Palestine News Today: US Congressional Candidate Urges Arms Embargo as Gaza Faces Winter Emergency
4 October 2026. A Pelosi-endorsed candidate for Congress has called for a full halt to US arms transfers to Israel, adding to mounting American political pressure over Gaza. Meanwhile, aid groups warn of a deepening winter crisis for displaced Palestinians, as fresh strikes, settler violence and medical evacuation backlogs continue to draw international concern.
California candidate backed by Pelosi demands Israel arms halt
Connie Chan, who is running with Nancy Pelosi's endorsement to succeed her in California, has said she would vote for a complete embargo on arms transfers to Israel, according to Al Jazeera. Chan said she wants to see an end to what she described as a genocide in Gaza. Her stance reflects growing calls within US political circles for Washington to reassess military support for Israel over its conduct in Gaza.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Displaced families brace for winter without adequate shelter
Anadolu Agency reports that families in southern Gaza are appealing for urgent shelter materials as winter approaches, with aid supplies running low. Around 35 camps near Khan Younis are now housing roughly 40,000 displaced residents, according to the report. Middle East Monitor adds that displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis held a protest demanding international organizations step up humanitarian assistance as conditions worsen.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor
Thousands of sick and injured Gazans await evacuation abroad
A senior hospital official told Anadolu Agency that approximately 22,000 patients in Gaza, including about 5,600 children, are waiting for urgent medical evacuation outside the territory. The figures were provided by a director at Nasser Hospital, underscoring the severe strain on Gaza's health system. Middle East Monitor reports the backlog highlights the urgent need for expanded evacuation corridors for the critically ill and wounded.
Sources: Middle East Monitor
Strike kills two Christian women and a lecturer, family says
Anadolu Agency reports an Israeli strike killed two Christian women along with a lecturer and her mother, in what is described as a new breach of the ceasefire. A 14-year-old boy who lost his mother and grandmother in the attack told Anadolu that his family has endured nearly three years of continuous destruction and grief. Al Jazeera reports that funeral prayers for a mother and daughter killed in the strike were held at Gaza City's Saint Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Al Jazeera
Satellite images expose vast scale of Gaza's ruin
American actress Angelina Jolie shared before-and-after satellite imagery on social media showing widespread destruction across Gaza, according to Middle East Eye. She wrote that entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble, with homes, schools, universities, hospitals, and water and sanitation infrastructure destroyed. The images, drawn from publicly available mapping tools, offer a visual record of the devastation Palestinians have endured.
Sources: Middle East Eye
Olive harvest season marred by settler and military violence
Al Jazeera and Anadolu Agency report that Israeli settlers and soldiers attacked Palestinian farmers across the West Bank as the olive picking season began. Anadolu reports at least 16 Palestinians were injured and 55 olive trees burned in attacks that targeted harvesters, including in the town of Beita near Nablus, where international activists were also present. Middle East Eye separately reports Israeli forces detained Palestinian farmers and seized property, including a truck loaded with produce, in the Jordan Valley.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor, Middle East Eye
Church leader raises alarm over threats to Palestinian Christians
The Serbian Orthodox Church's Patriarch Porfirije has warned that Christians in Palestine face persecution and discrimination, according to Anadolu Agency. He called for protection of a Christian presence in the region dating back 2,000 years and cautioned against the marginalization of religious communities. The statement adds to concerns about the shrinking Christian population amid the ongoing conflict.
Sources: Anadolu Agency
Solidarity rallies held in Sweden and inside Israel
Middle East Monitor reports hundreds of people gathered at Odenplan Square in Stockholm to protest Israeli military actions in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, as well as alleged ceasefire violations. Separately, hundreds of Israelis demonstrated at multiple locations across northern and central Israel, with Palestinian and Israeli human rights activists also rallying outside a prison near Haifa against the detention of Palestinians. The demonstrations reflect continuing international and domestic pressure over the conflict's humanitarian toll.
Sources: Middle East Monitor, Middle East Monitor
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