The Saudi embassy in Beirut said the advisory was issued due to the “repercussions of the current events,” noting that a travel ban to Lebanon had already been in place for several years.

The warning comes as Israeli forces deploy thousands of troops into southern Lebanon, aiming to secure territory up to the Litani River, about 30 kilometers from the border.

Since March 2, more than one million people have been displaced across Lebanon, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Around 136,000 are sheltering in approximately 660 collective sites, many of them overcrowded schools with limited sanitation access.

UNHCR representative Karolina Lindholm Billing said the situation on the ground was “extremely worrying,” warning of a real risk of humanitarian catastrophe if the conflict continues.

“Lebanon was already facing multiple crises, and this massive displacement is adding immense pressure,” she said, adding that affected civilians repeatedly expressed a desire to return home.

The UN refugee agency has appealed for more than $60 million to scale up its response, but officials say needs are rising faster than available funding as displacement accelerates.

The developments underscore mounting regional fallout from the conflict, with foreign governments increasingly issuing advisories to protect their citizens amid deteriorating security conditions.

The Israeli military said it had begun a “wave of strikes” on positions in the capital’s southern districts, including areas such as Tahouitet Al-Ghadir, following evacuation warnings issued to residents earlier in the day.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported multiple strikes across south Beirut, as well as in southern and eastern regions of the country. The health ministry said an attack on the town of Saksakiyeh in the Sidon district killed six people, including three children, and wounded 17 others.

In the Bekaa region, authorities said a strike killed a pregnant woman and injured seven people. Lebanese officials estimate that more than 1,100 people have been killed since the escalation began, with over one million displaced, including around 136,000 sheltering in collective facilities.

Hezbollah said its fighters had engaged Israeli troops “at point-blank range” in the villages of Bayada and Shamaa, near the border, and claimed additional attacks on Israeli targets.

It also said it had fired a surface-to-air missile at an Israeli warplane over Beirut. The claims could not be independently verified.The Israeli military said its forces had uncovered weapons, including anti-tank missiles, in a school in Khiam, a strategic border town that has seen repeated fighting.

Israeli troops are advancing into multiple towns in southern Lebanon as part of efforts to establish a buffer zone extending to the Litani River, aimed at pushing Hezbollah forces away from the frontier and securing northern Israeli communities.

Army spokesperson Effie Defrin said Hezbollah continued to operate from southern Lebanon despite earlier commitments by the Lebanese government, adding that Israeli forces would act to neutralize the group if it was not disarmed.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees warned that Lebanon faces a worsening humanitarian crisis, with representative Karolina Lindholm Billing saying the risk of catastrophe was “real.”International Committee of the Red Cross regional director Nicolas Von Arx said civilians were bearing the brunt of the conflict and urged all parties to ensure their protection.

The escalation follows Hezbollah’s entry into the conflict on March 2, when it fired rockets toward Israel in response to the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, triggering a broader regional confrontation.

Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail confirmed that the suspects were not only propagating extremist beliefs but were also involved in establishing clandestine recruitment cells aimed at indoctrinating members of their community with radical ISIS-aligned ideology.

Out of the 36 individuals detained, five have been formally charged under Chapter VIA of Malaysia’s Penal Code, which deals with terrorism-related offenses. Their cases are currently being heard in the Shah Alam and Johor Bahru Sessions Courts. Another 15 were handed deportation orders, while 16 remain under investigation by Malaysian authorities.

Extremist Plot Uncovered

Authorities say the group was collecting funds to support terrorist activities and aimed to destabilize the legitimate government in Bangladesh. The suspects reportedly operated under the guise of migrant workers while covertly pursuing militant objectives.

Minister Saifuddin stressed that Malaysia would not allow itself to be used as a staging ground for extremist plots originating from abroad. “Any attempts to make Malaysia a base for militant operations or a transit centre for extremism movements will be tackled with firm, quick, and effective action,” he said in a press briefing.

This warning comes amid growing concerns that radicalized foreign nationals may exploit Malaysia’s migrant and refugee communities to establish operational footholds.

A Longstanding Battle Against Extremism

The arrests were carried out by the Royal Malaysia Police’s Special Branch in a coordinated intelligence-led operation. Malaysia has a well-documented history of preemptively disrupting terror cells, particularly those with ties to ISIS and other global jihadist networks.

This latest operation reaffirms Malaysia’s zero-tolerance policy toward extremism, while also shining a light on the vulnerabilities within its migrant population. The country, which is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, has come under scrutiny from human rights organizations for its treatment of undocumented migrants and asylum seekers. Many are held in immigration detention centres, often without access to formal refugee status determination procedures.

Balancing Security and Humanitarian Concerns

While Malaysia maintains the right to protect its national security, human rights advocates warn that genuine asylum seekers may be at risk of arbitrary detention or deportation if broader crackdowns conflate refugees with foreign extremists. The Home Minister’s comments indicate an effort to strike a balance between humanitarian concerns and safeguarding the nation from infiltration by extremist groups.

The incident also raises wider regional concerns about the spread of ISIS ideology within Southeast Asia’s migrant corridors, particularly involving vulnerable populations susceptible to radicalization.

As regional governments grapple with the post-ISIS era and the decentralized nature of global jihadist networks, Malaysia’s recent action signals a warning: South and Southeast Asia must remain vigilant against the silent resurgence of extremist ideologies operating under the radar.

Political Islam, once employed as an identity marker, now divides more than it unites.

