This concludes our live coverage for today.
We will resume reporting tomorrow morning.
Lebanon
A blast was heard in and around Beirut, with similar reports from Saida. Our correspondent in southern Lebanon said the sound was caused by one or more Israeli aircraft breaking the sound barrier.
Lebanon:
- The Lebanese Army and intelligence services conducted checks at the Mieh Mieh refugee camp roadblock, east of Saida, while additional checkpoints were set up in the city center.
Similar security measures were observed in the Sour district.
- Meanwhile, the Israeli army carried out another strike on a prefabricated house in Boustane, in the Sour district.
Lebanon
The Lebanese Army announced it had arrested members of the group responsible for launching rockets toward Israeli territory on March 22 and 28.
In a statement posted on X, the army said it had identified the perpetrators — both Lebanese and Palestinian nationals — and confirmed the rockets were launched from two locations: one between Kfar Tibnit and Arnoun, and the other from Qaaqaaiyet al-Jisr, all in the Nabatieh district.
The arrests were made in two operations during which a vehicle and equipment were also seized, the army said. The items have been handed over to the relevant authorities, and a judicial investigation is underway. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend additional suspects.
Lebanon
Two Israeli drone strikes targeted prefabricated homes in southern Lebanon: one in Aita al-Shaab, in the Bint Jbeil district, and the other in Zalloutiyeh (Sour district), reported our regional correspondent.
Gaza
⚡About 500,000 Palestinians have been displaced in Gaza since the end of the cease-fire and the resumption of Israeli military operations, a spokeswoman for the U.N. Secretary-General has said.
"Our humanitarian partners estimate that since 18 March, around half a million people have been displaced for the first time or again," said Stéphanie Tremblay, while almost all of the Palestinian territory's more than two million residents had been displaced before the cease-fire.
Gaza
The Israeli army announced that it transformed around 30 percent of the Gaza Strip into a "security perimeter," a buffer zone where the Palestinians cannot live.
In a statement, the army also said that it had attacked around 1,200 "terrorist targets" from the air and carried out more than 100 "targeted eliminations" since resuming its offensive in the Palestinian territory on 18 March, after a two-month truce.
Lebanon
⚡ Lebanese authorities have arrested three Hamas members suspected of launching rockets toward Israel during a truce between Hezbollah and Israel in late March, a security official told AFP.
The rockets were fired between March 22 and 28, but no group claimed responsibility at the time. Hezbollah denied involvement, though Hamas had previously claimed responsibility for rocket fire from Lebanon during the war.
According to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Lebanese army intelligence arrested two Palestinians and one Lebanese national in the past 24 hours in Beirut and southern Lebanon.
Authorities suspect the three of involvement in the rocket attacks. President Joseph Aoun said Hezbollah was not responsible for the rockets intercepted by the Israeli army.
Iran’s nuclear program
Iranian Foreign Minister Hamid Baghaei warned Thursday that a proposed change in venue for Iran-U.S. talks on Tehran’s nuclear program could “jeopardize any start” to the talks, Reuters reports.
Baghaei’s remarks followed reports in Iranian state media and from sources close to the matter that the talks may be relocated from Oman to Italy.
South Lebanon
The Israeli army claimed responsibility for a second attack in southern Lebanon yesterday, claiming to have targeted a member of Hezbollah, reported Haaretz. The drone strike targeted a motorbike in Hanine, in the Bint Jbeil district, earlier in the afternoon. The strike killed at least one person, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
According to L'Orient Today's count, at least 138 people have been killed by Israeli attacks since the cease-fire took effect last November. Find out more, here.👈
Iranian nuclear program
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, arrived in Tehran this afternoon for talks with Iranian officials on the country’s nuclear program, according to local media cited by AFP.
Grossi is leading a technical delegation and is scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday evening, followed by talks with Atomic Energy Organization chief Mohammad Eslami on Thursday, the ISNA news agency reported.
Iraq/Lebanon
Iraq has summoned Lebanon’s ambassador in Baghdad over comments made by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun about Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, according to Reuters.
Speaking Tuesday ahead of a visit to Qatar, Aoun — who has consistently emphasized the importance of the Lebanese state maintaining a monopoly on arms — said for the first time that “fighters [from Hezbollah] could join the army if they have the qualifications and pass the required tests.”
