Israel urges Hamas to accept truce; Trump says deal 'very close' | LIVE

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Trump says that a Gaza truce agreement is "very close"

A cease-fire agreement in Gaza is "very close," Donald Trump said, after Israel pushed Hamas to accept the U.S.-backed proposal.

"They are very close to an agreement on Gaza," Trump told reporters at a press conference in the Oval Office of the White House. "We will inform you later today or perhaps tomorrow (Saturday). We have a good chance of getting there."

Israel told Hamas to choose: Accept US hostage offer or be 'annihilated'

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz urged Hamas to accept the U.S. proposal for a truce agreement in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages held since their abduction in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack in Israel, or face "annihilation."

"The murderers of Hamas will now have to choose: accept the terms of the 'Witkoff deal' for the release of the hostages – or be annihilated," Katz said in a statement, referring to the truce proposal by U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, about which the Palestinian Islamist movement has expressed reservations.

Lebanese Army dismantles Israeli surveillance device in Blida

The Lebanese Army announced that it "discovered and dismantled a camouflaged enemy surveillance device equipped with a camera in the Bir Sheaib area, near the town of Blida (Marjayoun)." An army patrol also destroyed 13 earthen embankments that were erected in the town by the Israeli army.

Saudi foreign minister in the West Bank

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan will travel to Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, the first visit by a Saudi foreign minister to the Palestinian Territories since 1967, a source at the Palestinian embassy in Riyadh said.

This announcement comes as Israel announced the construction of the "Jewish Israeli state" in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 and the creation of 22 new Israeli settlements in the West Bank, considered illegal under international law.

Thousands of Afghans demonstrate for Gaza at the call of the Taliban

Thousands of Afghans marched in response to the Taliban's call to protest the "genocide" of Gazans, who are threatened with starvation after 20 months of Israeli bombardments that have devastated the Palestinian territory, AFP journalists reported.

The protests took place after the weekly Muslim prayer in the provinces of Kabul, Nimroz (southwest), Nangarhar (east) and Herat (west).

Anti-Hezbollah leaflets in Aita al-Shaab and Dhaira

Leaflets were found on the walls of a house and a school for people with disabilities in the town of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil), L'Orient Today's correspondent in the region reported.

"This place was used by the Hezbollah organization ... We will not allow Hezbollah to return and endanger the region again. There will be no further warning," the leaflets read. Similar leaflets were reportedly found in the village of Dhaira (Sour). 

Meeting between Wafic Safa and Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert

Hezbollah Liaison Unit Head Wafic Safa met with U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, with whom he discussed Security Council Resolution 1701 and recent developments in southern Lebanon.

According to a Hezbollah statement, the meeting also discussed "developments along the Blue Line, repeated Israeli aggression against Lebanon, the risks of a potential escalation, as well as the need to respect and implement the U.N. resolution in order to preserve stability in the region."

Lebanese Army finds surveillance camera near Israeli earthworks in South

The Lebanese Army discovered a small surveillance camera while clearing a trench and removing embankments built by Israeli forces two days earlier near Blida (Marjayoun district), according to our correspondent in the South.

Israeli artillery shelled the outskirts of Kfar Shouba (Hasbaya district), accompanied by sweeping fire from medium machine guns.

Macron: Letting Israel act freely in Gaza undermines western credibility

Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue defense forum in Singapore, President Macron warned that if Western nations “abandon Gaza” and “let Israel do as it pleases,” they risk losing all credibility on the world stage.

“That’s why we reject double standards,” Macron emphasized, adding that this principle applies equally to the conflict in Ukraine.

Israel accuses Macron of leading a "crusade against the Jewish State"

Israel’s Foreign Ministry has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of waging a “crusade against the Jewish state” after he urged the international community to toughen its stance on Israel if the humanitarian situation in Gaza does not improve, AFP reports.

“There is no humanitarian blockade. That is an outright lie,” the ministry said in a statement, defending its efforts to facilitate aid into the Palestinian territory. “Instead of pressuring jihadist terrorists, Macron wants to reward them by handing them a Palestinian state. There’s no doubt his national holiday is now October 7,” the statement added, referring to the Hamas-led attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza.

Israeli minister declares plan to 'build the Jewish Israeli State' in West Bank

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has declared his intent to "build the Jewish Israeli state" in the occupied West Bank, during a visit to a Jewish settlement outpost in the northern part of the territory, according to AFP.

“This is a clear message to [French President Emmanuel] Macron and his friends: they may recognize a Palestinian state on paper, but we will build the Jewish Israeli state here on the ground,” Katz said in a statement from his office. “That paper will be thrown into the dustbin of history, and the State of Israel will thrive and flourish,” he added.

UN: ''Gaza is the hungriest region on earth'

A spokesperson for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has declared that "Gaza is the hungriest place on Earth," with "100% of the population at risk of famine."

