All articles tagged with #west bank
US Representative Ro Khanna says he was detained for about 90 minutes by armed Israeli settlers during a West Bank visit. Israeli forces later intervened and dispersed the settlers, with Khanna saying troops sided with the settlers. He was in Khirbet Zanuta to observe the occupation’s impact, a trip tied to his discussions as he weighs a potential 2028 presidential bid.
US Rep. Ro Khanna says he and a delegation were detained for about 90 minutes by armed Israeli settlers during a West Bank visit, with settlers blocking their convoy and the IDF arriving on the settlers’ side; he described the scene as a stark reminder of Palestinians’ daily realities under occupation and questioned the balance of U.S. support for Israel, noting the encounter ended after the US embassy and Israeli police intervened and that he is considering a 2028 presidential bid.
Four Israeli settlers were arrested after attacking CNN and other journalists in the occupied West Bank near Sinjil while covering the one-year anniversary of Saif Musallet's killing, with assailants blocking roads, using wooden/metal rods and stones, and one brandishing a knife to puncture tires; police seized weapons and condemned violence against media amid rising settler violence in the area.
A report charts a rising tide of anti-Christian hostility in Israel and the West Bank, including a daylight attack on a French nun in Jerusalem, widespread harassment by ultra-Orthodox and far-right groups, and growing emigration from Christian communities like Taybeh, as Vatican officials and American conservatives warn that the trend could erode Israel’s international support.
Nine-year-old Mohammad al-Halaq was shot in the West Bank during a clash with Israeli soldiers, part of a broader pattern of Palestinian child deaths in the area since October 2023, according to rights groups. The Guardian highlights other cases, including 13-year-old Rimas Amuri and 2-year-old Layla al-Khatib, and cites B’Tselem’s finding of 54 Palestinian children killed in 2025 alone; critics say there is systemic impunity, while the IDF maintains it investigates allegations and aims to minimize civilian harm; UN commissions have alleged genocide crimes against children in Gaza and the West Bank.
Israel suspended contact with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas after reports she privately likened its policies in Gaza and the West Bank to apartheid; Kallas did not retract, and Saar called it a “blood libel.” Analysts say the incident exposes internal EU leadership tensions and will likely remain symbolic rather than a full rupture, as member states push for targeted sanctions and the bloc balances human rights concerns with strategic ties to Israel in a landscape where France/Italy have moved on Palestinian statehood while Germany remains a staunch ally.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that Israel has transferred planning and construction powers for the Ibrahimi Mosque and adjacent Jewish settler areas in Hebron’s H2 to Israeli authorities, effectively altering parts of the 1997 Hebron Agreement. The move, framed by Israel as advancing sovereignty, is seen by observers as a dangerous erosion of Oslo-era arrangements and Palestinian planning autonomy, potentially increasing unilateral Israeli control amid ongoing settlement expansion. Palestinians and several international actors condemn it as infringing on governance and international law.
Seven-month-old Sam Abu Haikal was killed when an Israeli soldier opened fire into his family’s car near Hebron in the occupied West Bank; his parents were wounded as they slowed to stop, contradicting initial IDF claims that the vehicle accelerated toward troops. The military says the incident is under investigation after video from B’Tselem suggested the car was not approaching at high speed. The family, who have faced prior settler attacks, mourns Sam’s death amid ongoing West Bank violence, with UN data noting 241 West Bank children killed since October 2023.
Israel moved to seize planning and construction powers in Hebron from the Palestinian Authority, effectively scrapping parts of the 1997 Hebron Agreement that gave Palestinians control over the city, including the Ibrahimi Mosque. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s ally Smotrich announced cancellation of the Hebron agreements, but Israel’s Foreign Ministry later said there was no cancellation and that only planning for Jewish sites was addressed. The Palestinian Authority condemned the move as unlawful unilateral action, and Hebron’s mayor warned that unilateral changes breach existing understandings and could destabilize the region. Many observers view this as a step toward de facto annexation of parts of the West Bank.
An investigation shows exhibitors at London's Great Israeli Real Estate Event marketing properties in occupied territories, including settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank (e.g., Ma'ale Adunim, Kfar Eldad, Teneh Omarim). The revelations prompted calls from Mayor Sadiq Khan and MPs for scrutiny, protests outside the venue, and organizers denying wrongdoing, while UK guidance cautions against settlement-related activity.
Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh in the occupied West Bank, setting fields on fire and reportedly firing at homes, with no injuries reported; the assault follows repeated attacks linked to a nearby settlement. A UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory documents a sharp escalation in settler violence, noting 7 Palestinians killed and 832 wounded in 2025 and at least 50 killed since Oct 2023 (15 this year), accusing Israeli authorities of enabling the violence and urging steps to dismantle settlements.
Amnesty International accuses Israel of a state‑driven campaign of ethnic cleansing against Palestinian Bedouin and herding communities in Area C of the West Bank, detailing settler violence near Zanuta (Meitarim Farm) that targets tents, homes and water infrastructure and framing the violence as part of a broader policy of annexation and settlement expansion; the report calls on the international community to confront the state’s role and take action to halt the displacement.
Amnesty International says 212 outposts were created since 2023, displacing Palestinians across 27 West Bank hamlets and villages, and criticizes the international community for inaction as it alleges ethnic cleansing tied to settlement expansion and governance.
Britain, France and other Western nations announced new sanctions on Israeli settlers and settlements in the West Bank, targeting six entities and individuals involved in financing settlements or violence; France also barred four settler leaders and 21 settlers from entering its territory, while the EU has recently sanctioned Hamas leaders and Israeli settler groups. Israel criticized the measures as counterproductive, and the move follows a broader international push against settlement expansion in the occupied territories.
Amnesty International’s report accuses Israel’s current government of a state-backed campaign to formally annex Area C of the West Bank and forcibly displace Palestinian Bedouin and herding communities, backed by intensified settler violence and land grabs. It cites hundreds of outposts, mass home demolitions, and thousands displaced between 2023 and 2026, characterizing the actions as crimes under international law and a policy of ethnic cleansing. The organization calls for immediate international action—sanctions, trade and aid bans, and asset freezes on implicated officials—and urges support for ICC investigations, arguing that inaction emboldens ongoing violations and erodes the rules-based order.