Israeli fire targets ambulance; Series of strikes on South Lebanon and the Bekaa kill 2 | LIVE

No 'pardon' for 'instigators of riots,' says Iranian regime

The head of Iran's judiciary has promised "swift" trials for protesters arrested during the unrest that rocked the Islamic Republic, and "no mercy" for those found guilty.

"The people rightly demand that the accused and the main instigators of the riots and terrorist and violent acts be tried as soon as possible," said Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, quoted by the Mizan agency, the judiciary's media channel.

Promising "the utmost rigor" in the investigations, he also said that "justice requires judging and punishing without the slightest leniency those criminals who took up arms and killed people, or committed arson, destruction and massacres."

According to human rights organizations, several thousand or even tens of thousands of people were arrested during this protest movement against the government, which left thousands dead in early January.

Israeli fire targets an ambulance in southern Lebanon

An ambulance belonging to the Scouts of the Islamic Mission (a first aid organization linked to the Amal movement) operating under the Markaba office came under fire from the Israeli army as it passed through Odaisseh (Marjayoun). According to our correspondent, no one was injured in the incident.

A math exam found in the car of Mohammad al-Husseini, the teacher killed in the Israeli strike on Barish

Photo sent by our south Lebanon correspondent, Muntasser Abdallah.

Israel killed Professor Mohammad al-Husseini from the village of Arzoun in a drone strike on Barish.

Hezbollah announces death of member, burial set for Monday afternoon

Hezbollah announced the death of one of its members, Jawad Rasin Basma, known as Amir, who was killed earlier today in an Israeli strike in Kfar Dounin (Bint Jbeil).

Basma will be buried on Monday at 2:30 p.m. in his native village of Bazourieh (Sour).

Israeli forces provoke Lebanese Army on Lebanese territory

Israeli forces carried out a provocative move against the Lebanese Army for the second time since the latter established an observation post in Khallet al-Mahafar, south of the town of Odaisseh.

A Merkava tank crossed the border fence gate at the Maskafam settlement and positioned itself opposite the Lebanese Army post.

Additionally, Israeli artillery fire targeted Ain al-Zarqa, between Tayr Harfa (Bint Jbeil) and Alma al-Shaab (Sour), according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

'Humanitarian corridor' to majority-Kurdish town of Kobane opened as cease-fire extended

The Syrian army said Sunday that it had opened a humanitarian corridor to Kobane, a predominantly Kurdish town in northern Syria where displaced persons fleeing clashes have recently flocked and where a U.N. convoy is heading with aid.

A cease-fire between Damascus and Kurdish forces has been extended by 15 days after the latter ceded large swathes of territory to government troops, who have also sent reinforcements to a Kurdish stronghold in the northeast.

Earlier this week, residents of Kobane (Ain al-Arab in Arabic) told AFP that they were running out of food, water and electricity and that the city was overwhelmed with people fleeing the Syrian army's advance.

Israeli artillery fire and drone strike on southern Lebanon

Israeli forces fired five artillery shells on the outskirts of the town of Marwahine (Sour), our correspondent in southern Lebanon reports.

He also reports that an Israeli drone dropped a bomb on the town of Markaba (Marjayoun).

Witkoff and Kushner in Israel push for reopening of Gaza's Rafah border crossing; Israel wants more Palestinians to leave than to enter

U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff urged the Israeli prime minister to reopen the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt during talks in Jerusalem, Israeli media reported.

Ali Shaath, recently appointed administrator of Gaza as part of Donald Trump's Gaza plan, had announced on Thursday that Rafah would reopen "in both directions" next week.

According to an exclusive published by Reuters, Israel wants to restrict the number of Palestinians entering Gaza through the border crossing with Egypt to ensure that more are allowed out than in.

Read more on this here.

