Huckabee Visits Palestinian Americans in the West Bank
September 5, 2026. US Ambassador Mike Huckabee visited Palestinian Americans in Turmus Ayya and called some settlers terrorists, an Al Jazeera reporter challenged him, and a new flotilla set sail for Gaza. Here's each story in brief, with links to the original reporting.
Huckabee Visits Turmus Ayya
US Ambassador Mike Huckabee met Palestinian Americans in Turmus Ayya and said Israel must protect Palestinians, labeling some settlers terrorists. An Al Jazeera reporter challenged his description of violent settlers as a minority.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera
New Flotilla Heads for Gaza
A new flotilla sailed for Gaza, with advocates urging governments to guarantee its safety.
Sources: Al Jazeera
55 From One Family Recovered
Rescuers recovered the remains of 55 members of one family killed nearly three years ago.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Settlers Push Into Area A Farmland
Farmland is being razed as settler expansion spreads into Area A.
Sources: Al Jazeera
A Day of Raids and Sieges
Al Jazeera's Jerusalem Daily covered raids and arrests across the West Bank as settlers attacked Palestinians during the US ambassador's visit.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Rebuilding in Khirbet al-Tabban
Families in Khirbet al-Tabban started rebuilding after 12 homes were demolished, refusing to leave land they have farmed for generations.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Dental Care Out of Reach in Gaza
Gaza's dentists are treating patients outdoors with almost no supplies, and painkillers are often the only option.
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 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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