Israeli army claims to control 65% of Gaza, Syria says it wants to return to the 1974 armistice with Israel | LIVE

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A Palestinian man ties his shirt over his head as he tries to chase off Israeli settlers from a hilltop in the village of Sinjil, in the occupied West Bank on July 4, 2025. (Credit: John Wessels/AFP.)

Dozens of Israeli settlers and Palestinians clashed on Friday in a village in the occupied West Bank, where a march was planned following recent settler attacks on Palestinian land.

AFP journalists witnessed residents and activists beginning to march before settlers were spotted on a hill near the village of Sinjil.

Young Palestinians approached to drive them away, setting fires at the base of the hill, while settlers responded by throwing stones.

Local Palestinian sources told AFP that settlers also started a fire.

Several Israeli army vehicles then arrived, and soldiers fired into the air to force Palestinians to retreat back into the village.

According to Anwar al-Ghafri, a lawyer and member of Sinjil’s municipal council, such confrontations are common but have intensified in recent days in this part of the West Bank, north of Ramallah—territory occupied by Israel since 1967.

According to reports from Israel’s Channel 13, cited by outlets including Al-Nashra, a heated exchange took place between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir over the strategy in Gaza.

Netanyahu reportedly insisted on continuing the siege, while Zamir opposed the approach, saying it was “impossible to control 2 million Palestinians.”

An MSF (Doctors Without Borders) staff member who survived a deadly incident in Khan Younis has described Israeli forces opening fire on civilians collecting flour from aid trucks, reports Al Jazeera.

“Whomever got a bag of flour, got shot in the head,” he said. “The bags were covered in blood. There were bodies everywhere.”

He recounted being ordered via drone to leave the wounded behind: “It said, ‘you are not allowed to take flour. Keep walking and don’t pick up any of the dead or wounded.’”

MSF’s Emergency Coordinator in Gaza, Aitor Zabalgogeazkoa, condemned what he called Israel’s militarised and deadly control over aid:

“The deliberate starvation of Palestinians for over 100 days is pushing people to the breaking point. This carnage must stop now.”

According to LBCI, a meeting of the committee tasked with drafting Lebanon’s response to the U.S. proposal on Hezbollah’s disarmament will be held tomorrow at the Baabda Presidential Palace.

President Joseph Aoun is continuing coordination with the Prime Minister to review the response, the channel added.

Israeli army has claimed responsibility for the drone strike that killed a man on Thursday in Khaldeh, south of Beirut, also revealing his identity, according to reports in Israeli media.

An Israeli military spokesperson identified the target as Qassem Salah al-Husseini, described as a "Lebanese national involved in planning terrorist operations" in northern Israel "on behalf of the Iranian Quds Force." The spokesperson said al-Husseini was "a key figure in the weapons smuggling route from Iran through Syria to various sites in the northern sector and the West Bank," and maintained ties with both Syrian and Lebanese arms dealers.

According to a draft cease-fire agreement brokered by Qatar and based on the so-called Witkoff framework — named after U.S. negotiator Steve Witkoff and obtained by Haaretz — eight living hostages would be released on the first day of the truce, with two more to be freed on the fiftieth day.

The document states that the bodies of five hostages would be returned to Israel on the seventh day of the ceasefire, five more on the thirtieth day, and the final eight on the sixtieth day.

Under the terms of the draft, U.S. President Donald Trump would personally announce the cease-fire.

“The United States and President Trump are committed to ensuring that good-faith negotiations continue until a final agreement is reached,” the text reads, adding that “the president places great importance on both parties’ commitment to this agreement and insists that talks held during the truce lead to a comprehensive deal.”

The document also states that the guarantors and mediators — the United States, Egypt, and Qatar — will ensure that the cease-fire lasts for a period of 60 days and that serious negotiations take place on the conditions needed for a permanent cease-fire.

It further specifies that the mediators will ensure talks may “continue for an additional period if necessary.”

A post on X by Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesperson, stated that "This week in Gaza, operational control was achieved over approximately 65% of the Gaza Strip, more than 100 militants were eliminated, and an assault was carried out on Hamas’s Gaza Brigade."

