Overview

• Israeli strikes in Lebanon have resulted in the death of a senior Hezbollah commander, escalating tensions and concerns of a wider regional war.
• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on a Middle East tour aimed at preventing the war from spreading, with talks held in Saudi ArabiaJordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkey.
• Israeli forces have taken nearly full control of the north of the Gaza Strip, including Gaza City, and have killed most of Hamas' operational command chain.
• Hamas' deputy leader, Saleh al-Arouri, was killed in an airstrike in Beirut, leading to retaliation threats from Hezbollah.
• The ongoing conflict has resulted in the death of over 23,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials.