Shafaq News- Sanaa

Yemen’s Houthis (Ansarallah) targeted a Saudi Aramco oil facilityin Najran with a drone, a military source told the Houthi-run Saba News Agency onFriday.

مصدر عسكري لوكالة سبأ: بفضل الله وعونه تمكنت القوات المسلحة اليمنية من استهداف أرامكو نجران بطائرة مسيرة وحققت العملية هدفها بنجاح#التصعيد_بالتصعيد #الحصار_بالحصار #وكالة_سبأhttps://t.co/3BQgQk7EHd pic.twitter.com/koMBeCj717

— سبأ (@alsyasiah) August 14, 2026

The source said the drone reached its intended target,claiming that Saudi warplanes had entered the northeastern airspace of Saadaprovince.

The Houthis have not issued an official statement on theoperation.

Meanwhile, Yemen TV, affiliated with the internationallyrecognized government, reported, citing army spokesperson Abdo Magali, that theHouthis renewed missile attacks on the port of Mokha. Magali accused the groupof “seeking to blockade ports and worsen hardship for Yemenis.”

#عاجل المتحدث باسم القوات المسلحة : هجوم إهابي ب6 صواريخ باليستية اطلقتها مليشيا الحوثي الإرهابية على ميناء المخا. pic.twitter.com/eUtBaZ9f2S

— قناة اليمن الفضائية | YemenTv (@yementvyem) August 14, 2026

Shafaq News- Damascus

Syria will raise water releases from the Kediran Dam from 600 to 800 cubic meters per second starting August 15, prompting warnings of higher Euphrates levels and stronger currents in Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor.

The Energy Ministry said on Friday that inflows entering Syria from Turkiye have exceeded 1,200 cubic meters per second for about 10 consecutive days and are expected to remain elevated through the end of August.

تدعو وزارة الطاقة أهلنا في محافظتَي الرقة ودير الزور إلى الابتعاد عن مجرى نهر الفرات وعدم السباحة فيه ابتداءً من يوم غد #السبت الموافق 15 آب؛ وذلك بسبب الزيادة التدريجية المرتقبة لمنسوب النهر بسبب زيادة الوارد من الجانب التركي.#الجمهورية_العربية_السورية #وزارة_الطاقة pic.twitter.com/e94nBbF1lf

— وزارة الطاقة السورية (@SyrMOfE) August 14, 2026

Residents near the river should avoid its banks, low-lying areas, swimming and fast-moving water, and move nearby agricultural equipment and property to higher ground, the Emergency and Disaster Management Ministry cautioned.

In May, severe Euphrates flooding hit Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, affecting more than 27,000 people, displacing thousands and damaging over 60 water stations, irrigation networks and transport routes, according to UNFPA. Higher flows also raised concerns downstream in Iraq, where water was expected to enter through Al-Qaim before reaching Haditha (Al-Qadisiyah) Dam.

Read more: Syria battles floods while Iraq fills reservoirs

Shafaq News- Beirut

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Friday ruled out surrender to Israel despite the unequal balance of power, rejecting the Lebanon-Israel negotiating framework in full.

In a televised speech, Qassem described the June 26 framework as Israeli dictates written in Israeli ink, objecting both to direct negotiations with Israel and to “the entire content from beginning to end.” He also accused the government of directing pressure at Hezbollah rather than Israel over the past 15 months and operating under outside tutelage, calling on officials to reverse what he described as a humiliating mistake.

Earlier today, after meeting Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, US Ambassador Michel Issa claimed that Israeli attacks and demolitions in southern Lebanon would stop once Hezbollah handed over its weapons.

The US-brokered deal links a progressive Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon to the Lebanese government’s verified disarmament of non-state armed groups. Hezbollah was not a party to the agreement and has rejected giving up its weapons, while Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has insisted that Israeli forces will not withdraw from southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed.

Qassem instead backed the June US-Iran Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, which extended a ceasefire across fronts including Lebanon and included commitments on Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity, arguing that it “restrained Israeli attacks and enabled displaced [Lebanese] to return.”

Read more: Hezbollah: Direct Israel talks humiliated Lebanon

Shafaq News- Middle East

The White House is “pressing” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to publicly condemn a nearly week-long siege by Jewish settlers on Palestinian homes in Qusra in the West Bank after learning that a Palestinian-American home was among those targeted, US and Israeli officials told Reuters on Friday.

According to the United Nations, settlers cut off water and electricity and blocked access to three homes, trapping about 15 Palestinians, including at least two children, while Palestinian media reported earlier today that the attackers erected another tent near the homes.

The Israeli military claimed that troops were deployed in Qusra to protect residents and maintain security and that disciplinary action was being taken against personnel shown earlier in the week praying with settlers at the encampment.

Netanyahu has yet to publicly comment on the siege.

