- Politieke crisis in Oekraïne naar nieuw hoogtepunt
Ex-minister van Defensie Fedorov, die onlangs door president Zelensky, ontslagen is, heeft opgeroepen tot verkiezingen in Oekraïne. Zelensky was daar altijd tegen vanwege de oorlog en het grote aantal kiezers in het buitenland. Fedorov die eerder deze week door enkele duizenden demonstranten werd gesteund, gaat nu de machtsstrijd met Zelensky aan. Het was een directe reactie op de benoeming door Zelensky van een nieuwe minister van Defensie. Zie 7.
De wederzijdse bombardementen door Oekraïne en Rusland op elkaars infrastructuur gaat op volle kracht door. Rusland bombardeerde een Oekraïense havenstad aan de monding van de Donau. Zie 4.
En opnieuw beginnen de luchtaanvallen op Oekraïense energiecentrales. Dertien deze week. Zie 5.
Rusland stelt dat de luchtafweer een probaat middel heeft gevonden om Oekraïense drones af te weren. Zie 6.
Het Oekraïense stelt 20.000 strafzaken ze zijn begonnen tegen malafide rekruteringsbureaus en maffianetwerken die dienstplichtontduikers tegen betaling uit dienst halen. Zie 8.
De Israelische minister Ben Gvir bepleit het vermoorden van 30- 40 Palestijnen per dag. Een CDU -parlementariër heeft maatregelen tegen deze figuur bepleit. Zie 9.
Waarom heeft Israël een slapende Syrische luchtmachtbasis gebombardeerd? Zie 10.
Trump wil niet meer onderhandelen met Iran en dreigt meer geweld. Zie 11.
Ingewijden in Teheran hebben de FT ingefluisterd dat Iran Amerikaanse bases in Europa (Bulgarije) zouden willen bestoken met hun raketten. Zie 12.
En aansluitend op een eerder bericht hier het origineel van Bloomberg over de Amerikaanse enquête voor NAVO-landen. Rutte vindt het allemaal prachtig, maar… Zie 13.
Waarom was er een Chinook heli op een voetbalveld aan de rand van Nijmegen? Infantino was in geen velden of wegen te bekennen. Oefenen en de bevolking wat laten wennen. Zie 14.
De ontwikkelingen van 18 augustus 2026 aan het front in Oekraïne volgens het ISW via de link https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-18-2026/. Dit zijn hun hoofdconclusies:
- Russian state-owned bank Vnesheconombank (VEB) fired Chief Economist Andrey Klepach following media reports of a negative economic assessment he offered that contradicts Russian President Vladimir Putin’s theory of victory in Ukraine.
- There is considerable evidence that Klepach’s assessment of the Russian economic problems aligns with reality, undermining the validity of Putin’s theory of victory.
- The Russian population is also reacting to the perception of economic decline in ways that may further damage Russian economic and fiscal policy.
- The Kremlin continues reiterating its determination to prevent Russia’s deteriorating economic realities from reducing its maximalist war aims by refusing to engage in meaningful negotiations to end the war.
- Moldovan President Maia Sandu stated on August 18 that Russia deliberately launches some of its drones into Moldovan and NATO airspace.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky submitted Acting Defense Minister Yevheniy Khmara’s candidacy as defense minister for Verkhovna Rada’s (Parliament) approval on August 18.
- Russian forces recently advanced in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area, and Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Slovyansk direction.
- Ukrainian forces continued their long-range strike campaign against Russia on the night of August 17 to 18. Russia launched 147 drones against Ukraine overnight.
- Herhaalbericht Kom maandag 24 augustus om 18 uur naar het Spui Amsterdam voor het 92e vredesprotest!
Met sprekers, dichters, muziek en twee minuten stilte protesteren we maandag 24 augustus van 18.00 tot 19.00 uur opnieuw op het Spui in Amsterdam tegen het bloedvergieten, bombardementen op civiele en militaire installaties en onophoudelijk sterven in de loopgraven.
Al meteen na de brute overval van Rusland op Oekraïne op 24 februari 2022 riepen wij onze Europese leiders op om in actie te komen en met onderhandelingen en diplomatie zo snel mogelijk een einde te maken aan het zinloze sterven en lijden. Ruim vier jaar later organiseren we dit protest voor de 92e keer. Zie verder https://www.stopdeoorlogamsterdam.nl/
- Herhaalbericht. Stop de oorlogskoorts
Zondag 27 september 2026, 13:00, De Dam, Amsterdam. Nationaal vredesprotest.
- Stop de militarisering en de sociale afbraak; 2. Geen steun voor Amerikaanse en Israëlische agressieoorlogen, oorlogsmisdaden en genocide; 3. Vrede in Europa;
Voor een onafhankelijke Nederlandse vredespolitiek.
Wij eisen een radicale koerswijziging: weg van militarisering en escalatie, en richting vrede, diplomatie, sociale veiligheid en een onafhankelijke Nederlandse vredespolitiek. Zie verder voor veel meer; https://www.stopdeoorlogskoorts.nl/
- Russia targets Danube port after one of Ukraine’s largest aerial attacks of the war
CNBC, 17 augustus 2026, ‘Russia struck Ukraine’s port infrastructure in the southern region of Odesa overnight, damaging a civilian vessel and injuring four people.’ Zie verder de bijlage of https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/17/ukraine-war-russia-putin-moscow.html.
- Ukraine energy company says its facilities seriously damaged after 13 Russian strikes in a week
Associated Press, 17 augustus 2026, ‘Russia attacked facilities of Ukraine’s Naftogaz Group 13 times over the past week and has targeted its premises almost 300 times since the start of the year, the state energy company said Monday. Zie verder de bijlage of https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-energy-facilities-winter-strikes-8cec7f6dacd1bc0508b8365d62e0d436.
