Palestinians in Gaza, West Bank face ongoing death, desolation – This is ceasefire? Day 16

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Palestinians in Gaza, West Bank face ongoing death, desolation – This is ceasefire? Day 16
An aerial view of the destruction around Masjid Ahl As Sunna, Jalal Street, and Abu Hamid Roundabout in Khan Younis, Gaza on October 19, 2025. (Muhammed Eslayeh – Anadolu Agency)

Compilation of news reports – IAK staff

(It is difficult to characterize the current situation in Gaza a “ceasefire,” when Israel has killed nearly 100 Palestinians. If Americans Knew considers Friday to be Day 749 of Israel’s war on Gaza)

19 martyrs (including 4 as a result of direct Israeli targeting and 15 recovered) and 7 injuries have arrived at Gaza Strip hospitals over the past 48 hours.

Since the “ceasefire” went into effect on October 11, Israel has reportedly killed at least 93 Palestinians and injured 324 others, and violated the truce agreement at least 80 times.

Additional statistics below. 

GAZA NEWS & HEADLINES:

(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.) 

Palestinian children killed, wounded by unexploded Israeli bomb

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Israeli army kills 2 Palestinians in central Gaza despite ceasefire

At least 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza need emergency shelter aid: UN

The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) has said “shelter needs remain dire” in the Gaza Strip, with about 90 percent of the population displaced and at least 1.5 million people in need of emergency shelter assistance.

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Rescuers warn Gazans to avoid sheltering in war-damaged buildings

Gaza’s Civil Defense has called on residents to avoid staying in buildings that have been damaged by Israeli bombings after one building suddenly collapsed on Palestinians in Gaza City. The citizens survived the building’s collapse, but the incident highlighted the danger, especially as the weather gets colder and rains arrive.

Their statement emphasizes the need for more sheltering items to be allowed into Gaza.

‘Unmapped minefield’: Experts warn removing unexploded bombs from Gaza can take 30 years

  • Unexploded ordnance has killed and injured dozens of Palestinians returning home after the ceasefire announcement.

Palestinian factions say they agree to let independent technocrat committee run Gaza

  • The committee of Palestinian technocrats would take over the running of Gaza after Hamas receives “clear guarantees” from mediators that “the war has effectively ended.”

OCCUPIED WEST BANK/EAST JERUSALEM NEWS & HEADLINES:

(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.)

Mohammad Ahmad Khamis Abu Hanin, killed by Israeli forces October 24, 2025
Mohammad Ahmad Khamis Abu Hanin, killed by Israeli forces October 24, 2025 (IMEMC)

Israeli Forces Kill a Palestinian Teen Near Nablus

18-year-old Mohammad Ahmad Khamis Abu Hanin succumbed to live gunshot wounds on Friday morning, in the New Askar refugee camp, after being shot in the back with live ammunition by Israeli occupation forces.

The occupation forces reportedly stormed the New Askar refugee camp on Thursday evening, sparking protests from local Palestinian youths, while soldiers opened fire with live rounds at those who resisted the incursion.

Israeli forces have killed at least 1,058 in the West Bank (~212 children) since October 7th, 2023.

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Israeli forces arrest groom, father on way to wedding 

Israeli arrested a groom and his father while they were going to Rantis town, west of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, to bring the bride for the wedding ceremony. Troops also seized the car key.

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West Bank resistance dies amid fears of becoming Israel’s ‘next Gaza’

Now that the war in Gaza is drawing down, Palestinians fear Israel will turn its focus on the West Bank. Eager to avoid incurring the same wrath as Gaza, voices of resistance have kept silent, even as the number of daily settler attacks and restrictions rises sharply.

Wednesday’s preliminary approval in the Knesset of bills applying Israeli law to the occupied West Bank – a process halted on Thursday after Trump administration figures voiced strong disapproval – barely registered among Palestinians. Only two years ago it would have provoked mass protests.

“The Israelis know they have nothing to fear any more. They raid houses with just a single soldier now. The soldier that searched my house was respectful, I was lucky. But who knows what will happen next time,” said one resident (continue reading here).

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Prominent Palestinian activist says Israeli troops raided West Bank home

Footage shows settlers setting fire to Palestinian vehicles

Scottish fire engine destined for West Bank may return after 15-month Israeli seizure

  • Dundee firefighters request return of donated appliance to avoid Nablus officials having to pay £16,000 Ashdod holding fees.

Israeli Colonizers Assault Palestinian Farmers in Beit Iksa

  • The assault occurred in front of Israeli occupation forces, who did not intervene to stop the attack.

