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Hamas Appointing Municipal Administrations in Gaza Sparks Controversy

A Palestinian woman reads a local newspaper
A Palestinian woman reads a local newspaper
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Hamas Appointing Municipal Administrations in Gaza Sparks Controversy

A Palestinian woman reads a local newspaper
A Palestinian woman reads a local newspaper

Hamas appointing new administrations for the municipalities councils in Gaza has raised a Palestinian debate amid concerns of widening the internal division that has been ongoing for 12 years.

Gaza municipality announced two days ago appointing Yahya Sarraj as a new president – the municipality said that the new president would hold consultations with the competent committees and the city dignitaries and those concerned with naming the members of the municipal council.

Undersecretary of the Ministry of Local Government Ibrahim Radwan said that adopting this way in electing a new president came amid continuous disruption of holding local elections.

The election process witnessed the participation of elites from the community in addition to representatives from institutions, local authorities, syndicates, and universities, Radwan added.

Gaza municipality is the second biggest councils on the Palestinian territories in regards to the population, with around 1,800 employees and the highest revenues on the level of the Strip.

The German news agency (dpa) reported that Hamas authorities appointed a new president for Fatah municipality, in the far south of Gaza Strip. At the beginning of 2018, they appointed a president for Khan Yunis.

Gaza Strip didn’t witness elections for the municipal council since 2005, while the West Bank held municipal elections between 2011-2017 without the Strip due to internal disputes.

The appointment of municipal administrations in Gaza Strip - without elections- was met with criticism by Palestinian factions especially Fatah – led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Fatah Revolutionary Council Member Mohammad al-Lahham stated that Hamas imposes its leaders on Gaza Strip municipalities away from any form of democracy or accord with the organizations and the civil community.

Iyad Awadallah, an official from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, said that this way of choosing president for Gaza municipality strikes the essence of the democratic process.

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Arab World

Israel Police Arrest Suspects Over Settler Attacks on US Journalist, European Diplomats

Israeli settlers take part in a weekly tour in Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, October 17, 2026. (Reuters)
Israeli settlers take part in a weekly tour in Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, October 17, 2026. (Reuters)
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Israel Police Arrest Suspects Over Settler Attacks on US Journalist, European Diplomats

Israeli settlers take part in a weekly tour in Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, October 17, 2026. (Reuters)
Israeli settlers take part in a weekly tour in Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, October 17, 2026. (Reuters)

Israeli police said on Monday they have arrested eight suspects as part of an investigation into violent ‌incidents ‌in the ‌West ⁠Bank over the weekend, including ⁠attacks on an American photojournalist and European diplomats in separate ⁠incidents.

The police ‌did ‌not identify the ‌suspects.

Masked Israeli ‌settlers were filmed on Friday assaulting Washington Post photojournalist ‌Heidi Levine, who was covering ⁠a Palestinian ⁠olive harvest.

European diplomats and a French mayor were attacked on Saturday by settlers in another incident.

Arab World

Netanyahu Doubts Lebanese Government’s Ability to Disarm Hezbollah

Smoke rises in al-Mansouri following Israeli explosions reported by Lebanon’s state news agency NNA as seen from Hinniyeh, southern Lebanon, September 28, 2026. (Reuters) 
Smoke rises in al-Mansouri following Israeli explosions reported by Lebanon’s state news agency NNA as seen from Hinniyeh, southern Lebanon, September 28, 2026. (Reuters) 
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Netanyahu Doubts Lebanese Government’s Ability to Disarm Hezbollah

Smoke rises in al-Mansouri following Israeli explosions reported by Lebanon’s state news agency NNA as seen from Hinniyeh, southern Lebanon, September 28, 2026. (Reuters) 
Smoke rises in al-Mansouri following Israeli explosions reported by Lebanon’s state news agency NNA as seen from Hinniyeh, southern Lebanon, September 28, 2026. (Reuters) 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he does not trust the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah, affirming that his forces will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon.

The PM’s comments came as the Israeli army raised its alert level over the weekend amid concerns of a possible escalation on multiple fronts.

In the south of Lebanon, Israeli forces continue to attack villages, while assessments in Tel Aviv warn that Hezbollah is regrouping, studying Israeli activity, and preparing to mount a significant attack dependent on developments with Iran.

