Palestine in September 2026: the most important developments in politics
In September 2026 Palestinian politics was dominated by settler violence in the West Bank and the international reaction to it. On 5 September the US ambassador called for severe consequences over settler violence. The United Kingdom, France and Canada announced trade bans and sanctions on settlements on 8 September, and Israel ordered the British consulate in Jerusalem closed; the United States, through Marco Rubio, said it would not join the sanctions. Ed Miliband was attacked by the Israeli government over his remarks on Gaza, and the dispute with Washington over the British measures continued. Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the removal of some settler outposts, while Israel approved 567 new settlement units in the southern West Bank and the UN added 61 firms to its settlement blacklist, bringing it to 214. Israel warned of a full-scale war if the Palestinian Authority launched an attack like that of 7 October, and Bezalel Smotrich urged a Gaza-style war in the West Bank.
On Gaza, Israeli ministers presented plans to move Palestinians out of the territory. Israel Katz said Israel was ready to help people leave once the US approves, and Itamar Ben-Gvir unveiled a plan to remove Palestinians. Arab and Muslim countries condemned the proposals, and Egypt reiterated its rejection of displacement. Netanyahu said "we are not retreating" and rejected a US-backed ceasefire. Hamas dissolved its government in Gaza, which Israel dismissed as a stunt. Egypt sent aid convoys, reaching its 285th by 28 September.
The UN General Assembly in the last third of the month was the main stage. The US barred Mahmoud Abbas and his delegation from attending, and the Assembly voted to let him speak by video; the US later reversed the delegation ban. On 24 September Abbas said Israel was pursuing a genocidal war and settler terrorism aimed at forcing Palestinians off their land, while Netanyahu rejected the genocide claim. Muslim-majority countries, Jordan's king, Qatar, Emmanuel Macron and Recep Tayyip Erdogan pressed Israel over Gaza, and France, Canada and the UK backed Palestinian statehood. The Board of Peace unveiled a Gaza reconstruction plan of about $2.45 billion, which Hamas said it was ready to implement.
Palestinian factions met in Cairo ahead of a Palestinian Legislative Council election scheduled for November, in which Hamas said it will run. Marwan Barghouti was reported to be running for president, and the US warned that Israeli annexation of the West Bank could derail the Trump peace plan.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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