Monday, June 22, 2026

Israeli settlers launch coordinated 24-hour rampage across occupied West Bank

Former Israeli premier Ehud Olmert has called the ongoing pogroms in the occupied West Bank a ‘systematic campaign’ of ‘Jewish terrorism’

News Desk, The Cradle, JUN 19, 2026

 

(Photo credit: X)

Illegal Israeli settlers launched a coordinated assault against Palestinians and their property in multiple areas of the occupied West Bank over the past 24 hours.

The assault began on 18 June and continued into the early hours of 19 June, with settler attacks persisting on Friday. 

Settlers attacked homes in Khirbet al-Himsa, south of occupied Hebron, while also storming the town of Awarta, southeast of Nablus.

The illegal settlers also assaulted shepherds in the Anata plains east of occupied Jerusalem and targeted farmers near Jamala, east of Ramallah. 

During the widespread attack, two new illegal settler outposts were established – one on the outskirts of the village of Burqa and one on the outskirts of Deir Abu Mashaal, near Ramallah. 

Palestinian media reports said severe damage was inflicted on civilian infrastructure and economic assets in an effort to force Palestinians off their land.

In Al-Taybeh, a Palestinian family was assaulted inside their home before settlers severed their water and electricity lines.

Multiple vehicles were set ablaze or stolen. Later on Friday, settlers destroyed an electricity pole in Beita, south of Nablus. 

Several cars and a house were also smashed by settlers in Kifl Haris, north of Salfit. 

These massive attacks and pogroms take place on a regular basis. 

Perpetrators are rarely prosecuted, and most of the pogroms take place with direct backing from or in coordination with Israeli military forces.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert wrote in an opinion piece for Haaretz on 19 June that the settler attacks in the occupied West Bank “can no longer be tolerated,” while referring to it as a “systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.”

In his Haaretz piece, the former premier wrote that the settler attacks are “managed, directed, encouraged and supported by the Israeli government.”

“The fight against Jewish terrorism in the West Bank must advance to the next stage and be waged with greater determination,” he added.

Olmert himself was responsible for war crimes during the 2006 Israeli war against Lebanon.

Since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s most recent government took office in late 2022, authorities have accelerated plans for the de facto annexation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. 

In February, the Israeli government approved a land registration process allowing Israel to claim territory in the occupied West Bank as “state property” if Palestinians cannot prove ownership

Since then, scores of new illegal settlements have been approved. 

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Despite Trump Threats, Iranian Foreign Minister Declares ‘Major Progress’ in Peace Talks

 Iranian delegation to peace talks with US

The Iranian delegation led by Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, speaker of the Iranian Parliament, arrives to meet with the Pakistani delegation led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on June 21, 2026 in Obbuergen, Switzerland.

(Photo by Hamed Malekpour/Getty Images)

Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s top diplomat, specifically welcomed the announcement of a “deconfliction cell” aimed at “ensuring the termination of military operations in Lebanon.”

Jake Johnson, Common Dreams, Jun 22, 2026

Iran’s top diplomat said late Sunday that peace negotiations in Switzerland have produced “major progress” despite US President Donald Trump’s belligerent military threats and Israel’s continued assault on Lebanon, both of which have risked derailing the high-stakes talks.

Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, credited “tireless Pakistani and Qatari mediation” with securing commitments to establish a “deconfliction cell” to ensure “the termination of military operations in Lebanon,” as required under the recently signed memorandum of understanding (MOU).

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Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei speaks at a press conference.

Warning of US Unreliability and Israeli ‘Sabotage,’ Iran Refutes Trump Claim of Peace Deal

IRAN-US-ISRAEL-WAR

‘Welcome News’: Despite Netanyahu Sabotage Efforts, US and Iran Reach Interim Deal to End War

Araghchi added that negotiators agreed to an end to the US blockade on Iran, the release of some of Iran’s frozen assets, and a “major reconstruction and development plan” for Iran, whose delegation reportedly left the Swiss negotiating venue on Sunday in response to Trump’s threat to assassinate Iranian diplomats and “take over” the Middle East country. The threats violated the terms of the MOU, which requires parties to “refrain from the threat or use of force against each other.”

In a joint statement late Sunday, the governments of Pakistan and Qatar said that negotiators agreed on “a roadmap towards reaching a final deal within 60 days, laying the foundation for the immediate commencement of further technical talks.

“In addition, a communication line between the parties has been formed… to avoid incidents and miscommunication with the aim of safe passage for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz,” the statement continued. “The mediating parties will continue to do their utmost to ensure that the negotiations continue to be conducted in a constructive atmosphere with the aim of reaching a final deal.”

