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Israeli settlers assaulted Palestinian olive harvesters and activists this week in the occupied West Bank, beating them with clubs in an incident that left at least one woman hospitalized with serious injuries, Palestinian health officials said. The attack occurred Sunday in the town of Turmus Ayya and was captured in videos obtained by The Associated Press. Palestinians say such violence by settlers has been increasing, particularly during the olive harvest season, putting farmers at heightened risk. The United Nations and rights groups have repeatedly warned of the rising threats. “Settler violence has skyrocketed in scale and frequency,” said Ajith Sunghay, head of the U.N. Human Rights Office in the Palestinian territory, in a statement Tuesday. “Two weeks into the 2025 harvest, we have already seen severe attacks by armed settlers against Palestinian men, women, children and foreign solidarity activists.” In one video, a masked man, apparently wearing tzitzit, a Jewish ritual fringed garment, was seen running through an olive grove and striking at least two people, including a woman lying motionless on the ground. The woman was later hospitalized with serious injuries, the Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry said. Other footage showed more than a dozen masked men chasing a car along a village road, with one settler striking the vehicle and opening its door, while a passenger managed to escape. A separate video captured flames and smoke rising from several torched cars. Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the head of the West Bank police force described the footage of the masked settler attacking the woman as “keeping him up at night” and instructed officers to bring the assailant to justice. Israel’s military and police did not respond to AP’s requests for comment. Turmus Ayya, predominantly Palestinian-American, has long been a target of settler violence, which villagers say has intensified during the Israel-Hamas war. The town lies in a valley surrounded by Israeli settlements and outposts. Tensions escalated after the killing of 14-year-old Palestinian-American Amer Rabee by Israeli forces in April, triggering repeated clashes between residents and settlers. Settler attacks across the West Bank are rising. The U.N. reports that the first half of 2025 saw 757 incidents causing injuries or property damage, a 13% increase compared with the same period last year. During the first week of the olive harvest, over 150 attacks were recorded, and more than 700 olive trees were uprooted, broken, or poisoned, according to Muayyad Shaaban, who heads a Palestinian Authority office monitoring the violence. Israel captured the West Bank, along with East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, in the 1967 Mideast war. Palestinians seek these territories for a future independent state, while settler advocates occupy key Israeli Cabinet positions, giving them significant influence over the West Bank.   Source: AP

Houthi rebels have released five Yemeni United Nations staff members and allowed 15 international staffers to move freely within the UN compound in Sanaa after detaining them over the weekend, a UN spokesperson said Monday. Stéphane Dujarric confirmed that Houthi security forces had left the compound following the raid, part of a long-standing pattern of targeting UN and other international organizations in rebel-held areas, including Sanaa, Hodeida, and northern Sadaa. The Houthis have repeatedly accused staff of espionage, allegations denied by the UN. Previous detentions have included dozens of people, and a World Food Program worker died in custody earlier this year. Dujarric said UN Secretary-General António Guterres spoke with leaders and foreign ministers of Iran, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia to seek leverage for staff releases. UN urges Houthis to release detained Yemeni staff as crackdown deepens in rebel-held areas Separately, the Houthis held a funeral in Sanaa for their military chief Maj. Gen. Muhammad Abdul Karim al-Ghamari, killed in a recent Israeli airstrike along with his 13-year-old son and associates. Al-Ghamari had been sanctioned by the UN and the U.S. for directing Houthi military operations threatening Yemen and Saudi Arabia. The funeral drew over 1,000 mourners, many expressing anger at Israel. The Houthis have intensified attacks on Israel and Red Sea shipping in solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Gaza conflict. These operations have disrupted trade valued at roughly $1 trillion annually. Source: AP 

