Israel killed Khalil Maqdah, a senior militant of Fatah’s armed wing, in a strike near Sidon, Lebanon. The Israeli military targeted Mounir Maqdah’s brother, accusing them of smuggling weapons to the West Bank and collaborating with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Fatah movement, led by Mahmud Abbas, accused Israel of trying to start a regional war.
The strike on Maqdah is the first on a senior Fatah member in over 10 months amid cross-border clashes between Israel and Hezbollah. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken left the Middle East to reach a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Netanyahu and Blinken disagreed on Israel’s presence in Gaza, with Hamas protesting new conditions.
Tensions escalated in Lebanon with Israeli strikes causing casualties, while Gaza saw ongoing airstrikes and casualties. UNRWA warned that death is the only certainty in Gaza. Escalations continued as Iran vowed retaliation for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas.
A merchant vessel was struck off Yemen amid ongoing Huthi aggression in support of Gaza. Israel and Hamas blamed each other for delays in agreeing to end fighting and free hostages. The Israeli military said it retrieved the bodies of six hostages from Gaza tunnels, prompting calls for their swift return.
