Lebanese Army, UNIFIL inspecting site following Israeli report | LIVE

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European Council calls for stability, disarmament in Lebanon

European leaders, meeting in Brussels for the European Council, stressed in a statement the need to "preserve stability in Lebanon."

The Council reaffirmed its support for stabilizing the country's economic and security situation and for its reconstruction, and backed the government's efforts to "establish a state monopoly" on arms.

The European Council reiterated its unwavering support for the fundamental role of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and "condemned the recent attacks against UNIFIL and called for a thorough investigation."

According to the statement, "these attacks against the peacekeepers constitute a serious violation of international law, are totally unacceptable, and must cease immediately."

The Council reminds all parties to “respect and implement the terms of the cease-fire agreement of Nov. 27, 2024” and to ensure “the full implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701,” in particular through the “complete disarmament of Hezbollah and other non-state armed groups in Lebanon.”

Finally, the European Union will continue to support “the sovereignty, territorial integrity and strengthening of the Lebanese state,” including by contributing to the “strengthening of the Lebanese Armed Forces.”

Hezbollah announced funeral of one of its members in Mansouri, Sour district

Hezbollah announced that the funeral of one of its members, Salim Najeh Awada, who died "on the road to Jerusalem" and had been missing until recently, will be held on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, at 2 p.m. in the town of Mansouri (Sour district).

The funeral procession will then proceed to Naqoura for the burial.

Engineer with South Lebanon Water Authority injured in Israeli strike on Taybeh

The South Lebanon Water Authority stated in a press release that one of its engineers, Ali Qaddouh, was injured in Taybeh (Marjayoun district) during an Israeli attack that also injured others.

"The Authority condemns this latest attack against citizens and employees of public service institutions, who continue to repair the damage caused by Israel in Lebanon. It affirms that it will continue its work to ensure the water supply for citizens, especially those returning to the affected border villages," the statement added.

Lebanese Army, UNIFIL inspect site following Israeli report

A Lebanese Army unit, accompanied by UNIFIL, is conducting an inspection of the valley located between the towns of Siddiqin (Sour district) and Kafra (Bint Jbeil district), at the request of the U.N. mechanism committee.

Israel claims the site is a Hezbollah facility, reports our correspondent in Lebanon.

The site was previously targeted during the war between Israel and Hezbollah, which began on Oct. 8, 2023.

Egyptian prime minister in Beirut

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly arrived in Beirut this evening, leading a ministerial delegation for a two-day official visit.

He was welcomed at Beirut's international airport by his Lebanese counterpart, Nawaf Salam, and by Industry Minister Joe Issa-al-Khoury, according to the National News Agency (NNA).

The official welcoming ceremony will take place tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. in the Grand Serail's outer courtyard.

Prime ministers Salam and Madbouly will then hold a bilateral meeting, followed by broader talks between the Lebanese and Egyptian delegations.

Madbouly is also scheduled to meet with President Joseph Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

Lebanon reminds Security Council of its responsibility in face of Israeli threats

The representative of Lebanon to the United Nations, Ahmad Arafa, stressed during a Security Council meeting that the Council bears a “responsibility in the face of the grave threats” made by Israel regarding a possible escalation.

He recalled that the recent visit of a Security Council delegation to Lebanon had allowed them “to brief members on the country’s efforts to extend state authority, guarantee the exclusivity of arms, launch reconstruction, and ensure the full implementation of Resolution 1701.”

“We are working to ensure the sustainability of the cessation of hostilities agreement and to create all the necessary conditions for examining grievances, so as to enable the government to implement its plans and begin the reconstruction process after the Israeli withdrawal,” added Arafa, emphasizing the safety of UNIFIL forces.

He also warned against "any security vacuum in southern Lebanon or its territorial waters during the UNIFIL transitional phase," noting that this "would not serve regional stability."

"It is necessary to maintain an international force to monitor the implementation of Resolution 1701," he concluded.

Meeting on Gaza to be held Friday in Miami between US Qatar, Egypt, Turkey

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Friday in Miami, Florida, with representatives from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey to discuss next steps regarding the Gaza Strip, AFP learned from a U.S. official.

Qatar and Egypt, which are acting as both mediators and guarantors of the cease-fire in the Palestinian territory ravaged by two years of war, recently called for a move to the next phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan, which notably includes the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the deployment of an international stabilization force.

Washington announces sanctions targeting 2 more ICC judges for investigating Israel

The United States has announced sanctions targeting two more judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) who have investigated Israel, whose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been subject to an arrest warrant issued by the Court since November 2024, AFP reports.

In a statement, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio justified the decision by explaining that these two judges had recently voted with the majority of the Court to reject a request from Israel, which challenged the ICC's jurisdiction to investigate alleged crimes committed during the war in the Gaza Strip against Hamas.

New aid conference for Lebanese Army is planned for February 2026: Paris, Washington, Riyadh

The special envoys of the United States, France and Saudi Arabia announced Thursday in a joint statement that an international conference will be held next February to support the Lebanese Army.

