News roundup for Tuesday, April 28, 2026, Day 935 since Israel began its 2023 genocide on the Palestinian people.
Compilation of news reports – IAK staff
ISRAEL-US WAR/CEASEFIRE ON IRAN – 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.
The American people have made clear that they do not want the US embroiled in a war with Iran, but Israel partisans and the Israel lobby use their massive political clout to bring about whatever is beneficial to Israel – including putting the US military in harm’s way. For more background on Israel’s role in American wars, watch IAK’s short film, “The Israeli Hit List.”
Ceasefire Day 21: Trump Claims Iran in ‘State of Collapse’: In a Truth Social post Tuesday morning, President Donald Trump claimed that Iran has “informed us that they are in a ‘State of Collapse’” and that Tehran had requested that the U.S. open the Strait of Hormuz “as they try to figure out their leadership situation.”
Trump faces intense pressure to end “costly” Iran war as unilateral victory plan considered: US intelligence agencies are reportedly studying how Iran would respond if Trump were to declare a unilateral victory in the war with Iran. Advisers have warned that continuing the war could lead to major Republican losses in the midterm elections scheduled for November. A similar analysis in February found that “if Trump declares victory and US forces withdraw from the region, Iran is likely to view that as its own victory.”
Trump tells aides to prepare for extended blockade of Iran: Report: US president Trump has opted to continue squeezing Iran’s economy and oil exports by preventing shipping to and from its port.
‘US Warships Will Burn’: Iran Signals New Naval Capabilities
US-Israeli strikes on pharma sites in Iran trigger medicine shortages
Report: 52 Iranian ships breach US blockade within 72 hours
Trump Consulting With Iran Hawks Who Want Him To Restart Bombing Campaign: According to Axios, Trump recently told an aide that ‘all Iran’s leaders understand is bombs.’
DEATH TOLL – WAR ON IRAN (tentative):
- United States: 13 (or more)
- Iran: at least 3,636 (1,701 civilians, 254 children)
- Israel: 30 (16 Israeli soldiers, and 1 friendly fire – including both Iran and Lebanon-related deaths; another count shows 20 Israeli civilian deaths)
- Arab states (including Palestine, excluding Lebanon), at least 154
ISRAEL’S WAR/CEASEFIRE ON LEBANON – NEWS & HEADLINES:
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 signed a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon in November 2024, Israel has attacked Lebanon almost every day since, committing over 10,000 air and ground violations – the most violated ceasefire deal in recorded history – and killing at least 397. (Read about UNIFIL, the UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, here.)
Israeli army orders evacuation of 16 towns in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire
Israeli Strikes Kill Civilians as Phosphorus Shelling Expands
Lebanon accuses Israel of committing ‘ecocide’ in country since 2023: “The scale and intentionality of the damage to forests, agricultural lands, marine ecosystems, water resources, and atmospheric quality constitute what must be recognized as an act of ecocide… The environmental damage we face is not simply ecological – it is a matter of public health, food security, livelihoods, social fabric, and national resilience” (read the Ministry of Environment report here).
Large explosion in southern Lebanon causes earthquake in northern Israel: A mild earthquake was recorded in northern Israel following an explosion carried out by Israeli army in southern Lebanon.
Report: Hezbollah drone tactics expose Israeli gaps despite advanced systems
DEATH TOLL – WAR ON LEBANON (tentative):
NEW: NEWS & HEADLINES FROM SYRIA:
Although Israel is not at war with Syria, the Israeli army has carried out over 1,000 airstrikes and 400 cross-border raids on Syria since December 2024. Israel has demanded the demilitarization of southern Syria, allegedly to prevent any “potential threat” from post-war Syria – but has vowed to stay permanently in what seems to be an informal border expansion.
Far Right Israeli Settler Movement Enters Syria in a Push for “Greater Israel”: In total, Israel now occupies an additional 177 square miles of Syrian territory than it did before the fall of Assad. “Maybe Israel will take it all. They already have a safe zone in southern Syria, so that could ultimately be the best option for Israel,” Syrian political analyst Issam Khoury told Truthout.
Israel ‘must stop’ plans to expand settlements in occupied Syrian Golan Heights*: UN: Israel approved on April 16 a five-year $334 million plan to develop illegal settlements in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, according to Israeli media. The plan, covering 2026-2030, reportedly allocates approximately 1 billion shekels ($334 million) to strengthen infrastructure and promote Israeli population growth in the occupied territory.
