Marketing brochures distributed at the “Great Israeli Real Estate Event” reportedly included properties in Ma’ale Adumim and Givat Zeev in the West Bank, as well as Ramat Eshkol and Givat HaMatos in East Jerusalem, areas widely regarded as occupied territory under international law.

The disclosures were made by the UK-based group Jewish Anti-Zionist Action, which said it attended the event and collected promotional materials distributed to participants, according to reporting cited in the source material. The group said it documented listings from several real estate companies advertising properties in those locations.

Prior to the event, more than 100 British lawmakers had urged that the exhibition be cancelled, warning it could facilitate the marketing of properties linked to Israeli settlements. Some MPs said the concerns had been validated following the emergence of the promotional materials.

Labour MP Andy McDonald, co-chair of the Britain-Palestine All-Party Parliamentary Group, described the event as “an absolute abomination,” according to remarks cited in the report, and called for stronger government action to prevent UK-based trade involving settlement properties.

Organisers of the exhibition rejected the allegations ahead of the event, stating that exhibitors would only present properties within Israel’s internationally recognised borders, according to comments reported by Jewish News, while earlier references to settlement locations were removed from promotional material.

The UK government has previously stated that Israeli settlements in occupied territory are illegal under international law and are viewed as an obstacle to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Police said 15 people were arrested during protests linked to the event, which was held at a synagogue in northwest London and drew demonstrations both in support of and against the exhibition.

Israeli bulldozers entered Barta’a to execute the demolition order issued a day earlier, according to the Palestine News Agency. Residents said only eight families managed to remove their belongings before the operation began, while others refused to evacuate their possessions.

Witnesses said residents protested by climbing onto rooftops of the targeted homes in an attempt to prevent the demolitions. Israeli forces later removed the protesters before the buildings were razed.

The demolitions left about 100 Palestinians facing displacement, according to local reports.

The operation comes amid a prolonged Israeli military campaign in and around Jenin. Since launching operations in the city and its refugee camp in January 2025, Israeli forces have displaced more than 20,000 people and destroyed approximately 600 homes, most of them in the Jenin refugee camp.

Israel says structures built without the required permits are subject to demolition under planning and zoning regulations in the occupied territory.

Palestinians and rights groups have long criticized the permit system, arguing that obtaining construction approvals is extremely difficult and that demolitions contribute to displacement and territorial fragmentation in the West Bank.

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has been under Israeli occupation since 1967. Israeli settlement expansion, military operations and demolitions remain central points of contention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel is facing legal proceedings at both the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice relating to its actions in the Palestinian territories. Israel rejects allegations of war crimes and genocide and has challenged the legitimacy of the cases.

In a letter sent to the government on Monday, 137 Labour members of parliament called for concrete measures against Israeli settlements, arguing that continued expansion and settler violence required a stronger response from Britain.

“There is an urgent need for accountability and concrete consequences in response to Israel’s violations against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem,” the lawmakers wrote, describing a ban on settlement trade as a necessary next step.

The signatories represent more than a third of Labour’s 402 lawmakers in the 650-seat House of Commons, highlighting growing unease within the governing party over Britain’s policy toward Israel.

The intervention presents a challenge for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has sought to balance Britain’s longstanding alliance with Israel and the United States against mounting domestic pressure to take firmer action over Israeli conduct in Palestinian territories.

The occupied West Bank has seen accelerated settlement expansion under Israel’s current coalition government, with several ministers advocating annexation of parts of the territory. Most countries regard Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal under international law, a position Israel disputes.

Violence involving Israeli settlers and Palestinian communities has also increased since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023.

Responding to the letter, a spokesperson for Britain’s Foreign Office did not directly address the demand for a trade ban but said the government had repeatedly condemned settler violence and the expansion of illegal settlements.

The spokesperson said Britain continued to call on Israeli authorities to prevent attacks by settler groups and address the destruction of Palestinian property.

Britain has already adopted a series of measures under Starmer’s government, including suspending some arms export licenses to Israel, pausing negotiations on a free trade agreement and imposing sanctions on Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

London also joined several Western allies, including France and Canada, in recognizing a Palestinian state last year.

The debate has increasingly focused on the proposed E1 settlement project, a development east of Jerusalem that critics say would divide the West Bank and undermine prospects for a contiguous Palestinian state.

