Iran: Netanyahu ‘stressed Israel’s security needs’ to Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “stressed the security needs of the State of Israel within the framework of the negotiations” between the United States and Iran during his meeting on Wednesday with U.S. President Donald Trump.
“The two leaders agreed to continue coordination and maintain close contact,” the Israeli prime minister’s office said in a statement quoted by AFP.
‘Last time Iran decided that they were better off not making a Deal, and they were hit with Midnight Hammer’ says Trump after meeting with Netanyahu
U.S.President, Donald Trump, stated after his long-anticipated meeting in Washington with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he had “insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated.”
“If it cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be. Last time Iran decided that they were better off not making a Deal, and they were hit with Midnight Hammer [referring to 12 day war in June 2025] — That did not work well for them,” he added.
Trump further wrote on his Truth Social that “There was nothing definitive reached,” in terms of a deal with Iran, after the three hour meeting at the White House.
“Additionally, we discussed the tremendous progress being made in Gaza, and the Region in general. There is truly PEACE in the Middle East. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he concluded.
South Lebanon: Israeli army detonates explosive devices in Adaisseh
The Israeli army detonated explosive devices in the evening near the mosque in the town of Adaisseh, in the Marjayoun district.
The explosions were heard in neighboring villages, according to our correspondent in South Lebanon. No damage was immediately reported.
Meanwhile, Israeli artillery fired a shell near the towns of Maroun al-Ras and Aitaroun, in the Bint Jbeil district, also according to our correspondent.
Trump and Netanyahu meeting underway
The Israeli’s prime minister office has confirmed that Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump are now meeting.
Netanyahu arrives at the White House for his meeting with Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a low-profile arrival at the White House on Wednesday for talks on Iran with U.S. President Donald Trump, according to an AFP photographer.
Netanyahu arrived by a side road, in a black SUV with Israeli and U.S. flags that drove Netanyahu the short distance from Blair House, where visiting dignitaries stay.
Netanyahu holds talks with US Secretary of State Rubio
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, DC, ahead of his scheduled meeting with President Donald Trump.
Netanyahu’s office released a video and photos from the discussions on his X account, showing the talks in progress. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee was also seen sitting alongside Rubio during the meeting.
Hamas official says group committed to ‘cease-fire’ amid Israeli violations
Muhammad Darwish, head of the Hamas leadership council, has stressed during a meeting with Iran’s top security official that the Palestinian group is committed to “preventing a return to war” in Gaza despite Israel’s daily “cease-fire” violations.
Darwish and other Hamas officials held talks with Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in the Qatari capital, Hamas said in a statement shared on Telegram.
Darwish raised “the continued Israeli occupation crimes against the Palestinian people and its reneging on the terms of the cease-fire agreement” during the discussions, Hamas said.
He also condemned Israel’s recent moves to cement control over the occupied West Bank as “a dangerous step that infringes upon the inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people.”
Aita al-Shaab mourns resident killed by Israeli gunfire
(Credit: Photo sent by Majed Tahini, mukhtar of Aita al-Shaab, to L’Orient Today)
Residents of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil) gathered this afternoon to bid farewell to Abdallah Nasser, who was killed Monday by Israeli gunfire in the town, according to our correspondent in the south.
Nasser’s coffin, draped in a Hezbollah flag, was carried in a procession from the town center to the cemetery. Mourners held his photographs along with Hezbollah and Lebanese flags, while a scout band led the march before he was laid to rest.
Israeli army says it killed Hamas member in Gaza airstrike
The Israeli military said on X that it has killed a Hamas member, Basel Hamoni, in an airstrike in Gaza. In a statement, the army alleged that Hamoni was responsible for the 2004 Be’er Sheva (Beer al-Sabe) bus bombings, which killed 16 Israeli civilians.
He had previously been imprisoned and was released in 2011 as part of the prisoner exchange deal that secured the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in return for more than 400 Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas has not yet confirmed the reported killing of Hamoni.
‘The Israel genocide of Gaza has not stopped,' says Amnesty chief
Agnes Callamard, the head of Amnesty International, says that in order to consider Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza over, there must be “a stop to all genocidal acts and clear evidence that there is no evidence of genocidal intent.”
“This would also require initiating justice and accountability for all victims. We are very, very far from such a situation,” she wrote on X.
Emir of Qatar meets with Larijani hours before Trump-Netanyahu meeting.
The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, met on Wednesday in Doha with the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, against the backdrop of Iranian-American negotiations.
The discussions focused on "developments in the region, efforts to reduce tensions and strengthen regional security, as well as a number of regional and international issues of common interest," reports the Qatar News Agency (QNA).
This meeting took place on the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution and just hours before the anticipated meeting in Washington between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
For Netanyahu, any negotiations with Iran must include "limiting ballistic missiles and freezing support" from Tehran for regional armed groups hostile to Israel.
These are conditions that Tehran has so far refused to discuss.
For their part, Gulf diplomats are working to reduce tensions.
