Russia Threatens Nuclear “Crushing” Response Over Kaliningrad, Warns of Conflict by 2027

Israel has intercepted the activist vessel Handala in international waters and brought it to Ashdod, detaining all 21 crew members, including two French MPs and two Al Jazeera journalists. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition says the ship was carrying medical supplies, baby formula and food meant for Gaza residents.

Adalah lawyers are in Ashdod demanding access to the detainees, while the Israeli Foreign Ministry posted on X that all passengers are safe and that the navy acted to uphold its Gaza blockade. This marks the second flotilla vessel seized in recent months, following the June capture of the Madleen.

Gaza residents have greeted Israel's announcement of temporary humanitarian corridors with cautious hope, as a handful of food and medical convoys begin to enter the enclave. After months of blockade and bombardment that cut off fuel, clean water and basic supplies, Israel says it will open routes for ground-based convoys and small airdrops. Yet Gazans warn that seven aid packages and sporadic deliveries cannot stem rising hunger and malnutrition, which the Hamas-run health ministry says has claimed 125 lives in recent days, including 85 children.

Key points:

• Seven airdrop packages so far, each containing flour, sugar and canned food.


• Aid agencies caution that short-term pauses and small convoys are insufficient to avert famine.


• Local voices describe widespread malnutrition, lack of fresh produce and deaths from starvation.

SWEIDA, Syria – Syria's Druze are reeling after armed men stormed the Al-Radwan guesthouse on July 16, opening fire and killing at least three relatives and friends in an execution-style assault. Survivors describe collapsing amid bullet holes in walls and blood-soaked cushions as militants fled, vowing "let's kill them so they don't recognise us."

The attack is one of hundreds of deaths in days of sectarian violence between Druze factions and Bedouin tribes in Sweida province. The defence and interior ministries have both pledged to investigate videos showing field executions and hold perpetrators accountable.

Three people killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon despite a November ceasefire. On Saturday, the Lebanese health ministry said an Israeli drone strike on a vehicle in the Tyre district killed one person. Later, a second strike on a house in Debaal, also in Tyre, claimed two more lives.

• Hezbollah commander targeted: The Israeli military confirmed it "struck and eliminated" a commander involved in rebuilding Hezbollah's presence near Bint Jbeil.


• Ceasefire under strain: Israel has maintained cross-border operations until Hezbollah is disarmed, while Beirut accuses it of violating the truce.

Russia has intensified its nuclear rhetoric, staging its largest naval drills in years and threatening a "crushing" response if the West challenges control of the Russia-surrounded Kaliningrad exclave.

• July Storm exercises featured 50 warships, 120 aircraft, 10 coastal missile systems and 15,000 troops across the Pacific, Baltic and Caspian Seas.


• Nikolai Patrushev, former FSB chief, vowed to use "all forces and means," including nuclear instruments, to defend Kaliningrad.

Poland's prime minister and NATO's new European commander warn that Russia could be ready for a broader European conflict within 18 months, prompting Warsaw to bolster readiness and military capabilities.