Palestine News Today: Gaza Toll Nears 74,000 as US-Backed Recovery Plan Sparks Doubts
24 September 2026. Nearly a year after a declared ceasefire, Israeli strikes and raids continue to kill Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, according to health officials and rights groups. Meanwhile, a US-brokered $2.45 billion reconstruction plan and diplomatic maneuvers at the UN General Assembly reveal deep unresolved questions over Gaza's future and accountability.
US drafted rebuke of allies over settlement sanctions
According to a report cited by Middle East Eye, US officials drafted a statement attributed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemning the UK, France and Canada for planning to block imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The draft, dated early September, reportedly characterized the allies' sanctions push as hostile measures. The episode underscores Washington's continued diplomatic backing for Israel even as allies move toward accountability measures over settlement expansion.
Sources: Middle East Eye
Rubio warns against new West Bank 'flashpoint'
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States does not want to see additional tensions ignite in the West Bank, according to Anadolu Agency and Middle East Monitor. He cited ongoing regional instability in urging restraint. The comment came as Israeli forces continued raids and settler-linked violence across Palestinian communities.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor
Kushner's Gaza rebuilding plan questioned over gaps
US presidential adviser Jared Kushner unveiled a $2.45 billion 'starter plan' for rebuilding Gaza during a Board of Peace meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, BBC News and Middle East Eye report. Kushner acknowledged delays and said goals included a demilitarized Gaza, but Al Jazeera notes the plan leaves unresolved who controls Gaza's future, including the status of an Israeli pullout and Hamas's disarmament. A separate Board of Peace envoy said the process would be governed by verification rather than fixed deadlines, according to Anadolu Agency.
Sources: BBC News, Middle East Eye, Al Jazeera, Anadolu Agency
Hamas says it stands ready to advance ceasefire roadmap
Hamas said it remains prepared to implement the Gaza roadmap and accused Israel of obstructing the ceasefire agreement, Anadolu Agency reports. The group called on the United States and the Board of Peace to help enable entry of a Palestinian technocratic committee and an international force. The statement comes amid continuing Israeli strikes that have killed Palestinians despite the ceasefire declared last October.
Sources: Anadolu Agency
Gaza death toll approaches 74,000 under ongoing strikes
Israeli attacks killed at least seven Palestinians and wounded 35 others in Gaza in a single day, pushing the overall death toll since October 2023 to nearly 74,000, with about 175,000 injured, according to Gaza's Health Ministry as reported by Anadolu Agency and Middle East Eye. Separately, Anadolu Agency reports Israeli fire killed one Palestinian and injured another in central Gaza. The ministry says ceasefire violations alone have killed 1,402 Palestinians and injured 4,881 since the truce began.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Anadolu Agency, Middle East Eye, Middle East Eye
West Bank olive groves bulldozed ahead of harvest
Israeli forces bulldozed Palestinian land and uprooted olive trees in a West Bank village for a third consecutive day, barring landowners from their property just before harvest season, a landowner told Anadolu Agency. Separately, Israeli forces detained more than 150 Palestinians in raids across Qalqilya and Azzun, while settlers reportedly burned two vehicles north of Ramallah. Anadolu Agency also reports Israeli forces killed a Palestinian in the West Bank, whom the military accused of a car-ramming attack.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Anadolu Agency, Anadolu Agency
Gaza's tent shelters fail as winter approaches
Around 162,000 tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza have become unusable, raising fears of a deepening humanitarian emergency as winter nears, according to Middle East Monitor. The Guardian separately reports on the destruction of Gaza's wastewater infrastructure, which has caused untreated sewage discharge and contributed to a severe water and sanitation crisis. The compounding shortages of shelter, clean water and infrastructure add to the hardship facing Palestinians nearly a year into the ceasefire.
Sources: Middle East Monitor, The Guardian
European officials press Israel over occupation and settlers
Switzerland's UN envoy called on Israel to end its 'illegal occupation' of Palestinian territory, condemning settler violence, land confiscation and forced displacement, according to Anadolu Agency. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Israeli government policies were jeopardizing the country's own security, citing the Gaza plan and settlement expansion, Anadolu Agency and Middle East Monitor report. Spain's prime minister also accused Israel's leadership of continuing mass killing in Gaza during remarks at the UN, according to Middle East Monitor.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor, Middle East Monitor
Solidarity and accountability efforts widen internationally
A French activist filed a legal complaint alleging torture by Israeli forces during a 2025 Gaza flotilla, urging other flotilla veterans to do the same, Anadolu Agency and Middle East Monitor report. In the US, a federal court dismissed a lawsuit against the Palestine Chronicle and its editor after plaintiffs withdrew the case, according to Middle East Monitor. Middle East Monitor also reports that the Palestine issue featured prominently at the UN General Assembly despite the US denying a visa to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor, Middle East Monitor, Middle East Monitor
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