Wife of Marwan Barghouti asks Trump to seek his release

The wife of high-profile Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti, Fadwa Barghouti, has appealed to Trump to help release the popular leader from his Israeli prison.

“Mr President, a genuine partner awaits you – one who can help fulfil the dream we share of just and lasting peace in the region. For the sake of freedom for the Palestinian people and peace for all future generations, help release Marwan Barghouti,” lawyer Fadwa Barghouti said in a statement.

Asked whether he would support freeing Barghouti during an interview with the US magazine Time, Trump said he’d be “making a decision” on the matter without specifying a timeline.

Asked about the matter during a briefing in Israel, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: “I have nothing new to give you on this topic.”

Barghouti is a prominent member of Fatah, the Palestinian political faction that dominates the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs limited parts of the occupied West Bank. He has been imprisoned by Israel since the early 2000s.

He is serving five life sentences plus 40 years on murder and attempted murder charges, which he has consistently denied.

Barghouti, whose supporters sometimes refer to him as the “Palestinian Mandela”, is regarded as one of the few Palestinian figures who could be accepted by all political factions as a leader.

Some coverage of recent events on France 24

Israel calls ICJ Decision 'Shameful' • FRANCE 24 English

Israel is rejecting a ruling by the International Court of Justice that orders it to ease the passage of aid into Gaza. The UN aid agency has been effectively barred from operating in the enclave since January. The decision comes as humanitarian organizations scramble to scale up desperately needed aid to the territory. Meanwhile, funerals are being held for dozens of unidentified Palestinians whose remains were recently handed over by Israel.

Still Hamas, Hamas, Hamas. Nothing about the Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement or that the situation has not really and still is not improving for Palestinians in Gaza. The thing that is 'over' is the mass scale daily bombing. Destruction of Gaza behind the yellow line continues, while aid is still getting severely restricted and blocked.

Trump’s bold statement on West Bank; IOC punishes Indonesia for banning gymnasts

US President Donald Trump and his deputy JD Vance have rejected the plans to annex the occupied West Bank. Trump made his intention abundantly clear while responding to a question from a reporter at the White House. Meanwhile, the International Olympics Committee has taken punitive measures against Indonesia for banning gymnasts from Netanyahu’s regime in view of the Gaza conflict. Rifat Jawaid says the IOC has been inconsistent given its past stand against other countries.

Kushner’s “Investment” EXPOSED: Gaza Under New Owners?

It's all about the money for Trump and Vance. The only reason they're saying no to 'official' annexation of the West Bank (it has already been annexed, let's be real) is to placate the Arab countries Trump needs onboard his Abraham accords to pave the way for the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), the new silk route bypassing Russia's influence. Trump expects MBS to sign the Abraham accords on his visit to Washington on November 18th.

That's the whole reason for the 'peace' plan. Turn Gaza into a tax free Billionaire haven build by Jared Kushner with Arab money while getting US business interests in on IMEC (India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor) to limit China and Iran's influence on the project. China has already opened it's railroad connection to Iran, BRI (China's Belt and Road Initiative) on May 25th this year, June 13th Israel started bombing Iran... Coincidence?

The 'peace' plan is all a big show to sell the illusion of peace in the ME so the Arab countries feel confident enough to go along with US' interests. It sadly has nothing to do with the plight of the Palestinians which aren't invited to participate in shaping their future at all. Probably because they have none in the 'peace' plan.

Ironically it's MBS that keeps the ceasefire going. He doesn't feel confident enough to defy his population and those of other Arab countries to sign the accords without a possible road to Palestinian statehood. And Trump needs Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries onboard for all his money making plans. Atm the illusion of peace is worth more than continuing the genocide.

Meanwhile Netanyahu will keep trying to undermine the ceasefire any way he can, his political survival depends on it. As the USA is under the thumb of the Aipac lobby, Israel is the same with the Settler movement, who are now basically running the West Bank and pretty much determine the course of Israeli politics. (Not that the opposition party Lapid would end the occupation, Israel is too far gone)

Also note how the green err yellow zone (Baghdad calls, hence Tony Blair for the 'peace' board) will get reconstructed first, then likely the Palestinians in Gaza (whoever is still alive, disease starvation for the next 3-4 years while Rafah gets rebuild behind the yellow line) will be forced to that side or the South and then claim the price. Prime Mediterranean sea front for a tax free Billionaire haven. 'Peace' plan....

Rescuers warn Gaza residents against sheltering in war-damaged buildings after collapse

Gaza’s Civil Defence has called on residents to avoid staying in buildings that have been damaged by Israeli bombings after one building suddenly collapsed on Palestinians in Gaza City.

In a statement, the rescue service said that while the citizens survived the building’s collapse on al-Sina’a Street in Tal al-Hawa in southwestern Gaza City, it warned of the “great danger” of staying in buildings that had been targeted, especially as the weather gets colder and rains arrive.

