Series of Israeli strikes on south Lebanon; Israel claims 'Hezbollah and Green Without Borders infrastructure' targeted | LIVE

Aoun condemns Israeli strikes on south Lebanon

President Joseph Aoun condemned the Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, stating that “Israel's repeated aggression is part of a systematic policy aimed at hindering economic recovery and undermining national stability under false security pretexts.”

“This aggressive behavior constitutes a serious violation of Resolution 1701 and the cease-fire agreement, and confirms that Israel continues to ignore its international obligations and use force outside any legal framework, which requires an international response to put an end to these reprehensible violations,” Aoun added.

The strikes in the South caused material damage to some houses, as well as to a school affiliated with the Amal Movement, our correspondent reported.

Health Ministry: 1 injured in Bnaafoul, 5 in Ansar

According to preliminary reports from the Health Ministry, the strikes on the South injured one in Bnaafoul (Saida), and five in Ansar (Nabatieh).

Civil defense teams are working to extinguish the fires left by the Israeli strikes, our correspondent reported.

At least three people were injured by the Israeli strikes on Ansar (Nabatieh), according to our correspondent in the region.

“The strikes lit up the sky and were consecutive. They were powerful and very close to us. The house shook, and the fighter planes flew so low that it looked like they were touching the houses,” said a resident of Adloun (Saida) to our correspondent in the South.

Israeli army claims strikes hit Hezbollah infrastructure

The Israeli army attacked Hezbollah and an affiliate organization, “Green Without Borders,” infrastructure in southern Lebanon using fighter jets, said Israeli army Arabic-speaking spokesman Avicahy Adraee on X, commenting on the latest strikes on Ansar and Sinai.

"A quarry used by Hezbollah to produce cement for rebuilding terrorist facilities and infrastructure destroyed during the war, particularly during Operation Northern Arrows, was targeted and destroyed," he wrote. “This infrastructure facilitated Hezbollah's attempts to rebuild under civilian cover.”

The Israeli army also claimed to have targeted “a target linked to the ‘Green Without Borders’ association,” "used by Hezbollah to conceal terrorist activities aimed at rebuilding the group's infrastructure in southern Lebanon under a supposed civilian cover. In 2018, it had already been revealed that this association served as a civilian cover to conceal Hezbollah's presence in the fence area with Israel."

“The presence of these infrastructures constitutes a flagrant violation of the agreements between Israel and Lebanon, and the army will continue to act to eliminate any threat to the State of Israel,” the statement concluded.

The Israeli strikes targeted a quarry, a concrete plant, a stone factory and other heavy equipment built after the South was liberated from Israeli occupation in 2000, according to our correspondent.

One person missing after Israeli strikes on Shmustar

A customs officer, who is a father of three, has been missing since today's Israeli strike on Shmustar (Baalbeck). Rescue teams and local residents are searching for him.

Series of major Israeli strikes on south Lebanon

A series of violent Israeli strikes hit several regions in the South; the sound of explosions was heard as far as Saida, according to our correspondent in the South.

According to initial reports, the strikes targeted Zrarieh (Saida) and Ansar (Nabatieh). Israeli aircraft are flying over the Zahrani region.

Killings of Hamas opposition in Gaza will lead to military retaliation, Trump says

U.S. President Trump said Hamas should expect military action in retaliation for their killing of political opposition, as cited in Haaretz.

"If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

Health system in Gaza 'dismantled'

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the spread of epidemics in the Gaza Strip is “out of control,” with only 13 of the territory's 36 hospitals partially functioning.

The health system in Gaza “has been dismantled,” and the scale of the task is “colossal,” WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Hanan Balkhi said in an interview with AFP on Wednesday.

“The spread of infectious diseases has become out of control, whether it's meningitis or Guillain-Barré syndrome — a rare condition in which the patient's immune system attacks the peripheral nerves — diarrhea, or respiratory diseases,” she said. “Many children born in the last two years have, I assume, not received any doses of vaccines.”

An Israeli incendiary bomb hit the town of Deir Antar (Bint Jbeil), according to our correspondent in the South.

Gaza: More than 65 million tons of rubble to clear after destruction

The Ministry of Information in Gaza announced that the enclave now contains 65 million tons of rubble, according to Haaretz. According to the ministry, between 65 and 70 million tons of construction waste had accumulated throughout the Gaza Strip in October 2025.

This waste includes thousands of homes, public buildings and essential infrastructure deliberately destroyed by Israel, according to the statement. Cleanup operations are extremely difficult, particularly due to Israel's ban on the use of heavy machinery.

According to preliminary estimates by the ministry, there are approximately 20,000 unexploded bombs and missiles in the area that must be neutralized before work can begin.

