Security Council renews UNIFIL mandate ‘last time’ to end 2026, 2 Lebanese soldiers killed defusing bomb | LIVE

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Death toll in Gaza rises to 61

Medical sources in Gaza now report that 61 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since dawn, including 19 people who were seeking humanitarian aid, Al Jazeera

Hamas responds to Smotrich's Gaza annexation plan

Hamas has issued a strong response to Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s newly unveiled plan calling for the full annexation of the Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera reports.

In a statement, the group said Smotrich’s remarks amount to “an official call to exterminate our people,” and accused him of openly admitting to using “starvation and siege as weapons against innocent civilians.”

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Thursday called on the government to begin annexing the Gaza Strip if the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas continues to refuse to lay down its arms.

The far-right figure — who opposes any deal with Hamas to end nearly two years of war — unveiled his plan to "win in Gaza before the end of the year" during a press conference in Jerusalem.

He proposed issuing an ultimatum to Hamas to surrender, disarm, and release the hostages still being held in the Palestinian territory since the Oct. 7 attacks.

Residents of the town of Dellafeh (Hasbaya district) turned back a UNIFIL force that had entered the area without the presence of the Lebanese Army, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam contacted the Minister of National Defense, General Michel Menassa, to “offer his condolences following the deaths of the two soldiers who fell in the South,” expressing the government’s full solidarity with the military institution — its leadership, officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers, according to a message posted on X.

Salam stated that Lebanon, both as a state and as a people, “bows with respect before the sacrifices of its heroes, for the army is the safety valve, the shield of sovereignty, and the pillar of national unity.”

Aoun welcomes Security Council decision on UNIFIL mandate renewal

President Joseph Aoun expressed his gratitude to the fifteen members of the UN Security Council who voted unanimously in favor of what is being called the “final extension” of UNIFIL’s mandate until Dec. 31, 2026.

The Lebanese head of state gave special thanks to France, the “penholder” of Resolution 2790, for “its efforts,” and also to the United States for “its understanding of Lebanon’s conditions,” as well as to all other Council members for “their constructive input that enabled the adoption of this decision.”

Aoun also expressed hope that the next sixteen months of UNIFIL’s mandate would be “an opportunity to salvage the Lebanese situation and to strengthen stability along our southern borders as well as Lebanon’s sovereignty over its entire territory.”

President Joseph Aoun offered his condolences to the army commander following the death of an officer and a chief warrant officer during the inspection of a crashed Israeli drone in Ras Naqoura, according to a message posted on the presidency’s X account.

“Once again, the army is paying with its blood to maintain stability in the South,” said the Head of State.

The two soldiers killed were Lieutenant Mohammad Ismail of the 5th Regiment and Chief Warrant Officer Rifaat Touaimi, also of the 5th Regiment.

Staff Sergeant Khalil Tarhini was injured.

Reports our regional correspondent.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri also expressed his thanks to the Security Council members for their unanimous vote to renew UNIFIL’s mandate.

He expressed hope that this decision would help “reach another international consensus to end the ongoing Israeli attacks against Lebanon, the latest being tonight’s attack that caused the death of two Lebanese Army soldiers and injured another, a consensus that would compel Israel to implement Resolution 1701 and fully respect all cease-fire provisions.”

China regrets the limited renewal of UNIFIL’s mandate and implicitly criticizes the United States

“Unfortunately, despite the constructive efforts and flexibility shown by France, the resolution’s drafter, and other Council members, Resolution 2790 represents the final renewal of UNIFIL’s mandate, due to the stubborn insistence of a permanent member of the Council,” said China’s representative to the Security Council, Geng Shuang, without naming the United States explicitly.

“In fact, no U.N. mission should exist permanently, but no mission should withdraw hastily while the situation remains tense. Without regard for the tensions on the ground, Lebanon’s legitimate concerns, and the views of the vast majority of Council members, a permanent member has gone its own way and pushed for the closure of the UNIFIL mission, which remains essential to regional stability,” he added.

⚡ Two Lebanese Army soldiers were killed while attempting to defuse an Israeli bomb that had fallen near an excavator in Naqoura, according to our correspondent.

Lebanon’s representative to the Security Council, Ahmad Arafa, thanked the Council members — including France — for once again extending UNIFIL’s mandate, calling it a “just position.”

He also expressed Lebanon’s gratitude to UNIFIL personnel, “especially those who lost their lives” during the mission.

