Israeli security forces stand guard as a bulldozer removes a public toilet cabin and demolishes a structure used as a living room on October 14, 2026
| Photo Credit: HAZEM BADER

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Israel’s Security cabinet approved the establishment of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move the country’s far-right Finance Minister said on Sunday (December 21, 2025) was aimed at preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The decision brings the total number of settlements approved over the past three years to 69, according to a statement from the office of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Also Read | Israeli forces kill Palestinian men in West Bank after they appear to surrender

The latest approvals come days after the United Nations said the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank — all of which are considered illegal under international law — had reached its highest level since at least 2017.

“The proposal by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defence Minister Israel Katz to declare and formalise 19 new settlements in Judea and Samaria has been approved by the Cabinet,” the statement said, without specifying when the decision was taken.

Mr. Smotrich is a vocal proponent of settlement expansion and a settler himself. “On the ground, we are blocking the establishment of a Palestinian terror state,” he said in the statement. “We will continue to develop, build, and settle the land of our ancestral heritage, with faith in the justice of our path.”

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has recently condemned what he described as Israel’s “relentless” expansion of settlements in the occupied territory.

It “continues to fuel tensions, impede access by Palestinians to their land and threaten the viability of a fully independent, democratic, contiguous and sovereign Palestinian state”, he said earlier this month.

Since the start of the war in Gaza, calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state have proliferated, with several European countries, Canada and Australia recently moving to formally recognise such a state, drawing rebukes from Israel.

Sharp increase

A U.N. report said the expansion of settlements was at its highest point since 2017, when the United Nations began tracking such data.

“These figures represent a sharp increase compared to previous years,” Mr. Guterres said, noting an average of 12,815 housing units were added annually between 2017 and 2022. “These developments are further entrenching the unlawful Israeli occupation and violating international law and undermining the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.”

Excluding East Jerusalem, which was occupied and annexed by Israel in 1967, more than 500,000 Israelis live in the West Bank, along with about three million Palestinian residents.

Mr. Smotrich’s office said the 19 newly approved settlements are located in what it described as “highly strategic” areas, adding that two of them — Ganim and Kadim in the northern West Bank — would be re-established after being dismantled two decades ago.

Five of the 19 settlements already existed but had not previously been granted legal status under Israeli law, the statement said.

While all Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territory are considered illegal under international law, some wildcat outposts are also illegal in the eyes of the Israeli government.

Many of these, however, are later legalised by Israeli authorities, fuelling fears about the possible annexation of the territory.

U.S. President Donald Trump has warned Israel about annexing the West Bank. “Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened,” Mr. Trump said in a recent interview to Time magazine.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, and violence there has soared since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023 following Hamas’s attack on Israel.

Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 1,027 Palestinians in the West Bank both militants and civilians — since the start of the fighting in Gaza, according to an AFP tally based on Palestinian Health Ministry figures.

At least 44 Israelis have been killed in the West Bank in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations during the same period, according to Israeli data.

Published – December 21, 2025 04:50 pm IST

Mourners carry bodies during the funeral of Hamas’s senior commander Raed Saed and his aides, who were killed in an Israeli strike a day earlier, in Gaza City, December 14, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

A man cleans a poster with name and picture of Palestinian Yousef Asasa, 37, who was killed by Israeli forces on Thursday along with Al-Muntasir Abdullah, 26, and reads “On the occasion of his release from the Israeli prisons, freedom for all prisoners,” at the family house in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, Friday, Novmber 28, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP

Bodies of unidentified Palestinians returned from Israel as part of the ceasefire deal are brought to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Saturday, November 8, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP

Tens of thousands of Palestinians headed back to the heavily destroyed northern Gaza Strip on Friday (October 10, 2025) as a U.S.-brokered ceasefire came into effect in a deal that raised hopes for ending the Israel-Hamas war. All the remaining hostages were set to be released within days.

Questions remain over who will govern Gaza as Israeli troops gradually pull back and whether Hamas will disarm, as called for in U.S. President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who unilaterally ended a ceasefire in March, hinted that Israel might renew its offensive if Hamas does not give up its weapons.

The latest truce nevertheless marks a key step toward ending a ruinous two-year war that was triggered by Hamas’ 2023 attack on Israel. The fighting has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and displaced around 90 per cent of the Gaza population of some 2 million, often multiple times. Many of them will find fields of rubble where their homes once stood.

The military confirmed the start of the ceasefire Friday, and the remaining 48 hostages, around 20 of them believed to be alive, are to be released by Monday. Palestinians said heavy shelling in parts of Gaza earlier on Friday had mostly stopped after the military’s announcement.

Mr. Netanyahu said in a televised statement Friday that the next stages would see Hamas disarm and Gaza demilitarised.

“If this is achieved the easy way — so be it. If not — it will be achieved the hard way,” Mr. Netanyahu said.

The Israeli military has said it will continue to operate defensively from the roughly 50% of Gaza it still controls after pulling back to agreed-upon lines.

Aid shipments to begin Sunday

Meanwhile, the United Nations was given the green light by Israel to begin delivering scaled-up aid into Gaza starting Sunday, a U.N. official said. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.

The aid shipments are meant to address severe malnutrition and famine conditions triggered by Israeli offensives and restrictions on humanitarian help. The International Criminal Court is seeking the arrest of Mr. Netanyahu and his former defence minister for allegedly using starvation as a method of war. Israeli officials deny the accusations.

The aid will include 170,000 metric tons that have already been positioned in neighbouring countries such as Jordan and Egypt as humanitarian officials awaited permission from Israeli forces to restart their work.

U.N. officials and Israeli authorities have engaged in a series of discussions in Jerusalem over the last 24 hours about the volume of aid humanitarian organizations can bring in and through which entry points.

U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters Friday that fuel, medical supplies and other critical materials have started flowing through the Kerem Shalom crossing. UN officials want Israel to open more border crossings and provide safe movement for aid workers and civilians who are returning to parts of Gaza that were under heavy fire until only recently.

In the last several months, the UN and its partners have been able to deliver only 20% of the aid needed in the Gaza Strip, according to UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher.

People on the move

A steady stream of people, the vast majority on foot, crammed onto a coastal road in the central Gaza Strip, heading north to see what might remain of their homes. It was a repeat of emotional scenes from an earlier ceasefire in January. Others headed to different parts of the Palestinian territory in the south.

The destruction they find this time will be even greater, after Israel waged a new offensive in Gaza City, in the north, in recent weeks. The military bombed high-rises and blew up homes in what it said was an attempt to destroy Hamas’ remaining military infrastructure.

Palestinians have expressed relief that the war may end, tempered with concern about the future and lingering pain from the staggering death and destruction.

“There wasn’t much joy, but the ceasefire somewhat eased the pain of death and bloodshed, and the pain of our loved ones and brothers who suffered in this war,” said Jamal Mesbah, who was displaced from the north and plans to return.

In Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis, hundreds of Palestinians returning to their homes found wrecked buildings, rubble and destruction after Israeli troops withdrew.

“There was nothing left. Just a few clothes, pieces of wood and pots,” said Fatma Radwan, who was displaced from Khan Younis. People were still trying to retrieve bodies from under the rubble, she added.

Many buildings were flattened, and none was undamaged, as people went back to search for their belongings. Hani Omran, who was also displaced from Khan Younis, said: “We came to a place that is unidentifiable … Destruction is everywhere.”

The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage.

In Israel’s ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and nearly 170,000 wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the deaths were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the United Nations and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.

The war has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies.

How the agreement is expected to unfold

Israel is set to release around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the remaining hostages. A list Israel published Friday did not include high-profile prisoner Marwan Barghouti, the most popular Palestinian leader and a potentially unifying figure. Israel views him and other high-profile prisoners as terrorists and has refused to release them in past exchanges.

Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official and lead negotiator, said Thursday evening that all women and children held in Israeli jails will be freed.

The hostage and prisoner releases are expected to begin Monday, two Egyptian officials briefed on the talks and a Hamas official said, though another official said they could occur as early as Sunday night. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to be publicly named speaking about the negotiations.

A relative of one of the Israeli hostages believed to have died in captivity says the family hopes that his body will be returned for burial.

“It’s a measured sense of hope in all hostage families,” said Stephen Brisley, whose sister, Lianne Sharabi, and her two teenage daughters were killed in the Oct. 7 attack.

Lianne’s husband, Eli Sharabi, was eventually released, but his brother, Yossi, is believed to have died in an airstrike in January 2024. The family hopes to give him a dignified burial.

“We hold our hope lightly because we’ve had our hopes dashed before,” Brisley told The Associated Press from his home in South Wales.

The Trump plan calls for Israel to maintain an open-ended military presence inside Gaza, along its border with Israel. An international force, comprised largely of troops from Arab and Muslim countries, would be responsible for security inside Gaza. The US would lead a massive internationally funded reconstruction effort.

The plan envisions an eventual role for the Palestinian Authority — something Mr. Netanyahu has long opposed. But it requires the authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, to undergo a sweeping reform program that could take years.

The Trump plan is even more vague about a future Palestinian state, which Mr. Netanyahu firmly rejects.

An Israeli soldier covers his face as he visits the site where revellers were killed and kidnapped on Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border attack by Hamas militants at the Nova music festival, near the Kibbutz Reim, southern Israel, on October 6, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP

The main memorial ceremony will be held in Tel Aviv and include musical performances and speeches. It’s being organized by Yonatan Shamriz, whose brother, Alon, was among three hostages mistakenly killed by Israeli forces after they escaped captivity early in the war.

Israel and Hamas discuss Trump peace plan

Israel and Hamas met on Monday in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh to discuss a new peace plan put forward by US President Donald Trump. The talks were to continue Tuesday.

