A city at the heart of religion, conflict and diplomacy
The Israeli government has announced that planning and construction powers in the H2 zone of Hebron will be transferred to Israeli authorities, while Palestinian and international actors condemn the move as unilateral and damaging to potential peace. The Hebron Protocol's status is invoked as a reference point in escalating tensions across the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Pope Leo has delivered repeated calls for peace during the ongoing US-Israeli war against Iran, emphasizing dialogue over violence. Speaking at Easter and a peace vigil, he condemned the use of Christian faith to justify war and highlighted the suffering in Lebanon and the broader Middle East. Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has intensified Christian rhetoric within the military, prompting controversy and legal challenges.
On Palm Sunday 2026, Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Father Francesco Ielpo from entering Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, citing security concerns due to ongoing conflict with Iran. This marked the first such restriction in centuries, sparking international criticism and diplomatic protests over religious freedom during Holy Week.
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.
UN figures show Israeli forces and settlers have killed or injured Palestinian children at escalating rates in the West Bank since January 2025, with 347 children in detention and thousands displaced in 2026. UNICEF is calling for urgent actions to protect children’s rights and halt violence.
On Easter Sunday, Pope Leo urged global hope and condemned war, abuse, and profit-driven violence. He addressed the ongoing conflicts in Iran and Ukraine, highlighted restrictions on religious ceremonies in Jerusalem, and emphasized the importance of hope in darkness. The pope's message focused on justice, vulnerability, and the need for peace.
Gaza's small Christian community marks Easter with prayers and traditions despite severe shortages and violence. Many have fled, and church attendance is down. Restrictions and attacks have disrupted religious practices, highlighting ongoing conflict and humanitarian struggles in the region.
Palestinians report Israeli restrictions and provocations at Jerusalem's holy sites, including attempts by Jewish extremists to perform animal sacrifices at Al-Aqsa. Israeli authorities reopened the sites after weeks of closures due to regional conflict, but tensions persist with reports of incursions and restrictions affecting Muslim, Christian, and Jewish worshippers.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's trial has been postponed for at least two weeks due to classified security reasons linked to recent regional tensions. The delay follows Israel's ceasefire with Iran and ongoing military actions in Lebanon. Netanyahu denies corruption charges, while security agencies cite threats to his safety.
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 and the UK see prices and rents easing in parts of their markets, while Australia faces affordability limits. Across regions, supply gaps and policy shifts are shaping buyer and renter behavior amid geopolitical tensions and rising rates.
Israel has marked its 78th Independence Day with nationwide celebrations, despite recent conflicts. The country is shifting from mourning to celebration as ceasefires with Iran and Hezbollah hold, allowing public festivities to resume across cities, including beaches, parks, and community events. The holiday reflects resilience amid ongoing tensions.
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.
Nickolay Mladenov has told the UN Security Council that implementation of the US-led Board of Peace Gaza roadmap has stalled because Hamas has refused to disarm and Israel is maintaining control of roughly 60% of Gaza. Daily strikes and constrained aid are persisting, reconstruction finance is drying up, and diplomacy is not completing the transition to the second phase.
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 airstrikes and shootings have killed multiple Palestinians across Gaza this week, including strikes on refugee camps and apartment blocks in Gaza City, Jabalia and Khan Younis. Mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey have been holding talks in Cairo with Hamas and other factions over a U.S.-backed plan; talks remain deadlocked mainly over disarming Hamas and Israeli withdrawals.
Somaliland has announced it will open its embassy in Jerusalem following Israel's recognition of Somaliland in December 2025. The decision has sparked domestic debate and international condemnation, as Somaliland seeks to balance strategic ties with Israel against regional sensitivities and Somalia's sovereignty objections.
The Times of Israel and other outlets report that Israel’s coalition is facing a volatile rift over ultra-Orthodox draft exemptions as the Knesset dissolution looms. Analysts say the move is a bargaining tactic tied to pushing for exemptions, with elections potentially moving up from October to September. Supporters and opponents weigh the political stakes and the stability of the government.
Since late May, the EU and several Western allies have imposed travel bans, asset freezes and targeted national sanctions on Israeli settlers, settler organisations and some far-right ministers over record settlement expansion and rising settler violence in the West Bank. Britain, France, Canada, Norway, Australia, New Zealand and others are coordinating measures to disrupt financing for extremist settler groups.
The British Museum has postponed a lecture on ancient Israel and Judah as part of Jewish Culture Month, citing information that a significant portion of registered attendees planned to disrupt the event. The talk by Dr Paul Collins is rescheduled for a later date and will be livestreamed; the museum emphasizes its commitment to free expression while safeguarding participants.
