Your car’s weakest spot may not be in the car

University of Gothenburg

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Srijata Basu, researcher in software engineering at the University of Gothenburg. 

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Credit: Gunnar Jönsson

Modern cars are constantly connected to the outside world. This makes them vulnerable to hackers who want to take control of the vehicle remotely. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology have found that IT vulnerabilities have shifted from the car’s own computer systems to apps and cloud services connected to it.

A car is a computer on wheels. It communicates with the car manufacturer’s cloud services, the driver’s phone and charging stations, and when children stream films in the back seat, data travels over the internet. All these connections can become entry points for hackers into the car. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology studied 413 reported security vulnerabilities in automotive software between 2022 and 2024 and compared them with the previous decade.

“Ten years ago, most vulnerabilities were found in the cars’ own systems. Now the share found in apps, websites and cloud services has nearly tripled. These systems hold data about where you live, where you drive and when, so the risk is not only that someone could interfere with the car, but that they could get hold of information about your life,” says Srijita Basu, postdoctoral researcher in software engineering at the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology.

Driver data in cloud services

A reported IT vulnerability does not mean that a breach has occurred, only that there is a risk of one. In December 2024, it was revealed that data from around 800,000 electric cars from Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Skoda had been openly accessible on the internet for several months. The data contained precise GPS information and the email addresses, telephone numbers and home addresses of the owners of the cars. This meant that it was possible to see exactly where and when a particular car had been driven. The vulnerability was in the cloud service used by the car manufacturer to upload data from vehicles on the road. The data leak was uncovered by an ethical hacker group after a tip from a whistleblower and was widely reported in the media. The leak was fixed before it was known to have been misused.

“When we compare with the previous decade, we can see that IT vulnerabilities are now most commonly found in apps, websites and cloud services, and that the risks are more often rated as serious and critical. We are surprised by how basic some of the weaknesses in these systems are. They can involve passwords that have not been changed since installation. Hackers can use tried-and-tested old tricks to gain access through a back door,” says Srijita Basu.

Took control of the accelerator and brakes

The car’s audio and media system, commonly known as the infotainment system, is a weak point. Anyone connected to the car’s Wi-Fi network could potentially gain access to the car’s other systems as well if they are not properly separated.

This happened in a test conducted by security researchers to a Jeep Cherokee in 2015. Through the car’s media system, they were able to gain access to other systems in the vehicle and take control of steering, brakes and the accelerator. The new study shows that similar weaknesses still appear nearly a decade later.

“My advice to car manufacturers is to keep systems that control the vehicle strictly separated from infotainment and other connected systems, with strong security around them. They should also learn from the web and IT world, where many of these flaws have been known for years. When the car is constantly connected to the outside world, it also invites the outside world into the car,” says Srijita Basu.

Differences between computer chips

In their review of reported vulnerabilities, the researchers analysed where each vulnerability had originated. Was it in the design of the IT function, in the programming or in the software running on the car’s computer chips? The researchers found that chip manufacturers vary in how well they protect their products against attacks and in how openly they report security flaws. Computer chips from the same manufacturer are often used by several car makers. This means that hackers who have found a back door into the IT system of one car model may be able to use the same method on other cars as well.

“Car owners also have a responsibility to make things more difficult for hackers. It is important to update the software as soon as the car prompts you to do so, and strong passwords are still important. Today we share a lot of personal information with AI assistants for cars, for example when we ask to plan a long journey in an electric car. Like other AI systems, these assistants can be tricked into revealing information they have been given, so it matters what we share with them and what car makers allow them to access,” says Srijita Basu.

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Journal

Software Quality Journal

DOI

10.1007/s11219-026-09787-y

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Article Title

Mapping the landscape of software vulnerabilities in connected vehicles

 

EPND+ launches today, building on five years of public-private collaboration

New European non-profit organization will support existing and future research collaborations in neurodegeneration and beyond, building on the EPND Hub, resources, services and expertise

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Brussels, 21 October 2026: The European Platform for Neurodegenerative Diseases (EPND) partnership today announced the launch of EPND+, an independent, non-profit organisation that will take forward the infrastructure, resources and expertise developed through the five-year EPND project.