- Number of Ukrainian drones flying at Energodar declines significantly, says mayor
TASS.17 augustus 2026, ‘Russian air defenses managed to significantly reduce the number of hundreds of Ukrainian UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) targeting Energodar daily.’ Zie verder de bijlage of https://tass.com/politics/2174345
- Breaking: Fedorov calls for wartime elections, says Putin shouldn’t decide when Ukrainians vote
Kyiv Independent, 18 augustus 2026, ‘Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on Aug. 18 called for Ukraine to find a way to restore a full democratic process even as the war continues, arguing that Russia should not be allowed to determine when Ukrainians can elect their government.’ Zie verder de bijlage of https://kyivindependent.com/fedorov-calls-for-wartime-elections-says-putin-shouldnt-decide-when-ukrainians-vote/ (zie ook Breaking: Zelensky formally taps Khmara as defense minister, ruling out Fedorov’s return, Kyiv Independent, 18 augustus 2026, https://kyivindependent.com/ukraines-parliament-returns-from-summer-recess-as-decision-on-defense-minister-looms/)
- Ukraine’s acting police chief reveals scale of draft evasion investigations
Kyiv Independent. 17 augustus 2026, ‘Ukraine’s National Police has investigated over 20,000 criminal cases of draft evasion since martial law was imposed at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion’. Zie verder de bijlage of https://kyivindependent.com/ukraines-acting-police-chief-reveals-scale-of-draft-evasion-investigations/ (Zie ook Oekraïne onderzoekt 20.000 strafzaken met betrekking tot dienstplichtontduiking. Dan Tri Newspaper, 18 augustus 2026, https://www.vietnam.vn/nl/ukraine-dieu-tra-20-000-vu-an-hinh-su-lien-quan-toi-tron-nghia-vu-quan-su (Bron: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/ukraine-dieu-tra-20000-vu-an-hinh-su-lien-quan-toi-tron-nghia-vu-quan-su-20260818102308688.htm)
- Far-right Israeli minister advocates killing ‘30 to 40’ Gazans each night
Financial Times, 16 augustus 2026, ‘Israel should be killing “30 to 40” people each night in Gaza and should build Jewish settlements in the Palestinian enclave, the country’s far-right national security minister has said.’ Zie verder de bijlage of https://www.ft.com/content/f6b953fc-a6ad-48cd-bed1-d42619b57d94?syn-25a6b1a6=1
(zie ook Senior German lawmaker urges EU sanctions on Israel’s Ben-Gvir over Gaza killing remarks, Anadolu Ajansi, 17 augustus 2026, CDU lawmaker condemns extremist Israeli minister’s statements as ‘contemptuous of humanity’, https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/senior-german-lawmaker-urges-eu-sanctions-on-israel-s-ben-gvir-over-gaza-killing-remarks/4029807)
- Analysis: Syrian airbase attack is an Israeli message to Damascus, Ankara
Al Jazeera, 18 augustus 2026, ‘Analysts say the attack on Abu al-Duhur was likely an Israeli message warning to not rebuild Syria’s air force.’ Zie verder de bijlage of https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/8/18/analysis-syrian-airbase-attack-is-an-israeli-message-to-damascus-ankara (zie Trump’s Syria envoy calls Israeli air strikes on base ‘unnecessary escalation’, Politico, ‘It’s the Trump administration’s latest condemnation of an Israeli military operation since the two countries launched a joint attack on Iran in February.’
18 augustus 2026, https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/18/tom-barrack-israel-syria-strike-01040051)
- Trump Takes Hard Line on Iran as Hormuz Standoff Drags On
Bloomberg, 18 augustus 2026, ‘US President Donald Trump said he won’t try to revive a stalled truce with Iran, leaving the conflict in the Middle East stuck in limbo.’ Zie verder de bijlage of https://archive.ph/kda2P#selection-1247.0-1853.340 (zie ook Iran has lost significant control of the Strait of Hormuz, CNN, 18 augustus 2026, https://edition.cnn.com/2026/08/18/business/iran-strait-of-hormuz-oil?cid=android_app).
- Iran eyes military targets in Europe if Donald Trump escalates war, insiders say
Financial Times, 19 augustus 2026, ‘Iran has weighed attacking US military targets in Europe should Donald Trump escalate the war, according to people close to the regime, as Tehran considers its options to increase the stakes of the conflict. Proposals to retaliate against US assets beyond the Middle East come as many in Tehran see renewed conflict as inevitable.’ Zie verder de bijlage of https://archive.ph/268MR.
- US Presses Allies on Ideological Loyalty Ahead of Troop Cuts
Bloomberg, 14 augustus 2026, ‘The US has sent a document to NATO members asking questions to gauge support for Donald Trump’s policies, including whether countries have been “publicly supportive” of US foreign policy.’ Zie verder de bijlage of https://archive.ph/u1epg#selection-1249.0-2023.17.
- Chinook landt op voetbalveld in Brakkenstein
De Gelderlander. 18 augustus 2026, ‘Een Chinook-transporthelikopter van de Koninklijke Luchtmacht landde dinsdagmiddag op het voetbalveld aan de Heemraadstraat in de Nijmeegse wijk Brakkenstein. De helikopter was afkomstig van Vliegbasis Gilze.’ Zie verder de bijlage of https://www.gelderlander.nl/nijmegen/chinook-landt-op-voetbalveld-in-brakkenstein~a7ac52a3/.
Colofon:
Vredespolitiek verschijnt elke werkdag en wordt samengesteld door Guido van Leemput met dagelijkse medewerking van Kees Kalkman en diverse los-vaste tipgevers.
Voor meer berichten, met name over bewapening, als deze zie ook Vredessite.nl; https://vredessite.nl/index.php.
