Kushner Meets Hamas in Egypt as Ben-Gvir Calls for Nightly Killings in Gaza
August 16, 2026. Jared Kushner held a rare meeting with Hamas leaders in Egypt, while Israel's national security minister called for dozens of Palestinians to be killed nightly in Gaza. Here's each story in brief, with links to the original reporting.
Kushner Meets Hamas Leaders in Egypt
US envoy Jared Kushner met Hamas leaders in Egypt to push President Trump's Gaza plan. Hamas said it urged the Board of Peace to compel Israel to accept the plan, Al Jazeera reports.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Israeli Minister Urges Nightly Killings in Gaza
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's national security minister and a member of its security cabinet, called for 30 to 40 Palestinians to be killed in Gaza each night, Al Jazeera reports.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera
Amnesty Slams Settler Siege of Qusra
Amnesty called the eight-day siege of Palestinian families in Qusra "strategic terror", and UN expert Francesca Albanese said Israel is using settlers to do its coercion, Al Jazeera reports.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera
West Bank Policing Moves to Israeli Civilian Police
Analysts say Israel's decision to hand West Bank policing to its civilian police deepens de facto annexation of the occupied territory.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Journalist Opens Beach Café in Gaza
Palestinian journalist Hind Khoudary has opened a café on Gaza's beach to bring back a piece of everyday life, Al Jazeera reports.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Hamas Chief in Cairo Before Kushner Visit
Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya met Egypt's intelligence chief in Cairo ahead of Jared Kushner's visit, as mediators worked to keep Gaza talks going.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Amputation Without Anesthesia in Gaza
A Gaza doctor described amputating a girl's leg with no anesthetic left. "We were praying for her to faint," he told Al Jazeera.
Sources: Al Jazeera
A Week Under Siege in Qusra
Al Jazeera traced the week-long siege of Qusra, where settlers surrounded homes and cut off supplies before the area was declared a closed military zone.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Palestinian Café in Iceland Targeted
Security footage from a Palestinian-owned café in Iceland appears to show Israeli tourists ripping a framed map of Palestine off the wall.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Background
Almost a year after the ceasefire, life in Gaza is still defined by destruction, ongoing strikes and shortages of fuel, machinery and medical supplies that make recovery all but impossible. Gaza's health ministry says more than 73,900 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023 and over 174,000 wounded, including at least 1,381 killed since the ceasefire took effect.
Sources: Al Jazeera, OCHA
The West Bank has seen its own escalation. UN figures show 275 Palestinian communities hit by settler attacks this year, close to last year's record and the highest since monitoring began in 2006. More than 4,300 Palestinians have been displaced in the West Bank this year, over a third of them by demolitions carried out because families lacked permits to build on their own land. Aid agencies say there are few safe options left: over 90 percent of Gaza is in ruins, and with nowhere else to go, families shelter in damaged buildings.
Sources: OCHA
Humanitarian access remains the central obstacle. Aid groups say the machinery, fuel and spare parts needed to clear rubble and repair water and power systems are still restricted, while two million people depend on supplies that arrive irregularly. International law runs alongside events on the ground. The International Court of Justice found the occupation unlawful in July 2024, and South Africa's genocide case remains before the court.
Sources: OCHA
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