Palestine News Today: Nobel Peace Prize for Gaza Inquiry Chair as Ceasefire Violations Mount
10 October 2026. Today's news is dominated by the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Navi Pillay, who led the UN inquiry that found Israel committed genocide in Gaza, alongside mounting evidence that the Gaza ceasefire is failing to protect Palestinian lives. In the UK, questions are being raised over a new refugee scheme for Gazans, while across the West Bank settler and military violence against Palestinians continues largely unabated.
UK's Gaza refugee route criticised as 'false hope'
The Guardian reports that the Home Office is facing criticism after it emerged a newly announced safe route for Palestinian refugees will only be open to those who have already fled to Lebanon or Jordan. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood had announced the reopening of the resettlement scheme at Labour's party conference last month, but the organisation running it says only a very small number of people will actually be referred. Campaigners say the scheme offers little practical help to the vast majority of Gazans still trapped in the territory.
Sources: The Guardian
EU accused of paralysis despite UK sanctions shift
The Guardian reports that the European Union is struggling to respond to growing public anger over Israel's actions against Palestinians, despite the UK government's decision to impose sanctions on trade with illegal Israeli settlements and condemn what it called ethnic cleansing carried out by state-backed settler violence in the West Bank. While France and Canada have shown some alignment with the UK's position, the bloc remains divided along long-standing fault lines, according to the report.
Sources: The Guardian
Nobel Peace Prize goes to Gaza genocide inquiry chair
Navi Pillay, the South African jurist who chaired the United Nations commission of inquiry that concluded Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, according to Democracy Now! Her career includes serving as a defence attorney for anti-apartheid activists, a judge at the International Criminal Court and UN high commissioner for human rights. Anadolu Agency reports that the Palestinian Foreign Ministry welcomed the award, saying Pillay has dedicated her career to defending the rights of oppressed people including Palestinians. Middle East Eye reports that US President Donald Trump dismissed Pillay as a 'mystery person' and criticised the Nobel committee's decision.
Sources: Democracy Now!, Anadolu Agency, Middle East Eye
NGOs say Gaza ceasefire 'exists only on paper'
More than 100 humanitarian and human rights organisations say in a joint statement reported by Anadolu Agency and Middle East Monitor that Israeli forces have killed over 1,400 Palestinians in Gaza since the ceasefire agreement was signed. The groups say ongoing aid restrictions are hindering recovery efforts across the territory. Separately, Anadolu Agency reports that Israeli attacks killed one Palestinian and injured six others, including two children, in central and southern Gaza despite the ceasefire.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor, Anadolu Agency
US senator says Israeli forces breached humanitarian law in Gaza
A US Democratic senator has said Israeli forces violated international humanitarian law in Gaza, according to Middle East Monitor. Separately, Anadolu Agency reports that Senator Chris Van Hollen has demanded a public hearing into what he described as a cover-up by the American embassy in Israel over the killing of American citizens in the West Bank, accusing officials of withholding information.
Sources: Middle East Monitor, Anadolu Agency
Nearly 50,000 women and girls killed or injured in Gaza
UN Women says nearly 50,000 women and girls have been killed or severely injured in Gaza since October 2023, according to Anadolu Agency and Middle East Monitor. The figures include more than 38,000 killed and 11,700 left with lifelong disabilities, while almost one million women and girls have been forced from their homes.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor
UN warns Gaza shelter aid covers fraction of winter needs
The United Nations says shelter supplies in Gaza currently cover only 17% of winter needs, with nearly two million Palestinians requiring assistance, Middle East Monitor reports. Displaced families are facing harsh conditions in makeshift tents as cold weather and heavy rain set in.
Sources: Middle East Monitor
Israeli forces kill Palestinian man and raid West Bank homes
Middle East Eye reports that Israeli forces shot dead a 32-year-old Palestinian man near Hebron in the occupied West Bank, with the Palestinian Health Ministry saying his body is being withheld. Middle East Monitor and Anadolu Agency report that Israeli forces also arrested 16 Palestinians, including the director of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, during near-daily raids across the territory.
Sources: Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor, Anadolu Agency
West Bank olive farmers face wave of settler attacks
Anadolu Agency and Middle East Monitor report that Israeli settlers and soldiers carried out 19 attacks on Palestinians and olive farmers across the West Bank within hours, including burning trees, stealing crops and livestock, and assaulting farmers. Clashes were reported near Ramallah as Palestinian families attempted to harvest their olive crops.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor
Health workers call for Israeli Medical Association suspension
Thousands of health workers have petitioned the World Medical Association to suspend the Israeli Medical Association, according to Middle East Monitor. The petition comes as Palestinian medical staff in Gaza continue to carry out complex procedures, including cochlear implant surgeries for children, under severe conditions at facilities such as the Nasser Medical Complex.
Sources: Middle East Monitor
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