Aug 18, 2026, 08:00 PM UTC

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally dismissed a 15-point peace framework drafted by the US-backed Peace Committee, declaring that Israel will not accept the proposal. Addressing his cabinet, Netanyahu stated that Israeli armed forces will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas is verifiably disarmed, while reaffirming that no Palestinian state will be established.

The rejection comes amid intensive diplomatic efforts in Cairo, where US envoys Jared Kushner and Nickolay Mladenov met with mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, alongside Hamas representatives. Although Hamas claimed to have accepted the framework and called on international mediators to pressure Israel, US envoys are scheduled to hold direct discussions with Netanyahu to preserve a pathway toward a ceasefire and postwar reconstruction.

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

A wave of intense cross-border strikes has caused significant casualties across Ukraine and Russia. Russian bombardments targeting Kyiv and its surrounding region killed at least 17 people and injured over 40, prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky to issue renewed calls for Western air defence interceptors. Russian glide bombs also struck residential areas in Zaporizhzhia.

Simultaneously, Ukrainian drone and missile operations targeted several Russian locations, including the outskirts of Moscow, Belgorod, Crimea, and a Black Sea resort area near Gelendzhik, causing multiple civilian casualties. Zelensky noted that Russia has established three concentric air defence rings around Moscow and Saint Petersburg to counter incoming drones.

On the diplomatic front, Zelensky expressed confidence in future United States security guarantees, while Donald Trump voiced caution regarding proposed domestic Patriot missile production in Ukraine.

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

Firefighters in Croatia have extinguished open flames following a severe wildfire that spread from Lokva Rogoznica into the coastal town of Omiš in Dalmatia. The blaze burned houses, cars, and boats, prompting over 500 residents and tourists to flee into the Adriatic Sea, where maritime authorities and local boat owners assisted in rescues.

The Clinical Hospital Centre in Split treated dozens of injured people, retaining 14 patients, with seven to eight remaining in intensive care with critical burns. Power is gradually returning to affected zones as residents assess the destruction.

Discrepancies remain regarding casualties. Danas reported that a body was recovered in Omiš, while Beta cited official data indicating no recorded deaths.

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

Croatian President Zoran Milanović announced plans to formally request an extraordinary session of parliament regarding the illegal disposal of hazardous waste in Lika. The move escalates political scrutiny on the governing coalition, following a no-confidence motion initiated by the opposition Social Democratic Party over the Gospić dumping scandal.

Elsewhere in the region, emergency crews in Greece continued battling a major forest blaze across the Mount Cithaeron range west of Athens to protect settlements including Megara. In Valletta, proceedings continued in the murder trial over the 2017 assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, centering on her inquiries into businessman Yorgen Fenech. Separately, the Reuters Institute's Digital News Report 2026 revealed that 63 percent of surveyed citizens in Croatia occasionally or frequently avoid news coverage, ranking among the highest rates globally.

Sources: HRT Vijesti, Index, Klix, Poslovni dnevnik, Tanjug

Diplomatic officials from Iran and Oman are finalising geographical coordinates to establish a designated commercial maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei announced that the bilateral draft is in its "final stage," though he warned that the pact cannot guarantee navigational safety if outside parties intervene or maintain naval blockades.

Broader obstacles to traffic through the chokepoint remain unresolved. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stressed that unrestricted reopening is "subject to other conditions," citing Iranian demands for war reparations.

Meanwhile, maritime security risks persist across the waterway. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations confirmed that two blasts were detected in proximity to a commercial tanker off the coast of Oman. The agency verified that the vessel and crew were uninjured and that no environmental leaks occurred.

Sources: BBC News, France24, STV News, Sweden Herald, The Guardian.