Emphasizing that this is the final extension, he reiterated that “Lebanon considers UNIFIL essential to maintaining security in Lebanon and the region, as long as no comprehensive solution exists” to address the security situation.

He criticized the “daily Israeli attacks” and the deliberate targeting of civilians, saying these actions are aimed at “preventing residents from returning to their land.”

Arafa also noted that the government appointed earlier this year by Nawaf Salam has taken important decisions to move forward and renewed Lebanon’s call for the full withdrawal of Israel from Lebanese territory.

For his part, Israel’s representative to the Security Council, Danny Danon, cited “hundreds” of cease-fire violations by Hezbollah — since the agreement reached at the end of last November — to justify Israel’s own actions.

He also argued that strengthening the Lebanese army is necessary and that Lebanon’s commitments to disarm the Shiite group remain insufficient, as Hezbollah is “rearming” in preparation for a “future bloody conflict.”

“The United States welcomes this historic vote,” said U.S. representative to the Security Council and acting U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. and former U.S. ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea.

“This is the last time we will vote to extend this mandate,” she added, affirming that the United States will continue to support the Lebanese army and government in their missions.

“We must use this time to enable Lebanon to succeed and (…) allow Israel to protect itself,” she continued, calling for the full implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, adopted following the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam “welcomed the Security Council’s decision to extend UNIFIL’s mandate until December 31, 2026,” and “thanked all member states for their positive engagement during the negotiations.”

“I extend my special thanks to France, the penholder (which drafted the resolution), for its constructive efforts to ensure consensus, as well as to all friendly states on the Council that showed understanding of Lebanon’s concerns,” he said in a statement published on the Grand Serail’s official X account.

“This renewal decision covers a period of one year and four months, after which a gradual and safe withdrawal of UNIFIL will begin at the end of 2026, over the course of one year. The Council also requests the Secretary-General to examine possible options for the future implementation of Resolution 1701 after UNIFIL’s withdrawal, including ways to support security and monitoring along the Blue Line,” he added.

“The resolution renews its call for Israel to withdraw its forces from the five sites it still occupies and emphasizes the need to extend the authority of the state over the entire national territory, in line with previous international resolutions and the Taif Agreements, so that no armed force exists outside the state, and no authority exists outside the government,” the Prime Minister continued.

“The Council also urges the international community to increase its support for the Lebanese army, particularly through the provision of equipment, supplies, and funding, to ensure its effective and sustainable deployment. Finally, the resolution reiterates the call to activate the mechanism provided in the ceasefire arrangements between Lebanon and Israel and to cooperate with UNIFIL to guarantee the full implementation of these provisions,” he concluded.

⚡The United Nations Security Council on Thursday unanimously extended a long-running peacekeeping mission in Lebanon until the end of 2026, when the operation will then begin a year-long "orderly and safe drawdown and withdrawal," Reuters reports.

The U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), established in 1978, patrols Lebanon's southern border with Israel.

Iran has promised a response to the decision by Paris, London, and Berlin — deemed "unjustified and illegal" by Tehran — to trigger on Thursday the mechanism to reimpose U.N. sanctions against Iran for failing to comply with its nuclear program commitments.

👉More details here

(Credit: Anwar Amro/AFP.)

A U.N. peacekeeper from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stands beside an artillery cannon on a fortified position previously held by Hezbollah, in the Khraybeh valley, southern Lebanon, on Aug,27, 2025.

The human toll in Gaza continues to rise.

At least 36 people have been killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza since dawn this Thursday, including a woman and her child in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, medical sources told Al Jazeera.

Among the victims are 19 people who had come seeking humanitarian aid, the pan-Arab media outlet added.

The leader of the Houthi rebels in Yemen, Abdel Malek al-Houthi, declared in a speech broadcast at the same time as the Israeli strikes on Sanaa that the Lebanese government’s decision to disarm the resistance was “stupidity” and represented a “moral collapse” for the country.

The speech was aired on the X account of the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV.

(Credit: X account of the Israeli Defense Minister.)

Israeli Channel 12 reported that Israel carried out more than ten strikes on Sanaa, targeting homes where senior Houthi leaders were hiding.

Several Israeli media outlets, including The Jerusalem Post and Yedioth Ahronoth, stated that Israel’s Army Radio, citing security officials, reported that “a large number of senior Houthi officials, gathered at several sites in Sanaa, were struck simultaneously.”

Israeli media also emphasized that Defense Minister Israel Katz, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu monitored the strikes on Sanaa.

