Palestine News Today: West Bank Lockdown, Gaza Famine Fears and Olive Harvest Attacks Intensify
23 October 2026. Israel has imposed a full lockdown on the occupied West Bank and sealed off Hebron following a shooting near the city, as settler and military violence against Palestinian olive farmers continues to escalate. In Gaza, rights groups warn of renewed famine risk and further ceasefire violations, while international pressure grows over Palestinian prisoners and accountability for the war.
Italy demands answers after activists detained in West Bank
Italy's Foreign Ministry has demanded urgent clarification from Israeli authorities after Italian activists were detained while supporting Palestinian farmers during the West Bank olive harvest, according to Middle East Monitor. The detentions came as Israeli forces reportedly intervened against international solidarity volunteers helping farmers near Bethlehem. Separately, Middle East Monitor reports that Israeli forces detained 11 international activists in Nablus who were assisting the olive harvest.
Sources: Middle East Monitor, Middle East Monitor
Netanyahu orders full lockdown of occupied West Bank
Israel's prime minister has ordered a 'closure' of Hebron and a full lockdown of the occupied West Bank, Anadolu Agency reports, with the army sealing all entrances to the city with iron gates. The move follows a shooting near Hebron in which, according to BBC News, five Israelis were wounded and two suspected Palestinian attackers were killed. The lockdown comes amid heightened tensions just days before Israel's general election, Al Jazeera notes.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, BBC News, Al Jazeera
Israeli forces kill Palestinians in separate West Bank raids
Anadolu Agency reports that Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, with attacks intensifying during the olive harvest season that began earlier this month. The killings add to a rising toll of violence across the territory as Israeli military operations continue alongside settler attacks on farming communities.
Sources: Anadolu Agency
UN says olive harvest attacks and West Bank violence 'out of control'
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said the situation in the occupied West Bank is 'simply out of control', telling reporters that Palestinians face daily attacks from Israeli settlers, according to Anadolu Agency and Middle East Monitor. A separate UN statement said settler attacks and Israeli restrictions are preventing Palestinians from carrying out their olive harvest, with officials demanding accountability and the safe return of displaced residents of Jenin camp. Anadolu Agency also reports that a Palestinian commission has documented 409 attacks on farmers, trees, farmland and equipment since the start of October, including Israeli forces burning olive trees and expelling farmers.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor, Anadolu Agency, Anadolu Agency
Gaza strikes kill Palestinians despite ceasefire
Israeli attacks killed four Palestinians, including a girl, in Gaza amid ongoing ceasefire violations, according to Middle East Monitor and Anadolu Agency, with shelling and the demolition of residential buildings reported in eastern Gaza City. Anadolu Agency separately reports that an Israeli drone strike targeted a bicycle in southern Gaza, killing one Palestinian and injuring others. The attacks underline continuing violence despite the ceasefire agreed last October.
Sources: Middle East Monitor, Anadolu Agency, Anadolu Agency
Gaza faces renewed risk of famine, rights group warns
Gaza could face a renewed famine risk as food supplies dwindle, according to the rights group Euro-Med Monitor, cited by Anadolu Agency and Middle East Monitor. The group warned that seven bakeries supported by the World Food Programme could close within 48 hours, with incoming supplies covering only 37% of the enclave's needs.
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor
UNICEF reports hundreds of children killed since ceasefire began
UNICEF says 351 children have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect in October 2025, Middle East Monitor reports. The figure highlights the continuing toll on Palestinian children despite the formal end of large-scale hostilities a year ago.
Sources: Middle East Monitor
Thousands of Palestinian prisoners face winter without basic supplies
Around 9,400 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails face worsening conditions as winter approaches, lacking adequate clothing and blankets, according to Middle East Monitor. A related Anadolu Agency opinion piece argues that Palestinian political prisoners are being abandoned by a weakening international human rights system, warning their suffering must not be ignored.
Sources: Middle East Monitor, Anadolu Agency
Netanyahu says he is seeking countries to take Gaza Palestinians
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he is personally working to facilitate the departure of Palestinians from Gaza and is in talks with countries that could receive them, Middle East Monitor reports. The remarks have drawn concern given long-standing warnings from rights groups that such plans could amount to forced displacement under international law.
Sources: Middle East Monitor
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