JD Vance says US economic pressure 'most effective tool' against war on Iran US Vice President JD Vance said that the country has entered a "new phase" in its war on Iran, leading with economic pressure as Washington's "most effective tool". "We're kind of now in a new phase where the most effective tool that we have is the economic pressure that we can apply to them," Vance said during an interview with The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show. “We're going to keep that going," he added.
Ongoing Israeli air strikes, massive blasts reported in south Lebanon Israeli attacks targeted a number of areas across southern Lebanon, according to state media. Israeli air strikes and massive explosions were reported in overnight and in the early hours of Friday in the town of Mansouri, with sounds of the blasts reverberating throughout southern Lebanon. Elsewhere, the army launched a series of strikes and artillery shelling on the Ali al-Taher Hill.
Israeli forces kill Palestinian man during raid in Jenin The Israeli military killed a Palestinian man during a raid in Jenin after he resisted an arrest attempt, according to Al Jazeera citing health sources. The Palestinian, identified as Fathi Khazem, was directly shot inside his home in al-Masarwa neighbourhood of central Jenin. Earlier, Israeli media alleged that the man was shot by the Israeli army after he attempted to stab the troops during a military operation.
Hamas told to be 'sensitive' to Netanyahu ahead of Israeli elections as attacks on Gaza continue Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim told CNN that the movement remains committed to a peace roadmap for Gaza. "We are still ready to continue this way to give our people on the ground the chance to revive their life, and to reach the minimum of calm, stability and peace," he said during his interview. The Hamas official indicated that Board of Peace mediators and US adviser Jared Kushner had asked the movement to be "sensitive" to Benjamin Netanyahu’s political standing ahead of Israel’s upcoming election.
Poland summons Israeli envoy over dropped probe into killing of WCK aid workers Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that it summoned the Israeli ambassador to Warsaw after Tel Aviv's decision to close its investigation into an attack on a World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid convoy in Gaza two years ago. In early April, 2024, seven foreign aid workers, including Polish national Damian Sobol, were killed in an Israeli strike. The ministry conveyed its disappointment over the decision, and denounced the latest steps taken, demanding that the circumstances of the killings must be "fully clarified".
US vows to 'collapse' Iran with new sanctions as energy prices spike The US will impose "the toughest sanctions in history” on Iran, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said on Thursday, vowing to ramp up economic pressure on the Islamic Republic even as the economic toll of the war builds. "It is a one-two punch. We have the blockade [on Iran], and we are going to have the toughest sanctions in history," Bessent told CNBC.
Blast in Syria's Idlib kills at least three An explosion at a house in Syria’s Idlib early on Friday resulted in the killing of at least three civilians and the wounding of six others, the Syrian Civil Defense said. The blast, which occurred in the village of Ain al-Qasab, killed a man, his wife and his brother. Meanwhile, the couple's children were amongst those injured.
Four out of every five families in Gaza face 'critical or catastrophic' hunger levels, UN warns The spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric, warned that 94 percent of Gaza's over 2. 1 million population are in need of shelter and basic household assistance. Dujarric also indicated that more than four out of five families face "critical or catastrophic" levels of hunger in their shelters - which lack fuel, energy and essential household items.
Watch: Netanyahu warns Turkey over presence in Syria Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Israel would not tolerate a Turkish military presence expanding southwards in Syria, saying it would pose a threat to Israel. “We will not tolerate Turkish military presence establishing itself as it moves south. It threatens us.
Israeli strikes target southern Lebanon and Syria An Israeli strike targeted the heights of the Ali al-Taher area in south Lebanon, Al Jazeera reported. The network also reported that Israeli forces also fired artillery shells at agricultural land south of the village of Jubata al-Khashab in Syria’s Golan Heights.
Nearly everyone in Gaza in need of shelter aid, NRC says An estimated 1. 98 million Palestinians in Gaza, 94 per cent of the population, need shelter and basic household assistance, according to a new report by the Shelter Cluster, led by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). Jan Egeland, Secretary General of NRC, said in a post on X that only 10 percent of families reported receiving shelter aid in the month before the assessment and stocks of shelter materials and basic household assistance are nearly depleted in the Strip.
In photos: Funeral of 17-year-old Palestinian killed by Israel in March Palestinians held a funeral on Thursday for 17-year-old Salim Sami Salim Fuqaha, whose body Israeli authorities had withheld since he was killed on 16 March, in the village of Sinjil, north of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli forces block Ramallah Governor’s departure, following slain teen’s funeral Israeli forces detained Ramallah Governor Laila Ghannam and prevented her from leaving the town of Sinjil on Thursday after she attended the funeral of a Palestinian teenager, Wafa news agency reported, citing local sources. The forces stopped Ghannam’s vehicle at the entrance to the town, northeast of Ramallah, and seized the keys before later allowing her to pass. Ghannam had attended the funeral of 17-year-old Salim Sami Salim Fuqaha, whose body Israeli authorities returned on Thursday after withholding it since his death in March.