Saar: Rafah crossing with Egypt likely to reopen on Sunday

The Rafah crossing with Egypt is likely to reopen on Sunday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said, according to the Italian news agency ANSA, Reuters reported.

“We are making all the necessary preparations,” he said at a conference on the Mediterranean region being held in Naples.

He did not specify whether the crossing would be open for the transit of humanitarian aid or for travel.

Israeli fire killed a child in the town of al-Rihiya, in the occupied West Bank, south of Hebron, Qatari television network Al Araby TV reported, citing the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

The Israeli army claimed on its X account that it targeted "underground Hezbollah infrastructure in which weapons were stored" after its warplanes and drones struck several areas in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa.

Israeli drone strike on Nabatieh

An Israeli drone strike hit Dabbash hill, near Kfar Roummane (Nabatieh), with no casualties reported so far, according to our correspondent in the South. A drone is flying over the towns of Adloun and Zahrani.

Israeli search operation fires on Khiam

Israeli soldiers are conducting a search operation using medium-caliber automatic weapons from the occupied hill of Tallet Hamames, one of six points that it continues to occupy in southern Lebanon, south of Khiam.

They targeted the Wadi al-Assafir valley on the outskirts of the same town, our correspondent reports.

Israeli strike on Kauthariyet al-Saiyad

An Israeli drone strike targeted Kauthariyet al-Siyyad (Saida), according to our correspondent in the South.

Israeli strike on Ali Taher

An Israeli airstrike hit the Ali Taher region, opposite Nabatieh Fawqa, according to our correspondent in the South.

Israeli strike on Shmustar

Israeli strikes hit two houses, already hit in previous strikes, in Shmustar, west of Baalbeck, according to our correspondent in the region. The attack injured one person.

Woman in Bnaafoul injured by glass shards after Israeli strikes

Head of Bnaafoul's municipality, Toufic al-Rez, told L'Orient Today that the Israeli strikes were “violent, surprising and hit close to residential areas.”

According to him, a woman was injured by glass shards, and several houses were damaged.

Israeli strikes on Bnaafoul 10 kilometers away from a public school

According to our correspondent, two Israeli strikes hit an area between Bnaafoul (Saida) and Houmin Tahta (Nabatieh), southeast of Saida, about 10 kilometers from Bnaafoul's public school.

Ambulances were dispatched to the scene, while an Israeli drone continues to fly over the area.

Israeli strikes on Bnaafoul, southeast of Saida

An Israeli warplane and drone carried out two strikes on Bnaafoul, southeast of Saida, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

According to a local resident, the strike targeted a residential area. “Everything in my house has been destroyed. I am leaving with my family to a safe place,” he told our correspondent.

Yemen: Houthis announce death of their chief of staff Mohammad al-Ghamari

The Houthis have announced the death of their chief of staff, Mohammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari, one of the highest-ranking military officials in the Iran-backed movement, stating that he was killed "in the line of duty" without giving the date or place of his death, Reuters reports.

Without directly accusing Israel of his death, the Houthis said that the conflict "was not over" and that Israel "will receive deterrent punishment for the crimes it has committed," according to the agency.

The movement had previously fired missiles at Israel, saying it was acting in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, most of which were intercepted. Israel, in turn, carried out deadly strikes on areas of Yemen controlled by the Houthis.

Gaza: Israel hands over 30 more Palestinian bodies, bringing the total to 120 since Friday

The Gaza Health Ministry announced that it had received the bodies of 30 Palestinians, bringing the total number of bodies handed over since Friday to 120, according to Reuters.

Attack on bus in Deir ez-Zor kills five Defense Ministry employees

An attack on a bus traveling in eastern Syria killed five Defense Ministry employees on Thursday, a ministry official told AFP.

"An explosive device detonated as a bus carrying guards from an oil facility affiliated with the Ministry of Defense was passing by, killing five of them and wounding 13 other people, including civilians," said the source, who requested anonymity.

According to state television, the explosion took place on the road between the cities of Deir ez-Zor and Mayadeen, located about 50 km apart in eastern Syria, near the border with Iraq.

No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a U.K.-based NGO with a vast network of sources in Syria, the perpetrators are "likely to be cells of the Islamic State (IS) organization."

More on this story here.

Netanyahu threatens that 'fight is not over" in Gaza and the region

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "the fight is not over" for his country, adding that he is "determined to secure the return of all hostages," during an official commemoration of the second anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas.

"The fight is not over yet, but one thing is clear — anyone who raises a hand against us knows they will pay a heavy price," he said, according to AFP.

