Aug 13, 2026, 04:00 PM UTC

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his rejection of a 15-point Gaza peace proposal endorsed by US President Donald Trump, insisting that Israeli forces will not withdraw without the complete disarmament of Hamas.

In televised remarks to his cabinet, Netanyahu stated that "Israel rejects the 15-point document" previously accepted by Hamas in late July. He stressed that the military "will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed" and continues to counter threats.

The stance underscores an expanding diplomatic divide between Washington and Jerusalem, despite a recent pause in major Israeli strikes following pressure from the White House. Netanyahu faces heightened domestic pressure ahead of national elections scheduled for October 27, balancing demands from far-right coalition partners against maintaining ties with the US.

Sources: Cyprus Mail, France24, STV News, The Guardian, The Herald.

Emergency teams in Greece are battling severe wildfires west of Athens near Megara and Mount Cithaeron, deploying aircraft, volunteers, and military equipment to contain the blazes.

In Malta, trial proceedings continued in the 2017 car-bomb assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Her son testified before the court regarding her work exposing alleged corruption involving businessman Yorgen Fenech and government officials.

In Croatia, the opposition Social Democratic Party initiated a no-confidence motion against the governing coalition led by HDZ following public backlash over a hazardous waste scandal in Gospić.

Additionally, data from the Reuters Institute Digital News Report revealed that 63 percent of Croatian respondents avoid news at least occasionally, marking one of the highest avoidance rates globally alongside Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey.

Sources: HRT Vijesti, Index, Klix, Poslovni dnevnik

As severe heat and precipitation shortages continue across Czechia, hydrologists report that rainfall remains 34 percent below normal levels, placing the country in a state of hydrological drought. In response to falling water levels along the Vltava River Cascade, water management authorities prepared to draw emergency storage from the Slapy reservoir to maintain minimum downstream flows, an operational measure estimated to occur once every 50 years.

Stream levels across Moravia have dropped well below half their usual volume, leaving some smaller waterways entirely dry and prompting local volunteers to relocate aquatic species from dried-up riverbeds. Environmental experts warn that regions such as Southern Moravia and Polabí face long-term risks of desertification without comprehensive landscape adaptation, while public surveys reflect rising concerns over extreme heat and climate response.

Sources: Deník N, Hospodářské noviny, iROZHLAS, Seznam Zprávy, Český rozhlas Plus.

Russian ballistic missiles and drones hit targets across Ukraine, including Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv, causing multiple civilian casualties. Ukrainian officials reported at least 17 deaths in the Kyiv region, five in Zaporizhzhia, and two in Kharkiv.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone strikes targeted facilities inside Russia, including warehouses operated by e-commerce company Wildberries in Saint Petersburg and Moscow. A strike on a Moscow warehouse killed at least five people, while an attack in the Belgorod region killed three.

Along the frontline, soldiers described an unpredictable grey zone dominated by constant drone surveillance where open movement frequently leads to lethal attack.

Sources: 8 Sidor, Dagens Industri, Dagens Nyheter, SVT, Svenska Dagbladet