Israel issues two warnings targeting buildings in Sour and its suburbs
At 10:40 p.m., the Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesperson issued an evacuation order designating two buildings: one located in the city of Sour and the other in Abbasieh, in its outskirts in south Lebanon.
Hezbollah reports its 16th attack of the day
Hezbollah said its 16th attack of the day involved launching an attack drone at 7:55 p.m. against a gathering of Israeli army soldiers in Naqoura.
Israel bombs outskirts of Zawtar Sharqieh
Israeli warplanes struck the outskirts of Zawtar Sharqieh, in the Nabatieh district, according to our correspondent in south Lebanon.
Hezbollah launches new attacks on Israeli army in Bayyada and Naqoura
Hezbollah issued new statements reporting attacks on Israeli forces, saying it fired a salvo of rockets at 6:50 p.m. targeting a gathering of soldiers in Bayyada, then launched an attack drone at 7:40 p.m. against another Israeli force positioned in Naqoura.
Israeli army continues to shell other villages and towns in south Lebanon, including in the Saida district
Over the past hour and a half, Israeli artillery has struck Seddiqin (Sour district), Qaaqaaiyet al-Jisr, Adchit al-Qusayr, Nabatieh al-Fawqa, Jebsheet, Zawtar Sharqieh and Mayfadoun (Nabatieh), while airstrikes have hit Srifa, Deir Qanoun al-Nahr, Chhour (Sour), Kafra (Bint Jbeil), and Marwanieh (Saida).
Hezbollah released a new series of statements since 7 p.m., reporting further attacks on Israeli positions in south Lebanon and northern Israel
The group said it fired an initial salvo of rockets at a newly established Israeli army command center in the Lebanese village of Bayyada, followed by a second at 4:05 p.m. targeting a group Israeli soldiers in the Deir Hanna area, south of the same village.
At 5:40 p.m., another gathering of soldiers was targeted, this time with a “heavy missile.” Still in Bayyada, Hezbollah said it again struck a newly established Israeli command center at 6:20 p.m. with a rocket barrage.
The group also claimed that, at 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., it launched a drone and a salvo of rockets at the Israeli locality of Misgav Am, where sirens had sounded earlier in the day. The rockets targeted a group of soldiers, while the drone struck what it described as an Israeli army “communications unit.”
At 4 p.m., a Merkava tank was reportedly targeted in Markaba, in south Lebanon, by a drone. Then, at 4:30 p.m., the Marj site was also targeted.
Burj Rahhal bombed by Israeli army
The village of Burj Rahhal, which had been targeted by an evacuation order from the Israeli army, was struck several times by Israeli warplanes, according to our correspondent in south Lebanon. Ambulances rushed to the site and several wounded were evacuated.
'The nuclear issue is not being discussed at this stage' in the negotiations, Iranian diplomacy said.
“The differences between Iran and the United States are deep and significant,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei, adding that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is currently holding talks with a Qatari delegation.
According to Iran’s official news agency IRNA, Baghaei stated that “details related to the nuclear issue are not being discussed at this stage” in the negotiations. He also said it is too early to expect a quick outcome, stressing that “diplomacy takes time.”
President Trump says Iran is ‘dying to make a deal’
“We have the greatest military in the world,” he said, referencing campaigns in Venezuela and “what we’ve done in Iran.” Donald Trump said speaking live at the White House.
“Iran is dying to make a deal, we’ll see what happens. But we hit them hard, and we had no choice because Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. They cannot have it.”
Israeli airstrikes and shelling hit southern Lebanon
Israeli air forces bombed the villages of Srifa (Sour) and Braasheet (Bint Jbeil), according to our correspondent. Artillery fire also targeted Sedqin (Sour).
Israel orders evacuation of a village in south Lebanon
At 7:20 p.m., the Israeli army spokesperson issued a forced evacuation order for the village of Burj Rahal, north of Sour.
Israeli artillery shelling targets towns in the Bint Jbeil and Sour districts
Artillery shelling targeted the town of Hadatha towards Rshaf and Ghandourieh (all located in Bint Jbeil.) an airstrike targeted Ghandourieh afterwards. Israeli artillery shelling also targeted the town of Hanniah (Sour.)
