BEIRUT, April 16 (Reuters) - Hezbollah said on Thursday that the presence of Israeli troops on Lebanese territory would grant Lebanon and its people "the right to resist," adding in its first comment on a proposed truce that any ceasefire must not allow Israel freedom of movement within Lebanon.

In a written statement, Hezbollah ally and speaker of Lebanon's Parliament Nabih Berri urged Lebanese to "postpone their return to their towns and villages until the situation becomes clearer, in accordance with the ceasefire agreement."

BRUSSELS, April 16 (Reuters) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed on Thursday a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, and reiterated that Europe would continue to call for the respect of Lebanon's territorial integrity.

"I welcome the announced 10 day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, mediated by President Trump. This is a relief, as this conflict has already claimed far too many lives," wrote von der Leyen on X.

April 16 (Reuters) - Police on Thursday were investigating a bomb threat made to the Chicago-area home of Pope Leo's brother John Prevost after a search found no explosives or hazardous materials.

A bomb threat was reported Wednesday evening at the home of John Prevost in New Lenox, Illinois, according to media outlets that cited police. Prevost lives on the same street cited as the location of the attack by police. New Lenox police did not return a call for comment on the report.

The Middle East war has created an "unprecedented shock" for the region's economies with no guarantee of a quick recovery, a senior International Monetary Fund official has told AFP.

Five of the Gulf's eight oil- and gas-producing countries face a contraction this year, the IMF said in a regional report published on Thursday.

Growth in the others -- Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman -- will slow but remain in positive territory, it said.

By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali

WASHINGTON, April 16 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cited biblical scripture on Thursday to attack the media, comparing reporters to Jewish adversaries of Jesus Christ plotting "how to destroy him."

Hegseth's comments sought to counter what he saw as negative coverage of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. They also came amid an escalating feud between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo, the first U.S.-born leader of the Catholic ​Church and a critic of the war.

French Finance Minister Roland Lescure told reporters Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz needs to reopen "but not at any price," adding that G7 leaders stand ready to mitigate the war's economic fallout.

Finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of Seven advanced economies added in a statement released Thursday that "it is urgent to limit" the global economic cost of an enduring conflict in the Middle East.

The US House of Representatives on Thursday rejected an effort to curb President Donald Trump's authority to wage war in Iran, another setback in Democrats' campaign to force Congress back into decisions over military action in the Middle East.

The vote, held after Democrats forced the issue onto the floor, came as unease over the six-week conflict continued to spread on Capitol Hill, with lawmakers wary of rising costs, an unclear endgame and the risk of a wider war.

WASHINGTON, April 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives backed President Donald Trump's military campaign against Iran on Thursday, voting to block a Democratic-led resolution aiming to stop the war until hostilities are authorized by Congress.

The measure was defeated by 214 to 213 in the Republican-majority chamber, a day after a similar measure was blocked in the Senate.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Editing by Franklin Paul)

Looking at an AFP photo taken in the Lebanese border village of Mais al-Jabal, Khalil Hamdan recognised the ruins of his own house, overrun by Israeli forces carrying out systematic destruction.

"The work and toil of a lifetime, to see it collapse before your eyes, it hurts a lot," Hamdan, 59, said after looking at the picture of Israeli bulldozers next to his destroyed home.

Hezbollah lawmaker Hussein Hajj Hassan told AFP on Thursday that the Lebanese government's decision to hold direct negotiations with Israel was a "grave error", urging Beirut to stop making concessions to Israel and the United States.

Israel and Lebanon agreed on Tuesday to begin direct talks following a landmark meeting between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States, weeks after Hezbollah pulled Lebanon into the Middle East war with rocket fire at Israel in support of its backer Iran.

The militant group has strongly opposed direct negotiations.