Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh killed in Tehran

The president of the Venezuelan Parliament, Jorge Rodriguez, to the applause of the assembly, called for imprisonment for opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and Ambassador Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, Nicolas Maduro's challenger in the elections. 'With fascism there is no compromise,' said Rodriguez. We must not only arrest the drug addicts' who carry out the acts of vandalism, 'we must also do it with their leaders. I am not only referring to Maria Corina Machado, who must be arrested, but also Edmundo Gonzalez, because he is the head of the fascist conspiracy they are trying to impose in Venezuela'.

A medical source told Al Jazeera that the Israeli raid in Beirut killed three Lebanese and injured 25 others. According to witnesses, an eight-storey building was hit in the raid, three of which collapsed.

The fate of Fuad Shukr, the senior Hezbollah commander targeted in the Israeli raid in southern Beirut, is still unclear. According to sources quoted by al Arabiya and the Saudi TV al Adht, Shukr was killed. Hezbollah sources previously quoted by France Presse (read below, ed.) had stated instead that Shukr had survived the attack.

Israel informed the United States before the attack on a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut today. Cnn writes this, citing a source close to the dossier. The source said the information was relayed by Israel through security channels, but did not indicate when it was given.

"The mobilisation continues. We will continue to exercise the right to peaceful protest and defend the truth until the end'. This was said by the leader of the opposition in Venezuela, Corina Machado, addressing thousands of demonstrators summoned in front of the UN headquarters in central Caracas to protest against the proclamation of Nicolas Maduro's victory in Sunday's presidential election in the absence of the publication of the official polling documents. The government banned the protests warning that protesters could face the crime of incitement to hatred with sentences of up to 20 years.

La leader dell’opposizione venezuelana Maria Corina Machado alza la mano al candidato presidenziale dell’opposizione Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia durante una manifestazione presso la sede delle Nazioni Unite a Caracas. (Photo by Yuri CORTEZ / AFP)

Israel's attacks in Lebanon constitute a flagrant violation of international law. The Russian Foreign Ministry told Tass. 'This attack is a flagrant violation of international law,' the ministry denounced.

'Hezbollah has crossed the red line': this was stated by Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant minutes after the IDF attack in Beirut.

The senior Hezbollah leader killed in the IDF attack in Beirut is Fouad Shukr, considered the number two of the organisation led by Hassan Nasrallah. This was reported by the Israeli media. According to Hezbollah sources, however, Fuad Shukr survived the Israeli attack.

Mezzi di emergenza intervengono a Beirut dopo l’attacco israeliano. (Photo by ANWAR AMRO / AFP)

While in Beirut a powerful explosion hit the suburb of Da'aheh, a Hezbollah stronghold, the Shiite militiamen of the Party of God took responsibility for a new attack on Israeli territory: dozens of Katyusha rockets were fired towards northern Israel, Arab media reported.

The State Department was unable to confirm reports of an Israeli attack on a southern suburb of Beirut. "We continue to believe that diplomacy is still the best path," said the department's deputy spokesman Vedant Patel in a press briefing. "Our support for Israel is unwavering, but we do not want escalation," he added.

The Israeli IDF has confirmed that it carried out an air raid on the southern suburbs of Beirut a short while ago. According to the Jewish state forces, the Hezbollah commander responsible for the massacre at the Majdal Shams football field was targeted in the attack. The IDF conducted "a targeted attack in Beirut against the commander" of Hezbollah "responsible for the murder of the children in Majdal Shams and the killing of numerous other Israeli civilians". This was stated by Israel's military spokesman, who said that 'at the moment there are no changes in the Home Front Command's defensive guidelines. If changes are made, an update will be issued'. According to the Times of Israel, the Hezbollah commander targeted is Fuad Shukr, also known as Hajj Mohsin, a military advisor to the leader of the pro-Iranian Shia movement, Hassan Nasrallah. Shukr was believed by the IDF several years ago to be the commander of Hezbollah's precision missile project. He is also wanted by the US for his role in the 1983 bombing of the US marine barracks in Beirut.

According to the Lebanese channel Al-Jadeed, Israeli fighters attacked the Da'aheh neighbourhood in Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold. The attack was aimed at the Harat Harik area. The target was the Hezbollah Shura Council, in particular a senior Hezbollah member, whose fate is not yet clear. Hezbollah confirmed the raid, allegedly of Israeli origin, on a suburb in the southern part of Beirut, the very area controlled by the Shiite faction. According to 'Ntv', the attack was carried out using a drone. The Saudi TV channel Al-Hadth reported from sources that the attack launched by Israel in Beirut 'was aimed at the Hezbollah Shura council in Harat Kharik in the Dahieh district'. This is a seven-person council that chooses the guidelines of the Lebanese party.

Hezbollah confirmed the raid, allegedly of Israeli origin, on a suburb in southern Beirut, the one controlled by the Shia faction. According to 'Ntv', the attack was carried out using a drone.

A Hezbollah leader is the target of the raid allegedly conducted by Israel on the suburb of Haret Hreik, a stronghold of the Lebanese Shiite movement in southern Beirut. This was reported by Arab satellite media, pointing out that the fate of the Hezbollah exponent, like his identity, is unknown.

Sources close to Hezbollah said that Israel carried out a raid in a southern suburb of Beirut.

A loud explosion was heard in Beirut. This was reported by al Arabiya. An explosion was heard in the southern suburbs of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. This was reported by L'Orient-Le Jour, according to which a column of smoke is rising from the area. This is the area of the city controlled by Hezbollah.

Aleksandr Lukashenko has granted a pardon to the German citizen sentenced to death in Belarus, the Russian news agency Ria Novosti writes, citing the Belarusian state agency Belta.

A Palestinian citizen attempted to stab Israeli soldiers at an intersection near the West Bank town of Beit Einun. The man was hit by gunfire. The Times of Israel reports this, citing a military source.

There were no other injuries in the accident.

Nine Palestinians were killed by Israel while transporting bodies from the Bureij camp. Exclusive footage obtained by al Jazeera shows the first moments after a group of young men were shot by the Israeli army while trying to transport bodies from the Bureij refugee camp to the Nuseirat camp on an animal-drawn cart. Local sources and witnesses told the Qatari broadcaster that the men were attacked when they reached Salah al-Din Street.

'749 protesters have been arrested in Venezuela', Venezuelan prosecutor Alex Saab announced at a press conference. The arrests were for various reasons, from vandalism to incitement to hatred and terrorism, among others.

TOPSHOT - Opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government protest at the Catia neighborhood in Caracas on July 29, 2024, a day after the Venezuelan presidential election. Protests erupted in parts of Caracas Monday against the re-election victory claimed by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro but disputed by the opposition and questioned internationally, AFP journalists observed. (Photo by YURI CORTEZ / AFP)

In Khan Younis, the fighting is getting closer and closer to the Nasser Hospital, the last functioning hospital in southern Gaza. This is denounced by Médecins Sans Frontières (Msf). As the fighting draws closer, the structure's operability and access to medical care are at risk at a time of great need: in July alone, Msf teams working in the Nasser and Al-Aqsa hospitals responded to ten episodes of mass influxes of seriously wounded, following attacks and fighting in the surrounding areas. The evacuation of the hospital would have devastating effects. Msf urgently calls on all parties to the conflict to guarantee the population safe access to medical care and to prevent the evacuation of Nasser Hospital, which would endanger hundreds of patients. "Any escalation of the fighting near the hospital would hinder access to patients and medical staff, making it impossible to provide care," says Jacob Granger, Msf's project coordinator in Gaza. "The health system is completely decimated and the evacuation of hundreds of patients and medical supplies, more or less quickly, would be impossible anyway. It would have devastating consequences for the people in the area who have nowhere else to go. Closing the Nasser hospital is not an option'.

According to international media sources, Hezbollah has rejected calls by envoys from several countries, led by the US, to refrain from responding to a possible Israeli attack in retaliation for the 12 children and teenagers killed by a rocket fired from Lebanon last Saturday on the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the northern Golan.

epa11503491 Hezbollah fighters carry the coffins of Hezbollah fighters Mohammed Ali Moustafa Mreish and Hassan Helal Al Saidi, who were killed after Israeli airstrikes in Kfar Kila near the Lebanese-Israeli border, during their funeral procession in Beirut, Lebanon, 28 July 2024. Hezbollah said in a statement that four of its fighters Naim Ali Farhat, Mohammed Ali Moustafa Mreish, Ahmad Hikmat Moussa and Hassan Helal Al Saidi, were killed in Israeli airstrikes on 27 July. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), a rocket launched on 27 July from Lebanon toward Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights caused multiple civilian casualties, including children. Approximately 30 projectiles were identified as crossing from Lebanon, the IDF said. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH

At least two Palestinians were killed by the IDF in the shelling of a house in northern Gaza City. This was reported by al Jazeera, adding that Israeli artillery also hit the north-eastern part of the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza.

The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the Supreme Guide of Iran, Ali Khamenei, protested the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics denouncing it as immoral and anti-Christian. "We condemn these insults aimed at the sacred figures of divine religions, including Jesus Christ," Khamenei said, as reported by Irna. While Erdogan said that 'the immorality that was staged once again underlines the extent of the threat we are facing'. As reported by Anadolu, Erdogan said he will call Pope Francis to denounce the immorality against the Christian world.

