The move is expected to increase the daily flow of food, fuel and medicine through supervised crossings while military operations continue in parts of northern and central Gaza.

Aid agencies welcomed the decision but said implementation and safe access for relief convoys remain critical amid ongoing fighting and infrastructure collapse.

The Interior Ministry said the group had been planning operations aimed at undermining security and stability in Homs, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), as the government intensifies efforts to reassert control across the country following the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad’s government in 2024.

Security forces confiscated anti-tank missile launchers, sniper rifles, automatic weapons, RPG launchers and large quantities of ammunition during the operation, the ministry said.

It described the raid as part of broader efforts to track and dismantle sleeper cells and eliminate what it called the remaining sources of terrorism across Syrian territory.Authorities did not identify the group involved or specify whether it had links to Daesh or other militant organizations still active in parts of Syria.

Syria has faced recurring security threats since the collapse of the Assad regime, with attacks targeting both domestic security forces and foreign military personnel operating in the country.In December, an attack on a joint patrol near Palmyra in Homs province killed two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter, while injuring three U.S. service members and two Syrian security personnel.

The incident underscored continuing instability in central Syria, where remnants of militant networks continue to operate despite years of military campaigns against insurgent groups.In November, Syria became the 90th member of the Global Coalition against Daesh, the international alliance formed in 2014 to combat the militant group after it seized large parts of Syria and northern Iraq.

Although Daesh no longer controls major territory, security officials and international observers continue to warn that the group retains the capacity to conduct insurgent attacks, particularly in remote desert areas and regions with weakened state control.

The latest operation in Homs reflects Damascus’ effort to project authority and reassure both domestic and international partners that it can contain militant threats as the country navigates a fragile post-Assad transition.

The Israeli military said it had begun targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in the Bekaa region as well as in southern Lebanon, while security sources told Reuters that strikes hit near the town of Nabi Chit, close to Lebanon’s border with Syria.

No immediate fatalities were reported.The strikes marked the first attacks on the Bekaa Valley since the ceasefire came into force, significantly reducing but not ending the exchange of fire between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group.

Israel has continued near-daily strikes across southern Lebanon and maintains troops in a strip of territory along the border, where it says operations are aimed at dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure and preventing further attacks.

Lebanon’s state news agency reported multiple Israeli strikes in southern areas on Monday that wounded at least three people.Hezbollah said it had attacked an Israeli tank in southern Lebanon using a drone.

The Israeli military later confirmed that a Hezbollah drone exploded near its troops in southern Lebanon but said no casualties were reported.The ceasefire followed weeks of intense fighting that escalated after Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel on March 2 in support of its ally Iran, prompting a broad Israeli ground and air campaign across Lebanon.

Since then, more than 2,500 people have been killed in Israeli strikes across Lebanon, with large parts of the south heavily damaged and thousands displaced, according to Lebanese authorities.

The conflict has deepened political divisions inside Lebanon, particularly over Hezbollah’s independent military role and the prospect of diplomatic engagement with Israel.

Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the United States have held two rounds of discussions related to the ceasefire framework, which is intended to create conditions for possible direct negotiations aimed at securing a broader peace arrangement between the longtime adversaries.

Hezbollah has strongly rejected such talks.Its leader, Naim Qassem, said on Monday that direct negotiations with Israel would amount to a “humiliating and unnecessary concession,” dismissing any outcomes from such discussions as irrelevant to the group.

“Let it be clear, these direct negotiations and their outcomes are considered nonexistent to us and do not concern us at all,” Qassem said in a written statement. “We will continue our defensive resistance for Lebanon and its people.”

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun defended the government’s decision to pursue face-to-face talks and appeared to criticize Hezbollah’s unilateral decision to enter the regional conflict without broad national agreement.

“What we are doing is not treason; rather, treason is committed by whoever takes his country to war to achieve external interests,” Aoun said in a statement released by his office, without naming Hezbollah directly.

“Some hold us accountable for deciding to go to negotiations on the pretext of the lack of national consensus, and I ask: When you went to war, did you first obtain national consensus?” he said.

The remarks underscored widening internal tensions over Lebanon’s security policy as the government seeks to balance domestic political divisions, ongoing Israeli military pressure and international efforts to prevent a broader regional escalation.

According to Iran’s ISNA news agency, Araghchi was due to convey “Iran’s positions and views on the framework of any understanding to completely end the war” during fresh meetings with Pakistani officials.

