Hamas will be 'eradicated' if it breaks cease-fire deal, Trump says; UN 'concerned' by renewed violence in Gaza | LIVE

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Israeli army confirms receiving hostage's body

The Israeli prime minister's office confirmed that the Israeli army has received, through the Red Cross, the remains of a hostage who died in Gaza.

From there, the office said, the body will be transferred to Israel and then to the National Center for Forensic Medicine at the Health Ministry for identification, after which the family will be officially notified.

Trump asserts Hamas will be 'eradicated' if it breaks cease-fire agreement

U.S. President Donald Trump assured that Hamas would be "eradicated" if it did not respect the cease-fire agreement in the Gaza Strip, after Israel denounced cease-fire violations by the Palestinian movement on Sunday, which the movement denied.

"We made an agreement with Hamas that they will behave, and if they don't, we will eradicate them, if necessary," the U.S. president told reporters alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, whom he hosted at the White House. "They will be eradicated, and they know it," he added.

UN 'concerned' by renewed violence in Gaza

The U.N. expressed its "concern" following deadly violence in the Gaza Strip, urging "all parties to fully respect their commitments," said the spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric.

Israeli strikes on the Palestinian enclave killed at least 45 Palestinians on Sunday, according to the Civil Defense in Gaza, testing the fragile truce in effect since Oct. 10.

At least 4 Palestinians killed Monday in Gaza by Israeli army: Civil Defense

The Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip reported four people killed Monday by Israeli gunfire east of Gaza City.

"Four people were killed and one was seriously injured this morning," in two separate incidents, Mahmoud Bassal, the organization's spokesperson, told AFP.

They were hit "by Israeli gunfire as they were returning home to check the condition of their homes in the al-Shaaf area of ​​the al-Touffah neighborhood," Bassal added. Two of them were transferred to al-Ahli Hospital, and two others to al-Shifa Hospital, according to emergency services and witnesses.

Earlier in the day, the enclave's Health Ministry said it had recorded a total of 80 deaths by the Israeli army since the cease-fire began.

The Israeli army announced that the coffin of the deceased hostage released by Hamas has been handed over to the Red Cross and is on its way to Israeli territory, Haaretz reports.

This is the 13th body of captives handed over by the Palestinian movement since the cease-fire began on Oct. 11.

In addition, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, announced that it had handed over to the Red Cross the body of an Israeli soldier killed in Gaza, "in accordance with the terms of the Gaza agreement and as part of [our] national responsibility."

EU affirms that sanctions against Israel remain possible despite cease-fire

The European Union is not completely abandoning the possibility of sanctions against Israel, its foreign minister affirmed Monday, stressing that the 27 would be attentive to how the cease-fire is implemented.

"The cease-fire has changed the context, that's clear to everyone," Kaja Kallas said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

"However, as long as we don't see tangible and lasting change on the ground, particularly the delivery of more aid to Gaza, the threat of sanctions will remain on the table," she added.

"We have decided not to take any measures for the time being, but we are not ruling them out either."

The Israeli army and the Shin Bet announced that the Red Cross is on its way to retrieve the coffin of the deceased hostage, which Hamas is expected to hand over tonight in the Gaza Strip, Haaretz reports.

Lebanese Army clears road in southern Lebanon blocked by Israeli army

The Lebanese Army announced in a statement that it had removed concrete blocks and earth embankments erected last night by the Israeli army on a road between Aitaroun and Bint Jbeil, in southern Lebanon.

The troops, which carried out this operation in coordination with UNIFIL, denounced it as a "violation" of the cease-fire agreement aimed "at preventing residents from accessing their land."

JD Vance on Gaza cease-fire: 'There will be ups and downs'

U.S. Vice President JD Vance downplayed the resumption of Israeli strikes against Gaza, which killed nearly 50 people on Sunday despite the cease-fire, saying there would be "ups and downs" in the implementation of the agreement.

"Hamas is going to fire on Israel. Israel is going to have to respond," he told reporters, according to several Israeli media outlets.

"So we believe this is the best chance to achieve lasting peace. But even if it does, there will be ups and downs, and we'll have to monitor the situation," added the president, who is preparing to spend several days in Israel.

President Donald Trump also commented on the latest developments in the Palestinian enclave, stating that Hamas "needs to behave and be nice." "Otherwise, we will eradicate them," he said, according to Haaretz.

Iran cancels cooperation agreement with IAEA

Iran has canceled the cooperation agreement signed in September with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, announced, according to state media.

