That concludes our live coverage of events in the region for today. Thanks for joining us. We'll be back tomorrow morning with more updates and analysis as the news rolls in. Goodnight.
Netanyahu holds 'urgent meeting' to discuss Rafah clashes
Netanyahu is currently holding an urgent meeting on how Israel should respond to the attack on Israeli troops in Rafah today, Times of Israel reports.
The attack, according to Israeli media, included two Hamas fighters who emerged from a tunnel inside an Israeli-occupied area of Rafah and fired an RPG at the army's armored vehicle, wounding five soldiers, one seriously.
One of the Hamas fighters was killed in an ensuring gunfight and the second wounded, managing to retreat back into the tunnel, Times of Israel states.
In a statement, Netanyahu blamed Hamas of violating the truce — despite Israel having killed nearly 400 people since the ostensible truce began — and vowing he would respond.
“Our policy is clear," he said. "Israel will not suffer attacks on [Israeli army] soldiers and will respond accordingly.”
Israel says first direct talks with Lebanon held under a 'positive atmosphere'
The Israeli government welcomed the direct talks held with Lebanon in the context of a cease-fire monitoring committee meeting this afternoon, according to a press release.
“The meeting was conducted in a positive spirit, and it was agreed that ideas would be developed to promote possible economic cooperation between Israel and Lebanon,” said the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Israel emphasized that the disarmament of Hezbollah is mandatory, regardless of progress in economic cooperation,” according to the Israeli readout of the meeting.
UNIFIL stated in a press release that it "continues to contribute to preventing any escalation by supporting the parties in implementing their obligations under Resolution 1701."
"We monitor and report any observed violations and maintain direct communication with the Lebanese and Israeli armed forces to avoid any misunderstandings that could lead to an unintentional escalation," it added.
Morcos: 'The appointment of a civilian to the mechanism is not normalization with Israel'
In an interview with Sky News, Information Minister Paul Morcos objected to any conflation between normalization with Israel and the presence to civilians on the cease-fire monitoring committee.
“The appointment of a civilian to the committee of the mechanism is not a normalization of relations with Israel ... [and] is not incompatible with Lebanon’s efforts to preserve its sovereignty,” Morcos said.
“The Lebanese Army is continuing its operations in southern Lebanon despite the ongoing Israeli occupation of five positions.” According to Morcos, the army is nearly the completion of the first phase of its mission to replace Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
The crew of a ship sunk by the Houthis have been released
The crew of a cargo ship sunk by Yemeni rebels in July has been released, a Houthi media outlet announced, adding that the detainees were flown from Sana'a to Muscat, the Omani capital.
"The crew of the ship Eternity C has been released thanks to Omani mediation, and a plane is currently transporting them from Sana'a to Muscat," the Houthi's television channel al-Massirah reported. Philippine authorities had announced on Tuesday the imminent release of the nine Filipino sailors who were aboard the ship.
The Israeli army targeted the village of Kfar Shuba, in Hasbaya district, with machine gun fire, our correspondent in the South reports. The attack reportedly came from Israeli soldiers stationed at two of the illegal outposts inside Lebanon known, Rweisat al-Alam and Sammaka.
Economic talks would be part of any normalization with Israel, Salam says
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that economic talks would be part of any normalization process with Israel, which would have to follow a peace agreement, Reuters reports.
If both countries adhere to a 2002 Arab peace plan, "normalization will follow, but we are not there at all," he told journalists.
The National reports scores of Hamas fighters escaped Rafah tunnels as intense Israeli bombardment and shelling hits Rafah
According to reports in both Israeli and Palestinian media, the Israeli army has been bombarding Rafah with airstrikes and artillery shelling, in an escalation of what has been non-stop Israeli violations of the cease-fire since it came into effect two months ago.
Some reports indicate that Hamas fighters emerged from tunnels within Israeli-occupied areas and engaged Israeli soldiers in combat before retreating back into the tunnels. It was estimated that around 200-300 Hamas fighters were trapped inside the so-called "Yellow Line" and cut off from the rest of their party's armed wing, unable to communicate with the outside world.
