Aug. 15: 5 hurt, mostly women and children, in settler attack on Palestinian hamlet in South Hebron Hills — report

5 injured, mostly women and children, in settler attack on Palestinian hamlet in South Hebron Hills – report

Five Palestinians, mostly women and children, are injured in an extremist settler attack on Umm al-Khair in the South Hebron Hills area of the West Bank, the WAFA news agency reports.

They suffered various levels of bruising, the report says, citing a local Palestinian activist, who said that the victims were two women, two young men, and a child.

Footage from the village also shows a group of settlers harassing a Palestinian woman, and kicking her while she sits on the ground. It is unclear if the woman seen in the video is among those reported as injured.

مستوطنون يعتدون على امرأة فلسطينية في خربة "أم الخير" بمسافر يطا جنوب مدينة الخليل.#فلسطين pic.twitter.com/64sSsHE3GE

— ديوان (@DiwanDaily) August 15, 2026

Elsewhere in the South Hebron Hills, WAFA says settlers vandalized a Palestinian home in Masafer Yatta, and threw stones at a moving vehicle, causing moderate damage. No injuries were reported.

Qatar ‘categorically denies’ detaining downed Iranian pilots

Qatar categorically denies it has detained any Iranian pilots, after an Iranian general demanded that Doha release three aviators shot down early in the Middle East war.

“We categorically deny the claims circulating regarding the detention of Iranian pilots & are surprised by these misleading statements at this particular time, amid the ongoing diplomatic efforts & initiatives aimed at de-escalating tensions in the region,” foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari says on X.

Father of soldier slain on Oct. 7 demands state inquiry: ‘We need to look in the mirror’

Pro-democracy, anti-government protesters at Habima Square in Tel Aviv, August 15, 2026. (Lior Segev / Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)

Eyal Eshel, whose surveillance soldier daughter Roni was killed in the Hamas-led onslaught of October 7, 2023, accuses the government of “peddling pathetic politics” instead of forming a state commission of inquiry into the security debacle.

“As though flags can hide blood… as though slogans can hide the truth,” Eshel tells the 200-odd crowd gathered for the weekly anti-government protest at Tel Aviv’s Habima Square.

He slams the reported dismissal of concerns raised by “holy” surveillance soldiers that Hamas is rebuilding itself in Gaza. IDF officers had similarly reportedly dismissed the concerns of surveillance soldiers before Hamas invaded.

“Israel today is in the hardest place, against the whole world. But the truth is that the first place we need to look isn’t the world — we need to look in the mirror,” Eshel says. “A country that doesn’t investigate the biggest disaster in its history won’t be able to mend.”

“There will be a state commission of inquiry — sharp, incisive and painful — until truth will out,” he says.

איל אשל, אביה של התצפיתנית רוני שנפלה במחנה נחל עוז ב-7.10, בהפגנה בכיכר הבימה בתל אביב למען הקמת ועדת חקירה ממלכתית: "ועדת חקירה תקום ותהיה חריפה, כואבת ונוקבת עד שהאמת תצא לאור, עד שהמדינה הזו תתחיל סוף סוף להקשיב למי שמנסים באמת להגן עליה"@YoavBorowitz pic.twitter.com/LWRc7oovRk

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) August 15, 2026

Speaking after Eshel, former Tel Aviv District police chief Yossi Sedbon rails against the government over its alleged corruption, contempt for the judiciary, personal ties to criminals, effort to enshrine the Haredi exemption from military service, and failure to combat soaring violent crime that has rocked Arab communities.

The crowd applauds as Sedbon praises erstwhile MK Yoav Segalovitz, also formerly a senior police officer, for his “personal, brave decision” to possibly run in the October 27 election with traditionalist Arab party Ra’am.

“He sees the Arabs of Israel as part of our country’s public,” says Sedbon to further applause.

Sedbon adds that responsibility for law enforcement failures under National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir “doesn’t lie with the minister or with police, but primarily with the prime minister who appointed incompetent person to the position” of minister responsible for police.

IDF notifies Upper Galilee residents that explosions are expected to sound overnight amid army activity in Lebanon

Residents of the Upper Galilee have been notified by local authorities that explosions are expected to be heard due to IDF activity in Lebanon overnight.

A statement from the Upper Galilee Regional Council says there will be artillery shelling, airstrikes, and other explosions throughout the night.

There are no changes in guidelines for civilians.

Hate crime charges filed against man who disrupted prayers at Manhattan synagogue, attacked congregant and guard

NEW YORK — Hate crime charges have been filed against a man who disrupted Shabbat services in Manhattan’s Central Synagogue and struck two people while being hustled outside last night.

“As synagogue security was escorting him out, he struck a member of the congregation, damaged synagogue property, and then spit at and head-butted a member of the security team,” a statement from Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch says.

A police sergeant working as a paid security detail at the synagogue immediately took the man into custody, and no one was seriously injured, Tisch says.

