Israeli multi-language online newspaper reporting on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world
President Donald Trump has announced that Hamas has agreed to a phased roadmap to relinquish weapons and transfer authority in Gaza to a technocratic committee. The Board of Peace and mediators say Israel will withdraw as disarmament proceeds, but Israeli officials have refused to confirm any pullback without full demilitarisation.
Iran has executed multiple men convicted over killings during January’s nationwide protests, including two public hangings in Isfahan’s Alikhani (Malekshahr) Square. Witness videos show residents chanting and trying to block the hangings before security forces dispersed the crowd; rights groups report a surge in politically linked executions and prison hunger strikes opposing the death penalty.
The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor has been removed by a majority of its 125 member states after allegations of sexual misconduct were reported by the AP. The vote, conducted by secret ballot in New York, marks the first removal of a chief prosecutor in ICC history. Khan denies wrongdoing and says the process is politically motivated. A new prosecutor will be elected next year.
The ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu has prompted New York City’s mayor to urge federal action, while the prime minister seeks to address the UN General Assembly. Polls show mixed public opinion on arrest calls in the US, and Netanyahu is pressing on with plans to travel to New York.
The US-backed Board of Peace has scaled back its Gaza reconstruction plan to a small pilot camp near Rafah and authorised limited international stabilisation personnel. Hamas has dissolved its Gaza governing body but has not agreed to disarm. Israel has refused major troop withdrawals, continued strikes and delayed legal agreements needed for larger deployments; large-scale rebuilding is unlikely before Israel's October election.
The United States has signed a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia but the deal has become uncertain after President Donald Trump said the pact will be conditional on Riyadh normalising relations with Israel. Officials and media are disputing whether the White House authorised the Energy Departments announcement. Critics warn the agreement weakens non-proliferation safeguards and could spur a regional arms race.
The FBI is investigating cyberattacks on water systems in Minnesota and other states. Authorities say Iranian hackers are a chief suspect, with warnings from federal agencies about threats to water and wastewater infrastructure. Local authorities report that most systems continue operating safely, with some utilities temporarily adjusting usage. No public health impacts have been confirmed.
Since late July 2026, fast-moving wildfires have forced more than 200,000 people to flee across southwestern France and central Spain. Fires have scorched tens of thousands of hectares, pushed toward Bordeaux and areas west of Madrid, injured firefighters, prompted France to deploy soldiers and led Spain to declare a national emergency.
FIFA has proposed selling up to 20% of a new commercial arm, FIFA Forward Enterprise, to raise as much as $4.2bn while retaining majority control. UEFA and several national federations have protested, threatening boycotts and ethics complaints over investor links and Gianni Infantino’s political ties. FIFA says members would be offered one‑off capital and governance remains with FIFA.
A 19-year-old Norwegian footballer, Johannes Kongsnes Natland, has been found guilty of conspiracy to murder in London after being recruited by the Foxtrot Network, a Swedish crime group with links to the Iranian regime. He travelled to the UK with two guns and ammunition and was arrested in Huddersfield last year. Sanctions against Foxtrot Network remain in place.
President Trump has begun flying a $400m Boeing 747-8 donated by Qatar but used an older Air Force One during a July NATO trip after officials raised security concerns. The administration has launched a leak probe led by the FBI director and White House chief of staff; The New York Times reporters were subpoenaed as investigators sought sources about the jet's defensive capabilities.
Since his April landslide, Prime Minister Péter Magyar has moved to dismantle Viktor Orbán’s network: parliament has passed a constitutional package that has ended President Tamás Sulyok’s term, forced retirements for senior judges and imposed 12‑year term limits on MPs. Tisza is replacing Orbán appointees, suspending public broadcasters’ newsrooms and creating an anticorruption office.
The UK has designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right (IMCR) and Russia’s GRU Volunteer Corps as national security threats. Ministers have said the measures will criminalise support, broaden policing powers and enable prosecutions; Parliament must approve the regulations this week.
The Church of England’s General Synod has voted to hear Kairos Palestine II, a document describing Israel as a colonial power and Gaza’s war as genocide. The motion seeks to listen to Palestinian Christian voices and engage with the report, amid criticism from Jewish groups that the language could strain Christian‑Jewish relations.
A string of strikes and counterstrikes across the region has escalated the Iran-US confrontation. The U.S. and its allies have targeted Iranian military targets and shipping infrastructure, while Iran and its allied groups threaten to disrupt global energy routes through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb. The crisis has drawn in regional powers and raised questions about safeguards for global oil flows.
Troy Jackson has won the Maine Democratic nomination to replace Graham Platner and will challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November. Jackson has consolidated delegate support at a special convention in Bangor and is positioning a working‑class, progressive agenda while critics and Jewish voters express concern over his recent stances on Israel.
