A French patrol from UNIFIL targeted by gunfire from an Israeli position in South Lebanon | LIVE

Israeli army claims an attack in Khan Younis

The Israeli army announced it had attacked “a mortar launch site” located in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, after three mortar shells targeting Israeli soldiers deployed in the area were reported earlier in the day.

The army later issued evacuation orders for several peripheral neighborhoods in the area from which the mortars were reportedly fired, with no casualties reported among the Israeli ranks.

A patrol from the French battalion of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) came under fire from an Israeli position near Rmeich in southern Lebanon. The incident occurred while the peacekeepers were inspecting an earthen embankment erected by Israeli troops in the Wadi Qatmoun area, on the outskirts of the border village of Rmeich (Bint Jbeil district), according to the National News Agency (NNA).

Earlier, Israeli soldiers opened fire with machine guns on the eastern neighborhoods of the border village of Kfar Shuba (Hasbaya district), damaging houses and cars, NNA reported. Additionally, Israeli warplanes broke the sound barrier over the western Bekaa Valley earlier in the afternoon.

The Hamas group has released a new video on its Telegram channel featuring an Israeli hostage, Elkana Bohbot, urging the Israeli government to secure his release. In the nearly four-minute video, Bohbot states, “You must understand that we are in a very difficult situation. We are being bombed 24 hours a day.” The video ends with the caption: “Only a cease-fire will bring them back alive.” 

This marks the second time that 36-year-old Bohbot has appeared in a video published by Hamas, following a previous appearance alongside another detainee, Yosef Chaim Ohana, last Monday.

Release of hostages and cease-fire in Gaza

Hamas has accepted the Egyptian proposal to release five living hostages in exchange for extending the cease-fire in Gaza until after Passover and opening negotiations for a long-term cease-fire, according to an Israeli official, as reported by Axios journalist Barak Ravid.

The official stated that the Egyptian proposal is very similar to the one presented by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff a few weeks ago during negotiations in Doha, which Hamas had rejected at that time. The source also noted that the text could potentially include the release of deceased hostages.

Both the Egyptian proposal and another one put forward by Qatar and the United States were discussed Thursday in Doha between representatives of Hamas and senior Egyptian and Qatari officials. The Israeli official mentioned that Israel would likely submit a counterproposal to the position presented by Hamas. This issue is expected to be discussed at a meeting of the political and security cabinet later today.

The Israeli official indicated that an agreement would not be reached before Fitr, which is expected to begin on Sunday or Monday, but a deal could potentially be reached before Passover.

At least 21 killed in Gaza by Israeli airstrikes since dawn

At least 21 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip since dawn, including 13 in the southern part of the enclave, according to medical sources who spoke to Al Jazeera.

The death toll since the resumption of the Israeli offensive on March 18 against Gaza now stands at least 921 people and 2,054 injured, according to the Ministry of Health in the enclave.

Three women among the 6 Palestinians killed by Israeli airstrikes in Beit Lahia

The Palestinian news agency Wafa reports that six Palestinians, including three women, were killed in an Israeli bombing targeting the town of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza Strip.

Israeli artillery has been targeting several remaining residential buildings in the area since this morning, according to witnesses cited by Al Jazeera, who also added that bulldozers are demolishing a large portion of the agricultural land in the region.

The death toll from Israeli attacks on the Palestinian enclave today has now risen to at least 11 victims, following the five deaths earlier this morning near Khan Younis.

Paris and Washington warn of increased risk of attacks in Syria

French and American authorities have warned their citizens of a heightened risk of attacks during Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, in the coming days. Read more here.

Mortar fire targets Israeli army in Khan Younis

The Israeli army stated in a press release that three mortar shells targeted its troops stationed on the outskirts of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, according to Al Jazeera.

No casualties were reported, the Israeli army said. Additionally, an Israeli armored vehicle hit an explosive device in the same area, also without causing casualties.

Israeli army issues new warnings against southern Gaza Strip

The Israeli army’s Arabic-speaking spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, issued evacuation orders on X today, warning of upcoming airstrikes in several neighborhoods of Rafah, in southern Gaza.

“To all residents of Abasan, al-Qarara and Khirbet Khouzaa: For your safety, you must immediately move west toward the shelters in the Mawasi area,” he wrote, claiming that Hamas and Islamic Jihad use these areas to “launch rockets from civilian zones.”

