29-05-2025
Israel to establish more settlements in the West Bank – Middle East crisis live
Update:
Date: 2025-05-29T07:22:04.000Z
Title: Opening summary
Content: Welcome to our ongoing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East
Israel has authorised 22 Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, including the legalisation of outposts already built without government authorisation, its defence minister has said.
Israel Katz said the settlement decision 'strengthens our hold on Judea and Samaria,' using the biblical term for the West Bank, 'anchors our historical right in the Land of Israel, and constitutes a crushing response to Palestinian terrorism.'
Israel has already built well over 100 settlements across the territory that are home to some 500,000 settlers.
We'll be bringing you more on this shortly. In other developments:
Four people have died as thousands of starving Palestinians burst into a United Nations warehouse in Deir al-Balah in Gaza. Two were fatally crushed and two others died of gunshot wounds, health officials said. It was not immediately clear if Israeli forces, private contractors or others had opened fire.
Donald Trump has claimed he warned Israel against attacking Iran because he believed he was very close to a deal on Tehran's nuclear programme. As part of that deal US inspectors will be given unparalleled access to sites to ensure the country is not planning to build a nuclear bomb.
Thousands of family members of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza held protests across the country, blocking traffic and calling for a deal securing the release of their loved ones from captivity and an end to the conflict.
