Israel/Lebanon
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that the Israeli army will respond to fire from Lebanon and that any further violation of the cease-fire will be met with force. His remarks came after bullets, allegedly fired from Lebanon according to the Israeli army, struck the windshield of a vehicle in the border town of Avivim.
Earlier in the day, Israel Katz warned Israel's enemies against any attempt to test Tel Aviv’s "decisive" defense capabilities and confirmed that the Iron Beam laser air defense system is almost operational during a visit to the Rafael defense technology company.
Photo shared by our correspondent Muntasser Abdallah
South Lebanon
Israeli fighter jets launched an airstrike on the outskirts of the town of Ain Ata, in the Bint Jbeil district, according to our correspondent.
Yemen
The Houthis have claimed responsibility for a strike on a U.S. aircraft carrier using ballistic missiles and drones in the Red Sea, though they have provided no evidence so far, Reuters reports.
According to the rebels' statement, relayed by Wafa News, the targeted vessel is allegedly the USS Harry S. Truman.
Yemen
"They’d better back down," U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned the Houthis, stating that U.S. forces would continue attacking the Yemeni rebel group until they announce the end of their attacks on ships and drones linked to Israel and the United States.
"As soon as the Houthis say: 'We are stopping our fire on your ships and drones,' this campaign will end. But until then, it will be relentless," Hegseth cautioned during an interview with Fox News.
"This is about stopping the attacks on ships in this critical waterway, restoring freedom of navigation — a fundamental national interest of the United States. But Iran has allowed the Houthis to act for far too long," he stated.
Yemen
"They’d better back down," U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned the Houthis, stating that U.S. forces would continue attacking the Yemeni rebel group until they announce the end of their attacks on ships and drones linked to Israel and the United States.
"As soon as the Houthis say: 'We are stopping our fire on your ships and drones,' this campaign will end. But until then, it will be relentless," Hegseth cautioned during an interview with Fox News.
"This is about stopping the attacks on ships in this critical waterway, restoring freedom of navigation— a fundamental national interest of the United States. But Iran has allowed the Houthis to act for far too long," he stated.
Israel
The Israeli police have decided to open an investigation into former Shin Bet security agency chief Nadav Argaman after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu filed a complaint against him on Friday, according to Haaretz.
In an interview last week, Argaman stated that if Netanyahu broke the law, he would reveal "everything he knows about him." Netanyahu has accused Argaman of blackmail and violations of the Shin Bet law, which prohibits employees of the organization from disclosing information obtained during their work.
Lebanon/Israel
An Israeli vehicle was hit this afternoon by gunfire from Lebanon in the kibbutz of Avivim, which faces the Lebanese village of Maroun al-Ras (Bint Jbeil district), without causing any injuries, according to several Israeli media outlets.
The Israeli army's Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, stated in a communiqué published on X that "it appears the gunfire originated from inside Lebanon, where Israeli forces are sweeping the area."
"Gunfire from Lebanon into Israeli territory constitutes a violation of the agreements between Israel and Lebanon," he concluded.
Gaza
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that an Israeli delegation is currently in Egypt to conduct negotiations with senior Egyptian officials regarding the Israeli hostages still held in the Gaza Strip, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, Hamas stated that a delegation from the Palestinian movement met with Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister in Doha, Haaretz reports.
Gaza
"No aid has entered Gaza since March 2," the date when Israeli authorities announced the suspension of humanitarian aid deliveries to the Palestinian enclave, the UNRWA denounced in a statement.
The UN agency also reminded that electricity in the Palestinian territory has been cut off since March 9, following a decision by the Israeli Minister of Energy and Infrastructure.
Furthermore, UNRWA reported that the ongoing Israeli military operation in several areas of the occupied West Bank has resulted in the deaths of more than 50 Palestinians and the displacement of over 35,000 people.
Gaza
The U.S. special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, revealed that recent negotiations with Hamas regarding a reconstruction plan for the Gaza Strip "ended badly," even as ceasefire talks continued in Doha, according to Haaretz.
"The recent experience at the Arab summit and Hamas's response were not encouraging," Witkoff said during CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday. "We presented a reasonable transition proposal, which would have included some form of Hamas demilitarization and potentially paved the way for a lasting peace resolution."
"However, Hamas put forward its own proposal," the envoy added. "And it essentially disavowed what we had discussed. It’s a rather poor ending."
"We are exploring all alternatives and options that could offer a better life for the people of Gaza and the Israeli people," he stated. "I hope they reconsider their decision, because the alternative is not very favorable for them."
