Live: Thousands return home as Lebanon ceasefire takes hold

The Palestinian health ministry said 120 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza over the past 48 hours, bringing the total death toll to 44,176 since 7 October 2023.

Additionally, 104,473 people have been wounded since the start of the war.

The Israeli army has issued five bombing notices to residents in Beirut's southern suburbs.

The targeted buildings are located in the Hadath and Burj al-Barajneh areas.

#عاجل 1/2 إلى جميع السكان المتواجدين في منطقة الضاحية الجنوبية وتحديدًا في المباني المحددة في الخرائط المرفقة والمباني المجاورة لها في منطقة الحدث

⭕️أنتم تتواجدون بالقرب من منشآت ومصالح تابعة لحزب الله حيث سيعمل ضدها جيش الدفاع على المدى الزمني القريب

⭕️من أجل سلامتكم وسلامة… pic.twitter.com/hVPJDwITeQ

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) November 23, 2024

An Israeli strike on Tyre beach in southern Lebanon killed one fisherman and injured another, according to Al Jazeera.

The channel's correspondent reported that the two men visited the beach daily to cast their nets and wait for fish to sell to the city's remaining residents.

An Israeli drone just targeted a couple of civilians near the sea of Tyre. pic.twitter.com/sFvqspYJ0l

— Ali Hashem علي هاشم (@alihashem_tv) November 23, 2024

Good morning, Middle East Eye readers,

Here are the latest updates:

• A major overnight Israeli air strike on a building in central Beirut's Basta neighbourhood has killed at least 11 people, as rescuers continue their efforts to dig through the rubble.
• Al Jazeera reports that an Israeli drone targeted two fishermen on the beach in southern Lebanon's Tyre, killing one and injuring the other.
• Israeli air strikes are also pounding Beirut's southern suburbs following bombing notices sent out on Saturday morning.
• The Palestinian Civil Defence says that 19 people were killed in overnight Israeli attacks on Gaza. 

Our live coverage from Israel's war on Gaza and Lebanon will shortly be closing until tomorrow morning.

Here are some of the day's key developments:

• Israeli forces have carried out multiple air strikes across the Gaza Strip throughout the day. Medical sources informed Al Jazeera that at least 38 people have been killed since the morning hours

• A record 281 humanitarian aid workers have been killed globally since January, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha). This unprecedented figure is primarily attributed to Israel's ongoing war on Gaza

• At least 62 people were killed and 111 wounded in Israeli air strikes across Lebanon on Thursday, according to the Lebanese health ministry

• This brings the total casualties since October 2023 to 3,645 deaths and 15,355 injuries, the ministry announced on Friday

• The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that 226 health workers have been killed and 199 wounded in Lebanon since 7 October 2023, during Israel's ongoing war on Gaza

• China urged the International Criminal Court on Friday to remain objective and fair after it issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

• The German government's position on delivering weapons to Israel is "unchanged" after the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence chief, a spokesperson said on Friday

• Ten pro-Palestinian NGOs asked a Dutch court on Friday to stop the Netherlands exporting weapons to Israel and trading with Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories, citing high civilian casualties in Israel's war on the Gaza Strip

• Downing Street suggested it would enforce the ICC arrest warrants issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant

The arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, have caused headaches for many of Israel's closest allies.

While neither Israel nor its main sponsor the US are members of the ICC, most of its European allies are. Now, those European countries' need to back the integrity of the court - particularly in support of similar a warrant against Vladimir Putin - has come into tension with their support for Israel.

Middle East Eye takes a look at how Israel's allies have reacted to the warrants.

Read more: How have Israel's allies reacted to the ICC warrants?

At least three air strikes hit the southern outskirts of Beirut late Friday and early Saturday local time, according to images broadcast by state media.  

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported, “Enemy military planes targeted the southern suburb of Beirut by carrying out a strike near Ghobeiry.”

The attacks follow heightened tensions between Israel and armed groups in Lebanon, marking a continuation of the region’s escalating violence.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) delayed the formal issuance of arrest warrants for top Israeli political leaders directing the genocidal assault on Gaza for six months, although it responded affirmatively to a comparable request involving Russian President Vladimir Putin's alleged criminality in Ukraine.

