"Hope big powers ensure there is no World War III": Farooq Abdullah on ongoing Iran-Israel conflict

Pahalgam, Oct 02: In light of the escalating tensions in the Middle East, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday, stressed the need for peace and hoped that the big powers of the world will ensure that there is no third World War.

"I hope the big powers of the world will ensure that there is no World War III...People are dying on both sides. Humanity is dead. The Russia-Ukraine war is also going on. May God bring back humanity," Farooq Abdullah told ANI.

The former Chief Minister also exuded confidence in winning the assembly elections in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, and said that the Congress-NC alliance will form the government in J-K.

The turmoil in West Asia escalated after Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles towards targets in Israel. Following this, the United States military coordinated closely with the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to help defend Israel against this attack.

Earlier in the day, former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal voiced his concern over the safety of Indians residing in both 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 because their family members are working in these countries. I humbly request the Indian government to make arrangements to bring back all the Indians living there who want to return to mission mode as soon as possible," said Kejriwal 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.

"Thanks to an initiative taken by the Congress-led UPA Government, since 2007 the United Nations observes October 2nd as the International Day of Non-Violence. The Indian National Congress recalls this in the midst of an alarming escalation of remorseless hostilities in West Asia. This is imposing an unacceptable humanitarian price on thousands upon thousands of innocent men, women and children," the Rajya Sabha MP stated on X.

"There is a fierce urgency for peace and dialogue in the region that is now engulfed by a deepening cycle of violence and counter-violence. The world's conscience seems to have been dulled by the forces of revenge. It needs to be reawakened by the forces of reconciliation," he added.

On Wednesday, a day after Iran targeted Israel with a rocket barrage, the IDF called on Lebanese civilians in two dozen villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate 'immediately.'

"Hezbollah's activity forces the IDF to act against it. The IDF does not wish to harm you. For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately. Anyone who is near Hezbollah operatives, their facilities or their weapons, puts themselves at risk," Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF's Arabic-language spokesman, said in a statement on X.

The Israeli military says it will update the civilians when they can return. On Tuesday, the Israeli military issued similar orders to 28 other villages in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military has described its ground operations in southern Lebanon as "limited, localised, and targeted raids," with the goal of demolishing Hezbollah's infrastructure in the border area.

Earlier, in a series of targeted airstrikes, Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets, under precise guidance from the Intelligence Directorate, struck multiple Hezbollah weapons production sites and terrorist infrastructure across Beirut.

According to a post by the IAF on their official X handle (formerly Twitter), numerous measures were taken to minimise harm to civilians, including advance warnings to those in the affected areas. The Israeli Air Force accused Hezbollah of placing weaponry beneath residential buildings endangering the civilian lives in the area.

"Fighter jets of the Air Force, under the precise intelligence guidance of the Intelligence Division, carried out a series of targeted attacks in recent days throughout Beirut against a number of munitions production sites and other terrorist infrastructures in the area. Before the attack, many steps were taken to reduce the chance of harm to those not involved, advance warnings to the population in the area," the Israeli Air Force said.

"The terrorist organization Hezbollah places its production sites and means of warfare, including under residential buildings in the heart of Beirut, putting the population in the area at risk. The attacks were intended to damage the organization's capabilities, and at this time the IDF continues to attack with force to damage and destroy Hezbollah's military capabilities and infrastructure," it added.

This military action comes in response to Iran's recent ballistic missile attack on Israel, which has significantly escalated tensions in the region.

Following the death of Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning to Iran's Ayatollah regime and asserted that those who target Israel will face consequences and that no location in Iran or West Asia is "beyond Israel's reach."