Pahalgam, October 2: Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, National Conference Chairman Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday stressed the need for peace and asked world powers to ensure that World War III does not happen again.
“I hope that the world powers will ensure that World War III never happens again… People died on both sides. Humanity is dead. There is also a war going on between Russia and Ukraine. May God bring back humanity,” Farooq Abu Doula told ANI.
The former chief minister was also confident of winning the assembly elections in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and said the Congress-NC alliance would form the government in Jammu and Kashmir.
After Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israeli targets, the situation in West Asia further escalated. The U.S. military has since coordinated closely with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to help defend Israel from the attack.
Earlier in the day, former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed concern over the safety of Indians living in the two countries and urged the Indian government to make arrangements to bring them back.
“A war-like situation has arisen between Israel and Iran. Many Indian families are worried as their family members are working in these countries. I implore the Indian government to make arrangements to bring all Indians living there who want to resume mission mode as soon as possible Bring people back,” Kejriwal said in his latest post on X.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also stressed the need for peace and dialogue to break the cycle of violence and counter-violence in the region.
“Owing to the initiative taken by the Congress-led UP government, October 2 has been observed as the International Day of Non-Violence by the United Nations since 2007. The Indian National Congress recalls this at a time of alarming escalation of ruthless hostilities in West Asia. One point. This imposes an unacceptable humanitarian cost on thousands of innocent men, women and children,” the member of the Bundestag said on X.
“Peace and dialogue are urgently needed in the region, which is currently trapped in a deepening cycle of violence and counter-violence. The conscience of the world seems to have been numbed by the forces of revenge. It needs to be reawakened by the forces of reconciliation,” he added .
The Israel Defense Forces called on Lebanese civilians in two dozen villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate “immediately” on Wednesday, a day after Iran fired rockets into Israel.
“Hezbollah’s activities force the IDF to take action against it. The IDF does not want to harm you. For your safety, you must evacuate your home immediately. Anyone who comes near Hezbollah operatives, their facilities or weapons puts themselves at risk ,” Colonel Avicai Adrai, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, said in a statement from X.
The Israeli military said it would update civilians upon their return. On Tuesday, the Israeli military issued similar orders to 28 other villages in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military describes its ground operations in southern Lebanon as “limited, localized, targeted attacks” aimed at destroying Hezbollah’s infrastructure in border areas.
Earlier, in a series of targeted air strikes, Israeli Air Force fighter jets, under the precise guidance of the Intelligence Directorate, struck multiple Hezbollah weapons production sites and terrorist infrastructure across Beirut.
According to a post by the IAF on its official X account (formerly Twitter), a number of measures were taken to minimize harm to civilians, including issuing advance warnings to people in the affected areas. The Israeli Air Force accused Hezbollah of placing weapons under residential buildings, endangering the lives of civilians in the area.
“Air Force fighter jets, under the guidance of precise intelligence from the intelligence community, have recently carried out a series of targeted attacks across Beirut on some ammunition production bases and other terrorist infrastructure in the area. Before the attacks, the Israeli Air Force took a number of measures to reduce the possibility of harm to persons not involved and to provide advance warning to people in the area.”
“The terrorist organization Hezbollah has placed its production base and combat methods under residential buildings in central Beirut, putting people in the area at risk. These attacks are aimed at damaging the organization’s capabilities, and the Israeli Defense Forces continue to carry out armed attacks , to damage and destroy Hezbollah’s military capabilities and infrastructure.”
The military action was in response to Iran’s recent ballistic missile attack on Israel, which has led to a significant escalation of tensions in the region.
Following the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning to Iran’s ayatollah regime, claiming those who target Israel will face consequences, not in Iran or anywhere in West Asia “Beyond Israel.”
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