Compilation of news reports – IAK staff
Israeli forces killed at least 11 Palestinians in Gaza on Wednesday, including 2 aid seekers. In total, Israel has killed at least 2,615 aid seekers since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation opened on May 27, 2025 (learn about aid seekers here).
The number of known starvation/malnutrition deaths stands at 460, including 154 children.
Additional statistics below. For detail on Israeli attacks in Gaza on Wednesday, go here.
CEASEFIRE NEWS & HEADLINES:
Israel and Hamas agree to first phase of Gaza ceasefire plan
Israel and Hamas agreed late on Wednesday to the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire that will see the release of captives and prisoners, a pulling back of Israeli troops, as well as a surge of aid into Gaza after more than two years of war.
Hamas will exchange 20 living captives for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners as part of the first phase of a deal, a source within the group told AFP.
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan,” Trump said on his Truth Social network. “This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.”
Trump also thanked mediators Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, adding: “BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”
No peace yet
Following the announcement, Israel carried out a series of air strikes on the Gaza Strip, targeting western areas of Gaza City, including a house in the Shati camp and also detonating an armored vehicle riddled with explosives near homes in the Sabra neighborhood, south of the city, Al Jazeera Arabic reports.
Israeli quadcopters were also reported to have dropped bombs on civilians in Gaza City.
Heavy airstrikes and artillery shelling were also reported in Khan Younis overnight.
At least nine people were killed in the attacks since dawn Thursday, health officials said.
Under the agreement’s first phase, Hamas is expected to release 20 Israeli captives believed to be alive, along with the bodies of 28 others. Israel will release over 1,000 Palestinian detainees, including hundreds from Gaza detained since the war began.
Discussions are still ongoing regarding the identities of the Palestinian detainees to be freed. A senior Israeli official stated that the release of Israeli captives is expected on Sunday or Monday, following ratification of the deal by Israel’s government.
CEASEFIRE HEADLINES:
Gaza ceasefire to begin Thursday evening, hostages to be returned by Monday
IDF warns Palestinians not to return to Gaza City ‘until further instructions,’ avoid areas with soldiers
Trump’s Plan to Deprive Palestinians Any Say in Their Future
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.)
Over 50,000 children under five suffering acute malnutrition in Gaza
A study conducted by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (Unrwa) shows that 54,600 children in Gaza are either acutely or severely malnourished, The Lancet reported on Wednesday.
Acute malnutrition (or wasting) is a life-threatening condition and is defined as a child being too thin for their height, indicating rapid weight loss and a severe lack of energy, protein and other nutrients.
It can also be assessed by measuring the circumference of a child’s upper arm with a calibrated tape, as was done in the UNRWA study (continue reading here).
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About $52bn needed to rebuild Gaza, UN official says
Jorge Moreira da Silva, director of the United Nations Office for Project Services, has told our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic that approximately $52bn will be needed to rebuild the Gaza Strip.
Da Silva said 80 percent of the Gaza Strip’s infrastructure had been destroyed by the conflict and the process of removing the rubble was the immediate priority.
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Grim daily toll of Israel’s war on Gaza highlighted by enclave’s media office
Gaza’s Government Media Office has issued a statement on the average daily toll of the two-year genocidal war on the enclave. Since October 7, 2023, Israel:
- killed 18 male and female students and one teacher daily
- destroyed 367 housing units daily
- demolished more than one mosque daily
- made 394 families homeless daily
- destroyed a central water well daily
- destroyed 7 kilometres (4.3 miles) of electricity networks daily
- destroyed 959 metres (3,146 feet) of water networks daily
- destroyed 959 metres (3,146 feet) of sewage networks daily
- destroyed 4,000 metres (13,123 feet) of roads daily
- targeted one shelter and displacement centre every 3 days
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GAZA HEADLINES:
Israel Has Damaged or Destroyed 83% of All Buildings in Gaza City
Unicef’s James Elder says the israelis have denied 4 transfers of incubators to northern Gaza & newborns are sharing oxygen masks pic.twitter.com/8Hw6ealCUe
— Sarah Wilkinson (@swilkinsonbc) October 8, 2025
FLOTILLA NEWS & HEADLINES:
(Read about the Gaza Freedom Flotilla 2025 missions here and here; learn about the deadly mission in 2010 here; and find out about the global flotilla here.)
