Flydubai, genocide, settler violence, Trump abuse of power to deport – Daily Update

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Flydubai, genocide, settler violence, Trump abuse of power to deport – Daily Update
Families in Gaza bury the remains of 105 Palestinians recovered nearly three years after they were killed in an Israeli attack on a 7-story apartment building in Gaza City, in October 2023. (screenshot)

News roundup for Wednesday, September 30, 2026, Day 1,092 since Israel began its 2023 genocide on the Palestinian people. 

Compilation of news reports – IAK staff

FLYDUBAI HIJACKING:

ISRAELI MEDIA: UAE says probing whether attack on flydubai flight to Israel was terror: “All possible scenarios, from terrorism to mental disorders, are being looked into. Nothing is ruled out for now,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the probe.

Netanyahu calls stabbed Indian pilot a hero; Flydubai halts Israel flights: The Israeli prime minister thanks Captain Smit Machchhar for saving the lives of 174 people on board Tel Aviv-bound flight.

Netanyahu exploits Flydubai incident as Israel pushes ‘terror’ narrative despite conflicting accounts: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has seized on the Flydubai incident ahead of Israel’s general election, comparing it to the 11 September attacks and suggesting Iran could be involved, even though investigators have yet to establish whether it was an act of terrorism.

Israeli opposition leader accuses government of playing ‘cheap politics’ over plane incident

Flydubai suspends Israel flights after incident on Dubai-Tel Aviv route

Israel’s defense minister claims Flydubai was ‘attempted terror attack’: It “was a jihadist terrorist attack attempt, thwarted only thanks to the bravery of several Israeli passengers who broke into the cockpit,” Katz alleged – although the motives of the perpetrator are unknown.

ISRAELI MEDIA: Ben-Gvir to demand extradition of flydubai pilot to Israel after attempted terror hijacking: “Our security doctrine must be clear: Anyone who tries to murder or harm Israelis, the State of Israel will pursue them and settle the score with them anywhere in the world.”

RELATED: Israel intentionally foments Islamophobia, its efforts are paying off

Flydubai FZ1073 timeline: How the Israel-bound flight emergency unfolded

NEWS & HEADLINES FROM GAZA:

For some basic info on the Palestine-Israel conflict, go here. For more critical context, skim this, this, and this. To read about a remarkable but underreported, 20-month-long peaceful protest in Gaza against Israel, go here.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The number of Palestinians being killed in Gaza is lower since the October 2025 “ceasefire” began, over 345 days ago – about 4 per day, vs. over 100 per day during the 733 days of the “war.” But Israel is actively working (with Trump’s “Board of Peace“) to ethnically cleanse Gaza of its Palestinian population, even as the low-level killing continues. Genocide experts, along with organizations like the United Nations and Amnesty International, maintain that the genocide is ongoing.

At least eight Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip as Israel continues to violate a nearly year-old “ceasefire,” including Palestinian journalist and imam Muhammad Abdel Aziz al-Najjar, the 263rd journalist to be killed by Israel since October 2023.

Israel turns Gaza into largest ghetto in modern history, killing residents one after another as three-year genocide continues: Israel is deliberately concentrating more than two million people in a depleted area covering less than 30% of the Strip, creating a suffocating population density that is the highest in the world.

WATCH: Bodies, remains of 105 Palestinians recovered from rubble in Gaza City:

Palestinian archaeologists race against time to save Gaza’s heritage: At least 164 cultural sites in Gaza have been damaged since October 2023 according to UNESCO. Among the rubble are precious artifacts and antiquities, which tell a story of Gaza’s rich cultural history, being at the crossroads of multiple empires and peoples over centuries.

The team is working hard to recover the remaining lost artifacts of Gaza’s 5,000-year-old history.

RELATED: Israel preparing largest ever act of ‘archeological cleansing’ in West Bank

WATCH: Confirmation that Netanyahu refused a deal to get hostages out of Gaza very early in the war:

GAZA DEATH TOLL (tentative) since “ceasefire” began Oct. 11, 2025:

NEWS & HEADLINES FROM THE OCCUPIED WEST BANK/EAST JERUSALEM:

Every day, Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem endure dozens of incidents like the ones below, at the hands of Israeli soldiers and/or settlers. For background on the West Bank, read this and this. For information on the significance of Israeli settlers in the West Bank, read this and this.)

Hundreds of Israelis storm Al-Aqsa Mosque compound: While Israelis performed Jewish religious rituals and sang in violation of the status quo* at the compound on Wednesday, Israeli restrictions on the entry of Palestinian Muslims continued.

NOTE: Anyone can visit the Al Aqsa Mosque grounds (known to Jews as the Temple Mount) but only Muslims are allowed to pray there, while Jews are allowed to pray at the Western Wall, according to the 1967 ‘status quo agreement.’

