13 Countries Condemn Israel's Interception of Gaza-Bound Flotilla as Clashes Continue Along Lebanon Border

A coalition of 13 countries including Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkiye, Spain and South Africa issued a joint statement condemning Israel's actions against a Gaza-bound aid mission. The foreign ministers of Turkiye, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Pakistan, South Africa, and Spain condemned in the strongest terms the Israeli assault on the Global Sumud Flotilla.

@AJEnglish reported that the group described the April 30 assault and abduction of activists sailing in international waters off the coast of Greece as a flagrant violation of international law and maritime conventions.

The Global Sumud Flotilla is a peaceful civilian initiative intended to highlight the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. The coalition stated that the unlawful detention of humanitarian activists in international waters constitutes a grave breach of international humanitarian law.

The ministers expressed deep concern for the safety of the activists still in custody and urged their immediate and unconditional release.

The coalition called on the international community to fulfil their moral and legal obligations to uphold international law, protect civilians and ensure accountability for these violations. The statement marked a coordinated rebuke from governments spanning multiple continents over the treatment of the civilian vessel and its passengers.

In southern Lebanon, an image emerged showing an Israeli soldier pressing a cigarette to the mouth of a Virgin Mary statue in the town of Debel.

Debel is the same town where an Israeli soldier smashed a statue of Jesus Christ with a sledgehammer last month. The Israeli military said it will take action when the soldier who desecrated the Virgin Mary statue is identified.

Israel's military separately said four soldiers were injured, one seriously, in a drone attack in southern Lebanon. Lebanon's National News Agency reported that an Israeli air strike hit a pick-up truck in the town of Haboush in southern Lebanon, killing two people.

Lebanon's National News Agency reported intense Israeli shelling targeted the areas of Aita al-Shaab and Ramyah at dawn accompanied by heavy machinegun fire.

One person was injured in an Israeli overnight strike on Jouaiyya and taken to hospital in Tyre by the Civil Defence team. Lebanon's National News Agency reported an Israeli overnight air strike targeting the town of Erzi in the Sidon district of southern Lebanon.

Tensions extended to the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has denied any involvement in the blast and fire on board a South Korean vessel earlier this week.

Iran's embassy in Seoul stated that Iran firmly rejects and categorically denies any allegations regarding the involvement of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the incident involving damage to a Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that the cause of the explosion and fire on board the South Korean-operated vessel would only be determined once the ship was brought to port. President Donald Trump claimed on his Truth Social platform that Iran had fired on a South Korean cargo ship in the strait.

The Iranian embassy stated that because the US and Israel have taken aggressive actions, Iran now views the Strait of Hormuz as a vital part of its defensive geography. The Iranian embassy stated that security protocols in the strategic waterway have changed due to heightened tensions caused by hostile forces and their allies.

Mohsen Rezaei, former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and current member of Iran’s Expediency Council, said Iran will not negotiate the nuclear issue with anyone.

Mohsen Rezaei said control over the Strait of Hormuz must remain in Iranian hands. Mohsen Rezaei warned that if control and management of the Strait of Hormuz pass out of Iran’s hands, the enemy will once again weaponise it against Iran and its people.

Mohsen Rezaei said the Iranian model emphasises that the region must provide its own security and that foreign forces whether American or European must leave.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told French President Emmanuel Macron that Washington’s behaviour has diverted the path of diplomacy toward threats, pressure and sanctions. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Emmanuel Macron that Iran has entered into dialogue with the US twice and on both occasions military aggression against Iran took place concurrently with the negotiations.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said any effective negotiation requires an end to the war and guarantees that hostile actions won’t be repeated against Iran.

President Donald Trump wrote that the Stock Market hit an ALL-TIME HIGH TODAY with 401Ks and jobs booming. 46 percent on Thursday.

The Nasdaq Composite closed at a record high rising 2 percent on Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed more than 1 percent on Thursday, nearing its own record levels. 48 per gallon.

US petrol prices had surged 11 percent in just two weeks prior to a dip on Wednesday. The US Federal Reserve released data last month indicating that US household expectations for food and energy inflation have reached their highest levels since 2022.

South Korean Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol announced that the government will extend its ban on hoarding petroleum products for an additional two months.

The South Korean ban on hoarding petroleum products was introduced in March and was initially slated to end next week.