The UN agency said its Palestine operation received less than half the funding it had received in previous years. It said it urgently needs an additional $450 million to maintain critical operations in the occupied Palestinian territory over the next six months.

Under the revised plan, the number of people receiving monthly assistance in Gaza will fall from 1.6 million to 1.1 million. Families who continue receiving food parcels will get one parcel instead of two, and the flour bags provided will be smaller.

The programme will also reduce the number of hot meals distributed each day, from 250,000 to 150,000. People in hard-to-reach areas, including locations near the “yellow line” marking Israeli military control, are expected to receive a hot meal every other day rather than daily.

The funding gap comes as many households continue to struggle to obtain enough food. The WFP said an estimated 1.4 million people—about 67 percent of Gaza’s population—are facing acute food insecurity at crisis levels or worse. That figure is lower than the estimate at the end of 2025, but the agency described the improvement as modest and fragile.

The cuts are also affecting assistance in the occupied West Bank. The number of people receiving support there was halved in September, from 400,000 to 200,000, the agency said.

The WFP’s announcement underscores how financing constraints can quickly affect the scale of humanitarian aid. Without additional funding, the agency says its ability to provide food support across the occupied Palestinian territory will remain under pressure.

In a statement, the ministry warned that children face serious risks while travelling to and from schools and other educational facilities. It said those dangers threaten students’ safety and their ability to continue learning.

The ministry urged the United Nations, UNICEF and international and human rights organisations to take practical steps to protect students, document alleged violations and support accountability. It said expressions of concern should be accompanied by measures that help safeguard children’s lives and access to education.

The statement did not identify the three students or provide details about where they were killed. The ministry’s appeal focused on the broader danger facing children trying to reach educational facilities amid continuing insecurity.

For Gaza’s students, the challenge extends beyond reaching a classroom. The education system has been severely disrupted by the war, while damage to facilities and repeated displacement have made regular schooling difficult for many families. Temporary learning spaces have been established in some areas, but children and teachers still face difficult conditions.

The ministry said students must be able to attend educational facilities safely and called for effective protection. It described safeguarding children and their right to education as an international responsibility.

The appeal adds to concerns about the risks faced by children in Gaza and the obstacles preventing them from studying. The ministry is asking international bodies and rights organisations to respond with urgent practical steps, including documenting incidents and helping ensure students can learn without being exposed to danger on their journeys.

One of them is Omar Halawa, a child who lost a limb after being injured while fetching water with relatives. He has described how his daily life changed after the injury, saying that activities he once managed are now beyond his reach.

His experience reflects a wider rehabilitation crisis. A World Health Organization assessment published in May estimated that more than 5,000 limb amputations had taken place in Gaza since October 2023. The same assessment identified tens of thousands of people with serious injuries who may need continuing rehabilitation.

Prosthetic care requires more than an artificial limb. Specialists must assess each patient, prepare the remaining limb, fit and adjust the device, and provide physiotherapy so the person can learn to use it safely. Children may also need repeated adjustments as they grow.

Medical organisations have reported shortages of prosthetic components, rehabilitation equipment and other supplies. United Nations humanitarian reporting has also documented restrictions on some assistive devices and materials requested for Gaza. When supplies and specialist services are unavailable, patients can face prolonged waits and limited options for regaining mobility.

The shortage affects more than movement. Access to rehabilitation can shape whether a person can return to school, work, care for family members or move independently through damaged streets and crowded displacement sites.

Health workers and aid organisations say sustained access to medical supplies, trained specialists and rehabilitation services is essential. For Gaza’s amputees, recovery depends not only on emergency treatment but also on the continued care and equipment needed to rebuild daily life.

The funeral procession began outside the Daraj Sports Club in eastern Gaza City before the remains were taken for burial at Sheikh Radwan Cemetery. Families had been able to view the remains the previous evening. Civil Defence public-relations director Abdullah al-Majdalawi said recovery teams had found them over recent weeks in several destroyed homes in the Daraj neighbourhood.

The victims belonged to around 20 Palestinian families, including people who had been displaced and were sheltering in the homes, al-Majdalawi said. He said the buildings were struck while residents were inside during the early months of the war.

The recovery work is part of a second phase of a Civil Defence project launched on July 19 to search for people trapped beneath destroyed buildings. Officials said the phase covers 147 homes across Gaza City and parts of northern and central Gaza, where more than 1,000 people were believed to remain under rubble. They have warned that a lack of heavy machinery and other equipment is slowing the work.

Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Basal said more than 8,000 missing Palestinians were still believed to be under rubble across Gaza as of October 7. The agency has said that limited resources make it difficult to locate and recover all those still missing.

The report gave no immediate details about casualties, arrests or the length of time the vehicles remained in the area. It described an advance into al-Makar and did not establish whether troops took control of the locality.

The reported movement came after Israeli forces carried out raids and search operations the previous week in Rasm al-Haydarah, another village in Quneitra province. Southern Syria has seen recurring Israeli incursions, shelling and military activity since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024.

Israel has said its military presence in parts of Syria is connected to security concerns. Syrian authorities have repeatedly called for Israeli forces to withdraw from Syrian territory and respect the 1974 disengagement agreement. UN peacekeepers are responsible for monitoring the ceasefire arrangements, though their ability to patrol has at times been restricted.

