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- Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya. (Illustrative) (photo credit: Canva, REUTERS/IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA, REUTERS/OMAR IBRAHIM) Little will change in  Hamas  now that  Khalil al-Hayya  has been named head of its political bureau, though the terror group will now enjoy not having the financial burden of administering the Gaza Strip, Dr. Michael Milshtein, the head of the Palestinian Studies Forum at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University, told  The Jerusalem Post  on Tuesday. Elected after two rounds of elections, Milshtein noted that Hayya has been functioning as the de facto leader for years in Qatar after the assassination of his predecessors.

US President Donald Trump points at the new Air Force One, a plane gifted by the Qatari government, before boarding the plane, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US, July 1, 2026. (photo credit: REUTERS/Evan Vucci) Trump is expected to escalate the war with Iran, leading Israeli officials to believe that Tehran could retaliate directly against Israel Israeli officials believe US President Donald Trump is preparing to  significantly escalate  the American military campaign against Iran, according to two Israeli officials. According to the assessment, an expanded US campaign targeting Iranian strategic infrastructure and senior regime officials would likely prompt  Tehran  to retaliate directly against Israel.

Footage of the strike on armed Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists in southern Gaza on July 20, 2026 (CREDIT: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT). The IDF killed several Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists in a targeted strike in southern Gaza on Monday.   Footage of the identification of armed Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists in southern Gaza on July 20, 2026 (CREDIT: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT). Per the military's statement, Israeli troops identified several armed PIJ operatives loading a vehicle with weapons that were intended to be used against IDF soldiers operating in the area.  The Israel Air Force struck the vehicle, killing those who were in it and in its immediate vicinity.

A munition is launched from a U.S. warship at an unknown location, during what U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) says are strikes on Iran, in this screen grab taken from a handout video released on July 18, 2026. (photo credit: US CENTRAL COMMAND/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS) The United States completed its ninth consecutive evening of strikes on Monday morning, US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated in a post to X/Twitter.  “CENTCOM assets targeted Iranian military command centers, air defense and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and communications networks to further diminish Iran's ability to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” they said. The statement concluded that US forces were acting at the direction of the commander in chief to hold Iran accountable and remained highly vigilant, focused, lethal, and ready to respond. https://t.co/t51HuJ9Evw — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM)  July 20,...

Smoke rises after a drone was intercepted during early morning hours in Manama, Bahrain, July 14, 2026. (photo credit: REUTERS/STRINGER) Residents of  Saudi Arabia , Bahrain, and Jordan criticized Iranian aggression and called on the US and Israel to act in interviews with N12 published on Sunday.  Three residents of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Jordan described the situation in their respective countries in rare interviews with Israeli media. The latest US strikes on Iran have raised tensions in neighboring countries as Iran retaliated with strikes on US bases in the region and threatened to target infrastructure in Gulf states.  “Since Iran resumed launching missiles over the past week, the situation in  Bahrain  has been extremely tense,” Bahraini author and activist Fatima Al Harbi told N12. 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio walks from a vehicle before departing from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on July 19, 2026. (photo credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/POOL VIA REUTERS) The United States is still open to a diplomatic solution with Iran, US Secretary of State  Marco Rubio  told reporters on Sunday night. "It has to be real," he explained. "It has to be a deal that they're willing to live by. "Look, Iran, a week ago, was supposed to put out a statement saying that the Straits of Hormuz would be open, that they would no longer attack shipping. And instead of doing that, they attacked three ships. I think that was last Friday or Saturday. So, I mean, their behavior has to change in order for ours to change." Rubio also stated that there was a "growing split" in Iran between the more militant extremists who continue to attack the US and other countries and those who are concerned with Iran's economy.