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Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem during his speech on Nov. 29, 2024. (Screenshot from Al-Manar)

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Naim Qassem says cease-fire with Israel 'a great victory that surpasses that of July 2006': Day 420 of the Gaza war

What you need to know

- The Israeli army is attempting to advance into Khiam and claims to be ready to enforce the cease-fire “aggressively.”

- Several airlines plan to resume service to Beirut.

- Macron calls for the “immediate” cessation of all “actions that contravene” the implementation of the cease-fire.


21:36 Beirut Time

According to our correspondent in southern Lebanon, Israeli aircraft are flying over the region, in particular over Iqlim al-Touffah (Nabatieh district) and drones are flying over Sour. 

19:22 Beirut Time

Concluding his speech, Naim Qassem addressed several points regarding the reconstruction of areas bombed by Israel, the future of Lebanon’s institutions, and Hezbollah’s cooperation with the army moving forward.


On reconstruction:

"We will continue to support our people through the reconstruction process, focusing at this stage on building decent housing. We hope to see Lebanon more beautiful than before."


On the presidential election:

"We will ensure the completion of constitutional institutions, starting with the election of the president of the republic on Dec. 9."


On national consensus:

"The nation belongs to all its children, and we are willing to work with anyone who seeks to build an independent Lebanon within the framework of Taif." He also criticized those who believed Hezbollah would emerge weakened by this war.


On Hezbollah's arms:

"The Resistance is prepared to prevent Israel from weakening Lebanon" and is ready to "cooperate with the army."

19:22 Beirut Time

Paying tribute to Qassem Soleimani, the former Iranian general killed in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq on Jan. 3, Naim Qassem expressed gratitude to Iran and Yemen for their support.


"Our support for Palestine remains steadfast. We consider the liberation of Jerusalem a goal that can be achieved through other means," he added.

19:21 Beirut Time

Naim Qassem dedicated much of his speech to honoring and thanking all those who contributed to the current resolution of the war. He paid tribute to Hezbollah officials who were killed by Israeli strikes in this and previous conflicts. He also saluted the Lebanese Army and Civil Defense, who lost personnel during the war, and expressed gratitude to the displaced populations who endured the fighting. Qassem extended his thanks to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, the army’s top command, medical workers, and the media.

19:21 Beirut Time

Commenting on the cease-fire agreement, Naim Qassem described it as "a framework for implementing U.N. Resolution 1701," adding that "the agreement’s scope includes the area south of the Litani River, from which the Israeli army must withdraw."

19:00 Beirut Time

"The Resistance was celebrating victory in Beirut with Hezbollah flags, while Israelis were waving white flags in Tel Aviv," said Naim Qassem, quoting former Israeli right-wing minister Avigdor Liberman, who criticized the cease-fire agreement reached by Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

18:55 Beirut Time

Naim Qassem:

This agreement covers the area south of the Litani (...) and the Israeli army must withdraw from it.”

18:48 Beirut Time

🔴 Qassem said the end of the war against Israel was “a great victory, surpassing that of July 2006 in its duration, the ardor of the fighting, the sacrifices, and the foreign and American support the enemy had.” 


“We prevented them from eliminating Hezbollah, we prevented them from neutralizing the Resistance,” he added.

18:45 Beirut Time

Naim Qassem:

Hezbollah's legendary resistance has impressed the world and undermined Israeli morale.


We don't want war, but we were able to stop it with our strength and fire.

18:45 Beirut Time

Naim Qassem:

Because of the Resistance, the number of displaced people in northern Israel has risen from 70,000 to hundreds of thousands. Its army has suffered many deaths and lost resources.


The Resistance has demonstrated that it is ready and that the plans Hassan Nasrallah had put in place were effective and took account of changing circumstances.

18:38 Beirut Time

Naim Qassem began his speech by mentioning that the resistance's “patience” in its struggle had brought it "victory."


“As we have said, we don't want war, but we will wage it to defend ourselves,” he declared. He also referred to the “great danger” posed by Israel to Hezbollah after the pager attack and the assassination of former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in September.

18:32 Beirut Time

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem has begun his speech.

17:27 Beirut Time

The Israeli army’s Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee claimed that the Israeli army carried out an airstrike in southern Lebanon this afternoon to thwart a "terrorist activity and the movement of a Hezbollah mobile missile platform."


L'Orient Today could not confirm that an airstrike took place in southern Lebanon at this time. Still, earlier today, Israeli army bulldozers advanced in southern Lebanese villages and Israeli artillery shelling was reported on those close to the border.


