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Hezbollah launched explosive drones at northern Israel and rockets at IDF troops in southern Lebanon, while the IDF struck Hezbollah infrastructure in Tyre and destroyed a rocket launcher used in an overnight barrage on Kiryat Shmona. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the full annexation of the West Bank and the elimination of the Area A/B/C division. Iran’s foreign minister expressed distrust of the US at a BRICS meeting in India, and the UAE announced the acceleration of a second oil pipeline to bypass the Strait of Hormuz by 2027.

A Hezbollah explosive drone struck a parking lot near Rosh Hanikra in northern Israel, wounding three civilians, two seriously, in what the IDF called a “blatant violation” of ceasefire understandings. The attack came as Israeli and Lebanese delegations convened in Washington for a third round of direct talks, with Israel proposing a phased plan for Hezbollah disarmament. In the Strait of Hormuz, a commercial vessel was seized and diverted to Iran, while another cargo ship was sunk off Oman, drawing condemnation from India. The IDF expanded airstrikes across southern Lebanon and the Western Bekaa, and Prime Minister Netanyahu announced Israel would sue the New York Times over a column alleging widespread sexual abuse of Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli airstrikes on vehicles in southern Lebanon killed at least 12 people, including a woman and her two children, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The IDF said it struck Hezbollah weapons depots, rocket launchers, and infrastructure. Hezbollah claimed an ambush and a loitering-glider hit on an Israeli tank. UNIFIL accused Hezbollah of drone attacks that damaged its headquarters. President Trump arrived in Beijing for a two-day summit with Xi Jinping, with Iran, trade, and Taiwan on the agenda. Iran warned it will block US weapons transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Reports revealed that Mossad and Shin Bet chiefs secretly visited the UAE during the Iran war to coordinate.