EPND+ was formally launched by EPND co-Lead Niranjan Bose at the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) Forum in Brussels, reflecting EPND’s origins as a public-private partnership established by IHI’s predecessor, the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) 2.

Since November 2021, EPND’s 28 partner organisations have addressed a fundamental challenge in neurodegenerative disease research: Europe has a wealth of valuable research data and biological samples, but these resources are dispersed across studies, institutions and countries, making them difficult to find, access and reuse.

Connecting data and biosamples across studies and countries

EPND’s response to this fragmentation was to develop the EPND Hub, alongside the tools, standards, SOPs and processes needed to support data and biosample discovery, access and sharing.

Today, the Hub connects more than 120 research studies, 126 datasets and 38 biosample collections across 12+ neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It provides a unified gateway to these resources, underpinned by the AD Data Initiative’s AD Workbench, which provides secure cloud-based infrastructure and a growing range of data analysis tools.

The result is a more integrated and streamlined research pathway, from finding and accessing data and biosamples through to secure analysis and new research outputs.

“The EPND Hub is perhaps the clearest expression of what we set out to achieve five years ago,” said Niranjan Bose, Managing Director for Health and Life Sciences at Gates Ventures and EPND co-Lead. “Over the last decade, I have seen how breaking down silos and giving researchers access to the right data, tools and collaborators can accelerate innovation. EPND+ will extend this approach, helping initiatives work across countries and cohorts, with the expertise, data and biosamples they need to address new research questions.”

EPND’s biomarker Case Studies demonstrated this in practice, using samples and data from multiple cohorts and countries to test and refine the infrastructure and processes for sharing. The first three Case Studies used samples and clinical data from 350 participants across ten European cohorts, spanning Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, generating novel datasets that are being shared with the research community through the Hub.

“Developing the Hub has entailed making data discoverable and accessible while respecting different governance and consent requirements,” said Anthony Brookes, Professor of Genomics and Health Data Science at the University of Leicester and EPND co-Lead. “Rather than relying on a single data model or one set of sharing conditions, EPND employs a flexible approach to data sharing, thereby respecting data provider and user preferences, and includes centralised and federated approaches. This flexibility will allow the infrastructure to adapt as research needs and technologies evolve.”

EPND+: sustaining and scaling support for a new generation of research initiatives

EPND+ turns EPND’s five-year investment into a lasting foundation for future research, allowing its infrastructure, resources and tools to be reused, adapted and scaled by new initiatives.

European research initiatives are already building on this foundation. AD-RIDDLE is making research resources discoverable through EPND as it develops approaches for earlier detection, prevention and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. ACCESS-AD, launched in 2026, will use EPND infrastructure to support the discovery and sharing of clinical, imaging, biomarker and real-world data to improve timely diagnosis, treatment and monitoring.

“Sustainability is not simply about keeping the lights on after a project ends,” said Phil Scordis, Head of Data Science and Analytics at UCB and EPND co-Lead. “After many years working with health data, I know that data sharing challenges are not unique to neurodegeneration. EPND+ gives us an opportunity to preserve what we have built, while applying these solutions, expertise and lessons to new research questions, disease areas and collaborations.”

EPND+ will continue to operate and develop the EPND Hub, maintaining the materials created during the IMI funding period, as well as providing infrastructure and tools for data and biosample discovery and sharing. As a European legal entity, it can also partner with new research initiatives to provide adaptable Hub infrastructure and practical data-sharing support, tailored to different research communities and disease areas, rather than requiring them to develop these capabilities from scratch.

“Across IMI and now IHI, Europe has built more than 200 projects around some of our most complex health challenges,” said Niklas Blomberg, Executive Director of the Innovative Health Initiative. “Their strength is not simply in combining investments, but in bringing together expertise, data and capabilities that no single organisation or sector could mobilise alone. EPND+ demonstrates that public-private partnerships can create durable resources for European research, enabling new collaborations, advancing novel science and, ultimately, delivering greater impact for patients.”