Larijani was visiting Oman on Tuesday, where he met with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq
Israel is moving 'towards a de facto annexation' of West Bank, Berlin denounces
The approval given by the Israeli security cabinet to measures aimed at strengthening Israel's control over the West Bank constitutes "a further step towards a de facto annexation," the German Foreign Ministry denounced, as reported by AFP.
"Israel remains the occupying power in the West Bank, and as an occupying power, it is contrary to international law to build settlements there," a ministry spokesperson stated during a regular press briefing, noting that the new measures make it easier for Israeli settlers to purchase land.
South Lebanon: Israeli army drone targets stone quarry in the Hounine Valley
An Israeli army drone targeted a stone quarry in the Hounin Valley, between the towns of Odaisseh and Markaba, in the Marjayoun district, reports our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
Stun grenade fired by Israeli army on Odaisseh
An Israeli army drone dropped a stun grenade on Odaisseh, in the Marjayoun district, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
Measures on Israeli control in West Bank: Abbas demands 'resolute response' from US
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for a "resolute response" from the United States and the international community after the Israeli security cabinet approved measures aimed at strengthening Israeli control over the West Bank.
During a visit to Oslo, Abbas said he discussed the decision, as well as Israeli settler violence and Israel's withholding of $4 billion in aid intended for the Palestinian people, with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
"These grave violations require a resolute response from the U.S. administration and the international community because they hinder President Trump's efforts and constitute a violation of international law," he said at a press briefing.
Yemen: 6 supporters of southern separatists killed in clashes with authorities
Six supporters of southern Yemeni separatists were killed, and more than 20 were injured in clashes with local security forces in Shabwa, in the southeast of the country, a security official and a medical source told AFP.
The Southern Transitional Council (STC), backed by the United Arab Emirates, was expelled from the ruling coalition in January, and its troops were driven out by Saudi-backed forces after attempting to seize large swathes of territory.
Since then, it has regularly called on its supporters to demonstrate in support of its plan to create an independent state in southern Yemen.
On Wednesday, hundreds of them gathered in Ataq, the capital of Shabwa province, in front of the local government headquarters, according to witnesses.
"Six people were killed and 23 others injured among the STC supporters when they tried to enter the building to take down the Yemeni flag," a security official said on condition of anonymity.
Tense funeral in Aita al-Shaab: Artillery fire and Israeli army incursion
Following the firing of stun grenades from Israeli army drones on Aita al-Shaab during preparations for the funeral of a resident killed on Monday, Majd Tahini, a village chief (mokhtar) of the border village, denounced the "constant overflight" of the locality by drones, an incursion, and the firing of two shells by Israeli artillery, "which landed in the village square."
According to him, the Israeli army is "trying to stifle all forms of life" in Aita al-Shaab, even preventing the burial of their dead.
The mokhtar indicated that "Israeli vehicles entered Lebanese territory some time ago" and advanced about a kilometer in the vicinity of the village.
"We are in contact with the army and emergency services to de-escalate the situation," he added, as two Lebanese Army patrols arrived shortly afterward, according to our correspondent.
One headed toward the area around Quzah (Bint Jbeil), while the other deployed to monitor the Israeli incursion near Aita al-Shaab.
Israel's plan for West Bank will accelerate process of 'dispossession of Palestinians,' warns UN
Israel's plans to strengthen its control over the occupied West Bank, which pave the way for further settlement expansion, represent a step toward reinforcing an illegal annexation, the U.N.'s top human rights official has warned.
"If these decisions are implemented, they will undoubtedly accelerate the dispossession of Palestinians and their forced transfer, and lead to the creation of new illegal Israeli settlements," Volker Türk said in a statement.
Israel drops bombs, fires on Aita al-Shaab during funeral preparations
As residents of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil district) were preparing to bury Abdullah Nasser, one of the inhabitants of the border village killed Monday in an airstrike, Israeli army drones dropped more than five stun bombs and targeted the area around the village with two shells fired from a Merkava tank, reports our correspondent.
Disarmament in Gaza: Washington may allow Hamas to initially retain some light weapons
The United States, which is demanding the disarmament of Hamas, may nevertheless allow the movement to initially retain some light weapons, according to officials and people familiar with a disarmament plan being prepared by Washington, speaking to The New York Times.
This plan could soon be shared with Hamas by envoys Jared Kushner, also President Donald Trump's son-in-law, and Steve Witkoff, as well as by Nickolay Mladenov, a former senior United Nations official.
This draft plan appears to be based on principles already mentioned by the US administration.
Last month, Kushner indicated in Davos that "heavy weapons" would be "immediately decommissioned."
Israel drops bombs, fires on Aita al-Shaab during funeral preparations
As residents of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil district) were preparing to bury Abdullah Nasser, one of the inhabitants of the border village killed Monday in an airstrike, Israeli army drones dropped more than five stun bombs and targeted the area around the village with two shells fired from a Merkava tank, reports our correspondent.
Iran ready for 'any verification' of peaceful nature of its nuclear program, adds Pezeshkian
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian reiterated that Iran is ready for "any verification" of the peaceful nature of its nuclear program and reaffirmed that his country is not "seeking" nuclear weapons.
