Palestine in July 2026: the most important developments in security
Palestine in July 2026 saw rising violence in the West Bank. On July 11 US Congressman Ro Khanna said armed Israeli settlers had detained him during a visit in early July. On July 24 a shooting near the Havat Gilad settlement left between five and six people dead, one or two of them Israelis and four Palestinians; Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for Israel to take full control of the area. Israeli forces then detained at least 70 Palestinians in raids across the territory and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced an expansion of operations. Palestinian reports described settlers setting fire to mosques, cars and farmland, and the UN said settler violence had reached an all-time high. By July 28 Katz had ordered the army to take over a refugee camp.
In Gaza, Israeli strikes continued despite the ceasefire. Palestinian medics reported at least 13 people killed in 24 hours on July 15, and the reported death toll rose from 73,231 on July 13 to 73,317 on July 25. Israel began building a miles-long earthen barrier inside Gaza, which the army said divides the area it controls, and on July 21 its strikes killed a family of six. The Israeli military said it killed several Hamas commanders and, on July 26, the head of Hamas's police in northern Gaza. Strikes hit a mosque and tents for displaced people in Gaza City on July 28 and 29; the army said the mosque held weapons.
Hamas named Khalil al-Hayya its leader on July 20. On July 27 it formed a committee to inventory its weapons, and on July 30 Palestinian sources said it had agreed to hand over weapons, but not to Israel. Israel's cabinet gave initial approval on July 27 to an international force of about 200 troops in Gaza, while a US plan for a far larger force had shrunk to between 10 and 20 soldiers by July 10. On July 30 the UN Security Council rejected a Palestinian resolution seeking full membership, after a US veto.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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