Morning update

Good morning Middle East Eye readers,

The US and Iran are moving closer to a one-page ​memorandum to end the war in the region, several reports have indicated. 

Meanwhile, intensifying Israeli attacks on Lebanon have escalated worries of a collapse in the current ceasefire. Lebanese officials reported that least 16 people have been killed in Israeli assault across south and east Lebanon on Wednesday.

Here are some other notable developments: 

An Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs on Wednesday killed a senior commander from Hezbollah's elite force, a source close to the group told AFP. The attack on the Lebanese capital is the first since the truce deal began in April. 

Hezbollah said its fighters launched 17 attacks on Israeli forces operating inside Lebanon on Wednesday.

Iran has formally denied any involvement in an explosion that hit a South Korean cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week. US President Donald Trump previously claimed that the country had "taken some shots" at the vessel, urging Seoul to join Washington operations in the waterway.

Israeli shelling and strikes have escalated in Gaza, with a recent assault reported in Gaza City killing at least one Palestinian as well as seriously wounding the son of Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya and several others.

Late on Wednesday, Israeli forces carried out a raid in the western countryside of Daraa province, south Syria, according to the Syrian state news agency SANA.