"We are not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. We have stated this repeatedly and are ready for any verification," Pezeshkian declared on the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, celebrated this year against a backdrop of tensions with the United States.
Nuclear: Iran will not 'yield to excessive demands,' warns Pezeshkian
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian affirmed that his country will not "yield to excessive demands," as Iran and the United States prepare to resume talks on Iran's nuclear program.
"Our country, Iran, will not yield to their excessive demands. Our Iran will not yield to aggression, but we will continue the dialogue with all our might with neighboring countries in order to establish peace and tranquility in the region," Pezeshkian declared in a speech in Tehran's Azadi Square, marking the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.
Israeli president says he hopes US-Israeli talks will weaken Iran's 'evil empire'
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he hopes the meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump scheduled for Wednesday in Washington will help combat what he calls Iran's "evil empire."
Herzog wished Netanyahu and Trump "success," both "in bringing peace" and in discussing "the next phase [of Trump's peace plan] in Gaza, which is important for all of us, and which I hope will bring us all a better future," he said from Canberra, Australia, where he is currently on a trip.
In Tehran, anti-Khamenei slogans rang out on eve of revolution's anniversary
Residents of Tehran chanted slogans against the Islamic Republic and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last night on the eve of the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, according to images posted on social media.
Until now, there had been little information about large-scale protests over the past two weeks.
But last night, people came out onto their balconies to chant slogans such as "Death to Khamenei," "Death to the dictator," and "Death to the Islamic Republic," according to images broadcast by popular channels covering the protests on Telegram and X, including Vahid Online and Mamlekate.
These images could not be immediately verified.
Trump to meet today with Netanyahu, who calls for maximum US pressure on Iran
U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet today with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who wants to convince him to exert maximum pressure on Iran.
Ahead of this meeting, the seventh since his return to power a year ago, the U.S. president has sent mixed signals, alternating between hopes for an agreement and military threats against Tehran.
"Any negotiations [between Iran and the United States] must include the limitation of ballistic missiles and a freeze on support for the Iranian axis," meaning armed groups linked to Tehran in the region, such as Hezbollah, stated Netanyahu, who presents the Islamic Republic as an existential threat to his country.
The missile issue is a red line for Israel, which is located approximately 2,000 kilometers from Iran.
South Lebanon: Blida house bombed after residents evacuate
In Blida, southern Lebanon, a house on the outskirts of the city was bombed overnight by an Israeli army quadcopter drone, causing significant damage, reports our correspondent.
The house had just been hastily evacuated by its residents after a drone dropped two stun grenades on its roof.
In addition, the Israeli army fired on the area around Yaroun, in the Bint Jbeil district, using machine guns mounted on a tank that had crossed the Blue Line.
After 10 p.m., Israeli artillery shelling targeted the Sobeih neighborhood, east of Blida.
On Tuesday evening, around 9:30 p.m., a drone dropped a stun grenade on the Maakeb neighborhood, east of Houla, in the Marjayoun district.
Good morning. We are now launching our LIVE coverage of news from the Middle East.
We will be following the evolving tensions between the United States and Iran, as U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington today. Netanyahu is calling for maximum pressure on Tehran.
We will also be covering the situation in southern Lebanon and Gaza, which remain under Israeli bombardment despite cease-fires.
Iran: Netanyahu ‘stressed Israel’s security needs’ to Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “stressed the security needs of the State of Israel within the framework of the negotiations” between the United States and Iran during his meeting on Wednesday with U.S. President Donald Trump.
“The two leaders agreed to continue coordination and maintain close contact,” the Israeli prime minister’s office said in a statement quoted by AFP.
‘Last time Iran decided that they were better off not making a Deal, and they were hit with Midnight Hammer’ says Trump after meeting with Netanyahu
U.S.President, Donald Trump, stated after his long-anticipated meeting in Washington with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he had “insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated.”
“If it cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be. Last time Iran decided that they were better off not making a Deal, and they were hit with Midnight Hammer [referring to 12 day war in June 2025] — That did not work well for them,” he added.
Trump further wrote on his Truth Social that “There was nothing definitive reached,” in terms of a deal with Iran, after the three hour meeting at the White House.
“Additionally, we discussed the tremendous progress being made in Gaza, and the Region in general. There is truly PEACE in the Middle East. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he concluded.
South Lebanon: Israeli army detonates explosive devices in Adaisseh
The Israeli army detonated explosive devices in the evening near the mosque in the town of Adaisseh, in the Marjayoun district.
The explosions were heard in neighboring villages, according to our correspondent in South Lebanon. No damage was immediately reported.
Meanwhile, Israeli artillery fired a shell near the towns of Maroun al-Ras and Aitaroun, in the Bint Jbeil district, also according to our correspondent.
Trump and Netanyahu meeting underway
The Israeli’s prime minister office has confirmed that Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump are now meeting.
