16 Syrian security forces members killed by Bashar al-Assad supporters | LIVE

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Syria

More than 133,000 Syrians living in Turkey have returned home in the three months since Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad was toppled, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday.

"Since Dec. 8, more than 133,000 Syrians voluntarily returned to their homeland. As stability takes hold in Syria, this figure will go up. We will not force anyone but if our brothers and sisters would like to return, we will facilitate this journey," he said.

Turkey is home to nearly three million refugees who fled Syria after the civil war began in 2011 and is keen to see them return home. 

Gaza

The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, remains committed to the terms of the cease-fire agreement with Israel reached in January, said its spokesman, Abu Obeida.

"Despite all the enemy's attempts [to evade its obligations], we chose, and maintain this choice, to adhere to the agreement, for the sake of sparing the blood of our people and in order not to give Israel any pretexts" to resume fighting, said Abu Obeida in a video message.

Arab summit

U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said the Egyptian plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip was "a good-faith first step."

"It has many compelling features. We need to discuss it further, but it's a good-faith first step on the part of the Egyptians," Witkoff told reporters.

Lebanon

An Israeli drone flew over the Jezzine district at a very low altitude, reported our regional correspondent. 

Lebanon

An Israeli drone flew over the Bekaa at a very low altitude, reported our regional correspondent. 

Syria

Sixteen members of the security forces were killed on Thursday by supporters of ex-president Bashar al-Assad in the coastal region of Latakia, in northwestern Syria, according to a new toll from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

The death toll "from attacks and ambushes carried out by gunmen loyal to Assad in and around the town of Jableh has risen to 16," said the SOHR, which had previously reported seven dead. These are "the most violent attacks against the new authorities since the fall of Assad," the NGO added.

Syria

Seven members of the security forces were killed by supporters of ousted president Bashar al-Assad, according to AFP.

South Lebanon

Israeli gunfire in Kfar Kila (Marjayoun) injured three civilians, reported our regional correspondent.

The civilians were gathering "scrap metal" in the area when they came under Israeli fire. 

Lebanon

The Lebanese Army issued a statement condemning the Israeli army for its continuous "attacks on Lebanese sovereignty by land, sea and air."

Furthermore, the institution denounced the "series of operations targeting civilians in the South and the Bekaa, in addition to the continued occupation of Lebanese territories and repeated violations of land borders." 

It added: "The relentlessness of the Israeli enemy in its attacks threatens the stability of Lebanon and negatively impacts the stability of the region. This runs in total opposition to the cease-fire agreement."

The army added in its press release that its units were "continuing to accompany the return of the residents to the southern regions" and that the "Army Command is monitoring the situation and taking the necessary measures, in coordination with the cease-fire agreement supervision commission and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)."

South Lebanon

Israeli fire wounded two civilians in Kfar Kila, in the Marjayoun district, while they were "collecting scrap metal," reported our regional correspondent.

Syria

Syrian authorities launched "helicopter strikes" against armed groups in Latakia, the former stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

SOHR reported that Syrian helicopters targeted armed men in the village of Beit Ana and surrounding forests, while artillery also hit a neighboring village.

Meanwhile, the official SANA news agency reported that "Assad-affiliated militias" killed a member of the security forces, adding that the authorities were clashing with men linked to a former Assad commander.

Syria

The UK has announced that it has lifted sanctions against 24 Syrian and Syrian-related entities, including the country's Central Bank, which were imposed under Bashar al-Assad's regime.

“Twenty-four entities have been removed from the list and are no longer subject to an asset freeze,” read the Treasury Department statement, adding that this includes mainly companies in the banking and oil sectors.

Gaza

Israeli President Isaac Herzog praised "the commitment" of Donald Trump to the release of all Gaza prisoners, shortly after the American president openly threatened Hamas following a meeting in Washington with former hostages and relatives of Americans still held captive.

Herzog thanked his American counterpart for "hearing the cries of our sisters and brothers."

"Whoever saves a single life, saves an entire world," he wrote on X, citing a passage from the Bible.

Occupied West Bank

Israeli forces continue to demolish homes and infrastructure around Tulkarem in the northern West Bank, according to Wafa news agency. The Israeli military also demolished several residential buildings in al-Manshiyya in the Nour Shams refugee camp on the outskirts of the city after destroying 17 houses the day before.

Earlier in the week, Israeli troops demolished 11 houses in the Tulkarem camp, where a siege was imposed to prevent entry and exit, the Palestinian news agency reported.

Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the cease-fire and said that mediators are still working to pressure Israel to begin the second phase of the agreement. "The best way to free the remaining Israeli prisoners is through negotiations on the second phase," said Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua, according to Al Jazeera. These discussions were supposed to begin in early February, but only limited preparatory talks have occurred so far.

The initial version of the agreement calls for the gradual release of the remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for a larger number of Palestinian prisoners, a permanent cease-fire, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Israel supports a new plan where Hamas would release half of the remaining captives immediately, with the rest released once a permanent cease-fire is negotiated. Hamas rejected this proposal, insisting it will adhere to the agreement signed in January.

An Israeli airstrike killed at least one Palestinian and wounded several others in the Shuja'iya neighborhood in eastern Gaza City, according to Al Jazeera. The Israeli army radio confirmed the attack, stating that "the air force carried out a raid on a target in the Shuja'iya neighborhood in northern Gaza a short time ago."

Gaza

At the conclusion of a closed-door meeting of the United Nations Security Council, five European members urged Israel to immediately allow the entry of food and other products into the Gaza Strip. Israel has been blocking humanitarian aid to the enclave since the end of the first phase of the cease-fire last Saturday.

