10/04/2026

FRIDAY | APR 10, 2026

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Fresh strikes test durability of US-Iran truce

ISTANBUL: A Palestinian journalist with the Qatari Al Jazeera television network was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, bringing the death toll of reporters since October 2023 to 262, Anadolu Ajansi reported, citing local authorities. The Gaza Government Media Office said the killing of journalist Mohammed Wishah reflects a “systematic targeting” of Palestinian journalists by Israel. On Wednesday, Gaza’s Civil Defence said its crews recovered the bodies of two Palestinians, including Wishah, after an Israeli airstrike targeted a civilian vehicle on the Al-Rashid coastal road southwest of Gaza City. Palestinian medical sources said the bodies of the two victims, along with a woman who sustained moderate injuries, were taken to the Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City. The office called on the International Federation of Journalists, Arab Journalists Union and global media organisations to “condemn these systematic crimes against Palestinian journalists and media workers in the Gaza Strip”. The Israeli military yesterday said its forces had “struck and eliminated” Wishah, “a key terrorist in Hamas’ rocket and weapons production headquarters”. It said Wishah had “operated under the guise of an Al Jazeera journalist, exploiting this identity to advance terrorist activities against Israel”. – Bernama-Anadolu Journalist killed by Israeli strike in Gaza Strip Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem reopened ISTANBUL: The Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem was reopened to Muslims yesterday following a 40-day closure imposed by Israel amid joint US-Israeli military actions against Iran. According to Anadolu Ajansi, the mosque was reopened at dawn, allowing hundreds of Palestinian Muslims to enter the Al-Haram al-Sharif compound. As the gates were opened with the morning call to prayer, large numbers of Muslims flocked to the site. Hundreds of Muslims lined up for the dawn prayer, marking the first congregational worship at the site since its closure. Israel had completely shut access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Feb 28, coinciding with its attacks on Iran, allowing only mosque staff and officials from the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf to pray on site, while other Palestinians were made to use smaller mosques across the city. Authorities also prevented Eid al-Fitr prayers from being held at Al-Aqsa this year. Israeli authorities had also closed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of Christianity’s holiest sites in Jerusalem, during the same period. The Israeli government has extended a state of emergency until mid-April but did not clarify if the mosque would remain closed in that period. – Bernama-Anadolu

ground invasion last month, local officials said. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they would “fulfil our duty and deliver a response” if Israel did not cease its strikes, while Hezbollah said it has a “right” to respond. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country remains prepared to confront Iran if necessary as it still has “objectives to complete”, with the military saying it continues to pursue the goal of “disarming” Hezbollah in Lebanon. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth also vowed that American forces remain at the ready if the conflict flares up again. Meanwhile, Iran announced alternative routes yesterday for ships travelling through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which one-fifth of the world’s oil passes, citing the risk of sea mines in its main navigational zone. But it was unclear if Tehran was allowing vessels to pass through the strait following reports

on Wednesday suggesting it was shut, which the White House called “completely unacceptable”. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country mediated the ceasefire, urged all parties to “exercise restraint and respect the ceasefire for two weeks” to allow diplomacy to take hold. Further casting doubt on the durability of the truce, Iranian state media announced fresh missile and drone attacks against US-allied Gulf states in retaliation for airstrikes on its oil facilities, with Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain all reporting strikes since the ceasefire took effect. On Wednesday, the leaders of several European nations, Canada and the United Kingdom said “a swift and lasting end to the war” must be negotiated, as Pope Leo hailed a moment of “real hope”. But Tehran’s demands on uranium enrichment, economic sanctions and future control of the Strait of Hormuz remain deeply at odds with those of the United States. – AFP

o Lebanon hit by Israel while Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain report attacks by Tehran

