Israeli settlers are intensifying efforts to evict Palestinians in East Jerusalem, often using archaeological claims, and increasing attacks across the West Bank. These actions are occurring while global attention is diverted by the Iran war.
More than a week after a shooting near a West Bank school killed a teenage boy and a man, a mother mourns her son, as the community remains on edge and fears further violence from Israeli settlers and the military.
Israeli strikes reportedly killed at least 12-13 people in Gaza and several in Lebanon, despite an extended ceasefire, marking a significant escalation of violence in the region.
Several Arab and Islamic countries, including Qatar, Jordan, UAE, and Pakistan, have issued condemnations against recent Israeli violations and incursions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other Jerusalem holy sites. They collectively denounced the actions as violations.
Approximately 40 Israeli settlers illegally crossed the border into Syrian territory, with some reportedly barricading themselves in a building. The Israeli military (IDF) intervened and returned the individuals to Israel.
Israeli settlers reportedly blocked the path of Palestinian pupils to their school using barbed wire. This action prevented the children from accessing their educational facility.
More than 200 Israeli settlers, accompanied by a rabbi, reportedly stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound under police protection, according to a Waqf official.
An analysis explores Israel's undeclared borders and the concept of "Greater Israel," a biblical idea of extending the country's territory that is gaining traction among Israeli settlers and ministers.
Israel launched an attack on Iran's largest petrochemical complex, identified by some reports as the South Pars facility. The Israeli Defense Minister confirmed the strike, stating the complex accounts for approximately half of Iran's petrochemical production.
Israeli settlers, accompanied by police, have taken over 13 Palestinian apartments in East Jerusalem, continuing a policy of displacement supported by court decisions.
At least 10 Palestinians were injured in attacks by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank on March 23, as the group rampaged through villages after a funeral for an 18-year-old settler killed in a car crash.
Israeli settlers targeted Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank, attacking people and properties, following the death of 18-year-old settler Yehuda Sherman, who was reportedly hit by a Palestinian-driven vehicle.
Palestinian authorities have called on the European Union to reject the "systematic" violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers, denouncing killings and attacks and demanding accountability from the perpetrators. The EU has strongly condemned the violence in the Gaza Strip.
The European Union delegation and several European countries have condemned the escalating violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
The United Nations has issued a warning about a sharp increase in violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, raising concerns about the risk of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, which could constitute a war crime.
Israeli settlers reportedly shot and injured several Palestinians, and in a separate incident, stole approximately 100 sheep from Palestinians, according to the Wafa news agency.
The war between the US, Israel, and Iran has intensified with heavy strikes on Iranian targets and regional expansion, leading to nearly 800,000 people displaced and a serious humanitarian emergency.
Two brothers were killed during an attack by Israeli settlers. As war with Iran rages, settlement expansion in the West Bank is continuing at an unprecedented pace, with almost total impunity.
A Palestinian man was seriously wounded after illegal Israeli settlers opened fire on his vehicle south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian media on Thurs...
Residents of the Palestinian village of Susiya reported that Israeli settlers set fire to vehicles and tents, in the latest incident of settler violence in the West Bank.
Israeli settlers reportedly attempted to set fire to a part of the Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Mosque in Tell village, near Nablus, and wrote racist slogans on its walls.
Israeli planes sprayed chemicals on farmland in Quneitra, Syria in late January and early February, 2026. Farmers say that their crops yellowed and died in just a few days and that they lost dozens of hectares of farmland. There have been similar reports of the Israeli Army spraying fields in southern Lebanon and of Israeli settlers doing the same in the West Bank.
• Pakistan asks international community to reject provocative decision allowing takeover of occupied land as state property
• EU calls annexation illegal, Arab nations denounce ‘threat to peace efforts’
• Israel imposes restrictions, deploys police around Al-Aqsa
JERUSALEM / ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan denounced the latest Israeli move to convert areas of the West Bank into “state property”, the UN chief called upon Tel Aviv to reverse its new, “unlawful” policy allowing registration of the occupied land in the occupied territory as state property.
