Lebanon ceasefire holds while Israel continues to pound Gaza

Israeli bombing in the Gaza Strip killed a pregnant woman and two other Palestinians late on Wednesday, the Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.

The bombing targeted Beit Lahia in the north of the enclave, local sources said.

Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7 October 2023 have killed 44,282 Palestinians, the Palestinian ministry of health said late on Wednesday.

In a statement, the ministry added at least 104,900 have been wounded in the brutal war on the enclave. 

At least 1,047 of those killed were medical personnel. 

The Israeli military said on Wednesday it shot down a drone that was allegedly carrying weapons and crossed from Egypt to Israel.

When asked about the latest drone incident, Egyptian security sources said they had no knowledge of such an incident.

In two separate incidents in October, Israel also said it downed two drones smuggling weapons from Egyptian territory.

Israeli officials have said during the war on Gaza Hamas used tunnels running under the border into Egypt's Sinai region to smuggle arms.

However, Egypt says it destroyed tunnel networks leading to Gaza years ago and created a buffer zone and border fortifications that prevent smuggling. 

(Reuters)

British foreign minister David Lammy said on Wednesday he would continue to talk and meet with Benjamin Netanyahu after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against the Israeli prime minister for alleged war crimes in Gaza.

Lammy told parliament's foreign affairs select committee he would comply with the ICC's request to arrest Netanyahu if he entered Britain, insisting he had no choice to ignore the order.

But Lammy said he would continue to talk to Netanyahu and other senior Israeli government officials about issues such as seeking a ceasefire in Gaza and the importance of getting aid into the Palestinian territory.

"I do believe they are important matters that require engagement from those of us in government," Lammy said. "I can't see circumstances under which I would not be speaking to the elected representatives of the Israeli government."

Last week, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defence chief Yoav Gallant, as well as a Hamas leader, Ibrahim Al-Masri, for alleged war crimes in the war on Gaza.

Lammy said that under British law he has an "obligation" to pass on the warrant request to a domestic court.

"That doesn't allow me any discretion," he said. "I will issue that, transmit that to the courts. Then the courts will make their determination."

France said on Wednesday it believed Netanyahu had immunity to actions by the ICC, given Israel has not signed up to the court statutes.

Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team returned to Europe on Wednesday for the first time since its fans engaged in clashes with apparent pro-Palestine activists.

The team will face off Thursday against Turkey’s Besiktas in an Europa League match that was relocated to Hungary. The contest at Nagyerdei Stadium in the city of Debrecen will be played without fans due to security concerns following the violence in Amsterdam on 7 November that resulted in five people being treated in hospitals and dozens of detentions.

Maccabi Tel Aviv head coach Zarko Lazetic told a news conference on Wednesday that his team was focused on its game, regardless of what tensions may exist elsewhere.

"It’s not a question for me what happened outside of the stadium. We saw some videos and everything, but we really try to focus on football," he said. "We’ll see tomorrow what is the effect."

The violence in Amsterdam came after local authorities banned pro-Palestinian demonstrators from gathering outside the stadium where Maccabi was playing Dutch team Ajax.

A large crowd of Israeli fans chanted anti-Arab slogans on their way to the match, video showed.

An Israeli strike on Gaza City has killed nine Palestinians, the Palestinian ministry of health announced late on Wednesday.

The ministry said the strike targeted a shelter for displaced people, in a school located in the Daraja neighbourhood.

The Israeli army issued a statement shortly after, stating it had "eliminated terrorist Morad Rajoub in Gaza, one of the two responsible for a bomb attack that injured around ten people in Beersheba in May 2002".

Lebanon's Hezbollah said they achieved "victory" over Israel and that their fighters will remain ready to confront any potential attacks, in a statement released late on Wednesday.

"Victory from God almighty was the ally of the righteous cause," the statement read, adding that its fighters "will remain in total readiness to deal with the Israeli enemy’s ambitions and its attacks".

The comment is the first major statement from the group after a ceasefire with Israel was announced in the early hours of Wednesday.

Lebanon's Hezbollah said on Wednesday that it would continue resistance and stand alongside Palestinian fighters, a day after a ceasefire between the group and Israel was announced.

It was the first statement by Hezbollah's operations centre since the deal was announced. 

