Military clashes between Hezbollah and Israel continue along the southern Lebanese border amidst uncertainty about future scenarios in Lebanon and Gaza.
In Ain al-Tineh, Speaker of the House Nabih Berri received Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Atti, emphasizing that the success of efforts in Doha to achieve a ceasefire is crucial for restoring stability and finding solutions in the region.
Abdel Atti also met with Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who reaffirmed Lebanon's commitment to implementing Resolution 1701 and stressed the need to pressure Israel.
Regionally, a joint statement from Qatar, Egypt, and the United States announced that "over the past 48 hours in Doha, senior officials from our governments engaged in intensive negotiations as mediators to secure a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the release of hostages and detainees. These discussions were serious, constructive, and conducted in a positive atmosphere." The statement further noted that "senior officials from our governments will meet again in Cairo before the end of next week, hoping to reach an agreement based on the conditions presented today."
A senior Hamas source stated that the Israeli delegation imposed new conditions aimed at disrupting the process, such as insisting on maintaining military forces in the area of the Egypt-Gaza border—Philadelphi Route—and requesting the right to veto names of prisoners and remove others from Palestine. The source emphasized that Hamas "will accept nothing less than a complete ceasefire, a full withdrawal from the sector, the normal return of displaced persons, and an unconditional prisoner exchange agreement."
Additionally, the Israeli army warned residents of northern Khan Younis and eastern Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip to leave "humanitarian" areas quickly before planned military operations.
Internationally, U.S. President Joe Biden stated, "We have not yet reached a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, but we are closer than we were three days ago."
John Kirby, spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council, called for further action by the Israeli government to stop settler violence.
The U.S. Department of Defense announced that Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant discussed the progress of negotiations and developments in the Middle East.
On another front, Dmitry Bereschevsky, Director of Economic Cooperation at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed that the West will not abandon sanctions against Moscow regardless of the outcome of the Ukraine conflict, as they are seen as a means to compete with Russia.
Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported a leak of approximately 25 tons of radioactive water from Unit 2 of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in northeastern Japan.
In the economic sector, gold prices increased today amid a decline in the U.S. dollar against major currencies. Oil prices stabilized after gaining for the second consecutive week, with reduced concerns about a slowdown in the U.S. economy.
