Israeli Settlers Attack Qusra, Netanyahu Condemns Violence After Stone-Throwing

In short: Dozens of Israeli settlers have attacked the Palestinian village of Qusra in the northern occupied West Bank on Saturday, after weeks of tension. In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu labelled the attacks "criminal acts of violence" and said they were "harming Israel's standing in the world". Settlers have been targeting the Palestinian village of Qusra. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered rare criticism of Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank, condemning what he called "criminal acts of violence" perpetrated in two Palestinian villages. "I strongly condemn the criminal acts of violence committed in the villages of Qusra and Jalud by a handful of rioters who are violating the law, causing a grave injustice to the law-abiding Jewish community, interfering with the IDF in carrying out its missions, and harming Israel's standing in the world," Mr Netanyahu said in a statement. The Israeli prime minister's statement came hours after dozens of Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Qusra in the northern occupied West Bank on Saturday, local time, according to residents and the military, after nearly three weeks of tension in the area. Earlier in August, a group of rogue settlers began blocking supplies from entering Palestinian houses on the outskirts of the village near Nablus, trapping residents inside and drawing domestic and international condemnation. Weeks later, Israeli forces continue to operate in the area while settlers still roam the surrounding hills. On Saturday, Qusra resident Yussef Abdul Kareem Hassan told AFP that a handful of villagers were doing work on a house when they were approached by a small group of settlers. The settlers then called for backup and returned with dozens more, Mr Hassan said, adding that they had surrounded the Palestinians inside the house and began throwing stones. AFP footage of Qusra on Saturday showed dozens of Israeli forces deployed to the site. The Israeli military said soldiers and border police forces were dispatched "following reports that Israeli rioters had arrived in the area and that violent clashes had occurred, including stone-hurling toward Palestinians and additional civilians". "Upon their arrival, the security forces identified dozens of rioters who had barricaded themselves inside a Palestinian home while Palestinian residents were inside," a military statement said, adding that it was "aware of reports of Palestinian injuries". It said forces had worked to remove the settlers from the house, separate the groups, and confiscate vehicles "that were suspected of having been used to reach the area". The vehicles would be used as evidence in a police investigation that has been opened, it said, adding that forces continued to operate in the area "to prevent further disturbances and restore order". "The security forces strongly condemn all forms of violence," it said. Violence by Israeli settlers towards Palestinians in the West Bank has persisted for years, often with little or no legal consequence, but recent months have seen a surge in attacks. More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the Palestinian territory, which are illegal under international law, among some 3 million Palestinians. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. According to an AFP tally based on data from the Palestinian Health Ministry, Israeli forces or settlers have killed at least 1,103 Palestinians in the West Bank, including both militants and civilians, since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. Israeli figures show at least 48 Israelis, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations during the same period. AFP

Israeli settlers, backed by Israeli forces, have surrounded a Palestinian home in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. At least four Palestinians were trapped inside the home on Saturday while settlers set fire to nearby land, according to Al Jazeera journalists on the ground. Residents said dozens of settlers had descended on the village, throwing stones at locals and barricading themselves inside a house while Palestinians were inside. Recommended Stories list of 4 items- list 1 of 4Gaza forced to use unreliable online payments amid ‘cash famine’ - list 2 of 4Board of Peace envoy Mladenov warns Gaza ceasefire risks ‘collapse’ - list 3 of 4Israeli strike kills three Palestinians in West Bank’s Jenin - list 4 of 4Iran’s leaders acknowledge economic toll of war, pledge diplomacy, defence Qusra has faced an escalating campaign of Israeli settler violence over the past month. Since August 9, settlers have besieged three Palestinian homes in the Ras al-Ain area, trapping families inside and cutting access to water, electricity and other essential supplies. Settlers also set fire to a mosque in the village in July. “We’re not safe here. We fear for our own safety. Settlers are still moving freely around the house and attack the residents of the nearby houses too,” Loui Abu Ridi, one resident who has been trapped inside his home for weeks, told Al Jazeera. “We’re trying to get more basic supplies, and we have elderly and children.” Palestinian journalist Sara Abu al-Rob, reporting from Ramallah on Saturday, told Al Jazeera that Israeli soldiers and settlers attacked six Palestinians in the village who were trying to install metal bars and window shields on their homes to protect their families, adding that “Israeli settlers keep throwing stones and flaming material onto the houses there.” She said one of those besieged, Loai al-Bairoty, was injured earlier in the day, and that residents told her “the Israeli army is protecting the settlers, not the residents who are trying to reach their lands”. Later, instead of removing the settlers, the Israeli army arrested the six Palestinians before releasing them a while later, al-Rob said. Qusra Mayor Abdel Azim Wadi also told Al Jazeera that Israeli forces at the scene had attempted to arrest the besieged Palestinians themselves. Netanyahu ‘condemns’ criminal acts of violence Israeli forces have declared the area a closed military zone and restricted Palestinians from entering and leaving, placing a gate at the main entrance of Qusra itself. Palestinians travelling into the village are forced to take alternative routes, which are often blocked by Israeli forces. Abu Ridi told Al Jazeera the feeling of being trapped is “a nightmare … 21 days, we can’t even sleep, we have to stay up at night [and] keep watching the security cameras, because those settlers can attack any time”. He said residents have to coordinate with the mayor of Qusra to get food and supplies, and it can take three to four days to get approval. “We’re not allowed to live freely in and out of our houses,” he added. On Wednesday, the Israeli military erected three new roadblocks at locations that encircled the top of the Ras al-Ain hill, disconnecting homes from the area below. In a statement on Saturday, the Israeli military said it had responded to reports of “violent clashes” involving “Israeli rioters” in Qusra, removing them from the home and confiscating their vehicles. It said forces would remain in the area “to prevent further disturbances and restore order”. In a rare rebuke, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on X on Saturday: “I strongly condemn the criminal acts of violence committed in the villages of Qusra and Jalud by a handful of rioters who are violating the law … and harming Israel’s standing in the world.” In Jalud, a nearby village in Nablus, a reporting team from US broadcaster NBC News said masked settlers attacked and injured members of its reporting team and a Palestinian woman it had gone to interview. President Isaac Herzog also condemned the incidents on Saturday, while Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “strongly condemns the disgraceful and criminal violence carried out by extremists near Qusra during Shabbat”, adding that the actions “stand in complete contradiction to the values of the State of Israel”. Settler attacks – supported or overlooked by the Israeli military – on Palestinian homes, businesses and farmland across the West Bank have been common for decades as illegal settlements have expanded across the territory. The attacks have increased in intensity and frequency since Israel launched its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza in October 2023, in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel.

!Israeli army arrests six Palestinians after settler violence in West Bank Toggle Play Israeli army arrests six Palestinians after settler violence in West Bank More than 50 Israeli settlers stormed Qusra in the occupied West Bank, attacking Palestinian residents, damaging homes, and setting fire to agricultural land. Israeli forces later arrested six Palestinians, whom they harassed and questioned before releasing them nearby. Published On 29 Aug 202629 Aug 2026 Save Share Israeli army arrests six Palestinians after settler violence in West Bank on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo More from the same show Delcy Rodriguez says Venezuela ‘retains sovereignty’ despite US oil deal Video Duration 01 minutes 08 seconds play-arrow01:08 Syria sandstorm blankets Homs in eerie orange haze Video Duration 00 minutes 34 seconds play-arrow00:34 Canada unveils huge new Lake Ontario sign in snub to Trump Video Duration 00 minutes 39 seconds play-arrow00:39 Aerial video shows devastation in flood-hit Nepal !Nepal floods Video Duration 00 minutes 47 seconds play-arrow00:47 US police officer pulls hair, throws punches during arrest in Arkansas Video Duration 00 minutes 58 seconds play-arrow00:58 Protests as India’s Hindu nationalists take centre stage in New York Video Duration 01 minutes 36 seconds play-arrow01:36 Sudanese repair roads by hand in Darfur to improve emergency access !Darfur Video Duration 00 minutes 39 seconds play-arrow00:39 [](https://www.aljazeera.com/) Your browser does not support the audio element. audio-rewind audio-play audio-forward * audio-volume-mute close You rely on Al Jazeera for truth and transparency We and our 1019 partners store and access personal data, like browsing data or unique identifiers, on your device. Selecting Allow all enables tracking technologies to support the purposes shown under we and our partners process data to provide. Selecting Reject all or withdrawing your consent will disable them. If trackers are disabled, some content and ads you see may not be as relevant to you. You can resurface this menu to change your choices or withdraw consent at any time by clicking the Manage preferences link on the bottom of the webpage. Your choices will have effect within our Website. For more details, refer to our Privacy Policy. We and our partners process data to provide: Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development. List of Partners (vendors) Allow all Reject all Manage preferences

Toggle Play Israeli outposts expand as Palestinian homes are demolished Israeli forces demolish Palestinian homes in Nablus, while in Hebron settlers cleared land for a new outpost. Settlement expansion, land confiscation and demolitions are tightening Israeli control over Palestinian land across the occupied West Bank. Published On 31 Aug 202631 Aug 2026 Save Share Israeli outposts expand as Palestinian homes are demolished on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo More from the same show Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi announces his retirement Video Duration 01 minutes 37 seconds play-arrow01:37 ‘Nothing is usable’: Nepal residents return to flood-ravaged homes !House damaged by floods in Nepal Video Duration 01 minutes 29 seconds play-arrow01:29 Ukrainians mourn community leader killed in Russian strike on Myla !. Video Duration 01 minutes 02 seconds play-arrow01:02 GTA 6: Why is the world’s most anticipated game facing backlash? !. Video Duration 02 minutes 36 seconds play-arrow02:36 Far-right Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir and settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque Video Duration 01 minutes 30 seconds play-arrow01:30 Damaged Gaza ambulance becomes ‘dream bus’ for children Video Duration 01 minutes 36 seconds play-arrow01:36 India’s PM Modi urges end to Ukraine war in talks with Russia’s Putin !. Video Duration 01 minutes 23 seconds play-arrow01:23 [](https://www.aljazeera.com/) Your browser does not support the audio element. audio-rewind audio-play audio-forward * audio-volume-mute close You rely on Al Jazeera for truth and transparency We and our 1019 partners store and access personal data, like browsing data or unique identifiers, on your device. Selecting Allow all enables tracking technologies to support the purposes shown under we and our partners process data to provide. Selecting Reject all or withdrawing your consent will disable them. If trackers are disabled, some content and ads you see may not be as relevant to you. You can resurface this menu to change your choices or withdraw consent at any time by clicking the Manage preferences link on the bottom of the webpage. Your choices will have effect within our Website. For more details, refer to our Privacy Policy. We and our partners process data to provide: Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development. List of Partners (vendors) Allow all Reject all Manage preferences

TEXT_1 translation: Sunday, August 30, 2026 The printed edition United Nations: More than 1,540 settler attacks in the West Bank since the start of 2026 !Israeli settler violence The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the occupied Palestinian territory has documented more than 1,540 settler attacks since the beginning of the current year, with more than 1,040 Palestinians injured in settler attacks during the same period, amid escalating violence and movement restrictions on Palestinians and their access to their lands and homes in the occupied West Bank. Error loading media NORTH COAST- A 4K Aerial Film of Taiwan unstick Share this video Copy PausePlay 00:00% Buffered0 PreviousPausePlayNext Live 00:00 / 00:00 UnmuteMute SettingsExit fullscreenFullscreen Copy video url Play / Pause Mute / Unmute Report a problem Language Back Default English Español Українська Русский Share Back Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Vidverto Player And according to the humanitarian report issued by the office, the period from August 11 to 24 saw documentation of 80 settler attacks resulting in Palestinian injuries or property damage or both, including repeated attacks on some Palestinian communities. The report noted that more than 100 Palestinians, including 11 children and 9 women, were injured during the period covered by the report, with more than two-thirds of the injuries occurring in the context of settler attacks, while settlers directly injured 55 Palestinians. According to the office, since the start of this year 79 Palestinians have been martyred, including 19 children, and about 1,870 others were injured by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank, including 23 Palestinians martyred and more than 1,040 injured in the context of settler attacks. The report explained that the rate of injuries caused directly by settlers has risen sharply, from a Palestinian to 3 per 3 days in 2020, to two Palestinians per day in 2025, reaching more than 3 Palestinians per day since the start of 2026. 3 families remain isolated in Qusra In Qusra, in Nablus Governorate, the office said that 3 Palestinian families remained, as of August 26, under heavy movement and access restrictions following the establishment of a new settlement outpost in the area classified as (C) around August 9, near 3 Palestinian families in the Ras al-Ain area. According to the report, the outpost’s establishment was followed by increased presence of Israeli forces and settlers, causing damage to water and electricity infrastructure, in addition to restricting Palestinian movement and access to the area. On August 15, after the municipality secured Israeli approval to repair infrastructure damaged by settlers, settlers physically assaulted two members of the maintenance team and injured them, while Israeli forces detained 4 electricians, preventing completion of the repairs. On August 23, municipality workers were able to deliver food to the families after obtaining authorization from Israeli occupation authorities to access them. The office said that two of the four routes connecting the area to the rest of Qusra have come under Israeli control; one via a permanent military checkpoint, while Israeli forces reportedly set up a gate on the other route. Israeli forces used one of the damaged houses for about 10 days before withdrawing on August 23 and allowing the family to return. During that period, the forces moved most of the family’s belongings out of the home, with reports indicating many were damaged. Humanitarian partners, after coordinating access to the area, were able to provide essential aid to the affected families, including food, water, medicines, and other basic supplies. Attacks causing displacement of families The office said settler attacks during the period of the report led to the displacement of 3 Palestinian families; one family of 6 people, including 4 children, was displaced on August 20 after settlers set fire to their home near Yatta in Hebron Governorate. On August 22, two families totaling 9 people, including two children, were displaced after settlers burned their housing facilities and sources of livelihood in Berqa in Ramallah and al-Bireh. On August 21, a guard of an Israeli settlement shot and killed a Palestinian boy and seriously injured another Palestinian during an attack by more than 50 settlers on the al-Hamarsha gathering near Sa’ir in Hebron Governorate. During the assault, settlers damaged four residential facilities and set fire to another, destroying about 7 tons of stored fodder. The report noted that the establishment of outposts, previously concentrated in Area C, has increasingly spread into Area B. The office quoted the Israeli NGO “Peace Now” as saying that settlers established at least 26 settlement outposts in Area B over the last two and a half years, including 19 since the end of 2024, most of which were erected in recent months. The movement estimates that settlers seized more than 100,000 dunams in Areas A and B, including 55,000 dunams in Area B, pointing to the use of violence and intimidation to restrict Palestinians’ access to their lands, and in some cases pressuring families to abandon their homes. Operations, demolitions, and movement restrictions During the period covered by the report, the office documented no fewer than 22 raids and search operations and other actions by Israeli forces, including arrests, temporary evictions of homes, and movement restrictions in governorates including Jenin, Nablus, Tulkarm, and Hebron. The office also documented 22 demolition incidents in which 79 Palestinian facilities were destroyed across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, 5 of which were humanitarian aid facilities following previous demolitions. Demolitions led to the displacement of 16 families totaling 73 people, including 34 children, while more than 280 others were affected, including about 100 children. Since the start of 2026, 24 Palestinian families totaling 93 people have been forcibly displaced from their homes following Israeli court orders, most of them in Silwan, while about 200 Palestinian families totaling around 900 people in East Jerusalem remain at risk of forced displacement due to eviction cases brought before Israeli courts, most of which were brought by Israeli settler organizations. -(Al-Mamlaka) West Bank United Nations Settlers Copy Facebook X LinkedIn WhatsApp Messenger Telegram Email Print Copy Link 592 Israeli settlement outposts and settlements in the West Bank August 23, 2026 UN: 4 in 5 families in Gaza face catastrophic hunger August 21, 2026 Report: 3,000 settler attacks in the West Bank since 2025 August 16, 2026 UN: The West Bank at a ‘critical point’ August 12, 2026 Hamas on the anniversary of the assassination of Abu Obaida: part of a memory that cannot be erased 2 hours ago Two martyrs, one a child, in Israeli shelling of citizens in Deir al-Balah 2 hours ago Thousands of families in Gaza unaware of the fate of their missing relatives 2 hours ago Occupation seizes 37 dunams of Beitunia land 3 hours ago 73,454 martyrs in Gaza since October 7 3 hours ago 120 settlers storm Al-Aqsa with occupation forces 5 hours ago Icon Latest News Most Viewed Local gold prices stabilize Local Economy | 39 minutes ago “Medical Services” perform first endoscopic procedure to repair the esophagus of a newborn Al-Ghad Jordan | 42 minutes ago Public Security: Vehicle theft prevention starts with citizen awareness Latest News | 45 minutes ago King receives commander of the Lebanese army Latest News | 1 hour ago King receives the annual human rights report in Jordan Latest News | 1 hour ago King receives annual report of the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission Latest News | 2 hours ago Alarms sounded in various regions of the Kingdom Al-Ghad Jordan | July 9, 2026 Alarms in flood test: a broken tool or a missing system? 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Israeli military sources expressed concern that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is paving the West Bank for a directed deterioration aimed at shifting the agenda of the upcoming election in two months away from dwelling on the October 7, 2023 failures, according to Haaretz, amid escalating violence by settlers protected by the occupation army in the occupied West Bank, and a European delegation’s visit to the town of Qusra, which witnessed violence. According to Haaretz, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi doubts the government’s intent regarding the West Bank, given the decline in the ruling coalition’s popularity in opinion polls, and “wants to avoid dragging the army into new security entanglements driven by political considerations.” The paper said that many on the right—including Israeli Finance Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir—do not conceal their desire for a more intense clash in the West Bank that would justify a pre-emptive military move to topple the Palestinian Authority government followed by occupation of the lands and large-scale expulsion of the population, as it described. Military sources had previously confirmed their fear that party factions in the government were involved in West Bank escalation for political reasons, stressing that the army “will not support steps not dictated by on-the-ground facts,” according to Yedioth Ahronoth. Separately, the paper Maariv said the Israeli army is studying moving part of its forces currently deployed in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip to the West Bank in the coming days, noting that “the West Bank is on the verge of explosion,” as it put it. It is planned that the general Israeli election will be held on October 27, next, and it is decisive for Netanyahu’s political future, who faces corruption, authoritarianism, and failure charges. According to Israeli press reports, Netanyahu, in closed talks, acknowledged that his Likud party will lose the upcoming Knesset elections “unless there is a change.”