Netanyahu arrives at the White House for his meeting with Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a low-profile arrival at the White House on Wednesday for talks on Iran with U.S. President Donald Trump, according to an AFP photographer.
Netanyahu arrived by a side road, in a black SUV with Israeli and U.S. flags that drove Netanyahu the short distance from Blair House, where visiting dignitaries stay.
Netanyahu holds talks with US Secretary of State Rubio
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, DC, ahead of his scheduled meeting with President Donald Trump.
Netanyahu’s office released a video and photos from the discussions on his X account, showing the talks in progress. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee was also seen sitting alongside Rubio during the meeting.
Hamas official says group committed to ‘cease-fire’ amid Israeli violations
Muhammad Darwish, head of the Hamas leadership council, has stressed during a meeting with Iran’s top security official that the Palestinian group is committed to “preventing a return to war” in Gaza despite Israel’s daily “cease-fire” violations.
Darwish and other Hamas officials held talks with Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in the Qatari capital, Hamas said in a statement shared on Telegram.
Darwish raised “the continued Israeli occupation crimes against the Palestinian people and its reneging on the terms of the cease-fire agreement” during the discussions, Hamas said.
He also condemned Israel’s recent moves to cement control over the occupied West Bank as “a dangerous step that infringes upon the inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people.”
Aita al-Shaab mourns resident killed by Israeli gunfire
(Credit: Photo sent by Majed Tahini, mukhtar of Aita al-Shaab, to L’Orient Today)
Residents of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil) gathered this afternoon to bid farewell to Abdallah Nasser, who was killed Monday by Israeli gunfire in the town, according to our correspondent in the south.
Nasser’s coffin, draped in a Hezbollah flag, was carried in a procession from the town center to the cemetery. Mourners held his photographs along with Hezbollah and Lebanese flags, while a scout band led the march before he was laid to rest.
Israeli army says it killed Hamas member in Gaza airstrike
The Israeli military said on X that it has killed a Hamas member, Basel Hamoni, in an airstrike in Gaza. In a statement, the army alleged that Hamoni was responsible for the 2004 Be’er Sheva (Beer al-Sabe) bus bombings, which killed 16 Israeli civilians.
He had previously been imprisoned and was released in 2011 as part of the prisoner exchange deal that secured the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in return for more than 400 Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas has not yet confirmed the reported killing of Hamoni.
‘The Israel genocide of Gaza has not stopped,' says Amnesty chief
Agnes Callamard, the head of Amnesty International, says that in order to consider Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza over, there must be “a stop to all genocidal acts and clear evidence that there is no evidence of genocidal intent.”
“This would also require initiating justice and accountability for all victims. We are very, very far from such a situation,” she wrote on X.
Emir of Qatar meets with Larijani hours before Trump-Netanyahu meeting.
The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, met on Wednesday in Doha with the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, against the backdrop of Iranian-American negotiations.
The discussions focused on "developments in the region, efforts to reduce tensions and strengthen regional security, as well as a number of regional and international issues of common interest," reports the Qatar News Agency (QNA).
This meeting took place on the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution and just hours before the anticipated meeting in Washington between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
For Netanyahu, any negotiations with Iran must include "limiting ballistic missiles and freezing support" from Tehran for regional armed groups hostile to Israel.
These are conditions that Tehran has so far refused to discuss.
For their part, Gulf diplomats are working to reduce tensions.
Larijani was visiting Oman on Tuesday, where he met with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq
Israel is moving 'towards a de facto annexation' of West Bank, Berlin denounces
The approval given by the Israeli security cabinet to measures aimed at strengthening Israel's control over the West Bank constitutes "a further step towards a de facto annexation," the German Foreign Ministry denounced, as reported by AFP.
"Israel remains the occupying power in the West Bank, and as an occupying power, it is contrary to international law to build settlements there," a ministry spokesperson stated during a regular press briefing, noting that the new measures make it easier for Israeli settlers to purchase land.
South Lebanon: Israeli army drone targets stone quarry in the Hounine Valley
An Israeli army drone targeted a stone quarry in the Hounin Valley, between the towns of Odaisseh and Markaba, in the Marjayoun district, reports our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
Stun grenade fired by Israeli army on Odaisseh
An Israeli army drone dropped a stun grenade on Odaisseh, in the Marjayoun district, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
Measures on Israeli control in West Bank: Abbas demands 'resolute response' from US
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for a "resolute response" from the United States and the international community after the Israeli security cabinet approved measures aimed at strengthening Israeli control over the West Bank.
During a visit to Oslo, Abbas said he discussed the decision, as well as Israeli settler violence and Israel's withholding of $4 billion in aid intended for the Palestinian people, with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
"These grave violations require a resolute response from the U.S. administration and the international community because they hinder President Trump's efforts and constitute a violation of international law," he said at a press briefing.
Yemen: 6 supporters of southern separatists killed in clashes with authorities
Six supporters of southern Yemeni separatists were killed, and more than 20 were injured in clashes with local security forces in Shabwa, in the southeast of the country, a security official and a medical source told AFP.
