War latest news. Lebanon, first Idf air strike against Hezbollah since the beginning of the truce. Italian-led Unifil hypothesis to reinforce ceasefire

The Israeli army accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire agreement several times since it came into force on Wednesday. In contrast, Israeli soldiers have been deployed in recent hours to prevent other militia members from advancing into southern Lebanon, the army said. The ceasefire agreement stipulates that Hezbollah must withdraw behind the Litani river, about 30 kilometres north of the Israeli-Lebanese border, in accordance with a UN Security Council resolution. Israeli ground troops must also gradually withdraw from Lebanon over the next 60 days.

Israel carried out an air strike against a Hezbollah installation in southern Lebanon, the first since the beginning of the fragile truce signed on Tuesday. For the regular Lebanese army - which has begun deploying troops and armoured vehicles in the south of the country, as agreed - this is the latest action by which Tel Aviv's forces have "repeatedly" violated the terms of the ceasefire. In detail, the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) said it had "identified terrorist activity" at a facility that Islamist Hezbollah forces allegedly used "to store medium-range rockets in southern Lebanon" and had "foiled the threat" with an air strike. He added that his forces "remained in south Lebanon and are acting to enforce" the truce. Israeli fire also wounded two people in the southern Lebanese village of Markaba, according to the Lebanese news agency Ani. To ensure compliance with the terms of the ceasefire and to avoid further injuries among the displaced people who are returning to southern Lebanon, Tel Aviv has also imposed a curfew between 5pm today and 7am tomorrow.

The IDF Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, said the army will enforce the truce with Hezbollah "with fire" to allow displaced residents of the north to return to their homes. The Times of Israel reports. "This agreement is the result of months of fighting, of intense work," he said, "now we are moving into another phase, with the same determination. We will enforce the implementation of the ceasefire". According to Halevi, 'the people in the north are now watching us and they want to see us very determined to enforce the measures so that they can return, and this is our duty to them'.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on his allies to give a 'firm response' to the 'blackmail' of Vladimir Putin, who has threatened to strike Kiev with his new Orechnik strategic missile. "Any blackmail by Russia must receive a firm response," Zelensky said in his daily address.

In almost 14 months of war against Israel, some 3,500 Hezbollah operatives have been killed, most of them since the Israel Defence Forces launched the ground operation in south Lebanon on 30 September. This was reported by the IDF, according to which at least another seven thousand militants were wounded.

EU leaders will meet in early January to discuss the bloc's position in the event that the United States stops supporting Ukraine. Outgoing EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said this today during a question-and-answer session at the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics. "I know that there will be a retreat of the heads of state and government, together with my successor, in the first days of January. I think it will be an important discussion to examine what will be the European response to a possible change in the US attitude towards Ukraine. This is the big elephant in the room, this is the question, the issue, what the Europeans will do if the new US administration no longer supports Ukraine,' Borrell said.

Italy could take over command of the blue helmet mission in Lebanon, setting out to manage the delicate truce between Hezbollah and Israel on the ground. A not entirely unprecedented scenario, but one that this time would be realised in the light of more than a year of one of the harshest conflicts between the Shia militiamen and the IDF. Notwithstanding the numerous unknowns, it is certain, however, that an eventual rotation could take place from next March, with the end of the mandate of the current Unifil commander: the Spaniard Aroldo Lázaro Sáenzm had in 2022 taken over from the Italian head of the international peacekeeping force, which since 2007 had always seen our country at the head of the peacekeepers in the Middle Eastern state. Among the names that have cropped up is that of General Dino Abagnara, former commander of the Garibaldi brigade, already serving with UN soldiers.

However, this is not the only development in the situation. On several occasions in the past, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto had vented the hypothesis of a reserve of Italian soldiers for Lebanon, i.e. a contingent of soldiers - presumably a few hundred stationed in Italy or in other strategic places abroad, such as Cyprus - ready to reinforce the Unifil soldiers, to guarantee the safety of patrols and in general to support the contingent in the event that the situation should once again deteriorate. Nothing has been decided, however, and these would in any case be decisions that would have to pass the UN Security Council's scrutiny, where new rules of engagement for peacekeepers in the cedar country could also be discussed again. The decision to introduce access to private spaces, the use of drones and night laser visors could emerge from the Palace of Glass: greater freedom of movement and different equipment would allow the blue helmets, for example, to more effectively identify Hezbollah positions, also as a deterrent, thus avoiding the escalation of Israeli encroachments. On the West Bank front, on the other hand, the Carabinieri Force is already committed with ten men in Jericho, for the reopening of the training mission for Palestinian law enforcement personnel. All this in view of the hoped-for peace in the Gaza Strip, where our military - which has always been well received by the civilian population in the theatres of war - could play a leading role in the future in the reconstruction phase of the territory.