Larry Montes, 46, of the Bronx, faces two counts of assault as a hate crime and one count of criminal mischief as a hate crime, among other charges, Tisch says.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the assault during the live-streamed service “horrifying.”

“Every New Yorker must be able to observe their religion without fear of violence,” he posted on social media.

Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer were among those who also condemned the attack.

Additional police security was added and Shabbat services continued earlier today.

“We might want to be focusing on the beauty of our liturgy and the sanctity of Shabbat, and somehow the feeling of the imperfect and cruel world keeps flooding in,” Rabbi Rebecca Thau told congregants.

IDF says soldiers seriously hurt in overnight attack were hit by Hezbollah drone

The three soldiers who were seriously wounded in southern Lebanon overnight were hit by an explosive drone launched by Hezbollah, according to the military.

At around 2:30 a.m., Hezbollah launched the drone at troops operating in the Ali Taher Ridge area.

The drone exploded near soldiers of the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit, seriously wounding an officer and two soldiers.

The soldiers were taken to a hospital, and their families were notified, the army adds.

In response, the military struck Hezbollah sites in Nabatieh and Ansar, killing a senior commander in the terror group.

Netanyahu spokesman says IDF strikes should ‘jumpstart’ serious talks with Lebanon, ‘not do the opposite’

Israel wants new and more ambitious US-brokered talks with Lebanon after carrying out deadly strikes targeting Hezbollah, a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says.

The Israeli strikes against Hezbollah “should jumpstart the talks and make them much more serious, not do the opposite,” Netanyahu spokesman Doron Spielman tells AFP.

“And I think it will. It will hopefully move these talks along because the enemy here is clear and the enemy is Hezbollah,” he says.

Israel said that it carried out the strikes after Hezbollah attacked troops inside the IDF’s security zone. Three Israeli soldiers were seriously injured, Netanyahu’s office said.

Spielman says Israel was still upholding a US-brokered agreement that calls for Lebanon’s fledgling security forces to take gradual control and remove Hezbollah, a Shia movement backed by Iran’s clerical state that has long played a central role in Lebanon.

“We believe in the agreement. We very much hope that the Lebanese Armed Forces are going to be able to step into the foray, and together we’re going to remove Hezbollah from the picture,” Spielman says.

Settlers attack PA municipal crew trying to fix electrical lines at besieged Qusra homes, Israeli forces detain three workers — reports

Settlers attacked a Palestinian Authority municipal crew and prevented it from reconnecting electricity to a pair of homes besieged by settlers this afternoon, reports WAFA, the Palestinian Authority’s official news outlet.

Israeli forces then detained three of the municipal workers, WAFA says.

Footage published by Palestinian media shows people surrounding a tractor. The vehicle turns around on the dirt road, and the people follow it.

The IDF does not immediately respond to a request for comment.

بحراسة جنود الاحتلال.. مستوطنون يهاجمون موظفي بلدية قصرة قرب بيت محاصر في البلدة، جنوب شرق نابلس. pic.twitter.com/3rGcDmJ4at

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) August 15, 2026

Settlers have seiged a pair of Palestinian homes in the northern West Bank’s Qusra since last Sunday.

Yemen’s Mocha port halts operations after Houthi attacks, port director says

Yemen’s Mocha port has suspended commercial and maritime operations after being hit by more than 25 missiles in Houthi attacks over recent days, the port’s director says.

The attacks killed seven people and caused an estimated $16 million in losses, the director tells a news conference.

Israeli envoy warns Lebanon against pulling out of talks after deadly wave of IDF strikes

Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter warns the Lebanese government against pulling out of talks with Israel after today’s deadly wave of IDF strikes in southern Lebanon.

“If the Lebanese government uses this incident as a pretext to delay or discontinue peace talks, it would hand a tactical victory to the enemies of peace. Derailing the talks is precisely what Hezbollah is trying to achieve,” Leiter writes on X.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said earlier Saturday that the Israeli strikes sent a “clear message” regarding the negotiations between the two countries, but did not explicitly threaten to pull out of them.

The next round of US-mediated talks is set for early September.

Leiter — who heads Israel’s negotiating team in the Lebanon talks — defends the Israeli strikes, asserting that Hezbollah attacked IDF troops first, targeting those positioned in the army’s south Lebanon buffer zone.

“In response, the IDF acted decisively against the Hezbollah commander who ordered the attack — a terrorist who used his own family as human shields inside a Hezbollah military headquarters,” Leiter says, referring to an early morning IDF strike which was said to have killed a Hezbollah battalion commander and several women and children.

Israel regularly highlights adversarial terror groups’ use of human shields to justify strikes that also take the lives of civilians.

IDF says battalion commander in Hezbollah’s Radwan force killed in early morning strike near Tyre

A Hezbollah commander was killed in an Israeli strike in the town of Ansar, north of Tyre, early this morning, the military announces.

According to Lebanese media, the strike in Ansar killed seven people, including women and children.

