Palestine weekly: Israel’s rightwing campaigns on anti-Palestinian abuses

What Happened

Israeli cabinet ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir have utilized AI-generated campaign materials to promote policies regarding Palestinian populations and prisoners ahead of the October election. Concurrently, Israeli military operations in Gaza have expanded beyond targeted strikes, resulting in civilian casualties in al-Qarara, Deir el-Balah, and Gaza City, including the death of Husam Osama Nasir and three-year-old Tim Said Mahmoud Hamdan on August 30. Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported 32 additional deaths last week, bringing the cumulative toll since October 2023 to 73,456. In the West Bank, Israeli soldiers and settlers conducted joint raids in al-Mughayyir on August 30, where soldiers shot four residents. Additional incidents of settler violence and military raids were reported in Qusra, al-Karmel, Beita, and Nablus, where two Palestinians were killed during an Israeli raid on August 30.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The escalation in campaign rhetoric and the reported military planning for a reoccupation of Gaza City suggest a potential shift toward more aggressive, long-term territorial control. The integration of state-sanctioned settler violence with military operations in the West Bank and the targeting of UN facilities indicate a hardening of Israeli policy that challenges international humanitarian norms and complicates future diplomatic frameworks.

Watch For

Monitor the October election results, which may determine the implementation of the reported military plan to reoccupy Gaza City. Additionally, observe the status of UNRWA facilities in East Jerusalem and the frequency of joint military-settler operations in the West Bank, particularly in areas like al-Mughayyir and Nablus.