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Gaza: EU Mediterranean countries to meet Jordanian King in Slovenia
The Mediterranean countries of the European Union will meet on Monday in the Slovenian coastal town of Portoroz for their annual Med9 summit, to which they have invited King Abdullah II of Jordan to discuss their possible contribution to the future of the Gaza Strip after the cease-fire agreement, AFP reports.
The leaders of the Med9 (Cyprus, Croatia, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Slovenia and Portugal, a country near the Mediterranean) will consult to develop a "common vision" on the major issues that will then be on the agenda of the EU Council meeting in Brussels on Thursday, according to the Élysée Palace.
Among the priorities is "a Mediterranean-format exchange" on the European contribution to the stabilization of the Gaza Strip, the acceleration of humanitarian aid and reconstruction, after the agreement reached based on U.S. President Donald Trump's plan in the hope of ending the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, explained an advisor to French President Emmanuel Macron.
Asked by Reuters about Mohammad Nazzal's statements, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office stated that "Hamas must be disarmed as part of Donald Trump's agreement. No conditions, no exceptions ... Hamas must comply with the 20-point plan. Time is running out."
In a statement sent to Reuters, the Prime Minister's Office indicated that "Hamas is supposed to release all the hostages in the first phase, and it has not done so. Hamas knows where the bodies of our hostages are."
Netanyahu's office further assured that "Israel remains committed to the cease-fire agreement and continues to respect all of its provisions."
Gaza: EU considers helping disarm Hamas
The EU is considering providing funding and expertise to help disarm Hamas as part of U.S. President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan, according to a document seen by AFP.
According to the document prepared by the EU's diplomatic service, member states should "assess and explore ways to fund and provide expertise for disarmament" in Gaza.
The 27 are discussing the role it could play after the EU was sidelined during negotiations that led to a cease-fire agreement between Hamas and Israel.
According to Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza, the next phases of the truce should include the disarmament of Hamas, an offer of amnesty to Hamas militants who agree to lay down their weapons, and the implementation of new governance.
EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss the Union's potential role in this process at a meeting in Luxembourg on Monday.
The document, prepared by the office of EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas, also outlines other possible areas of action for the Union, the main international donor in Gaza.
"The priority is to ensure the immediate delivery of large-scale aid to Gaza and throughout the territory in accordance with international humanitarian law," the text states.
Hamas wants to maintain its security role in Gaza and is not commenting on disarmament, according to a senior official.
Mohammed Nazzal, a member of Hamas's political bureau, told Reuters that disarmament is "a broad issue" that should include all Palestinian armed groups.
He said he could not answer "yes or no" to the question of whether Hamas would agree to lay down its weapons, adding that the movement's presence on the ground remains necessary to protect humanitarian aid convoys from "thieves and armed gangs."
The senior official added that Hamas "will be present" on the ground during an interim period led by a technocratic administration, before elections are held at the end of this transitional phase.
Nazzal also indicated that Hamas wants a three- to five-year truce to rebuild the Gaza Strip, emphasizing that this proposal is not intended to prepare for a new war, but to allow a resumption of civil and economic life in the devastated territory.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, stated that "human rights are, above all, about human dignity. They also imply accountability for the gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law that have occurred over the past two years."
He also stressed that "a collective effort is needed to ensure that the cease-fire in Gaza translates into lasting peace" in a video posted on X.
Türk added that all Palestinians, whether living in Gaza or the occupied West Bank, must be included in any future governance decisions, and that the Palestinian people's right to self-determination must also be respected.
Deadly Israeli strikes targeting vehicles in Lebanon since the November cease-fire could constitute "war crimes," a U.N. special rapporteur told AFP on Friday.
1 killed in afternoon Israeli drone strike in Bint Jbeil
A man was killed late Friday afternoon in an Israeli drone strike on a car in Khirbet Silm in the Bint Jbeil district, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
The victim, Hassan Rahhal, was in the vehicle at the time of the strike.
Israeli gunfire targeted residents harvesting olives in the al-Ain area of Aitaroun, Bint Jbeil district, despite the presence of a Lebanese Army patrol and another from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
Israeli far-right activists obstruct humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza
An Israeli far-right group, Tsav 9, is blocking trucks carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza at the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) border crossing, reports the Qatari channel Al Jazeera.
In a post on X, the group stated that its members are currently "obstructing the passage of aid trucks" at several points along the road leading to the Israeli-controlled crossing.
Tsav 9 asserts that "Hamas is violating the agreement and refusing to return the hostages; therefore, the aid that allows it to rebuild must be stopped," adding that "no aid truck will pass until the last dead person is returned."
