Palestine News Today: Gaza Deaths Persist Under Ceasefire as UN Sounds Winter Alarm
29 September 2026. Palestinians in Gaza continue to be killed by Israeli strikes despite the ceasefire, while the United Nations warns that winter aid preparations are being blocked by restrictions and funding shortfalls. Meanwhile, the diplomatic fallout over Israel's threat to shut Britain's East Jerusalem consulate widened, and solidarity with Palestinians grew from Washington to the UN General Assembly.
Rubio meets Saudi minister as Gaza talks continue
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Washington to continue discussions begun at the UN General Assembly, according to the State Department. Al Jazeera and Middle East Eye report the talks covered regional security cooperation, including Gaza, alongside Iran, Lebanon and Sudan.
Sources: Middle East Eye
Trump administration cuts refugee funding, lawmakers object
Middle East Eye reports the Trump administration is canceling $810 million in previously appropriated funding for refugees and immigrants. Lawmakers from both parties have criticized the move as an overreach of executive power that bypasses Congress's constitutional control of federal spending.
Sources: Middle East Eye
Israeli strikes kill Palestinians in Gaza despite ceasefire
Anadolu Agency and Middle East Eye report Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least two Palestinians and wounded several others, including children, in Gaza City despite the ceasefire agreement. A drone strike targeted a residential apartment in the al-Nasr neighborhood, with medics at al-Shifa Hospital treating children for severe wounds, according to Al Jazeera.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Middle East Eye, Middle East Eye
UN warns Gaza winter aid preparations are being obstructed
The United Nations said continued Israeli restrictions and funding gaps are severely limiting preparations for winter in Gaza, according to Anadolu Agency and Middle East Monitor. A UN spokesman said thousands of heating points will be needed and urged Israel to quickly approve critical humanitarian items.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor
Legal experts say Israel cannot shut UK's Jerusalem consulate
Former UK Attorney General Dominic Grieve has advised the Foreign Office that Israel has no legal right to close Britain's consulate in East Jerusalem, The Guardian reports. Grieve and other legal experts, including a former consul-general cited by Middle East Eye, argue the mission sits in occupied Palestinian territory recognized as such by the UN and most member states, making Israel's threatened closure unlawful.
Sources: Middle East Eye, Anadolu Agency, The Guardian
West Bank raids and closures disrupt Palestinian daily life
Anadolu Agency reports Israeli forces shot a Palestinian during a raid on a West Bank town and briefly blocked medics from reaching him. Separately, tightened military checkpoints have isolated Ramallah, with motorists reporting waits of up to six hours that disrupted travel, work and access to medical care across the central West Bank.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Anadolu Agency
Settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque during Sukkot holiday
Middle East Monitor reports that Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and more than 1,200 settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound under Israeli police protection during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. Palestinian shops in the area were forced to close to accommodate the incursion.
Sources: Middle East Monitor
European officials level war crimes and aid accusations at Israel
Former German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck said there is ample evidence that war crimes were committed in Gaza, according to Anadolu Agency and Middle East Monitor. Germany separately urged Israel to ensure humanitarian aid reaches Gaza, while at the UN, Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour told the Security Council the international community must move from condemnation to concrete accountability measures.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor, Middle East Monitor, Anadolu Agency
Solidarity movement grows in UK and beyond
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband denounced the Israeli government's actions in Gaza, while the incoming head of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign told The Guardian that Gaza has become a domestic electoral issue in Britain for the first time. Separately, Middle East Eye reports Labour's conference arrangements committee blocked a motion to cancel Palantir's NHS contract over its links to the Israeli military.
Sources: Middle East Monitor, The Guardian, Middle East Eye
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