Middle East and North Africa

Welcome back to Foreign Policy’s Situation Report.

Here’s what’s on tap for the day: Rising settler violence in the West Bank, the CIA director’s visit to Moscow, and North Korea’s disinterest in meeting with Trump.

Welcome back to Foreign Policy’s Situation Report.

Here’s what’s on tap for the day: Rising settler violence in the West Bank, the CIA director’s visit to Moscow, and North Korea’s disinterest in meeting with Trump.

Settler Violence Consumes the West Bank

Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank is spiraling out of control, and the Israeli government is facing growing global criticism—including allegations that it has poured fuel on the fire by embracing far-right policies and ignoring the problem. Settlers have clashed with Israeli forces in some instances, but the military has also been accused of standing by during attacks on Palestinians. Top rights groups have characterized settler violence in the West Bank as state-sanctioned ethnic cleansing.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has given unprecedented support for the expansion of West Bank settlements, which are illegal under international law. The push for more settlements has been driven by far-right Israeli politicians such as National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who have been sanctioned by governments including the United Kingdom, Australia, Norway, Canada, and New Zealand for “their repeated incitement of violence against Palestinian civilians.”

Though settler violence has been an issue for years, the problem has reached a fever pitch in 2026. Since the beginning of the year, there’s been an average of 6.6 settler-related incidents per day in the West Bank that resulted in casualties, property damage, or both, according to a recent report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The United Nations has warned that this year has seen the highest rate of settler violence on record.

Political considerations. The surge in violence comes ahead of Israel’s highly anticipated elections in October. Netanyahu’s critics have contended that his weak response to the violence is driven in part by his desire to avoid antagonizing the extremist politicians propping up his shaky coalition government.

This week alone saw two high-profile incidents: One in which a........

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