Middle East Roundup May 31: Israeli strike near hospital in south Lebanon wounds 13 staffers

This live blog follows the latest developments across the Middle East crisis, including regional diplomacy, maritime security, ceasefire negotiations, and economic fallout.

Catch up: Yesterday’s top developments

• Iran's chief negotiator says no deal with US until Iranian rights secured
• IRGC says 25 ships passed through Strait of Hormuz in 24 hours
• Egypt urges complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory
• Rising fuel prices drive sharp increase in carpooling in India
• Israel army says Hezbollah drone kills soldier

UK foreign secretary says Israel has ‘eroded space for diplomacy’ in Lebanon

Published: May 31, 2026 | 23:45 GMT | by Web Desk

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has called for a halt to Israel’s military invasion of Lebanon, in a post on X.

“Israel’s military escalation in Lebanon has killed and displaced civilians, destroyed infrastructure, and eroded space for diplomacy. It must end,” she said.

Cooper also called for Hezbollah to disarm and end attacks on Israel.

Rockets launched from south Lebanon towards Upper Galilee

Published: May 31, 2026 | 23:43 GMT | by Web Desk

Rockets were launched from southern Lebanon toward the Upper Galilee region of northern Israel, reported Al Jazeera.

Iran says talks are ongoing with US

Published: May 31, 2026 | 22:38 GMT | by Web Desk

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, told IRNA that “dialogue and an exchange of messages are ongoing” with the United States.

He told the outlet that “it is not possible to judge until a clear conclusion is reached; everything that is being said now is speculation and should not be taken seriously until it is certain.”

Israeli dawn strike in south Lebanon killed eight, including three women

Published: May 31, 2026 | 21:55 GMT | by AFP

An Israeli dawn strike on southern Lebanon on Sunday killed eight people, including three women, Lebanon's health ministry said, as Israel intensifies its attacks and ground operations in the country, saying they are against Hezbollah.

"The massacre committed by the Israeli enemy in a raid on the town of Deir Zahrani, Nabatieh district, at dawn on Sunday... resulted in eight martyrs, including three women, and 19 wounded, including five children and six women," the ministry said in a statement.

Britain says Israel’s expansion of Lebanon conflict ‘must stop’ 

Published: May 31, 2026 | 21:22 GMT | by Web Desk

The British Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Hamish Falconer MP, warned that “continued escalation in Lebanon is undermining diplomatic efforts and having an unacceptable impact on civilians,” in a post on X. 

He further stated that, “Israel’s expansion of the conflict must stop.”

Germany says Israel’s offensive ‘cause for serious concern’ 

Published: May 31, 2026 | 20:45 GMT | by Web Desk

The Israeli army’s push further into southern Lebanon is cause for serious concern, German ‌Foreign ‌Minister Johann ‌Wadephul ⁠said in a ⁠statement on Sunday, urging all sides to cease ⁠hostilities.

“The Israeli ‌army’s ‌advance further ‌into southern ‌Lebanon is cause for serious concern,” the ‌statement said, adding: “Any further escalation will ⁠exacerbate ⁠the already tense situation and trigger new waves of displacement within Lebanon.” 

Qatar says Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon ‘dangerous escalation’

Published: May 31, 2026 | 20:00 GMT | by Web Desk

Qatar’s foreign ministry has condemned Israel’s continuing attacks on Lebanon and the expansion of its ground offensive in the south, describing the campaign as a serious escalation and violation of international law

“It deems these actions a dangerous escalation and an egregious violation of the sovereignty of the brotherly Republic of Lebanon and an open breach of international humanitarian rules-based order,” it said in a statement on X.

Israel's ‘genocidal war’ in Lebanon will cause US economic collapse: IRGC

Published: May 31, 2026 | 19:33 GMT | by Web Desk

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari said US economic downfall will “begin in June” in a post on X.

“If Netanyahu does not stop his genocidal war in Lebanon, the collapse of the American economy will begin in June. Time is running out,” he said.

UAE condemns Israeli settlers’ storming of Al-Aqsa mosque

Published: May 31, 2026 | 18:45 GMT | by Web Desk

The United Arab Emirates’ foreign ministry issued a statement condemning Israeli settlers storming the Al-Aqsa mosque.

The statement called the action “provocative” and “unacceptable.”

France's Macron says 'nothing justifies' south Lebanon escalation

Published: May 31, 2026 | 17:14 GMT | by AFP

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday said that "nothing justifies the major escalation under way in south Lebanon", calling for an end to fighting "for good".

In a message on X after speaking with regional leaders, he said it was "essential" for an agreement to be reached quickly between the United States and Iran.

Palestinian authorities say Israeli forces kill man trying to climb barrier

Published: May 31, 2026 | 15:30 GMT | by AFP

Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian man Sunday as he attempted to enter Jerusalem by climbing over a barrier separating the city from the occupied West Bank, Palestinian authorities said.

