### Under-reported news from Israel, Palestine, the Middle East and North Africa: February 20, 2026 *These roundups are, and will always be, free. No paywalls. If you find them useful, you can help fuel future ones with a cup of coffee [here](https://paypal.me/ridaaburass?country.x=CA&locale.x=en_US). Thanks!* **TL;DR**: Israel continues violating the Gaza ceasefire, killing at least 600 Palestinians since October. In the West Bank, Israeli forces conducted raids, demolished homes, and arrested dozens; settler gangs continue to uproot trees, attack villages, and assault residents with impunity. Israel gears up for elections. Homicide rates continue to rise within the '48 Palestinian community. The UAE-backed RSF was accused by an independent UN probe of carrying out a coordinated campaign bearing the bearing the hallmarks of genocide in Sudan. --- ##### The Gaza Strip: - 2026-02-16 - Israeli forces [killed at least 12 Palestinians yesterday](https://www.newarab.com/news/israels-attacks-gaza-persist-peace-board-set-meet), and another today, despite the ongoing US-brokered ceasefire, in place since October. At least 603 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the ceasefire went into effect. - 2026-02-17 - A 12-year old Palestinian child [was killed in an Israeli drone strike on Jabalia](https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/167497). - 2026-02-18 - [An Israeli soldier was killed](https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2026-02-18/ty-article-live/jd-vance-says-iran-talks-mixed-tehran-still-rejects-trump-nuclear-red-lines/0000019c-6eb6-d8bc-adde-6ebf7e650000?liveBlogItemId=635248645#635248645) by friendly fire in the southern Gaza Strip. - 2026-02-18 - Israeli forces [killed at least two Palestinians](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/18/israel-kills-two-in-gaza-blocks-thousands-from-medical-exit-through-rafah) in separate incidents across the Gaza Strip - a child, and a 20-year old man. - 2026-02-19 - The US [is planning to construct](https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2026-02-19/ty-article-live/report-u-s-military-told-trump-it-is-ready-for-potential-iran-strike-this-weekend/0000019c-73c7-d4f9-abff-fff7b3240000?liveBlogItemId=425123771#425123771) a large military base in Gaza, to hold 5,000 international troops. ---- ##### The West Bank, inc. East Jerusalem: - 2026-02-15 - Palestinian Authority (PA) forces opened fire on the car of a man who is reportedly wanted by the Israeli army, [killing his three-year old child and teenage brother](https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/pa-forces-kill-two-palestinian-children) in the West Bank city of Tubas. - 2026-02-16 - The Israeli government [has approved a plan to begin land registration](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/16/israel-to-restart-land-registration-in-west-bank-what-that-means) in the West Bank - meaning it will be able to seize land from Palestinians who cannot prove ownership and register it as property of the state - for the first time since 1967. The move would effectively bypass the military administration that has governed the Occupied Territories since 1967, treating the West Bank as sovereign Israeli soil. - 2026-02-16 - Israeli forces [arrested at least 60 Palestinians](https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/167436) in a series of raids across the West Bank over the past two days, including two women, a journalist, and former prisoners. - 2026-02-16 - Israeli forces [shot and killed](https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/167452) a Palestinian man in Qalqilya. - 2026-02-17 - [A Palestinian child was killed and two others seriously wounded](https://www.newarab.com/news/palestinian-child-killed-after-stepping-mine-west-bank) in the Jordan Valley after stepping on a mine. - 2026-02-17 - [This report](https://www.972mag.com/jordan-valley-west-bank-separation-wall/), on Israeli annexation of important fertile areas in the northern West Bank, is worth reading. #analysis - 2026-02-17 - Israeli forces [uprooted dozens of olive trees](https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/167486) near Hebron. - 2026-02-17 - Israeli forces [demolished an inhabited, two-story home](https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/167487) near Nablus. - 2026-02-18 - [An important report](https://www.972mag.com/israel-west-bank-annexation-threshold/) on six, recent ‘game-changing’ government decisions that may push the occupation past a tipping point toward permanent Israeli rule. - 2026-02-18 - [Settlers raided a Jerusalem-area village](https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/167523), accompanied by Israeli military forces, shooting at and injuring three Palestinians - one critically. - 2026-02-20 - [80,000 Palestinians perform first Friday prayer](https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/167580) of Ramadan at the al-Aqsa Mosque, despite tightened Israeli restrictions on West Bank residents. - 2026-02-20 - Far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir [entered the al-Aqsa compound](https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/167583), [delivering incendiary remarks](https://yaffaps.com/he/page-85563.html) about Israeli sovereignty over the Mosque. - 2026-02-20 - [Israeli forces raided homes and detained five Palestinians](https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/167574) near Tulkark. - 2026-02-20 - Settlers assaulted Palestinians across the West Bank, in [Masafer Yatta](https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/167582), in the [Northern Jordan Valley](https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/167573), and [near Jerusalem](https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/167581). ---- ##### Palestinian citizens of Israel ('48 Palestinians): - 2026-02-16 - [Three Palestinians were killed in crime-related incidents](https://www.arab48.com/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA/%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9/2026/02/16/%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%B4%D8%AE%D8%B5%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%AC%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%AD-%D8%AE%D8%B7%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AC%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A5%D8%B7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%82-%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%A3%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%AD%D9%85) within