Palestine News Today: UK races to save East Jerusalem consulate as world marks three years of war on Gaza
7 October 2026. As the third anniversary of the 7 October 2023 attacks and the devastating war on Gaza that followed is marked worldwide, British diplomats are scrambling to prevent Israel closing a key consulate serving Palestinians. Meanwhile new reporting details the catastrophic human toll of three years of war, alongside continuing violence and settlement expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
UK fights to stop Israel shutting East Jerusalem consulate
BBC News reports the UK government is making a last-ditch effort to stop Israel closing its consulate in East Jerusalem, which handles relations with Palestinians in the city. Israel has threatened the closure in response to British sanctions on Israeli settlements, with a deadline of 8 October reportedly approaching. Anadolu Agency notes the UK has declined to comment on reported expulsions of diplomats, with the dispute centred on whether diplomatic talks can prevent further escalation.
Sources: BBC News, Anadolu Agency
Three years on, Gaza's devastation laid bare in new data
Al Jazeera reports that three years of Israel's war have devastated Gaza's economy, education, healthcare, infrastructure and public services, fundamentally transforming life for its population. Figures compiled by Al Jazeera show tens of thousands killed and homes destroyed, with basic services collapsed across the territory. Anadolu Agency adds that Palestinian women and girls have been disproportionately affected, with thousands killed or wounded, reproductive healthcare collapsing and a sharp rise in female-headed households.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor
Journalists pay heavy price covering the war
According to Anadolu Agency, citing Gaza's Government Media Office, 263 journalists have been killed since October 2023 while covering the war. The office also said 50 journalists have been detained in Israeli prisons, of whom 23 remain in custody. The figures underline the dangers faced by Palestinian media workers documenting the conflict.
Sources: Anadolu Agency
Settlers attack press photographer as soldiers look on
The Guardian reports that armed Israeli settlers beat veteran AFP photographer Jaafar Ashtiyeh with rifle butts in the occupied West Bank, hospitalising him, while Israeli soldiers reportedly looked on. Ashtiyeh, 58, was covering escalating settler violence against Palestinian olive farmers at the time of the attack. The incident highlights the dangers faced by journalists and farming communities amid worsening settler violence in the territory.
Sources: The Guardian
Olive harvest under threat as trees bulldozed
Mondoweiss reports that the Israeli army has bulldozed more than 1.6 million olive trees in Gaza since the war began in 2023, threatening the livelihoods of farming communities and a centuries-old Palestinian cultural tradition. The destruction comes as this year's olive harvest, a vital economic and cultural practice for Palestinians, faces being wiped out entirely.
Sources: Mondoweiss
West Bank violence continues amid anniversary tensions
Anadolu Agency reports that Israeli forces injured four Palestinians and besieged a family home south of Hebron, with seven children reportedly trapped inside the house while ambulances were unable to reach an injured couple, according to a witness. Separately, Middle East Monitor reports Israeli forces demolished a building in East Jerusalem and injured two more Palestinians in the West Bank. Palestinian educational institutions across the West Bank suspended classes or moved online on the anniversary amid fears of further escalation, Anadolu adds.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor
Election officials denied access to Gaza and East Jerusalem
Anadolu Agency reports that Israel has denied entry to Palestinian election officials ahead of legislative elections scheduled for 28 November, which would be the first since 2006 if they go ahead. The restrictions affect officials seeking access to both Gaza and East Jerusalem.
Sources: Anadolu Agency
UN says ceasefire has failed to deliver security
According to Middle East Monitor, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the Gaza ceasefire has not delivered the security it promised and called for full commitment to its terms. The warning comes as the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire three years into the war.
Sources: Middle East Monitor
Al-Aqsa Mosque stormed dozens of times in a month
Middle East Monitor reports that Israeli occupiers stormed Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound 26 times in September alone, according to the Awqaf Ministry, which administers the holy site. The incursions form part of a pattern of continued Israeli access to the mosque compound that Palestinians and Islamic authorities consider a violation of the status quo.
Sources: Middle East Monitor
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