Israel’s foreign ministry claimed the measure, approved late on Sunday, would enable “transparent and thorough clarification of rights to resolve legal disputes” but the move drew strong condemnations from across the globe for its violation of international law.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said this new measure was destabilising and unlawful, according to a statement by his spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
Pakistan also denounced the step as a clear violation of international law as well as relevant United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions. Islamabad urged the international community to reject the decision, said a statement issued by the Foreign Office spokesperson. It added that the occupying power continued to disregard international law and its provocative actions undermined the prospects for a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the region.
“Pakistan calls on the international community to take concrete measures to end Israeli impunity, and ensure respect for international law,” the spokesperson added.
‘Undermine peace efforts’
Arab nations Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and Jordan also criticised the move as illegal. The measure is “aimed at imposing a new legal and administrative reality in the occupied West Bank” that would undermine peace efforts in the region, Saudi Arabia’s foreign affairs ministry said in a statement.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II said the actions “undermine efforts to restore calm and threaten to exacerbate the conflict,” according to a statement released by the royal court.
The European Union called on Israel to reverse the move. “This constitutes a new escalation after recent measures already aimed at extending Israeli control,” EU foreign affairs spokesman Anouar El Anouni said. “We reiterate that annexation is illegal under international law.”
The Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority called for international intervention to prevent the “de facto beginning of the annexation process and the undermining of the foundations of the Palestinian state”.
Israeli anti-settlement watchdog Peace Now called the measure a “mega land grab”. Jonathan Mizrachi, the NGO’s co-director, told AFP that the move would attribute new resources for land registration.
“There was a lot of ambiguity regarding the land, and Israel decided now to deal with it,” Mizrachi said, adding that the grey area over Area C land ownership was likely to be used against Palestinians.
“A lot of land that Palestinians consider theirs, they will find out it’s not theirs under this new registration process,” he said, believing the move would further the Israeli right’s annexation agenda.
Changing demography
Palestinians see the West Bank as foundational to any future Palestinian state, but many on Israel’s religious right want to take over the land.
The latest Israeli initiatives come in the wider context of increasing attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, according to rights groups.
“We are witnessing rapid steps to change permanently the demography of the occupied Palestinian territory, stripping its people of their lands and forcing them to leave,” UN rights chief Volker Turk said in a recent statement.
US President Donald Trump has opposed Israel’s annexation of the West Bank, saying stability in the territory helps keep Israel secure.
However, he has held off from directly criticising the new Israeli measures, despite the international outrage.
Excluding Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, more than 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements and outposts, which are illegal under international law.
Around three million Palestinians live in the territory, which Israel has occupied since 1967.
Al-Aqsa restrictions
Israeli police said Monday that they would deploy in force around the Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramazan, as Palestinian officials accused Israel of imposing restrictions at the compound.
Over the course of the month of fasting and prayer, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians traditionally attend prayers at Islam’s third-holiest site. Arad Braverman, a senior Jerusalem police officer, said forces would be deployed “day and night” across the compound, adding that thousands of police would also be on duty for Friday prayers.
Braverman said police had recommended issuing 10,000 permits for Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, who require special permission to enter Jerusalem.
The Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate said it had been informed that permits would again be restricted to men over 55.
Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2026
This article provides a commentary on the ongoing suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, noting that over 800 civilians have been killed and conditions remain dire six months after a ceasefire, alongside a surge in violence from Israeli settlers and soldiers.
The article reports on allegations that Israeli settlers are using water as a weapon against Palestinians in the West Bank, detailing an incident where masked men cut a fence at a pumping station.
Groups of Israeli settlers reportedly crossed into Syria and Lebanon this week with the aim of establishing new settlements in areas currently under Israeli military occupation.
Israeli activists crossed the border into Syria and were forcibly returned by the army, highlighting growing tensions around plans for new Jewish settlements.
Israeli settlers launched a deadly attack in the West Bank, killing two Palestinians, including a 14-year-old schoolboy, near a school. The incident also involved settlers blocking children from accessing the school and setting a Palestinian home on fire.
