Palestine News Today: Settler Violence in West Bank and Israeli Election Deadlock Dominate Palestine Coverage

29 October 2026. Today's news is shaped by Israel's inconclusive election, which saw Palestinian parties make significant gains, alongside fresh reports of settler violence and home demolitions in the occupied West Bank. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues, with warnings over hunger and medical shortages, as solidarity campaigns and legal challenges to Israel's policies continue worldwide.

Settlers filmed attacking foreign journalists in West Bank

Al Jazeera reports that footage circulating online shows Israeli settlers, some armed, assaulting three foreign journalists in the occupied West Bank. Separate footage reportedly shows men beating a US journalist and an Israeli-Russian activist in the village of Umm al-Khair. Activists say the attacks form part of a wider pattern of settler violence against Palestinians and those documenting it.

Sources: Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera

Hundreds of families forced from homes in Hebron

According to Mondoweiss, Israeli forces displaced 407 Palestinian families, nearly 2,650 people, during a military operation in Hebron, sealing the city's entrances and closing the Ibrahimi Mosque to Muslim worshippers. Displaced residents said they were given only one hour to leave and allowed to take just one bag. Many do not know when they will be able to return home.

Sources: Mondoweiss

Israeli military demolishes homes of two Palestinian prisoners

Middle East Monitor reports that Israeli forces demolished the homes of two Palestinian prisoners in the West Bank village of Beita, south of Nablus. One structure was destroyed with explosives while the other was flattened by bulldozer. Punitive home demolitions targeting prisoners' families are a longstanding Israeli practice widely condemned by human rights organisations as collective punishment.

Sources: Middle East Monitor

Israel election deadlock sees Palestinian parties surge

The Guardian reports that Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition has lost its parliamentary majority after this week's election, though his rivals have also failed to secure an outright majority. Palestinian Israeli parties made marked gains, with Middle East Monitor noting they are projected to nearly double their previous seat count to 19. President Isaac Herzog has urged party leaders to work to avoid a repeat election, with final results expected imminently.

Sources: Middle East Eye, The Guardian, The Guardian, The Guardian, Middle East Monitor, Middle East Monitor

Analysts question whether Israeli politics will shift on Palestinians

Middle East Eye analysis argues that Netanyahu's political survival depends on how seriously Israel's Palestinian citizens and parties are now taken, following an election result that weakened but did not defeat him. Separate commentary questions whether any change in leadership would alter policy towards Palestinians, suggesting continuity regardless of the eventual coalition. The Guardian's editorial urges opposition parties to work with Palestinian Israeli parties rather than exclude them.

Sources: Middle East Eye, Middle East Monitor, The Guardian

WFP chief calls Gaza hunger situation unacceptable

Anadolu Agency reports that the newly appointed head of the World Food Programme described conditions of hunger in Gaza as unacceptable and pledged to protect aid workers regardless of where they are located. The statement comes as humanitarian organisations continue to warn of severe shortages facing the besieged population.

Sources: Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor

Diabetic patients in Gaza face life-threatening insulin shortages

Middle East Monitor reports that patients with diabetes in Gaza, including children, are facing a life-threatening shortage of insulin amid the ongoing blockade. The report highlights the case of a mother caring for her young son, who relies on inadequate supplies to manage his type 1 diabetes. Medical shortages continue to compound the humanitarian crisis facing Palestinians in the territory.

Sources: Middle East Monitor

Former US officials urge 2028 candidates to reject Gaza policy architects

Anadolu Agency and Middle East Monitor report that a group of former US government officials who resigned over Washington's Gaza policy have called on 2028 presidential candidates to distance themselves from officials associated with the Biden administration's approach. The group accused senior figures of attempting to rehabilitate their reputations despite their role in the policy.

Sources: Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor

Solidarity campaigns continue from Utrecht to Canada and Indonesia

Middle East Monitor reports that pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Utrecht, Netherlands, have now held a silent street protest for 111 consecutive weeks to draw attention to Israel's attacks on Palestinians. Separately, Canadian advocates and academics are urging the government to reassess refused study permits for Palestinian graduate students from Gaza, while campaigners in Indonesia are calling for a halt to palm oil exports to Israel.

Sources: Middle East Monitor, Middle East Monitor, Middle East Monitor

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