At least nine people were killed and 65 wounded in Israeli bombing late last night on targets in the area of the coastal city of Tire in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said, as quoted by DPA and BTA.
Rescuers are still working to pull people out from the rubble in Maarkeh, near Tyre, the ministry said.
According to media reports in the east, Israeli ground forces have continued their advance and advanced towards the settlement of Kafr Shuba in the border area.
Also, Israeli ground operations continue in the southern neighborhoods and eastern outskirts of the Lebanese city of Khiyam, where heavy fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters has been reported for several days. The Lebanese group said it fired rockets at a gathering of Israeli soldiers in the area.
American Middle East mediator Ames Hochstein has arrived in Israel, where he is expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, DPA reported, citing BTA, citing media reports, including in "Aaretz".
Hochstein arrived in Israel from Beirut. He will present a US draft cease-fire agreement to end the ongoing war between Israel and the Shiite group "Hezbollah" in Lebanon.
DPA states that "Hezbollah" considers the American project as a basis for further negotiations.
Hochstein said yesterday that in the cease-fire talks between Israel and "Hezbollah" made further progress following his discussions with Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who is negotiating on behalf of the Iran-backed militant group.
According to Lebanese security sources, the American plan envisages Israel and "Hezbollah" to initially cease hostilities for 60 days. During this period, the Israeli military must withdraw from Lebanon and the Lebanese Armed Forces must be deployed along the border.
If the temporary truce is respected, Israel and Lebanon will negotiate the full implementation of UN Resolution 1701, adopted 18 years ago. It gives exclusive powers to the Lebanese army and UN peacekeeping forces for the areas south of the Litani River, about 30 km from the de facto border with Israel.
The US Senate last night blocked legislation that was introduced in connection with the catastrophic human rights situation of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and would have stopped the sale of certain types of American weapons to Israel, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
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79 of the 100 senators voted against the proposal, which would have blocked the sale of anti-tank missiles to Israel, and 18 voted in favor. Seventy-eight senators voted against a second measure that would have halted the delivery of mortars, and 19 supported it.
The Senate is expected to vote on a third proposal - to end the supply of a GPS bomb guidance system.
The proposals were introduced by independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and supported by several Democrats. Their supporters hoped the measures would encourage the government of Israel and the government of President Joe Biden to do more to protect the civilian population in Gaza, notes Reuters.
The "Hamas" Gaza's interior ministry has executed at least 20 Palestinians for robbing aid trucks in recent clashes with criminal gangs, Israel's TPS news agency reported, citing BTA.
"Hamas" considers these gangs rivals in controlling the aid arriving in the Strip. In recent days in Gaza, dozens of aid trucks have been looted before reaching their recipients. Gaza sources told TPS that "at least 168 trucks" have been robbed on separate occasions in recent days. In the largest attack on November 16, a convoy of 109 trucks was attacked, and 98 aid trucks were lost.
Although "Hamas" still controls much of the food, water and humanitarian supplies arriving in Gaza, other criminal groups challenge the terror group's hold on power.
A local source told TPS that these armed gang members take "fees" from $20,000 to $50,000 in exchange for allowing the passage of aid convoys or trucks carrying traders. If the amount is not paid, they start stealing the trucks by force. These gangs find refuge mainly in the southern areas of Gaza - Rafah and Khan Younis.
This week "Hamas" has created a new police unit called "Sahm" (translated from Arabic – "Arrow") to "monitor market prices and strengthen civilian management capabilities". "Hamas" is recruiting dozens of young people for the new unit, mainly in exchange for providing food for their families.
Gaza sources say officers of the new unit are responsible for executing thieves and food vendors. Recently, these policemen have shot at residents trying to get food near the refugee camps in central Gaza, and even staged surprise checks and ambushes. The unit has claimed responsibility for killing at least 20 people in recent clashes over stolen trucks, issuing an official statement to the media.
"This new police unit operates together with the "people's committees" and the representatives of the clans to provide the convoys with food, but in practice it is responsible for taking control of the trucks arriving mainly from the southern part of Gaza, from the Kerem Shalom crossing," told a Palestinian citizen in Gaza.
UN information obtained by the Washington Post newspaper says that criminal looting has become the biggest obstacle to the distribution of aid in the southern half of Gaza. The announcement also accused the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of failing to ensure aid deliveries, saying criminal gangs "may be benefiting from passive if not active favoritism" or "protection" by the military personnel.
The military rejected the accusations, saying their troops carried out "targeted countermeasures targeting terrorists and preventing collateral damage to aid trucks and the international community". The Israel-based Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, which coordinates civil affairs between the Israeli government, the military, the international community and the Palestinian Authority in Gaza, declined to comment on the case to the TPS.
Professor Kobi Michael, a senior scientist at the National Security Research Institute at Tel Aviv University and a senior fellow at the Misgav National Security Institute, told TPS: "The IDF is really the only body in the world that can provide the delivery of aid to the Palestinians in Gaza. But to do that, Israel needs military control over the entire Gaza Strip, something the UN strongly opposes.
According to Michael, the IDF will have to build its own storage facilities in Gaza and ensure the presence of forces along all routes to ensure the delivery of aid. "No organization or political force will agree to set foot in Gaza until "Hamas" to be liquidated", said Michael.
By taxing and diverting humanitarian aid and distributing food vouchers, "Hamas" continues to pay salaries to its gunmen, TPS reported in September. Palestinian sources told TPS that "Hamas" takes $800 each for the donated tents.