The Miadit mission in the Jericho training centre, which had started in 2014, has already enabled the training, training and specialisation of around five thousand Palestinian police force members on topics such as policing techniques, public order management, investigative techniques, and the protection of cultural heritage. The activities had been halted a week after the 7 October attack last year due to deteriorating security conditions. But the US request to Italy for the return of 200 military personnel, made directly by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, may soon materialise.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir published a post on X today, criticising the ceasefire with Lebanon and calling for "reoccupying Gaza" and encouraging the "voluntary emigration" of the Palestinian population. "I say to the prime minister: we must not stop," Ben-Gvir urged, adding that the ceasefire with Lebanon has been "repeatedly violated" since its inception on Wednesday. "We must not stop! We must continue until absolute victory." According to Ben-Gvir, Israel has "a historic opportunity to reoccupy the Gaza Strip and encourage the voluntary emigration of Israel's enemies," adding that "this is what will bring lasting peace to the south."

The death toll in the ongoing clashes in northwest Syria, in the Aleppo and Idlib areas, between Bashar al-Assad's army and jihadists linked to al-Qaeda has risen to at least 200, most of them fighters. This was reported by activists of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, pointing out that 45 civilians, including women and children, are among the wounded and victims of the air raids. The death toll in the ongoing battles ''has risen to 182'' fighters, including ''102 Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militiamen'', 19 militiamen from allied factions and ''61 men from regime forces and allied groups'', the Observatory wrote in a note.

Italy is 'at the forefront of international efforts to prevent an escalation in the Middle East, in the common belief that a lasting solution to this crisis lies in the solution of two states for two peoples. The announcement of a ceasefire in Lebanon is a very positive development that we welcome". So says Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, in a video message sent to the 'Pontignano Conference' underway at Villa Wolkonsky in Rome.

"Italy," he added, "is determined to make its contribution to the stabilisation of the Israeli-Lebanese border, both through our soldiers in UNIFIL and within the framework of international support to the Lebanese armed forces with the initiative of the Italian-led Military Technical Committee for Lebanon.

Meloni also reiterated the 'unconditional support' for Ukraine, which she had assured 'from day one of the Russian war of aggression' and 'the joint effort we are making to end the conflict and offer the Ukrainian people a peaceful future'.

The Lebanese army accuses Israel of violating the ceasefire 'repeatedly'. The Lebanese army accused Israel, which carried out an air raid against a Hezbollah base in southern Lebanon, of having "repeatedly violated the ceasefire agreement" that came into force yesterday, after more than a year of hostilities along the border and two months of open warfare between the Israeli army and the Iranian-backed Lebanese armed movement.

Increasingly isolated, after Hezbollah reached a ceasefire agreement with Israel, Hamas would be ready to yield to Israel, to accept compromises that were unthinkable with Yahya Sinwar alive. But unwilling to give in, proving adamant about any concessions, is Israel. The New York Times writes this, citing Israeli, American and Hamas sources. "Hamas is completely alone now," said Tamer Qarmout, professor of politics at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. "Its position has been seriously weakened" after the agreement between Israel and Hezbollah. Even Iran, which supports Hamas and Hezbollah, seems intent on avoiding a direct confrontation with Israel and renouncing its threatened retaliation for the attack it suffered in October.

Hamas is therefore alone and considerably weakened, having lost dozens of commanders and thousands of fighters. And it no longer fully controls the territory it has administered since 2007. But a ceasefire in Gaza still seems to be a long way off. Yet, before Hezbollah made the deal with Israel, US and Palestinian officials believed that the Hamas political leadership was willing to a ceasefire if Israel compromised, particularly on the withdrawal of forces from Gaza. Now some US officials argue that Hamas could withdraw its demands and move towards a ceasefire agreement acceptable to the Israeli government. But Western officials believe that Israel does not seem interested in concessions at this point. Moreover, it would appear that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to wait until Donald Trump takes office before changing his position on talks with Hamas. Western officials quoted on condition of anonymity later said that Netanyahu is sceptical of Washington's plans for the day after, believing that the Palestinian National Authority's return to Gaza is doomed to failure and that Hamas will quickly reassert control.

