Live blog: Lebanon PM demands 'immediate' implementation of ceasefire

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

1856 GMT — Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati demanded in a statement that the international community "act swiftly" to halt Israeli aggression "and implement an immediate ceasefire".

His comments came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an address that his security cabinet would agree "this evening" on a truce deal in its war against Hezbollah.

Mikati said the intense wave of Israeli air strikes on Beirut on Tuesday "reaffirms that the Israeli enemy has no regard for any law or consideration".

"The international community is called upon to act swiftly to stop this aggression and implement an immediate ceasefire," he said in his statement, which was issued before a strike hit the central Hamra commercial district.

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1854 GMT — Overall death toll from Israeli strikes in Lebanon nears 3,900

Israel's ongoing attacks across Lebanon have killed 3, 823 and injured 15,859 since October 2023, according to Lebanese Health Ministry.

1844 GMT — No life-saving aid attempts in Palestine's Gaza facilitated by Israel in November: UN

The UN reported that Israel either denied or impeded all life-saving assistance attempts in northern Gaza in November.

"Our colleagues in the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs report that none of the UN's 41 attempts to reach Palestinians in besieged areas of North Gaza with life-saving assistance this month has been facilitated by Israeli authorities," deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said at a news conference.

Saying that 37 attempts were denied by Israeli authorities, Haq reported that "four missions were approved, but then impeded on the ground and accomplished only partially."

1759 GMT — Israeli cabinet approves ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon

Israel's security cabinet has approved a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah in Lebanon, a local Israeli Channel 12 reported.

The accord was expected to take effect on Wednesday, the report said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on the other hand, said he was ready to implement a ceasefire deal with Lebanon and would "respond forcefully to any violation" by Hezbollah.

In a television address, Netanyahu said he would put the ceasefire accord to his full cabinet later in the evening after the more restricted security cabinet had approved the deal.

Read more here.

1740 GMT — 12 killed, several wounded in Israeli strikes in Lebanon

12 killed have been killed and, several wounded in Israeli air strikes targeting eastern, southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon's official news agency.

1639 GMT — UN committee observes solidarity day, urges action for Palestinian rights

The UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People held a special meeting to observe the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which falls on Friday.

Cheikh Niang, who is Senegal’s UN envoy and Committee chair, said: "The inalienable rights of the Palestinian people remain unrealized, including their right to self-determination, a right owed to all peoples on earth."

"We urgently call on the international community to take decisive action to end Israel's occupation to ensure accountability for protectors, deliver justice for the victims, and uphold the long overdue liberal rights of the Palestinian people," he added.

Noting that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict cannot be resolved through force, endless occupation or annexation, General Assembly President Philemon Yang says: "The Israeli-Palestinian conflict will only end when both Israelis and Palestinians are able to live side by side in their own independent states, in peace, security and dignity."

1624 GMT — Many legal doubts about ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu, Italy

There are many legal doubts about the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Italy's foreign minister said.

"(There are) many legal doubts, and feasibility seems to me very theoretical because Netanyahu will never go to a country where he can be arrested," Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told a news conference after a meeting with his G7 counterparts.

1603 GMT — At least 22 people killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza

Gaza's civil defence agency said 22 people were killed in Israeli air strikes and shelling of the Palestinian territory.

The agency said 11 people were killed in overnight Israeli air strikes and shelling.

In the northern city of Jabalia, seven people were killed and several wounded in an air strike on a residential building, civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told AFP.

Another person was killed in a strike on a house in nearby Beit Lahia, which along with Jabalia has been the focus of a major Israeli military incursion since October 6. Two people were killed in shelling of Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, Bassal said.

In the southern city of Rafah, an Israeli air strike killed one person and wounded several, he added.

1549 GMT — Israel army issues evacuation order for parts of central Beirut

The Israeli forces have warned residents of four neighbourhoods of central Beirut to evacuate their homes, saying it is poised to strike alleged Hezbollah targets there.

"You are located near facilities belonging to Hezbollah, and the Israeli (armed forces) will be conducting air strikes targeting specific floors where designated terrorist infrastructure is located," army spokesman Avichay Adraee claimed in a post on X that included a map identifying buildings in Ras Beirut, Al-Mazraa, Musaitba and Zuqaq al-Blat.

