Netanyahu: ‘We are winning, and Iran is being decimated’; ‘Hezbollah is no longer what it was’ | Live

Latest developments in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa

Several airstrikes were carried out by the Israeli army on southern Lebanon, our local correspondent reports:

• al-Qatrani (Jezzine)
• Bint Jbeil (Bint Jbeil)
• Ainata (Bint Jbeil)

Residents of the town of Mashghara (Bekaa) have also received warning calls advising them to evacuate their homes, she reports.

Reuters: Rocket attack struck positions of Iranian opposition group near Sulaymanieh in Iraqi Kurdistan according to security sources.

Qatar says attacks will cut LNG export capacity by 17 percent

Qatar’s Energy Minister said the attacks on the country’s energy facilities would reduce its liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity by 17 percent, causing an estimated $20 billion loss in annual revenue.

“Repairing the damage to the LNG facilities will take between three and five years. This will have an impact on China, South Korea, Italy, and Belgium,” Energy Minister Saad Sherida al-Kaabi said in a statement.

“This means we will be forced to declare force majeure for up to five years on certain long-term LNG contracts,” the minister added, referring to the legal term indicating that events beyond Qatar’s control could prevent it from meeting its export obligations.

Sirens sound in Jerusalem. West Bank, in central Israel according to Haaretz

‘No to an eternal war’: Dozens gather in Tel Aviv to protest the war in Iran

Dozens of people demonstrated Thursday in Tel Aviv against the ongoing war in Iran and Lebanon, Haaretz reports.

The protesters held a memorial tribute with candles and photos of children killed in the conflict at Park Hamesil, a central promenade connecting downtown to the beach. They carried a large banner reading: “They were, and are no more.”

One protester explained that the display was meant to highlight the “collateral damage” of the war, according to the Israeli daily. He said, “There is an arrogance in this war, as if it is all being done for the good of the Iranian people, and that you can liberate people by bombing them.”

Netanyahu sees ‘cracks’ within Iranian leadership and ‘on the ground’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he is observing “cracks” within the Iranian leadership and “on the ground” on the 20th day of the war jointly waged with the United States against the Islamic Republic.

“I don’t really know who is running Iran right now (…) What we are seeing is a lot of tension among those vying for power,” he said. “We are seeing cracks appear, and we are trying to exploit them as quickly as possible, not only within the high command but also on the ground,” he added.

War with Iran: Netanyahu says he has unmatched coordination with Trump

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised what he called “unmatched coordination” with U.S. President Donald Trump, both in general and specifically regarding the conduct of the war against Iran.

“I don’t think any two leaders have ever shown coordination as good as President Trump and I have,” he said.

Barrot to visit Israel tomorrow

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot will go to Israel on Friday, in an unscheduled visit, after visiting Beirut as part of efforts to secure a cease-fire in Lebanon, said the French foreign ministry as reported by Reuters.

It added that Barrot would discuss with Israeli authorities regional security and humanitarian aid issues, and attempts to de-escalate the conflicts in the Middle East.

Several airstrikes were carried out by the Israeli army, our local correspondent Mountasser Abdallah reports:

• Khiam (Nabatieh)
• Kafra (Bint Jbeil), once again
• Rayhan hills (Jezzine)
• Ain Qana (Iqlim al-Tuffah), twice
• Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil)
• Hanine (Bint Jbeil)
• Sultanieh (Bint Jbeil)

Israeli warplane strikes also targeted Debbine (Marjayoun), Ain Qana (Nabatieh) and the Litani area near Blaat (Marjayoun).

Low-altitude aircraft were spotted over Saida, the Chouf, the Bekaa, the Metn and Beirut.

Netanyahu hints at Iran ground fighting

While the war so far has been conducted via air attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there has to be a ground component as well and "there are many possibilities," without elaborating.

Netanyahu also denied that he dragged the United States into the war.

"Does anyone really think that someone can tell President Trump what to do?" he said.

7 nations condemn Iran attacks on vessels, energy installations and Strait of Hormuz closure

The leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan and the United Kingdom have condemned “in the strongest terms” Iranian attacks on “unarmed commercial vessels, civilian infrastructure including oil and gas installations, and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz.”

In a joint statement, they called on Iran to cease its threats and attempts to block the strait, saying, “Freedom of navigation is a fundamental principle of international law.”

They said they were ready to contribute to “appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait,” and welcomed “the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning.”

