AGP Executive Report

Art in Wartime: Palestinian artist Merna reflects on gratitude, healing and making art amid war; another report describes art as a means of survival in Gaza. Film: The London Palestine Film Festival returns in November with stories from Gaza, the West Bank and the diaspora, while Egypt is championing Palestinian cinema at a festival in Sweden. Stage & Memory: Palestinian memory takes the stage through humor and loss, and an Edinburgh exhibition will explore solidarity with Palestine through art.

Palestinian Writing: Gaza playwright Ali Abu Yasin was named 2026 PEN Pinter Writer of Courage, while novelist Randa Abdel Fattah launched her new book, Discipline, in London. Art in Wartime: A new interview explores how artists make work amid the war, and a podcast considers Palestinian artists after the ceasefire. Film: NAZA, a documentary by Israeli journalists Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, draws attention for its stark interviews with soldiers and intelligence officers about civilian deaths in Gaza. Exhibitions: An Edinburgh show will explore Palestinian solidarity through art.

Palestinian Theatre: Gaza playwright, actor and director Ali Abu Yasin has been named the 2026 PEN Pinter Writer of Courage, sharing the prize with writer Jacqueline Rose. Film: NAZA, the award-winning documentary by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, is drawing fresh attention for its investigation of the systems behind mass killings in Gaza; a government-backed Israeli film has emerged to challenge its account. Visual Arts: An Edinburgh exhibition will explore Palestinian solidarity through art, while the London Palestine Film Festival returns in November with stories from Gaza, the West Bank and the diaspora. Music: Ed Sheeran has added new support acts after Macklemore was dropped over Gaza remarks and several other performers withdrew from the tour.

Film: “NAZA,” the Gaza war documentary by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, is drawing acclaim as urgent investigative filmmaking; Szor’s family has also faced harassment over the film. Palestinian Arts: Gaza playwright Ali Abu Yasin has won an English PEN award, while a new Urdu-, Arabic- and English-language children’s animation, “YAHYA—The Lion of Aqsa,” launched in Karachi. Designer Sara Alwagfi’s imagined Palestinian banknote offers another creative take on Palestinian identity. Music: Ed Sheeran has added opening acts to his US tour after Macklemore was dropped over pro-Palestine remarks and other artists withdrew. Festivals: Doha Film Festival’s upcoming competition spotlights women filmmakers and Middle East stories; London Palestine Film Festival returns in November with films from Gaza, the West Bank and the diaspora.

Film: “Naza,” a new documentary from the Oscar-winning directors of “No Other Land,” opens Friday. It examines the systems behind the killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Live Music: Turnstile will play a free show at the Washington Monument on Oct. 24, raising funds for humanitarian aid in Palestine, Sudan and Lebanon. Palestinian Arts: Sara Alwagfi has designed a Palestinian banknote that never existed, while the London Palestine Film Festival returns in November with stories from Gaza, the West Bank and the diaspora. Festival Circuit: Doha Film Festival has unveiled a competition lineup spotlighting women filmmakers and Middle Eastern cinema.

Palestinian Cinema: Doha Film Festival’s November competition features four Palestinian films, including Thirteen in Gaza, set in a displacement camp, and Sama, about a girl collecting fuel to support her family. Film Festivals: The London Palestine Film Festival returns in November with stories from Gaza, the West Bank and the diaspora. Music & Activism: Macklemore’s sold-out “Free Palestine” tour will direct proceeds to organizations supporting Palestinians, while Zach Bryan has worn a “Free Palestine” shirt at multiple Gillette Stadium shows.

Film: The London Palestine Film Festival returns Nov. 13–27 with fiction, documentaries and shorts. It opens with Who Is Still Alive, featuring nine Gazans sharing memories of loved ones and life before and during the destruction. Art & Memory: Palestinian artist Dalia Kayed is telling her story of survival through photography and embroidery, while new stage work brings Palestinian memory to audiences through humour and loss. Music & Activism: Lorde has backed Macklemore after he was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s tour, and Zach Bryan wore “Free Palestine” shirts at Gillette Stadium—keeping the debate over artists’ public stands in the spotlight.

