News roundup for Friday, July 31, 2026, Day 1,029 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 strikes killed two Palestinians and injured dozens Friday across the Gaza Strip, according to medical sources.
After Israel killed her three sons, she found hope in a newborn. Then he was killed too: Fatima Nofal gave birth to Zaid after losing three sons in an Israeli air strike in 2023. Fifteen months later, another Israeli strike killed him in central Gaza.
CEASEFIRE NEWS & HEADLINES:
Hamas says it accepts Gaza ceasefire deal* for 2nd phase tied to Israeli compliance: The Palestinian group Hamas has agreed to a written agreement for the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire based on a “comprehensive package” of reciprocal and simultaneous commitments, conditional on Israel’s full implementation of the first phase, a Hamas spokesperson said, adding that the agreement should be treated as a single, integrated package. “If Israel does not implement (its obligations under the agreement), we will not implement ours either,” Hamad said.
*NOTE: According to the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, signed by Hamas and Israel on October 9, 2025, the IDF was required to withdraw troops to specified lines and not return; all military operations were to be suspended; and Israel was to begin allowing entry of at least 600 truckloads of humanitarian aid per day.
Today, Israel has not only not withdrawn, it is holding more of Gaza than before – from 53% to approaching 70% (with possible plans for 100%); military operations have continued, with almost daily attacks and at least 1,200 Palestinians killed; and an average of about 85 truckloads of aid have entered Gaza per day.
The Israeli government has rejected a proposal reached by mediators in Cairo with Palestinian factions and is insisting on the complete disarmament of Hamas* as a key condition for any progress on US President Donald Trump’s plan, according to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. The report said Israel has made clear it will not withdraw from the so-called Yellow Line until Hamas is fully disarmed and the Gaza Strip is completely demilitarized.
The main disagreement between Israel, the United States and the mediators** is reportedly that the proposed agreement would allow weapons to be stored inside Gaza after being taken out of service under international supervision, while Israel insists that all weapons must be removed from the territory entirely.
*NOTE: Critically, Hamas has made clear all along that it will not surrender its weapons as long as the occupation remains in place. Netanyahu and Trump have been ignoring this fact.
As Hamas spokesperson Basem Naim stated, “The problem [between Israel and Gaza] is fundamentally political, not security-based, and its solution lies not in the weapons of the resistance but in [ending] the Zionist occupation. Gaza is not a real-estate project; it is an integral part of the Palestinian homeland.”
For more on this critical point, read/watch Israel’s Best-Kept Secret: Palestinian Resistance Never Agreed to Disarm
**NOTE: It is crucial to notice that the Palestinians are not part of these “negotiations.”
Hamas says Israel must halt attacks to advance Gaza ceasefire’s 2nd phase
Board of Peace sets $400M limit for Gaza administration’s financial commitments
Full text: 15-point draft peace plan between Hamas and Israel in Gaza: Note that Hamas has agreed to disarm only after Israel has fulfilled its responsibilities from Phase One of the agreement.
Read a summary of the roadmap for the 2nd phase of Gaza ceasefire agreement
Gaza administration committee* says it is ready to govern enclave after ceasefire progress: Committee says it has completed preparations to restore public services, facilitate aid and lead reconstruction as roadmap for second phase of Gaza ceasefire. advances.
*NOTE: The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) is a low-tier technocratic committee, made up of Palestinians, tasked with doing the grunt work of managing and rebuilding Gaza – if and when Israel allows the group to enter the Strip and provides it with the means to rule. It will be answerable to the so-called Board of Peace, a pay-to-play group of wealthy and powerful Israel supporters, dictators, and authoritarians – but no Palestinians. In fact, the organization’s charter makes no reference to Gaza.
DEATH TOLL – GAZA GENOCIDE (tentative):
- At least 1,214 since ceasefire began Oct. 11, 2025 (247 children, 191 women)
- 5 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire began – one by friendly fire, and four others in incidents during the first three weeks of the ceasefire.
- 73,341 killed (~22,000 children, 33,000 women and girls) since October 2023
- More statistics below
Israeli attacks continue across Gaza, as the UN warns many of the nearly 1.9 million displaced Palestinians are forced to shelter dangerously close to active military positions pic.twitter.com/uuPbo7UFEf
— TRT World (@trtworld) July 31, 2026
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.)
