Afternoon update Good afternoon Middle East Eye readers, Here are the latest developments from across the region: Israel has conducted a drone strike in southern Lebanon, killing one and injuring 11, Lebanese media reports. The strike targeted a prayer area in a cemetery, and caused a fire and explosion. This came shortly after an Israeli warning ordering residents to leave their homes.
Dozens of U. S. water systems have been the targets of cyberattacks in the past week.
Israel's army to set up polling stations in occupied Gaza, Lebanon and Syria Submitted by Nadav Rapaport on Wed, 08/05/2026 - 15:09 News report says move will allow troops deployed beyond Israel's borders to vote in October's general election Israeli soldiers bring election equipment to facilitate voting for military members in the general elections, at the Har Dov military base on Mount Hermon, between Israel, Lebanon and Syria, in the occupied Golan Heights on 31 October 2022 (Jalaa Marey/AFP) Off The Israeli military has begun preparing to install polling stations in occupied areas of the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria ahead of the general election on 27 October, Army Radio reported on Wednesday. According to the report, Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir has instructed military officials to facilitate voting for soldiers deployed beyond Israel's internationally recognised borders. The military will "deploy polling stations deep in enemy territory - within Lebanon, Syria and Gaza - to enable the right to vote for combat troops stationed beyond the borders", Army Radio said.
Social media platform X says it is challenging block of jailed Istanbul mayor's account Submitted by Alex MacDonald on Wed, 08/05/2026 - 11:51 Scepticism greets site's announcement that it is challenging ban on Ekrem Imamoglu's presidential candidacy account, considering it has already blocked hundreds of opposition accounts in Turkey Supporters hold up their mobiles during a protest marking one year since the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul on 18 March (AFP/Yasin Akgul) Off An announcement by X that it is challenging a request to ban imprisoned Mayor of Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu's presidential candidacy account in Turkey has been met with scepticism by digital campaigners. The account, created to support Imamoglu's candidacy for the next presidential election, was first blocked in Turkey late last month following a government request. In a post on X on Wednesday, the company said Turkish laws "force" them to comply with the order last week, at risk of Turkey's Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) "throttling" the site's access in the country.
US removes sanctions from three IRGC-linked entities The US has removed counterterrorism sanctions from two aircraft and three airlines with links to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) according to details posted to the US treasury department's website, Reuters reports.
Palestinian-Israeli movement calls for multinational force in occupied West Bank Submitted by Fayha Shalash on Wed, 08/05/2026 - 14:49 Campaign launched in Kafr Malik says international protection is urgently needed as settler violence escalates and Palestinians face growing displacement An armed Israeli settler arrives at the site of a wildfire near the Ein Samiya spring in the occupied West Bank on 29 July 2026 (Ilia Yefimovich/AFP) Off A joint Palestinian - Israeli movement launched a campaign on Tuesday calling for a multinational protection force to be deployed in the occupied West Bank amid escalating Israeli settler attacks. A Land for All – Two States, One Homeland said growing settler violence, coupled with the Israeli government's failure to protect Palestinians, had made international intervention an urgent necessity. The appeal was announced at a press conference in the village of Kafr Malik, east of Ramallah, where residents described months of settler attacks, restricted access to farmland and mounting fears of displacement.
Rod Liddle played the politics of hatred - we should be honest about his legacy Submitted by Peter Oborne on Wed, 08/05/2026 - 11:05 Tributes praised a 'great journalist', but very few touched on the fact that he was also a racist, a bigot and an Islamophobe 'Truth-teller for our times', or racist and bigot? Newspaper columnist Rod Liddle (Photo/X) Off Few public figures this year have enjoyed as resounding a send off as the newspaper columnist Rod Liddle. This year, few public figures have enjoyed as resounding a send-off as the newspaper columnist Rod Liddle.
One killed and 11 injured by Israeli strike in southern Lebanon The Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported that one person has been killed and 11 have been wounded in an Israeli drone strike on the southern Lebanese village of Tibnin. AFP said the Israeli strike "targeted the roof of a prayer area of the cemetery". The NNA said the drone strike caused a fire in woods near Kfarshouba, as well as an explosion.
