Israeli military carries out raid in West Bank city of Nablus – Middle East crisis live

Israeli military perform raid in Nablus

The Israeli navy on Wednesday launched an operation involving dozens of troopers and armoured automobiles within the outdated metropolis of Nablus, within the northern occupied West Financial institution, witnesses and Palestinian officers advised Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The Israeli navy confirmed to AFP that it was conducting an operation, with out specifying its objective.

The raid started at about 3.00am (0.00am UK time), residents stated, with troopers storming a number of neighbourhoods of the outdated metropolis, which has a inhabitants of about 30,000 folks.

A Palestinian kicks a teargas canister throughout an Israeli navy raid within the West Financial institution metropolis of Nablus on Wednesday, 27 August 2025. {Photograph}: Majdi Mohammed/AP

“The assault on Nablus is merely a present of power with no justification,” Nablus governor Ghassan Daghlas advised AFP.

He stated the military had knowledgeable Palestinian authorities that the raid would proceed till 4.00 pm (1.00pm UK time).

One witness, who declined to offer his title, reported that troopers had expelled an aged couple from their residence.

Troopers “are storming and looking out homes and outlets contained in the outdated metropolis, whereas some homes have been was navy posts,” Ghassan Hamdan, head of the Palestinian Medical Aid organisation in Nablus, stated.

AFP footage confirmed Israeli forces and navy automobiles deployed on the streets of the town.

Native sources stated clashes broke out on the japanese entrance to the outdated metropolis, the place younger folks threw stones at Israeli troopers, who responded with teargas and dwell ammunition.

The Palestinian Pink Crescent reported a number of accidents consequently, however none from gunfire.

The outdated metropolis of Nablus has been the main focus a number of main Israeli raids, together with in 2022 and 2023 throughout large-scale operations concentrating on an area grouping of armed fighters, in addition to in 2002 throughout the second Palestinian intifada, or rebellion.

In early June 2025, the Israeli military carried out an operation there through which at the least two Palestinians had been killed.

Key occasions

Present key occasions solely

Please activate JavaScript to make use of this function

France, Britain and Germany stay able to set off a snapback of UN sanctions in opposition to Iran, a German international ministry spokesperson stated on Wednesday, Reuters reviews.

The feedback got here after the trio of nations met with Iran on Tuesday to attempt to revive diplomacy over its nuclear programme.

A snapback stays an choice after the talks ended with out a conclusive end result, however France, Britain and Germany will proceed to hunt a diplomatic answer, the spokesperson stated throughout a press convention.

France, Britain and Germany – referred to as the E3 – have lengthy threatened to set off a snapback of sanctions on the UN safety council earlier than 18 October, when a largely defunct nuclear deal struck 10 years in the past between Tehran and main powers expires.

Syria’s international ministry has up to date the variety of troopers killed in southern Damascus on Tuesday to eight, the Related Press (AP) reviews.

The ministry stated in an announcement that drone strikes on Tuesday within the southern Damascus suburb of Kiswah killed eight troopers. It referred to as the assault “a grave violation of worldwide regulation” and “clear breach of (Syria’s) sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The assertion stated:

It additionally comes within the context of the repeated aggressive insurance policies pursued by the Israeli occupation geared toward undermining safety and stability within the area.

The Israeli navy didn’t instantly touch upon the strikes.

For the reason that fall of Bashar Assad in December, Israel has carried out lots of of airstrikes on completely different components of the nation, destroying Syrian military belongings, and its forces have seized a UN patrolled buffer zone in southern Syria.

Pope Leo XIV says Israel should cease ‘collective punishment’ of Palestinian folks in Gaza

In an replace to earlier feedback by Pope Leo XIV, he stated that Israel should cease the “collective punishment” and compelled displacement of Palestinian folks in Gaza as he pleaded for an instantaneous and everlasting ceasefire amid preparations by Israel for a brand new navy offensive.

Leo was interrupted twice by applause as he learn aloud his newest attraction for an finish to the 22-month struggle throughout his weekly normal viewers attended by 1000’s of individuals within the Vatican’s auditorium.

Historical past’s first American pope additionally referred to as for the discharge of hostages taken by Hamas in southern Israel – 50 of them stay in Gaza – and for either side and worldwide powers to finish the struggle “which has precipitated a lot terror, destruction and dying”.

“I encourage for a everlasting ceasefire to be reached, the protected entry of humanitarian help to be facilitated and humanitarian regulation to be absolutely revered,” Leo stated. He cited worldwide regulation requiring the duty to guard civilians and “the prohibition of collective punishment, indiscriminate use of power and the pressured displacement of the inhabitants”.

