Occupy

The United Nations has updated its database of companies involved in business activities linked to illegal Israeli settlements, now listing 214 companies from 11 countries. The latest assessment focuses on the impact on Palestinian people's right to self-determination, and says firms must take appropriate measures over their involvement.

The UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting of ambassadors amid escalating violence in the occupied West Bank and a lack of progress on plans for Gaza's future. Diplomats are expected to discuss rising settler and military tensions in the West Bank alongside the stalled international framework for Gaza's reconstruction and governance.

Thousands of people have protested across the Netherlands, calling on their government to take stronger measures against Israel following the newly introduced ban on goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements. Demonstrators are pressing for firmer action over the situation in Gaza and the occupied territories, with the protests adding to mounting European public pressure over the war and the continued blockade.

Ukrainian authorities in Kherson say they carried out an operation delivering four tonnes of food to civilians facing shortages in Oleshky, a town in Russian-occupied Kherson region. The regional government published footage of the delivery, underscoring reports of worsening hunger and humanitarian conditions among residents living under occupation.

Israeli military closures around Ramallah in the occupied West Bank are isolating the city, leaving Palestinian commuters stranded for hours at checkpoints. The restrictions are severely disrupting movement, work and daily life for residents. Details on the duration of the closures and casualty or arrest figures remain unclear.

Francesca Albanese, the UN Human Rights Council's Special Rapporteur on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, has given an interview with Declassified UK's Mark Kennard discussing the situation in the Palestinian territories. The conversation touches on alleged war crimes and has drawn attention amid ongoing debate over her UN mandate and her statements on Israel and Palestine.

Russia's Central Election Commission has not published final State Duma election results for four occupied Ukrainian territories or 21 federal subjects, according to the Moscow Times. Significant data gaps are also reported in the Kursk region and Yakutia, raising questions about the completeness and transparency of the official vote count.

Ukraine is using drones to deliver food to residents of Oleshky, a city in Ukraine's Kherson region that has been under Russian occupation since 2022. The airdropped supplies reach civilians cut off from regular aid, and the unusual logistics operation has drawn attention to the worsening humanitarian conditions inside occupied territory.

Norway will allocate 25 million kroner (€2.3 million) to help find and bring back Ukrainian children deported to Russia, and to support Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians held in detention. The funding adds to international efforts to trace thousands of children who were taken from occupied Ukrainian territories, an issue that has drawn condemnation from human rights bodies.

The Dutch government has summoned Israel's ambassador in The Hague after Israeli authorities ordered Dutch diplomats based in Ramallah to leave. The move triggered a formal protest from the Netherlands, an adamant defender of continued European diplomatic presence in the Palestinian territories. The expulsion has drawn attention amid growing friction between European governments and Israel over the conduct of the war and access to the occupied West Bank.

UK officials and journalists are still trying to establish whether Iran had any connection to an alleged plot to attack RAF Fairford, a US-occupied air base in Gloucestershire. The Guardian reports that despite arrests and claims, key questions about Iranian involvement remain unanswered, leaving the case's international dimension unresolved.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has published its latest humanitarian situation report, dated 25 September 2026, covering the occupied Palestinian territory. The report is part of OCHA's regular monitoring of humanitarian conditions in the region. Details of its findings are not yet widely circulated, but such reports typically cover access, displacement, casualties and aid delivery.

Ukraine's armed forces report taking around 250 Russian prisoners on the Lyman front, with claims that entire Russian units surrendered. Russia's defence ministry, meanwhile, says its troops control key villages in the occupied Donetsk region. The two accounts highlight sharply different pictures of the situation on one of the war's most contested directions.

Ukraine's armed forces attacked energy facilities in Crimea during the night of October 1, according to Sevastopol news outlet Obektiv. The strikes targeted infrastructure in the annexed peninsula, with reports circulating as attacks on Russian and occupied-territory energy sites continue. Damage details and casualties have not been fully reported.

Environmental activists have occupied a research vessel following a mineral survey conducted off the coast of New Zealand. The action comes in protest against seabed exploration activities in the region, which campaigners say threaten fragile marine ecosystems. Details about the vessel's operator, the number of protesters involved, and whether authorities have responded remain limited.

Dutch volleyball international Tess Lieder-Wester has given an open interview about a terrible period in her childhood, saying it still occupies her thoughts every day. The Sportnieuws.nl interview reveals a personal side of the former national team player, prompting attention in the Netherlands around her candid remarks.

Spirit Halloween is opening seasonal stores in former retail locations around Richmond, filling storefronts left empty by closures. The pop-up chain is known for taking over vacant big-box and strip mall spaces each fall, turning dead retail real estate into temporary Halloween shops. Local coverage highlights how the seasonal retailer has become a familiar fixture in shopping centers that have lost long-term tenants.

The UN has updated its database of companies linked to Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, adding 61 new firms and bringing the total to 214. The Palestine Chronicle reports the update, and social media users are sharing which companies were added, amid ongoing debate over corporate involvement in the settlements and pressure for boycotts and divestment.

Democratic members of the US Congress have introduced legislation to impose sanctions over the expansion of Israeli settlements. The bill targets settlement growth in the occupied West Bank amid ongoing tensions linked to the war in Gaza. It signals growing pressure within the Democratic Party for a harder line on Israeli settlement policy.

A retail development in southwest Roanoke County, Virginia has announced the businesses that will occupy the site. Local outlet WDBJ7 reported the list of incoming tenants, giving residents a first look at what shopping and dining options the project will bring to the growing suburban area.

Ukrainian drone units are continuing sustained strikes on Russian military logistics in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, targeting supply routes and infrastructure used by Russian forces. The operations are presented as part of Kyiv's broader effort to degrade Russia's ability to resupply troops at the front. No further details on specific locations or damage are given.

The top United Nations Middle East peace envoy said Palestinians long for 'a return to normal life' amid ongoing conflict and hardship in the occupied territories. The statement, carried by UN News, underscores the humanitarian toll of the situation and renews calls from international mediators for a political resolution that would allow daily life in the Palestinian territories to resume.