Read more: West Bank raids detain seven, hold 30 Palestinians

Shafaq News- Beirut

Lebanon’s judiciaryhas begun procedures to extradite Adel Issa, former commander of the Syrianarmy’s 17th Division under Bashar Al-Assad, to Syria after completing hisinterrogation, Lebanese media reported on Friday.

Lebanese authoritiesarrested Issa last week when he arrived at the Syrian Embassy in Beirut tofinish administrative paperwork. He faces accusations of committing crimesduring his service in the Syrian army.

More than 200 seniorofficers from Al-Assad’s former government fled to Lebanon after his fall,Reuters reported in January, although the total number and the legal casesagainst them remain unclear. Lebanon transferred around 70 Syrians, includingformer officers and military personnel, to Syria in December 2024.

Earlier this week, aSyrian court sentenced Al-Assad to death after convicting him of murder,torture, arbitrary detention, and crimes against humanity.

Shafaq News- Ankara

Turkish authorities on Friday removed the name of Brigadier GeneralSamir Ousso, known as Sipan Hamo, Syria's assistant defense minister for theeastern region, from their wanted list, according to the Turkish dailyCumhuriyet, amid the process of integrating the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) intoSyrian state institutions.

Hamo's name had been listed on the "red list" of the TurkishInterior Ministry over accusations by Ankara that he was linked to theKurdistan Workers' Party (PKK/KCK), an armed group Turkiye designates asterrorist. A financial reward of up to 20 million Turkish lira had been offeredfor information leading to his arrest.

The removal followed Hamo's appointment on March 10 as assistant defenseminister for the eastern region, part of the military arrangements tied to theagreement to merge the SDF with Syrian state institutions. He is considered aprominent former commander in the People's Protection Units (YPG) and the SDFwhose name featured in military operations against ISIS in northeastern Syriabefore he moved to an official position within the structure of the SyrianDefense Ministry.

The name of SDF commander Mazloum Abdi remains on Turkiye's wantedlists, according to Cumhuriyet.

Read more: Turkiye passes law on PKK dissolution process

Shafaq News- West Bank

Israeli forces detained seven Palestinians andtemporarily held around 30 others during overnight raids across the West Bankon Friday, while settler attacks injured a child and two young men, Palestinianmedia reported.

Searches in Nablus and Tulkarm targeted homes andbusinesses, with a journalist briefly questioned in Bal’a and two houses takenover as military posts in Tal and Far’ata. Raids also reached communities nearJenin and Ramallah.

#شاهد| مستوطنون يعيدون نصب خيمتهم في رأس العين بقصرة، مواصلين التضييق على الأهالي. pic.twitter.com/baQRrYUNPg

— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) August 14, 2026

According to Palestinian media, residents inAl-Bweireh were bound and questioned before their release. Settlers used peppergas near Jenin and threw stones at vehicles near Qalqilya, while confrontationswere reported in Usarin and Beit Fajjar. In Kafr Sur, demolition notices threatenedresidences sheltering more than 80 people.

جانب من اقتحام قوات الاحتلال شارع فيصل وسط مدينة نابلس. pic.twitter.com/8Z9hPO7wC9

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) August 14, 2026

The Palestinian Colonization and Wall ResistanceCommission documented 2,256 incidents in July, including 1,458 attributed tothe Israeli military, alongside 80 demolitions affecting 165 structures and 34demolition notices.

The UN Human Rights Office warned on Thursday thatsettler violence and encroachment had reached “abhorrent” levels, highlightingQusra, south of Nablus, where about 15 Palestinians have been surrounded bysettlers and left without water or electricity.

At least 1,168 Palestinians, including 210 children,have been killed in the West Bank since October 2023, according to thePalestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. The Palestinian Prisoners’ Societyputs detentions during the same period at more than 21,000.

#شاهد| من اقتحام المستوطنين منطقة الباذان في نابلس صباح اليوم pic.twitter.com/2NCW9FUpdV

— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) August 14, 2026

Shafaq News- Middle East

The Israeli army on Friday said itkilled a Hamas commander accused of involvement in holding several hostages,two days after carrying out an airstrike against another Hamas cell commanderin northern Gaza.

The military identified him asMohammed Bassam Mohammed Mushtaha, a company commander in Hamas’ Al-ShatiBattalion, noting that he was targeted on July 30 in the same area.

According to the Israeli account,Mushtaha entered Israel during the October 7, 2023 attack and had recentlysought to carry out assaults against Israeli troops.

جيش الدفاع يقضي على قائد سرية في منظمة حماس الإرهابية، شارك في احتجاز العديد من المختطفين🔴يؤكد جيش الدفاع الآن القضاء على الإرهابي محمد بسام محمد مشتهى، الذي تمت مهاجمته في شمال قطاع غزة بتاريخ 30 يوليو 2026.🔴شغل محمد مشتهى منصب قائد سرية في كتيبة الشاطئ التابعة للجناح… pic.twitter.com/hC4DoIxy82

— Lieutenant Colonel Ella Waweya | إيلا واوية (@CaptainElla1) August 14, 2026

Hamas has not commented on theIsraeli announcement.

Since the ceasefire took effect onOctober 11, 2025, the Gaza Health Ministry has recorded 1,260 deaths and 4,154injuries, along with 808 bodies recovered, bringing the cumulative toll sinceOctober 7, 2023, to 73,389 killed and 174,266 injured.

Last month, Hamas and otherPalestinian factions agreed to a draft framework for gradually placing weaponsin Gaza under Palestinian control, linking the process to an Israeliwithdrawal, reconstruction, and a broader political settlement.

Israeli Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu, however, ruled out withdrawing troops until Hamas fully disarms anddismantles its military infrastructure. National Security Minister Itamar BenGvir rejected the proposed framework, calling for continued military operationsin Gaza while advocating Palestinian emigration.

Shafaq News- Damascus

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi on Thursday said the SDF and Damascus had reached a series of “solutions” on security in Al-Hasakah province, displaced civilians, attacks on state institutions, and the completion of integration.

After receiving Syrian presidential envoy Ziad Al-Ayesh, tasked with following implementation of the January 29 agreement, Abdi noted, “We sensed...serious steps toward addressing issues in a way that serves the province’s security and stability.”

تشرفت باستقبال المبعوث الرئاسي السيد زياد العايش، وقائد الفيلق الثاني السيد عواد الجاسم، في زيارة بحثنا خلالها عدداً من الملفات والقضايا المهمة المتعلقة بأمن واستقرار محافظة الحسكة، ومعالجة الاعتداءات على مؤسسات الدولة، وقضايا المدنيين المهجّرين، إلى جانب تسريع واستكمال عمليات…

— Mazloum Abdî مظلوم عبدي (@MazloumAbdi) August 13, 2026

On August 10, six Kurdish families returned to their homes in Ras Al-Ain (Serekaniye) and found families from outside Al-Hasakah province living in them. Internal security forces intervened to contain the dispute and address it through official procedures, according to a Shafaq News correspondent.

Damascus and the SDF had announced a ceasefire and phased integration agreement on January 30, providing for SDF military and administrative structures to be incorporated into Syrian state institutions and for government security forces to deploy in Al-Hasakah and Qamishli.

Mustafa Abdi, a member of the Syrian parliament and the presidential delegation overseeing the integration agreement, previously told Shafaq News that four SDF brigades had joined the Syrian army and thousands of personnel had entered the Internal Security Forces. The two sides also released more than 1,000 detainees, while Damascus took control of prisons and integrated departments covering health, religious endowments, postal services, agriculture, and water, as well as oil wells and border crossings.

Shafaq News- Abu Dhabi

Two ADNOC vessels were attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, with no injuries reported and the situation brought under control, the company announced.

The UAE Foreign Ministry blamed Iran for the attack, calling it a “flagrant violation” of UN Security Council Resolution 2817, which “strongly” condemns Iran’s missile and drone strikes against Gulf Cooperation Council states and Jordan.

Abu Dhabi called on Iran to halt the attacks, cease hostilities, and allow the “complete and unconditional” reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

الإمارات تُدين بأشد العبارات استهداف ناقلتين تابعتين لأدنوك أثناء عبورهما مضيق هرمزUAE Strongly Condemns Targeting of Two ADNOC Vessels While Transiting Strait of Hormuz pic.twitter.com/dGL9pt8RaW

— MoFA وزارة الخارجية (@mofauae) August 13, 2026

On August 8, the UAE also accused Iran of targeting another ADNOC-affiliated vessel with a missile while it crossed the strait, with no injuries reported, bringing the total to 16 attacks on the company’s vessels while transiting Hormuz since the war began, killing one crew member and injuring 20.

The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, after which Tehran effectively shut the strait. A June interim agreement provided for a cessation of military operations, the reopening of Hormuz, and the lifting of the US blockade while Washington and Tehran pursued a broader deal, but Trump later declared the arrangement “over.” A senior Iranian source told Reuters on August 12 that mediation efforts to revive the agreement had made “absolutely no progress.”

Shipping through the waterway remains far below pre-war levels, with Kpler tracking eight vessels through Hormuz on Tuesday, compared with a 10-day average of about 12 and roughly 130 to 140 daily before the war began.

Read more: Iran-Oman plan could reshape Strait of Hormuz shipping

Shafaq News- Cairo

A cylinder explosion at a shopping mall in New Cairokilled three people and injured 17 others on Thursday, sparking a fire thatspread to a neighboring restaurant, Egyptian media reported.

Preliminary investigations traced the blast atArabella Plaza to a helium cylinder inside a ground-floor gift shop. CivilProtection teams evacuated shoppers and employees and brought the flames undercontrol, while security forces cordoned off the mall.