Bij 4. Russia targets Danube port after one of Ukraine’s largest aerial attacks of the war
CNBC, 17 augustus 2026, https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/17/ukraine-war-russia-putin-moscow.html
Russia struck Ukraine’s port infrastructure in the southern region of Odesa overnight, damaging a civilian vessel and injuring four people. Ukraine’s weekend assault included targeting a major Wildberries logistics hub near Moscow that was engulfed by fire. Kyiv is increasingly targeting Russia’s Amazon-style retail giant and other economic infrastructure as it seeks to disrupt Russia’s war economy.
Russia launched an attack overnight targeting Ukraine’s port infrastructure in the southern region of Odesa, authorities said Monday, after one of Ukraine’s largest aerial attacks of the war.
The strikes in the Izmail district resulted in a civilian Togo-flagged vessel being damaged, with four people injured, according to Oleh Kiper, governor of southern Ukraine’s Odesa region.
Izmail, which is situated close to the Romanian border, is home to Ukraine’s largest port on the drought-stricken Danube River and plays a key role in the country’s trade and transport network.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had also targeted military targets in the port, which it described as a “berthing terminal” for military cargo, hangars housing Western military equipment and depots for naval drones, according to Reuters. CNBC could not independently verify the report.
The reports of Russian attacks come after Ukraine hit Moscow with one of its largest drone attacks of the war over the weekend. Russian authorities reported on Sunday that at least six people had been killed overnight as Moscow said it shot down a record of 1,478 Ukrainian drones in the past 24 hours.
A huge fire engulfed a distribution warehouse belonging to Russia’s Amazon-style retail giant, Wildberries, near Moscow as part of the attack, authorities said.
The facility was disabled as a result of the strike, according to Ukraine’s military, which said seven of Wildberries’ 10 largest logistics hubs have now been taken out of operation.
Ukraine has sought to ramp up attacks on Wildberries, signaling a new phase in the four-and-a-half-year war as Kyiv seeks to inflict fresh pain on the Russian economy.
Wildberries is a major player in Russia’s e-commerce sector, with the retail giant’s marketplace alone accounting for roughly 3% of Russia’s gross domestic product, according to the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center, a Kyiv-based think tank.
Bij 5. Ukraine energy company says its facilities seriously damaged after 13 Russian strikes in a week
Associated Press, 17 augustus 2026, https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-energy-facilities-winter-strikes-8cec7f6dacd1bc0508b8365d62e0d436
Russia attacked facilities of Ukraine’s Naftogaz Group 13 times over the past week and has targeted its premises almost 300 times since the start of the year, the state energy company said Monday.
Russia has repeatedly battered the Ukrainian power grid since its all-out invasion more than four years ago. Moscow hopes to sap Ukraine’s will to fight by denying civilians light, heating and running water during the bitter winter months.
Ukrainian officials, who say Russia is “weaponizing winter,” fear Moscow will pursue its campaign through the coming winter, too.
Russian drones and missiles struck facilities in several regions of the country, with one asset hit multiple times during the week, Naftogaz said, reporting serious damage to equipment and production capacity. No employees were hurt in the attacks, the company said.
DTEK Group, a coal mining and power production company which says it is the largest private investor in Ukraine’s energy sector, also said a Russian attack started a fire at one of its mines, killing a 52-year-old man.
With troops largely bogged down by drones and robots along the roughly 1,250-kilometer (780-mile) front line, both Russia and Ukraine are expanding their aerial campaigns and devising new long-range weapons.
Ukrainian long-range attacks on Russia killed seven people, while five civilians died in Ukraine after strikes by Moscow’s forces, officials said Monday as they collated overnight attacks.
With the Russian capital now within range of Ukrainian drones that regularly attack the region, organizers canceled a large military music festival due to be held on central Moscow’s Red Square from Friday.
The organizers of the Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival said on social media Monday that the event was postponed until next year due to reasons beyond their control.
In May, authorities significantly scaled back Russia’s annual Victory Day celebrations on Red Square for the first time in nearly two decades. Officials put the move down to the “current operational situation” but did not elaborate.
Ukraine depended heavily on foreign military aid after Russia’s full-scale invasion of February 2022 but has gradually increased its domestically produced firepower, firing a salvo of more than 800 long-range drones at Russia on Sunday.
Ukraine also has successfully targeted depots owned by Wildberries, Russia’s main online retailer, as far as 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) from Ukraine’s border.
Russian forces have increasingly hit apartment blocks, ports, schools and hospitals, among other urban targets, killing close to 17,000 civilians, according to the United Nations. The death toll of 437 Ukrainian civilians in July was 70% higher than the same month in 2025, it said last week, as Russia’s barrages intensified.
Russia has exploited Ukraine’s severe shortage of U.S.-made Patriot air defense interceptors, which are the only way of countering ballistic missiles.
But Kyiv is swiftly innovating, with Ukraine now developing its own ballistic missile to hit back at Russia and working with European countries on developing more anti-ballistic air defenses.
Bij 6. Number of Ukrainian drones flying at Energodar declines significantly, says mayor
TASS.17 augustus 2026, https://tass.com/politics/2174345
Russian air defenses managed to significantly reduce the number of hundreds of Ukrainian UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) targeting Energodar daily, local Mayor Maxim Pukhov announced on Monday. “A launch is recorded every day from the right bank of the Dnieper River, the number of drones is up to a hundred in our direction,” he stated. “But recently, measures worked out by the military have yielded results,” Pukhov continued.
“Statistics show us that the number of intercepted drones, the number of UAVs that did not reach their targets, has increased significantly in the past couple of months,” he added.
The mayor added that the above-mentioned measures helped to ease tensions around the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Energodar. The Zaporozhye NPP is located on the shores of the Kakhovka Reservoir in Energodar. It is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, with six power units capable of producing a combined 6 GW of electricity.
Since 2022, the Ukrainian forces have been shelling both residential areas of Energodar and the plant’s grounds with artillery and drone strikes. Since September 2022, experts from the IAEA mission have been permanently stationed at the plant. Their composition is regularly rotated.