“US, ‘Israel’ Are Enemies of All Muslims, Not Just Iran: Leader Urges Islamic Unity” Minab School Massacre Leaves an Eternal Wound on Iran: FM Araghchi Sayyed Mojtaba Khamenei: Muslims have played key roles throughout history, and we are witnessing with our own eyes the prospect of their victory over their enemies ‘Israel Hayom’, citing sources in the Israeli military, reports growing concerns that some members of the Israeli government may be seeking escalation in the occupied West Bank for political reasons “US, ‘Israel’ Are Enemies of All Muslims, Not Just Iran: Leader Urges Islamic Unity” Minab School Massacre Leaves an Eternal Wound on Iran: FM Araghchi Sayyed Mojtaba Khamenei: Muslims have played key roles throughout history, and we are witnessing with our own eyes the prospect of their victory over their enemies ‘Israel Hayom’, citing sources in the Israeli military, reports growing concerns that some members of the Israeli government may be seeking escalation in the occupied West Bank for political reasons

A dramatic escalation of settler violence unfolded across the West Bank over the weekend, with hundreds of Israeli settlers accompanied and protected by Israeli occupation forces raiding Islamic religious sites, attacking Palestinian civilians, and assaulting international journalists in a series of coordinated incidents that have left dozens wounded and heightened tensions across the territory. The most brazen attack occurred early Sunday in the village of Awarta, southeast of Nablus, where local and security sources reported that hundreds of settlers overran religious sites, performing Talmudic rituals at the location. The incursion was preceded by the closure of the Deir Sharaf and Awarta checkpoints surrounding Nablus a move sources described as deliberate preparation for the settlers’ advance. News Crews Come Under Attack In an incident that drew immediate international attention, four journalists from NBC News were assaulted by masked Israeli settlers near Nablus on Sunday while interviewing a Palestinian family. The crew had been speaking with 51-year-old Aida Ahmed Abdullah and her relatives when at least four masked assailants descended upon them with sticks and rocks, smashing equipment and damaging their vehicle before fleeing the scene. Earlier, in the village of Jalud, a separate journalist crew suffered a similar assault. Local reports indicated that settler attackers targeted citizen Mahmoud al-Tubasi, his wife, and the news team shattering the crew’s vehicle and physically assaulting its members. Elderly Sisters Brutalized in Fig Grove In Silwad, northeast of Ramallah, two elderly sisters—Mona Hamid, 75, and Aaliya Mahmoud Hamid, 65 were attacked while harvesting figs from their grove. According to sources, the settlers stole their mobile phones and vehicle keys, leaving the women with bruises and wounds. The attack on the elderly siblings has sparked particular outrage among local communities. Gunfire, Arson, and Besieged Homes · In al-Mughayyir and Burqa, settlers again under the protection of occupation forces assaulted farms and residential areas, firing live rounds and damaging vehicles. · Two citizens were wounded in Araba, south of Jenin, in a similar assault. · In the al-Khalil governorate, an international solidarity activist suffered from suffocation, while multiple civilians sustained wounds and bruises during a settler attack in Khallat al-Hummus in Yatta. · In Qusra, Nablus, occupation forces reportedly blocked an ambulance from reaching a besieged home where two Palestinians had been injured during a settler attack. Settlers also set fires on agricultural lands. · In Yasuf, Salfit, settlers attacked homes while conducting provocative tours in the Khalayil al-Loz area of Beit Lahm. British Activist Abducted on Camera In a particularly alarming development, foreign activist Finn Joughlin—a British national—was abducted by Israeli settlers from the village of Umm al-Khair in Masafer Yatta, south of al-Khalil. Footage captured the moment settlers seized Joughlin after he intervened to protect Palestinian children during an attack. He was later taken into custody by occupation police. ‘Political Motives’ Behind Escalation, Analyst Warns Amid the surge in violence which local sources say has displaced hundreds of Palestinians in recent days Israeli military analyst Avi Ashkenazi, a correspondent for Maariv, has raised concerns that certain elements within the current Israeli government may be deliberately stoking tensions in the occupied territories for political gain. Ashkenazi suggested that escalating confrontation could serve the electoral interests of specific political figures, potentially boosting their representation in upcoming elections. His analysis comes amid signs of political fragility for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A new Israeli Channel 12 poll published August 29 revealed that half of Israeli voters would back a bloc opposed to Netanyahu, while support for his governing coalition had dropped to just 31 percent. The survey, conducted 60 days before national elections, recorded a 27-point gap against Netanyahu when respondents were asked who was best suited to serve as prime minister—with 59 percent stating they did not want him to remain in office. Source: Palestinian media (edited and translated by Al-Manar)

Sunday, August 30, 2026 Sunday 30-August-2026 Palestinian Media Center Disagreements are widening inside the Israeli right-wing camp as the parliamentary election date approaches, placing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before one of the most complex electoral challenges, after his attempts to restructure his coalition turned into an open battle for votes, leadership, and the future of the right-wing bloc. Netanyahu is running in the election amid efforts to reshape the right in a limited number of major lists, allowing surplus-vote agreements and reducing the likelihood of small parties falling below the threshold. Yet these calculations have become more difficult with up to six competing right-wing lists emerging as the list-closure deadline nears. National Security Minister and leader of the Otzma Yehudit party, Itamar Ben-Gvir, stands out as the main source of concern for Netanyahu. Ben-Gvir announced that his decision to run in the election independently is “final and absolute,” refusing to enter new negotiations about merging his party with the Religious Zionism party led by Itamar Ben-Gvir’s ally Bezalel Smotrich. Netanyahu had previously urged Ben-Gvir and Smotrich to unify their lists, warning that a split in right-wing votes could cause them to lose the threshold, but his call received no response from Ben-Gvir, who chose to proceed alone. The problem for Netanyahu, it seems, is not limited to a possible loss of votes from small right-wing parties; the Likud also faces another danger: part of its electoral base could shift to Ben-Gvir. Israeli media estimates indicate Otzma Yehudit targets segments of voters who are accustomed to voting for Likud, especially on the margins and areas where the party has a broad eastern voting base. Consequently, Ben-Gvir’s rise in strength does not necessarily mean a broadened right-wing bloc, but rather a reallocation of power within it at the expense of the governing party. If Otzma Yehudit manages to win ten seats or more, that would give Ben-Gvir new political weight and transform him from a coalition partner into a rival capable of forcing his terms on the prime minister and determining the shape of the next coalition. The Netanyahu crisis does not stop with Ben-Gvir; another challenge emerges from within the right itself with the rise of General Ofer Winter, who founded a new party named "Akhna Yehudit" (referring to right-wing, religiously Zionist identity). Winter also rejects merging with existing parties and presents his party as representing what he calls the "disappointed right"—voters who have lost faith in traditional parties, including Likud. Israeli polls indicate the new party has in some measures approached or surpassed the threshold, which strengthened Winter’s position and reduced his incentives to form alliances with existing parties. Winter’s estimate holds that there is a block of right-wing voters dissatisfied with current parties, and a decline in the strength of the right in some polls, despite holding a large number of seats in the outgoing Knesset, reflecting a voter segment seeking a new political address. Here lies an additional danger for Likud: the competition is no longer just between the right and the opposition, but within the right itself, as new forces try to attract voters who were part of Netanyahu’s electoral base. Meanwhile, advanced negotiations are taking place between Bezalel Smotrich, head of the Religious Zionism party, and Moshe Feiglin, head of Zehut, to form a joint list. According to the circulating formula, Feiglin may obtain the second spot on the list, along with additional seats for his party, in an effort to increase the chances of surpassing the threshold and converting votes at risk of being lost into parliamentary power. But this alliance, even if fully realized, does not solve the core problem Netanyahu faces. With Ben-Gvir and Winter continuing to run in the election on two separate lists, the right-wing bloc will remain spread across many lists, making it harder to manage surplus-vote agreements and increasing the risk of losing crucial votes. As attempts to unify the lists stall, the rift between Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir moves from closed rooms to the public. Ben-Gvir accused Netanyahu of using the slogan of unity as part of a "mocking political game," claiming that calls for merging with him were merely a pressure tactic during negotiations between Netanyahu and Smotrich on one side and Feiglin on the other. Meanwhile, Likud officials, along with Yair Netanyahu, accused Ben-Gvir of endangering the future of the right-wing camp by insisting on running independently. This confrontation reveals that the rift is no longer about how seats are distributed or how lists are arranged, but has become a broader struggle over who leads the right and its voter base’s future. Ben-Gvir seeks to present himself as the most hardline alternative to Likud, while Winter tries to attract voters who lost faith in traditional parties, and Smotrich remains in his position within the religious nationalist extreme right. As the deadline for closing the lists approaches, Netanyahu’s options are narrowing. If attempts to bring small parties into unified lists fail, he may have to seek other arrangements, including absorbing Smotrich into the Likud list in return for securing his party seats. But such a move would not be without costs, as it could further complicate the composition of lists and leave the right-wing bloc with an unbalanced electoral map requiring careful management of surplus-vote agreements to avoid unnecessary losses. The irony is that Netanyahu, who has grown accustomed over the years to leading the right-wing bloc from a position of strength, now faces right-wing forces that reject disciplining under the Likud and treat him as a rival to voters rather than just a leader of the bloc. Thus, the upcoming election for Netanyahu becomes a two-front battle: confronting outside political opponents and containing increasing fractures within his own camp. Ben-Gvir’s rebellion, Winter’s rise, and Smotrich’s attempts to ally with Feiglin all point to a gradual reshaping of the political map of the Israeli right. If the lists continue to compete separately, the danger for Netanyahu will not only be losing seats to the opposition but losing part of the power he needs to form a new government coalition. Hence, the real battle within the right is no longer about how many seats each party can win, but about a bigger question: who has the right to represent the right and lead it after the election? As the deadline for closing the lists approaches, it seems Netanyahu’s ability to force unity and discipline within his bloc is weaker than ever, while competition among his former allies becomes one of the main sources of concern for his political and electoral future. A news site specializing in the Palestinian issue with its legal, human, political, and civilizational dimensions, founded in 1997, and having pioneered coverage of Palestinian news, with the slogan: Palestine’s voice to the world, and the world’s voice to Palestine. All rights reserved – Palestinian Media Center – © 2026

Dozens of armed masked Israeli settlers attacked and besieged Palestinian homes in the vicinity of the town of Qasra near Nablus in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, in the first major attack since a siege by settlers in the area earlier in August drew international condemnation. Reuters cited witnesses saying the settlers besieged a Palestinian home, threw stones at it, with seven Palestinians inside trapped. The Israeli military said in a statement that 'dozens of Israeli rioters' reached the so‑called Benjamin settlement area and began throwing stones at Palestinians and other civilians. For the fifteenth day, Israeli settlers have besieged three Palestinian homes in the town of Qasra south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. When troops arrived, dozens of rioters holed up in a Palestinian home with Palestinian residents inside were identified, the statement said, adding that the rioters attacked foreign journalists at the scene, pelted them with stones, and smashed their car windows. The statement said that the Israeli army and border police arrived to drive away the rioters and to protect the residents inside the home. Reuters quoted Saddam Adi, who was among the trapped, as saying that the Israeli army fired tear gas inside the home and detained the Palestinian residents inside, while allowing him to leave. He added that the army did not detain any of the attacking settlers and allowed them to depart. Luay al-Beiruti, the owner of the home, said that after the army arrived it restrained everyone inside, blindfolded them, and struck them before later releasing them. The Israeli army has not yet responded to requests for comment on the reports that it fired tear gas at the home and detained and beat the residents. Beiruti said that after he called the Israeli army for help, he and six others remained trapped inside the home for more than an hour while the settlers threw stones. Beiruti showed a Reuters correspondent his taped-up arm, which he said was injured by a stone during the attack. Adi, an ambulance worker, said four of the trapped were injured by tear gas, while two were hit by stones hurled by the settlers. The attack occurred just a few hundred meters from three Palestinian homes that were besieged by settlers earlier this month, prompting international condemnation and prompting a heavy Israeli military deployment that residents say effectively kept them trapped inside their homes. Luai Abu Rida, a Palestinian American whose home was among the three that were besieged this month, said, 'I watched the settlers surveilling residents as they worked inside a home that is still under construction, and they began throwing stones,' adding that he witnessed Saturday’s attack from his own home. Abu Rida said he has seen near-daily incursions by Israeli settlers into the area surrounding his house, despite the thick Israeli military presence in the area. Israeli media quoted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying in a statement: 'I strongly condemn the violent criminal acts being carried out in the villages of Qasra and Gilad on the part of a group of rioters who are breaking the law, causing enormous harm to the law‑abiding public among the settlers, and interfering in the execution of Israeli army operations, and harming Israel’s standing in the world.' Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, Aviv Kohavi, warned Prime Minister Netanyahu that violence by radicalized Israelis in the West Bank distracts the army’s efforts and threatens to push the situation out of control. The Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot reported that Netanyahu said for the first time that the Israeli General Security Service (Shin Bet) was involved in the investigation, adding: 'Security forces moved quickly, seized three cars, and ended the incident in a short time, and the Israeli army, Shin Bet, and police are conducting an intensive ground investigation, and I expect law enforcement agencies to arrest the rioters and bring them to justice as soon as possible.' Opposition leader Yair Lapid commented on the events, saying: 'Another Saturday of violent riots in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank).' He referred to the settlers who assault Palestinians, saying in a post on the X platform: 'These people are a moral stain on the State of Israel, and the government's failure to deal with them is a national shame that causes enormous damage to our standing in the world… It is time to put an end to Jewish terrorism in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank).' The Israeli paper Haaretz warned of intensifying the phenomenon it described as 'settler terrorism,' accusing Netanyahu of misleading public opinion to minimize the danger, contrary to Israeli and international reports. In an article titled 'Is West Bank settler terrorism really the act of a handful of teenagers?' the paper pointed to previous statements by Netanyahu about the phenomenon, noting that in a December 2025 interview with Fox News he claimed settler violence is marginal. He said: 'It is hugely exaggerated; they are talking about a handful of kids, about 70 children, not from the West Bank, teenagers from broken homes.' In July, the figure rose, and he told CNN that it concerns '150 or so of what you might call rash actions,' who were 'brought' to the West Bank. He added that they 'are not from the settler community, they are law‑abiding and distinguished citizens who are being massacred by Palestinians.' Haaretz says: 'According to Israeli security officials, the phenomenon is much broader, including hundreds of Israelis of different ages, and at the annual police review in the West Bank in February, officials estimated about 300 teenagers and adults living in the outposts and hilltop settlements regularly taking part in violence (against Palestinians).' While they said about 70 of them are considered 'influential and troublesome,' police did not respond to Haaretz’s question about why those identified as rioters or instigators were not arrested. Nevertheless, Netanyahu told CNN that authorities are taking action against violent settlers, saying: 'We have real investigations… We are a transparent state… We cannot hide crimes here, whether in the army or the police.' Haaretz cites a UN OCHA report stating that since the beginning of 2023 until May this year, that same handful accounted for more than 5,300 attacks involving bodily harm or property damage. The Israeli ministries also assess the scope of this phenomenon as much larger than Netanyahu described. Haaretz notes a report in Yedioth Ahronoth that as part of a government program to address the problem, the state will allocate 50 shekels (about $17) daily for each of 657 youths living in the outposts and hilltop settlements in the occupied West Bank. The report says the aim is to 'provide support to these youths so they do not drift into violence.' Haaretz adds that Fridays and Saturdays see the peak of attacks by Jewish extremists; the perpetrators, who are not deterred by the sanctity of the Jewish Sabbath, often set fire to Palestinian homes and cars. It notes that on weekends, youths from the settlers’ communities or Yeshiva students join in, and participation is not limited to civilians; even Israeli reserve soldiers and local civilian security personnel provide protection and security during settler incursions into Palestinian lands. Haaretz goes on: 'What was once described as unusual incidents has become routine: a settler with a military rifle standing as a guard while others set cars ablaze in a Palestinian village; a drunk reserve soldier raids a village and fires into the air; a reserve soldier protects a masked accomplice while stealing a horse from a Palestinian village, with some of these incidents ending in deaths.' Haaretz concludes: 'In fact, most Palestinians who were killed in settler attacks in recent months were shot by settlers who were armed with weapons they received from the Israeli army.' Human rights groups say the increasing settler presence on the outskirts of Palestinian villages like Qasra is part of broader efforts by settlers to seize more Palestinian lands, undermining the area where Palestinians aspire to build a state. Settler violence in the occupied West Bank has escalated, and some feel emboldened under Netanyahu’s government, which oversees a large expansion of settlements in the area. UN bodies and most countries consider the settlements illegal under international law related to military occupation.

