In a statement issued in Geneva, the UN human rights office said its Sudan monitoring team had determined that drone attacks accounted for more than 80 percent of all conflict-related civilian deaths recorded during the first four months of 2026.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said the rapid expansion of drone warfare had transformed the nature of the conflict.“Armed drones have now become by far and away the leading cause of civilian deaths,” Turk said.

The warning underscores escalating concerns among humanitarian agencies and international observers over the intensifying use of unmanned aerial systems in Sudan’s civil war, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

The conflict has devastated large parts of the country, displaced millions of civilians and triggered what aid organizations describe as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.The UN did not specify which parties were responsible for the drone strikes cited in its report, but rights monitors have repeatedly warned that the growing availability of armed drone technology has widened the scale and reach of attacks on populated areas.

Human rights officials cautioned that the increasing reliance on drones risked accelerating civilian casualties while further complicating efforts to secure ceasefires or humanitarian access.

Sudan’s capital Khartoum and several regions including Darfur have witnessed heavy fighting, air strikes and widespread destruction since the war began, with repeated allegations of violations of international humanitarian law by both sides.

International mediation efforts led by regional powers, the African Union and the United Nations have so far failed to produce a durable ceasefire.

The Lebanon Civil Defense said in a statement that one of its rescuers was killed after an Israeli strike targeted him on a road connecting two towns in southern Lebanon.The organization said the attack occurred despite a truce that remains formally in effect between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

The incident came one day after another strike killed a rescuer affiliated with the Islamic Health Committee, according to Lebanese authorities.Israel has continued carrying out strikes across parts of Lebanon following weeks of conflict that began on March 2, saying its operations target Hezbollah fighters and military infrastructure.

On May 6, Israeli forces struck Beirut’s southern suburbs for the first time in nearly a month, killing what Israel described as a senior Hezbollah commander from the group’s elite Radwan force.The continuing attacks have intensified concerns among humanitarian agencies over the safety of medical and rescue personnel operating in conflict zones.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said earlier this week that the World Health Organization had verified 152 attacks on healthcare facilities and personnel in Lebanon since the conflict began.According to Tedros, those attacks resulted in 103 deaths and 241 injuries.International humanitarian law provides special protections for medical workers, emergency responders and healthcare infrastructure during armed conflicts.

Rights organizations have repeatedly called for investigations into attacks involving rescue and medical personnel in Lebanon and Gaza.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation said Ukrainian forces continued attacks using drones and artillery despite the temporary truce announced by Russia.

“Despite the declaration of a ceasefire, Ukrainian armed groups continued to launch attacks using drones and artillery against the positions of our troops, as well as against civilian targets in the border areas of the Belgorod and Kursk regions,” the ministry said.

“Despite the declaration of a ceasefire, Ukrainian armed groups continued to launch attacks using drones and artillery against the positions of our troops, as well as against civilian targets in the border areas of the Belgorod and Kursk regions,” the ministry said.

The ministry said Russian forces responded “in kind” to the alleged violations, carrying out strikes against artillery systems, mortar positions, command centers and drone launch sites operated by Ukrainian forces.

The ceasefire had been announced by Moscow to coincide with ceremonies commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, one of Russia’s most symbolically important national observances.The statement did not specify the scale of the reported attacks or provide casualty figures.

Border regions including Belgorod and Kursk have faced repeated drone strikes and shelling during the conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Kyiv has previously questioned the sincerity of temporary Russian ceasefire announcements, accusing Moscow of continuing military operations during declared pauses in fighting.

Neither side’s battlefield claims could be independently verified.

The remarks came after overnight attacks killed several people across Ukraine, despite both sides announcing unilateral pauses in hostilities on different dates. Moscow has proposed a ceasefire around its May 9 Victory Day celebrations, while Kyiv said it would halt fire on May 6.

“It is utter cynicism to ask for a ceasefire in order to hold propaganda celebrations while carrying out such missile and drone strikes every single day,” Zelensky said in a statement, adding that Russia could end the war at any time by stopping its attacks.In the central Poltava region, a Russian strike killed four people, including employees of state energy firm Naftogaz and emergency responders, Ukrainian officials said.

