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Recognition of Palestine sends message to Israel about the 'illusions of occupation'
The upcoming recognition of Palestine by several states — including France — on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly sends a clear message to Israel about the "illusions" of continuing its occupation, Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian told AFP on Wednesday.
“Recognition is not symbolic. It’s something very important because it sends a very clear message to the Israelis about their illusion of continuing the occupation forever,” Aghabekian said, referring to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
She added that it also sends “a clear message to Palestinians: we support your right to self-determination,” and that “it gives us momentum for the future, because we will build on it.”
An Israeli drone strike in Aaseira, Baalbek, killed one person and injured another, according to our correspondent in the Bekaa, Sarah Abdallah.
The Israeli army fired a flare across from the Roueissa hill, between Mais al-Jabal and Houla (Marjayoun district), our correspondent in the South reports.
Israeli forces also carried out machine-gun sweeps from the Roueissat al-Alam outpost toward the eastern outskirts of the disputed town of Kfar Shuba, the correspondent added.
Ghazi Hamad, a senior Hamas leader, appeared Wednesday evening in a live interview on Qatar’s Al Jazeera, becoming the first high-ranking official from the Palestinian movement to reemerge since the Israeli attack on Doha on Sept. 9.
On that day, “we began studying the American cease-fire proposal” for Gaza, he said, referring to the meeting of Hamas leaders targeted by Israel. “We learned it was an Israeli attack,” he added, mentioning “about 12 missiles in less than a minute” and condemning “a treacherous aggression against us and against Qatar.”
According to sources close to Hamas, five other senior leaders were with Hamad in the building hit by Israel in Doha at the time of the strike: Chief negotiator Khalil Hayyeh, former top leader Khaled Mechaal, West Bank chief Zaher Jabarine, and political bureau members Bassem Naim and Taher al-Nounou.
A son of Hayyeh was killed in the Israeli strike, and Hamas has since claimed that he is still alive, though no evidence has been provided.
Nuclear talks: Iran says it is ready for a “fair and balanced” solution with Europe.
Israeli army spokesperson criticizes Hezbollah media after pager attack
The Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, claimed on X that Hezbollah’s media is trying to “turn defeat into victory and failure into success.”
According to him, “the images, events, and developments that followed [the Pager Attack] reveal a simple truth: Hezbollah, through the selfish decisions of its leaders, dragged Lebanon into a war in support of jihadists, rapists, and murderers from Hamas — only for it all to backfire.”
The Arabic-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, posted on his X account an image showing pagers arranged to form the number “17.9” in Arabic, referencing Sept. 17, the date of the Hezbollah Pager Attack.
“Take ‘Israel’ to court,” calls the march statement addressed to the Lebanese government.
The statement from the “Sept. 17” march, distributed at the event, urges the Lebanese government to prepare “a comprehensive legal file, with the help of Lebanese experts and lawyers, to prosecute the Israeli entity for its crimes before international courts.”
The statement denounces the Pager Attack as a “war crime” and a “violation of human rights” against “thousands of Lebanese citizens.”
Speaking on behalf of “Lebanese people and those who believe in resistance against the enemy of our country,” the text stresses that the cease-fire signed on Nov. 27, 2024, between Lebanon and Israel — after thirteen months of war between Hezbollah and Israel — “should not prevent the Lebanese state from pursuing this case, as well as other war crimes committed by the enemy over the past two years and earlier.”
It concludes that the effort aims “to refuse to be forced by Israel to accept as normal the idea of being killed.”
“It wasn’t an episode of Black Mirror. It was our blood. Our red blood.” (Credit: Lyana Alameddine.)
Ali Ibrahim, 37, injured in the Pager Attack, spoke into the microphone: “I lost both of my eyes. Despite the hardships we face, our determination is stronger than ever. The enemy wanted to break us, but that will not happen. We will keep our heads held high. We will not be broken,” he said.
His speech ended amid women shouting, “Labbayka, ya Nasrallah!”
According to a Lebanese soldier at the scene, interviewed by our reporter, at least 150 people are taking part in the march.
Four military vehicles have been deployed in Ain al-Mreisseh, the starting point of the march organized to commemorate the "Pager Attack".
