One killed, several injured in Israeli drone strike on Saida district's Bablieh; three killed in Israeli strike on Tripoli | LIVE

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

Israeli strike in Saida district kills one, injures several

An Israeli drone launched a strike against a car in Bablieh, in Saida district, killing one person and injuring several others, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon, Muntasser Abdallah. Four people have been killed by Israeli strikes on Lebanon since early evening, including three killed in a rare strike on the country's northern city of Tripoli.

Israel announces killing 'senior Hamas commander' in Tripoli strike

The Israeli army released a statement saying that it had “killed Mehran Mustafa Baajour, a senior Hamas commander in Lebanon” during a strike on a van that was driving on the outskirts of Beddawi Palestinian refugee camp.

According to the Israeli army, Baajour “led and coordinated numerous terrorist operations against the Israeli army and Israeli citizens."

"During the current war," the statement reads, referring to the war that supposedly ended with a cease-fire agreement in November 2024, "he orchestrated rocket attacks against Nahariya, Kiryat Shmona, and other Israeli cities.”

The Israeli army claimed that Baajour “held a central command position within Hamas in Lebanon," and had strengthened the group's military presence in the country. His assassination, the statement continued, represents a “major blow to Hamas' activities in Lebanon.”

Two other people were also killed in the attack, including the owner of a nearby car garage.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Blue Room of the White House on July 07, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Credit: Andrew Harnik/AFP)

Trump and Netanyahu to discuss Gaza in evening meeting

U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet again this evening to discuss Gaza, a day after they met for hours while officials conducted indirect negotiations on a U.S.-brokered cease-fire, Reuters reports.

The meeting will "almost exclusively" cover Gaza, Trump said. "We got to get that solved. Gaza is tragic. It's a tragedy, it's a tragedy," he said. "I want to get it solved, and I think the other side wants to get it solved."

Read the full report here. 👈

Steve Witkoff to depart for Qatar tonight, source says

U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to depart tonight for Doha, Qatar, a source familiar with the details told Haaretz. Witkoff's office stated that the trip has not been finalized.

Yesterday, Witkoff attended the meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump, which he reportedly started off by saying, "We finally have an opportunity to reach a peace agreement, prime minister. I hope it happens very soon."

Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers meet in Mecca

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud, met his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araqchi, in Mecca today, where they discussed bilateral ties and the latest developments in the region, Saudi state news agency SPA said, cited by Reuters.

Earlier, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson had said Araqchi would visit Saudi Arabia on his way back from Brazil to discuss the peace and security of the region.

Updated death toll in Tripoli strike

Three people were killed and thirteen people were wounded by the Israeli army in its drone strike targeting a van in northern Lebanon's Tripoli earlier this evening.

US envoy Tom Barrack visits southern Lebanon

U.S. envoy Tom Barrack visited the area south of the Litani River in Lebanon, according to al-Arabiya and al-Hadath, where he praised the efforts of the Lebanese Army in expanding its deployment where Hezbollah has pulled back.

The cease-fire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel, signed on Nov. 27, calls on Lebanon to dismantle Hezbollah's infrastructure and leave the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL as the only armed forces south of the Litani.

At least two killed in Israeli strike on Tripoli

The Ministry of Health has reported that two people were killed in the Israeli drone strike that targeted a car outside the Beddawi refugee camp. Our correspondent has reported an additional death in the strike, naming, in total, three people: Mehran Baajour, Ali Hamaoui, and the owner of a garage located near the site of the attack, a Lebanese man named Omar Zahra.

The car targeted by an Israeli drone on July 8, 2025, near Tripoli. (Photo sent by residents to L'Orient Today)

One killed, two injured in Israeli strike on Tripoli

The Israeli drone strike on Tripoli killed one of the targeted van's passengers and injured two other people, one of them seriously, according to witnesses present on site.

According to information from our correspondent, Israeli drones fired two consecutive missiles at a CRV 4x4 vehicle on the Beddawi Airounieh-Nefaa road, near the Beddawi Palestinian refugee camp, located about five kilometers north of the center of Tripoli, northern Lebanon's largest city. Another nearby car also caught fire.

Israel strikes Tripoli, targeting 'key' Hamas figure

The Israeli army has attacked the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli with a drone strike, a rare occurrence in over a year and a half of Israeli bombardment of the country, which has largely hit areas south of Beirut.