The IDF says it targeted a central Hezbollah command center in Ansar in response to an attack by the terror group on troops in the Ali Taher ridge area overnight, which left three soldiers seriously wounded.

“The headquarters was used by the Hezbollah terror organization to command its activities in the area,” the military says.

According to the IDF, the strike killed Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan, a battalion commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, along with several more Hezbollah operatives involved in advancing attacks on troops.

“At the time of the strike, Hassan’s family was also present with him inside the military headquarters and, according to the claim, was harmed in the strike. It should be emphasized that the family members were not the target of the strike. The strike was specifically directed at Hassan, who was a lawful target under international law. The terrorist used his family as human shields, hiding alongside them inside the military headquarters,” the IDF says in a statement.

3 IDF soldiers seriously wounded in overnight Hezbollah attack, PMO announces, says army responded with strike on ‘terror headquarters’

Three IDF soldiers were seriously wounded in a Hezbollah attack in the Ali Taher ridge area of southern Lebanon overnight, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announces in a statement.

“This morning Hezbollah violated the ceasefire in Lebanon by attacking our soldiers in the security zone, which protects Israeli communities just across the border. The Hezbollah attack seriously injured three of our soldiers,” the Prime Minister’s Office says in a rare English-language statement issued on Shabbat.

“The IDF responded by striking the Hezbollah terror headquarters which ordered the attack,” the PMO says, referring to a strike in the town of Ansar, which, according to Lebanese media, killed seven people, including three children and two women.

“Only later did the IDF learn that Hezbollah deliberately put civilians in that military compound,” the statement adds.

Massive brawl breaks out at Holon waterpark after apparent argument; 12 said detained, park closed for day

An apparent argument erupted into a mass brawl at the Yamit 2000 waterpark in Holon, central Israel, resulting the the closure of the park for the day and the detention of 12 people.

Footage shows people throwing chairs and other large objects at each other across the waterpark, as people flee from the chaos.

ימית 2000 השמורה של כל הנודרים והדוקרים pic.twitter.com/b95V9bQWMa

— Buzz Lightyear ???????? (@MatanAlcalay) August 15, 2026

מלחמת כיסאות כתר ב״ימית 2000״.
ועשו טובה, אל תשוו אותם לבבונים, מדובר כאן בזן הרבה הרבה יותר נחות. pic.twitter.com/OVFAb0N10E

— מהפך ישראלי (@MahapachIsraeli) August 15, 2026

According to Hebrew media reports, the brawl broke out after someone refused a request to turn down the music from their personal speaker.

Two security guards are reportedly injured as a result of the brawl, with police officers arriving on the scene to break up the fight after the park’s security staff could not.

Police reportedly detain 12 suspects in the incident.

The park has been closed for the day, according to reports.

Rare summer rains shower Jerusalem area, Golan Heights; flash flood warnings issued in Judean Desert, northern Negev

People walk in the rain in Jerusalem, August 15, 2026. (Yossi Zamir/Flash90)

Residents of the Jerusalem area, the Judean Desert and the Golan Heights are experiencing rainfall, a rare phenomenon for late summer in Israel.

According to Channel 13, around 11 millimeters of rain fell in Jerusalem in just one hour, which it says is a record for August, with more expected to fall until the evening.

באמצע הקיץ: שיא גשם לחודש אוגוסט נשבר באזור ירושלים ומדבר יהודהhttps://t.co/YpilvWgcIm@EladZoharCH2 pic.twitter.com/YZCmN2LXVZ

— חדשות 13 (@newsisrael13) August 15, 2026

Footage posted to social media shows powerful rain falling in the capital, periodically drowning out the weekly ultra-Orthodox protests outside Cafe Basimta, where demonstrators gather to protest for the seventh week in a row against it being open on Shabbat.

בזמן הגשם השוטף: עשרות מפגינים חרדים ליד קפה בסמטה@VeredPelman pic.twitter.com/rrQGJdQQCr

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) August 15, 2026

In the Golan Heights, heavy rain also falls, with showers expected to continue into the evening.

The Israel Meteorological Service issues a warning for flash floods in the Judean Desert, the Dead Sea area and the northern Negev.

Hezbollah says Israeli strikes will be met with ‘appropriate’ response, urges Beirut to halt ‘humiliating’ talks

Hezbollah says Israel’s recent attacks in Lebanon would be met with an “appropriate” response, urging Beirut to halt “humiliating” negotiations with Jerusalem.

Israel “must clearly understand that its attacks, violations and attempts to impose a fait accompli cannot continue, and will be met with an appropriate response,” the Iran-backed group says in a statement, adding that Lebanese authorities “must not insist on continuing along the humiliating path of direct negotiations and providing the enemy with free concessions.”

Settlers again arrive at besieged home in Qusra; IDF says the group left after troops came

A group of more than a dozen Israeli settlers arrived this afternoon at the entrance to a Palestinian home in the West Bank village of Qusra, footage shows.

