Two killed in an Israeli drone strike in Jarjou, South Lebanon| LIVE

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Lebanon

Following the collapse this afternoon of a building previously targeted by the Israeli army in the town of Ain Qana (Nabatieh district), rescue teams have recovered the body of a civilian victim from the rubble, according to our correspondent.

Lebanon

Israeli drones have flown over the villages of Al Rihan in the Jezzine district, according to our correspondent.

Gaza

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched to the U.S. embassy in London to oppose President Donald Trump's plan to take control of Gaza and expel its inhabitants. Waving Palestinian flags and holding signs that read "Hands off Gaza," several thousand people walked from Whitehall, where the prime minister's residence is located, to the U.S. embassy south of the Thames.

Among the demonstrators, banners read "Stand up to Trump" and "Mr. Trump, Canada is not your 51st state. Gaza is not your 52nd."

"I think it is completely immoral, illegal, but also unfeasible and absurd," said 87-year-old Holocaust survivor Stephen Kapos in a statement to AFP.

The march was organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

Read more here.

Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appreciates the "total support" of U.S. President Donald Trump for Israel’s upcoming decisions on the Gaza Strip, his office stated after the exchange of three Israeli hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners released by Israel, as reported by AFP.

"The firm stance of President Trump led to the release of three of our hostages today, despite Hamas previously refusing to free them," Netanyahu said, adding that he would convene the security cabinet "as soon as possible to decide on the next steps for Israel," according to the statement from his office.

Lebanon

The Israeli strike on a vehicle in Jarjou (Nabatieh district) killed two and injured three, according to an updated toll, reports our correspondent

Lebanon/Israel

⚡ Israeli Channel 12 reports that the Israeli army targeted, in its strike today in Jarjouh, a member of Hezbollah's Unit 127 responsible for launching the drone over Israel last week.

Lebanon

Israeli Channel 12 reported that the Israeli army targeted, in its strike today in Jarjou, a member of Hezbollah's Unit 127, responsible for launching the drone over Israel last week.

View of the car targeted by an Israeli drone. (Credit: Photo provided by our correspondent Muntasser Abdallah)

Lebanon

⚡ An Israeli drone launched an attack on a vehicle at the Jarjou -Arab Salim intersection in Iqlim al-Tuffah (Nabatieh district), resulting in casualties, according to our correspondent. Ambulances have rushed to the scene.

Lebanon

Hezbollah’s liaison unit chief, Wafiq Safa, called Friday’s attack on UNIFIL forces near the airport road “unacceptable.”

"Hezbollah maintains good relations with UNIFIL, coordination between the two parties is complete, and Hezbollah respects Resolution 1701," Safa told the pro-Iranian TV channel Al Mayadeen.

"We must distinguish between a peaceful sit-in, where we express our opinion against the decision to ban the Iranian plane, and the attack on UNIFIL," he added while urging Lebanese authorities and the Lebanese Army to "consider the people’s situation" and avoid "putting more pressure on them."

Safa also stated that the issue of Israeli withdrawal from border villages falls under the jurisdiction of the state and the cease-fire monitoring committee. He noted that Hezbollah’s official position will be outlined by its Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, during the funeral of former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.

Lebanon

A powerful explosion shook the town of Yaroun (Bint Jbeil district), which remains under Israeli occupation. The blast was heard in surrounding villages, according to our correspondent, Muntasser Abdallah.

A second explosion was heard in the town of Labbouneh (Sour district), south of Naqoura. According to Naqoura residents, who reported seeing flames, it was caused by the Israeli army detonating buildings.

Lebanon

Reacting to Friday night's attack on UNIFIL, UK Ambassador Hamish Cowell said he was "shocked and appalled," while wishing a speedy recovery to the wounded.

"The work of UNIFIL peacekeepers is essential to Lebanon's security," Cowell stated in a message on X. "Attacks against them are not only unacceptable but also go against Lebanon's interests. Those responsible must be held accountable."

Lebanon

Israeli drones heavily flew over Beirut and its suburbs in the afternoon, according to the National News Agency correspondent.

Lebanon

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem will speak on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025, at 6:30 p.m., in tribute to the party's late leaders, according to a statement from the party.

Lebanon

Israeli drones flew over the towns of Toul, Harouf and Doueir in the Nabatieh district, according to our correspondent, Muntasser Abdallah.

Iranian planes dispute

Iran has expressed readiness to hold "constructive discussions" with Lebanon on resuming Tehran-Beirut flights, following a ban on two Iranian planes landing, which has sparked anger among Hezbollah supporters.

The Iranian foreign minister and his Lebanese counterpart spoke by phone about "ways to resolve the issue of civilian flights between the two countries" and affirmed their "willingness to engage in constructive and good-faith discussions," according to a statement from Iran's Foreign Ministry.