Palestinian communities face renewed displacement as settlers advance into areas near Ramallah and East Jerusalem, intensifying clashes amid a broader Western sanctions package targeting settlements. The Palestine Professional League remains suspended due to security concerns, affecting players and clubs.
Protests by ultra‑Orthodox communities have paralysed central Israel, with police declaring the rallies illegal and clashing with demonstrators. A demonstrator and a bus passenger have been injured in Jerusalem, while traffic and rail services are disrupted across major routes and stations.
Multiple reports confirm that Israeli officials have advanced plans to expand settlements in the West Bank, including thousands of new homes and infrastructure. The push is led by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and could reshape settlement footprint, raising tensions with Palestinians and drawing international condemnation.
Palestinian athletes, including Rand Halawani, are detained by Israeli authorities in Jerusalem after protests; some are released with house arrest as investigations continue. The Palestinian Football Association condemns the detentions as part of a broader pattern targeting Palestinian athletes, while international observers note ongoing rights concerns.
In the past 48 hours President Trump has pressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid retaliatory strikes in Lebanon and Iran while negotiating a possible deal with Tehran. Israeli strikes on a Hezbollah target in Beirut provoked Iranian missile fire, and Trump has warned Netanyahu that unilateral escalation would risk dragging Israel into a wider war and could leave it isolated.
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.
Colombia’s president has sparked international backlash by posting the Nazi slogan “Heil Hitler,” drawing condemnations from Israeli leaders and Latin American lawmakers. The remarks have intensified scrutiny ahead of the June 21 runoff, with critics warning against references that distort Holocaust memory and destabilize democratic debate.
Amid rising settlement expansion in the West Bank, Israeli policy advances 69 new settlements with a total plan value of $388m, while a parallel UN-backed and Amnesty reports allege state-backed displacement of Palestinians. Western powers impose coordinated sanctions targeting settler networks; human rights groups call for broader accountability as violence intensifies.
Turkey's President Erdogan has accused Israel of provoking regional instability and has warned that Turkish and Turkish Cypriot rights in the eastern Mediterranean must be protected. Erdogan says the international community has been too silent and calls for a stronger stance against Israel; Netanyahu rebuttals accuse Erdogan of antisemitism and genocide rhetoric. The situation follows exchanges tied to the Lebanon and Syria fronts.
Civil society groups from Palestinian and Israeli sides have pressed G7 leaders to act at Evian summit, urging a permanent ceasefire, Gaza reconstruction, and a pathway to a Palestinian state amid escalating West Bank settlement activity and Gaza violence.
The United States and Iran have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending hostilities and launching talks, while Israel maintains a security zone in southern Lebanon, complicating the broader ceasefire process. Washington seeks de-confliction mechanisms and a path toward peace, but Israel continues military actions in Lebanon as regional powers recalibrate their positions.
Somaliland has opened diplomatic ties with Israel since recognition in 2025. Leaders are meeting in Jerusalem to expand security, economic, and technological cooperation. An embassy has opened in Jerusalem, and talks focus on deepening strategic collaboration and regional stability.
A cluster of benzodiazepine-contaminated Prinok baby purees has prompted a health inquiry in Jerusalem; meanwhile, teen Benny Benadryl challenges have led to ICU cases in the U.S. and warnings from the FDA and health officials. Separate reports outline GLP-1 overdoses and ongoing Benadryl-related fatalities, urging vigilance and safer practices.
Israel has approved the expansion of a Jewish school in Hebron’s historic core, a move that accompanies steps to transfer planning powers to Israeli authorities and broaden settlement building. Palestinian officials say the move fragments the Hebron Agreement and intensifies pressure on Palestinians in the city.
The IDF says it has eliminated Hamas and PIJ operatives rebuilding military capabilities in Gaza, including a Nukhba commander and others involved in training and attacks. Across southern Gaza, strikes target rocket launch posts and a border incident at Kerem Shalom are under investigation. The conflict continues amid stalled ceasefire talks and new proposals from Trump’s Board of Peace.
SpaceX is reportedly considering a direct-to-consumer Starlink mobile service and could build a terrestrial US network. SpaceSail, backed by China, is expanding fast. The two developments highlight the race to control satellite internet and widen global connectivity.
Texas faces a vote on a plan to require Bible passages and literary works, including Dickens, in public school curricula by 2030. Critics warn it breaches church-state separation and lacks diversity, while supporters say Judeo-Christian traditions shaped the nation’s founding. The plan would apply to roughly 5.5 million students and would take effect in 2030.
De la Espriella has won the runoff by under a point and pledges to restore Colombia's ties with the United States and Israel, reversing Petro-era policies amid rising violence.