Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday (9 April) he is seeking direct talks with Beirut, a day after the deadliest bombardment of the war killed more than 250 people in Lebanon and put Donald Trump’s U.S.–Iran ceasefire at risk.
Trump announced a ceasefire in the six-week-old Iran conflict late on Tuesday, just hours before a deadline after which he had threatened to destroy Iran’s entire civilisation.
In Pakistan, authorities were preparing for the first round of U.S.–Iran talks, locking down the capital, Islamabad.
However, there was no sign that Iran was easing its near-total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has caused the worst disruption to global energy supplies in history. Israel’s ongoing attacks on Lebanon remain a key sticking point.
In the first 24 hours of the ceasefire, just one oil products tanker and five dry bulk carriers passed through the strait, which typically handled around 140 ships a day before the war, accounting for roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows.
Netanyahu said in a statement that he had instructed officials to begin peace talks as soon as possible, including discussions on disarming the Iran-aligned militant group Hezbollah.
“In light of Lebanon's repeated requests to open direct negotiations with Israel, I instructed the cabinet yesterday to start direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible,” he said.
“The negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon.”
An hour before Netanyahu’s statement, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said he was pursuing a diplomatic track on the issue, which was beginning to be viewed “positively” by international actors.
A senior Lebanese official told Reuters that Beirut had spent the past day pushing for a temporary ceasefire to enable broader talks with Israel, describing the effort as a “separate track but the same model” as the U.S.–Iran ceasefire.
Israel says ceasefire excludes Lebanon
Israel says its operations in Lebanon are not covered by Trump’s ceasefire.
While Washington has also excluded Lebanon, Iran and Pakistan - which acted as mediator - say it was explicitly included in the deal. Several countries, including Britain and France, have called for the ceasefire to be extended to Lebanon.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who is expected to lead the Iranian delegation opposite U.S. Vice President JD Vance, said on social media that Lebanon and the rest of Iran’s “axis” of regional allies were inseparable parts of any ceasefire.
A Pakistani source said Islamabad was working on ceasefires for Lebanon as well as Yemen, where Israel has also targeted Iran-aligned forces.
Israel continued its bombardment of Beirut’s southern suburbs and other parts of the country on Thursday, according to Lebanese state media.
It also expanded evacuation orders to include areas on Beirut’s outskirts near the airport, as well as several displacement shelters.
Hezbollah said it carried out at least 20 military operations on Thursday, targeting Israeli vehicles on Lebanese territory and launching attacks into northern Israel.
Investigators have discovered what officials described as “anti-Islamic writings” inside a vehicle connected to the two teenagers accus...
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Sweden this week for talks with NATO foreign ministers before heading to India for ...
A proposed nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia is facing criticism from Democratic lawmakers and non-prolifera...
In a sweeping diplomatic push in Baku, Georgia and Azerbaijan have signed a landmark package of energy and transport agreements, cementing a partne...
The first-ever “WUF13 NGO Forum” in the history of the World Urban Forum (WUF) was held on 19 May 2026 at Azerbaijan’s initiative...
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he had paused a planned attack on Iran after Tehran sent a peace proposal to Washington. He said there was now a “very good chance” of reaching a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear programme.
Israeli forces intercepted dozens of Gaza-bound aid vessels in the eastern Mediterranean on Monday (18 May), prompting condemnation from the United Nations and Türkiye, while flotilla organisers said several ships continued sailing toward Gaza despite the operation.
Israeli military strikes across Gaza killed at least eight Palestinians on Sunday, according to local health officials, as the Israel Defense Forces intensified operations targeting Hamas commanders and infrastructure across the enclave.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had paused a planned attack on Iran after appeals from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, allowing negotiations to continue over a possible deal to end the conflict.
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the official opening press conference, the WUF13 Urban Expo opening and a ministerial dialogue on the Nairobi Declaration to advance Africa's urban agenda.
United Nations World Urban Forum 13 continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 19 May with sessions and roundtable discussions focused on strengthening dialogue and advancing cooperation in urban development. Organisers say there are nearly 3 billion people globally who face some form of housing inadequacy.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had paused a planned attack on Iran after appeals from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, allowing negotiations to continue over a possible deal to end the conflict.
A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck China’s Guangxi region early on Monday, killing two people and forcing more than 7,000 residents in Liuzhou to evacuate as rescue efforts continued.
Azerbaijan and Georgia have agreed to resume daily passenger train services on the Baku-Tbilisi-Baku route from 26 May, 2026, marking a major step in restoring regional rail connectivity after services were suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a sweeping diplomatic push in Baku, Georgia and Azerbaijan have signed a landmark package of energy and transport agreements, cementing a partnership set to shape the South Caucasus corridor for decades to come.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for closer security coordination between Central Asia and China, warning that expanding trade and infrastructure links are exposing the region to increasingly sophisticated cross-border threats.
Azerbaijan and Georgia have agreed to resume daily passenger train services on the Baku-Tbilisi-Baku route from 26 May, 2026, marking a major step in restoring regional rail connectivity after services were suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Israeli forces intercepted dozens of Gaza-bound aid vessels in the eastern Mediterranean on Monday (18 May), prompting condemnation from the United Nations and Türkiye, while flotilla organisers said several ships continued sailing toward Gaza despite the operation.
Pakistan has deployed around 8,000 troops, fighter jets and air defence systems to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defence agreement, according to security officials and government sources familiar with the arrangement.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment