Fatah-led governing body in the West Bank, with limited civil authority
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.
Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, Jordan, killing at least seven and injuring dozens. Authorities say the assailants fled and security is stepped up as investigations continue. Leaders vow punishment for the perpetrators and condemn the act as terrorism.
PISA 2025 data show England and some UK nations performing well in science, with Reading and Maths trailing in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. England leads in science; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland trail in reading and maths. A global trend shows declines in reading proficiency, linked to digital distraction and shifting reading habits.
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.
Two Palestinian teenagers have been shot dead during a settler operation near Ramallah and a 33-year-old Palestinian has been killed by Israeli police in Jerusalem. Israeli authorities say forces fired at "instigators" and a border guard "neutralised" a suspected attacker; Palestinian witnesses and local agencies report settlers and soldiers attacked villages and blocked supplies.
Israel has closed the British consulate in East Jerusalem as part of retaliatory moves after the UK announced a trade ban with settlements in the West Bank. The dispute also involves discussions over a Gaza ceasefire and British officials barred from entering Israel. Several former diplomats warn the move risks harming Palestinians and destabilising regional relations.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has used his UN General Assembly address to accuse New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani of antisemitism, of supporting Hamas and of making Jewish New Yorkers feel unsafe. Mamdani has replied that Netanyahu is repeating "baseless lies" and remains subject to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant; protests and walkouts have followed the speech.
The UK has announced a ban on imports and services linked to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and has coordinated measures with several allies. Israel has closed the British consulate in East Jerusalem and imposed retaliatory diplomatic steps. British Jewish leaders are split and ministers are defending the move as necessary to protect the two‑state prospect.
Britain has imposed its broadest measures yet against Israel’s settlements in the occupied West Bank, banning imports from settlements, expanding sanctions on financing and construction, and tightening arms controls. Israel has responded by closing the British consulate in East Jerusalem and banning UK officials from entering the country. The moves mark a significant shift in European stance, though London maintains ties with Israel within the Green Line.
Several Western governments have moved to restrict trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, while Palestinians question enforcement and impact on everyday life. The move follows rising settlement activity and calls for broader measures against settlement support.
Israel has demolished more than 2km of Hezbollah tunnel infrastructure beneath the Ali al‑Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, using over 1,000 tonnes of explosives and creating a blast that registered as a 4.1‑magnitude tremor. The Israeli military says it has established operational control above and below ground and will hold a security zone while continuing strikes when necessary.
Tensions flare in the Jenin-area villages as Israeli settlers clash with Palestinian residents; troops have dispersed confrontations and investigated shootings, including a Palestinian man shot in the leg during stone-throwing incidents. Investigations are underway into the conduct of the soldiers involved.
Israeli police have maintained security around Jerusalem’s Temple Mount while Jewish visitors, accompanied by police protection, have reportedly performed prayers and raised flags. The Al-Aqsa compound remains a flashpoint amid ongoing clashes and international concern.
B'Tselem reports describe a five-front strategy — violence, movement restrictions, economic strangulation, social destruction, and ethnic cleansing — aimed at dismantling Palestinian life in the West Bank, with a rise in checkpoints, land seizures, and unemployment since 2022 and the Gaza war of 2023.
Britain has announced sanctions in response to West Bank settlement activity, with measures targeting imports from settlements and discretionary sanctions on entities supporting settlement expansion. The move comes ahead of Israel's looming election and amid international coordination with France and Canada.
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.
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.
US and Iranian officials have held three hours of indirect talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. President Trump has described the session as "very productive" and said he faces a "big decision" about whether to pursue a deal or escalate military action. Gulf states are pressing for a route to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and plan further diplomacy.
An independent UN fact‑finding mission has concluded there are reasonable grounds to believe US forces carried out two February strikes in Iran — on a primary school in Minab and a sports complex in Lamerd — that amounted to indiscriminate attacks and therefore constituted war crimes. The mission has also found Iran committed crimes against humanity during nationwide 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.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will address the UN General Assembly after the US restricts visas for PA and PLO officials. The UNGA allows Abbas to speak via prerecorded remarks; the move has drawn concern from UN leaders and underscores tensions over Palestinian statehood and international recognition.
A British MP has suggested military action against Israel amid discussions on Gaza. The remarks, which linked disarmament to broad regional intervention, have drawn swift clarification from the MP and heightened tensions between the UK and Israel. Foreign policy row follows Britain’s sanctions moves against West Bank settlements.
Israeli and Palestinian sources have reported two deadly incidents in the occupied West Bank on 20 September 2026: a shooter opened fire at people at a spring near the Neve Tzuf settlement, killing an Israeli settler who later died in hospital; and Israeli forces have shot dead a driver who allegedly attempted a ramming attack near the Ganim settlement. Security forces have arrested a suspected shooter at a Ramallah hospital and have imposed closures and raids across multiple West Bank villages.
Israeli settler attacks and Israeli military raids have intensified across the occupied West Bank since August 2026, leaving Palestinians injured, homes seized and families besieged in villages such as Qusra, Silwad and Biddu. Authorities have detained suspects, imposed checkpoints and carried out arrests while humanitarian agencies report unprecedented levels of settler violence this year.
Palestinian communities in the West Bank report intensified clashes with Israeli settlers backed by occupation forces. Across multiple towns, settlers have attacked homes, seized property, and sparked confrontations amid a surge in violence since 2022.
Macron’s UN speech has drawn sharp criticism from Israel’s government after he said Hamas has “never struck in the West Bank.” Netanyahu’s office calls the remark a “grotesque absurdity,” as violence in Gaza and the West Bank continues and international pressure mounts.
A US-backed Board of Peace has presented a six-month, $2.45bn, 66-project recovery plan for Gaza but implementation has not started. Israel has expanded control over much of the Strip, Hamas has not fully disarmed, donor pledges remain largely unpaid and international forces and Palestinian technocrats have not entered to begin reconstruction.
Palestinian olive farmers have faced widespread uprooting of trees by the Israeli army in Deir Nidham, Deir Nizam, and surrounding areas. Harvest season, which typically starts in October, is now overshadowed by fear and access barriers as settler attacks and military operations intensify. Officials estimate a harvest of about 21,000 tonnes, but access to land remains a critical obstacle.
The Sudanese conflict between the SAF and RSF has intensified, with drones and shelling shaping frontline towns. International pressure grows as the US pushes for a 90‑day humanitarian truce and a civilian-led path to peace, while aid agencies warn of a deepening humanitarian crisis.
Palestinian President Abbas has addressed the UN via a pre-recorded video, while Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is delivering a live address. Abbas has called for ending the war in Gaza, a withdrawal from Gaza, and a political process toward an independent Palestinian state. Netanyahu is focusing on Israel's security concerns and Iran, with some world leaders planning protests in New York.
UNCTAD says Gaza’s economy has collapsed under war and blockade, with 92% of economic establishments damaged, daily per capita GDP at $0.58, prices up 274% since 2022, and unemployment above 90% of working-age people; West Bank also faces severe constraints from settlement expansion and withheld revenues.
Palestinian officials condemn expanding Israeli settlements and related displacement in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza. They call for urgent UN action as Gaza endures a humanitarian catastrophe while a fragile ceasefire persists.
Netanyahu has addressed the UN General Assembly amid international walkouts and domestic political tension. He frames Gaza actions as defending Israel, while critics accuse him of genocide and war crimes. Protests and heavy international scrutiny accompany the speech.
World powers confront a disrupted multilateral order as calls for UN reform intensify amid rising great-power competition, unilateral actions, and debates over the UN's future role in maintaining global stability.
UNRWA remains Gaza’s key health and education provider while a Board of Peace faces pressure over its plan to govern Gaza. Talks with UNRWA continue behind the scenes; reconstruction remains stalled a year after the ceasefire, and funding shortages threaten essential services.
Palestinian communities face encroachment as Israeli settlers, backed by a hard‑line government, move to seize springs and designate heritage sites. Water diversions near Fasayil contribute to a new “Herod’s Pool,” while funding for archaeology signals a broader push to consolidate control over land and memory in the West Bank.
Gaza’s reconstruction is proceeding with a BoP blueprint, proposing $2.4 billion in initial projects, while UNRWA’s role is being questioned by the Board of Peace. Officials differ on UNRWA’s future, as Gaza faces a severe humanitarian crisis and ongoing conflict.
Israel has imposed countermeasures after the Netherlands banned settlement goods, ordering seven-day deadlines for Dutch diplomats to deliver Israeli papers and expiring immunity. France, Britain and Canada have taken similar steps. The moves reflect growing Western pressure over settlements in the West Bank and Golan Heights.
Arab warnings from Egypt and the UAE are now corroborated by multiple outlets, including The Atlantic and The Wall Street Journal. The reports describe Israeli leaders receiving cautions about Gaza's volatility in the weeks before the October 7, 2023 assault, with Egypt’s Abbas Kamel and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed reportedly warning of imminent danger.
Israel’s prime minister has warned of potential attacks ahead of the elections, while opposition leaders say the warnings are political. Netanyahu’s office says a security briefing has been provided to opposition leader Lapid as polls show a tight race.
UNRWA remains Gaza’s largest aid provider as the Board of Peace pushes ahead with reconstruction plans. UNRWA faces pressure over its future amid Israeli disarmament demands and US-backed governance shifts, while UNRWA staff continue delivering health, education and essential services in Gaza.
Palestinians in the West Bank report increased violence by settlers amid Israel's settlement expansion. Two killings are cited in Ramallah-area Kobar and Yasuf, with Israeli forces allegedly blocking medical teams. Netanyahu's government defends settlement activity as international scrutiny grows ahead of Israel’s elections.
Britain’s consulate in East Jerusalem has been renamed the UK Mission, Jerusalem, with a skeleton staff remaining after a last‑minute agreement with Israel. London says East Jerusalem remains occupied; Israel says the move is a response to sanctions on West Bank settlements. A wider standoff between the allies continues as talks proceed.
Britain and Israel remain at odds after London sanctions on West Bank settlements and Israel’s move to close the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem. A compact UK Mission will operate with seven diplomats, delivering vital services while both sides engage in talks.
The Iran war continues to drive global energy volatility. US forces maintain a naval blockade; oil prices have risen sharply, pressuring consumers as fuel costs stay elevated amid ongoing clashes and attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.
Palestinian factions have reached understandings to postpone parliamentary elections in Gaza and the West Bank due to logistical hurdles in East Jerusalem and Gaza, with discussions centering on national dialogue and consensus. Abbas has set November 28 as the election date, but timing remains unsettled as factions weigh the path forward.
The Gaza Children Village plans to monitor classroom content to support a de-radicalization curriculum. The initiative has sparked ethical, safety and privacy concerns among Palestinian groups, advocates, and some partners. The charity says it will not share classroom recordings, while critics warn about potential surveillance overreach amid ongoing conflict and governance uncertainties.
Colombia has opened its embassy in Jerusalem, restoring diplomatic ties with Israel after severing them in 2024 over Gaza. The move is welcomed by Colombian and Israeli officials as a step to rebuild dialogue and security and trade cooperation. Protests in Bogota contest the decision amid ongoing Gaza war coverage.
Colombia has restored diplomatic relations with Israel and opened an embassy in Jerusalem, marking a shift from the Petro era. The move is celebrated by officials in both countries and signals a strengthened security and trade partnership, with priority given to dialogue and mutual benefits for citizens.
A Washington Post photographer, Heidi Levine, has been severely injured after masked Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians and foreign journalists during olive harvesting near Abu Falah on 16 October. Israeli authorities have detained multiple suspects and opened investigations after footage and eyewitness accounts prompted international condemnation and calls for accountability.