Hamas ready to free Israeli American hostage, return remains of four other binational hostages | LIVE

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Syrian soldiers launched rockets and fired at the village of Musharrafeh in Hermel, on the Lebanese side, in the evening, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the Bekaa.

The UN Security Council, condemning the recent "massacres" of civilians in western Syria, called on the transitional authorities on Friday to protect "all Syrians without distinction," regardless of their ethnicity, religion or belief.

The G7 called for the resumption of "unhindered" humanitarian aid to Gaza and a permanent cease-fire, in a statement after three days of talks between foreign ministers in Canada. On March 2, Israel announced its decision to block the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza amid disagreements with the Islamist movement Hamas over the continued implementation of the cease-fire agreement.

Nabatieh Governor Hwaida Turk met in her office the commander of UNIFIL's Eastern Sector, General Fernando Ruiz Gómez, in the presence of the head of the army intelligence office in Nabatieh, Ali Ismail.

"The meeting focused on the situation in southern villages following the Israeli army's attacks and the massive destruction they caused," the National News Agency reported. "It also addressed the importance of strengthening the cooperation mechanism between UNIFIL, the Mohafazat, municipalities, and civil society in order to support citizens." 

Turk stressed "the importance of UNIFIL's role in ensuring stability in the region" as well as "the need to put an end to the enemy's daily attacks on citizens."

Iraq

A senior Islamic State leader responsible for "external operations" and targeted by U.S. sanctions has been killed by Iraqi security forces, Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani said Friday, according to AFP.

Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Roufayi "was considered one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and the world," Sudani wrote on X.

The jihadist, who had been under U.S. sanctions since summer 2023, also served as the group's governor for provinces in Syria and Iraq, the prime minister said.

Gaza

Israel accused Hamas of "not budging an inch" in cease-fire negotiations for Gaza, dismissing the group's offer to release one hostage and return the bodies of four others as "psychological warfare," AFP reported.

"While Israel has accepted the framework [presented by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff], Hamas remains steadfast in its refusal and has not moved an inch," said a statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing Hamas of continuing to use "manipulation and psychological warfare."

Gaza

An Israeli strike killed four people in Gaza, rescue workers reported to Reuters.

Gaza cease-fire

Hamas announced it is ready to release an Israeli-American hostage and return the remains of four other binational hostages, as part of an agreement to discuss the follow-up to the truce with Israel in the Gaza Strip.

“Yesterday [Thursday], the Hamas delegation received a proposal from the mediators to resume negotiations. Responsibly, the movement responded positively and submitted its response this morning, [signifying] its agreement to the release of Israeli soldier Idan Alexander, who holds U.S. nationality, in addition to [the return] of the bodies of four other binational [hostages],” a statement said. A Hamas leader told AFP that the four bodies were those of the Israeli American hostages.

South Lebanon

The Israeli army fired automatic weapons from its position in Tallet al-Hamames, south of Khiam, in the direction of fields in the Wazzani area. The shots killed several goats and sheep grazing in the area, according to our correspondent.

Syria

The United Nations' special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, said on Friday that the time had come for a “genuine, credible and inclusive transitional government” after taking note of the constitutional declaration issued by the interim authorities.

Pedersen “hopes that this [declaration] will help steer Syria towards the restoration of the rule of law and foster an orderly and inclusive transition,” according to a statement, reported by Reuters.

Syria/Israel

A delegation of Syrian Druze sheikhs crossed the cease-fire line on the Golan Heights for a pilgrimage to Israel, a first for Syrian Druze since the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, AFP journalists observed.

Aboard three buses escorted by Israeli military vehicles, the clerics crossed the line at Majdal Shams, in the part of the Golan occupied by Israel, and are due to travel north to a site revered by their community and meet the religious leader of the Druze in Israel, Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, according to a source close to the delegation.

Palestine

The head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warned that if the financially struggling agency were to collapse, an entire generation of children would be deprived of education, “sowing the seeds of greater extremism.”

UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said the organization was facing an extremely tight financial situation, cautioning that there was a “real risk of the agency collapsing and imploding.”

Syria/Israel

Dozens of Syrian Druze clerics traveled to Israel this morning for a religious pilgrimage, marking the first such visit since the creation of the Israeli state in 1948, according to an AFP correspondent in southern Syria.

About 60 Druze clerics gathered on the outskirts of Hader, a village located in the demilitarized buffer zone between Syria and Israel on the Golan Heights, under the watch of Israeli soldiers who have recently deployed in the area, the correspondent said.

Nuclear Iran

China, Iran, and Russia have called for the lifting of sanctions on Tehran during trilateral talks in Beijing, as Washington increases pressure over Iran’s nuclear program.

Following a meeting with his Russian and Iranian counterparts, Sergei Ryabkov and Kazem Gharibabadi, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu said the three had “conducted an in-depth exchange of views on nuclear issues and sanctions relief,” according to remarks reported by AFP.

The officials “stressed the need to end all illegal unilateral sanctions,” Ma said, standing alongside the other two vice ministers. His comments echoed a joint China-Russia-Iran statement released by Beijing.

Syria

The situation was particularly eventful in Syria on Wednesday, where Syria’s interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, hailed a “new chapter in the country’s history” as he signed a constitutional declaration for a five-year transitional period, guaranteeing, among other things, freedom of expression and women’s rights.

"This is a new page in Syria’s history, where we replace injustice with justice (…) and suffering with mercy," Sharaa said after a spokesperson for the committee read out the constitutional declaration.

Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes struck the outskirts of Damascus, with the military saying it targeted a Palestinian Islamic Jihad facility.

Gaza

The United States and Israel have contacted officials from three East African countries to discuss using their territories as potential destinations for displaced Palestinians from Gaza, as part of the postwar plan proposed by former President Donald Trump, according to U.S. and Israeli officials cited by the Associated Press (AP).

The three territories in question are Sudan, Somalia, and the breakaway Somali region of Somaliland, according to AP. Given that these areas are impoverished and, in some cases, plagued by violence, the proposal also raises questions about Trump’s stated goal of relocating Palestinians to a "beautiful region," the agency reported.

Sudanese officials said they rejected U.S. overtures, while Somali and Somaliland officials told AP they were unaware of any such contacts.

Gaza

Hamas reiterated Wednesday evening its demand for the Israeli military to withdraw from southern Gaza, accusing Israel of attempting to bypass the terms of the ongoing cease-fire as negotiations for a new phase continue in Doha.

"Media reports indicate that new proposals are being put forward to circumvent the agreement" that led to a cease-fire on Jan. 19, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told AFP. "Meetings with mediators in Doha are continuing" to overcome disagreements over the second phase of the deal, he said. "We remain committed to what was agreed upon and to the implementation of the second phase (…) with a commitment to no return to war and a full withdrawal from Gaza by the Israeli military."

Lebanon

The situation appears relatively calm this morning in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley after two Israeli airstrikes hit Janta, near the Lebanon-Syria border, on Wednesday evening. The Israeli military said it had targeted "Hezbollah infrastructure" in the area, which has frequently been hit by air raids.

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