23:00 The Biden administration is still deliberating potential steps to advance a two-state solution before the conclusion of the transition period, a US official told The Times of Israel.
22:30 Israeli officials are hopeful that the ceasefire with Lebanon will provide an opportunity to secure the release of hostages, The Washington Post reported, citing an informed source.
21:50 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed he was prepared to do "everything" to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons in an interview broadcast on Thursday.
"I will do everything to prevent it from becoming a nuclear (power); I will use all the resources that can be used," Netanyahu told Israeli broadcaster Channel 14.
21:35 Medical sources reported that 42 people were killed in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, including 37 in the central and southern regions.
21:30 Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty expressed Egypt's hope that the recently established ceasefire agreement will be a stepping stone towards a new phase in Lebanon, strengthening national institutions, particularly the Lebanese Armed Forces.
This was revealed in a series of phone conversations he held on Thursday with several Lebanese party leaders and political figures.
The discussions included Samir Geagea, leader of the Lebanese Forces; Sami Gemayel, leader of the Kataeb Party; Sleiman Frangieh, leader of the Marada Movement; and Gebran Bassil, leader of the Free Patriotic Movement.
During the phone calls, FM Abdelatty underscored that strengthening national institutions, particularly the Lebanese Armed Forces, is essential for achieving security and stability and preserving Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The minister also reaffirmed Egypt's support for all efforts to ensure the stability of Lebanon's state institutions.
21:00 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday during an interview with Israeli Channel 14 that he had ordered the military to be prepared for an intense war in Lebanon if the ceasefire's framework is violated, according to Reuters.
Netanyahu added that conditions for reaching a possible deal to secure the release of Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip have considerably improved.
20:25 French President Emmanuel Macron held separate phone calls on Thursday with Lebanon's House Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati, discussing the situation in Lebanon following the implementation of a ceasefire agreement and the broader political and security landscape.
Prime Minister Mikati expressed his gratitude to President Macron for his "steadfast commitment to Lebanon" and his pivotal role in securing the cessation of Israeli military actions. Mikati highlighted the ongoing operations of the Lebanese Army in the southern regions, the Bekaa Valley, and the southern suburbs of Beirut. He also confirmed preparations to bolster military presence south of the Litani River to enhance security.
Mikati called for sustained international pressure on Israel to cease its violations of the ceasefire agreement, which he said had caused casualties and significant material damage earlier in the day. He underscored the importance of enforcing the ceasefire’s terms to ensure peace and stability in Lebanon’s most vulnerable areas.
House Speaker Berri, in his conversation with Macron, discussed Lebanon’s efforts to uphold the ceasefire amid continued Israeli provocations that complicate the security situation. The two leaders also addressed Lebanon's upcoming presidential elections, with Berri stressing the critical need for political stability against the backdrop of escalating regional tensions.
Macron reiterated France's support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and stability, reaffirming his commitment to aiding the country during this critical period.
19:30 Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that Israeli airstrikes on 26 November 2024 resulted in 78 fatalities and 266 injuries.
This brings the total death toll to 3,961 and the number of injured to 16,520 since the start of the aggression.
The ministry highlighted the ongoing efforts to recover victims from the rubble, conduct DNA identification, and coordinate with hospitals for precise data.
A comprehensive review is underway, with a final report to follow, providing a complete accounting of the human losses caused by the conflict.
19:00 Marwan Al-Hams, director of hospitals in Gaza, painted a grim picture of the strip's healthcare system amid the ongoing Israeli genocidal war.
"A large number of hospitals in the Gaza Strip are already out of service," Al-Hams said, noting that only five facilities remain partially operational due to a severe lack of resources.
"We are experiencing a critical shortage of medicines and medical supplies, leaving us unable to treat thousands of patients and the injured," he added, describing the situation as "catastrophic."
Al-Hams reported that Gaza's hospitals had lost at least 75 percent of their capacity. He also highlighted a dire scarcity across surgical departments, forcing many medical operations and surgeries to be suspended.
The healthcare crisis comes amid an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, with mounting casualties and a growing number of displaced individuals in the densely populated territory.
APA Palestinian rescuer rushes into a hospital an injured victim of an Israeli airstrike in the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip. AFP
18:30 The Lebanese Army announced via its X platform that the “Israeli enemy forces violated the ceasefire agreement multiple times on 27 and 28 November 2024.”
