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US, Jordan offer Syria support in upholding Sweida ceasefire
Syrian and Jordanian foreign ministers and US envoy Tom Barrack have agreed to form a working group to help Damascus uphold a cease-fire in its southern Sweida province, rocked by recent sectarian clashes, AFP reports.
In a joint statement issued after a meeting in Amman, Jordan and the United States said they "agreed to respond to the Syrian government's request to establish a trilateral working group [Syrian–Jordanian–American] to support the Syrian government's efforts to consolidate the cease-fire" in Sweida and "resolve the crisis" there.
They also agreed to hold another meeting in the coming weeks.
Hezbollah posted a one-minute video on its Telegram channel entitled “My weapon is too sacred to be taken away,” in which several fighters are shown operating various types of military weapons. The video comes amid heightened tensions following Cabinet's decision last week to adopt an American plan for the party's disarmament amid Israel's ongoing attacks against Lebanon.
Netanyahu says partial cease-fire deal not on the table
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said he thinks the possibility of a partial cease-fire deal with Hamas “is behind us,” Times of Israel reports, citing comments during an interview with the i24 television channel.
“You heard President Trump,” Netanyahu said when asked if the possibility of forging a partial cease-fire and hostage release deal is still open. “I think it’s behind us.”
“We’ve made all kinds of attempts,” he says, without elaborating. “We went a long way. It became clear to us that they’re just leading us astray.”
Previous rounds of negotiations stuck on the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the territory, which Israel now says it plans to completely occupy. Domestically, Netanyahu is facing increasing pressure from his government and the public to end the war.
“In any case, a lot of hostages, both living and dead, will remain in their hands,” he says, appearing to refer to a past proposal for a partial deal, which would have secured the release of 10 living hostages and the bodies of 18 more. “I want everyone — both the living and the fallen,” he said.
Hamas delegation arrives in Cairo for cease-fire talks
Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya and his delegation have arrived in Cairo, Egypt’s state-affiliated al-Qahera News channel reports, cited by Al Jazeera.
The Palestinian negotiators will hold talks with Egyptian mediators on the framework, which comes as Israel pushes ahead with a phased occupation of Gaza.
The Israeli plan is expected to take some time to launch, leaving room for a potential cease-fire, which White House envoy Steve Witkoff continues to push for, having just met with the Qatari prime minister over the weekend to deliver Trump's message urging an "all or nothing" truce that ends the war for good.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said that Cairo, working in coordination with Qatar and the U.S., is seeking a “comprehensive agreement.”
France froze Gaza evacuations before alleged antisemitic incident
A freeze by France on evacuations of Palestinians from Gaza precedes a claimed incident of antisemitism by a Palestinian evacuee, according to media reports cited by Middle East Eye.
On Aug. 1, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced the suspension of evacuations from Gaza following alleged antisemitic posts by a Palestinian student who had been evacuated by French authorities.
The student, who was set to study at Sciences Po Lille next year, was deported to Qatar.
However, according to French outlet Mediapart, the suspension of all evacuations predates the incident involving the student.
The French outlet contacted Palestinians who had been selected to participate in PAUSE, a program to bring artists and scientists in exile to France. They told Mediapart that French authorities at the consulate in occupied East Jerusalem, said they would be evacuated before the summer.
They learned afterwards — well before the alleged antisemitic incident — that their evacuations had been postponed without explanation.
Spain evacuated 44 Gazan children and their families in recent months
Spain has evacuated 44 wounded or ill children from war-torn Gaza along with about 100 of their relatives over the past several months, the government announced, as cited by AFP.
Four separate evacuation missions were carried out in coordination with international organizations and allied nations, Spain's migration ministry, which led the operations, said in a statement.
The children and their families have been relocated across Spain to receive medical treatment and those brought to Spain will be eligible to apply for asylum.
Migration Minister Elma Saiz said the operations demonstrated that "solidarity and international cooperation save lives."
Egypt says working with Qatar, US to revive 60-day Gaza truce plan
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo is working with Qatar and the United States to broker a 60-day cease-fire in Gaza, AFP reports, as part of a renewed push to end Israel's devastating onslaught against the territory.
"We are working very hard now in full cooperation with the Qataris and Americans," Abdelatty told reporters during a press conference in Cairo.
"The main objective is to go back to the original proposal, to have a cease-fire for 60 days, with the release of some hostages and some Palestinian detainees and the flow of humanitarian and medical assistance to Gaza without restrictions, without conditions."
Israel bombs Naqoura fishing port
Israel has bombed the fishing port in Naqoura, the southern most coastal village in Lebanon, in Sour district. According to our correspondent in the south, at least two fishermen were targeted in the attack as they were out fishing. Paramedics have arrived on the scene, both fishermen are injured, one seriously.