Bij 7. Breaking: Fedorov calls for wartime elections, says Putin shouldn’t decide when Ukrainians vote
Kyiv Independent, 18 augustus 2026, https://kyivindependent.com/fedorov-calls-for-wartime-elections-says-putin-shouldnt-decide-when-ukrainians-vote/ (zie ook Breaking: Zelensky formally taps Khmara as defense minister, ruling out Fedorov’s return, Kyiv Independent, 18 augustus 2026, https://kyivindependent.com/ukraines-parliament-returns-from-summer-recess-as-decision-on-defense-minister-looms/)
Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on Aug. 18 called for Ukraine to find a way to restore a full democratic process even as the war continues, arguing that Russia should not be allowed to determine when Ukrainians can elect their government.
In a video address, Fedorov said Ukraine needs a “legal, safe, and realistic mechanism” for holding elections during a prolonged war while ensuring voting rights for military personnel, Ukrainians abroad, and people living in front-line regions.
“We must not let (Russian President Vladimir) Putin decide when Ukrainians can choose their government,” Fedorov said, adding that democracy is “part of what we are fighting for today.”
Fedorov argued that elections are not simply about casting ballots but provide an opportunity for citizens to assess those in power and decide whether they continue to have their trust. “Democracy is not a peacetime luxury. Democracy is part of what we are fighting for today,” he said, arguing that Ukraine must demonstrate that it can simultaneously wage war and remain a democratic state.
Fedorov also called for greater government accountability, arguing that officials entrusted with authority, public funds, or government positions should be required to demonstrate results and explain their decisions to the public.
He criticized corruption and bureaucratic inefficiency during wartime, arguing that misused defense funds can directly affect Ukraine’s ability to fight by depriving troops of drones, ammunition, electronic warfare systems, vehicles, and other equipment.
“Power must mean responsibility,” Fedorov said. “If you received authority — be accountable for the result. If you received a budget — show what was accomplished. If you received a position — explain what you achieved.”
He also argued that the government must communicate more openly with Ukrainians, saying that the extraordinary trust granted to authorities during wartime does not give them “a license to act without explanation.”
“People do not demand that the state never make mistakes,” Fedorov said. “But they have a right to the truth.” Fedorov’s remarks came hours after Zelensky formally nominated acting Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara to take up the post in a permanent capacity, following months of protests calling for Fedorov’s reinstatement.
Khmara’s nomination must be approved by parliament, with a confirmation vote expected as early as Aug. 19. Khmara is an SBU veteran who previously commanded the agency’s Alpha Special Operations Center, overseeing Ukraine’s campaign of long-range drone strikes against Russia. He also led the operation to liberate Snake Island in 2022 and was appointed as the acting head of the agency in January 2026 after Vasyl Maliuk stepped down.
Zelensky dismissed Fedorov during a government reshuffle earlier this year, a decision that sparked nationwide protests. Fedorov has since rejected other government positions offered by the president, primarily focused on strengthening Ukraine’s military technology sector, maintaining that he would only return as defense minister. Fedorov was regarded as one of the government’s most popular ministers and was praised for his reforms and efforts to expand Ukraine’s drone capabilities.
Bij 8. Ukraine’s acting police chief reveals scale of draft evasion investigations
Kyiv Independent. 17 augustus 2026, https://kyivindependent.com/ukraines-acting-police-chief-reveals-scale-of-draft-evasion-investigations/ (Zie ook Oekraïne onderzoekt 20.000 strafzaken met betrekking tot dienstplichtontduiking. Dan Tri Newspaper, 18 augustus 2026, https://www.vietnam.vn/nl/ukraine-dieu-tra-20-000-vu-an-hinh-su-lien-quan-toi-tron-nghia-vu-quan-su (Bron: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/ukraine-dieu-tra-20000-vu-an-hinh-su-lien-quan-toi-tron-nghia-vu-quan-su-20260818102308688.htm)
Ukraine’s National Police has investigated over 20,000 criminal cases of draft evasion since martial law was imposed at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, acting head of the National Police, Maksym Tsutskiridze, told Ukrainian outlet Censor.net in an interview published Aug. 17.
Police have also launched several wide-ranging probes into corruption in Ukraine’s controversial regional recruitment centers and military medical commissions, according to Tsutskiridze.
He added that police have received 1.5 million requests from enlistment offices related to locating people suspected of evading mobilization.
Ukraine’s conscription services have been a source of widespread controversy, and heavy-handed “busification,” and abuse and corruption in the services have frequently caused domestic discontent and been amplified by anti-Ukraine figures abroad.
Tsutskiridze said the National Police have issued 76 heads of regional recruitment centers notifications of suspicion for involvement in various corruption schemes that have allowed individuals to avoid military service.
In one example, an official from a regional recruitment center in Rivne who was also a member of an organized crime network, offered to issue military registration documents with a “mark of unfitness for service and exclusion from military registration,” in exchange for a bribe.
In Kherson, officials charged $7,000 per person to falsify records in the state “Oberih” registry, which allowed an otherwise eligible individual to escape military service.
Medical commissions, which are responsible for assessing whether a recruit is physically fit for military service, have also come under scrutiny, with thousands of cases of fictitious illnesses being recorded in medical records in order to allow a potential recruit to avoid military service.
Tsutskiridze claimed 6,500 rulings have been annulled since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, with over 1,600 other individuals being sent for re-examination.
The National Police has also been investigating a number of businesses which have been suspected of offering illegitimate reservations from military service. A number of critically important companies are allowed to reserve employees from military service, Tsutskiridze said, but claimed the National Police are investigating 2,500 cases where individuals have been illegitimately reserved, most commonly due to fictitious employment.