The US will equip F-16s supplied to Ukraine by allied countries with US-made missiles and other advanced weapons. The Wall Street Journal writes this, recalling that Denmark and Holland are about to send the first US-made F-16s to Kiev, while other aircraft will later be supplied by Belgium and Norway. Until now, the question of how to arm the fighters sent to Ukraine had remained unresolved.

Un F-16 dell’aeronautica statunitense. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo

Venezuelan opposition party Voluntad Popular leader Freddy Superlano was arrested this morning, according to a recording broadcast by the media outlet Monitoreamos. The video shows how hooded men with firearms picked up Superlano and put him into a van.

After recent recovery operations, the Israel Defence Forces have come to realise that there is a possibility that the bodies of some hostages kidnapped by Hamas on 7 October may never be found again. The Times of Israel has learned this. The assessment comes as 111 of the 215 hostages remain in Gaza, now almost 300 days old, including the bodies of 39 confirmed dead by the IDF.

Turkish forces hit Kurdish militants in northern Iraq with air strikes, killing 13 members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), outlawed by Ankara. This was announced by the Turkish Defence Ministry. The Pkk militants were 'neutralised' in the Gara and Haftanin regions in northern Iraq, the ministry added.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack that killed an Israeli civilian on kibbutz Ha Goshrim this afternoon, claiming to have fired dozens of rockets at a nearby military base. Since 8 October, Hezbollah-led attacks have left 25 Israeli civilians and 18 IDF soldiers and reservists dead.

Il fumo si alza da un sito preso di mira dall’esercito israeliano nel villaggio di Kafr Kila, al confine meridionale del Libano, il 29 luglio 2024. Oggi Hezbollah ha risposto con un attacco che ha ucciso un civile israeliano nel kibbutz di Ha Goshrim. (Photo by Rabih DAHER / AFP)

"We do not expect an Israeli ground invasion, but if it happens, we are ready. If they decide to enter Lebanon, we will set foot in the Galilee,' leading Hezbollah members told Al Jazeera that the Lebanese militia will respond to any Israeli 'aggression', even if it is of a limited nature and size. "The leadership of the resistance will decide the form and scope of the response to any potential aggression," Hezbollah members said.

Around 300 bodies have been recovered so far by Palestinian rescuers in Khan Yunis, the second largest city in the Gaza Strip that has been the scene of a large-scale offensive by the Israeli army since 22 July. This was indicated by the Gaza Civil Defence on Telegram, as reported by Al Jazeera. According to the post, a large number of the recovered bodies were in a state of decomposition. "Our teams are still searching for missing persons," the Civil Defence added.

Particularly tense government meeting today in Jerusalem where ministers exchanged mutual accusations over yesterday's raids on two IDF bases by far-right activists and parliamentarians opposed to the arrest of nine soldiers accused of allegedly abusing a detained Hamas commander. Israeli media report that Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu told ministers that "we do not enter military bases", comparing the assaults to highway blockades by anti-government protesters. Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, of the Shas party, which represents ultra-Orthodox Jews, condemned Netanyahu's comparison while stressing that extreme right-wing demonstrators cannot be allowed to 'endanger the army in this way'.

The latest report on the humanitarian situation by NGOs working in Gaza has revealed disastrous conditions and various obstacles preventing or limiting relief efforts in the region. This was underlined by ActionAid in a note. The report, which covers the period from 13 to 29 July 2024, details the escalating humanitarian crisis facing the 2.1 million Palestinians living in Gaza.

As of 29 July, 39,363 Palestinians have been killed and almost 91,000 injured. Thousands were buried under rubble and presumed dead. Some 86% of Gaza has been forcibly displaced and is under 'evacuation order', being forced to seek refuge in the remaining 14% of the Strip. Almost half a million people are experiencing catastrophic levels of food insecurity. Water availability is down 94% from pre-October levels. Since October 2023, 278 aid workers have been killed. Recent attacks have also targeted UN and NGO convoys and shelters, severely compromising aid delivery.

A war between Israel and Hezbollah "is not inevitable". This is the conviction expressed by US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, visiting Manila with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who continues to work towards a de-escalation of tensions. "While we have seen a great deal of activity on Israel's northern border and we remain concerned about the possibility of this escalation escalating into open conflict, I do not believe this is inevitable," Austin said at a press conference. When asked whether he believes Israel can fight the war on two fronts, in Gaza and Lebanon, he replied: 'Israel will do what is necessary to defend itself and has proven that time and time again'. Although the US is committed "to helping Israel defend itself or do whatever is necessary", Austin reiterated that Washington's position is to see "things resolved diplomatically. We've been clear on that from the beginning'.