Two Palestinians, including a 14-year-old, were killed during an attack by Israeli settlers near a school in a West Bank village. Witnesses reported that settlers attacked the village, leading to clashes where Israeli forces also opened fire, resulting in the fatalities and several injuries.
Palestinian children have protested against Israeli settlers and troops who are blocking the only safe route to their school, preventing their access to education.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has outlined conditions for a potential agreement with Lebanon, stating that the disbandment of Hezbollah is a primary goal while Israeli forces continue strikes against the group. He also commented on a possible truce with Iran, emphasizing Israel's readiness for any future conflict scenario.
Israeli settlers, under the protection of Israeli police, reportedly stormed the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in Jerusalem on Monday, with an extreme Jewish rabbi performing a religious ritual.
Pedro Sanchez underlined the need for the European Union to play a more active and leading role on the international stage, not only militarily but also in terms of values.
Kryeministri Edi Rama, i pyetur për turizmin këtë vit dhe pasojat e luftës në Lindjen e Mesme, u shpreh nga Durrësi ku zhvilloi takim me strukturat e PS në këtë qark se, vendet që po e pësojnë nga…
Israel constructed 6,000 housing units in the occupied Palestinian West Bank between December and March, coinciding with an escalation of violence by Israeli settlers in the region.
Israeli settlers have rampaged through West Bank towns for a second consecutive night, attacking people and properties, setting fire to homes and cars, and injuring at least nine Palestinians, in violence that began in retaliation for the death of 18-year-old settler Yehuda Sherman. This surge in settler violence coincides with the Israeli government's continued expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that nine people were injured, one by gunfire, after an attack by Israeli settlers on the village of Deir Hatab in the West Bank.
Israel's Foreign Minister publicly accused a German envoy of having an "obsession" with Israeli settlers during an online exchange, revealing diplomatic tensions.
Israeli settlers have reportedly set fire to homes and cars near Jenin in the West Bank, leading to casualties amid widespread violence across the occupied territory.
A Palestinian man has reported that he was sexually assaulted by Israeli settlers in front of his family, an incident that highlights ongoing tensions in the region.
A Palestinian man in the West Bank has reported that he was sexually assaulted by Israeli settlers, prompting concerns about settler violence in the region.
Israeli settlers reportedly attacked the Palestinian village of Khirbet Humsa, where witnesses described brutal abuse of residents, including sexual assault and beatings.
Israeli settlers have intensified attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in recent days, while the Israeli army has imposed road blockades due to the war with Iran, and medical teams warn...
US says its firepower will ‘surge dramatically’ and IDF warns of ‘surprises ahead’, as Iran launches retaliatory strikes
Middle East crisis – live updates
Israel and the US have bombarded Iran and…
More than 30 US senators have signed a letter demanding an investigation into the killing of a ninth American by Israeli settlers or soldiers in the West Bank, citing a pattern of deaths without justice.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah announced that two Palestinians died after an attack by Israeli settlers in a village in the northern part of the occupied West Bank on Monday. The Israeli army confirmed the incident to Agence France-Presse.
The US embassy has decided to offer consular services to Israeli settlers in West Bank settlements, a move many consider a violation of international law.
Israeli settlers are reportedly continuing attacks on Palestinian residents in the occupied West Bank, with local residents claiming the Israeli army is assisting them.
Dozens of Israeli settlers, under police protection, entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during Ramadan and performed rituals, despite a ban on Jewish prayer there.
Nasrallah Abu Siyam shot dead in occupied West Bank as UN human rights office accuses Israel of war crimes
Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank shot and killed a Palestinian American man during an attack on a village, the Palestinian health ministry and a witness have said.
Raed Abu Ali, a resident of Mukhmas, said a group of settlers came to the village on Wednesday afternoon where they attacked a farmer, prompting clashes after residents intervened.
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Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank shot and killed a Palestinian American man during an attack on a village, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
Hamdan Ballal, brother of the co-director of the Oscar-winning film 'No Other Land,' was injured during an attack by Israeli settlers on his family home in the West Bank.