1540 GMT — Death toll from Israeli strike on Gaza school-turned-shelter rises to 11

An Israeli air strike killed at least 11 Palestinians at a school sheltering displaced families in Gaza City, medics said.

They said that dozens of people were also wounded in the Israeli strike that hit the Al-Hurreya School in the Zeitoun neighbourhood, one of the oldest suburbs of Gaza City.

1512 GMT — Israel should halve Gaza's population: far-right minister

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said Israel should occupy Gaza and halve its Palestinian population by encouraging "voluntary emigration".

"We can and must conquer the Gaza Strip, we should not be afraid of that word," Smotrich said at an event organised by the Yesha Council, an umbrella group representing Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.

"There is no doubt that in Gaza — with the encouragement of voluntary emigration — there is here, in my opinion, a unique opportunity that is opening up with the new administration," the minister said, referring to Donald Trump's recent re-election.

"We can create a situation in which, within two years, the population of Gaza will be reduced by half," Smotrich said.

1440 GMT — G7 to 'comply with respective obligations' over Netanyahu ICC warrant

G7 foreign ministers said they "will comply with our respective obligations" regarding the arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"We reiterate our commitment to International Humanitarian Law and will comply with our respective obligations", the ministers said in a joint statement issued following two days of talks near Rome.

1439 GMT — Three killed in intense Israel strikes on Lebanon's Beirut

Lebanon reported three deaths in Israeli strikes on a Beirut building housing displaced people, with state media describing a "belt of fire" around south Beirut.

"The Israeli strike on the Nweiri area in Beirut destroyed a four-storey building housing displaced people," said Lebanon's official National News Agency.

The Health Ministry said three people were killed and 26 wounded in the strikes on a densely populated area where people displaced by the Israeli aerial bombardment had sought refuge.

1435 GMT — Hezbollah to remain active after ceasefire: lawmaker

Hezbollah will remain active after its war with Israel ends, senior Hezbollah official and member of parliament Hassan Fadlallah said.

Fadlallah told Reuters that Lebanon was facing "dangerous, sensitive hours" before the anticipated announcement of a ceasefire, given the Israeli air force's intensified strikes on Beirut and its southern suburbs.

1405 GMT — 'Now is the time' for Lebanon ceasefire: G7 foreign ministers

Foreign Ministers from the G7 democracies upped the pressure on Israel to accept a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah in Lebanon, saying "now is the time to conclude a diplomatic settlement."

In a draft statement at the end of a two-day meeting in Italy, the G7 ministers urged Israel to facilitate humanitarian aid delivery to Palestinians, and condemned increasing settler violence in the occupied West Bank.

1244 GMT — Nine killed in Israeli strike on Gaza school-turned-shelter

At least nine people have been killed in an Israeli air strike on a school sheltering displaced Palestinians in the Zeitoun neighbourhood, southeast of Gaza City, according to Anadolu correspondent.

1227 GMT — Ceasefire 'only way' for stability in Lebanon, northern Israel: UK

Britain called for an end to the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, insisting that a ceasefire was "the only way to restore security" for civilians in Lebanon and northern Israel.

"We urge all parties to engage in efforts to reach a ceasefire and indeed a long-term sustainable peace in the Middle East," Prime Minister Keir Starmer's spokesperson told reporters.

1216 GMT — Israeli court delays Netanyahu’s testimony in corruption trial for 8 days

The Jerusalem District Court postponed the testimony of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his corruption trial for eight days, Israeli media said.

Netanyahu was scheduled to testify before the court on Dec. 2 in his trial on charges of bribery, breach of trust, and fraud.

The Israeli premier requested to delay his testimony for 15 days, but the court agreed to grant him an 8-day postponement, Israeli Channel 12 reported.

Under Israeli law, he is not required to resign unless convicted by the Supreme Court, a process that could take several months.

Opposition leaders accuse Netanyahu of escalating Israel's war on Gaza to evade his trial and to achieve a victory that could protect him from conviction and keep him in power.

1207 GMT — Hezbollah targets Israeli army in northern Israel for first time

Hezbollah has announced that for the first time, it targeted an Israeli army training base in Shavei Tzion settlement in northern Israel with advanced rockets.