Bij 9. Far-right Israeli minister advocates killing ‘30 to 40’ Gazans each night
Financial Times, 16 augustus 2026, https://www.ft.com/content/f6b953fc-a6ad-48cd-bed1-d42619b57d94?syn-25a6b1a6=1 ( zie ook Senior German lawmaker urges EU sanctions on Israel’s Ben-Gvir over Gaza killing remarks, Anadolu Ajansi, 17 augustus 2026, CDU lawmaker condemns extremist Israeli minister’s statements as ‘contemptuous of humanity’
Israel should be killing “30 to 40” people each night in Gaza and should build Jewish settlements in the Palestinian enclave, the country’s far-right national security minister has said in an interview. Itamar Ben-Gvir, a hardline settler previously convicted of incitement to racism, made the comments on a podcast hosted by Rom Braslavski, who was taken hostage by the Palestinian militant group Hamas during its October 7 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the war in Gaza. Ben-Gvir in the interview said he disagreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent scaling back of military operations in Gaza, which has come amid a push by US officials to implement a peace plan unveiled by President Donald Trump last year. “I think we should be doing 30 to 40 targeted assassinations per night,” Ben-Gvir said. “Not just those who pose an immediate threat. There are people there who don’t deserve to live . . . They are not even people.” Ben-Gvir also called for the re-establishment of Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territory, saying he envisaged “all Gaza” belonging to Israel and reiterating his previous calls for Palestinians to “emigrate”.
“I imagine settlements not just in Gush Katif but throughout Gaza, and encouraging emigration, the more the better,” he said, referring to settlements that were dismantled by Israel in 2005. “And for the terrorists, there should be no emigration. We should just kill them one by one.” During Hamas’s October 7 attack, militants killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli officials, and took more than 250 hostages to Gaza where they were kept in harsh conditions, with many saying they suffered abuse in captivity. Israel responded with a ferocious offensive in Gaza, which has killed more than 73,000 people, according to Palestinian officials, and caused a humanitarian catastrophe in the enclave. This includes 1,200 people killed since a ceasefire took effect last October. The ferocity of the offensive has drawn intense international criticism, and over the past two years, a growing number of groups — ranging from a UN commission to human rights organisations and genocide scholars — have accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel has vehemently denied accusations of genocide and has insisted that it complies with international law. Ben-Gvir’s statements are the latest in a string of inflammatory rhetoric from the far-right minister who oversees the Israeli police and prison system. He has previously boasted of making conditions in Israeli prisons — where there have been widespread reports of abuse of Palestinian prisoners — tougher.
His Jewish Power party also spearheaded a drive to pass a law that imposes the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis in acts of terror but not on Jewish Israelis who kill Palestinians in similar circumstances. During the interview, Braslavski, who was one of the final hostages to be freed by Hamas in October 2025, asked to be allowed to execute people sentenced to death on terrorism charges. Ben-Gvir said he would do everything he could to fulfil Braslavski’s request. “I will move heaven and earth and I promise you to do everything so that this happens,” Ben-Gvir said. “It is one of my greatest dreams to see you there.”
Bij 10. Analysis: Syrian airbase attack is an Israeli message to Damascus, Ankara
Al Jazeera, 18 augustus 2026, https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/8/18/analysis-syrian-airbase-attack-is-an-israeli-message-to-damascus-ankara (zie Trump’s Syria envoy calls Israeli air strikes on base ‘unnecessary escalation’, Politico, 18 augustus 2026, https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/18/tom-barrack-israel-syria-strike-01040051)
Tuesday’s air strikes on an airbase in northwest Syria have been blamed on Israel, and, according to analysts, they are a message not just to the government in Damascus, but also to its ally, Turkiye. While Israel has yet to officially claim the attacks, Syria, the United States and Jordan have all said the attack on the Abu al-Duhur airbase in Idlib was the latest Israeli strike on its neighbour. “Bombing an airbase means the Israeli army doesn’t want the new Syria to have any sort of air force in the coming years,” Kheder Khaddour, a nonresident scholar at the Malcolm H Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, told Al Jazeera.
Israel’s message to Damascus
On December 8, 2024, Syrian rebel forces took Damascus, overthrowing the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. In the subsequent hours, Israel’s air force attacked Syrian military bases and infrastructure, in strikes that are believed to have knocked out much of the new Syrian government’s air defence.
In the hours after al-Assad’s fall, Israel also seized areas in the Syrian Golan Heights and illegally occupied the strategic point of Jabal al-Sheikh. Since then, Israel has set up checkpoints on Syrian territory, where it has harassed and at times kidnapped Syrian citizens.
In March 2025, Israel struck two Syrian airbases – T4 in Homs and the Palmyra airbase – that the Reuters news agency had reported had previously been visited by Turkish military delegations. And then, in July of the same year, Israel bombed Syria’s Ministry of Defence in the heart of Damascus.
Israeli officials have repeatedly stated that they see Syria’s new government as a threat, even though it has grown closer to the West – including the US. Israel’s government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also repeatedly warned Syria not to move troops south of Damascus – closer to the Israeli border – despite the new administration stating on multiple occasions that it does not seek a confrontation with Israel.
“Syria has not been a threat to Israel, and there have been months of negotiations on a security deal between the two neighbours,” Asli Aydintasbas, an associate senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told Al Jazeera. “Since the downfall of the al-Assad regime, Syrians have made it very clear that they are interested in peaceful relations with Israel, and that should matter.”
There were no reported injuries in Tuesday’s attacks. International Crisis Group’s senior analyst for Syria, Nanar Hawach, said only airstrips and storage facilities were damaged, but that no jets were destroyed.
Many analysts said the Israelis were trying to send a message that Syria should not rebuild its air force, which it has taken steps to do – such as repairing facilities and aircraft and training new personnel.
“The Israelis are not happy about the Syrians having a functioning air force,” Samy Akil, a senior adviser with The Syria Report, told Al Jazeera. He said, however, that the remaining jets in the Syrian air force’s armoury posed little threat to the Israelis.
Turkiye’s role
Analysts also said the Israeli strike was likely a message directed at Turkiye.
Turkiye was a backer of some anti-Assad rebel groups throughout the war, and continues to have a military presence in northern Syria.