However, the National reported earlier today that around the same number of Hamas fighters, stranded for weeks underground in southern Gaza, have escaped over the past week, emerging in separate groups in areas under either Israeli or Hamas control.
In some cases, sources briefed on the matter told the National, local militiamen sponsored by Israel were bribed to look the other way as the fighters came out in areas held by the Israelis.
"We don't know whether there are still any living fighters inside the tunnels," said one of the sources. "But we believe the overwhelming majority of those stranded are now either dead inside the tunnels, or free."
Israeli president to visit New York this weekend, no mention of meeting with Trump
Israeli President Isaac Herzog will be heading to New York on Sunday for a two-day trip where, according to Times of Israel, he will be campaigning against the election of the wildly popular Zohran Mamdani as mayor.
“Against a background of the deeply concerning rise in antisemitic incidents from both the right and the left in the United States,” a statement from the president's office reads, “and amidst significant concern voiced by the Jewish community following the mayoral election results in New York City, the president will address the challenges facing American Jewry in his public appearances.”
Herzog will be the guest of honor at the American Zionist Movement Biennial National Assembly and will hold meetings with U.S. lawmakers and presidents of leading American universities. There is no mention of a visit or call with U.S. President Donald Trump.
On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally asked for a pardon from Herzog, followed by a call with Donald Trump during which Netanyahu asked for more help from the American president in swaying Herzog's attitude in his favor.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad expected to return second last body any time now
The Red Cross is currently en route to a meeting point in Gaza, where it will receive the coffin of a deceased hostage, Haaretz reports.
Earlier this afternoon, the armed wings of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad announced that at 5 p.m., they would be handing over the body of an Israeli hostage, one of two remaining still in Gaza since Oct. 7.
Drop Site News obtained footage showing the retrieval of the body from under the rubble in Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza, earlier today.
Three bodies recovered in Jabal Blat, Bint Jbeil district
The mayor of Ramieh, in Bint Jbeil district, Abbas Hassan Ali Issa, told our correspondent in southern Lebanon that the Lebanese Red Cross and Civil Defense, accompanied by the Lebanese Army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), recovered the remains of three people killed during last year's war between Israel and Hezbollah.
The bodies were recovered from Jabal Blat, on the outskirts of Ramieh. Israel granted limited access to the Lebanese Army and rescue teams in areas under its illegal occupation of Lebanese territory in order to allow for the search for bodies previously retrievable due to Israeli aggression.
US welcomes new civilian members of cease-fire monitoring committee
The U.S. embassy in Lebanon released a statement providing the first official American reaction to the appointment — on the Lebanese side — of lawyer and former ambassador to the U.S., Simon Karam, and — on the Israeli side — professor and National Security Council director, Uri Resnick, to the cease-fire monitoring committee.
"Their inclusion reflects the Mechanism’s commitment to facilitating political and military discussions with the aim of achieving security, stability, and a durable peace for all communities affected by the conflict," the statement reads.
According to the embassy, all parties of the meeting welcomed Karam and Resnick as civilian participants on the committee, "as an important step toward ensuring that the work of the Pentalateral is anchored in lasting civilian, as well as, military dialogue."
"The Committee looks forward to working closely with Ambassador Karam and Dr. Resnick in future sessions, and to integrating their recommendations as the Mechanism continues to promote lasting peace along the border," the statement concluded.
The monitoring committee was established as part of the cease-fire agreement in order to address complaints and truce violations, and yet Israeli violations have topped 12,000 since the truce came into effect a little over a year ago.
Egypt denies any agreement with Israel to open the Rafah border crossing for departures from Gaza only
Egypt has denied any agreement with Israel to open the Rafah border crossing for departures from Gaza only, requesting two-way transit, in a statement published by the state news agency and reported by AFP.
