Israeli soldiers sit under a tent in front of the home of Ohio-based Palestinian American landlord Loui Ridi, which has been besieged by Israeli settlers for over a week, in the occupied West Bank village of Qusra, south of Nablus, Aug. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has voiced deep concern over developments in the occupied West Bank, warning that steps affecting the territorial link between its northern and southern parts pose an “existential threat” to a two-state solution.
Speaking at a daily briefing in New York, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Guterres had urged Israel to refrain from taking any further steps and comply with relevant U.N. resolutions and the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion of July 19, 2024.
Dujarric also detailed an Israeli operation in Dhahiriya, near Hebron, where he said forces had imposed a curfew and deployed snipers.
The restrictions had left Palestinians unable to obtain supplies, access basic services or travel to work, he said.
According to U.N. staff on the ground, Israeli forces confined families to a single room and used about seven Palestinian homes as interrogation sites, while multiple arrests were reported.
“Homes and families must be protected,” Dujarric said, adding that all security operations must comply with international law, including requirements to protect civilians and respect their dignity.
Separately, Dujarric said preliminary reports from local sources indicated that an Israeli airstrike on a port area in Gaza City had killed at least seven people and wounded several others.
He also warned that Israeli military activity west of the so-called yellow line was putting lives at risk and limiting civilians’ options for seeking safety.