He clarified, however, that this did not mean “reproducing the experience of Iraq’s Hashd al-Shaabi by integrating Hezbollah into the army or allowing Hezbollah to become an independent unit within it.” The Hashd al-Shaabi, or Popular Mobilisation Forces, is a coalition of mostly pro-Iranian paramilitary groups that has been integrated into Iraq’s official security structure.
Gaza
⚡The Islamic Jihad released a video of Israeli hostages, according to AFP.
To find out more, press here.👈
Palestinian journalist and 10 family members killed in Israeli airstrike on Gaza City
A Palestinian journalist and ten of her family members were killed in an Israeli airstrike that struck their home in Gaza City, according to a report by the Wafa news agency.
Journalist Fatima Hassouneh was reportedly among those killed when Israeli warplanes bombed her residence in the Tuffah neighbourhood, in eastern Gaza City.
Since the start of the war on Gaza, over 210 Palestinian journalists and media workers have lost their lives in Israeli attacks.
Iran
Saturday’s talks between Iran and the U.S. on Iran’s nuclear program will take place in Rome, Italy, rather than Oman as previously announced, Iranian state television reported on Wednesday.
"The second round of negotiations ... will be held in Rome, and the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs will once again host the discussions," state TV emphasized. A spokesperson for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the information to AFP.
Syria/Turkey
More than 175,000 Syrian refugees in Turkey have returned to their country since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in early December, Turkey's Interior Minister announced, according to AFP.
Nearly 2.8 million Syrians remain in Turkey, Minister Ali Yerlikaya said, noting that the 175,512 returns recorded between December 9 and April 13 were all "voluntary."
The Turkish government, which supports the new authorities in Damascus, hopes to see a faster pace of Syrian refugee returns, as their presence has sparked significant tensions in Turkey in recent years.
Iranian Nuclear Program
Iran is "not far" from having a nuclear bomb, warned the head of the IAEA in an interview with Le Monde, according to AFP.
Iran
Talks with the U.S. scheduled for Saturday will now take place in Italy instead of Oman, according to state TV cited by AFP.
Iran
Russia is "ready" to do "everything possible" to help find a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue, the Kremlin said, just days ahead of new talks between Iran and the United States.
"The Russian Federation remains ready to do everything it can to help resolve the situation surrounding Iran's nuclear program through political and diplomatic means," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said during a press briefing.
"We will be ready to do whatever depends on us," he added when asked whether Moscow could serve as a guarantor of a potential agreement between Tehran and Washington.
Gaza/Germany
Berlin is in the process of evacuating around 25 German citizens from the Gaza Strip, which has been under Israeli airstrikes and cut off from humanitarian aid for the past month and a half, the German Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, according to AFP.
“The evacuation of two dozen German nationals from Gaza is currently underway,” a spokesperson for the ministry said during a press briefing in Berlin.
He stated that he could not provide further details as the operation was still ongoing, adding only that it was being conducted in close coordination with Israeli authorities.
He also noted that fewer than ten German nationals who wish to leave remain in Gaza.
Back on April 2, Germany had already evacuated 19 of its citizens and 14 of their relatives from the enclave.
Gaza
Germany is currently evacuating around 25 of its citizens from the Gaza Strip, which has been under Israeli airstrikes and cut off from humanitarian aid for a month and a half, the German Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, according to AFP.
“The evacuation of two dozen German nationals from Gaza is currently underway,” a spokesperson for the ministry said during a press briefing in Berlin.
He declined to provide further details as the operation was still in progress but noted that it was being carried out in close coordination with Israeli authorities.
He added that fewer than ten German nationals who wish to leave still remain in the Gaza Strip.
On April 2, Germany had already evacuated 19 of its citizens and 14 of their relatives from the enclave.
Iran
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will visit Moscow on Thursday for talks expected to include his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, AFP reports. The visit comes two days ahead of a new round of nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington, scheduled for Saturday in Oman.
“I will arrive in Moscow tomorrow for consultations with senior Russian officials,” Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, announced on X. The visit will cover bilateral relations, regional cooperation, and coordination on international issues, he added.
Separately, Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian expressed hope for reaching an agreement with the United States on Iran’s nuclear program. “Negotiations are proceeding in a normal and natural manner… of course, we are in favor of reaching an agreement,” he said during a cabinet meeting, according to state news agency IRNA.