Hezbollah targets Israeli soldiers, command center in Bayyada
Hezbollah said it targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers in the Deir Hanna area, south of the town of Bayyada (Sour), with a rocket barrage. It also targeted a newly established command center of the Israeli army in Bayyada with a rocket barrage.
For its part, the Israeli army said on X that it had intercepted two “suspicious aerial targets launched from Lebanese territory” during earlier alerts.
Hezbollah targets Branit barracks, Raheb site, in northern Israel
Hezbollah said it targeted, in two attacks, an Iron Dome platform at the Branit barracks and a gathering of Israeli soldiers, in northern Israel, using an Ababil attack drone.
The party also said it targeted an armored personnel carrier belonging to the Israeli army at the Raheb site, opposite Aita al-Shaab (Bint Jbeil) using a suicide Ababil drone.
Earlier, the Israeli army reported on X that sirens had been triggered again — the fifth time today — indicating a suspected drone incursion into northern Israel.
Israeli strike in Tibnin causes damage to governmental hospital in the town
- An Israeli airstrike targeted Tibnin (Bint Jbeil), causing damage to the Tibnin Governmental Hospital, our correspondent in the south reported.
- An Israeli airstrike targeted Masouri (Sour.
Pakistan army chief heads to Iran
Several security sources told AFP that Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is traveling to Iran.
“[Field Marshal] Munir departed today for an official visit during which he will hold meetings with Iranian leaders,” the sources said.
Iranian, Japanese FMs hold call to discuss situation in Middle East
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Japan’s Toshimitsu Motegi held a phone conversation today, according to Araghchi’s official Telegram account.
A brief statement said the call was held “to discuss bilateral issues and the latest regional and international developments.”
According to the U.S. think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies, Japan relies heavily on imports to meet more than 85% of its energy consumption, particularly oil from the Middle East.
Last year, the region accounted for 94% of Japan’s crude oil imports — mainly from the United Arab Emirates (43%) and Saudi Arabia (39%) — despite decades of efforts to reduce this dependence following the Arab oil embargoes of the 1970s.
Israeli strikes hit Nabatieh and several localities in Bint Jbeil and Sour districts
Israeli fighter jets struck a building in the Bayyad neighborhood of the city of Nabatieh.
Airstrikes also targeted Froun, Kafra (Bint Jbeil), and Majdal Zoun (Sour).
Qatar sends negotiators to Tehran in coordination with Washington
Qatar has dispatched a negotiating team to Tehran, in coordination with the United States, to help secure an agreement aimed at ending the war with Iran, Reuters reported, citing a source.
Israeli explosion in Chahin, artillery shelling targets Tibnin and Hariss
- A major Israeli explosion was reported in the town of Chahin, near Sour.
- Artillery shelling also targeted the towns of Tibnin and Hariss in the Bint Jbeil District.
Hezbollah claims first attack of the day targeting Israeli artillery position in Lebanon
Hezbollah said it carried out its first attack of the day using an “exploding drone” against an Israeli artillery position set up in Adaisseh, on Lebanese territory, in the eastern sector of south Lebanon.
Death toll from Israeli attacks in Lebanon rises to 3,111, with 9,432 wounded
The health ministry said the cumulative toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon between March 2 and May 22 has reached 3,111 people killed and 9,432 wounded.
In the past 24 hours, 22 people were killed and 35 others injured.
Israeli strikes continue to target the districts of Nabatieh and Sour
An Israeli drone strike hit Kfar Tibnit, in the Nabatieh district. Israeli aviation also carried out strikes on Deir Debaal, Mansouri, and Zibqine, in the Sour district.
Meanwhile, two people were injured in an airstrike earlier in the day in Ain Baal (Sour), according to our correspondent in the South.
Israeli army says it killed 5 Hezbollah fighters after tracking them entering command post
The Israeli army said its forces from the 551st Combat Brigade, under the 146th Division, identified five Hezbollah fighters on Thursday as they entered a command headquarters belonging to the group, north of the so-called “yellow line” marking Israel’s buffer zone in southern Lebanon, without specifying the exact location.
“In a swift operation,” Israeli forces directed the air force, which struck the building and “eliminated” the fighters, according to the statement.
