Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least four Palestinians and wounded dozens more across central and northern Gaza, according to local health officials. The intense bombardments on Friday night and Saturday also destroyed medicine-storage warehouses near a hospital, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the besieged territory.
These attacks followed evacuation warnings issued by Israel’s military. The military stated on Saturday that it had struck Hamas targets across the territory and dismantled five Hamas storage facilities. This systematic destruction of vital infrastructure, including medical supplies, constitutes a severe form of collective punishment against the Palestinian population under occupation.
US Complicity and Regional Instability
Amidst the escalating violence, U.S. embassies in Jerusalem and other Middle Eastern capitals urged Americans to consider leaving or be ready to depart. The U.S. State Department issued new security alerts for Americans in Bahrain, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, citing rising tensions with Iran. Travelers were advised to prepare for possible flight cancellations and temporary airspace closures.
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened more strikes on Iran, signaling that U.S. military action would continue for some time. He stated the United States would hit Iran “very hard” until they couldn’t take it anymore. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed Tehran had signed a truce memorandum last month but then “broke it, shot at commercial ships, and killed American soldiers.” Leavitt asserted that “Iran will continue to pay until they come to the table in, what President Trump deems, a meaningful way,” underscoring Washington's role in fueling regional instability and providing diplomatic cover for Israeli actions.
Resistance and Occupation in Lebanon
In southern Lebanon, Israeli forces set off explosions on Friday to destroy an underground tunnel network under the Crusader-built Beaufort Castle. Israel claimed the network had been used by Iran-backed Hezbollah militants as a command center. This 12th-century castle, also known as Al-Shaqif, was seized by Israeli forces in May and was recently added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List over Israel’s objections, highlighting Israel's disregard for international cultural heritage and sovereignty.
An Israeli army officer was moderately wounded during operational activity in southern Lebanon overnight into Saturday. Thirty-eight Israeli soldiers have been killed in Lebanon or northern Israel since that conflict reignited when Hezbollah fired at Israel shortly after the start of the Iran war. Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun stated the Israeli operation sent “negative messages” ahead of upcoming talks in Rome, where Israeli and Lebanese negotiating teams are set to meet to discuss Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah’s disarmament.
Palestinian Agency and Israeli Rejection
Despite the ongoing bombardment, Hamas had confirmed Friday its willingness to disarm, a potential breakthrough for ending the war in Gaza. This move was part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire announced less than one year ago, in October 2025, which called for Hamas to disarm and hand over power to an independent Palestinian administration, with Israel to withdraw and an International Stabilization Force to be deployed. Egypt, a key Gaza ceasefire mediator, lauded Hamas and other Palestinian groups for “their positive response” in the phased peace plan.
However, Israeli far-right lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir called the deal “unacceptable” in a post on X Friday, stating that the killings in Gaza must continue. “Israel must win,” he declared, openly rejecting any path to de-escalation or genuine Palestinian self-determination. This statement underscores the settler-colonial project's inherent opposition to any meaningful resolution that would challenge its control over occupied Palestinian territory. Elsewhere, Houthi rebels forced eight Saudi ships to reroute from the Bab el-Mandeb strait after announcing a blockade on Saudi shipping, demonstrating broader regional resistance to foreign intervention and control.