As Gaza death toll soars, US agrees to fund shady GHF – War on Gaza Day 628

MALNUTRITION EPIDEMIC: The UN’s humanitarian agency (OCHA) says a total of 18,741 children in Gaza have been admitted for the treatment of acute malnutrition since the beginning of this year. In the first two weeks of June alone, there were 1,648 new admissions. “The current volume and pace of deliveries remain critically insufficient to meet the needs of Gaza’s entire population, which is facing high levels of acute food insecurity,” OCHA said. “Consistent, frequent, large-scale deliveries through crossings are urgently needed to meet needs and stabilize availability, pricing, and affordability of wheat flour and other basic staples as well as reduce tensions and rebuild trust within communities. All UN-supported bakeries remain closed,” it added.

AID TRUCKS ARRIVE IN SPITE OF GHF: Around 10 aid trucks arrived safely at UN warehouses in Gaza city through the efforts and coordination of local communities – with no killings and chaos of Israeli occupation and US mercenaries organized aid distribution (video here).

WFP DELIVERED 1-DAY SUPPLY OF FOOD IN 1 MONTH: The World Food Program said in a post on X that it has only managed to deliver 9,000 metric tons of food to Gaza since 19 May – less than a day’s supply for the entire population over a period of more than four weeks.

TRUMP SAYS GAZA DEAL SOON: “I think great progress is being made on Gaza. Because of this attack that we made, I think we’re going to have some very good news. It showed a lot of power. I think it helped…That hit ended the war. I don’t want to use an example of Hiroshima, I don’t want to use an example of Nagasaki, but that was essentially the same thing, that ended that war. If we didn’t take that out, they would have been fighting right now,” Trump said during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the sidelines of a NATO summit in The Hague.

“BLOOD MONEY”: The US government approved a $30 million grant to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) on 20 June under a “priority directive” from the White House and the State Department. According to a document reviewed by Reuters, an initial $7 million had already been disbursed at the time. This is the first publicly known financial contribution by Washington to the GHF, which until now had received only diplomatic backing. Two officials cited in the report said the US may approve additional continuous monthly grants of $30 million to the group.

NOTE: The world has gotten firsthand accounts of Israel’s massacres of Gazans since the first day of so-called aid distribution; globally recognized human rights organizations have warned that the GHF model was deeply flawed and bound to create chaos, calling it a “dangerous, politicized sham”; news reports have indicated from early on that the organization was a tool of the Israeli government, allegedly funded by the notorious Israeli Mossad.

RELATED: I’m in northern Gaza. I would rather starve than take GHF aid

MORE ON GAZA:

A new study has found that at least 75,200 Palestinians were killed in Gaza between October 2023 and January 2025 as a direct result of Israel’s military campaign. This figure is almost 40 per cent higher than the death toll reported by the Gaza Ministry of Health (GMoH) for the same period, which stood at approximately 45,650.

The study, Violent and Nonviolent Death Tolls for the Gaza War: New Primary Evidence, present the results from a large-scale household survey the Gaza Mortality Survey (GMS). It is the most comprehensive and scientifically grounded estimate of war-related deaths in the enclave to date. It also estimates 8,540 excess nonviolent deaths, due to starvation, disease, and the collapse of healthcare systems, bringing the combined toll of the war to nearly 84,000 lives lost.

The research was conducted by an international team of scholars: Michael Spagat (Royal Holloway, University of London), Jon Pedersen (independent), Khalil Shikaki (Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research), Michael Robbins (Princeton University), Eran Bendavid (Stanford University), Håvard Hegre (Peace Research Institute Oslo), and Debarati Guha-Sapir (Université Catholique de Louvain) (continue reading here).

Israeli report warns: Relying on Abu Shabab’s militia in Gaza destined to fail

Israel appears to have suffered another setback in its ongoing war on the Gaza Strip, this time due to its reliance on a militia it has recently armed and funded in the hope of it playing multiple roles — including supporting the Israeli army and replacing Hamas as a power on the ground.

The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth has reported that the militia, led by Yasser Abu Shabab, is struggling to fulfil the tasks Israel had expected it to carry out in the Gaza Strip to help establish control over the territory.

According to the paper, the militia consists of around 400 fighters and is mainly operating in the buffer zone near Rafah. It has so far failed to expand its presence beyond this limited area.

In a recent statement, the militia — whose leader Abu Shabab was previously mentioned in a United Nations internal memo as being responsible for the systematic looting of humanitarian aid — said: “We expect an immediate solution to the problem of aid theft. Distribution will take place under a new mechanism to ensure that every citizen receives his share.”

However, it remains unclear whether the militia will be involved in the distribution process, how it would do so, and to what extent, while the US-funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) continues its operations in the Strip.