The Southern Transitional Council (STC), backed by the United Arab Emirates, was expelled from the ruling coalition in January, and its troops were driven out by Saudi-backed forces after attempting to seize large swathes of territory.
Since then, it has regularly called on its supporters to demonstrate in support of its plan to create an independent state in southern Yemen.
On Wednesday, hundreds of them gathered in Ataq, the capital of Shabwa province, in front of the local government headquarters, according to witnesses.
"Six people were killed and 23 others injured among the STC supporters when they tried to enter the building to take down the Yemeni flag," a security official said on condition of anonymity.
Tense funeral in Aita al-Shaab: Artillery fire and Israeli army incursion
Following the firing of stun grenades from Israeli army drones on Aita al-Shaab during preparations for the funeral of a resident killed on Monday, Majd Tahini, a village chief (mokhtar) of the border village, denounced the "constant overflight" of the locality by drones, an incursion, and the firing of two shells by Israeli artillery, "which landed in the village square."
According to him, the Israeli army is "trying to stifle all forms of life" in Aita al-Shaab, even preventing the burial of their dead.
The mokhtar indicated that "Israeli vehicles entered Lebanese territory some time ago" and advanced about a kilometer in the vicinity of the village.
"We are in contact with the army and emergency services to de-escalate the situation," he added, as two Lebanese Army patrols arrived shortly afterward, according to our correspondent.
One headed toward the area around Quzah (Bint Jbeil), while the other deployed to monitor the Israeli incursion near Aita al-Shaab.
Israel's plan for West Bank will accelerate process of 'dispossession of Palestinians,' warns UN
Israel's plans to strengthen its control over the occupied West Bank, which pave the way for further settlement expansion, represent a step toward reinforcing an illegal annexation, the U.N.'s top human rights official has warned.
"If these decisions are implemented, they will undoubtedly accelerate the dispossession of Palestinians and their forced transfer, and lead to the creation of new illegal Israeli settlements," Volker Türk said in a statement.
Israel drops bombs, fires on Aita al-Shaab during funeral preparations
As residents of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil district) were preparing to bury Abdullah Nasser, one of the inhabitants of the border village killed Monday in an airstrike, Israeli army drones dropped more than five stun bombs and targeted the area around the village with two shells fired from a Merkava tank, reports our correspondent.
Disarmament in Gaza: Washington may allow Hamas to initially retain some light weapons
The United States, which is demanding the disarmament of Hamas, may nevertheless allow the movement to initially retain some light weapons, according to officials and people familiar with a disarmament plan being prepared by Washington, speaking to The New York Times.
This plan could soon be shared with Hamas by envoys Jared Kushner, also President Donald Trump's son-in-law, and Steve Witkoff, as well as by Nickolay Mladenov, a former senior United Nations official.
This draft plan appears to be based on principles already mentioned by the US administration.
Last month, Kushner indicated in Davos that "heavy weapons" would be "immediately decommissioned."
Israel drops bombs, fires on Aita al-Shaab during funeral preparations
As residents of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil district) were preparing to bury Abdullah Nasser, one of the inhabitants of the border village killed Monday in an airstrike, Israeli army drones dropped more than five stun bombs and targeted the area around the village with two shells fired from a Merkava tank, reports our correspondent.
Iran ready for 'any verification' of peaceful nature of its nuclear program, adds Pezeshkian
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian reiterated that Iran is ready for "any verification" of the peaceful nature of its nuclear program and reaffirmed that his country is not "seeking" nuclear weapons.
"We are not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. We have stated this repeatedly and are ready for any verification," Pezeshkian declared on the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, celebrated this year against a backdrop of tensions with the United States.
Nuclear: Iran will not 'yield to excessive demands,' warns Pezeshkian
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian affirmed that his country will not "yield to excessive demands," as Iran and the United States prepare to resume talks on Iran's nuclear program.
"Our country, Iran, will not yield to their excessive demands. Our Iran will not yield to aggression, but we will continue the dialogue with all our might with neighboring countries in order to establish peace and tranquility in the region," Pezeshkian declared in a speech in Tehran's Azadi Square, marking the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.
Israeli president says he hopes US-Israeli talks will weaken Iran's 'evil empire'
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he hopes the meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump scheduled for Wednesday in Washington will help combat what he calls Iran's "evil empire."
Herzog wished Netanyahu and Trump "success," both "in bringing peace" and in discussing "the next phase [of Trump's peace plan] in Gaza, which is important for all of us, and which I hope will bring us all a better future," he said from Canberra, Australia, where he is currently on a trip.
In Tehran, anti-Khamenei slogans rang out on eve of revolution's anniversary
Residents of Tehran chanted slogans against the Islamic Republic and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last night on the eve of the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, according to images posted on social media.
Until now, there had been little information about large-scale protests over the past two weeks.
But last night, people came out onto their balconies to chant slogans such as "Death to Khamenei," "Death to the dictator," and "Death to the Islamic Republic," according to images broadcast by popular channels covering the protests on Telegram and X, including Vahid Online and Mamlekate.
These images could not be immediately verified.
