SECURITY: US Prepares To Send Ground Troops To Israel

The US has authorised deploying 100 ground troops to operate a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery (THAAD) to “bolster Israel’s air defences.” The Telegraph notes it will be the "first time that US troops have been deployed in combat in Israel during the current crisis."

• The deployment of US ‘boots on the ground’ signals concern that the expected Israeli response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack could lead to additional tit-for-tat strikes from Iran.
• Semafor reports: “Tehran is signaling it will respond: Iran’s foreign minister said there are 'no red lines' for the country’s defense and that it is prepared for a 'war situation.'”
• John Hudson at the Washington Post notes: “Biden's decision to deliver the THAAD system before Israel’s attack represents another example of his desire to trust Netanyahu and give him the benefit of the doubt at the front-end of negotiations.”
• Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon may escalate further after an overnight drone strike on an Israeli military installation killed four and injured dozens, a major breach of Israeli airspace which indicates that Hezbollah retains the capacity to overwhelm Israel's air defence systems. 
• There are some signs that ceasefire talks may be reopening. Axios reports that the director of the Israeli Shin Bet intelligence agency, “secretly visited Cairo on Sunday” for discussions on re-engaging with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
• Roi Kais at Kann reports that for the fourth night in a row, there were no Israeli strikes on Hezbollah in Beirut, which could be taken as a sign that Israel may be responding to US pressure to seek a diplomatic solution.