Lebanese soldier killed, three others injured in bomb blast in south Lebanon, army says | LIVE

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The Lebanese army announced that the Lebanese soldier killed in a bomb explosion in the Sour district, Fadi al-Jassem, was originally from Wadi Khaled (Akkar). Aged 42, he joined the army in 2008, at the age of 26. He was married and had two children.

Many journalist organizations in France have pointed to "a massacre of unprecedented magnitude" for their colleagues in Gaza, with nearly 200 deaths in 18 months, calling for rallies on Wednesday in Paris and Marseille.

"The Israeli army is seeking to impose a media blackout on Gaza, to silence, as much as possible, witnesses to the war crimes committed by its troops," criticize these organizations, including the journalists' unions SNJ, CGT and CFDT, Reporters Without Borders, the International Federation of Journalists, and some 40 journalists' societies or editorial offices of various media outlets, including AFP.

"This desire to obstruct information is also reflected in the Israeli government's refusal to allow the foreign press to enter the Gaza Strip," they emphasize in this article published by Le Monde.

These organizations are calling for simultaneous rallies on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in front of the Bastille Opera in Paris and at the Old Port in Marseille.

The collective also deplores "the death of the four Israeli journalists who perished in the terrorist attack carried out by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, as well as that of nine Lebanese colleagues and one Syrian colleague during Israeli strikes."

The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is "probably the worst since the start of the war" between Israel and Hamas, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned in a statement.

"The humanitarian situation is now likely the worst since the outbreak of hostilities 18 months ago," OCHA said, noting that the last authorized supply crossings took place a month and a half ago, "the longest interruption to date."

President Joseph Aoun commented on the death of a soldier and the injury of three others during the dismantling of explosive materials in the Aazieh Valley, saying that "once again, the army is paying with the blood of its sons the price of imposing state authority over the south and establishing stability in this region, through the implementation of U.N. Resolution 1701," which ended the 2006 war and serves as the framework for the cease-fire in force between Israel and Lebanon.

President Aoun added that this "new martyr confirms once again that the military institution remains the only refuge for all Lebanese people to preserve their security, their safety and to extend sovereignty over Lebanese territory." These remarks were reported on the Lebanese presidency's X account.

According to the statement, President Aoun offered his condolences to the army commander, General Rodolphe Haykal, for the death of the soldier and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

According to information obtained by L'Orient Today's correspondent in south Lebanon, the deceased soldier was Warrant Officer Fadi al-Jassem. The three wounded members of the troop were Lieutenant Rabih Hassan, Corporal Hussein al-Sheikh, and Chief Warrant Officer Hussein Ataya.

Israeli drones flew over several villages in the districts of Sour and Nabatieh, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the south.

The Lebanese army confirmed the incident of a device exploding in the Aazieh Valley (Sour), causing casualties among the Lebanese army.

"While a specialized army unit was carrying out a technical survey at a site in the Aaziyé Valley region of Sour, a suspicious device exploded, killing one soldier and injuring three others, whose injuries were moderate," the Lebanese army explained in a post on its X account.

Following a discussion with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Emmanuel Macron explained that it was "essential to build a framework for the day after [the war in Gaza]: disarm and remove Hamas, define credible governance and reform the Palestinian Authority," he posted on his X account.

"This should enable progress towards a two-state political solution, with a view to the June conference, in the service of peace and security for all," explained the French president, who had said he was in favour of recognising a Palestinian state "in June" on April 9.

"France is fully mobilized to secure the release of all hostages, the return of a lasting cease-fire and immediate access for humanitarian aid to Gaza," the French president also stressed.

Several Lebanese army soldiers were injured by the explosion of a device dating from the war with Israel while they were trying to neutralize it in the Aazieh valley (Sour), on the outskirts of the town of Zibqin, reported L'Orient Today's correspondent in the region.

According to the latter, a soldier could have been killed and several others injured.

Contacted by L'Orient Today, a spokesperson for the Lebanese army confirmed that there were injuries, while specifying that "the situation remains unclear."

Hashem Haidar, president of the Southern Council, told L'Orient Today that a house inspected on Saturday by a team from the council in the town of Shamaa (Sour) was found to be booby-trapped, probably by the Israeli army during its occupation of the village last November.

Suspecting danger, the team members immediately alerted the relevant authorities, who confirmed the presence of a booby-trapped device.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed in a telephone conversation on the "urgent need for a cease-fire" in Gaza, the state-run Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

Abbas and Macron insisted on "the urgent need for a cease-fire, the acceleration of the delivery of humanitarian aid, the rejection of the displacement of the Palestinian people from their territory and the Palestinian Authority's assumption of responsibility for Gaza," the agency said.

Gaza

Gaza Health Ministry has reported the killing of 38 people in the last 24 hours. This brings the total number of Palestinians killed since Oct.7 2023, to 50,983, with 116,274 people wounded to date, according to Al-Jazeera.

Since March 18, when Israel resumed its military operations after ending the cease-fire, at least 1,613 people have died, and 4,233 others have been injured, according to local authorities. Many victims remain buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings or are missing, inaccessible to rescue teams due to the catastrophic humanitarian situation on the ground. While Israel frequently questions the credibility of the ministry's statistics, they are considered reliable by the U.N.

Iran Nuclear Talks

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, will travel to Iran on Wednesday, ahead of a new round of talks between Tehran and Washington scheduled for Saturday in Rome, according to AFP citing Iran’s official news agency IRNA.

Grossi, whose last visit to Iran was in November, is expected to arrive in Tehran on Wednesday evening, where he will meet with Iran’s Foreign Minister and the head of the Atomic Energy Organization, IRNA reported, citing a foreign ministry official.

Hamas says ready to release all hostages in exchange for end to Gaza war

A senior Hamas official has stated that the group is prepared to release all Israeli hostages as part of a comprehensive agreement that would include an end to the war in Gaza.

Taher al-Nounou, a Hamas spokesperson, told AFP that the movement is open to a full prisoner exchange if Israel agrees to halt its military campaign, withdraw from the Gaza Strip, and allow humanitarian aid to enter the territory.

“We are ready to release all Israeli hostages as part of a genuine prisoner exchange agreement and in return for an end to the war,” al-Nounou said. He added that Israel’s refusal to commit to a ceasefire and its shifting positions are stalling progress. “The issue is not the number of hostages, but the fact that Israel is blocking the implementation of the agreement and continuing the war,” he said.

A Hamas delegation is currently in Cairo for negotiations with Egyptian and Qatari officials, who, along with the United States, are working to broker a ceasefire. Hamas has also called for international guarantees to ensure Israel complies with any agreement.

Nine freed Palestinian prisoners arrive in Gaza

Nine Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli military custody arrived Monday at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza. The transfer was coordinated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), according to Al Jazeera.

Since October 7, thousands of Palestinians have been detained by Israeli forces—many without charge. The release highlights ongoing concerns over arbitrary detention and the treatment of prisoners amid the conflict.

Cease-fire negotiations in Gaza: Hamas reportedly agrees to increase number of hostages to be released

Saudi news channel Al Arabiya, citing a “reliable source,” reported that Hamas has agreed to mediators' requests to increase the number of hostages included in a proposed agreement. The deal is expected to be implemented in two phases.

Hamas has also reportedly agreed to provide detailed information on the condition of each hostage prior to the agreement’s implementation.

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Welcome to our live coverage of the Middle East, focusing on Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen, Israel, the occupied West Bank, and Syria. Stay tuned for updates throughout the day.

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