“Abu al-Duhur is close to Idlib and well within the Turkish sphere of influence,” Akil said.
Israel has previously expressed concern and opposition to Turkish influence in Syria. Netanyahu has reportedly held security consultations over Ankara’s role in Syria and has talked up the threat from Turkiye, NATO’s second-largest army after the US.
Naftali Bennett, the former Israeli prime minister who is also in the running to replace Netanyahu when Israel goes to the polls in October, has also called Turkiye “the new Iran”.
Navvar Saban, a researcher in security and military affairs at the Arab Center for Contemporary Syrian Studies, compared the Abu al-Duhur attack to Israel’s March 2025 airbase attacks.
Reuters reported that Turkish military teams had visited those airbases prior to the March attacks, although neither the Syrian nor Turkish governments confirmed the report.
“The strike was probably less about destroying an immediate Syrian military threat and more about preventing the creation of a future military capability,” Saban said. “Israel appeared to be drawing a red line around possible reconstruction of Syrian military infrastructure, particularly where Turkish assistance could improve Syrian air capability or restrict the Israeli freedom of operation over Syria’s airspace.”
Bij 11. Trump Takes Hard Line on Iran as Hormuz Standoff Drags On
Bloomberg, 18 augustus 2026, https://archive.ph/kda2P#selection-1247.0-1853.340 (zie ook Iran has lost significant control of the Strait of Hormuz, CNN, 18 augustus 2026, https://edition.cnn.com/2026/08/18/business/iran-strait-of-hormuz-oil?cid=android_app)
US President Donald Trump said he won’t try to revive a stalled truce with Iran, leaving the simmering conflict in the Middle East and a tussle for control of the Strait of Hormuz stuck in limbo.
A memorandum of understanding the US and Iran signed in June that gave them a 60-day window to negotiate a lasting peace deal technically expired Monday, and when Trump was asked if he would seek an extension, he replied: “No.” The ceasefire had been repeatedly violated in any event, with intermittent clashes continuing, and both sides had declared it defunct.
Brent crude climbed as much as 1.1% to $91.85 a barrel on Tuesday — its highest level in more than three weeks — as prospects dimmed for a swift reopening of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas transited before the war. Trump is demanding that free passage through the waterway be restored, while Iran said it will govern traffic in conjunction with Oman.
Several ships have been attacked along the route linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea in recent days and traffic is a fraction of what it was prior to the war. On Tuesday, the UK Navy said a vessel heading out of the strait was struck by a projectile that damaged its engine room, resulting in one casualty.
The war erupted on Feb. 28, when the US and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran and sparked parallel conflicts that have embroiled much of the Middle East. Trump has repeatedly said his primary objective is to prevent the Islamic Republic from obtaining a nuclear weapon, an objective it has denied pursuing.
Trump on Monday said the US retains leverage over Iran, citing the naval blockade of its ports. He reiterated his idea of declaring Hormuz an American territory, insisting the US had total control — remarks directly at odds with those of Iranian officials.
Iran and Oman are negotiating a deal on how Hormuz should be managed, but the US isn’t part of those discussions. In a phone interview with Fox News, Trump warned that if “Oman gets in the way we’ll bomb the s—— out of them,” without giving any further details, repeating a similar threat he made in May. Oman isn’t a formal US military ally, but has served as a close security partner.
Hormuz Transit Routes Emerge
Iran and a key western naval group have proposed one corridor each
Note: Territorial waters extend at most 12 nautical miles from a country’s coast or internal waters. Sources: Joint Maritime Information Center, Persian Gulf Strait Authority, Flanders Marine Institute.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Fox News earlier on Monday that the American military is “bringing out 8 or 9 million barrels of oil per day” from the region, while crude exports from Iran had halted completely.
Trump has struggled to find an off-ramp to a war that’s driven up gasoline prices and has grown increasingly unpopular in the US, threatening to erode support for Republicans in November’s midterm elections. He and his officials have pledged to ratchet up economic pressure on Iran to force it to capitulate, but the Islamic Republic has withstood decades of sanctions.
Trump told Fox News back channels with officials from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps remain open. An IRGC spokesman later described that assertion as a “delusion,” according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
Elsewhere in the region, Israel’s military has staged strikes that is said targeted Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza over recent days, while Yemen-based Houthi rebels have attacked ships in the Red Sea. All three groups are backed by Iran.
Meanwhile, Trump’s son-in-law and peace envoy Jared Kushner visited the Middle East this week to try and accelerate a US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, holding talks with mediators and the leaders of Israel and Hamas.
Kushner assured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his military won’t be compelled to leave Gaza until Hamas fully disarms, according to an official with knowledge of the talks. Those terms are likely to be rejected by Hamas, which has insisted that Israel withdraw from the Palestinian territory before it gives up its weapons.
Bij 12. Iran eyes military targets in Europe if Donald Trump escalates war, insiders say
Financial Times, 19 augustus 2026, https://archive.ph/268MR
Proposals to retaliate against US assets beyond the Middle East come as many in Tehran see renewed conflict as inevitable
Iran has weighed attacking US military targets in Europe should Donald Trump escalate the war, according to people close to the regime, as Tehran considers its options to increase the stakes of the conflict.
Two regime insiders told the FT that Iranian forces have assessed striking US assets in south-eastern European countries such as Bulgaria, which last month approved the use of its Bezmer air base for US refuelling aircraft.
One of the insiders added that Cyprus, where a British air base was struck by a drone in March, was also among potential targets for retaliation in the event of any renewed US offensive.
The insiders said Iranian forces have separately examined attacking subsea fibre-optic cables in the Strait of Hormuz in the event of an escalation.
The threats reflect the defiant mood in Tehran, where many within the regime increasingly see a resumption of the war as a matter of when, not if.