Colonizers Attack Farmers, International Activists in Kafr Malik

  • The colonizers attacked the Palestinians and the international activists forcing them to turn back without being able to enter their orchards.

Israeli Colonizers Burn Vehicles Near Ramallah, Vandalize a Mosque Near Nablus

  • Israeli colonizers colonizers invaded a village and set fire to three citizens’ vehicles; in another village, a group destroyed the solar panels and carpets of the Beit al-Sheikh Mosque.

NEWS & HEADLINES ABOUT ISRAEL:

Rubio declares Gaza task force must include states ‘acceptable to Israel’ 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a speech in Israel on 24 October that efforts are underway to establish an international force for eventual deployment to Gaza as part of Washington’s ceasefire plan. 

Rubio said, “Obviously, as you put together this force, it’ll have to be countries that Israel is comfortable with as well. There are a lot of countries that are expressing interest right now…Obviously, every member of this force has to be someone who has the capability and willingness, but also someone that everyone’s comfortable with, including Israel” (continue reading here).

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Israeli Ministers Call to Shoot ‘Children and Donkeys’ Near Gaza’s Yellow Line

The Israeli cabinet convened on Friday to discuss how to deal with Palestinians who approach the so-called “yellow line” in the Gaza Strip, where some ministers reportedly called for shooting even “children and donkeys,” Israeli media reported.

According to Israel’s Channel 4, the army’s deputy chief of staff explained that soldiers currently fire at adults who approach the line, but stop when encountering “children or donkeys.”

However, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir reportedly urged soldiers to “shoot children and donkeys too,” saying that Israel must “stop being merciful.” continue reading (here).

RELATED: Amid Gaza’s Devastated Infrastructure, Donkey Carts Function as Ambulances

Palestinians, who face fuel shortages due to the Israeli attacks, use donkeys and horse-drawn carts for transport due to the closure of border gates and the ongoing blockade in Khan Younis, May 5, 2025
Palestinians, who face fuel shortages due to the Israeli attacks, use donkeys and horse-drawn carts for transport due to the closure of border gates and the ongoing blockade in Khan Younis, May 5, 2025 (Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu)

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Israeli extremists block aid trucks bound for Gaza at Kissufim crossing

  • Members of far-right group Tsav 9 gathered to prevent aid from entering Gaza, according to Israeli media

Two killed in Israeli drone attack in south Lebanon’s town of Toul

  • Yesterday, four were killed in Israeli air strikes in Lebanon, as Israel continues to violate its November 2024 ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah on a near-daily basis since.

Large-scale Israeli war on Lebanon ‘a matter of time’: Report

  • A large-scale Israeli military operation in Lebanon is imminent, according to European sources who spoke with Sky News Arabia on 24 October.

From Syria to Gaza: Israel’s proxy playbook returns

  • Tel Aviv has handed Gaza’s warfront to death squads and collaborators, using the cover of a ceasefire to wage a proxy campaign against the resistance.

NEWS & HEADLINES FROM ISRAELI MEDIA:

(Get a glimpse inside Israel and the turmoil and contradictions within the country. These news items are taken from Israeli media.)

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz (screenshot)

Israel Katz tells JD Vance that over 60% of Hamas tunnels left undestroyed

  • Defense Minister Israel Katz added that demolishing the tunnels is the most important joint mission in demobilizing Gaza in accordance with Trump’s ceasefire plan [NOTE: this proves again that Israel has not accomplished its war goals, and that it plans to destroy whatever is left of Gaza under the guise of “ceasefire” and with the US looking on].

The super Spartans will win the peace

  • Of the many reasons to bet on the Jewish state emerging from the aftermath of October 7 more successful than ever, the first one may be Israelis’ love of babies [NOTE: Israeli forces, with massive support from the Israeli public, killed at least 20,000 Palestinian infants and children].

Israel must consider reducing agricultural imports post-war: Fruit Growers Association

  • “Agriculture is far more than a livelihood; it is Zionism* in its deepest sense. Farmers safeguard Israel’s food security, standing as a living wall along its borders,” said one of the speakers.

*NOTE: Zionism, the ideology on which Israel is built, is not a benign philosophy, but a supremacist ideology – the ideology under which 750,000 Palestinian people were dispossessed and exiled to Gaza and other locations. By its very nature, Zionism requires an exclusively Jewish population – or a Jewish overclass – and has necessitated Israel’s policies of occupation, apartheid, genocide, and more.

