Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged Israel’s military to wage war in the occupied West Bank as it did in Gaza, including dismantling the Palestinian Authority. A Sukkot closure restricts Palestinian movement there through October 3.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recorded more than 1,330 settler-related attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank from January to late July, averaging six a day—the highest rate in about 20 years. Settler groups, often supported or protected by Israeli soldiers, have carried out attacks including shootings and home sieges. Rights groups warn settlers increasingly carry military-issued weapons and wear military uniforms.
On Sunday, hundreds of Israelis entered the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque under heavy protection from Israeli police. Wafa reported they entered through the Moroccan Gate and performed Talmudic rituals; Israeli forces also increased restrictions around the mosque and Jerusalem’s Old City.