Israeli military sources expressed concerns that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be pushing the situation in the occupied West Bank toward deliberate escalation, in order to change the Israeli election agenda set to take place in two months and divert it from the failures of October 7, 2023, according to Haaretz. Chamir fears involving the army in political escalation The newspaper said that Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi doubts the government's intentions toward the West Bank, especially amid the decreasing popularity of the governing coalition in opinion polls. According to Haaretz, Halevi seeks to avoid dragging the army into new security complications driven by political considerations, at a time when settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank are increasing. Yedioth Ahronoth quoted army sources with similar fears of factions inside the government intent on escalating the situation for political reasons, confirming that the army "will not support steps that are not dictated by on-the-ground facts." Warnings that the West Bank is on the verge of an explosion In the same context, Maariv reported that the Israeli army is studying moving part of its forces currently deployed in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon to the West Bank in the coming days, warning that the situation there is "on the verge of an explosion." According to Haaretz, several right-wing Israeli leaders, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, openly express their desire for a more severe confrontation in the West Bank that would enable a broad military move against the Palestinian Authority, followed by imposing control over more lands and expelling residents. Elections put Netanyahu's future at stake The general Israeli election is scheduled for October 27, amid increasing political pressure on Netanyahu and the Likud party. Israeli press reports quote Netanyahu as acknowledging, in closed talks, that his party could lose the upcoming Knesset election "unless there is a change." No arrests after the Kortah and Galud attacks The warnings come as settler attacks intensify, with dozens attacking the towns of Qusra and Jat in Nablus Governorate, causing injuries to Palestinians and damage to property. Maariv quoted a military source saying the Israeli police did not arrest any of the settlers involved in the Qusra attacks, although Israeli estimates indicate about 50 settlers participated in the assault, shooting, and damage in the town. Limited American stance on settler violence Haaretz noted that the American administration has not yet taken a harsh stance against rising settler violence, despite increasing international criticism. The publicly stated American position has been limited to condemning the U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, for what it described as acts of "violent minority," while affirming broad condemnation of violence in the West Bank.

Violence by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank is set to reach record levels this year, as human rights groups warn that they are increasingly spreading into new areas of the territory. Attacks on Palestinians have risen under Israel's current government, alongside a rapid increase in Israeli settlements, illegal under international law. Many of these attacks are not widely reported on. The BBC's Lucy Williamson has been tracking settler attacks on Palestinians, which have been observed over the last week alone. Mojtaba Khamenei hasn’t been seen in public since March - but AI-generated images of him continue to spread online. The US has launched the strikes on Iran in response to attacks on three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Authorities expect up to 20 million people to attend ceremonies across Iran and Iraq over the coming days. Dozens of boats are still anchored in the Strait, while ordinary Iranians try to continue to their lives. The BBC’s Daniel Bush is traveling with Secretary of State Marco Rubio as he seeks to reassure Gulf allies over the Iran deal aimed at ending the war. BBC correspondent Jessica Parker explains some key points of the direct talks between the US vice-president and Iran. The BBC’s Shaimaa Khalil was outside the Iran v New Zealand opening round match as protesters called for an end to Tehran’s clerical regime. It's not clear if the deal means the Israelis will pause their offensive in Lebanon, BBC international editor Jeremy Bowen reports. In a call with the US president, the BBC’s Sarah Smith asked Trump about the war in Iran and his relationship with the Israeli leader. BBC’s Sarah Smith looks at why both countries are in a tense cycle of negotiations, despite the progress President Trump consistently claims. Verified videos show strikes on densely populated neighbourhoods in southern Lebanon. Tens of thousands of Israeli celebrants have marched through the area captured by Israel in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Iranian authorities have imposed an internet ban but using trusted sources, special correspondent Fergal Keane hears from those traumatised by conflict and government repression. Thousands of people have taken part in the Palestine Marathon, which returns to Bethlehem after a two-year pause over the Gaza War. President Trump has suspended anoperation to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz - BBC Verify explains the timeline. The BBC’s Nawal Al-Maghafi has been piecing together what happened on 8 April 2026, after one of the deadliest chapters in the country’s recent history. Capt Raman Kapoor's ship is one of several to be stranded in the strait in the midst of the power struggle between the US and Iran. Israel and Hezbollah are still fighting in Lebanon despite a US-brokered ceasefire that began 12 days ago. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is quitting oil cartel Opec after nearly 60 years of membership. The US president says he saved eight Iranian women from execution, but Iran says otherwise.

Netanyahu condemns settler violence in the West Bank: ' harms Israel’s standing on the international stage' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the violence carried out by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank after dozens of them attacked the Palestinian town of Qusra, on Saturday, in the latest round of tensions that have persisted for about three weeks. In a rare gesture, Netanyahu denounced what he described as 'criminal acts of violence' committed in the two Palestinian villages, and characterized the settlers as 'a small number of rioters who are breaking the law.' In a statement, he said: 'I strongly condemn the criminal acts of violence carried out by a small number of lawless rioters in the villages of Qusra and Jalqoud, who unjustly cast a shadow over the legally committed Jewish community, hinder the work of the Israeli army in carrying out its duties, and damage Israel’s standing on the international stage.' Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned the violence, calling it 'a red line crossed by lawbreakers acting in a manner completely contrary to the laws and values of the State of Israel,' and said what happened is 'a stain on the face of Israel.' He urged the government, security agencies, the judiciary, and law enforcement authorities to work 'by all available means and with full coordination to eradicate this despicable phenomenon and bring the rioters to full justice.' Residents of Qusra and the Israeli army reported that dozens of settlers broke into the village, pelted residents with stones, and took shelter inside one home while Palestinians were inside. In the nearby village of Jalqoud, NBC News reported masked settlers attacked and injured members of its staff and a Palestinian woman whom the crew was talking to. The Israeli army said in a statement that it sent soldiers and Border Police 'after reports of Israeli rioters arriving in the area and clashes, including stone-throwing at Palestinians.' In a military statement, the army said: 'Upon their arrival, security forces spotted dozens of rioters taking shelter inside a Palestinian home, while the Palestinian inhabitants were inside.' It added that the army is aware of reports of injuries among Palestinians. The statement explained that forces worked to remove the settlers from the home, separate the groups, and seize vehicles that were suspected of being used to reach the area. The statement read: 'Security forces strongly condemn all forms of violence,' noting the use of seized vehicles as evidence in an ongoing police investigation, and adding that the forces continue operations in the area 'to prevent further disturbances and restore order.' Earlier in August, a group of settlers besieged homes in Qusra in the northern occupied West Bank, with residents saying it prevented them from obtaining daily necessities, drawing domestic and international condemnations. Weeks later, Israeli forces remain active in the area, while settlers remain spread across the surrounding hills. Blockade and tear gas Yusuf Abdul Karim Hassan, a resident of Qusra, told AFP on Saturday that several villagers were working in a house when a small group of settlers approached them. The settlers then asked for reinforcements and returned with dozens more, Hassan said, adding that the settlers surrounded the Palestinians inside the house and began pelting them with stones. Saddam Adi, who was among those trapped, told Reuters that the Israeli army fired tear gas inside the house and held the residents inside, while allowing him to leave. He added that the Israeli army did not detain any settlers and allowed them to depart. Luay Al-Beiruti, the homeowner, told Reuters that after the army arrived, it restrained everyone inside, blindfolded them, and beat them before releasing them later. Beiruti showed Reuters his bandaged arm, saying it had been struck by a stone during the attack. Luay Reddi, a Palestinian-American whose home was one of the three attacked homes this month, said he witnessed Saturday’s assault from his own home. Reddi told Reuters that Israeli settlers were advancing almost daily into the area around his home despite the heavy Israeli military presence there. Human rights defenders warn of rising settler violence The United States had pressed Netanyahu to condemn the armed settlers who besieged Palestinians in their homes, according to American and Israeli officials who spoke to Reuters about two weeks ago. Previously, the Israeli government had blamed a 'marginal minority' for the violence carried out by settlers, while a UN inquiry in June found Israeli authorities directly involved in the attacks by settlers that killed, injured, and displaced Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Human rights groups say the increasing presence of settlers on the outskirts of Palestinian villages, including Qusra, is part of broader efforts to seize more Palestinian land, reducing the territory Palestinians aim to establish their state on. The violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank has intensified amid accusations that some settlers have grown bolder under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which has overseen significant expansion of settlements in Palestinian territories. It should be noted that UN bodies and most countries consider Israeli settlements in the occupied territories illegal under international law governing military occupation. For years, Israeli settlers have committed violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, where three million Palestinians live, often with few or no legal consequences. The estimated population of settlements in the occupied West Bank is around half a million, not counting the more than 200,000 settlers in East Jerusalem. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, as of July 18, 2026, indicates 1,183 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October 7, 2023, while the OCHA UN office for coordination of humanitarian affairs puts the figure at 1,125. Official Israeli data show at least 48 Israelis killed, among civilians and soldiers, in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations during the same period. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967.

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The 2026 Israeli elections are significant as the first set of elections since theOctober 7 attackin 2023 and theIsrael-Hamas War. They take place during a period of intense polarization inIsraeland amid international scrutiny. Israelis aparliamentary democracyin which citizens vote for political parties to represent them in theKnesset(parliament). The president, who is elected by the Knesset in a separate process, selects a prime minister from party leaders, who is then confirmed by a majority in the legislature after forming a coalition with other parties. Major players in the 2026 Israeli elections includeBenjamin Netanyahu,Gadi Eisenkot(Eizenkot), andNaftali Bennett, along with their respective parties.Itamar Ben-Gvir,Bezalel Smotrich,Benny Gantz, and the Arab bloc may also play influential roles in the outcome. Ultra-Orthodox Jewshave long been exempted fromIsrael’s military draft out of concern that military service would interfere with their religious observance. The exemption was also a gesture by the state that it considered theJewishfaith an integral part of Israeli identity and thatTorahstudy was a form of service in its own right. At the time the number of ultra-Orthodox men exempt from military service for Torah study was insignificant, numbering only in the hundreds. But the number has since grown to tens of thousands, prompting many secular Israelis to push for the end of the exemption. Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled the exemption illegal in 2024, but the ultra-Orthodox community has continued to resist the draft. In 2026 the Knesset passed abasic lawenshrining Torah study as a fundamental value of the state, part of an effort to change the legal dynamic of the 2024 ruling. When the Arab bloc ran on a single list in 2015, it became the third largest party in theKnesset, with 15 seats. Arab factions comprise a sizable bloc, with the potential to play a kingmaking role, but are rarely sought as coalition partners given their rejection ofZionismin guiding government policy. In the2026 electionsthree Arab parties are again running on a single list, called the Joint List, but one Arab party, Raʿam, has opted to run independently. Raʿam had previously joined the unity government ofNaftali BennettandYair Lapidin 2021. The most likely candidates to win the2026 Israeli electionareBenjamin NetanyahuandGadi Eisenkot. A victory for either candidate is far from guaranteed: both are expected to struggle to form a coalition. Israeli politics can also shift rapidly and a last-minute dark horse victory is possible. The2026 Israeli electionwill take place on October 27, 2026, the latest possible date that the election could legally take place. The election will be the first in Israel since 1988 that is not held early. Yesh Atid (“There Is a Future”) is a centrist political party inIsrael. It was formed by journalistYair Lapidin 2012 as a party focused on the socioeconomic concerns of the Israeli middle class, following an unprecedented wave of protests in 2011 over the cost of housing. It also called for an end to the longstanding exemption of Israel’sultra-Orthodoxcommunity from military service. Since its formation, Yesh Atid has been one of Israel’s main parties, outperforming the traditional left-wingLabour Partyand competing with the centrist party Blue and White founded byBenny Gantzin 2018. From June 2021 to December 2022 Yesh Atid was the leading party in the ruling coalition, with Lapid serving as prime minister from June 2022 to December 2022. Palestinian citizens of Israel, who comprise more than one-fifth ofIsrael’s citizenry, have been exempt from Israel’s military draft since 1948, when Israel was founded. The longstanding exemption recognizes that military service could require them to fight relatives or place them in other similar situations. The IsraeliDruze, who speakArabicbut do not identify with the Palestinian national cause, are not exempt, and someBedouinArabs also volunteer for military service. Ra’am, or the United Arab List, is a small political party inIsraelwith an Arab Muslim voter base. It is closely associated withIslamism, a broad political movement that draws inspiration fromIslamicsymbols and traditions in forming policy stances. For several years its focus has been on socioeconomic issues confronting Israeli Arabs, rather than promoting Islamic social values, and it has sought to leverage the size of the Arab population, making up more than one-fifth of Israel’s citizenry, to play a kingmaker role in a polarized Israeli political environment. In 2025 its leader Mansour Abbas announced it would cut formal ties with Islamic organizations in effort to make it more palatable to Israel’s Jewish majority and in 2026 party leaders were in discussions with at least one Jewish politician to join the party. In 2021 Ra’am joined the governing coalition of Prime MinisterNaftali Bennett, a right-wing politician, and secured funding for improving law enforcement, health services, and infrastructure in Arab communities. The party’sBedouinsupporters have traditionally been more open than most other Israeli Arab communities to national service, one of the top political issues in the2026 Israeli elections. Yoav Segalovitz is an Israeli politician who first joined theKnessetas a memberYair Lapid’s centrist Yesh Atid party. He is a retired police officer who advocates an equitable partnership betweenIsrael’s Jewish and Arab communities, including in aspects of law enforcement, health services, education, and national service. During the campaign for the2026 Israeli electionsSegalovitz, who is both Jewish and a mainstream proponent ofZionism, was courted by the United Arab List (Ra’am), a small political party with an Arab Muslim voter base, to run on its electoral list and help make the party more palatable to potential coalition partners that represent Israel’s Jewish majority. In August 2026 he resigned from Yesh Atid ahead of Ra’am’s primary race. Israelis go to the polls in 2026 for one ofIsrael’s mostcontentiouselections in recent history. Set to be held on October 27, the elections for theKnesset(Israeli parliament) are the first to take place since theOctober 7 attackand the resultingIsrael-Hamas War,Israel-Hezbollah war, and the2026 Iran war. The elections come at a pivotal moment for Israel, which is facing intense polarization at home and extraordinary scrutiny abroad, and the outcome could have a profound impact on the trajectory of Israel’spolitical system, its policies toward theGaza Stripand theWest Bank, and its relations with the internationalcommunity. AlthoughBenjamin Netanyahuwill be the onlyprime ministersinceGolda Meir(1969–74) to complete a full Knesset term in office, his term has been exceptionallydivisive. After a historic defeat in the 2021 elections amid a corruption scandal, he returned to power at the end of 2022 with the most far-right coalition in Israel’s history. Upon taking office, his coalition moved quickly to bring thejudiciaryunderlegislativeoversight—an attempt to alter Israel’schecks and balancesthat ultimately failed but prompted an unprecedented wave of protests in early 2023. After the October 7 attack in 2023, many Israelis placed blame on Netanyahu’s government for ignoring warning signs thatHamaswas preparing for the attack. He also faced accusations of prolonging the war—and holding up the release of hostages taken on October 7—for political gain as well as causing immense damage to Israel’s image abroad. Under Netanyahu, theIsrael Defense Forces(IDF) transformed the landscape of the entireMiddle Eastby decapitatingHezbollahand Hamas and attackingIranin June 2025 and again with theUnited Statesin late February 2026 (see12-Day War;2026 Iran war). Yet the widening gap between Israeli and U.S. policy became another source ofcriticismfor Netanyahu ahead of theelection, particularly as the United States negotiated independently with Iran to end the 2026 war. Israel is aparliamentary democracy. Israelis vote for apolitical partyto represent their interests in the legislature (Knesset), and parties are assigned seatsproportionalto the vote. After each election, the president (who is elected by the Knesset to a seven-year term) selects a prime minister from among the party leaders after considering the election results and consulting party leaders. The prime minister is then confirmed by a simple majority in the legislature. Israel’s many political parties do not typically win majorities in elections and must form coalitions with other parties, often by promising them an influential role in the prime minister’s cabinet. All resident Israeli citizens, including Israel’s sizable minority of Palestinian Muslims, may vote in elections.Israeli settlers, most of whom live in territories that have not been formally annexed by Israel, may also vote. Most of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians inJerusalem, who have permanent residency but usually reject Israeli citizenship (in protest against Israeli rule over East Jerusalem), cannot vote. Since Netanyahu was elected in 2009, the right-wingLikudparty, rooted inZe’ev Jabotinsky’s revisionist branch ofZionism, has dominated Israeli politics. TheLabour Party, alegacyofDavid Ben-Gurion’s labor branch of Zionism, has struggled to perform in elections since the collapse of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process during thesecond intifada(2000–05). In 2024 it merged with another left-wing party,Meretz, to form the Democrats party after polling showed Labour may not make thethresholdto enter the next Knesset on its own. Centrist parties that prioritize pressing security or social issues over ideological matters, such asYair Lapid’sYesh Atid, have led the opposition to Likud when Labour was unable to do so. A few small parties, which largely represent Palestinian citizens of Israel and categorically rejectZionism, make up a small but influential Arab bloc. In 2021 the Arab bloc was pivotal in helpingNaftali Bennett, a right-wing settler, unseat Netanyahu. Many analysts consider the election to be a referendum on Netanyahu’s handling of October 7 and Israel’s wars against Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Iranian regime. Some security-focused voters preferGadi Eisenkot, a former general and a critic of Netanyahu’s war policies, although Eisenkot’s intention to enforce a draft ofultra-Orthodox Jewsmay alienate some voters on the religious right. Polling in the year before the election indicated that Netanyahu’s coalition, which had been razor-thin in the 2022 elections, would lose its majority and that the opposition would perform slightly better but still struggle to reach a majority. Netanyahu’s party,Likud, appears set to receive the most votes in the election, making him the leadingcontenderin his coalition to be prime minister. He is nearly guaranteed to be the favored candidate for prime minister by the religious right partiesShasand United Torah Judaism and by far-right parties such asItamar Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power (Otzma Yehudit) andBezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism if those parties reach the necessary threshold to win Knesset seats. The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners. Gadi Eisenkot(Eizenkot) andBenny Gantzare former IDF chiefs of staff who participated in Netanyahu’s war cabinet in the first year of the Israel-Hamas War. They were highly critical of Netanyahu’s handling of the war, particularly for his lack of an exit strategy, and quit in June 2024. At the start of the war, their participation in the cabinet lent considerable legitimacy to Netanyahu’s government; Gantz wascharacterizedby Netanyahu’s critics as the “grown-up in the room.” In September 2025 Eisenkot created a new party to contest elections, Yashar! (Straight Ahead!) with Eisenkot, which polling showed to be competitive. After Eisenkot launched his campaign for prime minister in June 2026, the party began to challenge Likud for first place in the polls. Although Gantz was favored for prime minister at the start of the Israel-Hamas War, support for him declined rapidly after his resignation from the cabinet. Opinion polling indicates that his Blue and White party may not receive enough votes to enter the Knesset. In January 2026 Gantz indicated that he would be willing to join a government led by Netanyahu to prevent a government that includes Itamar Ben-Gvir or Bezalel Smotrich (seebelow) or any parties from the Arab bloc. Bennett, a formerprotégéof Netanyahu, led the opposition in the opinion polling throughout early 2026.Lapid, who formally leads the opposition in the outgoing Knesset but has been trailing in opinion polling, joined an electoral list headed by Bennett called BeYachad (Together) in April 2026. Bennett’s standing in the polls declined after the merger. Bennett is often considered to be on the right of Netanyahu, with a base of support from religiousIsraeli settlers. In fact, his political rise coincided with his push in the 2010s for Israel to annex parts of theWest Bank. But in 2021 he co-led a historiccoalitionwith Lapid that included Bennett’s right-wing party, Lapid’s centrist party, other center and left-wing parties, and a party from the Arab bloc. The coalition lost its majority only a year into Bennett’s stint—not from defections among his ideological rivals in the coalition but from defections within his own party. He subsequently took a break from politics, but after the October 7 attack he began proposing strategies in the press for confrontingHamasandIran. Competing for second place in opinion polling, BeYachad may look to repeat the previous feat of Bennett and Lapid in leading a broad coalition across thepolitical spectrum, although in a town hall in February 2026 Bennett suggested that he would not consider a party from the Arab bloc in his coalition this time around. After years on thefringesof Israeli politics,Ben-GvirandSmotrichbecame essential to Netanyahu’s formation of a razor-thin coalition in 2022. Without the support of their far-right parties, Jewish Power and Religious Zionism, Netanyahu would not have had enough votes in the Knesset to become prime minister. Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have since been responsible for some of the most controversial policies of Netanyahu’s most recent term, including the attempt to reform the judiciary, the relaxation of regulations over gun ownership, and the easing of restrictions on Israeli settlement activity and settler vigilantism. Opinion polling suggests Smotrich, whose support in the 2022 elections came largely from Bennett’s voter base, may struggle to receive enough votes to return to the Knesset without running jointly with Ben-Gvir. The late entry into the race of Ofer Winter and his big-tent right-wing People of Israel (Amcha Yisrael) party further threatened to siphon voters from Religious Zionism’s support base. Like in 2021, the Arab bloc could again play the role of kingmaker. The parties in the bloccomprisea variety of political orientations, ranging from Hadash, a mixed Arab-Jewish party withcommunistorigins, to the United Arab Party (Raʿam), aconservativeIslamistparty that took part in Bennett’s 2021–22 governing coalition, and Taʿal, a secularist party that advocates development in Arabcommunities. Unlike Israel’s other political parties, the Arab bloc parties consider the idea of Israel as a Jewish state discriminatory and rejectZionismas a guidingideologyfor policy, leading other parties in Israel to hesitate in working with them. They nonetheless find common ground with some of the other parties on matters such as investment in Arab communities and reducing crime. Following an Arab-led protest in Sakhnin against crime in January 2026, the Arab parties announced that they intend to contest the elections on a single list. They previously ran on a single list in 2015 and emerged as the Knesset’s third largest party, with 15 seats, but the competing interests within the list may make it more difficult for members of the Arab bloc to join a coalition. In June the leader of Raʿam said his party would run independently and in August the other Arab parties formally merged as the Joint List.

