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The Lebanese army says it has taken over security in the south of the country, which for decades had been dominated by the Iranian-backed movement Hezbollah, amid fears that Israel could escalate its military offensive against the group, BBC reported. 

Lebanon has been under intense international pressure, particularly from the US, to disarm Hezbollah, a powerful militia and political party, since a ceasefire deal in November 2024 ended a devastating year-long war between Israel and Hezbollah.

The army had set a year-end deadline to clear the area south of the Litani river, about 30km (20 miles) from the border with Israel, of non-state weapons in the first phase of a government-backed plan, according to BBC. 

Syria’s Defense Ministry announced a ceasefire on Friday after three days of clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters in the northern city of Aleppo that displaced tens of thousands of people, Associated Press reported. 

The statement said the ceasefire was effective at 3 a.m. in the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh and Bani Zaid and gave armed groups six hours to leave the area. 

It said departing militants would be allowed to carry their “personal light weapons” and would be provided with an escort to the country’s northeast, which is controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, according to Associated Press. 

Israeli strikes across Gaza killed at least 13 people, according to health officials, as U.S. President Donald Trump was expected to announce the Board of Peace to oversee the fragile ceasefire, Associated Press reported. 

Health officials and family members said at least one child was among the dead in northern Gaza following several strikes there as well as east of Gaza City. 

Israel’s army said Friday it struck Hamas infrastructure and fighters in southern and northern Gaza in response to a failed projectile launched by militants from the Gaza City area, according to Associated Press. 

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro has said that he believes there is now a "real threat" of US military action against Colombia, BBC reported. 

Petro said the United States is treating other nations as part of a US "empire". It comes after Trump threatened Colombia with military action. He said that the US risks transforming from "dominating the world" to becoming "isolated from the world." 

He also accused US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents of acting like "Nazi brigades". Trump has significantly expanded ICE operations as part of what the administration says is a crackdown on crime and immigrants who illegally entered the US, according to BBC.