The EPND project concludes on 31 October 2026, but its infrastructure, resources and mission will continue through EPND+.

Learn more: (EPND+ https://www.epndplus.org/)

About EPND+

EPND+ is an independent, non-profit European organisation providing researchers with data infrastructure, resources, tools and services to advance research into neurodegenerative diseases and other health conditions. With organisational and technical support from the AD Data Initiative, EPND+ continues EPND’s mission to enable data discoverability and collaboration between researchers.

Funding acknowledgement

The EPND project has received funding from the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No. 101034344. The Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and EFPIA.

Disclaimer

This communication reflects the author's view and neither IHI nor the European Union, EFPIA, or any Associated Partners are responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

 

UK sanctions senior commanders as rape still weaponized in Sudan

26.10.2026,  DPA

Photo: Mudathir Hameed/dpa

The UK has sanctioned senior military figures implicated in a campaign of rape related to the conflict in Sudan.

The move targets commanders from both sides of the conflict suspected of sexual violence and other atrocities during the siege of El Fasher, which fell 12 months ago.

UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the perpetrators of crimes against humanity “must be held accountable and support from all external backers to the warring parties must end.”

A total of 15 commanders from both the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have been targeted with a travel ban and asset freeze, with the broader aim of ensuring “the horrors that took place at El Fasher will be known to the world,” the Foreign Office said.

Those subject to sanctions include Hussein Abu Jalak, an RSF colonel linked to atrocities during the siege of El Fasher; and Al-Nour Ahmed Adam, also known as “al-Qubba,” who was identified as present and playing a prominent role in besieging and attacking the city.

The announcement followed the release of UK-funded reporting by the Centre for Information Resilience (CIR) which revealed a campaign of systematic starvation and conflict-related sexual violence against civilians in Sudan.

Miliband said: “The war in Sudan has created a humanitarian catastrophe.

“A year on from the atrocities in El Fasher, UK-funded investigations by the Centre for Information Resilience have shown that rape and starvation are still being weaponized against the people of Sudan.

“These are crimes against our humanity – the perpetrators must be held accountable and support from all external backers to the warring parties must end.

“El Niño may worsen an already desperate situation, but whether famine takes hold is in the hands of the RSF and SAF - they must stop attacking aid convoys and let food reach communities.”

The UK has allocated £5 million ($6.6 million) to support survivors of sexual violence in Sudan, with the funding enabling services including sexual and reproductive health care, maternal health services, psychosocial support, and safe spaces for women and girls.

An additional £10 million package also supports the ongoing response to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the country, which is facing increased risk of famine driven by attacks on markets, health facilities, displacement camps and other infrastructure – as well as obstruction of aid and El Niño-induced drought.

The funding will aim to improve access to clean water and sanitation in displacement sites around Tawila and support essential humanitarian services in El Obeid, also spelt al-Ubayyid, where civilians are facing acute needs.

Hundreds of thousands of civilians were starved during the 18-month siege of El Fasher, which can also be spelt al-Fashir, in West Sudan.

The city, which served as a major agricultural market, fell to the RSF in October 2025.

Civilians were massacred in the aftermath as women and girls were subjected to sexual violence.

CIR reporting, this week, said the tactics used during the siege are still being deployed across Sudan.

This includes drone attacks on civilian infrastructure and humanitarian operations, and the obstruction of aid, with footage showing RSF fighters discussing shutting off water supplies to El Fasher and preventing traders from bringing food into the city.

The CIR described women and girls being abducted, repeatedly raped, and held in conditions amounting to sexual slavery.

The UK has previously issued five previous rounds of sanctions related to the conflict.

(c) 2026 dpa Deutsche Presse Agentur GmbH

 

Zelensky complains of waiting a month for Hegseth's missile sign-off

26.10.2026, DPA

Photo: Cornelius Poppe/NTB/dpa

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has again complained about delays in deliveries of air-defence missiles from the United States and pointed the finger directly at US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. 

"In particular, we have been waiting for almost a month for Mr Hegseth's signature regarding the missiles for Patriots and NASAMS [National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System]," Zelensky wrote on social media on Monday.

