Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters before a UN Security Council meeting that Israel would welcome a ceasefire on the Israel-Lebanon border and preferred a diplomatic solution, Reuters reports.

He then told the UNSC that Iran was the nexus of violence in the region and peace required dismantling the threat.

Israel widened its airstrikes in Lebanon on Wednesday and at least 72 people were killed, according to a Reuters compilation of Lebanese health ministry statements. The ministry earlier said at least 223 were wounded.

Israel’s military chief said a ground assault was possible, raising fears the conflict could spark a wider Middle East war.

Opinion

Geopolitical shift in ME

Geopolitical shift in ME

A prolonged conflict will have far-reaching implications for regional geopolitics, sharpening the divisions among Gulf countries that are directly affected by the tensions.

Editorial

Unyielding stances
Updated 13 May, 2026

Unyielding stances

Every day that passes without clarity on how and when the war will end introduces fresh intensity to the uncertainty roiling global markets and adds to the economic turmoil the world must bear because of it.
Gwadar rising?
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COULD the Middle East conflict prove to be a boon for the Gwadar port? Islamabad’s push to position Gwadar as a...
Locked in
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Locked in

THE acquittal of as many as 74 PTI activists by a Peshawar court in a case pertaining to the May 2023 violence is a...
Bannu attack
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The security narrative and strategy of the KP government diverges considerably from the state’s position.
Cotton crisis
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PAKISTAN’S cotton economy is once again facing a crisis that exposes the country’s flawed agricultural and...
Buddhist heritage
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THE revival of Buddhist chants at the ancient Dharmarajika Stupa in Taxila after nearly 1,500 years is much more ...