In practice, however, restrictions have steadily eroded, particularly since 2023 (after extremist Itamar Ben Gvir became Minister of National Security). Israeli settlers’ actions have grown bolder and more provocative, as Israeli police have accompanied them. Often – as was the case here – Palestinians are restricted from entering their own holy site. Many Palestinians fear this will lead to open conflict.

(More on the Temple Mount status quo here, and more on the dangerous current situation here.)

‘I’d rather die than go back’: A Palestinian teen’s 10-month nightmare in Israeli jail: Then, Zaid said, the beatings began. “It hurt so much I couldn’t breathe, and it’s then that I told them what they wanted to hear” – that he had been throwing stones.

*NOTE: Israeli torture of Palestinians has been widespread and well-documented since October 7th and long before – including torture of children. The Israeli NGO B’Tselem investigated allegations of torture in Israeli prisons and published their findings in a report called  Welcome to Hell: the Israeli Prison System as a Network of Torture Camps. Torture is a war crime.

Each year, hundreds of Palestinians (many of them minors) are imprisoned for throwing stones, which can carry a sentence of up to 20 years (for Palestinians, not Israeli Jews). Arguably, these are the lucky ones. Israel regularly labels Palestinians they have killed as “terrorists” or “stone-throwers” to rationalize their deaths, whether they did anything threatening or not.

Israeli Soldiers Abduct At Least 22 Across Occupied West Bank

Israeli Forces And Colonizers (i.e. Settlers) Carry Out Widespread West Bank Attacks

Israeli Forces Invade Tulkarem Towns, Abduct Residents

DEATH TOLL SINCE OCT. 7, 2023 – WEST BANK/EAST JERUSALEM (tentative):

NEWS & HEADLINES FROM ISRAEL:

Israel is a tiny country, about the size of New Jersey, with a population smaller than the US state of Georgia – about 10 million (of which about 20 percent are Palestinians), yet it is in the news constantly. As has been demonstrated again and again, however, mainstream media rarely covers Israel news accurately. IAK gets the facts – sometimes from Israeli media sites, where we can get a glimpse inside this country that is rife with turmoil and contradictions, and that receives $63 million a day from America.

ISRAELI MEDIA: For LGBTQ Israelis, Four Bad Years Could Be Followed by Four More: Funding cuts, rising violence, and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric marked the past four years. Most parties vying to replace Netanyahu won’t say where they stand.

Palestinian legislators in Israel have long faced election bans. This time is different: From Ben Gvir to the Democrats, Israeli politicians have called to disqualify the Balad party chair — and the Supreme Court may no longer serve as a backstop.

Is Bibi cruising for a bruising by trolling Erdogan over Syria? Last week, the Israeli prime minister said the Turkish president is a ‘tyrant’ who ‘calls for Israel’s destruction almost every single day’ [NOTE: he doesn’t].

Israel map in LA Times ad includes all land from the river to the sea:

IRAN, LEBANON, & SYRIA – NEWS & HEADLINES:

IRAN

It can not be overemphasized that Israel is the impetus behind US policies and actions vis-a-vis Iran. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing the US to attack Iran for decades, using lies and deception. Under President Trump, he got his wish.

Trump says he may ‘blow up’ Iran

Democrats would use ‘power of the purse’ to shut down Iran war if they win Senate majority

The THAAD Delusion: The story of a missile system placed in a role for which it was never intended illuminates the broader challenges facing the U.S. military.

LEBANON

Israel has invaded Lebanon seven times in the last half century. Between 1978 and 2000, Israel maintained an 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon — Hezbollah was formed to fight that occupation.

Inside Lebanon’s 200-page dossier on Israeli war crimes: The report documents suspected Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity, detailing attacks on civilians, journalists, medical personnel and infrastructure, as well as widespread destruction and forced displacement.

SYRIA

Although Israel is not at war with Syria, the Israeli army has reportedly carried out over 1,600 violations inside Syrian territory since August 2025, and demanded the demilitarization of southern Syria – but also vowed to permanently occupy some areas. Some analysts theorize that Israel’s actions in Syria are an attempt to provoke Syria or Turkey into war.

