Key facts
- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz inaugurated a new settlement, Emek Dotan, near Jenin.
- The new settlement Emek Dotan is built on Palestinian land.
- Israel plans to establish 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank.
- Israeli soldiers demolished Palestinian shops and properties on the same day Emek Dotan was inaugurated.
- Israeli forces fired on civilians in Syria's Daraa province, resulting in six deaths.
- Israeli troops entered Palestinian homes in Qusra, West Bank, after settlers besieged them.
- Settlers had been blockading homes in Qusra since Sunday.
- Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the transfer of enforcement powers against Israeli civilians in the West Bank from the army to the police.
- Colonel Jamal Abu Kamil, Gaza City's police chief, was killed in an Israeli drone strike.
- Hamas condemned the strike on Colonel Abu Kamil, calling it a tactic to spread chaos.
- Israeli forces will maintain their presence in security zones in southern Lebanon, Gaza, and Syria.
- Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt may take 'radical steps' if Israel ignores a Gaza peace deal.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz inaugurated a new settlement named Emek Dotan near Jenin, constructed on Palestinian land. This development occurred on Thursday, the same day Israeli soldiers reportedly demolished Palestinian shops and properties. These actions are part of a larger Israeli strategy to establish 19 new settlements across the occupied West Bank. In a separate incident in the West Bank village of Qusra, Israeli troops entered Palestinian homes that had been besieged by settlers since Sunday. Residents expressed fears of land seizure amid the blockade. Defense Minister Katz announced a significant shift in enforcement powers within the West Bank, transferring authority over Israeli civilians from the army to the police.
Further afield, Israeli forces opened fire on civilians in Syria's Daraa province, leading to six reported deaths, including women and children. This incident caused panic and displacement among residents fleeing continued bombardment. In Gaza, Colonel Jamal Abu Kamil, the police chief of Gaza City, was killed in an Israeli drone strike. Hamas condemned the strike, characterizing it as an effort to destabilize the Gaza Strip and violate the existing ceasefire. Gaza's Interior Ministry accused Israel of intentionally targeting police personnel as a deliberate tactic to spread chaos.
Defense Minister Israel Katz also stated that Israeli forces would maintain their presence in security zones in southern Lebanon, Gaza, and Syria. These comments come despite a deal between Israel and Lebanon concerning a phased withdrawal, which is conditional on the disarmament of Hezbollah. Hezbollah has reportedly rejected this condition. Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan issued a warning, stating that Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt might resort to "radical steps" if the United States does not exert pressure on Israel to adhere to a Gaza peace deal. Fidan cited a perceived lack of progress from Israel as the reason for this potential escalation.