West Bank

Israel Says to End ‘Administrative Detention’ for West Bank Settlers

Israeli authorities will stop holding Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank under administrative detention, or incarceration without trial, the defense ministry announced Friday. The practice allows for detainees to be held for long periods without being charged or appear in court, and is often used against Palestinians who Israel deems ...

US Impose Sanctions on West Bank Settlement Organization

On Tuesday, the US Treasury Department, through the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), announced sanctions against Amana, an organization involved in the development of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Amana's subsidiary, Binyanei Bar Amana Ltd (BBA), which specializes in the construction and sale of housing in the occupied ...

The Palestinian Cause Cannot Be Undermined

The world is closely watching the gradual steps that US President-elect Donald Trump intends to take, when he returns to the White House after a four-year absence. Among these steps are his anticipated policies regarding the burning issues worldwide and specifically in the Middle East — namely, the Gaza and Lebanon wars, which have claimed ...

Israel Army Tells North Gaza Residents to Leave 'Combat Zone'

The Israeli military called for the evacuation of several areas in northern Gaza on Thursday, again warning that Palestinian militants were launching rockets from there. "We inform you that the designated area is considered a dangerous combat zone. For your safety, move south immediately," military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a ...

Israel’s Diplomatic “Bulldozer” Israel Katz Appointed as Minister of Defense

While the world’s attention is focused on the U.S. presidential election, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed his Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant. He has promptly replaced him with his Foreign Minister, Israel Katz—a choice that appears deliberate, as Katz is known for his loyalty to the Prime Minister. The ...

What Implications for Israel’s Termination of UNRWA Agreement?

Israel has officially terminated its agreement with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). On Monday, Tel Aviv formally informed the UN of this decision, which had been approved by an overwhelming parliamentary majority the week before. Historically fraught with deep-rooted disagreements, Israel's ...

Israeli Settlers Burn Cars in West Bank Attack

Israeli settlers torched nearly 20 cars early Monday in the occupied West Bank city of Al-Bireh near Ramallah, according to the Palestinian civil defense and an Israeli security source. An AFP journalist saw several cars completely charred, and the blackened facade of the five-storey building outside which they were parked. An alert rang "at ...

Israel Notifies UN of Intention to Cut UNRWA Ties

Israel said Monday it had formally notified the United Nations of its decision to sever ties with UNRWA, the agency supporting Palestinian refugees, after lawmakers voted to ban the organisation. "On the instruction of Foreign Minister Israel Katz, the ministry of foreign affairs notified the UN of the cancellation of the agreement between the ...

West Bank Camp Fears Future After UNRWA Office Raid

Residents of the Nour Shams camp in the occupied West Bank are fearful for their future after an Israeli raid this week damaged the UN agency for Palestinian refugees office there. The 13,000 inhabitants of the camp near the northern city of Tulkarem depend heavily on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees ...

‘Nobody Cares About Us’: US Election Doubts in the West Bank

As Palestinian-American entrepreneur Jamal Zaglul stood by his olive press at the end of harvest season in the occupied West Bank, his mind was far away on next week's US election. Like other US passport holders living in Turmus Aya -- where they form the majority -- he was sceptical the ballot would bring change to the region. "Here we have ...

International Outcry as Israel Bans UNRWA

Israel's parliament on Monday approved a bill banning the main UN aid agency for the war-devastated Gaza Strip, sparking international outcry. Despite objections from the United States and warnings from the UN Security Council, Israeli lawmakers overwhelmingly passed the bill banning the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, ...

Palestinian Man Killed in Attempted Knife Attack on Israeli Soldiers in West Bank

A Palestinian man was killed on Sunday as he tried to attack soldiers with a knife during an “anti-terrorist” operation in Hizma, north of Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli army announced. The man, whose identity was not given, “accelerated in his car towards soldiers who were carrying out an anti-terrorist operation in the ...