“Anyone who lays a hand on Israel — their hand will be cut off,” said Israel Katz on X, alongside a photo of himself and Eyal Zamir monitoring the attack from a military operations room.

The leader of the Houthi rebels in Yemen, Abdel Malek al-Houthi, declared in a speech broadcast at the same time as the Israeli strikes on Sanaa that the Lebanese government’s decision to disarm the resistance was “stupidity” and represented a “moral collapse” for the country.

The speech was aired on the X account of the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV.

The Israeli military confirmed carrying out strikes on Sanaa, according to a statement posted on X by its Arabic-speaking spokesperson Avichay Adraee: “The air force recently carried out a precise strike on a military target of the Houthi regime in the Sanaa area,” without providing further details about the targets.

Al-Mayadeen reported ten Israeli strikes on Sanaa, while Al-Hadath indicated that the Israeli Navy and Air Force took part in the attack.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that Israel’s planned takeover of Gaza City could lead to “devastating consequences,” as civilians face what he described as “another deadly escalation,” Al Jazeera reports.

“Expanded military operations in Gaza City will have devastating consequences,” Guterres said. “Hundreds of thousands of civilians, already exhausted and traumatized, will be forced to flee yet again, pushing families into even greater danger. This must stop.”

A new Israeli strike targeted the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, on Thursday, according to the Houthis-run Al Masirah TV, Reuters reported.

On Sunday, the Israeli military said it had bombed several sites in and around Sanaa, which is under Houthi control, killing at least two people and injuring 35.

Claiming to act in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, the Houthis regularly launch missile and drone attacks toward Israeli territory, most of which are intercepted.

Britain, France, and Germany will begin the process of reimposing UN sanctions on Iran at the Security Council on Thursday, two European diplomats told Reuters.

The trio, known as the “E3,” met with Iran on Tuesday in an effort to revive diplomacy on the nuclear program before losing the ability to restore sanctions against Tehran in mid-October. These sanctions had been lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal with major powers.

The talks failed to secure sufficiently concrete commitments from Iran. As a result, the E3 have decided to trigger the UN sanctions “snapback” mechanism, citing allegations that Iran has violated the 2015 agreement designed to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon, the diplomats said.

An Israeli official told Al Arabiya, following the Israeli airborne operation carried out overnight Wednesday to Thursday in the Damascus area, that it was “very necessary for Israel's security.”

“We tracked down those who had moved them, reached the places where they were hidden, and recovered them,” he said, adding that the targeted “Turkish” equipment had been present at Syrian sites for more than 10 years.

“We warned the administration of Syrian President Ahmadal-Sharaa not to play with fire and not to obey Turkey's orders,” the Israeli official added, according to the media outlet. He also said that “Turkey is trying to get closer to Israel than it should,” concluding that Israel had warned the new Syrian administration “not to test its patience or the limits of its operations.”

Gaza's health ministry said that 71 people were killed in the last 24 hours in Israeli attacks on the enclave, including 22 while waiting for aid.

It also reported that four people died of starvation and malnutrition in the past 24 hours, including two children, bringing the number of such deaths since the start of the war to 317, including 121 children.

According to the same source, since the start of the conflict, 62,966 people have been killed and 159,266 wounded by Israel in the Gaza Strip.

GHF says 'no evidence' of enforced disappearances at its aid centers

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has stated that there is “no evidence of enforced disappearances” at its aid sites in the Palestinian territories, after U.N. experts reported information about such abuses.

“We operate in a war zone where serious allegations are being made against all parties operating outside our sites. But inside GHF facilities, there is no evidence of enforced disappearances,” the GHF said in a statement to AFP.

U.N. human rights experts had earlier said they had received reports that several people, including a child, had “forcibly disappeared” after visiting aid distribution sites in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.

The Israeli army said it had carried out air strikes on Hezbollah “terrorist infrastructure” and a rocket launch pad, according to a message posted on X by its Arabic-speaking spokesperson Avichay Adraee.

According to our correspondent in the South, Israeli raids struck the following areas in the Jezzine district, north of the Litani River:

— Two strikes on Jarmak–Aishieh.

— Five strikes on the outskirts of Mahmudieh.

— One strike on the Berghoz Valley.

Drones are also flying over Jabal Rihan, in the same region.

⚡ Series of Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon

The Israeli air force has carried out a series of strikes on southern Lebanon, according to our correspondent in the region. These bombings targeted the areas around Mahmudieh and Aishieh, the banks of the Khardali River and the Berghoz Valley.

