Updated casualty toll: 2 killed, 3 injured in Israeli strike on Arab Salim
In an update to the casualty toll of the Israeli strike on Arab Salim (Nabatieh district), our regional correspondent reported that 2 people were killed, Zeinab Mousa and Maher Younis, and 3 others were injured.
Zainab Moussa, 80, has two grandchildren who were killed during the latest war with Israel.
And Maher Younis, 43, is a butcher in the village, who was killed while passing by the targeted site.
According to residents, three cars were damaged in the strike, along with a number of houses, in addition to destroying the empty targeted room.
Israeli fighter jets are flying over the Baalbeck-Hermel region and the eastern range, according to our regional correspondent.
Israeli strike kills 80-year-old woman, injures 2 others.
In an initial casualty report: the Israeli strike on Arab Salim killed an 80-year-old woman, who was in a house close to the targeted area, our regional correspondent and the state-run NNA reported.
Our correspondent identified the woman as Zeinab Ali Moussa.
The attack targeted an empty room near the municipality, and the two people injured were bystanders in the area, our correspondent added.
Israeli army claims it struck a Hezbollah weapon depot in southern Lebanon
The Israeli army said it struck a "Hezbollah weapons storage facility" in southern Lebanon’s Nabatieh district. According to the statement, the site was used "advance and carry out attacks against the State of Israel."
"The Hezbollah ... continues to attempt to rebuild terror infrastructure sites across Lebanon," adding that "the presence of the terror infrastructure site constitutes a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon."
The Israeli strike in Arab Salim targeted a greenhouse near a construction site in the town's new municipality. The attack injured three people, our correspondent reported.
Israeli airstrike hits Arab Salim near a school
An Israeli airstrike bombed an area near a school in the town of Arab Salim, Iqlim al-Touffah (Nabatieh district), our regional correspondent reported. Two people were wounded and taken by ambulances from the al-Rissala Scouts, affiliated with the Amal Movement.
This is the first attack on the town since the November 2024 cease-fire took effect.
An Israeli drone dropped a bomb in the Khiam plain (Marjayoun district), causing fires.
Hezbollah MP condemns Israeli attacks in Bekaa
Hezbollah MP Ibrahim Moussawi denounced Thursday’s Israeli strikes in the Bekaa, saying the ongoing attacks “without the international community taking punitive deterrent measures … is considered an incitement [for Israel] to continue aggressions, as well as tacit acceptance and complicity with its policy of murder, destruction and violation of sovereignty.”
He urged the presidency, government and army to “act immediately and by all available means to quickly put an end to impunity.”
🔗 Read the details of the Israeli attacks in Lebanon today, here.
Hamas and Fateh meet in Egypt to discuss Gaza post-war
Delegations from Hamas and its rival Fateh met in Egypt on Thursday to discuss post-war arrangements in the Gaza Strip, al-Qahera News reported.
The channel, known to have close ties to Egyptian intelligence, said the talks focus “on the national situation as a whole and the arrangements to be put in place after the end of the war in Gaza.”
U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Israel over annexing the occupied West Bank in an interview with Time magazine.
Asked about calls in Israel to annex the Palestinian territory, Trump said: “It won’t happen. It won’t happen because I gave my word to the Arab countries.” He added: “Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened.”
The remarks, made by phone on Oct. 15 shortly after the Gaza cease-fire plan he helped broker, were published Thursday.
🔗Read more about Trump, JD Vance and Marco Rubio's comments on the issue, here.
Aid to Gaza still a fraction of promised amounts
Fewer than a hundred aid trucks operated by the U.N. and its partners have entered Gaza each day since a cease-fire earlier this month, a fraction of the total 600 trucks a day promised under the plan brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, data analyzed by AFP shows.
"The situation still remains catastrophic because what's entering is not enough," World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters on Thursday, lamenting that "there is no dent in hunger because there is not enough food."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began their meeting in the latter's Jerusalem office, according to Haaretz.
