LONDON: The EU on Saturday called for maximum restraint in the Gaza Strip’s worst escalation of violence since a war last year.
“The European Union follows with great concern the latest developments in and around Gaza,” a spokesman for EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement.
“The EU calls for maximum restraint on all sides in order to avoid a further escalation and further casualties,” he said.

BEIRUT: Lebanon has strongly condemned Friday’s attack on Gaza by Israel.
In a statement on Saturday, the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the international community “to rapidly intervene to promptly stop these attacks, and call on Israel to abide by UN resolutions in order to preserve the safety of the Palestinian civilians who are badly suffering under Israel’s unjust blockade.”
The developments in Gaza were being closely followed by Palestinian refugees in Lebanese camps.

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s banking association ABL announced on Friday that banks would go on strike starting Monday over a build-up of “populist, harmful stances” taken against the sector, the group’s statement read.

Around 49 banks plan to strike, the statement added.

The group is taking action over the recent treatment of the sector, particularly the arrest of Creditbank Chairman Tarek Khalife this week.

VIENNA: Britain, France and Germany urged Iran on Friday “not to make unrealistic demands” in the talks to salvage a 2015 deal aimed at reining in Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
Officials from world powers and Iran were meeting in the Austrian capital for the first time since March, when negotiations — which began in 2021 to reintegrate the United States into the agreement — stalled.
“Today’s talks in Vienna do not mark a new round of negotiations. These are technical discussions,” the three countries — known as the E3 group — said in a statement.

GAZA CITY: Israel unleashed a wave of airstrikes in Gaza on Friday, killing more than 15 people, including a senior militant, and wounding another 40, according to Palestinian officials.
Israel said it was targeting the Islamic Jihad militant group in response to an “imminent threat” following the arrest of a senior militant in the occupied West Bank earlier this week.
The strikes risk igniting yet another war in the territory, which is ruled by the militant group Hamas and is home to about 2 million Palestinians.