Palestinian politician, long-serving president of the Palestinian Authority and PLO chairman
Netanyahu has a brief US visit to address the UN General Assembly. He is not spending the night in the US, cancelling a Texas stop, and flights are being redirected amid security concerns and protests. The ICC warrants and political tensions frame the trip, with protests anticipated in New York.
Netanyahu has addressed the UN General Assembly after a brief New York visit, with a tight schedule that excludes formal meetings with US officials. He is meeting nine world leaders during the trip, aims to present Israel’s position on Gaza and Iran, and plans to return to Israel before Sukkot.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is set to address the UN General Assembly via prerecorded remarks after the US State Department extended visa sanctions to PA officials. Western nations have debated recognition moves while concerns over Gaza and West Bank conditions rise as Abbas seeks international backing for statehood.
The New Arab and Al Jazeera reports detail responses to Bezalel Smotrich’s move to revoke Hebron agreements, transferring planning and construction powers to Israeli authorities in the H2 zone. Palestinian officials condemn the action as a violation of international law, while settlements expansion and related violence intensify across the West Bank and Gaza.
Iran has engaged in talks with Oman and Turkey on Hormuz tensions. Officials report Israel’s strikes on Gaza and Lebanon continue, amid condemnations and calls for accountability. Qatar urges diplomacy as US-Iran tensions persist; Amnesty International accuses Israel of targeting civilians in Lebanon, prompting international scrutiny.
Hamas has announced the dissolution of its Gaza governing body and says it is ready to transfer civilian administration to a US-backed technocratic committee, NCAG. The move aims to move Gaza’s civilian life forward while political questions remain unsettled. Objections over disarmament, security and oversight are emerging as conditions for any new arrangement.
Spain defeats Argentina 1-0 in extra time to claim the 2026 World Cup. Netanyahu has publicly supported Argentina, while Spain’s Sánchez condemns Israel’s Gaza campaign. The final has become a global stage for competing political loyalties, drawing reactions from Palestinian supporters and international actors.
Hamas has elected Khalil al-Hayya as head of its political bureau, succeeding Yahya Sinwar who was killed in 2024. The vote follows a wartime leadership transition and reflects tensions between Gaza-based leadership and diaspora factions, with al-Hayya seen as aligned with Tehran and a continuing hardline stance.
Multiple mosques in the northern West Bank have been set ablaze in what authorities describe as a wave of settler violence. Officials say two Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers have died in the broader clashes surrounding Tal and surrounding villages.
Lebanon’s judiciary has expanded investigations into former central bank governor Riad Salameh and associates, with new warrants and continued custody amid embezzlement, shell companies, and illicit enrichment allegations. A Palestinian ambassador faces extradition amid corruption claims, while a previous arrest set the stage for ongoing scrutiny of Lebanon’s financial and political elite.
PHRI warns Israeli policies have pushed the West Bank’s health system to collapse, with 75% of health facilities operating at reduced capacity and clinics rationing care. Mobile clinics report surging patient loads; aid groups call for accountability and action.
Rival Fatah factions and allied Palestinian groups are engaging in talks ahead of November legislative elections. Meetings in Egypt and in the Alamein region aim to bridge rifts within Fatah and coordinate broader opposition to the PA leadership, including potential cooperation with Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Dahlan’s Reform Current. The developments come as Abbas’s circle seeks to present a united front while preparing for a contested election landscape.
Renowned Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour has died at the age of 79. Born in Birzeit in 1947, Mansour rose to prominence in the 1970s, creating iconic works that intertwined landscape, memory and identity with the Palestinian struggle. Tributes highlight his role in shaping modern Palestinian art and his influence beyond galleries.
Haaretz has published book excerpts saying UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Benjamin Netanyahu in late September 2023 that Hamas was planning a major operation. Haaretz says Netanyahu reacted calmly and did not inform Israel's security chiefs; Netanyahu has denied the call, instructed lawyers to sue Haaretz, and rivals have seized the story ahead of the Oct. 27 election.
Israeli forces have demolished an extensive Hezbollah tunnel complex under the Ali al‑Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, using more than 1,000 tonnes of explosives to collapse two tunnels over 2km. The blast registered as a 4.1‑magnitude tremor. Israel has said it will remain to hold a security zone and prevent Hezbollah from returning.
The article reports on renewed Gaza ceasefire talks and Palestinian political tensions. Abbas meets in Cairo; Israel considers displacement debates; election timelines for Palestinian legislative and presidential races face new uncertainty amid regional diplomacy and ceasefire enforcement.
US and Iranian officials have held a three-hour indirect meeting in New York during the UN General Assembly. President Trump has described the session as "very productive" while Iran says it conveyed firm conditions: an end to the war, lifting the naval blockade, and release of frozen assets. Gulf states and Qatar are mediating and diplomats are testing off-ramps to renewed negotiations.
An independent UN fact-finding mission has found reasonable grounds to believe U.S. forces carried out two February strikes in Iran—on a primary school in Minab and a sports centre in Lamerd—that amounted to indiscriminate attacks and therefore war crimes. The mission has also concluded Iranian authorities committed crimes against humanity during a nationwide crackdown on protests.
The US State Department has approved visas for a scaled-down Iranian delegation, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, to attend UN General Assembly High-Level Week in New York. Washington has placed travel curbs and bans on luxury purchases for the delegation while denying visas to Palestinian Authority leaders, prompting a separate General Assembly vote allowing Mahmoud Abbas to speak virtually.
Leaders gather at the UN General Assembly amid wars across Iran, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Congo and Myanmar. The session also faces climate pressures, economic shocks, and disputes over Security Council reform as the world shifts toward multipolar power. Addressing governance gaps, top figures stress multilateral cooperation amid deep uncertainty.