All articles tagged with #palestinians
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation condemned Israel’s reportedly secret approval of 34 new West Bank settlements, calling it a grave violation of international law that undermines the two-state solution; the move adds to ongoing expansion since 2022 and drew condemnations from the EU and Sweden, while Israel has not issued an official comment.
Three Israeli sources say the security cabinet secretly approved the legalization of over 30 settler outposts and farms in the occupied West Bank last month, a move not announced by top ministers. The decision, part of a broader government push to expand settlements, was kept quiet amid rising settler violence and international criticism. The plan reportedly includes infrastructure like electricity and water; Peace Now notes a record 86 new outposts in 2025. Palestinians condemned the move as a dangerous escalation and a violation of international law, while the IDF warned it is strained by the violence and authorities readied a directive to crack down on nationalist crimes and bolster West Bank security.
Israel’s Knesset passed a law making the death penalty the default punishment for Palestinians convicted of fatal attacks by military courts in the occupied West Bank, with executions to be carried out by hanging within 90 days of sentencing and limited avenues for appeal; the measure, backed by hard-right parties, drew sharp condemnation from UN experts, the EU and several Western governments over concerns it breaches international law and discriminates against Palestinians, though supporters say it strengthens deterrence and national security. The law can still be reviewed by Israel’s Supreme Court.
Democratic lawmakers condemned violent West Bank settler attacks as Palestinian casualties rose, urging accountability and sanctions, amid growing scrutiny of pro-Israel donors like AIPAC and a shift in U.S. public opinion highlighted by UN findings of settlement expansion and displacement.
Israel's Knesset moved a controversial bill to a final vote that would allow death sentences for Palestinians convicted of terrorism, with executions within 90 days, a simple majority in courts, and reduced avenues for appeals or clemency for those under occupation; the measure would also empower West Bank military courts and has drawn international criticism and warnings of potential legal jeopardy for Israeli officials.
Extremist settlers launched a wave of arson and vandalism in the occupied West Bank after the death of an 18-year-old settler, torching homes, vehicles and fields in villages including Jalud and Qaryut; more than 20 attacks were reported overnight as Israeli forces and police deployed to the area, with injuries among Palestinians and calls for revenge circulating in settler groups, amid rising violence tied to regional tensions.
Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian villages in the West Bank, triggering clashes and property damage as security forces moved to secure the area, underscoring ongoing violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israeli settlers torched homes and vehicles in al-Fandaqumiya and Seilat al-Dahr near Jenin, wounding at least one resident, with additional attacks reported in Masafer Yatta and other West Bank sites during Eid al-Fitr—part of a broader surge of settler violence in the occupied territory.
UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese says Israel has systematically tortured Palestinians in custody in the occupied territories since Oct 2023, with thousands detained and widespread abuse, urging international action and possible ICC warrants for senior Israeli officials.
A Palestinian shepherd in the West Bank village of Khirbet Humsa says masked Israeli settlers stormed the community, bound him, zip-tied his genitals, beat him, and paraded him through the village; relatives and two foreign activists corroborate the account. Israeli police say they are investigating and have arrested seven suspects, with Shin Bet involvement, amid ongoing concerns about settler violence in the occupied territories.
An undercover Israeli border police unit killed four members of a Palestinian family in Tamoun, West Bank—two young brothers and their parents—who were returning from Ramadan shopping; two siblings survived. Authorities say the car posed an immediate threat as it accelerated, but the incident, part of a broader spike in West Bank violence, is being reviewed and ambulances faced delays as the car was towed.
Three Palestinians were killed in the occupied West Bank in attacks linked to Israeli settlers—two shot in Khirbet Abu Falah and a third who died from tear gas fumes; a later report cites a separate fatal attack in Masafer Yatta. Israeli forces say they are investigating the incidents while officials condemn the killings amid rising settler violence in the region.
A Gallup poll shows Americans' sympathies now tilt toward the Palestinians (41% vs. 36% for Israelis), a shift led by independents and Democrats that ends a long Israeli lead. Still, Israel is viewed more favorably overall (46% vs. 37%), and 57% support a two-state solution, a 23-year high.
More than 80 current and former Berlinale participants, including Javier Bardem, Tilda Swinton and Adam McKay, signed an open letter condemning the festival’s alleged silence on Gaza and censorship of artists, urging Berlinale to publicly oppose Israel’s actions and defend free speech amid rising international boycotts and debates about the politics of cinema.
Israel advanced a plan to register large swaths of the occupied West Bank’s Area C as state land, a move Palestinians call de facto annexation. The measure, covering about 60% of the territory and affecting hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and settlers, would create an official mechanism to register land for state control. Israel frames it as an administrative step to bring order to land ownership, but critics say it breaches international law and deepens the occupation. Peace Now called it a massive land grab, drawing condemnation from the Palestinian presidency and international bodies such as the UN and EU, while noting US opposition to annexation amid broader moves to expand Israeli governance in the area.