Shafaq News- West Bank

Israeli forces and settlers raided several areas ofthe West Bank overnight and early Sunday, searching homes, damaging property,and sparking confrontations, local media reported.

Troops operated across Beita, Burqa, Asira Al-Qibliya,Urif, Awarta, Einabus, Beit Furik, Hawara, and Qusra in Nablus, where soldierstampered with photographs of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces and removeda Palestinian flag. Settlers damaged greenhouses in Beit Furik and threw stonesat vehicles near the Shilo settlement.

#شاهد | اللحظات الأولى عقب هجوم المستوطنين وإضرامهم النيران في ممتلكات الأهالي بمنطقة "واد الرخيم" بمسافر يطا، جنوب الخليل. pic.twitter.com/ei9C6ApYOC

— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) August 9, 2026

In Al-Khalil (Hebron), Palestinian media said themilitary closed the entrance to Farsh Al-Hawa and raided Idhna, while propertywas set ablaze by settlers in Wadi Al-Rakhim in Masafer Yatta. Searches werealso reported near Jenin and in Qalqilya, where stun grenades and tear gas werefired, and residents of Jaba confronted settlers attempting to enter the town.

Operations extended to Jericho, Bethlehem, and otherparts of Jenin. Near Ramallah, settlers targeted a home in Al-Taybeh andpatrolled Abu Falah.

جانب من اقتحام قوات الاحتلال بلدة سنجل، شمال رام الله. pic.twitter.com/9RzGt4q3lq

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) August 9, 2026

The Palestinian Colonization and Wall ResistanceCommission recorded 2,256 incidents across the West Bank in July, including1,458 attributed to the Israeli military. At least 1,168 Palestinians,including 210 children, have been killed in the West Bank since October 2023,according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. The PalestinianPrisoners’ Society estimates that more than 21,000 have been detained.

Shafaq News- Damascus

Two Kurdish men were released after their families paid$90,000 to kidnappers who had abducted them in the countryside of Ras Al-Ain,Al-Hasakah, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported onSaturday.

The families secured their release without assistance orintervention from any other party. The kidnappers had initially demanded$600,000, or $300,000 for each man.

#المرصد_السوريبجهود عائلية ودفع 90 ألف دولار.. الإفراج عن مـ ـخـ ـطـ ـو فـ ـين كرديين بريف #الحسكةhttps://t.co/Si3DdGwIuG

— المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان (@syriahr) August 8, 2026

The two men were abducted on July 21 while at theirworkplace in Al-Hasakah countryside. Around seven armed men seized them atgunpoint, forced them into a vehicle, and took them to an unknown location.

Shafaq News- Beirut

An Israeli drone strike injured two people in Lebanon’s KfarRoummane, Nabatieh district, on Saturday, media reported.

In Nabatieh, artillery intermittently shelled the AliAl-Taher heights on the outskirts of Nabatieh Al-Fawqa and the area nearAl-Dabsha hill overlooking Nabatieh, while an Israeli aircraft droppedexplosives over Ali Al-Taher. Israeli Troops also entered Zawtar Al-Gharbiyah(designated as a pilot zone under the Lebanese-Israeli agreement), accompaniedby armored vehicles and a bulldozer, and erected a new earthen barrier about100 meters from the town square. An Israeli drone also carried out two strikeson Mayfadoun.

Israeli artillery hit a house and troops opened machine-gunfire in Mais Al-Jabal, Marjaayoun district, while shelling fire continuedtargeting Al-Mansouri in Sour district.

The Lebanese Army said three soldiers sustained injuries,including one with moderate injuries, while dismantling unexploded ordnance inNabatieh district.

إصابة ثلاثة عسكريين بجروح، أحدهم إصابتُه متوسطة، أثناء عملهم على تفكيك ذخائر غير منفجرة في بلدة زوطر الغربية - النبطية#الجيش_اللبناني #LebaneseArmy pic.twitter.com/XkoytesKeB

— الجيش اللبناني (@LebarmyOfficial) August 8, 2026

Accordingto Lebanon’s Health Ministry, Israeli attacks have killed 4,335 people andwounded 12,273 others, including women and children, as of Aug. 7.