Negotiations to reopen the strait have stalled, and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei last week elevated hardliners to top security and military posts. Trump on Tuesday said there were “no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled” with Tehran.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other military commanders have warned that, in any new full-scale conflict, Iran would move beyond its previous strategy of attacking US military assets, energy facilities and other infrastructure in the Middle East to targets further afield.
The guards last month threatened the UK over American use of British military bases, saying that “any base that is used to launch an attack on Iranian territory will be considered a legitimate target”.
Sidharth Kaushal, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute think-tank in London, described the threat posed by Iranian missiles to targets in Europe and elsewhere as “real, but limited”.
Iran could deploy medium-range ballistic missiles against US assets in southern and southeastern Europe, such as its Shahab series, but Kaushal said these would struggle to do damage at longer ranges.
Iran’s retaliation would depend on Washington’s actions, according to the insiders.
One said the regime was preparing a plan to expand the conflict further were Trump to make good on previous threats to attack Iranian infrastructure. The US president last month said Washington would destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant every time the Islamic republic targeted a ship in the strait.
The second insider said Iran would place “no limits” on its response in the event of US aggression. “Should the US go too far, Iran will defend itself at any price, go beyond the region and hit Europe too,” the person said.
Iran has demonstrated its willingness to attack distant targets. In the weeks after the US and Israel launched the war in February, Washington accused Tehran of firing multiple missiles — none of which reached their target — at Diego Garcia, a joint US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean some 4,000km away.
Turkey in March said Nato’s air defences had intercepted several ballistic missiles launched from Iran, while the UK’s air base in Akrotiri, Cyprus, was struck by a drone the same month. Western officials at the time said they suspected it was an Iranian drone fired by regional proxy forces rather than Tehran itself.
The insiders said an Iranian attack last month on the US base in Jordan, which killed three American service members, was the most precise long-range attack the Islamic republic has carried out and demonstrated its capability to hit targets over longer distances.
“This was also a message to Europe: it can receive missiles, so it should know where it should stand in this war,” the first insider said. “A very big mistake, such as hitting our infrastructure, could make the war go beyond the region and reach Europe.”
A June memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran fell apart last month after Tehran attacked vessels in the strait and both sides accused each other of violating the interim deal, leading to rounds of tit-for-tat strikes and a renewed US blockade on Iranian ports.
Weeks of diplomatic efforts have failed to yield a breakthrough to reopen the waterway and resume negotiations over a broader deal to end the war, and Trump has grown increasingly frustrated over the stalemate.
Rusi’s Kaushal said heavier-duty missiles could also be deployed, but would have to carry a lighter payload to travel far enough — meaning damage would be minimal.
He suggested “it would be more fruitful for them to work through proxies”, which include militant groups such as Shia militias in Iraq, Hizbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
Douglas Barrie at the International Institute for Strategic Studies said: “Those strikes they attempted on Diego Garcia this year are kind of indicative that they have got weapons with ranges greater than 2,000km.”
“How many of these they actually hold is a different question, and whether or not they would be willing to use even a handful to make some kind of grandstanding statement is an open question.”
“The risk is that the missiles fail or are shot down, so how would they benefit? The longer the range, the harder it is to be really accurate.”
Some within the Iranian regime worry Tehran is overplaying its hand. Many hardliners within the system believe the US cannot be trusted to implement any deal, and Iran must inflict a greater cost on Washington to ensure it meets its obligations of any final settlement.
This includes Mohsen Rezaei, a former Guards commander who Khamenei last week appointed as the country’s top security official.
Iranian analysts interpreted the move as a sign that figures such as Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the country’s top negotiator, have been pushed aside for now as prospects for a lasting agreement appear increasingly bleak.
Iran “is sending a clear message that if you don’t reach an agreement with Ghalibaf, you have to deal with Rezaei”, said the second insider. “The message is: ‘Don’t be mad, because I’m madder than you are.’”
Bij 13. South Korea Says Joint Military Drills With US to Be Curtailed
Bloomberg, 19 augustus 2026, https://archive.ph/deA37 (zie ook South Korea president calls for military independence in wake of Trump call to cut joint drills, The Guardian, 18 augustus 2026, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/18/south-korea-president-trump-military-drills-control-opcon-kim-jong-un of https://archive.ph/BpA9j en South Korea Expresses Hope for US-North Korea Talks After Trump Announces Scaled-Back Military Drills, Antiwar.com, 17 augustus 2026, https://news.antiwar.com/2026/08/17/south-korea-expresses-hope-for-us-north-korea-talks-after-trump-announces-scaled-back-military-drills/)
The US and South Korea agreed to curtail joint military drills after President Donald Trump ordered a reduction, citing his good relationship with Pyongyang.
The allies agreed to conclude the exercises on Aug. 21, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement Wednesday. Originally the drills, which began Monday, were scheduled to run until Aug. 27.
The decision to scale back the drills comes after Trump criticized the exercises over the weekend, describing them as an “inappropriate and hostile” signal to a country that has been “unthreatening and respectful.” The US and South Korean militaries have long stressed that the exercises are defensive in nature.
North Korea earlier Wednesday slammed the drills without directly commenting on Trump’s recent remarks. “The drill poses the most immediate and open threat to the DPRK and the regional security,” the North’s official Korean Central News Agency said in a commentary. “This is a development that can not be overlooked.”
The move to reduce the exercises comes as Washington is stepping up efforts to engage with Pyongyang. Trump is making a push for a high-stakes meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as soon this autumn during the president’s next trip to Asia, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Trump is expected to join other world leaders in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen in November for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
It’s unclear how much South Korea, a longtime US ally, is involved in the reported outreach. Trump has been increasing pressure on Seoul over trade and security even as he described Kim as his “good friend.” While Seoul has backed the idea of Washington engaging with Pyongyang, Trump’s insinuation that the move to curtail drills was prompted by Seoul’s lack of support for the Iran war could undermine confidence in bilateral ties.
