The San Francisco jury found each of the seven defendants guilty of six misdemeanor offenses, including false imprisonment, obstruction of a thoroughfare and unlawful assembly, according to a statement issued by San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.

Jenkins said one defendant was also convicted of an additional misdemeanor charge of refusing to disperse. The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced in August and could face prison terms of up to five years in county jail.

Jurors, however, remained deadlocked on the most serious allegation of felony conspiracy, which prosecutors said involved an agreement between two or more individuals to commit a crime accompanied by an overt act. A conviction on that charge could have carried a sentence of up to 15 years.

“At this time we will evaluate our options and consider next steps,” Jenkins said after the verdict.

The protest took place during a wave of demonstrations across the United States in 2024 calling for an end to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and opposing continued U.S. support for Israel. Many demonstrations also urged universities to divest investments linked to companies supporting Israel.

During the trial, defense attorneys argued that the protesters acted from a deeply held moral conviction in response to the humanitarian consequences of the war in Gaza and U.S. backing for Israel. They told the court that participants turned to blocking the bridge only after peaceful efforts, including writing letters and contacting elected representatives, had failed to produce meaningful change.

Prosecutors argued that the demonstration shut down traffic on one of California’s busiest transportation links for approximately four hours, creating significant disruption and posing risks to public safety by delaying emergency access and trapping motorists.

Nuha Abusamra, who represented one of the defendants, described the jury’s decision not to convict on the felony conspiracy charge as a positive outcome for the defense, according to local media outlet KQED.

“Taking a bridge and blocking traffic for a few hours years ago is the bare minimum that we should be doing as American citizens while our tax dollars continue to fund the mass genocide of Palestinians,” Abusamra said.

The war in Gaza began after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel in October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.

Israel says its military campaign is an act of self-defense aimed at dismantling Hamas. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people in Gaza, displaced much of the territory’s population and contributed to severe humanitarian conditions. United Nations inquiries, human rights experts and some scholars have characterized Israel’s actions as genocide, while Israel rejects that characterization.

The verdict marks one of the most closely watched criminal cases stemming from the nationwide pro-Palestinian protest movement that spread across the United States during 2024, leading to demonstrations on university campuses, public roads and other high-profile locations.

The unfinished two-story house belongs to Palestinian Mohammad Salameh, who said it was being built for his family and intended to become the home of his recently engaged son after marriage. Video recorded earlier this week and verified by Reuters showed at least six settlers on the roof of the building, which stands below a nearby hill.

Salameh said he sought assistance from the Israeli military and police after settlers entered the property, but no action was taken to remove them. As of Thursday, Reuters observed one of the settlers walking on the roof of the house.

“Only God knows, if there is law and order then they will leave,” Salameh told Reuters. “If they succeeded with taking one, then the rest will follow.”

Reuters was unable to reach the settlers for comment. The Israeli military said it was checking Reuters’ request for comment but had not provided a response by Friday. Israeli police also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Residents of Jalud said the incident differs from previous settler activity because the property itself, still under construction, has been occupied rather than farmland or agricultural areas being targeted.

Raed Al-Hajj Mohammad, head of the Jalud village council, said settlers had now advanced to within about 100 meters of the village’s last residential buildings. He said another nearby house under construction could face a similar fate if authorities fail to intervene.

According to Al-Hajj Mohammad, Jalud has experienced five major settler attacks, including incidents involving homes being set on fire, vehicles being damaged and trees being uprooted.

The West Bank is home to roughly 500,000 Israeli settlers living among about 3 million Palestinians. Settlement expansion and violence involving settlers have remained longstanding sources of friction and are widely regarded as major obstacles to efforts aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A United Nations inquiry reported last month that attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian villages and agricultural land have risen sharply since 2023, increasing by 130 percent. The report identified continued violence and land seizures as growing concerns across parts of the occupied territory.

Most countries and the United Nations consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be illegal under international law, citing the Fourth Geneva Convention’s prohibition on transferring a civilian population into occupied territory. Israel disputes that interpretation, arguing that the West Bank is disputed territory with a longstanding Jewish historical presence.

