August 02, 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 formatSubscribeAugust 02, 2026UpdatesReport: Gulf states urged Trump to de-escalate hours before he called off strikes Several Gulf countries urged U.S. President Donald Trump to pursue talks with Iran, hours before Trump ordered a halt to military preparations to strike Iran extensively, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter. Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke with Trump on Saturday and urged the president to engage in dialogue, the report said. According to the report, mediators in the region presented new proposals for a cease-fire, urging the sides to de-escalate tensions. Iranian officials reacted positively to a Qatari proposal presented Saturday, The Journal said. Read the full articleIDF says it killed armed Palestinians in Gaza The Israeli military said Sunday its forces killed armed Palestinian militants affiliated with the "Army of Islam" and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in a series of strikes Saturday. IRGC vows to avenge Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on second anniversary of his deathIran's Revolutionary Guard said Sunday it would avenge the deaths of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Hamas Chairman Ismail Haniyeh in a statement commemorating the second anniversary of the Hamas leader's death. Workers install a banner showing a portrait of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, which reads in Farsi and Hebrew: "Wait for severe punishment," in Tehran, Iran, 2024. Credit: Vahid Salemi/APWorkers install a banner showing a portrait of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, which reads in Farsi and Hebrew: "Wait for severe punishment," in Tehran, Iran, 2024. Credit: Vahid Salemi/AP"The response to these great crimes will be severe and decisive," the statement said. According ot the IRGC, attempts to disarm Hamas will fail, vowing that the "final victory of Palestine against the occupiers is closer than the enemies imagine." 10 hours ago16-year-old Palestinian detained, held in isolation, handcuffed during hospitalizationA 16-year-old Palestinian detainee was hospitalized in isolation for a week, while handcuffed, after his health had deteriorated in Israeli custody.Ofer Prison Credit: Alex LevacOfer Prison Credit: Alex LevacThe teen was held in Ofer Prison on suspicion of a security-related offence, and he was hospitalized in a severe condition at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem. A source familiar with the details said prison staff refused to remove the teen's restraints, even though he was unconscious.Over the weekend, the High Court of Justice instructed the Israel Prison Service and the Civil Administration, Israel's governing body in the West Bank, to allow the detainee's parents to enter Israel from the West Bank and visit him in the hospital. Following the High Court hearing, authorities decided to release the minor from detention.Read the full articleRECAP: Iran plans to keep control of Strait of Hormuz as long as U.S. hostilities continue, Fars reportsHere are Sunday's latest updates:■ Iran is planning to maintain its control of the Strait of Hormuz for as long as the United States continues to carry out hostile actions against the country, an Iranian military official told IRGC-linked Fars News.■ Iranian military sources denied U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that Tehran had asked Washington to halt its strikes, calling it "a new lie" and "a desperate attempt" to pressure Gulf states, according to Iran's Mehr news agency.■ Tehran views ‌every threat from its adversaries ⁠as "real and ⁠credible" even if made as part of psychological warfare, Iran's acting ‌defense minister, ‌Majid Ibn al-Reza, said according to state media.■ Israel is demanding the freedom to strike areas of the Gaza Strip set to be handed over to a temporary International Stabilization Force under the emerging agreement between Hamas and U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, a source familiar with the matter told Haaretz.■ One person was killed and several were wounded in an Israeli drone strike in northern Gaza's Jabalya refugee camp, medics said.■ The IDF said it killed two Hamas commanders in the Gaza Strip over the weekend, including one who participated in the attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7.■ Fourteen Israeli soldiers serving at the Sde Teiman base in southern Israel were sentenced Friday to 30 days in prison and removed from combat duty after leaving the base without authorization on Thursday.Iran is not planning to reopen Hormuz as long as hostile U.S. actions continue, Fars News saysIran has no plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's IRGC-linked Fars News reported.Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz are visible near the beach of Bandar Abbas, Iran, May. Credit: Majid-Asgaripour/ REUTERSVessels in the Strait of Hormuz are visible near the beach of Bandar Abbas, Iran, May. Credit: Majid-Asgaripour/ REUTERSAccording to the report, a military source told the outlet that as long as the United States continues to carry out hostile actions against Iran, the Strait will remain closed and ships will only be able to transit through an agreed-upon route after receiving permission from the IRGC navy.In the NewsIsraeli Court Issues Injunction Freezing Ben-Gvir's 'Alligator Alcatraz' PlanReport: Gulf States Urged Trump to De-escalate Before He Called Off StrikesTop Court Says Tel Aviv Schools for Foreign Children Create Racial SegregationNetanyahu Needs Israelis to Live in Fear, Lest They Start Thinking RationallyLikud Circulates Alleged Netanyahu Quotes Distancing Himself From Haredi AlliesRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIThis Israeli ultra-Orthodox Feminist Activist Has a Warning for U.S. JewsNetanyahu Says Israel Has 'Special Forces' Ready if He's Arrested on NY VisitTwo Female Israeli Soldiers Die by Suicide as IDF Mental Health Crisis DeepensDozens of IDF Soldiers Desert Sde Teiman Base in Protest of CommanderTrump's Irritation, Netanyahu's Desperation: Oval Office Smiles Mask Rifts'I Tried, I Got Crushed by AIPAC': Andy Levin Is All-in for El-Sayed