“A reduction in joint military exercises as a means to advance Korea peace is acceptable to South Korean progressives,” said Andrew Yeo, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. “But linking South Korea’s lack of support for US efforts in Iran to reduced exercises does raise concerns once again about US credibility and commitment to the US-ROK alliance.”
South Korea has previously said it hoped Trump’s overture would open a path to engagement with North Korea. Trump and Kim met three times during the US leader’s first term, but the talks failed to curb North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.
Pyongyang now appears to have less incentive to immediately engage with Washington over its prized nuclear program after emerging as a key ally of Russia in President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine.
In a potential sign of backdoor diplomacy, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will make his first visit to Seoul in nearly five years this week to discuss North Korea and other global issues.
“For allies, they are getting used to Trump’s unpredictability. They grit their teeth and bear it, trying to make the best of things. South Korea may go along,” said Victor Cha, Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “Lee may not have liked that he was not consulted on Trump’s decision, but if it leads to renewed summitry between Trump and Kim, that is very much in the Lee government’s interests and objectives,” Cha said.
Bij 13. US Presses Allies on Ideological Loyalty Ahead of Troop Cuts
Bloomberg, 14 augustus 2026, https://archive.ph/u1epg#selection-1249.0-2023.17
The US wants to know how loyal each NATO ally is to Donald Trump’s policies before cutting military assets defending the alliance.
In a document recently sent to North Atlantic Treaty Organization members and seen by Bloomberg News, the US asks a series of questions that gauge support for the president’s approach. Has the country “been publicly supportive” of US foreign policy? What “restrictions” has the country placed on the US military using its bases?
The document also tries to assess whether countries are spending money with US defense contractors. And it asks whether they have “publicly opposed regulations” that “inhibit” contracts with US firms. Overall, it queries: “Has the country shown alignment with the US approach to ‘strong, clear, and quiet’?” — referencing a line from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Allies have balked at the move, seeing it as an attempt to strong-arm them into ideological alignment in exchange for US protection, according to people familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to discuss the private missive.
Linking America’s long-standing security commitments to such fealty would upend the post-World War II transatlantic relationship, which was built on US military guarantees that superseded many political disagreements. Already, Trump’s team has tried to boost right-wing forces in places like Germany and Hungary, while offering extra troops after a preferred candidate won the presidency in Poland.
The questionnaire arrives weeks into the Trump administration’s six-month review of its military presence in Europe, which is expected to conclude by December. The move has left NATO allies bracing for deep cuts to American support, including troops stationed in Europe and military assets the US would send during an attack.
A NATO official confirmed the US is working with allies on its review, but didn’t comment on the letter. The Defense Department didn’t comment.
The document indirectly touches on numerous issues that have divided Washington from its NATO allies, including the US attacks on Iran, the raid to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and a European push to give defense contracts to local firms.
The question about public support for US foreign policy, for instance, specifically mentions “initiatives” in the Middle East and the Western Hemisphere — both areas where Trump has conducted strikes without NATO support.
In Iran, the US and Israel launched the ongoing war without consulting NATO allies. Several countries, like Spain, later barred Washington from using local bases to strike Iran.
The document asks whether each country has imposed these bans, and includes a follow up question: “Are they willing to reduce or eliminate any such restrictions?”
Similarly, the US startled NATO allies in January when it seized and arrested Maduro, the Venezuelan leader, as part of a push to reclaim American influence over the Western Hemisphere. Many European countries considered the raid a violation of international law.
The questionnaire also digs into the divisive issue of defense budgets, asking for receipts showing compliance with a push to hit higher spending targets and have Europe replace US military assets. Notably, it asks whether countries are buying from American firms, and whether they have spoken out against new “made in Europe” policies.
“If not, would they be willing to do so?” it asks.
The document was first circulated to countries in Washington before making the rounds this week at NATO headquarters in Brussels. The US will meet with NATO allies in Brussels later this month to discuss the ongoing review.
The assessment is expected to further cull the US military footprint in Europe. Already, the US said it would withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany and redeploy other forces without replacements. Trump did, however, pledge to send additional troops to Poland, citing the election of nationalist Karol Nawrocki as president.
The US is also slashing the military assets earmarked for an attack on NATO allies. The reductions could affect strategic bombers, which Europe does not possess, drones and naval vessels.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has argued the review is a logical and positive decision, given Europe and Canada’s surging defense budgets. “It is, I think, bringing NATO closer together,” he told reporters in July. “And having a review regularly, I think, is only wise.”
Bij 14. Chinook landt op voetbalveld in Brakkenstein
De Gelderlander. 18 augustus 2026, https://www.gelderlander.nl/nijmegen/chinook-landt-op-voetbalveld-in-brakkenstein~a7ac52a3/
Een Chinook-transporthelikopter van de Koninklijke Luchtmacht landde dinsdagmiddag op het voetbalveld aan de Heemraadstraat in de Nijmeegse wijk Brakkenstein. De helikopter was afkomstig van Vliegbasis Gilze.
De landing maakte deel uit van een militaire oefening die deze hele week in de omgeving plaatsvindt. Bij de oefening is onder meer het Mobile Air Operations Team (MOAT) betrokken. Deze eenheid ondersteunt luchtoperaties op tijdelijke en afgelegen locaties en oefent daarbij onder realistische omstandigheden.
De Chinook wordt door de Koninklijke Luchtmacht onder meer ingezet voor het vervoeren van militairen, materieel en goederen. Oefeningen zoals deze zijn bedoeld om personeel en eenheden voor te bereiden op uiteenlopende operationele omstandigheden.
De oefenactiviteiten met het MOAT duren naar verwachting de rest van de week. De komst van de grote transporthelikopter bleef niet onopgemerkt. Omwonenden en andere belangstellenden kwamen naar het voetbalveld om de Chinook van dichtbij te bekijken. Vooral de landing en de aanwezigheid van militair personeel trokken veel bekijks.
Guido van Leemput