Gaza
The Palestinian Foreign Affairs Ministry has condemned what it called Benjamin Netanyahu's "provocative intrusion" into Gaza, AFP reports. The Israeli Prime Minister made a rare visit to troops operating in the territory the previous day.
In a statement, the ministry said Netanyahu’s presence and comments in northern Gaza aim to "prolong and intensify the genocidal crimes" in the region, which has been devastated by 18 months of war between Israel and Hamas.
Wadi Hojeir strike: victim from Markaba
The village of Markaba in South Lebanon announced that one of its residents, Hussein Abderrahim Younes, was killed in this morning’s Israeli raid on Wadi Hojeir. The Israeli army stated it had eliminated “a terrorist from Hezbollah’s al-Radwan force,” without naming the individual.
Wadi Hojeir strike: Israeli army says killed al-Radwan force member
Israeli army announced it had killed a Hezbollah fighter in southern Lebanon, following a Lebanese Health Ministry report of one fatality in an Israeli raid on Wadi Hojeir—a strategic valley connecting several regions.
"Earlier today (Wednesday), a terrorist from Hezbollah's al-Radwan force was targeted and eliminated by the Israeli Air Force in the Qantara area," said an Israeli army statement. This comes despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in place since late November after more than a year of hostilities, including two months of open warfare.
Israeli drone strike targets motorcycle in Hanine, South Lebanon
An Israeli drone carried out a strike targeting a person on a motorcycle in the village of Hanine, in the Bint Jbeil district, according to our correspondent in South Lebanon.
Health Ministry confirms casualties from strikes on Wadi Hojeir and Aitaroun
Lebanese Health Ministry confirmed the death of one person in an Israeli strike on a pickup truck in Wadi Hojeir, South Lebanon. It also announced a second fatality from yesterday’s strike on Aitaroun. "The death toll has risen to two," the ministry said, "after a 17-year-old, who had been seriously wounded, succumbed to his injuries." According to reports, the teen was named Mohammad Baydoun.
Ali Baydoun, killed in the same strike the day before, was described by the Israeli army as a "commander in Hezbollah's special operations division" in the region.
The ministry also condemned the overnight strike on a rescue center linked to the Amal movement in Tayr Harfa, stating that the attack "violates all norms and international law."
Israeli machine gun fire and drone activity over South Lebanon
An Israeli drone flew over South Lebanon this morning, particularly the area of Adaisseh (Marjeyoun). Israeli machine gun fire targeted the outskirts of Kfarchouba, in the Hasbaya district, according to our correspondent.
Eleven killed, including children, in Israeli strikes on Gaza
Palestinian Civil Defense confirmed the killing of 11 people, including women and children, in Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip.
"Our teams transferred 10 martyrs and several wounded, including a number of children and women, to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City after targeting the Hassouna family home," said Mahmoud Bassal, spokesperson for the relief organization, to AFP.
He specified that the strike occurred "at dawn" in the al-Tuffah neighborhood, northeast of Gaza City. When contacted by AFP about the strike, the Israeli military did not immediately respond. A young girl was also killed in the bombing of a house west of Khan Younis in the southern part of the Palestinian territory.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has stated that no humanitarian aid will be allowed into Gaza. "Israel’s policy is clear, and no humanitarian aid will enter Gaza," Katz said in a statement on X.
He explained that preventing aid from reaching the Strip is "one of the main pressure tools" to stop Hamas from using humanitarian measures against the population. "In the current reality, no one is willing to send humanitarian aid into Gaza, and no one is preparing to enter any aid of this type," he added.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has stated that Israeli troops will remain in Gaza's "security zones" indefinitely. "Unlike in the past, the Israeli military is not evacuating areas that have been cleared and seized," Katz said in a statement.
He emphasized that Israeli forces "will remain in the security zones as a buffer between the enemy and Israeli communities in any temporary or permanent situation in Gaza — similar to the approach in Lebanon and Syria."
In recent weeks, Israeli forces have taken control of large areas in Gaza as part of a renewed campaign aimed at pressuring Hamas to release the remaining captives after Israel ended the ceasefire last month. Israel has also refused to withdraw from certain areas in Lebanon following its cease-fire with Hezbollah last year, and it took control of a buffer zone in southern Syria after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad.
Death toll from the Israeli drone strike on a van in Wadi Hojeir has risen to one dead and one injured, according to our correspondent.
