Sources close to Hezbollah say party 'no longer has military presence south of Litani' | LIVE

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Two killed in Aleppo clashes

At least two civilians have been killed and several wounded in an outbreak of clashes in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, Reuters reports, with government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces trading blame for the deaths.

State news agency SANA, citing Aleppo's health directorate, said the civilians were killed in shelling by the SDF on residential neighborhoods in the city.

The violence came hours after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said during a visit to Damascus that the SDF appeared to have no intention of honouring a commitment to integrate into the state's armed forces by an agreed year-end deadline.

Read the full report here. 👈

Israel to deepen security cooperation with Greece, Cyprus

Netanyahu said Israel had agreed to deepen security cooperation with Greece and Cyprus during a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides in Jerusalem, Reuters reports.

Netanyahu also said the three countries intended to advance the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, an initiative to connect India to Europe via the Middle East by sea and rail.

Israeli settler shoots three Palestinians in occupied West Bank

An Israeli settler shot three Palestinians, leaving two in critical condition, near the illegal Israeli settlement of Anatot, northeast of Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank, Haaretz reports.

Magen David Adom medics and paramedics evacuated the two seriously wounded victims — a man around the age of 30 and another aged 62 — to Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital in Jerusalem.

Three settlers who were lightly wounded in what is being described as a "clash" were also evacuated to Hadassah Mount Scopus, and a 31-year-old Palestinian who was lightly wounded was evacuated by the Red Crescent.

Police said that, according to an initial investigation they had conducted, the Palestinians threw rocks at the settlers, who opened fire with military-issue firearms.

Settler violence in the West Bank is increasing in brutality and frequency as the Israeli government pushes for full annexation of the Palestinian territory.

Clashes break out between Syrian army and SDF in Aleppo

Clashes between the Syrian army and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have broken out in Aleppo.

The Syrian Ministry of Interior said in a statement that the SDF forces injured an Internal Security member, a soldier, civil defense personnel and civilians.

The Syrian Civil Defence said two of its rescuers were injured after the vehicle they were traveling in was fired upon by the SDF, according to Al Jazeera.

The media center of the SDF said that two of its members were injured in an attack by factions affiliated with the Ministry of Defense on one of its checkpoints in Aleppo, Al Jazeera reported. Cited by the Saudi channel al-Arabiya, the SDF said that it "holds Damascus responsible for the clashes in Aleppo."

The clashes broke out in parallel to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's visit to the Syrian capital Damascus. During his visit, Fidan said that the SDF appears to have no intention of honoring a commitment to integrate into the state's armed forces by a year-end deadline, according to Reuters.

An Israeli drone dropped a stun grenade on the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab, in Bint Jbeil district, according to our correspondent in the region.

In parallel, the Israeli army is targeting the outskirts of Aitaroun, in the same district, with machine guns and Israeli drones are flying over Kfar Roummane and Nabatieh.

19 new Israeli settlements on Palestinian land in occupied West Bank

Israel announced the establishment of 19 new settlements on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank last night, the latest land-grab amid intensifying raids, illegal construction, forced displacement and arrests across the territory.

This latest announcement brings the total number of new settlements over the past few years to 69, a new record, according to Israel's finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, cited by the Guardian.

The number of settlements in the West Bank has increased by nearly 50 percent during the current government’s tenure. In 2022, there were 141 settlements across the West Bank. After the latest approval there are 210, according to Peace Now, an anti-settlement watchdog group.

Turkey expects second phase of Gaza ceasefire deal to start in early 2026

Turkey expects the second phase of a Gaza cease-fire deal to begin early in 2026, its foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, said, as cited by Reuters, following talks with U.S., Qatari and Egyptian officials in Miami over the weekend.

Speaking at a press conference in Damascus, Fidan said the Florida meetings focused on obstacles to advancing the deal to its next phase, adding that the priority was for Gaza’s governance to be taken over by a Palestinian-led group.

South Lebanon: 5 Israeli artillery shells fired near Labbouneh

Five Israeli artillery shells were fired near Labbouneh, southeast of Naqoura (Sour district), according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

One of the five positions still held by the Israeli army in southern Lebanon is located in Labbouneh, situated 150 meters from a post of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the border.