In recent remarks, Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir articulated his ideological vision for the country with a clarity that many leaders deliberately avoid. He unapologetically reaffirmed the Two-Nation Theory and emphasized the enduring divide between Hindus and Muslims—a worldview deeply rooted in religious exclusivism.

For me, this honesty is refreshing. At least he is not hiding behind the concept of “Taqiya” (dissimulation) or the carefully crafted ambiguity that many political actors use. He owns his hardline position openly.

But we must ask—what does this ideological commitment to Islamic identity actually mean in practice? If Islam is the unifying principle behind Pakistan’s statehood, as claimed by its top military leadership, then why have fellow Muslims suffered under its policies—both at home and across borders?

In 2023, the Pakistani state forcibly expelled nearly 1.7 million Afghan refugees, many of whom had been living in the country for decades. Men, women, and children—many of whom were born in Pakistan—were sent back to a nation plagued by instability and repression. These individuals were not ideological enemies or agents of discord; they were fellow Muslims seeking safety and sustenance. The logic behind their expulsion wasn’t religious. It was ethnic, political, and economic.

This contradiction isn’t new. In 1971, during the Bangladesh Liberation War, West Pakistan (now Pakistan) unleashed brutal violence against East Pakistanis (now Bangladeshis). According to historians, up to three million people were killed, and countless women were subjected to sexual violence. And who were the victims? They were not religious “others.” They were Muslims—sharing not just faith, but language, history, and family ties.

These historical and recent episodes raise a troubling question: Is Pakistan’s national identity truly anchored in Islam, or has religion been used selectively—as a political and strategic tool to justify repression, exclusion, and control?

The Two-Nation Theory, which underpinned the partition of British India in 1947, proposed that Muslims and Hindus were distinct nations who could not coexist peacefully in a single state. But this idea, though foundational to Pakistan’s creation, has since mutated. Rather than fostering a pluralistic Muslim society, the theory has been wielded to divide people further—between Punjabis and Pashtuns, Baloch and Mohajirs, Shias and Sunnis, Deobandis and Barelvis. The outcome is not national unity, but chronic fragmentation.

Instead of serving as a source of cohesion, Islam has become a battlefield of sectarian and ethnic contestation. Political Islam, once employed as an identity marker, now divides more than it unites. The lived reality of the Pakistani state contradicts its ideological claims. Whether it’s the suppression of Baloch voices, the marginalization of Sindhi culture, or the persecution of Shias, the nation has drifted far from its idealized Islamic unity.

This is not to say that Islam, as a faith or moral system, is to blame. The issue is how Islam has been instrumentalized by the state and military elites. When any religion becomes a political instrument, it loses its spiritual purpose and becomes a tool of coercion.

The youth of Pakistan—and indeed South Asia as a whole—deserve better than this endless recycling of exclusionary doctrines. They do not need more sermons on “us vs. them.” They need education systems that teach empathy, critical thinking, and historical introspection. They need media that values truth over propaganda. And most of all, they need leadership that champions collaboration over conflict.

True unity is not built by suppressing diversity. It is achieved by embracing it. Religion can inspire compassion and solidarity, but only when it is divorced from the machinery of state control and identity politics. A nation cannot find peace if its founding principle is fear of the other.

Pakistan’s future lies not in reinforcing ideological walls but in tearing them down—brick by brick. It lies in building bridges with its neighbors, reconciling with its own people, and redefining what it means to be Pakistani—not as a monolithic Islamic identity, but as a plural, inclusive, and humane society.

History has shown us where hate leads. It’s time to try something different.

Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not reflect Milli Chronicle’s point-of-view.

These individuals have been instructed to leave the country before their permits and deportation protections are terminated on April 24, as per a federal notice.

The affected migrants were admitted under a Biden-era sponsorship initiative known as CHNV, which aimed to provide legal pathways for migration. However, Trump suspended the program upon assuming office.

It remains uncertain how many of these migrants have secured alternative legal status that would allow them to stay in the U.S.

Background of the CHNV Program

Initiated in 2022 under Democratic President Joe Biden, the CHNV program initially focused on Venezuelans before expanding to include additional nationalities. The initiative allowed eligible migrants and their immediate family members to enter the U.S. with American sponsors and remain for two years under a temporary immigration status called parole.

The Biden administration had advocated that CHNV would reduce illegal border crossings while ensuring thorough vetting of entrants. However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) criticized the program, stating it had not met its intended goals.

In a statement, DHS officials accused the previous administration of using the program to facilitate job competition between migrants and American workers, compelling civil servants to support the initiative despite evidence of fraud, and blaming congressional Republicans for subsequent border issues.

Potential Exceptions and Further Policy Changes

While the Federal Register’s 35-page notice confirmed the program’s termination, it suggested that some CHNV recipients might be permitted to stay on a case-by-case basis.

Trump is also reportedly reviewing the temporary legal status of approximately 240,000 Ukrainians who sought refuge in the U.S. during Russia’s invasion.

The CHNV program had allowed:

213,000 Haitians to enter the U.S. amid worsening conditions in their homeland.

120,700 Venezuelans, 110,900 Cubans, and over 93,000 Nicaraguans to seek refuge before Trump ended the initiative.

Termination of Other Immigration Protections

Last month, DHS announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 500,000 Haitians as of August 2025. TPS, a designation for nationals from countries facing extreme conditions such as armed conflict or natural disasters, had also been revoked for Venezuelans, though this decision is currently facing legal challenges.

Since taking office in January, Trump’s immigration policies have encountered several legal obstacles, raising questions about the long-term future of these measures and their broader impact on affected migrant communities.