According to reports in the Israeli media, Netanyahu privately acknowledged during closed talks that the ruling Likud party may lose the upcoming Knesset elections "unless something changes." Israeli military sources warned of the possibility of pushing the West Bank toward further escalation, at a time when settler attacks on Palestinians and their property are increasing. The Haaretz newspaper cited Israeli army officials who suspect there is a government tendency to escalate the situation in the West Bank, coinciding with a decline in the governing coalition’s popularity in polls and the approaching date of the legislative elections scheduled for October 27. According to the newspaper, Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi worries about dragging his forces into new security complexities driven by political considerations, at a time when the army bears burdens due to its deployment on more than one front. Will the West Bank become a front line of confrontation? Haaretz reported that figures on the Israeli right, including Finance Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, do not hide their desire for a more intense confrontation in the West Bank. According to the newspaper, these parties may use the rise in violence as a pretext to justify a military move against the Palestinian Authority, which could include seizing more land and displacing large numbers of Palestinians. In the same vein, Yisrael Hayom quoted Israeli army sources as saying the military establishment does not want to back steps that are not dictated by field developments. Ma’ariv reported that the Israeli army is studying moving part of its forces currently deployed in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip to the West Bank in the coming days, noting that the area is "on the verge of an explosion." According to reports in the Israeli media, Netanyahu acknowledged in closed discussions that the ruling Likud party could lose the upcoming Knesset election "unless there is a change." Attacks in the West Bank The warnings within the military establishment coincided with a new wave of settler attacks and Israeli army measures in several towns and villages in the West Bank. In the town of Kfar Qusseh south of Nablus, dozens of settlers attacked a Palestinian home in the Ras al-Ain area, pelted it with stones and fired tear gas, causing seven Palestinians to suffer from asphyxiation and contusions. As the town has been under siege for the 21st straight day, the army declared the area a closed military zone. In the neighboring village of Jalud, settlers attacked a Palestinian family and foreign journalists accompanying them, injuring a Palestinian and his wife with contusions, in addition to injuring the journalists. Attacks extended to other villages and towns, including al-Mughair, Burka, Arraba, and Rama, as well as areas in the city of Hebron, and involved land-dredging, road closures, and hindering the movement of Palestinians and journalists. In al-Mughair village in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate, settlers attacked the western edges of the village, released their sheep to graze on Palestinian lands, and attempted to raid one of the houses before residents repelled them. In Burqa, settlers attacked Palestinians inside the village park and assaulted farmers while picking almonds. In total for Saturday’s attacks, 19 people were injured, including 17 Palestinians and two foreign journalists, in assaults carried out by settlers and Israeli forces in various areas of the West Bank. Kfar Qusseh under the weight of settler attacks Following Saturday’s attack, Israeli police did not announce the arrest of any of the settlers involved, according to Ma’ariv, which quoted a military source as saying about 50 people participated in the raid on the town, during which looting and shooting occurred. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he "condemns the criminal acts of violence committed by a number of rioters" in Kfar Qusseh and Jalud. The Israeli army and the Border Police acknowledged injuries among Palestinians. He added that his forces removed dozens of settlers from a Palestinian home and separated those present at the scene, seized vehicles suspected of being used to access the area, and transported them, along with other evidence, to the police for further investigation. Despite the army’s statement that it "emsolates all forms of violence," Channel 12 reported that none of the settlers who participated in the attack were arrested. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry warned of a rise in settler attacks and Israeli forces’ assaults in the occupied West Bank. An European delegation visited Kfar Qusseh on Sunday, including the European Union representative for the Middle East peace process. The delegation met with the head of the municipal council and also connected with a Palestinian family that remains cut off since Saturday’s settler assault, assessing on-the-ground conditions and residents’ needs, including the scale of aid required for affected families. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Palestinian territories said three families in Kfar Qusseh remain isolated, noting that it has documented more than 1,540 settler assaults since the beginning of the year, which resulted in about 1,040 Palestinians being injured. It also documented 80 settler assaults during the second and third weeks of August, causing injuries among Palestinians. Escalation since the Gaza war Settlements and the West Bank towns and villages have witnessed an escalation in settler attacks, especially since the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, in tandem with continued raids, arrests, and Israeli military operations. According to the Israeli watchdog, the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, the Israeli army and settlers carried out 2,256 attacks on Palestinians and their land and property in July, including 1,458 carried out by Israeli forces and 798 by settlers. Since October 7, 2023, at least 1,103 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by the bullets of Israeli soldiers or settlers, according to Agence France-Presse’s tally based on Palestinian Authority data. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, where about three million Palestinians live, alongside about half a million settlers. Israeli settlements are considered illegal under international law.

Netanyahu condemns 'criminal acts of violence' by settlers in West Bank villages Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday condemned what he called "criminal acts of violence" perpetrated by Israeli settlers in two Palestinian villages. Earlier in August, a group of settlers blocked supplies from entering Palestinian houses on the outskirts of Qusra and attacked a Palestinian family and a foreign media crew in nearby Jalud. Dozens of Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Qusra in the northern occupied West Bank on Saturday after nearly three weeks of tension in the area, drawing rare condemnation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Earlier in August, a group of settlers began blocking supplies from entering Palestinian houses on the outskirts of the village near Nablus, trapping residents inside and drawing unusually strong criticism from the US ambassador. To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site. Weeks later, Israeli forces continue to operate in the area while settlers still roam the surrounding hills. On Saturday, Qusra residents and the military said dozens of settlers had descended on the village, throwing stones at residents and barricading themselves inside a house while Palestinians were inside. In nearby Jalud, settlers attacked a Palestinian family and a foreign media crew accompanying them, the Palestinian official news agency Wafa reported. "I strongly condemn the criminal acts of violence committed in the villages of Qusra and Jalud by a handful of rioters who are violating the law, causing a grave injustice to the law-abiding Jewish community, interfering with the IDF in carrying out its missions, and harming Israel's standing in the world," Netanyahu said in a statement. In Qusra, resident Yussef Abdul Kareem Hassan said that a handful of villagers were doing work on a house on Saturday when they were approached by a small group of settlers. The settlers then called for backup and returned with dozens more, Hassan said, adding that they surrounded the Palestinians inside the house and began throwing stones. AFP footage of Qusra on Saturday showed dozens of Israeli forces deployed to the site. Soaring violence The Israeli military said soldiers and border police forces were dispatched "following reports that Israeli rioters had arrived in the area and that violent clashes had occurred, including stone-hurling toward Palestinians and additional civilians". "Upon their arrival, the security forces identified dozens of rioters who had barricaded themselves inside a Palestinian home while Palestinian residents were inside," the military said in a statement, adding that it was "aware of reports of Palestinian injuries". It said forces had worked to remove the settlers from the house, separate the groups and confiscate vehicles "that were suspected of having been used to reach the area". The vehicles would be used as evidence in a police investigation that has been opened, it said, adding that forces continued to operate in the area "to prevent further disturbances and restore order". "The security forces strongly condemn all forms of violence," it said. Violence by Israeli settlers towards Palestinians in the West Bank has persisted for years, often with little or no legal consequence, but recent months have seen a surge in attacks. More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the Palestinian territory, which are illegal under international law, among some three million Palestinians. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. According to an AFP tally based on data from the Palestinian health ministry, Israeli forces or settlers have killed at least 1,103 Palestinians in the West Bank, including both militants and civilians, since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. Israeli figures show that at least 48 Israelis, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations during the same period. (FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Gift this articleShare to FacebookPrint article Article printing is available to subscribers only Print in a simple, ad-free format Subscribe Comments: 1SaveZen Reading Zen reading is available to subscribers only Ad-free and in a comfortable reading format Subscribe !Amos Harel. Amos Harel 04:15 AM • August 30 2026 IDT expand Would you like us to summarize articles for you? The West Bank is shaping up to be the main arena of tension between the government and the Israel Defense Forces in the run-up to the October 27 general election. In Iran, Lebanon and Gaza, it is largely Donald Trump who determines the rules of the game. Loading... Click the alert icon to follow topics: FollowPalestinian Authority FollowIsrael settlements FollowWest Bank FollowIDF FollowBenjamin Netanyahu FollowEyal Zamir You Might Also LikeYou Might Also Like [](https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/2026-08-09/ty-article/.premium/nearly-all-canadian-jewish-university-students-faced-antisemitism-survey-finds/0000019f-e6fa-dfd7-a19f-e7fea8850000)95 Percent of Jewish Students at Canadian Universities Have Encountered Antisemitism, Survey Finds - Jewish World [](https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/2026-06-14/ty-article/.premium/eus-kallas-accused-of-antisemitism-over-reported-israel-apartheid-comparison/0000019e-c6bd-d86d-adde-fefdca0b0000)EU's Kallas Accused of Antisemitism After Reportedly Comparing Israel to Apartheid - Europe [](https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2026-08-24/ty-article-opinion/.premium/israelis-only-see-the-victim-when-its-a-donkey/000001a0-34c5-d936-a7ac-3cedca760000)Israelis Only See the Victim When It's a Donkey - Opinion [](https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/2026-07-13/ty-article/europes-smallest-jewish-community-gets-a-new-home-and-geothermal-mikvah/0000019f-563e-d7c8-a3df-5fbefaa30000)Europe's Smallest Jewish Community Gets a Home of Its Own, Complete With Geothermal Mikvah - Jewish World [](https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2026-08-29/ty-article/.premium/el-sayed-apologizes-to-michigan-jews-for-comments-about-synagogue-attack/000001a0-4ef7-d276-a7a1-eef7e3b50000)El-Sayed Apologizes to Michigan Jews for Comments About Synagogue Attack - U.S. News [](https://www.haaretz.com/west-bank/2026-07-03/ty-article/marwan-barghouti-to-reportedly-run-for-palestinian-president-from-israeli-prison/0000019f-2308-d48a-a19f-23a9a25f0000)Marwan Barghouti to Bid for Palestinian Presidency From Israeli Prison, Report Says - West Bank News SponsoredIberostar Beachfront Resorts / Up to 30% off your hotel this summer in the Canaries! Comments Your Perspective Belongs Here Want to reply? Subscribe to join the conversation SUBSCRIBE Already signed up? Log in Loading... In the News In the News: Live UpdatesWest BankSenate DemocratsGaza Militias SyriaNetanyahuOfer WinterRoger WatersPollHaQuizHaaretz Podcast ICYMI Trending Now You Might Also LikeYou Might Also Like SponsoredFor all your EV needsScottishPower Trending Now Trending Now Trending Now Trending Now ICYMI

Gift this articleShare to FacebookPrint article Article printing is available to subscribers only Print in a simple, ad-free format Subscribe Comments: SaveZen Reading Zen reading is available to subscribers only Ad-free and in a comfortable reading format Subscribe !Liza Rozovsky. Liza Rozovsky 11:35 AM • August 29 2026 IDT Thirty Democratic U.S. senators on Friday urged Israel to rescind tenders for 1,234 housing units in the E1 settlement area of the West Bank, warning that construction there would threaten prospects for a future Palestinian state. Loading... Click the alert icon to follow topics: FollowDemocratic Party FollowPalestinians FollowIsrael settlements FollowWest Bank FollowIsrael - U.S. FollowTwo-state solution FollowE1 Comments Your Perspective Belongs Here Want to reply? Subscribe to join the conversation SUBSCRIBE Already signed up? Log in Loading... In the News In the News: Live UpdatesWest BankSenate DemocratsGaza Militias SyriaNetanyahuOfer WinterRoger WatersPollHaQuizHaaretz Podcast ICYMI Trending Now Trending Now Trending Now Trending Now Trending Now ICYMI

Backed by the Government and Army, Israeli Settlers Gain a Foothold in West Bank's Area B Gift this articleShare to FacebookPrint article Article printing is available to subscribers only Print in a simple, ad-free format Subscribe Comments: 6SaveZen Reading Zen reading is available to subscribers only Ad-free and in a comfortable reading format Subscribe !Members of the Border Police alongside settlers from the Tel Talpiot outpost in Area B this month. Members of the Border Police alongside settlers from the Tel Talpiot outpost in Area B this month. Credit: Itai Ron The Israeli government blames the violence on a 'handful' of extremists. Yet settlers have established 30 outposts in Area B, where the Palestinian Authority oversees civilian affairs, encouraged by elected officials and unchallenged by security forces !- Matan Golan August 30, 2026 expand Would you like us to summarize articles for you? A few years ago, F. and his family moved away from the village of Qusra in the West Bank. Their previous home was on the border of the West Bank's Area C, which is under exclusive Israeli control, and they were tired of being harassed by settlers. Loading... 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Subscribe to join the conversation SUBSCRIBE Already signed up? Log in Sort Newest first Newest first Oldest first Top-rated first Editors choice 4‎תום04:28 Tzvika Foghel, told the forum, "because this is the right way to do it [take over areas under the PA's jurisdiction], not through legislation or talk here. Through actions. Don't stop and don't let others stop you." A clearer call to ignoring the rule of law could not be made. This is what Israel has fallen to. A country where criminality and lawlessness are called into being by the explicit invocation of lawmakers, and by the complicity/collaboration/non-enforcement of law by the IDF and the police. Shame, shame, shame. 3John O30.08.2026 | 17:59 Ed Vulliamy, who reported on the Srebrenica massacre in 1995, in today's Guardian: Does their plan sound familiar? John OJohn O • 30.08.2026 | 18:12 Missed Ed's quote: Mladić was the military wing of an unholy trinity: at its apex, Serbia's then president, Slobodan Milošević, resurrected the insane idea of a "Greater Serbia", a form of nationalist fascism whereby wherever the Serbs lived, only Serbs would live – everyone else would leave or die, and every vestige of their culture and religion (Muslim or Catholic) would be erased. Ed Vulliamy, Guardian 30.8.26 2Lou Arpino30.08.2026 | 17:55 Haaretz, please help your readers put faces on the cast of this modern day version of "Lord of the Flies". Can you please provide your readers with an in depth look at who these hilltop "Settlers" are? Where did they come from? What is their background? Were they "at risk" adolescents who could not fit into mainstream Israel society? What are their demographics? What is their Settlement social structure and who provides for their welfare? 1The Walker • 30.08.2026 | 16:31 Appalling conduct by Israel. The settlers and their terrorism are a deliberate outcome of the actions of the Israeli government and the complicity of the Israeli security forces who have consistently failed to act meaningfully against these outrages. Insofar as there has been any pushback by saner members of the Israeli establishment, it has been in partly because of the realisation of how exposed the settlers will be in the event of another intifada and the numbers of troops Israel would require to defend such outposts. All of this is of course hugely damaging to Israel's international standing and putting pressure on the governments of countries like Great Britain and France to act, given the strength of opinion in those countries on this issue. lizThe Walker • 30.08.2026 | 19:19 They need not be defended. To leave the WB or remain and protect themselves is a possible, unfortunately highly improbable scenario. "….any pushback" has been negligible and is meant to be just enough to keep the international community off Israel's back. It's becoming less and less effective. In the News In the News: Live UpdatesE1 West BankChief RabbiBritish AcitivistEl-Sayed NetanyahuNBC CrewRoger WatersPollHaQuizHaaretz Podcast - Advertisement - ICYMI ICYMI