Government votes to close historic military radio station

The Israeli government voted Monday in favor of closing the military radio station Galei Tsahal, despite opposition from the government's legal advisor, who fears "political interference" in public broadcasting and "an attack on press freedom."

Galei Tsahal, founded in 1950, is a general-interest radio station renowned for its benchmark news programs, followed for decades, even by foreign journalists.

According to the latest ratings, it is the third most listened-to station in Israel with a 17.7 percent audience share.

"The government unanimously approved Defense Minister Israel Katz's proposal to close the military radio station Galei Tsahal" before March 1, 2026, the minister's office announced in a statement.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had asked his ministers to support Katz's proposal, according to the statement.

3 killed in Israeli drone strike on Saida

According to our correspondent in southern Lebanon, three people were killed in an Israeli drone strike that targeted a vehicle between Quneitra and Aqtanit, in the Saida district.

One of the dead is believed to be a Lebanese Army soldier, according to a map found at the strike site, our correspondent reports. His identity has not yet been released.

Hezbollah 'no longer has military presence in southern Litani': Sources close to party

“We no longer have a military presence south of the Litani,” sources close to Hezbollah told Al Arabiya.

At least 2 killed, 1 wounded in an Israeli drone strike targeting a vehicle in Saida

According to our correspondent in southern Lebanon, at least two people were killed and another seriously wounded in an Israeli drone strike targeting a vehicle between Quneitra and Aqtanit, in the Saida district.

Israeli drone strike targets vehicle in Saida district

An Israeli drone carried out a strike targeting a car between Quneitra and Aqtanit (Saida district), according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

Several people were injured.

The Israeli army claimed on X that it had "attacked several Hezbollah terrorist elements in the Saida region," according to its Arabic-speaking spokesperson, Avichay Adraee.

Israeli drones fly over towns in south Lebanon

An Israeli drone circled the villages of Ghazieh and Qennareet, south of Saida, according to our correspondent in the South.

A small Israeli drone also dropped a grenade on Houla (Marjayoun district).

Iran's missiles are for 'defense' and are not negotiable: Iranian Foreign Ministry

Iran's missiles are for "defense" and "deterring" any attack and are not negotiable, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson asserted, as Israeli officials portray them as a threat.

"The Iranian ballistic missile program was developed to defend Iranian territory, not to be the subject of negotiations," Esmail Baghaei stated at a weekly press conference in Tehran.

"Therefore, Iran's defense capabilities, designed to deter any aggressor from considering an attack on the country, are not up for debate," the spokesperson added.

Israeli army claimed it targeted 2 Hezbollah 'terrorists' in Yater on Sunday

After conducting two drone strikes in Yater (Bint Jbeil district) on Sunday, killing one and wounding another, the Israeli army stated that it had killed a Hezbollah member who was working on the "reconstruction of military infrastructure" for the party in southern Lebanon.

In a post on X, the Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, indicated that it had targeted two "terrorist elements" of Hezbollah in the town.

The victim, Ali al-Hage Kamel Kourani, "was preparing to rebuild Hezbollah military infrastructure in the area," activities which "constituted a violation of the agreements between Israel and Lebanon," Adraee stated.

According to the Israeli army, forces from the 91st Division killed four "saboteurs" in southern Lebanon during the past week.

Israeli activists block Netanyahu's office in Jerusalem to protest Oct. 7 government investigation

A group of Israeli activists briefly blocked the entrance to the prime minister's office in Jerusalem, protesting the expected government decision to establish a government-controlled commission to investigate the failings that led to the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, Haaretz reports.

Police arrested three of them. "We will not let the government investigate itself," the group Meshanim Kivun ("Change Course") said in a statement.

"Those responsible for the judicial coup, for the division, who ignored the warnings of defense officials and poured millions into Hamas will not escape responsibility or blame," the statement added.

Israeli drones are flying over Saida, Palestinian camps

Israeli drones are continuously flying over Saida and the Palestinian camps in the region, according to our correspondent in the South.

Israeli drone drops sonic bomb between towns of Alma al-Shaab, Dhaira

An Israeli army drone dropped a sonic bomb between the towns of Alma al-Shaab and Dhaira (Sour district), reports our correspondent.