Two killed in Israeli drone strikes on Tibnin and Nabatieh
The Israeli drone strike that targeted a motorcycle in Tibnin, in the Bint Jbeil district, has killed its rider, Ali Ibrahim Fawaz, who succumbed to his injuries. Another drone strike targeting a pickup truck in the Nabatieh souks killed one person and wounded two others, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes carried out several airstrikes in the Sour district, targeting Qleileh, Debaal and Zibqine, as well as a building in the Fawaz complex in Jwayya. Israeli artillery shelling also targeted Siddiqine.
In the Marjayoun district, another Israeli strike hit Touline.
Marco Rubio says 'slight progress' in talks with Iran
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at a press conference in Helsingborg, Sweden, where he is attending a NATO meeting, that there has been “some slight progress” toward a deal with Iran, while stressing that he does not want to “exaggerate” the developments.
“There’s been a little bit of movement and that’s good,” he said. The U.S. secretary of state reiterated that “the fundamentals remain the same: Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” adding that Washington must also address the issue of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile.
He also said that “one of the key issues in the negotiations concerns Iran’s position on the Strait of Hormuz.”
According to Rubio, Tehran is trying to set up a "tolling system” and is seeking to convince Oman to join the arrangement. “There is not a country in the world that should accept that,” he added.
Death toll from double strike on Deir Qanoun al-Nahr rises to 6
The toll from the double drone strike on Deir Qanoun al-Nahr, in the Sour district, has risen to six after the death of engineer and paramedic Hussein Reda Kassir, who succumbed to his injuries, according to our correspondent.
The victims now include three paramedics, one Lebanese civilian (the village barber), and two Syrian nationals, including a young girl.
Drone strike hits motorbike in Tibnin, seriously injuring rider
An Israeli drone strike targeted a scooter in Tibnin, in the Bint Jbeil district, seriously injuring its rider, who was transferred to the government hospital for treatment, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli army also carried out a raid on Hanouiyeh in the Sour district. The village had already been struck overnight, when two rescue centers affiliated with Hezbollah were hit, killing four people.
Lebanese press photographers’ syndicate pays tribute to photojournalist Ahmad Hariri killed in Deir Qanoun al-Nahr
The Lebanese Press Photographers’ Syndicate has mourned photojournalist Ahmad Hariri, who was “killed while carrying out his professional and humanitarian duty” in an Israeli strike on Deir Qanoun al-Nahr in southern Lebanon.
In a statement, the syndicate said Hariri had recently become a member. It added that it “bows in respect to his sacrifice and that of his fellow journalists who have fallen” in the south.
The syndicate also called on journalists to “remain vigilant and exercise caution in the performance of their professional duties amid the ongoing Israeli aggression.”
UAE officials see '50-50' chance of Iran–US deal on Strait of Hormuz
A senior Emirati official has estimated at “50-50” the chances of the United States and Iran reaching an agreement that opens the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian officials “have missed many opportunities in recent years due to a tendency to overestimate their leverage,” said Anwar Gargash, senior adviser to the UAE president, speaking in Prague at the Globsec security conference. “I hope they do not repeat that mistake this time.”
Health Ministry condemns deadly Israeli strikes on rescue workers in southern Lebanon
The Lebanese Health Ministry said that “less than two days after Lebanon secured, by a qualified majority at the World Health Organization (WHO) General Assembly, a resolution aimed at protecting medical personnel in Lebanon, the Israeli enemy continued its flagrant violation of international resolutions,” by targeting “unarmed rescue workers with significant military force.”
Death toll from double strike on Deir Qanoun al-Nahr rises to five
Israeli strikes on Deir Qanoun al-Nahr, in the Sour district, have killed five, according to our correspondent.
In addition to the two paramedics killed, the drone strike also killed the lives of two Syrian nationals, including a young girl, as well as the village barber, Ali Alameh.
According to local sources, he had remained in the village and was offering free shaves and haircuts to residents who had refused to leave the area.
Series of drone strikes across southern Lebanon, no casualties reported
Israeli drones carried out a series of strikes across southern Lebanon, successively targeting an area between Ansar and Zrarieh (Saida district), the city of Nabatieh, and, in two separate strikes, the main road in Deir Qanoun al-Nahr.