According to the post, over the past week, the Israeli army eliminated more than 100 militants.

The post continues: "As part of the operations, the 98th and 162nd divisions launched an assault on Hamas’s Gaza Brigade in the northern part of the Strip."

It also states that "since the beginning of Operation Iron Swords, the Israeli Air Force has conducted over 7,500 airstrikes on terrorist infrastructure, including weapons depots, rocket launchers, underground tunnels, and militant targets."

According to Adraee, "the [Israeli army] currently holds operational control over approximately 65% of the Gaza Strip."

He concluded by saying that the Israeli army “continues to operate inside Gaza in line with the objectives of the war, aiming to protect Israeli citizens, particularly residents of the Gaza envelope region.”

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, 138 people were killed and 452 injured in the past 24 hours as Israeli strikes continue to pound the territory. Many victims remain trapped under rubble or in the streets, unreachable due to the intensity of the ongoing bombardment, which has made it nearly impossible for emergency and civil defense teams to respond.

Since October 7, 2023, the death toll in Gaza has climbed to 57,268, with at least 135,625 others wounded.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam visited the Baabda presidential palace for a meeting with President Joseph Aoun. The meeting comes as Lebanon reviews a U.S. proposal concerning Hezbollah’s disarmament.

Germany’s ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, has condemned what he called the "reprehensible" violence by Israeli settlers against both Israeli soldiers and Palestinians in the West Bank.

Posting on X, Seibert said such acts “must be condemned not only when they target IDF reservists, but also when they harass and attack Palestinian communities.”

“This must stop,” he added.

Iran has reportedly agreed to resume negotiations on the nuclear deal with the United States, according to Haaretz, citing a senior Iranian political source quoted by the UK-based outlet Amwaj.

“The talks will likely take place at the end of next week,” the source added.

Sources from Al Hadath report that Hezbollah has agreed in principle to the "step-by-step" proposal put forward by U.S. envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack.

However, the sources added that Hezbollah refuses to set a specific timeline for disarmament.

Aita al-Shaab is a town located in the Bint Jbeil District of southern Lebanon, near the border with Israel. It has historically been a focal point during periods of conflict, particularly during clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli military. The town is predominantly inhabited by Lebanese Shiite Muslims and has faced repeated military activity and airstrikes due to its strategic location.

In recent years and especially during flare-ups in the region, Aita al-Shaab has been cited in reports involving Israeli cross-border operations, including alleged violations of Lebanese sovereignty and U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Let me know if you’re looking for information on a specific event related to Aita al-Shaab

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office (ASRA) has condemned the harsh conditions faced by female Palestinian detainees in Damon Prison, located in northern Israel.

According to ASRA, five women, including minors, have been subjected to severe mistreatment — including solitary confinement, threats, verbal abuse, and even spitting.

The group also reported that prison authorities have used tear gas and police dogs against inmates, and often enforce degrading procedures during transfers between cells.

Pregnant prisoners and those suffering from cancer are reportedly being held in cells that lack even the most basic sanitary facilities.

IAEA inspectors leave Iran

A team of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency left Iran to return to its headquarters in Vienna after Tehran suspended cooperation, the U.N. agency said on X.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi reiterated the "crucial importance" of discussing with Iran modalities to resume "its essential monitoring and verification activities as soon as possible."

Aita al-Shaab Municipality denounces destruction of civilian house

In a statement, the municipality of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil) denounced the dawn destruction by the Israeli army of a house inhabited by a civilian, Raed Hassan Srour, and his family.

The municipality explained that "the Israeli enemy barbarically dynamited this home at dawn," following "a series of provocations last week, such as the throwing of stun grenades near the house."

"This attack is a blatant violation of Resolution 1701 and a direct targeting of civilians," the municipality said, calling on "the Lebanese authorities and international human rights organizations to denounce this criminal act and to exert pressure to put an end to the repeated attacks against our families in the south."

Syria says it is ready to cooperate with the United States to return to the 1974 armistice with Israel

Syria's foreign minister said his country was ready to cooperate with the United States to return to the 1974 disengagement agreement with Israel, which created a demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights.

