Qassem calls Aoun's instructions for army to respond to Israeli incursions a 'responsible, reliable position' | LIVE

We are now closing our LIVE coverage of the region for tonight. We will be back tomorrow morning with more news updates.

Hezbollah pays tribute to victim of Israeli strike on Choukine

The party issued a statement paying tribute to Hassan Ghaith, killed this Friday in an Israeli drone strike while making a delivery by motorcycle on a road between Nabatieh and Choukine, claiming him as one of its members.

US supports lifting Caesar Act sanctions against Syria: State Department

A State Department spokesperson indicated that the Trump administration supports the repeal of Caesar Act sanctions against Syria as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, currently being debated in Congress.

“The United States is in regular contact with its regional partners and welcomes any investment or engagement in Syria that promotes the possibility for all Syrians to live in a peaceful and prosperous country,” the spokesperson added.

Occupied West Bank: Olive harvest marked by unprecedented spike in Israeli settler violence in 5 years: UN

Over the past week, some 60 attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians have been recorded in the occupied West Bank, injuring at least 17 people and causing significant material damage in the targeted Palestinian villages, according to a report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The report indicates that more than half of the attacks recorded in the Palestinian territory were linked to the ongoing olive harvest.

“The 2025 olive harvest season has so far seen the highest level of destruction and the largest number of communities affected by settler attacks since 2020,” the report states.

The document also states that "Israeli settlers from newly established outposts in the West Bank are increasingly imposing restrictions on Palestinian access to their olive groves, including in areas previously accessible without prior coordination with Israeli authorities."

Red Cross, Hamas brigades searching for remains of Israeli captives in Khan Younis

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and members of Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, have traveled to eastern Khan Younis to search for the remains of Israeli hostages, sources within the Palestinian movement told Al Jazeera.

Erdogan: 'Israel is looking for pretexts to violate cease-fire in Gaza'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sharply criticized Israel on Friday, accusing it of “looking for excuses” to undermine the cease-fire agreement in Gaza.

“Everyone knows Israel’s terrible record when it comes to respecting its commitments,” Erdogan said during a speech at the TRT World Forum in Istanbul.

“That is why preserving the ceasefire and delivering humanitarian aid to our brothers and sisters in Gaza is essential. We will only be able to begin rebuilding Gaza when we put pressure on Israel.”

Israeli bulldozers build fortifications in Syria

Israeli army bulldozers have erected embankments and constructed fortifications inside the al-Adnanieh base in the Quneitra countryside of Syria, as part of strengthening their positions, reports the Lebanese newspaper Al-Modon, citing its correspondent in Syria.

Syrian state television reported similar information.

Yesterday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Israeli forces had carried out earthmoving and digging operations west of Bir Ajam, a village in the Quneitra countryside.

Driver of targeted motorcycle near Shukin was killed while making delivery

Targeted by an Israeli drone strike this afternoon while traveling on a road between Nabatieh and Shukin, Hassan Ghaith, the driver of the vehicle, succumbed to his injuries, reports our correspondent in the region.

According to his information, the young man had previously been targeted by another Israeli drone strike against a shopping center in Nabatieh.

Unaware that he was the target of the first strike, he continued on his way to deliver his order before being fatally struck.

Calderon emphasized his Spain's unwavering support for Lebanese Army, UNIFIL mission

President Joseph Aoun and the commander of the Spanish army, Admiral Teodoro Lopez Calderon, on Oct. 31 in the Baabda Presidential Palace. (Credit: Lebanese Presidency)

During a meeting at the Baabda Presidential Palace with President Joseph Aoun, the Spanish Army Commander, Admiral Teodoro Lopez Calderon, emphasized his country's unwavering support for the Lebanese Army and the UNIFIL mission, reiterating that this support will continue in order to maintain security and stability in the South.

During the meeting, the Spanish admiral shared with UNIFIL his observations from his inspection tour of the Spanish contingent operating within UNIFIL.

For his part, President Aoun welcomed Spain's commitment to continuing to assist Lebanon in maintaining security and stability in the region.

He also expressed his hope that he would be able to accept the invitation he received to make an official visit to Spain in the coming months, while thanking King Felipe VI and the Spanish government for their support of Lebanon.

Choucair Visits UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura

The Director General of General Security (SG), Hassan Choucair, discussed the latest developments on the ground, particularly along the southern border, with the head of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), General Diodato Abagnara, and several of his officers, during a visit to UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura.

