Palestine News Today: UK Foreign Secretary admits pro-Palestine activists 'were right' as Gaza deaths continue despite ceasefire
30 September 2026. British politicians made striking admissions this week on Palestine, from the Foreign Secretary's conference speech to the Green Party leader's call to defy Israel over the Jerusalem consulate. Meanwhile, Israeli attacks in Gaza continued to kill Palestinians despite the ceasefire, and settler incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque and West Bank villages persisted.
Miliband tells Labour conference Palestine activists 'were right'
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told the Labour Party conference in Liverpool that campaigners who had long pushed for Palestinian justice had been vindicated, according to Middle East Eye. The outlet reports the remarks reflect years of pressure from pro-Palestine civil society activists finally shifting government rhetoric on Israel.
Sources: Middle East Eye
Green leader urges UK to defy Israel over Jerusalem consulate
Green Party leader Zack Polanski told Middle East Eye that the British government should refuse to comply with an Israeli order to close the UK consulate in occupied East Jerusalem. His intervention adds pressure on Labour ministers as they weigh their response to Israel's demand.
Sources: Middle East Eye
US Senate blocks accountability resolution on West Bank violence
The US Senate rejected, largely along party lines, a resolution led by Senator Chris Van Hollen that would have required the State Department to report to Congress on Israeli settler and security force violence in the occupied West Bank, the Guardian reports. According to Anadolu Agency, the resolution cited the killing of nine American citizens by Israeli settlers or security forces since 2022. Common Dreams reports the measure would also have covered abuses against Palestinian children and other rights violations.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Anadolu Agency, The Guardian, Common Dreams
Gaza death toll passes 74,000 despite ceasefire
Israeli attacks killed nine Palestinians and wounded 31 in a single day, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, according to Middle East Eye, bringing deaths since the October 2025 ceasefire to at least 1,431. The ministry says Israel's war has killed 74,032 Palestinians since October 2023, with teams still recovering bodies from destroyed buildings. Separate strikes reported by Middle East Eye and Middle East Monitor killed at least five people when a taxi carrying civilians was hit in Gaza City, while Anadolu Agency reported six more killed in northern Gaza homes and gunfire in the south.
Sources: Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor, Middle East Eye, Middle East Eye, Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor
Israeli attacks caused 70% of Gaza deaths recorded in 2025
The Gaza health ministry's first official mortality report since 2022 found Israeli attacks caused 70.1% of the 24,650 deaths registered last year, Middle East Eye reports. The under-five mortality rate more than doubled to 33.4 per 1,000 live births compared with 2022, the report found.
Sources: Middle East Eye
Hundreds of settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque during Sukkot
Roughly 700 Israeli settlers stormed Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque under police protection during the Jewish Sukkot holiday, the Islamic Waqf reported, according to Middle East Eye and Anadolu Agency. The Waqf, which manages the site in occupied East Jerusalem, described the incursion as the latest in a series of provocations.
Sources: Middle East Eye, Anadolu Agency
Settlers attack West Bank village, torch Palestinian family's homes
Israeli settlers attacked a West Bank village and set fire to two homes belonging to the al-Tubasi family, blocking their return, the BBC reports. Israeli security forces were also reportedly targeted by the settlers during the assault.
Sources: BBC News
Palestinian Authority urges firms to cut ties with settlement businesses
Palestinian officials have called on companies to review relationships with businesses linked to illegal Israeli settlements, Anadolu Agency and Middle East Monitor report. The call follows a UN Human Rights Office list naming 214 companies, including 61 newly added, connected to the settlements.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor
Gaza students take Ireland to court over visa refusals
A legal team is challenging Ireland's justice minister over visa refusals for Gaza students, arguing the decisions are irrational and discriminatory, Middle East Eye reports. The case, brought after a 19-year-old with a full scholarship was refused entry, is one of 26 similar cases reportedly in the pipeline.
Sources: Middle East Eye
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.