Israel has two fishermen currently in captivity, having kidnapped them from Lebanese waters, and has threatened Naqoura fishermen on more than one occasion.
Iran says direct nuclear talks with US possible under suitable conditions
Iran could hold direct nuclear talks with the United States if conditions are suitable, first Vice President Mohammadreza Aref has said, as cited by state media. But U.S. demands for Tehran to drop uranium enrichment entirely were "a joke," he added.
A sixth round of talks between Tehran and Washington was brought to a screeching halt by Israel's surprise attack on Iranian nuclear facilities in June. Israel has accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, an accusation Tehran has rejected and which U.S. intelligence officials said they had no proof of.
"Iran is ready for negotiations under equal conditions in order to safeguard its interests ... The Islamic Republic's stance is in the direction that people want and, should there be suitable conditions, we are even ready for direct talks," Aref said.
100 killed by Israel in Gaza in 24 hours, included 5 cases of starvation
Israel has killed 100 people in Gaza in the last 24 hours, Gaza's Health Ministry reports.
The tally includes 11 bodies that were recovered in the last day. Israeli airstrikes also injured 513 people, whose treatments rely on a beleaguered healthcare system.
The ministry's tally includes 31 killed and 388 injured while seeking aid, bringing aid-site toll to 1,838 killed and more than 13,400 injured since Oct. 7.
Within the last 24 hours, five more people have died from starvation, including two children, bringing the total to 227, with 103 of them children.
These killings bring the overall death toll since Oct. 7, as has been recorded at hospitals, to 61,599 killed and 154,088 injured.
The Israeli army said it had intercepted a drone launched from Yemen, according to a statement reported by Haaretz.
The alarm sirens were not triggered, it added.
Gaza: Hamas delegation expected in Cairo
A delegation from the Islamist movement Hamas is set to travel to Cairo to meet with Egyptian mediators in a new effort to find a way to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza, two Palestinian sources close to the matter said on Tuesday.
“A high-ranking Hamas delegation, led by leader Khalil al-Hayya, will arrive in Cairo today [Tuesday] or tomorrow [Wednesday] morning at Egypt's invitation and will hold a meeting with Egyptian officials,” one of the sources told AFP. The delegation will discuss “the efforts of Egypt and other mediators” to achieve a cease-fire and the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, according to the source.
The second Palestinian source said that “the mediators are in the process of formulating a new proposal for a comprehensive ceasefire agreement.” They are discussing “certain ideas, one of which is a 60-day truce, followed by negotiations for a long-term cease-fire and an agreement to release all Israeli prisoners [hostages], living and dead, in one go,” she added. However, she stressed, “so far, there is nothing new to be optimistic about, especially since the [Israeli] occupation is hindering any agreement.”
A Hamas official, who asked not to be identified, told AFP that Hamas “has not yet received a new cease-fire proposal.” But he stressed that his movement was “ready to reach an agreement if the occupation decides to end the genocide, lift the blockade, and allow a normal flow of humanitarian aid” into the Gaza Strip.
On Tuesday, France lamented the “heavy toll paid by local journalists” in Gaza and called on the Israeli authorities “to guarantee safe and unhindered access” to the Gaza Strip for international journalists.
International journalists “must be able to operate freely and independently to document the reality of the conflict,” said Pascal Confavreux, deputy spokesperson for the French Foreign Affairs Ministry.
An agency under the Israeli Defense Ministry published a new report on Tuesday stating that there are “no signs of widespread malnutrition” in the Gaza Strip, where the U.N. has been warning for weeks of the risk of “widespread famine.”
Cogat, which is responsible for the civil administration of the Palestinian territories, said in the report that it had conducted a “thorough review” of Hamas' data and figures on deaths due to malnutrition in the Palestinian territory.
Gaza's health ministry, which is controlled by the Islamist movement, estimates that the total number of victims of starvation to date is 227, including 103 children.
The Civil Defense in Gaza reported an intensification of Israeli bombing on the city of Gaza in recent days. It announced Israel's killing of 24 Palestinians on Tuesday across the Palestinian territory ravaged by more than 22 months of war.
An Israeli drone fired a missile that landed in a street in the al-Rous neighborhood of Nmeirieh (Nabatiyeh district) without exploding, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
The target of the strike was a road paving workshop belonging to the village municipality, our correspondent added.
Council of Europe warns against arms sales to Israel
The Council of Europe has warned against arms sales to Israel, calling on its 46 member states to ensure that they are not used in connection with human rights violations in Gaza.
In a statement, the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, reiterated his call on member countries to “do everything possible to prevent and respond to violations of international humanitarian law and human rights in the context of the conflict in Gaza.”
“This includes applying existing legal standards to ensure that arms transfers are not authorized when there is a risk that they will be used to commit violations” of fundamental rights, the commissioner wrote.
