Lebanese officials urge implementation of Resolution 1701 in front of Ortagus; Netanyahu heads to Washington Monday | Live

Meeting between commander of UNIFIL western sector and Mayor of Bazourieh (Tyre District)

The Commander of the Western Sector of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Nicola Mandolesi, met with the Mayor of Bazourié, Bahij el-Husseini, as announced in a statement by UNIFIL. Bazourieh is a village located near the city of Tyre in Southern Lebanon.

UNIFIL specified that this meeting is part of its "ongoing efforts to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701."

During the meeting, the mayor emphasized the "growing concern among citizens about their security," highlighting their fears of "moving through the streets due to the continuous violations" of the cease-fire agreement by the Israeli army, as reported by the National News Agency (ANI, official).

For his part, Mandolesi reiterated "UNIFIL's continued support for the civilian population, with the aim of helping them return to normal life and restoring security."

Inspection and massive deployment of the Lebanese Army at the Lebanon-Syria border

The Commander-in-Chief of the Lebanese Army, General Rodolphe Haykal, inspected the units of the Land Border Regiment deployed along the Lebanon-Syria border in northern Bekaa and northern Hermel, reports our correspondent in the region, Sarah Abdallah. The inspection visit began in the afternoon at the 2nd Land Border Regiment barracks in Ras Baalbek, where the general arrived by military helicopter.

This visit was accompanied by a large-scale deployment of the army along the international road, at the entrances of villages and towns extending from Ras Baalbek to Qaa, and up to the vicinity of the Lebanon-Syria border, according to our correspondent.

Hezbollah Disarmament: Geagea Urges Government to Take a "Clear and Frank" Position

Samir Geagea, leader of the Lebanese Forces (LF), has once again called for the disarmament of Hezbollah throughout Lebanon, not just south of the Litani River, urging the government to adopt a "clear and frank" stance on the issue.

Disarmament of Hezbollah: Geagea urges government to take a 'clear and frank' stance

Disarmament of Hezbollah: Geagea urges government to take a 'clear and frank' stance

Netanyahu in Washington on Monday

A White House official confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Washington on Monday, Reuters reports. On Friday, the U.S. news site Axios reported this possibility, explaining that Netanyahu wishes to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss the tariffs imposed by the latter, as well as the Iranian nuclear issue and the war in Gaza, according to journalist Barak Ravid's information.

Positive outcome of Ortagus meeting with Lebanese officials

U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus, Special Assistant to President Donald Trump for Middle East Peace, held positive meetings with Lebanese officials.

According to information obtained by L'Orient Today, Lebanon proposed the establishment of a military technical committee or "shuttle diplomacy" to resolve pending issues with Israel and the border dispute.

South Lebanon

A mortar shell was fired from the Israeli side towards Kfar Kila, in South Lebanon, according to our correspondent.

An Israeli drone also dropped a stun grenade on the old cemetery of the village and another bomb on the village.

Iran willing to negotiate "on equal footing" with the US on nuclear issue

"Iran's Islamic Republic wants to engage in dialogue on equal terms," stated Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian on Saturday during a meeting, according to remarks reported by the Iranian presidency. He did not clarify whether Tehran would accept direct talks as suggested by U.S. President Donald Trump, AFP reported.

"If we want to negotiate, why threaten?" Pezeshkian asked on Saturday. "Today, America is humiliating not only Iran but the entire world," he pointed out, possibly referring to the tariffs imposed by Trump on U.S. allies, AFP reported.

A video shows the final moments of the paramedics killed, according to Palestinian Red Crescent.

A video recovered from the phone of a paramedic killed along with others in March in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent, shows their ambulances with clearly identifiable markings and flashing lights, accompanied by the sound of heavy gunfire.

On March 23, 15 paramedics and humanitarian workers were killed by Israeli gunfire in Rafah, southern Gaza, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent and the U.N., which condemned an "unlimited war" in the Palestinian territory caught in the conflict between Hamas and Israel. The victims included eight members of the Palestinian Red Crescent, six members of Gaza's Civil Defense agency, and one U.N. worker.

60 Palestinians were killed in the last 24 hours in Gaza

Hamas Health Ministry reported that, in the past 24 hours, 60 people were killed and 162 others injured in the Gaza Strip.

Since the collapse of the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas on March 18, 1,309 people have been killed and 3,184 injured.

Yemen

U.S. President Donald Trump posted a video yesterday allegedly showing dozens of Houthi fighters killed in a U.S. strike in Yemen, captioned with an "oops" on his Truth Social network, according to AFP.

The black-and-white images, taken from an aerial view—likely filmed by a military drone—show several dozen people gathered in a circle, first in the crosshairs, then bombed. Thick smoke follows, and the camera then shows the bombed site, with nothing remaining except a few cars.

"These Houthis had gathered to receive instructions on an attack," Trump wrote under the video. "Oops, there will be no attacks made by these Houthis. They will never sink our ships again!" he added.

No normalization with Israel, says Hezbollah MP

Hezbollah MP Ali Fayad condemned Israel's ongoing aggressions against Lebanon and expressed his opposition to normalization with Israel.

During the funerals of Hezbollah members in Adaisseh, South Lebanon, he emphasized "the importance of unity in Lebanon's stance in the face of these threats." "We affirm that there will be no surrender, capitulation, or normalization," he continued, reiterating his commitment to Lebanon's sovereignty.

"The enemy is practicing a policy of assassination, provocation, and escalation, aiming to force us to accept this situation or to be drawn into a new war. We will not accept this, and we do not want to return to war," the MP stressed. "We are aware of Lebanon's interests and are acting accordingly. We hope that Lebanon's position remains unified and harmonious — state, government, army, and resistance — because Lebanon, its state, its people, and its land are under threat, and everyone is in the same boat," he added.

According to Ali Fayad, "The solution is clear and simple: the Israeli enemy must withdraw from our territory and cease all forms of hostility. In return, we fully commit to respecting Resolution 1701, its provisions, and its mechanisms, including the cease-fire."

Hassan Farhat, a Hamas official in Lebanon, was assassinated by Israel on April 4, 2025, in Sidon, South Lebanon. Photo circulating on social media.

Visit of the U.S. envoy comes just hours after an Israeli airstrike in the heart of Sidon, late Thursday night into Friday, which killed Hamas official Hassan Farhat and his two children.

American envoy Morgan Ortagus meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. Photo X/@LBpresidency

Mortagus on a tour with Lebanese officials

U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus arrived yesterday in Beirut and held talks this morning with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. She was then received by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

This is her second visit to Beirut since taking office. According to our information, Morgan Ortagus will take a firm stance, demanding a clear timetable for the disarmament of Hezbollah and asserting the authority of the Lebanese state over its entire territory.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the situation in Lebanon and the rest of the Middle East.

We will cover the situation in Gaza, where the Israeli army is intensifying its strikes, as well as in Israel, the occupied West Bank, Yemen, and Syria.