The home has been under siege by settlers for several days, despite Israeli authorities dismantling an outpost they established in the area and bolstering forces in the village.

According to the military, troops were dispatched to the scene, and the settlers then left the village of their own accord. There were no arrests.

תיעוד: כ-15 ישראלים הגיעו הבוקר שוב לאזור הבית הפלסטיני בקוסרה – זאת למרות הנוכחות הצבאית של כוח צבאי במקום בימים האחרונים. מצה"ל טרם נמסרה התייחסות@Doron_Kadosh pic.twitter.com/vqDWs3ENht

— גלצ (@GLZRadio) August 15, 2026

Death toll in IDF’s Deir al-Zahrani strike reaches 4, taking total number killed to 11

First aid responders and residents gather as they search the site of an apparent Israeli airstrike that targeted a neighbourhood in the southern Lebanese village of Deir al-Zahrani on August 15, 2026. (Abbas FAKIH/AFP)

The death toll of the Israeli strike earlier in the southern Lebanon town of Deir al-Zahrani, north of Nabatieh, has risen to four, according to Lebanese media.

The IDF has not yet commented on the strike, but said earlier that it conducted overnight attacks in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah in response to an “action” by the terror group against troops.

One overnight strike in Ansra, north of Tyre, killed seven and wounded three, according to Lebanese media.

This brings the total toll of Israel’s strikes in Lebanon today to 11.

CCTV footage shows masked individual vandalizing lock of Jerusalem cafe open on Shabbat

CCTV footage shows a masked individual gluing lock of Basimta cafe in Jerusalem, August 15, 2026. (Screen grab/Channel 12 via X)

Security camera footage published by Channel 12 news shows an individual apparently gluing the lock of a Jerusalem cafe that is open on Shabbat.

The overnight vandalism meant that the opening of the coffee shop was delayed by some 40 minutes as staff struggled to gain access to the premises, the outlet says.

The individual — who appears to be a woman — is wearing a hat, as well as a face mask to disguise their identity.

No arrests have been made.

https://x.com/N12News/status/2088598049064956353?s=20

The incident came a number of hours before dozens of Haredi protesters gathered at the central Jerusalem cafe for the seventh week running.

The confrontations began on July 4, when dozens of ultra-Orthodox demonstrators, many of them minors, gathered outside the cafe in several waves, banging on its windows and, according to staff, overturning tables. On another occasion, dozens of Haredi men burst through barricades and tried to force their way inside.

Antisemitic slogan sprayed on sculpture outside Weitzman Jewish Museum in Philadelphia

A man sprayed an antisemitic slogan on a sculpture outside the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia, the second time in a year that vandals have targeted the institution.

According to 6Abc News, security footage from Thursday evening shows a man spraying the message on the OY/YO sculpture outside the museum. The outlet does not detail what was written.

No arrests have been made and the graffiti has been removed.

In a social media post, Philadelphia lawmaker Tarik Khan says that he spotted the graffiti and called the police.

“Blaming Jewish people collectively for the actions of the Israeli government is antisemitism,” he writes. “I reported the vandalism to police and organizations that track antisemitic incidents.”

Last year, red paint was sprayed on the facade of the building housing the museum.

For the 7th week, Haredi protesters demonstrate at Jerusalem cafe open on Shabbat

Secular activists hold up placards as they stage a counter-protest against Haredi men at Cafe Basimta in Jerusalem, on August 15, 2026. The Hebrew sign reads "We will die rather than drink instant," a play on a slogan used by Haredi men against the IDF draft. (AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP)

Images show ultra-Orthodox men protesting at central Jerusalem’s Basimta cafe for the seventh straight week, as Haredi demonstrations continue against the cafe operating on Shabbat.

Counter-protesters from the Pink Front organization are also present, holding signs declaring the “Holy right to drink coffee” and “We will die rather than drink instant,” a play on a slogan used by Haredi men protesting against being drafted into the IDF.

According to reports by activists online, it appeared that the lock to the cafe was vandalized overnight, leading to a short delay in opening this morning.

There are no reports of arrests.

Lebanon’s president: Israeli strikes a ‘clear message’ on the negotiations

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference after the EU Summit in Nicosia, Cyprus, April 24, 2026. (AP/Petros Karadjias)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun says Israeli strikes on the country’s south were a “clear message” on negotiations between the two countries, ahead of the next round of US-sponsored talks early next month in Rome.

Aoun condemns the “ongoing Israeli attacks” on the south and “repeated violations of the framework agreement… and international law on protecting civilians, which led to the death of an entire family in the village of Ansar,” according to a statement from his office, adding that “these violations are a clear message on the negotiation process.”

The Israel Defense Forces said earlier it was targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in response to an attack on troops. Reports say nine people have been killed in the Israeli strikes.