US Patriot systems are considered particularly effective at intercepting the ballistic missiles that Russia uses in its war against Ukraine. Zelensky said he had ordered another conversation with the US side.

Ukraine was working with the US, Europe and other partners that had stocks of such missiles, he wrote. He also announced preparations for a Ramstein meeting, also known as the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, in November.

Earlier, Ukrainian Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara had said Ukraine and its Western allies wanted to discuss further military aid at a new meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group.

Zelensky has repeatedly complained recently about delays in deliveries of interceptor missiles. Ukraine has been defending itself with Western help for more than four and a half years against a full-scale Russian invasion.

• Zelensky post on Telegram, in Ukrainian

(c) 2026 dpa Deutsche Presse Agentur GmbH

 

UN report accuses Moscow of war crimes in weaponizing the cold

26.10.2026, DPA

Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa

Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, UN human rights officials stated on Monday.

In a report to the UN General Assembly in New York, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine describes years of systematic attacks on heating plants, power lines, gas facilities and other infrastructure.

"The Commission has concluded that the Russian authorities have committed war crimes of intentionally directing attacks against civilian objects and crimes against humanity of other inhumane acts," the report says.

The report notes that thousands of households had to cope without heating last winter, while millions of people were affected by power cuts. It points out that cold has negative consequences for the physical and mental health of the population.

"As a new cold season sets in, the attacks have again intensified and there is serious concern for the life and health of civilians," it says.

The commission, which was set up by the UN Human Rights Council, also accuses Moscow of human trafficking in connection with the recruitment of foreign fighters. "The majority of those recruited have been killed, went missing, while others have also been injured or captured," the report says.

Amnesty International made similar allegations in September.

According to Ukrainian figures, more than 28,000 foreign nationals from over 130 countries have signed contracts with the Russian armed forces since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

• Commission of Inquiry

(c) 2026 dpa Deutsche Presse Agentur GmbH

Scientists turned art detectives date van Gogh's 'Starry Night' to actual night sky in 1889

A team of South Korean researchers has put forward a new date for the night sky depicted in Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh's famed masterpiece "The Starry Night". Art historians have long assumed the stars were a product of the artist's fantasy or dated the scene to June 1889 based on the artist's known location and other factors, but astronomical details like the sliver crescent moon didn't line up.


Issued on: 22/10/2026 - 
By: FRANCE 24

File photo: Visitors look at Vincent Van Gogh's painting "Starry Night" (1888) by Vincent van Gogh during the preview for the upcoming Van Gogh and Britain exhibition at Tate Britain in London on Monday, March 25, 2019. © Victoria Jones, AP

Scientists doubling as art detectives have traced Vincent van Gogh’s painting “The Starry Night” to a celestial scene that suggests a new date for one of the world’s most famous paintings.

Their findings indicate that rather than being a product of van Gogh’s imagination, “The Starry Night” may have been inspired by what he saw as he gazed heavenward from his French asylum 137 years ago.

A South Korean team reported Thursday that after years of forensic astronomy and research into the Dutch artist, they have matched his masterpiece to a predawn sky over France’s Saint-Remy de Provence right around July 22, 1889.

That’s a month later than the long-accepted time frame for the postimpressionist painting depicting a crescent moon and Venus surrounded by a sky of swirling stars with a village nestled below and cypress trees looming on one side.

Art historians have long dated the painting to June 1889, soon after Van Gogh checked into the asylum. He’d cut off his left ear several months earlier during an argument with painter Paul Gauguin.

A team led by Elijah Jeong-hyun Kim, the CEO of a Seoul telescope maker, is now disputing that date in a study appearing in the journal Scientific Reports.

The sky that is most similar to the painting occurred around July 22, 1889, said Kim, who is also a doctoral candidate at Kyung Hee University. He noted that the few days before and after could have inspired van Gogh as well.

“No two skies are the same. Something always changes. I believe Vincent noticed those changes and put them into the painting,” Kim said in an email.

He added: “I am confident that July 22 is the better date. I will bet on this date.”

