people.
The head of the Metula Regional Council, David Azoulay, criticized the cease-fire agreement Israel is negotiating with Lebanon on Israel's Channel 13, calling on displaced people in northern Israel not to return home if it is concluded.
“Don't give in to terrorism. Do not conclude this shameful agreement. It's a sad arrangement, an agreement for the surrender of Israeli forces,” he warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pointing out that "70 percent of the houses in Metula have been destroyed.’
National Unity Party leader Benny Gantz has spoken out against the deal taking shape with Hezbollah in Lebanon, believing that “the withdrawal of forces now and the dynamic that will be created will make things harder for us and easier for Hezbollah to reorganize,” he wrote in a message posted on X.
“We must not do things by halves, we must not miss the opportunity to reach a solid agreement that will fundamentally change the situation in the north."
The situation in southern Lebanon this morning, according to our correspondent Mountasser Abdallah
- Strikes were carried out at dawn on Qleileh, Majdal Zoun, Bazourieh, and between Burj al-Shemali and Hawsh (Sour).
- This morning, Israeli aircraft carried out five strikes on Hanine, two on Bint Jbeil, two on Tiri, two in Ainata, one in Kounin, three between Tiri and Rashaf (Bint Jbeil) as well as two strikes on Kfar Roummane (Nabatieh) which caused three light injuries.
Israel's Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, once again called the cease-fire agreement being negotiated with Hezbollah “a historic mistake,” in an interview with Radio Kan relayed by the Israeli media.
“We have a historic opportunity to act decisively in the south and the north. It will be a missed historic opportunity if we stop everything and go back,” he said, reiterating a message already emphasized the previous day.
He also indicated that he had asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for clarification on the potential agreement, while acknowledging that “his objections” might not be taken into account.
Ben-Gvir also reacted to reports that four employees of his ministry had been questioned by police on Monday, on suspicion of illegally distributing gun permits. The affair, revealed by Haaretz, comes as Benjamin Netanyahu's government recently suspended its funding to the daily.
“There is no shadow of an indictment concerning the distribution of weapons,” said the minister, denouncing an attempt to "damage" his reputation by seeking incriminating evidence.
The head of the Shlomi regional council, Gabi Ne'eman, said in a letter to residents that he believed the purpose of the agreement with Lebanon was to “buy time and assess the situation on the ground” for two months, according to Haaretz.
After which “the American government will change, and the situation will change significantly,” he wrote.
Ne'eman informed residents that the Council of Shlomi, in Upper Galilee, “opposes any arrangement that does not include the essential conditions” for residents of northern Israel to return home. According to him, these include a “demilitarized buffer zone of several kilometers separating Israel and Lebanon,” “a massive army presence to the north of the communities adjacent to the border,” as well as the approval of a “specific security plan for each community adjacent to the border.”
While Israeli strikes continue to claim casualties in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa, and destroying buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs, the Israeli ground offensive still appears to be facing opposition from Hezbollah, particularly south of Sour.
➡️ Read more about developments on the ground on Monday here.
According to Magen David Adom, the Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross, two people were injured in an attack attributed to Hezbollah on Monday night in the coastal town of Nahariya, some 13 km south of Naqoura (Sour), reports Haaretz.
The daily reports that a 70-year-old woman was seriously wounded by shrapnel in the rocket attack in northern Israel. An octogenarian was slightly injured, while several people are in a state of shock.
The attack has not yet been claimed by Hezbollah.
The possibility of a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah remains uncertain, despite the many encouraging signals relayed in the Israeli and Lebanese media since Sunday evening.
➡️ Mounir Rabih gives you all you need to know on Monday evening.
Good morning ☀️ Thank you for joining our live coverage of the Gaza and Lebanon wars and their regional and global implications.
To catch up on yesterday's key events and find out what to expect today, be sure to read the Morning Brief. 👈
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