Aisha Wahab Beats Pro-Israel Spending in California
August 22, 2026. California state Senator Aisha Wahab won her election despite heavy pro-Israel spending, as a look at the lobby's role in the midterms showed, while a Palestinian teen was killed in the West Bank. Here's each story in brief, with links to the original reporting.
Aisha Wahab Wins Despite Pro-Israel Spending
California state Senator Aisha Wahab won her race despite millions in outside pro-Israel spending, the latest progressive to do so.
Sources: Al Jazeera
How the Pro-Israel Lobby Shapes US Elections
Ahead of the 2026 midterms, millions of dollars are flowing into races with candidates who challenge Israel, Al Jazeera reports.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Palestinian Teen Killed in Settler Attack
A 17-year-old Palestinian was killed and another person badly hurt in a settler attack in the West Bank, Al Jazeera reports.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Hundreds of Kids Take a Swim Class in Gaza
About 1,300 children joined a swimming class on Gaza's beach as a way to cope with trauma.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Jewish Activists Guard Palestinian Families
Jewish activists are staying with Palestinian families in the occupied West Bank as a "protective presence" to deter settler attacks.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Chief Rabbi Says Palestinians Have No Rights
Israel's Chief Rabbi said Palestinians are not a people and have no rights, and claimed Gaza for Jews, drawing widespread condemnation.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Drone Strike Hits Family in Deir el-Balah
An Israeli drone struck a family in Deir el-Balah, killing one person and injuring others, medics said.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Attacks Injure Palestinians Across the West Bank
Settlers expanded their control across the occupied West Bank with military backing, injuring Palestinians and forcing families out, Al Jazeera reports.
Sources: Al Jazeera
The Wider Context
The truce reached in October 2025 ended the full-scale offensive but not the killing. Attacks continue, and restrictions on what can enter Gaza still block any real reconstruction. 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
Across the occupied West Bank, 275 communities have been hit by settler attacks in 2026, a pace that has nearly equaled last year's record with months still to go. More than 1,100 Palestinian structures have been demolished this year for lacking building permits, displacing over 1,500 people, more than a third of the 4,300 Palestinians displaced in the West Bank in 2026. Almost every school in Gaza has been damaged or destroyed, and with more than 90 percent of buildings in ruins, people are living in structures that could come down.
Sources: OCHA
Aid agencies say the shortages are now structural, not temporary: without heavy machinery, fuel and engine oil, rubble can't be cleared, water systems can't be fixed, and search and rescue work drags on for days. At the UN, the two-state solution is still the stated goal of the Secretary-General and most member states, even as settlement expansion continues and Palestinian officials call it creeping annexation.
Sources: OCHA
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