Victim of Israeli strike on Kfar Dounin, Jawad Basma, was a mechanic who worked at the mechanical shop targeted

Video taken by a local resident purports to show a civilian, mechanical workshop destroyed by the Israeli strike on Kfar Dounin, killing a mechanic who worked there

A local resident documented the site of the Israeli strike earlier today on the town of Kfar Dounin (Bint Jbeil).

According to the video in question, sent by our south Lebanon correspondent, we can see the total destruction of what seemed to be a civilian, mechanical workshop used to repair bulldozers and cars.

The victim of the strike, Jawad Basma, was a mechanic who worked there.

No weapons or military equipment can be seen in the footage recorded of the destroyed workshop.

One person killed in the Israeli strike on Barish

The person who was taken to hospital following the strike which targeted the vehicle between Barish and Derdghaya (Sour) has succumbed to his wounds, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

He has been identified as Muhammad al-Husseini, a teacher with the educational association al-Mabarrat, and originally from Arzoun (Sour).

Person killed in Israeli strike on Kfar Dounin identified as Jawad Basma

The person killed in Israel's strike earlier today on Kfar Dounin has been identified as Jawad Basma, originally from Bazourieh (Sour).

Another person was seriously injured and taken to hospital following the strike which targeted the vehicle between Barish and Derdghaya (Sour).

Israeli drone strike on district of Sour

Israeli drones targeted the town of Barish in the district of Sour, southern Lebanon, according to our correspondent in the region.

An ambulance arrived at the scene, but the outcome of the strike was not immediately clear.

One killed and five wounded in the Israeli strike on Kfar Dounin

According to initial reports obtained by our correspondent, the Israeli strike on Kfar Dounin killed one person and wounded five others.

The strike targeted a hangar and an adjacent single-room building, destroying both structures, our correspondent reports.

Damage was reported to neighboring buildings, including a clinic whose windows and glass panes were shattered.

Several reported injured in Israeli strike on southern Lebanon

Several injured people were taken away by rescue teams after the strike targeted an area between Kfar Dounin and Bir al-Salassel (Bint Jbeil) according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

Israeli fighter jets are flying over southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley at low altitude, according to our correspondents in the respective regions.

Israeli strikes on the district of Baalbeck

Two Israeli missiles targeted the town of Shaara (Baalbeck), followed by a strike on the jurd (hinterland) of Nabi Sheet (in the same region), according to our correspondent in the Bekaa.

People hold sit-in in Dhaira for the return of residents of southern Lebanon to their villages

Residents of the border villages of Dhaira, Yarin, Bsatin, Zalloutieh, and Marwanieh held a sit-in at noon in Dhaira al-Tahta (Sour) to demand to return to their villages, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

The demonstration was quickly dispersed when Israeli army drones began flying over the area. One of these drones dropped a bomb on the site after the demonstrators left, without causing any injuries.

An Israeli army drone also dropped a stun grenade on Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil).

Another drone, which had crashed earlier in the town of Kfar Kila (Marjayoun), was found at the scene, according to our correspondent. The town of Odaisseh (Marjayoun) was targeted by medium-caliber machine gun fire.

Southern Lebanon: Air strike on the district of Bint Jbeil

Aftermath of the Israeli strike on the area between Kfar Dounin and Bir al-Salassel. (Photo provided by our south Lebanon correspondent, Muntasser Abdallah)

Israeli fighter jets carried out a powerful strike, using two missiles, on an area between Kfar Dounin and Bir al-Salassel (Bint Jbeil), our correspondent reports.

Another strike targeted a hangar in the same area just over a month ago, killing two people, our correspondent recalls.

South Lebanon: Artillery fire on the outskirts of Kfar Shuba

An Israeli artillery shell targeted the outskirts of Kfar Shuba (Hasbaya), overnight, according to our correspondent in the south.

In addition, Israeli army drones have been flying over southern Lebanon this morning, particularly the regions of Sour, Nabatieh and Zahrani, as well as in the northern Bekaa.

Hello, and welcome to our live blog.