The Russian Defence Ministry stated that its soldiers captured another village in south-eastern Ukraine: Pivdenne, in the Donetsk region. This was reported by Tass. Moscow uses the old name of Leninskoye for the village in its statement.

The Israeli army announced that the 98th division has withdrawn from Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, after the last operations lasted just over a week. The IDF states that in the last few days the troops have killed over 150 terrorists, demolished tunnels and other sites used by Hamas. In addition, reservists from the 252nd division operating in the Netzarim corridor area killed several gunmen during raids against Hamas sites.

Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Hamas political bureau, and Ziyad al-Nakhalah, the secretary general of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, had a meeting in Tehran with the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei. This was reported by the portal of Iranian dissidents based abroad, Iran International, saying that Haniyeh and al-Nakhalah were in the Iranian capital to attend the inauguration ceremony of President-elect Massoud Pezeshkian.

Overnight, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) struck around 10 Hezbollah terrorist targets in seven different areas of South Lebanon. The IDF reported this, adding that they eliminated a Hezbollah militiaman in the Bayt Lif area, in addition to hitting a weapons depot and military facilities of the Iran-linked militia. The army also reported that the Air Force hit Ibrahim Hegazi, in charge of anti-tank missiles in Hamas' Nuseirat battalion. While in central Gaza, troops are conducting targeted raids, eliminating terrorists and dismantling their terrorist infrastructure, including in the Tel al-Sultan area.

Military sites in the southern Syrian province of Daraa reportedly came under the crosshairs of rocket attacks attributed to Israeli forces overnight. So far there are no reports of casualties or damage. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is based in the UK and has sources in the Arab country, sites in Tal Jayba and Tal Umm Houran were targeted. During the night, the Israeli news site Ynet relaunched local media reports of operations attributed to Israel in the Daraa area. News, however, not reported by the official Syrian news agency Sana. The province of Daraa borders the Golan Heights, the scene of last Saturday's massacre for which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened a "harsh response" pointing the finger at the Lebanese Hezbollah, which has been in Syria for years alongside Bashar al-Assad's forces.

At least five rockets were fired at Israel from Lebanon overnight, but did not reach Israeli territory. This was reported by the Walla website cited by the Times of Israel. During the night, a rocket warning siren went off in Kibbutz Hanita, near the border with Lebanon, in the Western Galilee. No statement on the matter came from the Israeli army, nor was there any claim of an attack by Hezbollah.

"Tehran has no interest in and has not conducted any activity aimed at influencing the 2024 US presidential election," Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations in New York said, commenting on rumours that Iran had attempted to damage Donald Trump's campaign out of fear of his return to power. "Most of these accusations are psychological operations to give false momentum to election campaigns," he added, according to Irna. "From Iran's point of view, Trump is a criminal who must be prosecuted and punished in a court of law for ordering the assassination of former Qods Force commander General Ghassem Soleimani in 2020," the mission noted, "Iran has chosen the legal route to bring him to justice."

The United Kingdom has also called on its fellow citizens to leave Lebanon, considering retaliation by Istrael imminent after the Golan massacre.

Russian air defences shot down four Ukrainian missiles over the Kursk region, close to the border with Ukraine. This was reported - as reported by Tass - by Governor Alexey Smirnov. 'Last night four Ukrainian missiles were shot down over the Oktyabrsky and Kurchatovsky districts,' he wrote on Telegram.

An hour and a half long conversation, much longer than expected, took place between Premier Meloni and Chinese President Xi in Beijing. "There is growing insecurity at the international level and China is inevitably a very important interlocutor to address all these dynamics starting from their respective points of view to reason together on how to ensure stability, peace and free trade. Italy can play an important role in trying to create trade relations between China and the EU that are as balanced as possible,' the Italian Prime Minister said, adding. 'We have certainly been quite clear in raising the issue of China's support for Russia. It is clear that this creates friction'. The premier said she was 'very concerned about what is happening in Lebanon, about the risk of a regional escalation'.

PER APPROACH / Xi to Meloni, ready to cooperate on electric vehicles and AI. Ukraine and UN reform also on the table

Clashes in Caracas, Venezuela, after the presidential elections and the first arrests by the police of demonstrators who took to the streets to protest against Nicolas Maduro's proclamation of victory. The regime expelled the ambassadors of Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay, accusing these nations of 'interference'. The opposition disputes the result: anti-chavista leader Maria Corina Machado and former ambassador Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia claim they 'have the evidence to prove the truth' and that they won 'with more than 73% of the vote'.

Proteste nelle strade di Caracas dopo la rielezione di Maduro (EPA/Henry Chirinos)