The World Bank has projected that reconstructing Syria after more than a decade of civil war will cost around $216 billion, nearly ten times the nation’s 2024 GDP. The conflict erupted in 2011 after government crackdowns on mass protests escalated into armed fighting. Former President Bashar Assad was ousted in December 2024 during a rapid rebel offensive. Years of war destroyed large areas of the country and severely damaged key infrastructure, including the electricity grid. The World Bank’s assessment places total reconstruction costs between $140 billion and $345 billion, with a conservative estimate of $216 billion. Infrastructure repair is expected to require $82 billion, residential building reconstruction $75 billion, and non-residential structures $59 billion. The Aleppo region and Damascus outskirts, which saw the fiercest battles, will need the highest levels of investment. Jean-Christophe Carret, the World Bank’s Middle East Director, said, “The challenges are enormous, but the World Bank is committed to working with the Syrian people and international partners to support recovery and rebuilding.” Despite reestablishing ties with Western countries and signing multi-billion-dollar investment deals with Gulf states, Syria remains financially strained. Although many sanctions have been lifted, progress on the ground has been limited. Reductions in international aid have worsened living conditions, with the United Nations estimating that 90% of Syrians now live in poverty, underscoring the enormous effort and resources needed to restore the war-torn nation.  

U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in Israel on Tuesday to reinforce the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, following renewed violence that has threatened the U.S.-brokered truce. Vance’s visit, expected to last until Thursday, comes after two senior White House envoys reached the region for crisis consultations. The visit follows Israel’s confirmation that Hamas overnight released the body of Tal Haimi, a 42-year-old father of four from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, who was killed and abducted during the October 7, 2023 attack. Israel said it is still awaiting the return of 15 more hostages’ remains. Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, speaking from Cairo, reaffirmed the group’s commitment to the Sharm el-Sheikh ceasefire agreement, calling it a sign that “the war in Gaza is over.” He said Hamas had received assurances from U.S. President Donald Trump and mediators that the ceasefire would be upheld, while urging Israel to expand humanitarian aid into Gaza ahead of winter. Tensions remain high despite the truce. Israeli forces reported that militants killed two soldiers in southern Rafah on Sunday, prompting retaliatory airstrikes that killed 45 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Since the ceasefire began, about 80 Palestinians have died in scattered violence. The Israeli military said it is marking clearer “yellow line” boundaries to prevent clashes. Meanwhile, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani condemned Israel for “continued breaches of the ceasefire” and settlement expansion in the West Bank, while pledging to continue mediating peace efforts. In Gaza, a senior health official alleged that bodies of Palestinians returned by Israel under the ceasefire deal showed signs of torture, including burns, shackles, and crushed limbs. He urged the United Nations to launch an independent investigation. Israel denied the allegations, saying detainees are treated according to legal standards. Some Israeli hostages released from Gaza have also reported abuse, including beatings and starvation, during their captivity.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said Monday that a small number of U.S. military advisers will remain in the country to coordinate with American forces in Syria against the Islamic State group. The U.S. and Iraq had agreed last year to wind down the American-led coalition fighting ISIS by September, including withdrawals from several bases. Al-Sudani said advisers and support personnel are now stationed at the Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq, a base near Baghdad airport, and the al-Harir air base in the north. The prime minister noted that although the original plan called for a full U.S. pullout from Ain al-Asad, “developments in Syria” required keeping 250–350 personnel at the base to support counter-ISIS surveillance and coordinate with the al-Tanf base in Syria. He added that other U.S. bases are seeing gradual reductions in personnel and operations. Al-Sudani stressed that ISIS no longer poses a significant threat inside Iraq but emphasized Iraq’s goal of balancing ties with the U.S. and Iran while avoiding regional conflicts. “We put Iraq first, and we do not wish to act as a proxy for anyone,” he said. The prime minister also urged the U.S. to return to direct negotiations with Iran, calling the previous “maximum pressure” approach counterproductive. Regarding Iran-backed militias, Al-Sudani said his government’s plan focuses on disarmament and national dialogue to eliminate reasons for carrying weapons, encouraging armed factions to integrate into state institutions or transition into political parties ahead of next month’s parliamentary elections, which will shape his potential second term.

