Ben‑Gvir in the news as Israel taps him again amid West Bank clashes and a mounting security/settlement push. Israeli far-right minister, lawyer, minister of national security since 2022.
The European Union has imposed sanctions on Israeli settlers and organisations for violence and illegal settlement expansion in the West Bank, and several European states and allies have signalled further measures. Australia has imposed travel bans and asset restrictions on four West Bank settler outposts and three individuals, and European governments are coordinating additional national measures.
Israel has announced the approval of 2,162 new Jewish homes in the occupied West Bank, including a new settlement near Jerusalem and expansions near Nablus and Hebron. Officials say the project aims to strengthen Israeli control on the land, while Palestinians warn it deepens occupation and threatens future peace.
Israel's parliament is set to pass legislation allowing the death penalty exclusively for Palestinians accused of terror, sparking international criticism. Countries including the UK, France, Germany, and Italy have expressed concern over the bill's discriminatory nature and potential violation of international law. The law is expected to face legal challenges.
Since early April 2026, Jerusalem's Old City holy sites, including Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, have reopened after a six-week closure due to the US-Israeli war on Iran. Far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has repeatedly entered Al-Aqsa, performing Jewish prayers forbidden under the Status Quo, sparking Palestinian and Jordanian condemnation. Restrictions on Muslim worshippers and settler incursions continue, raising fears of escalating tensions and changes to the site's religious status.
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.
Israel's parliament approved a law making the death penalty the default for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks in the West Bank. The law, supported by far-right leaders, faces international criticism for discrimination and potential violations of international law. Implementation is set for 30 days, with legal challenges expected.
Israel's Knesset has approved a law allowing the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of terrorism, sparking protests and international criticism. The law targets Palestinians in the West Bank and is seen as a move towards harsher punitive measures, with critics warning of legal and human rights violations. The law was passed on April 12, 2026.
Palestinian protests have erupted across the West Bank and Gaza following Israel's passage of a law allowing the death penalty for Palestinians accused of terrorism. The law has drawn international condemnation, increased violence, and protests in Palestinian cities and abroad. Israeli military actions and settler violence continue to escalate.
Israel's Knesset approved a law making death by hanging the default for Palestinians accused of killing Israelis, excluding Jewish citizens. The law has been condemned internationally as discriminatory and a violation of human rights, with critics describing it as institutionalising apartheid-like practices.
China's leader has reiterated support for diplomatic efforts to resolve the Iran conflict and maintain the Strait of Hormuz's passage. Meanwhile, the US has ordered a naval blockade after peace talks with Iran have broken down, escalating tensions in the region today, Thursday, 23 April 2026.
Israel's government secretly approved 34 new settlements in the West Bank, drawing international condemnation. The move, part of a broader settlement expansion since 2022, violates international law and has sparked protests and violence. The Palestinian leadership condemns the decision as illegal and a violation of their rights.
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 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.
Israel has limited Lag B’Omer activities at Mount Meron and nearby border communities due to a fragile ceasefire with Hezbollah and ongoing cross-border clashes. Authorities have restricted outdoor gatherings and announced symbolic bonfires, with security forces intensifying checks as thousands of worshipers had already gathered in the area.
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.
Multiple events in Israel and the West Bank are drawing attention: a deadly shooting outside Umm al-Ghanem linked to a school brawl; a Border Police shooting in Beersheba is under investigation; and a settler attack indictment has been filed in Jerusalem, highlighting ongoing tensions and law-enforcement challenges.
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 authorised a plan to build a major military and government complex on the former UNRWA Jerusalem headquarters site in Sheikh Jarrah, consolidating a military and administrative hub in occupied East Jerusalem. The project, linked to demolitions earlier this year, includes a defense ministry presence and army museum.
The US Treasury has listed UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese under an "International Criminal Court-related Designation Removal" after a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking earlier sanctions. The Trump administration has appealed and the State Department has said it intends to restore her designation if the court reverses the injunction.
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.
The Guardian and other outlets report that Israeli detention facilities are under scrutiny as footage of abuse of Palestinian detainees surfaces. Officials have faced international condemnation following a high-profile video showing detainees in distress, prompting comment from leaders and human-rights bodies.
France has barred Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from entering its territory, citing his actions toward passengers on the Global Sumud Flotilla. The decision comes amid global reaction to a video showing Ben-Gvir taunting flotilla detainees, which drew condemnation from foreign leaders and even Netanyahu’s coalition partner.
Australians and other international activists detained during a Gaza flotilla have started arriving home. Several claim mistreatment, including beatings and denials of food and water, while Israel denies wrongdoing. Detainees plan to consult lawyers to pursue evidence for possible ICC action.
Israel has intercepted a Gaza aid flotilla, detaining activists and deporting them. A minister has been filmed taunting detainees, triggering condemnations from allies and a push for accountability. Protests have erupted in Bilbao as activists allege abuse during detention.
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.
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.
Italian prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into Israels national security minister, Itamar Ben‑Gvir, over a video showing bound flotilla activists and allegations that detainees suffered abuse after Israel intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla on May 18. France has already opened a related probe and banned Ben‑Gvir; Italy is examining possible torture and kidnapping charges.
Diplomacy has produced a limited agreement under which Israel has agreed not to strike Beirut's southern suburbs and Hezbollah has agreed to restrain attacks on northern Israel, but air strikes and cross‑border clashes have continued in southern Lebanon and elsewhere. Negotiators are meeting in Washington while Iran ties the wider US ceasefire talks to Lebanon.
The Times of Israel reports that a defamation suit against The New York Times is being considered, following a May article alleging sexual abuse by Israeli authorities in detention. Legal experts say any suit would be difficult, with US standards on defamation and potential discovery risk. Israel's government remains tight-lipped about the process.
Israel's Supreme Court has ruled that the government must allow visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross to Palestinian prisoners, overturning a blanket ban imposed after the Hamas attack. The decision covers detainees in Israeli prisons and military detention and follows a joint petition by human-rights groups. The ICRC says it is ready to resume visits; rights groups hope enforcement will curb abuses.
A Palestinian-Israeli gunman has been killed after a drive-by shooting at multiple sites near Kochav Ya’ir, Tzur Natan and Tzur Yitzhak. Five others are wounded; investigators say a second suspect was arrested after making statements. The attack follows a spike in violence linked to ongoing Israeli-Palestinian tensions.