On the road to Beirut airport

A protest organizer shouted, "The sit-in is over, do not attack the security forces."

Not far away, a soldier stationed on a bridge told L'Orient-Le Jour: "We already know what's going to happen. They'll shout until tonight, but we have no fear regarding the security situation. After all, we are the state."

Shortly after, the crowd dispersed.

Lebanon

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned Friday's attack on UNIFIL, denouncing it as "a far from peaceful protest." 

"Anyone who disrupts security must be severely punished," he stated. "If some believe that attacking UNIFIL will ensure the February 18 deadline is met, they are mistaken."

The prime minister also reaffirmed that freedom of expression is sacred but insisted, "Attacking property and blocking roads is unacceptable."

South Lebanon

The Israeli army is building fortifications at the site known as Hamames hill, located south of Khiam (Marjayoun district), according to witnesses from nearby villages cited by our correspondent Muntasser Abdallah. Israeli bulldozers have been seen transporting concrete blocks to the site and carrying out excavation work in this border area, which is one of five positions in Lebanese territory that Israel insists on retaining.

For reference, the five locations where the Israeli army seeks to maintain its presence after Feb. 18 are:

• Hamames hill (Marjayoun)

• Labbouneh/ Alma al-Shaab (Sour)

• Jabal Blat, near Ramiyeh (Bint Jbeil)

• Jal al-Deir, south of Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil)

• The newly established position along the Markaba-Houla road (Marjayoun)

Lebanon

Nawaf Salam also announced that his government's ministerial statement would be ready by Monday.

Lebanon

Nawaf Salam says that Beirut is "in talks with Iran." As mentioned yesterday, he stated that Lebanon had intended to send two Middle East Airlines planes to repatriate passengers stranded in Iran. A source told L'OLJ yesterday that Tehran refused to receive these planes, while Iranian authorities warned that any ban on Iranian planes in Lebanon would be reciprocated in Iran.

"The security of passengers" at Beirut International Airport is a red line, the prime minister added.

He also criticized "riots and acts of vandalism that undermine public security."

Lebanon

Present at the protest on the airport road, Hezbollah MP Ibrahim Moussaoui stated that the party "is waiting to see how the government will act in the coming days in order to respond accordingly."

Lebanon

Speaking from the Baabda Palace after a meeting with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam described the attack on the UNIFIL convoy as a "crime against Lebanon."

Lebanon

"They threw tear gas bombs at us," cried a teenage girl to our journalists Lyana Alameddine and Caroline Hayek on the scene. "They're throwing them at young people... We're doing this for Sayyed [Hassan Nasrallah] and for the country... Some have vomited, others are bleeding. This country is full of [Israeli] agents!" the young woman fumed.

Gunshots were also heard at the scene, causing panic.

Lebanon

🔴 "The decision to ban the plane [coming from Iran] from landing in Lebanon is an attack on the state and the security forces," denounced Hezbollah's Deputy Head of the Political Council, Mahmoud Qomati, during the sit-in. "Why do you submit to American and Israeli demands?" he asked.

"We will not allow our homeland to fall into Israeli and American hands (...) nor accept this humiliation," he continued.

During Qomati's speech, smoke grenades were thrown at the protesters, causing confusion and tension among the crowd.

Gaza

An Israeli drone has bombed a bulldozer attempting to remove rubble from a destroyed building in Gaza, despite the cease-fire, reports Al-Jazeera. At least two people were injured, which took place in the town of al-Mughraqa, in the center of the enclave.

The Israeli army's Arabic-speaking spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said in a message on X that the Israeli army carried out an air strike against “suspicious vehicles that were driving north without passing through the checkpoints provided for this purpose,” adding that the vehicles were sent back to the center of the Gaza Strip.

"We took to the streets to oppose the decision regarding the plane [the one from Tehran that was turned away by Lebanese authorities on Thursday]. This goes against our sovereignty," said a protester participating in the "popular sit-in" organized by Hezbollah on the Beirut airport road, speaking to our on-site journalist.

"All of this because of a tweet [by Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army spokesperson]. That's why we're protesting," she added.

"We are not against the Lebanese. We have sacrificed a lot for the country, even for those who were against us," she continued, addressing those concerned about the demonstrations.

Demonstrators at the sit-in in Beirut's southern suburbs chanted slogans in support of Hezbollah's current Secretary General, Naim Qassem and “Labbayka ya Nasrallah” [at your service] in reference to his predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah, assassinated by Israel on Sept. 27.

A UNIFIL patrol passed by the protesters near the airport road a while ago without engaging with them, our correspondent reported.

As pressure mounts, Hezbollah plays its last card: the street. What does this escalation mean for Lebanon? Read Salah Hijazi’s analysis here.