1124 GMT — Jordan airdrops aid to northern Gaza for first time in five months

Jordanian military planes dropped aid to northern Gaza for first time in five months to help relieve a dire humanitarian situation in the enclave, an official source said.

Two C-130 planes belonging to the Jordanian air force dropped the cargo that contained nearly seven tonnes of food and essential relief to areas the UN agencies identified as most in need and facing hunger, the source told Reuters.

0958 GMT — Israel will show zero tolerance to any infraction of Lebanon ceasefire: defence minister

Israel demands effective UN enforcement of an eventual ceasefire deal with Lebanon and will show "zero tolerance" toward any infraction, Defence Minister Israel Katz has said.

"Any house in southern Lebanon that is rebuilt and established as a terrorist base will be destroyed, every armament and terrorist regrouping will be struck, every attempt to smuggle weapons will be thwarted and any threat to our forces or to Israeli citizens will be destroyed immediately," Katz told the UN's special coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert.

0945 GMT –– Israel hits south Beirut hours before truce deal announcement

Strikes hit south Beirut following orders by the Israeli military to leave the area, as Israel prepares to decide whether to accept a proposed ceasefire in its war with the Lebanese group.

A rocket fired from Lebanon caused heavy damage in an Israeli settlement in northern Israel, local media reported.

Israeli Channel 12 said five rockets were fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon into Upper Galilee in northern Israel.

According to the broadcaster, a rocket hit a building in the Kiryat Shmona, causing heavy damage.

1028 GMT — UN demands 'permanent ceasefire' in Lebanon, Gaza, Israel

The UN rights chief is gravely concerned over the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon and wants a "permanent ceasefire" there and in war-ravaged Gaza, his spokesman said Tuesday.

"The high commissioner reiterates his call for an immediate ceasefire to put an end to the killings and the destruction," Jeremy Laurence, a spokesman for Volker Turk, told reporters in Geneva.

His comment came as Israel's security cabinet was due to meet to vote on a proposed ceasefire with Hezbollah in its war in Lebanon, with the White House voicing optimism that a deal was close.

1019 GMT — Gaza death toll rises to 44,249 in Israel's war

More than 44,249 Palestinians have been killed and 104,746 injured in Israel's invasion on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, Palestine's health ministry in the enclave has said in a statement.

It also added that the number of wounded has risen to 104,746 while thousands of victims are still under the rubble.

1014 GMT — Lebanese FM hopes for ceasefire with Israel by Tuesday night

Lebanon's foreign minister Abdallah Bou Habib said he hoped a ceasefire to end fighting between Israel and Lebanese group Hezbollah would be agreed later on Tuesday.

He said the Lebanese army would be ready to have at least 5,000 troops deployed in southern Lebanon as Israeli troops withdraw, and that the United States could play a role in rebuilding infrastructure destroyed by Israeli strikes.

0945 GMT — Strikes hit south Beirut after Israeli evacuation order: report

Strikes hit south Beirut following orders by the Israeli military to evacuate the region, as Israel prepares to decide whether to accept a proposed ceasefire in its war with the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

AFPTV footage showed multiple plumes of smoke rising above Beirut's southern suburbs.

0923 GMT — Israeli Cabinet set to vote on Lebanon ceasefire deal

The Israeli Cabinet is set to convene to vote on a US-backed ceasefire proposal with Lebanon, Israeli media has said.

The Israeli public broadcaster KAN said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to approve the ceasefire deal with Lebanon through the Security Cabinet, not the government.

KAN said that approving the deal does not require the consent of the Knesset (Israel's parliament).

US President Joe Biden and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron are expected to announce the deal between Israel and Lebanon for 60 days within 36 hours.

However, KAN, citing an Israeli official, called the agreement "fragile."

0906 GMT — EU states must comply with ICC arrest warrant against Netanyahu: Borrell

EU member states should fulfil their obligations on international law by complying with the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant against Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu, the EU foreign policy chief has said.

Drawing attention to the fact that all EU members are parties to the Rome Convention, which founded the International Criminal Court (ICC), Josep Borrell said: “You cannot pick and choose. You cannot uphold when the court goes against Putin and remain silent when the court goes against Netanyahu.”