Trump to meet today with Netanyahu, who calls for maximum US pressure on Iran
U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet today with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who wants to convince him to exert maximum pressure on Iran.
Ahead of this meeting, the seventh since his return to power a year ago, the U.S. president has sent mixed signals, alternating between hopes for an agreement and military threats against Tehran.
"Any negotiations [between Iran and the United States] must include the limitation of ballistic missiles and a freeze on support for the Iranian axis," meaning armed groups linked to Tehran in the region, such as Hezbollah, stated Netanyahu, who presents the Islamic Republic as an existential threat to his country.
The missile issue is a red line for Israel, which is located approximately 2,000 kilometers from Iran.
South Lebanon: Blida house bombed after residents evacuate
In Blida, southern Lebanon, a house on the outskirts of the city was bombed overnight by an Israeli army quadcopter drone, causing significant damage, reports our correspondent.
The house had just been hastily evacuated by its residents after a drone dropped two stun grenades on its roof.
In addition, the Israeli army fired on the area around Yaroun, in the Bint Jbeil district, using machine guns mounted on a tank that had crossed the Blue Line.
After 10 p.m., Israeli artillery shelling targeted the Sobeih neighborhood, east of Blida.
On Tuesday evening, around 9:30 p.m., a drone dropped a stun grenade on the Maakeb neighborhood, east of Houla, in the Marjayoun district.
Good morning. We are now launching our LIVE coverage of news from the Middle East.
We will be following the evolving tensions between the United States and Iran, as U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington today. Netanyahu is calling for maximum pressure on Tehran.
We will also be covering the situation in southern Lebanon and Gaza, which remain under Israeli bombardment despite cease-fires.
Iran: Netanyahu ‘stressed Israel’s security needs’ to Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “stressed the security needs of the State of Israel within the framework of the negotiations” between the United States and Iran during his meeting on Wednesday with U.S. President Donald Trump.
“The two leaders agreed to continue coordination and maintain close contact,” the Israeli prime minister’s office said in a statement quoted by AFP.
‘Last time Iran decided that they were better off not making a Deal, and they were hit with Midnight Hammer’ says Trump after meeting with Netanyahu
U.S.President, Donald Trump, stated after his long-anticipated meeting in Washington with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he had “insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated.”
“If it cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be. Last time Iran decided that they were better off not making a Deal, and they were hit with Midnight Hammer [referring to 12 day war in June 2025] — That did not work well for them,” he added.
Trump further wrote on his Truth Social that “There was nothing definitive reached,” in terms of a deal with Iran, after the three hour meeting at the White House.
“Additionally, we discussed the tremendous progress being made in Gaza, and the Region in general. There is truly PEACE in the Middle East. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he concluded.
South Lebanon: Israeli army detonates explosive devices in Adaisseh
The Israeli army detonated explosive devices in the evening near the mosque in the town of Adaisseh, in the Marjayoun district.
The explosions were heard in neighboring villages, according to our correspondent in South Lebanon. No damage was immediately reported.
Meanwhile, Israeli artillery fired a shell near the towns of Maroun al-Ras and Aitaroun, in the Bint Jbeil district, also according to our correspondent.
Trump and Netanyahu meeting underway
The Israeli’s prime minister office has confirmed that Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump are now meeting.
Netanyahu arrives at the White House for his meeting with Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a low-profile arrival at the White House on Wednesday for talks on Iran with U.S. President Donald Trump, according to an AFP photographer.
Netanyahu arrived by a side road, in a black SUV with Israeli and U.S. flags that drove Netanyahu the short distance from Blair House, where visiting dignitaries stay.
Netanyahu holds talks with US Secretary of State Rubio
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, DC, ahead of his scheduled meeting with President Donald Trump.
Netanyahu’s office released a video and photos from the discussions on his X account, showing the talks in progress. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee was also seen sitting alongside Rubio during the meeting.
Hamas official says group committed to ‘cease-fire’ amid Israeli violations
Muhammad Darwish, head of the Hamas leadership council, has stressed during a meeting with Iran’s top security official that the Palestinian group is committed to “preventing a return to war” in Gaza despite Israel’s daily “cease-fire” violations.
Darwish and other Hamas officials held talks with Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in the Qatari capital, Hamas said in a statement shared on Telegram.
Darwish raised “the continued Israeli occupation crimes against the Palestinian people and its reneging on the terms of the cease-fire agreement” during the discussions, Hamas said.
He also condemned Israel’s recent moves to cement control over the occupied West Bank as “a dangerous step that infringes upon the inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people.”
Aita al-Shaab mourns resident killed by Israeli gunfire
(Credit: Photo sent by Majed Tahini, mukhtar of Aita al-Shaab, to L’Orient Today)
Residents of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil) gathered this afternoon to bid farewell to Abdallah Nasser, who was killed Monday by Israeli gunfire in the town, according to our correspondent in the south.
Nasser’s coffin, draped in a Hezbollah flag, was carried in a procession from the town center to the cemetery. Mourners held his photographs along with Hezbollah and Lebanese flags, while a scout band led the march before he was laid to rest.
