Two killed in Israeli strike on Kfar Dounin; 7 dead from clashes in Aleppo | LIVE

South Lebanon: Residents of Kafra report discovery of Hezbollah weapons during army inspection

The Lebanese Army reportedly inspected a Hezbollah facility in Kafra (Bint Jbeil) where various types of weapons were discovered, according to local residents, our correspondent in South Lebanon reports.

The mayor of Kafra, Abbas Hamdane, told L'Orient-Le Jour that he had not received "any official notification from the army" at this stage. However, he added that the army had been "operating in the area for more than ten days, without any results of these operations having been communicated yet."

When contacted by our publication, a source within the army declined to comment.

On Dec. 18, an army unit, accompanied by UNIFIL, conducted an inspection of the valley between the towns of Siddiqine (Sour) and Kafra, at the request of the mechanism's committee, with Israel claiming that it was a Hezbollah facility. The site had already been targeted during the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which began on October 8, 2023.

Hezbollah will bury one of its members killed in Kfar Dounin on Wednesday

Hezbollah announced that the funeral of one of its members, Abbas Hussein Mahmoud, who died in an Israeli strike carried out this afternoon in Kfar Dounin, will take place on Wednesday in the town of Deir Kifa (Sour).

The Israeli website Walla, citing Israeli security sources, states that "there are no plans to reduce the presence of Israeli forces on the Lebanese border" and that operations could be carried out "even in the southern suburbs of Beirut, if necessary."

According to these same sources, "Hezbollah is coordinating its operations with the Lebanese Army, raising concerns in Israel about a possible strengthening of this cooperation. This concern has been conveyed to the U.S. authorities."

The website adds that "Iran continues to transfer funds and combat equipment to Hezbollah, both directly and via Syria."

Following Israeli strikes, Kabalan Kabalan visits West Bekaa

Amal Movement MP Kabalan Kabalan visited neighborhoods affected by Israeli strikes in Manara and Ain al-Tineh, in West Bekaa, the day after strikes carried out on Monday evening.

In a statement, he said that "repeated Israeli attacks reflect a persistent offensive approach," stressing that "the inhabitants of this land ... continue to defend it and support human and religious causes."

He also denounced the lack of any international deterrence, considering it "futile" to invoke the international community or the U.N. "in the face of an enemy that commits murder and destruction without accountability."

Kabalan Kabalan finally assured that his visit was intended to "stand alongside the inhabitants in their ordeal," asserting that Israel "has not succeeded and will not succeed in breaking the will of this people."

South Lebanon: Israeli strafing in the Marjayoun district

Israeli strafing (the military practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft) was carried out from the occupied hill of Hamames, south of Khiam (Marjayoun), toward the areas surrounding the hill, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

According to our correspondent, the Lebanese Army has recovered an Israeli drone that crashed in Odaisseh (Marjayoun).

Israeli strike on Kfar Dounine death toll stands at 2

The toll from the Israeli strike between Kfar Dounin and Khirbet Selm stands at two killed and one wounded, according to our correspondent.

One of the victims had a brother who was killed in the previous war between Hezbollah and Israel.

Israeli drone strike in Kfar Dounin kills one, wounds another

An Israeli military drone carried out a strike on the town of Kfar Dounin (Bint Jbeil) targeting two people standing on the roof of a warehouse.

The attack killed one and wounded another, according to information from our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

Israeli army storms Bir Zeit University campus, fires live ammunition at students

A total of 11 Palestinian students, including five by military gunfire, were injured by the Israeli army on the Bir Zeit University campus in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Red Crescent announced in a statement reported by AFP.

When contacted by AFP, the Israeli army responded that it was "looking into the matter."

Videos posted on social media show the Israeli military vehicles storming the campus late in the morning. Several witnesses spoke to AFP confirming this, as did a report by Talal Shahwan, president of Bir Zeit University.

They then saw several military vehicles leaving the campus, escorted by Israeli soldiers on foot.

All of the injured are students, the university's communications department told AFP.

The total number of injured stands at 11, including "five wounded by live ammunition, four wounded by gas inhalation and two wounded as a result of falls," the Red Crescent said in its statement.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) received a phone call on Tuesday from Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, during which the two leaders discussed, among other things, prospects for strengthening bilateral cooperation.

During the conversation, they examined ways to consolidate cooperation in the areas of economic development and investment, as well as regional developments and several issues of mutual interest, according to the official Sana news agency.

(Credit: Hazem Bader/AFP)

Syriac Jacobite Archbishop Jack Yacoub (C) arrives at the Church of the Nativity complex in the biblical city of Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank, as Eastern Christians celebrate Christmas on Jan. 6, 2026.