Embed: https://x.com/LebarmyOfficial/status/2086114305678700565

zone

Shafaq News-Tehran

Conflictingreports from Iranian news agencies on Saturday left unclear who holds the postof secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, the country's highestsecurity decision-making body, after an item attributed to the semi-officialFars News Agency said former Revolutionary Guard commander Mohsen Rezaei hadbeen appointed to the role, and the official Islamic Republic News Agency(IRNA) later carried a statement identifying the incumbent, Mohammad BaqerZolghadr, in the same position.

Fars said theappointment content had been posted by users of its interactive platform ratherthan by its journalists, according to a clarification issued by the agency.

According tothe version circulated under Fars's name, Rezaei had been named therepresentative of Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, on the council andits secretary, replacing Zolghadr only months into his tenure and following areported resignation.

Hours later,IRNA and the semi-official Mehr News Agency published a fresh message fromZolghadr issued for Iran's national Journalists' Day. The message identifiedhim without qualification as secretary of the Supreme National Security Counciland set out Iran's positions on security and foreign policy.

Zolghadr wasappointed secretary of the council on March 24, 2026, by President MasoudPezeshkian and with the approval of Iran's leadership, succeeding Ali Larijani,who was killed in a strike earlier that month, according to Iranian state mediaand international reporting. Rezaei, one of the longest-serving commanders ofthe Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran's elite military force, hassince held senior political and economic posts, including secretary of theExpediency Discernment Council, an advisory body to the supreme leader.

The reformistnewspaper Sazandegi and other Iranian outlets reported that Pezeshkian haddeclined to accept a resignation offer from Zolghadr and asked him to continue,a claim Shafaq News could not independently confirm. In the Journalists' Daymessage, Zolghadr wrote that the council "will not retreat, whether in waror in negotiations."

Fars said ittreats posts published by users of its interactive platform as unverified andlabels them accordingly, and that material carrying its name is official onlywhen issued by its accredited journalist accounts.

The episodefalls within an unusual period of turnover at the top of Iran's securityestablishment, which has lost several senior figures during the war with theUnited States and Israel that began early this year. Leadership of the countryhas passed to Mojtaba Khamenei, whose limited public appearances have added toquestions abroad about how major decisions are being reached in Tehran.

As of Saturday,no Iranian government body had confirmed any change in the council'sleadership.

Shafaq News- Tehran

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkianstated on Saturday that decisions on war and peace rest with the IslamicRevolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), not his government.

Speaking to reporters, Pezeshkiandenied any rift between the government and Iran’s armed forces but acknowledgedinternal challenges and differing views, accusing the United States and Israelof seeking to exploit them.

Earlier this week, Pezeshkianinsisted he would remain in office amid reports of resignation threats andgrowing disputes over who is directing Iran’s war and diplomatic strategy. Hemaintained that his government was fully coordinated with the militaryleadership, declaring, “If I want to resign, I will officially announce that Ihave resigned. I will not resign, I will stand.”

The controversy intensified aftercleric Mohammad Baqer Kharrazi, who is related by marriage to Supreme LeaderMojtaba Khamenei, alleged in a video circulated on social media that Pezeshkianhad submitted or threatened to submit his resignation 28 times. Kharrazifurther claimed that Khamenei had warned the president that another resignationwould be accepted.

Khamenei’s office rejected the claimsas “entirely false and contrary to reality,” warning that false allegationsagainst officials and attempts to promote internal discord serve “theobjectives of ill-wishers and the sworn enemies of the Iranian nation.”

Shafaq News- London

An unidentified projectile hit a vessel 18 nautical mileseast of Khasab, Oman, on Saturday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations(UKMTO) said.

The projectile sparked a fire aboard the vessel, but thecrew extinguished the blaze. UKMTO did not report any casualties or identifythe ship involved.

UKMTO WARNING 108-26Click here to view the full product ⤵️https://t.co/MqbE4EZLqo#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/GHKHzwj4KG

— UKMTO Operations Centre (@UK_MTO) August 8, 2026

Earlier on Saturday, the United Arab Emirates' official newsagency WAM said a missile struck a vessel operated by Abu Dhabi National OilCompany (ADNOC) while it crossed the Strait of Hormuz.

