That concludes our live coverage of events for today, thanks for joining us. We'll be back tomorrow with more news updates and analysis. Goodnight.

Israel kills civilian returning from funeral in strike on car

According to information obtained by our correspondent in the South, the victim of the Israeli attack on a car along the Aita al-Shaab-Rmeish road in Bint Jbeil district, was a civilian — a municipal policeman from the Kassem family who was returning to his home in Aita al-Shaab after attending a funeral. The victim, whose name is not yet known, was an only child.

Council for Southern Lebanon chair tours Nabatieh rubble clearing sites

The head of the Council for Southern Lebanon, Hashem Haidar, toured Nabatieh district, in southern Lebanon, to inspect debris removal and restoration at institutions damaged by the recent Israeli aggression. He began in Habboush, reviewing rubble clearance efforts and stressing the council’s commitment to “accelerating the pace of work to ease the suffering of residents.”

In the city of Nabatieh, he met with Imam Sheikh Abdul Hussein Sadiq to discuss ways to “support residents’ resilience and rebuild what was destroyed.” Haidar also inspected ongoing work in al-Midan neighborhood and visited the nearly restored Nabatieh Governorate building.

“We visited the rubble removal sites… landfill areas that meet environmental standards,” he said, adding that restoration at the Nabatieh government building is “nearly complete” and “satisfactory.” Tens of thousands of buildings were razed to the ground by Israeli strikes during the war, leaving Lebanon with 32 million tons of rubble which needs to be processed and removed of toxins before it can be settled somewhere or recycled.

Second Israeli strike on a car in southern Lebanon today

The Israeli army attacked a car driving along the Rmeish-Aita al-Shaab road, in Bint Jbeil district, with a drone strike, our correspondent in the region reports. This is the second Israeli attack on a car in Lebanon today. The first occurred earlier this morning, targeting a car as it was driving south of Saida toward Ghazieh, killing a Hezbollah official, in apparent disregard for the cease-fire currently in place. Israel has killed 143 people since agreeing to the truce with Hezbollah in November.

PA president in Syria for first visit in 18 years

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Damascus for a diplomatic visit and met with Syria's new president, Ahmad al-Sharaa. Abbas, who is 89 years old, first met Sharaa in Cairo in early March on the sidelines of an Arab summit focused on post-war plans for Gaza. Abbas's trip to Damascus today marks his first visit to Syria since 2007.

Families of Israeli hostages call for an end to the Gaza war

The parents of five Israeli hostages spoke at demonstration in Tel Aviv, calling for the Israeli government to end the war on Gaza for the sake of the remaining 57 hostages, 25 of whom are believed to still be alive.

Israel's Channel 12 news quoted a statement released by the organization of hostages' relatives, in which the group says:"The will of the people [of Israel] is the immediate return of the hostages. The attempt to link the downfall of Hamas to the fate of the hostages is unacceptable. The people of Israel, in all its forms, demand the return of the hostages in one fell swoop — the living for rehabilitation, and the dead for a proper burial."

The Israeli government is ramping up its military operations and territorial occupation in Gaza as pressure mounts from the U.S. administration as well as from growing public dissent within Israel, for an agreement to be reached that permanently ends the war.

Iran says nuclear deal 'possible' and hopes for Russian support

Iran believes reaching an agreement on its nuclear program with the United States is possible as long as Washington is realistic, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on the eve of a second round of talks with the Trump administration.

"If they demonstrate seriousness of intent and do not make unrealistic demands, reaching agreements is possible," Araqchi told a news conference in Moscow after talks with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov of Russia, as reported by Reuters.

Iran had noted the United States' seriousness during a first round of talks on the deal, which took place in Oman last week, Araqchi said. The second round is set for tomorrow in Rome.

Lavrov said that Russia was "ready to assist, mediate, and play any role that will be beneficial to Iran and the U.S.A." Moscow has played a role in Iran's nuclear negotiations in the past as a veto-wielding U.N. Security Council member and signatory to an earlier deal that Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei sent Araqchi to Moscow with a letter for President Vladimir Putin to brief the Kremlin about the negotiations.

Qassem to speak tonight on Hezbollah's integration into state defense strategy

Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem is scheduled to speak this evening at 8:30 p.m. on the issue of the party's integration into the national defense strategy as well as the current state of affairs for the party and the region, according to a statement released by the party.

Hezbollah's disarmament has been in the headlines in Lebanon for a couple weeks now, as the Lebanese government engages in closed-door discussions, led by President Joseph Aoun, with the party, which was significantly weakened by its recent war with Israel.

“The decision has been made to place all weapons under the state,” Aoun told the New Arab, adding, “The execution will happen through dialogue, which I believe must be bilateral between the presidency and Hezbollah.”

