The US military launched a second night of strikes on Iranian targets in the southern port city of Sirik on Saturday, destroying military surveillance infrastructure, after an alleged Iranian drone struck a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes, ordered by President Donald Trump, mark the most direct US-Iran military engagement since the signing of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding on June 18. →
Iraq’s parliament passed a law Wednesday criminalizing any form of normalization with Israel, with prison sentences for officials, journalists and activists who engage in relations with the Israeli state. The law, passed with a majority vote, bans Iraqi citizens from participating in normalization conferences abroad, placing Iraq among the most stringent Arab countries in legally prohibiting ties with Israel. →
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem rejected the US-brokered framework agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel, calling it "null and void" and demanding Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory. He warned against linking withdrawal to Hezbollah's disarmament, calling it "a very dangerous proposal that crosses all red lines." →
An Israeli drone struck an area in southern Lebanon on Saturday, targeting an intersection near Nabatieh al-Fawqa, just one day after the framework agreement was signed in Washington. In a separate incident, Israeli forces advanced toward Kfar Shouba while opening fire with heavy machine guns, demonstrating the continued fragility of the ceasefire. →
Tens of thousands of Jordanians gathered near the Israeli embassy in Amman on Wednesday evening in one of the largest protests since the Gaza war began, calling for the cancellation of the Jordan-Israel peace treaty. Security forces deployed heavily as demonstrators condemned normalization and chanted slogans in support of Palestinian resistance. →
Palestinian prisoner Hatem Qab'ha, a 45-year-old detainee from Hebron, was killed Wednesday morning by Israeli special forces inside Ofer military prison. Witnesses said forces stormed the prisoner section using live fire and stun grenades; prisoner rights groups called it a targeted execution. Qab'ha had been held for months without charge under administrative detention. →
Israeli warplanes bombed the crowded Yarmouk market in western Gaza City on Wednesday, killing at least 5 people and wounding dozens. Among the dead was Palestinian journalist Ahmed al-Lidawi, who was reporting nearby. The market had been a hub for displaced families seeking supplies amid the ongoing siege. →
Senator Bernie Sanders introduced legislation Wednesday to block the sale of offensive weapons to Israel, including precision-guided munitions and fighter jets, citing Israel's use of US-made weapons in attacks on civilian infrastructure in Gaza. The bill faces long odds but signals growing Congressional dissent over US arms policy. →
Two Palestinians, including a woman identified as Islam Hassan Abu Shamala, were killed and seven others injured Saturday when an Israeli drone struck two displacement tents in the Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis, the latest reported violation of the ceasefire in place since October 2025. →
Egypt and Iran discussed regional developments and the US-Iran diplomatic track in a phone call between Foreign Ministers Abbas Araghchi and Badr Abdelatty, with Egypt stressing the importance of continuing talks between Tehran and Washington. →
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged churches and Christian institutions in occupied East Jerusalem to reject Israeli efforts to impose the "Arnona" municipal property tax, warning that the move threatens the city's Christian presence and its historic status. →
Israeli settlers were documented on video attempting to seize a house under construction in the occupied West Bank, amid a surge of settlement activity and violence. →
Lebanon's Health Ministry updated the toll from the Israeli aggression that began on March 2 to 4,246 martyrs and 12,190 wounded, after 16 additional martyrs were recorded in the past 48 hours. →
Hundreds rallied in Stockholm and Amsterdam over the weekend to protest Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and killings of Palestinian children, as global solidarity actions continue. →
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered troops to prepare for an "extended stay" in a "security zone" in southern Lebanon, effectively signaling an indefinite Israeli military presence despite the framework agreement calling for phased withdrawal. →
The US-Iran deal is collapsing in real time. The second night of US strikes on Iranian territory, combined with Iranian drone attacks on a commercial vessel and on Bahrain, and Iran's threat that Hormuz passage cannot be guaranteed without coordination, signals that the June 18 memorandum of understanding is unraveling. Both sides appear to be testing the limits of the agreement, with direct military engagement that risks a wider regional war.
The Lebanon framework agreement is dead on arrival. Hezbollah's categorical rejection, continued Israeli drone strikes on southern Lebanon, and Israel's order for troops to prepare for an extended occupation show that the US-brokered deal has failed to stop hostilities. The framework entrenches rather than resolves the conflict, as it institutionalizes Israeli occupation and conditional withdrawal while linking disarmament of the resistance to that withdrawal — a non-starter for Hezbollah.