Shafaq News- Tehran

Iran and Oman are "very close" to reaching anagreement on a new shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, IranianForeign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on Saturday, adding that both countriesare discussing a temporary shipping corridor pending resolution of thetechnical and legal issues involved in establishing a permanent route.

Reuters cited Araghchi as saying certain conditions remain,including compensation for what Tehran describes as US violations of Islamabad’smemorandum of understanding, affirming that “Tehran no longer accepts theprevious traffic separation scheme in the Strait.”

Earlier in the day, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC)stressed that reopening the Strait of Hormuz has no connection to the talksbetween Iran and Oman, and is instead conditioned on the United Statesaccepting Tehran's terms.

A US official said Friday that progress made between Iranand Oman could soon lead to the Strait's reopening, potentially allowing theresumption of oil exports disrupted by the US war on Iran that erupted fivemonths ago.

Shafaq News- Abu Dhabi/ Tehran

A missile struck a vessel belonging to the Abu DhabiNational Oil Company (ADNOC) while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz, theEmirates News Agency (WAM) reported on Saturday.

The agency did not provide further details on the nature ofthe strike or the extent of damage to the vessel, nor did it identify who wasbehind the missile launch, though it confirmed there were no casualties.

The UAE Foreign Ministry condemned the tanker attack,calling the targeting of maritime navigation and the use of Hormuz as a meansof pressure or extortion "acts of piracy by the Revolutionary Guard."

Separately, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) conditionedthe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz on the United States accepting Iran'sterms and withdrawing from involvement in regional negotiations, Iran's Tasnimnews agency reported, citing Guard spokesperson Brigadier General SardarMohebbi.

Reopening the strait is subject to mechanisms and conditionsset by Tehran and is unrelated to the talks between Iran and Oman, Mohebbiadded, stating that the Strait of Hormuz is "not merely an economicwaterway for us, but an element of geographic and strategic power."

Shafaq News- Damascus

On Friday, Syrian security forces killed two suspected ISIS militants who were allegedly planting a roadside bomb near the Sayyida Zainab district on the outskirts of Damascus.

The Interior Ministry said in a statement that the suspects opened fire after officers approached them during a night patrol, triggering a gun battle. Authorities said they recovered an improvised explosive device and weapons from the scene.

The Sayyida Zainab district is home to the shrine of Sayyida Zainab, the granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad, one of Shiite Islam's holiest sites. The area has repeatedly been targeted by ISIS and other extremist groups because of its religious significance.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported earlier that the group carried out 67 attacks across the country between the start of 2026 and early August, causing military and civilian casualties. ISIS lost its last territorial stronghold in Baghouz in eastern Syria in 2019 but continues to stage attacks through sleeper cells, particularly in central and eastern parts of the country.

Shafaq News- Sanaa

Yemen’s Houthis (Ansarallah) on Friday struck Saudi-backed forces at Sahn Al-Jinn camp in Marib with a “large number” of missiles and drones, targeting troop concentrations, weapons depots, vehicles, and military equipment.

The group accused Saudi Arabia of reinforcing forces in Yemen and warned that further buildups would face an “immediate and severe” response, reiterating its “siege for siege” policy and threat to strike Saudi-linked forces wherever they are deployed.

The statement gave no casualty or damage figures.

بيانٌ صادرٌ عنِ القواتِ المسلحةِ اليمنيةِ بسمِ اللهِ الرحمنِ الرحيم قال تعالى: {فَلَا عُدۡوَ ٰ⁠نَ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلظَّـٰلِمِینَ} صدق اللهُ العظيمإصراراً على مواصلةِ حصارِ شعبِنا، وتصعيداً في العدوانِ على بلدِنا، يواصلُ العدوُّ السعوديُّ تحشيدَ قواتِهِ وتحريضَها ودفعَها إلى…

— العميد يحيى سريع (@Yahya_Saree) August 7, 2026

Separately, Yemen’s government-aligned naval forces said they foiled a Houthi attempt to strike an oil tanker in the Red Sea with an explosives-laden boat.

On August 5, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree announced an attack on a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea, while the group earlier claimed a strike on a “sensitive target” at Najran airport in southern Saudi Arabia. The Houthis have threatened to expand attacks on Saudi-linked shipping in the northern Red Sea as part of their siege for siege campaign against Riyadh.

