Ahead of elections, Israel tests West's patience on West Bank violence

INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY

Israel's ties with many Western allies were already fraught over its conduct in the Gaza war, but the worsening situation in the occupied West Bank has seen relations nosedive before close-fought October elections. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government is pushing ahead with the expansion of Israeli settlements, which are illegal under international law, while daily reports of settler attacks against Palestinians provoke international outrage.