Smotrich in the spotlight again as Israel pushes settlement expansion and a new war-crimes court plan; far-right Finance Minister, Religious Zionist Party leader, lawyer. Born 1980.
The European Union has sanctioned seven Israeli settlers and organisations, and 10 Hamas representatives, under its Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime for violence, forcible displacement and illegal settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank. Measures include travel bans, asset freezes and bans on EU funds to listed individuals and groups.
Israeli airstrikes targeted Beirut’s southern suburbs and areas in Lebanon’s south and east, amid ongoing conflict with Hezbollah. Thousands fled as Lebanon warns of a humanitarian crisis. Hezbollah responded with rocket fire and threats, while Israel expanded military operations. The situation remains highly volatile today, March 6, 2026.
The UN human rights office has reported a 24% rise in Israeli settler attacks in the West Bank between November 2024 and October 2025, recording 1,732 incidents. The report has found that more than 36,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced while Israeli authorities are advancing tens of thousands of settlement housing units, prompting warnings the pattern could amount to mass forcible transfer.
On April 11, 2026, Ali Majed Hamadneh, 23, has died after Israeli settlers opened fire during a raid on Deir Jarir village in the West Bank. The attack occurred under Israeli military protection amid a surge in settler violence and government approval of 34 new settlements. The incident has intensified criticism of settlement expansion and settler attacks in the occupied territory.
As of late March 2026, Israel has intensified its military campaign in southern Lebanon, ordering all residents south of the Litani River to evacuate. Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed destruction of five bridges used by Hezbollah and ordered demolition of homes near the border to create a buffer zone. Israel aims to control territory up to the Litani River to prevent Hezbollah attacks, while Hezbollah vows to resist. The conflict has displaced over one million Lebanese and killed more than 1,000 people.
Israeli forces have intensified strikes on Lebanon, destroying key bridges and infrastructure in southern Lebanon as part of a broader military campaign linked to the conflict with Hezbollah. Over 1.2 million people have been displaced, and the situation is escalating toward a potential ground invasion.
As of late March 2026, Israel has intensified its military campaign in southern Lebanon, expanding a security buffer zone up to the Litani River to counter Hezbollah rocket and missile attacks. The offensive includes ground advances, airstrikes on Hezbollah targets, and destruction of infrastructure. Over 1.2 million Lebanese have been displaced, with more than 1,200 killed. Israel aims to secure its northern border and weaken Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Israel's parliament approved its largest-ever budget of $271 billion, increasing military and ultra-Orthodox funding. The move follows a last-minute amendment supporting ultra-Orthodox institutions, sparking criticism. The government also advances a controversial bill to impose the death penalty for Palestinian attackers, drawing domestic and international opposition.
Palestinians commemorate Land Day, highlighting land confiscations, settlement expansion, and ongoing displacement. Despite war and destruction, many reaffirm their connection to their land through protests, planting trees, and staying on their land, emphasizing resistance and the right of return.
Reports have documented a continuing surge of violent attacks by Israeli settlers across the occupied West Bank this spring: arson, beatings, shootings and property destruction. Israeli forces are regularly present during incidents, with limited arrests reported; Palestinian authorities say bodies have been withheld after some killings, preventing burial and mourning.
Israel observes Memorial Day on April 21, 2026, with ceremonies honoring fallen soldiers and victims of terror. Recent events include protests, controversial torch-lighting, and ongoing security challenges linked to conflicts with Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. Leaders emphasize military achievements while families of the fallen express frustration.
Israel has continued to expand settlements in the West Bank, approving over 100 new or re-established sites in 2026. This includes plans to restore evacuated settlements like Sa-Nur and Ganim, with settlers crossing into Syria's Golan Heights. The moves are increasing tensions and restricting Palestinian movement.
Fatah's eighth general conference in Ramallah is underway with 2,580 delegates electing the movement’s Central Committee and Revolutionary Council. Abbas has pledged reforms and elections, while questions about succession, internal divisions and funding pressures loom as Hamas calls for Palestinian unity.
The EU has approved sanctions today targeting seven Israeli settlers or settler organisations and leaders accused of supporting violent colonisation of the West Bank, and has added sanctions on leading Hamas figures. The move has been enabled by Hungarys government change and stops short of trade curbs on settlement goods.
Israel has enacted a law to establish a special military tribunal to try Palestinians accused of taking part in the Hamas-led October 7 attacks. The court could hand down the death penalty and will conduct public trials, with processes that rights groups warn may undermine due process. Trials are expected to cover hundreds of suspects and cost billions.
Israel has approved new legislation to try Oct. 7 attackers in a special military court, with a livestreamed tribunal, three-judge panels, and possible death sentences for genocide or related crimes. The law expands to include others charged with crimes against the Jewish people, war crimes and crimes against humanity, and bars prisoner exchanges for those convicted. Trials will be public, with remotely participating defendants and an appeals process.
Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich has proposed annulment of the Oslo II Areas A/B/C framework, arguing for a unified land regime and warning of further action to dismantle Palestinian governance structures. The comments come amid ongoing West Bank tensions and a Palestinian teen’s death in clashes with Israeli forces.
Israeli settlers have been attacking Palestinians across the West Bank, displacing communities, injuring and killing civilians and vandalising property; Israeli authorities have charged at least one suspected attacker, while the ICC has been preparing arrest-warrant applications against Israeli ministers for alleged crimes including forced displacement and apartheid. (As of 24 May 2026.)
Tens of thousands of Israeli nationalist marchers have marched through Jerusalem's Old City for Jerusalem Day, chanting anti‑Palestinian slogans, vandalising property and prompting many Palestinian shopkeepers to shut. Far‑right ministers have entered the Al‑Aqsa/Temple Mount compound and unfurled an Israeli flag. Activists have deployed to protect locals and regional governments have condemned the incursions.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said he was informed of an ICC arrest-warrant request and has ordered the immediate evacuation of the Palestinian Bedouin community Khan al-Ahmar. The ICC has not confirmed any new warrants; Israeli security bodies and courts will determine if and when the order takes effect.
Israel has intercepted the Global Sumud flotilla in international waters and detained about 430 activists. National security minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir has posted footage showing bound activists kneeling while he taunts them; the video has provoked condemnation from multiple governments, Israeli ministers and rights groups, and rapid deportations of the detainees.
Palestinian Bedouin community Khan al-Ahmar faces a looming evacuation order after Israel’s far-right finance minister Smotrich has said he is coordinating steps to expel residents, pending cabinet approval. He claims the ICC is seeking an arrest warrant, a claim denied by the ICC; residents fear demolition and displacement amid broader settlement expansion in Area C.
Israel has escalated its offensive in southern Lebanon, with airstrikes killing dozens, mass displacement orders, and threats of further heavy retaliation. The clash polarises regional diplomacy as Washington seeks to broker a broader deal with Iran, while Lebanon and Hezbollah resist Israeli occupation and pursue withdrawal. A cabinet dispute in Jerusalem signals divergence over response tactics, even as the conflict widens.
The Israeli military has been striking Hezbollah sites across southern and eastern Lebanon, with evacuations ordered for Nabatieh. Hezbollah has conducted drone and rocket attacks as direct talks with Lebanon and Israel resume in Washington amid ongoing ceasefire efforts. At least 11 people have been killed in the Bekaa Valley amid renewed hostilities.
Canada has pressed Israel for an independent investigation into the mistreatment of activists aboard a Gaza-bound flotilla. Ottawa has also reaffirmed its opposition to Israeli settlement expansion and West Bank violence, amid reports of abuse and detentions in international waters.