Shafaq News- Damascus

Syrian authorities will begin returning 648 displacedfamilies from Al-Hasakah to Ras Al-Ain (Serekaniye) early next week asimplementation of the accord with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces(SDF) advances, a member of the presidential committee overseeing the return ofdisplaced people told Shafaq News on Friday.

Mustafa Abdi, who also serves in the Syrian People’sAssembly, said logistical preparations are underway and the operation isexpected to conclude by Monday. He will supervise the relocation incoordination with the Internal Security Forces and several humanitarianorganizations.

Abdi said only a handful of issues remain unresolved. “Nonew developments have emerged since [transitional] President Ahmad Al-Sharaa’smeeting with the SDF delegation,” he noted, adding that both sides hadcommitted to accelerating implementation and removing the remaining obstacles.

“The coming days should bring final arrangements onthe military track, women’s participation, and the administration of theJustice Palace in Qamishli and Al-Hasakah.”

Al-Sharaa recently met representatives of the SDF andthe Autonomous Administration, where they reaffirmed their commitment tocompleting the remaining steps and advancing the process.

The agreement establishes a phased roadmap forincorporating the SDF into state institutions under a comprehensive ceasefireand provides for the withdrawal of forces from frontline positions, thedeployment of Interior Ministry personnel to the centers of Al-Hasakah andQamishli, the integration of regional security forces, and the creation of amilitary division comprising three SDF brigades alongside a Kobani brigadeattached to a division based in Aleppo province. It also calls for integratingthe Autonomous Administration's institutions into the state, retaining publicemployees, addressing the Kurdish community’s civil and educational rights, andfacilitating the return of displaced residents.

Shafaq News- Riyadh

Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan on Friday signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, pledging to treat an armed attack on any one of the three countries as an attack on all, according to a joint statement.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the pact in Mecca after nearly a year of negotiations, aiming to strengthen “collective deterrence and defense cooperation,” although the statement did not specify the military obligations each country would assume in response to an attack.

🔈 PR No. 2️⃣0️⃣4️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence🔗⬇️ pic.twitter.com/mIzASADmau

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) August 7, 2026

The deal expands a Saudi-Pakistani security framework formalized on September 17, 2025, when Riyadh and Islamabad signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement also stipulating that aggression against either country would be considered aggression against both. Saudi authorities described the relationship at the time as a strategic partnership spanning nearly eight decades.

According to the 2026 Global Firepower Index, Turkiye ranks as the strongest military power in the Middle East and ninth globally. Pakistan ranks 14th worldwide, while Saudi Arabia is the region's fifth-strongest military and 25th globally.

Pakistan fields about 660,000 active military personnel, including 560,000 army troops, and possesses an estimated 170 nuclear warheads, according to International Institute for Strategic Studies figures.

The three countries also maintain extensive military ties, with Pakistan having deployed about 8,000 troops, fighter jets, drones, and an air-defense system to Saudi Arabia, while Riyadh agreed in 2023 to purchase Turkish drones in what Ankara described as its largest defense export contract at the time.

Shafaq News- Beirut

An Israeli drone strike wounded a Lebanese soldier onFriday after targeting an army bulldozer clearing roads in the southern town ofAl-Mansouri, the Lebanese Army said, as Israel’s military operations continuedacross the south a day after Beirut and Tel Aviv concluded a third round ofUS-sponsored ceasefire talks in Rome.

إصابة أحد العسكريين بجروح طفيفة نتيجة استهداف إسرائيلي معادٍ لجرافة للجيش في بلدة المنصوري - صور، أثناء عملها على فتح الطرقات وإزالة الركام.#الجيش_اللبناني #LebaneseArmy pic.twitter.com/7XjSdV4RxB

— الجيش اللبناني (@LebarmyOfficial) August 7, 2026

Lebanese media said the drone dropped a stun grenadetoward the vehicle during the operation. Israeli forces detonated explosives inWadi Al-Hujair, shelled Al-Mansouri, Mays Al-Jabal, Wadi Zibqin, and Hadatha inBint Jbeil district, set fire to a water station in Shaqra, and demolishedstructures in Kounine. Troops also advanced to the outskirts ofAita al-Jabal in Bint Jbeil district while carrying out intensive combingoperations.