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🔊PR No: 1️⃣5️⃣1️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣

Joint Statement by the State of Qatar and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Regarding the Conclusion of Lake Lucerne Summit, First High-Level Committee Meeting with Participation of the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran pic.twitter.com/2G3PAf7LVY
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) June 22, 2026

The optimistic comments from Iran’s foreign minister and mediators came after the first round of formal talks in Switzerland got off to a shaky start, with Iran’s delegation postponing its arrival due to a deadly barrage of Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon late last week.

Israel’s leadership, which is not a party to the peace negotiations, has refused to end its occupation of Lebanon, a major obstacle in the way of a final deal to end the war on Iran that the US and Israel launched in late February. Iran has said the Trump administration must force the Israeli government to end its assault on Lebanon.

In a social media post on Sunday amid the negotiations in Switzerland, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared that “Israel has no intention of withdrawing from the Beaufort, which is an integral part of the security zone in Lebanon and essential for the defense of the Galilee settlements and IDF forces.”

“As Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu and I have clarified—Israel will not withdraw from the security zone in Lebanon,” Katz added.

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Sunday, June 21, 2026

𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥: 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐲𝐬 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝-𝐰𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞

Dawn, 21 June 2026

THE fate of Lebanon could determine whether the recently signed MoU between the US and Iran survives.

True to form, Israel is doing all possible to ensure the nascent peace deal is destroyed before the proverbial ink dries, as it continues to mercilessly pound Lebanon. While a supposed ceasefire was announced on Friday, Israeli attacks in Lebanon continued yesterday, with a large number of casualties reported, as the Zionist state hit both the southern and eastern parts of the Arab state in apparent pursuit of its arch-foe Hezbollah.

Tragically, a large number of non-combatants have also been killed in Tel Aviv’s murderous forays, with even steadfast supporters like US President Donald Trump expressing displeasure over its bloodstained tactics.

But the Israeli leadership seems very clear on what it wants to do. For example, the Israeli prime minister has refused to end the occupation of southern Lebanon, while the extremist national security minister has said that “Lebanon must burn”. If this happens, the Iran-US MoU — and the entire region including Israel— may also burn.

At one end of the spectrum, the signatories of the MoU, as well as nations such as Pakistan, which have played key roles in finding a diplomatic off-ramp, are again actively trying to take the negotiation process forward. At the other end, Israel is hell-bent on sabotaging the process.

The international community, principally the US and Europe, must be firm with their friends in Tel Aviv and tell them that their destabilising behaviour must end. The past few months have proven that the biggest threat to Middle East peace is not Iran, but Israel, which has attacked one sovereign state after the other, along with carrying out the Gaza genocide. It must be stopped before it destroys a hard-won chance at peace.

While nearly all US administrations in the past — as well as European states — have mollycoddled Israel and ignored its atrocious behaviour, this time the tone in Washington seems to be hardening. For example, US Vice President J.D. Vance has told Israel to “wake up and smell the reality of the situation”, with reference to Tel Aviv’s displeasure with the Iran deal.

But tough words will not be enough. If the US wants Israel to change its bad behaviour, it must withhold the funds and weapons that are needed by the Zionist war machine to keep functioning. Israel has hardly any friends left in the world, and if the US starts asserting itself, Tel Aviv should listen.

The MoU is unambiguous: the ceasefire must apply to all fronts, including Lebanon. Either Israel must silence its guns and withdraw from all of Lebanon, or face isolation and boycott from the international community until it mends its ways.

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𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐩 𝐇𝐚𝐝 𝐍𝐨 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐎𝐇𝐍 𝐉. 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐑

JUN 20

Video 

On 19 June 2026, I was on “Judging Freedom” talking with the Judge about the central issue of the day — the Memorandum of Understanding that Iran and the United States worked out to put an end to the war between them.

There is no question that Iran won the war and forced the US to concede to almost every one of its demands. The reason is simple: if the war continued, the international economy was destined to go off the precipice in the next couple months. Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz gave it a stranglehold on the world economy. President Trump explicitly said we were looking at an “economic catastrophe” and that he did not want to be remembered as the second coming of Herbert Hoover, who will be forever identified with the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Israeli leaders and the Israel lobby were outraged that Trump ended the war on terms so markedly favorable to Iran. Of course, they had no alternative strategy for rescuing the situation and they seem oblivious to the grave damage that would be done to the international economy if the status quo remained in place or especially if the bombing started up again. Unsurprisingly, Trump and Vice President Vance made it clear to the Israelis and their supporters in the US that the war had to end and that they could not stand in the way of that outcome. Once again, we see manifest evidence that Israel, which was principally responsible for convincing Trump to launch this disastrous war and now wants to prevent a settlement, is an albatross around America’s neck.