Double standards, to be sure, yet ICC action is a welcome alternative to either denying chief prosecutor Karim Khan's recommendation of 20 May or delaying indefinitely the decision on whether the arrest warrants should be issued.

The ruling of ICC Pre-Trial Chamber 1 to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the former Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant, given the overwhelming evidence of their responsibility for severe international crimes, comes as big news.

It is a blow against geopolitical impunity and in favour of accountability.

Read more: ICC arrest warrants: The Palestinians have prevailed in the 'legitimacy war'

A quick glance at US president-elect Donald Trump’s appointees overseeing Middle East policy suggests that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government will soon have close ideological allies in the White House. 

From Marco Rubio as secretary of state, to Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth as defence secretary, to Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel, and Steve Witkoff as Middle East envoy, the nominations are telling. Each has previously wedded himself not just to Israel, but also to the extremist narratives of religious Zionism represented in the country’s current government. 

But while Rubio and Huckabee in particular have been pushing these narratives on the campaign trail for political reasons, all of them will now face a reality check when it comes to formulating and delivering a coherent Middle East policy. 

For one, their unequivocal support for Israel’s unhinged government policy of military annihilation of the idea of resistance, will cause friction with Trump’s overarching objective to end all wars in the region. 

Netanyahu has proven time and again over the past 13 months that he favours protracted military operations without clear strategic objectives, over taking diplomatic off-ramps to end hostilities - especially in the war on Gaza, where military objectives have been exhausted, billions of US taxpayer dollars has been wasted to keep Netanyahu in power, hostages have not come home, and tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians have been killed.

Read more: Trump's pro-Israel ideologues face reality check in dealing with Gulf states

Israeli drones have carried out multiple strikes in northern Gaza, including a targeted attack on Kamal Adwan hospital, located in the northern part of the Strip.

Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that over five bombs were dropped on the facility, causing significant damage.

In addition, an Israeli drone launched air strikes on homes in the Beit Lahia area, also in northern Gaza.

These drone strikes have intensified the humanitarian crisis in the region, further complicating the situation for civilians already affected by the ongoing conflict.

The Palestinian Authority has accused Israel of fostering "extremist settlers to commit terrorism" following the announcement of a halt to the use of administrative detention for Israeli settlers.

The Palestinian foreign ministry stated that the decision will likely encourage further violence against Palestinians, their lands, and properties, granting settlers an additional sense of impunity and protection. The ministry made these remarks in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

According to the Israeli Channel 12, the Shin Bet has warned Israel's political leadership that Defence Minister Israel Katz's decision to end administrative detentions for Israeli settlers could undermine efforts to address ongoing violence perpetrated by them.

Extremist settlers have been launching near-daily attacks against Palestinians for months.

The decision is also seen as complicating Israel's ability to pressure European nations to ignore international tribunals, as it further reinforces the perception of unequal treatment between Israelis and Arabs under Israeli governance.

At least six Israeli soldiers have died by suicide in recent months, according to the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth. The report cites severe psychological distress caused by Israel's ongoing wars in Gaza and Lebanon as the primary factor contributing to these deaths.

However, the actual number of suicides may be much higher, as the Israeli military has yet to release official statistics despite a previous promise to do so by the end of the year.

The report also points to a broader mental health crisis within the Israeli military.

Thousands of soldiers have sought help from mental health clinics or psychologists, with about one-third showing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

A poll conducted by Israeli Channel 12 reveals that 79 percent of Israelis support the establishment of a state commission of inquiry to investigate the failures that led to the 7 October attack on southern Israel.

Eight percent oppose the investigation, while 13 percent remain undecided.

While some Israeli leaders have taken responsibility for the attack, which killed over 1,100 people, mostly civilians, and captured around 250, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to acknowledge personal responsibility or initiate an inquiry.

Netanyahu has stated that the matter will be addressed after the ongoing war on Gaza ends. His refusal to take responsibility has sparked criticism, with many accusing him of prolonging the war for political gain.

The Lebanese ministry of health reported that an Israeli air strike on the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon killed a hospital director and six staff members.