June 04, 2026Share to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeJune 04, 2026Updates10 Lebanese killed, 59 wounded over 24 hours, health ministry data shows According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, 10 people were killed and 59 people were wounded in the 24 hours ending at 2:00 P.M. An ambulance near a parking lot outside the Jabal Amel Hospital, which was damaged in an Israeli strike on Monday, in Tyre, Lebanon, Tuesday. Credit: Aziz Taher/ReutersAn ambulance near a parking lot outside the Jabal Amel Hospital, which was damaged in an Israeli strike on Monday, in Tyre, Lebanon, Tuesday. Credit: Aziz Taher/ReutersAccording to a ministry tally, 3,526 people were killed and 10,733 were wounded since the start of hostilities in Lebanon on March 2.Netanyahu selects Katz aide as military secretary as Gofman takes Mossad postPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed a new military secretary to replace Roman Gofman, who began serving Tuesday as Mossad chief, the Prime Minister's office said Thursday.Brig. Gen. Guy Markizano. Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit Brig. Gen. Guy Markizano.Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit Brig. Gen. Guy Markizano, who currently serves as military secretary to Defense Minister Israel Katz, will assume the role immediately, without a transition period, the statement said."Markizano has gained extensive experience coordinating between the political echelon and the military echelon," the PMO said.On Wednesday, Channel 12 News reported that Sara Netanyahu participated in Markizano's interview process. According to the report, Netanyahu spoke with him without the presence of her husband while he was meeting the prime minister's chief of staff, Ido Norden.Lebanese PM defends cease-fire agreement as 'fastest and least costly path' for LebanonLebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Thursday said his government's negotiations with Israel were the "fastest and least costly path" for Lebanon, after the talks produced a new cease-fire initiative that was later rejected by Hezbollah. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Paris, France, April. Credit: Ludovic Marin/ReutersLebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Paris, France, April.Credit: Ludovic Marin/ReutersThe Lebanese-Israeli negotiations led overnight to a U.S.-backed agreement aimed at ending hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, paving the way for the militant group's disarmament.In a statement released by his office, Salam said the negotiations represented the best option available for the people of Lebanon."We could have stood by in the face of a reality and a war that we did not choose, but that was never an option for a single moment," he said, describing the talks as difficult and the Israeli position as "tough."Under the agreement announced in Washington on Wednesday, Hezbollah militants would be disarmed.Salam said the principle of a state monopoly on arms had already been established after the country's civil war ended in the early 1990s and that Lebanon should not miss another opportunity to enforce it.As a next step, he announced the gradual deployment of the Lebanese Army in southern Lebanon, warning that any delay would come at the expense of the region and its residents. Machinery operates as the Lebanese army opens a road, past buildings destroyed during the Israeli military campaign, in Dibbin, southern Lebanon, Thursday. Credit: Stringer/ReutersMachinery operates as the Lebanese army opens a road, past buildings destroyed during the Israeli military campaign, in Dibbin, southern Lebanon, Thursday. Credit: Stringer/ReutersThe Lebanese army said it began removing earth barriers erected by the Israeli military on a central southern Lebanese roadway connecting Dibbin to Marjayoun. The move followed the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area, according to the statement.The army also said it is gradually deploying forces in the area in coordination with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and the cease-fire monitoring mechanism.According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, 10 people were killed and 59 people were wounded in the 24 hours ending at 2:00 P.M. According to a ministry tally, 3,526 people were killed and 10,733 were wounded since the start of hostilities in Lebanon on March 2. DPA contributed to this report. Hezbollah agreed to cease-fire terms, Israeli source says, citing Lebanese representativesHezbollah reportedly agreed to the terms of the cease-fire in Lebanon during security track talks in Washington, an Israeli source said, citing Lebanese representatives to the talks. The source's comments followed Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem's Thursday remarks rejecting the cease-fire in Lebanon. In a letter to his followers, Qassem urged Lebanese officials to "end the farce" of direct negotiations.IAEA report calls on Iran to fully cooperate, let inspections resume⁠The ‌U.N. nuclear watchdog sent ‌a report to member ⁠states on Thursday ⁠repeating its calls on Iran to urgently inform the agency of the fate ‌of its enriched uranium ‌since its atomic sites were bombed a year ago and let inspections resume fully."The (International Atomic Energy Agency) Director General has emphasized ⁠to Iran that it is indispensable and ‌urgent ⁠to implement effectively the ‌NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty) Safeguards Agreement ... and that its implementation ⁠cannot be suspended by Iran under any circumstances," the confidential report ‌seen by Reuters said.2 hours agoIsrael does not intend to withdraw south of Litani, source says The Litani River as it flows through the village of Saghbin, Bekaa valley, eastern Lebanon, 2021. Credit: Hassan Ammar/APThe Litani River as it flows through the village of Saghbin, Bekaa valley, eastern Lebanon, 2021. Credit: Hassan Ammar/APIsrael does not intend to withdraw from areas south of Lebanon's Litani River, an Israeli source told Haaretz Thursday. According to the source, Israel agreed not to carry out offensive actions against Hezbollah, including the demolition of homes, in exchange for Hezbollah ceasing offensive actions against Israeli forces. The source said "quiet would be met with quiet," adding that Israeli forces will respond significantly to any threat.The source also said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not intervene in the talks, denying a statement by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun."[Rubio] testified in a congressional hearing and wasn't around at all," the source said. According to the source, Michael Needham – who led the previous round of talks and has since been promoted to deputy national security adviser and adviser to the president – "came when needed."Israel has continued to strike southern Lebanon, with strikes reported in the Tyre and Nabatieh districts. According to Lebanon's National News Agency, four agricultural workers were injured in the strikes. A large explosion was heard in the municipality of Arnoun, around 8 kilometers (about 4.5 miles) north of the Israeli border, the NNA reported. The Israeli military said several suspicious aerial targets impacted near soldiers operating in southern Lebanon. The IDF said sirens sounded in northern Israel following attempts to intercept the targets.Report: U.S. sources reject Hezbollah chief's remarks, say they follow 'actions not words' U.S. officials followed Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem's Thursday remarks rejecting the cease-fire in Lebanon and said they would rely on "actions not words," U.S. sources told the privately-held Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International. "The agreement begins with de-escalation, which will lead to a permanent and comprehensive cease-fire," the sources told LBCI, adding that Israeli forces will begin withdrawing from a "pilot area" where the Lebanese armed forces will deploy. "This agreement represents a last opportunity, and missing it will carry a heavy price for everyone," the sources said. Israeli forces preparing for 'next stage' of Lebanon cease-fire implementation, source says Members of UNIFIL, in armored vehicles, patrol the road of the southern Lebanese village of Tair Debba, April. Credit: Kawnat Haju/AFPMembers of UNIFIL, in armored vehicles, patrol the road of the southern Lebanese village of Tair Debba, April. Credit: Kawnat Haju/AFPIsraeli forces are preparing for the "next stage" of implementing a ceasefire in Lebanon, a source familiar with the matter told Haaretz on Thursday.The source did not use the term "withdrawal," though estimates indicate forces are maneuvering in the field.Earlier Thursday, a source in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said the peacekeeping force had not observed an Israeli withdrawal. However, the UNIFIL source said that from the morning onward, it had not documented Hezbollah attacks and had observed a decrease in the scale of Israeli strikes.Hezbollah chief's rejection of cease-fire was coordinated with Iran, source saysHezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem's rejection of the U.S.-sponsored cease-fire in Lebanon was expected and coordinated with Iran, a Lebanese source affiliated with Hezbollah said Thursday. Displaced residents wave a flag with the image of Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Zefta, southern Lebanon, April. Credit: Hassan Ammar/AP Displaced residents wave a flag with the image of Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Zefta, southern Lebanon, April. Credit: Hassan Ammar/AP Speaking to Haaretz, the source added that Tehran is expected to make a cease-fire in Lebanon a condition of any agreement with the United States. According to the source, it is not possible to reach an agreement with the U.S. and Israel without domestic Lebanese consensus. Hezbollah's stance on the talks is also directed towards the internal political arena, the source added. It is unacceptable, the source said, to impose truce conditions on Hezbollah that amount to an admission of defeat.A Lebanese source identified with the government told Haaretz that Qassem's statement was intended mainly to shape public opinion and the government's position, but in practice would become a test of reality on the ground."We know that the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, is in on the secret of the contacts," the government-linked source said. "Hezbollah will not admit defeat, will not announce disarmament, and will not agree to withdrawal. But what will determine what develops on the ground is whether, at the first stage, there will be an order to the military echelon not to attack Israeli settlements, and whether there will also be an agreement not to attack Israeli army forces," the source added. According to the source, there is no rush to declare failure or success. "Everything depends on what happens on the ground and on the success of the contacts with Iran on the one hand, and the American pressure on Israel not to escalate on the other," the source concluded. Hezbollah chief rejects cease-fire in Lebanon, says direct negotiations with Israel are 'disgraceful'Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem rejected the U.S.-sponsored cease-fire in Lebanon Thursday in a letter to his followers published by the group's Al-Manar network. People hold up portraits of Hezbollah leader, Naim Qassem, top, and late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Jiyeh, near Saida, southern Lebanon, in April. Credit: Hassan Ammar/AP People hold up portraits of Hezbollah leader, Naim Qassem, top, and late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Jiyeh, near Saida, southern Lebanon, in April. Credit: Hassan Ammar/AP In the letter, Qassem demanded a comprehensive cease-fire and rejected any divisions between northern and southern Lebanon. Israel could not have a free hand to kill people in Lebanon, he said, adding that the resistance would continue so long as the occupation persists. Qassem urged Lebanese officials to "end the farce" of direct negotiations. "The main goal must be Lebanese sovereignty, which can only be achieved through one solution: the end of Israeli aggression against Lebanon," Qassem said. "The main goal must be withdrawal from Lebanese territory, which would allow the army to deploy south of the Litani River and release prisoners."The secretary-general described the agreement as absurd, humiliating and disgraceful for Lebanon and said it was completely rejected by large parts of the Lebanese population.According to Qassam, disarming Hezbollah would mean destroying Lebanon's power and would pose an existential threat of annihilation to its people. The goal of the agreement is to destabilize Lebanon and incite divisions among the Lebanese, he said. Israel is seeking to achieve politically what it failed militarily, the Hezbollah chief added. According to him, the agreement reached in Washington is "a roadmap for the destruction of part of the Lebanese people and the subjugation of the rest."The security track talks, which Qassem described as a "fictitious cease-fire," is like "the devil's dream of entering paradise." "We have not committed to anyone not to resist aggression or respond to it," Qassem said. "As long as the aggression continues, we will deal with it with all the force we have. As long as our villages are not safe, are being bombed, destroyed, and our people are being killed, the settlements will also not be safe," the secretary-general said, referring to Israel's northern border communities. In the NewsFar-right MK Tzvi Succot Attempts to Break Into Arab School With Disc SawCenter-left Leader Scraps Macron Meeting to Avoid Centrist Backlash, Source SaysKnesset Approves Controversial Bill Granting Tax Breaks to Dozens of SettlementsI'm Queer and Palestinian. 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