West Bank city, cultural and economic hub under Palestinian Authority
Palestinian water springs and reservoirs in the West Bank are increasingly inaccessible as Israeli settlers, backed by a hard-line government, hew to a plan to seize springs and designate heritage sites. A water diversion near Fasayil has been linked to a new “Herod’s Pool” and substantial government funding for archaeological projects, illustrating broader tensions over land, resources, and memory.
More than 100 Israeli settlers have attacked the West Bank village of Jalud while Israeli forces were attempting to escort a displaced Palestinian family back to their home. Settlers set fire to houses and vehicles, injured three security officers and blocked the family's return; police have detained a small number of suspects and court rulings had ordered the family's return.
Palestinian olive harvests in the West Bank have intensified amid a surge in settler violence and clashes with Israeli forces. Across Beita, Osarin and nearby villages, farmers report arrests, injuries and property damage as soldiers and settlers confront harvesters during the annual season. International concerns have grown as violence escalates.
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.
Multiple fires have torn through the Havat Gilad settlement and nearby areas in the West Bank, destroying homes and forcing evacuations. Police say an initial probe points to a lit cigarette butt discarded from a vehicle as the likely cause, with arson not ruled out but not yet established. Dozens of structures have been damaged and residents face a humanitarian crisis as firefighting efforts continue.
UNESCO has placed several Lebanese cultural sites on its danger list amid ongoing Israel-Hezbollah clashes. Tyre and Beaufort Castle face threats to their conservation, with the Lebanese government requesting the designation. The move follows direct damage from recent hostilities and concerns over access, with UNESCO urging protection of the sites’ universal value.
Benjamin Netanyahu has met President Donald Trump in a closed-door Oval Office meeting during a Washington visit for Senator Lindsey Graham's memorial. The leaders have discussed Iran, coordination on regional security and the Abraham Accords; White House officials have declined to release a readout while both sides have stressed continued cooperation despite recent tensions.
UNESCO has placed Sebastia in the West Bank and five Mount Amel castles in southern Lebanon on the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger, citing ongoing conflicts. Israel opposes the move, calling it politicisation, while Palestinian and Lebanese officials celebrate protections amid 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.
Netanyahu has met with Trump in Washington to review three approaches to Iran: a diplomatic deal, sustained economic pressure with a blockade, or a renewed military campaign. The discussions, conducted without public detail, aim to determine the path that best prevents a nuclear Iran while considering global energy impacts.
Palestinian communities in the West Bank face escalating settlement activity, land seizures and displacement. New outposts are expanding, while a broader, systemic shift underlines the ongoing occupation and its impact on livelihoods and local governance.
PHRI warns Israeli policies have pushed the West Bank’s health system to collapse, with 75% of health facilities operating at reduced capacity and clinics rationing care. Mobile clinics report surging patient loads; aid groups call for accountability and action.
Israeli prosecutors have indicted settler Yinon Levi for reckless manslaughter over the July 2025 shooting that killed Palestinian teacher and activist Awdah (Awdeh) Hathaleen in Umm al‑Khair. The indictment adds armed trespass and malicious damage counts. Rights groups say the charge is rare and insufficient; campaigners and the family call for murder charges.
The Gaza ceasefire framework is facing renewed pressure as Netanyahu rejects the 15-point plan, insisting Hamas must fully disarm before any withdrawal. U.S.-led mediators say the roadmap remains operative, while Hamas calls on Washington to pressure Israel. Violence persists, with casualties mounting in Gaza and settlements in the West Bank intensifying.
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.
Karoline Leavitt has announced she will leave her role as White House press secretary at the end of August to spend more time with her two young children. President Donald Trump has said she will remain a top outside adviser; the White House has not named a successor and senior officials are expected to brief reporters temporarily.
Settlers have besieged three Palestinian homes in Qusra near Nablus, cutting off water and power. US Ambassador Huckabee has publicly condemned the violence as "disgusting" and warned of accountability, while Israel weighs moving civilian policing into the occupied West Bank. The UN and Palestinian authorities condemn the siege as a tactic of displacement.
Kushner and a U.S. envoy delegation have met Hamas leaders to advance the Gaza roadmap. Netanyahu maintains disarmament is a precondition for any Israeli withdrawal. Regional powers back mediators as talks accelerate toward a schedule for implementation.
