Palestine News Today: US Senate Rejects West Bank Accountability Bill as Gaza Toll Tops 74,000
30 September 2026. American lawmakers clashed this week over accountability for settler violence in the occupied West Bank, even as House Democrats pressed Israel's government to act. Meanwhile, Gaza's death toll kept climbing despite the ceasefire, and Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque and West Bank villages faced renewed incursions and attacks.
Senate Votes Down West Bank Violence Accountability Measure
The Guardian reports the US Senate rejected a Democratic-led resolution that would have required the State Department to report to Congress on violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Common Dreams notes the measure, sponsored by Senator Chris Van Hollen with 24 co-sponsors, sought documentation of killings and abuses committed by Israeli forces and settlers, including against Palestinian children. The vote fell largely along party lines, according to The Guardian.
Sources: The Guardian, Common Dreams
Senator Cites American Deaths in West Bank Violence
According to Anadolu Agency, Senator Chris Van Hollen separately called for a State Department report on West Bank violence, warning that Israeli settlers have repeatedly terrorized civilians there. The Guardian reports nine American citizens have been killed by Israeli settlers or security forces in the occupied West Bank since 2022.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, The Guardian
House Democrats Press Netanyahu on Settler Violence
Dozens of US House Democrats sent a letter urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take action against settler violence in the West Bank, according to Anadolu Agency. The lawmakers wrote that attacks by settlers have made daily life unsafe for Palestinians across large parts of the territory.
Sources: Anadolu Agency
Gaza Death Toll Surpasses 74,000 Since War Began
Middle East Eye reports Israeli attacks killed nine more Palestinians and wounded 31 over the past day, pushing Gaza's overall death toll since October 2023 to 74,032. The outlet says at least 1,431 Palestinians have been killed and 5,026 wounded since the October 2025 ceasefire took effect, with 834 bodies also recovered from beneath destroyed buildings. Democracy Now! notes the true toll may be far higher once missing people and indirect deaths from disease and lack of medical care are counted.
Sources: Middle East Eye, Democracy Now!
Deadly Strikes Continue Across Gaza Despite Ceasefire
Middle East Eye and Middle East Monitor report an Israeli strike on a taxi in Gaza City's Tel al-Hawa neighborhood killed at least five Palestinians, with the vehicle reportedly carrying civilian passengers. Anadolu Agency separately reports six Palestinians were killed and 18 injured in strikes on homes in northern Gaza and gunfire in the south, while Middle East Eye says a drone strike on a shelter for displaced people wounded six more, including two children.
Sources: Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor, Anadolu Agency, Middle East Eye
Report Finds Israeli Attacks Caused Most 2025 Gaza Deaths
Middle East Eye reports Gaza's health ministry found Israeli attacks were responsible for 70.1 percent of the 24,650 deaths recorded in the territory last year, in its first official mortality report since 2022. The report also found the under-five mortality rate more than doubled compared with 2022, reflecting the collapse of health and living conditions in Gaza.
Sources: Middle East Eye
Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque During Jewish Holiday
The Islamic Waqf, which manages Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, said roughly 700 Israeli settlers stormed the site during the Sukkot holiday, according to Middle East Eye. Anadolu Agency reports the incursions took place under Israeli police protection, marking another in a series of provocations at the site in occupied East Jerusalem.
Sources: Middle East Eye, Anadolu Agency
Settlers Torch Palestinian Family's Homes in West Bank Village
BBC News reports Israeli settlers attacked a West Bank village and set fire to two homes belonging to the al-Tubasi family, blocking their return home. Israeli security forces were also targeted by the settlers during the incident, according to the report.
Sources: BBC News
Palestinian Authority Calls on Firms to Drop Settlement Ties
Anadolu Agency and Middle East Monitor report the Palestinian Authority urged companies to review their relationships with businesses linked to illegal Israeli settlements. The call follows a UN Human Rights Office list identifying 214 companies tied to settlement activity, including 61 newly added firms.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor
Gaza Students Sue Ireland Over Visa Denials
Middle East Eye reports Palestinian students from Gaza are taking legal action against Ireland's government after visa refusals blocked them from taking up university places, with a legal team calling the justice minister's decision irrational and discriminatory. The outlet says at least 26 more similar cases are being prepared for court.
Sources: Middle East Eye
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