Senior police officer: Still unclear why Mali and Liel Yahalomi left Israel and vanished for a week

Mali and Liel Yahalomi located on a bus in Argentina by police on August 14, 2026. (Screen capture/Israel Police)

An unnamed senior police officer says that it is still not known why Mali and Liel Yahalomi, who were last seen a week ago in Vienna and were found yesterday in Argentina, had left the country.

The disappearance of the two had set off a flurry of speculation and rumors and a major international investigation.

“Even now, and despite the questioning, the motive for Mali and Liel Yahalomi’s departure from the country is unclear,” the law enforcement official tells the Ynet news site.

Yesterday, police published footage showing officers, among them representatives from Israel and Interpol, boarding a bus in Argentina and introducing themselves to the Yahalomis, who appeared confused by the situation, but unharmed.

It was not immediately clear why the two cut contact with their family last Friday in Vienna, or why they flew to Argentina without telling anyone. A Haaretz report quoted a police source saying they had left Israel and made their way to Argentina to disappear and “start a new life.” Other Hebrew media reports claimed they were fleeing mounting debts in Israel.

After another vessel was attacked in Hormuz, presidential adviser vows UAE will defend its navigation rights

UAE’s Abu Dhabi National Oil Company confirmed that one of its vessels came under attack while transiting the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, the Emirati state news agency WAM reports.

The state oil company says no injuries were reported, with the situation now under control, according to WAM.

Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, says Abu Dhabi would defend its sovereignty and interests, after repeated attacks on ADNOC tankers.

“We will safeguard our rights to freedom of navigation … while continuing the path of dialogue and prioritising diplomatic options,” Gargash says in a post on X.

The attack was the third such incident involving ADNOC vessels in less than a week. The UAE had accused Iran of being behind the earlier attacks, but there was no official comment from the UAE on Friday’s attack.

2 killed in recent IDF strike in Deir al-Zahrani, says Lebanon’s health ministry

Rescue workers gather on a destroyed building that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Zahrani village, southern Lebanon, August 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

The Israeli strike a short while ago in the southern Lebanon town of Deir al-Zahrani killed two and wounded nine, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.

The IDF has not yet commented on the strike, but said earlier that it conducted overnight attacks in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah in response to an “action” by the terror group against troops.

Anan Khalaili signs with Crystal Palace in most expensive deal for an Israeli soccer player

Union St-Gilloise’s Israeli forward #25 Anan Khalaili celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the UEFA Champions League, league phase day 6, football match between Royale Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL) and Olympique de Marseille (FRA), at the RSC Anderlecht Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, on December 9, 2025. (NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP)

Israeli soccer star Anan Khalaili signs with British team Crystal Palace, transferring from Belgium’s Royale Union Saint-Gilloise.

According to the New York Times, the London club paid around £21 million (approximately $18 million) for the player, who has signed a five-year deal with the option of a further one-year extension.

It is the highest fee ever paid for an Israeli player, media reports say.

Earlier this year Khalaili had been in advanced talks with Italian team Inter Milan, but the planned transfer fell through after the player’s medical exam.

The Times says that since then, he has been in talks with other teams including Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Newcastle United.

The 21-year-old winger was born and raised in Haifa, and plays for Israel’s national team.

South London's latest resident.

We are delighted to announce the arrival of Anan Khalaili from Belgian club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise on a long-term contract ????

— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) August 15, 2026

Lebanese media reports fresh IDF strike in Deir al-Zahrani, north of Nabatieh

Lebanese media reports a new Israeli strike in Deir al-Zahrani, north of Nabatieh.

There is no immediate comment from the IDF on the latest strike.

بعد فجر أنصار الدامي… غارة إسرائيلية جديدة على دير الزهراني (فيديو)https://t.co/eB0Wpn13W0 pic.twitter.com/rwGnv3Kzhx

— Lebanon Debate (@lebanondebate) August 15, 2026

Iran-backed Houthis attack Red Sea port in Yemen with ballistic missiles; at least 1 dead

Yemen’s military says the Iranian-backed Houthis attacked a crucial Red Sea port under the control of the internationally recognized government, killing at least one security guard.

Col. Majed al-Nazili, the spokesman for the military, says in a statement that the Houthis fired six ballistic missiles on the Mokha port, in a “new terrorist aggression that targeted a vital civilian facility.” He says the attack wounded eight people and left two marines missing.

The attack was the latest by the Houthis on government-held areas and on Saudi Arabia and part of an escalation that threatens to plunge Yemen into a full-fledged conflict after a 2022 ceasefire stopped heavy fighting during the country’s civil war.

IDF says strikes targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in response to attack on troops

Rescue workers search for victims at a destroyed house that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Ansar village, southern Lebanon, August 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

The Israeli military confirms launching airstrikes in southern Lebanon overnight, saying it struck Hezbollah infrastructure in response to an attack by the terror group on troops.

A strike in Ansar, north of Tyre, killed seven and wounded three, according to Lebanese media.

A series of strikes were also reported in Nabatieh, including heavy attacks on the Ali Taher Ridge, beneath which Hezbollah has a major underground facility.

