August 22, 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 22, 2026UpdatesIDF says it killed Hamas commander in central Gaza who posed 'immediate threat'The IDF said it killed Sharif al-Hasanat, a company commander in Hamas' Deir al-Balah Battalion, in a strike in central Gaza on Saturday.According to the military, al-Hasanat had taken part in efforts to restore Hamas' underground infrastructure during the war and had recently advanced attacks against Israeli troops and civilians. The IDF said he posed an "immediate threat" to its forces.The military added that it took measures to mitigate harm to civilians before the strike, including using precision munitions and aerial surveillance.Read the full articleReport: Britain weighs sanctions regime banning trade with Israeli settlementsThe United Kingdom is considering a new sanctions regime that would ban trade in goods and services with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, as Prime Minister Andrew Burnham's government weighs a tougher response to Israel's settlement policies.The possible measures are being considered after Israel advanced plans to build 1,200 settlement homes in the E1 area of the West Bank, according to Bloomberg, which cited people familiar with the discussions.Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announcing plans for E1 construction of settlements in West Bank, in July. Credit: Olivier FitoussiFinance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announcing plans for E1 construction of settlements in West Bank, in July. Credit: Olivier FitoussiForeign Secretary Ed Miliband is weighing several options to increase pressure on Israel, including banning the exchange of goods and services with settlements and expanding existing human rights sanctions to cover obstruction of humanitarian aid.Read the full article2 hours agoDefense Minister Katz: Israel warned Syria before striking airbase over Turkish threatIsraeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the IDF had repeatedly recommended striking Syria's Abu al-Duhur airbase after receiving intelligence that Turkey intended to conduct activities there that would endanger Israel's security.Katz said that after consultations with the IDF and other security officials, he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to first issue a direct warning to senior Syrian officials in an effort to prevent the activity. He added that the intelligence was also shared with U.S. officials.According to Katz, after Syria failed to heed the warning, he and Netanyahu authorized the strike. "Erdogan was caught with his hand in the cookie jar and was forced to back down," Katz said.Katz also criticized U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack's account of the incident, saying it contained inaccuracies and positions that contradict those of U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the Golan Heights.A satellite image shows craters on the runways of Abu al-Duhur airbase near Syria's Aleppo after an Israeli attack, August 19, 2026. Credit: Pleiades Neo © Airbus DS 2026/ REUTERSA satellite image shows craters on the runways of Abu al-Duhur airbase near Syria's Aleppo after an Israeli attack, August 19, 2026. Credit: Pleiades Neo © Airbus DS 2026/ REUTERSRead the full articleRECAP: IDF confirms Syria strike that wounded one; Iran says war with U.S. should end while Tehran in 'position of strength' Here are Saturday's latest updates:■ The IDF confirmed striking a suspected militant in southern Syria who it said was in the final stages of preparing attacks. Syrian media reported one person wounded.■ U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said an Israeli strike on a Syrian airbase could have triggered a direct confrontation with Turkey, accusing Israel of "baiting the Turks."■ Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the war with the U.S. should end while Iran is in a "position of strength," as Tehran warned its response to renewed U.S. threats would be "devastating."■ U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is set to announce a new Iran sanctions plan Monday, after pledging to impose the "toughest sanctions in history" on Tehran.■ Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz rose 27 percent over the past week but remains at just 20 percent of pre-war levels. Iran granted several Iraqi oil tankers permission to pass through the strait, according to state media.■ Israel's United Arab List party is holding its first internal election to choose its Knesset slate, with chairman Mansour Abbas expected to remain at the top of the list.■ One person was killed and another wounded in an Israeli drone strike in central Gaza, Palestinian medical sources said.IDF confirms strike in southern Syria, targeting terror operative 'who advanced terror attacks in final stages of preparation' The Israeli army said that it carried out a strike in southern Syria targeting a "terrorist" who was in the final stages of preparing an attack."The IDF struck in southern Syria toward a terrorist who advanced terror attacks in their final stages of preparation," the military said in a statement. The statement did not provide further details about the target or the operation. Syrian media reported earlier Saturday that one person was wounded in an Israeli drone strike targeting a truck in the Mazraat Beit Jinn area of southwestern Syria, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the Israeli border..Man killed in Israeli drone strike on home in central Gaza, medical sources sayMedical sources in the Gaza Strip reported that one person was killed and another wounded in an Israeli drone strike on a house in the western city of Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip.Palestinians search through a garbage dump for combustible materials to use as fuel for cooking due to a shortage of cooking gas, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Saturday. Credit: Abdel Kareem Hana/AP Palestinians search through a garbage dump for combustible materials to use as fuel for cooking due to a shortage of cooking gas, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Saturday. Credit: Abdel Kareem Hana/AP Read the full articlePalestine Action activists spared terrorism sentencing over Barclays attackFive Palestine Action activists who vandalized a Barclays bank branch in England