Netanyahu says Hezbollah weakened, Israel now has a security buffer after major strikes

When asked whether the presence of Israeli ground troops inside Lebanon meant there was hesitation about launching a full ground operation to eradicate Hezbollah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Hezbollah is no longer what it once was.

“We’re not talking about the same Hezbollah anymore,” he said. “They used to have around 150,000 rockets, missiles and ballistic missiles. They had thousands of Radwan fighters and terrorist infrastructure right next to our border, along our fence and underground, ready to invade.”

“We pushed them back. We destroyed the bulk of their missiles in six hours. We eliminated Nasrallah. We now have a security zone that prevents that kind of invasion,” Netanyahu added. “We have plans for the future. If the regime goes, Hezbollah goes,” he said.

Hamas reportedly received a formal disarmament proposal last week, NPR reports

Nikolay Mladenov, High Representative of Trump’s ‘Peace Council,’ confirmed that mediators had agreed on a framework aimed at “unlocking reconstruction” and “reviving communities,” which requires the “complete disarmament of Hamas and all armed groups, without exception.”

According to NPR, under this “comprehensive plan,” Hamas and other armed groups would hand over their weapons to the Palestinian technocratic committee. Hamas is expected to respond to the proposal next week, after Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. NPR reports that Hamas has denied receiving the proposal.

At least since last week, Hamas has been participating in talks in Cairo, led by Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar, as well as the “Peace Council.” Mladenov and U.S. envoy Aryeh Lightstone have also taken part in the negotiations.

Netanyahu says the war with Iran ‘will end sooner than people think’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said the war with Iran “will end sooner than people think.” He further warned that Iran’s “blackmail” over blocking the Strait of Hormuz “will not work.”

France says it will double its humanitarian aid to Lebanon

France will double its humanitarian aid to Lebanon to the value of 17 million euros ($19.70 million), France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Thursday.

Barrot made the announcement on his social media account as he visited Beirut, as part of efforts to get a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah.

Netanyahu: Israel won’t strike Iran’s main gas field again after Trump call

Israeli prime minister said Israel “acted alone” in its strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field and that the war with Iran could end “faster than people think.”

Netanyahu said Israel would refrain from further attacks on Iran’s vast natural gas field at the request of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Netanyahu says Iran no longer has uranium enrichment capacity

Iran no longer has the capacity to enrich uranium or make ballistic missiles after 20 days of U.S.-Israeli air attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a news conference on Thursday.

"We are winning, and Iran is being decimated," Netanyahu said, noting that Iran's missile and drone arsenal is being massively degraded and will be destroyed.

"What we're destroying now are the factories that produce the components to make these missiles and to make the nuclear weapons that they're trying to produce," Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu did not provide evidence for his claim that Iran no longer had the capacity to enrich uranium.

The Lebanese Army 'failed,' says Adraee

“Since Hezbollah decided to support the terrorist Iranian regime and attack Israel on March 2, it has launched approximately 700 rockets, shells, and drones toward Israel from areas south of the Litani River,” claimed the Israeli army’s Arabic-speaking spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, on X.

He added that “the Lebanese Army was supposed to clear these same areas south of the Litani River of Hezbollah terrorism, but it failed.”

“We have no choice but to act against the threat that the terrorist group Hezbollah poses to Israeli civilians,” he continued.

Israeli attacks on south Lebanon

Several Israeli airstrikes were carried out, according to our correspondent in the South on:

• Naqoura (Sour)
• Yohmor al-Shaqif (Nabatieh)
• Ali al-Taher (Nabatieh)
• Touline (Marjayoun)
• Shaqra (Bint Jbeil)
• Two on Kafra (Bint Jbeil)

An Israeli army patrol that entered the eastern neighborhood of Khiam is also demolishing several houses, according to our correspondent. The sound of explosions can be heard in nearby villages.

Israeli attacks put electricity station out of service, EDL says

Lebanon’s state electricity provider, Electricité du Liban (EDL), said Israeli strikes targeted its main power transmission network during the day, putting the main Sultanieh substation in the Bint Jbeil district out of service.

The strikes caused “the destruction of all outgoing distribution cells, damage to a power transformer, as well as to the control and protection room,” the statement said. The station is now “completely out of service.” It supplies the city of Bint Jbeil, surrounding villages, as well as Jwayya and other localities in the Sour district.