"Syria aspires to cooperate with the United States for a return to the 1974 disengagement agreement," Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani said in a telephone conversation with his American counterpart Marco Rubio, according to an official statement. Israel and Syria are technically still in a state of war.

Gaza's Nasser Hospital operates as 'a huge trauma ward' due to gunfire during aid distributions

Gaza's Nasser Hospital is operating as "a huge trauma ward" due to the influx of injured patients at non-U.N.-controlled food distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the World Health Organization said on Friday, quoted by Reuters.

Referring to medical staff at Nasser Hospital, Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in the West Bank and Gaza, told reporters in Geneva: "They have been seeing wounded people daily for weeks ... [the] majority of them come from the supposedly safe, non-U.N.-controlled food distribution sites. The hospital is now functioning as a huge trauma ward."

613 Palestinians killed during GHF aid distributions, according to the UN

The United Nations human rights office said it recorded at least 613 killings at aid points run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and near humanitarian convoys.

“We have recorded 613 killings, both at GHF points and near humanitarian convoys – this is a figure as of June 27. Since then … there have been further incidents,” Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson for the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, told reporters in Geneva, cited by al-Jazeera.

Palestine Action calls for suspension of government ban

The co-founder of the pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action asked a London court on Friday to suspend the British government's decision to ban the group under anti-terrorism laws, as her lawyers argued it was an "authoritarian abuse" of the law, Reuters reported.

British lawmakers decided this week to designate Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, in response to its activists breaking into a military base and damaging two planes in protest of what they call Britain's support for Israel. The proscription would formally designate Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, making support for or membership in the group a crime. Palestine Action has increasingly targeted Israeli-linked businesses in Britain with direct action, but critics of the government's decision say property damage should not be equated with terrorism.

Israeli police announce arrest of Palestinian suspected of incitement against Ben Gvir and Israel

Israeli police announced the arrest of a Palestinian resident of Tubas, West Bank, on suspicion of incitement against the State of Israel and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Haaretz reports. The suspect allegedly encouraged people to harm Israel in light of the military campaign in Iran and to harm Ben-Gvir.

FlyDubai, first international airline to land at Tehran airport since flights were suspended

FlyDubai became the first international carrier to land at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport on Friday, following a 20-day suspension of flights imposed due to Israeli attacks on Iran, the state-run IRNA reported.

The arrival of flight FZ1930 at Iran's largest airport from the airline's base in the United Arab Emirates marked the beginning of a gradual return to normal operations in Iranian airspace, IRNA said.

FlyDubai is a low-cost carrier and sister company of Emirates.

Local authorities described the landing as a sign of restored stability and effective crisis management in the country's aviation sector.

The building in Mais al-Jabal before and after its destruction by the Israeli army on the night of July 3, 2025. (Photo provided by L'Orient Today's correspondent, Muntasser Abdallah)

After Israeli destruction, the municipality of Mais al-Jabal denounces the 'abandonment' of the state

In a statement, the municipality of Mais al-Jabal denounced "cowardly attacks and daily violations of the cease-fire," calling on the Lebanese government to "take responsibility" for the situation. "These violations are a stain on the record of the new mandate" of President Joseph Aoun, elected in January 2025, and the government of Nawaf Salam, formed a month later, as well as the "final nail in the coffin of international resolutions, the principles of national sovereignty, international legitimacy, and diplomacy."

The municipality denounced the fact that, in the face of Israeli attacks, there is "no concrete reaction from the state," an "abandonment that will have harmful consequences."

Israeli forces parachuted 10 kilometers from Damascus, incursion into a village near the Lebanese border, according to al-Mayadeen

Israeli special forces reportedly infiltrated Syria by parachute and ground incursions, conducting nighttime operations in the suburbs of Damascus and Daraa on Thursday night, according to Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen, citing local Syrian sources.

"The operations, which lasted for hours, included areas close to the Lebanese border," al-Mayadeen reported. "The Israeli force, consisting of three armored vehicles, entered the village of Rakhleh, west of Damascus, near the Lebanese border, opposite the town of Yohmor (Rashaya)," referring to "the first incursion of this type into this area."