0905 GMT — EU's Borrell urges Israel to accept Lebanon ceasefire 'today'

The European Union's foreign policy chief has urged the Israeli government to back a proposed ceasefire deal in Lebanon which he said has all the necessary security guarantees for Israel.

Speaking at a G7 Foreign Ministers meeting in Italy, Josep Borrell said there was no excuse for not implementing the deal with Iran-backed Hezbollah, adding pressure should be exerted on Israel to approve it immediately.

"Let's hope that today (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu will approve the ceasefire agreement proposed by the US and France. No more excuses. No more additional requests," Borrell said, criticising hard-line Israeli ministers who have spoken against the deal.

0854 GMT — Israeli forces raid Birzeit University in West Bank, arrest 2 Palestinian students

Israeli army forces raided the Birzeit University in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah and detained at least two students, a local source has said.

The source added that Israeli forces vandalised the student union offices on campus and destroyed the university’s western gate.

0938 GMT — Overnight Israeli air strike kills at least 14 Palestinians in Gaza City

At least 14 Palestinians were killed and several others injured in Israeli air strikes across Gaza, local media has said.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa said six Palestinians, including women and children, were killed in a strike targeting a house late Monday in the Al-Tuffah neighbourhood in northeastern Gaza City.

Two more Palestinians were killed in Israeli artillery shelling in the Zeitoun neighbourhood in eastern Gaza City, Wafa added.

Three others were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a group of people in the Shati refugee camp in western Gaza City.

Another strike hit a house in the northern town of Jabalia early Tuesday, killing two people and injuring several others, a medical source said.

In central Gaza, at least one Palestinian was killed in an Israeli drone strike on the Bureij refugee camp.

2330 GMT — Lebanon lawmaker says ceasefire deal with Israel close

A ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel is nearing completion and could be declared within the next 36 hours if negotiations proceed smoothly, a Lebanese parliamentarian has said.

"The atmosphere is positive, and ceasefire discussions have reached an advanced stage. It’s only a matter of hours before an agreement is finalised and announced if progress continues as expected," Qassem Hashem told Anadolu Agency.

The development coincides with reports that Israel's security cabinet will convene on Tuesday to approve a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah.

Lebanon's private Al Jadeed channel reported early on Tuesday that Lebanon had been officially informed of the ceasefire agreement but is remaining silent to ensure its success.

The channel noted, however, that "minor details" are still under discussion but are not expected to affect the agreement's core terms.

Hashem, a member of the Development and Liberation parliamentary bloc led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, emphasised that Lebanon would announce the ceasefire only after the US does.

"If sincere intentions prevail, the process will follow its natural course. Within the next 36 hours, we expect a finalised agreement," he added.

2056 GMT — US rejects parity between ICC warrants for Russian, Israeli officials

The US has defended its differing stances on the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Russian and Israeli officials, asserting that the two cases are fundamentally distinct.

"I don't think there is any equivalence between the case that the ICC has brought against Russia and the case that it has brought against Israel," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters when asked about the difference in the US approach to the ICC's arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and its arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

He highlighted significant differences between the two countries, saying that "Russia is not a democracy, does not have a functioning, independent legal system, and is not investigating violations of international humanitarian law by its soldiers."

"Israel, on the other hand, is a democracy with an independent court system that has hundreds of open cases into allegations against its soldiers. It is important that these processes be allowed to proceed," he claimed.

0034 GMT — Israel targets bridges in Syria near border with Lebanon

Israeli air strikes targeted three bridges and a border crossing in Al Qusayr district in Syria's Homs governorate near the Lebanese border, the Syrian regime-run news agency SANA reported.

"The Israeli aggression occurred around 9 pm (1800GMT) and targeted key crossing points previously hit on the Syrian-Lebanese border," the agency cited an unnamed military official as saying.

The official added that the Israeli aggression "resulted in two civilian injuries and material damage."

SANA's correspondent in the region reported that the al-Jobania, Arjoun and al-Daf bridges as well as the Al-Nizariya border gate were damaged in the Israeli attack.

Later, the Israeli army claimed responsibility for the attack. A military statement said that "the IAF (air force) conducted intelligence-based strikes on Syrian routes along the Syria-Lebanon border used as smuggling routes to transfer weapons to Hezbollah."

For our live updates from Monday, November 25, 2024, click here.