Israel’s acceptance of a ceasefire in Lebanon was a "strategic defeat" for the Jewish state and a sign that the country will disappear, Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Hossein Salami stated in a message to Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem, Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese media reported on Thursday.According to the reports, Salami’s message stated Israel failed to achieve its military goals in Lebanon.Throughout the war, Hezbollah had repeatedly reiterated that it would continue its attacks on Israel until Israel ceased its military operation in the Gaza Strip.

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off the east coast of North Island, New Zealand on Thursday, the German Research Centre for Geosciences said.The quake was at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles), GFZ said.

US President Joe Biden's administration is preparing a $725 million weapons package for Ukraine, two US officials said on Wednesday, as the outgoing president seeks to bolster the government in Kyiv before leaving office in January.According to an official familiar with the plan, the Biden administration plans to provide a variety of anti-tank weapons from US stocks to blunt Russia's advancing troops, including land mines, drones, Stinger missiles, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).

US President-elect Donald Trump said on Wednesday he "will be working on a large scale United States Advertising Campaign, explaining how bad Fentanyl is for people to use."In a post on Truth Social, Trump also said: "By the time the Campaign is over, everyone will know how really bad the horror of this Drug is."

The Health Ministry on Thursday published the conclusions of the report that examined a number of unusual incidents at the Assuta Medical Center in Ramat HaChayal in 2023, Israeli media reported. The report's conclusions revealed a chain of failures and malfunctions, stating, "The conclusion is inescapable that there was an apparent attempt, which seems to lack good faith, to conceal essential and critical facts from the Health Ministry and the committee," Israeli media quoted the report as stating.One of the most prominent incidents was the embryo swap case in 2022, which came to light after a pregnant woman who underwent IVF at Assuta Medical Center in Rishon Lezion was carrying a baby that was not genetically related to her or her husband, later learning that the wrong embryo had been implanted during her treatments. Eve Young contributed to this report.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said air defense was working in Kyiv on Thursday morning amid Russia's nationwide attack on energy infrastructure.Ukraine's air force previously warned the residents about a missile threat to the capital.