Israeli army intercepts latest wave of Gaza-bound aid boats
The Israeli army intercepted a new Gaza-bound flotilla of nine boats belonging to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) carrying humanitarian aid for the besieged strip on 8 October, just days after seizing the Global Sumud Flotilla’s boats and detaining and mistreating hundreds of activists.
“Early morning, Gaza time, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and Thousand Madleens to Gaza ships were illegally intercepted by Israeli occupation forces. Participants – humanitarians, doctors, and journalists from across the world – have been taken against their will,” Global Sumud Flotilla said on social media.
“The Israeli military has no legal jurisdiction over international waters. Our flotilla poses no harm. We carry vital aid worth over $110,000 in medicines, respiratory equipment, and nutritional supplies that were destined for Gaza’s starving hospitals,” said the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza (ICBSG), a founding member of the FFC (continue reading here).
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Lawmakers from various countries call for release of Global Sumud Flotilla detainees remaining in Israel
Dozens of parliamentarians from the European Parliament, the United Kingdom, Turkiye and several European countries, have signed an open letter, calling on Israel to release all the remaining members of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a Gaza-bound aid flotilla that was intercepted last week by the Israeli army in international waters.
The document condemned Israel’s move as a “blatant breach of international law” and urged governments to press for “the immediate, unconditional release of remaining detainees, with protection from ill-treatment and guaranteed medical care, legal counsel and consular access”.
Over 100 activists are still being held in “a high-security prison with no clarity on their status”, the open letter said. “Reports from released detainees cite lack of essential medicines, inadequate food and water, unsanitary conditions, humiliation, denial of counsel and consular access, and arbitrary delays – conduct that, if confirmed, breaches international humanitarian law,” the statement read.
OCCUPIED WEST BANK/EAST JERUSALEM HEADLINES:
(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.)
Israeli colonists kill Palestinian, injure three others near Ramallah
Israeli colonists on Wednesday evening killed a Palestinian, 26-year-old Jehad Mohammad Ajjaj, and injured three others in Deir Jarir village, east of Ramallah.
An armed colonist reportedly hurled stones at Palestinian-licensed vehicles on the road linking the village to Silwad; when several youths approached him, the colonist opened fire, killing Ajjaj and injuring others.
According to the statistics of the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, Ajjaj’s death brings the total number of Palestinian civilians killed by Israeli colonists since the beginning of 2025 and since October 7, 2023, to 13 and 34, respectively.
WEST BANK HEADLINES:
Army Shoots 5 Palestinians in Nablus, Tubas, and Jerusalem
ISRAEL NEWS & HEADLINES:
(Get a glimpse inside Israel and the turmoil and contradictions within the country. Often, our news items and headlines are taken from Israeli media.)
Israeli Jerusalem Post publishes false information about ceasefire lead-up
The Jerusalem Post claimed that Israel made a major concession that contributed to the agreement with Hamas:
Israel conceded on holding its fire: While little discussed, Israel stopped shooting and bombing on Saturday, having received nothing in return. In fact, this situation of Israel holding its fire for nothing concrete, and only a promise of a deal, lasted for five days until early Thursday morning.
Going even further, if the first hostages come home on Monday, Israel will have given Hamas nine days without being attacked before receiving the first hostage back.
In reality, Israel had agreed to halt aggression, but not “defensive” attacks – and even this promise was not carried out.
Over the past 5 days, Israeli forces have reportedly launched more than 271 airstrikes, killing 126 Palestinians, despite repeated international calls to halt the bombardment, including statements from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Al Jazeera reporters stated that if anything, the intensity of the bombing had increased.
HERE’S WHAT ISRAELIS ARE READING:
Israel’s far-right Smotrich says party won’t support Gaza deal: ‘Israel must continue eradicating Hamas after hostages return’
U.S. and Qatar guarantee Hamas that Israel won’t resume Gaza fighting after the first phase of the cease-fire
Trump: ‘Bibi called me and said, ‘Everyone is liking me now.’ I said, ‘More importantly, they love Israel again’
American Jews are slipping away
OTHER NEWS & HEADLINES:
Omar Yaghi, a Palestinian refugee, wins Nobel prize in chemistry
A Palestinian scientist who grew up in a refugee camp in Jordan has been awarded the Nobel prize in chemistry for his work developing a new form of molecular architecture which has the potential to limit the impacts of climate change.
