Israel's 25th Knesset has completed its term, and the country is now heading toward elections scheduled for October 27. On Monday, the Democratic Party's 112,000 registered members are expected to select the candidates for its electoral list. Dozens of highly qualified women and men are competing for an estimated ten realistic positions, while the Arab parties continue to struggle over the composition of their joint list. Yet the central focus of the campaign is likely to become a contest between Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot.
Opposition leaders comment on a wide range of issues but continue to avoid addressing the elephant in the room, believing it would alienate voters. However, anyone seeking to lead the country has a responsibility to lead public opinion rather than follow it. They should tell the public the truth, present the reality as it is, and make clear that, by 2026, neither de jure nor de facto annexation offers a viable future.
The perpetuation of the occupation and the failure to pursue a political settlement have undermined—and continue to undermine—Israel's democracy, security, economy, and international standing. Those committed to peace must ensure that ending the occupation and advancing a political solution become central issues in the opposition parties' election campaigns. That is the most effective path toward political change and toward rescuing Israel from the deep crisis into which the current government of corruption and extremism has led it.
Sunday – Soldiers and settlers arrived in the area of Huwara in the southern Hebron Hills and detained three Palestinians after a settler trespassed into their olive grove with his flock, sprayed a Palestinian with pepper spray, and assaulted a child. Elsewhere in Huwara, settlers attacked and threatened Palestinian civilians, including children and elderly residents. Five Palestinians, among them an elderly man and a woman undergoing cancer treatment, were injured after settlers attacked them in their home.
Khirbet a-Tawil: Settlers stole a tent from the yard of a Palestinian resident. A bulldozer began paving an unauthorized road up the hillside overlooking the community, causing a large boulder to roll downhill toward the homes.
The Commander of the Israeli Central Command, Avi Bluth—who under international law serves as the occupying power's military representative in the West Bank—signed an order recognizing the settlement of Givat Ze'ev, near Ramallah, as a city. With approximately 25,000 residents, Givat Ze'ev becomes the fifth Israeli settlement city in the occupied territory, alongside Ariel, Ma'ale Adumim, Modi'in Illit, and Beitar Illit.
Monday – Dozens of Israeli Breslav Hasidim entered the Palestinian village of Kifl Haris near Ariel during the night, believing it to contain the tombs of Joshua and Caleb. Five Jerusalem residents aged 16–20 were arrested. Palestinian vehicles were damaged before the group dispersed upon the arrival of police forces.
Settlers attempted to steal sheep from a pen on the outskirts of the village of Burqa, east of Ramallah. Villagers confronted them and prevented the theft.
Tuesday – Settlers with two flocks entered the residential area of Khallet al-Rumana, located in Area A. Children locked themselves inside their homes while mothers feared for their lives. Human rights activists called the police, but two hours later no officers had arrived. During a follow-up call, the dispatcher asked whether the callers themselves were physically present at the scene, stating that otherwise the complaint would not be handled. It was not. The settlers left only after three hours.
Wednesday – Settlers set fire overnight to vehicles in the village of Ramin, east of Tulkarm.
The government approved more than one billion shekels for roads and security infrastructure serving settlements in the West Bank. The proposal, submitted by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, allocates funds for access roads and security routes for newly approved settlements, including Homesh, Sa-Nur, Ganim, and Kadim—settlements evacuated during Israel's 2005 disengagement but whose reestablishment was authorized by the current Knesset.
Thursday – Settlers stole dozens of sheep and goats from Palestinian livestock pens in the village of Amnazil in the southern Hebron Hills. Settlers from a nearby outpost grazed their own flocks on village lands and deliberately mixed them with a Palestinian shepherd's flock—a tactic previously used to justify later confiscations by claiming the Palestinian animals had been stolen from them. The settlers sprayed the shepherd with pepper spray and later assaulted two elderly Palestinian women, who were treated by the Palestinian Red Crescent. According to village residents, soldiers allowed the settlers to break the lock on the livestock enclosure and remove the animals. Four Palestinians were arrested and later released.
Khirbet a-Tawil: During the day, activists from Mistacalim arranged for water deliveries by tanker after settlers from Jackson Farm had sabotaged the community's water infrastructure several weeks earlier. Together with youths from the nearby outpost and with military backing, they had previously prevented repairs to the damaged pipeline.
Later that night, settlers raided the outskirts of the village of Sinjil and opened fire toward residents attempting to repel them.
Friday – In recent weeks, Noam Jackson has been expanding the outpost he established opposite the Palestinian homes in Khirbet a-Tawil. That morning he arrived with a bulldozer, leveled land, and, together with youths from the outpost, welded a large rectangular steel frame in preparation for a new structure. A complaint to the police was met with the response: "Who are you, and in what capacity are you reporting this? How do you know what is legal and what is not?" The police added that the area was outside their jurisdiction and that the matter would be referred to the military.
The European Union again called on Israel to refrain from expanding settlements, legalizing outposts, confiscating land, demolishing homes, carrying out forced evictions, and taking other unilateral measures that undermine the viability of a two-state solution.
Saturday – Seventeen-year-old Fadi al-Nassan died of wounds sustained several days earlier when he was shot while trying to assist members of his family. Their home, on the outskirts of al-Mughayyir near Ramallah, had been subjected to repeated attacks by settlers accompanied by soldiers. Al-Nassan is the seventh resident of the village to be killed by soldiers' or settlers' gunfire since October 2023.
Khirbet a-Tawil: For weeks, settlers from "Jackson Farm" have repeatedly targeted the water supply serving the Palestinian community near Aqraba. Activists from Looking the Occupation in the Eye (Mistaclim) have maintained a protective presence there. About a month ago, outpost youths sabotaged the pipeline supplying running water from Aqraba. Roughly two weeks ago, activists attempted to repair the damage, but settlers violently blocked the work with military assistance after the army declared the area a closed military zone for several hours. When the activists returned, they found the pipeline had been sabotaged again. Today, a water tanker arrived to refill one of the community's cisterns. Settlers, including four minors, attempted throughout the night to prevent the truck from unloading the water. They beat one activist with a club, sprayed him with pepper spray, and stole the hose used to pump water from the tanker. Soldiers arrived only after a significant delay and failed to prevent the sabotage.
Around ten masked individuals entered the village of a-Tuwani in the southern Hebron Hills during the night, set fire to a mosque, spray-painted graffiti on its walls, and fled.