The minister had visited Islamabad a day earlier, meeting Army Chief Asim Munir, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar before flying to Muscat, where he met Haitham bin Tariq as regional diplomacy intensified.Other Iranian envoys returned to Tehran for consultations and to obtain instructions related to ending the conflict, ISNA reported.

Before those talks, the White House had said Trump’s peace envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner were preparing to travel to Pakistan for further indirect negotiations.Trump later scrapped the trip, telling Fox News there was no reason to continue “sitting around talking about nothing,” while criticizing Tehran’s negotiating position.

“They gave us a paper that should have been better and interestingly immediately when I canceled it, within 10 minutes, we got a new paper that was much better,” Trump said, without giving details.Asked whether canceling the trip meant a return to open conflict, Trump said: “No, it doesn’t mean that. We haven’t thought about it yet.”Araghchi described his initial Pakistan visit as “very fruitful” but questioned Washington’s seriousness about diplomacy.“

Have yet to see if the U.S. is truly serious about diplomacy,” he said.Pressure for a diplomatic breakthrough has intensified as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively blocked, disrupting one of the world’s most important oil and gas shipping routes and driving energy prices sharply higher.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had no intention of lifting the blockade.“Controlling the Strait of Hormuz and maintaining the shadow of its deterrent effects over America and the White House’s supporters in the region is the definitive strategy of Islamic Iran,” the Guards said on Telegram.

The United States has responded by tightening restrictions on Iranian ports and increasing maritime enforcement actions against vessels linked to Tehran’s energy exports.Iran’s military accused Washington of “blockading, banditry and piracy” and warned that continued pressure would trigger a response.

Regional tensions also escalated on the Lebanese front, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered strikes against Hezbollah targets after accusing the group of violating a ceasefire recently extended for three weeks.

Lebanese state media reported Israeli strikes in several southern districts, while Lebanon’s health ministry said attacks in Nabatieh and Bint Jbeil killed six people.Israel’s military said it had killed multiple Hezbollah operatives, including fighters allegedly transporting weapons.

Although Trump had earlier expressed optimism about peace after meetings with Israeli and Lebanese envoys, Hezbollah parliamentary bloc leader Mohammed Raad urged Lebanon to withdraw from negotiations, warning that any agreement without broader consensus would be politically unsustainable.

Araghchi is expected to travel to Moscow after completing the Islamabad consultations.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said Michael Lotem, currently serving as a roving economic ambassador to Africa, would become the country’s first official envoy to Somaliland.

The move follows Israel’s December 2025 decision to recognize Somaliland’s independence, making it the first nation to do so since the territory declared autonomy from Somalia in 1991 after the collapse of the Somali state during civil war.

Lotem previously served as ambassador to Kenya, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.The diplomatic expansion comes after formal relations were established between the two sides in December and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar visited Somaliland in January, a trip that drew sharp criticism from Somalia.

In February, Somaliland appointed Mohamed Hagi as its first ambassador to Israel, signaling reciprocal diplomatic recognition.Somaliland, which has its own government, currency, passport and military, occupies a strategic location along the Gulf of Aden near one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes.

Despite operating with de facto independence for more than three decades, it has struggled to gain broad international recognition, largely due to concerns that formal recognition could destabilize Somalia and encourage separatist movements elsewhere in Africa.

Somalia has consistently rejected Somaliland’s sovereignty claims and condemned Israeli engagement with the territory.Following Sa’ar’s January visit, Mogadishu described the trip as an “unauthorized incursion” and reaffirmed its position that Somaliland remains an integral part of Somalia.

The diplomatic breakthrough with Israel marks one of Somaliland’s most significant international gains since its self-declared independence, potentially reshaping regional alliances in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea corridor.

The development also carries wider geopolitical significance as global powers compete for influence across strategic shipping routes linking the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Israel has not detailed whether it plans to open a full embassy in Hargeisa, but the ambassadorial appointment signals a formal institutional expansion of relations between the two sides.

U.S. Central Command said the vessel, identified as the Sevan, was intercepted by a Navy helicopter launched from the guided-missile destroyer USS Pinckney during operations aimed at enforcing restrictions on Iranian oil and gas shipments.

The military described the Sevan as part of a 19-vessel “shadow fleet” accused of transporting Iranian petroleum products, including oil, propane and butane, to foreign markets in violation of U.S. sanctions.

