(AFP) – The latest developments in the Middle East war:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hezbollah of threatening the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, vowing to “vigorously” target the Iran-backed group. “It must be understood that Hezbollah’s violations are, in practice, dismantling the ceasefire,” he stated.
Israeli military actions have escalated, with Lebanese official media reporting that Israel began striking southern Lebanon on Sunday after issuing an evacuation warning for seven locations. This occurred despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah. The state-run National News Agency reported that “Israeli warplanes launched a strike” in Kfar Tibnit, one of the warned locations, adding there were reports of casualties.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was expected to return to Pakistan on Sunday as international mediators attempted to keep peace talks on track, despite US President Donald Trump calling off his envoys’ planned trip. According to the Iranian news agency ISNA, Araghchi would meet with Pakistani officials to convey “Iran’s positions and views on the framework of any understanding to completely end the war.” He had previously been in Islamabad before traveling to Oman.
In a separate context, Trump remained undeterred by a shooting incident at a Washington media dinner, asserting that it would not divert him from the ongoing conflict in Iran. “It’s not going to deter me from winning the war in Iran. I don’t know if that had anything to do with it, I really don’t think so, based on what we know,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
On the subject of judiciary actions, Iran executed a man on Sunday who was convicted of membership in the Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl and involvement in attacks on security forces in the southeast. This follows the execution announcement of another man accused of passing intelligence to Israel.
Finally, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his commitment to play a role in facilitating peace in the region. After speaking by phone with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian following the cancellation of US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad, Sharif stated, “Pakistan remains committed to serve as an honest and sincere facilitator – working tirelessly to advance durable peace and lasting stability in the region.”
© 2024 AFP
