Here are some factors that may affect Middle East stock markets on Thursday. Reuters has not verified the press reports and does not vouch for their accuracy.

INTERNATIONAL/REGIONAL

* GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks drift before tech earnings as Fed drama confounds MKTS/GLOB

* Oil rises as demand hopes and economic data lift sentiment O/R

* PRECIOUS-Gold prices slip as dollar firms, Trump eases Powell uncertainty GOL/

* MIDEAST STOCKS-Most Gulf markets in red on US inflation concerns, rate uncertainty .MIDEAST

* Israel launches heavy airstrikes in Damascus, vowing to protect Druze nL1N3TD07T

* Ultra-Orthodox party quits Israeli cabinet but throws Netanyahu a lifeline nL1N3TD0T4

ISRAEL

* Crush at Gaza aid site kills at least 20, GHF blames armed agitators nL1N3TD07E

* Israel says it intercepted missile launched from Yemen nL1N3TD0VJ

* ICC judges reject Israel's request to withdraw Netanyahu arrest warrant nL6N3TD0MB

* Israel's Mizrahi Tefahot Bank raises $1.3 billion in bond offering nL1N3TD0FM

* National advertising blitz urges Israelis not to spy for Iran nL8N3TD0QO

* Israel's Bezeq mobile unit offers to buy rival from Altice for $594 million [nL1N3TD0BA

SYRIA

* Syria's interim president says protecting Druze a 'priority' nL4N3TE06F

* Turkey has conveyed its views on Syria strikes to Israel via intelligence agency nL6N3TD0PS

QATAR

* Qatar hikes September al-Shaheen crude term price to 5-month high, sources say nL1N3TE035

* Commercial Bank of Qatar posts first-half net profit down almost 20% nL8N3TD0AK

* BRIEF-Qatar Airways Resumes Three Weekly Flights To Aleppo, Syria From Aug 10 [nFWN3TC151

BAHRAIN

* Bahrain announces $17 billion in US deals during Trump talks nL1N3TD0KG

IRAN

* US military says Yemeni force seized Iranian arms shipment bound for Houthis nL1N3TD0Q8

* Iran ready to respond to any new attack, supreme leader says nL1N3TD0CA

* Iran parliament rules out resumption of US talks until preconditions are met nL1N3TD07I

* Iran seizes foreign tanker for smuggling 2 million litres of fuel nL1N3TD05F

IRAQ

* Drone strikes shut oilfields in Iraq's Kurdistan, cut output by up to 150,000 bpd nL1N3TD04H

SAUDI ARABIA

* XAI in talks to lease data center capacity in Saudi Arabia, Bloomberg News reports nL4N3TD1AR

* Sri Lanka restructures loan agreements with Saudi Fund for Development nP8N3S901L

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

* UAE launches general budget cycle for 2027-2029, state news agency says nS8N3RT02R

* Abu Dhabi's ADNOC plans to transfer 24.9% stake in OMV to XRG unit nL8N3TD09Y

EGYPT

* Egypt's PM says Egypt paid $1 bln of late arrears to foreign oil companies nS8N3M7076

* Egypt says it expects combined IMF review to be completed by October nL8N3TD0YN

(Compiled by Bangalore newsroom)

((bangalore-pages@thomsonreuters.com))