Authorities described the incident as a “double-tap” strike, in which a second attack targets rescuers responding to an initial hit.In the northeastern Kharkiv region, one person was killed as Russia launched a broader wave of attacks involving ballistic missiles and drones, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Russia’s defense ministry said it had intercepted more than 300 Ukrainian drones over the same period, reflecting intensifying aerial exchanges between the two sides.The Kremlin has scaled back its annual Victory Day parade in Moscow amid concerns about potential Ukrainian strikes, with no military hardware expected to be displayed this year.

Despite periodic ceasefire announcements, there is no indication of progress toward a broader settlement. Moscow continues to demand that Ukraine withdraw from the eastern Donbas region and abandon Western military support, conditions Kyiv has rejected.

The conflict, now in its fourth year, remains the deadliest in Europe since World War Two, with both sides continuing long-range strikes far beyond front-line positions.

The agency said the strike targeted a group of civilians near Al-Qassam mosque in Beit Lahia, with the victims transported to Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. Hospital officials confirmed receiving the bodies but did not provide additional details.

The Israeli military said it was reviewing the reports and did not immediately comment further.The incident comes amid ongoing tensions between Israel Defense Forces and Hamas, with both sides accusing each other of violating a ceasefire that took effect on October 10.

The truce largely halted the war that began following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 786 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began. The ministry operates under Hamas authority, though its casualty figures are widely cited by international organizations including the United Nations.

The Israeli military has reported that five of its soldiers have been killed in Gaza during the same period.Independent verification of casualty figures remains difficult due to restrictions on media access to the territory and ongoing security conditions.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which monitors shipping security in the region, said the cargo vessel reported being fired upon and subsequently halted in the water.

No injuries or environmental damage were reported, and the ship sustained no apparent damage.The UKMTO did not identify who carried out the second attack. However, the incident followed an earlier episode in which Iran’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was reported to have opened fire on a container ship, prompting immediate suspicion toward Tehran.

The incidents come amid heightened tensions in the Gulf, days after U.S. forces seized an Iranian container vessel following an exchange of fire and boarded an oil tanker linked to Iran’s oil trade in the Indian Ocean.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global transit route for energy supplies, and any disruption to shipping there is closely monitored by governments and markets worldwide.

Iranian authorities did not immediately comment on the reported attacks.

Defence Minister said ground operations and air strikes had achieved “many gains” but had not fully neutralised Hezbollah’s presence in southern Lebanon. He added that areas between Israel’s declared security zone and the remained uncleared of militants and weapons.
Katz said the remaining objectives could be achieved either through diplomatic channels or renewed military action once the ceasefire expires. Under the terms of the truce, Israel retains the right to act against what it describes as imminent or ongoing threats from Hezbollah.

As the ceasefire came into force at midnight, displaced civilians in southern Lebanon began returning to their homes after weeks of conflict. However, Katz warned that a resumption of fighting would likely force another evacuation of those areas.

Israel has maintained a military presence in parts of southern Lebanon and established a security buffer zone along the border, which it says has been cleared of militant infrastructure and residents. The defence minister said operations would continue to target remaining positions, including structures Israel alleges were used for militant activity.

According to details released by the United States, the ceasefire framework also places responsibility on Lebanon, with international backing, to prevent Hezbollah from launching attacks against Israeli targets.

The developments highlight the fragility of the ceasefire and ongoing tensions along the Israel-Lebanon frontier, where both sides remain on alert despite a temporary halt in fighting.

The statement came as hostilities persist despite a two-week truce between Washington and Tehran following weeks of heightened conflict. While Pakistan and Iran have indicated that the ceasefire should apply more broadly across the region, including Lebanon, the United States and Israel have maintained that the agreement does not extend to Israeli operations there.

“Pakistan condemns, in the strongest terms, the ongoing Israeli aggression against Lebanon,” the foreign ministry said, adding that the strikes had resulted in civilian casualties and extensive damage to infrastructure.

