News roundup for Thursday, May 28, 2026, Day 965 since Israel began its 2023 genocide on the Palestinian people.
Compilation of news reports – IAK staff
NEWS & HEADLINES FROM GAZA:
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.
Israeli occupation forces killed approximately ten Palestinians, wounded dozens, and caused extensive destruction in multiple areas, in a series of deadly airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Thursday.
Trump wants the Palestinians to pay for the U.S. occupation of Gaza: Trump’s Board of Peace is in financial crisis and wants to use funds taken from the Palestinian Authority to pay for Gaza’s reconstruction. Palestinians would pay twice over: money stolen from the West Bank would be used to cement Gaza’s occupation.
Despite the ceasefire, Israel resumes bombing entire residential blocks in Gaza, displacing dozens of families: The Israeli army is targeting Gaza’s remaining residential blocks that were left standing after the ceasefire, leaving even more Palestinians homeless. “Fear has become a permanent guest in our homes,” one resident told Mondoweiss.
Israel plans, with US support, to expand control over Gaza in coming months: According to Israel’s Channel 14, the plan includes a major expansion of the so-called Yellow Line in Gaza in coordination with the US, alongside continued bombardment and targeted killings outside the area controlled by the Israeli army. “At this point, we are fully in control of 60 percent of the territory of the Gaza Strip,” PM Netanyahu said, “… and my directive is to get to … 70 percent.” When asked about taking 100 percent of Gaza, the Israeli prime minister said, ‘First 70 percent. We’ll start with that.’
Israel’s offshore gas plans condemned as illegal resource grab: The plan was not merely a violation of international law, “but an attempt to establish permanent control over Palestinian land and resources” in a way that undermines the Palestinian right to self-determination. The field could generate up to $4bn for the Palestinian Authority, according to estimates.
Netanyahu says Israel controls 60% of Gaza, aims to expand to 70%: Report: Israeli premier did not elaborate on how such plans would be implemented, despite existing ceasefire arrangements envisioning further withdrawals from Gaza.
The Trump-led ‘Board of Peace*’ is expected to hold talks with Hamas next week on transferring power to a new government for the Gaza Strip. As part of the internationally-backed deal, the Gaza Strip is supposed to see the establishment of an interim government and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces, which currently occupy 60 percent of the disputed enclave.
*NOTE: The so-called Board of Peace is a pay-to-play group of wealthy and powerful Israel supporters, dictators, and authoritarians, as well as Israeli prime minister and war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu and two Israeli real estate tycoons – but no Palestinians. In fact, the organization’s charter makes no reference to Gaza.
The lower-tier technocratic committee, made up of Palestinians, will do the grunt work in Gaza – if and when Israel allows the group to enter the Strip.
DEATH TOLL – GAZA GENOCIDE (tentative):
- At least 922 since ceasefire began Oct. 11, 2025
- 72,819 killed (~22,000 children, 33,000 women and girls) since October 2023
- More statistics below
FLOTILLA NEWS & HEADLINES:
Go here to read about the most recent flotilla; go here to read about the history of flotillas to Gaza.
I Was Detained by Israel: Here’s What Ben-Gvir Didn’t Want You to See: Zeteo contributor Alex Colston, who was released from Israeli detention a week ago, breaks down the torture and other abuse Israel inflicted on Global Sumud Flotilla activists beyond the camera’s view.
South Korean flotilla activists recount torture, sexual abuse during Israeli detention: 3 activists formed part of humanitarian aid mission to Gaza intercepted by Israeli forces last week. (Read about the latest humanitarian mission here; read about previous flotillas to Gaza here.)
France calls on prosecutor to investigate Israeli abuse of activist on Gaza-bound flotilla
Global Sumud Flotilla and the battle over Gaza’s blockade: Israeli military attacks on the Sumud Flotilla have become a powerful symbol of the broader onslaught in Gaza — one that is now at the intersection of humanitarian activism, international law, and geopolitical struggle.
