Settlements

Katz's West Bank plan raises questions on pressure in Israeli society after Kusra events - analysis

The Kusra siege has drawn rare US criticism and intensified debate over Israel’s failure to restrain violent factions as the government considers transferring civilian law enforcement from the IDF.

|ByGIORGIA VALENTE/THE MEDIA LINE
Israeli settler extremists throw stones at a dirt road at the Palestinian village of Kusra, in the West Bank, in an attempt to block the movement of Palestinians and Israeli forces, August 12, 2026
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich at the Sderot Yeshiva, August 16, 2026.

Smotrich calls on Netanyahu to conquer Gaza under military rule, re-establish settlements

"There is no one in the world who will do the work for us. There is no country in the world that will send its soldiers to shed their blood and forcibly disarm Hamas," he told the students.

|ByLEO FEIERBERG BETTER
Israeli settlers are evacuated from illegal outpost Givat Or Yehuda, in the southern Hebron hills, on August 17, 2026.

IDF, COGAT evacuate illegal outpost near Hebron three months after residents attack police - report

The outpost, known as Givat Or Yehuda, was reportedly the site of a violent incident three months earlier, which Army Radio cited as the reason for Monday's evacuation.

|ByMAYA ZANGER-SHAMIR
Israeli army soldiers stand near a Palestinian house which was besieged by Israeli settlers in Kusra village in the West Bank August 13, 2026.

Transfer of West Bank authority to police a 'step toward Israeli annexation,' Ben-Gvir declares

Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the military will present a plan for the transfer within the next two weeks, amid the ongoing violent clashes in Kusra.

|ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Israel should kill ‘30-40’ Gazans every night, Ben-Gvir says on ex-hostage’s podcast

"I think that we need to do targeted strikes in Gaza every night, take out 30, 40 - not just those who endanger us in that moment," Ben-Gvir said.

AUGUST 17, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Otzma Yehudit party chairman and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, together with members of his party, attends a supporters’ conference ahead of the upcoming general elections in Petah Tikva, central Israel, August 16, 2026.

Shepherd attacked by Palestinians in West Bank, as gunshots fired at Israeli settlement

The Binyamin Regional Council noted that both forms of attacks are becoming more common despite rarely receiving public attention.

AUGUST 15, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
MAN walks in the Jewish outpost of Yahish Zion, near the Jewish settlement of Psagot, in the West Bank; Illustrative.

MKs attend reestablishment of West Bank settlement of Ganim, 21 years after disengagement

Katz and MK Yuli Edelstein attended the inauguration ceremony, breaking ground alongside Samaria Regional Council Yossi Dagan and several other members of Knesset.

AUGUST 13, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
Jews return to the former settlement of Ganim in the northern West Bank, which was evacuated in 2005 as part of Israel’s Disengagement Plan, August 13, 2026.

Settler leaders condemn Kusra violence, warn of ‘irreversible damage’ to Israel

Yesha Council chairman Yisrael Ganz and Beit El council head Shai Alon condemn extremists, with Alon warning that the violence is causing “irreversible damage” to Israel and the settlement movement.

AUGUST 13, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Footage showing extremist settlers running in the West Bank village of Kusra, August 12, 2026.

'We feel besieged': Family vows to stay as settler extremists target West Bank town of Kusra

Palestinian local Qusai Abu Ridi told the Post settlers remain near the family’s home, despite military efforts to remove them, leaving the family fearful of further attacks.

AUGUST 13, 2026ByDANA BEN-SHIMON
Israeli soldiers (top) stand guard next to settlers in front of the Palestinian houses in the village of Kusra, south of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, on August 12, 2026.

Israel's failure to restrain violent Jewish extremists in West Bank reaches new low - analysis

How much longer before the IDF entirely loses the power to enforce order on violent Jewish extremists?

AUGUST 12, 2026ByYONAH JEREMY BOB
The damage following an attack by Israeli settlers in the village of Tell, near the West Bank city of Nablus, July 25, 2026.

Several activists returned to Israel, transfered to police after crossing border into Lebanon

The activists claimed that they remained within Lebanese territory for hours before they were located by authorities and transferred to the Israel Police.

AUGUST 5, 2026ByAMIR BOHBOT, ESTHER DAVIS, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Israeli soldiers are seen inside southern Lebanon as seen from the Israeli side of the border, June 7, 2026.

‘Zionist act of highest order’: Smotrich allocates NIS 113m. to develop West Bank heritage sites

The West Bank is home to over 2,600 archaeological and heritage sites, including the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, the Qumran Caves in the Judean Desert, and Sebastia. 

AUGUST 4, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
People visit Herodion National Park at the site in the West Bank, on January 9, 2023.

Katz vows 'revolution in settlement' to strengthen Galilee security, Jewish presence in North

The conference convened with the aim of establishing a 10-year plan for encouraging Jewish settlement in the Galilee focused on demographics, land, quality of life, and law enforcement. 

AUGUST 3, 2026ByGOLDIE KATZ
Defense Minister Israel Katz attends an emergency conference for the Forum for Judaizing the Galilee on August 2, 2026.

UN human rights office warns of worsening settler violence in West Bank as attacks keep increasing

The UN human rights office warned that settler violence and settlement expansion in the West Bank have intensified, urging international action.

JULY 29, 2026ByREUTERS
Israeli soldiers inspect the damage following an attack by Israeli settlers in the village of Sarra, near the West Bank city of Nablus, July 24, 2026.