"If an agreement is reached to open the crossing, it will be in both directions, for entry and exit from the Gaza Strip, in accordance with US President Donald Trump's plan," the statement said, citing an official Egyptian source.
Iran: Khamenei praises the 'progress' of veiled women
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has praised the progress made by veiled women since the Islamic Revolution, state media reported, at a time when many Iranian women are refusing to wear the hijab, AFP reports.
"They say that if a woman wears the hijab and imposes limits on herself, she will be prevented from progressing" in society, Khamenei said, referring to Westerners who criticize the wearing of the veil.
"In the Islamic Republic, it has been proven that a Muslim woman who wears the hijab and respects Islamic dress can progress further than others in all areas and play an active role both in society and in her home," Khamenei added before an entirely female audience.
"Our media must be careful not to become instruments of Western thought and capitalism that convey false and erroneous ideas about women," said Khamenei, who has been in power since 1989.
The Supreme Leader's office has come under fire in recent days from some ultra-conservatives after publishing a photo on its website of an unveiled Iranian woman killed in the June war against Israel.
Hamas to hand over body of deceased hostage today at 5pm
The armed wing of Hamas announced that it would hand over the body of a deceased hostage to Israel today at 5 p.m., after it was found in the northern Gaza Strip during a search operation conducted jointly with Palestinian Islamic Jihad, according to a statement.
Netanyahu expected in Washington at the end of December, according to Israeli media
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to travel to Washington to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump from Dec. 28 to 31, according to Israeli army radio, quoted by the Times of Israel, which specified that these dates are not yet final.
The Prime Minister's office has not yet confirmed this information.
Gaza hostages: Hamas and Islamic Jihad to send Israel a new sample taken from a body
Sources within the Palestinian movements Hamas and Islamic Jihad told AFP that a new sample taken from a body exhumed in the Gaza Strip will be transferred to Israel during the day.
The armed wings of the two groups — designated as terrorist organizations by many countries — had been conducting searches in Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the territory, and “found remains that may belong to the body of an Israeli prisoner,” the Hamas source said.
“Today, a sample from the body will be sent to the Israeli side via the Red Cross,” added the Islamic Jihad source. Israel announced earlier on Wednesday that the remains handed over to it the previous day were not those of one of the two hostages still held in the Gaza Strip.
Meeting of the cease-fire monitoring committee between Hezbollah and Israel in Ras al-Naqoura
The cease-fire monitoring committee between Hezbollah and Israel (known as the 'mechanism') is currently meeting in Ras al-Naqoura (Sour district), according to local media.
The meeting is attended by U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus, a delegation from the Lebanese Army, former Lebanese ambassador to Washington Simon Karam, as well as French and American representatives, Israel, and UNIFIL.
Far-right MP calls for killing of Palestinians burning waste in the West Bank
Far-right lawmaker Tzvi Succot has suggested using lethal force against Palestinians who set fire to waste in the occupied West Bank, Haaretz reports.
Speaking from the Knesset during a session of the Interior and Environmental Protection Committee focused on illegal waste burning in the West Bank, Succot declared that “the air force should act and kill them.”
Environment Minister Idit Silman and the committee’s chairman, Yitzhak Kroizer, expressed their agreement.
Israeli drone breaks sound barrier in South Lebanon
An Israeli army drone dropped a sound bomb over the village of Adaisseh in the Marjayoun district, while another drone flew over several areas in South Lebanon, our correspondent reports.
During the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, an Israeli army drone had dropped three sound bombs on the beach of the border town of Ras Naqoura in the Sour district.
Shortly after 10 p.m., the Israeli army fired several artillery shells at an area between Beit Lif and Ramieh in the Bint Jbeil district. No casualties were reported.
South Lebanon: Israeli army fires several artillery shells on area in Bint Jbeil district
On Tuesday night, an Israeli army drone fired three sound grenades on the coast of the border town of Ras Naqoura in the district of Sour, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
Shortly after 10 p.m., the Israeli army fired several artillery shells at an area between Beit Lif and Ramieh, in the Bint Jbeil district. No casualties were reported.