134,439 IDP's registered in government shelters

Lebanon announced that 134,439 people displaced by Israeli attacks and threats have been registered in government-run shelters since March 2.

In addition, more than 11,000 people displaced from the South, the Bekaa and Beirut’s southern suburbs have taken refuge in Akkar, according to the daily report by the disaster management unit at the prime minister's office.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted the Haifa and Ashdod refineries with missiles.

Trump says Tokyo 'really stepping up to the plate' on Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the White House on Thursday and said he believed Japan was "really stepping up to the plate" on Iran, unlike the NATO alliance.

“I believe that based on statements that were given to us yesterday, the day before yesterday, having to do with Japan, they are really stepping up to the plate ... unlike NATO," Trump said.

Trump says no troops being deployed to Iran, claims he asked Netanyahu to stop striking energy infrastructure

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he was not “deploying troops” to Iran, nearly three weeks after launching strikes alongside Israel.

“If I were, I certainly wouldn't tell you. But I'm not putting troops. We will do whatever is necessary,” the U.S. president said alongside Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the White House.

Netanyahu to hold press conference Thursday evening

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a press conference with international media at 9 p.m. Beirut time, his office said in a statement, according to Reuters.

It will be his second press conference since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran on Feb. 28.

Israeli artillery fire on Qlayaa wounds at least 1

At least one person was wounded by Israeli artillery fire on a house belonging to the Nohra family in Qlayaa, a Christian-majority village in the Marjayoun district, according to our correspondent.

Three shells hit the building, sparking a fire at the scene. Residents of the village have refused to evacuate despite Israeli threats, and on March 9, the parish priest was also killed in artillery fire.

Separately, Israeli artillery shelling targeted an area on the outskirts of Halta and Mari, in the Hasbaya district.

Oil refinery hit in northern Israel after Iranian missile fire

The Haifa oil refinery in northern Israel was hit after the Israeli army reported Iranian missile fire toward Israeli territory, local media reported, according to AFP.

Israel’s public broadcaster Kan aired footage showing a thick plume of gray smoke rising above the refinery area. In a post on X, it said no danger of hazardous material leakage had been reported.

Middle East war “threatens global food security,” WTO chief warns

The war in the Middle East poses a dire threat to global food security, the World Trade Organization chief warned on Thursday, appealing for global supply chains to remain open.

The U.S.-Israeli war in Iran "threatens global food security, since shipping disruptions and higher energy costs reduce the supply and raise the cost of fertilizer," Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told reporters in Geneva.

"A prolonged interruption in supply could ripple through food systems, prompting farmers to reduce their use of fertilisers and plant less input-intensive crops," she said, insisting it was "essential to keep global food trade channels open and predictable, allowing food supplies to flow to where they are most needed."

US and Israeli war aims in Iran differ, Gabbard says

American and Israeli objectives for the war on Iran are not the same, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on Thursday, with Israel focused on disabling Iran's leadership and U.S. President Donald Trump focused on destroying Iran's ballistic missile program and navy.

"The objectives that have been laid out by the president are different from the objectives that have been laid out by the Israeli government," Gabbard told the House intelligence committee's annual hearing on worldwide threats to the United States.

"We can see through the operations that the Israeli government has been focused on disabling the Iranian leadership. The president has stated that his objectives are to destroy Iran's ballistic missiles launching capability, their ballistic missile production capability, and their navy," she said.

Hezbollah claims several drone and rocket attacks on northern Israel

Hezbollah claimed several rocket attacks on settlements and military positions in northern Israel.

It struck Kiryat Shmona twice, where warning sirens sounded according to Israeli media.

Hezbollah also targeted the Israeli-occupied Manara position and launched drone attacks on al-Ajal Hill north of Kfar Yuval and on the new Israeli army position in Nemr al-Jamal, opposite Alma al-Shaab (Sour).

Israeli attacks kill 1 in Ansarieh, put EDL station out of service

An update on the situation in southern Lebanon, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the area:

Israeli strikes targeted

• in the Sour district: Majdal Zoun
• in the Nabatieh district: Kfar Tibnit, Zawtar Sharqieh, Sawtar Gharbieh and Ain Qana
• in the Bint Jbeil district: Ainata and Kafra
• in the Marjayoun district: Khiam

• In Deir Takla, near Ansarieh (Saida), an Israeli strike killed one person and wounded another.
• In Sultanieh (Bint Jbeil), an Israeli strike damaged an Eléctricité du Liban (EDL) power station and put it out of service.

