Paris (France) (AFP) – The latest developments in the Middle East war:
**Lebanese return**
AFP images showed packed cars heading southwards along Lebanon’s coastal highway before dawn, and crossing at sunrise what was left of a bridge bombed by Israel during the war. The returns came despite Lebanese army warnings that advised residents of southern Lebanon not to return.
**Ceasefire ‘violations’**
Lebanon’s army reported “several Israeli acts of aggression” that it said violated the ceasefire, in a post on X.
**Ceasefire takes effect**
A 10-day ceasefire agreed between neighbouring states Israel and Lebanon took effect at midnight local time (2100 GMT Thursday). Israel has been fighting Hezbollah since the militant group launched rocket attacks in support of Iran last month. Hezbollah has not officially said if it will recognise the ceasefire but one of its lawmakers told AFP on Thursday that the group would respect it if Israel stopped its attacks on its militants.
**Trump hopes Hezbollah ‘acts nicely’**
US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he hoped Hezbollah “acts nicely and well” during the 10-day ceasefire reached hours earlier between Lebanon and Israel. “I hope Hezbollah acts nicely and well during this important period of time,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, saying it would be a “GREAT moment for them if they do. No more killing. Must finally have PEACE!”
**Iranian FM ‘welcomed’ Israel-Lebanon ceasefire**
Iran’s foreign ministry welcomed the Israel-Lebanon truce, calling it part of the earlier two-week ceasefire deal struck between the Islamic republic and the United States to pause the Middle East war, state media reported. Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei “welcomed the announcement of the ceasefire in Lebanon and noted that the cessation of the war in Lebanon was part of the ceasefire understanding between Iran and the United States, mediated by Pakistan”, state news agency IRNA posted on Telegram.
**Israel, Hezbollah exchange fire before truce starts**
Israel’s emergency service, Magen David Adom, said two people were wounded, one of them seriously, in Karmiel and Nahariya after rocket fire in northern Israel as the army and Iran-backed Hezbollah exchanged new cross-border fire shortly before the truce was due to take effect.
**Netanyahu hails truce**
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the 10-day ceasefire with Lebanon offered an opportunity for a “historic peace agreement” with Beirut, but insisted that the disarmament of militant group Hezbollah remained a precondition. Trump earlier said Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun had agreed to the truce starting at 2100 GMT on Thursday evening.
**Iran to hand over enriched uranium?**
Trump said that Iran had agreed to hand over its store of enriched uranium and that the two sides were “close” to a peace deal ending six weeks of conflict. “They’ve agreed to give us back the nuclear dust,” Trump told reporters at the White House, using his name for the enriched uranium stockpile that the United States says could be used to build nuclear weapons.
**Hezbollah in ceasefire**
Trump said the 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon would include Iran-backed Hezbollah. “Today they’re going to be having a ceasefire, and that’ll include Hezbollah,” Trump told reporters.
**Israeli strike kills seven**
An Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese town of Ghazieh has killed at least seven people and wounded 33, the health ministry said, hours before the ceasefire between the two countries went into effect. Lebanese state media reported a “massacre against civilians” in the town, noting that rubble removal operations were ongoing, while the health ministry said its toll was “preliminary and not final”.
**Lebanese PM welcomes ceasefire**
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he “welcomes” Trump’s announcement of the 10-day ceasefire with Israel. A Hezbollah MP told AFP the Iran-backed militant group would respect the ceasefire if Israel stops its attacks on its fighters.
**Trump invites Israel, Lebanon to White House**
Trump said he would invite the leaders of Israel and Lebanon to the White House after the two countries agreed to a ceasefire. “I will be inviting the Prime Minister of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu, and the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, to the White House,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
© 2024 AFP
