Israel demolishes Mansouri water reservoi; Ghalibaf says Hormuz will remain closed until US honors deal | LIVE

Israeli soldiers continue operations in south Lebanon

The Israeli army fired machine guns toward Haddatha and Aita al-Jabal, in the Bint Jbeil district, according to our correspondent.

It also set fire to a villa on the outskirts of Zawtar Sharqieh, in the Nabatieh district.

Ezzeddine says Hezbollah would not abandon Ali Taher heights

Hezbollah MP Hassan Ezzeddine said that his party will not abandon the Ali Taher heights and "will confront any act of aggression," in an interview with Sputnik relayed by the state-run National News Agency.

The Israeli army has been dropping explosives on these heights almost daily basis. Many media reports suggest the Israeli army might prepare for a larger operation to take over this strategic location.

"Ali Taher is one of the Resistance’s key positions," Ezzedine said, adding that the "Resistance would fullfill its national duty if Israel attacked the site." The MP noted that if assistance comes from Iran in this context, this would be an added source of strength, adding that Iran "may establish a new equation regarding Ali Taher."

Ezzeddine also said that the framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel signed in late June is worthless, noting that the “anger in the streets exists and is ongoing, but using it is awaiting the appropriate time and circumstances.”

Regarding the relationship between Hezbollah and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, Ezzeddine said that “a convergence of Hezbollah and Syria's intentions, along with the assessment of the two leaderships and the political circumstances, could translate into a meeting between the two sides.”

Israel demolishes water reservoir supplying Mansouri

The Israeli army demolished a water reservoir on Mansouri’s municipal land that supplies the village with water, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

New Israeli artillery fire and demolition in south Lebanon

Israeli artillery again shelled Mansouri, in the Sour district, around 11 a.m., before targeting the outskirts of Mayfadoun and Zawtar Sharqieh, in the Nabatieh district, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

Bulldozers also carried out earthworks on Mansouri’s municipal land, while Israeli soldiers fired machine guns toward Haddatha, in the Bint Jbeil district.

At least one building was also demolished on the outskirts of Shebaa, in the Hasbaya district, near the Birket al-Naqqar area.

Syrian court sentences Wassim al-Assad to death

A Syrian court on Tuesday sentenced Wassim al-Assad, cousin of former ruler Bashar al-Assad, to death for multiple murders, including killings involving torture and brutality that were classified as crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan said Wassim al-Assad was convicted of the charges and sentenced to death.

Read more 👉here.

Israel says it killed Islamic Jihad commander in Khan Younis

The Israeli military said it killed Tareq Anwar Rai, a commander with Palestinian Islamic Jihad, in a strike on Khan Younis in southern Gaza on Sunday.

In a statement on Telegram, the military alleged that Rai entered the Be’eri kibbutz during the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.

Hormuz traffic edges higher after weekend but remains below 10 crossings

The number of vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz remained below 10 on Monday despite a slight increase from the weekend, according to preliminary Kpler shipping data released Tuesday, as U.S.-Iran peace talks remain stalled.

Six cargo vessels crossed the strait on Monday, three entering and three leaving the Gulf, compared with an average of 11 over the past 10 days. Three vessels crossed on Saturday and two on Sunday.

No very large crude carriers (VLCCs) or liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers transited the strait. Some vessels may have crossed with their transponders switched off and would therefore not appear in the data.

At Bab el-Mandeb, 19 cargo vessels passed through on Monday, below the 10-day average of 26.

Munition explosion near Metula injures 6 foreign workers

Six foreign workers were injured Tuesday when a munition exploded in an orchard near Metula, in northern Israel, according to several Israeli media outlets, including i24 News, Haaretz and Ynet.

Magen David Adom paramedics and emergency responders, working with an Israeli military medical team, treated the injured at the scene.

Three of the injured were airlifted to Rambam Hospital in Haifa: two men in their 40s who were seriously injured and suffered multiple traumas, and another man in his 40s who was moderately injured with a chest wound.

Three other people with minor injuries were taken by Magen David Adom ambulances to Ziv Hospital in Safed.

Israeli army locates remains of Yehuda Katz, last soldier missing since 1982 Lebanon invasion

The remains of Yehuda Katz, an Israeli soldier who went missing during Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon, have reportedly been located, according to Israeli news site Ynet. Katz was the last Israeli soldier still missing from the Battle of Sultan Yacoub.

Representatives of the Israeli army are currently informing Katz’s family of the discovery, Ynet reported.

Sultan Yacoub is a village in the western Bekaa, about seven kilometers from the Syrian border. The battle took place on June 10 and 11, 1982, between Israeli and Syrian forces. It ended in a tactical setback for Israel after an armored force was trapped and came under Syrian fire.

Israel suffered significant casualties in the battle, with around 20 soldiers killed and dozens wounded, while several soldiers went missing. Efforts to locate their remains have continued for decades.

New Houthi attack on Aramco

Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a new drone attack targeting Saudi oil giant Aramco’s Jazan refinery, a Houthi-affiliated news agency reported, according to Reuters. Saudi authorities had not immediately confirmed the attack.

Israeli bulldozer clears land near Shebaa

An Israeli bulldozer was seen clearing land near the Berket al-Naqqar area, close to Shebaa in the Hasbaya district, according to witnesses cited by our correspondent.

The witnesses also reported seeing two Merkava tanks taking up positions in the area.

Israeli strikes destroy two three-story buildings in Mansouri

An Israeli strike on Mansouri, in the Sour district, at dawn Tuesday destroyed two three-story buildings, according to our correspondent.

The attack continued shortly before 9 a.m., with Israeli bombardment reported alongside fire from a Merkava tank targeting the center of the village and machine-gun fire sweeping the area.

Witnesses also reported hearing tanks moving toward the village’s state-owned land and seeing a house on fire.

Strikes hit military airport in Syria

Unidentified aircraft struck a military airport in northwestern Syria on Tuesday, where forces from the Syrian Defense Ministry are stationed, an AFP security source said.

The aircraft struck Abu al-Duhur military airport in Idlib province early Tuesday, the source said. The airport has been out of service since 2012 after sustaining heavy damage during the Syrian civil war.

No casualties were reported and no group immediately claimed responsibility. The Israeli military declined to comment when asked by AFP about the strikes.

Ship hit by 'unidentified projectile' in Strait of Hormuz

An “unidentified projectile” struck a vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz toward its exit, leaving one crew member a casualty, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said Tuesday.

The impact damaged the engine room and caused one crew member to become a casualty, while the remaining crew members were receiving assistance from the Omani coast guard, UKMTO said.

Israeli artillery shells Mansouri

Israeli artillery again shelled Mansouri on Tuesday morning, a village crossed by the "yellow line" marking areas of southern Lebanon occupied by Israel since the resumption of the war with Hezbollah.

New Israeli bombardments hit southern Lebanon

Between 2 and 4 a.m., Israeli warplanes struck the outskirts of Deir Syrian in the Marjayoun district and residential areas of Mansouri in theSour district.

During the same period, Israeli artillery shelled Dohat Kfar Roummane and the Ali Taher hills in the Nabatieh district.

Around midnight, a drone flew at low altitude over residential areas in Zawtar Gharbieh.

At least 10 localities were targeted by Israel on Monday, while major demolition operations hit homes and infrastructure in four southern Lebanese localities, according to our correspondent’s tally.

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the situation in southern Lebanon and the Middle East, one day after the expiration of the 14-point memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States.