Israel announced it had targeted "a key Hamas figure in the Tripoli area."

The strike hit the outskirts of the Beddawi Palestinian refugee camp in Tripoli, according to our correspondent in the North, Michel Hallak.

This is the first Israeli strike recorded north of Beirut since the cease-fire came into effect on Nov. 27, 2024.

During last year's all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah, the former targeted northern Lebanon on several occasions, including a deadly bombing in Zghorta district that killed several civilians, and a drone strike on an apartment in the Beddawi refugee camp.

China sent Iran missile batteries post-cease-fire

China sent Iran surface-to-air missile batteries after Israel's 12-day war against the country ended, Middle East Eye reports, as Iran seeks to rebuild its air defenses.

The deliveries were made post-cease-fire, which was mediated by the U.S. and came into effect on June 24, an Arab official familiar with the information told MEE.

Another Arab official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the U.S.'s Arab allies were aware of Tehran's efforts to "back up and reinforce" its air defences and that the White House had been informed of Iran's progress. 

The officials did not say how many surface-to-air missiles, or SAMs, Iran had received from China since the end of the fighting. However, one of the Arab officials said that Iran was paying for the SAMs with oil shipments.

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men inspect the damage at the site of an Iranian missile attack in Bnei Brak, east of Tel Aviv, on June 15, 2025. (Credit: John Wessels/AFP)

Israeli military official acknowledges Iran hit military sites last month

An Israeli military official said that Iranian air strikes last month had hit some Israeli military sites, Reuters reports, marking the first such apparent public acknowledgement that such locations had been struck.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with military briefing rules, said that "very few" sites had been hit and that they remained functional.

The official declined to provide further details, including identifying which military locations were affected or how severe the damage was to military infrastructure.

Read the full report here. 👈

Gaza: Red Cross Hospital overwhelmed by surge in injuries near aid distribution sites

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said a “sharp increase” in violent incidents near humanitarian aid distribution sites in Gaza is overwhelming the already strained healthcare system in the Palestinian territory, AFP reports.

“The scale and frequency of these incidents are unprecedented,” the ICRC said in a statement, noting that its field hospital in Rafah, southern Gaza, has recorded 200 deaths and treated more than 2,200 gunshot wounds since new distribution points were set up in late May.

To cope with the influx of casualties, all staff are now involved in emergency response efforts.

“Physiotherapists are helping nurses clean and dress wounds. Cleaners have become stretcher-bearers and nursing aides. Midwives are now providing palliative care,” the organization said.

Gaza: Qatar says more time needed for cease-fire deal

Qatar, acting as mediator between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza war, said it “needs more time” to reach a cease-fire agreement, AFP reports. Ongoing indirect talks in Doha are currently focused on establishing a “framework” for a deal after 21 months of war.

“Both delegations are in Doha. We are speaking to them separately to set a framework for the talks. So the negotiations haven’t formally started yet, but we are engaging both sides on this framework,” said Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari.

Two crew members of the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Eternity C, operated by Greece, were killed Monday night following an attack by maritime drones and speedboats off the coast of Yemen, the Liberian maritime delegation announced during a meeting of the U.N.’s International Maritime Organization (IMO).

These deaths, the first since June 2024, bring the total number of sailors killed in attacks on ships in the Red Sea to six.

Red Sea: Berlin accuses Chinese military of targeting German aircraft with laser

A German military aircraft on a mission in the Red Sea to protect maritime traffic from Houthi attacks was targeted by a Chinese laser, Germany's Foreign Ministry said, summoning the Chinese ambassador in protest.

“Endangering German personnel and disrupting the mission are completely unacceptable,” the ministry stated on X, noting that the aircraft was part of the EU’s Aspides mission in the Red Sea.

The German Defense Ministry told AFP that the plane was “targeted without cause or prior contact” by a Chinese warship during a routine surveillance flight. By using the laser, the Chinese vessel “risked endangering both personnel and equipment,” the spokesperson said, without clarifying whether the device used was a laser weapon or a targeting system.

Iran denies requesting meeting with US to resume nuclear talks

Iran has not requested a meeting with the United States to resume nuclear negotiations, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said, according to state media cited by Reuters.

