UN chief voices concern over Israeli lockdown of West Bank

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is deeply concerned by the widespread closures imposed by Israel on Palestinian communities in the West Bank, said his spokesman on Friday.

Those closures, following an attack that killed two Israeli soldiers near the city of Hebron, severely restrict Palestinians' freedom of movement, access to basic services and livelihoods, said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman at a press conference at the UN headquarters.

"We are extremely alarmed by the intensifying violence that we're seeing in the occupied West Bank. The Secretary General is deeply concerned by the widespread closures imposed by Israel on Palestinian communities in the West Bank that follow today's attack. Those closures severely restrict Palestinians' freedom of movement, access to basic services and livelihoods," said Dujarric.

Dujarric said that the secretary-general condemned the violence caused by a record number of attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in 2026. He reiterated Israel's obligation under international law to protect the Palestinian population from such attacks and to hold perpetrators accountable.

The secretary-general called on all parties to immediately cease all acts of violence to exercise restraint and refrain from action that could further inflame tensions, said Dujarric.

UN chief voices concern over Israeli lockdown of West Bank

UN chief voices concern over Israeli lockdown of West Bank

UN chief voices concern over Israeli lockdown of West Bank

UN chief voices concern over Israeli lockdown of West Bank

Ukraine's Defense Ministry monitoring data shows that the Starlink and Starshield satellite communication systems have restored performance, the country's defense minister Evgeniy Khmara said on Saturday.

The connection is stable, with speeds exceeding 400 kilometers per hour, Khmara said, according to Ukraine media.

Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by U.S. aerospace company SpaceX that provides high-speed broadband connectivity worldwide. Starshield is its militarized version. Ukrainian forces rely heavily on both systems.

Khmara said the restoration is of significant importance for frontline operations, as the systems support troop mobility, drone missions, military logistics and battlefield communications.

He added that Ukraine will continue to monitor the operational status of both systems, and assess the level of communication capability.

Ukraine had repeatedly said SpaceX restricted Starlink services, hampering the country's attack and air-defense drone missions.

Ukraine says Starlink, Starshield systems restored to stable connection