The latest study addresses “a real puzzle” that in mid-June 1889, the moon was not the thin crescent painted by van Gogh, said Jose Luis Aragon at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He has studied “The Starry Night” as a physicist, but did not take part in the new research.

“Still, I would see the July date as an intriguing hypothesis rather than a settled answer,” Aragon said in an email.

Long fascinated by van Gogh’s art, Kim traveled to France in 2019, the first time in mid-June and the second around July 22. He found brilliant stars rising in July’s predawn sky, unlike June.

Kim and his team discovered through further celestial sleuthing that around July 22, 1889, the shape of the moon before dawn appeared like the one in the painting, with the Hyades star cluster in the constellation Taurus rising in the east alongside Venus. The sky should have been clear enough for van Gogh to see all this, based on their weather analyses.

Van Gogh is thought to have suffered a seizure around that time in July. But Kim and his team contend that the seizure occurred later in July, based on their analyses of letters between the painter and one of his brothers. Some of those letters refer to cicadas, another clue that points toward the hotter July, according to Kim.

The researchers tested and verified their methods on night skies in other paintings, making for what Aragon considers “a careful and genuinely interdisciplinary study”.

Postcard provides clue to exact spot of Van Gogh’s last painting, says researcher

Since van Gogh painted in a studio at the asylum from sketches and memory, “the sky is likely a composite of many nights as the authors themselves acknowledge", Aragon said.

“What I find most convincing is the broader message: The painting is not pure fantasy. Van Gogh watched the real sky very closely," Aragon said.

Despite all his research, Kim has never seen “The Starry Night” at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

“Now that the paper is out, I really have to go and see ‘The Starry Night’ in person, don’t I?” he said.

(FRANCE 24 with AP)

West Bank: Families forcibly displaced in Hebron


Issued on: 25/10/2026 - FRANCE24

More Palestinian families have been displaced in the occupied West Bank as Israeli forces continue operations in Hebron, following a deadly shooting that killed two Israeli soldiers on Friday. With elections scheduled for Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed a heavy response to the attack. Morgaene Ayre has the latest.

NAKBA II

How Israeli settlers wearing keffiyehs are attacking West Bank olive groves

The olive harvest officially began in the West Bank on October 15, 2026, and it has coincided with an uptick in violence towards Palestinians carried out by both Israeli settlers and soldiers. Meanwhile, the settlers and soldiers have been using social media to promote an aesthetic, Instagram-friendly and nationalistic view of these harvests.


Issued on: 23/10/2026 
By: Marguerite Ipek LACROIX/
The FRANCE 24 Observers

Israeli settlers have been posting images of their olive harvests on social media. \© The Observers


At first glance, it is an Instagram video like any other. There’s rousing music, sunshine, smiles, coffee and three people harvesting olives. But the video's caption situates these charming scenes in a different, much more violent reality: "That took us a good four hours. We are asking you to come and showcase the land of Israel and harvest olives.”

This footage was captured in the occupied West Bank. David Kela, an illegal Israeli settlement, is identified as the scene's location in the post.

This video, posted on September 28, 2026, shows three people gathering olives in the occupied West Bank and having a merry time doing it. It turns out, however, that an illegal settlement is identified in the video and the caption calls on people to come and "showcase the land of Israel".

The olive harvest officially began on October 15, 2026 and lasts until the end of November. In recent years, however, this period has become synonymous with an uptick in violence towards Palestinians, carried out by the Israeli army and settlers. Because of this, many Palestinians began their harvest two weeks early this year to reduce the risk of violence.

However, the violent reality hasn’t prevented some Israelis from taking to social media to present an image of a pleasant and convivial harvest, often with a message to social media users to come and join them. There are dozens of these posts on social media.

In this video, posted by @nehoraichushinski on October 11, 2026, a man gathers olives and watches gazelles as calm music plays. The person who runs this account often appears wearing a military uniform. The caption says: "We are harvesting olives before someone from the village overtakes us… And the gazelles have already come to see what’s left over for them."

