Israel agreed to a U.S. request to get its air defenses in place to protect U.S. troops in the region ahead of an expected ground invasion into Gaza, according to U.S. officials and people familiar with Israel’s planning.

Iran’s role: The leader of Iran-backed Hezbollah met top militant officials from Gaza, while Iran’s supreme leader accused the U.S. of “orchestrating” Israel’s assault. Hundreds of Hamas fighters trained in Iran before Oct. 7, according to people familiar with intelligence about the attack.

Hostages: Hamas is using hostages to delay a ground invasion and extract Israeli concessions, officials and analysts said. An Israeli hostage released by Hamas described her experience.

Fighting: Israeli forces battled on four fronts on Wednesday, striking targets in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria.