LiveLive Updates July 31, 2026Share to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeJuly 31, 2026UpdatesHamas agrees to hand over weapons to Board of Peace if Israel halts attacks, negotiator saysPalestinian Hamas militants in December. Credit: Omar Al-Qattaa/AFPPalestinian Hamas militants in December. Credit: Omar Al-Qattaa/AFPA member of Hamas' negotiating team said the group agreed to hand over its weapons for storage in a facility run by the U.S.-backed transitional government, adding that the handover is contingent on Israel stopping its attacks and allowing humanitarian aid into the enclave.Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Hamas negotiator Ghazi Hamad said the group agreed to hand over its weapons to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, also known as the Gaza technocratic committee, but denied reports that Hamas agreed to disarm."We didn't say disarmament, we didn't say handing over the weapons, and we didn't agree on any Israeli involvement," Hamad said, according to The Wall Street Journal.Iran struck U.S. 'strategic facilities' in Kuwait airbase, state media saysFootage released by the Iranian military and published by state media showing an attack drone being launched at a U.S. airbase in Kuwait on Friday.Footage released by the Iranian military and published by state media showing an attack drone being launched at a U.S. airbase in Kuwait on Friday.The Iranian military said it launched attack drones at a U.S. airbase in Kuwait, striking "strategic facilities" in response to recent U.S. strikes on Iran, the country's Fars News Agency reported.Iran said its drones struck fortified U.S. aircraft hangers, satellite communication systems and equipment at Kuwait's Ahmed al-Jaber Airbase, which "plays a major role in U.S. air and surveillance operations," saying Washington has censored reports on U.S. casualties.Tehran said the strike came in response to "recent attacks by the terrorist U.S. army ... and the brutal attack on a residential building on Qeshm Island."Dahlan-linked network reveals details of Trump's Gaza peace planThe Al-Ghad television channel, which broadcasts from Egypt and is affiliated with Mohammed Dahlan, reported early Friday that it has obtained the draft "road map" implementing U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan for the Gaza Strip.According to the report, implementation of the agreement will begin within 14 days of its approval by all parties and is contingent on the completion of all cease-fire obligations and a total halt to Israeli military activity before moving to the next stage.According to the draft, during the transition period, all civil and security authorities in Gaza will be transferred to the national committee for the management of the Gaza Strip, which will be responsible for operating state institutions, providing public services and conducting a comprehensive audit of the financial and administrative systems in Gaza.See full story.Hamas: No disarmament prior to Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza StripGhazi Hamad, member of Hamas Political Office, in 2023. Credit: Alaa Al-Marjani / ReutersGhazi Hamad, member of Hamas Political Office, in 2023. Credit: Alaa Al-Marjani / ReutersA Hamas source says that the "draft agreement" announced Thursday by U.S President DOnald Trump stipulates that heavy weapons would only be stored and kept under the control of a Palestinian administration, and the weapons cannot be transferred to Israel."We will not take any action regarding disarmament prior to Israel's withdrawal from the Strip," Ghazi Hamad, a member of the Hamas negotiating team, told Al Jazeera.See full story.6 hours agoTrump announces 'historic' Gaza disarmament deal and new Palestinian governmentPresident Donald Trump speaks during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, in Washington, in February, 2026. Credit: Mark Schiefelbein/APPresident Donald Trump speaks during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, in Washington, in February, 2026. Credit: Mark Schiefelbein/APU.S. President Donald Trump announced Thursday that an agreement has been reached that he says will result in the complete disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups in the Gaza Strip, as part of what he called "a monumental step toward ending the fighting."In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the agreement will be implemented in phases, under which IDF forces will gradually withdraw as the disarmament process is completed. He also wrote that an International Stabilization Force, alongside a new Palestinian police force, will assume responsibility for security in the Strip.Trump added that Gaza will be transferred to the management of a new Palestinian government that will work, he said, in close cooperation with the Board of Peace, and that Israel will receive security once Gaza is no longer used as a base for terror attacks. He wrote that "the threat that emerged from Gaza on October 7 will not be allowed to rebuild."See full story.IDF says its has destroyed an Iran-funded Hezbollah tunnel network in LebanonThe IDF says that it destroyed a Hezbollah tunnel network in the Beaufort area on Thursday night, dismantling an underground stronghold built over two decades.The military said the complex served as a central headquarters for the organization's Bader Unit, which used the infrastructure to launch drones, UAVs and missiles toward Israel. According to the military, the strategic network "was planned and funded by the Iranian terrorist regime.""The tunnel network constitutes a strategic Hezbollah stronghold, consisting of several underground levels that were built over the course of two decades. The tunnel network posed a threat to the residents of northern Israel and IDF soldiers, as it was located just 6 kilometers away from the area of Metula and the Galilee Panhandle," the IDF said in its statement.In a joint statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said that, "this forceful operation was carried out at this time following yesterday's blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement by the Hezbollah terror organization. The State of Israel will not accept any violation of the ceasefire agreement. Any attempt by Hezbollah to harm IDF forces or Israeli civilians will be met with a harsh, powerful response that will exact a heavy price from the terror organization."An infographic published by the IDF showing a Hezbollah tunnel network in Lebanon. Credit: IDF Spokesperson's UnitAn infographic published by the IDF showing a Hezbollah tunnel network in Lebanon. Credit: IDF Spokesperson's UnitRECAP: Six killed in Israeli strikes on GazaHere are Friday's latest updates:■ Mediators and representatives of the Board of Peace are advancing a proposal that would place all weapons in the Gaza Strip under the "full control" of a Palestinian technocratic committee, a diplomatic source involved in talks with Hamas in Cairo told Haaretz.■ The death toll in the Gaza Strip rose to six after one Palestinian was killed in a drone strike and a woman died from wounds sustained earlier. Medics and Palestinian media reported four Palestinian deaths in strikes across Gaza, including an 8-year-old child and an 18-month-old child.■ Three members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were killed in U.S. strikes on Iran's northern Zanjan Province, Iranian state media reported.■ Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi ⁠urged Bulgaria to ‌reconsider its decision to allow the temporary deployment of ‌U.S. military aircraft at the Bezmer air base, Iranian state media ⁠reported.■ Saudi Arabia announced a military alliance with 14 countries aimed at protecting shipping in the Red Sea and around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait following attacks on its vessels.■ The Israeli military said it shot at a Palestinian driver after he accelerated toward troops and failed to heed calls to stop the vehicle.In the NewsHow the Push for Torah Rule Hijacked Israel's Secular RightLiving With 'Gaza Syndrome': Trauma That Renews Itself Every DayThe Palestinian Business Sector Took the Allenby Crossing to the High Court'I've Had Studnets Who Crossed Over to the Dark Side. The Money Is Tempting'Details of Gaza Peace Plan Revealed by TV Network Linked to Palestinian OfficialRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMINetanyahu Says Israel Has 'Special Forces' Ready if He's Arrested on NY VisitAl Jazeera Reportedly Ends Contracts of Over 20 Gazan JournalistsTwo Female Israeli Soldiers Die by Suicide as IDF Mental Health Crisis DeepensWith the West Bank Primed to Explode, Israel's Government Sees an OpportunityTrump's Irritation, Netanyahu's Desperation: Oval Office Smiles Mask RiftsIsrael's De Facto Strategy Is Exposed in Latest West Bank Settler Violence