Commemoration & Memory: Israelis marked the third anniversary of Oct. 7 with ceremonies at sites like the Nova festival and nationwide moments of silence, while Palestinians marked the day amid ongoing Gaza devastation and continued strikes. Vigil & Diaspora Arts: In Australia, a Bondi vigil tied Oct. 7 to the Bondi attack, with speakers linking grief to rising antisemitism. Human Stories from Gaza: “The Voice of Hind Rajab” brought real emergency calls to the screen, spotlighting the terror of trapped civilians during the war’s start. Peace Through Performance: Vermont’s Bread and Puppet Theater inspired a new documentary screening, using puppetry to confront war from Vietnam to Gaza. Media Under Pressure: Reports highlighted the heavy toll on Gaza journalists (hundreds killed and many detained) and the struggle to keep reporting as access is restricted. Culture & Controversy: Rapper Azealia Banks announced a move to Tel Aviv, praising the local arts scene as she prepares for an upcoming show. Local Arts & Solidarity: A student benefit concert in Georgetown raised funds for Nepal after floods, showing how campus music can still turn into real-world help.

Diplomatic Fallout: The UK is preparing to expel up to 27 Israeli diplomats if Israel shuts the British consulate in East Jerusalem, escalating a sanctions dispute tied to settlement goods. West Bank Memory Under Pressure: Israeli forces demolished Birzeit University’s martyrs memorial, replacing it with a fig sapling—an attack on education and Palestinian remembrance. Gaza on the Ground: Fresh strikes across Gaza City and Khan Yunis killed and injured Palestinians, with shelling and home demolitions continuing despite ceasefire claims. Jerusalem Violence: Settler attacks injured an AFP photographer covering olive harvesting, while Israeli authorities also arrested minors over an assault on an elderly Palestinian near Damascus Gate. Culture & Protest: In France, police banned a pro-ceasefire Gaza demonstration citing security and antisemitism risks. Arts/Entertainment: Lorde wore a “FREE PALESTINE” jacket and tagged Robert Kraft amid the Ed Sheeran–Macklemore tour controversy. Human Stories: A Palestinian Heritage Day art exhibit in the Philippines spotlighted Palestinian visual culture and the losses behind it.

Palestine Arts & Culture: The Gaza documentary “NAZA” opens in the US, reigniting debate over Israel’s war in Gaza and the role of US military support, with Israeli officials disputing the film’s claims and threatening those involved. Humanitarian & Youth: UNICEF marks three years since the Gaza war escalation, warning children still face killings, injuries, and shelter collapse as winter risks grow. Arts, Politics & Public Space: In the UK, the Green Party’s “Zionism is racism” motion sparks a cultural-political firestorm, with rabbis and party figures trading accusations and backlash—an argument that spills into public life and arts-adjacent discourse. Campus Culture: Cornell protests erupt over how officials handled a gang-rape case, fueling wider anger about patriarchy and accountability on US campuses. Local Arts Scene: A Palestinian martyrs memorial at Birzeit University is reportedly destroyed by Israeli forces, underscoring how memory and art collide with conflict. Music & Celebrity Activism: Zach Bryan and others keep using “Free Palestine” messaging on major stages, turning pop culture into a flashpoint.

Gaza Under Fire: Israel carried out mass demolitions in east Gaza City and renewed artillery, helicopter, and naval attacks across the Strip, with ceasefire violations reported in Al-Bureij, Al-Nuseirat, Khan Yunis, and along the coast. West Bank Raids & Press Crackdown: A Palestinian journalist was detained in a Jenin-area raid, while other arrests were reported in separate West Bank operations. Hunger Strike in Tunisia: Wael Naouar and fellow activists remain on hunger strike after imprisonment tied to organizing the 2025 Global Sumud Flotilla. UK Greens Fallout: The Green Party adopted a “Zionism is racism” policy, triggering backlash and Israel’s ban on leader Zack Polanski ahead of a by-election—sparking wider political pressure on coalition talks. Music & Solidarity: Zach Bryan’s “Free Palestine” shirt moments kept making headlines, while Gaza-focused documentary NAZA drew protest over what it omits and what it shows. Sports as Protest: Ireland–Israel Nations League tensions in Serbia spilled into controversy, with Palestine-linked disruptions and calls to keep teams apart.

Stadium Politics Meets Pop Culture: Zach Bryan broke Gillette Stadium’s attendance record (73,538) while wearing a “Free Palestine” shirt, weeks after Macklemore was barred from opening for Ed Sheeran at the same venue—turning a music controversy into a mass-audience statement. Gaza Under Ceasefire Strain: Israeli attacks across Gaza killed four Palestinians and wounded 19, including a child who later died of wounds from earlier gunfire. UK Green Party Fallout: Britain’s Green Party voted to define Zionism as racism, prompting sharp backlash from Jewish groups and Israel, which then barred Green leader Zack Polanski from entering Israel. Palestinian Culture in the US: Palestine Fest returned for its fourth year in Bridgeview, Illinois, with Palestinian music, food, and family-friendly activities—despite clashes outside the grounds. Humanitarian Push Through Art & Tech: Angelina Jolie shared Google Earth images showing Gaza’s destruction and urged winter aid and shelter support. Arts & Resistance on Stage: A review of “Slam Frank” highlights how contemporary satire reframes Anne Frank’s story through today’s politics.