Kiev's acquisition of nuclear weapons would constitute 'a violation of all its obligations in the field of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction'. Russian President Vladimir Putin said this on the sidelines of the Collective Security Council (Csto) in Astana, Kazakhstan, quoted by the Ria Novosti news agency. "But we will not allow it, we will monitor every step of what happens," Putin said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during a press conference following the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, November 28, 2024. Sputnik/Ramil Sitdikov/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY.

"On Ukraine we have reached the breaking point: now is the time for European capitals to really choose". This was said by EU High Representative Josep Borrell during an interview with Ansa and other international media on his penultimate day in office. "Last year the bill for support to Kiev was 125 billion, for next year it will be more. And the member states said no," he said. "We have to explain to people what is at risk, not hide the costs of war. And I think we don't do that enough: the conflict for us is not free, we have to be honest."

FILE PHOTO: High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell looks on as he leaves on the second day of the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Fiuggi, Italy, November 26, 2024. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo

Donald Trump is an intelligent and experienced politician who is capable of finding a solution. This was said by Russian President Vladimir Putin, quoted by the Ria Novosti news agency.

Germany announced it had made an offer to Nato to deploy Patriot air defence systems in Poland from January to help protect Ukraine's arms supply lines in the war against Russia. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said this would help protect a logistics hub and 'ensure the supply of vehicles, weapons and ammunition that Ukraine urgently needs to defend itself against brutal Russian attacks that violate international law'.

An inflatable decoy of a M270 MLRS military vehicle is displayed during a media presentation in Decin, Czech Republic, 11 November 2024 (issued 14 November 2024). EPA/MARTIN DIVISEK

MEPs call on the EU to strengthen its military support for Ukraine, including through the provision of aircraft, long-range missiles, including Taurus missiles, modern air defence systems, including Patriot and Samp/T, and portable anti-aircraft defence systems (Manpads). This is stated in the resolution passed in Strasbourg welcoming Joe Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to use missile systems on military targets inside Russian territory and calling on EU countries to do likewise.

The toll of clashes since yesterday in north-west Syria between local pro-Turkish forces and their Russian-backed government rivals has risen to 153 killed. This was reported by the National Observatory for Human Rights in Syria, according to which forces co-opted by Ankara continue the ground offensive that began yesterday at dawn in the areas west of Aleppo despite government and Russian air raids.

The Syrian town of Saraqeb, strategically located in the north-west of the country, has been stormed by the advance of local forces co-opted by Turkey in an anti-Russian function. This is reported by Syrian media according to which groups of Hay'at Tahrir ash Sham (Hts) fighters have entered the north-western part of the city and are preparing to advance into the central districts. Saraqeb is one of the junctions along the M5 highway that connects Damascus to Aleppo.

An interceptor missile was fired over the Western Galilee a short while ago, Israeli media reported. The IDF has not yet commented on the incident, which takes place in the context of the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. (

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that 'decision centres in Kiev' could be potential targets for Oreshnik missiles. Tass reports. "Currently, the defence ministry and the General Staff of the Russian army are selecting targets to be destroyed on the territory of Ukraine. These could be military facilities, defence industry enterprises or decision-making centres in Kiev," Putin said according to the official Russian news agency.

- The government in Kiev is 'completely illegitimate' and does not even have the right to give orders to the armed forces. This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin, quoted by the Interfax news agency, adding that those who carry out such orders are complicit in crimes.

Il Presidente russo Vladimir Putin in Kazakhstan. EPA/GAVRIIL GRIGOROV / SPUTNIK / KREMLIN POOL

In an interview with Kan, International Criminal Court spokesman Fadi El Abdallah said that the suspects have the right to appeal the arrest warrants, adding that the arrest warrants for Benyamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant could be revoked if a thorough investigation is launched in Israel. Yesterday, the Prime Minister announced the appeal against the arrest warrants issued by the Cpi.

The governor of Russia's Krasnodar oblast, Veniamin Kondratiev, says a woman was injured by drone wreckage that crashed into the courtyard of a private home in Slavyansk on the Kuban as a result of a Ukrainian 'large-scale drone attack'. This was reported by the Interfax news agency.

Today's massive Russian attacks on Ukraine are a response to the launch of American Atacms missiles on Russia. This was said by President Vladimir Putin as quoted by Russian agencies.

