What you need to know
Thank you for joining our continuing live coverage of the war in the Middle East.
Here’s a recap of the latest developments:
- Israel and Lebanon will enter a 10-day ceasefire at 7am Friday AEST, US President Donald Trump has announced. It was not clear how the ceasefire would work in practice, as Israel is fighting the terrorist group Hezbollah rather than the Lebanese state.
- Trump said he would invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun for talks.
- Trump also renewed his accusations that Australia has not done enough to help him in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, while ignoring Canberra’s recently announced hike in defence expenditure.
- US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth threatened to strike Iranian energy infrastructure if a deal is not reached, describing the current US naval blockade as an example of “polite” behaviour during the ongoing ceasefire with Iran.
- A major fire at Viva Energy’s Geelong refinery, one of Australia’s two remaining oil refineries, has knocked out at least a fifth of the plant’s production capacity, heightening fears about the nation’s fragile fuel security.
Israel and Lebanon to begin 10-day ceasefire, Trump declares
Washington: Israel and Lebanon will enter a 10-day ceasefire within hours, US President Donald Trump has announced, in another potential step towards ending the broader conflict with Iran.
But it was not clear how the ceasefire would work in practice, as Israel is fighting the terrorist group Hezbollah rather than the Lebanese state.
Trump said he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday (US time), following talks between top diplomats in Washington earlier in the week.
“These two leaders have agreed that in order to achieve PEACE between their Countries, they will formally begin a 10-day CEASEFIRE,” Trump declared on social media. The truce will begin at 5pm Washington time (7am AEST).
Israel has continued to launch strikes against targets associated with Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia in Lebanon that is a listed terrorist organisation in Australia, the US and elsewhere.
Read more from North America correspondent Michael Koziol here.
Netanyahu agrees to ceasefire, says Israeli troops will remain in southern Lebanon
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking in a video message, said he agreed to the ceasefire “to advance” peace efforts with Lebanon.
“We have an opportunity to make a historic peace agreement with Lebanon,” he said.
Israel has staged a ground invasion in southern Lebanon, where its forces have been engaged in fierce battles with Hezbollah in the border area.
Hezbollah added that “Israeli occupation on our land grants Lebanon and its people the right to resist it, and this matter will be determined based on how developments unfold,” a stance that could complicate the ceasefire.
What you need to know
Thank you for joining our continuing live coverage of the war in the Middle East.
Here’s a recap of the latest developments:
- Israel and Lebanon will enter a 10-day ceasefire at 7am Friday AEST, US President Donald Trump has announced. It was not clear how the ceasefire would work in practice, as Israel is fighting the terrorist group Hezbollah rather than the Lebanese state.
- Trump said he would invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun for talks.
- Trump also renewed his accusations that Australia has not done enough to help him in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, while ignoring Canberra’s recently announced hike in defence expenditure.
- US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth threatened to strike Iranian energy infrastructure if a deal is not reached, describing the current US naval blockade as an example of “polite” behaviour during the ongoing ceasefire with Iran.
- A major fire at Viva Energy’s Geelong refinery, one of Australia’s two remaining oil refineries, has knocked out at least a fifth of the plant’s production capacity, heightening fears about the nation’s fragile fuel security.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