France, Greece, the United Kingdom, Slovenia and Denmark called on Israel to find a way to move to the second phase of the cease-fire and praised regional efforts to reach an agreement on a reconstruction plan for Gaza.

Israeli Ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, countered during the meeting, stating that "Hamas and the Palestinians in Gaza are not in distress" because thousands of aid trucks had entered Gaza during the first phase of the cease-fire. "Those who are starving are our hostages," he said.

Gaza

The French government stated that Hamas should be "completely excluded" from the governance of the Gaza Strip, referencing the Egyptian plan adopted at the Arab League summit on Tuesday, according to AFP.

South Lebanon

An Israeli fighter jet fired a stun grenade at a shepherd on the outskirts of Rmeish (Bint Jbeil). The man was wounded, according to our correspondent.

Bekaa

Israeli reconnaissance aircraft flew over Bekaa, according to our correspondent.

Gaza

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz promised on Thursday that Israel would engage in fighting of “unprecedented intensity” if efforts to free Israeli hostages held in Gaza failed, according to Haaretz.

An Israeli drone flies above Sour's port.

Gaza

Egyptian sources said that a U.S. envoy held talks with Hamas leaders and mediators from Egypt and Qatar overnight. According to the sources the discussions ended positively and indicate a near transition to the second stage of a cease-fire with Israel, Reuters reported.

The sides discussed governance in Gaza after the war, including names of those who would manage the territory, according to the sources.

South Lebanon

Six Israeli drones continue to fly loudly at low altitudes over Jibsheet, Dweir, Toul, Harouf, Abba, Sharqieh and Zebdin, in the Nabatieh district, reports our correspondent. Drones have also been spotted over Sour and the surrounding area.

South Lebanon

An Israeli drone fired two stun bombs near Burj al-Moulouk, in the Marjayoun district, where residents were inspecting their homes, reports our correspondent. No casualties were reported.

Gaza

An Israeli official told the New York Times that Israel had not been informed of direct talks between the United States and Hamas through what was described as “other channels.”

According to the article, the talks took place in Doha, Qatar, and were led by U.S. hostage envoy Adam Boehler. The talks discussed the release of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, who is believed to still be alive, as well as the transfer of the bodies of four American hostages.

Gaza

Hamas spokesman in Gaza Hazem Kassem said that U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated threats “endanger the cease-fire,” adding that the hostages will only be released through negotiations.

“If he wants to free the hostages, he must pressure Netanyahu to start negotiations on the second stage of the agreement,” Kassem said, quoted by Haaretz.

Kassem noted that the organization fears that Israel “will use Trump's statements to intensify the blockade on Gaza and intensify its policy of starving its population.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed that Trump's threats were serious. "He doesn't say these things if he doesn't mean them, as people can see around the world. If he says he's going to do something, he's going to do it," he said on Fox News. "So they [Hamas] better take him seriously."

The threats from the U.S. president, who met Wednesday with eight hostages released from Gaza, come on the same day that both the U.S. and Hamas confirmed direct contacts.

Gaza

These unprecedented consultations between Washington and Hamas broke a long-standing policy in which the U.S. refused direct talks with groups it considers terrorists, including Hamas (classified as a terrorist organization in 1997).

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the U.S. special envoy for hostages, Adam Boehler, "is engaged in these negotiations, and has the authority to speak to anyone." She declined to provide details, citing "American lives at stake," but indicated that Israel had been "consulted," which was later confirmed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.

A Hamas official, speaking anonymously to AFP, mentioned "two direct meetings between Hamas and U.S. officials in recent days in Doha."

Gaza

Meanwhile, Israel's new army chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, stated yesterday that the mission to defeat Hamas in Gaza is "not yet finished."

"Hamas has suffered a major blow, but it is not yet defeated," said Lieutenant General Zamir, while Netanyahu expressed his determination to "win."

Gaza

At a meeting in Cairo on Tuesday, Arab leaders adopted a plan for Gaza's reconstruction that effectively sidelines Hamas and foresees a return of the Palestinian Authority, which was ousted from the territory by Hamas in 2007. However, Israel rejected the plan.

According to Egypt, the plan ensures that the people of Gaza remain on their land, responding to U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to expel them to Egypt and Jordan and turn the territory into the "Riviera of the Middle East."

South Lebanon

After a new Israeli drone strike in Ras al-Naqoura yesterday, the situation appears relatively calm this morning in southern Lebanon, except for Israeli drone overflights. Drones are flying at low altitudes over Nabatieh and Zawtar al-Sharqieh, as well as over Saida and its Palestinian refugee camps, according to our correspondent in the region.

Good morning. Thank you for joining us for today's live coverage of the cease-fires in Lebanon and Gaza and the events of the region. Make sure to read today's Morning Brief to get caught up on yesterday's key events.

Gaza

U.S. President Donald Trump issued a "final warning" to Hamas overnight, urging them to release the hostages, or else the "people of Gaza" risk "death," on the same day Washington confirmed direct contact with the Palestinian movement.

"To the people of Gaza: a bright future awaits you, but not if you keep hostages. If you do, you're DEAD! Make the RIGHT decision," the U.S. president threatened in a message on his Truth Social platform.

He also stated he was sending Israel "everything it needs to finish the job" in Gaza, emphasizing that "no member of Hamas will be safe if you don’t do what I say," as the cease-fire in Gaza appears threatened. "Now is the time to leave Gaza, while you still can," he added, addressing Hamas leaders.