The topic is a sensitive one and Aoun emphasized that he would not strain fragile domestic dynamics in the process. “We want to remove Hezbollah’s weapons, but we will not ignite a civil war in Lebanon,” he reportedly told U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus.

Haaretz journalist says Gaza no longer a 'war,' but an 'unbridled Israeli assault'

"Even those who don't believe most of the people killed in Gaza are innocent cannot deny the horrific pictures of the humanitarian disaster there. The use of the word "war" for what is going on in Gaza is misleading and distorted. What's happening in Gaza is not war. It's an unbridled Israeli assault on people who are mostly uninvolved in any activity against it," writes leading Israeli journalist Jack Khoury in his latest analysis published in Haaretz.

"Israel's 'target bank'  has long run dry," Khoury continues. "No administration buildings or 'terror infrastructure' remain, and there's no way to tell if all Hamas' tunnels have been destroyed. Israel's current terror targets are the militants who were seen in the video clips of the hostage releases. But there's no way to know if they're Hamas operatives or just actors and extras. In any case, following each of them could take months or years. If that's the parameter for the 'total victory' the prime minister aspires to, there's a long way to go."

Israel says determined to prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons ahead of Rome talks

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he is committed to doing whatever is necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, Haaretz reports. Yesterday, The New York Times reported that U.S. President Donald Trump quashed Israeli proposals for joint strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I are committed, together with all relevant parties, to leading a clear policy that will prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons," he said, adding that the government "will not allow any threats of annihilation against Israel."

Iran and the U.S. held their first round of indirect talks in Oman last weekend designed to reach a deal on Iran's nuclear program and Western sanctions, in the highest-level meeting between the two countries since 2018. Iranian and American delegations will meet again tomorrow in Rome.

Iran doubtful of American intentions ahead of second round of nuclear talks

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi cast doubt over the intentions of the United States a day before a second round of nuclear talks with Washington, AFP reports.

"Although we have serious doubts about the intentions and motivations of the American side, in any case we will participate in tomorrow's negotiations," Araghchi said during a press conference today in Moscow with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Araghchi will set off tomorrow for Rome for a fresh round of Omani-mediated talks with U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.

The new round will come a week after the longtime foes held their highest-level negotiations since U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned a landmark nuclear deal in 2018. "We are fully prepared to pursue a peaceful resolution for Iran's peaceful nuclear program," Araghchi said.

Saida strike killed senior Hezbollah official

An Israeli drone strike targeting a car near Saida this morning killed Mohammad Jaafar Maneh Abdallah, a senior Hezbollah official, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent on the ground, Muntasser Abdallah. The attack took place on the Ghazieh highway, leading south from Saida, the next major coastal city south of Beirut.

Originally from the village of Khiam, in Marjayoun district, the victim held a senior position in the party, according to the Janoubia website, which cites the Lebanese daily al-Safir. Our correspondent confirmed that Abdallah was also the son of Manah Abdallah, a retired senior member of Hezbollah's security apparatus.

According to our sources, Manah Abdallah was sent to Iraq on security missions before being arrested by U.S. forces in Baghdad on March 1, 2004. A week later, on March 8, members of the Abdallah family requested the intervention of the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to obtain information about his fate.

A family delegation went to the Ministry, where they were received by an official. It was only in 2008, following a prisoner exchange supervised by former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, that Manah Abdallah was released and repatriated to Beirut.

Palestinians attacked by Israeli settlers and arrested by Israeli forces in occupied West Bank

Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinians on their land in the town of Biddya, in the Salfit governorate in the occupied West Bank, according to Al Jazeera's correspondent in the West Bank. The Palestine Red Crescent said that a Palestinian was injured in the attack.

Local sources also told Al Jazeera that dozens of settlers stormed Jabal al-Urma, a hill in the town of Beita in the Nablus governorate under the protection of the Israeli army.

Israeli troops also arrested at least three Palestinians in Tulkarem today, amid a wave of raids and arrests in the occupied West Bank. According to Wafa news agency, Israeli forces raided many shops and set off sound bombs and stun grenades. In the early hours of today, Israeli forces also stormed several homes and arrested two young men in Nablus, Wafa reported.

Hamas condemns US attacks on Yemen as death toll rises

Hamas condemned the overnight U.S. strikes on a Yemeni fuel port that killed 58 people and wounded 126, according to an updated death toll from a Houthi-aligned media outlet. Washington has renewed its campaign against the Houthis, who have been launching largely bloodless attacks against commercial ships in the Red Sea in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

"This blatant aggression represents a gross violation of Yemeni sovereignty, a full-fledged war crime, and reaffirms the continuation of hostile American policies targeting the free peoples who reject Zionist and American hegemony in the region," Hamas said in a statement, cited by AFP.

