Palestine News Today: Netanyahu's UN Address Sparks Walkouts, Arrests as Gaza Suffering Persists
26 September 2026. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to the UN General Assembly triggered diplomatic walkouts and street arrests in New York, while a US congressman pressed Israel to release a prominent Palestinian prisoner. Fresh reporting from Gaza and the West Bank underscored the mounting humanitarian toll as families face collapsing shelters, checkpoints and settler attacks on water supplies.
Democratic Congressman Urges Release of Palestinian Leader Barghouti
Democratic Representative Ro Khanna called on Israel to free imprisoned Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, arguing his release could help advance a two-state resolution between Israelis and Palestinians, according to Anadolu Agency. Barghouti, held for decades in Israeli prison, has separately proposed a plan to reunite rival Fatah factions ahead of upcoming Palestinian elections, Middle East Monitor reports.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor
More Than 100 Arrested at New York Protests Against Netanyahu
Over 100 demonstrators, including well-known public figures, were arrested outside the United Nations in New York during protests against Netanyahu's General Assembly speech, according to The Guardian. A sit-in organized by Jewish Voice for Peace condemned Israel's conduct in Gaza, its settlement expansion in the West Bank, and its military actions in Lebanon and Iran, Democracy Now! reports. Separately, demonstrators carrying Palestinian flags marched from Bryant Park to UN headquarters demanding Netanyahu face war crimes charges, Middle East Monitor reports.
Sources: The Guardian, Democracy Now!, Middle East Monitor, Middle East Monitor
Dozens of Delegations Walk Out as Netanyahu Addresses UN
Delegates from multiple countries walked out of the UN General Assembly hall as Netanyahu began his address, leaving the chamber half-empty, Middle East Monitor and Democracy Now! report. Netanyahu described Israel's Gaza war as the opposite of a genocide and accused critics, including New York's mayor, of antisemitism, according to The Guardian. A former Israeli peace negotiator called the speech grotesque, saying it reflected Israeli impunity, according to Democracy Now!.
Sources: Middle East Monitor, Democracy Now!, The Guardian
Analysts Say Netanyahu's UN Claims Contradict Documented Evidence
Middle East Monitor identified five claims made by Netanyahu at the UN that conflict with documented findings on the war. Separately, Turkish officials described Netanyahu's accusations against Turkey and its president as a desperate attempt to deflect attention from the Gaza war, Middle East Monitor reports.
Sources: Middle East Monitor, Middle East Monitor
Palestinian and Maldivian Leaders Demand End to Occupation at UN
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told the General Assembly that Palestinian homes must not be burned while residents sleep, addressing delegates by video, Middle East Monitor reports. Maldives Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef said Israel's genocide in Gaza must end and called for full UN membership for Palestine, according to Anadolu Agency and Middle East Monitor.
Sources: Middle East Monitor, Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor
Gaza Families Shelter in Buildings at Risk of Collapse
Three years into Israel's war, families in Gaza are sheltering in damaged buildings because few safer alternatives remain, Al Jazeera reports. Guardian reporting following five ordinary Palestinians, including a skateboarder who teaches children on the rooftops of ruined buildings, illustrates daily life amid the destruction. Anadolu Agency also reported that two Palestinians were killed and four injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza, including a man killed while visiting his brother's grave.
Sources: Al Jazeera, The Guardian, The Guardian, Anadolu Agency
Women Now Head a Quarter of Gaza Households, UN Says
According to the UN, women now head one in four households in Gaza after losing husbands during the war, Mondoweiss reports. These women face an impossible choice between working to support their families and staying home with children who remain vulnerable to Israeli violence.
Sources: Mondoweiss
West Bank Checkpoints and Settler Water Cutoffs Squeeze Palestinians
The UN humanitarian office and the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission documented 942 Israeli checkpoints and barriers restricting Palestinian movement across the occupied West Bank, Anadolu Agency reports. In Masafer Yatta, Israeli settlers have cut off water supplies to Palestinian farmers and herders, intensifying pressure on communities already facing displacement, according to Mondoweiss.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Mondoweiss
UK Arms Policy and Netherlands Settlement Trade Ban Scrutinized
A new report found that Britain's so-called double lock policy on arms exports to Israel has not resulted in a single additional license being suspended or revoked, according to Middle East Monitor. Meanwhile, the Netherlands announced a ban on trade in products originating from Israeli settlements, and UK Green Party leader Zack Polanski described Zionism as a form of racism at a London hustings, Middle East Monitor reports.
Sources: Middle East Monitor, Middle East Monitor, Middle East Monitor
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