Al Jazeera, citing security sources, says the Israeli military is considering establishing a new security zone in southern Lebanon closer to the Israeli border.

With Israel’s election approaching, Aron-Lee Green, co-director and founder of Palestinian-Jewish group Standing Together, told Al Jazeera no one in government is prepared to push back against far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s extreme policies. Politicians are "competing to see who is more extreme, who can win more right-wing voters," Green said, adding many opposition figures are not breaking with anti-Palestinian policies and are instead vying with the ruling right over "who is more right-wing." Green accused Ben-Gvir of arguing that "more deaths, more blood and more abuse" will bring security to Israeli Jews and said "he is lying; this will only bring more violence."

TASS: A Kremlin spokesman said President Putin will meet U.S. envoys Vitekov and Kushner on Saturday. Putin has ordered a three-day halt to strikes on Kyiv to facilitate preparations for the U.S. delegation's arrival.