Compilation of news reports – IAK staff
Israeli forces killed at least 50 Palestinians in Gaza on Thursday; no aid seekers were killed. In total, Israel has killed at least 2,513 aid seekers since May 27, 2025 (learn about aid seekers here).
The total known number of Palestinians who have died from malnutrition stands at 440, including 147 children.
For detail on Israeli attacks in Gaza on Thursday, go here.
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.)
Panic in Gaza City as Israel advances on center, ‘sandwiching’ population
Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said that the Israeli military was advancing from the northwest and the southeast, “sandwiching people in the middle” and pushing them to the west of the city, where the al-Rashid coastal road leading south is located.
“The attacks on overcrowded neighborhoods are causing panic and fear, and pushing people literally to run for their lives. We’re seeing waves of people now doing just that,” he said, reporting from Nuseirat in central Gaza.
People in Gaza City told Al Jazeera about nonstop attacks, including “aerial strikes by drones and fighter jets” and detonations from remote-controlled “robots” – unmanned vehicles packed with explosives that the Israeli army has been deploying to blow up neighborhoods as it advances inwards.
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Israeli strikes kill 19 Palestinians near Gaza’s last functioning hospitals
Missiles struck areas around al-Shifa and al-Ahli hospitals Thursday, disrupting some of the last fragile lifelines left for the starving, sick and wounded. At least 15 people were killed outside al-Shifa, while four more died in a separate attack near al-Ahli.
Hamas condemned the assaults as a “full-fledged war crime”, noting they came “less than 24 hours after the release of a new UN report documenting the occupation’s commission of the crime of genocide against our people”.
The group said the strikes amounted to “a blatant message of defiance and blatant contempt for the international community”.
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Gaza City communication blackout isolates 800,000 Palestinians
As a result of Israel’s ongoing deadly bombardment of Gaza City’s infrastructure, since Wednesday nearly one million Palestinians have been left in a total internet and telecommunications blackout.
While network in a few parts of the city have been restored, internet access remains shut down across most of Gaza City.
The situation is extremely tense, with widespread fears over what will unfold in the coming days.
Palestinians on the ground told Middle East Eye that they are going through the worst stages of genocide in Gaza.
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Israel requires GHF to source only Israeli products for Gaza food aid
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has confirmed to JNS that updated regulations require it to exclusively source goods produced by Israeli companies for the food packages it distributes in the Gaza Strip.
“Until recently, GHF’s food items were procured and packaged in both Israel and the West Bank,” a spokesperson for the foundation told JNS on Aug. 5.
However, “new Israeli regulations mandate that all food items going into Gaza must be procured and packaged inside Israel, and we are abiding by that requirement,” the statement continued.
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Beloved Gaza hospital director Hussam Abu Safiya abandoned to disease, hunger in Israeli jail, lawyer says
A Palestinian lawyer on Thursday said Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, is being “abandoned to disease and hunger” in an Israeli prison, warning that his condition is rapidly deteriorating under what she described as deliberate neglect.
Abu Safiya’s attorney said that her client suffers from severe chest pain, irregular heartbeat and high blood pressure, but has never been examined by a cardiologist since his arrest last December. He also has fractured ribs and widespread skin infections, including scabies, without any medicine or ointments.
“The prisoners are cut off from sunlight, denied sufficient food, and live in total isolation,” she said.
Abu Safiya’s weight has reportedly plunged from 100 kilograms at the time of his arrest on December 27, 2024 to just 60 kilograms, underscoring a pattern of deliberate neglect of Palestinian detainees.
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NORTHERN GAZA EMPTYING AS TENTS VANISH, DISPLACEMENT SURGES: The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics says about 740,000 people – roughly 35 percent of Gaza’s 2.1 million population – remained in the north of the enclave as of Tuesday. In a statement, the bureau warned the figure could drop further because of continued Israeli attacks and forced displacement.
GAZA HEADLINES:
‘We pray a visa comes before death’: Gaza’s injured children left in limbo
UN says efforts to ‘support starving people are being systematically blocked’ by Israel in Gaza
‘Popular Forces’: Israel Unleashes Its ISIS-linked Terrorists on Gaza’s Civilians
#Gaza has been the battleground of a fierce & rampant information war.