The Israeli government has approved the establishment of 104 illegal settlements* and around 160 settlement farms in the occupied West Bank since the current administration was formed in November 2022, according to Israeli defense minister Israel Katz.
*NOTE: Israeli settlers – many fueled by extremism – have carried out a number of mass attacks or “pogroms.” These well-organized groups aim to destroy the West Bank economy and/or drive out the indigenous Palestinians (including Palestinian Christians). Settlers enjoy impunity – even support and assistance from the Israeli government and military – as they attack Palestinians on a daily basis. Meanwhile Palestinians are not allowed to own weapons.
Eliyahu, son of the Hebron massacre perpetrator, leads West Bank settlement expansion: Baruch Goldstein carried out the 1994 Ibrahimi Mosque massacre that left 29 people dead. His son Eliyahu Goldstein is described by Palestinian residents as one of the most extremist and violent settlers in the greater Hebron area.
Israeli occupiers (i.e. settlers) cut main water pipeline serving Bedouin communities in East Jerusalem: Incident leaves several Bedouin communities without drinking and irrigation water.
Army Shoots Two Palestinians, Settlers Shoot One, in the West Bank
Palestinian child, young man injured in Israeli attacks across West Bank
Occupation Forces Invade West Bank Districts, Abduct Dozens
Israeli army says over 200 Palestinians arrested in West Bank over past week
Israeli occupiers raid areas near Nablus, army arrests 14 Palestinians in raids across West Bank
Widespread Colonizer (i.e. Settler) Attacks Across Occupied West Bank
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.
ISRAELI MEDIA: It’s No Wonder Israelis Want War. Violence Has Become a Source of Joy: What if one reason Israelis are so happy is that brutality has become pleasurable?
ISRAELI MEDIA: IDF Closes Probe Into Brutal 2023 Abuse Case of West Bank Palestinians: Charges included an attempted sexual assault, severe violence, looting and the dissemination of photographs showing bound Palestinians stripped to their underwear. After investigating the brutal attack, the Military Advocate General’s Office decided that the evidence collected did not establish the involvement of specific soldiers to the standard required for criminal prosecution.
U.S. general warns Pentagon he lacks sufficient forces to protect Israel: A shortage of Navy destroyers, used to defend against Iranian ballistic missile attacks, will force the head of U.S. European Command to prioritize the U.S. homeland instead, officials said.
ISRAELI MEDIA: Israeli lawyer advocates killing Palestinians to BBC a week after deadly shooting: An Israeli citizen told a BBC reporter he believed hundreds of residents of nearby Palestinian villages should be killed in response to the deadly shooting that killed two Israelis, the BBC reported. Yehuda Shimon confirmed to the reporter that, despite his occupation as a lawyer, the only law that really mattered to him was the Bible.
Netanyahu drags Mamdani into his reelection campaign as face of antisemitism*: The Israeli prime minister’s latest campaign video casts New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as a perpetrator of anti-Israel ideology in his bid to rally Israeli voters.
*NOTE: Israel partisans are quick to label speakers of inconvenient truths as antisemites – then dismiss those truths. When a human rights org publishes a report stating that Israel is committing genocide or apartheid, for example, or that Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal (as Mayor Mamdani did), Israel partisans generally accuse them of spreading disinformation, being antisemitic, or using a blood libel. What the accusers do not do is engage with the facts in the report to show mistakes or lies – because the reports are legitimate and documented.
Israeli leaders and pro-Israel organizations have a long history of conflating Jews with the state of Israel – the so-called “Jewish State” (of which 21% of its residents are non-Jews).
IRAN, LEBANON, & SYRIA – 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.
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.
Although Israel is not at war with Syria, the Israeli army has reportedly carried out over 1,600 violations inside Syrian territory since August 2025, and demanded the demilitarization of southern Syria – but also vowed to permanently occupy some areas.
IRAN
Iran claimed to have struck two oil tankers Friday morning, and its Persian Gulf Strait Authority said in a statement Friday that “transit through the Strait of Hormuz is not possible.” CENTCOM disputes this, posting on X Friday that “the Strait of Hormuz remains open for commercial vessel transit. Iran does not control it.”