"The Israeli army is deployed in southern Lebanon and is working to remove threats that threaten Israel and violate the cease-fire agreement," Adraee added.

17:06 Beirut Time

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem will speak today for the first time since the cease-fire with Israel.


The time of his speech has not yet been determined.

16:00 Beirut Time

The Israeli onslaught on Gaza has killed at least 44,363 people and injured at least 105,070 more since the start of its operation on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the latest death toll published by the Gaza Ministry of Health. At least 33 people have been killed in the last 24 hours, it said in a statement.


Thousands more people are thought to be buried under the rubble, which makes up most of the landscape in Gaza, under relentless Israeli bombardment for more than a year.

15:55 Beirut Time

For the third day in a row, the Israeli army has issued a statement "forbidding" any movement south of the Litani River between 5 p.m. this afternoon and 7 a.m. tomorrow morning. 


"Those south of the Litani River must remain where they are," the statement posted on its Arabic-language spokesperson's X account reads. "For your safety, you must adhere to these instructions."

15:04 Beirut Time

Shortly after Israeli tanks and bulldozers were seen advancing into Khiam, the Israeli army was spotted advancing into the main square of the village of Markaba, also in Marjayoun district, where they bulldozed the area and blocked roads.


The second point in the 13-point cease-fire agreement stipulates that "Israel will not carry out any military offensive against targets in Lebanon, whether on land, in the air, or at sea."


Israeli bulldozers were also spotted uprooting olive trees near the al-Abara area in the village of Kfar Kila, also in Marjayoun district. Israel has a history of attacking its adversaries through the destruction of their olive trees. 


Read the full report here. 👈

14:42 Beirut Time

Committees will be formed in Baalbeck to survey damage from Israeli attacks, Mayor Mustafa al-Shel said during a press conference held in the north-eastern Lebanese city. Shel added that the initiative would be building on work already underway to assess the destruction and evaluate needs going forward.


The mayor congratulated those returning to their homes, mourned those who were killed in Israeli attacks and wished a recovery for the wounded. He responded to recent criticism of the process of distributing food rations in Baalbeck, by those who were concerned about unfair limits on who qualified to receive the aid.


Read the full report here.  👈

14:07 Beirut Time

Nine Israelis were wounded in a suspected shooting incident at a bus near the West Bank settlement of Ariel, with three in serious condition, Haaretz reported, citing the Magen David Adom rescue service. A fourth victim is in moderate condition, while the other victims sustained light injuries.


The Israeli newspaper added that "one assailant was shot and killed by security forces at the scene." The Israeli army said that there was "no second assailant after it initially conducted searches in pursuit of a second suspected shooter." The Shomron Regional Council said that the bus, which was traveling from Tel Aviv to Ariel, was not bulletproof. There have been several such incidents in the last year since the Gaza war began, in which Israelis have been targeted, often in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Israeli settlements are expanding, illegally and often violently.

14:04 Beirut Time

The European Union has welcomed the enforcement of the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon and "the mediation efforts undertaken by France and the United States" which have led to a cessation of hostilities, a press release from the EU stated.


"It is now essential that the cease-fire holds as agreed, in order to guarantee security in both Lebanon and Israel and to enable displaced persons on both sides of the border to return home. Above all, this requires the commitment of both parties: the sovereignty of Lebanon and Israel must be fully respected and all cross-border attacks must cease."


The EU also indicated that it was ready to "support the Lebanese army and UNIFIL so that Resolution 1701 can be effectively and fully implemented on the ground." It assured that it "will also continue its humanitarian aid and engage in reconstruction."


The EU also called on Lebanon's political leaders "to quickly put aside their differences and find a way out of the prolonged political and economic impasse ... and to quickly elect a president."

12:52 Beirut Time

An Israeli force, consisting of four tanks and two bulldozers, have entered one of the western neighborhoods of the town of Khiam, in Marjayoun district, according to our correspondent in the South.


The Israeli army did not reach this neighborhood during the fighting and is now trying to enter it during the cease-fire.

12:18 Beirut Time

The Israeli army has warned residents of northern Israel to stay away from evacuated areas near the border with Lebanon, according to statements released on its Hebrew-language X account.


“Unexploded ordnance poses a danger to life,” the military said, warning that the public should “refrain from entering restricted areas and allow the security forces to continue carrying out their missions.”

12:15 Beirut Time

Head of the Israeli army's Northern Command Ori Gordin vowed that the military will “aggressively” enforce the cease-fire with Hezbollah, during an assessment in southern Lebanon yesterday.