Latest death toll from Israeli offensive on Lebanon: 1,001 killed and 2,584 injured

Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed over 1,001 people and injured 2,584 others since March 2, according to the Health Ministry.

Iran warns it will show ‘no restraint’ in event of a further attack on energy facilities

Iran will show no restraint if its energy infrastructure is targeted again, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned, following similar warnings from hardliners within the revolution and the military.

“Our response to the Israeli attack on our infrastructure has mobilized only a FRACTION of our power,” he stated on X. “NO restraint if our infrastructure is struck again.”

War in Middle East "threatens global food security," warns WHO Director-General

The war in the Middle East "threatens global food security," warned the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), calling for global supply chains to be kept open, reports AFP.

"Disruptions to maritime transport and rising energy costs are reducing supply and driving up fertilizer prices," Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told reporters in Geneva.

"A prolonged disruption to supplies could have repercussions across food systems, prompting farmers to reduce their use of fertilizers and plant crops that require fewer inputs. In these circumstances, it is essential to keep global food trade channels open and predictable, so that food reaches where it is most needed," she added.

Oman’s foreign minister accuses Washington of having ‘allowed itself to be dragged’ into the war

Oman’s foreign minister, a former mediator in talks between Iran and the United States, has accused the U.S. administration of having "allowed itself to be dragged" into the war by Israel at a time when an agreement seemed "truly possible," reports AFP.

In an opinion piece published by the British weekly The Economist, Badr al-Busaidi abandons his usual diplomatic reserve to describe the conflict as a “catastrophe.”

Washington and Tehran were “on the brink of concluding a genuine agreement” on Iran’s nuclear program over the past nine months, he writes.

Barrot meets Joseph Aoun in Baabda

The French Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noel Barrot, met with President Joseph Aoun at the Presidential Palace in Baabda.

Barrot arrived in Beirut on Thursday for a one-day visit which, according to a statement, “demonstrates France’s support and solidarity with the Lebanese people, who have been dragged into a war they did not choose.”

Barrot is also due for talks with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri.

“This visit will enable the Minister to support the Quai d’Orsay’s partners on the ground and to announce a new package of humanitarian aid to assist the Lebanese people,” the statement said.

Iranian attacks on Qatar damage 17 percent of company’s liquefied natural gas export capacity

Iranian attacks on Qatar have damaged facilities that account for 17 percent of the company’s liquefied natural gas export capacity, and it will take three to five years to repair them, QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi told Reuters in an interview.

“Never, even in my wildest dreams, would I have thought that Qatar — and the region — would be the victim of such an attack, especially from a fellow Muslim country during the month of Ramadan, attacking us in this way,” he added.

It is ‘high time’ to end this war, says Guterres, addressing US and Israel

It is "high time" to end this war in the Middle East, said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, addressing the U.S. and Israel.

“It is high time to end this war, which risks spiraling completely out of control, causing immense suffering for civilians and repercussions for the global economy,” he told the two countries on the sidelines of a European summit in Brussels, to which he had been invited.

He also sent a message to Iran: “Stop attacking your neighbors. They have never been parties to the conflict.”

Coordinated US-Israeli attack on gas field

The Israeli attack on the South Pars gas field in Iran was coordinated with the United States but is unlikely to be repeated, according to three Israeli officials, Reuters reports.

The Pentagon has no 'set timetable' for end of war on Iran

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also stated that the United States had no “set timetable” or “fixed deadline” for the end of U.S. military operations in Iran.

“We do not wish to set a specific timetable on this matter,” he said at a press conference, adding that the military operation was “well on schedule.”

“It will ultimately be up to the President to decide when we say: ‘Right, we have achieved our objectives’ ... So there is no fixed deadline,” he continued.

Hegseth makes religious appeal: asks Americans to pray for U.S. troops 'on bended knee' and 'in the name of Jesus Christ'

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says Iran had 11 submarines before the war and that they are now all gone. He adds that Iran’s military ports “are crippled.”

Hegseth once again chided the media, insisting that the Pentagon’s campaign is on track. “We’re winning decisively and on our terms,” he said.

Hegseth says Iranian missile strikes are down 90 percent and drone attacks 95 percent since the war began nearly three weeks ago. But those figures have not changed in more than a week, underscoring the resilience of the weakened Iranian regime.