Palestinians view the West Bank, together with Gaza and East Jerusalem, as integral parts of a future independent Palestinian state. The differing legal and political positions over the territory have remained central to decades of failed peace negotiations.

The issue has also drawn criticism from several of Israel’s allies, including the United States, which has repeatedly condemned violent actions by Israeli settlers. At the same time, settlement construction has accelerated under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, whose parliamentary majority depends on hard-line pro-settlement parties.

For Salameh, the dispute extends beyond legal and political arguments. Construction of the family’s home stalled after the Gaza war began in 2023, when his son lost employment opportunities and the family’s financial situation deteriorated.

“The neighbor close by has built a two-story house, which they will probably take too. If we lose this house, they will lose theirs,” Salameh said, expressing concern that similar incidents could spread to other homes under construction in the village.

The raids were carried out in Hebron, Ramallah, Nablus and Bethlehem during the early hours of the morning. Relatives said the women were taken from their homes for questioning, while several families said authorities did not explain the reasons for the arrests.

Among those detained was Itaf Badr, a board member of the Union of Health Work Committees, a Palestinian health charity. Her husband, Abdelrahman Badr, said Israeli forces arrived at their home in Hebron shortly after 1 a.m., removed her from the house, blindfolded and handcuffed her before taking her away in a military vehicle.

In Nablus, Israeli forces also arrested Maiser Al-Faqih, according to her husband, Wael Al-Faqih. He said soldiers searched the family home before asking his wife to put on her hijab and escorting her away. Like Itaf Badr, Maiser Al-Faqih had previously been involved with the Union of Health Work Committees.

Israel has alleged that the organization has links to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which Israel designates as a terrorist organization. The charity has denied those allegations.

The Israeli military referred inquiries regarding the arrests in Ramallah and Nablus to the Israel Border Police, which also operates in the occupied West Bank. It said it was seeking additional information regarding the detention in Hebron but did not immediately explain the basis for the arrests.

According to Abdullah Al-Zaghari, head of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, Israeli authorities have increasingly detained women and girls alongside men during security operations. He said gender has become less significant in determining who is targeted, with political activists, university student leaders and others increasingly facing arrest.

Data compiled by Israeli rights organization Hamoked, based on figures from the Israel Prison Service, indicate that women remain a minority among the approximately 9,300 Palestinians currently held in Israeli detention. However, Palestinian rights groups say the number of detained women has more than doubled since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war and has risen by around 80% since the beginning of 2026.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club said 15 women had been arrested since the beginning of June, bringing the total number of Palestinian women and girls in Israeli detention to 99.

Rights groups said some women were detained after posting messages on social media critical of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank or its military campaign in Gaza, while others were affiliated with student branches of Palestinian political organizations.

Many detainees have been held under Israel’s administrative detention system, which allows authorities to imprison individuals without formal charges for renewable periods of up to six months.

Last month, Israeli forces arrested at least five additional young women, including four members of the Palestinian national women’s football team and Palestinian-American Sama Safi. The Israeli military said those women were suspected of promoting terrorist activities. At least one has since been released, while the others have not been formally charged, according to their lawyers. Safi’s detention has drawn criticism from several U.S. senators who have called for her release.

The arrests come amid continued Israeli military operations across the occupied West Bank, where violence and detention campaigns have intensified alongside the ongoing war in Gaza.

The shrine, revered by Jews, Muslims and Christians as the burial place of the biblical patriarch Abraham and other revered figures, has long stood at the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israeli settlers welcomed recent moves by Israeli authorities to expand administrative control over the site, saying the decision reflects the Jewish people’s historic connection to Hebron.

“It’s a place that belongs to all humanity,” said one Israeli settler visiting the shrine. “We are simply returning to our historical roots.”

Palestinian residents, however, condemned the decision, arguing it represents another step toward expanding Israeli control over occupied territory.
Local activist Issa Amro described life in Hebron’s Old City as increasingly restrictive, citing military checkpoints, road closures and declining economic activity.

“We live under constant restrictions while settlers enjoy different rights,” he said.

Hebron remains unique in the occupied West Bank because part of the city, known as H2, remains under direct Israeli military control following agreements reached in the 1990s.

