Turmus Ayya, a West Bank town, anchors an unusual blend of agriculture, life-saving eye care and cross-border ties—now in headlines amid settler violence and regional diplomacy.
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.
US Ambassador Mike Huckabee has met Palestinian Americans in Turmus Ayya amid rising settler violence in the occupied West Bank. He has described the violence as criminal and says the U.S. will press for action, while stressing there is no plan to displace Palestinians from Gaza. The visit follows a spate of attacks by Israeli settlers and comes as Washington and its allies scrutinise Israeli settlement activity and the broader conflict.
Netanyahu has a brief US visit to address the UN General Assembly. He is not spending the night in the US, cancelling a Texas stop, and flights are being redirected amid security concerns and protests. The ICC warrants and political tensions frame the trip, with protests anticipated in New York.
Masked Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinian olive pickers and foreign visitors during this month’s harvest, seriously injuring Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine and wounding dozens of Palestinians. Israeli police have detained 10 people and seized vehicles, while rights groups say prosecutions for settler violence are rare and incidents have surged across the West Bank.
Palestinian olive harvests in the West Bank have been marred by escalating settler violence. Across multiple villages, harvesters are attacked, olives and property are damaged, and journalists and diplomats have been assaulted. Israeli authorities have faced calls for accountability as clashes intensify ahead of local elections.