On Sunday, a classified IDF document circulated within the military concluded that Operation “Gideon’s Chariots” - the army’s name for the major offensive that was launched against Hamas in May and ended last month - failed to meet its core objectives. The document states that Hamas has all the necessary conditions to survive and that the IDF resources, exhausted its own forces and eroded international support.
On Monday, the suspect in the weekend assassination of a Ukrainian politician was arrested. Andriy Parubiy, a former speaker of parliament and leading figure in Ukraine's pro-European protest movements of 2004 and 2014, was shot dead on Saturday in the western city of Lviv, near EU and NATO member Poland. Police said the suspect shot Parubiy eight times in broad daylight before fleeing the scene. "We know that this crime was not accidental. There is a Russian trace in it," national police chief Ivan Vygivsky said in a social media post. Ukraine's law enforcement agencies said that the attacker had dressed to look like a worker from the delivery company Glovo.
On Tuesday, the U.S. military launched a drone strike on a speedboat, which it said was carrying drugs from Venezuela to the United States. All 11 people on board were killed. President Trump added that the U.S. military had identified the crew as members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which the U.S. designated a terrorist group in February. He said that Tren de Aragua is being controlled by Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, accusations that Caracas denies.
On Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping, joined by Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, watched on at a military parade in Tiananmen Square, to mark 80 years since the defeat of Japan in WW2. It’s the first time the three leaders have been together. U.S. President Donald Trump hit back at the Chinese leader in a sarcastic post on Truth Social, saying: “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America.” Beijing’s parade showcased a mix of conventional weaponry and advanced technologies, including hypersonic missiles, laser air defence systems and undersea drones.
On Thursday, Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Yemen that Israel will unleash all 10 biblical plagues on the Houthis in response to missiles fired by the terrorist group. Earlier on Thursday, the Israeli army said a missile fired from Yemen had struck outside Israeli territory. The previous day, the military had reported it had intercepted two Houthi missiles.
On Thursday, a summit hosted by French President Emannuel Macron in Paris saw 30 Western leaders holding talks with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy on security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a peace deal with Russia. European governments have said any European military role would need its own U.S. security guarantees as a “backstop.” U.S. President Donald Trump has made no explicit commitment to provide those.
On Thursday, the U.S. lowered tariffs on Japanese automobiles and auto parts from 25% to 15%. The new duties are retroactive to Aug. 7, according to the executive order. A spokesman for Toyota Motor praised the deal, saying the new framework "provides much-needed clarity."
On Friday, the New York Times published an article detailing a botched special operation in which U.S. Navy Seals shot and killed several North Korean civilians during a botched covert mission to plant a listening device in the nuclear-armed country during high-stakes diplomatic negotiations in 2019.
On Saturday night and into Sunday morning, Russia launched its largest aerial bombardment in its 3 and a half year long war, launching 800 drones and 13 missiles. Ukraine’s air force said it had shot down some 500 of the drones. A Russian strike targeted Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers, a government building located in an area of the capital that is one of the most protected by air defences.
On Sunday, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced his resignation after ruling for less than a year. Ishiba’s resignation, announced at a news conference in Tokyo, came just days after he finally won relief on punishing tariffs that were squeezing Japan’s powerhouse auto sector and other important exporters. His party turned on him after a series of election defeats stemming from problems with inflation, immigration and slow growth.