LiveLive Updates July 27, 2026Share to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeJuly 27, 2026UpdatesRECAP: Former Israeli PM Bennett says Qatar is 'cancer' that has spread to Netanyahu’s officeHere are Monday's latest updates from the U.S.-Iran war, Israel's strikes in Gaza and developments across the Middle East:■ Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett sharply criticized Qatar during a national security conference, saying that a government under his rule would declare it an enemy state. Bennett called Qatar a "violent antisemitic cancer" that has spread throughout the West and even into the Israeli prime minister's office, claiming that as Hamas' main financier, it bears responsibility for the deaths and abductions of October 7 victims.■ Jordan's ‌armed forces ⁠said ⁠they intercepted and downed two drones on ‌Monday ‌morning, adding that there were no casualties ⁠or material damage. The statement ‌did ⁠not ‌identify who launched ⁠the drones. The incident followed an earlier report by the Israeli military that it had intercepted two drones near the Jordan border. The IDF said the drones did not enter Israeli territory and that the source of the launch was under review.■ About 600 former senior officials from Israel's military, Mossad, Shin Bet, police and diplomatic service sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of his expected meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging him to raise concerns over escalating violence and the deteriorating security situation in the West Bank.■ Israel's Supreme Court ruled that the Palestinian Authority cannot challenge the disability ratings of victims of terrorist attacks in an effort to reduce the compensation it is required to pay.■ Egypt on Sunday welcomed Ireland's approval of legislation banning the import of goods from illegal Israeli settlements, calling the move an important step in support of international law and United Nations resolutions.■ The Pentagon updated its casualty database on Saturday, adding more than 140 wounded troops and restoring four soldiers killed in Iranian strikes after they had disappeared from the count, as reported by CNN. The revised figures show that 18 U.S. service members have been killed and 624 wounded since Washington launched its war against Iran on Feb. 28.■ Ship traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait fell sharply on Sunday after Yemen's Houthis attacked Saudi oil installations along the Red Sea coast, while transit through the Strait of Hormuz remained low, shipping data from Kpler showed.■ An explosion was heard in Erbil, Iraq, amid reports that a U.S. military base in the city was targeted by a drone, according to Arab media and Iran's Tasnim News Agency.■ Israeli settlers set fire to a truck and equipment in an industrial area in the town of Beita, south of Nablus, according to the Palestinian Al-Quds news outlet.Jordanian army says it downed two drones, no casualties reportedJordan's ‌armed forces ⁠said ⁠they intercepted and downed two drones on ‌Monday ‌morning, adding that there were no casualties ⁠or material damage.The statement ‌did ⁠not ‌identify who launched ⁠the drones.The incident followed an earlier report by the Israeli military that it had intercepted two drones near the Jordan border. The IDF said the drones did not enter Israeli territory and that the source of the launch was under review.Former Israeli PM Bennett: Qatar is 'cancer' that has spread to Netanyahu’s officeFormer Prime Minister Naftali Bennett sharply criticized Qatar during a national security conference, saying that a government under his rule would declare it an enemy state. Bennett called Qatar a "violent antisemitic cancer" that has spread throughout the West and even into the Israeli prime minister's office, claiming that as Hamas' main financier, it bears responsibility for the deaths and abductions of October 7 victims.He said Qatar operates a global influence campaign against Israel, including through the Al Jazeera network and argued that declaring Qatar an enemy state should have been among the first conclusions of a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 attacks.Woman loses pregnancy after ambulance delayed at West Bank IDF checkpoint, Palestinian report saysA Palestinian woman who was six months pregnant lost her pregnancy after the ambulance transporting her to a hospital in Nablus was delayed for a security check at the Awarta checkpoint, Palestinian television reported on Monday. The IDF and Civil Administration had not responded to Haaretz's request for comment on the incident.Palestinian medical organizations and Physicians for Human Rights Israel warned on Sunday that a blockade imposed on Nablus was significantly restricting residents' access to healthcare and emergency medical services.According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, checkpoints set up across the Nablus district have delayed the work of rescue teams and the evacuation of patients and wounded people to hospitals in the city, which has relatively developed medical facilities compared with the surrounding area.'Not in our DNA': Iran denies seeking talks with U.S.Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran has not asked to resume talks with Washington, saying negotiations with the United States are "not in our DNA." He added that mediators continue to relay messages between the two sides.Baghaei also said the Strait of Hormuz remained closed, adding that talks with Oman on managing the waterway had been positive.About 600 former Israeli security chiefs warn Trump of West Bank escalationAbout 600 former senior officials from Israel's military, Mossad, Shin Bet, police and diplomatic service sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of his expected meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging him to raise concerns over escalating violence and the deteriorating security situation in the West Bank.The letter, organized by Commanders for Israel's Security, a group of hundreds of former Israeli generals and senior security officials, warns that rising Jewish extremist violence alongside the weakening of the Palestinian Authority poses a serious security threat and increases the risk of broader escalation in the West Bank. The signatories said such a deterioration could undermine Israel's security, destabilize the region, harm U.S. interests and hinder efforts to expand the