At least 13 killed in Kyiv as Ukraine grapples with air defence shortages

 At least 13 people have been killed and 40 injured in the latest Russian strikes targeting the Ukrainian capital, Ukraine's prime minister said, as Kyiv continues to face a shortage of air defence missiles.

Apartment blocks and warehouses were struck across the city overnight, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said, while a children's hospital and school were also damaged.

The deaths were the result of a shortage of air defence missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, which Kyiv relies on western allies to supply.

Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko told the BBC that Ukraine is "absolutely unprotected" from ballistic missile attacks and "can't do anything" without interceptors. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said: "Russia is using this trying to destroy as much infrastructure as possible.

"For us it's very painful because we are dying here every day without these interceptors." Writing on Telegram, Zelensky said "as long as Ukraine does not have enough anti-ballistics, Russia will not seriously think about peace".

He added: "The interceptors for the Patriots have not yet been replaced, and they are needed every day. Each additional missile saves the lives of our people."

An update released by the Ukrainian Air Force on Thursday morning implied that none of the Russian ballistic missiles used overnight were intercepted. The Russian defence ministry said it used air, land and sea-based weapons to target military facilities and warehouses.

FULL REPORT AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98vzmden5yo

  

The Mirage of Ceasefires and The Tug of War: What Should Christians Think of Unstable Talks Of ‘Peace’ In the Middle East?

By Jonathan Brentner - https://harbingersdaily.com/the-mirage-of-ceasefires-and-the-tug-of-war-what-should-christians-think-of-unstable-talks-of-peace-in-the-middle-east/

The tension between war and peace in the Middle East is mind-boggling at times. Just when we think President Trump is about to order a massive wave of bombing against Iran, we wake up the next day to learn he has called off the attack.

On the other hand, the ceasefires never last. Despite the highly publicized Memorandum of Understanding for peace, attacks and bombings resumed shortly after its signing.

As students of Bible prophecy, we have a unique understanding of what’s happening in the conflict between Israel, Iran, and the proxies of the Persian state. We know that the battle is spiritual. Because Satan motivates Israel’s enemies, lasting peace will never happen until Jesus returns to the earth. The anti-Zion passion will remain alive and well inside Iran until the nation’s demise at the end of the Gog/Magog war (see Ezekiel 38-39).

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Why Iran Fights: Wars and Rumors of Wars

By Tim Moore - https://www.raptureready.com/2026/08/18/why-iran-fights-wars-and-rumors-of-wars-by-tim-moore/

Reflecting on my life, I can recount a series of wars that have transpired. I was born during the Vietnam conflict and came of age in the Cold War. In fact, my own initial training in the Air Force was focused on the great Soviet threat, and my POW training was based on the American experience in Vietnam.

While I was in high school, America first became embroiled in the Middle East unrest fomented by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Then, I watched as small conflicts erupted closer to home in Panama and even Grenada. Other skirmishes followed in places like Libya, Kosovo, and Somalia. By the early 1990s, even as the Cold War cooled, the focus turned once again to the Middle East, with multiple wars centered on Iraq and then Afghanistan. My own combat experience came over the deserts and mountains of both of those forlorn nations.

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REVEALED: Mossad Chief Spoke with Syrian Foreign Minister Before Israeli Strike

 

The Dangerous Illusions of Kushner’s Gaza Plan; IDF Reservist Kicked Out of Bar; Leaked Green Party Chats Call for ‘Killing Zionists’; IDF Chief Visits Syria Buffer Zone

REVEALED: Mossad Chief Spoke with Syrian Foreign Minister Before Israeli Strike Read Now Turkey Rejects Israeli Account of Syria Strike Read Now WATCH: IDF Reservist Refused Service in Bali Bar Watch Now The Dangerous Illusions of Kushner’s Gaza Roadmap Read Now Arab Country Suspends All Trade with Iran After Missile Attacks Read Now WATCH: IDF Chief of Staff Visits Syria Buffer Zone Watch Now

Countdown: Multiple Clocks Are Ticking Toward A Turbulent Fall

 Prophecy News Watch 20th August 

Countdown: Multiple Clocks Are Ticking Toward A Turbulent Fall Iran, Hamas, oil markets and the U.S. midterms are all moving toward critical deadlines at the same time. One unexpected spark could set several of these clocks in motion at once. Continue Reading