Eisenkot has surged in polls as his Yashar party leads Likud in some surveys for the October 27 election, with calls for stronger security and universal service forming the core of his platform. Netanyahu faces a shifting coalition dynamic as security concerns and politics collide.
Trump Media & Technology has unveiled Truth API, a paid low‑latency feed that will deliver real‑time posts from the platform’s top 10 accounts from Aug. 1. Executives discussed charging institutional customers up to $100,000 a month (or $60,000 on three‑year deals). Lawmakers, regulators and market participants have warned it will let traders profit from presidential posts and raise conflict‑of‑interest and market‑manipulation concerns.
New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he believes Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu belongs before the International Criminal Court and has told the city's law department to review whether existing New York law allows detaining Netanyahu if he visits for the UN General Assembly. President Donald Trump has posted that Netanyahu will not be arrested in the United States.
Lebanese President Aoun has travelled to Washington to present a written plan to disarm Hezbollah and secure Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon under a US-backed framework. Trump has pledged support for Lebanon and its army as talks aim to curb Hezbollah and stabilise the border, with pilot zones showing tentative progress amid ongoing Israeli strikes.
Jackson has secured the Democratic nomination for Maine’s U.S. Senate seat at a delegate-dominated convention, replacing Platner amid controversy. Delegates view him as the best path to unseat Susan Collins, while the GOP eye a broad counter-offensive. The field narrows as endorsements consolidate behind Jackson, with the general election now in focus.
The United States is pressing Iran over the Pickaxe Mountain site near Natanz, with multiple outlets reporting continued construction, potential centrifuge activity, and warnings of imminent strikes as the war escalates. President Trump has warned of heavy action, while analysts debate the site’s depth and capabilities. International inspectors have not accessed the facility.
Lebanese armed forces have begun deploying in the first pilot-zone villages in southern Lebanon under a US-brokered framework that links Israeli withdrawals to Hezbollah disarmament. Israel is withdrawing from designated areas while the Lebanese army extends its sovereignty, with clashes, displacement and reconstruction needs continuing as talks progress.
The Oversight Project has released hundreds of hours of audio and transcripts from Biden's memoir negotiations, revealing discussions on classified material from his vice presidency. The material, sought by Republicans, is at the center of ongoing battles over privacy, DoJ involvement, and the handling of sensitive information.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has acknowledged that the city cannot execute the International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu. He is calling on the federal government to join the ICC and carry out the warrant as Netanyahu travels to the UN General Assembly this fall. Multiple outlets report the same limitation and emphasize that international law authority rests with the federal government, not city hall.
A Buffalo jury has found Hadi Matar guilty on all counts in a federal terrorism case stemming from the 2022 stabbing of Salman Rushdie during a talk on writers’ safety. Matar already faces a 25-year state sentence for the August 2022 attack; the federal verdict could carry a life term. Prosecutors say the act was motivated by Iran’s fatwa against Rushdie and Hezbollah ties, while the defense questions Matar’s state of mind.
Austria has converted Adolf Hitler’s birth house in Braunau am Inn into a district police station and has officially opened it today. The government has remodelled the 17th-century building, kept a memorial stone outside, and says housing police will strip the site of appeal to neo-Nazis, though Holocaust survivors’ groups have criticised the move.
A Michigan Democratic Senate primary is shaping around the Israel issue, with Haley Stevens backed by major pro-Israel donors and Abdul El-Sayed pressing a more critical stance. Local voters and a Black Detroit organizer indicate Israel policy could become a decisive factor, despite Stevens’ longstanding ties to the community.
The National Defense Authorization Act has cleared the House with a 216-212 vote, boosting military spending and strengthening US-Israel defense cooperation. The measure now faces Senate scrutiny, with Democrats criticizing the price tag and war-related provisions while Republicans defend funding for readiness and security. The package also includes provisions tied to the SAVE America Act and election-related funding.
UNESCO has placed several Lebanese cultural sites on its danger list amid ongoing Israel-Hezbollah clashes. Tyre and Beaufort Castle face threats to their conservation, with the Lebanese government requesting the designation. The move follows direct damage from recent hostilities and concerns over access, with UNESCO urging protection of the sites’ universal value.
News outlets report US officials are examining possible Russian involvement in Iran-linked drone strikes on CIA facilities in the Gulf region, citing growing evidence of Moscow’s technical support for Tehran. Analysts say Moscow’s assistance could influence broader US-Iran dynamics as tensions persist.
Israel has begun constructing crocodile-filled moats around Ketziot Prison to deter Palestinian detainees, a move authorities say addresses overcrowding and security concerns. Critics label the plan as cruel and dangerous, drawing condemnation from human rights groups amid strong political debate.