It described the actions as a “blatant violation of international law and fundamental humanitarian principles.”Islamabad called on the international community to take “urgent and concrete steps” to halt the attacks, warning that continued escalation risks derailing broader peace efforts in an already volatile region.

The ministry also reiterated Pakistan’s support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, expressing solidarity with its government and people.Lebanon has long been a focal point of regional tensions due to the presence of Hezbollah, an Iran-backed armed group operating along Israel’s northern border.

Israel has repeatedly conducted airstrikes targeting Hezbollah positions, arguing that the group poses a direct security threat.

The continuation of Israeli operations in Lebanon despite the U.S.-Iran ceasefire highlights the limited scope of the truce and underscores the risk of a wider regional spillover, as multiple actors remain engaged in parallel conflicts.

Lebanese state media reported fresh Israeli strikes, while the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for a building near the southern city of Tyre, signaling ongoing operations despite the broader regional truce.

Hezbollah, which entered the conflict by launching attacks on Israel on March 2, has not claimed any operations since early Wednesday. Three Lebanese sources close to the group told Reuters it had halted fire on northern Israel and Israeli forces in Lebanon as part of the ceasefire arrangement involving Iran.

The Israeli military said it “continues fighting and ground operations” against Hezbollah, underscoring that hostilities along the Lebanon front remain active.Lebanon’s army warned residents against returning to southern areas, citing ongoing Israeli attacks and the presence of advancing Israeli forces.

It urged civilians to avoid exposed zones until conditions stabilize.An AFP correspondent in the Tyre region reported limited civilian movement southward, despite the displacement of hundreds of thousands since the conflict expanded into Lebanon.

Hezbollah is expected to issue a formal statement clarifying its position on the ceasefire and Netanyahu’s assertion that Lebanon is excluded from the agreement, the Lebanese sources said.

French President Emmanuel Macron, while welcoming the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, said the situation in Lebanon remained critical and called for its inclusion in any broader de-escalation framework.

Iranian authorities said the aircraft was shot down by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ aerospace defense systems, describing the jet as “completely obliterated” and confirming that search operations were ongoing. U.S. media reported that one of the two crew members had been rescued by American special forces, while efforts continued to recover the second.

The U.S. Central Command did not immediately comment on the incident, though the White House said President Donald Trump had been briefed. In remarks to NBC, Trump said the loss would not affect ongoing negotiations with Iran, stating, “No, not at all. No, it’s war.

”Iranian state media indicated that authorities had offered a “valuable reward” for the capture of any surviving crew member, underscoring the urgency and strategic importance attached to the recovery effort.

In a separate development, Iran’s military said it had also struck a U.S. A-10 ground attack aircraft in the Gulf, while U.S. media reported that the pilot in that incident had been rescued. There was no immediate confirmation from U.S. officials.

The incident comes amid an escalating conflict that began more than a month ago following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, triggering a broader regional confrontation. The conflict has disrupted economic activity across the Middle East and raised concerns over global energy security.U.S.

Central Command said earlier this week that American forces had flown more than 13,000 missions and struck over 12,300 targets during operations in Iran. Despite sustained bombardment, analysts say Iran retains operational air defense capabilities.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the downing likely reflected continued effectiveness of Iran’s residual defenses. He noted that U.S. aircraft flying at lower altitudes may be more exposed to threats, adding that portable shoulder-fired missiles were a plausible cause.

Mark Cancian, a defense adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said such systems are harder to detect and could explain the aircraft loss. He described the broader U.S. air campaign as successful but noted that even limited losses can carry political consequences domestically.

Retired U.S. brigadier general Houston Cantwell said survival training for downed pilots prioritizes concealment and communication to enable recovery while avoiding capture. He added that both sides typically attempt to intercept or manipulate signals during such operations.

The downing represents the first U.S. jet loss in combat since 2003, when an aircraft was struck over Baghdad and the pilot was safely recovered. Rescue missions in contested environments often rely on helicopters, which Cantwell said are particularly vulnerable due to their slower speed and lower altitude.

The U.S. military has previously acknowledged other aircraft losses during the current conflict, including a tanker crash in Iraq and several fighter jets downed in friendly fire incidents involving allied forces.