Israel today, bringing [the total number](https://www.haaretz.co.il/news/law/2026-02-16/ty-article/.premium/0000019c-6552-de36-a19f-efdf1c660000) of Israeli citizens murdered so far this year to 52 - 47 of them Palestinians. #arabic #hebrew - [Gun violence is a systemic problem](https://abrahaminitiatives.org/victims-of-violence-and-crime-in-arab-society-in-2024/) within the '48 Palestinian community, perpetuated by institutional neglect. - 2026-02-18 - Commenting on the spike in homicides within the '48 Palestinian community, Israel's far-right finance minister [Bezalel Smotrich said](https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/smotrich-says-not-israels-fault-palestinians-murder-one-another) that it was not the government's fault that Palestinians “murder one another”. "Educate your public to stop murdering", he said. - 2026-02-16 - A Palestinian-owned store [was demolished](https://www.arab48.com/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA/%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9/2026/02/16/%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%85-%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%AC%D8%B1-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%A8%D8%AD%D8%AC%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%AE%D9%8A%D8%B5) in the town of [Kabul](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabul,_Israel) today, on the grounds of building without a permit. #arabic - Israeli authorities rarely allocate new areas for construction in Palestinian towns, cities and neighborhoods, forcing citizens to build without permits. - 2026-02-18 - [A Palestinian man was shot and killed](https://www.arab48.com/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA/%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9/2026/02/19/%D8%A5%D8%B6%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D9%88%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%AF-%D9%85%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%84-%D8%A3%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF-%D8%A3%D8%B4%D9%82%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%B5-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%B7%D8%A9) by an Israeli police officer in Kabul; the police claim the man did not comply with an order to stop at a police checkpoint. #arabic - 2026-02-19 - The town of Kabul [held a general strike today](https://www.arab48.com/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1/%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AC%D9%84%D8%A9/2026/02/18/%D8%A5%D8%B6%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B3-%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%AF-%D9%85%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%84-%D8%A3%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF-%D8%A3%D8%B4%D9%82%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%B5-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%B7%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%88%D9%84-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%8A-%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%8A%D9%84-%D9%85%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%A3%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%B9%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%87), to protest the killing. --- ##### Israel: - 2026-02-15 - Two female Israeli soldiers [were assaulted](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyzen2lgw9o) in the [Haredi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haredi_Judaism) city of [Bnei Brak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bnei_Brak) (near Tel Aviv), and had to be rescued by police. Locals feared they were there to deliver conscription notices, sparking a riot. - 2026-02-20 - Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Benett [ruled out](https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2026-02-20/ty-article-live/trump-mulls-preliminary-limited-strike-on-iran-to-force-nuclear-deal-report-says/0000019c-791d-dfbe-a39f-797f41120000?liveBlogItemId=1862215943#1862215943) partnering with Itamar Ben-Gvir. --- ##### MENA + geopolitical: - 2026-02-15 - [Four people were killed](https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israeli-strike-eastern-lebanon-kills-four-near-syrian-border) in an Israeli drone strike in eastern Lebanon. #lebanon - 2026-02-17 - [Abdullah Öcalan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdullah_%C3%96calan), the imprisoned leader of the [Kurdistan Workers' Party](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurdistan_Workers%27_Party) (PKK), [has said](https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/ocalan-announces-first-phase-pkk-dissolution-complete) the Kurdish armed group's dissolution is complete, announcing a new phase of "democratic integration". Öcalan's call is understood to include the PKK's affiliates and offshoots in Syria and Iran, as well as its umbrella organisation, the [Kurdistan Communities Union](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurdistan_Communities_Union) (KCK). #turkey #kurdistan - 2026-02-19 - According to an independent UN probe, the UAE-backed [Rapid Support Forces](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_Support_Forces) (RSF) group [carried out “a coordinated campaign of destruction”](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/19/un-mission-finds-rsf-destruction-in-el-fasher-bears-hallmarks-of-genocide) against non-Arab communities in and around the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, bearing the hallmarks for genocide. #sudan #UAE - 2026-02-20 - [Hamas is holding an election](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c23z0kdypm3o) for a new interim leader. Voting is taking place across Gaza, the occupied West Bank and among Hamas's members elsewhere. #hamas - 2026-02-20 - Saudi Arabia [wants to replace Israel with Syria](https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/saudi-arabia-wants-fiber-optic-cable-greece-run-through-syria-instead-israel) as the transit country for a strategic fiber-optic cable, underscoring how regional alignments are shifting, as Riyadh looks to strengthen the Syrian regime while potentially isolating Israel. #saudi - 2026-02-20 - Trump has told Congress he is pursuing [a civil nuclear pact with Saudi Arabia](https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/saudi-arabia-may-enrich-uranium-under-proposed-us-deal-219168) that would allow for uranium enrichment within the Kingdom.