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Ron Dermer announces his resignation from Netanyahu's government

Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli ambassador to the U.S., announced his resignation from the government, Haaretz reports. Dermer led the Israeli negotiating team during the cease-fire talks with Hamas.

"When the media manipulation subsides, the people of Israel will know that in their darkest hours, they had leaders worthy of them," Dermer said.

West Bank: Israel's annexation plans 'constitute a red line' to which the EU would respond 'strongly'

Israel's plans for "partial or total" annexation of the West Bank, including "de facto" annexation through settlement, "constitute a red line to which we will react strongly with our European partners if they are implemented," French President Emmanuel Macron assured Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

"The violence of the settlers and the acceleration of settlement plans are reaching new heights that threaten the stability of the West Bank and constitute violations of international law," the French president said in a statement to the press after his meeting with Abbas at the Élysée Palace on Tuesday.

Abbas renews his promise of reforms, including holding elections, in meeting with Macron

In a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reaffirmed his "commitment" to carry out "reforms" within the Palestinian Authority, including the rapid holding of elections.

"We renew our commitment to reforms here before you," Abbas said after his meeting with Macron. These reforms include "the organization of presidential and legislative elections," with Macron specifying that they would take place "one year after the transition to the second phase of the cease-fire" in Gaza, which includes the disarmament of Hamas.

Abbas and Macron also announced the creation of a joint committee to draft the constitution of the Palestinian state, which France has just recognized.

Iran says it dismantled a spy network run by Israel and the United States

Iran announced it has dismantled a spy network run by Israeli and U.S. intelligence services, several months after the war between the Iran and its arch-enemy, Israel, reports AFP.

"A network ... led by U.S. and Israeli intelligence services has been identified in the country and dismantled," said a statement carried by state television from the intelligence organization of the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological army of the Islamic Republic.

"The operation was carried out in a coordinated manner in several provinces," the statement added, without giving any details on the date and location of the operations or the number of arrests.

The 'Mechanism' on agenda of Menassah and Hennis-Plasschaert meeting

Photo from the NNA

Defense Minister Michel Menassah received U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Janine Hennis-Plasschaert in his office in Yarzeh today. During the meeting, they discussed ways to strengthen and activate the work of the "Mechanism," the U.S.-led committee that brings together Lebanese and Israeli officers as well as the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon to verify the implementation of the truce between Hezbollah and Israel, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA).

Hennis-Plasschaert affirmed that "the U.N. continues to support Lebanon, strengthen its stability, and support its national institutions," emphasizing "the importance of consolidating existing cooperation between the two parties in various areas."

For his part, the Lebanese minister reaffirmed "the continuation of close cooperation between the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL for the implementation of Resolution 1701, while the Israeli occupation continues its repeated violations of this resolution."

He also stressed "the need to exert international pressure on Israel's occupation to comply with the agreement reached in November 2024, withdraw from the sites it still occupies, and end its continued violations of Lebanese sovereignty."

Qassem concluded his speech by declaring: "We are victorious, either through triumph or martyrdom."

He also paid tribute to "the Palestinian people, their resistance and their sacrifices," as well as "Iran, which has supported us and continues to support us," and Yemen and Iraq.

"We are facing a real existential danger, and that is why it is our right to take all necessary measures to protect our existence," Qassem continues.

"The threat will not deter us from defending our dignity, and we will not leave the future of our generations in the hands of the arrogant. We will not give up our weapons, which enable us to defend our land and our people. We will not bow down, and we will remain standing. You have tested us before; if you want to try again, we will not retreat from the field."

Qassem asserts Israel must abide by cease-fire agreement for any steps forward

"Israel is using new pretexts to continue its attacks, such as rearmament and financing," says Qassem. "Israel lost in this agreement because it withdrew from it and must withdraw without any gains, in accordance with the agreement."

"We in Hezbollah say that the cease-fire agreement only concerns the south of the Litani River, and that Israel must withdraw from Lebanon and release the prisoners," he continues.

"There is no replacement for the agreement, nor can the occupier's responsibility be whitewashed by a new agreement."

"First, the agreement must be implemented, then all avenues will be open for internal discussion on Lebanon's strength and sovereignty; the outside world has nothing to do with this debate," he asserts. "The aggression cannot last indefinitely: there is a limit to everything."

Qassem accuses the US and Israel of interfering with Lebanon’s future

The Hezbollah leader accuses “the United States and Israel of interfering with Lebanon’s future.” “They seek to neutralize the country’s capacity to resist and to arm the Lebanese Army solely to contain the resistance, not to confront the Israeli enemy,” he continues.

“Israel wants to control Lebanon politically and economically, and turn it into a backyard for the expansion of its settlements as part of the Greater Israel project,” he adds. “Israel kills civilians in their homes, destroys dwellings, razes land, prevents residents from returning to their homes, and prohibits life in villages.”