NEWS & HEADLINES FROM THE OCCUPIED WEST BANK/EAST JERUSALEM:
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.)
Israel launches online registry platform in latest bid to seize land in West Bank: The registry system appears to be part of a broader strategy to consolidate Israeli control over Area C, which makes up around 60 percent of the West Bank and is under full Israeli military and administrative control. Palestinian leaders said the system is a tool to “entrench the unlawful seizure of Palestinian land”, and could be used to sideline Palestinian ownership claims and expand settlement infrastructure. Rights groups say it amounts to creeping annexation.
Israel Approves Massive Colonial Expansion in Jordan Valley: The Wall & Colonization Resistance Commission announced Thursday that Israel has approved a large‑scale colonial master plan for the illegal colony (i.e. settlement) of Masu’a, built on Palestinian lands. The plan authorizes the construction of 517 new colonial units over approximately 1,692 dunams (about 418 acres), marking a major enlargement of the colony’s built‑up area at the expense of surrounding Palestinian lands.
The plan reportedly includes residential construction, public institutions, infrastructure networks, and more— a design that reflects Israel’s intent to transform Masu’a into a fully integrated colonial bloc.
This isn’t about a few ‘bad apples.’ Israel is annexing the West Bank: Two members of Congress who recently visited Israel and the territory report systematic “forced emigration” of Palestinians by extremist settlers and IDF. “As the world’s attention is fixed on the war that President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu started with Iran, Israel’s far-right government is quietly pursuing full-scale annexation in the West Bank. What we saw was a microcosm.”
Army Invades West Bank Districts, Assaults And Abducts Palestinians
Israeli Forces and Colonizers Escalate Attacks in Masafer Yatta
Israeli Colonizers Attack Palestinian Property, Expand Outposts
DEATH TOLL – WEST BANK/EAST JERUSALEM (tentative):
NEWS & HEADLINES FROM ISRAEL:
Israel is a tiny country, about the size of New Jersey, with a population smaller than the US state of Georgia – about 10 million (of which about 20 percent are Palestinians), yet it is in the news constantly. As has been demonstrated again and again, however, mainstream media rarely covers Israel news accurately. IAK gets the facts – sometimes from Israeli media sites, where we can get a glimpse inside this country that is rife with turmoil and contradictions, and that receives $63 million a day from America.
UN Report Accuses Israeli Forces of Rape, Sexual Abuse* of Palestinian Detainees: According to the Secretary General’s report on conflict-related sexual violence, in 2025 the UN verified 31 cases of sexual violence linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: 14 men, seven women, nine children and one girl. Thirteen of the cases occurred in 2025, while 18 took place in 2023 and 2024. The report further cites a “systematic lack of accountability” for violations against Palestinians, which it says contributes to “a climate of impunity.”
Israeli security forces were listed alongside Hamas*, which was added to the UN blacklist last year over sexual violence committed by its members on October 7 and against hostages.
*NOTE: Investigators have not yet found a single credible report of rape by Hamas members on October 7th, 2023. The accusation of systematic mass rape is only one of the myths that have been thoroughly debunked.
On the other hand, credible testimonies abound (including at least one video) of Palestinians being sexually abused at the hands of Israeli soldiers – some of whom have become folk heroes. (American mainstream media have failed to cover this issue in any meaningful way.)
An Israeli female soldier was killed and seven troops were wounded on Thursday in explosive drone and anti-tank attacks launched by Hezbollah in northern Israel and southern Lebanon, according to the Israeli army and media. Israeli public broadcaster KAN said there have been 12 Israeli fatalities since the Lebanon ceasefire took effect in mid-April, including eight killed in Hezbollah explosive drone attacks.
ISRAEL-US WAR/CEASEFIRE ON IRAN – NEWS & HEADLINES:
It can not be overemphasized that Israel is the impetus behind US policies and actions vis-a-vis Iran. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing the US to attack Iran for decades, using lies and deception. Under President Trump, he got his wish.