Israeli army shells dam area in southern Syria

DEATH TOLL – WARS ON IRAN & LEBANON (tentative):
  • United States: 22 since Feb. 28, 2026 (the Trump admin denies this number)
  • Iran: at least 3,636 since Feb. 28, 2026
  • Lebanon: at least 4,386 people since March 2, 2026
  • Arab states: at least 154 (including Palestine, excluding Lebanon)
  • Israel: at least 60 people (Iran killed 20 civilians; Hezbollah killed 40 soldiers, 4 civilians)

MORE NEWS & HEADLINES:

How Jared Kushner’s firm’s investment in an Israeli company could be a major conflict of interest: “There are always people who profit from war or government policies. The difference is that the people profiting should not be the people making the decisions to make that policy. And that is what is happening here,” said Cynthia Brown, chief ethics counsel for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

RELATED: Jared Kushner’s Firm, Backed by Gulf States, Becomes Top Shareholder in Israeli Companies Tied to UN Settlements Blacklist

Israeli Settlers Killed His Constituent. John Fetterman* Is Sole Democrat Against Investigating Them: The resolution’s sponsor, Sen. Chris Van Hollen*, D-Md., said, “if we can’t get accountability and justice for American citizens, imagine how hard it is for Palestinian families who don’t have a U.S. passport to get justice and accountability when they are killed or their villages get razed.”

Sen. Steve Daines*, R-Mt., said, “Make no mistake: The sole objective here is not justice or accountability for Americans,” Daines said. “It is to cut off security aid to our ally Israel in its time of need.”

*NOTE: John Fetterman has received $246,000 from the pro-Israel lobby; Chris Van Hollen has received $0; Steve Daines has received an estimated $659,000 – $717,000.

8 sailors died by suicide at Oklahoma base in one year, Navy confirms

US judge rules Palestinian community leader who has lived in the country for 33 years can be deported: “Over four hearings, expert and firsthand witnesses laid out overwhelming evidence that dismantled the government’s claims,” the group maintained, arguing that the judge disregarded testimony and “deferred instead to Israeli sources.”

RELATED: Salah Sarsour’s Legal Team Says DHS Has Not Met Its Burden to Prove He Is Deportable

US House Democrats to introduce sanctions bill targeting Israeli settlement expansion: Representatives Joaquin Castro, Madeleine Dean, Don Beyer, Greg Casar, Sara Jacobs and Veronica Escobar are sponsoring the Stop the Settlements Act.

Macklemore’s ‘Free Palestine’ tour sells out three European shows: The announcement comes less than a week after Macklemore unveiled the concerts, which aim to raise funds for organizations supporting Palestinians.

Meanwhile, some Sheeran fans were reportedly struggling to resell their tickets. A ticket for Sheeran’s 3 October concert in Atlanta was reportedly listed on Ticketmaster for as little as $19.49, including fees, with hundreds of tickets still available (backstory on Macklemore and Ed Sheeran here).

Gaza documentary NAZA tops Italian box office in breakout debut

Thousands object to Palantir’s involvement in UK national health data platform: Campaigners raise concerns about Palantir’s work for Israeli military US immigration agency under Trump.

RELATED: This isn’t sci-fi, AI is already killing people

Pakistan’s drone deal with a Trump-backed firm exposes an Israeli connection

Greek Education Ministry reportedly urges universities to expand academic cooperation with Israel: Israeli initiative reportedly offers more than $2.2M for joint research, scholarships, exchange programs.

ICYMI, A SELECTION OF YESTERDAY’S HEADLINES:

Mass Funeral Held in Central Gaza for Dozens of Palestinians Killed by Previous Israeli Attacks

Israel obliterates south Lebanon’s architectural heritage

Israeli firm wins $150 million US military counter-drone deal

(Read yesterday’s daily update here.)

Palestinian families living in Jabalia Refugee Camp in Jabalia, Gaza, Palestine, continue to struggle for survival in tents or atop the ruins of buildings destroyed by Israeli airstrikes on September 26, 2026.
Palestinian families living in Jabalia Refugee Camp in Jabalia, Gaza, Palestine, continue to struggle for survival in tents or atop the ruins of buildings destroyed by Israeli airstrikes on September 26, 2026. (Mahmoud Abu Hamda – Anadolu Agency)

STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – SEPTEMBER 30, 2026*:

  • At least 75,237 Palestinians killed, 188,142 injured – including:
  • Gaza: at least 74,032 killed (~22,000 children, 33,000 women and girls), 175,142 injured.
  • West Bank/East Jerusalem: at least 1,205 killed (~251 children), 13,000 injured

*NOTE: Thousands of remains in Gaza have yet to be identified, and as many as 15,000 more are still buried under rubble; others are reportedly missing. 

Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – September 30, 2026: ~1,663 – including ~1,139** on October 7, 2023 (~36 children), 472 military forces during the ground invasion of Gaza, about 52 military and civilians (by one count, there have been 59 victims) in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Israel (these numbers do not include deaths from the conflicts with Lebanon or Iran). 

**NOTE: It is unknown at this time how many of the deaths and injuries of Israelis on October 7 were caused by Israeli soldiers.

Hover over each bar for exact numbers. Source: IsraelPalestineTimeline.org

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