■ Talks aimed at the gradual opening of the Strait of Hormuz are ongoing, with news regarding the ships stuck in the waterway expected in the coming hours, Saudi television Al Arabiya reported.
■ Iran denied any involvement by its armed forces in damage to a South Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, its embassy in Seoul said.
■ Three people were killed in Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon and paramedics were wounded in Toul, Lebanese media reported.
■ The IDF said it killed Ahmed Ali Balout, commander of Hezbollah's Radwan Force, in a strike in the Dahiyeh area of southern Beirut on Wednesday.
■ Hezbollah launched several rockets at IDF troops in southern Lebanon, the IDF said, with no Israeli injuries reported.
■ The son of Hamas political bureau head Khalil al-Hayya, Azzam, has died of wounds sustained from an Israeli strike Wednesday, al-Shifa Hospital said.
■ The shortage of essential medicines, medical supplies and laboratory testing equipment in the Gaza Strip is growing worse, the Gazan Health Ministry said.
■ The IDF said it foiled an attempted drone smuggling of 11 pistols from Jordan to Israel.
The IDF killed Ahmed Ali Balout, commander of Hezbollah's Radwan Force, in a strike in the Dahiyeh area of southern Beirut on Wednesday, the army said.
"In recent months, Ali Balout directed 'Radwan Force' terrorists and commanded dozens of terror attacks against IDF soldiers operating in southern Lebanon, including anti-tank missile attacks and the detonation of explosive devices," the IDF's statement said, adding that the Radwan Force "operates under the sponsorship and direction of the Iranian terror regime."
Diplomatic exchanges are ongoing, aimed at the gradual opening of the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi television Al Arabiya reported.
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, on MondayCredit: Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA/WANA/ REUTERSVessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, on MondayCredit: Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA/WANA/ REUTERS
The channel said news regarding ships stuck in the waterway is expected in the coming hours. Earlier, NBC News cited U.S. officials as saying that Saudi pressure had led to the suspension of a U.S. naval operation to escort these ships out of the waterway.
A Pakistani source told Al Arabiya that Iran is expected to respond on Thursday to a U.S. proposal for a nuclear agreement, corroborating an earlier CNN report.
Iran denied any involvement by its armed forces in damage to a South Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, its embassy in Seoul said on Thursday in a statement, adding that safe passage through the waterway requires strict adherence to Iranian regulations.
On Monday, a Panama-flagged ship operated by South Korea's HMM suffered an explosion and caught fire, with U.S. President Donald Trump blaming the incident on an Iranian attack, while South Korea's Foreign Ministry said the cause of the fire would only be confirmed after the vessel was towed back to port and inspected.
Official Statement of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran on Allegations Concerning Damage to a Korean Vessel in the Strait of Hormuz
The son of Hamas head Khalil al-Hayya has died of wounds sustained from an Israeli strike on Wednesday, al-Shifa Hospital said.
Breaking | Azzam Khalil Al-Hayya, son of Hamas leader in Gaza Khalil Al-Hayya, has succumbed to injuries sustained in an Israeli strike near the Jabalia bus stop in Gaza City last night.
Earlier, al-Hayya, head of Hamas's political bureau, told Al Jazeera that his son is in critical condition after being severely wounded in an Israeli attack in the Gaza Strip.
Three people were killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon today, the National News Agency reported.
Al Mayadeen channel reported three Israeli strikes hit the southern city of Nabatieh on Thursday morning, as well as a drone strike on a vehicle near a hospital in Toul, which wounded paramedics from al-Risala emergency services, and additional strikes in the Nabatieh district.
Lebanese media also reported a strike on a truck carrying vehicles in the Mayfadoun municipality, and intense artillery fire toward five villages overnight and during the morning.
Hezbollah announced it had used a drone to attack a bulldozer in Deir Siryan, in the Nabatieh district.
Hezbollah has launched several rockets at IDF troops in southern Lebanon over the past day, the IDF said. No Israeli injuries were reported, and the rocket launches were dismantled, the army added.
The army's statement also said that it had struck "more than 15 terror infrastructure sites in several areas in southern Lebanon" on Wednesday, including "weapons storage facilities and production sites, headquarters, launch sites, and structures used for military purposes."
The IDF intercepted on Wednesday a drone that crossed from Jordan into Israeli territory carrying 11 pistols, the army said on Thursday.
The pistols confiscated from an attempted drone smuggling over the Jordanian border.Credit: IDF Spokesperson's UnitThe pistols confiscated from an attempted drone smuggling over the Jordanian border.Credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit
Hamas head Khalil al-Hayya said his son is in a critical condition after being severely wounded in an Israeli attack in the Gaza Strip.
Khalil al-Hayya in an interview in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2024.Credit: Khalil Hamra / AP Khalil al-Hayya in an interview in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2024.Credit: Khalil Hamra / AP
Al-Hayya, head of the group's political bureau, made the remarks while speaking to Al Jazeera, after Palestinian outlets had earlier reported that his son was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza City.
"Israel's message is that no one is above the attacks, and the entire population is a target," he told the Qatari network, accusing Israel of "rebelling" against diplomatic agreements. Al-Hayya added that negotiations on the Gaza cease-fire's second phase – meant to include Hamas's disarmament, Israeli withdrawal from the Strip and reconstruction – are stuck due to Israel's "stubbornness."
"Is it possible to move to the second phase when the technocratic committee is not allowed to enter?" al-Hayya said, referring to the Palestinian National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, which is set to govern the enclave according to the cease-fire. Palestinian officials have previously accused Israel of impeding the committee's entry.
Al-Hayya also accused Israel of failing to implement the cease-fire's first phase, telling Al Jazeera that U.S. President Donald Trump and mediators must force Israel to comply with the agreements before they can move toward the next phases.
