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Three members of Syria’s Internal Security Forces were killed and others injured on Thursday during a mission to arrest a wanted person in Al-Sanamayn, in the Daraa countryside. The security forces said an armed group led by the wanted person attacked the patrol, while a temporary curfew was imposed and efforts to apprehend those involved continued.

Rescue teams recovered the bodies of 21 Palestinians, including 12 children and five women, after a six-story residential building collapsed in the industrial zone west of Gaza City early Wednesday. About 100 people are estimated to be missing or trapped under the rubble amid a severe shortage of rescue equipment.

Ukrainian authorities said 18 people, including children, were injured in Russian strikes on Kyiv, Odesa and Zaporizhzhia, damaging residential buildings and an industrial facility. The attacks coincided with Ukrainian drones being launched at targets inside Russia and temporary restrictions being imposed at several Russian airports.

Representatives of 17 countries are meeting in Paris to discuss the needs of the Lebanese army and Internal Security Forces as part of efforts to strengthen their deployment across Lebanon. The meeting is preceded by talks between French President Emmanuel Macron, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Jordan's King Abdullah II. The conference is expected to issue a declaration of intent containing a timetable for aid.

The United States has extended visa restrictions on Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization officials, a decision that includes President Mahmoud Abbas and prevents him from attending next week’s UN General Assembly meetings in New York. The Palestinians will participate through their diplomats accredited to the international organization.

Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, affirmed that her country’s status as a nuclear-weapon state cannot be reversed, rejecting calls from the International Atomic Energy Agency and Western countries for nuclear disarmament, as an agency conference in Vienna addressed Pyongyang’s growing nuclear capabilities.

The Houthis’ rapid advance along Yemen’s western coast and their capture of positions overlooking Bab al-Mandab gave Iran new leverage, while officials and sources attributed the breakthrough to divisions within the anti-Houthi camp, weak air support and a failure to assess the group’s preparations before the attack.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said his country has not decided whether to deploy military assets to the Strait of Hormuz, as it considers options to support freedom of navigation. He made the remarks before departing for Washington for talks covering security issues and South Korean investments in the United States.

US President Donald Trump plans to meet with leaders or foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council states in New York next week to discuss the course of the war with Iran and ideas for the period that follows, as he says the confrontation is nearing its end and Tehran wants to reach an agreement.

Palestinians are awaiting legislative elections on November 28, 2026, to be followed by presidential and national elections in the first quarter of 2027. Researchers and politicians say the vote could renew the legitimacy of institutions, but it faces obstacles linked to the war in Gaza, Israeli restrictions in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and the need to achieve national consensus.

President Donald Trump’s administration plan to send $2.8 billion worth of weapons to Israel has faced opposition from US lawmakers and politicians, amid concerns about the use of 40,000 2,000-pound bombs in densely populated areas of Gaza and Lebanon and calls to block the deal before its approval.

A poll showed Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party leading the party standings with 22 seats, compared with 18 for Likud, while Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc led Eisenkot’s bloc 54-52 ahead of the general election scheduled for 27 October.

The UAE affirmed its solidarity with Saudi Arabia and support for measures aimed at protecting its security after the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen announced that Saudi air defences had intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by the Houthis south of Mecca before it entered restricted airspace.

Sources said the US administration had denied Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his delegation visas to enter New York and attend the UN General Assembly meetings in person for the second consecutive year. The decision coincides with the 81st session, following a similar move by Washington against Abbas and Palestinian officials in 2025.

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro said his administration is ready to offer the United States investment opportunities and access to Berbera port and its strategic location, with military cooperation potentially expanding in the future. Hargeisa is seeking US recognition and security support, while Mogadishu rejects its independence claim.

Lebanon’s parliament renewed confidence in Nawaf Salam’s government, with 68 of the 81 lawmakers attending the session voting in its favour, amid criticism of its performance and political fears of a vacuum. The government faces issues including negotiations with Israel, placing arms under state control and financial reforms, amid internal divisions and continuing Israeli attacks on the south.

Palestinian communities in Area C of the West Bank face attacks targeting water sources, livestock, electricity networks and homes, according to rights groups and Palestinian and UN bodies. Human Rights Watch says 5,900 Palestinians have left 107 communities entirely or partially since October 2023.

An Israeli official said Tel Aviv had received US approval to continue assassination operations in the Gaza Strip, provided civilians are spared. The statement comes as strikes continue and Israel and Hamas trade accusations of violating the ceasefire, amid renewed UN warnings about potential civilian casualties.

Satellite imagery and intelligence analyses detected the arrival of three Russian ships at Tobruk port, amid Italian and US aerial monitoring of their movements in the Mediterranean. The data indicates that the convoy transported trucks, armoured personnel carriers and mine-resistant vehicles to the port controlled by Khalifa Haftar’s forces.

The Saudi-led coalition supporting legitimacy in Yemen said it intercepted a drone that the Houthis had launched toward Mecca before it entered the city’s prohibited airspace on Tuesday evening. The group denied targeting Mecca, saying its operations were directed at oil facilities and military bases, amid Arab and Islamic condemnations of the incident.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the military was prepared to target Hamas upon receiving orders, linking this to enabling what he called a “migration plan” in the Gaza Strip. He made the remark in response to criticism from Ofer Winter, while Washington had previously denied any plan to forcibly remove residents.

US officials and Houthi representatives held a meeting at the US embassy in Muscat earlier this week, in an arrangement facilitated by Oman, according to informed sources. The group’s representatives told the US side that they did not intend to target US vessels and were committed to the ceasefire agreement reached between the two sides in 2025.

Belarus faces Russian pressure to expand its role in the Ukraine war, amid Kyiv’s accusations that Russian drones are being directed using infrastructure on Belarusian territory and fears of a northern front opening. President Alexander Lukashenko is trying to avoid direct military involvement despite his country’s growing political, economic and military dependence on Moscow.