Israeli army ‘suspends’ strike on threatened Yanouh building after re-inspected by Lebanese Army | LIVE

House threatened in Yanouh: “UN peacekeepers did not enter any building,” UNIFIL spokeswoman says

“Earlier today, UN peacekeepers went to Yanouh alongside the Lebanese Army to support an inspection it was carrying out. The peacekeepers did not enter any building and left the area once the activity was completed,” said Kandice Ardiel, spokesperson for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). She was referring to the inspection conducted by the army earlier in the morning, prior to the afternoon inspection that followed an Israeli threat to strike the building.

“We subsequently received information, through the mechanism, indicating that Israeli forces intended to carry out a strike on Yanouh. We reminded them that this would constitute a violation of Resolution 1701,” she added. Resolution 1701 ended the July 2006 war in Lebanon and serves as the framework for the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, which came into effect at the end of November 2024 after two months of open warfare.

House threatened in Yanouh: Lebanese Army finds no weapons inside the building

The Lebanese Army has completed its search of the building threatened by the Israeli army in Yanouh (Sour district) and is preparing to leave the area shortly, according to information obtained by our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

According to village sources, the building contained no weapons. It had already been searched earlier in the morning by the army, which likewise found no weapons inside.

Three Americans killed in Syria by an ‘IS shooter’

Syria: Three Americans were killed in Syria by an “IS shooter,” the Islamic State group, the Pentagon reported, cited by AFP.

In an unprecedented statement, the Israeli army announced that it had “suspended” its planned strike on a building in Yanouh, which had been searched by the Lebanese army and UNIFIL.

“Earlier in the day, a warning was issued for the residents of a building in the Yanouh area, in southern Lebanon, to evacuate it in preparation for targeting. After issuing this warning, the Lebanese army again requested access to the specified site, which had been declared illegal, to address the violation of the cease-fire agreement,” wrote the Arabic-speaking spokesperson of the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, on X.

He added that “the Israeli army decided to allow this request and, as a result, the raid was temporarily suspended,” noting that the army “continues to monitor the target continuously and remains in contact with the mechanism.”

House threatened in Yanouh: Israeli army has still not struck, Lebanese troops continue their search

Despite the Israeli evacuation order targeting the village of Yanouh (Sour district), issued at 3:00 p.m., the Israeli army has still not struck the threatened house nearly three hours later. Its threats, numerous during the military escalation in Lebanon in autumn 2024 and sporadic since the cease-fire came into effect at the end of November, are generally carried out up to an hour after the evacuation order is issued.

The Lebanese Army is conducting a search inside the targeted house, in the presence of residents as well as the municipality’s mayor. According to local media, no weapons have been found so far, and contacts are ongoing with the “mechanism” to prevent the Israeli strike.

Lebanese Army re-enters house threatened by Israel

“The Lebanese Army has now re-entered the house under threat and is conducting a new search inside, in the presence of the residents as well as myself, as the mayor of the municipality,” Ali Youssef Jaber, mayor of Yanouh, told our correspondent. He added that the army is trying “to prevent a potential disaster, as the house has three floors and is home to three families.”

“The Lebanese Army conducted a search operation from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.,” he added.

“We refuse to have the army repeatedly called to search the house,” says Yanouh homeowner

“When the Lebanese Army first asked to enter the house for inspection, I agreed. But when they asked a second time, we refused,” said Haidar Haidar, the homeowner in Yanouh, Tyre district, whose house was targeted by searches conducted by the army and UNIFIL, and later by an Israeli warning, to al-Modon.

“We refuse to have the army receive repeated calls to search the house, and we do not authorize anyone to approach the area under these circumstances,” he added. Initial reports indicated that a second search was carried out by the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL at the request of the “mechanism.” The Israeli army had promised to strike the house.

Syria: Gunfire wounds joint Syrian-American military delegation in Palmyra

Gunfire from an unknown source wounded several American and Syrian soldiers who were part of a joint delegation in the desert area of Palmyra, Syria, according to the official Syrian news agency SANA.

The agency reported that “several members of the American forces were injured, as well as two members of the Syrian security forces,” while they were conducting a “joint patrol” in the area, which was previously controlled by the jihadist group Islamic State, AFP noted. SANA added that “the perpetrator of the shooting was killed.”

Qassem calls on the state to backtrack and review its calculations

“They want to weaken the resistance and allow the army to arm itself only in a limited way so that Lebanon is left without strength,” the Hezbollah leader again accused.

“Let the state stop making concessions. Didn’t you hear the U.S. ambassador say that negotiations are one thing and the continuation of aggression is another?” he added. He finally called on the state “to backtrack and review its calculations. Implement the agreement, then we will discuss the defense strategy. Do not ask us not to defend ourselves while the state is incapable of protecting its citizens.”