Heavy deployment of Lebanese Army forces in the southern suburbs of Beirut, our correspondent reported citing local residents.

The Hezbollah demonstrators are chanting, “America, America! You're the devil!”

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the attack on a UNIFIL convoy Friday night near Beirut airport, in which two peacekeepers were injured and a vehicle was set on fire. "These assaults are unacceptable, and those responsible must be brought to justice," he said.

"The safety of U.N. personnel must be guaranteed under all circumstances. (…) Any attack on peacekeepers constitutes a violation of international law and could be considered a war crime," he added.

The secretary-general also called on all concerned parties to "honor their commitments and fully implement Resolution 1701 to achieve a lasting cease-fire between Lebanon and Israel."

A large convoy of motorcycles is heading outside of the southern suburbs of Beirut towards the airport road, our correspondent reported.

Posters of former Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah are held by some of the protesters heading towards the site of the protest, she added.

Lebanon

The Lebanese Army is patrolling areas of Beirut's southern suburbs following incidents on the airport road the previous day, reports local channel Al-Jadeed. Last night, individuals attacked a UNIFIL convoy, injuring at least two peacekeepers.

This comes ahead of a “popular sit-in” to which Hezbollah has called “to denounce Israeli interference, diktats and the attack on national sovereignty,” while many condemnations were issued after yesterday's attack, blaming the party.

Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi says it is his force's “duty to bring everyone back,” according to a statement posted on the military’s X account.

“We are investing in many efforts for this purpose, and at the same time, we are preparing offensive plans,” Halevi added.

Occupied West Bank

Israeli forces have raided the city of al-Bireh in the occupied West Bank, raiding the home of a Palestinian prisoner released as part of today’s exchanges.

Local sources told the official Wafa news agency that Israeli military vehicles stormed the center of al-Bireh to target the home of 45-year-old Mazen al-Qadi, in Israeli custody for more than two decades.

Since dawn, Israeli forces have similarly raided the homes of several other prisoners released today, according to reports.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office says Israeli authorities “deliberately insulted and assaulted the prisoners until the moment of their release.”

The organization monitoring the releases added that the conditions the prisoners were released in show the “extent of the crimes and violations inside the prisons.”

“The effects of torture and oppression were clear on the prisoners’ bodies, which calls for a firm stance to hold the occupation accountable for its crimes,” it said in a statement, calling on the international community to reject a “double standard” as Israel earlier decried conditions of captives released from Gaza.

“Just as the occupation demands the return of its prisoners, our prisoners have the right to freedom and dignity, and denying that is collusion with the executioner,” it said.

According to residents, an Israeli missile strike targeted the Aqaba neighborhood in the town of Ainata, in the Bint Jbeil district, with no casualties reported.

Gaza

🔴 Following the release of the three Israeli (and binational) hostages by Hamas, Donald Trump claimed that “this differs from their statement last week that they would not release any hostages,” according to a publication posted on his Truth Social network and picked up by Reuters.

“Israel will now have to decide what to do at noon today (7 p.m. Beirut time), the agreed deadline for the release of all hostages,” Trump continued, while the Gaza cease-fire agreement provides for a second phase during which hostages are to be progressively released. Washington “will support whatever decision” Israel takes, concluded the American president.

South Lebanon

The Israeli army has burned down houses in Kfar Kila, in the Marjayoun district, reports our correspondent. Israeli vehicles are also advancing in Yaroun, in the Bint Jbeil district.

Gaza's Health Ministry reported that 25 dead bodies were retrieved over the last two days, and 12 wounded. According to the statement, 48,264 were killed since the start of the war and 111,688 wounded, while thousands are still defined as missing.

Gaza

The U.N.’s World Food Programme (WFP) reported that after another bakery was reopened with its help today in southern Rafah. The Gaza Strip now has 22 bakeries in operation.

Earlier this week, WFP reopened a kitchen in Beit Lahiya in the north that can produce 20,000 meals per day.

In Rafah, the organization has opened a kitchen serving 1,500 meals each day.

One by one, the freed Palestinian prisoners are disembarking from the buses that have brought them to the European Hospital in Khan Younis.

Many of them appear to have worn inside out the shirts that they were forced to put on by Israeli prison authorities.

Large crowds surround the buses, with many holding their phones in the air to capture the scenes.

A freed Palestinian prisoner is greeted in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. (Credit: Mohammed Torokman/Reuters)

Before their release, the Israel Prison Service made Palestinian prisoners wear shirts with “We will not forget or forgive,” written on them.

According to Israeli state media, the authority shared photos of the hundreds of Palestinian prisoners set for release in shirts featuring its logo, a Star of David, and the sentence in question.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has called on the government to bring the captives held in Gaza back “as soon as possible.”