صور جديدة لآثار حريق ضخم فى مطعم بأحد المولات بالتجمعhttps://t.co/TJJhqW8y5H

— اليوم السابع (@youm7) August 13, 2026

Authorities are investigating the circumstancessurrounding the explosion and assessing the damage.

Shafaq News- Beirut

Israeli military said on Thursday it destroyed a building belonging to Hezbollah and found RPG rounds and other weapons during operations in southern Lebanon.

قذائف RPG ووسائل قتالية عديدة: قوات جيش الدفاع عثرت على وسائل قتالية عديدة في المنطقة الأمنية في جنوب لبنان🔸تواصل قوات الفرقة 91 نشاطها لتطهير المنطقة الأمنية في جنوب لبنان.🔸أمس (الأربعاء)، وخلال نشاط القوات في منطقة مراح العقبة، عثرت قوات اللواء 55 على مبنى مفخخ تابع… pic.twitter.com/4GS0PdpLVb

— Lieutenant Colonel Ella Waweya | إيلا واوية (@CaptainElla1) August 13, 2026

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz earlier today said Israel would not withdraw from southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed and what he described as the group’s threat across Lebanon is removed. He also ordered the military to prepare for an “extended presence” until that goal is achieved.

Meanwhile, a US State Department official told Reuters that a permanent Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon would be inconsistent with commitments under the June 26 US-brokered framework, which links Israel’s progressive withdrawal to verified disarmament of non-state armed groups and Lebanese army control of the south.

Hezbollah has rejected discussing its weapons before an Israeli withdrawal.

Shafaq News- Sanaa

Yemen’s Houthis (Ansarallah) on Thursday carried out a two-drone attack on Saudi Aramco’s 400,000-barrel-per-day Jazan refinery, their second claimed strike on the facility in five days.

The Houthi-run Sabaa News Agency quoted a military source as saying the operation was retaliation for “Saudi violations of Yemeni airspace and sovereignty in Saada and Hajjah provinces.”

Saudi Arabia has yet to comment.

The Houthis also claimed a drone attack on the refinery on August 9. Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry reported a fire at the facility that day, which was “extinguished without injuries,” but did not identify the cause.

On July 20, the group declared a maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia and has since announced attacks on Saudi-linked tankers, Yanbu facilities and the Jazan refinery. Aramco has postponed the refinery’s restart to August 30 after Houthi attacks in recent weeks, according to industry monitor IIR cited by Reuters.

Cargo tracking platform Vortexa stated that all Yanbu loadings last week were carried out with Automatic Identification System signals switched off because of the attack risk, while Kpler estimated that about 70% of Saudi west coast loadings in recent weeks had “gone dark.”

Shafaq News- Gaza/ West Bank

Israeli military operations and settler attacks continued across Gaza and the West Bank on Thursday, as Gaza’s Health Ministry put the Palestinian death toll since October 2023 at 73,389, with 174,266 injured.

In Gaza City, Palestinian media outlets reported that Jamal Abu Kamil, director of police in Gaza, was killed in an Israeli strike on a vehicle in the Sheikh Ajlin neighborhood.

#عاجل | وزارة الداخلية في غزة تعلن اغتيال مدير شرطة محافظة غزة في استهداف الاحتلال مركبته في شارع الرشيد https://t.co/gv9eLlCbzr

— التلفزيون العربي (@AlarabyTV) August 13, 2026

In the West Bank, Israeli forces carried out raids and arrests in several areas, while separate attacks by Israeli settlers targeted Palestinian communities. In Qusra, south of Nablus, Israeli forces deployed amid an ongoing confrontation involving settlers and Palestinian residents. Palestinian media reported that several families had been surrounded by settlers, restricting their access to supplies. Israeli forces also conducted arrest operations in Qalqilya and other West Bank areas, according to Palestinian media outlets.

قوات الاحتلال تواصل اقتحام بلدة قُصرة جنوب نابلس. pic.twitter.com/nBOCflBiRD

— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) August 13, 2026

Near Bethlehem, settlers attacked Palestinian property in Minya, with Palestinian reports saying more than 100 sheep were stolen and over 100 olive trees uprooted. Two Palestinians were reported injured.

Separately, a Palestinian family in Al-Jalazone refugee camp near Ramallah was forced to leave a four-story building housing three families ahead of its planned demolition by Israeli authorities.

In the northern West Bank, settlers moved to re-establish the Ganim settlement east of Jenin, two decades after Israel evacuated it under its 2005 disengagement. Israeli forces restricted access to the area as Israeli officials attended activities at the site.

Illegal Jewish settlers re-establish Ganim settlement 21 years after Israel's 2005 withdrawal——▪️Illegal Jewish settlers on Thursday re-established the Ganim settlement on privately owned Palestinian land east of Jenin, 21 years after it was evacuated under Israel's 2005… pic.twitter.com/aW81Qyuy3U

— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) August 13, 2026

Last month, Hamas and other Palestinian factions agreed to a draft framework for gradually placing weapons in Gaza under Palestinian control, linking the process to Israeli withdrawal, reconstruction, and a broader political settlement for the enclave. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, ruled out withdrawing Israeli troops until Hamas fully disarms and dismantles its military infrastructure, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir rejected the proposed framework, calling for Israel to continue its military campaign in Gaza while encouraging Palestinian emigration.

