Palestine News Today: Palestinian Artist Sliman Mansour Dies at 79
24 August 2026. Your daily round-up of the most important news about Palestine, compiled from international and regional sources. Today: the great Palestinian painter Sliman Mansour dies, Israel strikes a water plant and warehouse in Gaza, and activists occupy a UK aircraft parts factory over links to Israel. Below, each story in brief, with links to the reporting it is based on.
Activists Occupy UK Factory Over Israel Links
Activists from the group People Against Genocide occupied a Martin-Baker aircraft parts factory in the UK over its links to Israel, Al Jazeera reports.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Sliman Mansour Dies Aged 79
Sliman Mansour, one of the most celebrated Palestinian artists, whose work became a symbol of struggle and steadfastness, has died at the age of 79.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Strikes Hit Gaza Water Plant and Warehouse
Israeli strikes hit a water desalination plant, a warehouse and a mosque in Gaza, killing at least seven people, including two children, despite the ceasefire.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera
Israel Accused of Using Kites as a Pretext
Israel threatened escalated attacks and forced displacement over kites, drones and balloons launched from Gaza, which critics say is a pretext for escalation.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera
Fuel Shortage in the West Bank
Israeli restrictions are disrupting fuel supplies across the occupied West Bank, causing shortages.
Sources: Al Jazeera
The Right to Health in Gaza Is Now a Privilege
Gaza's devastated health system cannot reach those most in need, especially people living in displacement camps far from any working clinic, Al Jazeera reports. Referrals abroad are rare, medicines run out, and chronic illness goes untreated for months.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Why Settler Attacks Are Being Called Pogroms
Waves of settler attacks backed by Israel's military increasingly fit the definition of pogroms rather than clashes, Al Jazeera's analysis argues, pointing to organised raids on villages and the absence of any protection for residents.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Strike Hits Tent Sheltering Displaced Families
Israel struck a makeshift tent sheltering displaced Palestinians in Deir al-Balah, killing a man, as attacks on displacement sites intensified.
Sources: Al Jazeera
A Mud-Brick House Instead of a Tent
One displaced Palestinian has built a traditional mud-brick house in Gaza, saying tents offer no protection from heat, cold or rain, and that mud and rubble are the only materials available.
Sources: Al Jazeera
The Wider Picture
Nearly a year after the ceasefire announced in October 2025, civilians in Gaza still face daily danger amid widespread destruction, continuing strikes and restrictions on the supplies and equipment needed to rebuild. Health officials in Gaza record more than 73,900 people killed and over 174,000 injured since October 2023. The figures include those killed in the months since the ceasefire was announced.
Sources: Al Jazeera, OCHA
In the occupied West Bank, the UN reports that settler attacks have affected 275 Palestinian communities so far in 2026, nearly matching the 279 recorded across all of 2025, the highest annual figure since records began in 2006. Permit-related demolitions have destroyed more than 1,100 Palestinian structures in 2026 and displaced over 1,500 people, a third of all those forced from their homes in the West Bank this year. With 98 per cent of Gaza's schools damaged or destroyed and more than 90 per cent of the territory in ruins, thousands of families are living in structures that have already been declared unsafe.
Sources: OCHA
Medical services remain close to collapse. Hospitals are rationing power because of fuel shortages, oxygen supplies are limited, and agencies report that specialist medicines, including cancer treatments, have repeatedly run out. Recognition of Palestinian statehood by a majority of UN member states has not changed conditions on the ground, and Palestinian officials argue that recognition without enforcement leaves the occupation untouched.
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.
