Aug 18, 2026, 06:30 PM UTC

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally dismissed a US-backed 15-point peace proposal for Gaza promoted by President Donald Trump, maintaining that Israeli troops will not withdraw from the enclave without the complete disarmament of Hamas.

Speaking during a televised cabinet meeting, Netanyahu stated that "Israel rejects the 15-point document" recently accepted by Hamas. He stressed that the armed forces "will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed" and pledged to maintain operations against ongoing security risks.

The stance highlights growing friction between Netanyahu's administration and Washington, even as US pressure has curtailed certain military actions in Gaza. The rejection comes ahead of Israel's October 27 election, with Netanyahu balancing demands from hardline coalition partners against relations with the United States.

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

Ukrainian military leadership and political strategists have outlined key requirements for securing a decisive outcome in the ongoing war against Russia. A commander within Ukraine's uncrewed systems forces detailed five critical conditions necessary to dismantle Moscow's operational strength, placing heavy emphasis on technological superiority and expanded drone warfare.

Simultaneously, political analysts in Kyiv highlighted evolving strategic planning, noting that secondary defense measures have increasingly become central to the country's wartime approach. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also reiterated warnings concerning the broader security risks posed by the Kremlin, emphasizing that Moscow's military ambitions extend past Ukraine's borders and directly challenge wider European security stability.

Sources: 15min.

Long-range strikes hit industrial facilities in Russia's Samara region overnight, with satellite imagery and local footage indicating impacts near the Progress Rocket Space Centre and the Aviakor aviation plant. The targeted industrial zone manufactures Soyuz rockets and repairs Tu-95 strategic bombers. Regional authorities reported a massive missile attack, while additional drone and missile strikes were noted across Nizhny Novgorod, Penza, and Rostov oblasts, including near the Savasleyka military airfield.

Along the front lines, Ukrainian military officials recorded over 250 combat engagements within 24 hours. Intense clashes persisted along the Lyman and Kostiantynivka sectors, alongside Russian territorial pressure south of Dobropillia in the Pokrovsk direction and along the Oskil River.

Sources: Mediazona, Point, The Insider, Радіо Свобода, Українська правда.

Search and rescue operations across western Colombia have intensified under a national state of emergency following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake.

Casualty figures continue to rise as emergency teams reach damaged areas, with media reports citing between 132 and 164 fatalities and hundreds injured. The tremor, centred near San José del Palmar at an estimated depth of 107 kilometres, brought down dozens of buildings and was felt across the border in neighbouring Ecuador.

Emergency responders and military personnel are working through debris in an effort to locate survivors trapped beneath collapsed infrastructure. Authorities caution that the casualty count may rise further as access to isolated communities improves and shelter operations for displaced residents expand.

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