Aug 20, 2026, 08:00 AM UTC

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally dismissed a 15-point Gaza peace plan promoted by US President Donald Trump, declaring that Israel will not pull troops out of the enclave until Hamas undergoes complete disarmament.

Speaking to his cabinet on Sunday, Netanyahu stated that "Israel rejects the 15-point document" recently accepted by Hamas. He stressed that the military "will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed" while continuing defensive actions to protect troops.

The public refusal comes despite the Israeli military halting major assaults following US pressure. The stance underscores widening diplomatic tension between Washington and Tel Aviv, as Netanyahu navigates domestic pressure from right-wing coalition partners ahead of snap parliamentary elections scheduled for late October.

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

Russian military strikes across Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region have killed five people and injured 16 others over a 24-hour period, according to regional emergency responders.

Russian forces launched nearly 60 attacks across five districts in the area. The heaviest casualties occurred in the Kamianske district, where three people were killed and five sustained injuries. In the Pavlohrad district, two individuals died and seven others were wounded. Additional civilian injuries and infrastructure damage were recorded in the Nikopol district as artillery and aerial barrages hit local communities.

Firefighters and rescue workers deployed across the impacted zones to extinguish fires, clear rubble, and assist wounded residents following the widespread shelling.

Sources: Ziarul de Gardă