Palestine News Today: Three Years After October 7, Gaza's Toll Still Mounting as Diplomacy Scrambles
7 October 2026. As the world marks three years since the October 7, 2023 attack and the devastating war on Gaza that followed, new data from Al Jazeera and Anadolu Agency lay bare the scale of Palestinian suffering, from journalist deaths to vanishing olive groves. Meanwhile, diplomatic pressure is building in Washington's allies and at the UN, even as settler violence and mosque raids continue in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Former US food agency official says he was fired over Gaza hunger reporting
According to The Guardian, a former senior official at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization says he was dismissed for highlighting hunger in Gaza. Benjamin Davis is appealing his firing, alleging FAO leadership accused his team of playing political games after they publicized the crisis. The case raises fresh questions about whether international institutions are being pressured to downplay Gaza's humanitarian emergency.
Sources: The Guardian
Three years of war leave Gaza devastated, new data show
Al Jazeera reports that three years of Israel's war have transformed Gaza, devastating its economy, education system, healthcare and basic infrastructure. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed and homes destroyed, with essential services collapsing across the territory. Anadolu Agency adds that women and girls have been especially hard hit, with thousands killed or wounded and maternal healthcare in collapse as female-headed households multiply.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor
Gaza journalists killed and detained in record numbers
Anadolu Agency reports that 263 journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, according to the Gaza Government Media Office. Fifty journalists have been detained in Israeli prisons over the same period, with 23 still held. Press freedom advocates say the toll underscores the dangers faced by reporters documenting the war.
Sources: Anadolu Agency
West Bank press photographer beaten by settlers as troops watched
The Guardian reports that armed Israeli settlers beat veteran AFP photographer Jaafar Ashtiyeh with rifle butts while Israeli soldiers looked on, hospitalizing him. He had been covering escalating settler violence against Palestinian olive farmers in the occupied West Bank. The attack is part of a wider pattern of violence accompanying this year's olive harvest.
Sources: The Guardian
Gaza's olive trees bulldozed as harvest faces extinction
Mondoweiss reports that the Israeli army has bulldozed more than 1.6 million olive trees in Gaza since 2023, threatening farmers' livelihoods and a centuries-old Palestinian tradition. The destruction of groves has devastated communities whose cultural identity and economy are tied to the olive harvest. Advocates warn the losses may be irreversible for the territory's agricultural heritage.
Sources: Mondoweiss
West Bank home besieged and residents injured by Israeli forces
Anadolu Agency reports that Israeli forces injured four Palestinians and besieged a family home south of Hebron, with seven children trapped inside. Witnesses said ambulances were unable to reach an injured couple. Separately, Middle East Monitor reports Israeli forces demolished a multi-story Palestinian building in East Jerusalem and injured two more Palestinians elsewhere in the West Bank.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor
Palestinian election officials barred from Gaza and East Jerusalem
Anadolu Agency reports that Israel has denied Palestinian election officials entry to Gaza and East Jerusalem ahead of legislative elections scheduled for November 28. If held, the vote would be the first Palestinian legislative election since 2006. The restrictions raise concerns over whether Palestinians in these areas will be able to participate.
Sources: Anadolu Agency
UN chief says Gaza ceasefire has failed to bring security
Middle East Monitor reports that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the Gaza ceasefire has not delivered the security it promised. He called for full commitment to the agreement from all parties. The statement reflects ongoing concern at the UN over the fragility of the truce three years into the conflict.
Sources: Middle East Monitor
Al-Aqsa Mosque stormed dozens of times amid Jerusalem tensions
Middle East Monitor reports that Israeli forces and settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem 26 times in September, according to the Jordan-run Awqaf Ministry. The raids, often conducted under police protection, have fueled tensions around the holy site. Palestinian officials view the incursions as part of a broader pattern of encroachment on Jerusalem's status quo.
Sources: Middle East Monitor
UK pushes to keep East Jerusalem consulate open
The BBC and Anadolu Agency report that British diplomats are making a last-ditch effort to stop Israel from closing the UK consulate in East Jerusalem, which handles relations with Palestinians in the city. Israel has threatened closure over British sanctions on Israeli settlements, with a reported October 8 deadline looming. The dispute has yet to be resolved through diplomatic channels.
Sources: BBC News, Anadolu Agency
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