Shafaq News- Beirut

Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa said Thursday that the army hadbeen prevented from presenting its position during the parliamentary sessionthat approved a general amnesty law, though the exclusion would not stop themilitary from performing its role.

Read more: Lebanon Parliament approves sweeping General Amnesty Law

In a statement, Menassa described the army as the country's lastremaining source of trust, not a political instrument, saying the military is"not a party to a dispute nor a card to be used and discarded."

Parliament passed the amnesty law on Wednesday after amending several ofits provisions. Two blocs walked out over Menassa's absence: the Free PatrioticMovement, a major Christian party, and Hezbollah, a Shiite political party, andthe minister left the chamber before the vote.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he had not barred Menassa fromattending. The minister had prepared remarks on the amnesty proposal, Salamsaid, but was told the prime minister would speak for the government when theitem came up, under Article 64 of the constitution, which names the primeminister as the government's spokesman. The two withdrawing blocs countered byinvoking Article 67, which entitles ministers to address parliament at theirrequest.

At the center of the dispute was how the law treats detainees accused ofattacking or killing members of the armed forces. The army opposed extendingamnesty to those convicted of killing soldiers, an issue that had dividedlawmakers for years over whether such cases should qualify.

بيان صادر عن وزير الدفاع الوطني———————-أعتذرُ يا أهالي الشهداء، يا من قدّمتم للوطن فلذاتِ الأكباد،أعتذرُ لأنني وقفتُ أمامَ وجعكم، ولم أملكْ ما يوازي عظمةَ التضحيات.أعتذرُ لأن دماءَ أبنائكم أمانةٌ في أعناقنا،ولأنني لم أستطعْ أن أحميَ حقَّهم كما يستحقون،ولم أستطعْ أن أرفعَ… pic.twitter.com/bTeStFTYEO

— Ministry of Defense (@LebanonDefense) August 13, 2026

Shafaq News- Beirut

Lebanon and Israel have agreed to nominate Britain, Italy,Switzerland, and Indonesia as potential contributors to a proposed mechanismthat could deploy foreign troops to Lebanon to verify Hezbollah’s disarmament, sourcestold Reuters on Wednesday.

The countries could help shape the process, providepersonnel to oversee its implementation, or send troops to observe or take partin inspections of Hezbollah’s disarmament. Discussions remain at an earlystage, the sources stated.

Switzerland’s Foreign Ministry told Reuters it is exploringways to support “various stabilization processes” but provided no details.Britain said expressed readiness to support efforts to reduce tensions and promotelong-term security, particularly in southern Lebanon.

The proposed mechanism forms part of a US-mediated agreementreached by Lebanon and Israel in late June linking Israeli troop “redeployment”to Hezbollah’s disarmament. It was discussed during three days of talks in Romelast week, where the two sides began drafting a new border security agreement,shortlisted potential monitoring parties, and considered seeking a new UNSecurity Council resolution to provide an international framework after UNIFIL.

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

Shafaq News-Gaza

The Israelimilitary on Wednesday carried out an airstrike targeting aHamas cell commander in northern Gaza, accusing him of planning attacks againstIsraeli troops operating in the enclave.

The militaryadded that troops under the Southern Command remain deployed in the area andwould continue acting against what it considers immediate threats.

It providedno information on the targeted commander’s identity or condition. Hamas has yetto comment on the Israeli account.

جيش الدفاع يهاجم قائد خلية من منظمة حماس الإرهابية في شمال قطاع غزة، خطط لتنفيذ مخططات إرهابية ضد قوات جيش الدفاع⭕️هاجم جيش الدفاع قبل قليل قائد خلية من منظمة حماس الإرهابية في شمال قطاع غزة.⭕️خطط الإرهابي لتنفيذ مخططات إرهابية ضد قوات جيش الدفاع العاملة في قطاع غزة. وقد تم… pic.twitter.com/jNP1r8k7pw

— Lieutenant Colonel Ella Waweya | إيلا واوية (@CaptainElla1) August 12, 2026

Since theceasefire took effect on October 11, 2025, the Gaza Health Ministry hasrecorded 1,259 deaths and 4,146 injuries, along with 807 bodies recovered,bringing the cumulative toll since October 7, 2023, to 73,387 killed and174,257 injured.

Last month,Hamas and other Palestinian factions agreed to a draft framework for graduallyplacing weapons in Gaza under Palestinian control, linking the process toIsraeli withdrawal, reconstruction, and a broader political settlement for theenclave. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, ruled outwithdrawing Israeli troops until Hamas fully disarms and dismantles itsmilitary infrastructure, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir rejectedthe proposed framework, calling for Israel to continue its military campaign inGaza while encouraging Palestinian emigration.