“Today will be the largest strike package yet,”Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, as the United States continues to attack Iran. He said that at his last news conference almost a week ago, too.

After talking about service members who died in the Iran War, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth quickly pivoted to his usual opening topic: attacking journalists who he deems insufficiently patriotic in their coverage of the war.

Hegseth said the grieving families of the American troops killed in President Trump’s war on Iran told him on Wednesday to “finish this.” He said that the message from the families, who were at Dover Air Force Base to welcome the return of the remains of their loved ones, was that the United States should “honor their sacrifice. Do not waver. Do not stop until the job is done.”

Hegseth has also said in the past that only his boss, the president, would say when the war was over.

Reporters have gathered at the Pentagon for a news conference of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Their appearance comes as Iran has carried out retaliatory strikes after Israel targeted Iran’s South Pars gas field in a major escalation of the war.

Israeli strikes on the South: Maifdoun, Yater, and the Rihan hilltops

• Israeli strikes targeted an area between Mayfadoun and Zawtar Gharbieh, and then Mayfadoun again, in the district of Nabatieh.
• Strikes targeted Yater (Bint Jbeil) and, once again, the heights of Rihan (Jezzine).
• Artillery fire reported to have targeted Khiam and Taybeh (Marjayoun).

Hezbollah fires rockets at Israeli soldiers near Labbouneh, Sour

Hezbollah announced in a statement that it had fired rockets at Israeli soldiers occupying Lebanese territory in the Labbouneh area of the western sector.

Hezbollah also claimed responsibility for three rocket strikes on military positions across the border, at Adather, on Mount Adir, approximately two kilometers from the border opposite Rmeish.

The Tefen base, east of Akka, some twenty kilometers from the border, was also targeted, as was a “newly established” Israeli army outpost at Nemr al-Jamal, opposite Alma al-Shaab.

Israel targets a bridge in Sour for the second time; journalist injured by shrapnel from strike

Israel has carried out a second strike on the Qannayat bridge in the Qasmieh region of southern Lebanon, a site that had already been targeted on Wednesday, slightly wounding a journalist present at the scene, reports our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

Russia Today correspondent Steve Sweeney was hit by shrapnel in the hand and hospitalized. This bridge is a “secondary” route spanning the Litani River, according to our correspondent.

The Israeli army launched several strikes on bridges yesterday in order to isolate the area south of the Litani from the rest of the country and, according to them, to cut off Hezbollah’s “supply routes.”

Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz, for his part, stated that this strategy also constituted a “message” to the Lebanese government. Three bridges and crossings were bombed by Israel yesterday, in addition to two others that had been struck on March 13.

Iran reiterates to 'destroy' energy infrastructure in region should own facilities be attacked

The Iranian military has reiterated its threats to “destroy” energy infrastructure in the Middle East should there be another attack on its own facilities.

“We warn the enemy that it is making a grave mistake by attacking the energy infrastructure of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said the joint command center, Khatam Al-Anbiya, as quoted by the Fars news agency. “If this happens again, retaliation against your energy infrastructure and that of your allies will continue until they are destroyed,” it added, warning of a “far more violent response” than during the overnight attacks on sites in the Gulf.

Southern Lebanon under Israeli fire: latest updates according to our correspondent

Israel has carried out three strikes on the Hosh area in Sour earlier today, two of which hit the Mortada neighborhood.

Two Israeli strikes targeted the village of Rihan (Jezzine).

Another Israeli strike targeted Bazourieh (Sour), killing the mother and injuring the father of Nidal Jaffal, a senior official with the Al Rissala Scouts’ Civil Defense unit.

An Israeli airstrike targeted Deir Takla near Ansarieh, south of Saida, causing injuries. Another strike targeted Burj al-Shemali (Sour).

The member of the Saida Civil Defense, Fahmi Chami, who was killed in an Israeli strike on a vehicle in the town yesterday, was buried today in the presence of Civil Defense Director Imad Khreiche.

Iran calls for regional vigilance in the face of ‘destabilisation’ by US and Israel

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has called for vigilance and coordination among countries in the region to counter what he described as “destabilising actions” carried out by the US and Israel, Iranian state media reported, as cited by Reuters.

