Latest war news. Trump: ‘I didn’t take Air Force One because the 007s asked me not to’

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have blown up and destroyed the four-storey ‘Sheikh Naim Mahdi’ state school, located in the centre of the village of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, in the Nabatieh Governorate in southern Lebanon. This was reported by the Lebanese daily *L’Orient Le Jour*, which added that no casualties have been reported.

Hamas and the other Palestinian organisations in the Gaza Strip will be able to continue their political activities following their disarmament. This was reported today by the Arabic-language newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, citing sources within the Palestinian groups who are familiar with the talks held over recent months – particularly those of the last few weeks – which have led to an agreement on a roadmap for their disarmament.

A Hamas source living abroad reported that assurances had been received from various parties , including mediators and the US administration, regarding the freedom of Palestinian organisations to exercise their political rights, in accordance with Palestinian law. The source added that their members and activists would not be targeted or persecuted for their political activities or for previous political or security-related activities.

The Pakistani Minister of the Interior is visiting Iran to discuss regional security and stability and other developments. This was reported by the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad.

“He is discussing bilateral relations, security, regional security and stability, as well as constructive engagement between the parties in the region and regional developments”: Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told reporters in Islamabad, whose government is acting as a mediator to bring an end to the fighting in the Middle East.

After three days during which settlers had blocked the entrances to two Palestinian homes, preventing the residents from leaving, the IDF arrived on the outskirts of the Palestinian village of Qusra near Nablus to attempt to remove the settlers. This is reported by the Times of Israel, which states that clashes are currently taking place between the Israeli army and the settlers.

Since Sunday, Israeli civilians have blockaded the houses on the outskirts of the village, preventing people from entering or leaving, and have also cut the power lines. Youssef Hassan, the owner of one of the houses, told the Times of Israel that a large number of settlers arrived this morning from outposts in the area and that border police officers are using riot control measures against them, including tear gas. The commander of the Central Command, Major General Avi Bluth, has also arrived in the area.

Three Pakistanis were killed in the attack on a ship in the Red Sea. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced this on X, adding that another person was injured. “Pakistan strongly condemns the Houthi attack on a non-combat merchant vessel,” the minister wrote. “Such attacks endanger innocent lives, constitute a violation of international law and pose a serious threat to freedom of navigation, maritime security and the safety of commercial maritime traffic in the Red Sea.”

An Israeli drone struck a religious gathering in Tyre, in southern Lebanon. This was reported by the Lebanese National News Agency. Meanwhile, citing residents and civil defence officials, the Guardian reports that the Israeli army is setting fires across southern Lebanon, targeting olive groves and farmland.

Firefighters and residents of southern Lebanon have accused the Israeli army of starting fires in the region, whilst wooded areas have been destroyed by blazes triggered by Israeli bombardments. This is reported by The Guardian. According to environmental organisations, the fires of recent weeks are part of a long-standing Israeli practice aimed at damaging Lebanon’s natural environment.

Yesterday, the Israeli army fired flares into a wooded area on the outskirts of Khiam, in southern Lebanon, causing fires. When firefighters attempted to extinguish the flames, a drone struck nearby, forcing them to retreat, said Hussein Fakih, head of civil defence in the Nabatieh region. “Most of our missions now involve fires. Huge areas of woodland have been burnt; I don’t have precise figures, but in the areas near the front line, around 30–40 per cent of the territory has been affected by the fires,” he said.

A group of Palestinian students, former students and staff members have taken Columbia University to court, accusing the New York-based institution of engaging in discriminatory practices against the Palestinian community since late 2023, following the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas. This is according to documents filed with a New York court.

According to the plaintiffs, the university failed to adequately protect Palestinian students and staff from incidents of harassment and intimidation, and also targeted some of them through disciplinary proceedings described as ‘unfair and biased’. The case marks the latest chapter in the dispute that has been unfolding for almost two years at one of the most prestigious universities in the United States, which has become a symbol of the tensions within the American academic world over the Middle East conflict.

This morning, Israeli artillery struck the Ali Taher hills, in the Nabatiye district of southern Lebanon, with white phosphorus munitions. This was reported by the Lebanese government news agency NNA, which stated that the shelling followed further shelling during the night.

White phosphorus is a form of phosphorus that burns spontaneously – on contact with air – at just over 40°. It is highly toxic. If swallowed or inhaled, it causes bone necrosis.

A group of (current and former) Palestinian students and staff members have filed a lawsuit against Columbia University, accusing the university of having engaged in discriminatory treatment of the Palestinian community on campus since the end of 2023. This is according to Reuters, citing a document filed with a New York court.

The lawsuit alleges that the university failed to protect its Palestinian members from harassment and that it targeted them through what are described as ‘unfair and biased disciplinary proceedings’.

“Everyone asks me this question. I’d love to run, but the law is strict .” This is what US President Donald Trump said when asked about a possible bid for the 2028 presidential election . “Everyone wants me to do it,” he added, speaking to journalists.

Natural gas prices on the Amsterdam TTF market have risen above 60 euros. September futures contracts are up 2.92 per cent at 60.45 euros. The previous day, the price had risen as high as 63 euros before falling to 58.8 euros following revelations by a spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry regarding the ‘advanced stage’ of negotiations between Iran and Oman on the reopening of the strait. At the same time, a spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence spoke of a possible rapprochement between the US and Iran.

Four Iranian drones have crashed in the Iraqi province of Erbil. This was reported by the Kurdish news platform Rudaw, after it had reported that several missiles and drones had been launched from Tehran against Kurdish towns in the province. According to reports, the four drones crashed in the early hours of this morning in the districts of Soran, Khalifan and Harir.

According to two US officials, the Iranian threat that prompted US President Donald Trump to secretly leave the NATO summit in Turkey, on a plane other than Air Force One, included the possibility of a surface-to-air missile being fired at Air Force One and the Iranians’ precise knowledge of the president’s whereabouts in Ankara. This was reported by the New York Times. The threat emerged just as the tycoon was preparing to begin his final day at the NATO summit in Turkey on 8 July.

According to US officials aware of the threat, US intelligence had gathered information from various sources and knew that there was a specific threat of a surface-to-air missile against Air Force One, and that someone in the vicinity of the NATO summit had been spotted with a portable missile. Furthermore, the Iranians knew exactly where Trump was staying in Ankara, including the floor plan of the building, the officials pointed out.

Speaking to journalists, Donald Trump emphasised that he ‘does not trust Iran’ and stated that the United States has ‘full control’ of the Strait of Hormuz.

“Are you saying I trust Iran?! I’m the last person in the world to trust Iran,” the White House occupant emphasised, “They’ve lied to me time and time again. Right now, we have full control of the Strait of Hormuz… it’s ours.”

Il presidente degli Stati Uniti Donald Trump ha confermato di aver evitato l’uso dell’Air Force One dopo un recente vertice in Turchia perché i servizi segreti e i militari volevano che prendesse un «aereo diverso» a causa di una minaccia.

«Io seguo le indicazioni dei servizi segreti e dei militari. Volevano che prendessi un volo diverso, un aereo diverso», ha raccontato Trump a proposito del suo allontanamento furtivo dall’aereo presidenziale.

Further reading

Latest war news. Tensions rise at sea: the death toll of sailors killed in the Red Sea rises to four; the US strikes a container ship in the Gulf of Oman

11 August 2026