Rep. Gregory Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has placed a hold on a proposed $2.8 billion sale of 40,000 one-ton bombs to Israel, citing concerns that the heavy weaponry may not be used in accordance with U.S. and international law.
A residential building previously damaged by Israeli bombing collapsed overnight in Gaza City, killing at least 16-20 Palestinians including women and children. Rescuers are working to free dozens trapped under the rubble, with reports indicating 10 families had been living in the structurally compromised building despite warnings.
The Trump administration is planning to deliver 40,000 powerful 2,000-pound bombs to Israel as part of a $2.8 billion arms deal, the largest such sale in years. The munitions include MK-84 and BLU-117 bombs previously linked to civilian casualties.
Gaza's largest functioning hospitals are experiencing cascading power cuts as shortages of engine oil and spare parts cause generators to fail, putting patients' lives at risk. The crisis coincides with continued Israeli airstrikes, including one that killed a family of four in northern Gaza.
Israeli forces killed at least three Palestinians in separate incidents across the occupied West Bank over several days, including during military raids and amid a surge in settler violence that has drawn international condemnation. The violence included attacks by militant settlers on Palestinian communities and an Israeli being stabbed.
Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinian youths, including 16-year-old Khalil Abu Alia, during a confrontation in Al-Mughayyir village that began when settlers attempted to steal sheep. Separately, Israeli military razed an entire village near Hebron in what residents describe as an escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank.
The UN reports a deeply alarming humanitarian situation across the occupied Palestinian territories, as the World Food Programme halves West Bank food assistance due to funding shortages while Israeli settler and military violence escalates, killing two Palestinian teenagers and targeting mosques.
An Israeli strike on a residential building in Deir al-Balah destroyed an adjacent humanitarian warehouse belonging to the Palestinian Land of Man Association, killing at least seven Palestinians. The warehouse contained nutritional supplements and infant food supplies that are now unusable, worsening the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Israeli forces launched multiple attacks across Gaza, striking a water desalination plant in northern Gaza City, a mosque, and residential areas, killing at least seven Palestinians including two children. Among the victims was 10-year-old Amal Abu Khater, shot while eating in her tent in Khan Younis.
Israeli airstrikes killed at least three Palestinians, including a four-year-old child, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced they will treat kites and balloons from Gaza as drones and respond with forceful military action regardless of whether they carry explosives.
An Israeli drone strike targeted a vehicle in Beit Jinn, southwestern Syria, injuring one person on Saturday. The IDF stated the strike targeted a Syrian terrorist poised to carry out an imminent attack on Israeli soldiers near the border.
Israel's military acknowledged for the first time that its troops opened fire on a car carrying 5-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab and her family in Gaza in 2024, announcing a criminal investigation more than two years after the incident. The probe is part of the military's first criminal investigations into troop conduct in Gaza, which also includes the killings of 15 Palestinian paramedics.
The United States issued a rare rebuke of Israel after airstrikes hit the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in Syria near the Turkish border. US envoy Tom Barrack called the attack an unnecessary escalation, while Syria and Turkey condemned the strikes that targeted runways and storage facilities but reportedly caused no casualties.
Multiple Israeli strikes in Gaza have killed several Palestinians, including a Hamas commander and civilians at a cafe, as both sides accuse each other of violating an ongoing ceasefire. The attacks occurred between August 16-22, 2026, while U.S. envoy Jared Kushner met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to discuss ceasefire implementation.
Israeli airstrikes killed two Palestinians in Gaza on Thursday, including Gaza City police chief Jamal Abu Kamil, marking the first reported fatalities in more than a week. The strikes came after the US pressed Israel to scale back operations, with Israel's leadership requiring IDF chief approval for strikes except in cases of imminent danger.
Multiple Israeli drone strikes in Gaza have injured several Palestinians in recent days, with attacks targeting motorcycles and three-wheeled vehicles in Deir al-Balah and northern Gaza. The strikes represent violations of the ceasefire agreement.
The Israeli Defense Forces carried out military operations in Gaza, including an airstrike that critically wounded a Palestinian man identified as a Hamas commander allegedly planning attacks, and opened fire on a suspected Hamas sniper near the Yellow Line in northern Gaza.
Israeli military forces clashed with Jewish settlers on Wednesday while attempting to remove them from an outpost near the Palestinian village of Qusra, where settlers have been blocking two families in their homes since Sunday. The troops withdrew after failing to clear the area, with witnesses reporting settlers dismantling fences and blocking roads.
Israeli forces demolished the home of Farouk Ramadan in the West Bank town of Tal on August 11, less than three weeks after he was killed during a July 24 clash that erupted when Israeli settlers approached the town, leaving one settler and one Palestinian dead. The demolition comes amid continued Israeli raids and arrests across the occupied West Bank, with the UN warning the territory is at a 'breaking point.'
Israeli forces demolished the home of Farouk Ramadan in the West Bank town of Tal on August 11, less than three weeks after he was killed during a July 24 clash that erupted when Israeli settlers approached the town, leaving one settler and one Palestinian dead. The demolition comes amid continued Israeli raids and arrests across the occupied West Bank, with the UN warning the territory is at a 'breaking point.'
Israel's military closed the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh in the West Bank to non-residents on Sunday, citing the need to prevent growing attacks on Palestinians by Israeli settlers. The closure follows a series of coordinated settler attacks across the West Bank that injured residents and damaged property.
Foreign ministers from Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, UAE, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey released a joint declaration criticizing Israel's military campaign in Gaza, particularly attacks on healthcare facilities, and warning that continued strikes threaten peace implementation efforts.