RELATED: The rise of Abu Shabab: Mapping the Gaza militia armed by Israel

Trump Tries to ‘Save’ Netanyahu From Israeli Challenges

On Wednesday, President Trump took to Truth Social to go to bat for “Bibi” by trying to give his friend a much-needed boost at home, where Netanyahu faces a number of political challenges.

Trump blasted what he called a “Witch Hunt” against Israel’s “Great War Time Prime Minister.”

“Bibi and I just went through HELL together, fighting a very tough and brilliant longtime enemy of Israel, Iran, and Bibi could not have been better, sharper, or stronger in his LOVE for the incredible Holy Land,” Trump wrote. “Anybody else would have suffered losses, embarrassment, and chaos!”

“Bibi Netanyahu was a WARRIOR, like perhaps no other Warrior in the History of Israel, and the result was something that nobody thought was possible, a complete elimination of potentially one of the biggest and most powerful Nuclear Weapons anywhere in the World,” Trump continued, repeating a debated claim, “and it was going to happen, SOON! We were fighting, literally, for the Survival of Israel, and there is nobody in Israel’s History that fought harder or more competently than Bibi Netanyahu.”

Trump went on to call it a “TRAVESTY OF ‘JUSTICE’” that Netanyahu faces (continue reading here).

HEADLINES FROM GAZA:

NOTABLE QUOTE:

The year 2024 witnessed an unprecedented escalation of violence against children, as well as a devastating record of attacks on humanitarian personnel and United Nations staff on the ground.

All too often, children continue to bear the brunt of relentless hostilities, indiscriminate attacks, blunt disregard for ceasefires, peace efforts, and shocking disregard for international humanitarian and human rights law.

We cannot continue to stand by and watch with no action what is happening to the children globally, and especially in Gaza. The scale of destruction and suffering borne by the children of Gaza defies and contravenes every human standard. There is no justification for depriving children of access to the means for their survival, including access to food, health care and security.

Let us renew the global consensus on child protection and uphold every child’s fundamental right to life, health, education, and a safe future. We cannot afford to return to the dark ages, where children were invisible and voiceless victims of armed conflict. Please do not allow them to slip back into the shadows of despair.

IRAN AND IRAN-ADJACENT NEWS AND HEADLINES:

LATEST STATISTICS: Iran’s Health Ministry says at least 627 people were killed and more than 4,870 injured during Israel’s 12 days of attacks on the country. At least 28 people were killed in Iranian strikes on Israel.

RELATED: Iran won, Israel lost

Donald Trump and the US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, have admitted to some doubt over the scale of the damage inflicted on Iran’s nuclear sites by the US bombing at the weekend, after a leaked Pentagon assessment said the Iranian program had been set back by only a few months.

“The intelligence was very inconclusive,” Trump told journalists at a NATO summit in The Hague, introducing an element of uncertainty for the first time after several days of emphatic declarations that the destruction had been total.

The president then appeared to revert to his claim that “it was very severe. There was obliteration”. Later in the day, he claimed that was the conclusion from “collected intelligence”, and that the Iranian program had been set back “decades”.

 

Trump also likened the US use of massive bunker-buster bombs on the Fordow and Natanz uranium enrichment sites to the impact of the US nuclear weapons dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the second world war, using the comparison specifically in reference to their impact in ending a conflict (continue reading here).

RELATED: 12 posts from ‘12 day war’: How Trump live-posted Israel-Iran conflict

War Powers Resolution From House Dems May Not Limit Trump’s War Powers

In an apparent nod to Israel, some Democrats want to give Trump power to defend “an ally or partner of the United States from imminent attack.”*

As some Democrats try to push forward legislation that would block further strikes on Iran, one measure advanced by House leadership could actually strengthen the Trump administration’s justification for subsequent attacks, anti-war advocates warn.

House progressives on Wednesday were trying to reach a compromise with Democratic leaders that would curb further U.S. military involvement in Iran while satisfying concerns from pro-Israel members about American support for Israel’s missile defense.

There are three different war powers resolutions in play in Washington. In the Senate, a resolution from Tim Kaine, D-Va., appears to be on track for a vote on Friday. In the House, however, Democrats remain sharply divided between two resolutions (continue reading here).

*NOTE: The Western political establishment is heavily influenced by the Israel lobby, one of the wealthiest most powerful lobbies in the hallways of Congress–which lobbies on behalf of a foreign government without the oversight such groups should have. The Israel lobby works to portray those who oppose the genocide of Palestinians as villains, and the perpetrator of genocide as the victim.

RELATED: AIPAC: Has the pro-Israel lobby bribed and bought the US Democratic Party?

Perception vs reality: What the Israel–Iran war actually reveals

FBI probes intel leak questioning Trump’s claim of ‘obliterating’ Iran nuclear program

Iran vows uninterrupted nuclear enrichment after US-Israeli war

WEST BANK/EAST JERUSALEM NEWS AND HEADLINES:

(For background on the West Bank, read this and this)

Five Palestinians killed in occupied West Bank by settlers*, Israeli troops

At least four Palestinians, including a teenager, have been killed in the occupied West Bank, where soldiers have been carrying out deadly raids for months and settlers have been violently rampaging against civilians unchecked, backed by the military.

