Gaza death toll reaches 73,389
Israel has killed at least one person and injured seven in the Gaza Strip in the past day, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
· Middleeasteye
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Newest first · UTC+11:00Eurovision heads to Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast as Burgas confirmed 2027 host city
The city of Burgas in Bulgaria has been selected to host the 71st Eurovision Song Contest in May next year, the show's organizers said on Thursday.
· HANNAH BROWN, REUTERS
Likud MKs remain barred from district primary slots after Supreme Court appeal is withdrawn
Current and former Likud lawmakers, ministers, and deputy ministers will remain barred from competing for district positions in the party’s upcoming primary, after MK Afif Abed withdrew his Supreme Court appeal late Wednesday night.
· SARAH BEN-NUN
Iran claims control of Strait of Hormuz, rejecting Trump’s claim of US total dominance
The Strait of Hormuz is "under Iran's control and management," the head of Iran's Basij paramilitary unit, Hossein Taeb, said on Thursday, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
· REUTERS
Hamas plans to run in upcoming Palestinian elections, names Al-Aqsa Mosque core priority - report
Hamas plans to participate in the upcoming Palestinian elections, a senior official from the Iran-backed terrorist organization told Hamas-operated Al-Aqsa TV on Wednesday.
· DANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
‘We have no protection’: Palestinian family vows not to leave Kusra home as extremists return
Qusai Abu Ridi, a Palestinian resident whose house in the village of Kusra, south of Nablus in the West Bank, has been targeted by radical Israeli settlers in recent days, said that despite actions taken by the Israeli military on Wednesday to remove the makeshift outpost outside his house, settlers are still presen…
· DANA BEN-SHIMON
Mecca Defence Agreement will include political and military coordination, Turkey says
Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan will form political and military mechanisms under a defence pact signed between the regional powers last week, Turkey's defence ministry said, adding the alliance would also deepen defence industry cooperation.
· Middleeasteye
Who's next after the Assad death sentence? Justice awaits for the 3,500 former regime figures still at large | The National
A death sentence against a once-feared cousin of Bashar Al Assad has helped assuage a mass thirst for retribution in Syria.
· Khaled Yacoub Oweis
Settler siege of Palestinian homes in West Bank a 'horrific act of terror,' US ambassador says
Israeli soldiers stand guard next to settlers in front of Palestinian homes that they have blockaded in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Nidal Eshtayeh)
· Sam Metz
Is Iran really trying to kill Trump?
Use BBC.com or the new BBC App to listen to BBC podcasts, Radio 4 and the World Service outside the UK.
Why the position of Palestinian health workers in Israel has grown increasingly precarious
A recent controversy involving Palestinian medical staff at Haifa’s Rambam Hospital reveals several important things about the position of Palestinian citizens of Israel, particularly within the healthcare system.
· Middleeasteye
US diplomat calls Israeli settler siege of West Bank homes ‘act of terror’
The United States ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has said a days-long siege of Palestinian homes by Israeli settlers amounts to “terror”.
· Al Jazeera Staff
Iran says Strait of Hormuz is under its control
The Strait of Hormuz is "under Iran's control and management", the head of Iran's Basij paramilitary unit, Hossein Taeb, said on Thursday, according to Fars news agency.
· Middleeasteye
Can Iran’s ‘Asian friends’ reopen Hormuz when the US cannot?
Keep independent journalism alive
· Swaran Singh
Israel holds nearly 370 Palestinian children behind bars – rights groups
Nearly 370 Palestinian children are being held in Israeli prisons, many without having been convicted of a crime, RT’s Charlotte Dubenskij reported, citing Palestinian and Israeli rights organizations.
· RT
Read Full Article at RT.com
Nearly 370 Palestinian children are being held in Israeli prisons, many without having been convicted of a crime, RT’s Charlotte Dubenskij has reported, citing Palestinian and Israeli rights organizations.
· RT
A proposal for an economic future: Gaza needs more than reconstruction - opinion
For more than three years, I have been working on a question that many would consider impossible: What would it take to rebuild Gaza not simply with new buildings, but as a functioning, productive, and economically independent society?
