US speaker Mike Johnson visits Ariel settlement as violence against Palestinians soars

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson visited the Israeli settlement of Ariel in the occupied West Bank, making him the most senior US politician to do so. During the trip, Johnson referred to the West Bank by the biblical name "Judea and Samaria" and stated it must remain an integral part of Israel. This visit occurred amid escalating state and settler violence towards Palestinians and the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned Johnson’s comments as an inflammatory violation of international law that encourages settler crimes and undermines efforts to stop the war.