By The Associated Press
Iran fired at Kuwait on Thursday as part of its retaliation for U.S. bombardments earlier in the week. Meanwhile, Israeli police said they arrested a settler allegedly involved in an attack on Palestinians last week.
Here’s a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider Middle East. Full coverage can be found here.
Iran fires at Kuwait
Sirens sounded in Kuwait early Thursday, where air defenses intercepted missile and drones during a “blatant Iranian aggression,” the Ministry of Defense said on X.
It came after U.S. allies Bahrain and Jordan said their air defense systems also intercepted several Iranian air attacks Wednesday.
Fighting between the U.S. and Iran has increased this week after the U.S. hit Iranian rocket launchers on an island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, saying Iran was planning to use them to shoot mines into the waterway.
Israeli police make rare arrest of settler over attack on Palestinians
Authorities in Israel arrested an Israeli settler for his suspected role in an attack on a Palestinian home in the occupied West Bank, according to a police statement Thursday.
The statement did not identify the suspect but said he was being held for questioning and that police would request to extend his detention.
The 19-year-old man is believed to have participated in a violent riot in the Palestinian village of Qusra on Saturday, in which settlers threw stones and barricaded themselves inside the home of one of the villagers. Police said they were working with Israel’s domestic security agency to investigate the incident and locate and detain more suspects.
The arrest followed weeks of incursions by Israeli settlers into Qusra, which is located south of the Palestinian city of Nablus. The settlers staged a siege of several Palestinian homes, including one owned by a Palestinian American man from Ohio. Their actions drew condemnations from U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Palestinians stand atop a hill during a volunteer night watch to help prevent Israeli settler attacks in the West Bank town of Sinjil, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026 (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Palestinians stand next to burned cars following an attack by Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Beita, southeast of Nablus, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)
Members of the Israeli forces arrive at the site where cars were set on fire following an attack by Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Beita, southeast of Nablus, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)
People take a selfie with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, during the Likud party primary elections ahead of Israel’s general election in October, in Jerusalem, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool)
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Palestinians stand atop a hill during a volunteer night watch to help prevent Israeli settler attacks in the West Bank town of Sinjil, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026 (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
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Mourners attend the funeral of 2 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces
Mourners attended the funeral on Thursday of two Palestinians, aged 16 and 19, who were killed by Israeli forces the night before in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli troops fired on them while accompanying settlers into the village of Al-Mughayyir. Amin Abu Aliya, a local official, told the Palestinian news agency Wafa that settlers and Israeli soldiers entered the village, attacked two homes and stole sheep. Residents confronted the settlers and the military responded by firing on them.
The army said that locals had thrown rocks but that no troops were injured. It said the incident was under review but declined to comment on the decision to use lethal force.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health says that close to 90 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers and soldiers so far this year.
Netanyahu tries to unite the right ahead of elections
With his legacy on the line, Netanyahu is imploring his erstwhile allies to unite into larger parties that have a better chance of entering parliament.
A series of small, pro-Netanyahu parties are competing in the run-up to the Oct. 27 vote. But instead of strengthening the Israeli leader, these parties — including hard-line blocs led by polarizing Cabinet ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich — risk weakening his chances for reelection by splitting the vote among Netanyahu’s base.
The election is largely a referendum on Netanyahu’s nearly uninterrupted 17-year rule and his handling of a turbulent period marked by mass protests, Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and nearly three years of war. A victory would mark a stirring comeback for the embattled leader, while a loss would likely end the reign of a man who has shaped Israeli politics for three decades.