Palestine in February 2026: the most important developments in society
In February 2026, social life in Palestine was shaped by the humanitarian situation in Gaza and by the Board of Peace launched by US President Donald Trump. On February 19 Trump announced that its members had pledged billions of dollars for reconstruction, with reported amounts between $7 billion and $10 billion. The board said Gaza was its main focus but left Palestinians outside its framework. On the ground, the UN described the humanitarian situation as catastrophic despite the ceasefire, reported a continuing water shortage, and said Israel was using water as a weapon of war. More than 65,000 aid trucks had entered Gaza since the ceasefire began. The Palestinian Red Crescent said Israel had cancelled coordination for patient evacuations, and World Central Kitchen suspended meal distribution because of Israeli restrictions.
Aid organisations were at the centre of several disputes. On February 1 Doctors Without Borders said it would leave Gaza by the end of the month after refusing to give Israel lists of its Palestinian staff. On February 14 it suspended most work at Nasser Hospital, citing armed men and suspected weapons transfers, which the hospital administration rejected. On February 27 Israel's Supreme Court froze a government decision that would have banned 37 relief organisations, including Doctors Without Borders, from Gaza and the West Bank.
In the West Bank, reports described settler attacks, including the emptying of a Bedouin village and the burning of mosques. Settlers declared a new settlement inside Hebron. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the next Israeli government should encourage the migration of Palestinians, and a UN report warned that Israeli actions may amount to ethnic cleansing. Israel designated five Palestinian news outlets as terrorist groups and limited access to the Al-Aqsa mosque, allowing 10,000 West Bank worshippers during Ramadan.
The Berlin film festival became a forum for Gaza. Author Arundhati Roy withdrew on February 13 after the jury declined to issue a statement, and dozens of film artists signed an open letter criticising the festival's silence. After the festival director's remarks at the opening ceremony, the Israeli ambassador walked out.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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