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.
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.
Palestinian casualties mount as Israeli forces clash with militants in Jenin and Sa’ir amid a broader West Bank surge. A 14-year-old boy has been killed, and two others are wounded after Israeli gunfire following stone-throwing incidents. In Jenin, a 58-year-old man was killed during a raid described by Israeli officials as an armed confrontation.
A far-right Israeli lawmaker and aides have destroyed a Palestinian monument in Madama under Israeli escort. The move draws widespread condemnation from international observers, Palestinian leaders, and Israeli officials, who say it undermines security and current attempts to defuse tensions.
The West Bank sees escalating settler violence with multiple incidents this week. Israeli forces have reinforced areas amid ongoing clashes, while Palestinian communities report property theft, displacement, and arrests. U.S. lawmakers have urged Netanyahu to curb violence and halt new settlements as international scrutiny grows.
Muslim leaders are urged to unite against what Tehran deems the enemies of Islam, with calls for cooperation and mutual defense as the Iran war enters its sixth month. Reports say West Bank violence and regional tensions are escalating alongside diplomatic engagements in Istanbul and Tehran.
Brent crude has climbed toward $97 a barrel after renewed exchanges of strikes between the United States and Iran over the past week. US strikes have hit sites along Iran's southern coast while Iran has attacked US-linked vessels and bases in the region; shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains constrained and US pump and diesel prices have risen.
Israeli special forces have conducted a raid in western Gaza City that has resulted in the capture of a senior Hamas security official and multiple strikes across the area. Palestinian authorities and hospitals have reported deaths and injuries, including children, while Israeli officials say the operation targeted a senior internal-security figure tied to past attacks.
Defence Minister Katz has stated that there is no real solution for Gaza without migration, saying Israel is prepared to relocate Gazans by sea, air, and other means. The idea is being discussed as part of a broader debate over displacement, with international concern growing over humanitarian conditions in Gaza and the West Bank.
Palestinian communities in the West Bank report intensified settler violence this week, with multiple killings in al-Mughayyir and Beitillu, while international volunteers recount abductions and clashes with Israeli forces. The High Court and US officials call for accountability as tensions rise.
The U.S. ambassador has highlighted security responsibilities for Palestinians in the West Bank as settler violence surges, with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict intensifying amid Israeli government activity in the occupied territories.
Palestinians face demolitions and clashes with Israeli forces and settlers across the West Bank, including Abu El-Ajaj Bedouin community near Jericho, Muthallath Al-Shuhada, and Faqqua. Dozens of structures are destroyed or threatened, livelihoods are impacted, and lives are at risk as operations widen amid rising tensions.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has used his UN General Assembly address to accuse New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani of antisemitism, of supporting Hamas and of making Jewish New Yorkers feel unsafe. Mamdani has replied that Netanyahu is repeating "baseless lies" and remains subject to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant; protests and walkouts have followed the speech.
Several Western governments have moved to restrict trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, while Palestinians question enforcement and impact on everyday life. The move follows rising settlement activity and calls for broader measures against settlement support.
B’Tselem reports detail a five-front strategy—violence, movement limits, economic strangulation, social destruction, and ethnic cleansing—driving Palestinians to lose daily life, with checkpoints, land seizures, and rising unemployment reshaping the landscape since late 2022 and the Gaza war’s 2023 onset.
Norway has proposed a bill to criminalize trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem after consultations, aligning with broader Western sanctions. The measure targets goods from settlements, including wine and construction materials, amid escalating regional tensions and international criticism.
Britain has announced sanctions in response to West Bank settlement activity, with measures targeting imports from settlements and discretionary sanctions on entities supporting settlement expansion. The move comes ahead of Israel's looming election and amid international coordination with France and Canada.
Over the past days, Israeli forces have intensified operations following a spate of attacks near West Bank settlements. An Israeli soldier has been critically wounded, and attackers have been killed in multiple incidents. Ambassadors and family members are expressing concern as the conflict escalates amid a festive period.
Palestinian communities in the West Bank report intensified clashes with Israeli settlers backed by occupation forces. Across multiple towns, settlers have attacked homes, seized property, and sparked confrontations amid a surge in violence since 2022.