(Reuters)

US President Joe Biden will launch a renewed drive for a Gaza ceasefire and captive release deal after Israel and Hezbollah began a truce in Lebanon, his national security adviser said on Wednesday.

Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has an arrest warrant against him by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, right before the US- and French-brokered truce with Hezbollah was announced on Tuesday and they agreed to try again for an elusive Gaza truce, Jake Sullivan said.

"President Biden intends to begin that work today by having his envoys engage with Turkey, Qatar, Egypt and other actors in the region," Sullivan told MSNBC.

"We believe that this is the beginning of an opportunity for a more stable Middle East in which Israel's security is assured and US interests are secured," he added.

Biden said on X on Wednesday that "over the coming days the United States will make another push" for a Gaza deal, echoing comments he made in his announcement on Tuesday.

The outgoing US leader said the aim was to "achieve a ceasefire in Gaza with the hostages released and an end to the war without Hamas in power."

Biden said on Tuesday that Washington would also push for a long-explored deal to normalise relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

"Peace is possible," Biden said in his speech at the White House. "As long as that is the case, I will not for a single moment stop working to achieve it."

US envoy Amos Hochstein, who was closely involved in the negotiations for the Israel-Hezbollah deal, said it created an opportunity for a similar agreement in Gaza.

"We firmly believe that the Lebanon deal now opens that door," Hochstein said in a briefing with a US Jewish community on Wednesday.

Biden's administration was also "in touch" with the incoming Trump team on the issue, he said.

A delegation of Egyptian security officials is set to travel to Israel on Thursday in an effort to broker a ceasefire deal for Gaza, two Egyptian officials told Reuters on Wednesdsay evening.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon that took effect earlier on Wednesday was "the first ray of hope" in the regional conflict after months of escalation.

"It is essential that those who signed the ceasefire commitment respect it in full," he said in a short statement, speaking during a visit to his native Lisbon alongside Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, also urging an immediate ceasefire in Gaza

The Israeli military has said that it has not withdrawn from south Lebanon yet as it has 60 days to do so under the ceasefire agreement, according to reports from the Times of Israel.

The Biden administration is pushing ahead with a $680 million arms sales package to Israel, a US official familiar with the plan said on Wednesday, even as a US-brokered ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah has come into effect.

The package, which was first reported by the Financial Times, includes thousands of joint direct attack munition kits (JDAM) and hundreds of small-diameter bombs, according to the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

(Reuters)

Israel has informed the International Criminal Court that it will appeal against arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant over their conduct of the Gaza war, Netanyahu's office said on Wednesday.

Netanyahu also said that US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham had updated him "on a series of measures he is promoting in the US Congress against the International Criminal Court and against countries that would cooperate with it", Netanyahu said.

(Reuters)

Two journalists were injured by Israeli fire on Wednesday, state media said, while reporting from a border town where Israeli troops and Hezbollah fought fierce battles before a ceasefire took effect.

"Israeli enemy forces in the town of Khiam opened fire on a group of journalists while they were covering the return of the residents and the Israeli withdrawal from the town, wounding two," the National News Agency said.

Video journalist Abdelkader Bay told AFP he was reporting in Khiam with two other visual journalists when shots were fired and he was injured along with his colleague.

"We saw people checking on their homes and, at the same time, we were hearing the sounds of tanks withdrawing," Bay said, adding the other wounded journalist was hospitalised.

"While we were filming, we realised there were Israeli soldiers in a building and suddenly they shot at us," he said.

"It was clear that we were journalists," he added.

Photographer Ali Hachicho was with Bay in Khiam when the incident happened but was not injured. They both said they saw a drone above the town before shots were fired.

"We saw military fatigues on the ground," Hachicho told AFP, then he spotted Israeli soldiers nearby.

"When I put the camera to my eye to film them, I started hearing the sound of bullets between our feet," he said.

The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah on Wednesday, saying it had begun adjusting operations to the "new situation".

"We will continue performing our mandated tasks, and we have already begun adjusting our operations to the new situation," UNIFIL said in a statement, adding that peacekeepers "stand ready to support Lebanon and Israel in this new phase".

"We will cooperate with all relevant partners to make the cessation of hostilities work," it said.

The Israeli army's Arabic language spokesperson on Wednesday warned southern Lebanon residents against moving south of the Litani river between 1700 local time (1500 GMT) and 0700 am (0500 GMT), noting that Israeli forces were still present in the area.