One serious injury in Israeli strike on Wadi Hojeir
The driver of the van targeted in the Israeli drone strike on Wadi Hojeir has been seriously injured and was transported to the hospital, according to our correspondent.
One killed after injuries sustained in yesterday's strike on Aitroun
Mohammad Baydoun, a young man who was injured yesterday in an Israeli drone strike on a van in Aitroun (Bint Jbeil), has succumbed to his injuries, according to our correspondent. The strike had already killed Ali Baydoun, who was also in the vehicle at the time.
Drone strike on vehicle in Wadi Hojeir
An Israeli drone carried out a strike targeting a vehicle on the Wadi Hojeir road, a strategic valley in southern Lebanon, according to our correspondent. Images show the vehicle engulfed in flames at the side of the road. No information has been made available yet regarding potential casualties.
Gaza doctor held in 'inhumane' conditions, lawyer says
Dr. Hossam Abou Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, is being held in "inhumane" conditions by Israel and subjected to "physical and psychological intimidation," his lawyer told AFP. The 52-year-old pediatrician gained attention during the Israeli offensive in northern Gaza, when he used social media to share the plight of the sick, wounded, and displaced people at his hospital. He had refused to evacuate his hospital in Beit Lahia despite warnings from the Israeli military.
Read more
Israeli military's decision to suspend reservists opposed to war has had the 'opposite effect'
Sources within the Israeli military have told Haaretz that the decision by Chief of Staff Eyal Zemir to suspend reservists from active duty in the air force who signed a letter protesting the war has had the opposite effect of what he intended. The decision, which was also approved by the Air Force commander, Tomer Bar, was seen as disproportionate. According to these sources, neither Zemir nor Bar expected the crisis that followed, which has worsened day by day as an increasing number of reservists sign similar protest letters.
Gaza
Israeli forces have arrested journalist Ibrahim Abu Safiyeh following a raid on his home in Beit Sira village, near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, according to Wafa.
Gaza
"Gaza has become a mass grave for Palestinians and those who come to their aid," denounced Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) on Wednesday, in response to the ongoing military operations and the blockade imposed by Israel on humanitarian aid.
"We are witnessing in real time the destruction and forced displacement of the entire population of Gaza," said Amande Bazerolle, MSF's emergency coordinator in Gaza, who stated that the humanitarian response is "severely hindered by constant insecurity and critical shortages."
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the situation in Lebanon and the Middle East
Israeli strikes at night in South Lebanon
An Israeli drone fired three missiles late Tuesday evening, shortly after 10 p.m., in the "Wadi Tannour" area, located between Ramiyeh and Beit Lif in the Bint Jbeil district of southern Lebanon, according to our correspondent. No information regarding possible casualties was available by this morning. Shortly afterward, flares were launched over Houla, in the Marjeyoun district.
Israeli military says it targeted Hezbollah 'infrastructure'
In a post on X, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee stated this morning that the Israeli Air Force had "attacked an infrastructure" belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, once again accusing the group of "exploiting civilian infrastructure." "The Israeli military will act against any attempt by Hezbollah to rebuild its capabilities," the statement added.
Israeli military downs drone carrying weapons from Egypt
Yesterday evening, the Israeli military announced it had downed a drone that was allegedly transporting weapons from Egypt to Israel. "The security forces on the scene located the downed drone, along with four weapons and ammunition," the military said in a statement, but provided no further details.
In the past, the Israeli military has reported thwarting attempts to smuggle weapons into Israel via drones from Egypt.
At least nine killed in Israeli bombings on Gaza
The Israeli military continues its offensive in Gaza, striking from north to south across the enclave, including refugee camps. At least nine people have been killed since last night.
In the north, fighter jets bombed a house in the Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least three people, according to medical sources contacted by Al Jazeera. In the south, Israeli helicopters and artillery targeted Rafah and areas around Khan Younis. The Bureij and Nuseirat camps, in central Gaza, were also hit by artillery, according to the Qatari news outlet. During the night, six people were killed in a strike on the "Tuffah" neighborhood in Gaza City.
Another Israeli night strike reported in the Tyre region
After midnight, an Israeli drone targeted a building of the "Islamic Mission Scouts" (al-Rissala), a volunteer rescue association affiliated with the Amal Movement, in Tayr Harfa, in the Tyre district, according to our correspondent in South Lebanon.
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