Opinion: Amid genocide in Gaza, why must Palestinian journalists uphold the illusion of neutrality? On 20 June 2026, the Israeli army killed Al Jazeera Mubasher cameraman Ahmed Wishah in a drone strike, less than two and a half months after the killing of his brother, Al Jazeera Mubasher correspondent Mohammed Wishah, who was targeted by the same army on 8 April. After Mohammed's death, Ahmed appeared on Al Jazeera pleading: "Let Mohammed be the last journalist Israel kills.
Israeli opinion article says Turkey's Nato protection does not apply to troops in Syria Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 08/20/2026 - 19:39 The commentary was published in Israel Hayom, which is owned by the same Israeli mega-donor backing US President Donald Trump Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan walks arm in arm alongside US President Donald Trump at Etimesgut Air Base near Ankara, Turkey, on 7 July 2026 (Mustafa Kamaci/Turkish Presidency Press Office handout via AFP) Off An opinion article on Thursday in the right-wing Israeli paper Israel Hayom has suggested that any Turkish troops in Syria would be considered sitting ducks for Israel , because Nato's collective defence pact would not apply outside a member state's borders. The piece comes two days after Israeli air strikes destroyed parts of a disused air force base in northern Syria, close to the Turkish border, where Israel believed Turkish troops were on the cusp of moving in. "Before Turkish troops arrive, the target is infrastructure; once they arrive, striking it also risks Turkish casualties, retaliation, American intervention and confrontation with a NATO member.
US Treasury chief urges China to back proposed Iran sanctions US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged China to “get with the programme” over proposed sanctions on Iran, saying Beijing would benefit from the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and lower energy prices. Asked in a CNBC interview whether Washington could target China for doing business with Iran, Bessent said such discussions were best held in private but that the United States was confident everyone wanted the strait reopened and energy prices to fall. “The Chinese get 50 percent [of their] energy from inside the Gulf.
US vows to 'collapse' Iran with new sanctions as energy prices spike Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 08/20/2026 - 19:32 Soaring commodity and shipping prices underscore the risks of inflation as US readies 'economic D-Day' US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent speaks to members of the press outside the White House on 20 August 2026, in Washington, DC (Alex Wong/Getty Images/AFP) Off The US will impose "the toughest sanctions in history” on Iran , Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said on Thursday, vowing to ramp up economic pressure on the Islamic Republic even as the economic toll of the war builds. "It is a one-two punch. We have the blockade [on Iran], and we are going to have the toughest sanctions in history," Bessent told CNBC.
France, Germany, UK and Italy condemn Israel's 'E1' West Bank settlement plan France, Germany, Britain and Italy condemned on Thursday plans by Israel to launch a construction tender for the E1 settlement project called 'E1' in the occupied West Bank. "The decision by the Israeli government to publish bid offers for construction projects within the framework of the E1 settlers' project is unacceptable," said a joint statement by the leaders of those four countries.
Hezbollah's Nawaf Moussawi: Only force can compel Israel to leave Lebanon Force must be used to liberate South Lebanon because Israel will never be convinced to withdraw through negotiations alone, senior Hezbollah official Nawaf Moussawi told Middle East Eye. Speaking to MEE in a wide-ranging interview at his Beirut office, Moussawi insisted that Lebanese-Israeli negotiations would remain fruitless as long as President Joseph Aoun comes to the table lacking any sort of leverage over the Israelis. Moussawi, who, as head of Hezbollah’s border and resources department, is responsible for many Israeli affairs, said the Lebanese armed movement will continue to fight the occupying troops until they completely depart from his country.
Hezbollah's Nawaf Moussawi: Only force can compel Israel to leave Lebanon Submitted by Daniel Hilton on Thu, 08/20/2026 - 18:24 In an interview with MEE, senior Hezbollah official says Lebanese-Israeli negotiations are bound to fail unless President Joseph Aoun partners with the armed movement " class="video-embed-field-lazy container-element"> Senior Hezbollah official Nawaf Moussawi said Israel is now battling a generation of fighters it does not know (MEE) Off Force must be used to liberate South Lebanon because Israel will never be convinced to withdraw through negotiations alone, senior Hezbollah official Nawaf Moussawi told Middle East Eye. Speaking to MEE in a wide-ranging interview at his Beirut office, Moussawi insisted that Lebanese-Israeli negotiations would remain fruitless as long as President Joseph Aoun comes to the table lacking any sort of leverage over the Israelis. Moussawi, who, as head of Hezbollah’s border and resources department, is responsible for many Israeli affairs, said the Lebanese armed movement will continue to fight the occupying troops until they completely depart from his country.