Dis-information continues to be used as a tool to distract from the atrocities in the war-torn enclave.
The first target was @UNRWA followed by other UN agencies, the media & health institutions.
The…
— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) September 18, 2025
NOTABLE QUOTE: US forms a “wall of rejection”
Amar Bendjama, Algerian Ambassador to the UN, after the United States vetoed a Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire (for the sixth time):
Palestinian brothers, Palestinian sisters, forgive us.
Forgive us, because the world speaks of rights, but denies them to Palestinians.
Israel kills every day, and nothing happens.”
Forgive us because our efforts, our sincere efforts, shattered against this wall of rejection.
Forgive us, in particular in Gaza, where fire consumes, where rubber suffocates, forgive us, because this council could not save your children.
Because Israel is shielded, because it is immune. Immune, not by international law, but by the bias of this international system.
Israel kills every day and nothing happens. Israel starves a people and nothing happens. Israel bombs hospitals, schools, shelters and nothing happens. Israel attacks a mediator and steps on diplomacy, and nothing happened.
And with every act, every act unpunished, humanity itself is diminished.
This council has already failed twice in preventing genocide [Rwanda in 1994 and Bosnia in 1995]. Today, it appears we are on the verge of witnessing a third failure. And at this moment, there can be no ambiguity:
Each of us must choose either to act to stop the genocide or to be counted among those who were complicit.
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.)
West Bank’s Tulkarem reels under Israeli mass arrests seen as collective punishment
Israeli Army Invades West Bank Areas, Abduct and Detain Dozens
Israeli Army Injures Elderly Woman, Abduct 4 Palestinians In Hebron
Army Invades Beit Ummar, Injure Civilians, Abduct One
ISRAEL NEWS & HEADLINES:
(Get a glimpse inside Israel and the turmoil within its government. Often, our news items and headlines are taken from Israeli media.)
HA’ARETZ: NETANYAHU’S PROMISED QUICK WIN IN GAZA CITY FALTERS: Israel’s prime minister can’t explain how he’ll win the Gaza campaign while keeping hostages safe, for the simple reason that he has no plan to do so. Meanwhile, the IDF chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, who opposes the Gaza City operation, is slowing down the military campaign to reduce risks. He opposes the operation and has made sure the public knows it.
Israel fails to meet UN General Assembly’s 12-month deadline to end illegal occupation
Israel failed to meet a 12-month deadline Thursday that was established by the UN General Assembly to end its illegal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The General Assembly overwhelmingly endorsed the deadline in a resolution it passed Sept. 18, 2024, that demanded an end to Israel’s “unlawful” occupation within 12 months, and called out the illegality of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. The resolution, which was spearheaded by Palestine, was adopted with sweeping consensus with 124 member states voting in favor, and just 14 against.
It explicitly demanded “that Israel brings to an end without delay its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which constitutes a wrongful act of a continuing character entailing its international responsibility, and do so no later than 12 months from the adoption of the present resolution” (continue reading here).
NOTE: Not only did Israel fail to carry out its responsibility to end the occupation, it actually entrenched it: this month, the Netanyahu administration approved a major new settlement that will add over 3,400 housing units on Palestinian land; in May 2025, the Israeli cabinet approved the establishment of 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank.
ISRAEL HEADLINES:
2 Israelis killed in shooting attack near border crossing with Jordan
Israel has committed more than 4,500 violations against Lebanon since 2024 truce, Lebanese army says
Israeli army attacks ‘densely populated’ villages in southern Lebanon as resident flee
HEADLINES FROM ISRAELI JERUSALEM POST:
Huckabee hints: US would respect Israeli sovereignty move in West Bank
From start-up nation to Sparta: Israel’s tragic turn toward isolation
Middle Israel: Person of the year is Benjamin Netanyahu
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. Get live updates on the Global Flotilla from Al Jazeera here.)
Israel Foreign Ministry calls Global Sumud Flotilla ‘jihadist initiative serving terror group’
The latest Israeli condemnation comes as many ships in the Global Sumud Flotilla have left Sicily bound for Gaza.