“The political echelon agreed on a cease-fire arrangement with Lebanon, and our job is to enable it and enforce it. We will enforce it aggressively, under the conditions we set, this is what will be realized, and therefore we do not intend for Hezbollah to return to these areas, we intend for this entire area to be clear of capabilities and certainly of Hezbollah’s weapons, and that is our role,” he said.


“If they make a mistake, it will be a big mistake, and we are prepared to return to combat… We are now in enforcement mode, but we can, in a very short time, give the opposite order and go back in.”

11:56 Beirut Time

Director of the South Lebanon Water Board Wassim Daher has announced an "emergency plan" to assess and repair damage to water infrastructure in the region.


As part of this plan, all the Office's departments will reopen and resume normal operations in order to assess the damage as quickly as possible, launch maintenance and repair operations and freeze network subscription fees for homes destroyed or damaged "unless they are repaired by the end of the year."


"The Office will be working around the clock to ensure that services return to normal as soon as possible," according to the press release.


Read Malek Jadah's article about the villages in southern Lebanon whose water supply was completely cut off by Israeli bombardment.  👈

11:51 Beirut Time

Israeli army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi indicated that he intends to resign once the military completes its investigations into the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, Times of Israel reports.


Halevi’s missive to troops largely focuses on defending his decision to make senior appointments in the military, with some arguing that his failure on Oct. 7 means he shouldn't be responsible for such decisions. “Appointing officers to positions is not a privilege, but a command and operational duty. The [Israeli army] cannot afford to freeze,” Halevi said.


In a recent round of appointments, newly appointed Defense Minister Israel Katz refused to approve two officers due to their potential involvement in the failures that led to Oct. 7.

10:51 Beirut Time

In southern Lebanon, an Israeli tank fired a shell at an area near the Khiam cemetery, in Marjayoun district, and an Israeli bulldozer is reportedly razing the Kfar Kila soccer field, according to a video circulating online.

10:49 Beirut Time

Returning home in the early hours of the cease-fire, residents of Beirut's southern suburbs risk coming face-to-face with all kinds of loss, chief among them the destruction of their homes by U.S.-made Israeli-dropped bombs. But amid the chaos of two months of bombardment, compounded by five years of devastating economic collapse, residents also risk finding their damaged homes looted and their belongings, whatever may have withstood destruction, gone.


👉 Click here to read about the vigilante neighborhood watch that took security into their own hands in Beirut's southern suburbs.

09:53 Beirut Time

⚡ Israeli gunfire targeted Ghandour Hospital in the Saff al-Air area at the entrance to the southern Lebanese border town of Bint Jbeil, wounding one person.

09:50 Beirut Time

At 7 a.m. this morning, the Israeli army's Arabic-language spokesperson declared in a post on his X account that residents of 10 villages along the border in southern Lebanon are "prohibited" from returning to their homes.


"The IDF does not intend to target you and therefore you are prohibited at this stage from returning to your homes from this line south until further notice," Adraee wrote, listing Shebaa, Hebbarieh, Marjayoun, Arnoun, Yahmor, Qantara, Shaqra, Barasheet, Yater, Mansouri. "Anyone who moves south of this line, puts themself in danger."


Adraee also told residents, "please do not return," to the following villages: Dahra, Taybeh, Tayri, Naqoura, Abu Shash, Abel Saqi, Bayada, Al-Jbeen, Al-Khraiba, Khiam, Khirbet, Matmoura, Al-Mari, Odaisseh, Qalaa, Umm Tuta, Salib, Arnoun, Bint Jbeil, Beit Lif, Blida, Bani Hayyan, Bustan, Ain Arab Marjayoun, Debbin, Dbaal, Deir Mimas, Deir Siryan, Houla, Halta, Hanin, Tayr Harfa, Yahmar, Yaroun, Yarin, Kfar Hamam, Kfar Kila, Kfar Shuba, Zaloutieh, Mahbib, Mais al-Jabal, Maysat, Marjayoun, Marwahin, Maroun al-Ras, Markaba, Adsheet al-Qusayr, Ain Abel, Ainata, Aita al-Shaab, Aitaroun, Alma al-Shaab, Arab al-Luwaizeh, Qawzah, Rab Thalatheen, Ramieh, Rmeish, Rashaya al-Fokhar, Shebaa, Sheheen. Shamaa and Tallouseh.

09:32 Beirut Time

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the war on Gaza — now in its 420th day — and the newly established cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, now in its third.


To catch up on yesterday's events, read our Morning Brief  ☕ or scan yesterday's live blog. 👈