- i24NEWS - Israel - Defense News - 'Muslim rulers must recognize their real enemy,' Iran's Khamenei declares | LIVE BLOG 'Muslim rulers must recognize their real enemy,' Iran's Khamenei declares | LIVE BLOG "Criminal US leaders, fake Zionist regime are sworn enemies of Muslim unity. Muslim nations should cooperate & work together in various spheres, including wealth and security" Dozens of masked Israeli settlers raided the West Bank village of Qusra over the past 24 hours, taking over a Palestinian home with residents inside and clashing with locals before security forces intervened to separate the groups and clear the building. Multiple Palestinians were injured in the attack, while separate settler assaults were reported in nearby Jalud, where a press crew and local residents were targeted, as well as near Silwad and Jenin. READ MORE FROM SATURDAY HERE West Bank: British activist arrested after incident with minor in Umm al-Kheir Israeli police announced the arrest of a British activist, identified as Finn Joughin, after he was apprehended near Umm al-Kheir in the southern West Bank. He had been detained by the security official of a settlement near Ma'on amid suspicions of indecent exposure to a minor. Authorities reject accusations of "kidnapping" that surfaced after footage surfaced showing the activist being led away by armed men. According to police, his interrogation yielded statements suggesting a possible act of aggression against a minor. The activist was participating in a "protective presence" mission alongside Palestinians. Footage filmed by residents shows Joughin using his body to try to prevent an Israeli child from crossing a fence toward Umm al-Kheir. The case remains at this stage of investigation, without conviction or final judicial decision. 'Muslim rulers must recognize their real enemy,' Iran's Khamenei declares Iran's Mojtaba Khamenei issues message: "Criminal US leaders, fake Zionist regime are sworn enemies of Muslim unity. Muslim nations should cooperate & work together in various spheres, including wealth and security. Muslim unity is key principle and fundamental message of Islamic Revolution. Muslim rulers must recognize their real enemy, counter their plans." Huckabee defends Israelis living peacefully in West Bank US Amb. Huckabee: Half-million Israelis living peacefully in West Bank are most disgusted by small group of thugs called ‘settlers’ This post can't be displayed because social networks cookies have been deactivated. You can activate them by clicking . Iran acknowledges US sanctions are taking heavy toll on economy An Iranian official acknowledged that U.S. sanctions and the American naval blockade are significantly damaging the country’s economy, saying exports and imports have fallen by 25% to 35% in recent months. Warning that Iran is facing “war conditions,” he said continued sanctions could create a serious crisis, as Israel and the United States reportedly strengthen military and intelligence coordination amid concerns Tehran could retaliate. Netanyahu condemns violence in Qusra and Jalud, calls for arrests Prime Minister Netanyahu condemned what he called “criminal acts of violence” by a handful of rioters in the villages of Qusra and Jalud. He said security forces had ended the incident, confiscated three vehicles and launched an investigation, adding that those responsible must be arrested and brought to justice. This post can't be displayed because social networks cookies have been deactivated. You can activate them by clicking . US Embassy: Hezbollah takes orders from Iran, must disarm The US Embassy in Beirut said Hezbollah must surrender its weapons for Lebanon to become fully safe and sovereign. A State Department spokesperson accused the Iran-backed group of refusing talks with Lebanon, the United States and Israel because it is “taking orders from Iran,” urging it to engage with the Lebanese government and disarm. This post can't be displayed because social networks cookies have been deactivated. You can activate them by clicking .

El primer ministro de Israel se pronunció tras semanas de violencia de colonos en Cisjordania y condenó las acciones de un “puñado de alborotadores”. Ataques y disparos israelíes provocaron la muerte de tres palestinos en Gaza. Y la cúpula de Irán ahora está formada por generales del ejército y clérigos que desde hace mucho están afianzados en la teocracia gobernante. Este es un vistazo a los acontecimientos más recientes en la guerra de Irán y Oriente Medio en general. Condena de Netanyahu se produce tras disturbios en una localidad de Cisjordania El primer ministro israelí, Benjamin Netanyahu, condenó los actos criminales de un “puñado de alborotadores” en Cisjordania que, según afirmó, cometen una injusticia contra el “público de colonos respetuoso de la ley”. Su declaración se produce después de más de dos semanas de disturbios en la localidad de Qusra, donde los colonos rodearon varias viviendas, entre ellas, la propiedad de un palestino-estadounidense. En una declaración inusualmente contundente, el embajador de Estados Unidos, Mike Huckabee, se refirió a los colonos como “terroristas”, una palabra que las autoridades de Estados Unidos suelen reservar para los combatientes palestinos. Horas antes, también el sábado, el ejército y la policía de Israel informaron que varios alborotadores israelíes llegaron a la zona de Qusra y que luego se produjeron enfrentamientos violentos. Indicaron que decenas de alborotadores se atrincheraron en una vivienda palestina mientras los residentes estaban dentro. Señalaron que los grupos fueron separados y que se confiscaron los vehículos de los agresores. The Associated Press vio ambulancias trasladando a palestinos heridos. “Las acciones de estos extremistas violentos son una vergüenza y contradicen por completo los valores del Estado de Israel”, señaló en un comunicado el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores. En los comunicados no se mencionan detenciones. El gobierno de Netanyahu, el más ultranacionalista y religioso en la historia de Israel, ha impulsado un aumento en la construcción de asentamientos en Cisjordania. La mayor parte de la comunidad internacional considera ilegales los asentamientos, e Israel ha visto una erosión del apoyo en Estados Unidos. Mueren tres palestinos en Gaza, según funcionarios de salud Tres palestinos murieron y otros más resultaron heridos en ataques y disparos realizados el sábado por Israel en el centro de Gaza, según funcionarios de salud locales. En Ciudad de Gaza, dos palestinos murieron y otro resultó herido en un ataque israelí contra una motocicleta, según funcionarios del hospital Shifa. El ejército israelí dijo que atacó a un “operativo militar”, sin dar más detalles. En otro punto, el fuego de un tanque provocó la muerte de un agricultor en la parte oriental de Deir al-Balah, según funcionarios del hospital Mártires de Al-Aqsa, adonde fue trasladado el cuerpo. Hasta el momento, el ejército israelí no ha hecho ningún comentario. Y en el más reciente ataque aéreo contra el complejo del hospital Mártires de Al-Aqsa, tres palestinos resultaron heridos, informaron funcionarios del Ministerio de Salud de Gaza. El ejército israelí dijo que “atacó a un comandante de Hamás que planeaba ejecutar ataques terroristas” en las inmediaciones del complejo. En el comunicado militar se acusa al comandante de esconderse en el complejo. Se indicó que las autoridades médicas de Gaza fueron advertidas el jueves de que las instalaciones médicas no deben utilizarse con “fines terroristas” y que las fuerzas israelíes actuarían ante cualquier amenaza si continúa. El hospital Mártires de Al-Aqsa no comentó sobre el ataque. Un frágil alto el fuego en Gaza se ha mantenido desde octubre. Aunque los combates más intensos en el enclave han disminuido, el ejército de Israel ha matado al menos a 1.313 palestinos desde entonces, según el Ministerio de Salud de Gaza. El ministerio, que forma parte del gobierno encabezado por Hamás, mantiene registros detallados de víctimas que son considerados en general fiables por agencias de la ONU y expertos independientes. No ofrece un desglose entre civiles y combatientes. La nueva cúpula de Irán no muestra tolerancia ante la disidencia Tras seis meses de guerra, la nueva cúpula de Irán parece lista para una confrontación potencialmente larga con Estados Unidos y decidida a impedir cualquier agitación interna. El nuevo líder supremo, el ayatolá Moytabá Jamenei, aún no ha sido visto en público desde que su padre y otros altos dirigentes murieron en los ataques iniciales de Estados Unidos e Israel, cuando inició la guerra el 28 de febrero. Con los nombramientos anunciados el 11 y 12 de agosto, Jamenei se ha rodeado de aliados personales de larga data, como el nuevo secretario del Consejo Supremo de Seguridad Nacional de Irán, Mohsen Rezaei, y el nuevo jefe del Basij, la fuerza callejera de voluntarios de la Guardia Revolucionaria, Hossein Taeb. ___ Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.

Jerusalem, Aug 30 (EFE) - The Foreign Press Association (FPA, in English), which brings together international media operating in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, condemned on Sunday the recent attacks by Israeli settlers against journalists in the occupied West Bank, after a NBC television crew was beaten this Saturday. "This is not an isolated incident, but part of a recurrent pattern of violence against members of the press and Palestinian civilians," it states in a Sunday statement, in which it says it is "deeply alarmed by these attacks." ADVERTISING Therefore, the association urges Israeli authorities, specifically the Army and the Police, to "investigate these attacks, hold the perpetrators accountable, and take concrete measures immediately to guarantee the safety of journalists reporting from the West Bank." The condemnation comes after a NBC News team and a Palestinian woman who were being interviewed by the journalists were beaten this Saturday by a group of masked Israeli settlers in the Palestinian town of Jalud, near Nablus, where such assaults and campaigns of harassment by Jewish settlers have increased in recent weeks. ADVERTISING Three of the reporters had to be treated for injuries by the Red Crescent, while the woman had to be hospitalized, though out of danger. The attack occurred amid several violent incidents in the area on Saturday, including one in which dozens of masked Israeli settlers sprayed pepper spray at Palestinian workers and threw stones at a building in the nearby Qusra, which has been besieged by settlers for weeks. ADVERTISING So far, the main protagonists of the attacks have not been detained, a usual circumstance in assaults by settlers, which remain typically unpunished. The government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which on Saturday night issued a statement condemning the "criminal acts of violence committed in the villages of Qusra and Jalud" by "a handful of troublemakers who break the law," as well as the Israeli Army, have been accused of turning a blind eye to the settlers’ attacks against Palestinians and foreigners in the West Bank. EFE ADVERTISING

Israel conducts planning to move forces from Gaza and Lebanon to the West Bank. Hebrew media reveals the details Israeli occupation army The Israeli army is considering relocating part of its forces currently deployed in the "Gaza Strip and Lebanon" to the occupied West Bank, amid a surge in assaults by settlers and military incursions, alongside warnings within the military establishment about the possibility of a deterioration and explosion of the situation in the West Bank. Additional units to the West Bank According to sources quoted by the Hebrew newspaper Maariv on Sunday, the IDF General Staff is considering a wide redeployment of forces, with the deployment of additional regular units to the West Bank, in a move that reflects growing Israeli fears of a widening confrontation circle in the occupied territories. This move comes at the expense of the Israeli army’s presence on the two fronts of the "Gaza Strip and Lebanon", amid ongoing operational pressures on the IDF and multiple flashpoints it is dealing with. Fears of a flare-up The redeployment of forces coincides with indicators of a growing tendency by the occupation government to escalate the situation in the West Bank, ahead of the Israeli elections, with warnings that turning the West Bank into a new front of confrontation could be tied to political calculations within the ruling coalition. Doubts about Netanyahu’s calculations In the same context, the newspaper Haaretz revealed doubts within the IDF about the possibility that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is paving the way for a deliberate deterioration of the situation in the West Bank for electoral reasons. According to the Israeli paper, officials on the Israeli right, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, do not hide their desire for a more intense confrontation in the West Bank, which could provide a pretext for military action against the Palestinian Authority and to impose control over large areas, alongside pushing for the forcible displacement of its residents. West Bank faces possible escalation The developments indicate rising concerns within the Israeli military establishment about turning the West Bank into a new front, at a time when assaults and incursions are increasing, while transferring more forces there could change the nature of the Israeli military stance in the occupied territories and raise tensions in the coming period.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a condemnation regarding intensifying settler attacks in the occupied West Bank villages of Qusra and Jalud, which he described as “criminal acts of violence.” "I strongly condemn the criminal acts of violence committed in the villages of Qusra and Jalud by a handful of rioters who are violating the law, causing a grave injustice to the law-abiding Jewish community, interfering with the IDF in carrying out its missions, and harming Israel's standing in the world," he said in a statement. Earlier on Saturday, Israeli military said they had responded to clashes involving "Israeli rioters" in Qusra, where settlers had besieged a Palestinian home and attacked residents in several other homes. Israeli forces said they removed the settlers from the besieged Palestinian house and would remain in the area to prevent further clashes. However, Palestinian residents said Israeli forces had instead tried to arrest Palestinians who were still trapped inside the besieged home. A fourth house in Qusra was also targeted by Israeli settlers later on Saturday. Israeli soldiers then arrived and fired tear gas at Palestinian residents inside, wounding the homeowner.

Masked Israeli settlers attacked and injured a Palestinian woman and members of an NBC News team reporting in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Saturday. Three members of an NBC team were interviewing Aida Ahmed Abdullah and her family in the Palestinian town of Jalud, near Nablus, when the attack occurred. Abdullah said they had been driven out of their home by Israeli settlers, and the team was walking down a hill toward the house. A gray car with Israeli license plates then drove in reverse up the hill toward them, video of the incident shows. A masked man in a blue tracksuit, holding a stick, was leaning out of the rear passenger window as the vehicle approached. When the car stopped, at least four men in dark clothes and with their faces covered leaped out, hitting Abdullah and the crew with sticks and throwing rocks at them. “They jumped out, beat us, then jumped back in the car,” said NBC News international correspondent Matt Bradley, who was hit twice in the arm and later treated at a nearby clinic. Abdullah, 51, who was on the ground after the attack, was taken for medical care by the Red Crescent. Her injuries were not life-threatening, according to an Israeli military and Israel Border Police statement. According to her husband, Mahmoud Toubasi, Abdullah’s condition had improved but she remained in the hospital Saturday night. Two additional members of the NBC News team — a cameraman and producer — were also injured and were treated following the attack. Producer Lawahez Jabari described how the car rushed up the hill before its occupants beat members of the team and damaged camera equipment and one of the crew’s vehicles. “Suddenly a car came to us,” she said after receiving medical care. “The settlers had sticks. I saw a gun, but they didn’t use the gun.” Camera operator Khaldoon Eid, who lives in the West Bank, said he was surprised the attack occurred in the middle of the village. “We didn’t expect that — that they would come to attack,” he said. “We were in the middle of a Palestinian area next to Palestinian houses.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his spokesman Doron Spielman condemned the violence against Abdullah and the NBC News crew along with several other incidents across the area on Saturday. Those incidents included dozens of masked Israeli settlers spraying pepper spray at Palestinian workers and throwing rocks at a building in nearby Qusra. Netanyahu said the “criminal acts of violence committed in the villages of Kosra and Jalud by a handful of rioters who violate the law, cause enormous injustice to the law-abiding settler public, hinder the IDF in fulfilling its missions and harm Israel’s standing in the world.” Spielman said in a post on X that “their actions violate the law; they endanger both Jews and Arabs, and they interfere with the Israel Defense Forces as they carry out vital security missions, and of course they harm Israel’s international legitimacy.” Netanyahu, he said, requested that security forces “apprehend the perpetrators and to bring them to justice,” adding Israel “will not tolerate vigilantism of any kind by anyone.” Israeli security described the regional violence on Saturday, saying they received reports that “rioters had arrived in the area and that violent clashes had occurred, including stone-hurling toward Palestinians and additional civilians.” “Upon their arrival, the security forces identified dozens of rioters who had barricaded themselves inside a Palestinian home while Palestinian residents were inside,” the statement said. “The security forces who arrived at the scene initially operated to remove the rioters from the home and separate the groups, in order to protect the residents inside the house. In addition, the security forces confiscated vehicles belonging to the Israeli rioters that were suspected of having been used to reach the area,” the statement said. “IDF soldiers and Israel Border Police forces continue to operate in the areas of Qusra and Jalud to prevent further disturbances and restore order in the area,” it added. There has been a spate of Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, and the village of Qusra has been besieged by Israeli settlers for weeks. Between Jan. 1 and July 24, Israeli forces or settlers killed 76 Palestinians, according to the latest data available from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Three Israelis were killed over the same period, the data shows. Netanyahu’s hard-line government has been accused of turning a blind eye to the settler attacks in the West Bank, which many governments around the world consider illegally occupied. In its statement after the attack, Israeli security forces said they “strongly condemn all forms of violence.” Captured in the 1967 Middle East war, the West Bank is home to 3 million Palestinians and 500,000 Israeli settlers. The recent escalation in violence has increased pressure on the Israeli military to stop these armed groups. The United Nations and media workers have also reported an uptick in attacks on foreign, Palestinian and Israeli journalists in the West Bank.