Araghchi made the comments during separate telephone calls with his counterparts in Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan. He claimed that recent US and Israeli attacks on Iranian infrastructure were aimed at escalating tensions, adding that Iran would spare no effort to defend its sovereignty and security.

Fighting in Khiam ongoing

Intense fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli troops continues in Khiam (Marjyoun), according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

Artillery fire and the sound of heavy gunfire have also been reported in the area.

Iran: MPs propose charging for passage through the Strait of Hormuz

Iranian MPs are proposing the introduction of tolls for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which lies at the heart of the stakes in the war in the Middle East, according to Iranian media reports.

“In Parliament, we are working on a plan whereby countries will have to pay fees and taxes to the Islamic Republic if the Strait of Hormuz is used as a safe route” for the transport of energy and goods, said Tehran MP Somayeh Rafiei, quoted by the ISNA news agency.

A strategic passage for the transport of hydrocarbons, this strait, which separates the Arabian Peninsula from Iran, has been largely blocked by Iran since the start of the war launched on 28 February by the United States and Israel.

War in the Middle East: Macron condemns ‘reckless escalation’

French President Emmanuel Macron has condemned a "reckless escalation" in the Middle East, where the war has spread to hydrocarbon production facilities, particularly in Qatar.

“Several ... Gulf countries have been targeted for the first time in their production facilities, in the same way that Iran had been targeted,” noted the French president, calling for “direct” talks between the Americans and Iranians on this issue.

Despite mass Israeli displacement orders, some Sour residents decide to stay.

People transported on a pick-up truck as they evacuate the coastal town of Sour in southern Lebanon on March 18, 2026. (Credit: Kawnat Haju/AFP)

On Tuesday evening, the Israeli army ordered residents of several neighborhoods in the city and its surroundings to leave to the north of the Litani River. Within hours, chaos ensued.

Read Ghadir Hamadi's full report here.

Three explosions heard in Tel Aviv following Iranian missile alert

Three explosions were heard in Tel Aviv following an Iranian missile alert, according to an AFP journalist at the scene.

The Israeli army had announced shortly before that it had “identified missiles launched from Iran towards the territory of the State of Israel” and added that air defenses had been activated to intercept them.

According to data published by the Israeli military, this missile launch from Iran is the sixth launched towards Israel since midnight.

Israel kills mother and injures father of Civil Defense paramedic called to site of strike

The mother of Civil Defense commander Nidal Jafal was killed and his father injured in the Israeli airstrike that targeted the town of Bazourieh earlier today.

Israeli army announces death of Hezbollah fighters and military buildings

Israel has stated that forces from its 36th Division and its air force have eliminated “more than 20 members” of Hezbollah over the past 24 hours.

“Five of them were killed during a ground operation and three others eliminated in an air strike,” the Israeli army announced, adding that, over the past 24 hours, the 36th Division has destroyed “dozens of military buildings” belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and seized “significant quantities of weapons, including rockets and anti-tank missiles.”

Latest developments in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa, according to our correspondents

Israel has carried out at least three air strikes on the so-called "social housing" area in Sour, according to our correspondent in the South. The first missile fired did not explode. A second strike caused casualties, according to initial reports.

Elsewhere, strikes targeted the heights of Rihan (Jezzine), and Bazourieh (Sour). Artillery fire targeted the outskirts of Arnoun (Nabatieh).

In the Bekaa Valley, a strike targeted Mashghara, in the Western Bekaa.

Fuel prices continue to rise in Lebanon

Fuel prices rose again Tuesday in Lebanon as the regional war impacts global oil prices.

The Energy and Water Ministry published new rate tables reflecting a sharp increase in fuel costs, with the price of gasoline up by 85,000 LL, or the equivalent of nearly $1.

Read more on this here.

South Lebanon: Intense fighting and relentless Israeli strikes

The Israeli army is continuing its air strikes and artillery fire on southern Lebanon, according to reports from our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

A number of air strikes have targeted Khiam since this morning, whilst others have targeted Bint Jbeil and Debbine (Marjayoun).

Israeli artillery bombing have targeted Hanine and the area around Maroun al-Ras (Bint Jbeil)

Trump threatens to target Iranian gas fields

Donald Trump has threatened to target Iranian gas fields if Tehran does not cease its attacks on Qatar, the world’s second-largest LNG exporter, which have once again sent oil prices soaring.

