Overview
- Naim Qassem called the Beirut assassination of Haytham Ali Tabtabai a heinous crime and said Hezbollah will decide when and how to retaliate.
- He said a new war is possible and urged Lebanon to prepare a defense plan built on its army and its people.
- Israel escalated its warnings, with War Minister Israel Katz saying Israel is prepared to act if Hezbollah is not disarmed by the end of 2025.
- The IDF reported more than 370 Hezbollah members killed and roughly 1,200 interdiction operations since the ceasefire, and a spokesperson said Lebanese army efforts to seize Hezbollah weapons are inadequate.
- U.S. pressure on Beirut to curb Hezbollah was reported alongside regional warnings to Lebanon, and the Beirut strike that killed Tabtabai also reportedly injured dozens of civilians.