QUSRA, West Bank, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Dozens of masked Israeli settler militants attacked homes surrounding the occupied West Bank village of Qusra on Saturday, the first major attack since a siege by settlers in the area earlier this month drew an international outcry. The settlers surrounded a Palestinian home, throwing stones while seven Palestinians were trapped inside, according to witnesses who spoke to Reuters. Sign up here. Saddam Oday, one of those trapped, said the Israeli military fired tear gas into the home and detained the residents inside while letting him go. He said the Israeli military had not detained any of the settlers and had allowed them to leave. The owner of the house, Luay Bayruti, said when the military arrived they handcuffed, blindfolded and beat those inside, before later releasing them. The Israeli military said in a statement that troops and border police forces had arrived on the scene to remove "rioters" and protect the residents inside the house. The military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why they had reportedly fired tear gas at the house and detained and beaten the residents. In his first public statement on Qusra, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he condemned the violence in Qusra and blamed a "handful of rioters". "I strongly condemn the criminal acts of violence committed in the villages of Qusra and Jalud," said Netanyahu, referring to a separate incident in a neighbouring village. The United States had previously pressured Netanyahu to publicly condemn the militant settlers who had besieged Palestinians in their homes, U.S. and Israeli officials told Reuters around two weeks ago. The Israeli government has previously blamed a "fringe minority" for settler violence, a characterisation disputed by findings from rights groups. A U.N. inquiry in June found that Israeli authorities are directly involved in settler attacks that have killed, injured and displaced Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The Israeli mission in Geneva rejected the report's findings. RESIDENT REPORTS NEAR-DAILY ENCROACHMENTS Bayruti said that after calling the Israeli military for help, he and six others were trapped inside the home for more than an hour as settlers threw stones. Bayruti showed a Reuters reporter his bandaged arm, which he said had been injured by a stone during the attack. Oday, a medic, said four of those trapped had suffered injuries due to the tear gas, and two had suffered injuries from the stones thrown by settlers. The attack occurred a few hundred yards away from three homes to which settlers laid siege this month, drawing international condemnation and a massive Israeli military deployment that residents say has kept them effectively trapped in their homes. "They spotted the residents working on their house, which is still under construction and they started throwing rocks," said Loui Ridi, a Palestinian-American whose home was one of the three under siege this month. He said he watched Saturday's attack occur from his home. Ridi said he had seen near-daily encroachments of Israeli settlers into the area surrounding his home, despite the heavy Israeli military presence in the area. SETTLER VIOLENCE ON THE RISE Rights groups say the increasing settler presence on the edge of Palestinian villages, like Qusra, is part of a wider effort by settlers to seize more land from Palestinians, further eating into territory where Palestinians aim to establish a state. Violence by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank has increased, with some emboldened by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has overseen a massive settlement expansion in the territory. U.N. bodies and most countries deem the settlements illegal under international law regarding military occupations. Israel rejects this, viewing the area as disputed rather than occupied. Reporting by Pesha Magid, additional reporting by Roleen Tafakji; Editing by Rami Ayyub, Aidan Lewis and Hugh Lawson Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The Israeli political scene is witnessing intensive moves ahead of the deadline to close the Knesset electoral lists, as parties and political figures seek to form new alliances that ensure surpassing the threshold and strengthen their chances in the upcoming elections. Special Translation - Quds Network: The Israeli political arena is witnessing intensified activity before the closing of the Knesset electoral lists, with parties and political figures seeking to form new coalitions that guarantee surpassing the threshold and boost their prospects in the forthcoming elections. In the centrist camp, Prime Ministerial hopeful Benny Gantz of the Blue and White party is facing increasing pressure, as polls repeatedly place his party below the electoral threshold, yet he still refuses to consider his political future settled and remains committed to the battle until the last moment. Gantz is also engaging with several figures and parties as part of what he calls the “Third Bloc,” which aims to present an alternative to the traditional polarization between Benjamin Netanyahu’s camp and “Just Not Netanyahu.” According to political estimates, one of the proposed options is a coalition including Gantz, Gilad Erdan, and Ayala Shaked, a step that could reshuffle the scene within the Third Bloc, while it is expected that contacts will intensify ahead of the final deadline to close the lists, slated around September 6-7. Those close to Gantz hope that a dramatic coalition move will boost the bloc’s strength to about 4 or 5 seats, after recent polls showed a sharp decline in the popularity of Blue and White. At this stage, Gantz rejects joining Naftali Bennett’s party, arguing that the bloc he seeks to form should represent a political alternative to the dichotomy of “Yes to Bibi” and “Just Not Bibi.” Conversely, Gantz holds an organizational and financial advantage over several new parties, given that Blue and White is already represented in the Knesset and has party resources and funding that could support a broad election campaign, even if attempts to form a large coalition fail. On the right, disagreements continue over the possibility of uniting National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on a single list, despite Prime Minister Netanyahu’s pushes toward such a union. With Ben-Gvir continuing to refuse to merge with Smotrich, the latter, according to an Israeli correspondent, has begun preparing for an alternative by engaging with Moshe Feiglin, head of the Zahut (Identity) Party. Given the circulating information, Zahut proposed forming a joint electoral bloc with the Religious Zionism faction, in exchange for adopting the ’Rets-Rats’ system for ordering the list so that candidates from both sides alternate positions on the list. The party states that a survey it conducted indicates that a coalition with Smotrich could add about 5 seats to their electoral strength, beyond the seats indicated by other polls for Religious Zionism. These moves come as the Israeli political arena approaches the decisive phase, with parties near the threshold attempting to reorganize their ranks, while the major players seek to attract personalities and small lists before the coalition window closes.

Top News Open: The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues and the international community is urged to act. The Palestinian government reviews its main developmental and reform interventions from the past week. Warnings of rising attacks by settlers in Jenin and Nablus and fears of forcible displacement. Israeli reports: A senior commander in the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces visited Israel secretly several times. Maariv: Israeli political elites seek to inflame tensions in the West Bank ahead of the Knesset elections. Moscow threatens to target British interests amid rising tensions due to British support for Ukraine. The Central Elections Committee prepares for the 2026 legislative elections amid challenges in the West Bank, Gaza, and Jerusalem. A Palestinian delegation highlights drought and sustainable resource management challenges at COP17. The UAE hosts the first edition of the event “The UAE Loves Palestine” with participation of more than 50,000 people. Israel arrests minors on charges of spying for Iran. Main Israelis * Concerns in the Israeli army about exploiting the escalation in the West Bank to achieve political goals 2026-08-30 | 11:24 AM [Print] [Read article] [Increase font] [Decrease font] Concerns in the Israeli army about exploiting the escalation in the West Bank to achieve political goals Yafa News Network Hebrew-language media reported today that military sources express concerns within the armed forces about exploiting the escalation in the West Bank to achieve political objectives, amid discussions about the nature of upcoming Israeli moves in the region. The Haaretz newspaper confirmed that the Israeli army will not endorse any steps in the West Bank that are not dictated by field developments, signaling reservations within the military establishment about expanding the scope of measures or operations driven by motives unrelated to the on-the-ground security situation. In the same context, the Israeli army is studying moving part of its forces stationed in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip to the West Bank, amid rising security developments there. On the ground, hundreds of settlers broke into Islamic religious sites in the Ein Sara area in the southeast of Nablus early Sunday, under protection from Israeli forces. Security sources said hundreds of settlers entered the village and carried out Talmudic rituals at the shrines, while Israeli forces were deployed around the area. Sources pointed out that Israeli forces closed the Deir Sharaf and Outer ramps around Nablus in conjunction with the settlers’ intrusion into the village. Settlers are still besieging three houses in the Rass Ain area for the twenty-first day in a row, as the army announced the area is a closed military zone. West Bank cities, towns, and refugee camps, as well as East Jerusalem, are seeing daily raids and search operations by Israeli forces and settlers, including clashes, arrests, and live and rubber bullets and tear gas used against Palestinians. The West Bank, which Israel occupied in 1967, is home to more than half a million Israeli settlers alongside 3.4 million Palestinians, and clashes between the two sides often turn into violence, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources. Images Files See also 2026-08-30 {{row-writer}} 2026-08-30 Israel arrests minors on charges of spying for Iran 2026-08-30 {{row-writer}} 2026-08-30 Maariv: Israeli political elites seek to inflame tensions in the West Bank ahead of the Knesset elections 2026-08-30 {{row-writer}} 2026-08-30 Israeli reports: A senior commander in the Sudanese RSF visited Israel secretly several times 2026-08-30 {{row-writer}} 2026-08-30 Shin Bet confirms: a serious threat to the life of Yair Netanyahu led to his covert evacuation from the United States to Israel {{title}} {{name}} Zoom InZoom OutInvert ColorsLarge ContrastDecrease

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel condemned the violence of settlers in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, in a rare move describing what he called “criminal acts of violence” that were carried out in two Palestinian villages. In a statement, Netanyahu said, “I strongly condemn the criminal acts of violence that were carried out in the villages of Qusra and Jalud by a group of lawless rioters who grievously harm the legally committed Jewish community, obstruct the Israeli army in carrying out its duties, and damage Israel’s standing on the international stage.” Dozens of armed masked Israeli settlers attacked homes around the village of Qusra in the occupied West Bank, in the first major attack since a siege imposed by settlers in the region earlier this month triggered international condemnation. Witnesses told Reuters that the settlers blocked a Palestinian home and threw stones at it, while seven Palestinians were trapped inside. Sa-dam Adi, who was among the trapped, said the Israeli army fired tear gas inside the home and detained the residents there, while allowing him to leave. He added that the Israeli army did not detain any of the settlers and allowed them to depart. Luai al-Bayruti, the homeowner, said that after the army arrived it restrained everyone inside, blindfolded them, and beat them before releasing them later. The Israeli army said in a statement that forces from the army and the Border Police arrived at the scene to disperse the “rioters” and protect the residents inside the home. Daily incursions. Bayruti said that after he contacted the Israeli army for help, he and six others remained trapped inside the house for more than an hour while the settlers threw stones. Adi, a medic, said four of the trapped were injured by tear gas, while two were hit by stones thrown by the settlers. The attack occurred a few hundred meters from three houses besieged by settlers this month, which drew international condemnation and led to a dense Israeli military deployment that residents say kept them effectively trapped inside their homes. Netanyahu said in a statement, “I strongly condemn the criminal acts of violence carried out in the villages of Qusra and Jalud by a group of lawless rioters who grievously harm the legally committed Jewish community, and who obstruct the Israeli army in its duties and harm Israel’s standing on the international stage.” Dozens of armed masked Israeli settlers attacked homes around the village of Qusra in the occupied West Bank, in the first major attack since a siege imposed by settlers in the region earlier this month sparked international condemnation. Witnesses told Reuters that the settlers blocked a Palestinian home and threw stones at it, while seven Palestinians were trapped inside. Sa-dam Adi, who was among the trapped, said the Israeli army sprayed tear gas inside the home and detained the residents there, while allowing him to leave. He added that the Israeli army did not detain any of the settlers and allowed them to depart. Luai al-Bayruti, the homeowner, said that after it arrived the army restrained all those inside, blindfolded them, and beat them before releasing them later. The Israeli army, in a statement, said forces from the army and the Border Police arrived to remove the “rioters” and protect the residents inside the home. Daily incursions. Bayruti said that after he called the Israeli army for help, he and six others remained trapped inside the house for over an hour while the settlers hurled stones. Adi, a medic, said four of the trapped were injured by tear gas, while two were struck by stones thrown by the settlers. The attack occurred within a few hundred meters of three homes besieged by settlers this month, prompting international condemnation and leading to a heavy Israeli military deployment that residents say effectively kept them trapped inside their homes.

Settlers barricaded themselves inside a Palestinian house in Kusra on Saturday, where residents were present before IDF forces arrived to forcibly remove the rioters from the house. The IDF stated that, following reports of the riots, it dispatched troops along with Border Police officers to the area. The army added that it also confiscated vehicles belonging to the rioters, which are suspected of being used to access the area. These vehicles, along with additional evidence collected at the scene by Israeli security forces, are being transferred to the West Bank District of the Israel Police as part of an ongoing investigation into the incident. Palestinians reported that a total of eight people were injured during stone-throwing altercations with the rioters, some of whom were evacuated for medical treatment by the Red Crescent. According to Israeli media, no arrests were made after the IDF arrived in the area, with the settlers leaving the village outskirts after being ordered by the military to do so. According to a Walla report, the IDF and Border Police continue to maintain a presence in the Kusra area due to concerns that the rioters might attempt to return. Netanyahu condemns the violence Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned violence committed by dozens of settler rioters who gathered on the outskirts of the village of Kusra in the West Bank on Saturday, igniting violent clashes with the local residents. “I strongly condemn the criminal acts of violence committed in the villages of Kusra and Jalud by a handful of rioters who violate the law, cause enormous injustice to the law-abiding settler public, hinder the IDF in fulfilling its missions, and harm Israel’s standing in the world,” Netanyahu said in a statement. Netanyahu added that security forces had ended the incident “in a short time” and confiscated three vehicles. The IDF, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), and the police are conducting an investigation, Netanyahu said, adding that he expected the rioters to be arrested and brought to justice. Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot also issued a response to the Kusra violence in a post to X/Twitter on Saturday night. “The escalating anarchy of a violent minority and the loss of control over them in Judea and Samaria represent a security, leadership, political, and ethical disgrace that does not reflect the overwhelming majority of Israeli citizens, and it is a deviation from the IDF’s primary mission,” Eisenkot asserted. Eisenkot went on in his statement to assign responsibility for the violence in Kusra and the broader issues related to the increase in violence in the West Bank to Netanyahu, saying that “this is the result of a governmental policy led by Netanyahu and his coalition partners, in which they knowingly abandon Israel’s national interest out of embarrassingly weak and dangerous political considerations.” Kusra and a pattern of extremist behavior Earlier this month, similar altercations took place when dozens of settlers arrived in the Kusra area and were seen vandalizing Palestinian homes, dismantling fences, blocking roads, and surrounding the area. IDF forces were summoned to the scene and worked to evacuate the settlers, who then clashed with the soldiers. Following the incident, settler leaders, including the heads of the Yesha Council and the Beit El Council, publicly condemned the violence, warning that it was severely damaging to both Israel and the settlement movement. Yisrael Ganz, chairman of the Yesha Council and head of the Binyamin Regional Council, said there was no justification for violence against Palestinians or Israeli security forces. “The events in Kusra are serious and are not our way,” Ganz said. “There is no place for privately deciding to establish a hilltop outpost in the yard of a house, even when it is an illegal house or there is an attempt to take control of the area. There is absolutely no justification for violence against innocent people or against the security forces.” Shir Perets contributed to this report.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank villages of Qusra and Jalud, calling those responsible a “handful of rioters”. His comments came after dozens of masked Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian homes in the two villages. “I strongly condemn the criminal acts of violence committed in the villages of Qusra and Jalud by a handful of rioters who are violating the law,” Mr Netanyahu said in a statement posted on X. The Israeli leader said the attacks were causing “grave injustice to the law-abiding Jewish community, interfering with the Israeli military operations and harming Israel's standing in the world”. The latest attack in Qusra, near Nablus, on Saturday centred on a Palestinian home, where seven people were trapped as settlers surrounded the property and threw stones, Reuters reported, citing witnesses. Homeowner Luay Bayruti said Israeli soldiers arrived after he called for help, then handcuffed, blindfolded and beat those inside before releasing them. A medic said the soldiers also fired tear gas into the property. The Israeli military said troops and border police arrived to remove “rioters” and protect residents inside the house. It did not immediately respond to questions about the alleged treatment of the Palestinians. The violence also targeted journalists covering the unrest. Three members of an NBC News team were attacked by masked men in Jalud while interviewing a Palestinian woman and her family. Video showed a car with Israeli licence plates driving up a hill towards the group before at least four masked men got out and attacked them with sticks and rocks. NBC said its correspondent, Matt Bradley, was struck twice on the arm, while a cameraman and producer were also injured. The Palestinian woman, Aida Ahmed Abdullah, 51, was taken for medical treatment by the Red Crescent. Israeli military and border police officials said her injuries were not life-threatening. Camera equipment and a vehicle belonging to the crew were also damaged. Settler attacks The attack occurred only a few hundred metres from three Palestinian homes that settlers had besieged earlier this month, trapping about 15 residents inside, including children. The siege drew international condemnation and prompted a major Israeli military deployment. Residents said settlers had restricted the families’ movement and access to supplies during the siege. They also reported persistent settler encroachments despite the heavy Israeli military presence near the homes. Israeli President Isaac Herzog also condemned the latest West Bank violence, calling it a “crossing of a red line” and saying it represented another episode that had become “a stain on Israel’s face”. “I strongly condemn the severe violent events in Qusra,” Mr Herzog said. “This is a crossing of a red line by lawbreakers who act in complete opposition to the laws and values of the State of Israel. “It is another case in a sequence of events that constitute a stain on Israel's face and require firm and decisive action. “The government, security forces, judicial and enforcement systems must act with all tools and in full co-ordination to uproot this reprehensible phenomenon from the root and to bring the rioters to justice,” Mr Herzog added. Mr Netanyahu said security forces acted quickly, confiscating three vehicles and ending the latest incident within a short time. He said the military, Shin Bet and police were conducting an intensive investigation. The Israeli leader said settler violence was damaging Israel’s international standing and ordered authorities to arrest those responsible for the latest incidents. His government has previously described settler violence as the work of a “fringe minority”. Human rights groups dispute that characterisation, saying such attacks have increased alongside settlement expansion. A UN inquiry in June said Israeli authorities were directly involved in attacks that killed, injured and displaced Palestinians.

