News about West Bank

Israeli police arrested 10 suspects over violent incidents involving foreigners in the West Bank over the weekend, including attacks on a Washington Post photographer and a European diplomatic delegation. Local media said the suspects were Israeli settlers, though police have not identified them. Netanyahu's office said the diplomats' visit had not been coordinated with the military, while the EU condemned the attack and urged accountability and a halt to settlement expansion. With national elections next week and a coalition that relies on far-right partners such as Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, Netanyahu faces competing pressures from right-wing voters and Western allies. Britain has imposed an import ban on settlement goods and the Netherlands a trade ban on settlement products, while 61 Israeli economists warned that settler violence poses a grave economic risk.

Israeli police arrested 10 suspects over weekend attacks on foreigners in the West Bank, including on a Washington Post photographer and a European diplomatic delegation, a rare step amid growing international alarm over settler attacks on Palestinians. Netanyahu's office said the diplomats' visit was not coordinated with the military, while the EU condemned the attack and called for accountability. With elections next week and polls showing a tight race, Netanyahu's coalition relies on far-right partners Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who strongly back settlement expansion. Western pressure is also rising, with 12 nations announcing coordinated trade restrictions on West Bank settlements and 61 Israeli economists warning that settler violence poses economic risks. A survey by the Israel Democracy Institute found nearly two-thirds of Jewish Israelis, including most right-wing voters, agree that violence against Palestinians damages Israel's international legitimacy.