### Lebanon Reviews Cease-Fire Proposal Amid Intensified Conflicts

Lebanese leaders are meticulously examining a U.S.-endorsed cease-fire proposal aimed at halting the ongoing conflict with Israel and Hezbollah. This deliberation occurs as Israel sustains its bombardment of Beirut's southern suburbs.

The cease-fire plan is founded primarily on U.N. Security Council resolution 1701, which concluded the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. The resolution mandates that Hezbollah retreat from southern Lebanon, permitting only Lebanese military forces and U.N. peacekeepers to remain in the zone adjacent to Israel.

Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes continue to ravage Gaza, resulting in at least 26 fatalities on Friday, according to rescue workers. In Mawasi, a designated safe zone, a tent strike led to the deaths of seven people, reported Mahmoud Basal of the Gaza Civil Defense. Basal added that another seven strikes claimed 19 lives. The Israel Defense Forces have not commented on these strikes.

Aid organizations are increasingly alarmed by the scarcity of humanitarian support in Gaza, especially in the northern region, where the United Nations has accused Israel of obstructing vital aid. Hussam Abu Safiya, head of Kamal Adwan Hospital, disclosed on Friday that malnutrition cases are emerging, pointing to a looming food shortage in northern Gaza. He also noted several bodies remain trapped under rubble with no emergency vehicles able to reach the sites.

Despite warnings from the Biden administration about potential policy consequences for Israel's blockade of aid, the United States reaffirmed this week that Israel would face no repercussions. The U.N. reported that six attempts to deliver critical aid to blockaded areas in northern Gaza had failed over the past two days.

Israel's national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, insisted on Friday that no concessions should be made, even to civilians, while hostages remain in Gaza. "We must not make any concessions, not even to the civilian population," he asserted to Israeli news outlet Arutz Sheva.

In Beirut, the Israeli military intensified its assault on Friday by deploying a 2,000-pound bomb, guided by U.S.-made technology, on an 11-story building in the Tayouneh neighborhood. The resulting explosion sent a fireball and smoke plume into the sky, witnessed by a Washington Post reporter. Israeli officials claim recent strikes are focused on Hezbollah sites and infrastructure in southern Beirut.

In a statement, the Israeli military detailed that multiple airstrikes were directed at "weapons storage facilities, a command center, and additional Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure sites," although it did not specify the exact targets.