The war has already killed over 67,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants. It says women and children make up around half the dead, and many independent experts say its figures are the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.

Israel’s offensive has displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population of some 2 million, often multiple times, and restrictions on humanitarian aid have contributed to a severe hunger crisis, with experts saying Gaza City is experiencing famine.

Experts and major rights groups have accused Israel of genocide, and the International Criminal Court is seeking the arrest of Netanyahu and his former defense minister for using starvation as a method of war.

Israel vehemently denies the allegations, saying it is waging a lawful war of self-defense and taking extraordinary measures to avoid harming civilians. It blames Hamas for the death and destruction in Gaza because the militants are deeply embedded in populated areas.

Hamas portrayed the October 7 attack as a response to decades of Israeli land seizures, settlement construction and military occupation. But the attack has exacted a catastrophic toll on the Palestinians, whose dream of an independent state appears more distant than ever.

Published – October 07, 2025 09:24 am IST

Israeli planes and tanks pounded areas across the Gaza Strip overnight and on Sunday (October 5, 2025), destroying several residential buildings, witnesses said, as Palestinians desperately awaited implementation of a U.S. plan to end the war.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who had called for an end to the bombing, said on Saturday (October 4, 2025) on his Truth Social platform that Israel had agreed to an “initial withdrawal line” inside Gaza and that “when Hamas confirms, the Ceasefire will be IMMEDIATELY effective.”

The Israeli escalation comes as Egypt prepares to host delegates from Hamas, Israel and the U.S., and Qatar, to kick off talks over the implementation of the most advanced effort yet to halt the conflict.

Sensitive Issues

Hamas had drawn a welcoming response from Mr. Trump on Friday (October 3, 2025) by saying it accepted certain key parts of his 20-point peace proposal, including ending the war, Israel’s withdrawal, and the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian captives.

But the group has left some issues subject to further negotiation, as well as questions unanswered, such as whether it would be willing to disarm, a key demand from Israel to end the war.

“Progress would depend on whether Hamas would agree to the map, which shows the Israeli army would remain in control of most of the Gaza Strip,” said a Palestinian official, close to the talks. “Hamas may also ask for a strict timetable for the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The first phase of talks will determine how things are going to proceed,” he told Reuters, asking not to be named.

In Gaza City, which Israel describes as one of Hamas’s last bastions, Israeli forces pressed ahead with attacks and warned residents who left against returning, saying it was a “dangerous combat zone”.

On Sunday (October 5, 2025), witnesses said Israeli planes escalated attacks against targets across the city, Gaza’s biggest urban centre.

This followed a tense night in which drones dropped grenades on the rooftops of residential buildings and troops blew up explosive-laden vehicles, demolishing dozens of houses in two Gaza City neighbourhoods, Sabra and Sheikh Radwan.

Where is Trump?

“Where is Trump in all of this?” said Rami Mohammad-Ali, 37, from Gaza City, now displaced in the city’s western side, near the beach. “The explosions don’t stop, the drones drop bombs everywhere, as if nothing has happened. Where is the truce Trump told us about?” he asked.

Local health authorities said at least one Palestinian was killed, and several others were wounded in those attacks. Three other people were killed in separate Israeli strikes across the enclave, medics said.

Amjad Al-Shawa, head of the Palestinian NGOs Network, which liaises with the United Nations and international humanitarian organisations, said Gaza City has begun experiencing acute shortages of food and fuel, days after Israel blocked the route from the south to the north.

“We are speaking about tens of thousands of children who suffer malnutrition, elderly who need extra care, those are in danger now because of the Israeli occupation blockade of Gaza City and the escalation of the attacks,” Mr. Shawa told Reuters.

Under Mr. Trump’s plan, all Israeli hostages, alive and deceased, were due to be released within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting the agreement.

But it was not clear at what precise point the clock on that 72-hour deadline would start ticking, given Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to the timeline several days before Hamas responded. Israel says 48 hostages remain, 20 of whom are alive.

There may be logistical challenges too. Sources close to Hamas told Reuters that handing over living hostages could prove relatively straightforward, but retrieving bodies of dead ones amid the huge devastation and rubble of Gaza may take longer than a few days to achieve.

Mr. Trump said on Friday (October 3, 2025) he believed Hamas had shown it was “ready for a lasting PEACE” and he called on Mr. Netanyahu’s Government to halt airstrikes in Gaza.

Domestically, Mr. Netanyahu is caught between growing pressure to end the war — from hostage families and a war-weary public — and demands from hardline members of his coalition who insist there must be no let-up in Israel’s campaign in Gaza. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on X that halting attacks on Gaza was a “grave mistake”.

Mr. Smotrich and Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, also a hardliner, have significant influence in Netanyahu’s Government and have threatened to bring it down if the Gaza war ends.

Israel began attacking Gaza after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel in which some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s campaign has killed more than 67,000 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to Gaza health authorities, and decimated the enclave.

Published – October 05, 2025 03:20 pm IST