Subsequently, Choucair inspected the SG General Center at the Naqoura border, where he reviewed the operational organization.

He commended “the great efforts and sacrifices of the soldiers in maintaining the authority of the state, despite the difficulties they face and the ongoing Israeli attacks against Lebanon.”

Turkey to host Gaza meeting on Monday amid ceasefire concerns

Foreign ministers of some Muslim countries will meet in Istanbul on Monday to discuss the Gaza cease-fire and next steps there, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced, voicing concern over whether the cease-fire will continue, Reuters reports.

Speaking at a press conference in Ankara, Fidan said the gathering would include foreign ministers of countries represented at a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in New York in September.

That meeting, to discuss the situation in Gaza, was attended by Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan and Indonesia.

"The topics being discussed currently are how to proceed to the second stage, the stability force," Fidan said.

Hezbollah releases statement mourning victim of Israeli strike on Kounin

Shortly after Qassem concluded his speech, Hezbollah released a statement paying tribute to Ibrahim Raslan, the municipal employee killed by Israel earlier today in a drone strike on Kounin, in Bint Jbeil district.

The party's statement claims Raslan as one of its members. Raslan was killed while riding his moped through the village to collect monthly payments from residents who were subscribed to Kounin's private generator system. A garbage collector working on the road nearby was also injured.

UNIFIL says it remains committed to supporting Lebanese Army after facing heavy criticism for absence in Blida

After facing heavy criticism for having failed to deploy to Blida after calls for support from the Lebanese Army during an Israeli army attack early yesterday morning, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said in a statement that it "remains committed to supporting the Lebanese Army in carrying out its missions in accordance with Resolution 1701."

When the army showed up in Blida, it was prevented by the Israeli army from approaching the municipal building that Israeli troops had laid siege to. It called to UNIFIL for support in mitigating the aggression, during which Israeli soldiers shot dead a Blida municipal employee. UNIFIL did not arrive until several hours after Israel had withdrawn.

"Our peacekeepers patrol daily alongside the Lebanese Armed Forces to help restore security and stability," UNIFIL said in its statement. "These joint efforts are essential to support the army in extending state authority throughout southern Lebanon."

Qassem: We must exert all the pressure necessary to ensure Israel honors commitments

"We must create all the conditions and exert all the pressure necessary to ensure that Israel honors its commitments," Qassem said. "Any new agreement would serve to absolve Israel of guilt," he warned.

"There is an indirect agreement between Lebanon and Israel, which marks a new stage," he said. "Israel must implement this agreement after Lebanon has done so."

Israeli drone strike on moped in Nabatieh, Saida district resident receives threatening call

An Israeli drone targeted a moped as it was traveling on a road between Nabatieh and Shukin, our correspondent in the South reports.

The driver was injured, but the severity of his injuries was not immediately known. Ambulances have arrived at the scene. According to information gathered by our correspondent, the driver works as a delivery driver for a local restaurant.

Meanwhile, in Saida district, a resident of an apartment building located in the al-Machaa neighborhood of Adloun received a threatening anonymous call from a foreign number.

The resident alerted security services, who ordered the evacuation of the building as a precautionary measure, pending the results of the investigation to determine the origin and nature of the call.

Qassem calls on government to put a plan to support the army on its agenda

"The path to sovereignty protects Lebanon, which is in real danger due to American tyranny and Israeli aggression," Qassem asserted.

He called on Cabinet to put a plan to support the army "so that it can deal with Israeli aggression" on its next meeting agenda.

"Israel's demand to strip Lebanon of its power is a step toward the creation of Greater Israel, something we will not accept," the Hezbollah leader declared.

Qassem welcomes Aoun's decision to instruct the army to respond to any further Israeli incursions into Lebanon

Referring to President Joseph Aoun's decision, following the Blida attack yesterday, to instruct the army to respond to any further Israeli incursions into Lebanon, Qassem said this was a "responsible position on which we can rely."

"The positions of the three leaders [of the Republic, the government, and Parliament], ministers, and state officials are positions that can be relied upon," he said.

South Lebanon: Explosion heard in Nabatieh, suspected Israeli drone strike

According to information from our correspondent, an explosion was heard between Nabatieh al-Fawqa and the neighboring town of Kfar Roummane, after Israeli drones flew over the area. It appears that the drone may have launched a missile at the roof of a building located in a shopping center. There is no information regarding casualties at this time.

