Al Jazeera News Updates Three UNIFIL peacekeepers killed, Israel's controversial death penalty bill passes
Mar 31, 2026
Briefs cover regional tensions from missile and drone strikes across GCC states to industrial sites hit in Haifa. A UN emergency meeting is prompted after peacekeepers are killed. Also discussed is a new law making the death penalty the default for Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis and the international backlash that followed.
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U.S. Says Iran Must Drop Nuclear Ambitions
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said talks with Iran occurred mainly via intermediaries and insisted Iran must abandon nuclear weapons ambitions.
- Rubio added President Donald Trump prefers diplomacy but warned of consequences if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.
Regional Attacks Hit Gulf States and Israeli Refinery
- Several GCC states reported missile and drone attacks, with Kuwait's state oil firm reporting a fire on a Kuwaiti-flagged tanker in Dubai and possible oil spill but no injuries.
- Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar said they intercepted attacks while Israel's Haifa refinery was struck for a second time this month, claimed by Hezbollah.
UNIFIL Casualties Spark UN Emergency Meeting
- Three UN peacekeepers were killed in Lebanon within 24 hours, two by a vehicle explosion near Bani Haiyan and one by a projectile at a southern village.
- All three were Indonesian nationals, prompting France to request an emergency UN Security Council meeting.