Compilation of news reports – IAK staff
(Day 737 of Israel’s Latest War on Gaza)
63 martyrs arrived at Gaza Strip hospitals over the past 24 hours.
The number of known starvation/malnutrition deaths stands at 463, including 157 children.
NOTE: Only the dead who are brought to hospitals are included in the official fatality count. At this point, most of the dead have been recovered from under the rubble. Others have succumbed to earlier injuries.
Additional statistics below.
HOSTAGE EXCHANGE NEWS & HEADLINES:
BREAKING:
Hamas concludes release of all 20 living Israeli hostages in Gaza Strip
Israel begins to release Palestinian prisoners under Gaza ceasefire deal
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‘Inhumane’: 154 freed Palestinian prisoners forced into exile by Israel
Families of many of the Palestinian prisoners being released by Israel under an exchange deal say their long-awaited freedom is bittersweet after they learned their loved ones would be deported to third countries.
At least 154 Palestinian prisoners being freed on Monday as part of the swap for Israeli captives held in Gaza will be forced into exile by Israel, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office said.
There are no details yet about where the freed Palestinians will be sent, but in a previous prisoner release in January, dozens of detainees were deported to countries in the region, including Tunisia, Algeria and Turkiye (continue reading here).
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Israel refuses to include abducted Palestinian physicians in prisoner release list
Israel will not include two prominent Palestinian doctors, Hussam Abu Safia and Marwan al-Hams, as part of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal, a Hamas official revealed to CNN on 11 October. Abu Safia was abducted in December 2024, while al Hams was abducted in July of 2025.
Israel claimed that Abu Safia was a member of Hamas and said it was “investigating him,” but failed to present credible evidence. His family hoped that he would be released.
Dr. Abu Safia has reportedly been facing “severe torture and mistreatment” at the hands of Israeli jailers, and had lost around 40 kilograms since his abduction and detention by Israel, while being denied much-needed medication and treatment.
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.)
Israeli Army Kills A Palestinian In Khan Younis
Israeli occupation forces shot and killed a Palestinian civilian Sunday evening in the Ma’an area east of Khan Younis, southern Gaza, amid ongoing violations despite the declared ceasefire.
Medical sources confirmed the fatality and reported that the victim was unarmed and attempting to inspect property damaged during previous bombardments.
The shooting marks a serious breach of the ceasefire agreement ratified on October 10 and follows reports of sporadic gunfire and military provocations in former combat zones.
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Palestinian journalist Saleh Aljafarawi shot dead in Gaza City clashes
Palestinian sources told Al Jazeera Arabic that 28-year-old Saleh Aljafarawi, who had gained prominence for his videos covering the war, was shot and killed by members of “an armed militia affiliated with the [Israeli] occupation” in Gaza City.
In an interview in January, Aljafarawi said that he had received numerous threats from Israel due to his work. “Honestly, I lived in fear for every second, especially after hearing what the Israeli occupation was saying about me. I was living life second to second, not knowing what the next second would bring,” he said (continue reading here).
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Gaza ministry announces amnesty for ‘criminal gangs’
The Ministry of Interior and National Security in Gaza says “some criminal gangs took advantage of the state of chaos during the war” by “attacking citizens’ property and stealing humanitarian aid”.
A statement on Telegram announced “amnesty for all those who joined these gangs but were not involved in committing murders”.
People who joined these groups are “requested to surrender themselves to the security services before the end of Sunday, October 19, 2025,” and failure to do so will result in “firm action.”
RELATED: The rise of Abu Shabab: Mapping the Gaza militia armed by Israel
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Israeli Soldiers Torched Food, Homes, and a Critical Sewage Treatment Plant in the Wake of Ceasefire Announcement
In the immediate aftermath of Donald Trump’s announcement on Thursday that both Hamas and Israel had signed off on an agreement to stop the fighting, the Israeli military launched an arson spree, setting fire to civilian infrastructure, including the destruction of an essential sanitation plant in Gaza City.
The destruction of Palestinian structures following the departure of soldiers who had used them as temporary bases has been a hallmark of Israel’s approach to Gaza for two years. In July, Israeli reporter Yuval Abraham collected testimonies from soldiers describing a myriad of arson methods. “Every Arab house we entered had olive oil […] We poured the oil on the sofas, on anything flammable in the apartment, and then we ignited [it] or threw in a smoke grenade. This was a common practice,” one of them described (continue reading here).
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Hospitals in Gaza have not received aid since ceasefire began
Medical facilities throughout the Gaza Strip have not yet received desperately needed supplies in the 72 hours since the ceasefire, says Dr Muhammad Abu Salmiya, director of al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza City.
“This warrants some concern over the lives of sick people and injured after the displaced are returning to Gaza City,” Abu Salmiya told Al Jazeera. “We are racing against time to provide primary healthcare to receive all these returnees.”
Even before the war began two years ago, Gaza’s healthcare sector suffered from severe supply shortages. “During the first three months [of the ceasefire], we would need thousands of trucks because the the healthcare sector is completely destroyed,” Abu Salmiya said, adding, “our cancer patients haven’t received any treatment over the past two years.”
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Aid trucks begin entering Gaza under ceasefire agreement
Trucks carrying humanitarian aid began to enter the Gaza Strip on Sunday under a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, local sources said.
The sources told Anadolu that a number of aid trucks moved through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom border crossing into southern Gaza.
The entry of the aid trucks came after the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement took effect on Friday under US President Donald Trump’s plan to end a two-year Israeli war on the enclave.
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‘Staying in northern Gaza is not an option’
People from the northern part of Gaza are returning to check on their homes. But nobody is staying. Israeli tanks and drones can be heard in these areas, creating panic. Many have come hoping to find loved ones, but they are nowhere to be found.
