IDF Prepares For Conflict With Hezbollah; U.S. Voices Optimism On Hostage Deal

Top stories: 1) Hostilities along Israel’s northern front with Lebanon continue to gradually escalate. 2) U.S. President Joe Biden claims that a hostage release deal between Hamas and Israel may well be achieved by Monday. 3) The U.S. welcomes the Palestinian Authority’s claimed efforts to reform – as the Biden Administration emphasizes its efforts to achieve ”the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel.”