Israel Defense Forces said it struck a Hamas commander in the Shati area of northern Gaza who was plotting terror attacks against Israeli forces.

Russia's ambassador to Sweden Sergey Belyayev told RIA on the 18th that Sweden has detained multiple cargo ships serving Russian interests since late 2025, calling the actions politically motivated and in breach of international maritime law. He said Sweden has relied on allegations the vessels flew false flags but has produced no substantive charges and that the detentions are intended to pressure commercial operators involved in Russia's foreign trade. AFP reported earlier this month that Swedish court documents show a previously detained freighter will be handed over to Ukraine, accused of transporting grain from Russian-occupied areas.

Syrian state news agency says Syria Petroleum Company reported an explosion on the gas export pipeline at the Jabusa gas plant, cutting gas flows. Preliminary investigation attributes the blast to deliberate sabotage; no casualties reported.