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10 Killed in Israeli Strike in Lebanon's Nabatieh

Smoke rises from villages near the border in south Lebanon after Israeli shelling (AFP)
Smoke rises from villages near the border in south Lebanon after Israeli shelling (AFP)
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10 Killed in Israeli Strike in Lebanon's Nabatieh

Smoke rises from villages near the border in south Lebanon after Israeli shelling (AFP)
Smoke rises from villages near the border in south Lebanon after Israeli shelling (AFP)

Around 10 people were killed, including two children, and five were wounded in an Israeli strike on a residential building in the city of Nabatieh in south Lebanon, state news agency NNA said on Saturday.
The victims were all Syrian citizens, NNA said, adding that a final toll of the strike would be announced after DNA tests were conducted to determine the identity of the victims.

The Israeli military said the airstrike targeted a weapons depot used by Hezbollah.

Hezbollah later said in a statement that it had struck the Ayelet Hashahar Kibbutz in northern Israel in retaliation for the Nabatieh strike.
Two soldiers were wounded in a rocket attack from Lebanon, the Israeli military said, adding that a total of 55 rockets had been fired in latest strikes from Lebanon.
Also on Saturday, an Israeli drone targeted a motorcycle in the Qadmous area east of Tyre in south Lebanon, NNA reported, adding that one person was injured. A security source said one person was killed in the motorcycle attack.

Tensions have soared in the region in recent weeks, after a deadly rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that Israel blamed on Hezbollah. Israel responded with the killing of a top Hezbollah commander in the suburbs of Beirut.

Hezbollah has also vowed to retaliate against Israel, as has Iran, for the killing in Tehran of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh.

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US Official Says Mideast Mediators are Preparing for Implementation of Ceasefire Deal in Advance

Palestinians evacuate a school that had been their shelter, in eastern Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024, after the Israeli military dropped leaflets asking civilians to evacuate from the area and northern Khan Younis, saying forces plan to respond to rocket fire that targeted Israel. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinians evacuate a school that had been their shelter, in eastern Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024, after the Israeli military dropped leaflets asking civilians to evacuate from the area and northern Khan Younis, saying forces plan to respond to rocket fire that targeted Israel. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
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US Official Says Mideast Mediators are Preparing for Implementation of Ceasefire Deal in Advance

Palestinians evacuate a school that had been their shelter, in eastern Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024, after the Israeli military dropped leaflets asking civilians to evacuate from the area and northern Khan Younis, saying forces plan to respond to rocket fire that targeted Israel. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinians evacuate a school that had been their shelter, in eastern Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024, after the Israeli military dropped leaflets asking civilians to evacuate from the area and northern Khan Younis, saying forces plan to respond to rocket fire that targeted Israel. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

In a sign that mediators believe a Gaza ceasefire deal is imminent, a US official said Friday that Mideast negotiators are working out logistics for the potential release of hostages and distribution of aid as part of any agreement to end the Israel-Hamas war.

The official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity in keeping with rules set by the White House, said the proposal currently on the table basically bridges every gap between Israel and Hamas and mediators were making preparations before a final deal is approved, AFP reported.

It was unclear what measures were being taken, but the official said a new "implementation cell" was being established in Cairo in advance. The cell would focus on logistics, including freeing hostages, providing humanitarian aid for Gaza and ensuring that the terms of the pact are met, the official said.

The comments came hours after mediators expressed hope that a deal was within reach. They said two days of talks had wrapped up in Qatar and that they plan to reconvene in Cairo next week to seal an agreement to stop the fighting.

Israel issued a vague statement saying it appreciated the mediators' efforts, and a statement from Hamas did not sound enthusiastic about the latest proposal to end the devastating 10-month war and free Israeli hostages held in Gaza. A ceasefire is seen as the best hope for heading off an even larger regional conflict.

The US official said the latest proposal is the same as Biden's with some clarifications based on ongoing talks. The way it´s structured poses no risk to Israel´s security but enhances it, the official added.

Hamas has rejected Israel´s demands, which include a lasting military presence along the border with Egypt and a line bisecting Gaza where it would search Palestinians returning to their homes to root out militants.

Hamas quickly cast doubt on whether an agreement was near.

In a statement, the militant group said the latest proposal diverged significantly from the previous iteration they had agreed to in principle, implying they were not disposed to accept it.

The Israeli prime minister's office issued a statement saying it "appreciates the efforts of the US and the mediators to dissuade Hamas from its refusal to a hostage release deal."