Israel Strikes Gaza Water Plant as Kite Threats Escalate
August 24, 2026. Israeli strikes hit a water desalination plant and a warehouse in Gaza, Israel threatened attacks over children's kites, and Palestine mourned the painter Sliman Mansour. Here's each story in brief, with links to the original reporting.
Beloved Palestinian Painter Sliman Mansour Dies at 79
Sliman Mansour, the iconic Palestinian artist whose paintings became symbols of resistance, died at 79, Al Jazeera reports.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Israel Hits Gaza Desalination Plant
At least seven people, including two children, were killed as Israeli strikes hit a desalination plant, a warehouse and a mosque in Gaza, Al Jazeera reports.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera
Israel Threatens Gaza Over Children's Kites
Israel threatened more attacks and forced displacement in Gaza over kites, which critics call a pretext, Al Jazeera reports.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera
Fuel Shortages Hit the West Bank
Israeli restrictions are causing fuel shortages across the occupied West Bank.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Health Care in Gaza Is Now a Privilege
Gaza's shattered health system can't reach the most vulnerable, especially families in displacement camps, with medicines gone and referrals abroad rare, Al Jazeera reports.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Why 'Pogrom' Is the Right Word
Al Jazeera argues that organised settler raids backed by the military fit the definition of pogroms rather than clashes, with no protection for residents.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Strike Hits Displacement Tent in Deir al-Balah
An Israeli strike hit a tent sheltering displaced families in Deir al-Balah, killing one man.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Building With Mud Instead of Canvas
A displaced Palestinian built a traditional mud-brick home in Gaza, saying tents offer no shelter from heat, cold or rain.
Sources: Al Jazeera
The Bigger Picture
Nearly a year after the ceasefire announced in October 2025, civilians in Gaza still face daily danger amid widespread destruction, continuing strikes and limits on the supplies and equipment needed to rebuild. Health officials in Gaza record over 73,900 people killed and more than 174,000 injured since October 2023, figures that include the months since the ceasefire was announced.
Sources: Al Jazeera, OCHA
In the occupied West Bank, the UN reports settler attacks affecting 275 Palestinian communities so far in 2026, nearly matching the 279 recorded in all of 2025, the highest annual total since records began in 2006. Permit demolitions have destroyed more than 1,100 Palestinian structures in 2026 and displaced over 1,500 people, a third of everyone forced from their homes in the West Bank this year. With 98 percent of Gaza's schools damaged or destroyed and over 90 percent of the territory in ruins, thousands of families are living in structures already declared unsafe.
Sources: OCHA
Medical services remain near collapse. Hospitals are rationing power because of fuel shortages, oxygen is limited, and agencies report that specialist medicines, including cancer drugs, have repeatedly run out. Most UN member states now recognize Palestinian statehood, but recognition has not changed conditions on the ground, and Palestinian officials argue that without enforcement the occupation continues unchanged.
Sources: OCHA
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