The holy compound itself is divided into separate areas for Jewish and Muslim worshippers following the 1994 massacre in which Israeli settler Baruch Goldstein killed 29 Palestinian worshippers inside the mosque.

International law considers Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank illegal, a position rejected by Israel.

Israeli officials say security measures around Hebron are necessary to protect residents from attacks, while Palestinians argue they amount to collective punishment and further restrict daily life.

The dispute over the shrine has become symbolic of the broader conflict, with both sides viewing Hebron as central to their historical, religious and national identity.

Despite repeated international calls for dialogue and restraint, tensions around the city remain high, underscoring the continuing challenges facing efforts toward a lasting peace in the region.

The incident occurred near the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, in an area close to the Israeli settlement of Karmei Tzur, according to Israeli and Palestinian accounts.

The Palestinian news agency WAFA identified the victims as 15 and 19 years old. A relative confirmed their ages to Reuters. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said a third Palestinian, aged 15, was wounded and taken to hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition.

The Israeli military said troops opened fire on three individuals who were allegedly throwing fire bombs and setting tires alight near the settlement. According to the military, two of the suspects were killed and a third was wounded.

Reuters could not independently verify the military’s account, and Palestinian officials did not immediately provide additional details regarding the circumstances of the shooting.

The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the West Bank, where Israeli forces have intensified security operations and movement restrictions around Palestinian communities located near Israeli settlements.

The territory has witnessed a rise in violence involving Israeli security forces, settlers and Palestinians since the start of the year. According to United Nations data, at least 57 Palestinians have been killed in incidents involving Israeli settlers or security forces in the West Bank in 2026.

Palestinians have also carried out attacks targeting Israeli soldiers and settlers in the territory. Israel’s Shin Bet domestic security agency has reported at least one deadly Palestinian attack in the West Bank this year.

The status of Israeli settlements remains one of the most contentious issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Most countries and United Nations bodies regard the settlements as illegal under international law and an obstacle to a future Palestinian state. Israel disputes that interpretation, arguing that the territory is disputed and citing historical Jewish ties to the area.

No immediate indication was given that the latest incident would trigger a formal investigation, and neither side announced additional security measures following the shooting.

Osama Abdullah, head of the village council in Jiljiliya, north of Ramallah, said settlers targeted the village’s main mosque during the early hours of the morning, causing damage to an ablution facility and leaving hostile graffiti on the structure.

“Settlers set fire to the ablution room, caused damage to the village’s main mosque, and scrawled hostile slogans on the outer walls,” Abdullah told AFP.

Journalists who visited the site observed extensive smoke and fire damage inside the mosque. The ceiling, walls and flooring were blackened, while Hebrew-language graffiti was visible on exterior surfaces.

Among the inscriptions were slogans reading “vengeance” and “hi from the Hilltop Youth,” a reference to a loosely organized group of Israeli settlers frequently accused by Palestinians and rights organizations of carrying out attacks against Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

According to Abdullah, the attackers arrived between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. and were unable to enter the mosque because its doors were locked. He said they subsequently set fire to a lower-level room used for ablutions before leaving the area.

The blaze was extinguished by Palestinian civil defense teams with assistance from residents of Jiljiliya and neighboring villages, he added.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the incident.

The attack comes against a backdrop of heightened tensions and increasing reports of settler violence in the West Bank since the outbreak of the Gaza war in 2023. Palestinian officials and international organizations have repeatedly raised concerns over attacks targeting homes, agricultural land, vehicles and religious sites.

The United Nations has recently warned that violence involving Israeli settlers has reached record levels, reporting an average of six incidents per day resulting in casualties, property damage or both.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. The territory is home to approximately three million Palestinians as well as more than 500,000 Israeli settlers living in settlements outside East Jerusalem.

Most of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, a position rejected by successive Israeli governments.

Settlement expansion and settler-related violence have become increasingly contentious issues under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which includes several ministers who openly support settlement growth.

Residents of Jiljiliya said the attack has heightened fears within the community, while local leaders called for accountability and protection of religious sites from further violence.

No arrests were immediately reported.

Melanie Ward, a member of parliament from the governing Labour Party, said 32 charities had collectively donated at least $37 million to organizations connected to Israeli settlements. She warned that if the donations qualified for the United Kingdom’s Gift Aid tax relief scheme, British taxpayers may have indirectly subsidized activities linked to settlements regarded as illegal under international law.