The thirteen-year-old was shot by Israeli forces, while the other three Palestinians were killed in an Israeli settler attack on the town of Kafr Malek, northeast of Ramallah. Seven others were injured in the settler attack.

Dozens of Israeli settlers attacked the town, burning vehicles and homes as residents of neighboring villages attempted to confront them, local sources said. Israeli troops provided protection for the settlers and fired live rounds.

This was the second time a teenager was reported killed in the occupied territory in two days (continue reading here).

A fifth Palestinian was killed during a raid in Shu’fat Camp near Jerusalem early this morning, when Israeli forces fired shots that reportedly hit a 66-year-old woman in the head, killing her. Her name was Zahia Judah al-Obaidi. Israel’s Ynet News site reports that Israeli police have launched a probe into the incident.

NOTE: Israel’s self-investigations consistently whitewash its crimes and fail to appropriately punish the perpetrators. Israeli sources, including the government itself, have a long track record of lying (for example, this and this and this.)

*Israel has illegally built around 280 settlements on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, which are home to more than 700,000 illegal settlers. Israeli settlements and settlers on Palestinian land are a violation of international law, and considered by many Palestinians to be the main barrier to any lasting peace agreement.

Some settler groups have a history of violence against Palestinians, often with the assistance of Israeli military forces.

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 in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

More than 200 illegal Israeli settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque under police protection

Soldiers Injure, Abduct Palestinian Teen Near Nablus

Israel Moves To Annex Palestinian Lands In Hizma, Jerusalem

Israeli Army Abducts 17 Palestinians In Nablus And Qalqilia

Israeli Colonizers Invade Bedouin Community In Jericho

Israeli settlers attack Christian Palestinian town in the West Bank

More horrific footage from the Israeli settler pogrom against the Christian village of Taybeh, Ramallah, in the West Bank, where settlers set houses and vehicles on fire. pic.twitter.com/97xW3epLEf

— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) June 25, 2025

PROTEST HEADLINES:

OTHER NEWS:

Israel’s military said to be running low on some key weaponry

STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – JUNE 25, 2025:

• At least 57,257 Palestinians killed, 141,243 injured – including:
• at least 56,259 killed in Gaza (~16,500 children) 
• at least 998 killed in the West Bank (~200 children)
• at least 132,458 injured in Gaza
• at least 8,785 injured in the West Bank

According to Palestinian authorities, during the ceasefire Jan. 19 – March 18 2025, Israeli attacks killed at least 170 Gazans, and Israel committed at least 962 ceasefire violations.

Since the Israeli army resumed its assaults on Gaza on March 18, it has killed at least 5,936 people. 31 Israeli soldiers (most recent June 24) have been killed during the same time period.

Thousands of those killed in Gaza have yet to be identified, and an estimated 14,000 more are still buried under rubble.

Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – June 25, 2025: ~1,620 – including ~1,139 on October 7, 2023 (~36 children), 435 military forces since the ground invasion began in Gaza, 46 military and civilians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Israel.

By one count, Israeli attacks have killed approximately 221 Palestinian journalists and media workers; Palestinians have killed 4 Israeli journalists (other groups have tallied between 185 and 283 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)
• The infants who died at the sound of bombs: Death without weeping
• In Light of Israel’s War on Iran, the Late David Glick’s 2015 Essay Proves Sadly Predictive
• ‘The Hunger Games’: Inside Israel’s aid death traps for starving Gazans
• Trump official to The Grayzone: CIA’s Ratcliffe acts as ‘Mossad stenographer’ on Iran
• The Iran war is Trump’s unconditional surrender to Israel
• Israel is luring the US into a trap
• ‘Trapped in incubators’: Gaza’s premature babies caught between Israeli siege and world silence
• What Life Is Like for a Palestinian in Israel as It Attacks Iran
• Genocide goes Squid Game as Israel outsources ‘aid’ to Gaza gangs
• AIPAC demands Democrats “stand with Israel” on Iran
• Mahmoud Khalil released from ICE detention after more than three months
• Why BBC editors must one day stand trial for colluding in Israel’s genocide
• American Committee on Foreign Relations Miseducates Public and Censors Truth-Telling Analysts
• UC San Francisco fired me for speaking out against genocide, but as a physician I could not remain silent
• Is Israel’s favorite US general helping to push us into war?
• Israel blocks its Palestinian citizens from bomb shelters during Iran strikes
• Meet the American military veterans fasting for Gaza
• IAEA report didn’t say Iran is producing nuclear weapons
• BBC coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza ‘systematically biased against Palestinians’
• Zionism Is Not an American Principle
• Massie, Democrats move to block US strikes on Iran