Europe and Canada Condemn Israel's E1 Settlement Plan
August 21, 2026. European nations and Canada warned of consequences over Israel's E1 settlement plan, settlers set fire to a home with a family asleep inside, and Pope Leo XIV urged the world to help rebuild Gaza. Here's each story in brief, with links to the original reporting.
Allies Warn Israel Over E1
European countries and Canada called the E1 plan unacceptable and warned of legal consequences. Experts say it would cut the West Bank in two.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera
Settlers Set Fire to Home With Family Inside
Israeli settlers set a Palestinian home on fire while a mother and her children slept inside, Al Jazeera reports.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Teen and Man Killed in West Bank
Settlers killed 17-year-old Karim Sanad Shalaldeh and Israeli forces killed Fathi Khazem, 58, in separate incidents.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Pope Leo Urges Help for Gaza
Pope Leo XIV appealed to world leaders to help start rebuilding Gaza, Al Jazeera reports.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Settlers Torch Quarry Machinery Near Hebron
Settlers entered a quarry in Wadi al-Rakheem near Hebron overnight and set heavy machinery alight, part of a wider pattern of attacks on Palestinian businesses.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Weddings Bring Brief Joy to Gaza
Couples in Gaza are marrying in tents and ruined courtyards, giving families rare hours of celebration amid destruction.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Victims' Families Still Waiting for Justice
Palestinians whose relatives were killed in settler attacks marked the international day for terrorism victims, describing years of stalled investigations.
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. More than 73,900 Palestinians have been killed and over 174,000 wounded in Gaza since October 2023, health officials say, with the count still climbing through strikes that never stopped.
Sources: Al Jazeera, OCHA
The UN has logged settler attacks against 275 Palestinian communities in the West Bank this year, close to the 2025 record and far above levels seen a decade ago. 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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