On 12 June, a group of 17 people – among them Turks, Afghans and Iranians – were forcibly removed from the United States and flown to Bangui, in the Central African Republic (CAR), a country where they have no ties and whose language they do not speak. According to Third Country Deportation Watch, all but […] The post African states must refuse to be complicit with the USA’s policy of ‘third country removals’ appeared first on Amnesty International .
Volker Türk says 56 people have been executed on national security-related charges, including 27 in cases linked to January's protests.
Beirut [Lebanon], August 5 (ANI): The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that troops operating in southern Lebanon have successfully located a weapons storage facility allegedly utilised by Hezbollah alongside underground infrastructure.
Israeli army says it begun striking southern Lebanon The Israeli military said it began striking southern Lebanon in response to what it described as a "blatant violation of the ceasefire" by Hezbollah, despite ongoing US-sponsored negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in Rome today.
Schoolchildren in Iran are getting hooked on nas, a cheap smokeless tobacco sold openly within steps of their classrooms, an official warned on Tuesday, as social media users asked why a product this addictive is hawked to children in plain sight.
Israel issues evacuation warning to village in southern Lebanon The Israeli military issued an evacuation warning on Wednesday to Mansouri village in southern Lebanon, Reuters reports. It is the first online warning by the military for Lebanon in more than a month.
UK charity regulator to investigate donations to illegal Israeli settlements Submitted by Areeb Ullah on Wed, 08/05/2026 - 12:31 Charity Commission probes eight charities to determine how funds sent to illegal Israeli settlements were used A Jewish settler carries roof tiles after a house was demolished at an outpost near the settlement of Negohot in the occupied West Bank (Reuters) Off The UK's charity regulator has launched an investigation into several British charities donating funds to illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine . The Charity Commission said the probe will look into how funds were used in illegal settlements, the purpose of these funds and whether they fit charitable purposes. Stephen Roake, assistant director of high-risk compliance at the Charity Commission, confirmed that the charity regulator would begin investigating eight unnamed charities.
Satellite image reveals oil spill off Oman's coast A slick that is consistent with an oil leak emanating from a ship can be seen on a satellite image taken on 28 July and just published by Copernicus Sentinel Data 2026. The tanker belonging to Russia's sanctioned shadow fleet has been stranded for over a month off the coast of Oman. The ship was rocked by explosions, a maritime security firm told AFP, but their cause remains unclear.
Conflicting accounts suggest either a Houthi strike or an industrial accident caused the blasts Several explosions were reportedly heard overnight at the Jebel Ali Free Zone, a major industrial and logistics district in Dubai, the UAE. Online witness accounts described as many as seven loud blasts over a period of roughly 20 minutes.
A new Pentagon-IDF tie-up deepens military integration while ordinary US citizens get more war, more debt, and less to hope for at home In the early 2000s, I worked with domestic violence victims in Seattle, Washington. One of my trainers was a scrappy woman who told me she was a former member of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
A new Pentagon-IDF tie-up deepens military integration while ordinary US citizens get more war, more debt, and less to hope for at home In the early 2000s, I worked with domestic violence victims in Seattle, Washington. One of my trainers was a scrappy woman who told me she was a former member of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Turkey: Mo Salah welcomed by fans chanting ‘Allahu Akbar’ after move to Trabzonspor Submitted by Ragip Soylu on Wed, 08/05/2026 - 11:44 The 34-year-old Egyptian forward was mobbed by supporters following his reported two-year deal with the Turkish club Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah gestures as he arrives at Istanbul Ataturk Airport to complete his transfer to Turkish football club Trabzonspor in Istanbul on 5 August 2026 (Ozan Kose / AFP) Off Egyptian football star Mohamed Salah signed a two-year contract with the Turkish club Trabzonspor this week, triggering a social media frenzy across the country. The “Egyptian King” will reportedly receive a €5m ($5. 6m) signing bonus and a guaranteed annual salary of €17m ($19.