“In this context, the Directorate [of Civil Defence] called on displaced citizens, especially in shelters and tents, to fortify their tents and ensure they are firmly secured and that ropes and pegs are reinforced, especially those close to the beach,” it said.

“The Directorate also called on the displaced to place plastic (nylon) covers over their tents to prevent rainwater from seeping into them, and to build channels around the tents to drain water and prevent it from flowing inside,” the statement read.

UNRWA says its ‘presence remains vital’ for Gaza

In a statement on X, the UN’s refugee agency for the Palestinians has reminded the International Court of Justice recognised the fact that “no organisation can replace the UNRWA’s role in supporting the people of Gaza”.

UNRWA’s presence remains vital to meeting urgent humanitarian needs across the occupied Palestinian territory, the statement said.

As we reported earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Gaza would be demilitarised and Hamas would have no role in governing a future Gaza. He repeated an Israeli government line, discredited just days ago by the International Court of Justice, that the UNRWA, is a “subsidiary of Hamas”.

The International Court of Justice recognised that no organisation can replace UNRWA’s role in supporting the people of #Gaza.

UNRWA’s presence remains vital to meeting urgent humanitarian needs across the occupied Palestinian territory. pic.twitter.com/YOSNRFaRw2

— UNRWA (@UNRWA) October 24, 2025

US taking Israeli claims against UNRWA at ‘face value’

This UN agency, which was exonerated by the International Court of Justice and by two separate independent committees of inquiry, has the largest and most extensive aid mechanism in Gaza.

It has thousands of employees, and it has the data to distribute aid to Palestinians with dignity in an orderly fashion.

Nobody has that kind of infrastructure and history in Gaza, and so for the US to take at face value Israel’s uncorroborated claims will have a direct impact on the ability of even the United Nations to distribute aid to people in Gaza.

That’s what we’ve seen in reactions from the UN, from UNRWA itself, immediately after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statements of dismay and shock.

This is devastating. UNRWA has 6,000 trucks of aid waiting at the border to come into Gaza, and that statement would probably mean that they will not be able to bring them in.

Civil defence teams rebury bodies of Palestinian family in Gaza City

_{Civil defence members carry body bags containing the remains of members of the Shahebar family who were buried in temporary graves, as they are brought for burial to the Sheikh Shaban Cemetery, in Gaza City}

‘Humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza unchanged’: Civil defence spokesperson

No real improvement has been seen on the ground in the Gaza Strip, except for the entry of a limited number of trucks that fail to meet the minimum needs of the affected population, according to Mahmoud Basal, the spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defence.

“Homes remain destroyed, bodies are still trapped beneath the rubble, and roads are blocked by debris, while the Civil Defence teams continue to work with almost no resources amid massive devastation that covers every corner of the Strip,” he said in a statement published on Telegram.

He called on “all relevant international parties” to:

Gaza City transformed into ‘piles of dust, shades of grey’

We’ve been walking around, driving between residential blocs that have largely been turned into piles of dust. The only thing we see here are shades of grey around Gaza City.

As soon as people arrive here, the happiness that they had on their faces as they returned, just fades away right away as soon as they see the piles of ruins. They’ve very hopeless, very helpless.

We are in an area that housed the UNRWA headquarters: The white and blue [building], very visible, marked the headquarters for central operations for UNRWA across the Gaza Strip. It has been destroyed completely.

The building that went from [UNRWA’s] centre of operations to a shelter for displaced families, is now standing here in ruins.

US using normalisation as ‘bargaining chip’ with Israel against annexing West Bank

Shireen Salti, a political analyst, says the US pushback against an Israeli annexation of the occupied West Bank does not guarantee anything unless it is tied to “some type of accountability measures”.

Salti told Al Jazeera from Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, that the US is using normalisation plans as a “bargaining chip” with the Israelis against annexation.

On its part, Israel seems to be using “these annexation policies or the formalisation of them, even though they’re already going on, as yet another negotiation chip on the bargaining table, expecting gratitude from the Americans”, Salti said.

On the ground in the occupied West Bank, Salti explained that Israel has kept up attacks in the Palestinian territory without the formal annexation.

“Let’s say the Israelis come in full force [and] intensify even more the already ongoing ammunition and air strike attacks and seizing of land in the West Bank, there could be grave consequences which the PA [Palestinian Authority] already warned about,” she added.

Israeli forces storm occupied West Bank’s Beita town

Israeli forces have stormed the town of Beita, south of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, according to our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic.

According to the Wafa news agency, Israeli troops stormed the town amid heavy gunfire and let off tear gas bombs, which have led to the outbreak of clashes in the area.

Israeli forces arrest groom, father on way to wedding west of Ramallah

Israeli forces have arrested a groom and his father while they were going to Rantis town, west of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, to bring the bride.

The Wafa news agency reported, citing local sources, that soldiers stopped the car carrying Aoun Safi, and his father, Mazen Safi, at the entrance to the town, and detained and arrested them. Troops also seized the car’s key.