No weapons found in house searched in Yanouh; tensions between the army, UNIFIL and residents

The Lebanese Army and UNIFIL found no weapons in a house in Yanouh, in the Sour district, searched at the request of the “mechanism,” reminding that, according to the Israeli army, the house was suspected of containing arms, our correspondent in southern Lebanon reports.

As soldiers and UN peacekeepers were preparing to leave the site, an Israeli drone flew over the area and UNIFIL received a second request to conduct another search. This sparked anger from the homeowner, who, along with other local residents, attempted to forcibly push UNIFIL troops away and prevent them from entering the house again. A video sent to our correspondent shows palpable tension.

The house was nevertheless searched a second time and, according to village residents, no weapons were found inside, our correspondent said. The force then withdrew, effectively ending the incident.

This is the first time since the cease-fire between Lebanon and Israel came into effect in late November that a house has been searched in a locality in southern Lebanon.

Qassem: The resistance has achieved four major accomplishments

“We will not deviate from our position,” Naim Qassem said, arguing that “the resistance has achieved four major accomplishments.” According to him, it has “liberated the land, stood firm, deterred the enemy, and put an end to the invasion of Lebanon.”

Qassem: Weapons will not be withdrawn even if the entire world united in a war against Lebanon

Naim Qassem said that “the enemy’s plan, after the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah and the blow dealt to our capabilities, had a single objective: eliminating Hezbollah.”

“If the United States acts according to its interests in Lebanon, be certain it will seek a solution; but if it does not care about Lebanon’s existence in favor of Israel, then Lebanon will have no life, whether it surrenders or confronts and fights,” he continued.

He asserted that “weapons will not be withdrawn to achieve Israel’s objective, even if the entire world were to unite in a war against Lebanon.”

Gaza: Israeli strike kills four people west of Gaza City, including Hamas official Raad Saad

The Israeli army carried out a strike west of Gaza City, killing four people, including Hamas official Raad Saad, according to Israeli media.

The Israeli military said it had recently targeted a “key” Hamas member, identified as Raad Saad, described by Israeli officials as a senior Hamas commander. It said that in recent months, the target “had been involved in efforts to restore and manufacture the group’s weapons” within the besieged enclave.

⚡ Syria: U.S. forces wounded in central Syria after gunfire from unknown origin

Syrian state media said that “a number of U.S. forces” were wounded after coming under fire in central Syria, from an as-yet unknown source, Reuters reported.

⚡ Israeli army issues “urgent alert” to residents of Yanouh village, Sour district

The Israeli army has issued an “urgent alert” to residents of southern Lebanon, “in particular the village of Yanouh” (Sour district), announcing an imminent attack on the village.

The area the Israeli army is asking residents to evacuate corresponds to the house recently searched by UNIFIL and the Lebanese army, where no weapons were found, according to testimonies from locals collected by our correspondent.

“The Defense Army will soon attack military infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah, in order to counter the party’s illegal attempts to restore its activities in the area. We urge residents of the building marked in red on the attached map, as well as those in neighboring buildings: you are close to a building used by Hezbollah. For your safety, you must evacuate it immediately and move away, along with adjacent buildings, by at least 300 meters,” wrote the Israeli army’s Arabic-speaking spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, who also published a map of the targeted area.

Qassem: “With capitulation, Lebanon will not survive, and Syria is an example. Do not think that Syria is recovering — this is all an illusion.”

The Hezbollah leader said that “the resistance is ready for maximum cooperation with the Lebanese Army. It has helped extend the authority of the state and supports a defense strategy aimed at making use of Lebanon’s strength and its resistance.”

He added, however, that “the resistance is not prepared to accept any framework that would lead to capitulation to the Israeli entity and the American tyrant.”

Qassem: The resistance is called upon for its faith and willingness to sacrifice, and is asked to continue its work, but it is not required to prevent aggression.

“If the army is not capable of providing protection, should we demand its disarmament? No. If it cannot protect, we call for strengthening its armament,” added the Hezbollah leader.

“If the resistance has not ensured protection and the Israeli infiltrates [Lebanon], should we demand the disarmament of the force? Or should we make use of this force to support the army and back the state against the occupier?” he continued.

Naim Qassem stated that “the role of the resistance is to support, prevent the enemy from stabilizing, and assist in liberation; the protection of Lebanon falls under the responsibility of the political authority and not, by default, that of the resistance.”

Qassem: Since the cease-fire, the state has become responsible for Lebanon’s sovereignty and protection

“Since the cease-fire, we have entered a new phase that requires a different approach. The state has become responsible for sovereignty, the protection of Lebanon, the expulsion of the occupation and the deployment of the army,” said the Hezbollah leader.

He added, “The UNIFIL commander stated that he has no evidence that Hezbollah is rearming south of the Litani River and that Israel is flagrantly violating the cease-fire.”

