Thank you for joining our live coverage of day 426 of the war in Gaza and the ninth day of cease-fire in Lebanon.
We will resume reporting tomorrow morning.
Israeli military aircraft have continuously been flying over southern Lebanon at medium altitude while drones overflew the Zahrani district, reported our correspondent in the region.
The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that the Israeli attack on Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil district) in southern Lebanon injured five people.
The Israeli army carried out detonations in Yaroun, in southern Lebanon's Bint Jbeil district, reported our correspondent. Residents of the village and neighboring towns heard several explosions.
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri met today with U.S. Brigadier General Jasper Jeffers, a member of the committee overseeing the implementation of the cease-fire agreement with Israel, in Ain al-Tineh. Jeffers was accompanied by his military staff.
To find out more, press here.👈
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said today that Israel may have "an opportunity now" to secure a deal for the release of its hostages held by Palestinian militants in Gaza.
Speaking in a video message from a meeting in Malta, he said: "We may have an opportunity now for a hostage deal. Israel is serious about reaching a hostage deal and I hope we can do this and do it as soon as possible."
Naim Qassem:
Hezbollah distributed between $300 and $400 in aid to families last month, thanks to donations from Iran. A total of $57 million was distributed to over 170,000 families.
We have made the following decisions: for houses that have been completely destroyed and are primary residences, their owners will receive a basic grant of $8,000 to restore their homes. If they live in Beirut or the southern suburbs, they will receive 6,000 dollars for rent for one year, i.e. 500 dollars a month. Those outside Beirut will receive 4,000 dollars a year for rent.
Each person who has lost his or her home will therefore receive between 12,000 and 14,000 dollars for one year. [the total which includes rent, furniture, etc.]
🔴 Naim Qassem:
The aggression in Syria is orchestrated by the United States and Israel. These "takfiri" groups are tools they use to try to destroy Syria. We will stand by Syria to stop this aggression.
Naim Qassem:
Hezbollah is strong because it defends rights: the right of Palestinians to liberate their land, the right of Lebanese to liberate their land and the refusal to use Lebanon as a platform for others.
Naim Qassem:
The Resistance has suffered serious wounds, but it is gradually healing over time. Hezbollah is strong thanks to its structures, parliamentary representation, popularity and institutions. It is a major player in the country, along with the other players. And it will remain so.
Naim Qassem:
This agreement is an implementation mechanism for Resolution 1701, and forms part of it. It is not a new agreement. It calls for Israel to withdraw from all Lebanese territory and stop its aggression. It prohibits the presence of armies south of the Litani River. It is an agreement specifically for the region south of the Litani River.
Naim Qassem:
The agreement reached provides for an internal agreement between the Lebanese Army and the Resistance, without Israel interfering in the matter.
We have now reached 60 [Israeli] violations. We believe it's up to the Lebanese authorities to ensure that the agreement is respected.
Naim Qassem:
Our victory is based on three essential factors. Firstly, the presence of the Resistance on the ground and their determination, which has amazed the world. Their courage and sacrifice halted the Israeli advance, and while drones and rockets hit their targets in Tel Aviv, Haifa and the northern regions of occupied Palestine.
Naim Qassem:
We won because our resistance remains and endures. We won because our people remain faithful. We won because the enemy [Israel] did not achieve any of its objectives. We won because national unity has been created and attempts at sedition have failed.
Naim Qassem:
We have lived through days and weeks marked by 64 days of sacrifice, injury and displacement, with patience.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz met with Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi to discuss the latest security developments in Syria, Israel's Arabic-speaking army spokesman said on X. "The army is observing what is happening and preparing for all scenarios, whether attack or defense. We will not allow any threats on the border between Syria and Israel," he said.
Opening his speech, Naim Qassem said:
We have gone through one of the most dangerous phases since the creation of Hezbollah 42 years ago, in 1982. We faced a savage and criminal aggression that affected the resistance and the whole of Lebanon.
Through this aggression, the enemy tried to break the resistance and eliminate its presence. But the resistance stood firm and confronted him.
⚡ Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem began his speech, the second since the cease-fire in Lebanon came into effect.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad to "urgently" find a political solution in Syria, reported AFP.
Hamas says that Amnesty International's report, which accuses Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, sent a message to the world about the need "to act."
The report is "a new message to the international community ... on the need to act to bring an end to this genocide that has lasted for more than 400 days" the group said in a statement.