Omar Yaghi was awarded the prize along with Susumu Kitagawa and Richard Robson for “the development of metal-organic frameworks” (MFOs) – constructions between molecules that could be used to capture and store or break down harmful gases and chemicals.
The academy said in a statement that the MFOs can be used to “harvest water from desert air, capture carbon dioxide, store toxic gases or catalyze chemical reactions”, adding that the discoveries “may contribute to solving some of humankind’s greatest challenges” (continue reading here).
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Educators, staff and students launch hunger strikes across the US
High school and university educators, staff and students are starting hunger strikes across the US in solidarity with Palestinians, who are undergoing a widespread famine in Gaza, on Wednesday.
More than 100 K-12 educators are conducting a coordinated hunger strike for three days to pressure lawmakers to intercede on behalf of Palestinian children in Gaza, which Unicef named as the most dangerous place to be a child in December 2023, followed by Doctors Without Borders in June 2024.
Some educators will participate in the full three-day hunger strike, while others will fast during lunch only (continue reading here).
MORE HEADLINES:
Van Jones and the moral vacancy of American commentary on Gaza
ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT) – A SELECTION OF YESTERDAY’S HEADLINES:
PJS: “Israel Is Committing Mediacide In Gaza”
US’s top diplomat vows ‘unwavering’ backing for Israel
Palestinian detainee dies due to deliberate medical negligence
(Read yesterday’s daily update here.)
TAKE ACTION FOR GAZA
If Americans Knew has prepared a whole set of resources for educating and informing the public on the situation in Gaza: short videos, statistics, links, and downloadable flyers that you can print and hand out.
Watch this introductory video, and visit the website. Then pitch in to make a difference!
STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – OCTOBER 8, 2025*:
- At least 68,244 Palestinians killed, 179,890 injured – including:
- at least 67,194 killed in Gaza (~20,000 children, 23,000 women)
- at least 1,050 killed in the West Bank (~212 children)
- at least 169,890 injured in Gaza
- more than 10,000 injured in the West Bank
- at least 460 have died from malnutrition in Gaza, including 154 children
At least 2,615 Palestinians have been killed while trying to access aid parcels from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which started operating on May 26, 2025.
Since the Israeli army unilaterally broke the January ceasefire on March 18, 2025, it has killed at least 13,598 people. 65 Israeli soldiers (most recent Sept. 28) have been killed during the same time period.
*NOTE: Thousands of those killed in Gaza have yet to be identified, and an estimated 14,000 more are still buried under rubble. Additionally, the numbers of injured and starved are very conservative estimates.
Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – October 8, 2025: ~1,658 – including ~1,139 on October 7, 2023 (~36 children), 466 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 270 Palestinian journalists and media workers; Palestinians have killed 4 Israeli journalists (other groups have tallied between 203 and 323 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.
- Human rights reports on Israel-Palestine (regularly updated)
- Israel’s Systematic Crimes Against Palestinian Detainees
- Washington burns through $34bn supporting Israel in post-7 October wars: Report
- New CBS owner David Ellison met with top Israeli general in scheme to spy on Americans
- Netanyahu has a new, well-paid army to fight for Israel on social media
- 7 October 2023: What really happened?
- In a final interview, Jane Goodall said she wanted to send Netanyahu on a one-way trip to space
- US has given at least $21.7 billion in military aid to Israel since war in Gaza began, report says
- Gaza’s children face genetic harm ‘for generations to come’ from Israel’s genocide
- New PAC Launches to Boost Pro-Israel Democrats in New York
- Oracle execs: Love Israel or maybe this isn’t the job for you
- We Promised Them We Would Return
- Jake Tapper is worried about efforts to ‘infringe’ on free speech, except when the speech is about Palestine
- Israel Expands U.S. Propaganda Effort with $10 Million Influence Blitz Targeting Gen Z, Christians, and AI Systems
- 15 reasons why UN experts say Trump’s Gaza plan breaches int’l law, and other startling revelations
- Only a Billionaire Could Look at Network TV News and Say: We Need More Bari Weiss
- Who’s really encouraging attacks like the one on a synagogue? Look to our leaders
- Why is the Oakland Airport shipping death weapons to Israel?
- Will California Zionize K-12 Education?
- GAMAAN: The Polling OP That’s Gaslighting The West About Iran