Arab and Muslim countries condemn Israel's West Bank annexation bills
More than a dozen Muslim and Arab states condemned today a pair of Israeli bills calling for the annexation of the occupied West Bank, in a joint statement reported by the Saudi state news agency, AFP reported.
The 14 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Turkey, as well as the Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation, said they "condemn in the strongest terms" the bills, which they called "a blatant violation of international law."
Israeli army says it foiled weapons smuggling, arrested suspects near Mount Hermon
The Israeli army said it foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons from Syria into Lebanon near Mount Hermon.
Spokesman Avichay Adraee wrote on X that during a night operation Wednesday, "forces ... arrested several suspects, who were trying to smuggle weapons from Syria into Lebanon, in the Mount Hermon area of Syria."
He added that "the weapons were confiscated and the individuals were transferred for further investigation."
He concluded that the army "remains deployed in the area to protect Israeli citizens," particularly in the occupied Golan Heights.
Israel comments on yesterday's strike on Ain Qana
Commenting on Wednesday’s operation in Ain Qana (Nabatieh district) that killed a Hezbollah member, Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said on X that Hezbollah’s portrayal of the victim as a civilian was “false.”
He claimed the group's media initially published a photo showing the man holding a child, claiming he was taking his son to school when the Israeli drone strike killed him. The image was quickly replaced with one depicting him as a fighter. Adraee added: “The Israeli army did not target this terrorist because he was Lebanese, but because he was a commander in the Radwan terrorist force. Period.”
Hezbollah confirmed Qarbalai was a member but did not specify his specific role within Hezbollah. Pictures of Qarbalai with his young son were shared heavily on social media platforms.
Turkey in talks for Gaza peacekeeping mission
Discussions are underway about the Turkish army’s potential role in a peacekeeping mission in the Gaza Strip, a Turkish Defense Ministry source said.
“We are continuing contact with our counterparts regarding our participation in the task force to be established in Gaza,” the official said, adding that U.S.-led Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) for monitoring the cease-fire has been set up to form a task force.
The International Stabilization Force (ISF), part of the Trump plan, would handle security patrols, protect civilian infrastructure, provide humanitarian aid, secure borders, train local forces and monitor the ceasefire, the source said.
New barracks inaugurated in memory of soldier killed by Israel last year
A ceremony in Kfar Dounin, Bint Jbeil district, inaugurated the Mohammad Farhat barracks, attended by Army Commander-in-Chief General Rodolph Haykal, UNIFIL Commander General Diodato Abagnara, Nabatiyeh Governor Hwaida Turk and the soldier’s family.
Commander Mohammad Farhat was killed on Oct. 23, 2024, by the Israeli army during a rescue operation in Yater. General Haykal praised his bravery and reaffirmed the army’s commitment “to protect every inch of Lebanese territory.” Farhat’s sister, Rana, said the military “remains the guarantor of the security of all Lebanese.”
🔗 More on the Israeli strike that killed Farhat, alongside two other Lebanese Army soldiers, here.
Hamas slams Israeli media restriction on Gaza
In a statement on Telegram, Hamas said that Israel’s continued barring of foreign press “clearly reveals this entity’s [Israel’s] insistence on continuing to impose media blackout on the horrific crimes and widespread destruction caused by the Zionist war machine in the Strip.”
Smotrich issues apology to KSA for insulting remarks
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich issued an apology for a remark he made earlier on Thursday, in which he said that "If Saudi Arabia tells us that it is normalization in exchange for a Palestinian state, then no thank you, my friends. Keep riding your camels in the Saudi desert," Haaretz reported.
He called the remark "unfortunate" and said he "regrets the insult it caused." However, he noted that he expects the Saudis to refrain from denying the "heritage, tradition and rights" of the Jewish people in the West Bank, which he called the "historic homeland" of Jews.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel, AFP reported. Rubio is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday evening, according to a U.S. official.
An Israeli drone dropped a stun grenade on the outskirts of Kfar Shuba, in the Hasbaya district, our regional correspondent reported.