Abraham Accords. They urged Trump to raise the issue during his meeting with Netanyahu and discuss ways to curb the deterioration.Israeli top court: Palestinian Authority cannot challenge terror victims' disability ratingsIsrael's Supreme Court ruled that the Palestinian Authority cannot challenge the disability ratings of victims of terrorist attacks in an effort to reduce the compensation it is required to pay.The court held that once Israel's National Insurance Institute (Bituach Leumi) or another court has recognized a victim as permanently disabled, the Palestinian Authority must pay compensation based on that determination and cannot reopen the medical evidence or demand additional proof.According to the court, this is because the Palestinian Authority "rewards terrorism."In its ruling, the Supreme Court said the purpose of the law is to punish and deter the Palestinian Authority and to ensure that victims receive compensation through a swift process, without being forced to relitigate medical issues that have already been decided.In the West Bank, the writing was on the wall; the government chose to ignore it | EditorialThe government cannot claim that its hands are clean. None of its members, and certainly not the prime minister, can claim that they weren't warned. The writing on the wall was clear: A flare-up in the West Bank was only a matter of time. It was visible on the walls of the mosques that settlers torched or painted hateful slogans such as "Jewish blood is not forfeit." Senior army officers have warned that the government is giving a tailwind to the settlers' acts of violence. One reservist officer said his unit's main activity these days is dealing with this violence, but he doesn't have enough soldiers to handle the incidents. "We simply stand by and watch it unfold," he said (Yaniv Kubovich, Sunday's Haaretz).Defense officials have warned that the Palestinians, who have suffered recurrent attacks, may stop exercising restraint. It's not clear whether the officials are being naive or playing dumb. After all, had the defense establishment done its job and protected the occupied population, as required by law, the defenseless Palestinians wouldn't have been forced to establish their own civil defense committees.Palestinians watch as a fire blazes near the village of Tell, west of Nablus in the West Bank on July 18, after a reported arson attack by Israeli settlers on the village, according to eyewitnesses. Credit: Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFPPalestinians watch as a fire blazes near the village of Tell, west of Nablus in the West Bank on July 18, after a reported arson attack by Israeli settlers on the village, according to eyewitnesses. Credit: Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFPRead the full articleEgypt praises Ireland law banning settlement goods, urges EU to follow suitEgypt on Sunday welcomed Ireland's approval of legislation banning the import of goods from illegal Israeli settlements, calling the move an important step in support of international law and United Nations resolutions.In a statement, Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the legislation reflected opposition to Israeli settlement activities, which it described as violations of Palestinian rights and obstacles to achieving a just and lasting peace.مصر ترحب بإقرار أيرلندا قانون حظر استيراد السلع من المستوطنات الإسرائيلية في الأراضي الفلسطينية المحتلة'Egypt welcomes Ireland's adoption of a law banning the import of goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.'The ministry urged European Union member states and the broader international community to adopt similar legal and practical measures, arguing that countries should avoid directly or indirectly supporting or sustaining Israeli settlements.Egypt reiterated its support for what it called the "legitimate and inalienable rights" of the Palestinian people, saying regional security and stability require an end to the Israeli occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.Pope Leo XIV urges end to Holy Land violence, calls for renewed peace talksPope Leo XIV on Sunday issued a renewed appeal for an immediate end to violence in the Holy Land and across the Middle East, urging all sides to return to dialogue and diplomacy.Speaking during his Angelus address in Castel Gandolfo, the pope said he was following "with deep concern" the escalation of violence, warning that civilians in both the West Bank and Gaza had continued to suffer."I continue to follow with deep concern the ongoing and escalating violence in the Holy Land," Leo said, adding that "many civilians have recently fallen victim, both in the West Bank and in Gaza."Pope Leo greets the faithful following the Angelus prayer in Piazza della Liberta in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, Italy, Saturday. Credit: Remo Casilli/REUTERSPope Leo greets the faithful following the Angelus prayer in Piazza della Liberta in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, Italy, Saturday. Credit: Remo Casilli/REUTERSThe pope called for "a return to negotiations aimed at achieving a just political solution, founded on the equal dignity and equal rights of every human person."He also urged the rejection of further military actions and unilateral decisions, particularly those that could violate the status and protections of holy sites belonging to different faith communities."I urge all parties involved to suspend their attacks and urgently reopen avenues of dialogue and diplomacy," Pope Leo said, calling for efforts to achieve "the peace so greatly desired by the entire region" without delay.In the NewsLikud Regains Lead in New Poll; No Majority for Opposition Without Arab PartiesNetanyahu Is Stopping Trump From Securing Billions for U.S. CompaniesTrump's Fear of a Missile Shortage Shows Strategic Price of Pursuing WarNetanyahu's Trump Test: Gaza Gestures, Iran Tensions and a Risky BetJordanian Army Says It Intercepted Two Drones, No Casualties ReportedRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIIsrael's Far Right Is Repeating the Sin That Brought Down the TempleAn Israeli Election Surprise Called the DemocratsEd Miliband, the U.K.'s New Foreign Secretary – and His History With IsraelTwo Israelis, Four Palestinians Killed in Clash After Settlers Enter TownBiden Officials Now Regret What They Let Israel Do in Gaza. 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