U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher on Thursday expressed concern that the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon could be long-lasting, potentially resulting in a "fresh occupation."

Eighteen European countries on Thursday urged Israel and Hezbollah to stop fighting as their latest conflict reached one month and with fears over Israeli plans to control part of southern Lebanon post-war.

International Organization for Migration chief Amy Pope told AFP on Thursday in Beirut that the prospects for prolonged mass displacement in Lebanon, where Israel and Hezbollah are at war, were "very alarming".

Iran said on Thursday it was drafting a peacetime protocol that would supervise maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz with Oman, state media reported, with Tehran's closure of the vital oil corridor roiling the global economy.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday the tallest bridge in Iran had been destroyed, hours after threatening to bomb the country "back to the Stone Ages."

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called for intensifying political and diplomatic efforts to end the Middle East war during a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

"Both sides emphasized the need for a rapid cessation of hostilities and the intensification of political and diplomatic efforts to achieve a long-term settlement of the conflict," the Kremlin said in a read-out of the call.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday warned that Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem would pay an "extraordinarily heavy price" for escalating attacks during the ongoing Jewish holidays.

"I have a clear message for Naim Qassem... you and your associates will pay an extraordinarily heavy price for the intensified rocket fire directed at Israeli citizens as they gathered to celebrate Passover Seder," Katz said in a video statement.

Oil prices extended gains on Thursday in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump threatening further heavy strikes on Iran, dampening hopes of de-escalation.

The main U.S. oil contract, West Texas Intermediate, jumped 10.3 percent to $110.47 per barrel.

A month into Israel's war against Hezbollah, invading Israeli troops are gradually advancing in south Lebanon, raising fears for the area's fate following the last Israeli occupation that lasted nearly two decades.

Since war erupted last month, Israeli officials have said Israel intends to establish a "security zone" inside Lebanon.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran will not provide a durable solution to the issue of Tehran's nuclear program and that Trump cannot keep "contradicting" himself every day on Iran.

"A targeted military action, even for a few weeks, will not allow us to resolve the nuclear issue in the long term," Macron said in South Korea.