As soon as it starts to get dark, people walk back to their displacement camps, as they do not have places left standing to stay in. Another huge problem is that there is no proper access to basic necessities, including water and food. People go back to their displacement camps at the end of the day because they have to eat and drink.
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GHF to close ‘temporarily’ during ceasefire implementation
Two unnamed officials have revealed that food distribution sites run by the controversial US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) are being shut down, although the group’s spokesperson said the changes are only temporary.
The GHF spokesperson said there will be “tactical changes” to its operations and “temporary closures” during implementation of the ceasefire agreement, but “there is no change to our long-term plan.”
RELATED: Israeli munitions found at GHF site spark outrage
OCCUPIED WEST BANK/EAST JERUSALEM NEWS & 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.)
Israel warns against celebrations in the occupied West Bank
Israel has warned Palestinians in the occupied West Bank against celebrating after prisoners are released on Monday. Israeli forces distributed fliers warning that “anyone who participates in such activities exposes himself to punishment and arrest.”
Israeli raids on Sunday morning targeted the homes of several prisoners who were to be released, as well as prisoners who were to be deported to the Gaza Strip and Egypt. The raids included homes in Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron, Tulkarm and Qalqilya.
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WEST BANK HEADLINES:
Israeli Colonizers Establish New Outpost Near Nablus
Israeli army detains 10 Palestinians in West Bank raids amid assaults by illegal settlers
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.)
Trump, Netanyahu have a fundamental disagreement
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation ahead of the hostages’ release, saying that “the campaign is not over,” and that “some of our enemies are trying to regroup and attack us again.”
But U.S. President Donald Trump said, when asked by the media regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hesitancy to declare that Israel has finished its offensive in the Gaza Strip: “The war is over. It’s over. Okay? You understand that?” Trump said.
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After Trump Said “It’s Over,” Israeli Officials Are Openly Saying They Plan To Resume Attacks On Gaza
Defense Minister Israel Katz has posted a tweet in Hebrew which machine translates as follows:
Israel’s great challenge after the phase of returning the hostages will be the destruction of all of Hamas’s terror tunnels in Gaza, directly by the IDF and through the international mechanism to be established under the leadership and supervision of the United States.
This is the primary significance of implementing the agreed-upon principle of demilitarizing Gaza and neutralizing Hamas of its weapons. I have instructed the IDF to prepare for carrying out the mission.
Katz’s comments echo the public statements of Prime Minister Netanyahu, who said in on Friday that if Hamas doesn’t disarm voluntarily then “it will be achieved the hard way,” and “we have achieved tremendous victories but the campaign is not over; part of our enemies are trying to recover.”
Israeli outlet YNet reports that Israel is planning to resume its blockade and prevent reconstruction if all the bodies of the deceased captives are not returned, when Israel already knows that Hamas probably won’t be able to locate all the bodies of deceased Israeli captives due to the intensity of the Israeli bombing campaign over the last two years (continue reading here).
REMINDER: Israeli PM Netanyahu remains wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
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HERE’S WHAT ISRAELIS ARE READING:
Crowd boos Netanyahu’s name during Witkoff speech at Hostages Square, cheers Trump
OTHER NEWS & HEADLINES:
All activists from Gaza aid flotilla released from Israeli detention: Legal center
All foreign activists detained by Israel from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla have been released, an Israeli legal center said Sunday.
“All participants in the Thousands Madleens Flotilla and the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s Conscience Mission have been released from unlawful Israeli detention, and most have now been deported. No participant remains in Israel’s custody,” Adalah Legal Center said in a statement.
It said dozens of activists were deported through Jordan early Sunday. The final freed individuals were Huwaida Arraf and Zohar Regev, both dual Israeli citizens who had been held on suspicion of “criminal charges” but were later freed without indictment.
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Arab states expanded cooperation with Israeli military during Gaza war, files show
Over the past three years, facilitated by the United States, senior military officials from Israel and six Arab countries came together for planning meetings in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan and Qatar.
Five Centcom PowerPoint presentations, obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and reviewed by The Washington Post, detail the creation of what the U.S. military describes as the “Regional Security Construct,” which includes Israel, Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with Kuwait and Oman named as “potential partners” (continue reading here).
MORE HEADLINES:
Mahmoud Khalil and the Israelification of the US: Wake Up!
Pope Leo hails ‘glimmers of hope’ for peace in Gaza
ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT) – A SELECTION OF YESTERDAY’S HEADLINES:
(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 12, 2025*:
- At least 68,921 Palestinians killed, 180,105 injured – including:
- at least 67,869 killed in Gaza (~20,000 children, 23,000 women)
- at least 1,052 killed in the West Bank (~212 children)
- at least 170,105 injured in Gaza
- more than 10,000 injured in the West Bank
- at least 463 have died from malnutrition in Gaza, including 157 children
*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.
Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – October 12, 2025: ~1,658 – including ~1,139 on October 7, 2023 (~36 children), 468 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 271 Palestinian journalists and media workers; Palestinians have killed 4 Israeli journalists (other groups have tallied between 205 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)
- David Frum, Douglas Murray Secretly Drafted Speeches for Israeli Ambassador
- Nonprofits Are Taking a Stance on Gaza — and Paying the Price
- Did Trump & Netanyahu force Qatar to purge Al Jazeera?
- Leaked Charlie Kirk texts show slain commentator criticising ‘Jewish donors’ for ‘bullying’ him over political affiliations
- Legacy Journalists from NYT, CNN Are Mentors in a Fellowship Founded for Pro-Israel “Information War”
- 4 Ways to Fix America’s Deeply Destructive and Humiliating Relationship With Israel
- Hamas and Palestinian Factions Agree to Gaza Ceasefire; Trump Confirms Deal Was Reached
- 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