Gaza’s fragile ceasefire faced a serious test on Sunday after Israeli airstrikes killed at least 36 Palestinians, including children, following what Israel said was the killing of two soldiers by Hamas militants. The Israeli military later said it was again enforcing the ceasefire, while a senior security official confirmed that humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza would resume Monday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media. The latest violence came just over a week after the U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect, aimed at ending two years of war between Israel and Hamas. U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that the truce “remains in place,” though he acknowledged “fits and starts” in its implementation. “Hamas has been quite rambunctious,” Trump said, suggesting that the latest violence could be the work of “rebels” rather than top leadership. Vice President JD Vance said he may visit Israel in the coming days to assess the situation, noting the ceasefire “will have ups and downs.” Health officials in Gaza said Israeli strikes killed at least 36 people across the territory, including 24 in Nuseirat and Bureij camps in central Gaza. Other strikes hit a makeshift coffeehouse in Zawaida, killing six, while attacks in Beit Lahiya and Khan Younis left at least six more dead, including a woman and two children. “It will be a nightmare if the war returns,” said Mahmoud Hashim, a father of five in Gaza City, appealing for international intervention. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed the military to take “strong action” against any ceasefire violations but stopped short of threatening a return to full-scale war. The army said militants opened fire in parts of Rafah under Israeli control as per ceasefire terms. Hamas denied responsibility, saying communication with units in those areas had been severed for months. Israel on Sunday identified two more hostages whose remains were handed over by Hamas — Ronen Engel, a father from Kibbutz Nir Oz, and Thai worker Sonthaya Oakkharasri from Kibbutz Be’eri. Both were believed killed in Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, which triggered the war. Hamas has returned the remains of 12 hostages over the past week. Meanwhile, Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya arrived in Cairo for talks with mediators and Palestinian factions on the next phase of the ceasefire. Discussions are expected to cover Hamas’s disarmament, Israeli troop withdrawal from remaining areas of Gaza, and the formation of a postwar governing authority backed by the international community. Hamas spokesman Hazem Kassem said the group would not join any future ruling body in Gaza but supported forming a technocratic administration to prevent a power vacuum. The Israel-Hamas war has killed more than 68,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people and abducted 251 others during the October 2023 attack on southern Israel, sparking the devastating conflict.   Source: AP

Israel has identified the bodies of two hostages, Ronen Engel, a father of three from Kibbutz Nir Oz, and Sonthaya Oakkharasri, a Thai worker killed at Kibbutz Be’eri, after Hamas handed them over to the Red Cross on Saturday night. Both were believed killed in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the Rafah border crossing with Egypt will remain closed “until further notice”, reopening only after Hamas returns the remains of all 28 deceased hostages. So far, 13 bodies have been handed over, 12 confirmed as hostages. The exchange of remains, aid flow into Gaza, and post-war governance are central to the ceasefire deal reached on Oct. 10, aimed at ending two years of conflict. Rafah, Gaza’s only non-Israeli-controlled crossing before the war, has been shut since May 2024, when Israel seized its Gaza-side operations. The Palestinian Authority has announced new procedures to manage crossings for Palestinians seeking to enter or leave Gaza via Egypt. The Gaza war has claimed over 68,000 Palestinian lives, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, figures broadly accepted by the UN. Around 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 abducted in the initial Hamas assault. Both sides accused each other of violating the fragile ceasefire after reports of gunfire in Rafah. Meanwhile, Hamas confirmed talks for the “second phase” of the truce, introduced under U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan, which includes disarming Hamas and forming an internationally backed administration for Gaza. Hamas rejected a U.S. claim of a planned attack against Palestinians, calling it “false” and accusing Israel of backing armed groups in Gaza. The group said its forces were working to restore order in areas vacated by Israeli troops.