Russian forces attacked Ukrainian energy infrastructure overnight with around 100 drones, more than 90 missiles and cluster munitions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Telegram. "The target is our energy sector. A total of about 100 attack drones, more than 90 missiles of various types. Attacks with cluster munitions targeting civilian infrastructure have been recorded in several regions," the message reads. 'This is a very despicable escalation of Russian terrorist tactics,' Zelensky added.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky EPA/JULIEN WARNAND

- At noon the Euro Chamber will vote on the resolution for economic and military support for Ukraine, but on two paragraphs of the text, 5 and 13, the Socialists and Populars risk a split. Article 5 of the text in fact contains a criticism of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's phone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin, described as 'regrettable'. On the paragraph in question, however, a 'split' vote has been requested and a division of the Socialist group is likely. Division is also expected within the PD delegation, which has not found a common line, according to ANSA. Problems also arise over paragraph 13 in which the text 'calls on the EU and its member states to further strengthen their military support to Ukraine, including by providing aircraft, long-range missiles, including Taurus missiles, and modern air defence systems, including the Patriots and Samp/T'. On the supply of long-range missiles to Kiev, some socialist and popular delegations, including part of the PD and Forza Italia delegations, were considering voting against or abstaining.

'The Lebanese army must be strongly supported, we will need an incredible amount of resources if we really want it to be deployed in south Lebanon. But the ceasefire opens a glimmer of hope'. This was said by EU High Representative Josep Borrell on the sidelines of the meeting of the Global Alliance for a Two-State Solution in the Middle East. "Hezbollah must not be a state within a state. Lebanese independence must be guaranteed with respect to external and internal challenges: no one must challenge the sovereignty of the Lebanese people, neither an external enemy nor an internal faction that divides society and makes it weaker and more dangerous in relation to its neighbours," stressed the outgoing head of EU diplomacy at his last engagement

L’Alto rappresentante Ue per la politica estera Josep Borrell. REUTERS/Remo Casilli

Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian households are now without electricity due to the massive Russian missile attack against the country's energy infrastructure, regional officials announced. "Currently, 523,000 users in the Lviv region are without electricity," regional head Maksym Kozytskyi said on social media. In the north-western regions of Rivne and Volinia, 280,000 and 215,000 users are without electricity respectively.

Nine people were killed in an Israeli army attack on a house in the northern Nuseirat area in the central part of the Strip. This was reported by al Jazeera.

Una bandiera palestinese circondata da macerie e Nuseirat. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER

An Egyptian delegation will arrive in Tel Aviv today to present an agreement to end the war in Gaza. This was reported by the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar. Egyptian sources told the newspaper that 'the announcement of the visit from Cairo is proof of optimism about reaching an agreement'. According to the newspaper, the draft agreement includes "a temporary ceasefire of about one to two months during which the 'day after' details would be finalised, along with the gradual release of hostages, with priority given to the elderly and those suffering from chronic illnesses

US President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call that, following the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, the focus should now be on reaching an agreement for the release of hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza. Two US officials told Axios. The sources report that the conversation between Biden and Netanyahu, which took place on Tuesday evening shortly after the Israeli Security Cabinet had approved the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, lasted only a few minutes and the only topic raised, besides Lebanon, was the agreement to release the hostages and establish a ceasefire in Gaza. "Now we have an opportunity. Let's take the hostages," Biden told Netanyahu, according to officials. Israel's prime minister responded positively and said he wanted to try.

Il presidente Usa Joe Biden. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Associated Press/LaPresse

Twenty-five Ukrainian attack drones were intercepted in four regions of southwestern Russia overnight, the Russian Defence Ministry reported, quoted by local agencies.

Fourteen unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down in the Krasnodar region, six in Bryansk, three in Crimea and two in the Rostov-on-Don region.

The Ministry of Defence did not specify the targets of these attacks, but described them as 'terrorist'.

Ukrainian electricity grid operator Ukrenergo has activated emergency power outage programmes in the country due to a massive Russian missile attack on the country's energy infrastructure, the electricity provider for the Kiev region, Dtek Kyivski Rehionalni Elektromerezhi, local media reported. "In accordance with Ukrenergo's order, emergency power cuts have been introduced. Normal power outage programmes are not in force,' a note reads. Users are urged to save electricity to help stabilise the grid.

"The energy sector is once again under massive attack by the enemy. Attacks on energy facilities are taking place all over Ukraine. The Ukrenergo transmission system operator has urgently implemented emergency power cuts,' Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko wrote on Facebook. The minister added that the extent of the damage will be assessed as soon as security conditions allow, Ukrinform reports.

