Ed Sheeran Calls Gaza 'Unjustifiable' as Children Return to Class
September 20, 2026. British singer Ed Sheeran called the situation in Gaza unjustifiable at a Philadelphia concert, as tens of thousands of Gaza's children returned to makeshift classrooms and settlers entered the Al-Aqsa compound. Here's each story in brief, with links to the original reporting.
Ed Sheeran: Gaza Is 'Unjustifiable'
Ed Sheeran opened his show at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field by calling the situation in Gaza "unjustifiable", after weeks of criticism over Macklemore being dropped from one of his tour dates.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Back to School in Tents and Ruins
Tens of thousands of children in Gaza started a new school year in tents and makeshift classrooms. According to UNICEF, 98 percent of Gaza's schools were damaged or destroyed during the war.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera
Ben-Gvir and Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa
Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and settlers entered the Al-Aqsa compound before Yom Kippur, while Benjamin Netanyahu toured tunnels under occupied East Jerusalem's Old City, Al Jazeera reports.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Palestinian Man Killed Near Jenin
Israeli forces killed a Palestinian near the illegal Ganim settlement east of Jenin, and the Palestine Red Crescent said its medics were blocked from reaching him.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Protest in Tunis for Jailed Flotilla Activists
Hundreds rallied in Tunis demanding freedom for four Global Sumud Flotilla activists who have been held since March over alleged financial misconduct tied to the Gaza aid mission.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Gaza Health Chief's Son Killed
A drone killed the eldest son of Gaza health official Munir al-Bursh outside a tent in Jabalia, one of four killed that day.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Herzog Wipes Azaria's Record
Israel's president cleared the record of Elor Azaria, convicted of shooting a wounded Palestinian in 2016, despite army objections.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Young Engineers Keep Working in Gaza
Students in Deir el-Balah are building sensors and early-warning systems despite the destruction of Gaza's tech sector.
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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