He said on X: “Yair, Sagui, and Sasha are on their way home. Each one who returns brings back our breath and our soul.”

In a statement, Netanyahu’s office says Israel has welcomed the released captives with “a big embrace,” adding that the government will assist their rehabilitation with their families.

It also said the government is “working in full coordination with the U.S. to rescue all our hostages — both the living and the fallen — as quickly as possible”.

“We are fully prepared for what comes next, in every respect,” the office said.

Hezbollah MP Hassan Ezzedine, stated: "The Israeli enemy seeks to remain in five key strategic points, which is unacceptable, condemned, and holds no value. The agreement should have ended within two months, yet the enemy has remained against the will of the Lebanese government and the Lebanese people under the pretext of the balance of power."

Speaking from Harouf (Nabatieh) during a commemoration for killed Hezbollah members, Ezzedine further noted: "Despite all the enemy's violations, we have not yet heard any condemnation or a complaint filed with the U.N. Security Council regarding the enemy’s breach of Lebanese sovereignty and its aggression."

Gaza

The Palestinian Red Crescent said its medical crew immediately transferred four of the released prisoners who arrived earlier in Ramallah to a hospital in the occupied West Bank due to the seriousness of their health conditions.

Many of the prisoners previously released by Israel have shown signs of severe torture and starvation, among others.

Gaza

An ICRC convoy has left Khan Younis with the three freed Israeli hostages, reports AFP.

Gaza

The three hostages set to be freed arrive on stage in Khan Younis, reports AFP.

South Lebanon

The Israeli army is setting houses in Houla (Marjayoun) on fire, local residents reported.

Gaza

The future of the cease-fire remains uncertain, as talks on its second phase have yet to begin.

Hamas said Thursday it expects negotiations to start "early next week." Mediators — Qatar, the U.S. and Egypt — hope to launch talks "next week in Doha," according to a source familiar with the discussions.

The second phase of the deal is supposed to secure the release of all remaining hostages and bring a definitive end to the war, followed by a final stage focused on Gaza’s reconstruction. The United Nations estimates rebuilding efforts will cost more than $53 billion.

Regarding Gaza’s long-term status, a summit of five Arab nations is scheduled for Feb. 20 in Riyadh to address U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed plan — criticized internationally but backed by Israel — for a takeover of the Palestinian territory and the relocation of its population to Egypt and Jordan, both of which have rejected the idea.

Gaza

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which facilitates the transfer of hostages from Hamas to the Israeli military, expressed "grave concern" Thursday over the living conditions of Israeli captives. The organization also called for the releases to take place in a "dignified manner."

During the last exchange on Feb. 8, Hamas forced three physically weakened hostages to salute a crowd, a display that sparked outrage in Israel.

Meanwhile, seven Palestinian detainees released that day were hospitalized in the occupied West Bank due to what the Palestinian Prisoners Club described as the "brutality" of their detention. Of the Palestinian prisoners set to be freed this Saturday, 36 have been sentenced to life, including 24 who will be expelled, according to the club.

Gaza

Hamas and Israel are set to carry out their sixth exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian detainees today under the Gaza cease-fire agreement, which came close to collapsing this week.

The exchange involves the release of three Israeli hostages, all of whom hold dual citizenship, who have been held captive in Gaza for 16 months, in return for 369 Palestinian prisoners. The exchange is expected to take place as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in Israel this evening.

The three men to be released from Gaza are Sacha Trupanov, a 29-year-old Israeli-Russian, Sagui Dekel-Chen, a 36-year-old Israeli-American, and Yair Horn, a 46-year-old Israeli-Argentinian.

They were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. Of the 251 people taken hostage that day, 73 remain in Gaza, at least 35 of whom are dead, according to the Israeli military.

Gaza

A source in Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, has also told Al Jazeera that the group presented Sagui Dekel-Chen, one of the captives, with a gold coin as a gift for his daughter, who was born four months after he was captured.

Yair Horn, Sagui Dekel-Chen and Alexander Trufanov are expected to be released in Khan Younis this morning.

For the second time since the start of the cease-fire, the handover is taking place just a few kilometers away from the house of killed Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar.

Gaza

Masked Palestinian fighters with full military gear have lined up behind a stage set up in Khan Younis ahead of the expected release of the three captives, according to Al-Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza.

Civilians can be seen behind them, often standing on the rubble of destroyed buildings. Palestinian flags can also been hanging over the site of the release, Al-Jazeera reported.

South Lebanon

The Israeli army set fire to several houses this morning in the town of Mais al-Jabal (Marjayoun) and smoke was seen rising, local residents reported.

Good morning. Thank you for joining us for today's live coverage of the Gaza and Lebanon cease-fires and the events in the region.