Progressive Abdul El-Sayed seeks a Senate nomination in Michigan, challenging incumbent-leaning Haley Stevens. The race highlights a split in the Democratic Party between left-wing insurgents backed by figures like Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez and centrists backed by the party establishment. Michigan’s primary on Aug. 4 will determine who faces Trump-aligned Mike Rogers in November.
Congress has approved and blocked war powers resolutions aimed at forcing Trump to end hostilities with Iran, in a developing conflict that has driven oil above $100 a barrel. The House has passed a symbolic concurrent resolution, while the Senate has rejected the joint measure, reflecting bipartisan concern as midterm pressures mount.
The Department of Justice has withdrawn grand jury subpoenas that sought New York Times reporters' testimony and phone records after a federal judge sharply questioned the government's handling of the leak probe into reporting about President Trump's new Air Force One. The DOJ has said the investigation remains ongoing.
The UN General Assembly has reappointed Volker Turk as High Commissioner for Human Rights after debates over a four-year term. Russia and Israel oppose the extension; the United States warns of consequences. Guterres has nominated Turk for another four years, with some regional blocs backing the move and others voicing concerns. The vote will determine whether Turk serves until 2030.
The Defense Casualty Analysis System has moved four soldiers killed in Jordan and Iraq and dozens of wounded from its Iran conflict tally to a new “Overseas Operations” category, amid ongoing strikes and shifting tallies. The changes come as U.S. and allied actions in the Strait of Hormuz unfold and as administrators address data anomalies in casualty reporting.
A gunfight in the West Bank village of Tell (Tal) has left four Palestinians and two Israeli security personnel dead and several people wounded. Israel has launched wide raids across northern West Bank towns, detained scores of Palestinians, sealed roads and accelerated settlement outposts while settler attacks on multiple villages have continued.
Palestinian banks face a critical disruption as Israel’s Discount Bank and Bank Hapoalim plan to terminate correspondent banking services with Palestinian institutions this autumn, threatening imports, exports, and essential services amid a broader financial crisis and withheld Palestinian revenues.
UNESCO has placed Sebastia in the West Bank and five Mount Amel castles in southern Lebanon on the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger, citing ongoing conflicts. Israel opposes the move, calling it politicisation, while Palestinian and Lebanese officials celebrate protections amid tensions.
The UN General Assembly has reappointed or attempted to reappoint the High Commissioner for Human Rights for a second term, with Turkish rights chief Tyrk receiving broad support while critics warn of procedural concerns and potential bias. The vote followed private consultations and public debate about prolonging his tenure beyond October.
Venezuela has informed the UN of its irrevocable decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, citing a demonstrated geographical bias favoring Africa and Latin America. The move comes as the ICC faces ongoing probes into crimes against humanity and as pressures from the United States intensify against the court.
The latest reporting shows the United States and Israel sustaining pressure in a widening confrontation with Iran. Washington has paused strikes to allow for talks, while Tehran is signaling readiness to expand its operations in the region as talks with Oman progress on Hormuz security.
Israeli-Gaza ceasefire talks show signs of progress, but ongoing Israeli strikes and displacements persist. Hospitals report casualties and damaged medical facilities as mediators press for disarmament and phased withdrawal. The death toll continues to rise in Gaza amid the fighting.
The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has refused to lift an injunction blocking several provisions of Trump’s March executive order on voting procedures, keeping a lower-court ruling in effect as the case moves to appeal. The decision comes as states race to adjust ahead of upcoming elections.
Multiple mosques in the northern West Bank have been set ablaze in what authorities describe as a wave of settler violence. Officials say two Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers have died in the broader clashes surrounding Tal and surrounding villages.
The United States has paused nightly airstrikes on Iran and Tehran has halted retaliatory attacks for at least two days while mediators from Qatar, Pakistan and Oman exchange messages. Advisers warned President Donald Trump that continued strikes risked depleting munitions and running out of targets; oil prices have fallen as markets price the lull.
Gunfire erupts at the Bite of Seattle festival at Seattle Center, killing two and injuring several others. A 15-year-old suspect is in custody; a second suspect remains at large. Police confirm no ongoing threat to the public and say investigations are ongoing as city officials review communication during the incident.
The United States and Israel have held a direct, constructive meeting focused on Iran and regional security. Officials say the dialogue has clarified positions and outlined next steps, while tensions over West Bank violence prompt cabinet-level discussions and calls for a tougher approach.
Boy George has released a new track, We Will Dance Again, referencing 7 October attacks and defending Israel's actions in Gaza. The song has sparked backlash from supporters of Palestine and drawn commentary from media and figures worldwide. Reports note the track’s Hebrew chorus and questions over its use of AI in production.