The death toll in Gaza has risen above 68,000, the territory’s Health Ministry reported Saturday, as recovery teams continue to find bodies under rubble even after the fragile ceasefire came into effect over a week ago. In a separate development, Israel identified the remains of another hostage handed over by Hamas as Eliyahu Margalit. The 76-year-old, who was abducted on October 7, 2023, during Hamas’ attack on Israel from the horse stables where he worked in Kibbutz Nir Oz, is the 10th returned hostage since the ceasefire began. Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office confirmed the identification through the National Center for Forensic Medicine and notified his family. Hamas is still searching for additional bodies under Gaza’s rubble and has called for an increased flow of humanitarian aid into the territory. The militant group said the ongoing retrieval efforts are hindered by extensive destruction and the presence of unexploded ordnance, with some remains located in areas controlled by Israeli forces. Margalit’s body was recovered after bulldozers excavated pits in Khan Younis. Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel also returned 15 Palestinian bodies on Saturday, bringing the total number handed over since the truce to 135, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Despite the truce, Hamas accused Israel of continuing attacks. The Civil Defense agency, operating under Gaza’s Interior Ministry, reported that Israeli fire killed nine people, including women and children, on Friday when their vehicle crossed into Israeli-controlled territory in eastern Gaza. The Israeli army said it fired warning shots at a “suspicious vehicle” approaching its troops, claiming the action complied with ceasefire rules. Aid delivery to Gaza remains constrained. United Nations data show that 339 aid trucks have been offloaded since the ceasefire began, well below the 600 trucks per day agreed under the truce. Israeli authorities overseeing aid reported 950 trucks on Thursday and 716 on Wednesday, including commercial and bilateral deliveries. Gaza’s population of over two million is enduring severe humanitarian hardship. Famine has been declared in Gaza City, and the UN has verified more than 400 deaths from malnutrition, including over 100 children. Israel asserts it has allowed sufficient food into Gaza, while the UN and aid agencies dispute claims that Hamas is diverting supplies. The Health Ministry’s figures, widely regarded as reliable by UN agencies and independent experts, report nearly 68,000 Palestinian deaths since the outbreak of the war. Thousands more remain missing, according to the Red Cross.   Source: AP

Israeli forces have killed 11 members of a Palestinian family in Gaza, marking the deadliest single violation of the fragile ceasefire since it came into effect eight days ago. The attack occurred Friday evening when an Israeli tank shell struck a civilian vehicle carrying the Abu Shaaban family in the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City, Gaza’s civil defence reported. Seven children and three women were among those killed as the family attempted to return home to inspect their property, civil defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said. “They could have been warned or handled differently,” Basal said, adding that “what happened confirms that the occupation remains thirsty for blood and continues to commit crimes against innocent civilians.” Hamas condemned the attack as a “massacre,” stating that the family was targeted without justification. The group called on U.S. President Donald Trump and mediators to pressure Israel to uphold the ceasefire. The incident took place after Israeli soldiers fired on Palestinians who crossed the so-called “yellow line,” the boundary to which Israel had agreed to withdraw under the ceasefire terms. Many residents remain unaware of Israeli positions along the demarcation due to limited internet access, putting families at risk, Al Jazeera reporter Hind Khoudary said from Gaza. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has said the yellow lines will soon be clearly marked. Israeli forces currently control roughly 53 percent of Gaza, Khoudary added. Since the ceasefire began, Israel has killed at least 28 Palestinians and imposed severe restrictions on essential aid, including food and medical supplies. Last week, five Palestinians were killed in the Shujayea neighbourhood of Gaza City. Israel has also kept the Rafah crossing with Egypt closed and blocked other key border points, preventing large-scale humanitarian aid deliveries. The United Nations warned that aid convoys are struggling to reach famine-hit areas, with nearly half of the population accessing less than six litres of drinking water per day — far below emergency standards. The World Food Programme has delivered an average of 560 tonnes of food daily since the truce began, insufficient to meet the needs of those facing malnutrition. Hamas has reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire, including returning the remains of Israeli captives trapped under Gaza’s rubble. The group handed over another body Friday evening, bringing the total to 10 since the truce began. However, Hamas says further recovery efforts are hampered because Israel has blocked the entry of heavy machinery and excavation equipment necessary to retrieve additional remains. Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said the restrictions on equipment are creating major challenges for Gaza residents, who have the expertise to search for and recover bodies from under the rubble. Source: Agency

A bomb exploded Thursday on a Syrian Defense Ministry bus in the country’s east, killing four soldiers and wounding several others, officials said. Oil Minister Mohammed al-Bashir confirmed on X that the victims were en route to their jobs as guards at an oil facility when the blast occurred. State-run Al-Ikhbariah TV reported the explosion took place on the road between Deir el-Zour and Mayadeen, in Syria’s oil-rich eastern region near the Iraqi border. The area has long been a hub of unrest and militant activity. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in Britain, provided a slightly different toll, saying three soldiers were killed and nine wounded. No group has yet claimed responsibility, but Islamic State sleeper cells are active in the region. The group, though militarily defeated in 2019, continues to stage sporadic attacks against Syrian government forces and allied militias. IS, which once ruled large parts of Syria and Iraq, remains opposed to the Damascus government led by interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaida commander who fought fierce battles against the extremist group.