The West Bank is experiencing a severe military escalation. Israeli forces launched a ground operation in Qabatiya, Jenin, deploying dozens of armored vehicles, as the prisoner killing in Ofer prison and settler seizure attempts highlight the intensification of daily violence under the cover of the ongoing Gaza and Lebanon fronts. The third consecutive day of large-scale incursions points to a deliberate expansion of the conflict.
Regional opposition to normalization is hardening. Iraq's criminalization of normalization with Israel, the massive Jordanian protest calling for cancellation of the peace treaty, and continued grassroots pressures in Morocco (with arrests of activists) demonstrate that the Abraham Accords model is facing serious regional backlash, especially in light of the Gaza war.
The US Congress is showing unprecedented dissent on Israel arms policy. The Sanders bill to block offensive weapons sales, while unlikely to pass, reflects a significant shift in political discourse. Combined with the ICC warrants and growing global isolation, the US faces increasing domestic political costs for its support of Israel's military operations.
Two Palestinians, including a woman identified as Islam Hassan Abu Shamala, were killed and seven others injured on Saturday when an Israeli drone struck two displacement tents west of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. According to medical sources cited by Anadolu Agency, the strike targeted tents on Al-Rashid Street near the entrance to Roni Street in the Al-Mawasi area, destroying both tents and damaging nearby shelters. This is the latest reported violation of the ceasefire in place since October 2025, as the UN Relief Chief has described aid access to Gaza as having hit an "all-time low."
Israeli fighter jets struck the crowded Yarmouk market in western Gaza City on Wednesday, killing at least 5 people and wounding dozens, according to Gaza's civil defense. Among the dead was Palestinian journalist Ahmed al-Lidawi, who was reporting nearby. The market had been a hub for displaced families seeking supplies amid the ongoing siege, and witnesses described chaos as rescue workers pulled bodies from rubble while ambulances struggled to reach the site due to damaged roads. Al Jazeera Arabic reported the massacre in detail.
The Palestinian Prisoners' Society reported that Hatem Qab'ha, a 45-year-old detainee from Hebron, was killed Wednesday morning by Israeli special forces inside Ofer military prison. Witnesses said forces stormed the prisoner section using live fire and stun grenades, killing Qab'ha and injuring several other prisoners. The Israeli Prison Service claimed the operation was to suppress a "riot" and that Qab'ha was killed "by accident," but prisoner rights groups called it a targeted execution, noting Qab'ha had been detained for months without charge under administrative detention. Al Quds reported the incident.
The Israeli military announced Wednesday that three of its soldiers were killed in combat in southern Gaza, where forces are engaged in heavy fighting around Khan Yunis. The deaths raise the military's toll in the ground offensive to over 400. Following the announcement, Palestinian armed groups fired at least 20 rockets from Gaza into southern Israel, with Al-Qassam Brigades claiming responsibility, saying they targeted Israeli troop concentrations. The Israeli Air Force responded by striking over 100 targets across the Gaza Strip within 24 hours, according to the military — a figure reported by the Israeli outlet Ynet.
Israeli military forces stormed the town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin, early Wednesday, with heavy gunfire and explosions heard throughout the area. The occupation army announced the start of a ground operation, deploying dozens of armored vehicles and troops amid ongoing confrontations with Palestinian resistance fighters. Palestinian health officials reported multiple injuries from live fire, while local sources told Al Quds that Israeli forces have surrounded several residential buildings and blocked roads. This escalation marks the third consecutive day of large-scale Israeli incursions across the occupied West Bank.
President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday urged churches and Christian institutions in occupied East Jerusalem to reject Israeli efforts to impose the "Arnona" municipal property tax, warning that the move threatens the city's Christian presence and its historic and legal status. Abbas sent letters to Pope Leo XIV, Jordan's King Abdullah II, French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and several European leaders regarding the situation. Middle East Monitor reported the development.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem in his first comments since the signing of the US-brokered framework agreement in Washington on Friday, rejected the deal outright, calling it "null and void." In a statement reported by Middle East Monitor, Qassem demanded the implementation of the Iranian-US memorandum of understanding and warned against linking an Israeli withdrawal to the disarmament of the resistance across all of Lebanon, calling it "a very dangerous proposal that crosses all red lines."
Just one day after the framework agreement was signed, an Israeli drone struck an intersection near Farah Amusement Park in the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa in Nabatieh Governorate, according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency. In a separate incident, Israeli forces advanced toward the outskirts of Kfar Shouba in the Hasbaya district while opening fire with medium and heavy machine guns. No casualties were immediately reported. Middle East Monitor reported these violations.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed in a video statement that troops have been ordered to prepare for an "extended stay" in a "security zone" in southern Lebanon, as reported by Al Jazeera English. This announcement directly contradicts the framework agreement's stated purpose of phased Israeli withdrawal and signals that Israel intends to maintain an indefinite military occupation of southern Lebanese territory.