Britain has publicly opposed the E1 project and, together with international partners, urged businesses not to participate in construction tenders linked to the development.

The Guardian reported that the government is considering additional measures to discourage corporate involvement in the project, although officials declined to comment on potential future sanctions or restrictions.

In a joint statement, Israel’s Defense Ministry and the Jerusalem Municipality said the planned complex would include a military museum, a recruitment office and an office for Defense Minister Israel Katz.

Katz described the move as a matter of “sovereignty, Zionism, and security,” according to the statement.Israeli authorities demolished structures inside the UNRWA compound in January after ordering the agency to vacate the premises and halt operations at the site.

UNRWA condemned the demolition at the time as a violation of international law.The agency had stopped using the compound since the beginning of last year after Israeli directives targeting its operations in Jerusalem.A UNRWA spokesperson declined immediate comment on the cabinet decision.

UNRWA operates in East Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank, Gaza and several neighboring countries, providing education, health care and social services to Palestinian refugees.

Most countries and the United Nations regard East Jerusalem as occupied territory captured by Israel from Jordan during the 1967 Middle East war, while Israel considers the entire city its indivisible capital.

Katz said the establishment of Israeli defense institutions at the former compound carried symbolic significance, accusing some UNRWA employees of involvement in the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.Israel has alleged that a number of UNRWA staff members were linked to Hamas and participated in the assault that Israeli authorities say killed about 1,200 people and triggered the war in Gaza.

UNRWA has dismissed several employees following the allegations but has said Israel did not provide evidence supporting all accusations against agency personnel.

Former UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini previously accused Israel of conducting what he described as a large-scale disinformation campaign against the organization.

Gaza health authorities say more than 71,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began following the Oct. 7 attack.

The procession, which moved through the Muslim Quarter toward the Western Wall, is one of Israel’s most politically charged nationalist demonstrations and has long inflamed tensions between Israelis and Palestinians over the contested city.

Israeli police erected barricades around Damascus Gate and restricted access to parts of the Old City, while Palestinian shopkeepers said authorities ordered businesses shut ahead of the march.Israel captured East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and later annexed the territory in a move not recognized by most of the international community.

Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state, making the annual march a focal point of competing national claims.“Jerusalem is our holy city. It is our holy city forever,” Shira Gefen, a participant who traveled from near Haifa to attend the event, told Reuters.

Thousands of security personnel, including riot police, were deployed across Jerusalem as crowds carrying Israeli flags streamed through narrow streets of the Old City.

The parade route traditionally passes through Palestinian neighborhoods, drawing criticism from Palestinians and rights groups who accuse Israeli authorities of enabling nationalist displays intended to reinforce Israeli control over East Jerusalem.

The event comes at a time of heightened political and military strain across the Middle East, with the ongoing Iran conflict and renewed regional security concerns fueling nationalist rhetoric on multiple fronts.

Jerusalem Day commemorates Israel’s seizure of East Jerusalem and access to Jewish holy sites during the 1967 conflict. The march concludes at the Western Wall, revered by Jews as the last remnant of the ancient Temple complex.

Muslims refer to the same elevated compound above the wall as Al Haram Al Sharif, home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam’s third-holiest site.Previous Jerusalem Day marches have seen clashes between Israeli nationalists and Palestinians, with some demonstrators chanting anti-Arab slogans.

Israeli authorities said security measures this year were aimed at preventing violence and maintaining order during the celebrations.

The procession, which moved through the Muslim Quarter toward the Western Wall, is one of Israel’s most politically charged nationalist demonstrations and has long inflamed tensions between Israelis and Palestinians over the contested city.

Israeli police erected barricades around Damascus Gate and restricted access to parts of the Old City, while Palestinian shopkeepers said authorities ordered businesses shut ahead of the march.Israel captured East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and later annexed the territory in a move not recognized by most of the international community.

Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state, making the annual march a focal point of competing national claims.“Jerusalem is our holy city. It is our holy city forever,” Shira Gefen, a participant who traveled from near Haifa to attend the event, told Reuters.

Thousands of security personnel, including riot police, were deployed across Jerusalem as crowds carrying Israeli flags streamed through narrow streets of the Old City.