An Israeli special force also reportedly carried out an airborne landing in the Yahfour region, a suburb of Damascus, about 10 kilometers from the capital, with the participation of three helicopters that flew over the area, according to the same sources.

The raid reportedly targeted a former Syrian Republican Guard site, where the search operation lasted five hours before forces left the area by helicopter.

Syrian sources also reported that "another Israeli force entered the village of Saysoun, in the Yarmouk Basin area, in the western countryside of Daraa, using six military vehicles." A force of three vehicles also reportedly reached a former Syrian army position near the village of Ain Dhikr in the Yarmouk Basin.

Israel 'will ensure' that Iran can no longer threaten the country

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the military would ensure Iran could no longer threaten Israel after the 12-day war between the two in June, AFP reported.

The Israeli military will prepare an "execution plan to ensure that Iran can no longer threaten Israel," Katz said in a statement, adding that the military must "prepare at the intelligence and operational levels to ensure that the air force maintains its air superiority over Tehran."

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Chances of Gaza cease-fire high as Hamas seeks guarantees to end war: Everything you need to know this Friday

Chances of Gaza cease-fire high as Hamas seeks guarantees to end war: Everything you need to know this Friday

Trump says Hamas should respond to Gaza cease-fire deal within 24 hours

U.S. President Donald Trump said Hamas's response to the cease-fire proposal with Israel in Gaza would likely be known within 24 hours, Reuters reported. The proposal, announced by Trump earlier this week, was approved by Israel and provides for an initial 60-day truce period and the phased release of Israeli hostages.

Iran at the heart of US-Saudi discussions

U.S. President Donald Trump met Thursday with Saudi Defense Minister Khaled bin Salman, who then met with the Iranian military chief, according to Fox News, citing multiple sources. Trump and bin Salman discussed, in the presence of other White House officials, "de-escalation efforts in Iran," according to Fox. Axios said that after this meeting, the Saudi minister called the Iranian military chief.

Hamas sources say they are ready to stop weapons production and dismantle the armed presence in the Gaza Strip

Hamas sources claimed, according to the Israeli media Haaretz, that the group had expressed its willingness to stop smuggling and producing weapons, leave weapons in warehouses, stop digging tunnels, and dismantle its military presence throughout the Gaza Strip, as part of the U.S.-led cease-fire talks with Israel. These sources believed the organization could agree to a symbolic and temporary deportation of a small number of officials if it would help end the war.

Israeli army blows up newly renovated textile factory in southern Lebanon

Shortly after midnight on Thursday night, an Israeli army infantry unit infiltrated Lebanese territory near Mais al-Jabal and detonated a household linen factory. According to L'Orient Today's correspondent, the factory is located on the main road near the local government hospital. The explosion occurred around 2:45 a.m.

The factory had already been destroyed during the 13-month war between Hezbollah and the Israeli army and completely renovated and re-equipped by its owner, Sobhi Hamdan. It housed state-of-the-art equipment and machinery, and the factory employed many local residents. A source within the municipality denounced this as "another flagrant violation of Lebanese sovereignty and a barbaric method aimed at preventing the return of life to the border area."

"The state is incapable of protecting its people," the source criticized.

Israeli soldiers also booby-trapped and detonated the engine of a bulldozer used by Southern Council crews for demolition work in the Karkazan neighborhood, north of Mais al-Jabal (Marjayoun).

Hamas discusses Gaza truce proposal with other Palestinian factions

Hamas announced in a brief statement overnight that it was holding "consultations with the leaders of the Palestinian forces and factions" on the latest cease-fire proposal in Gaza. This initiative is part of the movement's "desire to end the Israeli aggression" on the enclave and ensure the resumption of humanitarian aid flows. Hamas announced that it "will submit its final decision to the mediators after the consultations are completed and will make an official announcement."

Artillery fire on Aita al-Shaab

Israeli artillery fire targeted a house in Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil), at dawn, causing material damage, according to residents quoted by L'Orient Today's correspondent.