According to Ward, taxpayer-funded relief associated with those donations could amount to roughly $7.5 million. She described such a possibility as unacceptable and urged regulators to sever charitable links to settlement-related activities.

In a letter to the Charity Commission, Ward argued that support for the maintenance or expansion of settlements undermines efforts toward a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and raises concerns regarding compliance with both domestic and international legal standards.

The issue gained additional prominence after Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Tuesday that the Charity Commission had been instructed to investigate links between British charities and Israeli settlements.

Ward, formerly chief executive of Medical Aid for Palestinians, identified the Kasner Charitable Trust and UK Toremet among organizations that had allegedly directed funds to institutions operating in settlements. She cited reports indicating that the two charities donated approximately $7.6 million last year to the Bnei Akiva Yeshiva high school in the occupied West Bank.

She also alleged that the Kasner Charitable Trust had provided support to a yeshiva in Hebron, while UK Toremet had previously facilitated donations to Regavim, a pro-settler advocacy group co-founded by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Regavim has drawn international attention for its support of settlement activity and policies affecting Palestinian communities. Ward argued that funding directed toward such organizations does not satisfy the public-benefit principles required of registered charities.

UK Toremet also acts as a payment processor for the Jgive fundraising platform, through which donations can be directed to a range of Israeli and Zionist organizations, including some entities that have recently faced sanctions from the British government.

Responding to the allegations, a spokesperson for the Charity Commission said the regulator was carefully assessing the issues raised.

“The serious matters” outlined in the complaints are under consideration, the spokesperson said, adding that the commission was actively examining broader legal and compliance questions involving charities operating in Palestine.

The investigation comes amid heightened international scrutiny of Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, an issue that continues to generate diplomatic and legal debate among governments, international organizations and advocacy groups.

The findings were released by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, which was established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2021 to investigate alleged violations of international law in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

In its latest report, the commission said civilians in Gaza are caught between what it described as the structural violence and mass atrocities committed by Israeli forces and the coercive rule exercised by Hamas. The investigators said Palestinian residents have faced severe hardships from both the ongoing conflict and governance practices within the territory.

The report also focused extensively on the occupied West Bank, where violence has intensified since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the subsequent war in Gaza.

Commission chair Srinivasan Muralidhar said violence carried out by Israeli settlers was enabled by policies that support and protect settlement expansion. He also accused Hamas-affiliated forces of exploiting conditions created by prolonged conflict and destruction in Gaza.

The commission stated that, despite differing motivations and actors, Palestinian civilians have experienced a deliberate infliction of suffering in both Gaza and the West Bank.

According to the report, at least 26 Palestinians were killed and more than 1,570 injured in settler-related attacks between January 2023 and December 2025. Investigators said such incidents have continued on a near-daily basis in 2026.

The inquiry further concluded that Israeli authorities bear responsibility for facilitating conditions that allow settler violence to persist. It argued that settlement activity and related violence contribute to the expansion of Israeli control over Palestinian territory and the displacement of Palestinian communities.

The report called on Israel to immediately halt settlement expansion, end new settlement activities and remove existing settlers and settlements from occupied Palestinian territory. It also urged Israel to end what it described as the unlawful occupation of Palestinian land.

The commission examined abuses attributed to Hamas-affiliated forces and found evidence of serious violations, including alleged war crimes involving murder and torture. Investigators documented 249 incidents involving executions or severe physical violence during 2024 and 2025, resulting in at least 108 deaths and 384 injuries.

According to the report, Hamas-linked forces were involved in at least 60 of those incidents. Investigators also alleged that Palestinian civilians were tortured inside the Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza.

The commission emphasized that such actions do not negate the protected status of medical facilities under international humanitarian law.

The report recommended that Gaza’s de facto authorities immediately cease all extrajudicial punishments, including executions, torture and other forms of physical, psychological and sexual violence. It also called on authorities to refrain from using civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, for purposes incompatible with their humanitarian functions.

The findings are scheduled to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council next week. Israel has previously rejected the commission’s conclusions and accused it of systematic bias against the country.

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.