Israel Opposes UN Peacekeeping Mandate Extension in Lebanon

Lebanon and France are actively working to extend the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force, UNIFIL, in southern Lebanon beyond its expiration at the end of the year. According to a Financial Times report, while most UN Security Council members support the extension, Israel is opposed. It remains unclear if the United States will veto the move.

In Yemen, accusations were exchanged between the US, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen following the Houthi rebels' rapid takeover of the port city of Mokha and the island of Perim. CNN reported that Yemeni commanders requested air support during the Houthi offensive, but promised Saudi assistance from CENTCOM did not materialize. One regional source described the event as a "Saudi-American failure of enormous proportions," while others pointed to significant failures by Yemeni forces and a void left by the UAE's withdrawal.

Meanwhile, the Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, claimed responsibility for attacks on arms depots and command and control centers at a Saudi military base near the Yemeni border, stating the operation used ballistic missiles and drones. Palestinian media reported two killed and 13 wounded in an Israeli drone strike on a vehicle in Gaza City's Tel al-Hawa neighborhood. Iranian media reported one person killed and three injured in an attack on an Iranian commercial vessel off the coast of Qeshm Island in southern Iran. The UK Maritime Trade Operations reported a vessel was hit by a missile passing through the Strait of Hormuz, with the origin of the missile, the crew's condition, and the extent of damage still unknown.