The IDF says it struck Hezbollah infrastructure in both the Nabatieh area and in Ansar, which are some 15 kilometers apart.

“The strikes were carried out following an action by the Hezbollah terror organization against our forces in the Ali Taher Ridge area, which is located within the security zone where IDF troops are operating,” the military says, without immediately providing details on the Hezbollah attack.

Meteorological service issues flash flood warning ahead of rare August rain

The Meteorological Service has issued a yellow warning for flash floods between 12:00 and 9:00 pm today, the Ynet news site reports.

The warning is for the Judean Desert, the Dead Sea, the northeastern Negev and the northern Arava.

The warning comes ahead of expected downpours in some areas of the country, a rare occurrence for August in Israel.

Two vessels, one of them from UAE state-owned company, attacked in Strait of Hormuz

A tanker owned by Abu Dhabi’s state-owned oil and gas company ADNOC was attacked while transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, Emirati state-run WAM news agency says.

The attack happened yesterday evening, and there were no injuries, the agency reports. This is the third such attack on vessels operated by ADNOC in the critical waterway in the last week.

The UAE has previously accused Iran of the attacks but does not immediately comment on the latest incident.

Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center says that a bulk carrier was struck by an unknown projectile that hit the hull.

Shipping has been disrupted and the strait has been virtually closed since the Iran war started on February 28. Before the war, which began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran, about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas passed through the waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf.

Taliban celebrates 5 years ruling Afghanistan; UN: Over 100 decrees restricting women’s rights imposed in that time

A woman wearing a burqa walks along a street on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the US withdrawal and the start of Taliban rule in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Nava Jamshidi)

The Taliban government celebrates five years of ruling Afghanistan, with the authorities hailing their country’s “freedom” and security, while critics decry tightening restrictions.

The United Nations appeals to donors not to cut funding for women’s programs in Afghanistan, saying this would add to suffering in a country where conditions for women are already the worst in the world.

Despite ever-deteriorating conditions for women five years after the Taliban’s return to power, funding shortfalls mean more than half of 74 women’s organizations surveyed in April are likely to have to suspend operations or close in the next year, just when they are most needed, Susan Ferguson, UN Women’s special representative in Afghanistan, tells reporters.

Ferguson says the Taliban has imposed more than 100 decrees restricting women’s rights since returning to power, affecting nearly every aspect of their daily lives, from education and employment to freedom of movement, healthcare and access to justice.

Girls are barred from secondary schools and universities, and more than half of 3,200 women surveyed by UN Women said they now left their homes only once or twice a month. In a sign of their deepening isolation, seven in 10 women describe their mental health as bad or very bad, she says.

IDF troops begin search and rescue operations in Colombia quake zone: ‘Hopefully, we can contribute our small part’

IDF troops arrive at the site of a collapsed building to assist with rescue operations following an earthquake in Cali, Colombia, on August 14, 2026. (Raul ARBOLEDA/AFP)

Israeli search and rescue soldiers are seen operating in Colombia, footage shows, following the earthquake that struck the South American nation.

Israel’s 80-strong delegation, named Brit Re’im, or covenant of friends, consists of IDF soldiers and officers from the Home Front Command, and officials from the Foreign and Defense Ministries. They departed on Thursday night.

“As you know, we have experience in Israel. Sometimes, unfortunately, our enemies who launch missiles at those densely populated civilian areas also leave civilians under the rubble. And all that knowledge developed for Israeli citizens, today we are making available to Colombian citizens. Hopefully, we can contribute our small part here,” the IDF’s Spanish-language spokesman, Maj. (res.) Roni Kaplan says to reporters in Colombia, in footage published by AFP.

“The intention is to work here side by side, meaning we are coordinating here with the local teams to try to contribute. Hope in Judaism is not something that we have to wait for in the future, it is something that we have to work toward. And that is what we are doing, we are working,” Kaplan adds.

A statement from the IDF and Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said the delegation will distribute food and water to victims of this week’s deadly earthquake, and will embark on search-and-rescue missions.

Rescuers from the Israel Defense Forces arrive in Cali, Colombia, to join the search for people trapped under the rubble left by the powerful August 10 earthquake, August 14, 2026. (JUAN RESTREPO / AFPTV / AFP)

Death toll reaches 7 in pre-dawn Israeli strike north of Tyre — Lebanese news agency

The aftermath of a reported deadly strike in Ansar, Lebanon on August 15, 2026 (Screenshot/ Lebanondebate via X)

Lebanon’s official National News Agency says an Israeli strike in the southern Lebanon town of Ansar, north of Tyre, before dawn killed seven and wounded three others.

Rescue teams are working to remove the rubble and transport the dead and wounded to hospitals in the Nabatieh area, NNA adds.