Some settlements even have their own oil mills. Settler Elisha Yered shared a post inviting social media users to come and gather olives to make oil in Itamar, an illegal settlement, and Avihai, an illegal farm. In his caption, he calls on viewers to go and harvest olives "in the nearest orchard, located just behind the gate to your town” and calls on them to “reinforce the Jewish presence on our country’s land”, both nationalistic messages.

Settler Elisha Yered shared this post on September 30, 2026, which says "Go and discover wide open spaces, gather olives, reconquer the land and live Zionism! Come learn how to produce pure olive oil in our olive mill".

On October 15, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) counted nearly 200 attacks linked to the olive harvest that resulted in bodily injury or material damage affecting the harvest season.

OCHA also confirmed that the number of attacks affecting the olive harvest carried out by settlers in the West Bank this year has already surpassed the 185 incidents recorded in 2025.

'They banned us from going to our own olive grove'

Omar (not his real name) lives in the Hebron Governorate in the occupied West Bank. The Israeli army has blocked his access to his olive grove since June 16, 2026.


On Tuesday, June 16, we discovered that a dozen Israeli settlers had come into our olive grove. I inherited this land from my father and my grandfather.

They were hitting the olive trees with bats.

We called the Israeli police, who came to the site, but they didn’t come close enough to make them leave. They just stayed on the main road. Then, the army came and the soldiers went towards the settlers and some left, but not all.

The settlers who remained started to ransack the olive trees. They beat them with bats and specifically targeted the most beautiful trees. The settlers took some of the olives and then stamped on the rest.

Then, they brought over about 200 sheep, led them into the olive orchard and let them graze all over. The settlers stayed there with their sheep from the morning to sunset.

They banned us from going into our orchard, claiming that this land was now part of a military zone. We don’t know what to do.

Olives are an incredibly important source of income for tens of thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank. According to OCHA, in 2019, more than 10 million olive trees were a source of primary or secondary income for between 80,000 and 100,000 families. In its report "The Elimination Project", the Israeli human rights NGO B’Tselem reported that, on average, the olive sector brought in $170 million per year (more than €151 million) to the economy of the occupied West Bank.

The various restrictions and violence around the 2025 harvest – including designating olive groves as military zones or national parks, acts of violence or intimidation, and military orders preventing Palestinians from harvesting their olives – resulted in the Palestinian economy losing more than $46 million in revenue, or nearly €40 million, according to OCHA.

'The whole system supports settlers'

Yair Dvir is the spokesperson for B’Tselem. He highlighted the close links between settlers and the army as well as a system created to restrict Palestinian access to their land.



Every year, for decades, we see an uptick in violence during this time of year. But each year, the violence continues to intensify. The violence perpetrated by settlers and soldiers leads to injuries or even deaths.

The violence also includes theft carried out by settlers. There are a number of eyewitness accounts and videos showing settlers stealing olives directly from the trees or waiting for Palestinians to finish their harvest and then just taking their olives from them.
Palestinian Human Rights NGO Yesh Din published a video on X documenting the theft of olives by settlers in the occupied West Bank.

In many of the cases, we’ve found that the Israeli army is actively participating in these acts: they are there while it is happening and are letting the settlers attack and steal. Often, they even participate in the attacks, arresting Palestinians, firing on them and using tear gas.

One thing that we’ve observed recently – as well as throughout the years, though it is particularly striking now – is that we’ve seen more and more clearing of olive groves, carried out not just by settlers but also by the army.

In a video posted on October 9, 2026 by the NGO Rabbis for Human Rights, settlers - including one wearing a keffiyeh, a traditional scarf often worn by Palestinians - attack activists from the NGO who came to protect Palestinians during their harvest.
'We saw settlers wearing keffiyeh come and attack us'

Mohammed (not his real name) is the president of an agricultural committee in a Palestinian village. He spoke to us about the role that olive trees play in Palestinian culture.

Growing olives is a historic, cultural and religious act for us.

Most of the Palestinians in the West Bank have not been refugees. That means that there are people who have never been separated from their land, who have plots where they gather olives each year and produce their oil. However, suddenly, they are no longer able to do that.

Culturally, the Palestinian keffiyeh (a traditional scarf) often features embroidery that represents olive branches. Women’s traditional dresses, or thobes, also have special patterns that represent olive trees. Olive oil is essential to the food we make.