These breaches included aerial violations and attacks on Lebanese territory using various weapons.
Moreover, the Army Command confirmed it was closely monitoring these violations in coordination with relevant authorities to address the situation.
An Israeli soldier works on the top of an armoured vehicle at an area near the Israeli-Lebanese border, as seen from northern Israel. AP
17:50 Jihadists and their allies cut a major highway linking the main cities of Damascus and Aleppo on Thursday after launching an offensive against government forces in Syria's northwest, a war monitor said.
"Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions cut off the Damascus-Aleppo international M5 highway... in addition to controlling the junction between the M4 and M5 highways," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
16:50 Yemen's Houthi rebels will keep up their attacks on Israel, their leader said on Thursday, two days into a ceasefire in Israel's war with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
"The operations from the Yemeni front to support the Palestinian people with missiles and drones towards the Israeli enemy are continuing," Abdulmalik Al-Houthi said on the rebels' Al-Masirah TV channel.
Yemen's Houthi rebels, part of Iran's "axis of resistance" against Israel and the United States, have periodically fired drones and missiles at Israel since the outbreak of the Gaza war.
"I hope everyone in the army and among the people is aware of our responsibility, and with God's help, will do more... against the Israeli enemy," Houthi said.
"We at the Yemeni front are doing our utmost to support the Palestinian people," he added.
16:00 The Israeli military announced a nighttime curfew in south Lebanon, a day after a ceasefire with Hezbollah began.
"It is strictly forbidden to move or travel south of the Litani River starting from 5:00 pm (1500 GMT) until 7:00 am tomorrow (Friday). Those south of the Litani River must remain where they are," military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X.
15:30 The Israeli army said it carried out an airstrike against what it described as a Hezbollah facility in southern Lebanon after “identifying a Hezbollah activity there.”
Lebanese media reports considered the act a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
The facility had been used to hold medium-range rockets, the Israeli army claimed.
“The army is deployed in southern Lebanon, acting and thwarting any violation of the ceasefire agreement,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
14:50 The Israeli army said in a statement that the interceptor missile fired a short time ago in Western Galilee was the result of a false identification.
14:30 Lebanon's army deployed troops and tanks across the country's south as the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon enters its second day.
Under the ceasefire, the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers were to become the only armed presence in south Lebanon.
A Lebanese army source said its forces were "conducting patrols and setting up checkpoints" south of the Litani River without advancing into areas where Israeli forces were still present.
In the border village of Qlayaa, residents threw rice and flowers to celebrate the arrival of Lebanese soldiers.
Lebanese Army soldiers, manning a checkpoint, use a military vehicle to block a road in southern Lebanon's Marjayoun area. AFP
14:15 Lebanon's National News Agency reported that the Lebanese parliament approved on Thursday the one-year extension of army chief General Joseph Aoun's mandate.
Lawmakers have already extended his term last year, as he was set to retire on 10 January 2024.
Part of Thursday's parliament session was attended by French special envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian, who arrived a day earlier for talks with senior Lebanese officials.
A statement from Speaker Berri's office said he and Le Drian "discussed the general situation, political developments and the presidential issue" on Thursday.
A French diplomat, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said Le Drian came to Lebanon to "relaunch the issue of the presidency and the need for reforms."
14:00 The Israeli army claimed that an interceptor missile was launched over Western Galilee a short while ago due to a suspected “suspicious aerial target” spotted over Lebanon.
The incident is over, the military added.
13:30 Israel claimed that its ceasefire with Hezbollah was breached hours after Lebanese security sources said Israeli tanks attacked six areas of southern Lebanon, Reuters reported.
The Israeli military said the ceasefire was violated after it alleged that suspects, some in vehicles, arrived in several areas of the southern zone.
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah accused Israel of attacking people returning to their villages in southern Lebanon.
Israeli tank fire hit six areas within that border strip on Thursday morning, striking Markaba, Wazzani, Kfarchouba, Khiyam, Taybe, and the agricultural plains around Marjayoun, state media and Lebanese security sources said, as stated by Reuters.
There was no immediate comment on the tank rounds from Hezbollah or Israel, Reuters said.