Ongoing negotiations for a “temporary truce” in Gaza ahead of Eid al-Fitr

Hamas spokesperson Bassem Naim suggested that negotiations for a new truce in Gaza, set to begin tomorrow night, are underway ahead of Eid al-Fitr, with Egyptian mediation seeking to establish a temporary cease-fire during the festivities as part of a broader agreement.

“We hope the coming days will bring real progress in the war situation following intensified contact with mediators in recent days,” Naim said in a statement, adding that the current proposal aims to restart “negotiations on the second phase, which should lead to a complete end to the war and the withdrawal of occupation forces.”

Reports about a possible truce coinciding with the end of Ramadan were also published in the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, citing Egyptian sources. According to them, Cairo has presented “realistic” proposals, backed by the U.S. and Qatar, to speed up discussions on hostage releases and a Gaza cease-fire.

The Egyptian plan calls for a temporary cease-fire of about 50 days in exchange for the release of five Israeli hostages and an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners. It also includes increased deliveries of food, medical supplies and other essential goods.

The main sticking point remains the issue of Palestinian prisoners and the mechanism for delivering humanitarian aid. “The Israeli government maintains demands that mediators consider unrealistic, hindering any concrete progress,” one source said. While Hamas has not yet officially responded to the proposal, leaks suggest it may be willing to accept the terms, provided there are guarantees for moving to the second phase of the mid-January agreement aimed at a total cessation of hostilities.

Sharaa meets representatives of Syria's Shiite community

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa met representatives of Syria's Shiite community for over two hours on Friday, reports Al-Modon, following meetings held with representatives of components of Syrian society, including various religious minorities.

Read more here.

Occupied West Bank

The Jenin municipality claimed that the city's refugee camp has become “completely uninhabitable” following the 68-day siege imposed by the Israeli army, which has resulted in the destruction of around 600 homes out of the camp's 360,000 inhabitants, reports Al Jazeera.

More than 4,000 Palestinian families remain displaced after being forcibly evicted from the Tulkarem and Nour Chams camps, where around 3,000 homes have been destroyed and 13 Palestinians, including a pregnant woman, have been killed, adds the Qatari media.

At least 99 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank since the beginning of January as a result of the Israeli army's “Operation Iron Wall” offensive, 60 percent of them in the Jenin and Nour Chams camps, according to the U.N.

Palestinian Red Crescent member's body found “dismembered” in Gaza, 14 rescue workers still missing

After declaring last Sunday that it had no news of 14 of its rescue workers who had gone to the Tal al-Sultan district of Rafah, the Palestine Red Crescent announced this morning that one of its teams had found the four ambulances used during their intervention “completely destroyed and buried in the sand,” as well as the “dismembered” body of the head of mission, Anouar Abdel Hamid al-Attar, reports Al Jazeera.

The organization adds that the 13 rescue workers who were with him are still “missing,” and accuses Israel of “deliberately obstructing search efforts” to find them. “The Red Crescent expresses its deep concern for the safety of its teams and holds the Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible for their fate,” it wrote in a statement on X.

For its part, the Israeli army acknowledged attacking ambulances and fire trucks in the south of the Gaza Strip, after identifying them as “suspicious vehicles.”

“After an initial investigation, it was determined that some of the suspect vehicles were ambulances and fire trucks,” the troop wrote in a statement, condemning "the repeated use by terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip of ambulances for terrorist purposes."

Naim Qassem to speak this evening on the occasion of “Jerusalem Day”

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem will give a speech this evening at 8:30 p.m. on the occasion of “Jerusalem Day,” an annual commemoration held on the last Friday of Ramadan to express solidarity with Palestine.

Ahmad al-Sharaa denounces Israeli occupation of Syrian territory

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa yesterday stressed that the Israeli occupation of Syrian territory, particularly in the occupied Golan Heights, represents “a permanent threat to regional peace and security and complicates the security situation in the region.”

He also noted that the situation on the southern border is “a constant source of concern for the Syrian government.”

“Israeli military operations, including aerial bombardments in the southern regions, directly affect the lives of civilians and constitute a serious threat to Syrian sovereignty,” he denounced. He added that these security challenges require urgent attention from all parties concerned.