International group of 'elders' denounces ongoing genocide in Gaza
The group of former international figures known as “The Elders” denounced on Tuesday an ongoing genocide in Gaza and “Israel's deliberate obstruction of humanitarian aid” in the besieged Palestinian territory, reports AFP.
“What we have seen and heard reinforces our personal conviction: It is not just a man-made famine that is taking place in Gaza, but genocide,” said the group, founded by Nelson Mandela and whose members include former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, in a statement.
The “Wise Men” call on Israel to “immediately open all border crossings” into Palestinian territory, including the Rafah crossing. "The 1948 Genocide Convention was created in the aftermath of the Holocaust to prevent this crime from happening again. But it is being flouted in word and deed by Israel in Gaza, as well as by powerful U.N. member states that are not holding Israeli leaders to account," the group added.
Israel must ease controls on humanitarian aid to Gaza, says WHO
Israel must ease controls on humanitarian aid to Gaza, where the humanitarian situation “remains catastrophic,” said the WHO, which wants to replenish stocks ahead of the offensive on Gaza City announced by Benjamin Netanyahu.
The World Health Organization's representative for the occupied Palestinian territories, Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, denounced “cumbersome procedures” and health products that are “still being refused” entry into the Gaza Strip, a subject of constant negotiation with the Israeli authorities, he explained at a press briefing.
“We want to quickly supply hospitals... with all the discussions about an incursion into Gaza, we want to make sure that hospitals are at least somewhat supplied,” the official said via videoconference from Jerusalem during the regular U.N. briefing in Geneva.
Israel: New tensions between army chief and defense minister
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has reprimanded the army chief over senior appointments, amid tensions between the army and the executive ahead of a new military offensive announced in the Gaza Strip.
“Deliberations conducted by Chief of Staff" Eyal Zamir on appointments in the military hierarchy “took place ... without coordination or prior agreement from the minister, according to a statement from the ministry. Katz “has no intention of discussing or approving these appointments,” the statement added.
Lieutenant General Zamir responded shortly afterwards in an army statement, asserting that he was “the sole authority empowered to appoint officers from the rank of colonel upwards.”
“It is the chief of staff who makes the decision on appointments — these are then submitted to the minister for approval,” he said.
Update on the situation in South Lebanon and the Bekaa:
- A device exploded this morning in an orchard in the town of Hanieh (Sour), injuring a Syrian worker, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in South Lebanon. The man was transferred to a hospital in Sour.
- An Israeli drone also dropped a sound bomb near an excavator in Kroum al Mrah, east of Mais al Jabal (Marjayoun). No injuries were reported.
- An Israeli drone is flying at low altitude over the villages of Baalbeck, Douris, Majdaloun and Taybeh.
Israel: Opposition calls for strike on Sunday in support of hostages
The leader of the Israeli opposition, Yair Lapid, has called for a solidarity strike with the Israeli hostages in Gaza on Sunday, joining initial calls from the captives' families.
"Strike on Sunday," Lapid said on his X account, addressing even those who "support the government" of Benjamin Netanyahu. He wrote that "This is not a question of quarrelling or politics. Go on strike out of solidarity" with the Oct. 7 hostages still held by Hamas and its ally Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip. It was the families who "asked you to, and that's reason enough," he added.
South Lebanon
Israeli drones are flying over South Lebanon this morning, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the region, Mountasser Abdallah.
Trump: It will be difficult to get the hostages back
U.S. President Donald Trump told Axios reporter Barak Ravid on Monday that it would be "very rough to get" the hostages back because Hamas "are not going to let the hostages out in the current situation."
Trump said Israel has to decide what to do next, but that in his opinion, Hamas should not remain in Gaza. "I have one thing to say: remember October 7, remember October 7," he said.
Lebanon
Hezbollah supporters paraded through Beirut's southern suburbs on motorcycles on Monday evening for the fifth consecutive day, protesting the Lebanese government's decision to disarm the party.
Condemnation after journalists killed in targeted Israeli strike in Gaza
The U.N. and the EU on Monday condemned the "murder" of six Palestinian journalists killed by a deliberate Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip, including a well-known Al-Jazeera correspondent accused by the Israeli army of being a Hamas fighter.
Among the five men killed were correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, as well as two cameramen, Ibrahim Zaher and Mohammed Noufal and assistant Moamen Aliwa. A freelance journalist, Mohammed Al-Khaldi, who occasionally worked with local media, also later died from his injuries, according to the hospital director.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the Israeli army's killing of six Palestinian journalists, calling it "a grave breach of international humanitarian law." The EU also condemned "the murder" of Al Jazeera journalists while Reporters Without Borders condemned the "acknowledged murder" of Anas al-Sharif, "one of the most famous journalists from the Gaza Strip [and] the voice of the suffering Israel has imposed on Palestinians in Gaza.”
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