Palestine News Today: US Lawmakers, Courts Push Back as Gaza Toll Since Truce Tops 1,500
15 October 2026. American momentum is building against the occupation this week, with a federal judge blocking sanctions on rights groups tied to ICC Gaza probes and congressional support growing for a bill targeting settlement expansion. Meanwhile Gaza's death toll since last October's ceasefire has surpassed 1,500, and the West Bank faces mounting raids, settler violence and land seizures.
Federal judge halts US sanctions on ICC-linked rights groups
A US federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction temporarily stopping the Trump administration from sanctioning two American human rights organizations that assist International Criminal Court investigations into Gaza war crimes, according to The Guardian. The groups, Dawn and Taag, described the ruling as a major step toward dismantling the broader ICC sanctions regime. The decision marks a setback for the administration's efforts to shield Israel from international accountability mechanisms.
Sources: The Guardian
Congressman says support growing for anti-settlement bill
US Representative Joaquin Castro says backing continues to grow for the Stop the Settlements Act, which would sanction individuals seizing Palestinian land in the West Bank or Gaza, Middle East Eye reports. Castro said more than 50 lawmakers have now co-sponsored the legislation alongside him. He argued that settlement expansion pushes Palestinians off their land and undermines prospects for peace.
Sources: Middle East Eye
Israel reportedly obstructs US-backed Gaza stabilization force
Israel is blocking construction of a military outpost in Gaza intended as the base for an international stabilization force under the US-chaired Board of Peace, The Guardian reports. The project, contracted in August to a Louisiana-based firm, would house 150 international troops meant to serve as the force's vanguard. Israel has yet to permit the work to proceed, stalling a key component of the peace plan.
Sources: Middle East Eye, The Guardian
Gaza deaths since ceasefire climb past 1,500
Gaza's health ministry says 1,501 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the October 2025 ceasefire took effect, Middle East Eye reports. Three people died on Wednesday alone, and more than 5,300 people have been injured over the same period. Separately, Middle East Monitor reports four Palestinians were killed and several others wounded in Israeli airstrikes, including a strike on a tent sheltering displaced families near Khan Younis.
Sources: Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor
West Bank sees intensifying raids and settler violence
Israeli forces wounded and arrested a Palestinian man during a raid on family homes in Tammun, while another Palestinian was hospitalized after an alleged assault at a checkpoint, Anadolu Agency reports. Separately, Israeli forces seized a vehicle and olive harvest from farmers and demolished agricultural structures, according to a Palestinian rights group cited by Anadolu. Middle East Monitor also reports settlers entered Palestinian-owned groves near Hebron to steal olives, and a bishop called for international action after settlers attacked a center for disabled children.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor, Middle East Monitor
UN demands Israel halt crackdown on Palestinian groups
A UN deputy spokesperson says partner organizations are calling on Israel to stop its crackdown on Palestinian civic space after forces raided civil society offices and a medical complex in Ramallah, Middle East Eye reports. Israeli forces reportedly confiscated files and equipment and detained people during the raid. Democracy Now! reports a child was injured by gunfire and a journalist was detained during related raids on Palestinian NGOs ahead of Israeli elections.
Sources: Middle East Eye, Democracy Now!
Report details widespread abuse of detained Palestinians
More than 2,000 Palestinian children have been detained by Israel since 2023, with at least 350 currently held in harsh prison conditions, according to a report cited by Al Jazeera. A separate investigation reported by Anadolu Agency found Israeli prison guards shot Palestinian prisoners with rubber bullets, causing severe injuries including a removed testicle and a fractured shin requiring surgery.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Anadolu Agency
UK sanctions regime against settlements takes effect
Britain's new global sanctions regime targeting Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank came into force Thursday, timed ahead of a deadline for bids on West Bank settlement construction, Middle East Eye reports. The Guardian reports the expanded powers allow the UK to freeze assets of those enabling illegal settlements, blocking humanitarian aid or unlawfully detaining prisoners. Separately, a British MP called for lifting the ban on Palestine Action after author Sally Rooney said she could no longer sell books in the UK over her support for the group, while a British ex-soldier faces calls for a war crimes investigation over a photo taken in front of a burning Gaza school.
Sources: Middle East Eye, The Guardian, Middle East Eye, Anadolu Agency
Colombia's Jerusalem embassy decried as violation of law
Palestine's Foreign Ministry says Colombia's decision to open an embassy in West Jerusalem violates international law and UN resolutions, and has urged Bogota to reverse the move, Anadolu Agency reports. Algeria also condemned the opening, calling it part of a pattern of illegal attempts to alter Jerusalem's legal status, according to Middle East Eye. Colombia became the tenth country to establish an embassy in the contested city despite widespread international opposition.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor
Palestine News is published every day on Free Palestine Store. Each item recaps reporting from the named outlets in our own words; follow the source links for full coverage.