The parade route traditionally passes through Palestinian neighborhoods, drawing criticism from Palestinians and rights groups who accuse Israeli authorities of enabling nationalist displays intended to reinforce Israeli control over East Jerusalem.

The event comes at a time of heightened political and military strain across the Middle East, with the ongoing Iran conflict and renewed regional security concerns fueling nationalist rhetoric on multiple fronts.

Jerusalem Day commemorates Israel’s seizure of East Jerusalem and access to Jewish holy sites during the 1967 conflict. The march concludes at the Western Wall, revered by Jews as the last remnant of the ancient Temple complex.

Muslims refer to the same elevated compound above the wall as Al Haram Al Sharif, home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam’s third-holiest site.Previous Jerusalem Day marches have seen clashes between Israeli nationalists and Palestinians, with some demonstrators chanting anti-Arab slogans.

Israeli authorities said security measures this year were aimed at preventing violence and maintaining order during the celebrations.

James Elder, speaking on behalf of the UN children’s agency UNICEF in Geneva, said children were “paying an intolerable price” amid escalating violence and military activity across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.“Between January 2025 and today, at least one Palestinian child has been killed on average every single week,” Elder told reporters.

The remarks come amid intensified Israeli military operations in several West Bank cities and refugee camps, alongside growing displacement and humanitarian concerns in the territory.The United Nations and humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned about the impact of prolonged conflict and security operations on civilians, particularly children, in Palestinian areas.

Israel says its operations in the West Bank target armed militants and are aimed at preventing attacks against Israeli civilians and security forces.

The latest UN comments add to mounting international scrutiny over the humanitarian consequences of the conflict as violence continues across both the West Bank and Gaza.

Abu Akleh, a veteran correspondent for Al Jazeera, was killed on May 11, 2022 while reporting on an Israeli operation in the Jenin refugee camp. She was wearing a blue protective vest clearly marked “PRESS” at the time of the shooting, according to eyewitness accounts and media footage from the scene.

Then-Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett initially said Palestinian gunfire was likely responsible for the killing and denied involvement by Israeli forces. The Israel Defense Forces later stated it was “not possible to unequivocally determine the source of the gunfire,” while acknowledging there was a “high possibility” Abu Akleh was accidentally struck by Israeli fire.

Independent investigations conducted by the United Nations and several international media organizations, including CNN, The New York Times and Al Jazeera, concluded that Abu Akleh was likely killed by Israeli troops during the raid.

Her funeral in occupied East Jerusalem later drew international attention after Israeli security forces clashed with mourners carrying her coffin. The Jerusalem Red Crescent said 33 people were injured and six hospitalized during the confrontation.

In statements issued on Monday, members of Abu Akleh’s family said the absence of legal accountability reflected a broader failure to protect journalists operating in conflict zones.

“We want the US to provide a public update about the investigation and ensure that there is transparency in the FBI investigation,” her niece, Lina Abu Akleh, told Arab News.

She also called for sanctions against the Israeli military unit allegedly involved in the shooting and criticized what she described as insufficient action by Washington despite Abu Akleh’s US citizenship.
“The ongoing impunity sends a dangerous message that journalists can be targeted without consequence,” Lina Abu Akleh said, linking the case to wider concerns over the safety of reporters covering conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.

The Committee to Protect Journalists last week urged US authorities to relaunch and publicly update the FBI investigation opened in 2022. In a letter to the US Department of Justice, the organization said it was unaware of formal witness interviews despite multiple individuals expressing willingness to cooperate.

The group described the lack of visible progress in the case as a “profound failure” by the US government to respond promptly and impartially to the killing of one of its citizens abroad.

In an open letter released on Wednesday, over 440 signatories called on the EU and its member states to respond to Israel’s intention to advance the E1 project, a proposed development spanning around 12 square kilometers that includes plans for approximately 3,400 housing units.

The project, located between east Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank, would deepen territorial fragmentation by further separating Palestinian areas, according to the letter.

“The EU and its member states, together with partners, must take immediate action to deter Israel from further advancing its illegal annexation of Palestinian land in the West Bank,” the signatories said, advocating targeted sanctions including visa bans and business restrictions against individuals involved in settlement activity.

