Israeli army carries out demolition operations in 3 villages in south Lebanon this evening | LIVE

Israeli strikes in Syria aimed at ‘preventing a buildup of Turkish military presence,’ Israeli official says

An Israeli official said Tuesday evening that the Israeli strikes earlier in the day on the Abu al-Duhur military air base in northwestern Syria were aimed at “preventing a buildup of Turkish military presence” in Syria, according to remarks reported by the U.S. news site Axios. Turkey is an ally of the regime of Ahmad al-Sharaa.

“There was no Turkish presence at the air base. Israel is inventing pretexts to bomb neighboring countries and destabilize the region,” a Turkish official immediately retorted, also quoted by Axios.

Israeli army carried out demolition operations in Zawtar Sharqieh and Kounin

In the evening, the Israeli army carried out demolition operations in Zawtar Shaqrieh (Nabatieh district) and Kounin (Bint Jbeil district). The explosions from the demolitions in the latter village were heard in several surrounding localities, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

Meanwhile, machine-gun fire was used for sweeping operations targeting the village of Haddatha (Bint Jbeil district) shortly before.

South Lebanon: Israel carries out major demolition operation in Talousseh

The Israeli army carried out a major demolition operation Tuesday evening, targeting several homes in Talousseh, in the Marjayoun district, our correspondent in south Lebanon reports.

At the same time, Israeli forces resumed artillery fire on the outskirts of Mayfadoun, toward Zawtar Sharqieh, in the Nabatieh district.

UAE says Iran fired 2 missiles toward its territory

The UAE Defense Ministry said it had detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran toward the United Arab Emirates, Reuters reported. According to the ministry, one fell in the country’s territorial waters and the other outside them. It stressed that the UAE was prepared to deal with any threat. Iran did not immediately comment.

Earlier on Tuesday, the UAE Interior Ministry had sent a mobile phone alert saying the situation was safe and urging residents to resume normal activities, following an earlier warning of a missile threat.

Israeli army installs ‘iron gate’ at a bridge in Ain Arab

The mukhtar of the village of Ain Arab (Marjayoun district), Othman al-Ahmad, told our correspondent in the South that the Israeli army has installed an "iron gate" at the bridge in the center of the village, where it has remained for more than a week.

He said he did not know the reason for the move, noting that the village remains completely deserted after the Israeli army forced residents to leave and prevented them from returning.

Administratively, he added that the bridge marks the boundary between the villages of Ibl al-Saqi and Khiam, as it lies east of Khiam and south of Ibl al-Saqi.

Israeli army installs 'iron gate' at a bridge in Ain Arab

The mukhtar of the village of Ain Arab (Marjayoun district), Othman al-Ahmad, told our correspondent in the South that the Israeli army has installed an "iron gate at the bridge in the center of the village for more than a week."

He said he did not know the actual reasons behind the move, noting that the village remains completely deserted after the Israeli army forced its residents to leave and prevented them from returning.

He added that, administratively, the bridge marks the boundary between the villages of Ibl al-Saqi and Khiam, as it lies east of Khiam and south of Ibl al-Saqi.

UAE says situation safe after detecting missile threat, Reuters reports

After sending a phone alert on Tuesday, UAE's interior ministry said the situation was now safe and residents could resume normal activities. Earlier, it had issued an alert warning of a missile threat.

Israeli artillery shelling targets Mansouri

The village of Mansouri in the Sour district has been subjected to Isareli artillery shelling, according to our correspondent in the South.

UAE tells citizens they can resume normal activities after earlier missile warning

The UAE's interior ministry sent a phone alert that the situation was currently safe and to resume normal activities after an earlier alert warning of a missile threat, according to Reuters.

UAE says seek shelter, warns of 'potential missile threats,' AFP reports

The United Arab Emirates issued a phone alert on Tuesday for the first time in a month, urging the public to take shelter amid “missile threats.”

“Due to the current situation and missile threats, immediately move to a safe place in the nearest secure building,” the Interior Ministry said in its alert message, the first since a false alarm in July, AFP reported. The previous alert was issued in June.

Israeli army carries out detonations in Ainata, fires artillery shells at Ibl al-Saqi River

The Israeli army has carried out two detonations in the village of Ainata (Bint Jbeil district), according to our correspondent in the South.

In parallel, the Israeli army has fired seven artillery shells at the course of the Ibl al-Saqi River (Marjeyoun).

'Lebanese Army continues its mission while Israeli occupation forces continue their attacks,' Haykal tells former US ambassador

Lebanese Army Commander-in-Chief Rodolphe Haykal denounced the fact that “the Army continues to carry out all missions related to the framework agreement, within the limits of the resources available to it, while the Israeli occupation forces continue their attacks and violations of the arrangements in force under this agreement,” signed between Beirut and Tel Aviv at the end of June under U.S. auspices, according to a statement by the state-run National News Agency.

Haykal's comments were made during a meeting with Edward Gabriel, president of the American Task Force for Lebanon (ATFL) and former U.S. ambassador to Morocco.

Edward Gabriel, for his part, praised “the sacrifices of the military,” stressing “the importance of the Army’s role in maintaining security and stability in the country.”

According to its website, the ATFL is a nonprofit organization made up of “prominent Americans of Lebanese descent,” whose mission is to raise awareness of the importance of a “strong bilateral relationship” between the United States and Lebanon.

Trump publishes a map saying Hormuz Strait is US territory

U.S. President Donald Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, a map showing the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is circled, with a large caption reading: “New U.S. territory,” without any additional message.

The U.S. president has made repeated statements in recent days saying that the United States controlled the strait, Iranian officials have repeatedly denied these claims.

Tom Barrack says Israeli strikes on Syrian base unnecessary escalation

The U.S. special presidential envoy for Syria and Iraq said on Tuesday that Israeli airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in northwestern Syria constitute an "unnecessary escalation" that does not advance regional stability.

In a statement on X, Ambassador Tom Barrack said the United States was deeply concerned concerned by the attacks, and added that Washington was encouraging all parties to prioritise "logical discourse" over further military incidents. 

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.