Update on the situation in southern Lebanon from our correspondent:
- The Lebanese Army detonated ammunition left behind by the Israeli army on the northern outskirts of Ainata (Bint Jbeil).
- An Israeli drone bombed the al-Baydar neighborhood in Majdal Zoun (Sour) twice, according to residents.
- Sounds of explosions from the nearby village of Tayr Harfa (Sour) were heard by residents of Majdal Zoun. The explosions may be due to the Israeli army detonating houses in the area, reported locals.
- Israeli drones were spotted over Jabal al-Rihane (Jezzine).
Caretaker Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib received Canadian Ambassador to Lebanon Stefanie McCollum, who reaffirmed her country's "unwavering support" for the Lebanese army and security forces. McCollum also stressed the "urgency " of electing a president and forming a new government, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA).
In addition, Bou Habib met with Australian Ambassador Andrew Barnes, with whom he discussed the "continued violations of the cease-fire" by the Israeli army. Hoping that "the committee monitoring the implementation of the cease-fire will begin its mission soon," the minister insisted on the importance of "clearly demarcating the borders in southern Lebanon and obtaining the total withdrawal of Israel from the occupied Lebanese territories." Barnes welcomed the cease-fire agreement and highlighted "the significant role of the Lebanese diaspora" in Australia.
The Chinese Embassy advised its citizens to leave Syria "as soon as possible" due to the "deteriorating" situation as Islamist-led rebel forces continue their offensive against President Bashar al-Assad's troops.
"The Chinese Embassy in Syria advises Chinese citizens in the country to use available commercial flights to return home or leave the country as soon as possible," it said in a message posted on its WeChat account.
The time for Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem's speech has been set for 6 p.m. Beirut time, Hezbollah announced on its Telegram channel.
Two "enemy" drones have been shot down over Damascus, Syrian state media reported, citing AFP.
Israel's Supreme Court ordered the continued detention of two suspects involved in the BibiLeaks affair, pending its decision on an appeal against their placement under house arrest, according to Haaretz.
Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara filed the appeal after a Tel Aviv court ruled to release Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesman Eli Feldstein and an unidentified Israeli army reservist, who will remain in custody until Monday.
Read the full story here.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar assured U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Israel was "serious" about a potential deal to release hostages held in Gaza, according to Haaretz.
A public funeral was held this morning in the village of Khirbet Selm (Bint Jbeil) to honor the death of a dozen "martyrs," who "died on the road to Jerusalem" from the village, among whom are several Hezbollah fighters.
The names of the deceased are: Mohamed Bilal Sherri, Hassan Hussein Fitouni, Abdel Hussein Issam Hammoud, Ahmed Ali Noureddine, Ali Mohamed Noureddine, Hamza Fadel Noureddine, Jihad Hisham Noureddine, Mahmoud Wael Taamé, Nazih Yehya Tawil and Jawad Hani Tawil, according to information from L'Orient Today's correspondent.
The leader of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) Gebran Bassil will speak tonight at 8:30 p.m. The party, founded by Michel Aoun, is a former ally of Hezbollah.
Caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that the goal of his government is "to achieve long-term stability and to ensure that the state is the only reference and that the army is the authority present on the ground," during a meeting with caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib.
"The cease-fire agreement is a kind of mechanism for the implementation of resolution 1701. Our priority is long-term stability and the election of a president," Mikati said.
Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem is scheduled to speak today, according to Hezbollah's media office.
The time of the speech has not yet been announced, but it should be announced shortly before the broadcast, as was the case with his last speech last Friday.
This is his second speech since the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect, which put a pause on two months of near-total war between the two belligerents. Qassem, elected to succeed Hassan Nasrallah a month after the latter was assassinated by Israel in a strike targeting the southern suburbs of Beirut, has already spoken three times since taking over as head of the party.
Israeli military vehicles are heading towards the Ain Arab road, near Wazzani, which was bombed earlier by Israel, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent.
In south Lebanon, a munition fired by Israel in Shabriha (Sour) which had not exploded ended up detonating, injuring a 15-year-old child who was playing nearby, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent.
According to L'Orient Today's correspondent, Israeli artillery bombarded the road from Ain Arab to Wazzani (Hasbaya).
France formalized this Thursday the participation of Brigadier General Guillaume Ponchin in the cease-fire monitoring mechanism in Lebanon. He will be supported by a dozen military and civilian personnel from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Armed Forces and will work under the supervision of American General Jasper Jeffers
Cyprus received an Israeli air defense system, local media reported Thursday, as the island seeks new markets to improve its defense capabilities after losing its main supplier, Russia.