The Lebanese Health Ministry announced on Saturday that the death toll from the Israeli aggression that began on March 2 has reached 4,246 martyrs and 12,190 wounded, after 16 additional martyrs were recorded in the past 48 hours, according to Al Quds Al Arabi.
The US military launched a second night of strikes on Iranian targets on Saturday, hitting military surveillance infrastructure in the port city of Sirik in southern Iran, after an alleged Iranian drone struck another commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. The attacks were ordered by President Trump and announced by the US Central Command as a response to what it described as "continued Iranian aggression against commercial navigation." A US official told Fox News via RT Arabic, that the strikes have "completed." Al Jazeera English reported that explosions were heard in Sirik.
In response to the escalating tensions, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that its navy had spotted ships attempting to cross "unlawful and unsafe" corridors in the southern Strait of Hormuz, warning that "only designated corridors are safe," according to RT Arabic. This aligns with Iran's earlier statement that Hormuz passage cannot be guaranteed without coordination with Tehran.
Several Arab countries — Jordan, Kuwait, the UAE, and Qatar — issued statements on Saturday condemning a reported Iranian drone attack on Bahrain, which Bahrain said was the first such incident since the US-Iran memorandum of understanding. The UAE Foreign Ministry described the attacks as a "flagrant violation of international law," while Qatar expressed "deep concern" over the escalation. The condemnation by Middle East Monitor highlights the widening rift between Iran and Gulf states.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed regional developments and the diplomatic track between Tehran and Washington in a phone call, Middle East Monitor reported. Egypt stressed the importance of continuing talks, while Iran noted that the call was part of following up on the negotiating process.
Senator Bernie Sanders introduced legislation Wednesday that would block the sale of offensive weapons to Israel, including precision-guided munitions and fighter jets. The bill, co-sponsored by a dozen progressive Democrats, cites Israel's use of US-made weapons in attacks on civilian infrastructure in Gaza, schools, and hospitals, which advocates say constitute violations of US law and international humanitarian law. The White House opposed the measure, but Sanders said the US cannot "continue to be complicit in the destruction of Gaza," according to Reuters. The vote is expected in the coming weeks, though the bill faces long odds.
Hundreds rallied in Stockholm on Saturday to protest Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and restrictions on humanitarian aid, according to Middle East Monitor. Protesters carried banners reading "Children are being killed in Gaza," "Schools and hospitals are being bombed," and "End the blockade on food." In Amsterdam, demonstrators gathered to protest the killing of children in Israeli attacks, displaying photos of killed Gazan children and leaving children's shoes and toys inked in red at Amsterdam Central Station.
The Iraqi parliament approved a law Wednesday criminalizing any form of normalization with Israel, making it a punishable offense including prison sentences for officials, journalists, and activists who engage in relations with the Israeli state. The law, passed with a majority vote, also bans any Iraqi citizen from participating in normalization conferences or meetings outside the country. Iraqi lawmakers described the legislation as a response to continued Israeli aggression in Gaza and the occupied territories, as reported by Iraqi News. The move places Iraq among the most stringent Arab countries in legally prohibiting ties with Israel.
Tens of thousands of Jordanians gathered near the Israeli embassy in Amman Wednesday evening in one of the largest protests since the Gaza war began, calling for the cancellation of the Jordan-Israel peace treaty. Security forces deployed heavily around the embassy complex as demonstrators chanted slogans in support of Palestinian resistance and condemned normalization. The protest, organized by the Muslim Brotherhood and leftist parties, came amid a new wave of Israeli raids in the West Bank and airstrikes in Gaza. Jordan's foreign minister earlier warned of a "dangerous escalation" in the occupied West Bank, urging international intervention, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.
The joint forces allied with the Sudanese army announced on Saturday that they had seized control of the strategic town of Abu Qamra in North Darfur state after fierce battles with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The announcement came via a statement from the joint forces of the armed movements, which said they fought alongside the Sudanese army and popular resistance. Al Quds Al Arabi reported the development.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced that he will resign within "weeks," according to Al Jazeera English, under pressure from months of anti-government protests. The resignation marks a significant political shift in the Balkan nation.
A new earthquake measuring 5.4 magnitude struck off the coast of Venezuela on Saturday, according to RT Arabic. The quake follows the devastating twin 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes on Wednesday that killed hundreds and affected over 6.7 million people, according to the UN. Rescuers continue to search for survivors, with a Colombian rescue team recently pulling an 11-year-old boy alive from the rubble after 70 hours.