Hamas will not be ready for a ceasefire before the end of US President Joe Biden's term on 20 January. The Wall Street Journal writes this, citing American and Egyptian officials in contact with President-elect Donald Trump's team to see if Tel Aviv is willing to compromise on certain demands, such as the creation of a security zone between Israel and Gaza.

Syrian rebels in the last opposition enclave in northern Syria launched a large-scale military operation against the Syrian army and captured territory in what is the first such advance in years. This was reported by army and rebel sources, quoted by the Times of Israel. The rebel offensive has overrun at least 10 areas under the control of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the northwestern province of Aleppo, says a source in the operations room run by a coalition of insurgent groups led by the militant Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The ground incursion is the first such territorial advance since March 2020, when Russia, which backs Assad, and Turkey, which supports the rebels, agreed to a ceasefire that led to the suspension of military action in Syria's last major rebel stronghold in the country's northwest.

"The United States is committed to working with Israel to prevent Iran from destabilising the region, from preventing it from establishing itself in Lebanon, from undermining directly or through its affiliates the principles of the truce agreement". This is part of the so-called 'American' document signed by the US and Israel in parallel to the Lebanon truce agreement. The text, Channel 12 revealed, includes a number of secret clauses, the most dramatic of which refers to Israel-US cooperation in relations with Iran. This part of the 2½-page document is referred to in Jerusalem as the 'Iranian section'.

Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been 'subjected to a massive enemy attack'. The country's energy minister made this known after an air alert was declared across the country due to incoming missiles. 'Once again, the energy sector is under massive enemy attack. Attacks on energy facilities are taking place all over Ukraine," German Galushchenko said in a Facebook post, adding that the operator of the national electricity grid has "urgently introduced emergency power cuts".

US President Joe Biden's administration is reportedly preparing a $725 million arms package for Ukraine, two US officials quoted by the Reuters news agency said yesterday, as the outgoing president seeks to strengthen the government in Kiev before leaving office in January.

According to an official familiar with the plan, the Biden administration plans to provide a variety of anti-tank weapons from the US stockpile to blunt the advance of Russian troops, including landmines, drones, Stinger missiles, and ammunition for high-mobility missile systems (Himars).

The package is also expected to include cluster munitions, typically found in Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rockets launched by Himars launchers, according to reports. Formal notification of the weapons package could reach Congress as early as next Monday, an official said.

The Ukrainian Air Force issued a national air alert, reporting missile attacks against several regions. "The air alert has been declared throughout Ukraine due to the missile threat," it announced on Telegram, pointing out that the missiles mainly targeted the regions of Odessa, Kherson and Mykolaiv.

The mayor of Kharkiv, Igor Terekhov, said that there was shelling on a civilian area of the city, while the mayor of Lutsk, Ihor Polishchuk, said that multiple explosions were heard,

The Ukrainian Air Force issued a national air alert, reporting missile attacks against several regions. "The air alert has been declared throughout Ukraine due to the missile threat," it announced on Telegram, pointing out that the missiles mainly targeted the Odessa, Kherson and Mykolaiv regions.

Taiwan's armed forces held air defence manoeuvres to test response and engagement procedures ahead of President William Lai's trip, his first overseas trip since taking office with stops at Pacific allies and US stopovers. The Ministry of Defence explained in a note that "an 'Integrated Air and Missile Defence' exercise was conducted this morning to assess the readiness and engagement procedures of all armed forces, to improve overall operational effectiveness and to ensure the security of our airspace. The initiative is intertwined with speculation that China may initiate military manoeuvres in the coming days around Taiwan, using Lai's upcoming trip as a pretext. The Taipei Air Force Command said in a note that for a period of two hours, starting at 5am local time (10pm Wednesday in Italy), aircraft, ships and missile systems were involved in 'general air defence battle plan exercises'. In the face of change, 'we will continue to improve defence resilience through various practical trainings to anticipate potential threats and challenges and ensure air defence security'. China has conducted two rounds of large-scale warfare exercises around Taiwan this year and flies aircraft and sends ships into the skies and waters around Taiwan every day. The Ministry of Defence also reported that within 24 hours at 6am local time (11pm Wednesday in Italy), 13 Chinese aircraft and 7 warships were detected around the island, with 9 jets having crossed the median line and entered the Air Defence Identification Area (Adiz). In addition, the ministry cited two other balloons flying over the sea in northern Taiwan, respectively, about 120 and 160 kilometres from the port city of Keelung.