Arab-Israeli urban area east of the Green Line
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has promised a "comprehensive reset" of UK policy toward Israel and has said the government will set out measures in coming weeks to stop British companies financing, constructing or advertising settlements. London is considering targeted sanctions and a trade ban on goods from West Bank settlements after Israel issued tenders for homes in the E1 area. Israel has warned it will respond if Britain imposes sanctions.
The West Bank town of Qusra remains under siege as settlers and Israeli forces constrain movement, damage property and displace Palestinian families. Fresh violence in Gaza and Lebanon compounds regional volatility, with international criticism mounting over settlement expansion. Multiple outlets report on the siege and related regional tensions as authorities consider policy responses.
The OUT Museum, created by Chen in San Francisco’s Chinatown, has opened with a small exhibit of Chinese queer art, as activists and artists push for broader recognition of LGBTQ+ voices in China and the diaspora. The project began in China via Kickstarter and now thrives in a city navigating policy changes around LGBTQ+ rights.
Labour lawmakers have signed a letter urging Britain to end trade with illegal West Bank settlements, arguing that sanctions are needed as the E1 project proceeds and the situation worsens for Palestinians. The move follows a wave of international warnings and UK actions under Prime Minister Starmer.
Pro-Palestinian protesters have gathering in London to oppose the planned Great Israeli Real Estate Event, which promotes selling land in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Police have detained several people as authorities consider potential illegal activity linked to the event, while lawmakers and rights groups urge cancellation and adherence to international law.
Norway plans a legislative package to ban trade in goods produced in Israeli settlements across the occupied Palestinian territories, including the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The bill also targets real estate and commercial activity linked to settlements, with consultations running for three months.
The New Arab and Al Jazeera reports detail responses to Bezalel Smotrich’s move to revoke Hebron agreements, transferring planning and construction powers to Israeli authorities in the H2 zone. Palestinian officials condemn the action as a violation of international law, while settlements expansion and related violence intensify across the West Bank and Gaza.
Polls show Israelis believe Iran has gained from the conflict and the US-Iran deal; long-term security for Israel is seen as weakened, and Netanyahu’s leadership faces growing criticism as US-Iran talks proceed.
New Pew and Axios polls show growing international skepticism toward Donald Trump’s leadership, with 36-country surveys revealing low confidence in his ability to handle world affairs, while some allied nations show nuanced or mixed views. The data highlight a widening gap between U.S. rhetoric and international perception, just as debates over U.S. foreign policy persist.
Palestinian residents report a surge in settler violence across the West Bank, with multiple incidents including arson, property seizure, and clashes with Israeli forces. Reports indicate ongoing attacks are linked to broader settlement activity, with no immediate arrests in some cases and sporadic detentions in others.
UK Labour leader-in-waiting Andy Burnham has apologised for Labour’s initial Gaza response, saying the UK must press Israel harder and consider sanctions and a ban on settlements. He reframes Labour’s position as it readies him to lead the party, while stressing accountability for war crimes and protection of civilians.
Representative Ro Khanna has said armed Israeli settlers detained his delegation for about 90 minutes during a visit to the West Bank village of Khirbet Zanuta. Khanna has accused the Israel Defense Forces of siding with the settlers; the IDF has said troops dispersed civilians who were blocking the road and reopened traffic.
Hamas has announced the dissolution of its Gaza governing body and says it is ready to transfer civilian administration to a US-backed technocratic committee, NCAG. The move aims to move Gaza’s civilian life forward while political questions remain unsettled. Objections over disarmament, security and oversight are emerging as conditions for any new arrangement.
The government has announced a new plan diverting hundreds of millions of shekels from Arab community development to fund enforcement, expanding Shin Bet’s role in combating organized crime alongside police. Protests and legal objections arise from rights groups amid criticism of deepened inequality.
Pew Research Center has found that more people now view China more favourably than the United States in 25 of 36 countries surveyed. The poll of 42,151 people, conducted Feb.–May 2026, shows confidence in Chinese leader Xi Jinping has risen while confidence in U.S. President Donald Trump has fallen; the U.S. retains a lead on respecting personal freedoms.
California Rep. Ro Khanna has stated that his delegation was detained by armed Israeli settlers for over an hour while traveling in the West Bank. Israeli forces later dispersed the settlers; Khanna is calling for accountability and an apology if the itinerary was mishandled. Reports from multiple outlets vary on coordination with the Israeli government.
Several sources report that more than 4,000 Israeli settlers have stormed the Al-Aqsa compound on Tisha B’Av, with far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir entering under heavy police protection. Palestinian officials say restrictions barred many worshippers; officials warn the move could threaten the status quo and spur regional tensions.
Multiple mosques in the northern West Bank have been set ablaze in what authorities describe as a wave of settler violence. Officials say two Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers have died in the broader clashes surrounding Tal and surrounding villages.
A Jordan-hosted emergency meeting convenes to address escalating tensions around Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa and Christian holy sites. Arab ministers warn of potential regional instability as Israeli actions provoke protests and international scrutiny ahead of October elections.
Residents in Masafer Yatta and West Bank villages have reported repeated settler attacks, property damage and soldiers escorting or standing by during incidents. Witnesses have described settlers grazing livestock in homes' gardens, arson, and assaults near mosques. Humanitarian groups have recorded high demolition and displacement rates since October 2023.
Palestinian and Israeli sources report a sharp rise in West Bank violence. Dozens of settler attacks have targeted towns including Masafer Yatta, Jenin, Qusra and Hebron, with Palestinians injured, property damaged and several homes besieged. The violence coincides with increased Israeli military operations and ongoing clashes.
The Times of Israel, BBC Business, France 24 and Bloomberg report that Israel has opened tenders for about 1,200 settlement homes in the E1 corridor, east of Jerusalem. The move draws international condemnation and raises concerns about a two-state solution. France, Germany, Italy and the UK join in urging reconsideration, while the EU and UN caution on the broader implications for regional stability.
Settlers have returned to Kadim, north of Jenin, with around 30 pioneer families arriving under military escort. The reopening follows the 2005 disengagement and signals a broader push to revive four northern West Bank settlements, amid a wider surge in settlement activity under Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government. Palestinian residents fear displacement as tensions rise alongside new outposts and tenders in nearby areas.
UNRWA’s Qalandiya Training Centre, which trains about 340 Palestinian refugees each year, has been raided and closed by Israeli forces. Staff have been expelled, and materials are being removed as the site is eyed for a new educational complex by Jerusalem authorities. UNRWA says the move deprives students of vital vocational training and worsens a broader funding and legal fight surrounding the agency.
A Jerusalem court has acquitted a man accused of beating a Catholic nun under an insanity defense and has ordered psychiatric hospitalization for up to six years. The attack has amplified concerns about harassment of Christians in Jerusalem’s Old City amid broader regional tensions.