European-Palestinian Media Center (EPAL) Bulletin – Issue: 2590 – Date: Sunday, 18/10/2026

1. Six Palestinians killed and others injured by occupation forces’ fire as homes are demolished in the Gaza Strip

Six citizens were killed and others injured by Israeli army fire as violations of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip continue to escalate. Several citizens were wounded in an Israeli drone strike targeting a group of people near the Jordanian Hospital in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood, southwest of Gaza City.

## 2. Settlers attack European diplomats near Ramallah

Settlers attacked European diplomats while they were visiting land in the town of Taybeh, northeast of Ramallah, during the olive harvest season. They also attacked diplomatic vehicles, including a car belonging to the Belgian consulate, whose windows they smashed.

According to field reports, the attack affected diplomats from France, Belgium, and Poland. One of the consuls was thrown to the ground during the assault.

## 3. Gaza bids farewell to journalist Ubaida Murtaja: another martyr joins the ranks of those who carry the message through words and images

Crowds of Palestinians attended the funeral of journalist Ubaida Murtaja, who was killed in an Israeli drone strike targeting a group of people in the Al-Itali area of the Al-Nasr neighborhood, west of Gaza City.

The funeral procession departed from Al-Shifa Medical Complex. Fellow journalists and media workers carried his body on their shoulders, accompanied by members of his family, relatives, friends, and representatives of media institutions.

Funeral prayers were performed before he was laid to rest in the Martyrs’ Cemetery.

## 4. The Al-Ahli Hospital massacre that shook the world: three years later, the blood has not dried and justice has yet to come!

Today, October 17, 2026, marks the third anniversary of the Al-Ahli Hospital massacre, perpetrated by the occupation forces, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 500 Palestinians and injuries to hundreds of others. It remains one of the most horrific massacres witnessed in the Gaza Strip during the Israeli war of extermination.

Three years after the massacre, questions remain about the effectiveness of international law and the ability of international institutions to enforce its provisions and hold the occupation accountable for its violations.

## 5. #Video — Settlers attack Palestinians inside their vehicle

#Watch: Circulating footage documents an assault by Israeli settlers on a vehicle carrying Palestinians in the lands of the village of Deir Jarir, northeast of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank.

## 6. #Video — A Palestinian mother recounts losing all her children in Gaza

#Watch: “Only my grandson survived.” A Palestinian mother recounts, with profound grief, how she lost her children one after another during the war: first Omar and Sama, then her pregnant daughter Ola, and finally her son Adam, with whom she had left Gaza to receive medical treatment.

# European News

## 7. Solidarity rally in the Irish town of Fermoy condemns the genocide

Participants in the event raised the Palestinian flag during their weekly demonstration, which brings together activists from several solidarity groups, including the Boycott Movement in Belfast and the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

## 8. British journalists attack a Palestinian anti-Zionist activist

Presenters from the British broadcasters GB News and Sky News attacked Palestinian activist Lubna Sbeitān during a Green Party press conference, accusing her of “antisemitism” over her proposal that Zionism should be regarded as a racist movement.

Solidarity activists accused the British media of helping manufacture propaganda in support of the occupation and justify the genocide, playing a role comparable to that of occupation soldiers, the British Royal Air Force, and the intelligence company Palantir.

## 9. Italy expands investigation into Israeli officials and ministers over alleged torture of Sumud Flotilla activists

The expanded investigation includes Defense Minister Israel Katz, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, Police Commissioner-General Danny Levy, Prison Service Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi, and naval commanders, as well as National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who had already been named in the case.

The legal action followed complaints filed by 50 Italian citizens who reported being beaten, threatened with death, and deprived of food, medical care, and sleep.

These alleged abuses occurred when occupation forces seized vessels belonging to the two flotillas in international waters in 2025 and 2026 and detained the activists at the port of Ashdod.

## 10. Calls for a week of protests against an international maritime conference in Houston over Maersk’s participation

The “Arms Embargo Now Houston” campaign has called for a week of direct protest actions and events from November 2 to 4, opposing the city’s hosting of the “Annual Houston International Maritime Conference,” which brings together companies accused of supporting the occupation and profiting from the war of extermination in the Gaza Strip.

The protests aim to confront executives of the global shipping giant Maersk, who plan to meet at the Hilton Americas hotel to discuss ways to protect supply chains and weapons shipments destined for the Israeli army.