Up to date at 08.20 EDT

The day thus far

US particular envoy Steve Witkoff stated on Tuesday that president Donald Trump would chair a gathering on Gaza on the White Home on Wednesday and added that Washington anticipated Israel’s struggle within the Palestinian territory to be settled by the tip of the yr. The US state division individually stated secretary of state Marco Rubio will meet Israeli international minister Gideon Saar in Washington on Wednesday, which is anticipated to happen at 3.15pm ET (7.15pm UK time).
Israeli tanks pushed into a brand new space on the sting of Gaza Metropolis in a single day, destroying homes and prompting residents to flee, witnesses advised Reuters. Tanks late on Tuesday entered into the Ebad-Alrahman neighbourhood on the northern fringe of Gaza Metropolis and shelled homes, wounding a number of folks and forcing many others, who had been taken unexpectedly, to maneuver deeper into Gaza’s largest metropolis, residents stated.
The Israeli navy on Wednesday launched an operation involving dozens of troopers and armoured automobiles within the outdated metropolis of Nablus, within the northern occupied West Financial institution. The Israeli navy confirmed to the company that it was conducting an operation, with out specifying its objective.
Residents of the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza Metropolis have spoken of heavy Israeli bombardment in a single day. It comes after defence minister Israel Katz vowed on Friday to destroy Gaza Metropolis if Hamas doesn’t agree to finish the struggle on Israel’s phrases.
Israeli police stated on Wednesday that safety forces seized roughly 1.5 million shekels ($447,000) of “terror funds” throughout a raid within the occupied West Financial institution a day earlier. Israeli forces focused a forex trade in Ramallah on Tuesday, leaving dozens of Palestinians wounded, in accordance with the Pink Crescent.
Pope Leo made a “sturdy attraction” to the worldwide group on Wednesday to finish the almost two-year battle between Israel and Hamas, calling for a everlasting ceasefire, launch of hostages and the availability of humanitarian help.
Hamas on Tuesday rejected an Israeli assertion saying a strike on a Gaza hospital that killed a number of journalists was geared toward a digital camera operated by the militant group, calling the accusation “baseless”. The Israeli navy on Tuesday stated its forces had been concentrating on a digital camera operated by Hamas in two strikes that killed 5 journalists at a hospital a day earlier, triggering a wave of worldwide condemnation. Monday’s strike in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis killed at the least 20 folks, together with the 5 reporters who labored for Al Jazeera, the Related Press and Reuters, amongst different retailers.
Hamas denied on Tuesday that any of the Palestinians killed in Israel’s assault on Gaza’s Nasser hospital on Monday had been militants. Earlier, Israel stated it had killed six militants within the assault however it was investigating how civilians, together with 5 journalists, had been killed. “We will affirm that the Reuters and AP journalists weren’t a goal of the strike,” navy spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani advised Reuters on Tuesday.
The UN has demanded that Israel’s investigations into illegal killings in Gaza, together with its “double faucet” bombing of Nasser hospital, yield outcomes and guarantee accountability. “There must be justice,” Thameen Al-Kheetan, the spokesperson for the UN’s human rights workplace, advised reporters on Tuesday in Geneva. He added that the variety of journalists killed in Gaza raised many questions on the concentrating on of media staff.
Tens of 1000’s of individuals took half in demonstrations throughout Israel on Tuesday, blocking highways on a “day of disruption” that aimed to push Benjamin Netanyahu into agreeing a deal to finish the struggle and calling off plans to assault Gaza Metropolis. Family of hostages led the largest march and rally in Tel Aviv, whereas in Jerusalem lots of of individuals gathered outdoors the prime minister’s workplace because the safety cupboard met to debate the struggle. There have been dozens of different protests across the nation, together with on the primary freeway to the northern metropolis of Haifa and inside Ben Gurion airport.
Six Syrian troopers had been killed in Israeli drone strikes within the Damascus countryside, state-run El Ekhbariya TV reported early on Wednesday. Syria and Israel are engaged in US-mediated talks on easing tensions in southern Syria, with Damascus in search of a safety deal that might open the door to wider political negotiations.

Up to date at 08.46 EDT

Protesters in opposition to Israel’s invasion of Gaza held a banner saying “Free Palestine” and “Cease the Genocide” outdoors the Venice movie competition’s principal constructing on Wednesday, hours earlier than stars had been to stroll its pink carpet, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reviews.

About 20 folks from a regional leftwing Italian political collective held up the hand-drawn banner and Palestinian flags earlier than the opening ceremony in a while Wednesday.

Giulia Cacopardo, 28, from the north-east Social Centres, advised AFP:

We have to use the eye right here throughout the movie competition to shift the give attention to to Palestine.

We hope that different persons are going to hitch us to cease the genocide now.

The gathering was a prelude to a a lot bigger demonstration deliberate on the weekend in Venice by lots of of native teams, with many Italian movie insiders additionally pushing for the competition to take a stronger stance on Gaza.

Israeli’s almost two-year bombardment of the Palestinian territory overshadowed the Cannes competition in Might the place lots of of film figures signed a petition saying they had been “ashamed” of their business’s “passivity” concerning the struggle.

An open letter revealed on Saturday in Italy was signed by lots of of Italian cinema professionals beneath the banner of the Venice4Palestine (V4P) group which referred to as on the Venice competition to take “a transparent and unambiguous place” in opposition to the struggle.

Competition director Alberto Barbera advised AFP on Wednesday that competition “doesn’t take direct political positions, it doesn’t make political statements, as it’s a cultural area for dialogue, dialogue, and openness.”

He additionally dominated out censoring or boycotting artists.