The leader of Yemen's separatists will travel to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday evening, an official told AFP, in a sign of de-escalation after clashes between the movement, backed by the United Arab Emirates, and government forces supported by Riyadh.

Syria: Four dead in clashes between government forces and Kurds in Aleppo

Four people were killed on Tuesday in clashes between government forces and Kurdish forces in Aleppo, northern Syria, according to Syrian state media and Kurdish forces, with each side blaming the other.

The Syrian news agency Sana and state television reported gunfire and an attack by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF, predominantly Kurdish) that left three people dead, including two civilians.

The SDF said that groups allied with government forces had targeted a neighborhood, killing one resident.

An Israeli drone fired a stun grenade on the town of Bustan (Sour), according to our correspondent.

Jama'a Islamiya condemns the latest wave of Israeli strikes in Lebanon

On Tuesday, Jama'a Islamiya issued a statement condemning the recent Israeli attacks on Lebanon, while denouncing "the Lebanese authorities for their inability to protect their sovereignty and their citizens."

"We also call on the countries that guaranteed the cease-fire to speak out, because we have always believed, and continue to believe, that they are complicit with the enemy in its crimes," the group said.

Jama'a also called on the Lebanese government to "take all necessary measures to put an end to this Zionist arrogance by all means and resources available," while asking the authorities to compensate the affected citizens.

The vice president of Jama'a Islamiya's political bureau in Lebanon, Bassam Hammoud, visited the site, according to another statement.

A resident of southern Lebanon reports that the Israeli army blocked a road 900 meters from the border

Photo provided by our south Lebanoj correspondent Muntasser Abdallah

A resident of southern Lebanon, while making his way to his land in the town of Yarin, in the district of Sour, noticed that the Israeli army had blocked the road about 900 meters from the border, placing sand, rocks and an electric pole, as cam be seen in the photo above, our correspondent reports.

Qatar continues talks to open Rafah border crossing

Negotiations related to Israel's reopening of the Rafah crossing are currently ongoing, according to a spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, quoted by Al Jazeera. He added that the emirate had requested that humanitarian aid not be used as a tool for political blackmail.

The Rafah border crossing connects the Gaza Strip to Egypt and is a vital entry point for the delivery of aid to the besieged Strip.

Israeli Minister Gideon Saar visits Somaliland

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has arrived in northern Somalia and is expected to meet with the president of Somaliland on Tuesday, a senior official from the breakaway state told Reuters.

Israel has officially recognized the independence of Somaliland, which seceded from Somalia in the 1990s, since Dec. 26, 2026.

Somaliland on Thursday denied Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Somali's claims that it would welcome Palestinians or accept the establishment of an Israeli military base in the Gulf of Aden in exchange for Israel's recognition of its independence.

Araghchi expected in Beirut on Saturday

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to visit Beirut on Saturday, according to reports from Saudi channel Al Hadath, confirmed to L’Orient-Le Jour by an anonymous diplomatic source.

His schedule has not yet been disclosed.

Israeli fire in Kfar Shuba as military drones fly over the Zahrani plain

The Israeli army was reported firing machine guns at certain areas of Kfar Shuba (Hasbaya), near the border, from its site in Ruwaisat Al-Alam, according to our correspondent.

He also reports that Israeli drones are flying over the Zahrani plain (Saida).

The Saida Chamber of Commerce condemns the Israeli strike on the industrial city of Ghazieh, Saida

The Saida and South Lebanon Chamber of Commerce issued a statement condemning the Israeli strikes that destroyed part of the industrial city of Ghazieh overnight.

"The Israeli aggression that struck the industrial city of Ghazieh and some of its businesses this morning proves, that Israeli aggression is systematically targeting all productive and economic sectors in the South in an attempt to break the will of its inhabitants to live and rebuild from the rubble left by the Israeli war over the past two years," the organization said.

The Chamber also called on the Lebanese government and relevant ministries to inspect the damaged facilities and quickly compensate their owners.

It further called on the international community to assume its responsibilities to pressure Israel and put an end to its aggression on southern Lebanon.

Trump granted Israel 'relative freedom of action' against Hezbollah, according to Haaretz

Citing "sources close to the Israeli-Lebanese issue," the Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump had granted Israel "relative freedom of action" in strikes against Hezbollah during his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida in December.

The Lebanese Army began earthworks this morning to build a military post in the Ksair neighborhood, east of Mais al-Jabal (Marjayoun), according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

This move by the Lebanese Army is intended to reassure residents and prevent any further Israeli incursions into an area of Lebanese territory where the Israeli army infiltrates on an almost daily basis.

Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani is participating in negotiations with Israel under the auspices of the United States, the first since September, the official Sana news agency announced on Monday. These negotiations are being held in Paris with American mediation, two diplomatic sources told AFP.

The subject was discussed during a meeting on Monday in Paris between Shaibani and his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot, the French Foreign Ministry reported.

Iran: at least 30 dead since protests began, according to HRANA

At least 29 people have been killed since protests began in Iran, according to Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), an Iranian news agency affiliated with a larger organization, Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI), based in the United States.

In addition, at least 1,203 people have been arrested during this period, according to HRANA.

Quoted by HRANA and several Iranian and foreign media outlets, the semi-official Fars news agency reported that around 250 police officers and 45 members of the Basij militia had been injured since the protests began and up until Monday evening.

Joseph Aoun accuses Tel Aviv of seeking to undermine efforts to halt the escalation

In a statement released this morning by the Lebanese presidency, Joseph Aoun condemned the new series of Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.

The head of state questioned the timing of these strikes "while the meeting of the 'Mechanism' commission [the committee overseeing the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah] is being held [scheduled for Wednesday]."

The committee will consider what steps should be taken to "end hostilities and examine practical measures to restore security and stability in the south, including the withdrawal of Israeli forces to the southern border, the release of Lebanese prisoners, and the full deployment of the Lebanese Army in accordance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701," Aoun continued.

Aoun believes that Israel is attempting to "undermine all local, regional and international efforts to halt the escalation, despite Lebanon's cooperation in these efforts at all levels and the measures taken by the Lebanese government to assert its authority in the southern Litani region, implemented by the Lebanese Army with professionalism and rigor."

"President Aoun has renewed his call to the international community to intervene effectively to put an end to Israel's excesses in Lebanon and allow the 'mechanism' commission to carry out the tasks entrusted to it with the agreement of the parties concerned and international support," the statement concluded.

Azerbaijan will not send troops to Gaza, according to its president

Azerbaijan has no intention of sending a contingent of its troops to participate in peacekeeping operations outside its borders, including in Gaza, President Ilham Aliyev said on Monday evening, according to Reuters.

When questioned by Azerbaijani television channels, he said that Azerbaijan had been in contact with Donald Trump's administration regarding a list of questions about the functioning of a peacekeeping force in Gaza.

"We have prepared a questionnaire with more than 20 questions and sent it to the U.S. side. No participation in peacekeeping forces is envisaged," Aliyev said. "I absolutely do not envisage participation in hostilities outside Azerbaijan."

While Washington says it wants to move quickly toward the second phase of Trump's plan, the issue of Hamas' weapons is far from settled, as is that of the International Stabilization Force — notably its mandate, composition and deployment.

New explosion sounds heard in Khiam, southern Lebanon

Explosion sounds were reported on Monday, for the fifth time, in Tallet al-Hamames in the town of Khiam (Marjayoun).

These explosions may have been carried out by the Israeli army, according to our correspondent.

Trump and Erdogan discuss Gaza and Venezuela in phone call

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump had a phone call in which they discussed their bilateral relation, cooperation in the defense industry, measures to boost trade, and the situation in Gaza and Venezuela. The Turkish presidency announced the phone call on X and gave no further details.

Following the U.S. coup in Venezuela on Saturday, Ankara, despite being an ally of Caracas, merely called for restraint.

Read more on what the U.S. show of force means for the Middle East here.

New overnight Israeli strikes on Saida

The Israeli strike damaged dozens workshops and cars near the leveled building on the outskirts of Saida (Photo provided by our correspondent Muntasser Abdallah)

Israeli fighter jets bombed a three-story building in the industrial city of Siniq, south of Saida, near Rahi Hospital, at around 1 a.m. on Tuesday morning, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

The targeted building was completely leveled and significant damage was caused to a dozen shops and neighboring buildings. Several cars and electrical cables were also damaged. Two workers were injured in the strikes.

On Monday at around 9 p.m., the Israeli army carried out three strikes in the Dalieh area, located in the town of Saksakieh (Saida). Five missiles were fired, causing no injuries. These strikes caused damage to nearby houses. The targeted area is home to a landfill and had already been bombed during the last war.

These strikes are part of a wider series of strikes that have targeted locations in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, some of which — though not all — were preceded by evacuation orders.

In a statement posted on the X account of its Arabic-speaking spokesperson Avichai Adraaee, the Israeli army claimed, without providing any evidence, that these strikes targeted "weapons depots" and "military buildings" located "above ground or underground" belonging to Hezbollah and Hamas in several regions of Lebanon.