The World Health Organization says at least $7 billion is required to rebuild Gaza’s health system, highlighting the scale of destruction and urgent humanitarian needs.
Israeli strikes on Shmustar and Janata kill 2
Israeli strikes in Janta and Shmustar (Baalbeck district) have killed two people from southern Lebanon, our regional correspondent reported. The victims are Mohammad Haidar Jazini, from Ain Bouswar in the Iqlim al-Touffah (Nabatieh), and Hisham Khalil, from Maarakeh (Sour).
Turkey: Talks underway on possible military participation in Gaza mission
Talks are underway about the possible participation of the Turkish army in a peacekeeping mission in the Gaza Strip, a source from Turkey’s Defense Ministry said.
“We are in contact with our counterparts regarding our participation in the mission to be established in Gaza,” the official said, noting that “a civil-military coordination center has been created to prepare for the establishment of an operational force in Gaza.”
“As part of this structure, it is planned to create an International Stabilization Force responsible for security patrols, protection of civilian infrastructure, humanitarian aid, border security, training of local security forces, and monitoring the cease-fire,” the official added. “Turkey’s level of participation in these structures remains to be determined,” he said, adding that more details could be announced next week.
Asked about possible Israeli opposition to a Turkish military presence in Gaza, the official said, “There is a cease-fire agreement, and Turkey is one of its guarantors.”
Nuclear: Another attack on Iran would be “another failure,” Tehran warns
Iran’s foreign minister warned that any new attack against his country would amount to “another failure,” after the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mentioned the possible “use of force” if diplomatic efforts with Tehran reach an impasse, AFP reported.
On Wednesday, IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi warned against a possible resort to force against Tehran if diplomacy fails. “Iran would have enough fuel for about 10 atomic bombs. But we have no proof that Tehran has sought to acquire nuclear weapons,” Grossi also said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded: “I don’t know whether he made these remarks out of concern or threat, but those who make such threats must know that repeating a failed experience will only lead to another failure,” he said.
⚡ Attack on reporters in Lebanon: AFP demands “transparent investigation” from Israel
AFP on Thursday demanded a “full and transparent investigation by Israel” into an attack on journalists two years ago in southern Lebanon that killed a Reuters videographer and wounded others, including two AFP journalists.
On Oct. 13, 2023, an Israeli strike killed Reuters videographer Issam Abdallah and wounded six other reporters, including AFP journalists Dylan Collins and Christina Assi, who later had her right leg amputated.
Trump on Israeli annexation of the West Bank: “It won’t happen”
U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview with Time magazine that the United States remains firmly opposed to any Israeli annexation of the occupied West Bank, according to Al Jazeera.
“That won’t happen. It won’t happen because I gave my word to the Arab countries. And we can’t do that now,” he said. “We have received great support from the Arab world. Israel would lose all U.S. support if that happened.”
A day earlier, the Israeli parliament had passed, in a first reading, a bill formally calling for the annexation of the occupied West Bank.
Israeli attacks on Gaza kill 1, injure 2
A Palestinian was killed and two others were injured over the past 24 hours in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip, while 13 bodies were recovered during the same period, the Gaza Health Ministry said.
The ministry added that 32 additional bodies were identified since yesterday, bringing the confirmed death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza, which began on Oct. 7, 2023, to 68,280, while 170,375 people have been wounded.
Since the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas took effect on Oct. 11, 89 Palestinians have been killed, 317 injured, and 449 bodies recovered, according to the same source.
Rima Karameh condemns Israeli strikes near south Lebanon schools
Education Minister Rima Karameh condemned today's Israeli strikes that hit near Shmustar and Taraya's public high schools (Baalbeck district).
The impact of the strikes shattered the two schools' windows, damaged their facades and caused panic among students, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the Bekaa.
Several students were slightly injured by shards of glass, she added.
Karameh called on the international community to put pressure on Israel to end this relentless aggression, which is affecting schools and civilians, causing deaths and injuries and terrorizing the population.