Israel and US Ridiculed for Reportedly Considering “Land Blockade” of Iran: This would be an enormous undertaking and involve sending US troops to several non-ally countries – Iran shares a 3,380-mile land border with seven countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan.
US crude stockpiles drop to ‘precariously low’ levels amid Hormuz closure, while US oil refiners enjoy record profits.
US weighs reducing military footprint in Kuwait due to heavy losses inflicted by Iran: Report: The presence of US troops has become a liability for Kuwait, making it a target of retaliatory Iranian strikes on its critical infrastructure.
LEBANON
Israeli army detonates 700 tons of explosives near Lebanon’s historic Beaufort Castle: Shockwaves from the explosions registered 3.8 on seismic monitoring scales. Lebanese authorities have denied Israeli claims that there are ‘Hezbollah tunnels’ under the nearly 900-year-old UNESCO World Heritage site.
DEATH TOLL – WARS ON IRAN & LEBANON (tentative):
- United States: 18 since Feb. 28, 2026
- Iran: at least 3,636 (1,701 civilians) since Feb. 28, 2026 (another source puts the number at 3,499)
- Lebanon: at least 4,333 people since March 2, 2026
- Arab states: at least 154 (including Palestine, excluding Lebanon)
- Israel: at least 60 people (Iran killed 20 civilians; Hezbollah killed 36 soldiers, 4 civilians)
MORE NEWS & HEADLINES:
Columbia University student workers’ union withdraws Israel divestment demand: Move signifies major shift in the union’s politics and orientation, as it has devoted itself to the pro-Palestinian student movement since the start of Israel’s genocide.
Pro-Palestine activist Mohamad Hamad, detained for over a year, details FBI harassment and profiling: Hamad speaks to media for the first time while incarcerated, revealing harassment and stereotyping from US authorities.
Trump says ‘there is no information’ International Criminal Court is after him: Rubio ‘is not trying to defend me. He’s trying to defend Bibi and various other people,’ says US president.
UK charges 1,500+ people over signs opposing Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza: More than 3,500 individuals have been arrested under terror laws for holding signs that say ‘I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.’ Amnesty International said sentencing protesters as having a terrorist connection is a disproportionate move, and warned that the use of terrorism laws against protesters must end.
ICYMI, A SELECTION OF YESTERDAY’S HEADLINES:
CIA Assessment Details Israel’s Race to Make the U.S.-Israel Alliance Irreversible
‘I am dying slowly’: Gaza professor blocked from cancer treatment by Israel’s siege
Over 4,000 children killed or injured in Iran war
Israeli demolitions in southern Lebanon generate seismic waves the equivalent of a 3.8-magnitude earthquake
No TV experience? At CBS News, that’s no problem
(Read yesterday’s daily update here.)
STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – July 31, 2026*:
- At least 74,514 Palestinians killed, 187,009 injured – including:
- Gaza: at least 73,341 killed (~22,000 children, 33,000 women and girls), 174,086 injured
- West Bank/East Jerusalem: at least 1,185 killed (~251 children) since Oct. 7, 2023, 13,000 injured
*NOTE: Thousands of remains in Gaza have yet to be identified, and thousands more are still buried under rubble; others are reportedly missing.
Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – July 31, 2026: ~1,663 – 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).
**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 Satanic Hazing Rituals of the IDF
- Israel Is Paying Millions to Train AI Chatbots How to Talk About Gaza. It’s Working.
- The Killing of Awdah Hathaleen: Beyond a Settler Crime
- Republican Voters are Turning against the Iran War
- Haley Stevens Is an Enemy of International Law
- Were the first Zionists Christian? A review.
- Ben Gvir’s crocodiles are the latest weapon in Israel’s animal warfare on Palestinians
- CIA Assessment Details Israel’s Race to Make the U.S.-Israel Alliance Irreversible
- How much is your support for Israel worth? Try $1 billion.
- Israeli Media: Israel’s Defense Chief Is Enabling Jewish Terror: 2 Articles
- Why the New York Times story on Mossad recruiting Ahmadinejad doesn’t add up
- The Facts on ICC’s Karim Khan’s Dismissal after Court’s Arrest Warrant for Netanyahu
- By 22-Point Margin, Americans Think Netanyahu Should Be Arrested on US Soil
- What an Israeli settler pogrom feels like