Shafaq News- Damascus

Syria submitted a letter to UN Secretary-General AntonioGuterres and the UN Security Council president on Wednesday, protestingColombia's recognition of “Israeli sovereignty” over the occupied Syrian GolanHeights.

Israel has occupied parts of the Golan since the 1967 warand annexed the territory in 1981, a move rejected by the internationalcommunity except the United States.

According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Syria'sPermanent Representative to the United Nations, Ibrahim Olabi, delivered themessage, with Damascus arguing that Bogota's decision violated the UN Charterand Security Council Resolution 497 of 1981. It maintained that the recognitioncarried no legal effect or change to the Golan's status as occupied Syrianterritory, citing a December 2025 UN resolution backed by 123 countries andaccusing Israel of continued attacks and incursions.

Damascus expressed readiness for consultations with Colombiato clarify its position and urged it to reverse the decision.

Syria had condemned the Colombian Foreign Ministry’sposition on August 11, asserting that the Golan Heights are an integral part ofSyria. Several Arab countries have also rejected Colombia’s recognition,including Iraq. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, said theterritories are “Israeli land” and that retaining control is vital to nationalsecurity.

The European Union reaffirmed to SANA that it does notrecognize “Israeli sovereignty” over the Golan, citing international law and UNSecurity Council Resolutions 242 and 497. It also called on Israel to respectthe demilitarized buffer zone and the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, whilerenewing support for the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF).

الاتحاد الأوروبي لـ سانا: ▪ نجدد التأكيد أنه، وتماشياً مع القانون الدولي وقراري مجلس الأمن التابع للأمم المتحدة 242 و497 فإن الاتحاد لا يعترف بسيادة إسرائيل على الجولان السوري المحتل.▪ ندعو إسرائيل إلى احترام المنطقة العازلة منزوعة السلاح في الجولان السوري والالتزام بأحكام… pic.twitter.com/XzNKvc5RDj

— الوكالة العربية السورية للأنباء - سانا (@Sana__gov) August 12, 2026

During a visit to Damascus last month, UN Secretary-GeneralAntonio Guterres called for an end to Israeli violations of Syria’s sovereigntyand territorial integrity.

Shafaq News- Sanaa/ Aden

Forces loyal to Yemen’sinternationally recognized government carried out a drone attack on Houthigatherings in Al-Dhalea province on Wednesday and intercepted four Houthidrones north of Marib, according to Arab media citing the Yemeni military.

The strike targeted gatherings westof Qaatabah, killing an unspecified number of Houthi fighters.

Houthi-run media, meanwhile,reported Saudi artillery shelling in several areas of Al-Dhahir, a Yemeniborder district adjoining Saudi Arabia, without providing further details.

Yemen's Houthi (Ansarallah) movementon Tuesday claimed responsibility for ballistic missile and drone attacks on Saudimilitary concentrations, weapons depots, and command centers in Marib province,confirming “dozens of deaths and injuries.”

The same day, Yemen’sinternationally recognized government Coast Guard reported that six people werekilled and 10 wounded when Houthi missiles struck the commercial vessel Tihamain the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, a strategic waterway connecting the Red Sea andthe Gulf of Aden. Houthi military media acknowledged targeting a vessel in thestrait, noting that it was carrying Saudi military equipment, while PakistaniForeign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar confirmed that three Pakistani nationalswere killed in an attack on a commercial vessel in the Red Sea, describingHouthi actions as a serious threat to navigation, maritime security, andshipping traffic.

Shafaq News- Beirut

Lebanon's parliament approved the General Amnesty Lawon Wednesday that could reduce sentences for thousands of prisoners and lead tothe release of many, in the country's broadest such measure since the end ofits 1975–1990 civil war, according to the parliamentary session's proceedings.

The law is intended primarily to ease severeovercrowding in Lebanon's prisons, which hold roughly 8,600 inmates, and toaddress prolonged pretrial detention. Lebanese media estimated the measurecould affect around 3,000 detainees, including people held for years without afinal verdict.

The amnesty applies to certain offenses committedbefore March 1 and covers drug-related cases, misdemeanors, felonies, anddetainees held on Islamist militancy charges. It excludes a set of seriouscrimes, including premeditated murder, rape, human trafficking, corruption, andthe financing of terrorism, and it ties eligibility in killing cases to theconsent of victims' families.

The vote took place during a session marked by thewalkout of two major blocs. The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), one of the twolargest Christian parties in parliament, led by Jibran Basil, and Hezbollah'sLoyalty to the Resistance bloc, led by Mohamad Raad, withdrew over a disputeconcerning Defense Minister Michel Menassa, according to Lebanese media.

