All articles tagged with #west bank
Israel’s High Court temporarily halted a ban that would have forced 37 international aid groups to stop work or meet new licensing rules, delaying a March deadline and preserving humanitarian operations in Gaza and the West Bank while the case is reviewed. NGOs argue the measures threaten essential aid and are politically motivated, even as there are ongoing claims of ties to armed groups and security concerns.
BBC-verified CCTV and eyewitness accounts show 14-year-old Jad Jadallah was shot at close range during an Israeli raid on Al-Far’a refugee camp in the West Bank and lay bleeding for at least 45 minutes as soldiers stood nearby; ambulances were reportedly blocked and his body remains in Israeli custody, with no independent autopsy comments provided. Israel has withheld Palestinian bodies and labeled Jadallah a “terrorist” without public evidence. The case adds to broader patterns of withheld remains and child fatalities in the occupied territory, with Jadallah one of 55 children killed last year in the area.
Alex Skopic reports that Nasrallah Abu Siyam, a 19-year-old Palestinian living in Mukhmas and a U.S. citizen born in Philadelphia, was fatally shot during a Feb. 18 raid by Israeli settlers aided by IDF forces as they tried to steal livestock; the piece catalogs a surge in West Bank violence and argues that U.S. officials, especially Pennsylvania's Governor Josh Shapiro and Senator John Fetterman, have failed to publicly condemn the killing, contrasting with comments from Rashida Tlaib and Brendan Boyle; the author accuses Shapiro and Fetterman of prioritizing support for Israel over protecting their own constituents and questions Shapiro's suitability for a future presidential run.
The piece explains what the “Greater Israel” concept means (with multiple definitions ranging from biblical borders to broader territory), traces its resurfacing after remarks by US envoy Mike Huckabee and Israeli leader Yair Lapid, and describes how mainstream Israeli policy on annexations and settlements differs from fringe calls for expansive borders. It notes Israel’s historical expansions (1948 state formation, 1967 occupations) and ongoing control of the West Bank, Golan Heights, and Gaza, while highlighting regional backlash from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and others who warn that such ideas threaten sovereignty and regional stability. The article frames the debate as a shift in Israeli discourse—where far-right figures in government align more with broader expansionist talk—potentially heightening tensions in a volatile region.
Jordan’s parliament unanimously voted to strike mentions of Israel from the minutes of a debate on US Ambassador Mike Huckabee’s comments about West Bank reforms, with MP Hail Ayash saying the Jewish state’s name represents an enemy to Jordanians; Speaker Mazen al-Qadi said Huckabee’s statements violated international law and the UN charter. Other MPs called for summoning the US ambassador and some urged referring to Israel as the “usurping entity,” reflecting a hardline stance on Palestinian issues even though Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel 31 years ago.
Israeli settlers defaced and set fire to the Abu Bakr as-Siddiq Mosque near Nablus in the occupied West Bank during Ramadan, with graffiti denigrating the Prophet and claims of attackers fleeing after pouring fuel. The incident follows a broader surge of settler and military violence in the area, drawing UN and rights groups’ warnings about a coercive environment and potential displacement of Palestinians.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that human rights are being pushed back worldwide, citing widespread abuses of international law and civilian suffering in Sudan, Gaza and Ukraine, while humanitarian needs surge and funding collapses; he urged an end to abuses and highlighted risks to a two-state solution amid Israeli actions in the West Bank.
Arab and Muslim governments condemned US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee for saying Israel could take a large stretch of land on biblical grounds; Huckabee said the remark was hyperbolic and not a current plan, but a UAE-led statement warned the comments violate international law, oppose annexation of the West Bank, and could undermine efforts to end the Gaza war, reaffirming that Israel has no sovereignty over Occupied Palestinian Territory.
U.S. ambassador Mike Huckabee said Israel has a right to land across much of the Middle East, drawing swift condemnation from Egypt, Jordan, the OIC and the Arab League who called the remarks extremist and inflammatory; Israel and the U.S. had no immediate comment. The remarks come amid long-standing border disputes and ongoing Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank, with broader questions about Palestinian statehood and regional stability.
The family of Nasrallah Abu Siyam, a 19-year-old Palestinian-American, demands accountability after he was fatally shot by an Israeli settler near Ramallah in the West Bank; the incident is part of ongoing concerns about settler violence and impunity, with the US monitoring the situation and Israel launching an operational review.
Palestinian American Nasrallah Abu Siyam, 19, was killed by Israeli settlers during an attack on a village near Ramallah in the West Bank as clashes with residents erupted; Israeli forces reportedly used riot-dispersal methods, and the incident underscores a surge in West Bank violence and international concern over accountability for settlers and ongoing settlement expansion.
More than 80 UN member states (from 85) condemned Israel's moves to expand control in the West Bank, calling unilateral steps a violation of international law and possibly a de facto annexation. They urged reversal, opposing changes to the territory’s demographic and legal status after Israel advanced measures including land registration as state property and tighter control over areas administered by the Palestinian Authority; the UN secretary-general also urged reversal, citing destabilising and unlawful implications.
Israel’s cabinet move to register large parts of the occupied West Bank as state land, bypassing the military administration, is read in Jordan as a de facto annexation and a ‘silent transfer’ aimed at eroding Palestinian land rights and shaping a regional crisis. Jordanian officials warn the shift could trigger displacement and strategic upheaval, prompting calls for mobilization, conscription, and new regional alliances as US backing appears to wane and settlement expansion accelerates. The situation marks a pivotal moment for Jordan’s security and its diplomacy in a rapidly shifting Middle East.
Israel approved a process to register land in the occupied West Bank as ‘state property,’ limited to Area C, a move critics call the de facto start of annexation. Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, and the EU condemned the measure as illegal under international law, while Israel says it clarifies ownership and resolves disputes after prior unlawful registrations. Palestinians and rights groups warn the move threatens a future Palestinian state and accelerates settlement expansion.
Israel will restart a large-scale land-registration process in Area C of the occupied West Bank, potentially transferring ownership to the state and enabling development, a move labeled a 'mega land grab' by Palestinians and prompting international concern over possible de facto annexation.