Qassem: South Lebanon will be recovered through national unity

The leader of Hezbollah called on Israel to "respect the agreement to which Lebanon has committed," referring to the November cease-fire agreement. The U.S. and Israel signed a parallel agreement — a "letter of understanding" — that essentially allows Israel to attack Lebanon whenever it perceives a threat.

"We will recover our land through national unity," he stated. "The goal of the Resistance is to liberate the country, while that of the enemy is to occupy it."

Qassem: What is the US position on the Blida attack?

"What is the American position on the unjustified killing of a civil servant and other civilians by the enemy?" Qassem posited. Yesterday, Israeli troops entered the Lebanese border town of Blida, laid seige to the municipal building and shot dead an employee who had been sleeping there.

"Threats will not change our position on resistance and perseverance," Qassem asserted. "We are not supporters of capitulation and defeatism, and we will not accept it."

Qassem: What is the US position on the 5,000 attacks against Lebanon since the cease-fire?

"Every time an American envoy comes to Lebanon, the attacks intensify," Qassem pointed out.

"What is the U.S.'s position regarding the 5,000 attacks against Lebanon since the cease-fire?" he asked, noting that he has not heard any condemnation from the U.S. of these attacks; instead, he has heard only justifications.

"We are not asking for support from the country's partners, but rather that they not serve Israel's interests," Qassem said.

Qassem: The United States is the instigator of Israeli aggression and its expansion

"The U.S. claims to be acting in Lebanon to resolve the problem," Qassem said, "but it is not an impartial mediator; rather, it is the instigator of aggression and that aggression's escalation."

The U.S. chairs the cease-fire monitoring committee that was mandated as part of the truce agreement to oversee the implementation of the November agreement between Hezbollah and Israel. Since the so-called truce came into effect, Israel has killed more than 330 people in Lebanon in an unabated string of attacks on the country.

Qassem: When it comes to politics, the Taif Agreement remains the benchmark

"The people of the South are courageous and truly sovereign, those who sacrificed themselves to remain attached to the land and return to it," Qassem said during the ongoing speech.

"The land belongs to all of us, but in terms of politics, administration, and law, the Taif Agreement remains the benchmark," he added. The Taif Agreement was signed in 1989 in order to bring the 15-year Civil War to an end. Certain major elements of the agreement remain unimplemented to this day, including the creation of a Senate and the disarmament of all militias.

"Those who want to abide by the Taif Agreement cannot choose one part and abandon others," Qassem stated.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem is currently delivering a speech, broadcast live, during a ceremony marking the inauguration of a "local market" dedicated to food, agricultural, and artisanal products in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Israeli army says victim of Kounin attack was a Hezbollah 'maintenance officer'

The Israeli army's Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote in a post on X that Israel had "eliminated" a Hezbollah maintenance officer in southern Lebanon earlier in the day.

"Earlier today, the Israeli army struck in the Kounin area of southern Lebanon and eliminated Ibrahim Mohammad Raslan, who served as a maintenance officer in the Hezbollah organization ... and was attempting to rebuild Hezbollah's infrastructure," Adraee claimed.

Citing a source within the municipality of the region, our correspondent in the South reported this morning that an Israeli drone had launched a missile at a man driving a moped in Bing Jbeil district's Kounin village, killing him. His name was Ibrahim Raslan and he was identified as a municipal employee. Another town employee who was doing garbage collection nearby was wounded in the attack.

Hajj Hassan: 'What we want is a Lebanese state with a properly armed army and political will'

During a ceremony held by Hezbollah in Beirut, party MP Hussein Hajj Hassan said that Israel's killing of Blida town employee Ibrahim Salameh yesterday "confirms that the enemy has not respected any clause of the cease-fire agreement."

He accused the cease-fire monitoring committee of "participating in the attack with its American chair, who changed his name but not his role," asserting that "none of this could have happened without American cover, particularly from the president of the mechanism commission."

"What we want is a Lebanese state with a properly armed army and political will, a state capable and determined to defend its people, which it has not done so far," he stated.

"Condemnation does not repel aggression, and denunciation does not prevent the enemy from continuing its aggression," he insisted.

In the face of more than 4,500 violations, he said, and hundreds of martyrs and wounded, and destruction in 11 months, "only one complaint was filed with the Security Council a few weeks ago, with no effective follow-up."

Sit-in held at Nabatieh Governorate buildings in solidarity with Blida after yesterday's Israeli attack

The Association of Southern Residents organized a sit-in in front of the Nabatieh Governorate buildings this morning in solidarity with the residents of the Marjayoun district village of Blida, which was attacked by Israeli soldiers in the early hours of yesterday morning. Troops laid siege to Blida's municipal building for three hours, shooting and killing an employee who had been sleeping inside.

