The day was dominated by the IDF's confirmed assassination of Hezbollah's chief of staff, Haytham Ali Tabtabai, in a Beirut strike, codenamed "Black Friday." This operation, reported to have US backing, marked a significant escalation. Concurrently, Israeli media extensively covered the IDF Chief of Staff's disciplinary actions against senior officers for their failures on October 7th. These measures included dismissals from reserve duty and official reprimands for several high-ranking commanders. By evening, attention shifted to Prime Minister Netanyahu's statements, emphasizing Israel's sole responsibility for its security and preparing for potential Hezbollah retaliation.