Syria seizes more than 100 anti-tank mines allegedly bound for Lebanon
Syrian authorities announced Wednesday that they had killed one man and arrested four others who were attempting to smuggle a large quantity of mines into neighboring Lebanon, allegedly destined for Hezbollah.
In a statement, the Syrian Interior Ministry said it had carried out a raid in al-Jebbe, near Damascus, during which "four people were arrested and a fifth was neutralized after a skirmish."
According to the statement, "1,250 mines armed with detonators," "intended to be smuggled to Hezbollah" in Lebanon, were seized during the operation.
Hezbollah fought alongside the troops of ousted President Bashar al-Assad during the civil war in Syria and controlled areas along the Lebanese-Syrian border at the time.
Israel killed Palestinian journalist Mahmoud Wadi in strike on Khan Younis yesterday
Yesterday, an Israeli airstrike killed Mahmoud Wadi, identified as a Palestinian freelance photojournalist by local health authorities at Nasser Hospital, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Another Palestinian journalist was wounded in the Israeli strike, Gaza authorities said.
Wadi’s Instagram profile describes him as the owner of Khan Younis-based drone photography company Alquds Studio.
While the scale of Israeli violence on Gaza has decreased since the Oct. 10 cease-fire, Israel continues to conduct airstrikes and demolitions, with 357 Palestinians killed in Gaza since then, according to local health authorities.
Read more on this here.
Marc Daou: 'We are convinced that former ambassador Simon Karam will be up to the task'
Reacting to Simon Karam's appointment as head of the Lebanese delegation to the meetings of the committee overseeing the cease-fire between Hezbollah and Israel (known as the "mechanism"), MP Marc Daou said that this was "a step that affirms Lebanon's sovereignty and the political authorities' ability to manage security, political and diplomatic issues."
For Daou, who came into politics from the popular uprisings, this decision "responds to the demand of the majority of Lebanese: to turn the page on open military conflicts with Israel, pave the way for negotiations (which we hope will be direct), and prioritize diplomatic and political efforts capable of protecting the country from the support, adventures, and wars of others, as has been the case on the land and with the blood of the inhabitants of the South since 1969."
The representative from Aley finally paid tribute to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and former Lebanese Ambassador to Washington Simon Karam, "whom we are convinced will live up to his responsibilities."
Netanyahu announces an Israeli representative will be sent to meet with officials in Lebanon
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that a representative will be sent to meet with political and economic officials in Lebanon, in "a first attempt to establish a basis for relations and economic cooperation between Israel and Lebanon," reports AFP.
Netanyahu "has instructed the acting director of the National Security Council to send a representative on his behalf to a meeting with government and economic officials in Lebanon," according to a statement from his office.
Netanyahu reportedly asked Trump for more help in obtaining a pardon in his criminal trial
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought continued help from U.S. President Donald Trump in convincing Israeli President Isaac Herzog to grant him a pardon during a phone call on Monday, Axios reports.
On Sunday, Netanyahu officially submitted a request for a pardon to the Israeli president in connection with his lengthy corruption trial.
Two senior U.S. officials quoted by Axios said that Trump "believes he has done everything he can" on the matter and that he "thinks the pardon request will be successful," without committing to further action.
According to the report, a senior Israeli official said that it was the U.S. president who raised the issue of clemency during a long phone call between Trump and Netanyahu, and that the two leaders agreed to continue their discussions on the matter in the near future.
The prime minister is expected to visit the White House in a few weeks upon Trump's invitation.
Palestinians celebrate communual wedding in Gaza
(Credit: Bashar Taleb/AFP)
Palestinians gather on the rubble of building destroyed by the Israeli military as watch and celebrate the mass wedding of 54 couples dubbed the "The Dress of Joy," organized by the Al-Fares Al-Shahm Foundation, in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip on Dec. 2, 2025.
'The Dress of Joy' is a project designed to help 54 grooms in the the Gaza Strip to get married, an initiative that coincides with the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) 54th National Day.
Israel to reopen Gaza's Rafah border crossing with Egypt in the coming days
Israel will reopen the Rafah crossing in the coming days to allow Palestinians to leave the Gaza Strip for Egypt, announced the Israeli coordinator of government activities in the territories, indicating that this measure is "part of the ceasefire agreement and political directives."
He specified that Palestinians will be able to leave Gaza via the Rafah crossing in coordination with Egypt, after approval by Israeli security services, and under the supervision of a European Union delegation — a mechanism similar to the one implemented in January.
No details were given as to whether Palestinians who have left Gaza will be able to return to the Strip via this crossing.
Israel announces the remains returned on Tuesday are not those of a hostage from Gaza
Israel has announced that the remains handed over to it the day before were not those of one of the two hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip, according to AFP.
"Following the identification process carried out at the National Center for Forensic Medicine, it has been determined that the items brought yesterday for examination from the Gaza Strip are not related to any of the hostages," said a statement from the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"Israel received, through the Red Cross, items found in the Gaza Strip," the Prime Minister's Office said. Without clearly stating that these were the remains of one of the last two hostages (an Israeli and a Thai national), it did say that the authorities were in contact with their relatives.
A group affiliated with Hamas claims that it is searching for the body of a hostage in northern Gaza, accompanied by a Red Cross team, according to Reuters.
Palestine: More than 200 cultural figures call for the release of Marwan Barghouti
A group of more than 200 figures from the world of culture called for the release of Marwan Barghouti in a statement published on Tuesday, reported by The Guardian. Writers Margaret Atwood, Philip Pullman, Zadie Smith and Annie Ernaux, actors Ian McKellen, Benedict Cumberbatch and Mark Ruffalo, and presenter Gary Lineker are among the signatories.
"We express our deep concern at the continued imprisonment of Marwan Barghouti, his violent mistreatment and the denial of his legal rights while in detention. We call on the United Nations and governments around the world to actively work for the release of Marwan Barghouti from Israeli prisons," the statement reads.
Detained by Israel since 2002 for his alleged role in masterminding several attacks during the Second Intifada (2000-2005), Barghouti was on the list of prisoners that Hamas wanted to see released in exchange for captives held since the start of the war in Gaza.
Nicknamed the "Palestinian Mandela" by his supporters, he is feared by Tel Aviv for his ability to galvanize a divided Palestinian national movement.
MSF: Tens of thousands of Gazans await medical evacuation
A representative from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has appealed to the international community to take in tens of thousands of Gazans in need of urgent medical evacuation, warning that hundreds of people have already died because they could not be evacuated.
"The needs are immense," Hani Isleem, the humanitarian organization's coordinator of medical evacuations from Gaza, told AFP yesterday. According to him, the number of people taken in by third countries so far is only a drop in the bucket.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 8,000 patients have been evacuated from the Gaza Strip since the start of the conflict since Oct. 7, 2023.
But more than twice that number, over 16,500 patients, are still waiting to be evacuated for treatment outside Palestinian territory.
Former Ambassador Simon Karam appointed as civilian member of Lebanon's delegation to cease-fire committee meetings
The Lebanese presidency announced Wednesday, in a statement read by its spokeswoman Najat Charafeddine and broadcast live on Télé Liban, the name of the Lebanese civilian who will represent Lebanon at the meetings of the cease-fire monitoring committee between Hezbollah and Israel (called the "mechanism").
Lawyer and former Lebanese ambassador to Washington in the early 1990s, Simon Karam, will attend the next meeting of this committee, which will be held today in Naqoura in the presence of U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus.
Israel at the same time announced that academic Uri Resnick, who holds a Ph.D. in international relations from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is the civilian appointed to represent it on the same mechanism.
According to the statement, President Joseph Aoun made his decision "in accordance with his constitutional oath and his prerogatives, with the goal of defending Lebanon's sovereignty, the integrity of its territory, and its supreme interests."
Read more on this here.
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