Speaking at the rally, Hezbollah MP Ali Fayad denounced Israel's "deliberate targeting of Lebanese official institutions" and described President Joseph Aoun's decision to call on the Lebanese Army to respond to any further Israeli incursions as "an important development in the confrontation with the Zionist enemy."

"We are facing an escalation in Israeli operations," Fayad warned.

Hezbollah MP Kassem Hashem also spoke at the sit-in and lamented the fact that "the people of the South are paying the heaviest price for the country," arguing that "the enemy only understands the language of force."

Nabatieh Governor Hoeida Turk stressed the need to "liberate our land and ensure the lasting security of our regions, so that we can devote ourselves to the reconstruction and development of the South."

US offers Hamas fighters safe passage out of Israeli-controlled Gaza areas

The U.S. has offered Hamas fighters who are in hiding in the Israeli-controlled areas of Gaza — of which officials believe there are dozens still in tunnels — safe passage over the so-called Yellow Line, Axios reports.

According to both U.S. and Israeli officials, while the offer has been made, no fighters have crossed over yet. On Tuesday, fighters emerged from a tunnel and fired on an Israeli soldier, who was killed, prompting the Israeli army to launch air raids across the Strip, killing more than 100 people.

Hamas insisted it had not ordered the attack and explained that it had lost contact with fighters who were left behind in Israeli-controlled areas. It's possible that, with communication cut off, some cells of fighters aren't even aware that a cease-fire has taken hold, especially as Israeli bombardment continues regardless.

Israeli drone strike on Kounin killing one municipal employee, injured another

The Israeli strike that targeted a moped in the Bint Jbeil district village of Kounin earlier this morning targeted and killed a municipal employee and injured another nearby employee, according to a source within the municipality who spoke to our correspondent.

The driver of the moto, Ibrahim Raslane, was killed while collecting the monthly payments for residents using the town's private generators. A garbage collector working on the road near the attack was also injured.

Yesterday, Israeli troops invaded the border village of Blida and fired on the municipal building there, killing an employee who was sleeping inside.

Nearly 300 Israeli soldiers attempted suicide in 1.5 year period during the Gaza war

Almost 300 Israeli soldiers attempted to take their own lives between January 2024 and July 2025, Israeli army data provided to the Knesset and obtained by Haaretz shows.

According to a Knesset Research and Information Center report, Israeli army mental health personnel recorded 279 attempted suicides in the 19-month period.

The military did not record suicide attempts before and only began collecting data on such incidents in 2024. According to the report, 36 Israeli soldiers are known to have died by suicide between January 2024 and July 2025, 16 of whom died over the past year.

Israeli drone attacks moto in Kounin, Bint Jbeil district

An Israeli drone launched a missile at a moped that was driving through the Bint Jbeil district village of Kounin, injuring two people, according to our correspondent in the South, Muntasser Abdallah.

Israeli soldiers shoot teen near Ramallah, prevent ambulances from taking him to hospital

A 15-year-old Palestinian boy has succumbed to wounds sustained from Israeli troops firing on him during an army raid on the village of Silwad, east of Ramallah, Haaretz reports.

According to eyewitness who spoke to Wafa news agency, the troops prevented ambulances from reaching the boy, Yamin Samed Hamed, and he remained bleeding on the ground for some time.

According to local sources cited by Haaretz, Israeli forces invaded the town, fired live ammunition, and used tear gas and stun grenades.

Despite announcing it had returned to the truce, Israel bombs Khan Younis overnight, demolishes buildings

Israel has been attacking parts of the eastern regions of the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis with artillery and air raids, Al Jazeera's colleagues on the ground reported this morning.

According to the chain's correspondents, the bombardment has been ongoing since the early hours of this morning. Israel has also carried out demolitions across the city.

Good morning and welcome to today's live coverage of events in the region, focused notably on the so-called cease-fires in Lebanon and Gaza where, despite having agreed to U.S.-brokered truces, Israel continues to launch attacks, killing and wounding on a daily basis.

In Lebanon, this last week has seen an uptick in rare instances: UNIFIL shooting down an Israeli drone, direct attacks by the Israeli army on the Lebanese Army, and a deadly incursion by Israeli troops into a Lebanese border village, shooting dead a municipal employee.

In Gaza, Hamas continues to seek out and unearth the remaining bodies of deceased hostages while Israel continues its bombardments unabated.

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