"The agreement has been canceled," Larijani said during a meeting in Tehran with his Iraqi counterpart, Qassem al-Araji. "If the agency has a proposal, we will consider it within the secretariat," he added.

This announcement comes three weeks after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi indicated that Tehran would terminate the agreement, which allowed the IAEA to resume inspections of nuclear sites, if Western powers reimposed U.N. sanctions, which they did last month.

The decision is a setback for the IAEA, which has been trying to rebuild cooperation with Tehran since Israel and the United States bombed the nuclear sites in June.

Israeli drones fly over Beirut's southern suburbs and surrounding areas

Low-altitude Israeli drone flights were reported throughout the day over Beirut's southern suburbs, as well as in the towns of Aramoun and Khalde (Aley district), on the outskirts of the capital.

Netanyahu says Israel dropped 153 tons of bombs Sunday on Gaza

Israeli forces dropped 153 tons (337,307 pounds) of bombs on targets in Gaza in response to what it said was a cease-fire breach by the Palestinian group Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told parliament Monday.  

"One of our hands holds a weapon, the other hand is stretched out for peace," Netanyahu told members of the Knesset. "You make peace with the strong, not the weak. Today, Israel is stronger than ever before."

Israel said Sunday that it had launched a wave of air strikes against targets in Gaza after two of its soldiers were killed in an attack by Hamas. The Palestinian group denied any knowledge of the attack.

Hamas preparing to hand over another Israeli hostage body tonight

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, announced in a statement that they were preparing to hand over the body of another Israeli hostage this Monday evening at 8 p.m. (local time) in the Gaza Strip, adding that the body had been exhumed the previous day, Sunday.

This will be the 13th body of a captive handed over by the Palestinian movement since the cease-fire came into effect on Oct. 11.

After Witkoff and Kushner, Netanyahu to meet US Vice President JD Vance

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Monday with American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Tel Aviv, a day after Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip tested the fragile truce in place since Oct. 10.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu met earlier today with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, to discuss developments and updates in the region,” said Shosh Bedrosian, the spokesperson for his office.

According to his office, Netanyahu is also scheduled to meet on Tuesday with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who is visiting Israel for a few days with his wife, Usha Vance.

Israeli army has killed at least 80 Palestinians in Gaza since the start of the cease-fire

Gaza’s Health Ministry said in a statement on Monday that at least 80 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire or airstrikes in the Gaza Strip since the cease-fire came into effect on Oct. 11.

The bodies of 12 other previously killed victims were also recovered from under the rubble, while an additional 158 people have been injured during the same period.

In total, the ministry announced it has recovered 426 bodies since Oct. 11. This brings the official death toll from the Israeli offensive on Gaza to at least 68,216 killed and 170,361 injured since Oct 7, 2023.

Southern Lebanon: Israeli airstrike on Mahmoudieh, in the Jezzine district

Israeli fighter jets bombed the area known as Mahmoudieh, on the outskirts of Aishieh and Jarmak, in the Jezzine district, according to our correspondent in South Lebanon.

Images obtained by our correspondent show that at least two sites were targeted on the bombed hills.

A few minutes after the initial strikes on the Mahmoudieh area, the Israeli air force bombed the area a second time, according to our correspondent.

An Israeli army drone continues to fly over the bombed sites in the Aishieh area, while fires have broken out in the region, according to our correspondent.

Gaza: Hamas meets with mediators in Cairo

A Hamas delegation, led by Khalil al-Hayya, is expected to meet today in Cairo with Egyptian and Qatari officials to discuss the fragile cease-fire and post-war arrangements for Gaza, a source close to the negotiations told AFP.

The source said the meeting with the mediators in Cairo would focus in particular on “the dozens of Israeli airstrikes” that killed “dozens of people in the Gaza Strip” the previous day.

In addition, “the delegation, along with several senior Hamas leaders, will hold meetings with Egyptian officials regarding the inter-Palestinian dialogue that Egypt is expected to sponsor soon,” the source familiar with the talks added.

“This dialogue aims to unify the Palestinian political body and to address major issues, including the future of the Gaza Strip and the formation of a committee of independent experts to manage the territory,” the source said, referring to the proposed establishment of a transitional authority composed of technocrats.

This authority would be overseen by a committee led by U.S. President Donald Trump, and was proposed by him.

Ireland’s FM urges immediate opening of Rafah crossing

Ireland’s Foreign Minister Simon Harris has called for the immediate reopening of the Rafah crossing to allow more aid into Gaza, stressing the urgency of the humanitarian situation, Al Jazeera reports.