The sources added that the arrest occurred as the family was on its way to complete the wedding ceremony.

Spain investigates steelmaker for breaching Israel sales ban

Spain’s High Court is investigating the privately owned steelmaker Sidenor over allegations of selling steel to an Israeli firm for the purpose of making weapons in one of the first potential legal consequences of Spain’s ban on such deals.

Judge Francisco de Jorge is leading the investigation of Sidenor CEO Jose Antonio Jainaga Gomez and two other executives for alleged smuggling and complicity in crimes against humanity or genocide, according to the statement.

They were summoned to testify on November 12.

The court said Sidenor sold steel to Israel Military Industries, a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, in a deal allegedly conducted without government authorisation or proper registry.

In September, Spain, seeking to pressure Israel to end its war on Gaza, banned ships and aircraft carrying weapons or jet fuel to Israel from calling at Spanish ports or entering its airspace.

It also reinforced a prohibition barring Spanish firms from selling arms and materials used to make them to Israel.

Palestinian factions agree to implement ceasefire, hand over Gaza governance to ‘technocrats’

Following a meeting with different Palestinian factions in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, Hamas says the meeting came as part of preparations to hold a comprehensive “national dialogue to protect the national project and restore national unity”.

“The Palestinian forces stressed that the current phase requires a unified national stance and a national political vision based on unity of voice and destiny, and the rejection of all forms of annexation and displacement in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Jerusalem,” according to a statement by Hamas.

It outlined five points that the factions had agreed on, which included:

What are the real names of Israeli officials? Why did they change them?

Netanyahu was Benjamin Mileikowsky, Ben-Gurion was David Grün, Sharon was Ariel Scheinerman, and the list goes on. Before the formation of the Zionist entity came the formation of the Zionist identity. First, through the creation of modern Hebrew, and then through the Hebraization of names and places. This video unpacks that process in detail.

University Strips Visa Of Student At Risk Of Torture Over Palestine Activism

King's College London has been accused of putting the life of student, Usama Ghanem, at risk by withdrawing his visa sponsorship after pressure from a pro-Israel lobby group.

Big Tech Launches Digital War on Palestine

Big Tech loves to sell itself as a liberatory force for connection, free speech, and empowerment. But when it comes to Palestine, those same companies have partnered with Israel to censor, surveil, and criminalize.

To unpack this “digital settler colonialism,” Rania Khalek was joined by Omar Zahzah, Assistant Professor of AMED Studies at San Francisco State University and author of "Terms of Servitude: Zionism, Silicon Valley, and Digital Settler/Colonialism in the Palestine Liberation Struggle,” which argues that understanding Palestine is essential to understanding the global struggle against Big Tech and U.S. imperialism.

Gaza risks ‘lost generation’ due to ruined schools: UN official

With Gaza’s education system shattered by two years of gruelling war, UNICEF’s regional director says he fears for a “lost generation” of children wandering ruined streets with nothing to do.

“This is the third year that there has been no school,” Edouard Beigbeder, the UN agency’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, told the AFP news agency in Jerusalem after returning from the Palestinian territory.

“If we don’t start a real transition for all children in February, we will enter a fourth year. And then we can talk about a lost generation.”

A US-brokered ceasefire, which came into effect earlier in October, has allowed UNICEF and other education partners to get about one-sixth of children who should be in school into temporary “learning centres”, Beigbeder told AFP.

“They have three days of learning in reading, mathematics and writing, but this is far from a formal education as we know it,” he added.

Beigbeder said that such learning centres, often located in schools or near displacement camps, consisted of metal structures covered with plastic sheeting or of tents. He said there were sometimes chairs, cardboard boxes or wooden planks serving as tables, and that children would write on salvaged slates or plastic boards.

We need the ceasefire to hold’: UNICEF

Edouard Beigbeder, the Middle East and North Africa director at UNICEF, has run through a long list of healthcare and other services needed by Palestinian children in Gaza after two years of deadly Israeli bombardment.

“We need to double the numbers of incubators running in Gaza,” he said in a video shared on X. “We need water and sanitation systems running, providing safe water for children. We need to reopen the schools and we need to have places where children can have psychosocial support.”

In Gaza, UNICEF has been bringing in essential nutrition and medical supplies, hygiene kits, tents and winter clothing.@UNICEFmena's Edouard Beigbeder calls for the ceasefire to be sustained and respected and outlines the critical needs for children and families. pic.twitter.com/rt8XQOZ2jR

— UNICEF (@UNICEF) October 24, 2025

UNRWA chief says Gaza war showed ‘utter disregard for international law’

Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, marked United Nations Day today by stressing the need to recommit to strengthening the “rule-based” order.

In a post on X, Lazzarini said the UN has for 80 years “spared no efforts to forge peace, tackle poverty & hunger, advance human rights & strengthen a rule-based world”.

“Recommitting to these principles matters more than ever amid the catastrophe in Gaza, where we have seen an utter disregard for international humanitarian law, including the weaponisation of aid,” he said.