August 20, 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 20, 2026UpdatesIsrael strikes, shells southern Lebanon, Al Mayadeen reportsIsraeli aircraft struck the area of Kfar Roummane, near the strategic Ali al-Taher Ridge in southern Lebanon, the country's Al Mayadeen channel reported.Ali al-Taher Ridge in southern Lebanon and the boundary of the IDF-occupied buffer zone.Ali al-Taher Ridge in southern Lebanon and the boundary of the IDF-occupied buffer zone.According to the channel, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, shelling was also reported in the area.Syria says no Turkish military build-up planned at airbase struck by IsraelSyrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said he made clear to Israel there were no plans to establish a Turkish military base at Abu al-Duhur airbase, which Israel struck on Tuesday, saying the site was being rehabilitated for use by the Syrian Air Force.Al-Shaibani said Turkish military officers had visited the base as part of training and broader military cooperation. He denied any Turkish military build-up, saying the facility was largely empty and not yet operational."There was no intention to establish a Turkish base there, nor to establish a permanent Turkish military presence or deploy Turkish forces at the site," Al-Shaibani said in an interview with Axios on Wednesday.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Israel warned Syria ahead of the strike not to allow a Turkish presence at the base."Our message was very clear. Don't. I guess they didn't quite understand the message," Netanyahu added.Al-Shaibani said Israel had no legitimate justification for the bombing. Syria remained open to negotiations with Israel on de-escalation, he said. The two sides had made significant progress toward a security agreement during a year of U.S.-mediated talks, but Israel later backed away from commitments and the agreement was not implemented, he added.Al-Shaibani said any future deal must address the security concerns of both sides and respect Syrian sovereignty, warning that continued Israeli military operations would increase regional instability.World Central Kitchen condemns IDF decision not to probe deadly Gaza strike that killed seven aid workersThe global humanitarian organization World Central Kitchen issued a condemnation of the IDF's decision not to open a criminal investigation into the April 2024 strike in Deir al‑Balah, in which seven of its employees were killed.In a statement released by the organization, it said: "We strongly condemn the Israeli military prosecutor's account of the deaths of our seven colleagues on April 1, 2024. And we fundamentally disagree with their decision about criminal investigations into the IDF airstrikes that killed our team."The organization added that "There has never been any excuse or justification for the attacks, and there is nothing in this account that does so. The decision is inconsistent with the full truth and deeply offensive."According to the statement, at the time of the lethal attacks, "the IDF knew that our team in Gaza was unarmed and posing a threat to nobody. It had full visual clarity on our clearly marked humanitarian vehicles during the extended, multiple airstrikes. It knew our team's movements, identities and activities in advance."The organization said that the military investigation "conflates different timelines and events, muddies the story and shifts the blame for the IDF's illegal conduct."We strongly condemn the Israeli military prosecutor’s account of the deaths of our seven colleagues on April 1, 2024. And we fundamentally disagree with their decision about criminal investigations into the IDF airstrikes that killed our team.