مغادرة وزير الدفاع مجلس النواب بعد عدم السماح له بإلقاء كلمة في مجلس النواب pic.twitter.com/d6TUM1FQY7

— Al Jadeed News (@ALJADEEDNEWS) August 12, 2026

The dispute concerned whether Menassa could presentthe army's position on the legislation. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam had objectedduring Tuesday's proceedings, maintaining that the prime minister speaks forthe government under Article 64 of the constitution. Salam later denied barringMenassa from the chamber, saying he had told the minister that the government'sstance would be delivered by the prime minister when the bill was debated.

Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab rejected framing thedisagreement in sectarian terms, describing the amnesty as a politicalagreement meant to turn the page and calling for remaining injustices to becorrected through retrials.

The amnesty is among the most sensitive files inLebanese politics because of disagreement over who should benefit. Families ofIslamist detainees, some accused of attacking the Lebanese army in clashes inthe northern city of Tripoli, have protested for years demanding their release.Families of soldiers killed in those attacks have protested against the law,arguing that perpetrators would receive reduced terms.

The measure was part of a two-day legislative agenda.On Tuesday, parliament abolished the death penalty, making Lebanon the firstMiddle Eastern country to do so, and adopted a new media law.

Lebanon last enacted a broad amnesty in 1991,following the civil war, which allowed many wartime offenses to go unpunishedand enabled former militia leaders to enter political life. It would be thecountry's eighth amnesty since independence.

Shafaq News- Gaza

For nearly a year and a half, the Al-Deeb family haslived in a small room at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza after anIsraeli airstrike wounded six family members. Five of them still requirespecialized treatment unavailable inside the enclave, yet their medicalreferrals remain pending.

The room has become their home. Mattresses cover thefloor, medicine boxes sit beside folded clothes, and the hospital corridorshave replaced the streets where the children once played. Every morning beginswith changing bandages, while each evening ends without the call confirmingthat they can finally leave Gaza for care.

Before the war, Yasser Al-Deeb worked as a pharmacist,delivering medicines across central Gaza. Like thousands of displaced families,they moved repeatedly between Rafah, Khan Younis, and Deir al-Balah before anIsraeli strike hit the tent where they had taken shelter.

The attack transformed every aspect of the family’slife, Al-Deeb told Shafaq News, noting that he suffered burns to his foot andlost 30% of his hearing, while his wife lost both feet after severe burns andstill carries shrapnel in her brain. Unable to work or care for their childrenas they once did, the couple now spend every day watching their sons wait forprocedures unavailable in Gaza.

Read more: Two years of Israeli war leave Gaza in ruins

Their children suffered the worst injuries. Mohammed,12, lost part of his skull and now needs reconstructive surgery; 16-year-oldAmr lost one eye and still needs brain, facial, and eye surgery; Ahmed, nowfour, continues to recover from shrapnel wounds to both legs, while another sonis living with burns and a fractured leg.

For Al-Deeb, every injury carries the same unansweredquestion: when will treatment finally come?

Every consultation ends the same way, Al-Deebexplained. Doctors tell him that Gaza’s hospitals cannot perform theneurosurgery, reconstructive procedures, and specialized eye operations hischildren need. Although four medical referrals were issued after evacuationsresumed, none has been activated.

“The hardest part isn’t our injuries. It’s when mylittle son asks to go outside and see the sea. I can’t walk properly, and hismother can’t move either. Even the simplest wishes of our children have becomebeyond our reach.”

At Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Al-Deeb’s story is nolonger unusual. “Their case represents hundreds of wounded people whoseinjuries are beyond what Gaza’s healthcare system can treat,” hospitalspokesperson Dr. Khalil Al-Daqran told Shafaq News, clarifying that hospitalscontinue to receive patients with complex trauma requiring highly specializedsurgery, while shortages of medicines, surgical supplies, and medical equipmenthave sharply reduced the care available inside the enclave.

Al-Deeb’s children are among thousands of patientswaiting for treatment beyond Gaza’s borders. According to the United NationsOffice for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the World HealthOrganization (WHO), more than 18,500 patients, including around 3,800 children,were still awaiting urgent medical evacuation as of March 2026. Yet fewer than12% of referral requests submitted during the first half of 2025 were approved,one of the lowest rates recorded since 2014.

Receiving a referral is only the beginning forfamilies like the Al-Deeb. Crossing closures and security restrictions continueto delay access to specialized treatment outside Gaza, while shortages ofmedicines and medical supplies leave many patients waiting with fewalternatives inside the enclave.

Al-Deeb no longer speaks about returning to the lifehis family once knew. His concern now is far simpler: getting his children theoperations doctors say could change their future. Until that call comes, themattresses spread across the hospital room, the medicine boxes stacked againstthe wall, and the corridors where his children now spend their days remain theclosest thing the family has to home.

