Israel Presses Gaza and West Bank Strikes as Netanyahu Condemns Settler Violence

by | Sep 1, 2026 | News

flying rocket during daytime

The Israeli military continued strikes in Gaza and the West Bank this week, killing militants it identified as Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives, even as it resisted American calls to scale back operations and as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu broke his silence to condemn a wave of settler violence.

In the West Bank city of Jenin, the military said it killed three militants, including a commander, in a drone strike targeting a figure the Shin Bet identified as the head of a terror cell. In Gaza, strikes killed operatives the army described as Hamas commanders, including one it said had held Israeli hostages during the war. The operations came despite pressure from President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, which has urged Israel to limit strikes to imminent threats. Netanyahu has insisted the military will continue targeting all terror operatives.

At the same time, Netanyahu addressed a surge in violence by Jewish settlers, breaking his silence to decry what he called criminal violence after settlers again attacked a besieged West Bank village. The condemnation followed a series of incidents, including footage showing masked settlers attacking a Palestinian woman and a group of NBC News journalists in the village of Jalud, where no arrests were made. Left-wing activists reported being assaulted by settlers while soldiers stood by, according to their account.

The dual dynamic, aggressive operations against Palestinian militants alongside settler violence the government has struggled to contain, has drawn scrutiny at home and abroad. Retired security officials have warned that political considerations have left the army constrained in confronting Jewish extremists, and the head of the Shin Bet has reportedly voiced deep concern over interference with investigations into settler attacks.

The strikes and unrest unfold amid the broader war and the election campaign. Israel has continued operations in Gaza, struck Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon following drone attacks on its troops, and maintained a presence in southern Syria. The military said it killed a Hamas-linked former Jenin cell leader in one of its West Bank operations.

For Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, the continued strikes and settler violence mean ongoing danger and displacement. For Israel, the operations reflect a determination to maintain military pressure, even as the government faces criticism over both its refusal to ease strikes and its handling of extremism within its own population.

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