⌨American airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen dominated headlines throughout the day, with casualty counts increasing from 24 to 48. Trump personally oversaw the operation, warning "you haven't seen anything yet" while targeting radar systems, air defenses, and missile launchers.
By mid-day, U.S. envoy Witkoff leveraged the Yemen strikes as pressure on Hamas, stating "see what we've done to the Houthis and act wisely" while warning their "window of opportunity is closing quickly" in hostage negotiations.
The evening saw a dramatic confrontation between Netanyahu and security services as he announced his decision to fire Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, citing "continued lack of trust." Bar publicly rejected his dismissal, stating Netanyahu's "expectation of personal loyalty is fundamentally wrong," while Attorney General Baharav-Miara blocked the firing, telling Netanyahu he "cannot dismiss the Shin Bet chief" due to "concerns about illegality and conflicts of interest."