Speaking from the Mount Herzl cemetery, where nine of the 28 hostages' remains have been returned by Hamas to date, Netanyahu reiterated that Israel was "determined to secure the return of all hostages."

Netanyahu to hold 'security meeting' on issue of hostage returns

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a "security meeting" today on the issue of Hamas returning the remains of Israeli hostages still in Gaza, according to several Israeli media outlets.

Commemoration of Sinwar's death: Hamas reiterates promise to 'establish a fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.'

Exactly one year after Israel killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, considered a mastermind behind the Oct. 7 attack, the group issued a statement paying tribute to the "martyr hero."

"Faithful to the promise made to the martyred leaders, the torch will not fall, it will remain high and carried by successive generations of our people, until the total liberation and establishment of a fully sovereign Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital," Hamas wrote on Thursday.

"You have accomplished your mission, you have truly fought to bring down the flag of the [Israeli] enemy, break its strength, humiliate its leaders, and shake the foundations of its usurped entity," wrote the Palestinian movement, which has been called upon to disarm under the cease-fire agreement that came into effect last week.

Hamas believes that "the enemy, despite its brutality, has failed to achieve its aggressive objectives ..., it has been forced, humiliated, to accept the cease-fire and has only recovered its captives on the terms set by the resistance."

Israel will announce reopening of vital border crossing at 'a later date'

Israeli authorities have announced that the opening date of the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt will be announced "at a later date." COGAT, the Israeli Defense Ministry agency that oversees civilian activities in the Palestinian Territories, said the crossing would be open for "the movement of people only."

The date will be announced "at a later stage," "once the Israeli side, in coordination with the Egyptian side, has completed the necessary preparations for the opening of the crossing," it said in a statement.

Under the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, this crossing should allow for the delivery of a greater volume of international aid to the Gaza Strip.

Washington offers reward to Gazan civilians who help locate the bodies of Israeli hostages

The United States has offered a financial reward to Gazans in exchange for their help in locating the bodies of deceased Israeli hostages, according to a senior U.S. adviser, quoted by Haaretz.

Hamas "did the right thing by returning all 20 hostages alive at once," he added on condition of anonymity during a press briefing. "We are not yet at the point where we believe the agreement has been violated," added one of his colleagues.

It was during the same press briefing that a U.S. official also indicated, as reported this morning, that Hamas "intends to honor the agreement" on the cease-fire and its terms.

Israel drops stun grenade on Ras al-Naqqoura

An Israeli drone dropped a stun grenade on the Ras al-Naqqoura area in southern Lebanon, reports our correspondent in the area.

Southern Lebanon: Israeli army targets farmer in Marjayoun, no injuries reported

The Israeli army fired at the outskirts of the village of Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil) from the Israeli-occupied position of Jabal Blat, reports our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

At the same time, an Israeli army drone targeted a farmer in the area of Ghassouna, east of Blida (Marjayoun). No injuries reported.

Gaza is in a state of 'total emergency,' warns UN humanitarian chief

U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher yesterday called on Israel to "immediately" open all access points to the Gaza Strip for humanitarian aid, stressing the "total emergency" of the situation after two years of war, in an interview with AFP.

"We want all crossings to be open and we want completely unhindered access," said Fletcher, who attended the international summit on Gaza held Monday in Sharm al-Sheikh, Egypt, and co-chaired by Donald Trump.

"We want this to happen immediately, as part of the agreement" on the Gaza cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, sponsored by the U.S. president and which came into effect on Oct. 10, he stressed.

Gaza: Hamas 'intends to honor the agreement' on the bodies of deceased hostages, according to senior US officials

Hamas intends to return the bodies of deceased hostages to Israel, as agreed in the Gaza deal, senior U.S. officials have said. "[Hamas] continue to tell us that they intend to honor the agreement," one of the senior officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters, according to AFP.

Hamas' armed wing said in a statement: "The resistance has abided by what was agreed upon and has handed over all the living captives it had, as well as the bodies it was able to retrieve."

Welcome to our live blog

Hello and welcome to our rolling coverage of today's news from Gaza, Lebanon, the region and beyond.

We are looking closely at the situation in Gaza following the fragile cease-fire agreement which went into effect last week, and continued Israeli aggressions on southern Lebanon against people, homes and reconstruction infrastructure.

Israel threatens to resume the war

The Red Cross received the coffins of two further deceased hostages last night and handed them over to the Israelis for forensic testing. They were identified earlier this morning as Inbar Hayman and Mohammad al-Atrash, according to a military statement quoted by AFP.

Until the latest handover of two coffins, 21 bodies of hostages remain in Gaza, according to Reuters. An international task force has been sent to help with the recovery efforts. U.S. President Trump has called retrieving the bodies a “gruesome process.”