Israeli fighter jets continue to fly at low altitude over southern Lebanon.

Gaza: U.N. experts denounce "enforced disappearances" at aid sites.

Update on the below: Fatah has surrendered its weapons to Lebanese Army from 3 camps near Sour

Fighters from the Fatah movement in three camps on the outskirts of Sour, in southern Lebanon, began handing over their weapons to the Lebanese Army at dawn, according to Palestinian sources quoted by our correspondent.

These weapons, contained in eight trucks, were handed over in the camps of Rashidieh, Burj al-Shemali, and al-Bass, all located south of the Litani River.

According to the commander of the Palestinian National Security Forces, Sobhi Abu Arab, contacted by L'Orient-le Jour, a similar operation had already taken place two days ago in Rashidieh, at night, for greater discretion.

The official added that six trucks gathered this morning at the camp's entrance to carry out the operation. Two other shipments were handed over by fighters in the two other camps. These shipments contained missiles, mines, artillery shells of various calibers, ammunition, grenades and anti-aircraft weapons, representing all of Fatah's weapons in the camps.

South Lebanon: Fatah fighters hand over their weapons to the Lebanese Army at entrance to the Rashidieh camp

According to Palestinian sources in the Rashidieh camp, quoted by our correspondent, the Fatah movement began handing over weapons to the Lebanese Army at dawn.

One of these sources points out that a similar operation had already taken place two days ago, at night, for greater discretion. This source reports that six trucks gathered this morning at the camp entrance to carry out this operation.

On the evening of Thursday, Aug. 21, Palestinian fighters had already handed over weapons to the Lebanese Army in the Burj al-Barajneh camp, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, as part of the plan to disarm militias, including Palestinian factions, which had been approved several months ago by the government, in agreement with the Palestinian Authority.

The start of this operation, initially scheduled for June, had, however, been postponed due to the 12-day war between Iran and Israel. The government has also committed to disarming Hezbollah, which the party categorically refuses to do.

Israeli army carried out 3 strikes on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis on Monday

New video footage reveals that the Israeli army's second strike on the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis on Monday was actually two consecutive strikes, CNN reported on Thursday. These strikes killed around 20 people, including five journalists and rescue workers.

The Israeli army's strikes on the hospital used a tactic known as a “double tap,” which involves firing two strikes in quick succession, and the second strike of this “double tap” also appears to have consisted of two separate strikes.

It was these last two strikes, which hit a group of rescue workers and other journalists who had arrived at the scene after the first strike, that caused the highest number of casualties, according to CNN reports.

Southern Lebanon: Israeli fire on Kfar Shuba outskirts

The Israeli army fired machine guns at the outskirts of Kfar Shuba in southern Lebanon from the Roueissat al-Alam site on the disputed heights of Kfar Shuba, according to our local correspondent.

According to initial reports, no one was injured in the shooting.

Security Council vote expected on final extension of UNIFIL mandate before withdrawal

The U.N. Security Council is due to vote at 10:30 a.m. New York time, 5:30 p.m. in Lebanon, on a final extension of the mandate of the peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) and its withdrawal in 2027.

Some 10,800 peacekeepers have been acting as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon since March 1978, but the usual renewal of their mandate, which expires on Sunday, is facing hostility this year from Israel and its U.S. ally, who want them to leave.

Supported by Beirut, France, which is responsible for this issue in the Security Council, had initially considered a one-year extension, simply referring to the “intention” to work towards a withdrawal of UNIFIL. But faced with the risk of a U.S. veto, after several versions and a postponement of the vote, the latest draft resolution seen by AFP unequivocally schedules the end of the mission in 16 months.

More details here.

Israeli ground assault on site near Damascus

Israeli ground troops carried out an operation last night against a site near Damascus that had previously been bombed, Syrian state media reported.

The Israeli air force struck the site near Kisweh, in the suburbs of Damascus, on Tuesday, killing at least eight Syrian soldiers, according to the Syrian Foreign Ministry. It was bombed again on Wednesday, according to state television.

Following the second attack on Wednesday, Israeli troops were flown into the area for an operation, “the details of which are not yet known, while intensive reconnaissance flights continue,” the Syrian state-run SANA news agency reported.

More details here.

We are now launching our live coverage of events in the Middle East: in Gaza, where the Israeli army continues its bloody war and prepares to occupy the main city; in Lebanon, where Israel continues its bombing and targeted strikes, as well as in Iran and Syria.