Speaking at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, Harris said that “we need to see the Rafah crossing opened as an absolute priority,” and emphasized that “it is important that the cease-fire holds. We all know how difficult it was to get to this point.”

He also urged both Hamas and Israel to respect the terms of the ceasefire, adding: “We need to see an increase in the amount of aid getting into Gaza.”

Israel announces reopening of Kerem Shalom crossing with Gaza

The Kerem Shalom crossing point between Israel and the Gaza Strip has reopened a day after a series of Israeli airstrikes on the Palestinian territory, an Israeli security official announced, according to AFP.

Kerem Shalom reopened “in full accordance with the cease-fire agreement” that has been in effect since Oct. 10, the official said.

Yesterday, Israel had announced it was suspending the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza “until further notice,” accusing Hamas of violating the cease-fire—an accusation the Islamist movement has denied.

US envoys Witkoff and Kushner in Israel

U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Israel, a spokesperson for the U.S. embassy announced, for talks with Israeli officials regarding the situation in Gaza. The visit comes a day after Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, following accusations by Israel that Hamas violated the ceasefire in effect since October 10—claims the Palestinian movement has rejected.

Israeli forces have fired artillery in areas east of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, according to Al Jazeera.

An Israeli official denied that the decision to renew the Gaza cease-fire was made under American pressure, Haaretz reported.

According to the official, Israel decided to resume airstrikes and close all border crossings for a single day, "and no longer than that," following the killing of two soldiers.

He added that the decision was made "before Israel talked to the Americans."

Southern Lebanon: Israeli shelling at dawn on Kfar Shuba

At dawn in southern Lebanon, where the Israeli army continues to violate the cease fire in effect since last November with Hezbollah, an artillery shell hit the outskirts of Kfar Shuba (Hasbaya district) in the eastern sector, according to our correspondent in the region.

Also near the town, Israeli search operations were reported from the Samaka position on the disputed heights overlooking the village. At the same time, Israeli fighter jets also flew over the area.

Cease-fire remains in effect, says Trump, after Israeli airstrikes on Gaza

U.S. President Donald Trump insisted that the cease-fire in Gaza is still in place, following a series of Israeli airstrikes that killed at least 45 people in the Palestinian territory on Sunday. Israel said the strikes were in response to Hamas attacks.

“Yes, it is,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One when asked if the ceasefire, which he helped broker, was still in effect. He also suggested that Hamas leadership was not behind the alleged ceasefire violations, instead blaming “some rebels within the movement.”

According to Civil Defense, at least 45 people were killed Sunday, including civilians and a journalist, during the Israeli airstrikes. Four hospitals in Gaza confirmed the death toll to AFP. These are the first major incidents of violence since the truce came into force on Oct. 10.

Phone call between MBS and Macron on Gaza situation

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a phone call on Sunday with French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the situation in Gaza, according to Saudi state news agency SPA.

The two leaders discussed “efforts to end the war and strengthen security and stability in the Middle East.”

They also emphasized the need for humanitarian aid to alleviate the “suffering” of the Palestinian people, and the importance of a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the enclave.

Bin Salman and Macron also discussed future “concrete actions to achieve a just peace based on the two-state solution.”

Vance and Witkoff expected in Israel to discuss next steps of Trump’s Gaza plan

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Vice President JD Vance are expected to arrive in Israel today for talks with officials regarding the next steps of President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza.

Before departure from Joint Base Andrews in the United States, Vance stated that the ceasefire in Gaza would likely experience “bumps” with renewed outbreaks of fighting.

“This is going to be complicated. I mean, in the best-case scenario—if this really leads to a lasting and stable peace, as the President and I hope — there will be bumps,” the Vice President told reporters. “Hamas is going to fire at Israel. Israel, of course, will have to respond,” he added, according to remarks cited by Haaretz.

“When we talk about Hamas, we’re talking about forty different cells. It’s a fragmented organization. Some of these cells will likely respect the ceasefire. Many others, as we saw today, will not,” Vance continued.

On the issue of disarming Hamas, he noted that the necessary “security infrastructure” is not yet in place to “verify” such disarmament. “Until we’ve made more progress… on this peace mission, on this 20-point peace plan, we cannot confidently say that everyone is doing what we expect of them,” the Vice President emphasized.

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of developments in the Middle East, following a series of Israeli strikes on Gaza despite the cease-fire.

We’ll also be covering events in Lebanon, where the Israeli army continues to conduct regular strikes — particularly in the South — as well as updates from Syria, Iran, and other countries in the region.

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