Humanitarian Aid: MAPIM launched a Gaza Winter Humanitarian Aid Campaign 2026 aiming to raise RM5 million for tents, warm clothing, medicines, food and clean water as shelter shortages worsen. Winter in Gaza: Displaced families in Khan Younis protested for tarpaulins and tents, warning last winter’s rain and damaged shelters led to deaths. UK Healthcare & Ethics: The Royal College of Nursing ended its Teva sponsorship over alleged military links, following sustained campaigning. Politics Meets Music: Ed Sheeran brought The Fray’s Isaac Slade to Atlanta, who urged fans to seek “common ground” amid Gaza polarization. Stadium Statements: Zach Bryan broke Gillette Stadium’s attendance record while wearing “Free Palestine,” escalating the wider Macklemore/Sheeran controversy. Green Party Shockwave: UK Greens voted to define Zionism as racism and back a single democratic Palestinian state—sparking condemnation from Israel and internal party debate. Gaza Economy & Media: PCBS says 11% of Gaza industrial facilities resumed work in August; Palestinian groups report continued arrests and targeting of journalists.

Pro-Palestine in pop culture: U.S. country star Zach Bryan wore a “Free Palestine” shirt at Robert Kraft’s Gillette Stadium after the Macklemore/Ed Sheeran tour fallout, with band members also sporting Palestine-themed jerseys. West Bank raids: Israeli forces arrested three Palestinian farmers and seized a truck in Tubas’ Al-Ras Al-Ahmar, while later searching homes there and settlers attacked homes in Hebron. Gaza strike updates: Gaza officials and Al-Shifa hospital reported an overnight airstrike on a Gaza City apartment killing five, including four women, amid claims Israel targeted a senior Hamas figure. Finance crackdown: The U.S. Treasury sanctioned a Hamas military-wing-linked figure and others over a crypto-and-charity network moving over $2M to Hamas. Arts & culture: Al Markhiya Gallery in Qatar announced “Silent Witnesses,” a Palestinian artist Majdulin Nasrallah exhibition exploring how everyday objects carry memory through violence and displacement. UK healthcare pressure: The Royal College of Nursing ended a sponsorship partnership with Teva UK over alleged military links.

Gaza Under Ceasefire Strain: Israeli strikes in Gaza City killed at least five Palestinians, including four women, after an apartment hit in Rimal; Hamas condemned the attack as a continued breach. Targeted Commanders: Israel also said it killed two Islamic Jihad rocket-unit commanders in separate Gaza strikes, while reports claimed an attempt to target senior Hamas figure Ali al-Amoudi. West Bank Olive Harvest Violence: Settler raids and attacks on olive pickers in areas near Ramallah and Nablus included burning olive trees and detaining Palestinians and journalists. Art & Memory in Wartime: Al Markhiya Gallery in Doha opened “Silent Witnesses,” a Palestinian artist’s exhibition using everyday objects—blankets, shoes, doors—to trace displacement, loss, and resilience. Pro-Palestine in Pop Culture: Country star Zach Bryan wore “Free Palestine” at Robert Kraft’s Gillette Stadium, with bandmates in Palestine-themed gear, reigniting the Macklemore/Ed Sheeran controversy. Sports & Identity: Jiu-jitsu coverage highlighted Palestinian competitor Dania Obaid in the Asian Beach Games, while broader sports reporting kept Palestine-linked politics in view.

Humanitarian Aid: The UN released $160m in emergency funding, including $150m via CERF for Afghanistan and the occupied Palestinian territory, aiming to reach 87m people in severe need. Gaza Under Fire: Despite a ceasefire, an Israeli airstrike hit apartments in western Gaza, killing at least five including a girl, while drones and ground operations continued. Film & Resistance: The documentary NAZA is expanding in the U.S. after a Venice Special Jury Prize and sold-out New York shows, with the Guardian planning a free international stream. Music & Palestine Politics: Grammy winner Zach Bryan wore a “Free Palestine” shirt at Gillette Stadium, in the wake of Macklemore being removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour over pro-Palestine remarks. Protest & Culture: A UN/FAO official says he was fired after organizing silent staff protests over Gaza famine, while debates over “free speech” and campus protest rules keep intensifying. Aviation & Extremism: Reports say Oman previously barred the FlyDubai co-pilot over extremist concerns as investigations continue.