The Times of Israel is liveblogging Sunday’s events as they unfold.
Report: Israel agreed in principle to Hezbollah truce, Netanyahu now working on how to present it to the public The Kan broadcaster reports that Israel has signed off on a US-backed ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Prime Minister Benjamin is now working on how to present it to the public — assuming it is approved by the Iran-backed terror group. The aim is to present the truce not as a “compromise” but as beneficial to Israel, Kan reports. The ceasefire allows for Israel to retain the right to carry out military operations on the Lebanon-Syria border, the report adds. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said last week that the terror group had reviewed the truce proposal and submitted a response and that the ball was in Israel’s court.
Government OKs measure to keep 320,000 reservists eligible for draft until March 2025 The government approves the extension of a special measure raising the number of reservists the IDF is authorized to call up for service, a spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office confirms to The Times of Israel. According to media reports, up to 320,000 reservists will remain eligible to be drafted until March 2025. Tweeting ahead of the decision, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid slammed the government for extending the eligibility for service of people “who have been serving for 250 and 300 days.” “If the government would recruit thousands of ultra-Orthodox youths, it would be possible to ease the burden on those who both serve and work,” he stated. In June, the government raised the number of reservists the IDF was authorized to call up in case of need from 300,000 to 350,000 until August 1.
Hezbollah unit responsible for smuggling weapons from Iran targeted in latest Beirut strikes — IDF The IDF says it carried out airstrikes against 12 Hezbollah command centers in Beirut’s southern suburbs a short while ago. According to the military, the command rooms belonged to Hezbollah’s intelligence division, coast-to-sea missile unit, and Unit 4400, the latter of which is tasked with delivering weapons from Iran to Lebanon. The Hezbollah sites were located “in the heart of a civilian population,” the IDF says, accusing the terror group of using human shields. Before the strikes, the IDF issued evacuation warnings to civilians in the area.
Iran ‘categorically rejects’ allegations of involvement in murder of Abu Dhabi rabbi Iran “categorically rejects” allegations that it was involved in the murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, an emissary to Abu Dhabi’s Chabad chapter, in a statement to Reuters from Tehran’s embassy in the UAE. Kogan’s body was found this morning in the Emirati city of Al Ain, which borders Oman, around 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Abu Dhabi. Hebrew media has reported that Israeli officials suspect Kogan was assaulted by a number of Uzbek citizens, recruited by Iran, who later fled to Turkey.
Right-wing activist arrested at anti-Israel rally in Toronto after refusing to cross road: ‘It’s because I’m a Jew’ Canadian right-wing political pundit Ezra Levant has been arrested at a pro-Hamas rally in Toronto, after he refused police instructions to move away from the demonstration, claiming he was being discriminated against for being Jewish. In a video of the arrest posted to social media by Levant’s Rebel News platform, officers can be heard telling the conservative activist that his presence at the pro-Palestinian rally was “inciting the crowd.” “It’s because I’m a Jew,” Levant insists during an argument with the officer over his order to move away from the demonstration. “I’m refusing to leave because I’m a Jew, and I’m a citizen, and I’m your boss. And I don’t leave because you say Jews aren’t allowed on this side of the street.” The officer then tells him he is under “arrest for breaching the peace,” at which point the protesters erupt in cheers and calls of “Zionist” and “loser.” Photos from the Toronto demonstration posted to social media show an activist dressed as slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the terror group’s brutal October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, posing in a stuffed armchair to recreate the final moments before he was killed by Israel in Gaza last month. Another protester holds a sign reading, “Free flights to Amsterdam,” a reference to a wave of widespread, coordinated attacks against Israeli tourists in the Dutch capital, following a soccer game earlier this month.
IDF unaware of Hezbollah claims it destroyed 6 tanks in southern Lebanon The Israeli military says it is unaware of any incident supporting claims made by Hezbollah today that the terror group managed to destroy six tanks during fighting in southern Lebanon. In a statement, Hezbollah alleges that it “destroyed” five Israeli tanks including one that “attempted to advance to withdraw one of the destroyed tanks,” on the eastern outskirts of Bayada, a village close to the coast about 10 kilometers (some six miles) from Israel’s border. In a separate statement, Hezbollah claimed to have destroyed another IDF tank in the Deir Mimas area, just north of the Metula area, in the eastern portion of the border. A military source tells The Times of Israel that the IDF is unaware of any such events. Hezbollah has made numerous false claims during the ongoing fighting, including this morning when the terror group said it launched drones at the Ashdod Naval Base in southern Israel and “hit their targets accurately.” No drones were launched at Israel at that time, and none has reached southern Israel.
Senior ministers approve billions of shekels worth of purchases for IDF, including new warships A defense procurement committee made up of senior ministers approved billions of shekels worth of new purchases for the Israeli military today, the Prime Minister’s Office, Defense Ministry, and treasury say in a joint statement. The procurements include the Reshef-class corvettes that are due to replace the Israeli Navy’s aging Sa’ar 4.5-class missile boats, set to be retired after four decades. Under a deal with Israel Shipyards, five Reshef-class corvettes will be built for the Navy, according to a statement. The committee also approved the procurement of hundreds of light armored utility vehicles for the army, known as Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, or JLTV.