Following the arson of a Palestinian home, Israeli settlers have reportedly returned to the area, with their presence observed under the watch of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are expressing fears for their children's safety after an attack at a school killed two people, including a 14-year-old, which they attribute to Israeli settlers.
Israeli settlers have reportedly attacked Palestinians and set fire to a Palestinian home in the occupied West Bank village of Jalud. The incident highlights ongoing tensions and violence in the region.
Dozens of Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound under the protection of police, as tensions continue to escalate and restrictions are tightened in East Jerusalem.
Qatar has strongly condemned Israeli settlers storming the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and raising the Israeli flag, calling it a flagrant violation of international law and urging action to stop repeated breaches.
Israeli settlers reportedly entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem, where they raised an Israeli flag and performed rituals in front of the Dome of the Rock, violating the established s
A Tufts University graduate, Rumeysa Ozturk, who was targeted by the Trump administration for deportation, has returned to Turkey following a legal battle. The pro-Palestinian scholar had been subject to an immigration push by the DHS.
A 23-year-old Palestinian man was killed by gunfire during an attack by Israeli settlers in a village northwest of Ramallah, according to the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry, signaling an escalation of violence.
A Palestinian was shot dead during an attack by Israeli settlers on a village in the occupied West Bank. The incident occurred as former security chiefs warned that "government sponsored Jewish terrorism" was spiraling out of control.
According to the military, several soldiers were dispatched to a site near Tayasir, a Palestinian village, where several Palestinians had reportedly begun throwing rocks at Israeli settlers.
The Israeli army announced that one of its soldiers was killed 'in battle' in southern Lebanon, an area where Israel and the pro-Iranian Shiite organization have been clashing for over a month.
Amid a surge in violent attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, often with Israeli forces standing by, pro-Israel Democrats, including AIPAC-backed lawmakers, have denounced the 'extremist' violence, highlighting how support for Israel is becoming a political liability.
Israeli settlers were filmed vandalizing a Palestinian high school in the occupied West Bank, raising an Israeli flag and reportedly using hateful slogans like "'A Good Arab Is a Dead One'".
Jewish extremist settlers attacked Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank, setting fire to homes and cars over the weekend in retaliation for the death of an 18-year-old Israeli boy.
Israeli settlers have violently stormed multiple Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank, torching homes and vehicles and causing injuries. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned these actions as organized terrorism and part of a genocidal campaign.
Diplomatic missions from the European Union and several European countries in Jerusalem and Ramallah have condemned the resurgence of violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
A Palestinian man claims Israeli settlers sexually assaulted him, tying his genitalia with zip ties and parading him naked in front of his family, during a mid-March attack in the occupied West Bank.
The man said his attackers stripped him naked, beat him and zip-tied his genitalia, an account corroborated by family members and a rights activist who were also beaten.
A Portuguese activist was reportedly beaten by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. A group of settlers is suspected of invading a Palestinian village, sexually assaulting a man, and assaulting and threatening women and children.
Israeli forces opened fire on a vehicle in the occupied West Bank, killing a Palestinian family of four, including two children, in Tammun. Two brothers are reported to be the only survivors of the attack, which occurred amidst a surge of deadly violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers in the region.
A rifle-wielding man, identified as a Lebanese immigrant who lost relatives in an Israeli strike in Lebanon, attacked a Detroit-area synagogue and was killed in a shootout. Police operations were underway following the gunfire exchange.
Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque in the West Bank and spray-painted racist slogans on its walls. Police have condemned the incident and are searching for the perpetrators.
Israeli settlers violently attacked a 71-year-old foreign woman and a 51-year-old foreign man who were acting as 'solidarity activists' in the occupied West Bank.
The US embassy's decision to offer consular services to illegal Israeli settlers, who are reportedly burning Palestinian homes, has been criticized as a violation of international law.
Nasrallah Abu Siyam, 19, was shot dead by an Israeli settler, according to a witness and Palestinian health officials, amid rising violent settler attacks in the Israeli-occupied territory.
Hamdan Ballal, co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary 'No Other Land,' has reported another attack by Israeli settlers on his family, resulting in his brother's hospitalization and other family members' arrests.