(Reuters)

Russia gave a belated welcome to Wednesday's ceasefire between Israel and Lebanese group Hezbollah, saying it hoped the agreement would be "actually effective".

"We look favourably on any agreement, potential or concluded, that would stop the spiral of violence, stop the bloodshed in Lebanon... but they have to be actually effective," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Wednesday in a briefing.

Lebanon's army said it began reinforcing its presence in south Lebanon Wednesday, after Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced a cabinet decision to bolster the force's deployment following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel.

"The army has begun reinforcing its presence in the South Litani sector and extending the state's authority in coordination with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)," the military said in a statement. An AFP journalist saw army troops and vehicles Wednesday in two south Lebanon areas.

Tehran reserves the right to react Israeli airstrikes last month on Iran but also bears in mind other developments in the region, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday.

Araghchi told reporters during a trip to Lisbon that Iran welcomed Tuesday's ceasefire agreement in Lebanon and hoped it could lead to a permanent ceasefire. The ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah came into effect on Wednesday under an agreement brokered by the United States and France.

Asked whether the ceasefire could lead to an easing of tensions between Israel and Iran, he said: "It depends on the behaviour of Israel."

"Of course, we reserve the right to react to the recent Israeli aggression, but we do consider all developments in the region," he said.

Israel struck targets in Iran on 26 October in retaliation for an Iranian missile barrage against Israel on 1 October.

Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader, said in an interview published by Iran's Tasnim news agency on Sunday that his country was preparing to "respond" to Israel.

(Reuters)

An Israeli strike on Gaza City's al-Tabin school has killed 12 people, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said on Wednesday his group was cooperating over the army's deployment in south Lebanon, denying fighters had visible bases there and saying nobody could force residents to leave their villages.

There is "full cooperation" with the Lebanese state over strengthening the army's deployment in south Lebanon, Fadlallah told AFP, adding that the group has "no visible weapons or bases" there and that "nobody can make residents leave their villages".

France said on Wednesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had immunity given his country was not party to the statutes of the International Criminal Court that has sought his arrest, and Paris would continue working closely with him.

France has taken almost a week to come up with a clear position on the matter, after the court in The Hague issued arrest warrants on November 21 for Netanyahu, his former defence chief and a leader of the Hamas Palestinian group.

The International Criminal Court issued warrants last week for Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas’ military chief, accusing them of crimes against humanity in connection with the 13-month war in Gaza.

Since then, French officials have replied vaguely to questions about whether France would arrest Netanyahu should he visit the country.

The French prime minister, Michel Barnier, told parliament this week that France would "rigorously" respect its obligations under international law, a position echoed again by France’s foreign minister in a broadcast interview Wednesday morning.

But in a subsequent written statement, the French Foreign Ministry argued that Netanyahu and others affected benefit from immunity because Israel is not a member of the court. It said this would be "taken into consideration if the ICC was to ask us for their arrest and handing over."

The statement cited "the historic friendship that links France and Israel" and described them as “two democracies committed to the rule of law and respect for professional and independent justice.”

"France intends to continue to work in close collaboration with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Israeli authorities to achieve peace and security for all in the Middle East," it said.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said the United States would start its renewed push for a Gaza ceasefire on Wednesday, a day after US President Joe Biden announced a separate ceasefire between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

"President Biden intends to begin that work today by having his envoys engage with Turkey, Qatar, Egypt and other actors in the region," Sullivan told MSNBC in an interview. Biden on Tuesday had said the US along with other nations would also push for a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza. 

A ceasefire proposal agreed to by Lebanon and Israel stipulates that only "official military and security forces" in the Lebanon are authorised to carry arms in the country, according to a copy of the deal dated on Tuesday and seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

It specifically names those forces as the Lebanese Armed Forces, the Internal Security Forces, General Security, State Security, Lebanese customs and municipal police.

Officials in both the Lebanese government and Hezbollah have long referred to cabinet statements since 2008 enshrining the right to "resistance" as providing official approval for Hezbollah's arsenal.

The truce proposal refers to both sides' commitment to fully implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, including provisions that refer to the "disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon".

Hezbollah has not formally commented on the ceasefire but senior official Hassan Fadlallah told Lebanon's Al Jadeed TV late on Tuesday that while the group supported the extension of the Lebanese state's authority, the group would emerge from the war stronger.