Gaza: Hamas calls on mediators to ensure implementation of truce agreement
Hamas expressed its "deep appreciation for the sincere efforts" made over the past two years by Egypt, Qatar and Turkey to reach an agreement ending Israel's war in the Gaza Strip.
"These efforts included holding meetings, bridging points of view, bridging differences and the willingness to overcome obstacles, which ultimately led to the end of this senseless war on Gaza," the Palestinian movement said in a statement posted on Telegram and relayed by Al Jazeera.
Hamas called on the mediating countries — Egypt, Qatar and Turkey — to monitor the implementation of the remaining provisions of the agreement, demanding the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid into Gaza, the opening of the Rafah border crossing in both directions, and the start of reconstruction of the enclave.
Nabatieh merchants association condemns strike on Ansar
The president of the Nabatieh Merchants Association, Moussa al-Har Shmaisani, condemned and denounced "the brutal attack that targeted one of the industrial institutions in the town of Ansar," while calling on the Lebanese state "to adopt a serious and firm stance in the face of attacks targeting the economy, trade and industry in the south of the country," our correspondent reports.
Israeli group block Gaza aid trucks
A far-right Israeli group, Tsav 9, is blocking trucks from carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza at the Karem Abu Salem crossing, according to Al Jazeera.
The group, in a post on X, said its members were “currently obstructing the passage of aid trucks” at multiple points near the crossing, which is controlled by Israel.
The group claimed that “Hamas violated the agreement and refuses to return hostages, so aid that enables them to rebuild must be halted,” adding: “No aid truck will pass until the last dead is returned.”
Hamas urges mediators to follow up on remaining provisions of cease-fire deal
Hamas called on mediators to follow up on the implementation of the remaining provisions of the U.S.-brokered cease-fire agreement with Israel, Reuters reported.
The militant Palestinian group said in a statement that there was a need to complete the formation of a community support committee, which should administer the Gaza Strip.
Trump says he expects expansion of Abraham accords soon
U.S. President Donald Trump said he expected an expansion of the Abraham Accords soon, Reuters reported, and that he hopes Saudi Arabia will join the pact that normalized diplomatic relations between Israel and some Arab states.
"I hope to see Saudi Arabia go in, and I hope to see others go in. I think when Saudi Arabia goes in, everybody goes in," Trump said in an interview broadcast Friday on Fox Business Network.
South Lebanon Water Establishment announces fuel storage facility destroyed by Israeli strikes
The South Lebanon Water Establishment stated that the “brutal Israeli aggression on Ansar and Sinai [last night] led to the damage and destruction of the establishment’s strategic fuel storage facility, resulting in the total loss of its contents."
The storage facility contained "half a million liters of diesel, which were used by southern villages and towns to operate electricity generators powering water stations and wells."
Israeli attacks on south Lebanon
An Israeli drone dropped a stun grenade on the village of Blida (Marjayoun district), according to our correspondent in the South. No injuries have been reported.
Israeli sweeping operations have also been reported, targeting the outskirts of the same village and the Bastra farm in Shebaa (Hasbaya district).
UN says will 'take some time' to scale back Gaza famine
The United Nations said Friday it would take time to reverse a famine in Gaza and urged the opening of all crossing points into the war-shattered Palestinian territory.
"It's going to take some time to scale back the famine," the U.N. World Food Programme's spokeswoman Abeer Etefa told a media briefing in Geneva, saying the WFP had five distribution points up and running but wanted to get to 145 to "flood Gaza with food."
Iran slams Israeli strikes in Lebanon as 'cease-fire violation'
Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the strikes were a "blatant violation of Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity," in a statement, as cited by AFP.
Baqaei also accused France and the United States, guarantors of the truce, of "continued inaction and appeasement" toward Israel over what he called the "repeated violation" of the agreement.
(Credit: Mohammad Yassin/L'OLJ)
A man stands in front of the site targeted by yesterday's Israeli strikes in Ansar (Nabatieh).
Testimonies from Ansar: 'No one wants to help us'
A man in Ansar denounced to L'OLJ an Israeli “blockade” on reconstruction.
“It's the same message as in Msayleh,” where Israel struck a site storing dozens of construction vehicles on Friday night. “They're going to strike anything related to reconstruction, and we're only at the beginning; the worst is yet to come,” he said, criticizing the authorities for “seeming to accept the situation.”
“No one wants to help us,” he added. After the strikes on Msayleh, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam instructed the High Relief Committee to assess the losses and financially compensate the victims.
(Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'OLJ)
The aftermath of yesterday's Israeli strike on Ansar (Nabatieh).