The event was called for by Khalil Harb, a former journalist with as-Safir newspaper.
“We launched this call along with other figures to say that our blood is not cheap, and that such a crime must not be tolerated on our land,” he told L’Orient Today.
The choice of Ain al-Mreisseh as the starting location was made “to avoid any political affiliation being read into it.” The march is expected to end near the American University of Beirut, along the seafront. A survivor of the Pager Attack is expected to speak.
A march organized by Hezbollah partisans is set to depart from Ain al-Mreisseh. Our reporter Lyana Alameddine is on the scene.
On Tuesday, Hezbollah’s media office chief, Ali Daher, outlined the planned activities for the first commemoration of the assassination of the party’s former Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, nearly one year after his death on Sept. 27, 2024, in a massive Israeli air raid on Beirut’s southern suburbs at the outset of the open war between Hezbollah and Israel.
A total of 18 days of ceremonies are scheduled.
More details 👉here.
Death toll in Gaza exceeds 65,000 since start of war
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 65,062 people have been killed and 165,697 wounded in Israeli attacks since the war began in October 2023, Al Jazeera reports.
In the last 24 hours alone, the bodies of seven people killed while seeking aid and 87 wounded Palestinians were brought to hospitals across the enclave.
The latest figures bring the number of people killed near aid distribution points since the establishment of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in late May to 2,504, with more than 18,381 injured.
The Health Ministry also reported four additional deaths from famine and malnutrition, raising the total number of hunger-related deaths to 432, including 146 children.
Since the U.N.-backed IPC declared a famine in Gaza last month, 154 deaths have been linked to malnutrition — among them 31 children.
Israel warns that any EU sanctions will receive an 'appropriate response'
Israel warned on Wednesday that any sanctions imposed by the European Union would be met with an “appropriate response,” after the European Commission proposed increasing tariffs on Israeli products entering the EU and sanctioning two far-right Israeli ministers.
“The European Commission’s recommendations are moral and political perversions and we must hope they are not adopted,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar wrote on X.
“Any action against Israel will receive an appropriate response, and we hope it won't come to that,” Saar added, as the measures proposed by the Commission are unlikely to be approved by all 27 member states, according to AFP.
Israel warns EU any sanctions will get 'appropriate response,' AFP reported
Iran dismisses Rubio’s criticism of missile program as “nonsense”
Today, Iran described recent comments by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on its missile program as “nonsense,” rejecting claims that the program poses an “unacceptable risk.”
“His words are nonsense,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai told reporters, adding that the United States “is not supposed to comment on the defense capabilities of a nation that has decided to preserve its independence at all costs.”
HRW accuses Israel of forcibly displacing residents in southern Syria, 'a war crime'
Today, Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Israel of forcibly displacing residents in southern Syria, an area the Israeli authorities aim to keep demilitarized.
"Israeli forces occupying parts of southern Syria since December 2024 have carried out a range of abuses against residents, including forced displacement, which is a war crime," HRW said in a statement.
HRW said that "Israeli forces have seized and demolished homes, blocked residents from their property and livelihoods, and arbitrarily detained residents and transferred them to Israel."
To find out more in what came in the HRW report, click here.👈
Netanyahu invited to the White House
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that U.S. President Donald Trump has invited him to the White House in two weeks, Haaretz reported.
'Ball still in Iran's court' after nuclear talks with European powers
After a phone conversation between Germany, U.K., France and Iran's foreign minister, Germany said that the "ball is still in Iran's court."
The phone call came after European powers last month triggered a 30-day deadline for so-called "snapback" sanctions to come back into force in the absence of a negotiated deal on the Iranian nuclear program.
A German foreign ministry spokesman said the offer from the so-called E3 powers "to discuss a temporary extension of the snapback if Iran fulfils certain conditions remains on the table," but added that "at this point the steps taken by Iran have not been sufficient."
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder quits over 'values' dispute
Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of the iconic U.S. ice cream brand, said Wednesday he is leaving the company after 47 years, citing disagreements over its “values.”
The brand, sold to Unilever in 2000, has long been known for political activism. In 2022, it failed to stop Unilever from selling products in occupied West Bank settlements, which it argued violated its principles.