Reports: 6 killed in Lebanon strike; IDF targets area of Hezbollah underground facility

The aftermath of a reported deadly strike in Ansar, Lebanon on August 15, 2026 (Screenshot/ Lebanondebate via X)

Lebanese media reports six dead in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon before dawn.

The deadly strike took place in the town of Ansar, north of the coastal city of Tyre, according to the reports.

Additionally, a series of airstrikes took place in the Nabatieh area, the reports say, including some of the heaviest strikes yet on the Ali Taher Ridge, beneath which Hezbollah has a major underground facility.

The IDF has not yet commented on the reports.

بالفيديو: 7 غارات شنّها الطيران الحربي الإسرائيلي استهدفت مرتفع #علي_الطاهر خلال ساعات الفجر pic.twitter.com/UxIKxtsgEk

— Lebanon Debate (@lebanondebate) August 15, 2026

بالفيديو: غارة إسرائيلية استهدفت بلدة #أنصار فجرًا pic.twitter.com/qValdafIMM

— Lebanon Debate (@lebanondebate) August 15, 2026

Iran’s Araghchi: Tehran has not decided to resume US talks, Hormuz shipping depends on US ‘meeting conditions’

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks during a news conference with his Iraqi counterpart Fouad Hussein after their meeting at the foreign ministry in Baghdad, Iraq, June 28, 2026. (AP/ Hadi Mizban)

Iran has not decided to resume talks with the United States, and messages being exchanged via Qatar and Pakistan do not amount to negotiations, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says in an interview.

Araghchi tells Iranian news outlet Shahrara News that separate talks with Oman were focused on defining a sea route through the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States would have to meet conditions for shipping to resume through the waterway.

Florida venue backs out of hosting rally with Tlaib after state lawmaker claims it’s an ‘anti-Jew’ event

Rep. Rashida Tlaib addresses delegates during the Michigan Democratic Party State Endorsement Convention, April 19, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)

A South Florida site backs out of hosting a rally with Democratic US Representative Rashida Tlaib, a vocal critic of Israel’s government, after complaints by a Democratic state lawmaker in the party’s latest flashpoint over its stance on Israel.

Tlaib, the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, was scheduled to appear at a rally for three candidates in Florida’s upcoming Democratic Party primary.

However, The Venue Fort Lauderdale, which was scheduled to host the event, suddenly cancels it after State Representative Michael Gottlieb, chairman of the Florida Legislative Jewish Caucus, posted a statement claiming the planned rally was an “anti-Jew” gathering.

The Venue in a statement cites “increased security concerns” for its decision and says it is Jewish-owned and “our values and commitment to the Jewish community are deeply important to us.”

The rally was organized by groups such as “Florida Youth Justice Coalition,” “Gen-Z For Change” and a local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.

It was meant to support State Representative Angie Nixon, who is running for the US Senate, and Elijah Manley and Oliver Larkin, who are seeking seats in the US House of Representatives.

After The Venue withdrew its support, the event was expected to proceed at a Fort Lauderdale wine bar, an organizer tells The New York Times.

The Florida Democratic Progressive Caucus says the cancellation of the rally was rooted in anti-Muslim sentiment. Florida’s primary elections are scheduled for August 18.

At least 5 dead as 7.7 magnitude earthquake rattles eastern Indonesia

A man examines the damage to a building following an earthquake in East Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, August 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Kurniawan)

At least five people died after an earthquake of magnitude 7.7 and dozens of aftershocks struck off eastern Indonesia early on Saturday, a provincial governor says.

Tsunami waves of less than 1 meter (3 feet) were recorded in several areas of the Southeast Asian nation. The tsunami warning was lifted about three hours after the quake.

The governor of East Nusa Tenggara Province, Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena, tells a press conference the five people died from collapsing rubble as they slept.

Assailant disrupts Shabbat service at NYC synagogue, headbutts guard

Exterior view of the Central Synagogue of New York, February 28, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kena Betancur)

A man disrupts Shabbat services and attacks a guard at Central Synagogue in Manhattan.

As synagogue security escorted the man out of the services, he struck a congregant and damaged synagogue property, then spit at and headbutted a member of the security team, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch says in a statement.

Tisch is Jewish, attended Central Synagogue growing up and was married there.

A police officer working security at the Reform synagogue took the assailant into custody.

Tisch says she spoke with the synagogue rabbi, that no one was seriously injured, and there are no known additional threats.

Extra police have been dispatched to the synagogue, Tisch says.

“I understand the sanctity of this space and its meaning for congregants. Central Synagogue is where I grew up,” Tisch says.

“In joy and in sorrow, it has always been a place of comfort and peace. What happened there tonight is deeply painful. A place of worship should never be a crime scene,” she says.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani says he is “horrified” by the incident.

“This despicable act has no place in our city, and our administration will do everything in our power to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe,” Mamdani says.

Jews are targeted in hate crimes far more than any other group in New York City.

The last major incident took place late last month when an attacker allegedly stabbed a Jewish man with a screwdriver immediately after he left services on the Upper West Side. The assailant also allegedly stabbed a non-Jewish man.