Gaza
Israel Deputy and former Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot stated that Hamas has rebuilt its army and called for the Prime Minister to appear before a Knesset defense committee, according to Haaretz.
Gaza
The Ministry of Health in Gaza has released a new report on the number of casualties caused by the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip. In a statement, it announced a total of 29 deaths in the past 24 hours, including 14 new fatalities and 15 recovered bodies, as well as 51 injured individuals admitted to hospitals.
Since the beginning of the Gaza war, the confirmed number of people killed in Israeli attacks has risen to at least 48,572, with 112,032 wounded, according to the ministry.
Many victims remain trapped under the rubble, while Gaza's Government Media Office estimates the death toll to be over 61,000, stating that thousands of people missing beneath the ruins are now presumed dead.
Yemen
The Yemeni Houthis have declared that their “naval operations” will continue until the Gaza blockade is lifted and aid is delivered, according to Reuters.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also stated that Sunday’s strikes in Yemen were a “message to Iran” and emphasized that Washington’s goal was to “deprive the Houthis of the ability to restrict and control navigation” in the Red Sea.
Speaking on Face the Nation on CBS, Rubio claimed that the Houthis had attacked naval forces 174 times and commercial vessels 145 times. “We cannot ignore that the Iranians support the Houthis. They have provided intelligence, guidance, and weapons,” he asserted, according to remarks cited by Haaretz.
Lebanon/Syria
Four armed men, allegedly members of the new Syrian security forces, reportedly attempted to enter Lebanese territory this afternoon near the border town of al-Qasr (Baalbeck-Hermel district), according to our correspondent in the region, Sarah Abdallah.
They were repelled by a group of Lebanese clan fighters during clashes that left two dead and two wounded on the Lebanese side. The injured were transported to regional hospitals by the Lebanese Red Cross.
Meanwhile, the National News Agency (NNA) reported that the Lebanese Red Cross discovered three bodies near the “earthen embankment of the village of al-Qasr, close to Hermel Public Hospital,” and that the Lebanese General Security has launched an investigation into the incident.
Yemen
The strikes in Yemen have killed “several key Houthi leaders,” the White House stated on Sunday, warning Iran, the Yemeni rebel group’s backer, that “enough is enough.”
Yesterday’s strikes targeted “several Houthi leaders and eliminated them,” said National Security Advisor Mike Waltz on ABC. In a second interview on Fox News, he added that they were hit with “overwhelming force” and reiterated the warning to Iran that “enough is enough.”
South Lebanon
Contrary to reports circulated earlier in the day, no Lebanese citizen was injured by Israeli gunfire in the village of Ramieh, in the Bint Jbeil district, according to our correspondent in South Lebanon, Muntasser Abdallah, who contacted the local municipality. However, Israeli soldiers did throw a stun grenade in the area at one point during the day.
Yemen
The deputy U.S. envoy for the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus, warned the Houthis that the overnight U.S. airstrikes targeting multiple areas, including Sanaa, were a "warning," according to a post on X in which she shared remarks made on Sky News this Sunday.
"This is a warning to the Houthis and all terrorists: This is not the Biden administration. If you strike the United States, President Trump will hit back. President Trump is restoring American leadership and deterrence in the Middle East," the envoy wrote.
Gaza
Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 14 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, the Gaza Health Ministry said today.
Yesterday, an Israeli drone strike killed at least nine people, including three photographers, in Beit Lahiya, in the northern part of the enclave. The Israeli military justified the strike by stating that six of the nine victims were members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, claiming that some of the militants were operating "under the cover of journalists."
Salama Marouf, head of the Hamas government’s media office in Gaza, denied this claim, stating that it included names of people who were not killed in the strike. "This statement is based on inaccurate information spread on social media without fact-checking," he said.
Meanwhile, the director general of the international aid organization El-Kheir told Al Jazeera that eight of those killed were workers from his foundation.
Additionally, the Wafa news agency reported that another drone attack killed a 62-year-old Palestinian and injured several others in the Jouhor al-Dik neighborhood of Gaza City this morning, while two more people were killed in the same area last night.
Credit: Omar Haj Kadour / AFP
In this aerial photograph, flares are used as people gather to commemorate the 14th anniversary of the uprising against Syria's former President Bashar al-Assad in Homs, late on March 15, 2025.
Syria
Turkey will once again call on Brussels to lift sanctions against Syria "unconditionally and indefinitely" during the annual donor conference starting Monday, the Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday.
