Palestine News Today: Ben-Gvir Calls for Nightly Killings in Gaza as Qusra Siege Deepens
16 August 2026. Your daily round-up of the most important news about Palestine, compiled from international and regional sources. Today: Israel's security minister calls for nightly killings in Gaza, Amnesty condemns the Qusra siege, Israel hands West Bank policing to civilian police, and a journalist opens a beach café in Gaza. Below, each story in brief, with links to the reporting it is based on.
Ben-Gvir Calls for '30 to 40' Killings a Night in Gaza
Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who sits on the security cabinet, called for 30 to 40 Palestinians to be killed in Gaza every night.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera
Amnesty: Qusra Siege Is 'Strategic Terror'
Amnesty International condemned the eight-day siege of Qusra by settlers and soldiers, who blocked water and aid. UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese said Israel is outsourcing coercion to settlers.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera
Israel Hands West Bank Policing to Civilian Police
Israel's transfer of policing in the occupied West Bank to civilian forces cements de facto annexation and empowers settler militias, analysts told Al Jazeera.
Sources: Al Jazeera
A Beach Café in Gaza
Al Jazeera journalist Hind Khoudary has opened a beach café in Gaza, hoping to revive a much-loved part of life in the territory.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Hamas Leader Heads to Cairo for Talks
Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya travelled to Cairo to meet Egypt's intelligence chief Hassan Rashad ahead of Jared Kushner's regional visit, Al Jazeera reports, as mediators try to keep the Gaza track alive.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Doctor Amputates Girl's Leg Without Anaesthetic
A doctor in Gaza described amputating a girl's leg without anaesthetic after supplies ran out. "We were praying for her to faint," he told Al Jazeera, in an account of hospitals stripped of basic medicines.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Timeline: A Week of Siege in Qusra
Al Jazeera set out a timeline of the week-long siege of Qusra, in which settlers encircled Palestinian homes and cut off supplies until the area was declared a closed military zone, leaving families without food, water or medical help.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Palestinian Café in Iceland Harassed
CCTV from a Palestinian-owned café in Iceland shows what appear to be Israeli tourists tearing a framed map of Palestine from the wall, in an incident that drew widespread condemnation.
Sources: Al Jazeera
The Background
Almost a year on from the October 2025 ceasefire, life in Gaza remains defined by destruction, ongoing strikes and the shortages of fuel, machinery and medical supplies that make recovery impossible. According to Gaza's health ministry, more than 73,900 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023 and over 174,000 wounded. At least 1,381 people have been killed since the ceasefire came into force.
Sources: Al Jazeera, OCHA
The West Bank has seen its own escalation. UN figures show 275 Palestinian communities affected by settler attacks in 2026, close to last year's record of 279 and the highest since monitoring started in 2006. Over 4,300 Palestinians have been displaced in the West Bank this year, more than a third of them by demolitions carried out because families lacked permits to build on their own land. Aid agencies say the scale of destruction leaves few safe options: over 90 per cent of Gaza is in ruins, and for lack of anywhere else, families are sheltering in damaged buildings.
Sources: OCHA
Humanitarian access remains the central obstacle. Aid groups say the machinery, fuel and spare parts needed to clear rubble and repair water and power networks are still restricted, while a two-million-strong population depends on supplies that arrive irregularly. International law continues to run alongside events on the ground. The International Court of Justice found the occupation unlawful in July 2024, and its case on genocide, brought by South Africa, remains before the court.
Sources: OCHA
Palestine News is published every day on Free Palestine Store. Each item summarises reporting from the named outlets in our own words; follow the source links for full coverage.
