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Mladenov Considers Gaza Committee Entry into Areas Israel May Leave

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets Nikolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace representative for Gaza, on Wednesday (Israeli Prime Minister’s Office)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets Nikolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace representative for Gaza, on Wednesday (Israeli Prime Minister’s Office)
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Mladenov Considers Gaza Committee Entry into Areas Israel May Leave

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets Nikolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace representative for Gaza, on Wednesday (Israeli Prime Minister’s Office)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets Nikolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace representative for Gaza, on Wednesday (Israeli Prime Minister’s Office)

A Palestinian source and a Western source close to the office of Nickolay Mladenov, the High Representative for Gaza at the Board of Peace, said Mladenov is studying “new options” with Israel on moving forward with the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan.

The options include “allowing the Gaza Administration Committee, led by Ali Shaath, to enter areas from which Israel will withdraw inside Gaza, with the committee assuming civilian government responsibility there and deploying members of its new police force with support from Arab countries.”

Since the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel took effect last October, Israel has controlled more than 55 % of the Gaza Strip, east of the notional “yellow line” that separates it from areas under Hamas influence west of the line.

The Western source told Asharq Al-Awsat that “this approach points to a decision being taken without coordination with or approval from Hamas,” adding that “the goal is to encourage Gaza residents to move to areas where the committee will assume responsibility and governance and improve their living conditions.”

Hamas and other factions insist that Israel withdraw from the areas it occupies under the ceasefire agreement.

Negotiations have stalled over a mechanism to implement the terms of the first phase, which Hamas is demanding, including humanitarian commitments, as well as the second phase, which Israel is pressing to activate, particularly the provision on “disarming” Gaza.

It is unclear whether the Gaza Committee can succeed in extending its authority over areas from which Israel withdraws without coordination with Hamas.

But the move is in line with Israeli measures in recent months, including expanding its control by shifting the “yellow line,” attacks by pro-Israel armed gangs on contact areas to force residents to move to zones under Israeli control, and a plan to rebuild sites in Rafah in the southern Gaza by placing temporary mobile homes, or caravans.

Dispute and Hamas attack

Public disagreements between Hamas and Mladenov have widened in recent weeks. One episode came on Wednesday, when Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim attacked the senior Board of Peace official, saying he had adopted “fascist and racist positions and terminology against Hamas,” as he put it.

The remarks came after Mladenov reposted on X a post sharply criticizing Hamas and accusing it of preventing Palestinian contractors from moving from areas under its control toward sites controlled by Israel.

Israel’s public broadcaster reported on Tuesday evening that Hamas had prevented, “under threat of arms,” contractors living in Gaza from working in the planned new Palestinian city in Rafah, a city controlled by Israel.

It said the move had been fully coordinated with the United States and marked the first time Hamas had blocked activity coordinated by the US leadership and approved by the Board of Peace.

The Western source said they had confirmed information that Hamas had prevented the contractors, but that the Board of Peace had not been informed of any intention to resume the war in Gaza.

The Palestinian source close to the Gaza Administration Committee said they had “learned from Mladenov about the ban, and do not have further details about what is happening.”

Asharq Al-Awsat learned that Mladenov returned to Israel two days ago and is holding meetings with officials there. He is expected to hold another meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he met last Tuesday.

Resuming negotiations

Sources in Hamas and Palestinian factions said Cairo will host a new round of negotiations before Eid al-Adha to try to bridge gaps and bring views closer with Israel on the ceasefire in Gaza and the transition to the second phase.

Two Hamas sources and a third source from a Palestinian faction currently in Cairo told Asharq Al-Awsat that Egypt, on behalf of the mediators, had invited the Hamas delegation to return to Cairo in the coming days to resume negotiations and resolve outstanding disputes.

The talks come as Israel insists on its conditions related to weapons, while the factions insist that the first phase must be implemented before entering negotiations on the second phase.

The three sources said that delegations from the factions remain in Cairo, while some leaders from those factions, along with the Hamas delegation, will return in the coming days.

The sources said mediators, particularly Egypt, had prepared a new paper after consultations among themselves and with the US, to present to the factions for renewed discussion.

They said a draft of the paper had also been discussed briefly with Hamas leaders to speed up talks in the coming days.