“Stifling siege.” That is how the Palestinian Foreign Ministry describes the siege imposed by Israel on Al-Mughayyir, a town in central-northern occupied West Bank whose residents have had severely limited mobility for 20 days. The complaint comes on a new day marked by Israeli military incursions, settler attacks, and restrictions on the Palestinian population, prompting Palestine to call for urgent international intervention on Saturday. In a statement, the Ministry said Israel has closed access to the town and allows its residents to move only during two hours a day. In addition to these restrictions, the institution notes a ban on entry of ambulances to the town, amid “indiscriminate” attacks against the population. “These Israeli actions constitute an attempt to isolate and besiege the town militarily and economically and to displace its residents,” the Ministry warned. It noted that the increase in army and settler attacks in the occupied West Bank forms part of a policy aimed at “creating a reality of death, terror and forced displacement,” in addition to altering the situation on the ground. It also warned that continued protection, arming, and political and legal cover for the settlers could lead to “an escalation with uncontrollable consequences.” Therefore, it urged the international community and all countries to move beyond mere verbal condemnation and adopt “deterrent political, legal, and economic measures,” in addition to providing international protection to the Palestinian people. Specifically, it called for activating international jurisdiction to prosecute those responsible for violations, preventing the entry of products from illegal settlements into international markets, and demanding accountability from entities that supply weapons, funding, or support to the settlers. A day of attacks and new incursions In this context, various points in the occupied West Bank have been the scene since Saturday of new episodes of violence. At least 14 Palestinians and two foreign journalists were injured in attacks attributed to Israeli forces and settlers, according to authorities and medical staff. In Qusra, a town in the northern West Bank located south of Nablus, dozens of settlers attacked a Palestinian dwelling in the Ras al-Ain area with stones and tear gas, leaving about seven injured. The mayor, Abdel Azim Wadi, added that the siege imposed by settlers around three houses in the town persists for the twenty-first consecutive day, hindering families’ access to food, water, and other basic supplies. In nearby Jalud, also south of Nablus, settlers attacked a Palestinian family and two foreign journalists who were accompanying them. A Palestinian man and his wife suffered contusions, while the two journalists were wounded, one in the hand and the other in the back. Additionally, masked men attacked in Jalud Aida Ahmed Abdullah, 51, and three members of a NBC News team interviewing her family, according to the American network. Abdullah had reported that settlers had forced her family to leave their home. At least four men emerged from a vehicle with an Israeli license plate and attacked the group with sticks and stones. The correspondent Matt Bradley and two other team members were injured, while Abdullah was taken for medical care. “They got out of the car, beat us, and then got back in,” Bradley recounted. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the violence and described those responsible as “a handful of troublemakers,” according to NBC News. Further north, at the Al-Faraa refugee camp south of Tubas, six Palestinians were injured by smoke inhalation during an Israeli incursion. All were treated on site, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. In Al-Bireh, a city north of Ramallah in central West Bank, Israeli forces entered and deployed in several neighborhoods. In the Al-Amari refugee camp, also in Al-Bireh, two people were wounded by Israeli gunfire: a 15-year-old and a young man who was shot in the foot. Both were taken to a hospital. Further east of Ramallah, in Silwad, two sisters aged 75 and 65 were attacked by settlers while gathering figs on their land. Both were injured and bruised, while the attackers took their phones and the keys to a vehicle. In the area of Al-Ras, between Al-Mughayyir and Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah, a group of settlers severely beat Abdel Fattah Hamayel as he walked to his lands and later robbed his vehicle. The man was transported to the Abu Falah Medical Center. Meanwhile, in Al-Mughayyir, Israeli forces used tear gas against Palestinian homes during an incursion, with no injuries reported. In Hebron, in the southern part of the occupied West Bank, Israeli soldiers assaulted journalists and restricted their work as settlers entered the Old City under military protection. Witnesses cited by the Anadolu news agency said the settlers headed toward the Bab Al-Baladiyeh area. Israeli forces also imposed restrictions on Palestinian residents and merchants, preventing them from moving around the area. Finally, in Khalayel Al-Louz, an agricultural area southeast of Bethlehem in the southern West Bank, settlers conducted tours of agricultural land, according to local sources. The extent of the violence is also reflected in data from the Palestinian Commission for Colonization and Resistance to the Wall. According to the institution, Israeli forces and settlers carried out 2,256 attacks against Palestinians, their land, and their property during July: 1,458 attributed to Israeli forces and 798 to settlers. Also reported within the Israeli Army Amid this escalation, accusations about the conduct of Israeli soldiers during settler attacks have also come from within the Army itself. Nitzan Alon, former head of the Army’s Hostages and Missing Persons Command, said on Sunday that there are cases where soldiers witness or even cooperate with settler attacks in the occupied West Bank. “There are incidents where soldiers do not behave as they should,” Alon said during an event, according to Yedioth Ahronoth. “There are cases where soldiers stay on the sidelines and observe illegal and immoral acts, and sometimes even cooperate with them,” he added. “The responsibility falls on the Army’s commanders,” Alon noted.

Palestine has warned that the continued escalation by the Israeli forces and illegal Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank town of Al-Mughayyir aims to isolate the area and displace its residents, calling for international action to end the violence. In a statement, the foreign ministry said on Saturday that Israel has imposed “a suffocating siege” on the town, northeast of Ramallah, for the past 20 days, sealing off its entrance gates and allowing residents only two hours a day for movement. It said the Israeli measures include banning the entry of ambulances into the town amid “indiscriminate targeting” of citizens. “These Israeli actions are an attempt to isolate and besiege the town militarily and economically and displace its residents,” it warned. The ministry said the escalating attacks by the Israeli forces and illegal Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank are part of a policy aimed at "creating a reality of killing, terror, and forced displacement" and altering the situation on the ground. It emphasised that the “continued provision of protection, weapons, and political and legal cover” for illegal Israeli settlers could lead to “an escalation with uncontrollable repercussions", calling for urgent international action to halt it. The ministry urged the international community and all nations to move beyond "mere verbal condemnation" toward taking “deterrent political, legal, and economic measures" and to provide international protection for the Palestinian people. It also called for activating international jurisdiction to prosecute the perpetrators of violations, blocking illegal settlement products from international markets, and holding to account entities that provide occupiers with weapons, funding, or support. The occupied West Bank has seen an escalation in Israeli military raids and attacks by Israeli occupiers against Palestinians since the start of Israel’s Gaza genocide in October 2023. On Friday, three Palestinians were wounded in an illegal Israeli settlers’ attack in Al-Mughayyir, while Israeli forces and illegal Israeli settlers held an ambulance that was en route to transport the wounded.

Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo: Reuters. In an official statement published recently, the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, strongly condemned the escalating violence in the villages of Qusra and Jalud in the West Bank. The Israeli leader stated that these acts of violence not only harm the country’s prestige and its foreign relations directly, but also hinder the army’s ability to carry out its duties in the area. The Israeli leader’s remarks come after the security situation in the village of Qusra has worsened over the past three weeks. According to the Israeli army, dozens of masked settlers burst into the village, threw stones at civilians, and entrenched themselves in residents’ houses. In the nearby village of Jalud, Israeli settlers were also accused of attacking a Palestinian family and a group of international journalists, and vandalizing their vehicle. The Israeli army reported that it deployed soldiers and border police to the area, dispersed the warring sides, and relocated the group of settlers. Authorities also seized several suspicious vehicles as evidence for the investigation and said they would increase their presence in the area to ensure security and prevent a repetition of the violence. You may also be interested in Israeli soldiers patrol the village of Qusra, south of Nablus, in the West Bank. Photo: Al Jazeera. Currently, more than 500,000 Israeli settlers live alongside 3.4 million Palestinians in the West Bank, a territory under Israeli control since 1967. According to the statistics from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), from early 2026 to the end of July, the region recorded more than 1,330 attacks that caused casualties or material damage to Palestinian communities, which has generated deep concern in the international community about the risk of losing control of security in the area. Thanh Giang Source: Xinhua, Wion. You may also be interested in Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/thu-tuong-israel-hiem-hoi-len-an-lan-song-bao-luc-bung-phat-o-bo-tay-300029.htm

El Cairo, Egipto, 29 de agosto. El primer ministro de Israel se pronunció tras semanas de violencia de colonos en Cisjordania y condenó las acciones de un "puñado de alborotadores". Ataques y disparos israelíes provocaron la muerte de tres palestinos en Gaza. Y la cúpula de Irán ahora está formada por generales del ejército y clérigos que desde hace mucho están afianzados en la teocracia gobernante. La condena de Netanyahu se produce tras disturbios en una localidad de Cisjordania. Netanyahu, sentenció los actos criminales de un "puñado de alborotadores" en Cisjordania que, según afirmó, cometen una injusticia contra el "público de colonos respetuoso de la ley". Su declaración se produce después de más de dos semanas de disturbios en la localidad de Qusra, donde los colonos rodearon varias viviendas, entre ellas, la propiedad de un palestino-estadounidense. En una declaración inusualmente contundente, el embajador de Estados Unidos, Mike Huckabee, se refirió a los colonos como "terroristas", una palabra que las autoridades de Estados Unidos suelen reservar para los combatientes palestinos. Horas antes, el ejército y la policía de Israel informaron que varios alborotadores israelíes llegaron a la zona de Qusra y que luego se produjeron enfrentamientos violentos. Indicaron que decenas de alborotadores se atrincheraron en una vivienda palestina mientras los residentes estaban dentro. Señalaron que los grupos fueron separados y que se confiscaron los vehículos de los agresores. La agengia The Associated Press vio ambulancias trasladando a palestinos heridos. "Las acciones de estos extremistas violentos son una vergüenza y contradicen por completo los valores del Estado de Israel", señaló en un comunicado el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores. En los comunicados no se mencionan detenciones. El gobierno de Netanyahu, el más ultranacionalista y religioso en la historia de Israel, ha impulsado un aumento en la construcción de asentamientos en Cisjordania. La mayor parte de la comunidad internacional considera ilegales los asentamientos, e Israel ha visto una erosión del apoyo en Estados Unidos. Mueren tres palestinos en Gaza, según funcionarios de salud Tres palestinos murieron y otros más resultaron heridos en ataques y disparos realizados el sábado por Israel en el centro de Gaza, según funcionarios de salud locales. En Ciudad de Gaza, dos palestinos murieron y otro resultó herido en un ataque israelí contra una motocicleta, según funcionarios del hospital Shifa. El ejército israelí dijo que atacó a un "operativo militar", sin dar más detalles. En otro punto, el fuego de un tanque provocó la muerte de un agricultor en la parte oriental de Deir al-Balah, según funcionarios del hospital Mártires de Al-Aqsa, adonde fue trasladado el cuerpo. Hasta el momento, el ejército israelí no ha hecho ningún comentario. Y en el más reciente ataque aéreo contra el complejo del hospital Mártires de Al-Aqsa, tres palestinos resultaron heridos, informaron funcionarios del Ministerio de Salud de Gaza. El ejército israelí dijo que "atacó a un comandante de Hamás que planeaba ejecutar ataques terroristas" en las inmediaciones del complejo. En el comunicado militar se acusa al comandante de esconderse en el complejo. Se indicó que las autoridades médicas de Gaza fueron advertidas el jueves de que las instalaciones médicas no deben utilizarse con "fines terroristas" y que las fuerzas israelíes actuarían ante cualquier amenaza si continúa. El hospital Mártires de Al-Aqsa no comentó sobre el ataque. Un frágil alto el fuego en Gaza se ha mantenido desde octubre. Aunque los combates más intensos en el enclave han disminuido, el ejército de Israel ha matado al menos a 1.313 palestinos desde entonces, según el Ministerio de Salud de Gaza. El ministerio, que forma parte del gobierno encabezado por Hamás, mantiene registros detallados de víctimas que son considerados en general fiables por agencias de la ONU y expertos independientes. No ofrece un desglose entre civiles y combatientes.

CAIRO (AP) — Israel's prime minister has spoken out after weeks of settler violence in the occupied West Bank and condemned the actions of a “handful of rioters.” Israeli strikes and fire have killed three Palestinians in Gaza. And Iran’s leadership now centers on military generals and clerics who are long entrenched in the ruling theocracy. Here’s a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider Middle East. Full coverage can be found here. Other WRAL Top Stories Netanyahu condemnation follows unrest in West Bank town Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned criminal acts by a “handful of rioters” in the occupied West Bank that he said do injustice to the “law-abiding settler public.” His statement follows over two weeks of unrest in the town of Qusra, where settlers have surrounded several homes including one owned by a Palestinian American. In an unusually sharp statement, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee referred to the settlers as “terrorists,” a word U.S. officials usually reserve for Palestinian militants. Earlier on Saturday, Israel’s military and police said Israeli rioters arrived in the Qusra area and violent clashes followed. They said dozens of rioters barricaded themselves in a Palestinian home while residents were inside. They said the groups were separated and rioters’ vehicles were confiscated. The Associated Press saw ambulances carry away injured Palestinians. Qusra Mayor Abdel Azim Wadi told the AP that two inhaled tear gas and two others were hurt when settlers threw stones. He said the house targeted was no longer under siege. “The actions of these violent extremists are a disgrace and stand in complete contradiction to the values of the State of Israel,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. The statements did not mention any arrests. Netanyahu’s government, the most ultranationalist and religious in Israel’s history, has presided over a surge of settlement construction in the West Bank. Most of the international community views settlements as illegal, and Israel has been seeing an erosion of support in the United States. 3 Palestinians killed in Gaza, health officials say Israeli strikes and fire in central Gaza killed three Palestinians and wounded others on Saturday, according to local health officials. In Gaza City, two Palestinians were killed and another was wounded in an Israeli strike on a motorbike, according to officials at Shifa hospital. The Israeli military said it struck a “military operative,” without elaborating. Elsewhere, tank fire killed a farmer in the eastern part of Deir al-Balah, according to officials at Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital, where the body was taken. The Israeli military did not immediately comment. And the latest airstrike on the compound of Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital wounded three Palestinians, officials with Gaza's health ministry said. Israel’s military said it “struck a Hamas commander who planned to execute terror attacks" adjacent to the compound. The military statement accused the commander of hiding in the compound. It said medical authorities in Gaza were warned on Thursday that medical facilities should not be used for “terrorist purposes” and that Israeli forces would act on any threat if it continues. Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital did not comment on the strike. A fragile ceasefire in Gaza has continued since October. While the heaviest fighting in Gaza has subsided, Israel's military has killed at least 1,313 Palestinians since then, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants. Iran's new leadership signals no tolerance for dissent After six months of war, Iran's new leadership appears ready for a potentially long confrontation with the United States and determined to prevent any unrest at home. The new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, still has not been seen publicly since his father and other senior leaders were killed in the war's opening strikes on Feb. 28, when the U.S. and Israel attacked. With appointments announced Aug. 11 and 12, Khamenei has surrounded himself with longtime personal allies like the new secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, and the new head of the Basij, the Revolutionary Guard’s volunteer street force, Hossein Taeb.

