Palestine Weekly: Far-Right Israeli Election Campaign Escalates Anti-Palestinian Abuses and Violence

Ahead of an upcoming October election, far-right Israeli ministers have increasingly utilized the mechanics of the occupation as core campaign material. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir released provocative AI-generated advertisements and carried out actions highlighting policies in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, framing the crackdown as their primary message.

Meanwhile, the scale of military strikes in Gaza broadened beyond targeted operations to affect the general population. Incidents included drone attacks on farmers, delivery workers, and children collecting water near Gaza City, alongside hospital infrastructure damage at al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah. Reports also indicated that military leadership views a ground operation to reoccupy Gaza City as unavoidable following the October election.

In the occupied West Bank, settler violence and land seizures intensified. Raids, roadblocks, and vandalism were reported in locations such as al-Mughayyir, Qusra, al-Karmel, and Beita. The Israeli state continued advancing land seizures, buffer-zone military orders, settlement expansions, and home demolitions across various areas, further accelerating control in the region.