If Iran "recklessly decides to attack a completely innocent country, in this case Qatar," then "the United States of America, with or without the help or consent of Israel, will massively destroy the entire South Pars gas field with a force and power that Iran has never seen or known before," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

The U.S. president confirmed that Israel was behind Wednesday’s attack on the Iranian section of this offshore gas field in the Persian Gulf, the other part of which is operated by Qatar.

The United States “knew nothing” of this attack, Trump assured. However, according to Axios, citing U.S. and Israeli officials, the Israeli strike against the Iranian gas field had been coordinated with the White House, which had approved it.

The South Pars field is the world’s largest known gas reserve and is located in the port city of Kangan.

Read more on this here.

Saudi Arabia ‘reserves right’ to respond militarily to Iran

Saudi Arabia has said it "reserves the right" to respond militarily to Iran, which regularly targets the country with drones and missiles.

“We reserve the right to take military action if necessary,” said its Foreign Minister, Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, stressing that “the Kingdom will not bow to pressure; on the contrary, such pressure will backfire on those who exert it.”

The Iraqi Kataeb Hezbollah vow not to attack US embassy on condition Israel ceases its attacks on southern suburbs of Beirut

The Kataeb Hezbollah (Iraq) has pledged not to attack the U.S. embassy and has stated that one of its conditions is an end to airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Kataeb Hezbollah, an influential pro-Iranian Iraqi armed group, pledged early on Thursday morning to cease its attacks on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad for five days, whilst setting out a series of conditions.

“The secretary-general of Kataeb Hezbollah has ordered a halt to targeting the U.S. embassy in Baghdad for five days,” a statement said. The text lists several conditions: firstly, “to prevent the Zionist entity from bombing the [southern] suburbs of Beirut.”

But also a commitment from the adversaries — who are not named — “not to bomb residential areas in Baghdad or in the Iraqi provinces.”

Whenever “the enemy fails to respect” this truce, “the response will be immediate,” the group warns, “with an escalation in the intensity of strikes after the end of the five-day period.”

Hezbollah strikes Israeli military positions and villages near border

In addition to its attacks on Israeli advances in the Taybeh region, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for several attacks on northern Israel overnight. It said it targeted:

• at 3.00 am, 3.30 am and 4.20 am, Kiryat Shmona, with rockets.
• at 4.25 am, Misgav Am, with rockets.
• at 1.10 am, Israeli soldiers at the Khirbet al-Manara outpost, opposite Houla, with rockets.

A hospital in Nabatieh condemned an Israeli airstrike that caused damage to several of its wards

At around 1am, the management of the Sheikh Ragheb Harb University Hospital in Toul, on the outskirts of Nabatieh, condemned an Israeli attack that struck a neighboring building and caused ‘significant damage’ to several of its departments, notably its intensive care unit.

Several people, including patients and staff, suffered from smoke inhalation, the hospital reported, adding that it would continue to fulfill its mission “despite the circumstances.”

Israeli night-time air strikes on southern Lebanon: buildings destroyed near Tyre and Bint Jbeil

Israel also carried out several night-time air strikes across Lebanon's South, notably on:

• Sharqieh (Nabatieh), where an entire building was destroyed and several neighboring houses were damaged.
• The Jabbour heights (Jezzine) and the Berghoz valley in the neighboring district of Hasbaya.
• Shaqra (Bint Jbeil), destroying a residential apartment block.
• Burj al-Shemali, east of Sour.

Taybeh, 4 kms from Blue Line, at heart of night-time fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli troops

Intense clashes involving automatic weapons and rocket fire took place overnight between Hezbollah and Israeli troops in the village of Taybeh (Marjayoun) located four kilometers from the Blue Line. The Israeli army, which has been attempting to enter the village for several days, is also carrying out air strikes and artillery fire there.

Claiming responsibility for several attacks during these clashes, Hezbollah said it had destroyed six Israeli Merkava tanks since midnight, near the hamlet of Baydar al-Faqaani, north of the town, using guided missiles. According to Hezbollah, this is the “third time in a week” that the Israeli army has attempted to advance into this area.

The Israelis also attempted to advance towards the neighboring village of Deir Siryan (Marjayoun), but their advance was repelled and five Merkava tanks were destroyed, according to Hezbollah, which claims that soldiers “fled” the area and that helicopters were dispatched to evacuate the wounded under heavy fire. According to local and security sources cited by our correspondent in the South, Israeli helicopters were observed in the area overnight firing machine guns.

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