Middle East crisis: Israel strikes Lebanon amid fears ceasefire could collapse – as it happened

This live blog is now closed. You can read our latest full report here:

We’re closing our Middle East crisis liveblog now after a day in which Israel and Hezbollah traded fire in Lebanon, five days after a ceasefire was declared in the conflict.

Here’s what we’ve been following:

Hezbollah said it launched two rockets near a watchtower in the occupied Shebaa farms earlier on Monday night. They landed in an open area and caused no injuries. In a statement, the group said the attack on the watchtowers was an “initial warning defensive response” against “repeated violations” by Israel of the ceasefire agreement.

In response, Israel said it targeted “dozens of targets” in southern Lebanon, claiming to have struck “Hezbollah terrorists, dozens of launchers, and terrorist infrastructure” across the country. “Israel demands that the relevant parties in Lebanon fulfill their responsibilities and prevent Hezbollah’s hostile activity,” the army said in a statement.

US officials said they believed the ceasefire, announced last Wednesday, had not broken down. “If we do see violations of the ceasefire, we’ll go to the parties and tell them to knock it off,” state department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at an afternoon briefing.

But the UN peacekeeping force, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil), told CNN through an unnamed source said Israel has been serially in breach of the ceasefire agreement. The source said “approximately 100” incidents have been recorded.

Everybody is talking about the hostages who are being held so violently, inhumanely, and against the will of the entire World, in the Middle East - But it’s all talk, and no action!

Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume Office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against Humanity. Those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW!

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Germany’s Scholz pledges new military aid to Ukraine during rare Kyiv trip – Reuters

  1. Germany's Scholz pledges new military aid to Ukraine during rare Kyiv trip  Reuters
  2. German leader Scholz vows more Ukraine aid and defends his phone call with Putin  The Associated Press
  3. Germany Pledges Fast Military Aid to Ukraine in Effort to Reassure  The New York Times
  4. Where's the briefcase? Speculation over Scholz's mysterious luggage  Yahoo! Voices
  5. German Chancellor Scholz defends decision not to deliver long-range missiles to Ukraine  Euronews
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Starmer rejects false choice between Trump’s US and EU in key speech

At lord mayor’s banquet in London, British PM says ‘national interest demands that we work with both’

Keir Starmer has “utterly rejected” the idea that the UK must choose between the United States and Europe when Donald Trump comes to power, arguing that it is in the national interest to work with both.

The prime minister said the UK would “never turn away” from its relationship with the US, despite the difficulties the new administration could pose, as it had been the “cornerstone” of security and prosperity for over a century.

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Tech millionaire who spends $2 million a year to live forever says he packs ‘every calorie’ while traveling abroad—including to India for a week – Fortune

  1. Tech millionaire who spends $2 million a year to live forever says he packs ‘every calorie’ while traveling abroad—including to India for a week  Fortune
  2. Meet the man who is trying not to die  CNN
  3. Immortality Itch  The Times of India
  4. "My Throat And Eyes Burn": Age-Reversing CEO Bryan Johnson Struggles With Mumbai's Air Pollution  NDTV
  5. 'Pretty serious health situation': Tech millionaire Bryan Johnson calls out India’s air pollution crisis, shares solutions  Business Today
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Airstrikes hit hospitals in Syria’s Idlib region as insurgents fight Assad forces

White Helmets say at least 18 people killed in strikes on five healthcare facilities including maternity hospital

A wave of airstrikes has pummelled hospitals and neighbourhoods in the rebel-held region of Idlib in northern Syria as Islamist insurgents continued to battle forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad after the militants’ lightning assault on Aleppo.

White Helmets civil defence forces based in Idlib, from where the insurgents had launched their attack, said Russian airstrikes had struck five healthcare facilities including a maternity hospital. At least 18 people were killed and 35 injured, they said, adding that they feared numbers could rise.

