18 die in KSA floods

Riyadh, July 28: Saudi Arabia has extended a grace period which it announced in June, to allow holders of expired visit visas —of all types— a window to leave the country legally.

According to the Kingdom's General Directorate of Passports, the extension, which will be available for 30 days, starts from 1/2/1447 AH (July 26, 2025). The move is aimed at facilitating final departure for individuals whose visit visas have expired.

The intitiative was first introduced last month to mark the beginning of the Hijri New Year. To benefit from the initiative, applicants must first pay any applicable fees and fines as required by existing regulations.

The Directorate explained that eligible individuals can take advantage of this initiative by submitting a request through the Tawasul service on the Ministry of Interior’s "Absher" electronic services platform.

Authorities urged all affected visitors to benefit from the initiative within the specified period.

Damascus, July 15: Israeli warplanes have carried out airstrikes against a number of installations once belonging to the ousted president Bashar al-Assad's army but now used by the forces of the ruling Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) regime in the southwestern province of Suweida.

Local media outlets reported that two aerial raids struck sites near the town of al-Mazraa late on Monday.

Informed sources said sounds of explosions were also heard in the vicinity of Kanaker town.

Material damage was reported, but no information was yet available about possible casualties.

The Israeli military later asserted in a statement that it hit several tanks in the area between al Mazraa and Sami’ as they moved towards Suweida in southern Syria.

It claimed that the strikes were aimed at “preventing their arrival to the area.”

“The Israeli army will not allow the establishment of a military threat in southern Syria and will operate against it,” it said.

Early on Monday, HTS forces initiated an offensive in Suweida following fatal confrontations between Druze and Bedouin factions, resulting in the deaths of dozens of individuals and injuries to hundreds of others.

At least 99 people have been killed and around 200 others wounded over the past two days in the Suweida province, as clashes escalate between local Druze fighters, Bedouin tribes, and HTS forces, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

According to the Britain-based monitoring group, the fatalities include 60 from the Druze community – among them two women and two children – 18 from Bedouin tribes, 14 from HTS fighters, and seven unidentified individuals wearing military uniforms.

Since the collapse of Assad’s government, the Israeli military has been launching airstrikes against military installations, facilities, and arsenals belonging to Syria’s now-defunct army.

Israel has been widely condemned for the termination of the 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria and for exploiting the chaos in the Arab nation in the wake of Assad’s downfall to make a land grab.

The United Nations has condemned ongoing Israeli attacks inside Syrian territory and repeated violations in and around the buffer zone created as part of a 1974 ceasefire agreement with Damascus.

Gaza, July 26: The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza deepened further today as two more Palestinian infants succumbed to malnutrition, bringing the total number of starvation-related deaths to around 125, including more than 80 children. This grim milestone underscores the devastating toll of Israel’s months-long blockade and relentless military campaign on the besieged enclave.

Infants at Imminent Risk: “Mothers Feeding Water Instead of Milk”

The Gaza Government Media Office issued an urgent warning, describing the situation as an “unprecedented and imminent humanitarian disaster.” According to their statement:

100,000 children under the age of two are now at risk of death.

Of them, 40,000 newborns and infants face life-threatening malnutrition due to a complete absence of baby milk and supplements.

Crossings into Gaza remain sealed, and humanitarian aid is blocked, preventing even “the simplest basic supplies” from entering.

The office accused Israel of deliberately targeting civilians through starvation, saying:

“We are witnessing a slow, deliberate mass killing. Mothers are forced to breastfeed water to their infants — a direct consequence of Israel’s starvation and extermination policy.”

Bombardment Intensifies: 100 Strikes in 24 Hours

In parallel with the food crisis, Gaza endured another wave of intense Israeli air and ground assaults:

Israeli warplanes carried out over 100 airstrikes in the last 24 hours, striking what the military termed “terror targets.”

At least 25 Palestinians have been killed since dawn, including 13 civilians who were seeking aid.

The Israeli 36th Division expanded ground operations in Khan Younis, claiming to target tunnels and weapons caches, in coordination with the Shin Bet security agency.

Mounting Toll Amid Blockade

Human rights groups and UN officials warn that Gaza’s humanitarian infrastructure has completely collapsed, with hospitals unable to treat starvation cases or bombing victims. Fuel, clean water, and medical supplies remain virtually nonexistent.

The rising starvation deaths, combined with escalating bombardment, highlight what observers describe as a systematic campaign of collective punishment against Gaza’s civilian population.