· SHARGA BIRAN
Remembering Oren Nahari: The storyteller who brought the world into Israeli living rooms - comment
When Oren Nahari published what would become his final book, “The Great Battles That Changed History,” co-written with Yoav Limor, he revealed that the original manuscript contained 50 battles. But the publisher was unequivocal.
· AMICHAI STEIN
UAE's floating hospital fits 21 more Palestinian amputees with prosthetic limbs | The National
The UAE's floating hospital in Egypt has now provided prosthetic limbs for 72 Palestinian amputees since the launch of a humanitarian campaign delivering a lifeline to those caught up in conflict.
· The National
Israeli strikes in south Lebanon a ‘violation of international law’: PM
Lebanon’s government has accused Israel of deliberately destroying homes and civilian infrastructure across the country’s south amid a ceasefire that has grown increasingly fragile.
· Al Jazeera Staff
Police issue gag order on details surrounding disappearance of Mali, Liel Yahalomi in Vienna
A gag order had been imposed on the investigation into the disappearance of Mali and Liel Yahalomi in Austria, Israel Police announced on Thursday.
· 103FM, ALON HACHMON
US pushes back as Katz says IDF will not withdraw from security zone in southern Lebanon
After Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that the IDF "will not withdraw" from the security zone and ordered the military to prepare for a long-term presence, Washington clarified that "a permanent military presence in southern Lebanon is inconsistent with the commitments" made under the understandings.
· AMIR BOHBOT
US Embassies Across Mideast Are Permanently Reassigning Personnel
It is not just America's military bases in the Middle East which have been greatly reduced in terms of personnel or in some cases completely abandoned altogether due to the Iran war, but US Embassies in the region have also suffered forced downgrades of staff.
· Tyler Durden
Trump turns to economic pain as US bombings fail to sway Iran
Sustained naval blockade, more sanctions and making it harder for Tehran to sell its oil among the options to tighten the screws
· Bloomberg
Trump turns to economic pain as US bombings fail to sway Iran
Sustained naval blockade, more sanctions and making it harder for Tehran to sell its oil among the options to tighten the screws
· Bloomberg
CNBC Daily Open: Middle East tensions send oil higher while Iran-U.S. tensions escalate
Hello, this is Justina Lee writing to you from Singapore, filling in for Leonie.
· Justina Lee
Journalist Oren Nahari dies at 70 after battle with ALS
Journalist Oren Nahari died at the age of 70 after a battle with ALS on Thursday.
· JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Iraq’s PM seeks to disarm Iran-backed militias, but Tehran wants to meddle - analysis
On August 12, Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi visited the country’s Operations Center at Air Defense Command. He was there “to gain a field assessment of the status of the air defense system, its preparations, and its missions in protecting Iraq's skies,” his office said.
· SETH J. FRANTZMAN
Pakistan says Israel's refusal to withdraw forces from Gaza 'serious setback' to peace plan
Pakistan has expressed its rejection of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state.
· Middleeasteye
The secret supply route Russia is using to sustain the Iran war
Washington: Russia has quietly established a new strategic supply route to Iran across the Caspian Sea. Called by some the Caspian Express, this logistics corridor has become the backbone of Vladimir Putin’s effort to arm Tehran while allowing both countries to circumvent US maritime pressure in the Persian Gulf.
· Glen E Howard
Mark Ruffalo and Javier Bardem among artists to say 'there is no ceasefire in Gaza' | The National
Artists4Ceasefire has issued a new statement declaring that “there is no ceasefire in Gaza”, with Javier Bardem, Mark Ruffalo and Annie Lennox among the prominent figures renewing calls for a permanent truce and the unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid.
· Faisal Al Zaabi
Oil slick nears Omani beaches, anti-ISIS force to leave Iraq and Perseid meteors in sky over UAE | The National
An oil slick off Oman has begun contaminating beaches as it edges closer to shore. It came from the Russia-linked tanker, Caroline Bezengi, which was under sanctions and disabled by an explosion in June. Environmentalists are also warning about the long-term impact of pollution to the region caused by the Iran war.
· The National
Iran says no progress on reviving interim peace deal with US
TRUMP. US President Donald Trump looks on after disembarking Air Force One as he arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, US, April 12, 2026.