According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, Israeliattacks have killed 4,333 people and wounded 12,250 others, including women andchildren, as of Aug. 2.

The Rome talks ended without a breakthrough on themain territorial disputes, although the Lebanese and Israeli delegationsexchanged preliminary lists of detainees and missing persons. Beirut insistedthat any exchange begin with the release of civilian detainees, while Israelsubmitted a list of Lebanese Jews recorded as missing or killed.

The delegations also began drafting a border securityarrangement that could operate under UN or US auspices and agreed to pursue anew UN Security Council resolution providing a legal framework for futureborder arrangements. However, they remained divided over the proposed border pilotzones, with Lebanon seeking to broaden the discussions and Israel insisting onverifying the initial two areas first. US mediators will continue consultationsahead of the next round, tentatively scheduled for Sept. 1.

Read more: South Lebanon framework: What we know so far

Shafaq News- Damascus

The number of people injured in Thursday's bombing ofa passenger minibus in the town of Jaramana has risen to 14, DamascusCountryside (Rif Dimashq) Health Director Dr. Tawfiq Hesaba reported on Friday.

Hesaba told Syria's Al-Ikhbariyah that seven of theinjured were taken to Damascus Hospital, where three remain in criticalcondition and require surgery. No deaths have been recorded.

The Interior Ministry said in a statement thatsecurity forces are continuing their investigation after securing the blastsite and collecting evidence, noting that the attack came shortly aftercommunity leaders and elders in Jaramana reaffirmed their support for theSyrian state and the country’s unity. It urged residents “not to be drawn intosectarian incitement or actions that could undermine civil peace.”

A little-known group calling itself Minbar Ansar Al-Rasoulclaimed responsibility on Thursday.

Shafaq News-Marib

Houthis(Ansarallah), the Iran-aligned movement that controls Yemen's capital Sanaa,launched missile and drone strikes on the government-held city of Marib incentral Yemen on Friday, with government air defenses downing several dronesover the area, a military source told local media.

The strikes setoff explosions across Marib, a stronghold of Yemen's internationally recognizedgovernment and a center of the country's oil and gas production. Air defensesbelonging to government forces intercepted several of the incoming drones,according to the same military source.

The attack cameafter earlier Houthi strikes on military camps in Marib and in Hadramout, aprovince in eastern Yemen, that killed at least 30 government troops and leftroughly 50 wounded, according to Yemeni government officials.

A Houthi strikeon the Najran region of southern Saudi Arabia, near the Yemeni border, injured11 civilians. The casualties included seven Saudis, one Yemeni, two Egyptiansand one Pakistani, according to the spokesman for the Saudi-led militarycoalition backing Yemen's government, Turki al-Maliki.

The Saudi-ledcoalition has supported Yemen's internationally recognized government againstthe Houthis since 2015.

Intelligencegathered by Saudi Arabia, the United States and other regional states indicatedthat Yemen's Houthis and Iran-aligned Iraqi armed forces could soon carry out coordinatedattacks on Saudi civilian and economic sites, including energy infrastructure,ports and airports, a senior Saudi official told Reuters, alleging that theoperations would be directed under the supervision of Iran's IslamicRevolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Shafaq News- Riyadh (Updated on Aug. 7, at 10:50)

Intelligence gathered by Saudi Arabia, the United States and otherregional states indicated that Yemen's Houthis and Iran-aligned Iraqi armedforces could soon carry out coordinated attacks on Saudi civilian and economicsites, including energy infrastructure, ports and airports, a senior Saudiofficial told Reuters.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity on Thursday, said theoperations would be directed under the supervision of Iran's IslamicRevolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Riyadh regards the reported threat as alarming because it comes as thekingdom pursues de-escalation and a negotiated settlement with Iran, theofficial said. Mediation efforts appeared to be moving "in the rightdirection."

The planned attacks could be intended to disrupt that diplomacy,according to the official.

Cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the United States remained closeat all levels, including operational coordination with US Central Command(CENTCOM), the American military command responsible for the Middle East, theofficial said. The kingdom was prepared to take all necessary measures torespond to any aggression, the official added.