OTHER NEWS & HEADLINES:

Rubio says neither Hamas nor UNRWA can be involved in Gaza

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told reporters that Gaza will be demilitarized and Hamas will have no role in governing a future Gaza. He also echoed an Israeli government line, discredited only days ago by the International Court of Justice, that the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, is a “subsidiary of Hamas.”

FACT: UNRWA, the United Nations body with a mandate to help Palestinian refugees, has been serving the refugees in exile in Gaza for decades as they wait for their internationally recognized right of return to be activated. After a years-long campaign to dismantle UNRWA, Israel outlawed the organization after an unsubstantiated accusation that 12 employees (out of a staff of 13,000) were part of the October 2023 attack. Israel’s brief dossier, allegedly proving their guilt, offered no compelling evidence. As of July 2025, Israel has still failed to provide evidence to back up its accusations against UNRWA.

RELATED: UN rejects top US diplomat Rubio’s claim of UNRWA becoming ‘subsidiary of Hamas’

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made his first official stop in Israel on Sunday at the Western Wall
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made his first official stop in Israel on Sunday at the Western Wall (screengrab)

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As Israel Bombed Gaza, Amazon Did Business With Its Bomb-Makers

Amazon sold cloud-computing services to two Israeli weapons manufacturers whose munitions helped devastate Gaza, according to internal company materials obtained by The Intercept.

Amazon Web Services has furnished the Israeli government — including its military and intelligence agencies — with a suite of state-of-the-art data processing and storage services since 2021 as part of its controversial Project Nimbus deal. Last year, The Intercept revealed a provision in that contract requiring Amazon and Google, the other Nimbus vendor, to sell cloud services to Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israeli Aerospace Industries, two leading Israeli weapons firms (continue reading here).

RELATED: Israeli Firm Tests Drone on Unarmed Palestinian in Gaza, Shares Footage on Twitter for Marketing

MORE HEADLINES:

Trump’s push to uphold Gaza ceasefire is creating a political crisis in Israel

  • Israel isn’t a vassal state of the U.S., JD Vance said. But when it comes to the ceasefire in Gaza and annexing the West Bank, Israeli decision-making is deeply intertwined with Washington’s current priorities.

King’s College London accused of ‘Trump-like’ tactics to deport pro-Palestine student activist

  • King’s College London (KCL), a prestigious UK university, is facing legal action over its decision to indefinitely suspend a student and revoke his visa sponsorship, triggering potential deportation to Egypt.

Hind Rajab Foundation files criminal complaint against German-Israeli soldier

  • The complaint against Israeli soldier Shimon Zuckerman is for “war crimes and crimes against humanity based on verified evidence related to his role in the destruction of the village of Khuza’a in Gaza.”

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT) – A SELECTION OF YESTERDAY’S HEADLINES:

(Read yesterday’s daily update here.)

An aerial view of destruction in Sheikh Ridwan neighborhood following the Israeli forces’ withdrawal with the ceasefire agreement in Gaza City, Gaza on October 17, 2025.
An aerial view of destruction in Sheikh Ridwan neighborhood following the Israeli forces’ withdrawal with the ceasefire agreement in Gaza City, Gaza on October 17, 2025. (Mohammed Abu Samra – Anadolu Agency)

STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – OCTOBER 24, 2025*:

  • At least 69,577 Palestinians killed, 180,382 injured – including:
  • At least 68,519** killed in Gaza (~20,000 children, 23,000 women) 
  • At least 1,058 killed in the West Bank (~212 children)
  • At least 170,382 injured in Gaza
  • More than 10,000 injured in the West Bank
  • At least 463 have died from malnutrition in Gaza, including 157 children
  • About 464 bodies have been recovered since the ceasefire began

*NOTE: Thousands of those killed in Gaza have yet to be identified, and an estimated 9,500 more are still buried under rubble. Additionally, the numbers of injured and starved are very conservative estimates. Only the dead who are brought to hospitals are included in the official fatality count.

**NOTE: 220 martyrs have been added to the cumulative statistics of martyrs. Their data has been completed and approved by the Judicial Committee following up on the file of reports and missing persons from October 17, 2025 to October 24, 2025.

Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – October 24, 2025: ~1,661 – including ~1,139** on October 7, 2023 (~36 children), 470 military forces since the ground invasion began in Gaza, about 52 military and civilians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Israel. 

By one count, Israeli attacks have killed approximately 272 Palestinian journalists and media workers; Palestinians have killed 4 Israeli journalists (other groups have tallied between 206 and 326 Palestinian journalists killed – depending on the criteria used).

**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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