Overview
- On Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly directed the military to expand control of the Gaza Strip from about 60 percent to 70 percent, saying Israel will press further into territory it already holds.
- Israeli forces reported a targeted strike that killed Mohammad Odeh, a senior Hamas figure, and continued air raids in Gaza that local health authorities say killed civilians including children and triggered mass funerals.
- In Lebanon, Israeli officials said troops crossed the Litani River and seized strategic heights while issuing evacuation orders for multiple southern towns ahead of intensified strikes on Hezbollah positions.
- United Nations agencies and UNICEF warned that taking more Gaza territory will compress civilians into smaller areas, disrupt access to services, and sharply increase child suffering and public-health risks.
- U.S.-facilitated talks between Israeli and Lebanese military delegations have continued in Washington but have not halted the recent incursions and cross-border exchanges of fire, raising the prospect of wider regional escalation.