Paris (France) (AFP) – The latest developments in the Middle East war:
– **Hezbollah fires at Israel**
Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah said Thursday it had fired rockets towards Israel in response to its “violation” of the US-Iran truce. It came a day after the Lebanese group stated it has a “right” to respond to a deadly wave of Israeli strikes across Lebanon.
– **Iran announces alternative Hormuz routes**
Iran announced alternative routes on Thursday for ships travelling through the Strait of Hormuz, citing the risk of sea mines in the main zone of the vital waterway. The statement shared instructions for an alternative entry and exit route through the strait.
– **Red Cross ‘outraged’ by Lebanon strikes**
The Red Cross said it was “outraged by the devastating death and destruction” caused by Israeli strikes in densely populated areas across Lebanon on Wednesday. “People across Lebanon were holding their breath for a ceasefire agreement, but a wave of deadly strikes plunged the country into panic and chaos,” said Agnes Dhur, the ICRC’s head of delegation in Lebanon.
– **Macron: Ceasefire must include Lebanon**
French President Emmanuel Macron urged US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to include Lebanon in the ceasefire that the two sides had reached. “I expressed my hope that the ceasefire will be fully respected by each of the belligerents, across all areas of confrontation, including in Lebanon,” Macron wrote on X after speaking with both leaders.
– **Israel strikes in Beirut hardest yet**
The Lebanese health ministry reported that 182 people were killed and 890 were wounded by Israeli strikes on Wednesday. The capital Beirut was hit by the most violent bombardment since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel’s defence minister stated that it had carried out an attack targeting Hezbollah members across Lebanon, calling it the largest blow against the group since a 2024 operation involving pager bombs.
– **Tehran residents ‘relieved’**
Some in the Iranian capital feared the ceasefire would come to naught, but others declared victory and most breathed a sigh of relief after weeks of bombardment. “Everyone is at ease now, we are more relaxed,” Sakineh Mohammadi, a 50-year-old housewife, told AFP, saying she was “proud” of her country.
– **Stocks soar as oil plummets**
Oil and gas prices plunged, global stock markets soared, and the dollar retreated Wednesday after the United States and Iran agreed to a temporary ceasefire that could lead to the Strait of Hormuz reopening. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 2.9 percent. The most widely traded oil contracts fell some 15 percent to around $95 a barrel.
– **Iran demands Lebanon truce**
Pezeshkian said a halt to Israeli attacks in Lebanon was one of the key conditions of the Islamic Republic’s 10-point plan for securing an end to the Middle East war, state media reported Wednesday. His remarks came after Israel launched its largest wave of strikes against its neighbor — including in densely packed central Beirut — since fighting resumed against Lebanon’s Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. The Lebanese Health Ministry stated that 182 people were killed and nearly 900 wounded on Wednesday, with the toll likely to rise.
– **Vance to lead US delegation to Islamabad**
US Vice President JD Vance will lead talks with Iran beginning Saturday in Islamabad, and will be joined by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, the White House said. Speaking to reporters in Hungary, Vance urged Iran not to let the truce fall apart over Lebanon, insisting that a halt to Israel’s fighting there had never been a part of the agreement reached the night before.
– **UN outrage over Lebanon killings**
The UN rights chief and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) voiced outrage over Israel’s attacks on Lebanon. “The scale of the killing and destruction in Lebanon today is nothing short of horrific,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said. “Such carnage, within hours of agreeing to a ceasefire with Iran, defies belief.” The ICRC said it was “outraged by the devastating death and destruction.”
– **Israel ready to ‘return to battle’**
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel remained prepared to confront Iran if necessary, despite the US-Iran truce. “Let me be clear: We still have objectives to complete, and we will achieve them — either through agreement or through renewed fighting,” Netanyahu said in a televised statement.
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© 2024 AFP