Iran strongly condemned what it described as a US military strike near Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on Thursday, accusing Washington of repeatedly violating the ceasefire and threatening regional countries, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Thursday.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it targeted US airbase in Kuwait: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said early Thursday that it targeted a US airbase in Kuwait in response to an American aerial strike near Bandar Abbas Airport in southern Iran, Anadolu reports.
Replenishing advanced weapons stockpiles used in Iran war will take years: Analysis: The US has depleted its stocks of Tomahawk, Patriot, and THAAD missiles during the war on Iran, leaving it vulnerable if a war against China erupts.
US Treasury chief threatens to sanction Oman if it joins Hormuz tolls: “Oman, in particular, should know that the US Treasury will aggressively target any actors involved – directly or indirectly – in facilitating tolls for the Strait and any willing partners will be penalized,” Bessent warned in a post on X.
Israel Privately Pressing U.S. to Kill Iran’s Lead Negotiator and Launch New Strikes: Israeli officials are pushing the Trump administration to abandon peace talks, assassinate a senior Iranian negotiator, and resume a war they believe could still produce regime change.
The US and Israel Make a Farce of Landmark UN Nuclear Conference: As the US-Israeli war on Iran actively unravels 50 years of progress toward nuclear nonproliferation, this moment perfectly captured the backwardness of international nuclear policy.
DEATH TOLL – WAR ON IRAN (tentative):
- United States: 13 (or more)
- Iran: at least 3,636 (1,701 civilians, 254 children)
- Israel: about 40 (19 Israeli soldiers, and 1 friendly fire – including both Iran and Lebanon-related deaths; another count shows 20 Israeli civilian deaths)
- Arab states (including Palestine, excluding Lebanon), at least 154
ISRAEL’S WAR/CEASEFIRE ON LEBANON – NEWS & HEADLINES:
Israel has invaded Lebanon seven times in the last half century. Between 1978 and 2000, Israel maintained an 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon — Hezbollah was formed to fight that occupation.
15 killed in Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon amid ceasefire violations: Death toll includes children.
On average, 11 children killed or wounded every day in past week in Lebanon
Tyre is Now the Epicenter of Israel’s Assault on Lebanon: “It was the worst night since the start of the war, and this has been the worst war we have seen.”
New Israeli airstrike hits Beirut as mass destruction reported in Lebanon’s ancient city of Tyre: Israeli officials have been calling on Tel Aviv to resume attacks on the capital in response to Hezbollah’s deadly FPV strikes.
DEATH TOLL – WAR ON LEBANON (tentative):
- At least 380 killed since “ceasefire” began on April 17, 2026 (22 children, 39 women)
- At least 3,213 people have been killed since war began on March 2, 2026
MORE NEWS & HEADLINES:
Israel severs ties with UN chief’s office after being blacklisted for sexual violence*: Decision to blacklist Tel Aviv comes after multiple reports from media, human rights groups accusing Israeli military of engaging in sexual violence.
*NOTE: In spite of Danny Danon’s protestations, credible testimonies abound (including at least one video) of Palestinians being sexually abused at the hands of Israeli soldiers – some of whom have become folk heroes. (American mainstream media have failed to cover this issue in any meaningful way.)
On the other hand, Israel’s accusations of “mass rape” by Hamas members on October 7th have turned out to be pure fabrication, as independent news sites revealed early on, and consistently reported ever since. Israel has failed to produce a single identified victim or firsthand testimony, any forensic evidence or credible eyewitnesses. Mainstream media have disingenuously continued to report falsehoods.
Higher proportion of pro-Palestine than Labour candidates won at UK local elections
EU sanctions Israeli occupier (i.e. settler) groups*, individuals in occupied West Bank for rights abuses: Bloc lists 4 entities, 3 individuals under human rights sanctions regime.