This conference aims to bolster the implementation of the plan to disarm militias, including Hezbollah, within the framework of the Nov. 26, 2024, cease-fire.

This decision was made during a meeting held on Thursday in Paris with the army's commander-in-chief, Rodolph Haykal, who presented the latest developments in this plan, known as "National Shield," which aims to complete the full disarmament of Hezbollah south of the Litani River by the end of the year.

The exact date and location of this conference, the first organized since the one that took place in Paris in October 2024, are not yet known.

Amal Movement held funeral for first member to be killed in Israeli airstrike since cease-fire

(Credit: Muntasser Abdallah)

The Amal Movement held the funeral for Hussein Samir Koteich, the first member of the movement to be killed in an Israeli airstrike since the November 2024 cease-fire.

Koteich was killed in a targeted drone strike that hit his vehicle in Sibline on Tuesday, in a rare attack on the Chouf Mountains since the truce took effect.

The funeral took place in his home village of Anqoun (Saida district). Koteich's body was transported from Nabih Berri Hospital in Nabatieh, draped in the Amal Movement flag.

The funeral procession traveled through several villages to Anqoun. In the village, the coffin was carried by Civil Defense volunteers from the Islamic Message Scouts Association (al-Rissala) through the town's streets, our correspondent in the South reported.

Israel seeks security agreement with Syria, foreign minister says

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel aims to reach a security agreement with Syria, stressing that Tel Aviv has no territorial ambitions there.

“We’ve never had territorial ambitions in Syria. If we did, we could have taken more land,” Saar told al-Arabiya.

He added that a security deal “would benefit both countries,” while Israel demands the full demilitarization of several southern Syrian provinces.

Israeli forces recently advanced into new areas east of the occupied Golan following the fall of Assad’s regime on Dec. 8, 2024. “We don’t want terrorist activity launched from Syria,” he said.

On Lebanon, Saar stated that Israeli strikes on Hezbollah do not violate Lebanese sovereignty, arguing that it is the Iran-backed movement that undermines the country’s sovereignty.

He described Israel’s disputes with Lebanon as “minor” and easily resolvable, blaming Hezbollah and Iran for the main regional tensions.

Haykal presents Hezbollah disarmament progress in Paris

In Paris, Lebanese Army Chief Rodolph Haykal “presented the army’s progress” on Hezbollah’s disarmament and outlined the Lebanese Armed Forces’ needs during a Thursday meeting focused on Lebanon, French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said.

Confavreux added that the meeting included French and U.S. special envoys and key Lebanese partners, with a consensus to document progress carefully within the framework of the cease-fire monitoring mechanism.

Efforts are underway to equip the mechanism with concrete tools on the ground to verify Hezbollah’s disarmament.

The parties also agreed in principle to hold an international conference in February 2026 to support the Lebanese Armed Forces, with the location yet to be announced. U.S. special envoy Morgan Ortagus and Saudi envoy Yazid ben Farhan attended the meeting, AFP reported.

Israeli drone flies over Chouf

An Israeli drone flew at low altitude over the Iklim al-Kharroub area (Chouf district), our southern Lebanon correspondent reported.

Israel says it targeted 'Hezbollah militant' in Taybeh

The Israeli army reported that it “attacked a Hezbollah militant” in Taybeh, in the Marjayoun district, where a drone strike reportedly injured four people.

The military did not provide the identity of the targeted individual or indicate whether he was killed.

No official casualty report has yet been released by the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Taybeh strike leaves four injured

The Public Health Emergency Operations Center of Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that four people were injured when an Israeli airstrike targeted a Rapid-type vehicle in Taybeh (Marjayoun).

Authorities confirmed the victims were quickly transported to a local hospital for treatment. This updates earlier reports that had cited three injuries.

Israel bars 14 NGOs from Gaza, tightens control over humanitarian aid

Israel has now barred 14 international NGOs from operating in Gaza, with several humanitarian officials denouncing what they see as “political control” over their work, AFP reports.

The decision comes amid a humanitarian crisis in the war-devastated territory, still without running water or electricity, as uncertainty grows over the fate of all organizations before the Dec. 31 deadline.

Of around 100 registration applications submitted in recent months, “only 14 were rejected” by the end of November, the Ministry of Diaspora and Combating Antisemitism, which oversees the new mandatory procedure since March, told AFP.

“The others have been approved or are under review,” it added.

Meanwhile, aid entering Gaza remains far below needs: although the Oct. 10 cease-fire agreement allowed for 600 trucks per day, in practice only 100 to 300 deliver humanitarian aid, with the remainder mainly commercial goods inaccessible to most Palestinians in Gaza, according to NGOs and the U.N.

Paris conference aims to advance Hezbollah disarmament amid Israeli strikes

French, Saudi, and U.S. officials will meet with Lebanon’s Army chief in Paris to finalize a roadmap for Hezbollah’s disarmament, Reuters reports.

The talks aim to strengthen the cease-fire “mechanism”, support the army, and deter Israeli escalation.

