Palestine News Today: UK activist wins Met payout as West Bank demolitions and settler violence escalate
6 November 2026. Today's stories span a London policing settlement over the treatment of a pro-Palestinian protester to a fresh wave of Israeli demolitions and settler attacks across the occupied West Bank. Meanwhile, Gaza's humanitarian crisis deepens as winter storms threaten hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians still living in tents.
Met Police settle case over Palestine activist's arrest
The Guardian reports that the Metropolitan Police have settled a claim from a 68-year-old pro-Palestinian activist who said he was treated like a criminal during his arrest. Tej Singh Bhandal was pulled from a queue at St Pancras International station under anti-terrorism legislation while returning to the UK by Eurostar. The case has been described as part of a wider pattern of increasing criminalisation of pro-Palestinian protest in Britain.
Sources: The Guardian
European lawmakers call for ban on settlement trade
According to Anadolu Agency, a group of European lawmakers has urged the European Union to ban trade in goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements. A Spanish MEP said it was unacceptable for the EU to be aware of its legal obligations yet fail to act. The call adds pressure on Brussels amid ongoing scrutiny of EU-Israel trade relations tied to the occupation.
Sources: Anadolu Agency
Settlers seize homes and torch olive groves in West Bank
Al Jazeera and Anadolu Agency report that Israeli settlers have seized eight Palestinian homes near Jericho, with the UN saying settlers used live ammunition and beat residents, forcing families to flee. A UN spokesman said the area has recorded 377 settler attacks since September, the highest number on record during the olive harvest season. Separately, settlers set fire to a Palestinian-owned olive grove in the village of Burqa near Ramallah.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Anadolu Agency, Al Jazeera
Israeli forces demolish homes near Jerusalem, displacing over 100
Al Jazeera and Middle East Monitor report that Israeli forces demolished five Palestinian homes in Biddu, northwest of Jerusalem, without prior notice, leaving more than 100 people homeless according to one report and over 20 according to another. Residents were given no warning before the demolitions took place. The destruction adds to a long pattern of home demolitions across the occupied West Bank.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Middle East Monitor
Israel expands settlement construction with new tenders
Middle East Monitor and Anadolu Agency report that Israeli authorities have issued tenders for 91 new settlement units in the northern occupied West Bank and revised the schedule for the controversial E1 project east of Jerusalem. A Palestinian commission said the E1 tender alone covers more than 2,000 settlement units. Settlement expansion is widely regarded under international law as illegal and a major obstacle to Palestinian statehood.
Sources: Middle East Monitor, Anadolu Agency
Deadly Israeli attacks continue despite Gaza ceasefire
Anadolu Agency reports that Israeli attacks killed four Palestinians and wounded eleven others across Gaza, continuing violations of the ceasefire that has formally been in effect since October 2025. Hamas has urged international mediators to pressure Israel into fully implementing the agreement. Democracy Now! separately reported that an Israeli court extended the detention of a Palestinian journalist.</br>
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Middle East Monitor, Democracy Now!
Storms threaten nearly a million displaced Gazans
Middle East Monitor and Anadolu Agency report that Gaza's civil defence has warned that heavy rains and strong winds threaten almost 950,000 displaced Palestinians sheltering in flimsy tents. UN figures cited show more than 400,000 displaced people face a high risk of flooding, while 44,000 are living in structurally unsafe buildings. Aid agencies warn that winter conditions are compounding an already dire humanitarian emergency after more than a year of war.
Sources: Middle East Monitor, Anadolu Agency
Gazans improvise to survive amid destruction
Al Jazeera reports that Palestinians in Gaza are building makeshift wind turbines from rubble to generate electricity and turning damaged cooking pots into seawalls to hold back winter flooding. Mondoweiss also reports that Gaza's centuries-old date harvest has been devastated by the war, destroying another traditional source of livelihood. These stories illustrate how ordinary Palestinians are adapting to survive amid widespread destruction of infrastructure.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, Mondoweiss
Palestinian-American women make history in US elections
Middle East Monitor reports that two Palestinian-American women have made electoral history in New York and Georgia. Ruwa Romman became the first Palestinian-American elected to the Georgia State Senate, winning roughly two-thirds of the vote against her Republican opponent. The results mark a notable moment of political representation for Palestinian-Americans in the United States.
Sources: Middle East Monitor, Middle East Monitor
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.