Welcome to our live news coverage of events taking place in Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Iran, Yemen and the rest of the region. We will also be covering international events with local or regional implications.

U.S. envoys Kushner and Witkoff in Israel

U.S. envoys Kushner and Witkoff are in Israel to discuss Gaza, according to an American official quoted by AFP.

New ISIS detainees transferred from Syria to Iraq, according to Iraqi officials

Hundreds of detainees from the Islamic State (ISIS) group have been transferred from Syria to Iraq, marking the second convoy since the United States announced its intention to relocate these jihadists, two Iraqi security officials told AFP.

“The prisoner transfer operation is underway, with U.S. forces transporting the detainees by land and air,” one of them said, adding that “up to 1,000 ISIS detainees are expected to arrive in Iraq today.” Another security source confirmed that the transfer was ongoing, stating that the detainees — including Iraqis and European nationals — will be distributed among at least three prisons across the country.

This group constitutes the second contingent among some 7,000 ISIS suspects previously held by Syrian Kurdish forces whom the U.S. army has announced it intends to transfer. The transfer operation is expected to take place over several days.

Gaza: Civil Defense reports two teenagers killed by an Israeli strike

Gaza’s Civil Defense said that two Palestinian teenagers were killed by a drone strike carried out by the Israeli army, which for its part claimed to have killed two “terrorists” who had planted an explosive device near its troops.

The Civil Defense, an emergency response organization operating under Hamas authority, specified that the strike took place near Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, in the north of the territory. Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital said it had received the two bodies, adding that they were boys aged 13 and 15.

“Earlier in the day … troops operating in the northern Gaza Strip identified several terrorists who crossed the ‘yellow line’” marking the zone that remains under Israeli control under the ceasefire agreement, the Israeli army said in a statement. They “placed an explosive device in the area and approached the troops, posing an immediate threat to them,” and “after identifying them, the Israeli Air Force struck and eliminated the terrorists in order to remove the threat,” the military statement added.

An officer from the army’s press office stressed to AFP that the troops had “killed two terrorists and not children,” without specifying their ages.

DEM party fears a “humanitarian tragedy” in Kobane

The Turkish pro-Kurdish DEM party said on Saturday that the siege of the predominantly Kurdish Syrian city of Kobane “must be lifted immediately,” warning of a potential “humanitarian tragedy” in the border town in northern Syria.

The situation in Kobane has worsened, shifting from a crisis to a “deadly catastrophe,” the party said after sending a delegation to the area. It called for the immediate end to the siege there as well as in northern and eastern Syria.

US special envoys in Israel to discuss future of Gaza

U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were in Israel today to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, mainly to discuss Gaza, two people briefed on the matter told Reuters.

The U.S. on Thursday announced plans for a "New Gaza" rebuilt from scratch, to include residential towers, data centres and seaside resorts, part of President Donald Trump's push to advance an Israel-Hamas cease-fire shaken by repeated violations.

The Israeli prime minister's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The head of a transitional Palestinian committee backed by the U.S. to temporarily administer Gaza, Ali Shaath, said on Thursday that the Rafah border crossing - effectively the sole route in or out of Gaza for nearly all of the more than 2 million people who live there - would open next week.

Air France resumes flights to Dubai

Air France resumed flights to Dubai today after temporarily suspending them the previous day due to the geopolitical situation in the Middle East, the airline announced.

The French carrier said it is monitoring developments in the region “in real time” and continuously assessing the geopolitical situation in the territories served and overflown by its aircraft in order to ensure the highest level of flight safety and security.

Air France canceled two Paris–Dubai flights on Friday, AF660 and AF658, which led to the cancellation of two Dubai–Paris flights scheduled for today on the same aircraft.

Head of U.S. Middle East military command arrives in Israel

The head of the U.S. military’s Middle East command, Brad Cooper, arrived in Israel and will meet with security officials as part of efforts to coordinate actions in the event of a possible attack against Iran, Haaretz reported.