“The UNIFIL spokesperson claims that Israel has committed more than 7,000 violations, while Hezbollah has not recorded any violations in its area of ​​operations; some claim that the problem originates in Lebanon, when the real problem lies in Israel,” he notes.

“I will not argue with those servants of Israel who do not defend the citizens of their country and do not condemn its aggressions; but I ask this question of free men: Why does the government not establish a timetable for restoring national sovereignty and demand that the security forces implement it?”

Qassem: Israel 'has not respected the agreement, because Lebanon has regained part of its sovereignty'

The Hezbollah leader then addressed the cease-fire agreement concluded on Nov. 27, 2024. “It stipulated the withdrawal of the enemy from south of the Litani River and the deployment of the Lebanese Army,” he said.

“For us, this price was acceptable, because the army is made up of our loved ones, our sons, our compatriots. We are winners thanks to their presence on the border to fight the Israeli enemy and drive them from our land.”

“The resistance has borne this responsibility for 42 years. This time, the government declared that it would take it on, and we paved the way for them. Any entity that wants to defend this country, we protect and support it,” he added.

“Israel has lost because it has not achieved its objectives, and according to the agreement, it must withdraw from southern Lebanon.”

“The enemy has not respected the agreement, because Lebanon has regained part of its sovereignty,” he accused.

"A year has passed during which the enemy has continued its violations and attacks, without anyone reacting to accuse Lebanon of not respecting the agreement ... It is in reality the enemy who seeks to interfere in Lebanon's future," he said.

Qassem: 'Israel didn't leave Lebanon through negotiations; it left unconditionally, thanks to the resistance'

“In 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon under the pretext of expelling Palestinian factions, but it remained an occupying power until 2000,” says Qassem. “Israel’s objective was to occupy the territory and establish settlements there.”

“Israel finally withdrew, humiliated, in 2000, under the blows of the resistance and thanks to the martyr Ahmad Qassir and his fellow fighters,” he continues. “Israel did not leave Lebanon through negotiations or politics; it left unconditionally, thanks to the resistance.”

“From 2000 to 2023, we were in a state of constant deterrence thanks to the resistance and the cohesion between the people, the army and the resistance,” Qassem concludes.

Qassem: 'Martyrs' Day is also the day of martyrs' families, who embraced the sacrifice'

“We are facing mujahideen who fulfilled their duty, persevered in their commitment, and shed their blood so that we could remain,” Qassem adds.

“The martyr Ahmad Qassir taught us through his blood, guided us through his sacrifices, and paved the way for liberation and dignity in our land.”

“Martyrs' Day is also the day of martyrs' families, who embraced the sacrifice of the martyr, as well as all those who were killed or died for the cause of God,” he continues.

“The most honorable death is that of martyrdom, and these martyrs have taken every path to become ingrained in our hearts, our lives and our future,” Qassem continues, before addressing the Israeli aggressions against Lebanon since 1982.

Qassem on Martyrs' Day: 'When we are martyrs, we are victorious'

(Screenshot from Al-Manar)

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem spoke on Martyrs' Day, under the slogan "When we are martyrs, we are victorious."

"Hezbollah's Martyrs' Day is a great day inaugurated by the pioneer of martyrdom operations, the martyr Ahmad Qassem," Qassem stated.

Ahmad Qassem carried out a suicide bombing on Nov. 11, 1982, five months after the Israeli invasion, and this date has since become Martyrs' Day for the Islamic Resistance. At the time, he was 18 years old. He drove his car bomb, a Peugeot, into the residence of the Israeli military governor, the Azmi building in Sour.

This building housed the military headquarters and was located near an Israeli military camp in the Jal al-Baher area. Several Israeli soldiers and a senior intelligence official were killed. This operation is considered the starting point of resistance operations.

UNICEF deplored Israel’s continued refusal to allow essential supplies into Gaza, including vaccine syringes, baby bottles

The U.N. Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has deplored Israel’s continued refusal to allow essential supplies into Gaza, including syringes for vaccinating children and baby bottles for feeding infants, preventing humanitarian agencies from reaching those in need in the war-torn enclave, Reuters reported.

As UNICEF conducts a mass vaccination campaign for children under a fragile cease-fire, the organization said it is facing serious difficulties in getting 1.6 million syringes and solar-powered refrigerators for storing vaccine vials in Gaza. The syringes have been awaiting customs clearance since August, the Fund said.