Residents check the damage caused by Israeli bombing in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre. AFP
12:30 Israeli occupation forces have detained at least 18 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, including a girl, two children, and former prisoners, the Palestinian Prisoners' Club and the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Prisoners and Freed Prisoners said in a joint statement.
Israeli forces have detained more than 11,800 people from the West Bank, including Jerusalem, since the war on Gaza began.
12:00 A young man was injured by Israeli gunfire in the town of Turmus'ayya, north of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank.
Local sources told WAFA that Israeli soldiers stationed inside a house in the town fired live bullets at a vehicle belonging to a young man, wounding him in the shoulder.
11:30 Israeli occupation forces obstructed the access of Palestinian olive harvesters to their lands in the town of Salem, east of Nablus, Palestinian Quds news reported.
The olive harvest season in the occupied West Bank has become increasingly dangerous in recent years, with frequent reports of attacks by Israeli settlers and soldiers.
11:00 Lebanon's parliament will hold a session in January to elect a new president, official media reported. This comes a day after an Israel-Lebanon ceasefire began and following more than two years of a presidential vacuum.
"Speaker Nabih Berri called a parliament session to elect a president of the republic on January 9," the official National News Agency reported.
10:30 Three people were injured in an Israeli drone strike targeting a car in the border town of Markaba, southern Lebanon, according to Al Jazeera.
Al-Arabiya also reported that the Israeli military fired several artillery shells at the town of Aita Al-Shaab on Thursday morning.
Lebanese media outlets reported that both Aita Al-Shaab and the city of Bint Jbeil were targeted by Israeli artillery shelling.
A few hours after the ceasefire came into effect, the Israeli army warned on Wednesday that displaced Lebanese should not return to evacuated villages in southern Lebanon, where Israeli troops were still present.
Under the ceasefire deal, Israeli forces will hold their positions but "a 60-day period will commence in which the Lebanese military and security forces will begin their deployment towards the south," a US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters.
Then, Israel will begin a phased withdrawal without a vacuum forming that Hezbollah or others could rush into, the official said.
An Israeli security official said Israeli forces will only gradually withdraw from southern Lebanon.
The official said the pace of the withdrawal and the scheduled return of Lebanese civilians would depend on whether the deal is implemented and enforced.
The Lebanese military asked displaced people returning to southern Lebanon to avoid front-line villages and towns until Israeli forces withdraw.
On Wednesday, three journalists, including a freelance photographer working for The Associated Press, said they were shot and wounded by Israeli troops while covering the return of displaced people to the town of Khiam, around 6 kilometres (four miles) from the border, which had seen heavy fighting in recent days.
10:00 Officials in the Israeli government are attempting to leverage the Lebanon agreement to resume negotiations with Hamas, Israeli Maariv newspaper said, citing a knowledgeable source.
“They are exploring the possibility of reaching a short-term deal that would allow the release of a limited number of captives,” the source said.
9:30 The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) confirmed that Israeli authorities had blocked 82 attempts to deliver aid to the besieged northern Gaza between 6 October and 25 November.
"The conditions for survival are diminishing for the 65,000-75,000 people estimated to remain in northern Gaza,” UNRWA warned in a statement on X.
9:15 Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that despite the ceasefire in Lebanon, most foreign airlines are unlikely to return to Israel before 2025.
Haaretz said that only 15 airlines operate in Israel currently, compared to more than 100 that were active before the war.
It added that most airlines prefer to wait and see if the ceasefire holds before resuming operations.
In a message to Hezbollah’s secretary-general, the Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Hossein Salami described the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon as a strategic defeat for Israel.
“Hezbollah emerged victorious, imposing a ceasefire on the Zionist entity, which failed to achieve its objectives,” Salami said.
He added that the ceasefire in Lebanon could serve as a starting point for an end to the war in Gaza.
9:00 Israeli strikes killed at least 13 Palestinians in central and southern Gaza as occupation warplanes continued demolishing residential buildings in the northern part of the strip.
According to the WAFA news agency, nine people were killed and others injured in heavy Israeli shelling on the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip.
Palestinians inspect the damage after an Israeli strike in the al-Daraj neighbourhood of Gaza City. AFP
In a separate incident, four people were killed in an airstrike targeting civilians in the town of Abasan, east of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.
Additionally, the occupation forces demolished residential buildings in the Al-Jineina neighbourhood east of Rafah in the south, as well as in the Jabalia camp in the north.
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