LiveLive Updates August 14, 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 formatSubscribeAugust 14, 2026UpdatesFrance urges Israel to arrest, charge settlers after West Bank raidsIsraeli settlers and Israel Border Police forces in Qusra, near Nablus in the northern West Bank, Wednesday. Credit: Itai RonIsraeli settlers and Israel Border Police forces in Qusra, near Nablus in the northern West Bank, Wednesday. Credit: Itai RonFrance urged the Israeli government to take legal action against settlers who raided and took over Palestinian houses in the West Bank.In a statement posted in Hebrew online, the French Embassy in Israel said authorities must "take all necessary measures to protect the Palestinian civilian population, as required of them under international law" and condemned Israel's settlement policy.The embassy added that France "strongly condemns" settler attacks and their takeover of several houses in the Palestinian village of Qusra, near Nablus in the northern West Bank. France "calls on the Israeli authorities to arrest the perpetrators of these acts and bring them to justice," the embassy said.Rights group: Israel must charge, not detain, Gaza doctor it suspects is Hamas operativeDr. Hussam Abu Safiya, handcuffed during a video-link High Court hearing, last month. Credit: Reuters TV via ReutersDr. Hussam Abu Safiya, handcuffed during a video-link High Court hearing, last month. Credit: Reuters TV via ReutersThe head of Physicians for Human Rights Israel criticized the Israeli Supreme Court's said intelligence supports claims that a Gaza hospital director is a Hamas operative, saying that if that is true, he must be charged rather than detained."The reasoning in the court's decision, which was issued two months ago, contains an inherent contradiction," the NGO's executive director, Tirza Leibowitz, said after the court had determined that intelligence it was given supports the claim that Kamal Adwan Hospital director Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya was a Hamas operative. The court authorized publication of its decision on Thursday following a request by Haaretz."If intelligence material 'strongly supports' the allegations against Dr. Abu Safiya, the state should put him on trial," Leibowitz said. "Detaining him for nearly two years without an indictment renders the court's own reasoning meaningless."U.S. tankers, air traffic delay flights at Ben-Gurion Airport, officials sayU.S. military tankers parked at Ben-Gurion Airport during the war with Iran. Credit: Tomer AppelbaumU.S. military tankers parked at Ben-Gurion Airport during the war with Iran. Credit: Tomer AppelbaumIsrael's main Ben-Gurion Airport is experiencing flight delays, the Israel Airports Authority said, adding that high traffic and U.S. military tanker flights have caused a backlog of 90 flights.According to the authority, the high air traffic and the U.S. refueling tankers' departures have led to flights scheduled to arrive throughout the day being concentrated into shorter time windows, creating congestion.The authority added that particularly heavy congestion is expected on Friday, with some 90,000 passengers expected to pass through Ben-Gurion Airport on arriving and departing flights. It stressed, however, that contrary to reports, there is no staff shortage.Settler opens fire near Israeli activists, Palestinians in West Bank, footage showsAn Israeli settler fired at Israeli activists and Palestinian locals in the West Bank's Beit Sahour, near Bethlehem, an Israeli human rights nonprofit said in a statement, adding that there were no injuries.According to Combatants for Peace, an armed settler opened fire from the direction of a nearby outpost, forcing them to take cover as they heard bullets striking or ricocheting nearby. The group added that IDF soldiers arrived about 30 minutes later.Footage of the incident in Beit Sahour, Friday.Combatants for Peace"We came to Beit Sahour for a joint, nonviolent initiative by Israelis and Palestinians and found ourselves lying on the ground as live fire was being fired around us," the activists said, adding that they "have footage of a settler firing into the air and pointing his weapon toward the participants."Responding to Haaretz's request for comment, the IDF said its force "dispersed the gathering and restored order," confirming that "an Israeli civilian fired shots into the air." According to the military, "Authorities are working to identify the individual."Iran says it intercepted a drone in the country's south Iranian air defenses intercepted an MQ-9 Reaper drone over Hormozgan Province, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported Friday. According to the report, the U.S.-manufactured drone was intercepted using novel, advanced methods developed by Iran's Revolutionary Guards. Report: Israel preparing operation to seize strategic ridge in southern LebanonIsrael is preparing an operation to seize the Ali al-Taher Ridge in southern Lebanon and is awaiting a signal from the United States, the Lebanese newspaper Al-Joumhouria reported Friday, citing a senior Lebanese security official.According to the report, the United States had told Lebanese officials it could not completely prevent Israel from taking military action, but had urged that any operation be as limited and focused as possible, minimizing civilian casualties and avoiding the collapse of the existing agreement.The key question, the official told the newspaper, is how Hezbollah would respond. The group would have to decide whether to view a takeover of the ridge as a "war of the end times" or respond in a way that would not give Israel a pretext to widen the conflict or lead to renewed displacement of residents in the area, the report said. Palestinian vice president condemns Israeli plan to shift West Bank law enforcement to policePalestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh condemned an order by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz to prepare to transfer civilian law enforcement duties in the West Bank from the military to the Israel Police. We strongly condemn the decision of the Israeli government/Israeli Minister of Defense to transfer law enforcement powers in the Israeli settlements established on the territory of the occupied State of Palestine to the Israeli police.