Palestine News Today: UK, Canada and Australia Call Israel's WCK Decision 'Shameful'
21 August 2026. Your daily round-up of the most important news about Palestine, compiled from international and regional sources. Today: Britain, Australia and Canada condemn Israel for ending its World Central Kitchen investigation, Europe warns over the E1 settlement, settlers torch a family home, and Pope Leo calls for Gaza's reconstruction. Below, each story in brief, with links to the reporting it is based on.
UK, Australia and Canada: WCK Decision 'Shameful'
The UK, Australia and Canada called Israel's decision not to pursue its investigation into the 2024 strike on a World Central Kitchen convoy "shameful".
Sources: Al Jazeera
Europe and Canada Condemn E1 Plan
European countries and Canada called Israel's E1 settlement plan unacceptable and warned of legal and reputational consequences for those involved. Experts say it would split the West Bank and make a Palestinian state impossible.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera
Settlers Torch Home While Family Sleeps
Settlers set fire to a Palestinian home while a mother and her children were asleep inside, Al Jazeera reports.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Two Palestinians Killed in the West Bank
Settlers shot dead 17-year-old Karim Sanad Shalaldeh, and Israeli forces killed 58-year-old Fathi Khazem in a separate incident.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Pope Leo Calls for Gaza's Reconstruction
Pope Leo XIV urged authorities worldwide to help begin rebuilding Gaza, saying its people are still suffering.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Settlers Set Fire to Machinery at a Hebron Quarry
Settlers entered a stone quarry in Wadi al-Rakheem near Hebron overnight and set fire to heavy machinery, part of a pattern of attacks on Palestinian businesses in the occupied West Bank.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Weddings in Gaza Offer Rare Moments of Joy
Amid destruction and displacement, weddings in Gaza give families brief moments of celebration. Couples marry in tents and ruined courtyards, with neighbours gathering to sing and dance for a few hours.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Families of Settler Attack Victims Fight for Justice
Palestinians whose relatives were killed or disappeared in settler attacks marked the International Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism, describing years of trying and failing to get cases investigated.
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. The recorded death toll in Gaza has passed 73,900 according to the health ministry, with more than 174,000 injured, and the count continues to rise through strikes that have not stopped since the truce.
Sources: Al Jazeera, OCHA
The UN has recorded settler attacks affecting 275 Palestinian communities in the West Bank this year, close to the record set in 2025 and far above the levels seen a decade ago. 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.
