According to an announcement from Lebanon's Public Health Ministry Emergency Operations Center, on the evening of the 15th local time, the Israeli Defense Forces conducted an airstrike on a vehicle in eastern Lebanon near the Syrian border, resulting in at least four fatalities.
The Israeli military stated that it carried out the airstrike targeting members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization in the town of Majdal Anjar, Lebanon. Majdal Anjar is located in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon. The Israeli military has not yet provided further details.
The Israeli military is planning a new offensive to disarm Hamas. According to Israeli sources, the Israeli Defense Forces are formulating plans to launch a new offensive in the Gaza Strip aimed at forcibly disarming the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). It is reported that the Israeli Southern Command is preparing a series of operational plans for the Gaza Strip, ready for implementation should the government order the military to disarm Hamas by force. However, the prospects for executing these plans remain unclear. Israeli officials believe that if the Israeli Defense Forces do not take action, it will be "impossible" for Hamas to be disarmed. Analysis suggests that, as the Israeli military is no longer constrained by the issue of Israeli captives, any renewed conflict could lead to fighting that is "more intense and widespread than before."
Senior Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal stated on the 8th in Doha, Qatar, that Hamas should not surrender its weapons and does not accept external forces governing Gaza. On the 7th, Hamas issued a statement saying that Israel's continued escalation of military operations in the Gaza Strip seriously undermines the ceasefire agreement and disregards the efforts made by mediators and the U.S. government to promote a ceasefire.
Israel is strengthening its control over the West Bank. The UN Secretary-General has called this a blatant violation of international law. Recently, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern, through a spokesperson, over the Israeli security cabinet's decision to implement a series of so-called administrative and law enforcement measures in Area A and Area B of the occupied West Bank. He warned that these developments, including this decision, are eroding the prospects for a two-state solution. The statement reiterated that all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and their associated systems and infrastructure, have no legal validity and constitute a flagrant violation of international law, including relevant UN resolutions. The statement noted that such actions—including Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory—not only have a destabilizing effect but are also illegal, as reaffirmed by the International Court of Justice. He called on Israel to revoke these measures and urged all parties to uphold the only path to lasting peace: the negotiation of a two-state solution based on relevant Security Council resolutions and international law.
On the 8th, the Israeli cabinet approved a series of significant measures concerning land, planning, and administrative authority in the Palestinian West Bank. These include repealing previous laws that prohibited Jews from purchasing land in the West Bank, transferring building permit authority for the Israeli settlement in Hebron to the Israeli Civil Administration, and expanding the Israeli government's so-called oversight and law enforcement operations into Area A of the West Bank. It is understood that these measures will further strengthen Israel's de facto control over the West Bank. According to the 1993 Oslo Accords signed by Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the West Bank is divided into Area A (under Palestinian control), Area B (under joint Israeli-Palestinian control), and Area C (under Israeli control).
Israeli Prime Minister Sets Conditions for U.S.-Iran Talks: Iran Must Dismantle Nuclear Facilities; Hamas Must Be Completely Disarmed. On the 15th local time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a speech outlining clear red lines regarding post-war arrangements in Gaza and the Iranian nuclear issue. Discussing Iran, Netanyahu revealed details of his previous communication with U.S. President Trump. Regarding the upcoming new round of U.S.-Iran negotiations, Netanyahu expressed "skepticism" and set out Israel's bottom line for the U.S. side. Netanyahu stated that any agreement must include the dismantlement of Iran's nuclear infrastructure, not merely a suspension of uranium enrichment. It must ensure Iran has no uranium enrichment capability, which requires the complete removal and transportation of relevant equipment and infrastructure out of Iran. Addressing media reports that a draft U.S. peace plan might allow Hamas to retain "some light weapons," Netanyahu insisted that Hamas's disarmament must be complete: "They must hand over their weapons, not just so-called 'heavy weapons.'" Netanyahu estimated that Hamas still holds approximately 60,000 rifles, and these weapons, along with rockets and launchers, must all be confiscated or removed from Gaza. Additionally, Netanyahu revealed that the Israeli military has so far destroyed about 150 kilometers of the Hamas tunnel network.
On February 16, international gold prices experienced volatile trading and declined, with spot gold briefly falling below $5,000 per ounce. At the time of writing, the spot gold price had recovered somewhat, trading at $5,023.69.