Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated on Friday that the uprooting of 3,000 Palestinian-planted trees in the occupied West Bank is part of a broader effort to 'build the Land of Israel and destroy the idea of a Palestinian state.' The destruction was carried out to expand illegal Israeli settlements.
This week saw a series of Israeli actions aimed at consolidating control over the West Bank. On Sunday, the Knesset Ministerial Committee backed a bill to formally repeal the 1993 Oslo Accords, the cornerstone agreement that established the Palestinian Authority. Far-right lawmaker Limor Son Har-Melech, who submitted the legislation, said: 'We promised to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, and now it is time to encourage settlement in Areas A and B and cancel the disastrous Oslo Accords.'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly asked parliament to postpone the bill's discussion, but Justice Minister Yariv Levin expressed future support. Meanwhile, Israeli strikes continued in Gaza. A document obtained by the Times of Israel revealed that the so-called 'Board of Peace' does not intend to hold Israel to ceasefire commitments if Hamas refuses disarmament, meaning Israel would not be pressured to stop military strikes or aid restrictions.
The European Union condemned Israel's expansion of the 'orange line' restricted zone in Gaza, which now covers over 60% of the strip, calling it a violation of withdrawal commitments under the October 'ceasefire.' Among those killed in Israeli strikes was Azzam al-Hayya, son of Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya. Since the October 'ceasefire,' more than 854 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, raising the total death toll since October 2023 to over 72,740.
In the West Bank, settler violence escalated. According to the United Nations, at least 44 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank in 2026, including 13 by settlers, with over 760 settler attacks documented — averaging six per day. Nearly 2,000 Palestinians, including almost 900 children, have been displaced due to settler violence and access restrictions.
On Monday, the European Union agreed on new sanctions targeting violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank and Hamas officials. The Israeli government rejected the move. On the ground, settlers went on a rampage: armed groups hiked through villages near Ramallah, occupying a spring and denying access; in Jalud, hundreds of olive trees were uprooted; in Deir Istiya, a new outpost was established.
In al-Asa’asa, south of Jenin, settlers forced a Palestinian family to exhume their father — 80-year-old Hussein Asasa, who had been buried with permits — and rebury him elsewhere, claiming the cemetery was near the Tarsala outpost. UN Human Rights Office head Ajith Sunghay called the incident 'horrifying,' saying it 'embodies the dehumanisation of Palestinians.' In Umm al-Khair, settlers occupied a donor-funded football pitch, chanting religious verses while children watched. In Khirbet Abu Falah, settlers torched a car and spray-painted 'revenge' on a house wall.
Source: www.aljazeera.com