CAIRO — Israel's prime minister has spoken out after weeks of settler violence in the occupied West Bank and condemned the actions of a "handful of rioters." Israeli strikes and fire have killed three Palestinians in Gaza. And Iran's leadership now centers on military generals and clerics who are long entrenched in the ruling theocracy.
Here's a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider Middle East. Full coverage can be found here.
Netanyahu condemnation follows unrest in West Bank town
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned criminal acts by a "handful of rioters" in the occupied West Bank that he said do injustice to the "law-abiding settler public."
His statement follows over two weeks of unrest in the town of Qusra, where settlers have surrounded several homes including one owned by a Palestinian American. In an unusually sharp statement, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee referred to the settlers as "terrorists," a word U.S. officials usually reserve for Palestinian militants.
Earlier on Saturday, Israel’s military and police said Israeli rioters arrived in the Qusra area and violent clashes followed. They said dozens of rioters barricaded themselves in a Palestinian home while residents were inside. They said the groups were separated and rioters’ vehicles were confiscated.
The Associated Press saw ambulances carry away injured Palestinians. Qusra Mayor Abdel Azim Wadi told the AP that two inhaled tear gas and two others were hurt when settlers threw stones. He said the house targeted was no longer under siege.
“The actions of these violent extremists are a disgrace and stand in complete contradiction to the values of the State of Israel,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The statements did not mention any arrests.
Netanyahu's government, the most ultranationalist and religious in Israel's history, has presided over a surge of settlement construction in the West Bank. Most of the international community views settlements as illegal, and Israel has been seeing an erosion of support in the United States.
3 Palestinians killed in Gaza, health officials say
Israeli strikes and fire in central Gaza killed three Palestinians and wounded others on Saturday, according to local health officials.
In Gaza City, two Palestinians were killed and another was wounded in an Israeli strike on a motorbike, according to officials at Shifa hospital. The Israeli military said it struck a “military operative,” without elaborating.
Elsewhere, tank fire killed a farmer in the eastern part of Deir al-Balah, according to officials at Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital, where the body was taken. The Israeli military did not immediately comment.
And the latest airstrike on the compound of Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital wounded three Palestinians, officials with Gaza's health ministry said. Israel’s military said it “struck a Hamas commander who planned to execute terror attacks" adjacent to the compound.
The military statement accused the commander of hiding in the compound. It said medical authorities in Gaza were warned on Thursday that medical facilities should not be used for “terrorist purposes” and that Israeli forces would act on any threat if it continues. Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital did not comment on the strike.
A fragile ceasefire in Gaza has continued since October. While the heaviest fighting in Gaza has subsided, Israel's military has killed at least 1,313 Palestinians since then, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants.
Iran's new leadership signals no tolerance for dissent
After six months of war, Iran's new leadership appears ready for a potentially long confrontation with the United States and determined to prevent any unrest at home.
The new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, still has not been seen publicly since his father and other senior leaders were killed in the war's opening strikes on Feb. 28, when the U.S. and Israel attacked.
With appointments announced Aug. 11 and 12, Khamenei has surrounded himself with longtime personal allies like the new secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, and the new head of the Basij, the Revolutionary Guard's volunteer street force, Hossein Taeb.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
