In an exclusive with India Today, Lebanon's Deputy Prime Minister, Tarek Mitri, said that two Israeli ministers warned that Southern Lebanon will be another Gaza.
He said, "At least two Israeli cabinet ministers warned us that Southern Lebanon, the so-called buffer zone, will be another Gaza. It's not an accusation that we voice against them, it is them who drew the comparison between what they're doing in Southern Lebanon and what they have done previously in Gaza." Mitri further stated that 20 per cent of Lebanon's population has been uprooted, with many villages emptied and made uninhabitable. He accused Israel of ignoring international humanitarian law principles of proportionality and distinction between combatants and civilians, noting that over 1,000 civilians have been killed. He emphasised that whilst Lebanon did not want this war and was dragged into it by Hezbollah, Israel is launching an all-out war against Lebanon itself, not just the non-state actor. Mitri called on the international community to stop the war and negotiate a political diplomatic exit.
The UK and European nations are quietly easing sanctions on Russian oil due to soaring fuel prices following the Strait of Hormuz closure amid the US-Iran war.
A political row has erupted in West Bengal after the Suvendu Adhikari-led government made the recitation of Vande Mataram compulsory in madrasas and schools.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is all set to complete twelve years in office this month and will enter the third year of its third term.
In an exclusive interview with India Today TV, prominent economist and former IMF executive director Surjit Bhalla discussed India's economic performance and the decline in foreign direct investment since 2015.