Israel Will Remain in Security Zone

In an interview with Radio North on Sunday, Netanyahu underlined that Israel intends to remain in its security zone in southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed.

“No, I don't trust them to disarm Hezbollah,” Netanyahu told host Gadi Ness when asked if he believes the Lebanese government will disarm the party. “That's why we said that as long as it is not disarmed, we will remain in this zone that changed the situation in the north.”

He explained that Israel’s military presence is aimed at preventing Hezbollah from rebuilding its military capabilities and threatening northern Israeli communities.

Netanyahu also said Israel created a security zone free of all terrorist systems, affirming that “a large part of the villages were simply terrorist strongholds and they are no longer there.”

The Israeli PM said Israel would continue its military operations against Hezbollah “as much as necessary” and vowed to ultimately eliminate the group.

“We will eliminate Hezbollah, although it is weakened and a shadow of itself,” he said, adding that Israel also needed to address the threat posed by Hezbollah's drones.

Israel Raises State of Alert

Meanwhile, Maariv newspaper reported Saturday that the Israeli army had placed the 36th and 91st divisions on what it described as “an extremely high state of operational alert.”

The newspaper said the army deployed two divisions in the Golan Heights and southern Lebanon.

“Hezbollah was recruiting members and strengthening its defensive positions in the Bekaa Valley, along the coast and in Beirut’s southern suburb,” the report said.

It also cited Israeli assessments suggesting that the party might launch an attack targeting an Israeli military site or patrol, or even attempt to kidnap soldiers.

The newspaper then cited an Israeli military source as saying that Israel had raised its alert level to prepare for a prolonged period of heightened readiness, amid reports that Iran was seeking to create a regional crisis involving multiple fronts.

Ongoing Israeli Attacks

At the field level, Israeli forces continued their attacks on several areas in southern Lebanon. Artillery shelling targeted the town of Al-Mansouri and the outskirts of the town of Zibqin in the governorate of Tyre.

A massive explosion was heard in the town of Al-Qantara in the Marjayoun district, while Israeli forces carried out a violent demolition in the town of Al-Khiam at night, destroying Al-Mabarrat School building.

Arab World

Arab League Reaffirms Support for Palestinian Territorial Integrity and Independence

Arab League Reaffirms Support for Palestinian Territorial Integrity and Independence
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Arab League Reaffirms Support for Palestinian Territorial Integrity and Independence

Arab League Reaffirms Support for Palestinian Territorial Integrity and Independence

Secretary-General of the Arab League Nabil Fahmy affirmed that the Arab League, in cooperation with its member states and partners, will continue working to end the suffering of the Palestinian people, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

He stressed the Arab League's commitment to mobilizing humanitarian, political, and legal support, implementing international legitimacy resolutions, and ensuring that the Gaza Strip remains an integral part of an independent Palestinian state.

Fahmy’s remarks were delivered on his behalf by Ambassador Dr. Faed Mustafa, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Palestine and Occupied Arab Territories Sector, during an event held Sunday at the Arab League’s General Secretariat in Cairo to commemorate the victims of what the statement described as Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

Fahmy said the October 17 commemoration renews the commitment to defending human dignity, upholding the rights of the Palestinian people, and working to end the tragedy endured by residents of the Gaza Strip.

Citing Palestinian medical statistics, he said the death toll in Gaza had exceeded 74,000, including more than 21,000 children, while over 35,000 women had been killed or injured since October 2023. He warned that continued restrictions on water, food, medicine, humanitarian aid, and reconstruction materials, coupled with the shrinking of safe zones, were further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.

Fahmy called for the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid and the provision of essential supplies, including medicine, food, and fuel. He also urged the restoration of water and sanitation networks and essential services, stressing that recovery and reconstruction required ensuring the foundations for a dignified life for Gaza’s population.

He said Israel’s continued military presence and expanding control over parts of the Gaza Strip were further limiting the areas accessible to civilians and raising concerns over compliance with the ceasefire terms. He stressed the need to consolidate the ceasefire, ensure Israel’s withdrawal in line with agreed commitments, and enable the Palestinian Authority to resume its role in Gaza.

Fahmy underscored that achieving a just peace requires a clear political path that ends the occupation, preserves the unity of Palestinian territory, and guarantees the Palestinian people's right to self-determination. He stressed that this path must lead to the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967, borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.