(AFP) – The latest developments in the Middle East war:
– **Iran Navy Warning**
“We warn that no ship, of any kind, should leave its anchorage in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. Any attempt to approach the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted,” the navy of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in a statement on its official Sepah News website.
– **No One-Sided Truce**
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said the ongoing 10-day truce with Israel cannot be one-sided, vowing that his fighters would respond to Israeli attacks on Lebanon. “Because we do not trust this enemy, the resistance fighters will remain in the field with their hands on the trigger, and they will respond to violations accordingly,” Qassem said in a statement read out on TV. “There is no ceasefire from the side of the resistance only; it must be from both sides.”
– **Israeli Soldier Killed**
The Israeli military said that a soldier was killed a day earlier in southern Lebanon, where a ceasefire came into effect earlier this week. Command Sergeant Barak Kalfon, 48, died after being wounded on Friday in an incident that also injured three other soldiers, the military said.
– **Israel Hits Lebanon**
The Israeli military said its air force had eliminated a “terrorist cell” operating near its troops in southern Lebanon, despite the ceasefire there. “The IDF eliminated a terrorist cell operating in proximity to IDF soldiers in southern Lebanon, in the area of the forward defence line dedicated to preventing imminent threats to Israel’s northern communities,” it said, without specifying how many suspected militants were killed.
– **Hezbollah Denies Peacekeepers Attack**
Hezbollah denied it was involved in an attack on United Nations peacekeepers (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon, after France accused the group of being behind the incident that left a French soldier dead and two seriously wounded. “Hezbollah denies any connection to the incident that occurred with UNIFIL forces in the Ghandouriyeh-Bint Jbeil area, and calls for caution in making judgments and assigning responsibilities regarding the incident pending the Lebanese army’s investigations to determine the full circumstances of the incident,” the group said in a statement.
– **Iran Reviewing ‘New Proposals’**
Iran’s top national security body said that the country was reviewing “new proposals” received from the United States, even as it warned that its negotiators would cut no compromises with Washington. “New proposals have been put forward by the Americans, which the Islamic Republic of Iran is currently reviewing and has not yet responded to,” the Supreme National Security Council said in a statement.
– **Iran Internet Blackouts**
The internet blackout imposed by Iranian authorities at the start of the Middle East war has entered an “unprecedented” 50th day, according to the monitor NetBlocks. “Metrics show the measure, unprecedented for a connected society, continues to the detriment of most Iranians’ livelihoods and human rights,” NetBlocks said on X.
– **Trump Warns Against ‘Blackmail’**
US President Donald Trump warned Iran not to “blackmail” Washington with the fate of the Strait of Hormuz, after Tehran declared the strategic waterway once again closed. “We’re talking to them. They wanted to close up the strait again — you know, as they’ve been doing for years — and they can’t blackmail us,” Trump said at a White House event.
– **Israeli ‘Yellow Line’**
The Israeli military said it had established a “Yellow Line” demarcation in the part of southern Lebanon it has invaded, similar to the one separating its forces from territory still held by Hamas in Gaza. The army added it had already struck suspected militants approaching its troops along the line.
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© 2024 AFP