This comes after U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said he would meet with Iranian diplomats “next week or thereabouts.”

Israeli army claims assassination of two Hezbollah members in the south

The Israeli army claimed responsibility for the assassination of two Hezbollah members on Monday, within the span of two hours — including a commander of the al-Radwan force.

"Within two hours, the Israeli army eliminated a commander of the Hezbollah al-Radwan force and another Hezbollah operative," said the army’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, in a post on X.

"Yesterday, in the Deir Kifa area in southern Lebanon, the Israeli army attacked and eliminated Ali Abdel Hassan Haidar, a commander in Hezbollah’s al-Radwan force," he announced, adding that Haidar was "behind plots targeting Israeli civilians and the army, and had devised a plan to occupy the Galilee."

According to the Israeli army, Haidar was also involved in attempts to rebuild Hezbollah’s infrastructure in southern Lebanon. “His actions are a blatant violation of agreements between Israel and Lebanon,” the spokesperson added.

The Israeli army also said it struck the village of Beit Lif in southern Lebanon two hours later, killing another Hezbollah member.

'No breakthrough' in Doha negotiations, says Palestinian source

Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas over a potential cease-fire agreement in the Gaza Strip are continuing this morning in Doha, Qatar, according to a Palestinian source close to the talks.

“The discussions are still focused on the mechanisms for implementing a cease-fire agreement, particularly the clauses concerning the [Israeli army] withdrawal and humanitarian aid” for the Palestinian territory, the source told AFP.

According to the same source, “no breakthrough has been achieved so far, and the negotiations are ongoing,” AFP reports.

Cargo ship attacked Monday in the Red Sea still surrounded

A cargo ship attacked in the Red Sea on Monday evening remains “surrounded” after suffering a power outage and significant damage, a maritime security agency said Tuesday, according to AFP.

“The vessel sustained substantial damage and has lost all propulsion. It remains surrounded by small boats and is under continuous attack,” said UKMTO (United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations), which is affiliated with the British Royal Navy, in a statement.

Pezeshkian under fire in Iran

Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian is facing criticism at home for calling for renewed negotiations with the United States, with conservative newspapers denouncing his remarks as “too soft” toward a country that took part in bombing nuclear sites in June, according to AFP.

Pezeshkian, elected on a platform of re-engaging with the West to lift crippling economic sanctions, gave an interview to American broadcaster Tucker Carlson, a close ally of President Donald Trump.

In the interview, aired Monday, the Iranian president said his country had “no problem” resuming talks with the United States, despite a June bombing campaign by Israel — with U.S. support — targeting Iranian nuclear facilities.

"Is it right to sit once again, unconditionally, at the same table with those who have already dropped bombs on diplomacy?" asked Kayhan, a newspaper known for its anti-Western stance and fierce opposition to nuclear negotiations.

Senior Israeli official says up to 90 percent of truce deal with Hamas has been accepted

A senior Israeli political official, cited by Haaretz, told reporters this morning that “80 to 90 percent of the cease-fire agreement with Hamas has already been accepted,” though negotiations could still take a few more days.

Iran says at least 1,060 killed in war with Israel

The Iranian government has released a new death toll from its war with Israel, saying that at least 1,060 people have been killed and warning the number could rise, according to The Associated Press (AP).

Saeed Ohadi, head of Iran’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, gave the figure in an interview broadcast on Iranian state television late Monday. According to the AP, Ohadi warned that the death toll could reach 1,100 due to the severity of some injuries.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Activists, a Washington-based group that has tracked casualty numbers during various periods of unrest in Iran, reported that 1,190 people had been killed — including 436 civilians and 435 security personnel. The group also reported that 4,475 others had been wounded, according to the AP.

Five Israeli soldiers killed and 14 wounded by a bomb in Beit Hanoun

The Israeli army announced this morning that five soldiers were killed and 14 wounded by a bomb placed “by the roadside” in Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip, during the night from Monday to Tuesday.

The soldiers attacked were operating under the orders of the northern brigade of the Gaza division, called Netzah Yehuda (mainly composed of ultra-Orthodox soldiers), as part of a new offensive alongside the 646th reserve paratroopers brigade in Beit Hanoun, which began on Saturday, reports the Times of Israel.

The armed wing of Hamas hailed this deadly attack, reports Al Jazeera.

Abu Obeida, spokesperson for the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said this attack was “an additional blow[...] in an area that the occupation [Israeli forces] considered safe,” in a statement published by Hamas on Telegram.

The spokesperson added that the “brave resistance fighters” and the Palestinian civilians of Gaza were the only ones able to determine the future of the enclave. “The most foolish decision Netanyahu could make would be to keep his forces inside the Gaza Strip,” he concluded.

Netanyahu declared from Washington: “On this difficult morning, the entire people of Israel bows and mourns the death of our heroic fighters, who sacrificed their lives in the campaign to defeat Hamas and to free all our hostages. We embrace the families who lost their loved ones and pray for the full recovery of those wounded in the incident.”

Netanyahu at the White House

Donald Trump, who says he is determined to end the war in Gaza, hosted Benjamin Netanyahu for dinner at the White House Monday evening. Netanyahu said he had nominated the U.S. president for the Nobel Peace Prize, according to AFP.

This is the Israeli Prime Minister’s third visit to Washington since Donald Trump returned to power. It comes at a crucial moment, as the American president hopes to build on the momentum from the recent truce between Israel and Iran after a 12-day war to secure a truce in Gaza.

"I don’t think there is a deadlock. I think things are going very well," Trump told reporters at the start of the dinner when asked what was preventing a peace agreement.

Sitting across from each other at a large table, the American president expressed confidence that Hamas was ready to accept a cease-fire in Gaza. "They want a meeting and they want this cease-fire," he said.

Gaza

The Israeli army announced that five soldiers were killed and two others seriously wounded in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip.

In Doha, indirect negotiations continue between Israel and Hamas

The indirect negotiations taking place in Doha between Israel and Hamas, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S., focus “on the mechanisms for implementing” a ceasefire agreement and a “hostage exchange” involving captives held in Gaza in return for Palestinians detained in Israel, according to a Palestinian official cited by AFP.

The Hamas delegation was in one room, and the Israeli delegation in another, within the same building, he said. “Hamas is serious and eager to reach an agreement to end the war and the suffering of our people, provided the Israeli side acts in good faith and does not seek to obstruct or delay the process,” the Palestinian official stated.

According to Palestinian sources close to the talks, the proposed agreement under discussion includes a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release ten surviving hostages and hand over bodies of deceased captives, in exchange for the release of Palestinians held by Israel.

Netanyahu: Israel will always maintain security control in Gaza

Last night, Netanyahu again ruled out the creation of a fully sovereign Palestinian state, stating that Israel would “always” maintain control of security in the Gaza Strip. “Now people will say it’s not a full state, that it’s not a state. We don’t care,” he said.

Bombs dropped on southern Lebanon by the Israeli army

Monday night into Tuesday was marked by two incidents causing no casualties in Kfar Kila, according to our correspondent.

Around 11 p.m., an Israeli helicopter dropped a stun grenade on the outskirts of Kfar Kila in the Marjayoun district. An hour later, another helicopter targeted a statue honoring Hussein on a hilltop in the same locality. This monument had been erected for Ashura, an important commemoration for Shiites. It was destroyed by the strike.

Barrack in Meerab last night

The leader of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, and his wife, MP Setrida Geagea, hosted the U.S. presidential envoy Tom Barrack at their home in Meerab yesterday evening, accompanied by U.S. Ambassador Lisa Johnson, according to a statement from Meerab.

The meeting focused on a working document presented by Barrack to Lebanese officials. Geagea recalled that “the demand for the Lebanese state to collect illegal weapons, whether Palestinian or Lebanese, is a Lebanese demand, a prerequisite for building a real state in Lebanon.”

He stressed that “without the dissolution of all illegal and illegitimate military and security organizations, there can be no real state in Lebanon.”

Hezbollah announces one of the men killed yesterday was one of its members

While Israeli strikes caused two deaths yesterday in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah announced that Hadi Rameh Moustapha, killed in Beit Lif by a drone strike on his scooter, was one of its members. The man, from the village where he was killed, will be buried in a ceremony organized by the party-militia at 3 p.m.

The other victim from the previous day’s strikes, killed in Deir Kifa in the Sour district by a drone strike on his van, was also a Hezbollah member.

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