Islamic Resistance Movement: Palestinian Islamist political and militant group
Sally Rooney has had UK publishers stop supplying her books after she pledged to donate UK proceeds to Palestine Action, a group proscribed under UK terrorism law. Fellow writers including Chris Haughton and Nicola Davies have pledged to send their royalties to Rooney in solidarity. The UK Supreme Court will hear an appeal over the proscription on 4–5 November.
World Food Programme cuts Gaza aid by half, leaving 1.1 million people dependent on food or cash assistance instead of 1.6 million. Rations are reduced, hot meals decreased, and cash aid shrinks, intensifying hunger as border closures and economic collapse deepen hardship.
The European Parliament has awarded the 2026 Sakharov Prize to the International Criminal Court as the United States has announced sweeping sanctions that will ban transactions with the court, freeze ICC assets in US jurisdictions and give US firms six months to wind down business. EU leaders and many allies have condemned the US move and pledged support for the court.
The Bell review has recommended treating antisemitism as a distinct safeguarding harm in English schools. The government has accepted all 27 recommendations, including dedicated teacher training, improved incident recording, and adoption of the IHRA working definition of antisemitism. The package aims to strengthen reporting, education on Jewish life, and safeguarding across state and independent schools.
The Netherlands has decided to forgo participation in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest after discussions with broadcasters, citing sensitivities surrounding Israel’s participation and the Gaza conflict. The Netherlands will still broadcast the event, which next year will take place in Bulgaria.
Lana Nusseibeh has entered the UN secretary-general race. Her nomination follows deadlocked Security Council rounds and rising attention to UAE’s role in Sudan. She is the first potential female UN chief from the Middle East, but faces scrutiny over human rights concerns and regional tensions.
The Israeli military has issued a high alert and is reinforcing West Bank deployments ahead of the October 27 vote. Prime Minister Netanyahu has warned enemies not to test Israel, while officers say leave is frozen and readiness is being maintained across fronts. Early voting for soldiers will deploy at 850 polling sites.
Rights groups say 22 inmates—predominantly Palestinians—have been shot with rubber, plastic or sponge rounds since last year, with injuries ranging from leg wounds to a crushed testicle. Israel defends the use as measured and last-resort, while calls for accountability and policy changes grow.
Since the Board of Peace has coordinated training and deployment plans for an International Stabilisation Force in Gaza, progress remains blocked as Israel has yet to authorize key elements, including an ISF base near the Yellow Line and the entry of a multinational troop contingent. Multiple countries are training and preparing, but Israeli approval continues to constrain the mission amid ongoing political pressures ahead of the election.
Israeli polls show a close race between Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc and the centrist opposition, with Arab parties poised to be kingmakers. Voter turnout among Arab Israelis is rising, and analysts say Arab support could shift coalition math in a tightly contested ballot.
Palestinian olive harvests in the West Bank have been marred by escalating settler violence. Across multiple villages, harvesters are attacked, olives and property are damaged, and journalists and diplomats have been assaulted. Israeli authorities have faced calls for accountability as clashes intensify ahead of local elections.
A wave of attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank targets olive groves during the harvest, with dozens of incidents reported. Rabbis and officials are responding to a controversial ruling by Dov Lior that Palestinians’ olives may be harvested by Jews to demonstrate land ownership. The olive harvest season has intensified violence, with thousands of trees damaged and significant financial losses for farmers.
Azerbaijan has tightened dress rules in state schools to enforce secularism, leading to entries denied to hijab-wearing pupils and teachers. Protests have erupted domestically as international groups condemn the move and tensions with Turkey rise over the issue.
President Donald Trump has publicly endorsed Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s Oct. 27 election, calling him a “Great Warrior Prime Minister” and offering a “complete and total endorsement.” US and Israeli sources told multiple outlets that Netanyahu has privately pressed Trump for added public support and even suggested wording and media outreach; Likud has denied the claims.
Israel has held a tightly contested campaign ahead of Oct. 27 elections in which both the Netanyahu-led right and a Zionist opposition bloc are neck-and-neck. Arab-led lists are projected to increase representation and could hold the balance of power; main opposition figures have largely adopted right-leaning security positions and ruled out joining coalitions with Arab parties.
Egypt is weighing a proposed parliamentary authorization to provide military support to Saudi Arabia amid Houthi attacks, with the vote postponed after emergency sessions. Lawmakers seek clarity on mission scope, duration and costs before approving any deployment.
Israeli elections unfold with a fragmented landscape as leaders vow continued settlement expansion and a hard stance on Gaza. Incitement and extremist rhetoric are on the rise, complicating any path to a two-state solution. Voters face deep divisions over security, governance, and future policy.
The European Parliament has named the Netherlands-based International Criminal Court among three finalists for the Sakharov Prize, amid US sanctions aimed at crippling its day-to-day operations. The prize honors defenders of human rights; winners are expected to be announced in December alongside discussions on the ICC’s future independence and safety of its officials.
The US midterm elections are shaping the final years of Donald Trump’s term, with control of Congress and key states at stake. Democrats seek to seize the House and Senate, while Republicans defend majorities. Early voting and spending highlight intensity as voters prepare for November 3.
The eastern Libyan Parliament aligned with Khalifa Haftar has ratified the 2019 Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum. Greece, Cyprus and Egypt reject the move; the EU calls it null and void. The deal could redraw maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean, impacting European allies and energy prospects.
Shortages of flour, staple foods, and rising prices in Gaza have intensified as crossings remain shut and humanitarian aid tightens. Residents report empty markets, higher prices, and dwindling incomes, with bakeries at risk of closure and WFP reducing aid to millions.