According to Central Command, the ship complied with orders to reverse course and is now heading back toward Iran under U.S. escort.The interception marks the latest maritime enforcement action under a U.S.-led blockade intended to restrict Iranian energy exports and reduce revenue flows to Tehran amid heightened regional tensions.

U.S. officials said the targeted fleet had been sanctioned by the United States Department of the Treasury for facilitating the transport of billions of dollars’ worth of Iranian energy products through covert shipping networks often involving opaque ownership structures and flag changes.

“These vessels are part of a sanctions evasion network designed to conceal the origin and destination of Iranian exports,” Central Command said in its statement.Since the start of the blockade, the U.S. military said 37 vessels have been redirected, reflecting an expanded effort to enforce sanctions through direct maritime interdiction rather than financial restrictions alone.

The Arabian Sea has become a focal point for such operations due to its strategic role in shipping routes connecting the Gulf, South Asia and global energy markets.Washington has increased pressure on Iranian oil exports as part of broader efforts to constrain Tehran’s regional influence and funding channels, particularly amid ongoing instability across the Middle East and heightened tensions involving U.S. forces in the region.

Iran has repeatedly criticized U.S. maritime sanctions enforcement as unlawful and has accused Washington of disrupting freedom of navigation and international trade.

The latest interception comes as scrutiny of tanker movements linked to Iran has intensified, with governments and shipping regulators monitoring so-called shadow fleets used to bypass sanctions through ship-to-ship transfers and concealed cargo documentation.

No injuries or military confrontation were reported during the interception of the Sevan, and Central Command did not specify the vessel’s final destination before it was ordered to turn back.

In Omdurman’s Al-Nao Educational Hospital, volunteers work as nurses, paramedics and pharmacists, often rushing to bomb sites to help victims.

Community kitchens known as “takkaya” provide free meals to families facing hunger, while local burial teams recover unidentified bodies and conduct funerals during ongoing shelling.

Many of these volunteers emerged from Sudan’s resistance committees, neighborhood groups that once led protests against former president Omar al-Bashir.

Despite reduced donations and constant danger, residents say they continue because basic survival in the war-torn capital depends on them.“We could leave tomorrow, but our country needs us,” one volunteer said.

Trump said he had ordered envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner not to travel to Islamabad, where mediation efforts had been centered following the arrival of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for talks with Pakistani officials.

Speaking before departing Florida and later in comments to Fox News, Trump said the revised Iranian offer failed to meet U.S. expectations and dismissed the value of sending negotiators for extended talks.“I’ve told my people a little while ago they were getting ready to leave, and I said, ‘Nope, you’re not making an 18-hour flight to go there,’” Trump said, according to Fox News.

“We have all the cards. They can call us anytime they want.”In a post on Truth Social, Trump added that there was “tremendous infighting and confusion” within Iran’s leadership and said, “Nobody knows who is in charge, including them.”

The cancellation dealt a setback to mediation efforts in Islamabad, where Araghchi had concluded meetings with Pakistani leaders without direct contact with U.S. representatives.

Araghchi described the visit as “very fruitful,” while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that Tehran would not accept what he called “imposed negotiations” conducted under threats or blockade.

Iran urged Washington to remove operational restrictions, including measures affecting Iranian ports, while maintaining that it would not accept maximalist demands.“Principally, Iranian side will not accept maximalist demands,” an Iranian diplomatic source in Islamabad told Reuters.

Tensions remain elevated across the region despite a ceasefire currently in force after a conflict that began on Feb. 28 with U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran. Tehran later launched retaliatory strikes against Israel, U.S. military bases and Gulf states, escalating fears of a broader regional war.

The standoff has also disrupted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy corridor, while U.S. restrictions on Iranian oil exports remain in place, pushing energy prices to multi-year highs and adding pressure to global inflation and growth.

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered forces to strike Hezbollah targets in Lebanon “forcefully,” testing a fragile three-week ceasefire and underscoring the broader instability surrounding the negotiations.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had said earlier that Washington had seen some progress from Iran in recent days and hoped for further movement over the weekend.Vice President JD Vance, who led an earlier unsuccessful round of indirect talks in Islamabad this month, had also been prepared to travel again if negotiations advanced.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran still had an opportunity to reach an agreement if it made verifiable commitments on its nuclear program.“All they have to do is abandon a nuclear weapon in meaningful and verifiable ways,” Hegseth said.

Iran’s foreign ministry later confirmed that no direct meeting with U.S. officials had been planned during Araghchi’s visit and said Tehran would instead convey its position through Pakistan as mediator.