*NOTE: More than 700,000 settlers live illegally on Palestinian land in over 500 settlements and settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Some settler groups have a history of violence against Palestinians, often with the assistance of Israeli military forces. Learn more about Israeli settler violence here and here.
In a landmark advisory opinion on July 19, 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land “illegal” and demanded the evacuation of all settlements.
Ex-Trump Campaign Chief Funneled Millions of Israeli Government Money to His Longtime Allies’ Companies: New public disclosures reveal a web of right-wing businesses being paid by Israel through Brad Parscale.
Company Behind California Chemical Leak Was Building F-35 Parts Amid Rush of Orders From U.S. and Israel: The military contractor responsible for a Southern California chemical leak that forced as many as 50,000 people to evacuate their homes over the weekend manufactures parts of F-35 fighter jets likely bound for Israel, The Intercept has learned.
ICYMI, A SELECTION OF YESTERDAY’S HEADLINES:
Without bodies, without goodbyes: Gaza’s disappeared leave behind endless grief
‘They stole our sheep, killed my son’: Israeli settlers, soldiers attack and loot West Bank villages
UN Adds Israel to Blacklist of Perpetrators of Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones, Ambassador Says
Hezbollah’s cheap, easy-to-get drones have Israeli soldiers diving for cover
President Donald Trump issued a stark threat to Oman on Wednesday
(Read yesterday’s daily update here.)
STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – MAY 28, 2026*:
- At least 73,985 Palestinians killed, 184,684 injured – including:
- Gaza: at least 72,819 killed (~22,000 children, 33,000 women and girls), 172,894 injured
- West Bank/East Jerusalem: at least 1,166 killed (~244 children), 11,700 injured
*NOTE: Thousands of those killed in Gaza have yet to be identified, and an estimated 8,000 more are still buried under rubble (some sources put the number of missing as high as 14,000); 3,000 more are reportedly missing. Only the dead who are brought to hospitals are included in the official fatality count. Additionally, the numbers of injured are very conservative estimates.
Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – May 28, 2026: ~1,661 – including ~1,139** on October 7, 2023 (~36 children), 472 military forces since the ground invasion began in Gaza, about 52 military and civilians (by one count, there have been 59 victims) in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Israel (these numbers do not include deaths from the conflicts with Lebanon or Iran).
By one count, Israeli attacks have killed approximately 282 Palestinian journalists and media workers (most recent March 9, 2026; other groups have tallied between 215 and 356 Palestinian journalists killed – depending on the criteria used). Palestinians have killed 4 Israeli journalists (all on October 7, 2023).
**NOTE: It is unknown at this time how many of the deaths and injuries of Israelis on October 7 were caused by Israeli soldiers.
- Human rights reports on Israel-Palestine (regularly updated)
- In the epicenter of Lebanon’s legacy of conflict with Israel lies Palestine – Two Articles
- U.S. bears brunt of Israel’s missile defense, Pentagon assessments show
- Joe Kent’s Memorial Day Speech on Israeli influence over the U.S. and the Executive branch
- UN Adds Israel to Blacklist of Perpetrators of Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones, Ambassador Says
- Israel Relaunches, Rebrands Online Propaganda Campaign
- Israel’s Proposal to End US Military Funding Is Actually Designed to Further Enmesh the US in Its Oppression of Palestinians
- Warmongers in meltdown as Trump heralds Iran deal
- ‘I feel like I lost my life’: Gaza amputees fight for mobility amid shortages
- Not just the US: How 51 countries armed Israel during Gaza war
- Democrats: It’s the genocide, stupid
- ‘Help Me, the Settlers Are Coming’: Armed With Clubs, They Beat a Palestinian Father and His Boy
- Deported flotilla activists allege ‘sadistic’ sexual abuse and torture in Israeli captivity
- The San Diego Mosque Hate Crime and the Political Leaders Who Lit the Fuse
- How Israel’s Resettlement Demands Shifted Toward Europe
