Palestine News Today: UNRWA Chief: Israel Wants to Eliminate the Agency
26 August 2026. Your daily round-up of the most important news about Palestine, compiled from international and regional sources. Today: UNRWA's chief says Israel wants to end the refugee question, a boy is shot during a raid on a UN centre, and Palestinians demand the return of 1,700 bodies. Below, each story in brief, with links to the reporting it is based on.
UNRWA Chief Condemns Seizure of Training Centre
UNRWA's Christian Saunders told Al Jazeera the seizure of the agency's East Jerusalem training centre is part of an Israeli campaign to eliminate UNRWA and the Palestinian refugee issue.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera
UN Rejects Threat to Expel Gazans Over Kites
The UN rights office condemned Israel's threat of forced evacuations over kite-flying. A 10-year-old kite maker told Al Jazeera he is now afraid to fly them.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera
Boy Shot During Raid on UN Facility
Video shows a Palestinian boy being shot during the Israeli raid on the UN facility in East Jerusalem.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Palestinians Demand Return of 1,700 Bodies
Vigils across the West Bank demanded the return of around 1,700 Palestinian bodies held by Israel.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Knesset Member Blocked From Besieged Home
Soldiers blocked Knesset member Ofer Cassif from reaching a besieged Palestinian home in Qusra, where new gates now isolate the family of Lou Ridi.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera
UNRWA Campaign Tied to Annexation
Analysts say the raid on the UNRWA centre is part of a strategic Israeli push to erase refugee rights and cement West Bank annexation, rather than an isolated security operation.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Envoy Warns of 'Point of No Return'
An envoy warned that the failure of the Israel-Hamas truce would be a point of no return. Hamas has pledged to hand over its weapons under the US plan, which Netanyahu has rejected.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Hapoel Beer-Sheva Knocked Out in Europe
Azerbaijan's Sabah knocked Israeli side Hapoel Beer-Sheva out of European qualifying with a late goal, in a round that also saw Bodo return to the Champions League.
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. More than 73,900 Palestinians have been killed and over 174,000 wounded in Gaza since October 2023, according to the health ministry, with well over a thousand of those deaths recorded since the truce.
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.
