US President Donald Trump on Thursday (April 16) announced a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, saying both sides have agreed to halt hostilities in a bid to move toward lasting peace. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he held “excellent conversations” with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following which the two leaders agreed to formally begin the ceasefire at 5 pm EST on Thursday.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) carried out an intense military operation in Gaza City and claimed to have eliminated a key Hamas commander. According to the IDF, the objective of the strike was to prevent Hamas from rebuilding its military structure and to foil any upcoming attacks. The army identified the slain commander as Ahmad Abu Khudaira, who was active in Hamas’ communication unit in the Gaza City region. In a post shared on X, the IDF said he was involved in advancing plans for terror attacks against Israeli soldiers and posed a direct threat to the forces.
Read more
Pakistan’s Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir reached Tehran on Wednesday for talks with the Iranian leadership as part of his country’s efforts to resolve the conflict between the US and Iran. Notably, he was part of a delegation that includes Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi welcomed the delegation members upon their arrival in Tehran. “The purpose of the visit is to deliver a US message to the Iranian leadership and to plan the next round of negotiations,” Iran’s state-run Press TV reported.
Read more
