🌊 Saudi intelligence contacts against the Houthis: Regional diplomatic sources say Israel and Saudi Arabia are communicating through CENTCOM about Israeli intelligence assistance against the Houthis. They describe cooperation as more extensive than publicly apparent, but currently limited to intelligence.
An accompanying assessment says Riyadh turned to Israel after receiving no assistance from Pakistan and Turkey, despite a reported defense alliance signed a month earlier. It suggests agreement terms or approval requirements could explain that absence of assistance, while acknowledging uncertainty.
The assessment questions whether Israel should condition assistance on progress toward normalization or a change in Saudi support for Palestinian statehood. It describes Israel’s longstanding approach, particularly since October 7, as cooperating against shared enemies despite political disagreements, citing continued cooperation with Britain despite British sanctions against Israel.
🎯 Gaza: Hamas and Islamic Jihad commanders eliminated: The IDF and Shin Bet confirmed the elimination of Nael Abu Obeid, commander of Hamas’s Rafah Brigade and head of its military wing’s operations array, in a southern Gaza strike. The confirmation followed an initial assessment phase. Abu Obeid succeeded Mohammad Sabaneh after his elimination and previously served as the brigade’s deputy commander and commander of the Tel al-Sultan and Yibna Battalions.
The agencies described him as a senior Hamas figure who managed the brigade’s terrorists, directed attacks against Israeli troops and civilians, and worked to rebuild its capabilities after severe wartime losses. In their initial statement, Netanyahu and Katz linked the strike to the elimination of the Khan Younis Brigade commander and other senior Hamas figures earlier that week, stating: “No terrorist is immune, and Hamas will not remain in Gaza.” They commended the IDF and Shin Bet for eliminating threats and protecting Israeli citizens.
The IDF separately said it eliminated Islamic Jihad rocket cell commander Mohsen Farid Said Abu Hadaf in the Khan Younis area over the preceding weekend. According to the military, he infiltrated the Kissufim area during the October 7 massacre and had recently advanced attacks against Israeli troops and civilians in systematic violation of the ceasefire. The IDF said the strike removed the threat he posed.
🇱🇧 Hezbollah weapons removed in southern Lebanon: The IDF said the 55th Brigade, operating under the 91st Division in the Security Zone, dismantled a Hezbollah hideout containing a shaft and ready-to-use launchers holding 32 rockets aimed at Israel, left before the ceasefire took effect.
In a separate discovery reported as occurring the previous day, the 810th “Mountains” Regional Brigade found a Hezbollah launcher and several projectiles on the Lebanese side of Mount Dov, within the southern Lebanon buffer zone. Those rockets were likely left when the ceasefire took effect in April. The military said it would continue removing threats to civilians and troops while remaining committed to the agreement.
🔎 Attack plots and security precautions: German federal prosecutors charged seven alleged Hamas members over a reported plot for a deadly attack on Israeli or Jewish targets in Germany or Austria. The plot reportedly became concrete by July 2025 and was intended for the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks.
The Shin Bet said it arrested a 19-year-old Arab Israeli from Kafr Qasim suspected of planning to blow up an Amdocs-linked server farm after entering the site through his national service with the fire department.
The U.S. Embassy in the UAE warned Americans to exercise “increased caution” around Jewish- and Israeli-linked sites, including places of worship.
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