RAMALLAH/CAIRO/GAZA/GENEVA - The Palestinian presidency on Tuesday condemned an Israeli plan to legalize 140 settlement farms in the occupied West Bank.
Presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh said in a statement carried by the official WAFA news agency that Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz's announcement on Monday of the plan represents "a major escalation in the implementation of the policy of annexation and racist expansion."
Abu Rudeineh said that these agricultural farms are, in reality, settlement outposts that complement settler violence carried out under army protection.
He emphasized that all settlement activity in Palestinian territory is illegal under international law and UN resolutions, particularly UN Security Council Resolution 2334, framing the plan as part of a gradual effort to expel Palestinian residents from pastoral communities and implement annexation.
Abu Rudeineh held the Israeli government fully responsible for the consequences of this escalation, warning it undermines international efforts to reduce tensions and restore calm. He urged immediate intervention from the international community.
Palestinian man in West Bank killed by Israel
A Palestinian man was killed on Tuesday evening and three others were wounded by Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Jericho, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said.
The ministry said in a statement that Saeed Nael Saeed Al-Sheikh, 24, died from injuries sustained by Israeli forces, adding that three other young men were injured, with varying degrees of severity.
The West Bank and East Jerusalem, which were captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast War, have witnessed a continued escalation in violence since Oct 7, 2023, coinciding with the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip. According to Palestinian statistics, more than 1,080 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since that date.
Egypt's Palestinians returning to Gaza via Rafah crossing
The Rafah border crossing received on Tuesday the second group of Palestinians returning to the Gaza Strip from Egypt after the crossing reopened a day earlier, Egypt's state-affiliated Al-Qahera News TV reported.
Meanwhile, Palestinian media reported that a bus carrying 12 returnees arrived at the Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza's Khan Younis on Monday evening after crossing via Rafah.
The Palestinian side of the crossing officially resumed operations on Monday for the first time since May 2024, following an initial trial reopening on Sunday, as part of the implementation of the second phase of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Following the reopening, Egypt's Ministry of Health said around 12,000 doctors at 150 hospitals have been placed on standby to receive wounded Palestinians and patients.
WHO confirms evacuation of five patients to Egypt
On the same day, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday hailed the first medical evacuation of five patients from the Gaza Strip through the recently reopened Rafah crossing, meanwhile warning that thousands remain in urgent need of care.
At a press briefing, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said five patients and seven companions were evacuated to Egypt on Monday with support from the UN health agency and its partners, marking the first medical evacuation through Rafah since 2025, after the crossing reopened earlier this week.
According to the WHO, more than 18,500 patients in Gaza still require specialized medical treatment currently unavailable in Gaza, including care for severe war-related injuries and chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetes.
A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on Oct 10, 2025, after two years of conflict that had killed at least 71,800 Palestinians and injured over 171,500, according to Gaza's health authorities.
