Israel strikes Hebbarieh; Netanyahu, Katz visit 'buffer zone' in south Lebanon | LIVE

Man injured by Israeli strike in Saksakieh before cease-fire succumbs to his injuries

Khodor Younes, who was injured in the last Israeli strike on Saksakieh (Saida) before the cease-fire, succumbed to his wounds, reports our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

Joe Issa al-Khoury says Lebanon, Iran engaged in 'implicit power struggle'

In an interview with Asharq Business, Industry Minister Joe Issa al-Khoury said Lebanon and Iran are engaged in "an implicit power struggle," arguing that Iran's intervention in Lebanese affairs has become clear and direct and is primarily aimed at preserving Hezbollah's weapons.

"The Iranians want the party to remain a means of exerting pressure on Israel, while the Lebanese state's objective is to recover its weapons in order to extend its legitimate authority over the entire national territory, as the sole holder of the decision on war and peace," he said.

"To preserve the security of its borders with Lebanon, Israel is demanding that Hezbollah hand over its weapons to the Lebanese Army," he added.

"It is regrettable that there is a convergence between the objectives of the Israel and those of the Lebanese state, which are opposed to those of a state supposedly friendly to Lebanon, namely Iran," he said.

Khoury concluded by saying that "the security annex of the agreement signed in Washington defines the framework under which the areas controlled by Israel will be handed over to the Lebanese Army, in coordination with the United States, which will act as an observer and mediator between the Israel and the Lebanese Army."

Israeli blasts in Markaba

The Israeli occupation army carried out blasts in the town of Markaba (Marjayoun), the sounds of which were heard in neighboring towns.

Israeli artillery strikes in Hebbarieh

Israeli artillery launched three missiles at the forest in the town of Hebbarieh (Hasbaya), reports our correspondent in the South.

Man killed in Wadi Hujeir under unclear circumstances

Touline Mayor Said Moussa told our correspondent in the South that a man was killed in the Wadi Hujeir valley about two hours ago. It remains unclear whether an Israeli drone targeted him or unexploded ordnance from the war struck him.

According to the mayor, the man had crossed an earthen barrier erected by the Lebanese Army at the entrance to the valley on his motorcycle because of security risks and requirements. His body has not yet been recovered, and the necessary formalities and procedures are underway. The mayor said he did not know why the victim had traveled to the valley by motorcycle.

US, GCC impose new sanctions on Hezbollah, including al-Qard al-Hassan

Member states of the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC) announced in a statement that they have imposed sanctions on several "key Hezbollah infrastructures."

The sanctions target five entities and 16 individuals, including Hezbollah's main financial institutions, al-Qard al-Hassan and Bayt al-Mal, as well as their senior leaders.

"These coordinated measures underscore the shared commitment of TFTC members to disrupt Hezbollah's ability to exploit the international financial system. All of the individuals and entities targeted today had already been sanctioned by the United States," the statement said.

The TFTC was established in 2017 and includes the United States and the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Netanyahu: 'We will not leave southern Lebanon until the threat is eliminated'

"We will not leave southern Lebanon until the threat is eliminated. As long as armed Hezbollah is present and threatening us, we will stay," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said while visiting Israeli occupation forces in the "buffer zone" in southern Lebanon.

According to Netanyahu, the Israeli occupation army "has eliminated 9,000 Hezbollah terrorists, including hundreds in recent weeks."

"Hezbollah had 150,000 missiles and rockets, the highest concentration of missiles and rockets in the world. Today, it has about 8% left," he added.

"The core of our action — and this is what you are doing here — has been to create buffer zones, security zones, not on our side of the border, but on theirs," Netanyahu told soldiers. The areas controlled by the Israeli occupation army represent "a paradigm shift," he added.

"Everything, above and below ground, that they have used to attack us — infiltration routes, terrorist tunnels, terrorist villages — all of it will be destroyed. The order is clear: Leave nothing behind."

"Defend yourselves first. If you identify a threat to your security, to your lives, or to your soldiers, act," he told Israeli occupation forces.

"Lebanon recognizes Israel, Israel recognizes Lebanon, and they tell Iran and Hezbollah: 'Leave here, you have no business here.'"

"These are two sovereign states that wish to make peace, restore security and prosperity for the inhabitants of the North and for all Lebanese," Netanyahu added.

Netanyahu, Katz visit southern Lebanon, Israeli media report

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz visited southern Lebanon on Tuesday, according to Israeli media. Details of the visit are expected to be released later.

The visit comes as dozens of villages remain under Israeli occupation.

Lebanon: Israeli attacks have killed 4,278, wounded 12,196 between March 2 and June 30

The Lebanese Health Ministry released an updated toll for Israeli attacks in Lebanon, reporting 4,278 people killed and 12,196 wounded between March 2 and June 30, an increase of 21 injuries compared with Monday's figures.

Syria: Daraa countryside residents block roads to halt Israeli occupation army advance

Residents of the Syrian villages of Maariya and al-Arida, in the Hawd al-Yarmouk area of the western Daraa countryside, blocked roads to halt the advance of Israeli occupation forces, Lebanese media reported.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Israeli occupation forces stationed west of Maariya opened fire yesterday on young demonstrators gathered near the site as they attempted to impede the forces' advance toward Hawd al-Yarmouk.

In recent days, Israeli occupation forces have carried out new incursions into southern Syria amid tensions near the Golan Heights that have forced residents to flee temporarily. The Israeli occupation army said Sunday that it had killed "several armed terrorists" in the area the previous day.

