The Day of the Bethlehem Car-Ramming and the Shaqif Castle Occupation

The day opened with Israel's seizure of Shaqif Castle and crossing of the Litani River in southern Lebanon, amid fierce battles with Hezbollah. By morning, editors highlighted a new Israeli plan to displace Bedouins east of Jerusalem through the 'Shami neighborhood' scheme, while Gaza ceasefire talks continued with Hamas sending a delegation to Cairo. In the afternoon, a car-ramming and shooting attack south of Bethlehem injured several settlers, and the perpetrator was killed. Simultaneously, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital warned of generator failure under siege, and the Gaza death toll reached 72,939. By evening, Hamas praised the Bethlehem operation and called for escalating resistance in the West Bank, while Israeli analysts described the military as 'sinking in mud' in Lebanon. The day's editorial focus shifted between the northern front, the West Bank attack, and Gaza's humanitarian collapse.