Hamas may settle the election of its new political bureau chief before heading to Cairo, a step that could affect decision-making on the ceasefire negotiations.

 

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Arab World

Israel Rejects Lebanon Withdrawal, Presses on With Destruction in South

Rubble of homes in the town of Mayfadoun, with traces of a large explosion that struck in southern Lebanon seen in the background (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Rubble of homes in the town of Mayfadoun, with traces of a large explosion that struck in southern Lebanon seen in the background (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Israel Rejects Lebanon Withdrawal, Presses on With Destruction in South

Rubble of homes in the town of Mayfadoun, with traces of a large explosion that struck in southern Lebanon seen in the background (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Rubble of homes in the town of Mayfadoun, with traces of a large explosion that struck in southern Lebanon seen in the background (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Israel has hardened its stance against Lebanese demands for a withdrawal, insisting it will remain in a “security zone” it has carved out inside Lebanon covering about 700 square kilometers.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz summed up the policy bluntly: “We destroy there and build here,” referring to Lebanon and Israel.

The position poses a major challenge to Lebanon and to US-led mediation aimed at securing an Israeli withdrawal and placing all weapons across Lebanese territory exclusively under state control.

US General Joseph Clearfield, head of the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon (MCG4L), is visiting Tel Aviv with Lebanese proposals for a mechanism to inspect designated pilot zones and plans to expand them.

He is due back on Friday to discuss with the Lebanese army the proposed arrangements and missions for implementing the “framework agreement.”

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam discussed developments in the south, particularly continued Israeli attacks and the destruction and demolition of homes and property in several villages and towns.

They also discussed Clearfield’s visit and reviewed items on the cabinet meeting agenda, the Lebanese presidency said.

Three-pronged destruction plan

Israel is pressing ahead in the border area with a three-pronged destruction campaign: bulldozing homes and civilian structures, burning buildings still standing, and blowing up tunnels, homes and other civilian facilities.

Security sources in southern Lebanon told Asharq Al-Awsat that what Lebanese observers could see in the occupied area was “the destruction of all urban infrastructure and the obliteration of the manifestations of life.”

They said Israel was also building military positions and raising mounds over the ruins of homes and villages.

The work was advancing “at a rapid pace,” the sources said, with explosions intensifying over the past two weeks alongside military measures, deployments across towns along the Yellow Line and incursions toward nearby villages.

Ministerial sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the most dangerous Israeli action in the south was the reshaping of border towns and villages.

The villages no longer resemble what they once were, the sources said, citing changes to the geography of towns and neighborhoods, the opening of new roads and the razing of homes and orchards.

Some villages had not originally been fully surveyed topographically, they added, deepening the impact of the changes underway.

Salam on Wednesday condemned the Israeli bulldozing and demolitions.

“Attempts to justify the razing and destruction on the grounds that military facilities are being targeted are contradicted by the nature of what is actually being struck on the ground,” he said.

“Lebanon’s sovereignty, the security of its people and the right of southerners to return to their land and rebuild their villages are not matters open to compromise.”

After the post was published, Salam’s account on X was hacked and the statement deleted. He later reposted it.

Bulldozing reaches Bani Hayyan

After carrying out hundreds of explosions and bulldozing operations in the border area, the Israeli army on Thursday began razing homes in Bani Hayyan, about 10 kilometers from the border.

The move came two days after a large explosion in the town and marked the first incursion by Israeli bulldozers there.

Local media reported Israeli sweeping operations in Bani Hayyan alongside shelling and the burning of several homes. Israeli military vehicles were also seen moving around the town.

An Israeli infantry force was also reported moving between Aita al-Jabal and Beit Yahoun in the Bint Jbeil district.

Systematic destruction

The repeated explosions and bulldozing point to a systematic Israeli strategy of destruction, one Katz described openly on Thursday after touring southern Lebanon a day earlier and highlighting the scale of the damage caused by Israeli forces.

He said he had seen “the homes of dozens of villages, the Lebanese border villages, that were destroyed, demolished and turned into ruins,” claiming they had been “Hezbollah positions in every sense of the word.”

“Here we build, and there is ruin,” Katz said, adding that Israel had “removed once and for all” the threat he said those areas had posed.

