Aug 17, 2026, 11:00 PM UTC

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally dismissed a 15-point Gaza peace proposal endorsed by US President Donald Trump, declaring that Israeli armed forces will not leave the enclave until Hamas fully surrenders its weapons.

Addressing his cabinet on Sunday, Netanyahu stated that "Israel rejects the 15-point document" recently accepted by Hamas. He insisted that the military "will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed" and would persist in thwarting security risks.

The rejection highlights growing friction between Israel and the US administration over postwar arrangements. Netanyahu faces complex political pressures ahead of upcoming domestic elections, balancing diplomatic demands from Washington against resistance from right-wing coalition allies.

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

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has come under renewed scrutiny regarding military modernisation, as Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) President Moritz Schularick criticised the allocation of federal defence funds. Schularick argued that procurement budgets planned through 2030 remain disproportionately focused on conventional systems, such as tanks and frigates, rather than next-generation defence technologies.

Concurrently, changing electoral patterns and domestic policy debates are exerting pressure across Germany's political spectrum. A recent Deutschlandtrend poll indicated that the Alternative for Germany (AfD) has widened its lead over the centre-right CDU/CSU alliance, accompanied by increasing public receptivity toward issue-by-issue parliamentary cooperation. Meanwhile, disagreements within the governing federal coalition persist over funding for climate adaptation measures and proposed statutory pension reforms.

Sources: Der Spiegel, Die Zeit, DW, FAZ, Tagesschau

Emergency rescue teams in Colombia continue searching through debris following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck western regions near San José del Palmar. The tremor, which was also felt across neighbouring Ecuador, caused widespread structural collapse and prompted authorities to declare a national state of emergency.

Casualty figures have steadily increased as emergency personnel access damaged zones. While initial reports indicated 20 deaths, subsequent estimates recorded more than 130 fatalities and over 500 injuries, with later tallies climbing to at least 164 dead.

Military units and disaster response workers remain engaged in operations amid concerns that more people are trapped beneath collapsed structures. Authorities are arranging temporary shelter and humanitarian aid for displaced residents.

Sources: Adevărul, Digi24, HotNews, Moldova1, Ziarul de Gardă.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally rejected a 15-point post-war Gaza peace initiative drafted by the US-led Peace Committee, declaring during a cabinet meeting that Israel will not accept the proposal. Netanyahu reaffirmed that Israeli forces will not withdraw from the enclave until Hamas is completely disarmed, while also repeating his refusal to allow the creation of a Palestinian state.

The rejection comes amid intense diplomatic efforts in Cairo, where US envoys Jared Kushner and Nickolay Mladenov held talks with mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. While Hamas officials signaled their acceptance of the framework and urged international mediators to pressure Israel, Washington's envoys are heading to Israel to meet with Netanyahu in an attempt to overcome the impasse and secure Israeli backing for the roadmap.

Sources: Avaz, Beta, Danas, Klix, N1.