Israeli drone strikes on Mansouri injure 5, 'no withdrawal from Lebanon, neither by Friday nor afterward,' says Smotrich | LIVE

Israeli drone strikes injure 5

Two Israeli drone strikes on Mansouri (Sour district) injured five people, our correspondent reported.

A third Israeli drone strike hit Braasheet (Bint Jbeil).

Israeli soldiers also opened fire on a car in Kfar Shuba (Hasbaya).

'We will remain in south Lebanon,' Smotrich says

Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Tuesday in an interview with Israeli broadcaster Channel 14 that Israel had no intention of withdrawing from south Lebanon despite the announcement of a new cease-fire.

"There will be no withdrawal from Lebanon, neither by Friday nor afterward. We will remain in south Lebanon and strengthen our presence there," he said. "As long as Hezbollah has not been disarmed, we will stay there for the long term, for as long as necessary, while preserving the army's full freedom of action."

The far-right minister made the remarks ahead of the signing on Friday in Switzerland of the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States, which provides for "the immediate and permanent end of the war on all fronts, including Lebanon."

Smotrich also said Israel now occupies nearly 70% of the Gaza Strip, where it has expanded the route of the "yellow line" demarcating the occupied area.

"Gaza is in ruins. There will be no reconstruction without demilitarization. We are currently preparing several plans because we must annihilate Hamas," he claimed.

He also highlighted growing differences between Tel Aviv and Washington over whether to continue the war against Iran. "There are real disagreements between the United States and us at the moment. The challenge is how to manage this crisis while remaining firm. We must know how not to break the rope while remaining firm," he said.

Israeli artillery fire resumes in Nabatieh and Jezzine districts

Sporadic Israeli artillery fire continued on Kfar Tibnit and Nabatieh Fawqa (Nabatieh district). Shells notably struck the area surrounding the teachers' training institute in the city of Nabatieh.

Israeli artillery also targeted the Jabal Rafih area on the heights of Aramta (Jezzine district).

Israeli attacks at dawn hit near hospital, charity

At 6:30 a.m., an Israeli booby-trapped drone crashed in an open area near the Hussein Taleb restaurant in Ansarieh, in the Saida district, causing only material damage.

Earlier, around 5 a.m., Israeli artillery struck the vicinity of the Nabih Berri Governmental Hospital in Nabatieh, hitting, among other sites, the building of the Taqaddom al-Mara charitable association.

Israeli troops withdraw south of Khiam

Israeli forces carried out another ground movement in Khiam, in the Marjayoun district, before withdrawing toward Sarda and Amra, south of the town.

Local sources said the maneuver could form part of a broader redeployment of Israeli troops in the area.

Iranian tankers cross US blockade zone, according to TankerTrackers

Iranian oil tankers crossed the area covered by the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports, which had been in place for about two months, maritime tracking website TankerTrackers reported, ahead of the signing of an agreement between Tehran and Washington on Friday.

"At least two National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) VLCC supertankers (...) have exited the U.S. Navy blockade perimeter carrying a combined total of 3.8 million barrels of Iranian crude oil between them," the site wrote on X, later reporting that a third Iranian tanker had also crossed.

"These are Iran's first crude oil exports in two months," it added.

TankerTrackers said it analyzed the vessels' AIS transponder signals and cross-checked them Tuesday with satellite imagery.

Heavy fighting between Israeli army and Hezbollah south of Nabatieh

Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters clashed intensely during the early morning hours around the strategic Ali Taher hill southeast of Nabatieh, where Israeli forces continue trying to advance under heavy air and artillery support.

Israeli forces bombarded the area throughout the night and targeted the neighboring localities of Nabatieh Fawqa, Kfar Tibnit, Kfar Joz, Kfar Roummane, Mayfadoun, and Habboush.

According to information relayed by our correspondent, Hezbollah has so far repelled these attempts to advance, notably by using guided missiles against Merkava tanks and Israeli military vehicles.

Iranian military threatens 'severe response' to Israeli attacks on Lebanon

Iran's military threatened a "severe response" to Israeli strikes on south Lebanon despite the announcement of an agreement between the United States and the Islamic Republic aimed at ending the war, according to state media.

"If the child-killing army of the Zionist regime does not put an end to its aggression in south Lebanon, it should expect a severe response from the powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran," the Khatam al-Anbiya armed forces command said in a statement carried by state television IRIB.

According to the command, Israel has violated the cease-fire in Lebanon 84 times since the agreement was announced on Monday.

Israeli attacks kill 6 despite truce

Israeli strikes on four different towns in south Lebanon killed six people yesterday, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the South, despite an ongoing cease-fire, as thousands of displaced residents continued to return home. An unexploded munition killed a seventh person.

Israeli artillery targeted seven localities, all in the Nabatieh district. Israeli forces continued shelling the area intermittently overnight and into the early morning hours.

G7 leaders welcome Iran-US agreement

G7 leaders issued a joint statement welcoming the agreement between Iran and the United States to end the regional war and said they are ready to contribute to its implementation.

Good morning. Thank you for joining today's live coverage of the fragile cease-fires in Lebanon and Iran, and the events in the region.