Ankara, an ally of the new Syrian authorities in power since Dec. 8, sees this as an essential measure to support "a comprehensive and peaceful transition" in its neighboring country, with which it shares a 910 km border. "Syria's economic security is essential for the stability and security of the country," the ministry stated in a communiqué.
"Economic opportunities and jobs must be created," and "sanctions must be lifted unconditionally and indefinitely," it emphasized.
Turkey, which still hosts nearly three million Syrian refugees, is also advocating for "the comprehensive reconstruction of the country to encourage returns."
Gaza
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have strongly condemned the joint decision by the United States and European countries to block Al-Aqsa TV, a Hamas-affiliated channel, The New Arab reported.
The decision to block Al-Aqsa TV was reportedly influenced by a complaint from Israel, leading the French satellite provider Eutelsat to suspend the channel’s transmission, according to the media outlet.
Various groups have called this decision a blatant attack on press freedom and a systematic suppression of the Palestinian narrative.
Credit: Jason Redmon / AFP
People hold signs as they protest the arrest of former Columbia University student activist Mahmoud Khalil and show support for Palestinians during a "Fight for Our Rights" demonstration by Shut It Down for Palestine (SID4P) and various local groups at the University of Washington campus in Seattle, Washington, on March 15, 2025. Mahmoud Khalil, one of the most prominent faces of Columbia University's protest movement that erupted in response to Israel's conduct of the war, was arrested on March 9, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on X.
Israel
Three new F-35I fighter jets landed last week at Nevatim Airbase, according to the Israeli military, as reported by Haaretz and The Times of Israel.
They will join the 166th Squadron, bringing the Israeli Air Force's F-35 fleet to 39 aircraft. These three jets are part of Israel’s initial order of 50 F-35s. An additional 25 were ordered last year.
The F-35 is a multi-role fighter jet produced by the American company Lockheed Martin. The F-35I is the customized version for the Israeli military.
Yemen/Lebanon
The Union of National and Nationalist Parties and Forces of the Bekaa condemned in a statement "the American-Western aggression against Yemen," which targeted residential areas in the capital, Sanaa, and other provinces, resulting in at least 31 deaths.
The two parties stated that "this attack targets Yemen due to its unwavering support for Gaza and Palestine, as well as its assertion that Palestine remains the paramount national cause."
"The U.S. support, in Israel’s name, for reprisals against the Yemeni people — who, despite siege and famine, have always supported Arab Palestine — represents the height of arrogance and blatant bias in favor of the Israeli occupation, constituting a violation of international laws," they added.
Palestine/Israel
Israel will impose new strict visa and registration rules for international aid organizations operating in the Palestinian territories, according to The Washington Post. The affected NGOs believe these restrictions endanger their staff, politicize their work, and hinder relief efforts in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The measures, announced by Israel this week, grant Israeli officials broad authority to deny the registration of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) providing assistance to Palestinians, based on a wide range of criteria.
Among these criteria: if an NGO or its employees have previously called for a boycott of Israel, denied its existence "as a Jewish and democratic state," or expressed support for legal action against Israeli citizens in international courts for acts committed while serving in the military or any security agency.
Aid groups are particularly concerned about a provision requiring them to submit the names, contact details and identification numbers of Palestinian employees — a measure Israel deems necessary to check for potential ties to militants. More than 300 humanitarian workers have been killed during the Gaza war, the majority of them Palestinians.
Registration in Israel is mandatory for international humanitarian organizations seeking access to the Palestinian territories — which are home to approximately 5 million people — and facilitates visas, permits, financial transactions and other essential logistics for large-scale aid operations. However, despite NGOs having operated in Israel for decades, this decision to restrict their activities comes as part of a broader Israeli effort to limit aid deliveries to Gaza and reduce the political and legal space in which humanitarian groups operate.
Yemen/Lebanon
Hezbollah condemned in a statement the "blatant U.S.-British aggression" against Yemen, which targeted residential neighborhoods in the capital, Sanaa, and other provinces, killing at least 31 people.
"This aggression is a desperate attempt to dissuade this proud people from continuing their heroic support for the Palestinian people and from maintaining pressure to lift the unjust siege on Gaza and allow humanitarian aid to be delivered," declared the party, a longtime ally of the Yemeni Houthi rebels.
"We also call on all Resistance forces in our region to speak with a strong voice against the Arab and international silence and the powerlessness of international institutions that submit to the American administration," the statement concluded.
Iran
Iranian Gen. Hossein Salami, commander of the Revolutionary Guard, stated that the Houthis “make their operational and strategic decisions independently,” according to Iranian state media cited by Reuters.