The balance of power in the Middle East remains centered on Iran and regional deterrence. Analysts say Israel’s security doctrine rests on breaking Iran, holding buffer zones, and using force to deter enemies, with no prospect of a broad shift toward Palestinian diplomacy after the election.
Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel has expressed skepticism about the Iran war, saying there were mistakes and that the US may be losing the soft power war. He remains supportive of Trump, while criticizing neoconservatives. The remarks come ahead of the US midterms as energy costs mount amid the Hormuz crisis.
AIPAC has halted formal candidate endorsements and earmarked direct PAC contributions, while it continues to run the United Democracy Project super PAC and focus on mobilizing individual donors. The move responds to a tougher political climate and mounting criticism, and comes amid ongoing scrutiny of political influence in U.S. elections.
In Gaza, a woman awaiting cancer treatment has faced delays due to war, shortages, and blockade. Her surgery was postponed by Israeli attacks around Khan Younis, and chemotherapy supplies were scarce. A private CT scan costs more than she can afford, delaying diagnosis and care for months while she endures escalating pain.
Israel faces a tight race as Netanyahu and Eisenkot campaigns push for a coalition that can command 61 seats in the 120-member Knesset. Exit polls and polls show no clear majority, with Arab parties holding potential kingmaking power. The outcome will shape policy on security, Gaza, and judicial reform amid a highly polarized political landscape.
Israeli forces have mounted sweeping operations across the West Bank after gunmen opened fire near Hebron, killing two attackers and wounding several. Troops have sealed Hebron, closed gates and restricted Palestinian movement, displacing hundreds of families and preventing most permit-holding workers from entering Israeli communities until after Israel’s Oct. 27 election.
The far-right AfD is pushing to install Germany’s first far-right state premier since World War II in Saxony-Anhalt as national polls show the party leading. The move follows a leak of emails suggesting cordial ties with the U.S. administration after 2016, highlighting the party’s controversial rise.
Israel has launched a large-scale operation in Hebron after a deadly attack at a military checkpoint, with security forces vowing to displace residents and search for militants. The development follows an escalation ahead of national elections, as authorities report multiple casualties among soldiers and militants and warn of further measures.
Israel’s 2026 election is approaching a likely deadlock as Netanyahu and Eisenkot struggle to form a coalition. Campaigns are leveraging AI and online ads, while undecided voters weigh security, settlement policy and Arab-party alliances.
Israeli forces have expanded operations in Hebron after a deadly attack at a military checkpoint, displacing thousands of Palestinians and prompting international concerns. The government has pledged a large-scale response, while the UN and rights groups call for restraint.
The West Bank city of Hebron remains under lockdown after a Friday shooting killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three. Israeli forces have displaced thousands, sealed neighborhoods, and begun house-to-house operations, with demolitions reported in Farsh al-Hawa. The operation is part of a broader crackdown across the West Bank ahead of Israel’s elections.
Protesters in Tel Aviv rally three days before Israel’s general election, organized by the October Council to demand accountability for the October 7 Hamas attack. Opponents and supporters convene, with polls showing a tight race between Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc and a rival coalition. The event seeks a state commission of inquiry into security failures while authorities warn of potential provocations.
Donald Trump has intensified rhetoric linking Abdul El-Sayed to Muslim extremism at a Port Huron rally, claiming he would be a security risk if elected to the U.S. Senate. Opponents dismiss the claims as unfounded, while Michigan voters weigh a high-stakes race between El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers with national implications.
Israelis are voting in a pivotal general election that could shape the country’s identity and security. Polls place Benjamin Netanyahu and challenger Gadi Eisenkot in a near neck-and-neck race, with outcomes likely determining future policy on Gaza, the West Bank, and regional tensions.
Israelis head to the polls in a tightly contested election as Netanyahu's bloc and the opposition race for a slender majority. Polls suggest a near tie, with Arab parties potentially pivotal in coalition talks amid ongoing security and political tensions since Hamas’s 2023 attacks.
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory has found that Israeli forces have committed a widespread and systematic attack on civilians in the West Bank and Gaza since October 2023, including acts of genocide in Gaza and sexual violence. The report urges immediate steps to end occupation, remove settlers, and address abuses by Palestinian authorities.
The Israeli prime minister has warned of existential danger and has reportedly pressed the IDF toward action on Iran on the eve of elections. Reports also indicate pressure on military leadership and mixed signals from allied leaders about possible pre-election strikes.
Hezbollah has rebuilt its command-and-control capabilities with new funding from Iran and is rearming while Israel maintains a security zone in southern Lebanon. The group’s drones and explosives programs are a focal point as tensions persist despite a ceasefire surge.
Macklemore has launched his Free Palestine Tour in Dublin after Ed Sheeran dropped him for pro-Palestinian comments. The Dublin show sold out amid chants of “Free Palestine,” with fans praising the rapper’s stance and vowing support for Palestinian causes. Other artists on tour have pulled out in solidarity, and Sheeran has said the decision was promoter-driven.
Israelis vote in the first election since Hamas’s assault and Gaza war, with polls showing Netanyahu’s coalition facing a potential loss of majority. The campaign is dominated by security, governance, and the future of Palestinian policy as regional tensions escalate.
Israelis head to the polls as turnout among Palestinian citizens and Arab communities could reshape parliament. Arabic-language ballot access and arrests of activists are prompting complaints, while results hinge on the distribution of votes across cities and the extraordinary number of special ballots.