RAMALLAH, October 13, 2026 (WAFA) – Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa opened on Tuesday the Cabinet’s weekly session, briefing members on political developments and efforts to strengthen international engagement in support of the rights and causes of the Palestinian people, particularly amid the continued Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip and the West Bank; escalating crimes and attacks by Israeli colonial settlers against citizens, olive harvesters, and foreign activists; the widening scope of incursions into cities, villages, and refugee camps; and the targeting of national institutions that support Palestinian rights.
A total of 719 terrorist attacks against Palestinians and their property were documented between 4 and 10 October, according to data from the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission. These attacks included the burning of vehicles, property, and land; assaults on olive harvesters and forcing them off their land; assaults on and detention of citizens; the theft of olive crops; the establishment of new colonial installations (outposts); and the demolition of 27 Palestinian structures.
The Cabinet also warned of the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip as the Israeli genocidal war enters its fourth year. This also comes at a time when the ceasefire agreement marked its first year since it was announced, yet the Israeli war machine continues to claim civilian lives and obstruct the transition to the agreement's second phase. Additionally, severe shortages of shelter supplies persist as winter approaches, bringing further risks and humanitarian suffering—particularly as two million Palestinians in the Strip face a fourth winter without adequate protection against rain, flooding, and cold.
In a related context, the Cabinet welcomed a statement by 100 international relief and human rights organizations describing the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip as little more than “ink on paper,” given the continuation of daily killings. The organizations also affirmed that approximately 1.4 million people are experiencing severe and critical levels of hunger amid the near-total collapse of the health system.
The Cabinet also received a briefing from the Minister of Women’s Affairs on the situation of Palestinian women after three years of the genocidal war on the Gaza Strip. The briefing covered international efforts, across multiple fronts, to expose the crimes of the Israeli occupation and institutionalize the monitoring of these crimes and cases of violence through the National Observatory. The Observatory provides a reference for civil society and international organizations, enabling them to draw on regular reports and verified documentation. Alongside ongoing documentation efforts, it also helps guide responses and interventions in support of the groups most in need.
According to data documented by the Ministry, 38,000 women were killed during the past three years of war. One in every 21 women either lost her life or sustained a life-long disability, while 22,000 women lost their husbands over the same period.
The Cabinet approved an increase in the quantities of medicines procured to treat diabetes and osteoporosis, as well as medicines for other diseases.
The Cabinet also directed the relevant authorities to study the demands submitted by the Transport Workers’ Union in light of the challenges facing the public transport sector under current circumstances, while taking into account its role in providing services to citizens.
Separately, the Cabinet discussed the expansion of digital government services. The number of digital services has risen from 25 to nearly 300, making them more accessible to the public. These include the Consular Services Platform, which now provides 96 services to Palestinians living abroad.
It also reiterated its decision that winter time will take effect at dawn on Saturday, 24 October 2026.
The Cabinet further approved several memoranda of understanding and agreements, including an MoU between the Palestinian National School of Administration and the National School of Government of the Republic of South Africa; an MoU between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the State of Palestine to implement the “School in a Box” project; and an agreement between the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to strengthen the Bureau’s demographic and statistical capacities.
K.T
