Tánaiste @SimonHarrisTD has joined 21 counterparts from Europe and globally in condemning plans for settlement construction in the E1 area of the West Bank. These plans are a violation of international law & a fundamental threat to the two-state solution – they must be reversed. pic.twitter.com/FTmIbDZbEv

The next phase of the war in Gaza has begun. Israel’s military is carrying out the early stages of an assault to capture Gaza City, with 60,000 reserve troops expected to be called up for the offensive. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians will evacuate south.

Israel approved new settlements in the occupied West Bank, while its troops have reached the outskirts of Gaza City. The developments raise questions about the viability of a cease-fire proposal.

Israel demolishes a number of homes in the West Bank’s northern Jordan Valley, despite an order postponing the demolitions until September 3 amid a legal battle by local residents against the demolitions.

From January to June this year, the UN found that 149 Palestinians were killed by Israeli settlers or soldiers in the occupied West Bank. Nine Israelis were killed by Palestinians. Hours after the clashes that erupted around Brahim's farm on Saturday, another Palestinian casualty was added to that grim tally.

Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest, said on Monday it had decided to exclude six companies with connections to the West Bank and Gaza from its portfolio, following an ethics review of its Israeli investments.

Likud MK Boaz Bismuth said Tuesday that applying Israeli “sovereignty” in the West Bank was at least as important, and more urgent, than reaching normalization deals with neighboring countries.Bismuth,

Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip 20 years ago, dismantling 21 Jewish settlements and pulling out its forces.