The flotilla hopes to break Israel’s blockade, with several high-profile activists and more than 50 ships taking part. Israel has in the past intercepted flotillas, sometimes with deadly consequences.
In a post on X, Israel called the Sumud “a jihadist initiative serving the terror group’s agenda”, referring to Hamas, which has voiced support for the flotilla’s efforts.
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US veterans join Gaza-bound flotilla aiming to end Israel’s blockade
The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) has been joined by eight US military veterans hoping to help break Israel’s blockade of Gaza.
An Instagram post from the GSF said, “From the decks of our boat, they sail to Gaza with a clear message: end genocide, end complicity and free Palestine. These veterans remind us that solidarity means action, and that true service is standing with the people of Palestine.”
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Gaza-bound flotilla ships meet in Mediterranean Sea to set sail to blockaded Gaza
OTHER NEWS:
US senator introduces ‘historic’ resolution to formally recognize Palestinian state
MORE HEADLINES:
Pentagon document shows nearly $500M in missiles used to defend Israel during Iran conflict
Half of Americans Believe Israel ‘Has Gone Too Far’ in Gaza
Doctors Without Borders should be probed for mirroring Hamas propaganda, Stefanik says
Western bids to recognize a Palestinian state put Israel first
Pope Leo condemns Israel’s mass killing in Gaza, says ‘not ready’ to call it genocide
Italian port blocks arms for Israel as worker protests mount
ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT) – A SELECTION OF YESTERDAY’S HEADLINES:
(Read yesterday’s daily update here.)
UN says women in Gaza forced to give birth on streets amid worsening Israeli attacks
Zionist terror attacks surge across West Bank
If Israel’s settlement plan goes through, the West Bank will soon cease to exist
“50 States, One Israel” – American leaders converge in Israel
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 – SEPTEMBER 18, 2025*:
- At least 66,217 Palestinians killed, 175,301 injured – including:
- at least 65,174 killed in Gaza (~20,000 children)
- at least 1,043 killed in the West Bank (~212 children)
- at least 166,071 injured in Gaza
- at least 9,230 injured in the West Bank
- at least 440 have died from malnutrition in Gaza, including 147 children
At least 2,513 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 12,622 people. 62 Israeli soldiers (most recent Sept. 18) 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 – September 18, 2025: ~1,629 – including ~1,139 on October 7, 2023 (~36 children), 464 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 268 Palestinian journalists and media workers; Palestinians have killed 4 Israeli journalists (other groups have tallied between 201 and 320 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 to flood Gaza City with explosive-laden robots, report says
- California governor set to sign bill restricting teaching of Palestinian history in schools
- Skewering History: The Dark Politics of Counting Gaza’s Dead – 680,000 In Total?
- Top UN legal investigators conclude Israel is guilty of genocide in Gaza
- Top Democrats dodge questions on Israeli attack hitting Qatar
- 15K Gaza Students Have Been Killed. Survivors Are Denied Their Education.
- NYTimes: This Is What Malnutrition Does to Children’s Bodies
- Faith, politics and armed resistance: A Palestinian-Christian perspective
- Israel carries out systematic erasure of Gaza’s historical landmarks and cultural heritage
- ’A Man With 10 Children Who Worked in Israel for More Than 30 Years – How Can Soldiers Kill Him So Easily?’
- People in 100 cities around the world to go on hunger strike for Gaza
- The Disappearance of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya
- I Helped Israel Propagandize American Christians
- New York state sends police chiefs to Israel for ‘counterterrorism’ training
- New owner of CBS coordinated with former Israeli military chief to counter the country’s critics, according to leaked emails
- Local JCRC’s Latest IRS Filing Shows 100% Increase in Revenue – and over $5 Million Spent On Pro-Israel “Program Activities”. Why Isn’t This Considered Lobbying?
- ‘God loves Gaza’: US Christians gather in rare display of solidarity with Palestine
- Charlie Kirk refused Netanyahu funding offer, was ‘frightened’ by pro-Israel forces before death, friend reveals
- Netanyahu’s Crude Exploitation of Charlie Kirk’s Death to Get the American Right Back into Line
- Western media’s pre-existing condition? Gaza atrocity denialism
