Beirut struck for fourth day as Gaza reels under Israeli strikes

Lebanese government prioritises implementation of 1701

Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, said on Friday the Lebanese government prioritises the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 in its entirety without any amendments.

The resolution ended the last round of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006 and stipulates that southern Lebanon must be free of arms that do not belong to the Lebanese state.

"Calls are ongoing to reach an understanding", Mikati said in a post on X.

Mikati has been holding a meeting with Iranian special envoy Ali Larijani in Beirut.

(Reuters)

Gaza health ministry: 28 killed and 120 injured

Gaza's health ministry said on Friday that 28 people have been killed and 120 others injured as a result of Israeli attacks over the past day.

This brings the total number of killed and wounded throughout the war to 43,764 dead and 103,490 injured.

Gaza authorities fear the death toll could be higher considering the number of people trapped under rubble and out of reach of health services. The ministry's report only includes those who have reached hospitals and does not distinguish between civilians and fighters.

Iran special advisor meets with Lebanon's Mikati and Berri

Iranian special envoy Ali Larijarni held meetings with Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to discuss the latest ceasefire proposal between Israel and Hezbollah on Friday.

After the meeting, Larijani, who is a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, said Iran would support "any decision" taken by the Lebanese government and "the resistance" referring to the Shia group Hezbollah.

Islamic Jihad releases new clip of Israeli hostage in Gaza

A Palestinian militant group allied with Hamas released a new clip Friday of Israeli hostage Sasha Trupanov, held in Gaza since the October 2023 attack, after releasing a first video earlier this week.

Trupanov, identified by his relatives in the first video released on Monday, appealed to Aryeh Deri, leader of the Sephardi ultra-Orthodox party Shas, a member of Israel's governing coalition, to help free him and the other hostages held in Gaza.

Iranian special envoy to travel to Beirut

Iran's special envoy to the Supreme Leader Ali Larijani is travelling to Beirut today for meetings with Lebanese officials in the wake of a new ceasefire proposal between Israel and Hezbollah.

Larijani will hope to craft a more favourable position for Hezbollah after the United States and Israel presented Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati and House Speaker Nabih Berri with a deal based on UN Resolution 1701.

A key point includes Hezbollah pushing back to north of the Litani River, a considerably territorial push back from the frontier which also requests the group to disarm.

Larijani said on Friday morning he would fly from Damascus where he has been meeting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

South Beirut building collapses after Israel strike

A building in Beirut's southern suburbs collapsed in a gigantic cloud of smoke and dust following a strike attributed to Israel, an AFP photographer reported.

A series of images from the strike captures a falling projectile slamming into the lower floors of the building, which erupt in a huge fireball, causing the structure to collapse.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported a "heavy raid carried out by aircraft of the Israeli enemy" in the area of Ghobeiri, near Horsh Beirut, the capital's largest park.

Heavy Israeli strikes on south Beirut

A fresh strike targeted Beirut's southern suburbs on Friday following an evacuation order issued by the Israeli army, according to an AFP journalist, who witnessed a column of grey smoke rising from the area.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported a "heavy strike" carried out with two missiles fired by an "enemy aircraft" in the area of Bourj al-Barajneh.

Footage of the Israeli strike on Ghobeiry this morning shows widespread destruction with rubble strewn across a main highway in the southern surbub after multiple airstrikes.

Huge plumes of smoke can be seen wafting over the city with one the attacks reportedly hitting a local radio station Al-Risala.

It is the fourth consecutive day Israel has been hitting south Beirut.

Israeli army claims to kill Islamic Jihad senior member

Israeli army said on Friday it "eliminated" a senior member of the Islamic Jihad group in Gaza City.

It said Alkaman Abed Eslam Khalil Anbar was responsible for "fire support" for Islamic Jihad, a smaller armed group in Gaza City, where Israel has been pushing back against Hamas for over a month.

In a statement on Telegram, the army said it was still operating in Jabalia, Beit Lahia, and Rafah in south Gaza.

Drone strikes on Gaza City

At least two people have been killed and more wounded in a drone strike on Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood of Gaza City on Friday morning, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.

Other strikes hit areas west of Jabalia refugee camp, also in the north. Civilians in the north have been trapped by Israeli forces for six weeks with aid agencies warning that famine is imminent.