Israeli army drone dropped sonic grenade on rescue center in Taybeh, in Marjayoun district

An Israeli army drone dropped a sonic grenade on the roof of a rescue center affiliated with the Islamic Health Committee, affiliated with Hezbollah, in Taybeh (Marjayoun district), reports our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

Israeli strike targeted outskirts of Aita al-Shaab, in Bint Jbeil

An Israeli artillery strike targeted the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil district), according to information from our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

Houses dynamited in Aitaroun: Municipality calls on Lebanese state to take 'firm, deterrent measures'

The municipality of Aitaroun, in the Bint Jbeil district of southern Lebanon, condemned this morning the dynamiting by the Israeli army of several houses in this border village, denouncing a "flagrant attack on the security of residents."

It called on the Lebanese state and all its security services to adopt positions and take "firm and deterrent measures capable of ensuring the protection of citizens, guaranteeing the stability of their daily lives, and preserving their dignity."

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun had asked the army about 10 days ago to confront any Israeli ground incursion into the South, after Israeli soldiers infiltrated Blida, just north of Aitaroun, and shot dead an employee who was sleeping in the municipal building.

Gaza: Civil Defense recovers 2 bodies from rubble in Khan Younis

A Gaza Civil Defense official told Al Jazeera that the bodies of two people were recovered from the rubble of a house recently targeted by an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Palestinian enclave.

According to the latest figures from the Palestinian Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip, at least 242 Palestinians have been killed and 622 others wounded by Israeli fire or airstrikes in the month since the cease-fire began.

On Monday, the Ministry announced that the total number of casualties from the Israeli war against Gaza has reached at least 69,179, with 170,693 wounded since Oct. 7, 2023.

'We are not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons': Iranian diplomat

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh stated that Iran “is not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons” and that Tehran wishes to reach a “peaceful nuclear agreement,” Reuters reports.

Trump receives Sharaa: Historic, discreet meeting

U.S. President Donald Trump received Syrian PresidentAhmad al-Sharaa yesterday, a first for a Syrian head of state and a significant achievement for the former jihadist.

The State Department announced, on the occasion of this historic visit, a further pause in the Caesar Act sanctions, pending Congress's eventual final lifting of them.

The Syrian president arrived discreetly at the White House at 11:37 a.m. local time. He entered through a side entrance, without the protocol usually reserved for foreign heads of state and government, whom the American president almost always greets on the steps.

Journalists were also not invited into the Oval Office in the presence of the two leaders, as is generally the case during official visits.

Israel passed first reading of bill on death penalty for Palestinians it accuses of being 'terrorists'

The Israeli parliament passed a bill last night in its first reading that would establish the "death penalty for terrorists," a text specifically designed to apply to Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks or bombings deemed anti-Israeli.

The bill passed by a vote of 39 to 16. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a prominent figure in the Israeli far right, had threatened to stop voting with the majority supporting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party if the bill, introduced by a member of his party, was not put to a vote in the Knesset.

Second and third readings are still required for the bill to be definitively adopted by the parliament and enacted into law.

South Lebanon: Israeli army infiltrates Aitaroun, Houla, demolishes several homes

The night in southern Lebanon was marked by further incursions by the Israeli army into Lebanese territory, this time in the border villages of Aitaroun (Bint Jbeil district) and Houla (Marjayoun district).

After 4 a.m., soldiers infiltrated the Khanouq neighborhood of Aitaroun and demolished three houses with explosives before withdrawing, according to our correspondent in the region.

In addition, an Israeli commando carried out another incursion in Houla to destroy "buildings used as infrastructure" by Hezbollah, according to a statement from the group's Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee.

He also posted images this morning that he claims were taken by members of the "769th Brigade" during the incursion carried out "on Monday night into Tuesday morning."

While the Israeli army regularly comments on its strikes and targeted killings in southern Lebanon, it rarely claims responsibility for its infiltrations into Lebanese territory.

Earlier Monday evening, around 10 p.m., Israeli forces opened fire with a machine gun from their position in Roueissat al-Alam toward the outskirts of Kfar Shuba (Hasbaya district).

Houthis announce suspension of attacks against Israel in Red Sea

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have indicated they are temporarily suspending their attacks on Israeli ships in the Red Sea, as a fragile cease-fire holds in the Gaza Strip.

In a letter addressed to the al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, published Monday evening, the Houthis stated that a definitive halt to their operations would only be contingent on the end of the Israeli offensive in the Palestinian enclave.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and declare that if the enemy resumes its aggression against Gaza, we will resume our deep military operations inside the Zionist entity and reinstate the ban on Israeli navigation in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea,” the letter stated.

The Houthis, however, have not officially acknowledged that their campaign in the region has ended.

We are now launching our LIVE coverage of the region.

In this broadcast, we'll be following the situation in Lebanon, particularly in the South and the Bekaa Valley, which are targeted almost daily by Israeli airstrikes despite a cease-fire that came into effect nearly a year ago.

We'll also be covering developments in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, Syria and other countries in the region.