Hate crimes against Jews and some other groups have increased since Mamdani took office at the start of the year.

Jewish leaders have repeatedly warned that Mamdani’s anti-Zionist rhetoric was stoking hatred against Jews in the city.

Mark Treyger, the head of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, says tonight’s incident “is reprehensible, particularly at a moment when antisemitism and threats against Jewish New Yorkers have reached alarming levels.”

“Leaders have a responsibility to lower the temperature and reject rhetoric that makes targeting our neighbors seem permissible,” Treyger says in a statement.

UAE state oil company reports attack on ship in Strait of Hormuz

The United Arab Emirates’ state-owned oil company says one of its vessels came under attack in the Strait of Hormuz, state media reports.

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) “confirmed that one of its vessels was attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on the evening of Friday, August 14”, according to the official WAM news agency. The incident caused no injuries.

Youngest Black professor at Cambridge found dead after resigning amid plagiarism allegations

Torchbearer Jason Arday carries the Olympic Flame on the Torch Relay leg between Sutton and Merton, in London, July 23, 2012. (Joe Giddens/LOCOG/PA via AP)

LONDON — A British sociologist who resigned last week from the University of Cambridge following weeks of public accusations of plagiarism and media scrutiny has been found dead.

Jason Arday, who was 37 when he became Cambridge’s youngest Black professor in 2023, resigned after he came under intense media pressure, with weeks of allegations about plagiarism in his academic work and questions surrounding claims about his athletic and fundraising accomplishments.

The Times and Telegraph newspapers, along with the BBC and Sky News, report that Arday, 41, was found “unresponsive” inside a home in Battersea, south London, on Friday afternoon.

In a statement issued by his publisher Simon & Schuster UK, Arday’s family said it was “in shock to have lost this amazing father, partner, brother, uncle and son.”

“The campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason, who was a gentle man and who always wanted to see the best in everyone,” the family said, adding that for three years Arday was “subjected to a campaign of sustained abuse … by those who would leave no stone unturned in their quest to undermine him.”

The Metropolitan Police said only that a 41-year-old man was pronounced dead in Battersea, without naming the man, in accordance with its policy.

“At this time his death is being treated as unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious,” the police statement said.

Cambridge Vice-chancellor Deborah Prentice, who earlier announced that the university will investigate the circumstances around Arday’s employment, says she is “desperately saddened” by the news.

“Our heartfelt sympathies go to Jason Arday’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time,” she says.

‘Completely unacceptable’: UK condemns Netanyahu for calling Britain an ‘Islamic republic’

Britain hits back at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu derisively calling the country an “Islamic republic” in an interview, branding the remarks “completely unacceptable.”

“These comments are completely unacceptable and we have raised them with the Israeli government,” a UK government spokesman says.

In an earlier BBC radio interview, Israeli government spokesman David Mencer appeared to downplay Netanyahu’s comments.

“He [Netanyahu] was making a quote that someone else had given,” Mencer said, noting United States Vice President JD Vance had “made those comments” previously.

“He was quoting what the vice president had said.”

Araghchi says Iran in contact with mediators Pakistan, Qatar but no talks with US currently taking place

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi says no decision has yet been made to resume negotiations with the United States, the ​Iranian Student News Agency reports, adding that mediators Qatar and Pakistan are in contact with Iran and exchanging messages, but that this doesn’t amount to negotiations.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi meanwhile says that Tehran won’t be intimidated by threats or a show of force by Washington after US President Donald Trump said he would declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory.

Commenting on Trump’s statements, Gharibabadi says in a post on X that the strategic waterway will only be opened or closed under Iran’s authority.

Trump urges Americans to accept higher gas prices as he escalates Iran rhetoric

US President Donald Trump urges Americans to accept slightly higher gasoline prices as the cost of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and said he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory.

The comments underscore the growing political risk for Trump as higher fuel prices collide with his campaign promise to lower energy costs, with Democrats already seeking to make the economic fallout from the Iran war an issue heading into the November midterm elections.

In a speech in Garden City, Trump says Americans who had to “pay a tiny little bit more for your gasoline” should remember that this was the cost of ensuring “a very evil country” could not have a nuclear weapon.

“What we’re doing is a great service for the world, not only for ourselves… and we’re really doing a great job,” says Trump, adding he would never apologize for attacking Iran.

Around roughly 20% of global oil and LNG shipments usually pass through the Strait of Hormuz and the potential for long-term disruption has pushed up oil prices.

“After we finish defeating Iran… pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States,” said Trump, escalating his rhetoric over the vital waterway.

It was unclear how seriously Trump intended the remark or whether it represented a new policy position.

The remarks come as the Strait of Hormuz remains a critical pressure point for global energy markets.

Oil prices have risen this week, with Brent crude approaching $90 a barrel, while U.S. gasoline prices have climbed to around $4 a gallon.