The Times of Israel is liveblogging Sunday’s events as they happen.
Syria says authorities seized weapons shipment heading to Hezbollah in Lebanon Syrian authorities seized a shipment of weapons heading to the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon, the official SANA news agency says. According to SANA, the shipment was heading to Hezbollah via smuggling routes on the Lebanon-Syria border, in the area of the border city of Sarghaya. Earlier this month, Syrian authorities said they captured a shipment of rifles, Iranian-made drones, and other weapons that was heading to Hezbollah.
3 killed, some 31 injured by Israeli fire in south Lebanon — Lebanese health ministry The Lebanese health ministry reports that three people have been killed and some 31 have been injured by Israeli fire in southern Lebanon. The IDF had warned Lebanese civilians over the weekend not to approach areas where troops are still deployed. Israel said Friday its forces would remain in south Lebanon beyond today’s deadline for their departure. A ceasefire signed in late November that ended the 2023-2024 war between Hezbollah and Israel stipulated that Israeli forces would withdraw as the Iran-backed terror group’s weapons and fighters are removed from southern Lebanon and the Lebanese army deploys. But Israel said the terms had not been fully enforced by the Lebanese state, meaning Israeli troops would stay beyond today, without saying for how long.
With Judicial Selection Committee to vote on Supreme Court chief, Likud minister says ‘dictatorship is here’ Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi claims that “the dictatorship is here” as the Judicial Selection Committee is set to meet to select a Supreme Court chief justice. The Likud minister says the meeting is being held as a result of “legal bullying,” citing allegations against the leading candidate, liberal acting Chief Justice Isaac Amit. The High Court on Friday ordered Justice Minister Yariv Levin to convene the committee. Adhering to the court order, the committee’s secretariat announced that members would convene at 2:30 p.m. today. Levin has resisted filling the position for 15 months since the previous chief justice retired. Under the so-called seniority method, Amit, the longest-serving justice, is all but certain to be confirmed, and Levin does not have the votes in the Judicial Selection Committee to get a conservative candidate confirmed instead. For his part, Levin intends to boycott the meeting.
Smotrich says Trump’s plan to move Gazans ‘excellent,’ will seek to advance it Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also welcomes the notion of removing Palestinians from Gaza, as floated by Trump. “After 76 years during which the majority of Gaza’s population has been forcibly kept in harsh conditions to preserve the aspiration of destroying the State of Israel, the idea of helping them find other places to start new, better lives is an excellent idea,” he says in a statement. “For years, politicians have proposed impractical solutions like dividing the land and establishing a Palestinian state, which endangered the existence and security of the world’s only Jewish state, leading only to bloodshed and suffering for many. Only out-of-the-box thinking and new solutions will bring about peace and security,” he adds. “With God’s help, I will work with the prime minister and the cabinet to develop an operational plan to implement this as soon as possible.”
PM’s office says ‘significant efforts’ being made to address Hamas violations The Hostages Directorate in the Prime Minister’s Office says it updated the families of captives this morning that Hamas committed two breaches of the ceasefire agreement yesterday: “Arbel Yehud has not yet been released, and the list detailing the condition of the hostages for phase 1 has not yet been submitted.” It says that, as a result, “it has been decided that the passage of Gazans to northern Gaza will not be approved.” At the same time, “significant efforts are being made with the US and mediators to facilitate Arbel’s return.” The directorate notes, “It was anticipated that Hamas would create obstacles and continue psychological warfare maneuvers on the way to implementing the agreement. We are determined to secure the return of all hostages, both the living and the fallen. We will provide additional updates as much as possible.”
Lebanese media: IDF fire injures several as residents try to return to southern villages Lebanese media report that several people were wounded by Israeli fire after they attempted to return to villages in southern Lebanon. Two Lebanese men were also detained by IDF troops in Houla, the reports add. There is no immediate comment from the IDF. The IDF had warned Lebanese civilians over the weekend not to approach areas where troops are still deployed. Israel has stayed in south Lebanon beyond the 60 days of the ceasefire deal, saying that the Lebanese army has not been deploying fast enough as per the ceasefire agreement.
Hamas has failed to provide Israel list with status of hostages to be freed The Hamas terror group violated the Gaza ceasefire agreement a second time tonight, when it failed to provide Israel with a list detailing the status of the hostages set to be released throughout the remainder of the first phase. Seven hostages of 33 have been released so far as part of the deal, in exchange for around 300 Palestinian security prisoners. According to the terms of the agreement, the Palestinian terror group was meant to let Israel know by the end of Saturday which of the remaining 26 hostages on the list, all of whom fall into the so-called “humanitarian” category of women, children, elderly individuals, and the infirm, are alive. Senior Israeli officials quoted by Hebrew media sites confirmed that Jerusalem has not received the update, and that failure to provide it was a violation of the accord. Earlier Saturday, Israel said that it would hold off on allowing displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza after it said Hamas violated the terms of the ceasefire-hostage deal by not freeing female civilian captive Arbel Yehud. Hamas freed four female soldiers held hostage by Hamas for 477 days — Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy and Liri Albag — despite the deal stipulating that all living civilian women would be freed before the soldiers.