Photo Israeli settlers surround Palestinian home in occupied West Bank’s Qusra Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday condemned what he called “criminal acts of violence” perpetrated by Israeli settlers in two Palestinian villages. Earlier in August, a group of settlers blocked supplies from entering Palestinian houses on the outskirts of Qusra and attacked a Palestinian family and a foreign media crew in nearby Jalud. Dozens of Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Qusra in the northern occupied West Bank on Saturday after nearly three weeks of tension in the area, drawing rare condemnation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Earlier in August, a group of settlers began blocking supplies from entering Palestinian houses on the outskirts of the village near Nablus, trapping residents inside and drawing unusually strong criticism from the US ambassador. West Bank village of Qusra under siege by extremist Israeli settlers Weeks later, Israeli forces continue to operate in the area while settlers still roam the surrounding hills. On Saturday, Qusra residents and the military said dozens of settlers had descended on the village, throwing stones at residents and barricading themselves inside a house while Palestinians were inside. In nearby Jalud, settlers attacked a Palestinian family and a foreign media crew accompanying them, the Palestinian official news agency Wafa reported. “I strongly condemn the criminal acts of violence committed in the villages of Qusra and Jalud by a handful of rioters who are violating the law, causing a grave injustice to the law-abiding Jewish community, interfering with the IDF in carrying out its missions, and harming Israel‘s standing in the world,” Netanyahu said in a statement. In Qusra, resident Yussef Abdul Kareem Hassan said that a handful of villagers were doing work on a house on Saturday when they were approached by a small group of settlers. The settlers then called for backup and returned with dozens more, Hassan said, adding that they surrounded the Palestinians inside the house and began throwing stones. AFP footage of Qusra on Saturday showed dozens of Israeli forces deployed to the site. Soaring violence The Israeli military said soldiers and border police forces were dispatched “following reports that Israeli rioters had arrived in the area and that violent clashes had occurred, including stone-hurling toward Palestinians and additional civilians”. “Upon their arrival, the security forces identified dozens of rioters who had barricaded themselves inside a Palestinian home while Palestinian residents were inside,” the military said in a statement, adding that it was “aware of reports of Palestinian injuries”. It said forces had worked to remove the settlers from the house, separate the groups and confiscate vehicles “that were suspected of having been used to reach the area”. The vehicles would be used as evidence in a police investigation that has been opened, it said, adding that forces continued to operate in the area “to prevent further disturbances and restore order”. “The security forces strongly condemn all forms of violence,” it said. Violence by Israeli settlers towards Palestinians in the West Bank has persisted for years, often with little or no legal consequence, but recent months have seen a surge in attacks. More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the Palestinian territory, which are illegal under international law, among some three million Palestinians. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. According to an AFP tally based on data from the Palestinian health ministry, Israeli forces or settlers have killed at least 1,103 Palestinians in the West Bank, including both militants and civilians, since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. Israeli figures show that at least 48 Israelis, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations during the same period. (FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Only about a week and a half remains before candidate lists close for Israel’s October 27 Knesset election, and despite weeks of primaries, launches and political maneuvering, the electoral map is still far from settled. Some parties, including Likud, the Democrats and Religious Zionism, have already held primaries, but even their lists are not final. The full picture in each political bloc remains unresolved, along with several other major questions. These are the key ones. Will Yoav Segalovich join Ra’am? The move is part of an effort to prevent Ra’am from being automatically ruled out as a future coalition partner, not only by the right but also by most parties in the anti-Netanyahu camp. Despite optimistic reports about the talks and a joint photograph of Abbas and Segalovich published last week, no formal announcement has yet been made. Are last-minute recruits coming for Eisenkot, Bennett and Lieberman? According to current polls, Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid’s Beyahad alliance has far more potential candidates than realistic Knesset seats. Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beytenu is also not short of names to fill its slate. The only major centrist party that still has significant room is Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar. Polls currently project it at 23 to 25 seats, and its upward momentum could continue, giving Eisenkot a large number of realistic positions that remain unfilled. Former lawmakers Elazar Stern and Roy Folkman were the latest to join him last week. What happens with Likud’s reserved slots? In the coming days, he may try to address the shortage of women in realistic positions by reserving a spot for a female candidate. He also remains in contact with former Kulanu chairman Moshe Kahlon in an effort to add a figure with a strong economic and social profile. The question is how Netanyahu will use the many reserved slots he worked hard to secure. Part of the answer may lie in his next problem. Who will Smotrich run with? With Ofer Winter and Itamar Ben-Gvir firmly refusing to unite with him, the most likely option at this stage is for Bezalel Smotrich and three other Religious Zionism candidates to be incorporated into Likud through reserved slots, with the two parties running together in a technical bloc. Netanyahu is far from enthusiastic about that scenario. He fears that bringing hard-line religious Zionist figures into Likud could make it harder to attract moderate voters. At the same time, he knows that if Smotrich is left on his own, part of his ideological base could move to Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit. Netanyahu would prefer Smotrich and Ben-Gvir to run together and win a modest number of seats. But as the merger options for smaller right-wing parties close, he may be forced to solve the Religious Zionism problem himself. Will there be another merger on the right? At the moment, the chances of another major merger on the right appear limited. The bloc currently includes Likud, Otzma Yehudit, Religious Zionism, Ofer Winter’s party, Gilad Erdan’s party, Avi Maoz’s Noam and Moshe Feiglin. Netanyahu is pressing for mergers that would reduce the bloc to four parties, but most of the main players remain firmly opposed. One reason is the latest polling trend, which shows Otzma Yehudit consistently clearing the electoral threshold on its own. That could turn Ben-Gvir into the leader of a significant independent party and give him substantial leverage, status and a senior position if a right-wing coalition is formed. Winter has also become a headache for Netanyahu’s bloc. After being underestimated at the start of the race, his Amcha Yisrael party became the only new party to consistently clear the threshold in polls following its launch last week. Party officials reject any merger outright. Winter sees no reason to join one of the existing players and is trying to position himself as a home for disappointed right-wing voters. He argues that his growth potential has not yet been exhausted and has no interest in bringing in an “old player” who could slow the momentum of his new political brand. Winter is aiming for the Defense Ministry and is presenting a slate in which no candidate played a role in shaping the outgoing government’s security policy. To avoid losing momentum on the right and blunt Likud attacks against him, he declared last week that Netanyahu is the only candidate he would recommend for prime minister. “The leader of the right-wing camp is Netanyahu, and he is the only one we will recommend,” Winter said. For now, Winter and Ben-Gvir are both operating independently, seeking to accumulate as much political power as possible for the day after the election. Will Gantz keep demanding the top spot? Many are now asking what Benny Gantz wants and where he is heading. Will he insist that Blue and White continue running alone despite polls predicting a collapse? Will he join another political force? And if so, will he give up leadership of the merged party? For now, Gantz appears determined to keep maneuvering until the last possible moment before the filing deadline. Last week, ynet published footage from a gathering in Netanya in which Gantz acknowledged that he was holding parallel talks with several figures, including his former partner Chili Tropper. He also hinted that his ego would not determine the outcome. Publicly, however, he continues to demand the No. 1 position. That could still change as pressure mounts ahead of the deadline. Who will drop out at the last minute? Several small satellite parties are still preparing to run, even though none is consistently clearing the electoral threshold. Among the most prominent are Chili Tropper and Yoaz Hendel’s Zionist Home-Reservists party, Gilad Erdan and Yuli Edelstein’s Unity party, Gantz’s Blue and White, Sharren Haskel’s Israel First and Yaron Zelekha’s party. The expectation is that unless a major merger gives them a realistic path above the threshold, most will not submit lists and will withdraw from the race within the next week and a half. Gantz and Tropper have both said separately that they intend to act responsibly and avoid wasting votes. Erdan is also expected to seek an alliance rather than insist on running to the end if polling remains unchanged. These parties have largely been described as the “third bloc,” based on the idea that many Israelis feel politically homeless. Their internal polling suggested that about 300,000 voters do not know whom to support and are tired of political boycotts. So far, however, that sentiment has not translated into real electoral strength. Without a major merger bringing those forces together, many are unlikely to remain on the political map by the filing deadline. Will a ‘star’ join at the 11th hour? Most of the familiar names have already chosen their political vehicles. Several parties continue to promise surprises, but the pool of potential high-profile recruits appears to have been largely exhausted. Even if additional candidates join, there is little indication that any will bring exceptional electoral value. Likud is still hoping to bring Kahlon into the fold and is looking for high-profile figures from the technology sector. Elsewhere, however, the names already announced are likely to form the core of the lists submitted in about a week and a half.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly condemned violence by Israeli extremists in the West Bank villages of Qusra and Jalud on Saturday, calling those responsible a “handful of rioters” who had broken the law, obstructed IDF troops and damaged Israel’s international standing. The condemnation came after the IDF said “dozens of rioters” entered Qusra, a Palestinian town in the northern West Bank, and threw stones at Palestinians and others in the area. “I strongly condemn the criminal acts of violence committed in the villages of Qusra and Jalud by a handful of rioters who are breaking the law, causing enormous harm to the law-abiding settler community, interfering with the IDF in carrying out its missions and damaging Israel’s standing in the world,” Netanyahu said after Shabbat ended Saturday evening. Netanyahu said for the first time that the Shin Bet domestic security agency was involved in investigating the violence. “Security forces acted quickly, confiscated three vehicles and brought the incident to an end within a short time,” he said. “The IDF, Shin Bet and police are conducting an intensive investigation on the ground, and I expect law enforcement authorities to arrest the rioters and bring them to justice as soon as possible.” No arrests had been reported as of Saturday evening. The IDF said the rioters threw stones at Palestinians and other civilians. When troops arrived, they found dozens of rioters barricaded inside a Palestinian home while Palestinian residents were also inside, according to the military. Foreign journalists were also attacked during the unrest, with stones thrown at them and the window of their vehicle smashed. The rioters later continued to nearby Jalud, where masked people were filmed riding in pickup trucks. The military and Border Police said they were aware of reports of Palestinians injured in the violence, including a Palestinian woman whose condition was described as not requiring urgent treatment. She was evacuated by the Palestinian Red Crescent for medical care. Security forces said they initially worked to remove the rioters from the house and separate the groups “in order to protect the occupants of the home.” The military said vehicles belonging to the Israeli rioters and suspected of having been used to reach the villages were confiscated. Palestinian residents offered their own accounts of the confrontation, including allegations about the conduct of Israeli troops that could not be independently verified. Luay Bayruti, the owner of the home at the center of the incident, told Reuters that his family had been trapped inside as the building was surrounded and stones were thrown at it. He said the group outside grew from about six people to more than 70 before Israeli forces arrived. Saddam Odaay, another one of those trapped, similarly told Reuters that dozens of people surrounded the house and threw stones toward those inside. Palestinians said six residents of the village were detained, though the IDF and Border Police did not report any arrests. President Isaac Herzog also issued a sharp condemnation Saturday evening. “I strongly condemn the grave acts of violence in Qusra,” Herzog said. “This is a direct and flagrant defiance of the laws and values of the State of Israel.” Herzog called the violence “another incident in a disturbing sequence of events that casts a stain on Israel’s image and demands firm and decisive action.” “I stand with the IDF, which is doing everything in its power to protect the citizens of the State of Israel,” he said. “The government, security agencies, judicial authorities, and law-enforcement bodies must act now, using every available means and in full coordination, to root out this unacceptable phenomenon and bring the perpetrators to justice.” Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot blamed the government for what he described as growing lawlessness by a violent minority in the West Bank. “The growing anarchy of a violent minority and the loss of control over them in Judea and Samaria are a security, leadership, diplomatic and moral disgrace that does not represent the overwhelming majority of Israeli citizens and distracts the IDF from its primary mission,” Eisenkot said, using the biblical name for the West Bank commonly used in Israel. He accused Netanyahu and his coalition partners of pursuing policies that “knowingly abandon the national interest of the State of Israel” because of political weakness. The violence in Qusra comes weeks after an unauthorized Israeli outpost was established near Palestinian homes in the area as an extension of the Tel Talpiot outpost, prompting international criticism and intervention by the White House. IDF soldiers were filmed praying alongside settlers during the earlier confrontation, which developed into a standoff lasting several days. The IDF later attempted to evacuate the outpost and said a makeshift structure erected there had been removed, though furniture remained and the Israelis at the site did not initially leave. The military subsequently deployed another battalion to the area to deal with the unrest. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee described those responsible for the violence at the time as “Israeli terrorists.” Security forces returned the following day in another attempt to evacuate the unauthorized outpost.

"Once a society behaves this way that society is doomed": The New York Times published an extensive article Monday on the rise in violence by extremist settlers in the West Bank, focusing on particularly harsh criticism in recent months from former senior Israeli security officials. The newspaper opened the article with remarks by Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Ben-Reuven, who previously commanded a division in the West Bank and Israel's ground forces during the Second Lebanon War and now says the phenomenon has become one of the most serious threats to Israel in his view. Ben-Reuven has joined tours in recent months organized by former Israeli officers and senior officials to Palestinian villages. In the article, which was also reported by ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth journalist Ronen Bergman, Ben-Reuven is described as having visited a Palestinian school that had been looted and destroyed and heard testimony from Palestinian shepherds and farmers about attacks, livestock theft and land seizures. "This, what the settlers are doing here, is the real threat to Israel," he told the newspaper, with tears in his eyes. "This is more concerning to me than Iran, Gaza or Lebanon." The newspaper also prominently featured even more extraordinary remarks from former senior officials. Brig. Gen. (res.) and former minister Ephraim Sneh said of attacks on Palestinians by settlers: "This is ethnic cleansing, to put it simply." Brig. Gen. (res.) Asaf Agmon, a former senior Air Force officer, compared what is happening to what some Israelis' parents experienced during the Holocaust. He stressed that he was not comparing the scale of the violence, but rather what he described as an attempt to erase the Palestinian presence from large parts of the West Bank. “Once a society behaves this way,” he said, “that society is doomed.” According to The New York Times, such criticism is no longer coming only from left-wing organizations and anti-settlement activists. The newspaper described a "small but rapidly expanding array" of influential Israelis, many of them from the former military and intelligence leadership, who warn that the lack of enforcement and violence in the West Bank threaten Israel's democratic character. According to The New York Times, more than 200 prominent Israelis signed a letter in June calling on the government to stop harming Palestinian civilians. The signatories included, according to the newspaper, two former prime ministers, more than 30 former IDF and Air Force major generals and brigadier generals, former heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet, rabbis, a Nobel laureate and one of Israel's leading authors. Some of the signatories have historically been identified with hawkish positions on security issues. The letter used the terms "Jewish terrorism" and "ethnic cleansing" and argued that the issue goes beyond the government's failure to enforce the law. The signatories said there is a "deliberate government policy" under which the security establishment — including the IDF, Shin Bet and police — knowingly cooperates with what is happening. They pointed, among other things, to tens of millions of dollars in public funds invested in illegal outposts and farms through roads, water, electricity, vehicles and weapons. The newspaper emphasized to its international readership how unusual the criticism is given the identities of those making it. "accusations of ethnic cleansing from such a large group of former prime ministers, generals and other top Israeli officials — the same people who once led their nation’s security forces — are virtually unheard of," it wrote. Some of those officials, the newspaper noted, were themselves involved during their service in approving targeted killings, airstrikes and operations in which Palestinians were killed. They argue that the difference is that those actions were carried out for Israel's security, under a chain of command and legal oversight, whereas what is happening now, they say, is indiscriminate violence against civilians intended to drive Palestinians from their lands. The newspaper also recalled comments made about two months ago by former Defense Minister and IDF chief of staff Moshe "Bogie" Ya'alon, who compared the ideology of the extremist settler movement to that of Nazi Germany. In that interview, Ya'alon said: "What is Jewish supremacy? Eighty years after the Holocaust, ‘Mein Kampf’ in reverse. The master race is us." The tours bringing former Israeli officials to Palestinian villages A major part of the article focuses on tours organized by Maj. Gen. (res.) Yaakov (Mendy) Or, who served for years in the West Bank and later oversaw audits of the security establishment at the State Comptroller's Office. Over the past year, he says, he has brought more than 250 participants — former senior officers, intelligence officials, lawyers, economists and diplomats — to see what is happening on the ground for themselves. Before the tours begin, Or routinely warns participants about what they are about to see. "When I take you to see what is happening in the West Bank, you will have two choices," he said during one tour: "You can stay silent, and be complicit,” he told them, “or you can speak out, and tell everyone you know about what is happening." He then offered anyone who did not want to find themselves in that position the opportunity to leave before the tour began. The newspaper's team joined one of the tours in June, which included former generals, a former minister, a military secretary who served under four prime ministers, an intelligence official, a state prosecutor and an ambassador. Or pointed out new fences erected by settlers and outposts built on hills. He said the overall goal is "widen areas of control and narrow the places where Palestinian communities can live." Among the participants was Brig. Gen. (res.) Azriel Nevo, who served as military secretary to four prime ministers. He described what he saw on the tour as "shocking" and said the prime ministers he had previously worked for "would have never allowed this to occur.." In one village, participants met Bashar Eid, a Palestinian farmer who said he had been injured in a settler attack and was no longer able to work his land. He described repeated attacks from outposts in the area and said that he now spends most of his time watching from the roof of his home, trying to spot approaching settlers. “I don’t know what to do,” he said. “They want to take my house.” Former Ambassador Raphael Schutz, who served in Spain, Norway and the Vatican, said his mother fled Nazi Germany at age 9. He said that when she watches videos today of settlers setting cars on fire and shooting Palestinian farmers, she is ashamed. "To her, it is inconceivable that Jews can behave this way," he said, adding: "I’m glad I left the foreign service. It would be impossible for me to explain this." In the Palestinian community of Hamamat al-Maleh in the Jordan Valley, several Palestinian families were still living there in February, although many residents had already left following violent nighttime raids. One resident told The New York Times at the time: "We don’t even sleep an hour. If they come and you’re asleep, you won’t survive it." By March, following a series of raids, thefts and attacks, the remaining families had also left. Shortly afterward, according to residents and activists, settlers arrived with a bulldozer and demolished the local school. They later circulated a video showing themselves celebrating Passover among the ruins. When the group of generals and senior officials arrived at the site in late June, the Palestinian community was already deserted. Brig. Gen. (res.) Nehemia Dagan, one of the founders of the Air Force's helicopter fleet and a former chief education officer, reacted angrily to what he saw. When you are burning books, when you are destroying knowledge and attacking children, you’re like the Germans. “We have lost ourselves, and we have lost this fight," he said. Dagan called for separation from the Palestinians and the establishment of two states: "Not for their sake, but for our own." Thousands of attacks, more than 3,200 Palestinians displaced this year According to U.N. figures cited in the article, settlers have carried out thousands of attacks in the West Bank since the Oct. 7 attack, injuring thousands of Palestinians. More than 3,200 Palestinians have been displaced from their homes because of settler violence since the beginning of the year — twice the rate recorded last year. The number of Palestinians injured in settler attacks has also risen from an average of one person every three days in 2020 to more than three people a day in 2026, according to the figures cited by the newspaper. At the same time, the newspaper noted that more than 1,100 Palestinians, including militants, have been killed in the West Bank since Oct. 7, with the vast majority killed by Israeli forces. According to the United Nations, that is roughly equivalent to the total number of Palestinians killed in the territory between 2005 and 2022. The newspaper added that "since 2023, 67 Israelis have been killed by Palestinians in the West Bank." Gal Levertov, the former director of the International Department at Israel's Justice Ministry who represented Israel before the International Criminal Court in The Hague, described the distinction as he sees it in stark terms. "If I had to, I could make a legal defense of what the Israel Defense Forces have done in Gaza," he said. "But what is happening today in the West Bank? It’s indefensible." Warnings about the violence have also recently come from rabbis associated with the settlement movement. Rabbi Elyakim Levanon urged supporters of the settlements to refrain from violence, saying that critics of the settlement enterprise are using such incidents to damage its "reputation both in Israel, the U.S. and worldwide." The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not respond to questions submitted by the newspaper about the former officials' allegations. The newspaper noted that Netanyahu has previously dismissed settler violence as illegal acts committed by a "handful of kids." Following weekend attacks on Palestinian homes in the village of Qusra, including the home of an American citizen, however, Netanyahu issued an unusually strong statement saying that such criminal acts cause "immense harm" to law-abiding settlers and "damage Israel’s standing in the world." The IDF rejected to the newspaper any claim that it supports "the actions of violent groups" in the West Bank. The military said its mission is "to protect all residents" and that a soldier who participates in an attack by settlers or stands by while one takes place is acting in "direct contradiction" to his orders. The article concluded with another quote from Asaf Agmon, who said settler violence does not make Israel safer but rather the opposite. "When you ruin the image of Israel, the diplomatic value of Israel and the core values that hold the military together, you achieve nothing," he said. Agmon, whose grandson, Staff Sgt. Gur Kehati, was killed in Lebanon last year, added: "I’ve earned the right to speak. My family and I paid the highest price for this country. I am ashamed of what our people are doing here."

JERUSALÉN, 29 ago (Xinhua) -- El primer ministro, Benjamin Netanyahu, emitió hoy sábado una inusual condena a la violencia de los colonos en Cisjordania, donde describe a los ataques en las aldeas palestinas de Qusra y Jalud como "criminales" y pide a las autoridades arrestar a los responsables. "Condeno enérgicamente los actos criminales de violencia cometidos en las aldeas de Qusra y Jalud", dijo Netanyahu en un comunicado, al referirse a los atacantes como "un puñado de revoltosos que infringen la ley". Netanyahu afirmó que estos ataques "perjudican la reputación internacional de Israel" e interfieren con las operaciones del Ejército en Cisjordania. La condena se da luego de que presuntamente muchos palestinos resultaran heridos este sábado durante ataques de colonos israelíes en Cisjordania. Docenas de colonos israelíes encapuchados allanaron Qusra e hirieron a varios palestinos en la reciente ola de violencia perpetrada por los colonos, de acuerdo con los reportes. En la aldea cercana de Jalud, colonos atacaron a una familia palestina y a periodistas extranjeros, vandalizaron su vehículo y agredieron físicamente a miembros del equipo, de acuerdo con el activista Bashar al-Qaryouti. Más de medio millón de colonos israelíes viven en Cisjordania, que Israel ocupó en 1967, junto con 3,4 millones de palestinos, de acuerdo con fuentes palestinas e israelíes. La Oficina de la ONU para la Coordinación de Asuntos Humanitarios documentó más de 1.330 ataques de colonos que causaron víctimas palestinas o daños a sus propiedades en Cisjordania, desde el inicio de 2026 hasta finales de julio ocurren un promedio de seis incidentes diarios.