“This is the only defined area — whether a country or a territory within a country — where the entire population is at risk of famine. One hundred percent of the population is affected,” said Jens Laerke during a regular U.N. press briefing in Geneva, rejecting Israeli claims to the contrary.

Iran slams Austrian report on its nuclear program

Iran has rejected claims made in an Austrian intelligence report suggesting Tehran is continuing to pursue a military nuclear program, just as it engages in sensitive talks with the United States, AFP reports.

On Monday, Austria’s domestic intelligence agency (DSN) released its annual report on global terrorist threats, stating: “Iran’s nuclear weapons development program is well advanced,” casting doubt on the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear activities. The report also claimed that sanctions and agreements aimed at preventing Iran’s armament have so far proven ineffective.

In response, Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Friday condemned the report as containing “baseless and false information,” and demanded an explanation from the Austrian government.

Gaza war's carbon footprint exceeds emissions of 100 countries

The first 15 months of Israel's war on Gaza have produced a carbon footprint larger than the annual emissions of more than 100 countries, worsening the global climate crisis in addition to the devastating human toll, according to new scientific research reported by The Guardian.

The study, authored by seven researchers and published in the Social Science Research Network, estimates that the long-term environmental cost of the destruction, debris clearance, and potential reconstruction of Gaza could exceed 31 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e). This surpasses the combined 2023 greenhouse gas emissions of countries like Costa Rica and Estonia.

Between Oct. 7, 2023 — the day of Hamas's attacks — and the temporary cease-fire in January 2025, nearly 1.89 million tonnes of CO₂e are estimated to have been released. Over 99% of that figure is attributed to Israel’s airstrikes and ground operations. The study also highlights that countries are not currently required to report military emissions to U.N. climate monitoring bodies.

Israeli drone flies over anti-Lebanon mountains

An Israeli reconnaissance drone flew at low altitude over the Anti-Lebanon mountain range, including the towns of Brital, al Khodor, Sarhine, Haour Taala, and Nabi Shit (Baalbek-Hermel), as well as the mountaintop villages of Yahfoufa, Janta, and Shahra in the same governorate, according to our Bekaa correspondent.

Far-right Israeli minister calls for full-force invasion of Gaza

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir (far-right) said it is "time to enter with full force" into Gaza, following Hamas's rejection of the latest U.S. cease-fire proposal.

“Prime Minister, after Hamas once again rejected the agreement proposal, there are no more excuses. We’ve already missed too many opportunities. It’s time to go in with all necessary force, without hesitation, to completely destroy and kill Hamas in Gaza,” he wrote on his Telegram channel.

Welcome to our live coverage of the ongoing situation in the Middle East, with a focus on Gaza, where the Israeli offensive continues to claim dozens of lives daily, and southern Lebanon. We’ll also cover developments in Yemen, the occupied West Bank, and Syria.

To catch up on what you missed yesterday read our 👉Morning Brief.

Hamas unhappy with U.S. cease-fire proposal approved by Israel

Hamas said Thursday that the new U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal for Gaza, approved by Israel according to the White House, does not meet its demands.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed the proposal was submitted by envoy Steve Witkoff and signed by Israel before being sent to Hamas. Hamas official Bassem Naim told AFP the proposal perpetuates occupation, violence, and famine, and fails to address core demands like ending the war. The group is still reviewing its response.

Over 50 killed in Israeli Strikes on Gaza Thursday

Gaza’s Civil Defense reported 54 deaths from Israeli strikes Thursday, including 23 people killed in a single strike on a house in Bureij. Two others were killed near a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid center, a new organization backed by Israel and the U.S. The Israeli army claimed it targeted a Hamas cell in Bureij but did not comment on the aid center incident.

Israeli army forces evacuation of Al-Awda Hospital

Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza said it was forcibly evacuated by Israeli forces amid ongoing military operations. The Israeli army did not respond to AFP's request for comment.

IS claims first attack in Syria since Assad’s fall

Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for its first attack against Syria’s new authorities since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, according to an NGO and SITE Intelligence Group. The attack involved an explosive device targeting a Syrian army vehicle in Sweida province, southern Syria.

Overnight – Israeli strikes Hit Bnaafoul, Southern Lebanon

Around 11 p.m., the Israeli army carried out three strikes in Bnaafoul (Saida district) — two air raids and a drone strike — following earlier bombardments in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. No casualties were reported, but one strike near a village school caused a powerful explosion, according to residents.

Macron: Recognizing Palestinian state is a 'moral duty' and 'political necessity'

French President Emmanuel Macron stated that recognizing a Palestinian state is not only a moral obligation but also a political necessity. Speaking in Singapore ahead of a June 18 U.N. conference, he called on Europeans to toughen their collective stance on Israel if the humanitarian situation in Gaza doesn’t improve in the coming days.