Karameh contacted the head of the Baalbeck-Hermel education sector, Hussein Abdel Sater, and the director of secondary education, Khaled Fayed, to ensure that teaching staff, students and employees of the affected public institutions were all safe and sound.
She also praised the school administrations, teachers, students and parents, citing their courage and determination despite the danger of the attacks. She also expressed her support, assuring them that nothing would “detract from education and the pursuit of progress.”
Trump's policy remains that the occupied West Bank won't be annexed by Israel, says Vance
U.S. Vice President JD Vance said today, before leaving Israel, that President Donald Trump's policy remains that the occupied West Bank won't be annexed by Israel, Reuters reported.
Vance said that he was taken aback by the Knesset's vote yesterday to annex the West Bank, calling it "weird and foolish," adding that he was told that it was a political stunt.
He told reporters in Tel Aviv that he "feels pretty good" about the Gaza cease-fire after his talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The death toll of the Israeli strike on Shmustar has risen to two killed, our correspondent in the Bekaa reported.
“Keep riding your camels in the Saudi desert,” Smotrich tells Riyadh
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Israel should reject any normalization deal with Saudi Arabia if it is conditioned on the establishment of a Palestinian state, Haaretz reported.
“If Saudi Arabia tells us that normalization comes in exchange for a Palestinian state, then no thank you, my friends. Keep riding your camels in the Saudi desert,” he added, according to remarks cited by the newspaper. Ynet also reported the same comment, translated into English.
Turkey announces contribution to strengthening Lebanese Army capacities
Turkish peacekeeping forces will continue contributing to strengthening the Lebanese Army’s capacities as part of a renewed deployment mandate in Lebanon, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced.
On Tuesday, the Turkish Parliament passed a law extending military deployment mandates in Syria and Iraq for three years, and its participation in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for two years.
“Efforts will continue to improve security conditions in the region, ensure stability and support the strengthening of the Lebanese Armed Forces’ capacities, with the goal of establishing and maintaining peace in Lebanon,” the ministry statement said.
One person was killed in the Israeli strike on Shmustar, our correspondent reported.
A drone was spotted flying at low altitude over the city of Nabatieh and its surrounding villages, according to our correspondent in south Lebanon
Bekaa: Israeli army says it struck “a Hezbollah training camp and missile production site”
Shortly after strikes hit the Bekaa, the Israeli army claimed it carried out “an air strike on a camp and a precision missile production site belonging to Hezbollah” in the area.
Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said several “Hezbollah targets in the Bekaa, including a training camp where fighters from the party were seen,” were hit.
According to the spokesperson, this camp was used to “train and prepare Hezbollah members to plan and oversee operations against the Israeli army and Israel.”
The Israeli army also claimed it struck “military infrastructure within a Hezbollah precision missile production site,” as well as “terrorist facilities located at a military site belonging to the party in Sherbin,” in Hermel.
Series of Israeli strikes on eastern Bekaa
Israel launched a series of intense airstrikes targeting several areas in the Bekaa region, L’Orient Today’s correspondent in the area reported.
The strikes hit the Janta hills on the eastern ridge and extended to the Shmustar hills on the western ridge. An Israeli airstrike also targeted the Ali al-Taweel heights in the Jurd al-Hermel area.
Israeli court postpones review of foreign press appeal to access Gaza
The Israeli Supreme Court postponed in today's hearing its review of the Foreign Press Association's (FPA) petition for international journalists to access Gaza.
The State Attorney acknowledged "the situation has changed" since the Gaza cease-fire came into effect and requested a further 30 days to examine the circumstances.
No date has been set for the next hearing.
Hezbollah MP Hassan Ezzeddine said at a ceremony honoring municipal leaders in Deir Qanoun al-Nahr (Sour) that resistance against Israel "will continue to exist," and Hezbollah "has the right to defend itself, especially in the absence of the Lebanese Army and other forces' ability to protect the country."
“Resistance is a fundamental human right that does not require the authorization of anyone, neither the government, state, United Nations, or any institution,” he added.
