How Israel 'is consolidating its control' in Gaza and the West Bank as the world focuses on Iran

How Israel 'is consolidating its control' in Gaza and the West Bank as the world focuses on Iran

From Haaretz Podcast by Haaretz

April 3, 2026 · 28 min · Season 1 · Episode 492

About this episode

The episode discusses the worsening situation in the West Bank and Gaza amidst the Iran conflict, highlighting Israeli control and settler violence.

With a high-profile conflict between IDF soldiers and a CNN crew, the establishment of five new Israeli settler outposts on territory meant to be under Palestinian Authority control in a single night, and skyrocketing settler violence aimed at erasing Palestinians from their land, the situation in the West Bank has “definitely worsened” during the Iran war, Haaretz West Bank correspondent Matan Golan told the Haaretz Podcast. Golan joined her colleague, Yarden Michaeli, for a podcast conversation focused on what is unfolding in the West Bank and Gaza while the world’s attention is diverted to the major regional conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States.  “It’s hard to count how many incidents of cars set on fire, and raids of settlers on Palestinian villages” have occurred over the past month, Golan said.  What the West Bank and Gaza have in common, Michaeli noted, is a situation in which steps designed to be interim measures – such as the Yellow Line separating Gaza – don’t appear to be temporary.  Since last autumn’s cease-fire, the IDF has maintained control of more than half of the Gaza…

People in this episode

Guests: Matan Golan, Yarden Michaeli

Topics covered

  • Israel
  • Gaza
  • West Bank
  • settler violence
  • Iran conflict
  • IDF control

Keywords

  • settler outposts
  • IDF
  • Palestinians
  • violence
  • military presence
  • cease-fire

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: CNN

Places: Gaza, West Bank, Israel, Palestinian Authority, Iran, United States

More episodes of Haaretz Podcast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Haaretz Podcast podcast page.