Smoke rises after an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon

Smoke rises after an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon

The latest developments in the Middle East war:

- Netanyahu accuses Hezbollah -

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hezbollah's actions were threatening the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, as he pledged to "vigorously" target the Iran-backed group.

"It must be understood that Hezbollah's violations are, in practice, dismantling the ceasefire," he said.

- Israeli strikes -

Lebanese official media said Israel's military began striking the country's south on Sunday after issuing an evacuation warning for seven locations, despite a ceasefire with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.

"Israeli warplanes launched a strike" in Kfar Tibnit -- one of the locations included in the warning -- the state-run National News Agency said, adding that there were reports of casualties.

- Iran minister expected back in Pakistan -

Iran's foreign minister was due to return to Pakistan on Sunday as international mediators try to keep peace talks on track despite US President Donald Trump calling off his envoys' planned trip.

According to the Iranian news agency ISNA, Abbas Araghchi would again meet Pakistani officials to convey "Iran's positions and views on the framework of any understanding to completely end the war".

The minister had been in Islamabad only the day before, after which he travelled to Oman.

- Trump undeterred by shooting -

Trump said a shooting at a Washington media dinner on Saturday would not divert him from the Iran war.

"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 after the incident.

- Iran executions -

Iran on Sunday executed a man convicted of membership in the Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl and involvement in attacks on security forces in the southeast, the judiciary said. On Saturday it announced the execution of a man accused of passing intelligence to Israel.

- Pakistan 'committed' to role -

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he had spoken by phone with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian after US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad were called off.

"Pakistan remains committed to serve as an honest and sincere facilitator - working tirelessly to advance durable peace and lasting stability in the region," Sharif wrote on X.

burs/ach/rmb 

Originally published on doc.afp.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

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