Israeli settlers

An Israeli Cabinet minister has called on the military to launch a war in the occupied West Bank, remarks reported by Anadolu Agency. The statement lands amid escalating Israeli military operations and settler violence in the territory, and is likely to draw criticism from Palestinians, rights groups and international observers who warn such rhetoric could further inflame an already volatile situation.

Reuters reports that Israeli bulldozers have destroyed Palestinian olive trees in the West Bank shortly before the annual olive harvest, a season that is economically and culturally vital to Palestinian communities. The destruction adds to tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, with the harvest often marked by disputes over land access and settler violence.