Israeli army says it killed Hamas member in Gaza airstrike
The Israeli military said on X that it has killed a Hamas member, Basel Hamoni, in an airstrike in Gaza. In a statement, the army alleged that Hamoni was responsible for the 2004 Be’er Sheva (Beer al-Sabe) bus bombings, which killed 16 Israeli civilians.
He had previously been imprisoned and was released in 2011 as part of the prisoner exchange deal that secured the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in return for more than 400 Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas has not yet confirmed the reported killing of Hamoni.
‘The Israel genocide of Gaza has not stopped,' says Amnesty chief
Agnes Callamard, the head of Amnesty International, says that in order to consider Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza over, there must be “a stop to all genocidal acts and clear evidence that there is no evidence of genocidal intent.”
“This would also require initiating justice and accountability for all victims. We are very, very far from such a situation,” she wrote on X.
Emir of Qatar meets with Larijani hours before Trump-Netanyahu meeting.
The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, met on Wednesday in Doha with the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, against the backdrop of Iranian-American negotiations.
The discussions focused on "developments in the region, efforts to reduce tensions and strengthen regional security, as well as a number of regional and international issues of common interest," reports the Qatar News Agency (QNA).
This meeting took place on the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution and just hours before the anticipated meeting in Washington between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
For Netanyahu, any negotiations with Iran must include "limiting ballistic missiles and freezing support" from Tehran for regional armed groups hostile to Israel.
These are conditions that Tehran has so far refused to discuss.
For their part, Gulf diplomats are working to reduce tensions.
Larijani was visiting Oman on Tuesday, where he met with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq
Israel is moving 'towards a de facto annexation' of West Bank, Berlin denounces
The approval given by the Israeli security cabinet to measures aimed at strengthening Israel's control over the West Bank constitutes "a further step towards a de facto annexation," the German Foreign Ministry denounced, as reported by AFP.
"Israel remains the occupying power in the West Bank, and as an occupying power, it is contrary to international law to build settlements there," a ministry spokesperson stated during a regular press briefing, noting that the new measures make it easier for Israeli settlers to purchase land.
South Lebanon: Israeli army drone targets stone quarry in the Hounine Valley
An Israeli army drone targeted a stone quarry in the Hounin Valley, between the towns of Odaisseh and Markaba, in the Marjayoun district, reports our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
Stun grenade fired by Israeli army on Odaisseh
An Israeli army drone dropped a stun grenade on Odaisseh, in the Marjayoun district, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
Measures on Israeli control in West Bank: Abbas demands 'resolute response' from US
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for a "resolute response" from the United States and the international community after the Israeli security cabinet approved measures aimed at strengthening Israeli control over the West Bank.
During a visit to Oslo, Abbas said he discussed the decision, as well as Israeli settler violence and Israel's withholding of $4 billion in aid intended for the Palestinian people, with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
"These grave violations require a resolute response from the U.S. administration and the international community because they hinder President Trump's efforts and constitute a violation of international law," he said at a press briefing.
Yemen: 6 supporters of southern separatists killed in clashes with authorities
Six supporters of southern Yemeni separatists were killed, and more than 20 were injured in clashes with local security forces in Shabwa, in the southeast of the country, a security official and a medical source told AFP.
The Southern Transitional Council (STC), backed by the United Arab Emirates, was expelled from the ruling coalition in January, and its troops were driven out by Saudi-backed forces after attempting to seize large swathes of territory.
Since then, it has regularly called on its supporters to demonstrate in support of its plan to create an independent state in southern Yemen.
On Wednesday, hundreds of them gathered in Ataq, the capital of Shabwa province, in front of the local government headquarters, according to witnesses.
"Six people were killed and 23 others injured among the STC supporters when they tried to enter the building to take down the Yemeni flag," a security official said on condition of anonymity.
Tense funeral in Aita al-Shaab: Artillery fire and Israeli army incursion
Following the firing of stun grenades from Israeli army drones on Aita al-Shaab during preparations for the funeral of a resident killed on Monday, Majd Tahini, a village chief (mokhtar) of the border village, denounced the "constant overflight" of the locality by drones, an incursion, and the firing of two shells by Israeli artillery, "which landed in the village square."
According to him, the Israeli army is "trying to stifle all forms of life" in Aita al-Shaab, even preventing the burial of their dead.
The mokhtar indicated that "Israeli vehicles entered Lebanese territory some time ago" and advanced about a kilometer in the vicinity of the village.
"We are in contact with the army and emergency services to de-escalate the situation," he added, as two Lebanese Army patrols arrived shortly afterward, according to our correspondent.
One headed toward the area around Quzah (Bint Jbeil), while the other deployed to monitor the Israeli incursion near Aita al-Shaab.
Israel's plan for West Bank will accelerate process of 'dispossession of Palestinians,' warns UN
Israel's plans to strengthen its control over the occupied West Bank, which pave the way for further settlement expansion, represent a step toward reinforcing an illegal annexation, the U.N.'s top human rights official has warned.
