Becalel Smotricz
- Jul 25
Four Palestinians buried after deadly West Bank clash with settlers, Israel launches operation
Four Palestinian men were buried in the West Bank village of Tal on Saturday, a day after a clash with Israeli settlers left them and two Israelis dead. Israel imposed a military lockdown, detained 51 residents, and vowed to accelerate settlement outpost legalization.
- Jul 24
Netanyahu launches West Bank operation, orders new settler outposts after clashes kill four Palestinians and two Israelis
After settlers attacked a Palestinian village near Nablus, violence erupted, leaving four Palestinians and two Israelis dead. Benjamin Netanyahu responded with a major military deployment and orders for new settler outposts.
- Jul 24
Israel orders settlement legalisation and 'vast operation' after West Bank clashes kill two Israelis, four Palestinians
Clashes near the settlement of Havat Gilad left two Israelis and four Palestinians dead on Friday, prompting Prime Minister Netanyahu to order the legalisation of settlement outposts and the army to prepare a 'vast anti-terrorist operation'.
- Jul 19
Israeli ministers join settler march to Gaza demanding return of settlements
Thousands marched toward the Gaza border on 19 July 2026, with cabinet members Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, demanding the rebuilding of Jewish settlements evacuated in 2005.
- Jun 16
Smotrich declares Hebron pact cancelled as Foreign Ministry denies change
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Tuesday that he had cancelled the 1997 Hebron Agreement with the Palestinian Authority, only for the Israeli Foreign Ministry to deny hours later that any cancellation occurred. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned of serious consequences, and Hamas called for an escalation of resistance.
- Jun 15
Israel rebuffs US-Iran ceasefire framework, rejects Lebanon withdrawal as Iran demands UN endorsement
Israel’s government said it is not bound by the US-Iran ceasefire framework and will keep its forces inside Lebanon, while Iran demands a UN Security Council endorsement and US guarantees to stop Israeli operations there.
- Jun 14
U.S. and Iran reach tentative deal to end war and reopen Strait of Hormuz, but Israeli operations in Lebanon cloud the path
A Pakistan-mediated preliminary agreement seeks to halt the U.S.-Iran conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, yet Israel's ongoing war against Hezbollah and unresolved nuclear concerns threaten to unravel the uneasy truce.
- Jun 9
Trump halts Israel's second strike on Iran as jets sat on runway; both sides warn of further retaliation
Israeli fighter jets were on the runway ready for a second wave of strikes on Iran when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aborted the mission following a direct order from US President Donald Trump, who warned that Israel would 'be alone' if it continued.
- Jun 7
Drive-by shooting across central Israel kills one, wounds five; suspected gunman shot dead by police
A gunman opened fire from a car at multiple locations near the West Bank boundary on Sunday, killing a 35-year-old man and injuring five others before police shot him dead.
- May 29
Netanyahu orders Israeli forces to seize 70% of Gaza, defying October ceasefire and Trump peace plan
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed Israel's military to take control of 70% of the Gaza Strip, a direct violation of the U.S.-brokered October ceasefire that limited Israeli presence to roughly 53% of the territory.
- May 26
Israel Intensifies Strikes on Hezbollah Across Lebanon, Killing at Least 12 as Ceasefire Crumbles
Israeli warplanes struck over 100 Hezbollah targets across southern and eastern Lebanon overnight, killing at least 12 people, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to 'increase the blows' against the Iran-backed militant group.
