Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam received a phone call from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, during which he expressed his country's solidarity with the Lebanese people in light of the difficult circumstances they are going through. Ibrahim indicated his communication with his Pakistani counterpart, who plays the role of mediator between the United States and Iran, stressing the need for any ceasefire efforts to include Lebanon. On the other hand, Salam informed his Malaysian counterpart of the developments in the Israeli escalation and the aggravation of humanitarian needs, expressing his appreciation for the supportive Malaysian position, and stressing that Lebanon should not remain an arena for others’ conflicts. On the ground, the Lebanese arena is witnessing a noticeable escalation with the intensification of air and ground strikes. A few days ago, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir had approved plans to “deepen specific ground operations” and expand the scope of raids against Hezbollah. Israel also announced its army's intention to control a "security zone" extending to the Litani River, which is located about 30 kilometers from the border.