This announcement comes more than a week after the cease-fire declared between Israel and Hezbollah, which put a pause on the clashes that began on Oct. 8, 2023. During this fighting, the former secretary general of the party, Hassan Nasrallah, assassinated on Sept. 27 by an Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut, had threatened Cyprus if its authorities decided to open its airports and bases to Israel.
According to L'Orient Today's correspondent, the civil defense teams in Naqoura (Sour) were targeted by artillery fire while clearing the rubble. In addition, Israeli forces detonated a booby-trapped drone near them, forcing them to withdraw. Israeli fighter jets continue to fly over south Lebanon, they added, with jets flying over the south as far as Saida.
Gaza's health ministry said on Thursday that 44,580 people have been killed and 105,739 wounded in Gaza since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023. Thousands more remain missing. The ministry also said that 48 people were killed and 201 wounded in the past 24 hours, Reuters reported.
Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV channel reported that after the Lebanese army entered the town of Shebaa (Hasbaya), Israeli army bulldozers, accompanied by Merkava tanks, destroyed the road connecting the town to the Birket al-Naqqar area, adjacent to the disputed territories of the Shebaa Farms. According to the channel, the Lebanese army was unable to regain the position it occupied before the war due to the Israeli maneuver.
According to al-Nashra, the al-Rissala Scouts Association, affiliated with the Amal Movement, has started search operations in the rubble of the town of Shamaa (Sour) and claims to have recovered the bodies of several victims. The association also criticized Israel for continuing to violate the cease-fire in force since Nov. 27.
The Lebanese government confirmed in a press release that it will meet on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 9:30 a.m. at the Benoit Barakat barracks in Sour. This announcement was made on Wednesday from the Grand Serail. The commander of the army, Joseph Aoun, is expected to attend.
On X, the Israeli army reiterated its ban on residents of south Lebanon from traveling to the area south of a line passing through the towns of Shebaa, Habarieh, Marjayoun, Arnoun, Yohmor, Kantara, Shaqra, Baraasheet, Yatar and Mansouri, spread across the districts of Hasbaya, Marjayoun, Bint Jbeil and Sour.
"Anyone who moves south of this line is putting themselves in danger," warned the Israeli army's Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichai Adraee.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry on Thursday dismissed as "fabricated" a report by human rights group Amnesty International accusing it of "committing genocide" against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The Lebanese army announced in a statement that it would destroy between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. unexploded Israeli munitions that fell during previous bombings in Qlayleh and Shabriha (Sour), Arnoun (Nabatieh) and Ras Baalbeck.
Also in south Lebanon, the town of Baarasheet (Bint Jbeil) will bury today 22 of its dead, killed by Israeli bombardments, while Majdel Selm (Marjeyoun) plans to organize the funerals of 25 of its residents killed on Friday.
Last night in south Lebanon:
- At 11 p.m.: A loud explosion was heard and seen in Yaroun (Bint Jbeil), likely caused by the dynamiting of a house by the Israeli army.
- At 1 a.m.: Israeli jets attacked a position along the Litani River, between Yohmor and Zaoutar Tahta (Nabatieh). Haaretz also reported on the attack.
- At 7 a.m.: A new explosion was heard in Yaroun.
The human rights organization Amnesty International published a report on Thursday accusing Israel of "committing genocide" against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war, calling on the international community not to be "complicit."
The NGO claims to rely on the criteria defined by the United Nations Convention on Genocide and speaks of "damning conclusions." Coincidentally, the Israeli army said this morning, according to Haaretz, that its strike on Wednesday, which caused the death of 20 people in Khan Younis, had been carried out in an attempt to "minimize civilian casualties." It also mentioned secondary explosions caused by munitions stored on the site, without however providing evidence to support this version.
The main news this morning concerns Qatar, which has resumed its role as mediator in negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, according to an informed source contacted by Reuters.
The news emerged on the sidelines of visits to Doha and Tel Aviv by Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, as part of the launch of the U.S. president-elect's diplomatic campaign to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and a deal to release hostages before he takes office on Jan. 20, a source familiar with the discussions told Reuters.
Steve Witkoff, who will officially take office under the Trump administration, met separately in late November with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the source said. An Israeli source involved in the negotiations confirmed to Haaretz that Qatar was resuming its role as mediator.
Qatar had suspended its mediation during the first half of November.
Make sure to read the Morning Brief so you are caught up with what has been happening.
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