## 11. Eurolinks factory in Marseille shut down in protest against arming the occupation

Activists in solidarity with Palestine blocked the gates and premises of the French arms manufacturer Eurolinks in Marseille, southern France, to prevent the production and export of military supplies destined for the occupation army.

The grassroots action in Marseille’s 13th arrondissement was organized to condemn the war of extermination against the Palestinian people and reject the factory’s alleged complicity in supplying the occupation with “ammunition belt links,” used by heavy machine guns in intensive bombardment operations across the Gaza Strip.

## 12. British regulatory body colludes with the Zionist lobby and refuses to investigate three lawyers accused of incitement

The Bar Standards Board (BSB), the regulatory body overseeing barristers in England and Wales, has refused to open an investigation into a complaint against three prominent lawyers: Lord David Pannick, Lord Anthony Grabiner, and Stephen Hockman, all of whom hold the title of King’s Counsel (KC).

The three are patrons of the organization UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI), and their names appear on letters issued by the organization threatening activists.

## 13. Redretro network renames metro stations in Spain in solidarity with Gaza

While official institutions attempt to conceal crimes and marginalize voices opposing the genocide, activists around the world are developing simple yet visually powerful forms of resistance, transforming everyday public transport routes into spaces of resistance and constant reminders of Palestinian rights.

The network of anonymous artists known as Redretro has carried out widespread interventions involving the names of major metro stations, altering signs and stickers to place the Palestinian cause at the center of the daily journeys of millions of people.

Activists transformed Madrid’s famous La Latina station into “Free Palestine” and the Tacuba station in Mexico into “Nakba,” forcing passersby to confront the reality of the genocide and the historical roots of Israeli crimes.

## 14. Boycott targets alleged accomplices in the genocide within the gaming industry

Independent video game studio House House has explicitly announced its commitment to the boycott and embargo by excluding the release of its popular game Big Walk on Microsoft’s Xbox consoles.

The decision was made in direct response to calls from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

The studio officially explained that the decision reflects its commitment to the movement’s call, which has designated Microsoft and its gaming division as priority boycott targets.

## 15. One of the occupation’s largest arms suppliers prepares to participate in a defense exhibition in Jordan

Elbit Systems, one of Israel’s leading military manufacturers, is preparing to participate in the Special Operations Forces Exhibition and Conference, SOFEX 2026, scheduled to take place in the Jordanian city of Aqaba from October 27 to 29.

The Israeli company’s participation carries significance beyond commercial representation, given its role in supplying weapons and military systems to the Israeli army.

## 16. British police assess post by national security adviser’s wife supporting Palestine Action

British police have begun reviewing a post on the platform X published by Sarah Helm, the wife of Jonathan, a national security adviser to the British government. In the post, she expressed support for Palestine Action, a movement classified by the British government as a “terrorist” organization, according to the BBC.

Helm, a journalist and writer, published a post on Thursday stating: “May God help us writers who support Palestine and Palestine Action.”

Her comment followed an announcement on Wednesday by British publishing house Faber that it could no longer sell the works of Irish author Sally Rooney in the United Kingdom because of her support for the movement.

## 17. #Video — Berlin police seize Palestinian flag from protesters

#Watch: German police officers remove a Palestinian flag from the hands of demonstrators during a protest in the German capital, Berlin.

# International News

## 18. #Video — American photojournalist recounts brutal assault by settlers

#Watch: “They kicked me for ten minutes.” American photojournalist Heidi Levine recounts the details of an attack by Israeli settlers near Ramallah.

She says the assailants kicked her and took her cameras and phone before Palestinians managed to rescue her.

## 19. Thirteen delegations walk out of CICA summit as occupation president Herzog begins his speech

A mass walkout by delegations from several countries took place at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), held in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, as soon as Israeli President Isaac Herzog began speaking during the session.

The Turkish delegation, led by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, initiated the walkout. It was followed by the delegations of Iran and Palestine, then Kuwait and Pakistan. Delegations from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Iraq, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Bangladesh subsequently withdrew as well.

## 20. BDS movement calls on South Africa to ban coal exports to the occupying entity

South Africa continues to export coal to Israel despite having brought a case against the country before the International Court of Justice concerning the war on Gaza.

In 2025, South Africa exported approximately 1.8 million tonnes of coal to Israel, according to official data. The value of its bituminous coal exports reached approximately $157.7 million.