His statement comes a day after U.S. airstrikes targeted several Yemeni cities, killing at least 31 people, according to the Houthi Health Ministry. The strikes followed the Yemeni rebels’ announcement that they would resume attacks in the Red Sea against Israeli-linked ships. The Houthis have since warned that “this aggression will not go unanswered.”
At the same time, Salami warned that Tehran would respond “decisively and destructively” to any U.S. threat, following Donald Trump’s statement on Truth Social, in which the U.S. president openly warned Iran against supporting the Houthis.
Israel
A resident of a village in northern Israel was arrested last month on suspicion of planning an armed attack at Nablus Gate in Jerusalem, according to Israeli police and the Shin Bet, as reported today by Haaretz.
According to security agencies, Uday Mubarsham allegedly intended to attack police officers or Jewish civilians during Ramadan using a firearm, to express his identification with the Palestinian struggle if Muslim prayers were restricted on the Temple Mount during the festivities.
During his interrogation, Mubarsham admitted that he had illegally purchased a weapon, trained with it, and attempted to recruit others to carry out the attack.
The Shin Bet and Israeli police stated that the weapon was found at Mubarsham's brother’s home, who was also arrested. Other suspects, whom Mubarsham had allegedly tried to convince to join his plan, were also detained for questioning.
The Haifa District Attorney’s Office has filed charges against Mubarsham and his brother for aiding in hiding the weapon.
Southern Lebanon
Following an overnight airstrike that killed two people in Yater (Bint Jbeil district), the Israeli army carried out another attack this morning on a vehicle in Mais al-Jabal (Bint Jbeil), killing Hussein Mahmoud Taha, a Hezbollah member, according to a statement from the party announcing his "martyrdom."
According to our local correspondent Muntasser Abdallah, two of Taha's brothers, Mohsen and Hassan Taha, were killed months earlier in clashes with the Israeli army. Meanwhile, Israeli soldiers reportedly left one of their five positions still inside Lebanese territory, between Houla and Markaba (Marjayoun), to approach the cemetery and the destroyed mosque in Odaisseh, our correspondent reported. Other Israeli troops were seen crossing the border fence near Kfar Kila (Marjeyoun), remaining in Lebanese territory for several hours before returning across the Blue Line.
Additionally, Israeli machine gun and artillery fire was reported from Roueisat al-Alam, an Israeli position facing the Lebanese village of Kfar Shuba.
Yemen
Iran will retaliate against any attack, the head of the Revolutionary Guard, the country’s ideological army, warned Sunday, following threats from U.S. President Donald Trump over Tehran’s support for Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Regarding Gaza, Israel announced yesterday that it will continue indirect negotiations with Hamas over the fragile truce, but remains firm on its stance. Meanwhile, airstrikes in northern Gaza have killed nine people, including four journalists.
➡️ Everything you need to know here
In Syria, at least 16 people were killed Saturday in an accidental explosion of munitions in Latakia, in the west of the country, according to a new death toll released Sunday by the Syrian Civil Defense.
The incident comes just days after the massacres that occurred during clashes between fighters loyal to ousted former President Bashar al-Assad, who was overthrown on Dec. 8, and the new Syrian security forces established by the coalition of Islamist rebels that seized power.
➡️ Read more details on the explosion here
In Yemen, a Houthi official told the Qatari channel Al-Araby Al-Jadeed (The New Arab) that "the American aggression is unjustified and a violation of our sovereignty" and warned that "the response will be painful and deterrent."
Houthi official Abdul Majid al-Hanesh stated, "Washington will gain nothing from its aggression, and the resistance will continue until its last breath."
Referring to the Houthis' alignment with Gaza’s population, he added, "The siege and the attempt to starve our people will not bring peace. Negotiation channels can be opened... The Trump administration seeks revenge against Tehran by claiming Sanaa is an Iranian proxy, but our decisions are independent, and Iran's influence is minimal. We are in a state of legitimate self-defense."
➡️ All you need to know about last night's U.S. strikes in Yemen here
Southern Lebanon experienced a particularly tense night, less than a week after Beirut and Tel Aviv agreed to form three working groups to resolve major disputes and the Lebanese government discussed, for the first time, a timeline for Hezbollah's disarmament.
Two separate Israeli drone strikes killed two people in southern Lebanon, according to our local correspondent, Muntasser Abdallah. The airstrikes occurred around 2 a.m. in Yater, in the Bint Jbeil district, and later Sunday morning east of Mais al-Jabal, in Marjayoun. These were not the only incidents overnight.
➡️ Read more details here
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of developments in the Middle East under high tension, particularly in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories.
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