In light of ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanese areas, the Israeli army conducted a surprise training at the level of the General Staff to assess readiness for a sudden war on the northern front. Meanwhile, the White House affirmed that "restoring calm on the Israeli-Lebanese border is a priority for us."
Furthermore, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry instructed its permanent mission to the United Nations Security Council to file a complaint against Israel for targeting Lebanese medics. It also urged "UNIFIL" to encourage all parties to disarm and begin working towards a sustainable political and diplomatic solution.
On a separate note, the Archbishop of the Maronite Archdiocese of Beirut, Bishop Paul Abdel Sater, said on Thursday of Secrets, "We pray for the intention of the political leaders in Lebanon to keep war away from Lebanon."
Regionally, on the 174th day of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, several Palestinians were killed as Israeli aircraft targeted residential buildings.
In a separate context, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa formed the new government, also assuming the position of Foreign Minister, succeeding Riyad al-Maliki.
As for negotiations, a session of the War Cabinet Ministers scheduled to discuss a prisoner exchange deal was canceled due to the political crisis surrounding the conscription law.
Additionally, Washington hinted to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant that if Israel does not meet its demands, it will have difficulty passing aid to it. This comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed members of the War Cabinet that he will send a delegation to Washington next week to discuss Rafah. Meanwhile, families of soldiers detained in Gaza were informed that Israel is "preparing to enter Rafah" and will not leave any of its soldiers there.
In Syria, an Israeli airstrike targeted a residential building near the Sayyida Zainab area in the Damascus countryside, injuring at least two people.
On another front, the United Arab Emirates ranked first globally for the third consecutive year in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report for the year 2023/2024, surpassing many advanced economies.
Internationally, the French Interior Minister requested police chiefs to deploy their forces in front of all Catholic and Protestant churches on Easter Sunday due to the "very high" level of terrorist threat and "continuing international tensions."
In America, officials in the Biden administration held "early talks" on options to achieve stability in Gaza after the end of the war between Hamas and Israel.
Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that his country has no plans towards any NATO member state, but he indicated that Russia would shoot down alliance-affiliated aircraft.
Economically, stock markets in the Gulf region closed lower as investors awaited US core inflation data scheduled for release tomorrow to assess the potential path of interest rates by the Federal Reserve.