In the Quran, olive and fig trees – which have a symbiotic relationship and which, historically, were planted together in Palestine – are often jointly mentioned. Olive trees play an integral role in the Quran’s sacred texts.

I don’t think it is possible to explain what these olive trees mean for us. It goes beyond symbolism. Grave stones of martyrs are inscribed with the words: “We die standing up, like Palestine’s olive trees.”

This photo was taken by our Observer in Birzeit on the night of October 12, 2026. Fearing attacks by settlers or the army, Palestinians have begun harvesting at night. In this image, our Observer shows an olive tree that has been destroyed. © The Observers


It’s revolting to see the settlers pretend to be locals and that their relationship with the olive tree is natural when it is them who have literally been destroying and cutting down olive trees for the past decade.

We see our culture being stolen from us. Soon, they are going to try to steal the thobe (traditional garment), too. We even saw colonists wearing keffiyeh come to attack us."

Our Observer took this photo of a hacked-up olive tree with only the trunk remaining in Birzeit during the night of October 12, 2026. © The Observers

The FRANCE 24 Observers team contacted the Israeli army, who said that in the case of “disturbances affecting the harvest”, they took the “necessary measures for prosecution or, if needed, to disperse those present, all while attempting to avoid any injury”. The army added: “Most instances of friction that occur in the areas where olive harvesting doesn’t require coordination [Editor’s note: Palestinian farmers must obtain so-called prior coordination permits to access land that has been blocked by the army] or where security forces are not present. Most coordinated harvests are taking place as planned.”

OCHA reported that attacks linked to the olive harvest this year have so far resulted in the death of one person and more than 120 people injured. More than 2,500 olive trees or young plants have been damaged or destroyed. Since 2023, at least 100,000 olive trees have been destroyed, ripped out or burned in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture.

Israel's Ben-Gvir shares AI videos mocking Gazans as 'donkeys' and sending them to Paris

Cover image: Truth or Fake © France 24

Issued on: 22/10/2026 -

Israel's far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is using AI-generated videos to mock Palestinians and push political messages ahead of the Israeli general election, including videos magically transporting Gazans to Paris or calling them "donkeys" for choosing to stay. One video has sparked an online spat with France. Artificial intelligence is playing a growing role in the campaign, with parties using deepfakes, bots and AI-generated content, raising concerns about disinformation and the technology's influence on voters.


With Israel's general election looming, several Israeli politicians have been using AI-generated content as campaign videos. Among them is far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has recently shared AI-generated videos mocking Palestinians in Gaza and depicting a fictional journey transporting a Gazan to Paris.

One video portrays Gaza in 2030 as a ghost town, with homes, schools and infrastructure destroyed. A donkey then appears alongside a message from Ben-Gvir's party: "You'd have to be a donkey to stay in Gaza."

The video appears to reference Ben-Gvir's so-called "voluntary emigration" plan, which advocates encouraging Palestinians to leave the enclave and move abroad.

Another AI-generated video shows an elderly Palestinian man sitting amid rubble, wearing a traditional keffiyeh. After rubbing a magic lamp, he summons Ben-Gvir and asks for help leaving Gaza. The man is then transported to Paris, where Ben-Gvir tells him: "Here, you'll feel right at home.


The video comes amid comments by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about protests in France. Netanyahu claimed that Muslim migrants were responsible for unrest in the country and warned that, if Israel did not stop Hamas in Gaza, "you'll see them on the streets of Paris".

The claims linking the French protests to Muslim migrants have no substantiated evidence, and have previously been examined by Truth or Fake on FRANCE 24.
A public spat with France

Ben-Gvir's Paris video prompted a response from the French foreign ministry, which addressed him through its official "French Response" account on X.

"Imagine having a magic lamp and wasting your wish on Ben-Gvir. Even magic can't lift his ban from entering France," the ministry wrote. The message referred to France's decision to bar Ben-Gvir from entering the country back in May, following his treatment of activists aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.