"If these decisions are implemented, they will undoubtedly accelerate the dispossession of Palestinians and their forced transfer, and lead to the creation of new illegal Israeli settlements," Volker Türk said in a statement.
Israel drops bombs, fires on Aita al-Shaab during funeral preparations
As residents of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil district) were preparing to bury Abdullah Nasser, one of the inhabitants of the border village killed Monday in an airstrike, Israeli army drones dropped more than five stun bombs and targeted the area around the village with two shells fired from a Merkava tank, reports our correspondent.
Disarmament in Gaza: Washington may allow Hamas to initially retain some light weapons
The United States, which is demanding the disarmament of Hamas, may nevertheless allow the movement to initially retain some light weapons, according to officials and people familiar with a disarmament plan being prepared by Washington, speaking to The New York Times.
This plan could soon be shared with Hamas by envoys Jared Kushner, also President Donald Trump's son-in-law, and Steve Witkoff, as well as by Nickolay Mladenov, a former senior United Nations official.
This draft plan appears to be based on principles already mentioned by the US administration.
Last month, Kushner indicated in Davos that "heavy weapons" would be "immediately decommissioned."
Israel drops bombs, fires on Aita al-Shaab during funeral preparations
As residents of Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil district) were preparing to bury Abdullah Nasser, one of the inhabitants of the border village killed Monday in an airstrike, Israeli army drones dropped more than five stun bombs and targeted the area around the village with two shells fired from a Merkava tank, reports our correspondent.
Iran ready for 'any verification' of peaceful nature of its nuclear program, adds Pezeshkian
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian reiterated that Iran is ready for "any verification" of the peaceful nature of its nuclear program and reaffirmed that his country is not "seeking" nuclear weapons.
"We are not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. We have stated this repeatedly and are ready for any verification," Pezeshkian declared on the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, celebrated this year against a backdrop of tensions with the United States.
Nuclear: Iran will not 'yield to excessive demands,' warns Pezeshkian
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian affirmed that his country will not "yield to excessive demands," as Iran and the United States prepare to resume talks on Iran's nuclear program.
"Our country, Iran, will not yield to their excessive demands. Our Iran will not yield to aggression, but we will continue the dialogue with all our might with neighboring countries in order to establish peace and tranquility in the region," Pezeshkian declared in a speech in Tehran's Azadi Square, marking the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.
Israeli president says he hopes US-Israeli talks will weaken Iran's 'evil empire'
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he hopes the meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump scheduled for Wednesday in Washington will help combat what he calls Iran's "evil empire."
Herzog wished Netanyahu and Trump "success," both "in bringing peace" and in discussing "the next phase [of Trump's peace plan] in Gaza, which is important for all of us, and which I hope will bring us all a better future," he said from Canberra, Australia, where he is currently on a trip.
In Tehran, anti-Khamenei slogans rang out on eve of revolution's anniversary
Residents of Tehran chanted slogans against the Islamic Republic and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last night on the eve of the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, according to images posted on social media.
Until now, there had been little information about large-scale protests over the past two weeks.
But last night, people came out onto their balconies to chant slogans such as "Death to Khamenei," "Death to the dictator," and "Death to the Islamic Republic," according to images broadcast by popular channels covering the protests on Telegram and X, including Vahid Online and Mamlekate.
These images could not be immediately verified.
Trump to meet today with Netanyahu, who calls for maximum US pressure on Iran
U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet today with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who wants to convince him to exert maximum pressure on Iran.
Ahead of this meeting, the seventh since his return to power a year ago, the U.S. president has sent mixed signals, alternating between hopes for an agreement and military threats against Tehran.
"Any negotiations [between Iran and the United States] must include the limitation of ballistic missiles and a freeze on support for the Iranian axis," meaning armed groups linked to Tehran in the region, such as Hezbollah, stated Netanyahu, who presents the Islamic Republic as an existential threat to his country.
The missile issue is a red line for Israel, which is located approximately 2,000 kilometers from Iran.
South Lebanon: Blida house bombed after residents evacuate
In Blida, southern Lebanon, a house on the outskirts of the city was bombed overnight by an Israeli army quadcopter drone, causing significant damage, reports our correspondent.
The house had just been hastily evacuated by its residents after a drone dropped two stun grenades on its roof.
In addition, the Israeli army fired on the area around Yaroun, in the Bint Jbeil district, using machine guns mounted on a tank that had crossed the Blue Line.
After 10 p.m., Israeli artillery shelling targeted the Sobeih neighborhood, east of Blida.
On Tuesday evening, around 9:30 p.m., a drone dropped a stun grenade on the Maakeb neighborhood, east of Houla, in the Marjayoun district.
Good morning. We are now launching our LIVE coverage of news from the Middle East.
We will be following the evolving tensions between the United States and Iran, as U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington today. Netanyahu is calling for maximum pressure on Tehran.
We will also be covering the situation in southern Lebanon and Gaza, which remain under Israeli bombardment despite cease-fires.
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