The reported threat follows a recent escalation between Riyadh andIran-backed groups. On July 29, Saudi Arabia said it had carried out strikesalongside CENTCOM against Iran-backed factions in Iraq, which it blamed forearlier drone attacks on its oil facilities.

Read more: Iraq under regional pressure as neighbors threaten to strike Iran-aligned factions

Shafaq News- Damascus

A little-known group calling itself Minbar Ansar al-Rasoul claimed responsibility on Thursday for a bomb attack on a passenger minibus in the Damascus countryside (Rif Dimashq) of Jaramana that Syrian authorities said killed two people and wounded 13 others.

According to media reports, the group first appeared online about three weeks before the bombing, publishing a series of statements focused largely on Jaramana and Syria's Druze community before announcing responsibility for one of the attacks it had previously threatened to carry out.

Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar reported that the earliest documented activity linked to the group dates to July 13, when it published religious messages followed by a statement addressed to the Christian and Druze communities in Jaramana.

Shafaq News- Damascus (Updated at 23:37)

An explosion struck a public transport minibus in Jaramana,Rif Dimashq, on Thursday, killing two people and injuring 13 others, Syria's Health Ministry stated.

Shafaq News' correspondent said the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device planted inside the passenger bus in the al-Rawda area of Jaramana. Syrian authorities have not yet announced who was responsible, and the circumstances surrounding the blast remain under investigation.

Last month, two improvised explosive devices detonated nearSyria's Tourism Ministry during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit toDamascus, injuring at least 18 people, including the deputy tourism ministerand four police officers.

Shafaq News- Tehran

Iranian lawmakers are reviewing a draft bill that would bar US, Israeli, and other designated hostile vessels from the Strait of Hormuz and fine violators up to 20% of their cargo’s value, Iranian outlets reported on Thursday.

The initial text would also prohibit military and civilian cargo linked to Israel, vessels or shipments involved in actions against what Iran calls the “Resistance Front” –an Iran-aligned network of armed and political groups operating across the Middle East– and countries or individuals deemed to have caused losses to Iran until compensation is paid. It would also require the government and armed forces to direct navigation, monitor vessel traffic, and oversee security and environmental protection in the Gulf.

Separately, Fars News Agency cited an Iranian Foreign Ministry source as outlining a proposed traffic system discussed with Oman. Ships would initially enter Hormuz through the northern corridor near Iran and leave through the southern corridor near Oman. After an unspecified period, all traffic would shift to a central route, with Iran managing inbound shipping and Iran and Oman jointly overseeing outbound vessels.

The source denied reports of a dispute over charges equal to 3% or 7% of cargo value, stating that payments would instead depend on services such as insurance, refueling, and environmental protection.

Iran and Oman began negotiating arrangements to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after months of US-Iran fighting, attacks on commercial shipping, and a US blockade of Iranian ports. US President Donald Trump claimed on Thursday that he had postponed planned strikes after discussions with Gulf allies and agreement on basic parameters, although Iran has not announced a final deal.

Before the February 28 US-Israeli war on Iran disrupted shipping, the Strait of Hormuz carried more than one-quarter of global seaborne oil trade and about one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas shipments.

Read more: Iran, Oman near joint statement on Hormuz shipping route

Shafaq News- Doha

Eight Arab and Muslim-majority countries condemned ongoingIsraeli violations in the Gaza Strip, particularly the targeting of healthfacilities, attacks on civilian infrastructure, and continued civiliancasualties, including women and children.

The foreign ministers of Qatar, Jordan, the United ArabEmirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt said thecontinuation of these violations represents a clear breach of Israel'sobligations under international law and the comprehensive plan to end theconflict in Gaza, warning that it undermines international and regional effortsto implement the plan's second phase.

These violations, a statement issued by the ministers noted,come in the wake of US President Donald Trump's announcement that Palestinianfactions had accepted the roadmap, including provisions related to disarmament,and threaten to derail the political process, renew a cycle of escalation, anddeepen the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.

Protecting civilians, safeguarding medical facilities andhealth and humanitarian workers, and ensuring the immediate, safe andunobstructed delivery of humanitarian aid and medical and relief suppliesthroughout Gaza constitute legal obligations that must not be violated ordiminished under any circumstances, the ministers stressed, affirming that“Ongoing Israeli violations in Gaza cannot be viewed in isolation from settlerattacks in the occupied West Bank, illegal settlement expansion, and unilateralmeasures aimed at altering the status quo in occupied Jerusalem.”