Israel targets Beit Yahoun with artillery strikes

Israeli occupation forces fired artillery shells at Beit Yahoun (Bint Jbeil) and opened fire with medium machine guns on the locality, our correspondent in southern Lebanon reports.

South Lebanon: Israeli occupation army sets fire to houses in Beit Yahoun, opens fire in Majdal Zoun, Aita al-Jabal

Israeli occupation forces set fire to houses in the town of Beit Yahoun (Bint Jbeil) in southern Lebanon, our correspondent reports. They also fired medium machine guns in Majdal Zoun (Sour), where they dropped a stun grenade.

An Israeli occupation army helicopter dropped a stun grenade on the outskirts of Aita al-Jabal, near Haddatha (Bint Jbeil), targeting tanker truck drivers drawing water from a spring. No injuries were reported.

A fragmentation bomb, a remnant of the war, exploded near a house in the town of Touline (Marjayoun) but did not cause any injuries.

Iran says it will respond to any violation of memorandum of understanding by US

Iran said it will systematically respond to any U.S. violation of the memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war, following renewed exchanges of strikes over the weekend that weakened the truce.

“No action will go unanswered. As the powerful Iranian armed forces have demonstrated, any act of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran will be met with an immediate response,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said, according to AFP.

Iran expected to hold talks in Qatar on frozen assets on Wednesday, Qatar says

Iran will “likely” hold discussions in Qatar on Wednesday regarding its frozen assets, the Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said.

He added that no direct talks are scheduled in the coming days in Doha, where Washington has sent envoys for meetings with mediators.

Both sides had announced the dispatch of officials to Qatar to advance discussions following the mid-June signing of a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war across the Middle East on all fronts, including Lebanon.

“Mr. Steve Witkoff and Mr. Jared Kushner are here in Doha to meet mediators and Qatari officials, and the discussions will cover the full range of regional issues … including, of course, negotiations with Iran, but also Lebanon,” al-Ansari said. “They are not here for their negotiations with the Iranians,” he added.

He stressed that “no direct meeting is scheduled between the two sides in the coming days,” nor any “high-level meeting.”

On the Iranian side, he said a “technical delegation is traveling back and forth to Doha depending on the progress of negotiations. There is currently no high-level delegation on site.”

The technical discussions cover nuclear issues, economic matters, state performance and security, al-Ansari said.

Iranian diplomacy reiterates position on ending the war in Lebanon

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei reaffirmed that Tehran remains committed to ending the war in Lebanon, according to Aljazeera.

Speaking to the press, he said that “the United States’ commitment to ending the war on all fronts, particularly in Lebanon, is essential, in accordance with the first paragraph of the memorandum of understanding.”

He added: “The United States must respect its commitments and, if necessary, compel the Zionist regime to implement its own. The text of the memorandum is our benchmark for assessing U.S. compliance with its obligations.”

US envoys will not meet Iranian officials in Doha, Qatar says

A spokesperson for Qatar's Foreign Ministry said U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have arrived in Doha but will not hold direct meetings with Iranian officials.

Instead, the two envoys will meet with mediators to discuss the progress of negotiations over the memorandum of understanding signed between Washington and Tehran.

The spokesperson also said that the $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets due to be released under the agreement has not yet been transferred to Tehran.

Southern Lebanon: Israeli armored vehicles movements near Kfar Shuba

Several Israeli tanks were observed moving in the Shmeis area on the outskirts of the village of Kfar Shuba (Hasbaya district), our correspondent reported.

US envoy Steve Witkoff heads to Doha for talks with Iran

White House special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff departed Monday evening for Qatar, where a round of talks on the memorandum of understanding is set to take place at Iran’s request, CNN reported.

Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the upcoming meeting between Washington and Tehran in Doha would be “perhaps important, perhaps not.”

Iran to send 'expert delegation' to Doha this week

Tehran said late on Monday that an “expert delegation” will travel to Doha this week to discuss the implementation of the memorandum of understanding signed on June 17 with the United States, including Iranian oil exports and frozen Iranian assets.

“In this framework, an expert delegation from the Islamic Republic will travel to Doha later this week,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said at a press briefing, as Qatar — along with Pakistan — mediates talks between the two sides.

Earlier on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said Iranian authorities had “requested a meeting” to be held on Tuesday in Doha. Baghaei stressed that “in the coming days, we will not negotiate with the American side, at any level.”

Israeli drone disrupts 'calm morning' in southern Lebanon

After a "calm morning," an Israeli drone launched a stun grenade on the village of Brasheet (Bint Jbeil district) shortly before 9 a.m., according to our correspondent in south Lebanon.

Earlier in the night, Israeli forces in southern Lebanon demolished buildings in Markaba (Marjayoun district) around 9 p.m., and in Haddatha (Bint Jbeil district) around 1 a.m. Israeli airstrikes also hit the nearby villages of Qantara and Deir Siryan (Marjayoun district) at around 10 p.m. and 1:30 a.m.

Funerals for 19 Hezbollah fighters scheduled for Tuesday in southern Lebanon

Funerals for several Hezbollah fighters killed during the war will be held today in two villages near the area occupied by Israel in southern Lebanon.

Eight of them will be buried in Mahrouna (Sour district), while 11 others will be laid to rest in Shaqra (Bint Jbeil).

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the news in Lebanon, where the authorities have committed to implementing the framework agreement signed with Israel, which provides for the withdrawal from two “pilot zones” in the South, despite Hezbollah’s opposition.

We will also be following developments in the region, particularly in Iran and the Gulf countries, where diplomacy appears to be back on the agenda following exchanges of strikes between Tehran and Washington over the weekend.

Catch up on yesterday's live coverage here, and in our Morning Brief here.