“It is with a broken heart that I have decided that I can no longer, in good conscience … remain an employee of Ben & Jerry’s,” Greenfield wrote in a letter shared on X by co-founder Ben Cohen.
Israeli stocks extend losses amid isolation fears against the backdrop of Gaza assault
Israeli shares slid for a fifth straight session Tuesday, with the Tel Aviv 35 Index down 2.6 percent over the period, Bloomberg reported. The selloff accelerated after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Israel’s growing seclusion and stressed the need for self-reliance against possible sanctions.
“The costs of endless wars on all fronts … all weigh on Israeli asset prices,” Hasnain Malik, a strategist at Tellimer in Dubai, told Bloomberg, noting that Netanyahu’s call for economic autarky reinforced investor concerns.
EU proposes to tax part of goods imported from Israel and sanction two ministers
The European Commission on Wednesday proposed higher tariffs on Israeli products imported into the EU, and the sanction of two far-right ministers, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced.
"I want to be very clear, the goal is not to punish Israel. The goal is to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza," she told reporters.
Pope Leo decries 'unacceptable' conditions in Gaza
Today, Pope Leo denounced the "unacceptable" conditions faced by Palestinians in Gaza, voicing solidarity with civilians and renewing his appeal for a cease-fire in the war, Reuters reported.
"I express my deep closeness to the Palestinian people in Gaza, who continue to live in fear and survive in unacceptable conditions, forced once again to leave their land," the pope said in his weekly general audience at the Vatican.
The pope renewed his call for a truce, for the freeing of hostages held in Gaza, and for a negotiated diplomatic solution to the conflict. He urged the faithful to join him in prayer "that a dawn of peace and justice may soon arise."
UK criticizes Israeli authorities for blocking 2 British MPs from entering occupied West Bank
British Secretary of State for Health Wes Streeting criticized Israeli authorities after two MPs were prevented from traveling to the occupied West Bank.
The purpose of the visit was "to witness the humanitarian work ... in the occupied West Bank." The MPs were also due to meet British diplomats in Jerusalem in addition to Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations.
"I find the treatment of two highly respected clinicians and Members of Parliament by the Israeli government shameful, but no longer surprising," the minister wrote on X.
At least 100 killed since the start of Israel's ground offensive, Israel says it "struck more than 150 targets" since Tuesday
Israel has killed 101 Palestinians since Tuesday across the Gaza Strip, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA).
The enclave's medical sources reported that 86 people were killed in northern Gaza — the majority of them in Gaza City, where Israel launched a ground offensive yesterday — while nine were killed in central Gaza and six in the south.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced that it had struck more than 150 targets across Gaza City since the launch of a major ground offensive aimed at destroying Hamas the day before.
Phone conversation about nuclear program to be held between Iran, France, Germany and UK.
The German, British and French foreign ministers are to hold talks with their Iranian counterpart about Tehran's nuclear program on Wednesday, a French diplomatic source told AFP.
The telephone discussion comes after European powers triggered a 30-day deadline last month for sanctions to come back into force in the absence of a negotiated deal on the Iranian nuclear program.
"Ahead of the United Nations General Assembly and as part of the ongoing discussions on Iran's nuclear program, the E3 Europe and Foreign Affairs ministers will exchange views with the Iranian foreign minister on Wednesday," the source said, adding that the call is due to take place "at 11:45 a.m. Paris time (09:45 GMT).
Find out more about the U.N. "snap back" sanctions mechanism👉here.
(Credit: Image sent by our correspondent in southern Lebanon, Muntasser Abdalla)
UNIFIL patrol briefly blocked by Zrarieh residents
Residents of Zrarieh (Saida district) briefly blocked the passage of a UNIFIL patrol this morning, which was crossing the town without a Lebanese Army escort, according to our regional correspondent.
A group of men blocked the patrol from advancing for about 10 minutes before others intervened and allowed it to continue on its way.
This is the latest in a series of similar incidents in which residents block UNIFIL from crossing if they are not accompanied by the Lebanese Army.
To find out more about the tense relationship between southern Lebanon's residents and the UNIFIL, click here.