Ben-Gvir responded with another AI-generated video, in which he speaks French and accuses France of welcoming the consequences of its support for a Palestinian state. The video includes an AI-generated image of a devastated Paris, with Palestinian flags across the city and a keffiyeh draped over the Eiffel Tower.

The exchange comes amid a wider wave of misleading and AI-generated imagery attempting to connect unrest in France with immigration, Muslims and Palestine, despite the protests having domestic political and social causes.
AI reshapes Israel's election campaign

Ben-Gvir's videos are part of a broader trend in Israeli politics, where AI-generated content is playing an increasingly prominent role ahead of the election.

Political analysts have described the upcoming vote as the first "AI-driven election", with major parties using the technology in a variety of ways.

An analysis by Deutsche Welle's fact-checking team found that leading Israeli political parties had incorporated AI into their campaigns. Posts by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party used AI in a quarter of the content analysed.

Israel's Election Commission requires AI-generated or AI-modified campaign content to be labelled, though aside from that, little regulation exists regarding AI's use in the election race.

However, concerns extend beyond the use of synthetic images and videos. AI-powered robocalls have also been used to contact voters and ask about their voting preferences, offering a cheaper and more conversational alternative to traditional automated messages. Meanwhile, networks of bots and fake accounts have been found amplifying the campaigns of Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir.

The technology could also influence how voters make their decisions. According to figures cited in DW's reporting, around a quarter of Israelis say they intend to turn to AI for help in deciding how to vote, raising questions about how chatbots generate political responses and whether online campaigning can influence their answers. DW's analysis found that Israeli government promotional material was already being published online with the stated aim of influencing how AI chatbots respond.


BY:  Vedika BAHL

Thousands take to Tel Aviv's streets for protests against Netanyahu

Thousands marched against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government in Tel Aviv on Saturday – just three days before Israel's general election – demanding accountability for the failure to prevent a Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which led to the war in Gaza.


Issued on: 25/10/2026 
By: FRANCE 24

Protesters gather with signs depicting victims during an anti-government demonstration demanding the formation of a state commission of enquiry into Hamas' 2023 October attacks at the Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on October 24, 2026, ahead of Israel's legislative election. © Jack Guez, AFP


Thousands gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday for a large anti-government demonstration, three days ahead of a general election that is widely viewed as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The protest was organised by the October Council, a group founded by the families of victims and hostages taken by Palestinian militants on October 7, 2023, to demand accountability for the failure to prevent that day's Hamas attack that sparked the Gaza war.

"Three days before the election, we will hold the culminating event marking three years of struggle to uncover the truth, demand accountability, and establish a state commission of inquiry," the October Council wrote on X ahead of the rally.

Israel ex-security chief sues Netanyahu over October 7 claims

Cover image: © France 24
07:28

The protest is also expected to see the participation of leading figures from opposition parties.

Opinion polls have shown a tight race, with Netanyahu's right-wing bloc, in power since late 2022, neck and neck with that of his main centre-right rival Gadi Eisenkot.

The latest polls published before a gag period entered into force on Friday night showed that neither bloc would obtain a majority of seats in Israel's parliament.

An AFP reporter said thousands were marching from the central Rabin Square towards Hostages Square, the location of the rally, a focal point for past anti-government protests to demand the release of those held captive in Gaza.

"Whoever has been leading us for the past four years has done such a terrible job," Hadas Feuershtein, 68, told AFP shortly before the start of the rally.

"Israel has never been in a situation as it is now," she added.

The October Council alerted law enforcement of possible "provocations" from pro-government agitators.

"We have sent an urgent letter to the Police Commissioner following alerts about attempts by entities linked to the coalition to disrupt tonight's rally," the October Council wrote on X.

The rally comes after years of campaigning by Israeli civil society and opposition parties to establish an independent commission of inquiry on the security failures that led to October 7.

Netanyahu's government has refused to establish such an independent body, the likes of which Israel has commonly set up in the past to investigate major state-level failings.

It has instead offered to create a "political" commission, half of whose members would be appointed by the ruling coalition and half by opposition lawmakers.

Opposition leaders have said they would boycott a commission appointed by politicians.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)