· Mia Gonzalez
Gaza’s freelancers turn to coworking spaces to stay connected and employed | The National
Across Gaza, freelancers who once worked from home are increasingly turning to shared working spaces, where solar-powered electricity and reliable internet connections offer a vital link to jobs and clients outside the strip.
· Nagham Mohanna
Israeli troops set on fire, bombed homes in south Lebanon
The National News Agency reported that Israeli forces carried out bombing and set ablaze homes early on Thursday in the southern Lebanese towns of Majdal Zoun, Mansouri and their general surroundings.
· Middleeasteye
Huckabee condemns 'horrific terror' against Palestinians in West Bank, says embassy 'very involved'
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Thursday that the US Embassy had intervened with Israeli authorities over the harassment of a Palestinian family in the West Bank village of Qusra, rejecting claims that US officials had failed to act and describing those responsible as "Israeli terrorists."
· SHIR PERETS
Iran war latest: Tehran rejects Trump claim of US control over Strait of Hormuz | The National
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· The National
CIA had ‘low confidence’ in Israel's claims of Iranian threat to Trump: Report
US intelligence officials were sceptical of an alleged Iranian assassination threat against Donald Trump that was relayed by Israel, sources told The Washington Post.
· Middleeasteye
Three Palestinian families trapped as Israeli settlers lay siege
Palestinian-American watches with dread as Israeli settlers besiege relatives' homes in West Bank
· Al Jazeera Staff
Israeli youth are highly motivated to serve in IDF but don't trust senior leadership, survey finds
The majority of Israeli youth are seeking combat roles in the IDF, however draftees generally lack trust in the army leadership, according to a survey conducted by the IDSF in August 2026.
· ESTHER DAVIS
Iran's Araghchi slams France for 'hypocrisy' over human rights
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi criticised France and other countries for what he described as "hypocrisy" when it comes to human rights and international law amid continued support for Israel.
· Middleeasteye
Netanyahu's Likud must get its house in order if it hopes to perform this October - editorial
The Likud Party is preparing to hold its primary on Monday, but days before the vote, the rules governing its next Knesset list remain caught up in reserved positions, internal petitions, conflicting explanations, and last-minute decisions. This is no way for Israel’s governing party to approach one of its most cons…
· JPOST EDITORIAL
Trump 'low-key' bets on economic pressure against Iran
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Keeping a low profile doesn't come naturally to Donald Trump.
· Agence France-Presse
‘Hormuz remains blocked’: Iran disputes Trump claims as traffic sinks to near 3-month lows
Iranian authorities have pushed back on U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated claims that Washington has "total control" over the Strait of Hormuz.
· Lim Hui Jie
Israel has 'policy of ethnic cleansing' of Palestinians in West Bank, advocate says
Aseel Baidoun, the deputy director of advocacy and campaigns for Medical Aid for Palestinians, says that the Israeli government has a "systematic policy and a campaign of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians” in the occupied West Bank
· Middleeasteye
Rubio y Bessent permanecieron en vuelo señuelo desde Turquía mientras Trump cambió de avión
Vehículos de catering surten al Air Force One en la pista, mientras la caravana en la que viaja el presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, llega para dejar la cumbre de la OTAN, el miércoles 8 de julio de 2026, en el Aeropuerto Internacional de Ankara, Turquía. (AP Foto/Alex Brandon)
· Matthew Lee
Failure not an option as Ange Postecoglou gears up for biggest challenge yet alongside Ronaldo | John Duerden
The Australian has become Al-Nassr’s 12th coach of the 2020s and while taking over a star-studded squad may seem a comfortable gig, it will be anything but in the Saudi Pro League
· Johnduerden
Iraq will not be used as 'launch pad' for attacks on neighbours, prime minister says
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi says Baghdad will not allow its territory or airspace to be utilised for launching attacks against neighbouring countries, according to the Iraqi News Agency.
· Middleeasteye
Rubio and Bessent stayed on decoy flight from Turkey, official says
Catering trucks are parked at Air Force One on the tarmac as the motorcade carrying U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to depart following the NATO summit at Ankara International Airport in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
· Matthew Lee