–
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNME3CUvYpk

 

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Saturday, June 20, 2026

US intelligence warns Israel could undermine Iran peace deal: Report

 MEM, June 19, 2026 at 7:22 pm 

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. [Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images]

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. [Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images]

  • US intelligence agencies have warned the Trump administration that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to take actions that could undermine President Donald Trump’s efforts to secure a lasting peace agreement with Iran, according to a report on Friday.

Citing current and former US officials familiar with intelligence assessments, The Washington Post reported that Israel appears determined to continue military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon despite provisions in the recently signed US-Iran memorandum of understanding calling for an end to military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon.

Even short of escalation, Israel’s refusal to withdraw troops from southern Lebanon is likely to doom the fragile accord, a US official told the Post.

“Continuing to occupy part of Lebanon is a recipe for disaster,” the official said. “Without a full Israeli withdrawal, the likelihood of resumed hostilities between the (Israeli military) and Hezbollah is all but certain.”

READ: Israel, Hezbollah agree to ceasefire starting Friday, US official says

Vice President JD Vance on Thursday warned Israel against alienating its “only powerful ally,” saying Trump “is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time.”

Separately, a US official confirmed to Anadolu Agency that Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire to take effect at 4 pm local time (1300GMT) Friday.

Earlier Friday, at least 31 people were killed and several others injured in a series of Israeli attacks on southern and eastern Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s official National News Agency.

According to the latest official figures, Israel’s military offensive in Lebanon, which began on March 2, has killed 3,912 people, injured 11,873 others, and displaced more than one million residents.

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𝐇𝐞𝐳𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡 𝐌𝐏 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐡𝐚𝐬 ‘𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭’ 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬

 

Alzareera, 20 June 2026

Hassan Fadlallah says Hezbollah has the right to respond to Israeli attacks, as Israel kept up strikes on Lebanon despite a new ceasefire announced a day earlier.

“There is talk of a ceasefire. For us, what concerns us is that the enemy fully and comprehensively respects the ceasefire, and doesn’t attempt to attack our country and villages or seek to occupy any new position,” the MP said in a statement on Saturday.

Fadlallah added that “the resistance has the full right to confront this enemy when it attacks us, as it is the aggressor and the occupier.”

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Friday, June 19, 2026

Iran postponed direct talks with US to protest Israel’s ceasefire violations in Lebanon: Pakistani sources

MEM, June 19, 2026 

 

U.S. and Iran flags frame a symbolic diplomatic handshake. [Photo/AA]

U.S. and Iran flags frame a symbolic diplomatic handshake. [Photo/AA]


Iran postponed the technical-level talks with the US, which were slated for Friday in Switzerland, in protest against “continued” Israeli ceasefire violations, mainly in southern Lebanon, Pakistani government sources told Anadolu Agency.

The sources said that Tehran’s chief negotiator Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were “all set” to leave for Switzerland to hold direct talks with Washington, but they pulled out of their scheduled trip at the last minute following “directives” from the “top Iranian leadership.”

They did not specify whether the directives came directly from Supreme Leader Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, who has already said he has a “different view” on the US-Iran deal to end the war.

No new date or venue for the talks has been decided, the sources added.

“Pakistan is in touch with both sides to set a new date for the technical-level talks to reach a final agreement,” a source close to mediation said.

The signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (Islamabad MoU) by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had set the stage for direct talks between Washington and Tehran in Switzerland on Friday.

The source said that US Vice President JD Vance canceled his trip to Switzerland after Islamabad conveyed Tehran’s decision to Washington.

READ: Netanyahu: Israel will not withdraw from southern Lebanon

“The logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable. As of now, the Vice President is not departing tonight,” a White House spokesperson said.

“We look forward to beginning technical talks as soon as possible.”

The Swiss Foreign Ministry, in a statement, said that the Friday talks on implementing the agreement to end the war will not take place.

The Islamabad MoU gives officials and experts from the two sides the next 60 days to chalk out a final agreement, which is particularly focused on the Iranian nuclear program, as Trump declared that Tehran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared that the Islamabad MoU was effective immediately after signing and said Iran and the US would take measures to open the Strait of Hormuz for full international passage.

Sharif also signed the pact as “mediator.”

The pact calls for immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon, with commitments not to resort to force and to guarantee Lebanon’s sovereignty.

Soon after the US and Israel initiated war on Feb. 28, Iran closed the Hormuz and later, on April 13, American forces imposed their blockade on Iranian ports – making passage of commercial ships nearly impossible through the critical waterway.

Israel has also waged attacks on Lebanon, killing nearly 3800, including civilians and soldiers, since the war began.

Over 3,300 people, including civilians and soldiers, have been killed in Iran, while the US has confirmed the death of 14 personnel, in addition to the loss of armed weaponry and aircraft.

After securing a ceasefire on April 08, Pakistan hosted the highest-level direct talks between the two nations on April 12 and 13 since they severed diplomatic ties in 1979.

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