Among those endorsing the appeal were former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt.The letter cited Israeli plans to issue an initial construction tender on June 1, potentially enabling housing for up to 15,000 settlers, and urged swift diplomatic and economic measures to halt the initiative.

International concern over the E1 project has been longstanding, with the United Nations warning it could pose an “existential threat” to the viability of a contiguous Palestinian state.According to international law, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal, though Israel disputes this characterization.

More than 500,000 Israelis currently live in such settlements, alongside roughly three million Palestinians in the territory.

Data from the United Nations indicate that settlement expansion reached its highest level in recent years in 2025, while reports from Palestinian authorities and the UN point to a rise in violence involving settlers since the start of the Iran conflict in late February.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967.

The future of Palestine-Israel relationship remains misty.

Israel-Palestine Violence and conflict dates back to 100 years, when Britain took control of Palestine after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in world war one, who used to rule the region back then. The Palestinian land consisted of Arab majority and Jewish minority. 

Israel first or Palestine first?

Tension grew between the two parties as Britain was given a task by the international community to establish a “national home” in Palestine for Jewish people. The number of Jews arriving in the region also increased due to the persecution of Jews in Europe after the Holocaust which took place during world war two between 1920s and 1940s.

The land of Palestine has been claimed as a homeland by both the parties living on the land, Arabs claim that they have been living in the land for ages and their ancestors were inhabitants of the land, and Palestine existed before Israel came into existence while blaming Israel for suppressing the voices of Palestinian people through various techniques including censorship and internet shutdowns.

“Israel has established an apartheid regime across this territory. It has not done single-handedly, but with the complicity and protection of social media platforms, who have the choice to do the otherwise”, says Mariam Barghouti, a Palestinian rights activist, writer and researcher.

Whereas people from the Jewish community claim that their story and history dates back to four thousand years. “The land of Judea which was conquered by the Romans and majority of the Jewish people were displaced at the time but there was no point in history where there were no Jewish on the land of Palestine”, says Rudy Rochman, an Israeli-Jewish rights activist. 

The major event that took place in the history of the region was 1947, when the United Nations voted for Palestine to split it into separate Jewish and Arab entities, but the plan didn’t work out and in 1948 British rulers left the region and the Jewish leaders at that time declared the creation of Israeli state.

Nakba and the recent conflict

And then happened AL-NAKBA, the ‘catastrophe’ as the formation of Israeli state wasn’t agreed upon by Palestinians and Arab nations, this disagreement triggered the war forcing hundreds of Palestinians out of their homes. By the end of the war, Israel occupied most of the land, including the Jordan-occupied Palestine which is now known as West Bank. 

The region remains disturbed till today, the most recent and the ongoing conflict commenced on May 2021. On 6 May Palestinians in East Jerusalem protested against the decision of Israel’s Supreme court on the eviction of six Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah. On 10 May, Israeli police stormed al-Aqsa, injuring 300 Palestinians and 21 Israeli police. According to the Red Crescent, 250 Palestinians were hospitalized for injuries and seven were in critical condition.

Palestinians claim that this is an act of war crime and ethnic cleansing. “Displacement is a war crime and the Israeli Occupation has no legitimate jurisdiction over us under international law”, tweeted Muhammad El Kurd, a Palestinian activist.

On the contrary, Israeli officials say the Sheikh Jarrah issue is just “a real estate dispute”, and the settlers have the law on their side. “So, you know we have a property dispute that has been conflated into a political dispute in order to invent a provocation”, says Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Jerusalem’s deputy mayor.

Ceasefire 

The ceasefire was announced on the 20^th of May, but the conflict of land continues. Recent conflict has caused hefty loss of life and property, where more than 250 Palestinians were killed because of Israeli airstrikes, and at least 12 were killed in Israel, as Hamas and other extremist groups, unleashed rocket attacks.

As the conflict continues, the future of Palestine-Israel relationship remains misty, and the Palestinians continue protesting for their rights and lands. Israel-Palestine are still quite far from finding a solution, but one thing which Palestine and Israel really need to consider is work on building up conversations and relationship to establish peace and stability in the region. 

Jaafar Siddiqui earned Bachelors in Journalism from the University of Hertfordshire — United Kingdom. He writes for The Milli Chronicle on Business, Politics, and Culture.