The Palestinian health ministry in Ramallah identified the man as Imad Haroun Ashtiyeh, 26, saying he was killed by Israeli gunfire near the town of Al-Ram, north of Jerusalem.

Ashtiyeh, a construction worker from the village of Salem near Nablus, had attempted to climb the barrier at Al-Ram along with a few other men to make his way to the Israeli city of Tel Aviv for work, said Omer, a relative who gave only his first name.

Lebanon says Israeli strike near hospital in south wounds 13 staffers

Published: May 31, 2026 | 11:12 GMT | by AFP

An Israeli strike near a hospital in Tyre, south Lebanon wounded 13 staffers, the Lebanese health ministry said, as Israel pushes forward its offensive deeper into the country.

"The Israeli enemy launched an airstrike in the vicinity of Hiram Hospital in Tyre, injuring 13 hospital staff members and causing significant damage," the ministry said in a statement, urging "the international community to put an end to the escalating and expanding Israeli attacks".

Netanyahu says capturing Beaufort a 'dramatic shift' in Lebanon siege

Published: May 31, 2026 | 10:58 GMT | by AFP

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Sunday that Israeli forces' capture of Beaufort castle in southern Lebanon marked a "dramatic shift" in Israel's siege of Lebanon.

"Today, we have returned to Beaufort in a different way. We have returned united, determined, and stronger than ever," Netanyahu said in a video statement.

"The capture of Beaufort is a dramatic stage and a dramatic shift in the policy we are leading. We have broken the barrier of fear. We are taking the initiative, we are operating on all fronts — in Syria, in Gaza, in Lebanon."

France requests UN Security Council 'emergency meeting' on Lebanon: FM

Published: May 31, 2026 | 10:59 GMT | by AFP

France has requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council after Israeli forces seized the medieval Beaufort castle in Lebanon, the French foreign minister said Sunday.

"I have requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council because, while we recognize Israel's right, like that of all countries, to self-defense... nothing can justify the continuation of Israeli military operations in Lebanon and its ever-deeper occupation of Lebanese territory," Jean-Noel Barrot said on the BFMTV channel.

Iran's chief negotiator says no deal with US until Iranian rights secured

Published: May 31, 2026 | 10:17 GMT | by AFP

Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that Tehran will not agree to any deal with the United States that fails to secure the rights of Iranians.

"We will not approve any agreement until we are certain that the rights of the Iranian people have been upheld," Ghalibaf said, in a video broadcast on state television.

IRGC says 25 ships passed through Strait of Hormuz in 24 hours

Published: May 31, 2026 | 09:05 GMT | by Web Desk

The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy announced that 25 ships transited the Strait of Hormuz after obtaining "permission and receiving security coordination from Tehran".

Fars News Agency, quoting a statement released by the IRGC Navy's Public Relations Department on Saturday, stated: "25 ships, including oil tankers, container ships and other commercial vessels, successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz during the past 24 hours after obtaining permission and receiving comprehensive security coordination and protection from the elite forces."

Egypt urges complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory

Published: May 31, 2026 | 08:33 GMT | by Web Desk

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s support for Lebanon during a phone conversation with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, according to Al Jazeera.

He emphasized the need for Israel to fully withdraw from all Lebanese territory and stated that any breach of Lebanon’s sovereignty constitutes a violation of international law.

Abdelatty also voiced backing for the Lebanese Armed Forces, stressing that weapons should be under the exclusive control of the Lebanese state and not held by any other groups, including Hezbollah.

Rising fuel prices drive sharp increase in carpooling in India

Published: May 31, 2026 | 08:33 GMT | by AFP

Rising fuel prices triggered by the Middle East war are driving a sharp increase in carpooling, with a ride-sharing platform reporting a surge in new users seeking cheaper ways to travel.

The world's largest carpooling platform BlaBlaCar said soaring energy costs have pushed 600,000 additional drivers onto the app this year -- 20 percent more than initially projected -- as commuters look to offset the rising cost of fuel.

In India, its single biggest market with more than 20 million users in 2025, the number of passengers has increased by 40 percent since the start of the US-Israeli airstrikes against Iran on February 28.

Last year, the global carpooling leader posted record-breaking figures in the world's most populous country India -- outpacing Brazil with 19 million users and France with seven million, according to Benjamin Retourne, the platform's product director.

Israel army says Hezbollah drone kills soldier

Published: May 31, 2026 | 07:59 GMT | by AFP

The Israeli army announced Sunday that one of its soldiers had been killed the previous day by a Hezbollah explosive drone in southern Lebanon, bringing to 25 the number of Israeli military deaths since early March.

Staff Sergeant Michael Tyukin, 21, "fell in combat in southern Lebanon," the army said in a brief statement. 

An army spokesman told AFP he was killed by a Hezbollah drone strike.

In total, 25 Israelis have been killed — 24 soldiers and one civilian contractor — since March 2.