Israel Won't Let Turkey Become The New Iran In Syria Israel's latest strike in Syria may signal a much bigger shift: Tehran's influence has weakened, but Turkey is moving into the vacuum. Jerusalem appears determined not to trade one strategic threat for another. Continue Reading

Trump Changes Course on Iran With New Strategy

 

Neo-Nazis, Islamists Unite Against Jews; IDF Barred from Hitting Hamas; Antisemite Takes 19% in GOP Race; US Targets Top ICC Officials

Trump Changes Course on Iran Read Now Iran Eyes European Targets Read Now WATCH: Neo-Nazis, Muslims Unite in Sick Antisemitic Display Watch Now Russia Shipping Explosives, Drone Components to Iran Read Now Israel Building Hanging Facility for Terrorists, Says Ben-Gvir Read Now

Multiple deadly Israeli strikes in Gaza in under 24 hours

 Verified videos show the aftermath of Tuesday and Wednesday's strikes in Gaza City which show several injured people, including women and children.

The Hamas-run health ministry said multiple Palestinians had been killed.

The Israeli military said it was targeting Hamas commanders and that it had taken measures to mitigate harm to civilians prior to conducting strikes.

These deadly strikes come after a ceasefire agreement which has seen repeated Israeli attacks.

Verified video at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cp3rgxzk5x2o

Read more updates about Gaza here.

FULL REPORT AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cp3rgxzk5x2o

Israel opens up bids for highly-sensitive West Bank settlement project

 Israel has opened up tenders for the construction of some 1,200 settlement homes in a strategically important part of the occupied West Bank, as the government seeks to end any chance of a Palestinian state.

Plans to build on the so-called E1 area - east of Jerusalem - have long been internationally condemned.

The development would in effect divide the West Bank in two and isolate East Jerusalem.

The deadline for bids is days before Israel's October's general election, making it much harder for any future government to overturn any tenders issued.

Settlements are illegal under international law. Israel has built about 160 settlements housing 700,000 Jews since it occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem - land Palestinians want, along with Gaza, for a hoped-for future state - during the 1967 Middle East war. An estimated 3.3 million Palestinians live alongside them.

Despite the fierce international opposition, successive Israeli governments have allowed settlements to grow.

However, expansion has risen sharply since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power in late 2022 at the head of a right-wing, pro-settler coalition, as well as the start of the Gaza war, triggered by Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack on Israel.

FULL REPORT AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly50gn1e54o

Turkey Fumes After Israel Strikes to Prevent Deployment in Syria

 

Anti-Israel Group Tracks IDF Reservists Abroad; DSA’s Israel Litmus Test Sparks Outrage; Israeli Arabs Visit Orthodox Rabbi; The World’s Hezbollah Double Standard

Turkey Fumes After Israel Strikes to Prevent Deployment in Syria Randy Fine Crushes Antisemitic Challenger in Florida Primary WATCH: Do You Have Israel Derangement Syndrome? IDF Chief Hosts Greek Counterpart as Defense Ties Deepen Iran Must End Nuclear Bid or Face Consequences, Warns Huckabee

Australia 'outraged' after Israeli decision not to prosecute over killing of aid worker in Gaza

 Australia's foreign minister has said she is "outraged" over an Israeli government decision not to prosecute those responsible for the death of aid worker Zomi Frankcom, who was killed in an IDF strike.

Frankcom was an Australian aid worker with World Central Kitchen (WCK) who was killed in Gaza with six other colleagues by an Israeli airstrike in April 2024.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the decision "falls far short of the accountability we expect" and that she would call in the Israeli ambassador.

Australia would continue pressing Israel "for justice for Zomi and her colleagues", she said in a statement on Thursday.

Wong said the Australian government had learned of Israel's decision late on Wednesday night, adding that the outcome was "especially insulting" as it occurred on World Humanitarian Day.

"This is despite Israel Defense Forces admissions that the IDF strikes on Zomi and her colleagues' vehicles were the result of serious failures to follow IDF procedures, mistaken identification and errors in decision-making," she said.

"This decision falls far short of the accountability we expect."

FULL REPORT AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp87g29r718o