12 stories for 2026-03-20 · Israel/Palestine
Three Palestinian women were killed in a beauty salon in the southern West Bank during an Iranian missile attack. Others were injured in the strike, and a Thai worker was also killed by falling shrapnel in Israel.
Israeli settlers have been accused of sexually assaulting a Palestinian in front of their family, according to Middle East Monitor.
The UN has warned of ethnic cleansing amid the displacement of 36,000 Palestinians in the West Bank.
Children orphaned by the war in Gaza face Eid celebrations without families. Many have lost parents and relatives, with thousands now without family members to mark the holiday with them.
The Israeli military continues to violate a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, resulting in four additional deaths. The Rafah crossing has been partially reopened to allow a limited number of patients through. Since the ceasefire agreement began, the death toll has reached 681 people.
Gaza is preparing to observe Eid al-Fitr amid severe humanitarian challenges. The territory faces soaring prices, food shortages, a blockade, and daily casualties. Most central and historic markets in Gaza have been destroyed during the conflict, though informal markets operating from temporary stalls have emerged to meet basic needs.
Israeli authorities blocked Eid al-Fitr prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem on Friday, marking the first such prohibition since the 1967 occupation. Israeli police deployed heavily throughout Jerusalem's Old City and erected iron barriers at entrances to prevent worshippers from accessing the mosque.
Four Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes targeting Gaza City, according to reports from the Civil Defense Authority and hospitals in the Gaza Strip.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards announced that it attacked refineries in Haifa and Ashdod using missiles. The second source references this as the 65th wave of attacks.
After 19 days of closure, the Rafah crossing has reopened from the Palestinian side. The reopening has prompted renewed discussion about humanitarian corridors, with preparations underway for the return of Palestinians who had been treated outside the Gaza Strip.
The head of the Israeli military has expressed concern about allegations of crimes by settler militias in the West Bank, stating that these groups are targeting Palestinians with killing and torture.
The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt has been reopened today, marking the first time the border has reopened since the start of the Israeli-American conflict.