As the Israeli-American war on Iran sets the entire region ablaze, and much of the world’s attention shifts to the impact on the global economy and oil prices, we are keeping our focus on the reverberations here in Israel-Palestine. With Gaza and the West Bank slipping out of the headlines, Israel’s government and settlers are seizing the opportunity to ramp up the ongoing genocide and intensify their ethnic cleansing — and we won’t let them do it in the dark.

In Gaza, Israel sealed the crossings at the start of this latest war, bringing back fears of starvation. The devastated Strip relies almost completely on importing its basic needs, meaning any disruption to the entrance of these goods immediately translates into scarcity and high prices. All the while, Israel’s bombings have not ceased, killing at least 14 Palestinians since the Iran war began.

In the West Bank, Israel has used the war as a pretext to impose a total closure, trapping Palestinians in their cities and villages and prohibiting movement between districts. Naturally, these restrictions do not apply to Israeli settlers, who are rampaging through Palestinian communities and killing with impunity. Settlers have shot dead five Palestinians since the Iran war started, while soldiers caused an additional death by cardiac arrest in the aftermath of one of those attacks by firing tear gas at residents.

All of this is taking place against the backdrop of legal measures by the Israeli government to annex the West Bank in all but name — a strategy designed to minimize international outcry and limit Palestinian options, as discussed in our latest podcast episode with Dalia Hatuqa.

While we are still making sure our coverage reflects the humanitarian cost of this war across the region, in addition to making sense of its impact on ever-shifting geopolitical alliances, our commitment to rooting our coverage in Israel-Palestine stems from our conviction that the regime of apartheid and occupation between the river and the sea is a cornerstone of regional and global instability. 

Israel-Palestine is at the core of the latest conflict with Iran, and we will continue covering what is happening here — and amplifying the voices working to create a better future for all who live here — no matter how much media attention shifts. By exposing these injustices, we are chipping away at the shield of impunity that enables them. Help strengthen our commitment by reading our reporting, sharing it with friends, family, and colleagues, and joining over 2,000 members who choose to give monthly to sustain our work.