An unexploded Israeli missile is reportedly still at the site in Ansar
The Lebanese Army has not arrived yet, but is expected “soon,” said an employee at the site. According to a man at the scene, one of the Israeli missiles dropped did not explode.
Every employee and witness said that the site has no connection with the Hezbollah-linked NGO “Green Without Borders,” which Israel claimed it targeted. “They're further down, towards Sinai, not here,” said one man.
“Israel is doing this to prevent us from rebuilding, like in 2006,” said another person, adding that Israel “is cancer.”
An employee at the site of the strikes in Ansar: 'There's nothing military here, those are lies'
Another employee, Ali Mohammad Doumen, who works on construction equipment maintenance, said that the site is used “solely for civilian purposes.”
“There's nothing military here, these are lies,” he said, adding that Israel “is striking civilians because it can no longer strike Hezbollah fighters.”
“This is a war against reconstruction, against southern residents, to prevent us from returning to our land,” he told L'Orient-Le Jour, adding that residents “will rebuild and it will be even more beautiful than before.”
“Nothing will bring us to our knees; the South belongs to our children.” According to him, dozens of families work in the quarry. An Internal Security Forces agent estimates the damage at “about $30 million.”
Our journalists on the ground after yesterday's Israeli strikes on Ansar
Following yesterday's Israeli strikes on a quarry in Ansar (Nabatieh), the targeted site is now a “pile of rubble,” reports our journalist from the scene.
An administrative employee, who wishes to remain anonymous, said, “We are a commercial company; we only sell to individuals.” The Israeli army claimed to have targeted infrastructure used by Hezbollah to rebuild its arsenal.
“It feels like [Israel's] message is that there will be no reconstruction, that this is an economic war, especially since they killed the engineers,” he said, referring to the two engineers killed on Oct. 2 by an Israeli strike on their car near Kfar Roummane (Nabatieh).
He cried over the loss of his “life's work,” having been employed at the site since 2011. “Residents will rebuild the South,” he said hopefully, while acknowledging that “the situation is not good.”
The strikes injured two security guards who were briefly hospitalized, he added. They also destroyed concrete mixers, cranes, pumps and fuel tanks, while burned-out vehicles continue to smoke at the site this morning. The administrative building has been partially destroyed.
West Bank: 11-year-old boy killed
An 11-year-old boy, identified by Palestinian officials as Mohammad Bahjat al-Hallak, was killed by Israeli forces Sunday in the village of al-Rihiya, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
Wafa said Israeli soldiers “opened fire on a group of children who were playing football in a schoolyard.” Israeli outlets Haaretz and The Times of Israel published similar accounts. Wafa said the boy was killed by a bullet that passed through his pelvis; he was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition, where he succumbed to his injuries.
South Lebanon: Major Israeli strikes, one killed, seven wounded
Massive Israeli strikes across south Lebanon and an airstrike in the Bekaa killed one person and wounded seven, the Health Ministry said. The barrage followed earlier strikes on the South and the Bekaa throughout the afternoon.
The Israeli military claimed it struck “infrastructures linked to Hezbollah” and targeted the group “Green Without Borders,” despite a truce that has been in effect for nearly a year. The strikes came after sustained attacks on the South and the Bekaa during the day.
An Israeli patrol entered Lebanese territory at dawn and destroyed a house on the southeast outskirts of Yaroun (Bint Jbeil), L'Orient Today's correspondent in the South reported.
Gaza: Pressure on Hamas to continue, says Israeli official
Gal Hirsch, Israel’s government coordinator for hostages and missing persons, told Haaretz that “pressure on Hamas continues and will intensify,” but declined to provide details.
Hirsch spoke after an “operational meeting” between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and security officials in Jerusalem, which was interrupted for a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump about repatriating the remains of hostages still held in Gaza.
Hamas says it is committed to Gaza agreement and to returning bodies
Hamas said it remains “committed to the agreement” and is “willing to return all the bodies of hostages still held in the enclave,” Reuters reported.
It added that recovering some remains “could take time,” saying some were buried in tunnels destroyed by Israeli strikes and others remain under the rubble of destroyed buildings. The group said recovery efforts require equipment to clear debris that Israel has barred from entering.
Trump says “people very close” will act against Hamas
After threatening yesterday that he would "go in and kill Hamas" if internal violence continued, U.S. President Donald Trump said today that he would not send American troops to Gaza.
“It’s not going to be us,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We won’t have to. There are people very close, very nearby, that will go in, and they’ll do the trick very easily, but under our auspices.”
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