Read more: Gaza’s forgotten wounded: A society rebuilt on crutches

ShafaqNews- Sanaa

Yemen'sHouthi (Ansarallah) movement on Tuesday struck several Saudi militaryconcentrations, weapons depots and command centers in Marib province, the group's military spokesperson Yahya Saree stated, confirming “direct hits.”

Theoperation involved a large number of ballistic missiles and drones, "causing dozens of deaths and injuries."

Sareealso urged “deceived and misled Yemenis” to abandon “the path of collaborationand treason” before it was too late, vowing to continue targeting ‘’Saudimilitary positions.’’

تمكنت القوات المسلحة اليمنية بعون الله من استهداف تحشيدات العدو السعودي ومخازن أسلحته ومقار قياداته في منطقة المخا و معسكر تداوين في محافظة مأرب وذلك بعدد كبير من الصواريخ الباليستية والطائرات المسيرة وكانت الإصابات دقيقة بفضل الله وخلفت عشرات القتلى والجرحى بينهم سعوديون.إن…

— العميد يحيى سريع (@Yahya_Saree) August 11, 2026

Thestrikes marked the second attack attributed to Ansarallah on Tuesday. Earlier,Yemen's internationally recognized government Coast Guard reported that sixpeople were killed and 10 others wounded when Houthi missiles struck thecommercial vessel Tihama in the Bab Al-Mandab Strait.

Shafaq News- Tehran

Iran will keep the Strait of Hormuz closed unless the United States accepts Tehran’s conditions, including ending the war and releasing frozen Iranian funds, newly appointed Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei stated on Tuesday.

Rezaei said any agreement with Oman over passage through the strait would be separate from reopening it, adding that mediators had conveyed Iran’s conditions to Washington.

If the blockade continues, American vessels and forces will face serious risks and casualties. The U.S. must change its behavior — or we will not tolerate this. We will never permit the opening of a second corridor in the Strait of Hormuz.

— محسن رضایی (@ir_rezaee) August 3, 2026

On August 7, a US official told Reuters that Washington expected an agreement soon and would lift its blockade of Iranian ports once a deal restoring commercial navigation was announced and implemented. Rezaei, however, warned that continued US enforcement of the blockade would expose American vessels and forces to “serious risks and casualties.”

“We will never allow the opening of a second corridor in the Strait of Hormuz,” he added.

Only six vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, compared with a 10-day average of about 11 and a pre-war norm of roughly 130 to 140 vessels. US Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed to have redirected 55 commercial vessels, disabled two, and boarded two others as of August 9 while enforcing Washington’s naval blockade against Iran, while Tehran also upholds its closure of the waterway.

Rezaei was appointed secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council on August 10 by President Masoud Pezeshkian, replacing Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei also named him as his representative on the council.

Shafaq News- Damascus

Two members of Syria’s Qamishli Brigade, recentlyintegrated into the Defense Ministry from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF),were killed and others wounded in an armed attack south of Qamishli on Tuesdayevening, a Syrian security source told Shafaq News.

Gunmen on motorcycles fired RPG rounds at a brigadeposition in Tawil Harb village, south of Qamishli in Al-Hasakah province. Thesource said the attackers approached from areas where fighters associated withArab tribes are active but did not identify those responsible.

On July 22, armed members of some Arab tribes inAl-Hasakah province began setting up “war tents” and threatened escalation overthe SDF integration process, according to Syrian media.

Damascus and the SDF reached a comprehensive ceasefireand phased integration agreement on January 29, providing for troop withdrawalsfrom contact lines, Interior Ministry deployments in Al-Hasakah and Qamishli,and the incorporation of local security structures into state institutions. Themilitary plan calls for a new northeastern division incorporating three SDFbrigades, alongside a separate Kobani brigade attached to an Aleppo-baseddivision.

Implementation remains unsettled, with unresolvedissues including the integration of SDF fighters, heavy weapons, oil fields andthe Semalka crossing with Iraq.

Shafaq News- Aden

Six people were killed and 10 others were wounded onTuesday when Houthi missiles hit the commercial vessel Tihama in the BabAl-Mandab Strait, Yemen’s internationally recognized government Coast Guardreported.

In a statement, the Coast Guard said the fatalities includedthree Pakistani and one Indonesian crew member, along with two members of theYemeni Armed Forces’ Second Naval Brigade. Seven sailors and three Yemenipersonnel were injured.

The barrage set the Tihama, IMO number 1031329, ablazeand caused extensive damage before a subsequent hit during evacuation effortscaused casualties among rescuers assisting the 11-member crew, the Coast Guardadded, noting that about three hours later, Yemeni forces destroyed anexplosive unmanned boat before it reached the Tihama.

Houthi-run military media acknowledged targeting avessel in Bab Al-Mandab, claiming it was carrying Saudi military equipment, butgave no casualty figures.

نفذت القوات المسلحة اليمنية عملية استهداف لسفينة نقل معدات عسكرية سعودية في باب المندب

— الإعلام الحربي اليمني (@MMY1444) August 11, 2026