will not be sentenced as terrorists, a judge ruled Friday, saying the 2024 attack did not meet the legal threshold for terrorism-related sentencing.Demonstrators sit outside the Westminster Magistrates Court in London in July, as a plea hearing for 25 people accused of showing support for Palestine Action takes place. Credit: AP Photo/Alberto PezzaliDemonstrators sit outside the Westminster Magistrates Court in London in July, as a plea hearing for 25 people accused of showing support for Palestine Action takes place. Credit: AP Photo/Alberto PezzaliThe activists, known as the "Barclays five," were convicted in June of causing more than £200,000 ($270,000) in damage after smashing windows and throwing red paint at a Barclays branch in Burnley, Lancashire, in protest over the bank's financial ties to Israeli weapons company Elbit Systems, according to The Guardian.Judge Altham, the recorder of Preston, ruled that while the damage was significant, it did not justify a terrorism-related sentencing enhancement. He noted that the branch was not a sensitive target, such as an arms company facility, unlike previous Palestine Action cases involving direct attacks on defense-related sites, The Guardian reported.A demonstrator is arrested by the police outside the Westminster Magistrates Court in London, July, as a plea hearing for 25 people accused of showing support for Palestine Action takes place. Credit: Alberto Pezzali/AP A demonstrator is arrested by the police outside the Westminster Magistrates Court in London, July, as a plea hearing for 25 people accused of showing support for Palestine Action takes place. Credit: Alberto Pezzali/AP The five activists – Brendon O'Hagan, Amanda Kelly, Hmeera Atiqnisar, Mohammed Malik and Alma Yaniv – will still be sentenced next month for criminal damage, but will face shorter prison terms as a result of the ruling.Read the full articleU.S. Treasury Secretary to announce new Iran sanctions plan MondayU.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will hold a news conference Monday as the Trump administration prepares to unveil a new round of sanctions aimed at increasing economic pressure on Iran.Bessent is expected to announce measures after pledging to impose "the toughest sanctions in history" on Tehran. Bessent is also expected to urge China to cooperate with Washington's pressure campaign, as the Trump administration seeks to curb Iran's remaining sources of revenue.U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to reporters at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., Friday. Credit: Kevin Lamarque/REUTERSU.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to reporters at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., Friday. Credit: Kevin Lamarque/REUTERSThe announcement comes as the United States signals a renewed effort to tighten economic restrictions on Iran, with additional sanctions expected to target key sources of income.The news conference is scheduled for 2 P.M. Eastern Time (9 P.M. Israel time).Iran says pilots held by Qatar are in poor condition, urges transfer to hospitalAn Iranian military official called on Qatar on Saturday to transfer detained Iranian pilots to a hospital on land, saying ‌they were being held on water and were in "poor physical condition", Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.Mohammad Baqerzadeh, commander of the Committee for the Search for Missing Persons of Iran's Armed Forces General Staff, said the location where the pilots were being held ⁠was unsuitable and requested that the International Committee of the Red Cross send an air ambulance to Qatar to expedite the return of injured and sick detainees to Iran.Qatar denied last week that it was holding Iranian pilots, saying they had violated Qatari airspace earlier this year and failed to respond to attempts to contact them.Doha said it had contacted Iran to coordinate the handover of the ‌remains ⁠of one pilot and had invited Tehran to review details of its search and rescue operations, but had received no response.A foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday that the invitation remained open for an Iranian ⁠delegation to visit over the pilots issue.In his latest statement, Baqerzadeh welcomed Qatar's decision to receive a team of Iranian experts and called on Doha ⁠to provide them with the necessary cooperation. Baqerzadeh had previously said an Iranian Air Force expert and fact-finding team had been waiting ⁠for months to enter Qatar and accused Qatari officials of repeatedly delaying the investigation.6 hours agoSmuggling boom in Gaza fuels black market for goods banned by Israel Palestinians in Gaza are paying soaring prices for basic goods, while hospitals and businesses have increasingly turned to smugglers to obtain medicine, fuel, equipment and other supplies banned or restricted by Israel, according to an Associated Press investigation.A Palestinian vendor offers bottles of diesel for sale in al-Maghazi refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, Saturday. Credit: Abdel Kareem Hana/AP A Palestinian vendor offers bottles of diesel for sale in al-Maghazi refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, Saturday. Credit: Abdel Kareem Hana/AP The investigation, based on Israeli court documents and interviews with five major traders involved in smuggling, three merchants, two truck drivers, Palestinian officials, United Nations personnel and Gaza residents, found that a sprawling underground economy has expanded during the war, generating millions of dollars in profits for networks on both sides of the Gaza border.Smugglers, Israeli soldiers, Palestinian intermediaries and Hamas authorities have all benefited from a trade that has grown around Israel's restrictions on goods entering Gaza, while residents pay soaring prices for basic necessities.Cigarettes and tobacco products, which Israel has prohibited from entering Gaza since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, have become among the most lucrative items. But smugglers also bring in a wide range of other goods, including smartphones, solar panels, fuel, medical supplies and anesthetics.Smuggling attempt at the Lachinsh Crossing: thousands of cigarettes were found concealed inside hundreds of pineapples meant to reach Gaza today, hidden inside a shipment of aid from the private sector.