بيان مشترك صادر عن وزراء خارجية دولة قطر، والمملكة الأردنية الهاشمية، ودولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة، وجمهورية إندونيسيا، وجمهورية باكستان الإسلامية، والجمهورية التركية، والمملكة العربية السعودية، وجمهورية مصر العربية بشأن الانتهاكات الإسرائيلية المتواصلة في قطاع غزةالدوحة | 6… pic.twitter.com/gbzg78DCZ6

— الخارجية القطرية (@MofaQatar_AR) August 6, 2026

Earlier in the day, a Palestinian was killed by Israeliforces in the al-Buraq area west of Khan Younis, southern Gaza. Health Ministryin the enclave said the death toll since the October 11 ceasefire has reached1,255, with 4,125 people wounded, while the number of bodies recovered standsat 806. This brings the total death toll since October 7, 2023, to 73,382, with174,236 people wounded.

Shafaq News- Sanaa

Ansarallah (Houthis) launched “a large-scale militaryoperation” targeting Saudi-backed forces using ballistic missiles and drones inYemen’s Al-Ruwaik, Al-Abr, and Al-Thaniyah areas, along with camps belonging toFirst and Third Emergency Divisions government forces, the group said onThursday.

The operation killed and wounded hundreds of Saudi-backedfighters, destroyed camps, weapons depots, and military vehicles in theAl-Wadi'ah area in eastern Yemen, and set several military sites ablaze,according to Ansarallah.

The group warned Saudi Arabia against “preparations for anew military escalation,” saying it would respond to any attack and continueits siege-for-siege strategy until the blockade on Yemen is lifted.

pic.twitter.com/ebHKyulf7V

— العميد يحيى سريع (@Yahya_Saree) August 6, 2026

Earlier today, Yemeni media outlets reported that Houthis’strikes hit Marib and Hadramout provinces, killing at least 45 governmenttroops.

Shafaq News- Rome

Lebanon and Israelconcluded a third day of US-sponsored negotiations in Rome on Thursdayafternoon, with a further round tentatively set for September 1, according tosources with direct knowledge of the talks.

The two delegationsexchanged preliminary lists of detainees and missing persons but reached nofinal agreement on the core territorial questions, the sources said, addingthat Lebanon pressed for the release of a first group of civilian detainees asquickly as possible, and received a pledge from the American side that it wouldprovide answers on a ceasefire.

The lists Lebanonsubmitted covered detainees and missing persons, while the Israeli delegationpresented a list of names of Lebanese Jews recorded as missing or killed.Lebanon insisted that any exchange begin with the release of civilians.

The two sides openedwork on drafts of a new security agreement to govern the border and itsarrangements, with its legal authority to rest either with the United Nationsor the United States. They reached a short list of parties that would overseemonitoring, and agreed to turn to the UN Security Council for a new resolutionto serve as the international reference point after UNIFIL, the UN InterimForce in Lebanon, deployed along the boundary since 1978.

No final resultswere reached on the so-called model zones. Lebanon sought to move on to newareas, while Israel insisted on first verifying the two initial zones. A fullmapping survey of the occupied area was completed to establish a sequentialtimetable for the zones, and the Israeli delegation was to refer the matter toits political leadership for a decision. On the military track, discussion ofthe reference concepts and terminology was completed in full.

The American sideundertook to follow up on the detainee and border files with both partiesbefore the next session, tentatively scheduled for September 1.

Hezbollah'sparliamentary bloc condemned the government's “continued policy of negotiatingwith the enemy” despite its attacks and violations. In a statement, the bloccalled on the authorities to halt the talks and the concessions, which it saidhad brought Lebanon nothing but the forfeiture of its rights and sovereignty.

Read more: Eight people injured in Israeli strikes on South Lebanon

Shafaq News- Aden (Updated at 17:22)

Ansarallah's (Houthis)strikes on military camps in Yemen's Marib and Hadramout provinces killed atleast 45 government troops, local media reported on Thursday.

