US Bars Abbas From the UN General Assembly for a Second Year
September 17, 2026. Washington again refused visas for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to attend the UN General Assembly in New York, while reports detailed AI-driven demolitions in the West Bank and a Gaza repairman keeping journalists' cameras working. Here's each story in brief, with links to the original reporting.
US Denies Abbas Visa for UN General Assembly
The United States again refused visas for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Authority officials to attend the UN General Assembly in New York, the second year in a row, Al Jazeera reports.
Sources: Al Jazeera
AI Tools Drive Demolitions in the West Bank
According to researchers cited by Al Jazeera, Israel is using AI systems in the occupied West Bank to map Palestinian land and fast-track demolitions and evictions.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Ireland Sits Out Eurovision Again Over Gaza
Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ said the country will not take part in Eurovision for a second year, saying participation cannot be justified amid the loss of life in Gaza.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Gaza Repairman Keeps Journalists Filming
With cameras, parts and power all in short supply, Gaza repairman Mohammed Radwan is keeping journalists' damaged equipment working so they can continue documenting the war.
Sources: Al Jazeera
$2.8bn US Bomb Sale Moves Forward
The Trump administration is advancing a $2.8 billion bomb sale to Israel, including 40,000 bombs, funded through Foreign Military Financing.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Egypt Rejects Any Displacement From Gaza
Egypt's president told Mahmoud Abbas his country firmly opposes any displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.
Sources: Al Jazeera
45,190 Skin Infection Cases in Gaza
The UN recorded 45,190 cases of impetigo among Gaza's children in six weeks, plus a new case of acute flaccid paralysis.
Sources: OCHA
Context: Gaza and the West Bank
A year of ceasefire has brought no rebuilding to Gaza. Strikes continue, entry restrictions remain, and aid agencies say fuel and equipment shortages are now the biggest obstacle. The recorded death toll in Gaza has passed 73,900, with more than 174,000 injured, according to the health ministry. Over 1,300 of those deaths have come since the truce began.
Sources: Al Jazeera, OCHA
Settler violence in the occupied West Bank is near record levels, with the UN counting 275 Palestinian communities affected in 2026, almost matching the total for all of last year. Demolitions continue alongside the attacks: over 1,100 structures have come down this year for lacking permits Israel rarely grants, forcing more than 1,500 people from their homes. UNICEF says 98 percent of Gaza's schools were destroyed or damaged during the war, and more than 90 percent of the territory lies in ruins, leaving families sheltering in buildings engineers have called unsafe.
Sources: OCHA
The UN warns that the dangers facing Gaza's civilians grow as winter nears, with flooding expected in areas where families live in tents and damaged buildings and where sanitation has already broken down. Accountability efforts continue in parallel: cases at the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, national investigations in several countries, and growing calls for arms embargoes.
Sources: OCHA
Palestine News is published every day on Free Palestine Store. Each item recaps reporting from the named outlets in our own words; follow the source links for full coverage.