"Thousands will join the resistance... Disarming the resistance was an Israeli proposal that fell through," said Fadlallah, who is also a member of Lebanon's parliament.

Hamas said on Wednesday it was committed to cooperating with any efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, where the militant Islamist group has been battling Israeli forces for more than a year.

In a statement issued after Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon, Hamas also said any ceasefire in Gaza must put an end to the war there and lead to the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian enclave.

(Reuters)

Gaza's Ministry of Health has announced that in the last 24 hours 33 people have been killed and a further 134 have been injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza.

The ministry raised the total death toll to 44,282 killed and 104,880 wounded since October 2023.

Israel's "ultimate goal" is to bring home hostages held by Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, Defence Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday after the start of a ceasefire in Lebanon.

"We intend to make every effort to create the conditions for a new hostage exchange and bring everyone home - this is the most important moral goal we face now, this is the ultimate goal," Katz said.

Lebanon's prime minister on Wednesday said the army will reinforce its presence in the south, urging Israel to withdraw and respect the terms of the ceasefire reached with Hezbollah.

"I demand that the Israeli enemy abide by the ceasefire deal and withdraw" from Lebanese territory, Najib Mikati said, adding that "I hope this will be a new page for Lebanon, I hope the coming days will lead to the election of a president".

Lebanon's powerful parliament speaker Nabih Berri called Wednesday on those displaced by Israel's war with Hezbollah to return home as a ceasefire took hold, also urging the swift election of a new president.

"I invite you to return to your homes... return to your land," said Berri, despite warnings to the contrary from Lebanon and Israel's militaries. He also called for the country to "quickly elect a president" as political bickering has left Lebanon without a head of state for over two years.

Iraq welcomed a ceasefire that took effect on Wednesday between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, calling on the international community to act urgently to end Israel's war on Gaza.

A foreign ministry statement called for "multiplying international efforts to avoid any new escalation" along the Israel-Lebanon border, while also urging "serious, urgent steps to stop the continued massacres and violations against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip".

Jordan said a ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran-backed group Hezbollah should prompt greater international efforts to bring an end to the war in Gaza.

In an official statement, the kingdom said the move was also a first step towards reversing a dangerous escalation of tensions across the region that had threatened peace and security.

(Reuters)

Yemen's Houthis on Wednesday welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, calling the deal a "victory" for its Iran-backed ally.

"We salute the great steadfastness of Hezbollah and the dear Lebanese people in the face of the brutal Israeli aggression," Mohammed Abdul Salam, a spokesman for the group, posted on X. "Thanks to this steadfastness... Lebanon was able to achieve a new victory.

Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said on Wednesday the group "appreciates" Lebanon's right to reach an agreement that protects its people, and it hopes for a deal to end the war in Gaza.

A ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement came into effect on Wednesday after both sides accepted an agreement brokered by the United States and France, a rare victory for diplomacy in a region traumatised by two wars for over a year.

"Hamas appreciates the right of Lebanon and Hezbollah to reach an agreement that protects the people of Lebanon and we hope that this agreement will pave the way to reaching an agreement that ends the war of genocide against our people in Gaza," Abu Zuhri told Reuters.

Without a similar deal in Gaza, where Hamas is battling Isareli forces, many residents said they felt abandoned.

Abu Zuhri blamed the failure to reach a ceasefire deal that would end the Gaza war on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly accused Hamas of foiling efforts.

"Hamas showed high flexibility to reach an agreement and it is still committed to that position and is interested in reaching an agreement that ends the war in Gaza," Abu Zuhri said.

"The problem was always with Netanyahu who has always escaped from reaching an agreement," he added.

Months of attempts to negotiate a ceasefire have yielded scant progress and negotiations are now on hold, with mediator Qatar saying it has told the two warring parties it would suspend its efforts until the sides are prepared to make concessions.

Israeli forces on Wednesday fired at several vehicles with suspects to prevent them from reaching a no-go zone in Lebanese territory and the suspects moved away, the Israeli military said in a statement, hours after a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah came into effect at 0200 GMT.

(Reuters)

Egypt welcomes the ceasefire in Lebanon, the foreign ministry said in a statement, after a ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed group Hezbollah took effect on Wednesday morning.

(Reuters)