A demolished home in Ein al-Hilweh, in the West Bank's norther Jordan Valley, December.Credit: Gil Eliyahu
A demolished home in Ein al-Hilweh, in the West Bank's norther Jordan Valley, December.Credit: Gil Eliyahu
Israeli authorities demolished on Thursday a Palestinian residential compound in the West Bank's northern Jordan Valley, two days after the High Court of Justice ruled to freeze demolitions in the area until further notice.
Israeli security forces and officials from the Civil Administration, Israel's governing body in the West Bank, entered the Palestinian community of Ein al-Hilweh while accompanied by three masked Israelis, at least one of whom was armed.
In footage from the scene, one of the masked individuals is heard asking to conceal his name for fear that he could be hurt. "Say the first letter of the name or surname, so that they won't come after us later," he tells one of his companions.
Local residents recognized two of the demolishers, identifying them as Israeli settlers from a nearby farm.
U.S. President Donald Trump remarked on the war in the Gulf in his speech honoring the United States Declaration of Independence's 250th anniversary, saying, "We knocked the hell out of Iran."
U.S. President Donald Trump gestures after speaking at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Friday, July 3, 2026, near Keystone, S.D.Credit: Alex Brandon,AP U.S. President Donald Trump gestures after speaking at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Friday, July 3, 2026, near Keystone, S.D.Credit: Alex Brandon,AP
Speaking in front of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, the president added, "They want to settle so badly. We gave them a week off for a funeral."
On Saturday, Iran began a days-long funeral for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, months after an airstrike killed him at the start of the war, aged 86.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, 2017.Credit: AFP PHOTO / HO / KHAMENEI.IRIran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, 2017.Credit: AFP PHOTO / HO / KHAMENEI.IR
Iran began a days-long funeral Saturday for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, months after an airstrike killed him at the start of the war. He was 86.
Khamenei's body was to be on display at the Grand Mosalla in Tehran, Iran's capital. Early Saturday, mourners wearing black walked through the streets of Tehran, emptied of vehicle traffic, trying to reach the Grand Mosalla.
Some carried banners and flags, while billboards across the city bore Khamenei's image. A crowd of men outside rhythmically beat their chests in mourning, a common practice at Shiite funerals.
"I am here to say goodbye to my beloved leader Ali Khamenei," said a weeping Hananeh Mousavi, 27, who attended the funeral alongside her mother. "I never expected to see such a day. I wish I had died before this tragedy."
An outdoor stage set up at the Grand Mosalla resembled the stage where Khamenei once gave his speeches at a Husseiniyah at his compound in downtown Tehran. That site was destroyed in the Israeli airstrike that killed Khamenei and some of his family at the start of the Iran war on February 28.
Iran's government expects to see millions flood the streets of the capital in scenes reminiscent of the burial of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev pays his respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, on Friday.Credit: Sputnik/Oleg Molchanov/Pool / REUTERSDeputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev pays his respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, on Friday.Credit: Sputnik/Oleg Molchanov/Pool / REUTERS
"We attended the funeral to show that we are all committed to defend our country and religion," said Ali Kazemi, who came from the northwestern city of Tabriz, some 530 kilometers (330 miles) away from Tehran.
A large turnout could provide a boost for Iran's government, particularly as it tries to leverage its hold on the Strait of Hormuz in negotiations with the United States over a permanent end to the war, and as concern still lingers that Israel could attack yet again.
Iran chose July 4, the 250th anniversary of the creation of the U.S., to begin the funeral. While authorities did not acknowledge the timing, crowds at the ceremony in Tehran chanted: "Death to America!" — reprising a cry that's been common in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and U.S. Embassy takeover and hostage crisis.
"We knocked the hell out of Iran," U.S. President Donald Trump said in a speech at the same time in South Dakota in front of Mount Rushmore. "They want to settle so badly. We gave them a week off for a funeral."
Khamenei's body will be transported to cities in both Iran and neighboring Iraq. Authorities have shut down streets, airspace and daily life in Tehran for the mourning.
It remains unclear whether Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, will appear at his father's funeral. The late supreme leader appeared in 1989 at Khomeini's funeral, weeping visibly, as he began his journey to lead Iran for decades with an iron fist while confronting the West.
Israel's repeated threats to kill Mojtaba Khamenei drew a warning from Iran's joint military command Thursday, which told Israel and the U.S. "to avoid any miscalculation" over the coming days.
Palestinians and activists clash with Israeli settlers during a protest against a new Israeli settlement in the village of Abu Falah, near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Friday.Credit: Mohamad Torokman/ReutersPalestinians and activists clash with Israeli settlers during a protest against a new Israeli settlement in the village of Abu Falah, near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Friday.Credit: Mohamad Torokman/Reuters
Israeli settlers raided several Palestinian communities across the West Bank, with soldiers and police officers present in two of the raids.
According to local reports, settlers entered the yard of a Palestinian house in the town of Arrabeh south of Jenin in the northern West Bank. The Israelis, one of whom was armed with a rifle, reportedly attempted to steal the house residents' herd of sheep.
Settlers also raided the Bedouin community of Khan al-Ahmar, located in the E1 area east of Jerusalem where Israel recently approved settlement construction. Police officers arrived at the area and arrested three residents.
Israeli settlers also raided the Palestinian village of Idna, west of Hebron in the southern West Bank. IDF soldiers arrived at the area, using riot control measures on the locals. Several residents were evacuated for medical treatment.
