Israeli military hits Hezbollah targets in Bekaa Valley and on Syria-Lebanon border
The Israeli military said on Friday it struck several Hezbollah targets overnight in the Bekaa Valley and along the Syrian-Lebanese border. The army said the targets include a facility used for underground weapons development and another associated with the smuggling of arms into Lebanon.
On Thursday, Israel said it intercepted a surveillance drone launched by Hezbollah calling it “a breach of the ceasefire agreement” between Israel and Lebanon. Hezbollah and Israel reached a ceasefire in late November, ending a deadly conflict that began with the Gaza war in 2023.
The US confirmed on Sunday that the agreement, which includes a 60-day period for Israeli troop withdrawal, will remain in effect until 18 February, extending the original 26 January deadline.
Israel has carried out multiple strikes on Lebanese territory since the ceasefire extension killing and injuring more than 100 people.
The most recent attack is a drone strike that injured at least five people in southern Lebanese town of Majdal Selm.
It comes as …
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Hamas has confirmed that its military chief, Mohammed Deif, has been killed. Israel’s military said it had killed Deif in July last year, but Hamas had not confirmed this until now.
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Three Israelis and five Thai citizens held in Gaza have been freed. The handover on Thursday of seven hostages in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, was delayed by a chaotic crowd surging towards the group, despite an escort of heavily armed militants, jostling and blocking their passage to waiting Red Cross vehicles.
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Israel’s military confirmed that the Israelis Gadi Moses, 80, Arbel Yehoud, 29, and five Thai hostages – Pongsak Thaenna, Sathian Suwannakham, Watchara Sriaoun, Bannawat Seathao and Surasak Rumnao – had all been handed over at about 1pm local time. Agam Berger, 20, the last female soldier held in Gaza, had been released earlier from northern Gaza.
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Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, attacked the “shocking scenes” in Khan Younis and suspended the planned release of Palestinian prisoners “until the mediators guarantee the safe exit of the hostages” in future.
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Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steven Witkoff, met hostages’ relatives, reportedly telling them he was optimistic the ceasefire would hold to allow the return of all the living and the dead.
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UN secretary-general António Guterres has called for 2,500 children to be immediately evacuated from Gaza for medical treatment after meeting with US doctors who said the children were at imminent risk of death in the coming weeks.
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The Rafah Border Crossing between Egypt and Gaza may reopen for the passage of Palestinian civilians today, Kan broadcaster reports. The border was scheduled to open on Sunday under the hostage-ceasefire deal.
Key events
UN secretary-general António Guterres has called for 2,500 children to be immediately evacuated from Gaza for medical treatment after meeting with US doctors who said the children were at imminent risk of death in the coming weeks.
The four doctors had all volunteered in Gaza during the 15-month-long war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas that has devastated the territory of more than 2 million people and its healthcare system.
Guterres said he was “deeply moved” by his meeting with the American doctors on Thursday. “2,500 children must be immediately evacuated with the guarantee that they will be able to return to their families and communities,” Guterres posted on social media after the meeting…
United States military says they killed senior Al-Qaida terrorist in Syria
The US military says it killed a senior terrorist in Al-Qaida’s Syria branch in an air strike on northwestern Syria on Thursday.
The area was held by interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group before they defeated former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in December.
“US Central Command forces conducted a precision air strike in northwest Syria targeting and killing Muhammad Salah al-Zabir, a senior operative in the terrorist organisation Hurras al-Din, an Al-Qaida affiliate,” Centcom said in a statement.
Britain based-war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Zabir was killed when his vehicle was destroyed by a drone strike on the Sarmada-Idlib road.
The US strike comes days after Hurras al-Din announced its dissolution. The Observatory said Hurras al-Din “announced its dissolution so as not to enter into armed conflict with HTS.”
Rebecca Ratcliffe
Narissara Jantasang’s nine-year-old son was brimming with excitement as he watched footage of Thai hostages being released from Gaza on Thursday. Then he noticed his mother had started to cry. “He asked me: ‘what’s going on, Mom?’” Narissara says. “He realised his dad was not one of those released.”
Five of the remaining six Thai nationals still being held in Gaza were released on Thursday, after 15 months in captivity. Nattapong Pinta, 36, however, was not among them. Of dozens of Thais kidnapped by Hamas from the farms on which they were working in southern Israel on 7 October 2023, he is the last to remain.
“I feel hurt, why was it not him?” says Narissara. “I don’t know where to find an answer. Nobody can answer. I asked the embassy; the embassy can’t tell me.”…
Israeli military hits Hezbollah targets in Bekaa Valley and on Syria-Lebanon border
The Israeli military said on Friday it struck several Hezbollah targets overnight in the Bekaa Valley and along the Syrian-Lebanese border. The army said the targets include a facility used for underground weapons development and another associated with the smuggling of arms into Lebanon.
On Thursday, Israel said it intercepted a surveillance drone launched by Hezbollah calling it “a breach of the ceasefire agreement” between Israel and Lebanon. Hezbollah and Israel reached a ceasefire in late November, ending a deadly conflict that began with the Gaza war in 2023.
The US confirmed on Sunday that the agreement, which includes a 60-day period for Israeli troop withdrawal, will remain in effect until 18 February, extending the original 26 January deadline.
Israel has carried out multiple strikes on Lebanese territory since the ceasefire extension killing and injuring more than 100 people.
The most recent attack is a drone strike that injured at least five people in southern Lebanese town of Majdal Selm.
It comes as …
-
Hamas has confirmed that its military chief, Mohammed Deif, has been killed. Israel’s military said it had killed Deif in July last year, but Hamas had not confirmed this until now.
-
Three Israelis and five Thai citizens held in Gaza have been freed. The handover on Thursday of seven hostages in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, was delayed by a chaotic crowd surging towards the group, despite an escort of heavily armed militants, jostling and blocking their passage to waiting Red Cross vehicles.
-
Israel’s military confirmed that the Israelis Gadi Moses, 80, Arbel Yehoud, 29, and five Thai hostages – Pongsak Thaenna, Sathian Suwannakham, Watchara Sriaoun, Bannawat Seathao and Surasak Rumnao – had all been handed over at about 1pm local time. Agam Berger, 20, the last female soldier held in Gaza, had been released earlier from northern Gaza.
-
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, attacked the “shocking scenes” in Khan Younis and suspended the planned release of Palestinian prisoners “until the mediators guarantee the safe exit of the hostages” in future.
-
Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steven Witkoff, met hostages’ relatives, reportedly telling them he was optimistic the ceasefire would hold to allow the return of all the living and the dead.
-
UN secretary-general António Guterres has called for 2,500 children to be immediately evacuated from Gaza for medical treatment after meeting with US doctors who said the children were at imminent risk of death in the coming weeks.
-
The Rafah Border Crossing between Egypt and Gaza may reopen for the passage of Palestinian civilians today, Kan broadcaster reports. The border was scheduled to open on Sunday under the hostage-ceasefire deal.
