📍 STRATEGIC CONSTRAINTS IN LEBANON: An Israeli security official told Israel Hayom: "We are facing a strategic trap in southern Lebanon; our withdrawal would be seen as a defeat, while Trump is preventing further advancement. Israeli forces are struggling to deal with Hezbollah's drones."
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stated: "You could go tomorrow and conquer all of Lebanon, including the Beqaa Valley, including Beirut. But that has consequences. If we had six or seven armies and not just one IDF, maybe we would do more."
💥 IDF EXPANDS STRIKES NORTH OF THE LITANI: The IDF is concentrating aerial offensive efforts in villages surrounding Nabatiyeh, north of the Litani River, and issued evacuation warnings in Arabic for nine villages in the area.
Recent strikes have focused on the “Nabatieh envelope,” with an operational aim of establishing a destruction zone targeting areas linked to significant terrorist activity.
💥 INTENSIVE NIGHT STRIKES NEAR ZOTAR VILLAGES: Around midnight, the IDF carried out a concentrated wave of attacks near Zotar al-Sharqiya and Zotar al-Gharbiya on the northern bank of the Litani River.
Lebanese sources reported approximately 15 to 20 airstrikes, along with artillery and phosphorus fire, indicating a focused operational effort in the area.
⚠️ LEBANESE CONCERNS OVER POSSIBLE GROUND ADVANCE: Lebanese sources expressed concern that Israeli forces could extend ground operations into villages north of the Litani.
🖼️ LEBANON INTERNAL TENSIONS OVER MEDIA CONTENT: A cartoon aired by LBC portraying Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem as an Angry Birds character triggered widespread backlash across Lebanon.
The controversy expanded into attacks on Christian religious figures and symbols, prompting Lebanon’s president to call for restraint and condemn harm to both Christian and Muslim religious leaders.
Hezbollah issued an official statement criticizing the LBC content as inflammatory and warned of attempts to provoke internal conflict in Lebanon.
The group urged its supporters to avoid escalation, citing religious guidance against engaging in inflammatory behavior.
❌ IDF ELIMINATES TERRORISTS IN SOUTHERN GAZA: IDF troops identified four terrorists crossing the Yellow Line and approaching forces in southern Gaza, posing an immediate threat.
Troops opened fire, eliminating three terrorists and hitting an additional individual.
🗣️ HAMAS SETS CONDITIONS FOR NEXT PHASE OF TALKS: Senior Hamas official Basem Naim stated that moving to a second phase of any agreement requires verification of implementation from the first phase.
He emphasized that the “attacking side” must restrain itself and that security arrangements must be mutual, not limited to surrendering resistance weapons, adding: "the resistance is a legitimate right, and the weapons are a central means of exercising this right."
🗳️ HAMAS LEADERSHIP VOTE COMPLETED
Unofficial Hamas-affiliated channels reported that internal voting to select a new political bureau chairman has concluded.
The reported candidates are Khaled Mashal and Khalil al-Hayya, with results expected later this week.
❌ FATAL SHOOTINGS IN ISRAEL: Two men in their 20s were shot dead in their car in Ramla amid an ongoing blood feud.
In a separate incident, a 27-year-old man was killed in a shooting in Rahat. Police are investigating both cases and searching for suspects.
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