Egypt urges immediate implementation of Gaza ceasefire

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with his Bahraini counterpart to discuss escalating regional tensions. China urged an immediate ceasefire and a return to dialogue, stressing that national sovereignty must be respected. Beijing's special envoy is currently visiting the region to mediate and promote peace.

Oman Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi on Monday gave a call for the earliest return to diplomacy and ceasefire amid escalating tensions in West Asia and underlined that the economic damage and potential for humanitarian catastrophe are unsustainable.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephonic conversation with his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday and conveyed his condolences on the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei. He reaffirmed Russia's stance of immediate cessation of hostilities and said that he was in constant contact with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council member states.

Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem stated that the group's recent strikes followed more than a year of restraint despite repeated Israeli violations. He highlighted ceasefire breaches, civilian casualties, and ongoing sovereignty violations, stressing that resistance remains legitimate as long as occupation and aggression against Lebanon continue.

The advisory applies to Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Lebanon, Iran, Oman, Iraq, Qatar, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

The discussion comes after the United States and Israel launched a military campaign against Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and several senior commanders. Tehran has since responded with missile and drone strikes targeting American and Israeli assets across the Gulf region.

The of the Spokesperson of the Chinese MFA in a statement urged for the stop to the escalations.

The calls for a ceasefire came after overnight strikes by both sides caused significant damage to military installations and civilian infrastructure, along with casualties on both ends of the border.

India and Israel further strengthened their defence partnership during the historic visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel after nine years. The two countries acknowledged the growth made in defence cooperation and also reaffirmed their commitment to other aspects such as cybersecurity and cross-border terrorism. The visit also saw the decision to upgrade ties to a special strategic partnership.

The historic visit elevated ties to a "Special Strategic Partnership," yielding 27 agreements across technology and security to reach "new heights" in the coming years.