The death toll could rise as authorities continue assessing casualties from theattacks.

The Emergency ForcesMedia Center stated earlier today that Houthis targeted military camps shortlyafter Yemeni armed forces carried out security operations against “criminalcells and smuggling networks.”

بيان مرتقب للقوات المسلحة اليمنية للإعلان عن عملية عسكرية واسعة ونوعية.

— العميد يحيى سريع (@Yahya_Saree) August 6, 2026

Ansarallah said itwould soon issue a statement announcing “a large-scale military operation.”

Shafaq News- Beirut

Israeli military attacks in southern Lebanon on April 22 that killed Al-Akhbar journalist Amal Khalil and severely wounded freelance journalist Zainab Faraj included “apparently deliberate” attacks on civilians and civilian objects that would make them war crimes, Human Rights Watch reported on Thursday.

HRW explained that the Israeli military knew or should have known the two journalists were civilians before striking them in Al-Tiri, citing witness accounts, call logs, at least 35 photographs and videos, eight images of a damaged ambulance, and a Lebanese Red Cross access request sent through UNIFIL.

According to the organization, the first strike hit a vehicle traveling ahead of the journalists. Khalil and Faraj then sought shelter nearby before a second strike hit their car and a third destroyed the building where they had taken refuge, while drones appeared to monitor the women as they remained trapped.

UNIFIL had forwarded the Red Cross request to the Israeli military “about 90 minutes” before the fatal strike.

A Tebnin Governmental Hospital report reviewed by HRW found that Khalil died from a head injury and severe bleeding. The organization concluded that she was probably still alive when the Red Cross team was forced to withdraw.

“The Israeli military says it does not target journalists, but the facts and evidence show that it has repeatedly done so,” HRW Lebanon researcher Ramzi Kaiss stated. Eight journalists were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon during March and April 2026: Amal Khalil of Al-Akhbar; Ghada Dayekh of Sawt Al-Farah Radio; Suzanne Khalil of Al-Manar TV and Al-Nour Radio; Mohammad Sherri, Hussain Hamood, and Ali Shoeib of Al-Manar TV; Fatima Ftouni of Al-Mayadeen; and freelance photojournalist Mohammed Ftouni.

The Lebanese Press Editors’ Syndicate puts the number of journalists and photographers killed in Israeli attacks since late 2023 at 27, accusing Israel of disregarding international laws and UN conventions protecting media workers during armed conflicts. Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah was the first killed, in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon on October 13, 2023.

HRW urged Lebanon to join the Rome Statute and accept International Criminal Court jurisdiction over events dating back to at least October 7, 2023. It also called on the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other European states to suspend arms transfers and military assistance to Israel, impose targeted sanctions on officials implicated in continuing violations, and suspend the trade pillar of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

A record 129 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide in 2025, with Israel responsible for nearly two-thirds, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Shafaq News- Beirut

Israeli airstrikes on the southern Lebanese town ofBurj Al-Shamali overnight wounded at least eight people, Lebanon’s HealthMinistry said on Thursday.

Local media reported that drones carried out threestrikes on the town’s Al-Malaab neighborhood before fighter jets bombed thesame location, prompting residents to flee toward Tyre. The bombardment laterspread to Al-Mansouri, Majdal Zoun, nearby valleys, the outskirts of Hadatha,and the coastal Al-Hamra area near Bayt Al-Sayyad, accompanied by artilleryfire, tank shelling, and intensive drone flights over Tyre district and Beirut’ssouthern suburbs.

The Israeli military launched the assault after anexplosion in Majdal Zoun killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded four others onWednesday, accusing Hezbollah of a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire.Israeli media said that investigators were examining how the explosive devicehad been planted and detonated.

Before the attacks, Israeli forces issued their firstevacuation order since the ceasefire, instructing residents of Al-Mansouri tomove at least one kilometer north and avoid areas linked to Hezbollah.

An Israeli airstrike also killed one person andwounded 12 others in Tebnine a day earlier, while shelling ignited fires aroundKfar Shouba and Houla.

The Health Ministry places the cumulative toll fromIsraeli attacks at 4,333 dead and 12,250 injured as of August 2, includingwomen and children.

Read more: South Lebanon framework: What we know so far