Stun grenades dropped on South Lebanon

The Israeli army dropped two stun grenades on Yaroun (Bint Jbeil), without causing any injuries, according to our correspondent.

Tense calm in South Lebanon

A fragile calm prevails this morning in South Lebanon. According to our correspondent, Israeli drones are flying at low altitude over the region and can be clearly heard as far as Saida.

Late Friday, after 11 p.m., heavy machine-gun fire was heard from Roueissat al-Alam to Kfar Shuba (Hasbaya), our South Lebanon correspondent reported.

Paris condemns Israeli strikes in Lebanon and rocket fire on Israel in a revised statement

"France views with great concern the resumption of Israeli strikes in Lebanon. It strongly condemns the rocket fire toward Israel from Lebanese territory on the morning of March 28, which led to the ongoing Israeli response," the French presidency said in a statement.

The statement followed remarks by President Emmanuel Macron during a press conference at the Élysée with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, where Macron initially claimed he was unaware of "Hezbollah strikes or military activity in South Lebanon toward Israel."

France urged "all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid a dangerous escalation that threatens the cease-fire reached on Nov. 26, 2024, as international efforts continue to fulfill commitments made under the agreement." It also called on Israel to "show restraint in its response and spare civilians."

"France remains committed to implementing the cease-fire and continues high-level discussions with its American, Israeli, and Lebanese partners," the statement added.

Death toll from Israeli strikes in Gaza rises

At least 921 Palestinians have been killed and 2,054 others wounded since Israel resumed its war on Gaza, according to the latest figures from the enclave’s Health Ministry.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, the Palestinian death toll has reached 50,277, with 114,095 wounded. The ministry said 25 people were killed in the past 24 hours, and 70 were taken to hospitals.

On Saturday morning, at least four more Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on tents in a displaced persons' camp in Qizan al-Najjar, near Khan Younis in southern Gaza, with several others injured, Al Jazeera reported.

New U.S. strikes in Yemen kill at least one person

A new wave of U.S. airstrikes hit Yemen overnight from Friday to Saturday, killing at least one civilian, according to the Houthi-run SABA news agency.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement posted on X that the strikes targeted "Houthi sites," including a "major military facility" in the heart of Sanaa, the Yemeni capital.

The extent of the damage and potential casualties is still being assessed. The strikes follow an earlier round on Friday as part of the U.S. military campaign against Yemeni rebels launched on March 15.

Israeli settlers attack Palestinians in Masafer Yatta, occupied West Bank: Four injured, more than 20 residents arrested

Israeli settlers attacked and wounded six residents of the Palestinian village of Jinba in Masafer Yatta, the filming location of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land in the southern Hebron Hills of the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian residents cited by Haaretz.

Four of the injured were taken to the hospital, and two required surgery, including a 15-year-old who was admitted to intensive care. Israeli soldiers who arrived at the scene then arrested all the men in the village, more than 20 Palestinians, the Israeli outlet reported.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the attack in a statement, saying it was "carried out under the protection and supervision" of Israeli forces and called for international action.

"Settlers brutally assaulted several Palestinian shepherds to expel them and forcibly depopulate the entire area of its Palestinian residents. This is one of the most blatant forms of ethnic cleansing targeting Palestinians," the statement said.

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of developments in the Middle East, namely in Lebanon, where the Israeli army struck the southern suburbs of Beirut and shelled the South on Friday after unclaimed rocket fire hit northern Israel.

Israeli strike hits building in Hadath, southern Beirut suburbs

Four months after a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah ended open conflict on Oct. 8, 2023, Israel struck the southern suburbs of Beirut on Friday, the first such attack since the truce was declared.

After several warning shots, the Israeli air force targeted a building in Hadath, where residents had been urged to evacuate an hour earlier.

Hezbollah denies involvement in rocket fire from South Lebanon

Hezbollah denied any involvement in rocket fire launched from South Lebanon toward Israel, stating that it "respects the cease-fire agreement." The party accused Israel of trying to "create suspicious pretexts to continue its aggression against Lebanon."

From Paris, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called on the international community to "end these attacks and force Israel to respect the agreement, as Lebanon has committed to doing."