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Huge anti-Russian protests in Tbilisi echo Ukraine’s Maidan – The Economist

  1. Huge anti-Russian protests in Tbilisi echo Ukraine’s Maidan  The Economist
  2. Georgia is being rocked by growing protests. Here’s what you need to know  CNN
  3. Pro-Putin leader backs harsh crackdown as over 40 people hospitalized amid protests in Georgia  Fox News
  4. Georgian president seeks West's support in standoff with her own government  Reuters
  5. Police in Georgia move again to disperse protests over the suspension of EU talks  The Associated Press
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US left facing a difficult situation in Syria as rebels make massive advances against Assad regime – CNN

  1. US left facing a difficult situation in Syria as rebels make massive advances against Assad regime  CNN
  2. UN chief calls for ceasefire amid sharp escalation in northwest Syria  UN News
  3. US military in Syria stands down as HTS drives back Assad regime, Kurdish forces  Al-Monitor
  4. North-west Syria: Escalation of Hostilities - Flash Update No. 2, 2 December 2024 [EN/AR]  ReliefWeb
  5. Syria: US, Germany, France, UK call for de-escalation  DW (English)
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Israel responds to Hezbollah rocket attack with airstrikes on south Lebanon

Bombing comes an hour after Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, vowed a ‘strong’ response to Hezbollah’s action

Israel has carried out a series of airstrikes in the Nabatieh district, south Lebanon, in response to Hezbollah rocket fire near a watchtower, in the deadliest attacks since a ceasefire came into effect last week.

The Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, promised there would be a strong response to Hezbollah’s attack, and the Israeli military later said it had “struck Hezbollah terrorists, dozens of launchers, and terrorist infrastructure throughout Lebanon”.

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Agent for Russia and UK-based Bulgarian planned ‘honeytrap’ for journalist, court hears

Pair chatted on Telegram about plot to target Christo Grozev, known for his investigations into Russian espionage

An agent for Russia and a Bulgarian based in Britain discussed setting up a “honeytrap” for an investigative journalist, the Old Bailey has heard.

Jan Marsalek, the agent, chatted on Telegram with Orlin Roussev in September 2021 about a plot to target the award-winning journalist Christo Grozev, known for his investigations into Russian espionage, prosecutor Alison Morgan KC said.

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Over the weekend, China debuted a new rocket on the nation’s path to the Moon – Ars Technica

  1. Over the weekend, China debuted a new rocket on the nation’s path to the Moon  Ars Technica
  2. China Carries Out Maiden Rocket Launch From Commercial Site  Bloomberg
  3. China launches first Long March 12 from new commercial spaceport in boost for country's lunar plans  SpaceNews
  4. New rocket type makes maiden flight at China’s first commercial space launch site  Global Times
  5. China launches first next-gen Long March 12 rocket, christens private spaceport  The Register
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Syria crisis due to Assad’s refusal to engage with opposition, says Turkish minister

Iran’s foreign minister blamed Israel’s intervention instead, but emergency talks in Ankara said to be ‘constructive’

The crisis in Syria is the result of President Bashar al-Assad’s refusal to engage in political dialogue with the opposition, and not external interventions, the Turkish foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, said after meeting his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, for emergency talks in Ankara.

Araghchi, by contrast, blamed intervention by Israel for the crisis. But the two sides appeared to agree on the need to convene an urgent summit between Turkey, Iran and Russia, the three main external powers inside Syria.

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Talks over return of Parthenon marbles to Athens are ‘well advanced’

Exclusive: Keir Starmer reiterates support for British Museum reaching deal with Greek PM, who visits UK on Tuesday

Talks concerning the Parthenon marbles between Athens and the British Museum are “well advanced”, the Guardian has learned, even if officials have decided the cultural row will be low on the agenda when the prime minister, Keir Starmer, meets his Greek counterpart on Tuesday.

The fate of the classical masterpieces, which caused a quarrel last year between Rishi Sunak and Kyriakos Mitsotakis, will not be actively raised by either side when the two leaders hold their first Downing Street discussions. Starmer’s spokesperson said on Monday: “Our position on the Elgin marbles has not changed.”

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