No casualties have been reported so far.
Two paramedics killed in double Israeli strike on Deir Qanoun al-Nahr
Photographer and rescue worker Ahmad Hariri, killed by Israel in Deir Qanoun al-Nahr. (Credit: Mountasser Abdallah/L'Orient Today)
Two paramedics from the Islamic Mission Scouts Association (Rissala, affiliated with the Amal Movement) were killed in an Israeli drone strike on Deir Qanoun al-Nahr, in the Sour district, according to our correspondent. The paramedics were reportedly heading to the site of an earlier attack in the village when they were struck. Four other people were injured.
Earlier in the night, four paramedics from the Islamic Health Committee (affiliated with Hezbollah) had also been killed in an airstrike on two of the organization’s centers in Hanouiyeh, also in the Sour district.
Iran deal: Washington hopeful of progress as diplomatic efforts intensify
Washington has expressed hope that diplomatic efforts could lead to progress toward an agreement to end the war with Iran, and said it is awaiting the arrival of a Pakistani mediator in Tehran.
“I believe the Pakistanis will be traveling to Tehran today, so hopefully that will advance this further,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday before arriving in Sweden for a NATO meeting on Friday. He also said that progress had been made in the negotiations.
U.S. President Donald Trump had described the situation the previous day as “right on the borderline,” between a deal and a resumption of hostilities.
According to the Isna news agency and other media outlets, Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir is expected in Iran to continue discussions with Iranian officials, though Islamabad has not confirmed sending an envoy.
Pakistan has stepped up its mediation efforts in recent days: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has travelled to Tehran twice, carrying the latest U.S. proposal, which Iranian authorities say they are reviewing. However, the Islamic Republic has reiterated its demands, including the unfreezing of Iranian assets abroad and an end to the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, and has said it will “never bow to intimidation.”
The Revolutionary Guards have also threatened to expand the war “far beyond the region.”
Nighttime demolitions in Khiam, air strikes on Bint Jbeil, Nabatieh districts
In addition to these incidents, the night was marked by three explosions heard in Khiam (Marjayoun district), an airstrike on Kafra, as well as two further strikes and artillery fire on Yater (Bint Jbeil district).
Early this morning, an Israeli drone also fired a missile at Harouf, in the Nabatieh district.
Despite a nominal cease-fire that came into effect on April 17, Israel continues its bombardments in southern Lebanon, where it says it is fighting Hezbollah.
Since the start of the conflict and up to May 21, the Health Ministry has reported 3,089 killed and 9,397 wounded in ongoing Israeli attacks in Lebanon.
Israel, for its part, has announced the death of 22 soldiers.
On Thursday, the intensity of Israeli bombardments slightly eased compared with previous weeks. Israeli airstrikes targeted 10 villages, carried out three drone strikes, and artillery fire targeted 14 localities.
Hezbollah, for its part, claimed 16 attacks on Israeli military targets in southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
Israeli army kills 2 'armed men' near border on Lebanese territory
The Israeli army said early Friday that it had “struck and eliminated” in an air strike two “armed individuals who were moving suspiciously in southern Lebanon, a few hundred meters from Israeli territory,” in a post on X.
Following the strike, the Israeli army said it carried out a “search operation” and found no evidence of additional suspects in the area.
The Israeli forces, which occupy a “buffer zone” of more than 600 square kilometers inside Lebanese territory along the border, said no further threats were detected in the sector.
Four paramedics killed in Israeli strikes on Islamic Health Committee centers in Sour district
On Thursday night into Friday, Israeli airstrikes targeted two centers of the Islamic Health Committee in Hanouiyeh (Sour district), killing four paramedics and injuring two others, our correspondent reported.
The toll brings the number of health workers killed to 120 and the number of injured to 265 in Israeli attacks in Lebanon since March 2, when Hezbollah entered the regional conflict alongside Iran.
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage. We will be following developments in Lebanon, where Israel continues to violate the cease-fire and Hezbollah carries out retaliatory attacks.
We will also be tracking regional developments, including in Iran, as Pakistan has stepped up its mediation efforts in recent days.
➡️ You can catch up on yesterday's live coverage here, and read the Morning Brief here.
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