Israel captured the West Bank, along with Gaza and east Jerusalem, in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians want all three territories for a future state. Violence has surged across the occupied West Bank since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack out of Gaza ignited the war there.

Israel is currently waging a major ground offensive in Gaza City that has forced over 200,000 Palestinians to flee, according to the United Nations. Hundreds of thousands remain in the city, large parts of which have already been destroyed in previous Israeli raids.

Israel cuts funding for award ceremony over film about Palestinian boy

Israel’s culture minister has cut funding for the country’s most prestigious film awards ceremony, saying this year’s best feature winner “spits” on Israeli soldiers.

Miki Zohar said he was taking the step in response to Tuesday’s Ophir Award for “The Sea” – a story about a 12-year-old Palestinian boy who sneaks into Israel from the West Bank in a quest to see the sea for the first time. The film will now represent Israel in the Oscar awards.

Zohar, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, said he was halting funding for the ceremony due to the film’s depiction of Israeli soldiers.

“On my watch, the citizens of Israel will not pay out of their pockets for a disgraceful ceremony that spits on the heroic Israeli soldiers,” he said on the social platform X. “The citizens of Israel deserve for their tax money to go to more important and valuable places.”

Israeli military to indict former officer over Lebanon ambush

The Israeli military said Thursday it plans on indicting a former senior officer in connection with the deaths of two Israelis in a Hezbollah ambush in southern Lebanon last November.

Col. Yoav Yarom, who was the chief of staff of the army’s Golani infantry brigade, stepped down after the incident. Zeev Erlich, 70, and Gur Kehati, a 20-year-old soldier, were killed.

At the time, the army launched an investigation to determine who allowed Erlich into the combat zone with the forces and why he was allowed to enter.

In a statement Thursday, the army said its military prosecutor plans on filing charges against Yarom, pending a pre-indictment hearing. Such a hearing is a standard procedure.

According to Israeli media reports, Erlich was not on active duty when he was shot, but was wearing a military uniform and had a weapon. Erlich was a well-known West Bank settler and researcher of Jewish history. Media reports said he was permitted to enter Lebanon to explore a local archaeological site.

Soldier: Geneva Convention was regularly flouted