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Wednesday US forces deployed near Iran would remain stationed in the area until a “real agreement” is reached, as Washington enters a two-week ceasefire with Tehran. The truce reached on Tuesday already shows signs of unravelling, with Israel bombarding Lebanon and Washington contradicting some of Iran’s demands to end the war ahead of planned talks. “All US ships, aircraft and military personnel, with additional ammunition, weaponry and anything else that is appropriate and necessary for the lethal prosecution and destruction of a substantially degraded enemy, will remain in place TEHRAN: Lebanon declared a day of mourning yesterday after Israeli strikes pummelled the country, shaking a fragile truce less than two days after it came into force. Washington and Tehran both claimed victory after agreeing to a two-week ceasefire and negotiations aimed at ending a war that has killed thousands across the Middle East and sparked global economic upheaval. But fractures emerged quickly on Wednesday as Israel carried out its heaviest strikes on neighbouring Lebanon since the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah joined the war in early March. At least 182 people were killed and nearly 900 wounded on Wednesday, the Lebanese Health Ministry said. The Lebanese Prime Minister’s Office said yesterday was “a national day of mourning for the martyrs and wounded of the Israeli attacks that targeted hundreds of innocent, defenceless civilians”, ordering the closure of public administrations and the lowering of flags. Hours later, Hezbollah said it has fired rockets towards Israel in response to its “violation” of the US-Iran truce. Israel has said its battle against the Lebanese group is not part of the ceasefire, an argument echoed by US Vice-President J.D. Vance, days before he is due to lead talks with Tehran in Pakistan. “If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them, and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that is ultimately their choice,” said Vance. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf appeared to threaten the ceasefire, saying the “workable basis on which to negotiate” has been violated, making further talks “unreasonable”.

Ghalibaf listed three alleged US violations of the truce plan, namely the continued attacks in Lebanon, a drone entering Iranian airspace and a denial of the country’s right to uranium enrichment. Adding to the fragility of the truce, a senior US official said Iran’s 10-point plan was not the same set of conditions the White House had agreed to in order to pause the war. In Lebanon, where United Nations rights chief Volker Turk called the scale of killing “horrific”, strikes across the capital Beirut without warning triggered scenes of horror and panic. More than 1,700 people have been killed in Lebanon since Israel launched airstrikes and a

A crowd yesterday near the US Embassy in Manila protesting the US-Israeli military action in Iran. – AFPPIC

US Military to remain near Tehran, says Trump in and around Iran until such time as the real agreement reached is fully complied with,“ said Trump.

said: “Remember Greenland, that big, poorly run, piece of ice!” Since the Iran war began, Trump has demanded Nato allies join the United States to open the Strait of Hormuz but was rejected. European countries such as Spain and Italy even denied the US military use of their airspace. Over the past several weeks, Trump has repeatedly criticised Nato for failing to assist the United States in the war and threatened to quit the treaty alliance. The rift in the transatlantic alliance has widened during Trump’s second term, fuelled by his decision to launch the war on Iran and earlier tensions over his push to take over Denmark’s Greenland. – AFP

That was not included in Iran’s demands released via the United Nations and Trump has said the matter of enrichment would be “taken care of” in any deal. Ahead of planned negotiations in Pakistan, Trump said Iran would have “no nuclear weapons” and the “Strait of Hormuz will be open and safe”. Trump on Wednesday was also reported as saying: “Nato was not there when we needed them, and they will not be there if we need them again.“ His remarks come as Nato chief Mark Rutte arrived in Washington for a visit aimed at repairing the crumbling transatlantic alliance. In a Truth Social post after talks with Rutte in the White House, Trump

While he said a deal falling through was “highly unlikely“, he threatened to revert to “bigger and better and stronger” strikes if an agreement was not reached. “In the meantime, our great military is loading up and resting, looking forward, actually, to its next conquest. America is back!” Iran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz during the truce, but said it would maintain “dominion” over it. In a Farsi-language release of demands circulated by Iranian state media, the Islamic republic also insisted that Washington accept its uranium enrichment programme.