Hezbollah leader delivers live speech in southern suburbs of Beirut

The Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, delivered a speech broadcast live during a socio-religious ceremony in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Schenker says Lebanese government’s work on Hezbollah disarmament 'good and necessary, but so far insufficient'

Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Schenker said that the work carried out by the Lebanese government in South Lebanon on Hezbollah’s disarmament was “good and necessary, but so far insufficient,” as the deadline given to the Lebanese Army to complete its weapons withdrawal mission south of the Litani River approaches the end of December.

“What the government has accomplished in the South is good and necessary, but so far insufficient. There are credible reports that Hezbollah is rebuilding its capabilities and storing weapons on private property. If the army does not proactively move on these sites and inspect houses and other locations, the mission will not be completed,” Schenker said in an interview with LBCI on Friday. According to him, the issue is not a question of capability but of political will. “It is evident that Israel is violating the ceasefire, continuing to breach Lebanese airspace, striking Hezbollah targets, and occupying five hills in the South. Yet the Lebanese government has declared it will not disarm Hezbollah north of the Litani,” the diplomat criticized.

Read more here.

The Lebanese Army and UNIFIL inspected a house in the town of Yanouh, Sour district, at the request of the ceasefire supervision committee “mechanism,” our correspondent in southern Lebanon reports.

Composed of five members — the U.S. and France as co-chairs, along with Lebanon, Israel and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) — this mechanism is tasked with ensuring the implementation and monitoring of the cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon, which came into effect in late November 2024, and primarily guarantees the dismantling of weapons in the southern Lebanon by the Lebanese Army.

An Israeli drone dropped a second sound bomb over Ras el-Naqoura (Sour) in the early afternoon, according to our southern Lebanon correspondent, following a previous one dropped this morning over the same border town.

The Israeli army says it killed a Palestinian yesterday who 'crossed the Yellow Line'

The Israeli army said yesterday that it killed a Palestinian who “crossed the Yellow Line.”

In a post on X, it specified that two people had crossed the Yellow Line and posed an “immediate threat to Israeli soldiers,” adding that one of them was killed.

Israel has killed numerous Palestinians since the establishment of the Yellow Line under the ceasefire agreement. This line, which is not clearly defined, separates areas where Israeli forces are stationed inside Gaza from the rest of the enclave.

Israeli drones are flying over the southern suburbs of Beirut, according to local media.

In pictures: Children walk through a flooded alley in a makeshift camp sheltering displaced Palestinians after heavy rains in the Zeitoun neighborhood, Gaza, on Dec. 11, 2025.

Syria: Israeli army enters the village of Saida al-Hanout in southern Quneitra

The Israeli army infiltrated this morning near the village of Saida al-Hanout, in the south of Quneitra province, according to the official Syrian news agency SANA.

A force of eight military vehicles set up a checkpoint at the village’s first access point and advanced inside, searching several homes, according to SANA’s correspondent. The residents reportedly refused “the offer from Israeli forces to provide them with food aid” and also “declined to answer several questions posed by the occupation soldiers regarding the situation in Syria,” the agency reported.

Series of Israeli night strikes in the occupied West Bank, according to Wafa

Israeli soldiers carried out a series of violent strikes overnight across the occupied West Bank, according to the Wafa news agency.

Israeli forces stormed Tubas, deploying in multiple neighborhoods and raiding homes. They also struck al-Bireh and a village northeast of Ramallah.

The Aqbat Jabr refugee camp and several neighborhoods of Jericho were also hit. Another raid took place in Tammun, southeast of Tubas. Bethlehem was also targeted, Wafa adds.

Israeli drone drops a sound bomb on Ras al-Naqoura

An Israeli drone dropped a sound bomb this morning on Ras al-Naqoura (Sour), according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

Last night, an Israeli bombardment targeted the outskirts of Dhaira (Sour). After 11 p.m., machine gun fire targeted the outskirts of Shebaa from the Israeli military site known as the “Radar.”

Gaza: 16 dead after torrential rains, including three children from hypothermia, according to Civil Defense

At least 16 people have died in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, including three children from hypothermia, following torrential rains, the Palestinian Civil Defense announced on Friday.

These storms, caused by Storm Byron, have swept away tents and makeshift shelters since Wednesday, worsening the plight of residents, nearly all of whom have been displaced by over two years of war. Rescue teams intervened after 13 houses collapsed “due to heavy rains and strong winds,” according to a statement from Gaza’s Civil Defense.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Middle East news.

In this live update, we will follow the situation in Lebanon, where the South continues to be almost daily bombarded by Israel.

We will also cover developments in Syria, more than a year after the first anniversary of the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, overthrown on Dec. 8, 2024, as well as in Gaza, still under Israeli fire despite the ceasefire, in the occupied West Bank, and in other countries in the region.