Katz said the Israeli army now controls about 700 square kilometers of what Israel calls a “security zone” inside Lebanon, stretching “from the sea area in the west to al-Shaqif and the outskirts of the summit of Mount Hermon in the east.”

He described the area as “empty of residents” and said Israeli troops were deployed there while what he called Hezbollah infrastructure above and below ground was being destroyed.

Long-term occupation

Katz said Israel would not withdraw from the territory it occupies in southern Lebanon until Hezbollah was disarmed and what he called its “threat” eliminated across the country.

He said he had ordered the military to prepare for a “long-term presence” there.

“This position is clear and we stand behind it, the prime minister and I, whether in direct talks with the US leadership or in practice and everywhere,” Katz said.

He said he had instructed the army “to prepare for a prolonged presence in the area in order to protect the fighting forces and the communities until this goal is fully achieved.”

“We promised the residents of the north security, and that is exactly what we have done and what we will do,” he added.

Katz also said on Thursday that Israel’s position on remaining in Lebanon had been raised “in direct talks with the US leadership,” underscoring the continuing dispute over how the framework agreement should be interpreted and the conditions for withdrawal.

A senior US State Department official had said that “a permanent Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon is inconsistent with the commitments made under the framework agreement and is not compatible with long-term peace and security for both countries.”

The official said Washington remained committed to the agreed path for the gradual redeployment of Israeli forces, alongside steps to verify Hezbollah’s disarmament and the destruction of its military infrastructure.

Arab World

Yemeni Forces Repel Houthi Attacks on Multiple Fronts

Yemeni Forces repel Houthi attacks on several fronts - Military Media
Yemeni Forces repel Houthi attacks on several fronts - Military Media
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Yemeni Forces Repel Houthi Attacks on Multiple Fronts

Yemeni Forces repel Houthi attacks on several fronts - Military Media
Yemeni Forces repel Houthi attacks on several fronts - Military Media

The Iran-backed Houthi group has intensified attacks across several fronts in Yemen, striking civilian areas and facilities in Taiz as government forces said they had repelled assaults and infiltration attempts in Taiz, Shabwa and Dhale and inflicted losses on the group.

Military and local sources said the Houthis had attacked military positions and civilian areas in several locations in recent hours, pointing to a widening of fighting across multiple fronts.

In the southwestern province of Taiz, Houthi mortar fire struck a mosque and a school in Maqsab village in the al-Atqa area of Mawza district, damaging both buildings but causing no casualties, local sources said.

The attack on the mosque came hours after the Houthis shelled al-Jeel al-Jadeed school in the same area.

The sources said the strikes were part of continuing Houthi attacks on places of worship, schools, civilian facilities and residential neighborhoods in the province.

On the northeastern front of Taiz city, the Houthis shelled government positions at Tabbat al-Wakeel and Tabbat al-Mawshki with medium weapons and projectiles, causing no casualties among the troops, a military source was quoted by Yemen’s Saba news agency as saying.

Government forces returned fire on Houthi positions near the Sofitel and International Hospital sites, silencing the sources of fire as clashes continued.

Fighting spreads across fronts

Clashes also spread to the Hayfan front southeast of Taiz, where the two sides fought in Ayrim, al-Mafalis, Tabbat Saeed Taha, al-Abliya and al-Manzara with light, medium and heavy weapons.

Local and military sources said government forces repelled a Houthi attack and forced the fighters to retreat, while continuing to target their firing positions. The forces said they remained ready for further attacks.

In Shabwa province, government troops thwarted Houthi attacks and infiltration attempts on fronts in Harib, Ain, Bayhan and Upper Markha districts.

A military source said forces deployed in the province foiled the infiltration attempts and inflicted losses in personnel and equipment. Government drones then struck Houthi positions and reinforcements in response, the source said.

In Dhale province, artillery fire hit Houthi gatherings and reinforcements near al-Fakher market west of Qataba as the fighters prepared to attack government positions, killing or wounding a number of them. Drone strikes also targeted the reinforcements.

Houthi media report 84 dead in a week

Houthi media acknowledged the deaths of 84 fighters over roughly a week, including 28 field commanders, in an indication of the scale of the group’s reported losses.

The toll included 47 fighters whose funerals were held over two days, among them 14 officers.