Main remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio before his departure to Israel
Here are the main remarks made by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to reporters just before boarding his flight to Israel, according to footage aired by several media outlets, including AFP:
- Rubio warned Israel on Wednesday against annexing the West Bank, saying steps taken by parliament and settler violence threatened a Gaza deal.
"I mean, that’s a vote in the Knesset, but obviously I think the president’s made clear that’s not something we’d be supportive of right now, and we think it’s potentially threatening to the peace deal," Rubio said.
"They’re a democracy, they’re going to have their votes and people are going to take these positions. But at this time, it’s something that we think might be counterproductive," he added.
- Asked about increased violence by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, Rubio said: "We’re concerned about anything that threatens to destabilize what we’ve worked on."
- "Every day there’ll be threats to it, but I actually think we’re ahead of schedule in terms of bringing it together, and the fact that we made it through this weekend is a good sign," Rubio said on Trump's increasingly fragile Gaza cease-fire deal.
Indonesia defends ban on Israeli gymnasts from world championship in Jakarta
Indonesia defended its decision to prevent Israeli gymnasts from participating in a world championship held in Jakarta and is assessing the consequences, Sports Minister Erick Thohir said Thursday, according to Reuters.
Thohir was responding after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) urged all international sports federations not to host events in Indonesia.
On Wednesday, the IOC had called on international sports federations to avoid holding competitions in Indonesia after the country barred Israeli gymnasts from a world championship being held there this month.
The IOC also said it was suspending talks about a potential Indonesian bid to host the Olympic Games until the government guarantees that all athletes, regardless of nationality, would be allowed to compete in the future.
Calm in south Lebanon after Israeli strike earlier in the week
No major incidents involving the Israeli army were reported in south Lebanon following Monday morning’s strike that killed a Hezbollah member driving a motorcycle.
Israeli drones continued to fly over the area. Others were also spotted over Beirut and its suburbs yesterday.
Overnight, the Israeli army carried out a sweep operation using machine guns from the Rweissat al-Alam site, targeting contested heights and the outskirts of Kfar Shuba (Hasbaya district), our south Lebanon correspondent reported.
Israel's ruling on occupied West Bank annexation is threat to Gaza deal, Rubio says
Main news this morning:
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, expected in Israel, warned Wednesday that Israeli plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank “threaten” the truce in Gaza.
Officials from the Trump administration are visiting Jerusalem in succession in an effort to consolidate the fragile cease-fire in Gaza after two years of a devastating Israeli war. Their efforts were shaken Wednesday by a vote in the Israeli parliament paving the way for extending Israeli sovereignty to a settlement east of Jerusalem — and more broadly to the entire West Bank.
Such a move “would threaten” the Gaza cease-fire and would be “counterproductive,” the top U.S. diplomat said before leaving Washington.
Before Rubio’s visit to Jerusalem, Vice President JD Vance acknowledged after meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the next steps in the cease-fire deal — including disarming Hamas and rebuilding Gaza — would be “very difficult.”
Israeli Supreme Court examines foreign press request for access to Gaza
Israel’s Supreme Court is reviewing a petition filed by the Foreign Press Association (FPA) in Jerusalem seeking access to the Gaza Strip.
Ahead of the hearing, scheduled Thursday at 6 a.m. GMT, the FPA — which represents international media in Israel and the Palestinian territories — said it hoped the court would approve immediate entry for journalists into the Israeli-besieged enclave.
“We are pleased to finally have a hearing and hope the judges will quickly approve our request to enter Gaza,” said FPA President Tania Kraemer in a statement issued ahead of the session. “It’s high time Israel lifts the blockade and lets us do our job alongside our Palestinian colleagues.”
Since the start of the war in Gaza, Israeli authorities have barred foreign journalists from entering the territory independently, allowing only a handful to enter only with Israeli troops on a case-by-case basis.
Good morning and welcome to today's live coverage of events in the region, notably the increasingly fragile cease-fires in both Gaza and Lebanon.
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