Ben-Gvir proposes creation of prisons 'surrounded by crocodiles' for Palestinian detainees in Israel

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has proposed the creation of a detention center for Palestinian prisoners “surrounded by crocodiles.”

Israeli Channel 13 reported on Sunday that Ben-Gvir had submitted the proposal to the Israeli Prison Service, suggesting the construction of a prison encircled by crocodiles to prevent Palestinian prisoners from escaping.

The proposed center would be built near the Hamat Gader area in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, close to the Jordanian border.

The area houses a wildlife park, from which crocodiles would be transferred to form a living barrier around the prison.

Ben-Gvir raised the proposal during a meeting last week with the chief commissioner of the Israeli Prison Service, Kobi Yaakobi.

Eyal Zamir says Israeli army 'lacking' soldiers, working to 'integrate ultra-Orthodox'

The Israeli army's chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, stated yesterday that "Israel's security needs are vast and the army does not have a sufficient number of soldiers," Haaretz reports.

Speaking at a Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony with soldiers from the ultra-Orthodox "Hashmonaim" brigade, he added that the Israeli army is "working to expand its ranks and recruit more members from the ultra-Orthodox community to ensure its preparedness for future challenges."

"We cannot exist without a strong, vigilant, and capable army. The strength of the Israeli army lies in its soldiers, drawn from all sectors of society," he emphasized.

Zamir also stated that the brigade's activities "prove that it is possible to join combat service while maintaining an ultra-Orthodox lifestyle."

"The Israeli army is the people's army and has a duty to welcome all segments of society," he concluded.

Israeli sources observing early signs of redeployment of Iranian ballistic missile capabilities: Axios

Israeli sources told Axios that Israeli intelligence services are detecting early signs of a strengthening of Iran's missile capabilities, with a motivation deemed stronger than that observed since the 12-day war in June.

According to these sources, at the end of the conflict, Iran possessed only about 1,500 missiles, compared to 3,000 before the war, and 200 launchers, down from 400.

Iranian authorities have reportedly since begun steps to rebuild their forces, but have not yet returned to pre-war levels.

Israeli military intelligence and Mossad believe that the current pace of this rebuilding does not, at this stage, justify urgent military action in the next two to three months, the sources added.

Iranian missile test could serve as cover for attack: Axios

According to three well-informed Israeli and American sources, Israeli officials warned the Trump administration this weekend that a missile test conducted by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps could be a prelude to an attack against Israel, Axios reports.

One source said Israeli intelligence raised similar concerns six weeks ago after identifying Iranian missile movements. But no action was taken.

"The chances of an Iranian attack are less than 50 percent, but no one is willing to take the risk and simply say it's just a test," an Israeli source said.

According to another American source, U.S. intelligence currently has no indication that an Iranian attack is imminent.

Maroun al-Ras targeted by Israeli bombs last night

Sunday night was marked by bomb drops in Maroun al-Ras (Bint-Jbeil district).

Around 9 p.m., an Israeli army drone dropped a sonic bomb there. An hour later, two more bombs were dropped on the same town in southern Lebanon, reports our correspondent in the South.

Israeli foreign minister calls on Jews to move to Israel

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has called on Jews in Western countries to move to Israel to escape rising anti-Semitism, a week after the Sydney attack that killed 15 people during the Jewish holiday.

“Jews have the right to live safely anywhere. But we see and fully understand what is happening, and we have some historical experience. Today, Jews are being persecuted around the world,” Saar said Sunday during a public candlelighting ceremony marking the last day of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.

“Today, I call on the Jews of England, the Jews of France, the Jews of Australia, the Jews of Canada, the Jews of Belgium: Come to the Land of Israel! Come home!" he said during the ceremony, which was held in the presence of leaders from Jewish communities and organizations from around the world.

Good morning. We are now launching our LIVE coverage of the region.

We are now launching our live coverage of news from the Middle East.

We will be following developments in southern Lebanon, which is being relentlessly bombed by Israel despite the cease-fire in place since Nov. 27, 2024, as well as in Gaza, which is also under Israeli fire despite a truce declared there last October.