Speaking in Baku alongside Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Zelensky said the agreements reflected a deepening strategic partnership, particularly in defense production and security cooperation.

“We have signed six documents today,” Zelensky said, without detailing the specific sectors covered by the accords.“Today, the number one area is security. This concerns the defense-industrial complex,” he said. “We have shared our experience in countering the aggressor today.”

Zelensky said Ukrainian drone specialists were already working in Azerbaijan, signaling Kyiv’s effort to export expertise developed during more than four years of sustained Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian territory.

Ukraine has increasingly sought defense cooperation with countries exposed to Iranian drone threats, particularly in the Gulf and surrounding regions, positioning its battlefield experience as a strategic asset for partners facing similar security risks.In early March, drones launched from Iran struck an Azerbaijani airport and exploded near a school, wounding four people and intensifying concerns over conflict spillover into the South Caucasus.

The incident further strained already uneasy relations between Baku and Tehran, with Azerbaijan becoming more sensitive to regional air defense vulnerabilities and cross-border security threats.

Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic bordering southern Russia and located on the Caspian Sea, has repeatedly expressed support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 and has provided humanitarian assistance to Kyiv.

At the same time, ties between Baku and Moscow have cooled over the past year following the 2024 crash of an Azerbaijani passenger aircraft after it was mistakenly struck by a Russian anti-aircraft missile, killing 38 people.

Zelensky also said Ukraine would be open to trilateral peace talks involving Russia and Azerbaijan if Moscow demonstrated genuine willingness to negotiate an end to the war.“We shared with the president of Azerbaijan that we are ready for trilateral talks,” he said.

While no indication has emerged from the Kremlin that such a format is under consideration, the proposal reflects Kyiv’s continued efforts to widen diplomatic channels while strengthening defense partnerships beyond Europe.

For Azerbaijan, closer military-industrial cooperation with Ukraine offers both technical expertise and geopolitical flexibility as it navigates increasingly complex relations with both Russia and Iran.

The agreements signed in Baku underscore how the war in Ukraine is reshaping security alignments far beyond Eastern Europe, extending into the Caucasus and Gulf as drone warfare becomes central to modern defense planning.

Medical officials said at least 13 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Friday across the Gaza Strip, including Islam Al-Tanani, who was pregnant with twins, and her children Hamza and Naya in the northern town of Beit Lahiya.

The deaths added to mounting civilian casualties despite the truce that took effect on Oct. 10, with residents and aid workers warning that daily strikes continue to make the ceasefire feel largely symbolic for many Palestinians.Khalid Al-Tanani, the husband of the deceased woman, described a series of strikes that hit their home in quick succession.

“With the first shell, thank God we all survived and were calling out to each other. Then they fired the second, third, and fourth shells one after the other. Their voices fell silent,” he said.“I found my wife, Islam Al-Tanani, martyred, and my son Hamza, and Naya in her mother’s arms.”Hamza was four years old and Naya was 13.

Islam was expecting twins, family members said.Hamza’s 13-year-old twin brother survived, along with another child of the couple. Relatives said the family had recently begun preparing for the arrival of the newborns.

Mourners gathered at the funeral on Saturday at Al-Shifa Hospital, where grieving relatives wept over the bodies before burial.In southern Gaza, officials at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said eight more people, including four police officers, were killed when Israel struck a police vehicle.

Two other men were reported killed in Gaza City, bringing Friday’s total death toll to at least 13, according to local hospitals.Israel’s military said several militants had threatened troops operating in the area and that forces carried out an airstrike after warning civilians to leave.

Al-Tanani disputed that account, saying no warning had been issued before the strikes.The military separately said it had targeted two militants who posed a threat to Israeli troops in Gaza City but did not comment directly on the strike in Khan Younis that killed eight people.

Although large-scale fighting has eased since the ceasefire began, Israeli forces continue to fire near military-held zones and militants have launched attacks on troops, contributing to repeated violations of the truce.Israel says its strikes are responses to militant activity and security threats. Four Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire took effect, according to Israeli officials.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said more than 790 Palestinians have been killed since the truce began six months ago. The ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government, says 72,300 Palestinians have been killed since the war began.The war was triggered by the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, in which around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed, according to Israeli authorities.

The continued bloodshed has deepened concerns among international mediators that the ceasefire remains highly vulnerable, with civilians bearing the heaviest cost of repeated breakdowns in calm.