Forty of those reported killed were from Sanaa province, while others came from Dhamar, Amran, Hajjah, Saada, Mahwit and Ibb.

The figures announced by Houthi media suggest the losses extended into the group’s field command and were spread across several areas under its control.

The escalation comes as Rashad al-Alimi, Chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, said the state’s position toward the Houthis had changed and that any attack by the group would face a coordinated response and deterrence.

Al-Alimi said the armed forces were now operating through a single operations room and were better prepared to protect civilians, facilities and national institutions.

He said the state’s strategic goal was to restore its institutions and end the coup.

Al-Alimi said the government’s experience over recent years had shown that the Houthis used truces to rebuild their military capabilities and prepare for renewed fighting.

The government, he said, did not want another truce that repeated previous experiences, but a lasting peace based on a state that held sole authority over arms and sovereignty.

He said Houthi attacks on oil facilities and international shipping, along with threats to regional security, had helped shift international perceptions of the group.

The international question, in his view, was increasingly how to protect the Yemeni state, waterways and international peace and security rather than merely how to accommodate the Houthis.

Al-Alimi said the most significant military development was the growing unity and coordination among the fronts, citing simultaneous activity in Marib, Taiz, Shabwa, Dhale, Lahj, Hajjah, Saada and elsewhere.

He urged Yemen’s armed forces to protect civilians and respect the law, saying the strength of the state rested not only on weapons but also on the values and institutions it sought to restore.

Addressing the Houthis, Al-Alimi said the group still had an opportunity to lay down its weapons, enter political life and compete through the ballot box.

Yemen, he said, had room for everyone under the authority of the state and the law.

Arab World

Israeli Strikes in Gaza Kill Two Including Senior Policeman

Palestinian firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire after an Israeli military strike targeted a vehicle belonging to Gaza Police Chief Jamal Abu Kamil south of Gaza City, 13 August 2026. (EPA)
Palestinian firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire after an Israeli military strike targeted a vehicle belonging to Gaza Police Chief Jamal Abu Kamil south of Gaza City, 13 August 2026. (EPA)
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Israeli Strikes in Gaza Kill Two Including Senior Policeman

Palestinian firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire after an Israeli military strike targeted a vehicle belonging to Gaza Police Chief Jamal Abu Kamil south of Gaza City, 13 August 2026. (EPA)
Palestinian firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire after an Israeli military strike targeted a vehicle belonging to Gaza Police Chief Jamal Abu Kamil south of Gaza City, 13 August 2026. (EPA)

Israeli strikes in Gaza killed two people including a senior police officer on Thursday, health officials said, the second straight day of bombardment after a lull due to a US peace push.

The Israeli military said it struck a Hamas commander in the Khan Younis area who it said had been planning attacks against troops, in the second such targeting in as many days.

"The terrorist was struck in an aerial strike in order to remove the threat to Israeli troops," the military said, adding that "steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians."

Gaza's civil defense agency, which operates as a rescue service under Hamas, said an airstrike west of Khan Younis killed one person, with the city's Nasser Hospital confirming the arrival of a body following the attack.

In a separate incident in Gaza City, the civil defense said one person was killed and several others injured in an Israeli strike on a vehicle in the Sheikh Ajlin neighborhood.

Al-Shifa Hospital said it had received the body of Gaza City's police governor Jamal Abu Kamil.

Gaza's interior ministry confirmed Abu Kamil "was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike targeting his vehicle on Al-Rashid Street, southwest of Gaza City".

When contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it was checking the reports.

Israel on Wednesday carried out its first airstrike in Gaza since August 3.

The hiatus in airstrikes came after US President Donald Trump's announcement of a "major milestone" in his plan to end the war.

Hamas had announced that it would disarm by giving its weapons to a nascent Palestinian governing committee.

Trump's Board of Peace, in charge of implementing the ceasefire deal, had initially announced that Israel in turn would start a phased withdrawal from much of the Gaza Strip.

But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday publicly rejected the deal and vowed no Israeli pullout, even after the Board of Peace reassured him that Israel would not have to withdraw until complete Hamas disarmament.

Israeli operations in Gaza have killed 1,260 Palestinians since the ceasefire, according to the territory's health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority and whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.

The Israeli army has reported five deaths in its ranks during the same period.