The latest reported advance adds to local concerns about movement, access to farmland and the risk of further military operations. No casualty information or statement from the Israeli military was included in the live update.

Kpler tracks about 160 very large crude carriers under sanctions imposed by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control. After accounting for vessel age and ownership restrictions, only about 24 could potentially return to wider commercial service, the firm said. Many shadow-fleet ships also face restrictions from other governments or lack the certification, insurance, maintenance and management arrangements required by conventional operators.

The tanker market has tightened as freight rates and war-risk insurance costs rise. Attacks and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz have made voyages more complicated and reduced the availability of vessels willing to operate in the region. Those factors can keep shipping costs high even if some sanctions are relaxed.

Kpler’s assessment challenges the assumption that a larger pool of ships would automatically translate into more usable capacity. Older vessels may be technically available but remain difficult to insure, crew, certify or charter. Tankers associated with Russian or Iranian oil may also continue to face separate sanctions and legal exposure.

The US proposal has been discussed as one possible way to ease fuel-price pressure, but its practical effect would depend on which vessels are covered and whether operators can meet commercial and safety requirements. For now, analysts say war risk and operational constraints remain central to the tanker crisis.

France saw the largest mobilisation. The Interior Ministry estimated that about 550,000 people joined demonstrations nationwide, while organisers put attendance higher. The rallies followed weeks of student protests over overcrowded classrooms, poor school facilities and teacher shortages. Clashes, fires and looting occurred in several cities. Authorities said about 1,200 people were arrested and 150 police officers injured.

In Brussels, police used tear gas and water cannon during a protest after officers said demonstrators threw objects and started fires. Portugal saw tens of thousands march in Lisbon over wages, housing costs and living conditions. House prices and rents have risen sharply in recent years, intensifying calls for more affordable homes.

In Milan and Bologna, demonstrations against war and rising costs were largely peaceful before some participants clashed with police. In Milan, officers used tear gas and water cannon; reports said two police officers were injured and about 50 demonstrators detained.

The events were not a unified European movement, but analysts said the repeated grievances could keep pressure on governments. The rallies also came as several countries face budget debates and elections, placing household costs and public-service funding high on political agendas.

Clashes took place near the prime minister’s office and elsewhere in central Tirana. Protesters threw stones, petrol bombs and fireworks, and some set cars and rubbish bins on fire. Police used tear gas, water cannon and baton charges to disperse crowds. The Associated Press and AFP reported that Saturday was the first time officers had used rubber bullets during the current demonstrations.

National Police Chief Skender Hita said the projectiles were used in a limited manner. The Health and Social Welfare Ministry said nine protesters and four police officers received medical treatment on Saturday. Hita said 167 people had been arrested over five days of unrest and 132 officers injured. Seven police officers were suspended pending investigations into allegations that they exceeded their authority.

Students have cited university fees, poor educational facilities and limited job opportunities. Their demands have broadened to include allegations of corruption and a call for Rama’s resignation. The government denies wrongdoing. Rama, who is serving a fourth term, rejected calls to step down and said he would listen to students while warning against further destruction.

The protests have also spread beyond Tirana, with local media reporting roadblocks and property damage in other cities. The movement follows months of demonstrations that began over a planned luxury development on Albania’s southern coast and has since expanded into wider opposition to the government.

Near al-Faluja cemetery, west of Jabalia refugee camp, a drone strike killed a Palestinian man and wounded several others, according to medical sources cited by the Palestinian news agency WAFA. In Rafah, another drone attack in the al-Mawasi area killed one person and injured several, WAFA reported.

Two people were reported killed in the Tuffah neighbourhood of northeastern Gaza City, according to staff at al-Shifa Hospital. Witnesses said the people hit had been returning from a funeral. Al-Shifa staff also reported a death in eastern Gaza City. In Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital reported one person killed and another injured.

The casualty count was based on information from local hospitals, medical sources and emergency workers. The reports described separate attacks and did not provide a full public account of the identities or circumstances of every person killed.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said in its October 17 update that 1,511 Palestinians had been killed and 5,375 injured since the ceasefire began in October 2025. It reported a cumulative toll of 74,469 deaths and 175,492 injuries since the war began in October 2023. Those totals are attributed to the ministry, which does not distinguish civilians from combatants in its overall count.

The march began outside the headquarters of the Tunisian General Labour Union, known as UGTT, and was organised by the union together with civil society organisations and political parties. Participants travelled through the capital before gathering outside the municipal theatre. Supporters of several political groups, including the People’s Movement, Ennahda Movement and National Salvation Front, joined the demonstration.

At the closing rally, UGTT Secretary-General Salah Eddine Salmi urged Tunisians to unite in defending rights and freedoms. He warned that limiting dialogue could push political debate into streets and public squares.

Some participants cited both political and economic concerns. A secondary-school teacher who attended said he was worried about what he viewed as shrinking space for free expression, as well as the rising cost of living and its effect on ordinary households.

The protest brought together groups with different political backgrounds around shared calls for accountability, dialogue and civil liberties. The demonstration was one of the most visible public challenges to Saied’s leadership in recent months. The protest organisers’ demands and criticism reflect their position; the march itself does not establish the allegations raised against the government.