Aug 4, 2026, 03:00 PM UTC

The Board of Peace, established by U.S. President Donald Trump, has assured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israeli forces will not withdraw from the Gaza Strip until Hamas completes full disarmament. The clarification follows formal objections from Jerusalem regarding a proposed postwar framework calling for an immediate halt to strikes and a phased troop exit.

Israeli officials raised serious security concerns over the initial text, warning that a withdrawal prior to full disarmament could risk further violence. The pushback from Jerusalem contradicted earlier assertions by Trump that Israel was fully supportive of the agreement.

While Hamas representatives indicated tentative agreement regarding disarmament, they stated that implementation remains conditional on initial steps taken by Israel. The Board of Peace reiterated that Israeli forces will maintain their positions until Hamas fulfills its commitments.

Sources: Cyprus Mail, FAZ, France24, ORF, Tagesschau.

Italian law enforcement authorities are continuing investigations into multiple violent incidents across northern Italy. In Varese, 36-year-old motorist Federico Venco was killed after being struck by a vehicle driven by Mirko Bertellini, who mistook him for his ex-girlfriend's new partner before physically assaulting her.

In Casale Monferrato, police arrested a 19-year-old man with a criminal record for stalking and assault after he threatened his former girlfriend with death and punched her current companion. Meanwhile, legal proceedings continue regarding the fatal fall of Dafne Rebaudo, whose mother demanded justice while pointing to state failures in treating addiction.

Separately, emergency divers in Lake Como recovered the body of an 18-year-old who drowned after jumping into the water overnight.

Sources: ANSA, Corriere della Sera, El Mundo, Il Messaggero, La Stampa.

Voters in Michigan are choosing their Democratic nominee for a crucial US Senate race, in a primary highlighting ideological divisions within the party. The contest pits progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed against establishment-backed moderate Representative Haley Stevens.

The high-stakes primary is widely viewed as a test of the party's strategic direction ahead of upcoming midterm elections. Policy debates center on domestic issues such as healthcare as well as foreign policy, alongside record campaign expenditures. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee reportedly spent around $30 million to support the establishment campaign.

The final election result in this Midwestern swing state could prove decisive in determining the balance of power in the US Senate.

Sources: Bloomberg, France24, Tagesschau, The Guardian.

Romanian military forces detonated 180 kilograms of explosives along the Danube River on Monday to alter its flow and secure cooling water for the Cernavodă nuclear power plant. Debris from the blast is being deposited 50 kilometers downstream into a river arm supplying the facility to raise water levels at its intake point and prevent a full operational shutdown.

The Danube's flow rate in Romania has fallen to 1,500 cubic meters per second, representing less than a third of its typical July average. Following significant reductions in electricity output, Romanian authorities declared a month-long national state of emergency for August. The severe drought and dwindling river levels have also impacted regional energy supplies, prompting power-saving calls in Hungary and Serbia, where hydroelectric generation has dropped sharply.

Sources: Berlingske, Dagens Industri, Die Presse, NOS (Nederlandse Omroep Stichting), Tagesschau

The United States Federal Aviation Administration has officially cleared the Boeing 737 Max 7 for commercial service, concluding a lengthy regulatory review process. The approval enables the aerospace manufacturer to begin customer deliveries of the smallest variant in its Max aircraft family.

The certification experienced severe delays following two fatal accidents involving the Max 8 model in 2018 and 2019, alongside subsequent manufacturing and quality oversight issues. Airlines, including Southwest Airlines, had initially expected to deploy the fuel-efficient narrow-body jetliners prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following years of extensive safety testing and heightened regulatory scrutiny, the aircraft is now cleared for commercial operation.

Sources: Morgunblaðið, Berlingske, DR, Svenska Dagbladet, Tagesschau