Hamas also denounced “international silence” over the “blatant aggression” in Yemen, whose people it said are “paying the price” for supporting Palestinians in Israel’s genocide.

Ever-rising Gaza death toll from Thursday includes family of 10

More than 20 people have been killed in two Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since last night, and more than 32 were killed on Thursday, according to reports in Palestinian media.

The WAFA news agency said that 11 people, including two minors, were killed in an overnight drone strike on a house in the Tel al-Zaatar neighborhood of northern Gaza. Several others were injured, although no further details on the victims were available.

In a second incident, WAFA said that 10 members of the same family were killed when an Israeli fighter jet bombed a family home in Bani Suhaila, a town east of Khan Younis, in the south of the Strip. An Al Jazeera correspondent reports that children and women were burned in these attacks and some arrived at the hospital charred beyond recognition.

Palestinian children suffering from malnutrition in Rafah. (Credit: Mohammed Salem/Reuters)

Hunger in Gaza on the rise as complete blockade enters seventh week

The Gaza Strip is witnessing a growing crisis of malnutrition, particularly among children, the United Nation media office reports. As Israel refuses to remove its ban on all goods and deliveries into Gaza, the suffering of the population is intensifying and there is a shortage of food and vegetables.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which visited displacement sites in Khan Younis last week, reported that thousands of Palestinians are living in overcrowded shelters amid a severe lack of shelter, food, water, and medicine.

The office noted that U.N. partners observed a rise in acute malnutrition rates and a significant drop, over two-thirds, in the number of children receiving supplementary feeding during the month of March.

OCHA confirmed that Israeli authorities have continued to deny approval for most coordinated humanitarian missions.

Israeli hostage negotiators meet US envoy in Paris

Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and the head of the Mossad intelligence service, David Barnea, are in Paris to meet U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff ahead of nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran, according to Axios reporter Barak Ravid, cited by Reuters. Ravid's post on X cited three Israeli sources.

Israeli strike hits prefabricated rooms in Mhaybib

An Israeli drone struck a prefabricated room in Mhaybib, southern Lebanon's Marjayoun district. The container had been hit by a previous Israeli strike the night before, according to our correspondent.

The village of Mhaybib has been completely razed by the Israeli army in its latest war in Lebanon against Hezbollah. To find out more about the village's destruction, press here. 

Smotrich calls for ‘escalating fighting’ against Hamas

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Thursday night called for intensifying military action against Hamas after the group rejected an Israeli truce proposal.

“It’s time to open the gates of hell on Hamas, escalate the fighting until the complete conquest of the Gaza Strip, the destruction of Hamas, and the implementation of President Trump’s plan for the voluntary emigration of Gazans,” Smotrich said in a statement issued shortly after a Hamas official spoke.

Israeli army says it intercepted missile fired from Yemen

The Israeli military said Friday morning it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen, where Iran-backed Houthi rebels have repeatedly targeted Israel in what the rebels say is in support of Gaza.

“Following recent sirens, a missile fired from Yemen was intercepted,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement on Telegram.

U.S. says it ‘destroyed’ oil port in Yemen; Houthis report 38 killed

The United States said it “destroyed” the Red Sea oil port of Ras Issa in Yemen in a series of strikes on Thursday.

Houthi rebels later reported that continued strikes on the site, near the city of Hodeidah, killed 38 people and wounded 102. The group said rescue operations were still underway at the time of the latest raids.

Civil Defense says 15 killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza

Fifteen people were killed in two Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Civil Defense said Friday morning.

Spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said on Telegram that rescue teams recovered the bodies of 10 people — members of the same family — from the home of the Baraka family and surrounding houses in Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis.

Later, Bassal said another strike hit two houses in Tal al-Zaatar, in northern Gaza, where five more bodies were found.

The Israeli military did not comment on the strikes yet.

Israeli night strikes on southern Lebanon

On Thursday evening, two Israeli strikes hit the town of Aita al-Shaab in the Bint Jbeil district, near the Israeli border. A missile fired from a helicopter struck a petrol station in the village center, causing damage. According to our correspondent, the station has been targeted in previous strikes. A second strike hit a nearby hangar that had also been bombed before.

After midnight, Israeli drones were reported flying at low altitude over the districts of Nabatieh and Jezzine.

Israeli strike near Saida

An Israeli drone strike targeted a 4x4 vehicle on the Ghazieh highway, just south of Saida in southern Lebanon, our regional correspondent reported. The vehicle caught fire, and video obtained by our team showed fire trucks at the scene. Initial reports indicate that the driver was seriously wounded.

Welcome to our live coverage of the conflict in the Middle East, with a focus on developments in Lebanon.

We’re also reporting events in Gaza, where Israel is stepping up its air and ground offensive, as well as updates from Israel, the occupied West Bank, Yemen and Syria.