Last week, Mossad chief Dadi Barnea also traveled to the United States amid rising tensions over Iran.

Air France suspends flights to Dubai, KLM to Middle East

Air France said Friday evening that it was temporarily suspending its Dubai route due to the geopolitical situation in the Middle East, while KLM also announced it was suspending several connections to the region.

“Due to the current situation in the Middle East, the company has decided to temporarily suspend its service to Dubai,” Air France said in a statement sent to AFP, adding that it continuously monitors developments in the region.

Dutch airline KLM is suspending flights to Tel Aviv, Dubai, and to Dammam and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, according to Dutch broadcaster NOS. KLM said the decision was taken in coordination with Dutch authorities.

Israeli strike in southern Lebanon

An Israeli army drone dropped a stun grenade near a pickup truck in the al-Mahafir area, between the towns of Blida and Aitaroun.

Tehran warns it will treat any attack as a “total war” against Iran

Iran will treat any attack “as a total war against us,” a senior Iranian official said Friday, as a U.S. aircraft carrier group and other military assets are expected to arrive in the Middle East in the coming days, Reuters reported.

“This military buildup — we hope it is not intended for real confrontation — but our army is prepared for the worst-case scenario. That is why everything is on maximum alert in Iran,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
“This time, we will consider any attack — limited or not, surgical, kinetic, whatever term is used — as a total war against us, and we will respond in the harshest possible way to bring it to an end,” he added.

On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States had a naval “armada” heading toward the Gulf but expressed hope it would not be needed, again warning Tehran against deadly repression of protesters or a resumption of its nuclear program.

“If the Americans violate Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, we will respond,” the official warned, without specifying the nature of the response. “A country under constant military threat from the United States has no choice but to ensure that all means at its disposal can be mobilized to repel aggression and, if possible, restore balance against anyone who dares attack Iran,” he concluded.

Cease-fire between Damascus and Kurdish forces extended

The Syrian government and Kurdish forces have agreed to extend their cease-fire, which was due to expire this evening, sources from both sides told AFP. A Syrian official said the extension would last one month.

Declared on Tuesday, the four-day ceasefire has largely held, as Kurdish forces face an army offensive in the northeast.
“The agreement should be extended by one month, partly to complete the transfer [to Iraq] of Islamic State prisoners,” a Syrian government source told AFP on condition of anonymity. A diplomatic source in Damascus confirmed the extension, saying it would be “for up to one month.” No official announcement was immediately made.

On the Kurdish side, a source close to the negotiations told AFP that the ceasefire had been extended “until a mutually acceptable political solution is found,” without specifying a timeframe.

Hezbollah announces death of one of its fighters

Hezbollah announced the death of one of its members, Mohammad Zreik, who died from wounds sustained on Jan. 3 when his vehicle was targeted by the Israeli army.

Turbulent night in southern Lebanon

The night and early morning hours were tense in southern Lebanon, according to our correspondent in the region.

Shortly after 10 a.m., shepherds in the village of Wazzani (Marjayoun district) were targeted by Israeli fire from the occupied village of Ghajar across from the area.

Around 4 a.m., an Israeli drone dropped three explosive charges on a bulldozer in the village of Blida (Marjayoun district), causing a loud blast and material damage.

Around midnight, flares were fired over the village of Shebaa (Hasbaya district) by Israeli forces stationed at a site facing the town.

Shortly after 11 p.m., an Israeli drone dropped a bomb near the western neighborhood of Mais al-Jabal (Marjayoun district), shattering windows in several homes.

Welcome to our live Middle East coverage

Welcome to our live coverage of developments in the Middle East.

We will bring you the latest news from Lebanon and follow events in Gaza, which Israel continues to bombard despite the ongoing truce, as well as developments in Syria.

We will also keep an eye on Iran, after weeks of large-scale anti-regime protests and a crackdown that has left thousands dead.

Finally, we will remain attentive to developments in Yemen and other countries in the region.