Israel says planted flag on medieval Beaufort Castle in south Lebanon

Published: May 31, 2026 | 06:55 GMT | by AFP

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that the military had captured the strategic medieval fortress of Beaufort in southern Lebanon, where it is expanding ground operations against Hezbollah.

"Forty-four years after the heroic Battle of Beaufort, and on this day commemorating the soldiers who fell in the First Lebanon War (1982), our troops have returned to the summit of Beaufort and once again raised the Israeli flag there," Katz said on his Telegram channel.

Sri Lanka raises fuel prices after IMF loan installment

Published: May 31, 2026 | 06:51 GMT | by AFP

Sri Lanka raised fuel prices by up to 6% on Sunday, in line with IMF plans to recover energy costs and phase out subsidies to stabilize the economy.

Petrol was raised to 434 rupees ($1.33), up from 410, while diesel increased to 407 rupees a liter from 392, the state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation said.

The price hike came days after the International Monetary Fund released a $695 million installment of a $2.9 billion bailout loan, agreed in early 2023 to stabilize the cash-strapped South Asian nation.

The IMF wants Sri Lanka to ensure cost recovery for both fuel and electricity tariffs, which have been subsidized by the government since the start of the conflict in the Middle East in February.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in a letter to the IMF made public by the Washington-based international lender, said fuel subsidies will be phased out by September.

Since the United States and Israel began attacking Iran on Feb. 28, triggering a global energy crisis, Sri Lanka has raised petrol and diesel prices by about 48%. 

Electricity has increased by a third.

Israel tells Lebanese to evacuate zone south of Zahrani river

Published: May 31, 2026 | 06:45 GMT | by AFP

The Israeli military warned Lebanese civilians living south of the Zahrani river to evacuate the region Sunday, warning that it was stepping up operations against Hezbollah.

"Residents of southern Lebanon, you must move immediately to north of the Zahrani," the military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on social media.

Trump says Iran has agreed to no nuclear weapons

Published: May 31, 2026 | 06:33 GMT | by AFP

US President Donald Trump said he had secured guarantees from Iran that it would not develop nuclear weapons, as reports emerged that he had sent a tougher peace proposal back to Tehran.

Any tweaks to the proposal could further delay an agreement to formally end the Middle East war and open the Strait of Hormuz maritime route, after weeks of efforts to secure a deal despite fractious rhetoric and the occasional flare-up of armed conflict.

The New York Times and Axios media outlets reported on Saturday that Trump had sent back a new framework to be considered by Iran with "tougher" terms, though it was not immediately clear what that entailed.

Trump has said his priorities for any deal include stopping Iran from any nuclear weapon development and reopening the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.

"The one guarantee that I have to have is that there will be no nuclear weapons. They've agreed to that, and it was very interesting," he told his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, in an interview broadcast on her Fox News program on Saturday night.

Israeli military says ground operations in Lebanon 'expanding to additional areas'

Published: May 31, 2026 | 04:11 GMT | by AFP

Israel's military said on Sunday its forces were advancing in Lebanon as part of expanded ground operations to strengthen its military position in the south of the country, where it is fighting Hezbollah.

"A significant number of IDF ground soldiers commenced offensive operations aimed at expanding the Forward Defense Line... The operation is currently expanding to additional areas," the Israeli military statement said, adding its forces had crossed the Litani river.

'We're close to a very good deal,' says Trump on Iran

Published: May 31, 2026 | 04:01 GMT | by Web Desk

US President Donald Trump, while speaking to a private television channel, said that the US was close to a "very good deal" on Iran.

Iran unveils fast attack boat capable of launching cruise missiles

Published: May 31, 2026 | 01:55 GMT | by Web Desk

Iran’s local media reported that the military unveiled its newest naval attack craft, named “27 Rajab”, during a ceremony in Tehran’s Enqelab Square.

The report suggested that the vessel can achieve speeds of up to 100 knots (185 km per hour) and is equipped to launch long-range cruise missiles.

It described the deployment as a new symbol of Iran’s maritime military capabilities.

‘Utter chaos’ in northern Israel as Hezbollah launches rocket attacks

Published: May 31, 2026 | 00:33 GMT | by Web Desk

Israel's Channel 13 reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu scheduled an urgent security assessment with Defense Minister Israel Katz, military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, and commanders in the north, reported Al Jazeera.

“The Israeli army was surprised by the scale of the rocket fire and Hezbollah’s decision to change its fire policy in response to the expansion of the Israeli army’s ground operations in southern Lebanon,” it said.

“Dozens of rockets were fired from Lebanon toward the north on Saturday, and for the first time since the ceasefire began [April 17] these rockets reached the cities of Safad and Nahariya” in northern Israel, Al Jazeera said.

There is “utter chaos and an uncontrollable situation”, it said, adding, “the government is not concerned about this”.

Read our May 30 live blog for earlier developments here