Thousands gathered in Gaza City's Sabra neighborhood to bury 112 members of extended families whose bodies were recovered after a 136-hour operation, nearly three years after an Israeli airstrike buried them beneath residential buildings. Authorities described it as Gaza's largest mass funeral since the war began.
Iran executed two Iranian citizens on Monday after convicting them of espionage for Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, accusing them of providing sensitive military and security location coordinates that allegedly aided Israeli targeting during recent conflicts, including a 12-day war in June. The executions come amid ongoing tensions in the region, with separate developments including Israeli strikes in Gaza and concerns over a U.S.-backed Gaza disarmament plan.
Israeli forces continued airstrikes in Gaza for a second consecutive day on Sunday, killing between 13 and 17 Palestinians according to various reports, even as U.S. President Donald Trump announced a breakthrough in implementing last year's ceasefire agreement. Israeli officials indicated there is no deal to halt military operations.
Israeli military strikes in Gaza destroyed medicine and medical supply warehouses adjacent to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, while separate attacks across the strip killed between seven and nine Palestinians. The warehouses were described by officials as critical medical infrastructure for the region.
Following a deadly clash near Tell in the occupied West Bank that killed four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered an extensive military operation in Nablus and accelerated legalization of unauthorized settler outposts.
The US military launched airstrikes targeting Iranian defense and missile installations on Greater Tunb Island in the Strait of Hormuz, with President Trump pledging to intensify bombardment until Iran stops attacking ships and reopens the strategic waterway.
Bitcoin recovered to $65,000 by mid-July 2026 after initially dropping below $62,000 due to renewed US-Iran military hostilities in the Middle East. The rebound, supported by strong ETF flows and lower-than-expected US CPI data, suggests cryptocurrency markets may be becoming less sensitive to geopolitical shocks.
The United States military conducted a second consecutive day of strikes on Iran after President Donald Trump announced that an interim agreement to end hostilities had collapsed, marking the most severe escalation between the two nations in the conflict.
President Trump declared the US-Iran ceasefire over after both sides exchanged strikes, with Iran targeting US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain following American attacks. The escalation threatens the fragile June 17 ceasefire agreement.
The U.S. Senate blocked the latest Democratic-led effort to force President Trump to halt military operations in Iran and seek congressional authorization, with only four Republican senators crossing party lines to support the measure. This marks the ninth such attempt by Democrats since U.S. and Israeli air attacks on Iran began in February 2026.
The United States used approximately double the number of interceptor missiles compared to Israel's own defenses during a recent Iranian missile attack, depleting roughly half of America's interceptor stockpile and raising concerns about US readiness for other military threats.
US forces fired on two Iranian-flagged oil tankers attempting to cross the blockade near the Strait of Hormuz and struck Iranian military facilities after what the US described as 'unprovoked' attacks on Navy ships. Iran accused the US of undermining diplomacy while keeping Washington waiting for a response to its latest peace proposal.
The U.S. Treasury sanctioned Iran-linked cryptocurrency wallets containing $344 million in USDT that Tether had frozen following a law enforcement request. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated the action is part of 'Economic Fury' efforts to choke off financial lifelines to the Iranian regime.
In his strongest statement yet on the conflict, Pope Leo XIV denounced the 'delusion of omnipotence' driving the US-Israel war on Iran and demanded political leaders negotiate peace, marking a significant escalation in papal criticism.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed that its intelligence chief, Majid Khademi, was killed in US-Israeli airstrikes amid ongoing conflict. The strike occurred as diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire continue.
US and Israeli forces bombed Iran's leading university, killing at least 34 people in what Tehran condemned as a war crime. The attack represents a significant expansion of targeting beyond military infrastructure.
Iran shot down a US F-15 fighter jet and an A-10 Warthog attack plane, marking the first such losses since the war began. One crew member has been rescued after 48 hours, while search operations continue for at least one missing airman in southwestern Iran.
The US successfully rescued the second crew member of an F-15E fighter jet shot down over Iran on Friday, following a complex 48-hour search and rescue operation involving multiple agencies. Iran also claimed to be searching for the airman.
A projectile struck close to Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant on Saturday, killing one person, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. This marks the fourth reported attack near the facility since the US-Israel war on Iran began.
A US-Israeli strike destroyed the B1 bridge in Karaj, Iran's tallest bridge located 35km from Tehran, killing at least eight people and wounding 95 others. Trump claimed responsibility and warned of 'much more to follow,' while international law experts raised concerns about targeting civilian infrastructure as potential war crimes.
Iran shot down a US F-15E fighter jet over Iranian territory, marking the first American aircraft lost over Iran since the war began. The Pentagon confirmed the downing and said a search and rescue operation is underway for the crew.
Italy has denied US military planes carrying weapons for the Iran war access to an airbase in Sicily, with the defense ministry stating the US failed to request parliamentary authorization as required by international treaty. The move follows Spain's earlier closure of its airspace to US combat aircraft.
Spain has closed its airspace to US military planes involved in attacks on Iran, escalating beyond its previous denial of jointly-operated military base access. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described the US-Israel war on Iran as 'profoundly illegal and unjust'
International Atomic Energy Agency director Rafael Grossi told CBS News that Iran's nuclear program retained major capabilities after US-Israeli strikes, with approximately 972 pounds of 60-percent enriched uranium and centrifuge expertise intact, while Harvard's Matthew Bunn published an analysis in Asia Times arguing the materials were 'by no means obliterated,' contradicting US administration claims that the program was destroyed.
