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Two Palestinians were killed and others injured early Wednesday in Israeli airstrikes, shelling and gunfire across the Gaza Strip, as home demolitions and attacks on displaced people’s tents continued in Khan Younis, Rafah, Deir al-Balah and Gaza City, despite the passage of a year since the Hamas-Israel ceasefire agreement.

Israeli forces carried out raids and arrests in cities and towns across the West Bank and Jerusalem, and demolished a house in the town of Biddu, as Palestinians and a journalist were injured in settler attacks. The escalation came on the third anniversary of the start of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip and as the olive-picking season began.

The Republican Party is facing simultaneous electoral pressure from rising diesel prices and renewed controversy over Jeffrey Epstein’s files, as Donald Trump’s administration tries to reduce fuel costs for farmers and lorry drivers. Democrats, meanwhile, are intensifying their Epstein-related advertising in an effort to strengthen their prospects in Senate and House races.

Israeli attacks continued in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, killing a Palestinian in Gaza as the third anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation and the outbreak of the war on Gaza were marked, amid ongoing Israeli forces’ operations and settler attacks on Palestinians and their property in the West Bank.

The Israeli army said its forces located and dismantled a tunnel route belonging to Hamas in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza, saying it was approximately 500 metres long and about 13 metres deep. The announcement formed part of an account of operations that the army said covered more than 130 sites and military structures over one week.

US Vice-President JD Vance said reaching an agreement to end the war, now in its seventh month, would require concrete Iranian steps to reduce uranium enrichment, as Washington and Tehran exchange proposals that include reopening the Strait of Hormuz, amid the conflict’s growing impact on energy markets and US elections.

North Korea accused the United States of undermining peace and stability through arms sales and military support for Taiwan, after the first two F-16 Block 70 fighter jets arrived on the island. The position came as Taipei and Washington continued discussions on arms deals, including a potential package worth 14 billion US dollars.

Syria’s Interior Ministry announced the arrest of Khaled Raed Bayrouni, known as ‘Abu Hassan Doushka’, during a security operation in Damascus countryside. It accused him of responsibility for the bombing of the Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque in Homs in December 2025, which killed eight people, as well as plotting sectarian attacks.

Russian authorities rescued all 23 crew members of the Aframax Rio oil tanker after it was attacked by drone boats and its cargo caught fire off Sochi in the Black Sea. Authorities temporarily closed beaches and waterfronts while rescue teams awaited a reduction in the fire’s intensity before beginning firefighting operations.

Yemen's government forces announced control of strategic high ground overlooking al-Mansoura Mountain in Al-Wazi'iyah District, Taiz Governorate, while the International Organization for Migration said fighting displaced more than 184,000 people between 1 August and 4 October 2026, amid rising casualties and expanding health and humanitarian needs.

Clashes between Yemen’s government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and the Houthi group have expanded to 18 of the country’s 22 governorates, with fighting intensifying in Taiz, Marib and Al Jawf. The World Health Organisation reported 959 deaths and 4,207 injuries since August, while nearly 198,000 people have been displaced.

The Nigerian Air Force said 25 people, including five crew members and 20 passengers, were killed in a military plane crash in Ondo State, correcting an earlier figure of 32 deaths given by President Bola Tinubu. Authorities ordered an investigation into the circumstances of the accident.

Lithuania’s parliament has approved in a first vote an amendment lifting the constitutional ban on deploying nuclear weapons in the country, as Germany strengthens its presence and Lithuania seeks to host a permanent US base. Moscow warned of the consequences of NATO military infrastructure moving closer to its borders, amid debate over the security of Kaliningrad and the Baltic Sea.

The European Parliament has begun proceedings to examine French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan’s removal of an Israeli flag from an exhibition commemorating the victims of 7 October, while her team said the European Union flag fell accidentally. Hassan defended her action, while Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and European right-wing lawmakers criticised her.

A Palestinian official source said the Israeli government had refused to allow the Central Elections Commission to enter Gaza and Jerusalem to oversee preparations for the legislative elections scheduled for 28 November 2026, warning that the decision would obstruct the commission’s work as it continues the electoral process according to the announced timetable.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned France’s ambassador to Tehran, Pierre Cochard, expressing concern over security forces’ handling of student protests in France. The move follows the detention of more than 5,000 people and injuries to students, security personnel and education workers, alongside the opening of 10 oversight investigations.

Yemeni Prime Minister Shayea Mohsen al-Zindani said on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, that restoring state authority is linked to protecting the security of Yemen and the region and securing international navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. He made the remarks while following developments on the second day of Operation Yemen Dawn and speaking with military and field commanders on several fronts.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said updated intelligence indicated that Russia was preparing for a major attack and confirmed that countermeasures were being prepared. Meanwhile, Kyiv began installing nets to protect one of its bridges from drones and imposed scheduled power cuts after energy facilities were targeted.

The Yemeni armed forces announced continued advances for a second day as part of Operation Yemen’s Dawn in southern Marib, saying they had seized positions, mountain ranges and desert areas. A military source said the fighting left dozens of Houthis dead, wounded or captured, and resulted in combat equipment being destroyed or disabled and a drone being shot down.

Yemeni government forces announced that they had taken control of mountain positions in Hayfan and advanced towards Al Wazi'iyah after retaking positions near Bab al Mandab, while the Houthis said they continued to retain their battlefield gains. The movements are significant because of the high ground overlooking routes leading to Mokha, alongside clashes in Taiz, Marib and Al Jawf.

France saw a national day of protest involving students, teachers and parents, with demonstrations spreading from schools to universities. The Education Ministry announced the full or partial suspension of classes at 891 institutions, while organisers said 260,000 people demonstrated in Paris, amid a security presence and government talks over the movement’s demands.

Elhanan Galat and Yanki Friedman, who run two large networks within Israel’s official religious education system, have joined the leadership of the V26 headquarters, which seeks to increase turnout among right-wing supporters before the 27 October election, raising questions about the limits of educational institutions’ officials’ participation in political campaigning.

India said 12 crew members of the commercial vessel MT One Peace were injured by a projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, including 11 Indians. The injured were evacuated to Oman for treatment, while New Delhi called for an end to attacks on ships and the restoration of shipping and trade through international waterways.