With the 2026 parliamentary elections approaching, fears of political paralysis and instability persist. Multiple Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon and the Bekaa on Thursday, claiming the targeting of “Hezbollah infrastructure”, which Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri called an “Israeli message” to the Paris conference, the state-run National News Agency reports.

French and Lebanese military chiefs meet ahead of Paris cease-fire talks

French Chief of Defense Staff Fabien Mandon met in Paris with Lebanese Army Chief Rodolphe Haykal ahead of a scheduled Élysée meeting on Lebanon and the Israel cease-fire.

In a message on X, Mandon said they discussed “the strategic environment and security challenges in Lebanon and the region.”

He added that “the presence of French forces alongside the Lebanese Armed Forces is guided by a shared goal: to contribute to stability and lasting peace, while respecting Lebanon’s sovereignty.”

Drone strike in Taybeh hits vehicle

When an Israeli drone targeted a "Rapid" type car in Taybeh (Marjayoun), a truck belonging to Électricité du Liban and several workers happened to be at the scene.

The strike resulted in the burning of both the truck and the "Rapid" type car, injuring three people, our southern correspondent reported.

Israeli jets continue to fly over southern Lebanon

Israeli military aircraft flying over southern regions, reaching as far as Saida, our correspondent reports.

Berri labels Israeli strikes as 'message' ahead of Paris conference

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri commented on the Israeli strikes earlier this morning in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa, calling them an “Israeli message” aimed at the Paris conference scheduled at the Élysée today in support of the Lebanese Army.

Army Chief Rodolphe Haykal and U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus are expected to participate in the meeting.

Berri also described Israel’s “belt of fire” as a “tribute to the meeting of the 'Mechanism,'” the cease-fire monitoring committee, set to convene on Friday.

Israeli strike on van in Taybeh injures two

An Israeli strike on a van in Taybeh left three people injured, according to our correspondent’s sources.

An ambulance transported two of them from the scene of the strike to a local hospital.

The third suffered minor injuries and was treated on site, according to medical sources.

Southern Lebanon: Strike on Taybeh targeted a van

According to our correspondent, the two missiles that hit Taybeh targeted a van traveling on a village road. No information was immediately available on the condition of the driver.

Drone overflight on southern suburbs of Beirut

An Israeli military drone is also flying over the southern suburbs of Beirut, according to our correspondent.

Israeli army says it struck a Hezbollah training camp and other 'military infrastructure'

In a statement published by the Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, the army said it struck a Hezbollah camp and military infrastructure in several regions of Lebanon.

Missile launchers were reportedly destroyed inside one of the party’s training camps, along with artillery platforms and weapons depots, according to the army.

It said the camp was used to train fighters “in live-fire exercises and the use of various combat means, with the aim of planning attacks” against Israel.

Other strikes carried out “inside Lebanon,” namely in the Bekaa, targeted “Hezbollah military buildings used for weapons storage.”

Israeli aircraft jet bombs Taybeh in southern Lebanon

In addition to the series of strikes claimed by the Israeli army, an Israeli aircraft jet bombed the village of Taybeh, in the Marjayoun district, with two missiles, our correspondent reports.

Southern Lebanon: In fifteen minutes, the Israeli army carried out eight airstrikes

According to our correspondent in southern Lebanon, the Israeli air force carried out at least eight strikes within about fifteen minutes, using ten missiles.

The strikes targeted the heights of Jabbour and Katrani in the Jezzine district, as well as areas along the Litani River between Zaoutar, Almane, and Deir Serian, between the districts of Marjayoun and Nabatieh.

Strike near the Litani River in southern Lebanon.

(Credit: Photo obatined by Munatsser Abdallah)

A series of Israeli strikes also targeted the outskirts of Zaouter (Nabatieh) and Deir Seriane (Marjayoun).

The Israeli air force carried out a series of strikes near Hermel in the Bekaa Valley, before launching strikes on the Jabbour heights in the Jezzine district of southern Lebanon, according to our correspondents in the Bekaa and the South.

Trump on Hezbollah

During Hanukkah celebrations at the White House, Donald Trump claimed for the third time in less than a week that “many countries” are ready to intervene militarily to disarm Hezbollah and ensure peace in the Middle East.

He said Hezbollah is in “great difficulty” and praised regional unity.

Iranian hackers target Bennett

Iranian hacking group Handala claims to have breached former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett’s phone, leaking contacts and messages.

Bennett initially denied the hack but later confirmed that his Telegram account was compromised, with some content either real or fabricated

Trump reiterates Middle East peace claim

In an end-of-year address, Trump repeated that he brought “peace to the Middle East for the first time in 3,000 years,” citing actions like ending wars, neutralizing Iran’s nuclear threat, and resolving the Gaza conflict.

US lifts Syria sanctions

The U.S. Congress approved the permanent repeal of the Caesar Act sanctions on Syria, originally imposed under Trump, to allow investments in the country.

Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon

On Wednesday night, Israeli artillery targeted a house between Ramieh and Marwahine, Bint Jbeil and Sour districts, followed by a drone dropping an explosive barrel on a home in Ramieh

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