China 'firmly opposes Israeli escalation' in Gaza
China said today that it "firmly opposes" the escalation of military operations in Gaza after Israel launched a major ground assault in Gaza City, concurrent with violent bombardment of the enclave.
"China firmly opposes Israel's escalation of military operations in Gaza and condemns all acts that harm civilians and violate international law," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said of the massive bombardment of Gaza City.
Heavy Israeli machine gun fire from Tallet el-Hamamès
On Tuesday night, the Israeli army launched bursts of machine gun fire from its recently occupied position in Tallet al-Hamames (Marjayoun district) towards the surrounding area, our correspondent in south Lebanon reported.
To find out what positions Israel occupied after the cease-fire, click here.👈
Lebanese Army deployed in Aita al-Shaab after residents' call for protection
On Tuesday night, the Lebanese Army deployed in the town of Aita al-Shaab, responding to calls from residents asking for protection. The residents feared that their homes would be targeted by Israel, following multiple stun grenades being dropped by incessant drones flying over the village. Also, the residents called on the U.N. interim forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to come to their aid as well.
One resident said the Israeli army intends to terrorize those who have returned to the village. However, residents gathered around the house in solidarity with its owner, who feared it would be destroyed.
On Tuesday night, after 10:30 p.m., an Israeli drone dropped a stun grenade in the vicinity of a house in Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil district). Also, the previous night, Israel dropped three stun grenades in the same area, around the house, which also houses vegetable shops, causing panic among residents, our correspondent in south Lebanon reported.
Residents of Aita al-Shaab urge the Lebanese Army to come to their aid
Residents of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil district) released a video overnight calling on the Lebanese Army to come to their rescue. The residents had gathered in a house, fearing that their home would be destroyed by the incessant Israeli drones flying over the village, reported our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
They denounced "the lack of reaction of the troops despite their repeated calls," saying that "the army is only about 50 meters from their home."
Yesterday, Israeli drones dropped multiple stun grenades in the area where the residents had gathered.
(Credit: Image sent by our correspondent in southern Lebanon, Muntasser Abdalla)
Israeli army blows up house in Aita al-Shaab in southern Lebanon
Today at dawn, the Israeli army infiltrated Lebanese territory, booby-trapped and blew up a house in Randa neighborhood in the town of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil district), reported our regional correspondent.
France denounces Israel's "destructive campaign, which no longer has any military logic"
France condemned the ground offensive launched yesterday by the Israeli army in Gaza City, calling on the government to end it and return to cease-fire negotiations.
"France calls on Israel to end this destructive campaign, which no longer has any military logic, and to resume negotiations as soon as possible," the ministry said in a statement.
Noting the humanitarian crisis in the enclave, marked by famine and lack of access to basic necessities and emergency care, Paris also urged Israel to "immediately lift all restrictions imposed on the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza."
Qatar accuses Israel of intending to derail Gaza talks
The Israeli strikes on Doha that killed five Hamas officials and one Qatari security officer last week were aimed at derailing negotiations on a Gaza truce, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said at the opening of a special summit of Arab and Muslim leaders held in response to the unprecedented attack.
"Whoever works persistently and methodically to assassinate the party with whom he is negotiating, intends to make the negotiations fail ... negotiations, for them, are only part of the war," Thani said in his opening speech.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "dreams that the Arab region will become an Israeli sphere of influence. And this is a dangerous illusion," he added.
At the summit, Arab and Muslim leaders gathered in Doha, including the presidents of Palestine, Turkey, Iran and Egypt, as well as the prime ministers of Iraq and Pakistan, the king of Jordan and the Saudi crown prince.
Israel announces new road for residents to flee Gaza City amid violent bombardment
The Israeli military said it was opening "a temporary transportation route via Salah al-Din Street"
Until now, the army urged residents to leave Gaza City via the coastal road towards what it calls a "humanitarian zone" further south, including parts of Al-Mawasi.
Its Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said the corridor would remain open from 12 p.m. today, until midday Sept. 15.
Salah al-Din Street runs down the middle of the Gaza Strip from north to south.
For more information, click here👈
Welcome to our live coverage of the news in the region.
We will be covering the developments in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, as well as countries affected by Israel's war in Gaza.
To catch up on yesterday's major events and know what to expect today, read our Morning Brief.👈
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