*NOTE: The “annexation” of the Golan Heights was specifically condemned by the UN Security Council in Resolution 497 (more here).
Syria’s UN envoy says Israeli forces ‘seeking every possible means to provoke Syrian people’
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 forces killed five Palestinians on Tuesday, including two children, two hundred and one days after the announcement of a “ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces continue to violate the agreement with renewed attacks across several areas, and intensifying artillery bombardments on civilian zones.
Born during Israel’s genocide: Gaza’s child survivors bear the scars of war: “My daughter suddenly choked in my hands,” Samar said. “Her color turned blue, her eyes rolled back, and she lost all movement”. Doctors later diagnosed Nour with movement paralysis caused by the inhalation of toxic gases. At just two days old, Nour’s life shifted from a nursery to a hospital bed, beginning a heavy journey of pain.
Israeli blockade threatens shutdown of only oxygen plant in northern Gaza
‘Occupiers and Occupied’ – Pizzaballa Draws Moral Line in Pastoral Letter on Gaza War: The remark by Jerusalem Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, one of the most direct moral assessments by a senior Church figure since the start of the war, came as part of a broader reflection on suffering, justice, and the deep asymmetries defining life in Palestine and Israel. Pizzaballa emphasized that while grief is universal, it is not experienced equally, insisting that acknowledging this imbalance is “an act of respect for justice and truth.”
New report from Doctors Without Borders on water in Gaza: The report bears witness to the weaponization of WASH access, endangering the whole population of Gaza, through three main mechanisms: the destruction of and attack on infrastructure; the obstruction of humanitarian access within Gaza through forced displacement and denial of movement; and the systematic blocking or delay of essential supplies (find the full report here).
Israeli court extends detention of Gaza hospital director Abu Safiya ‘without charges*’: Israel’s Physicians for Human Rights said in a statement, “The court upheld the detention despite arguments that detaining a doctor while performing his medical duties constitutes unlawful detention… Dr. Abu Safiya is currently held in Negev Prison under harsh conditions, without access to his medication or receiving medical treatment, despite the deterioration of his health.”
*NOTE: The vast majority of the 9,000+ Palestinians being held in Israeli prisons are political prisoners; nearly 3,400 are administrative detainees, being kept behind bars without charge, trial, or access to a lawyer. A growing number are children. Administrative detention is intended to be used only in “exceptional” circumstances, but Israel uses it widely. (Read more here.)
Israeli prisons torture their prisoners (and have done so for over 50 years). The Palestinian detainee death toll since October 2023 is around 100, some of whom have not been identified.
DEATH TOLL – GAZA GENOCIDE (tentative):
- At least 818 since ceasefire began Oct. 11, 2025
- 72,593 killed (~22,000 children, 33,000 women and girls) since October 2023
- More statistics below
Israeli occupation authorities continue to restrict the entry of basic school furniture, including chairs and tables, into the Gaza Strip.
As a result, students are said to be studying while sitting on sand inside tents that lack basic educational infrastructure and adequate… pic.twitter.com/U4nfxDHtPl
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) April 29, 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.)
Nun Injured in Assault in Occupied Jerusalem: A Christian nun affiliated with the French School of Biblical and Archaeological Research was injured on Tuesday afternoon after being assaulted near King David’s Tomb in occupied Jerusalem, according to church sources, Israeli police, and the al‑Baidar Human Rights Organization. Israeli police have announced the arrest of a 36‑year‑old “Jerusalem resident” suspected of carrying out the attack, and that the incident is being investigated as a racially or religiously motivated assault.
France condemns Israeli occupiers’ [settlers’] attack on French-funded wastewater plant in West Bank: French Foreign Ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreux denounced the “attack, occupation, and vandalization” of a wastewater treatment plant in Tayasir, northern West Bank, that France and the EU had financed for over $21 million. France also condemned the demolition of a French-financed school by Israeli occupiers using a bulldozer. He urged Israel to provide “financial compensation for the destruction” caused by the occupiers.
Israeli Colonizers Seize Palestinian Home in Deir Jarir
More Israeli Violations Across West Bank Tuesday
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.
Sa’ar: No sovereignty* over Judea and Samaria, ‘at least in coming months’: Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar: “For now, as you know, President Trump doesn’t support [annexation of the West Bank]. We don’t have intention to do it, at least in the coming months—it is against the path of President Trump’s plan, and doing that will no doubt alienate Israel from a lot of friends.”
*NOTE: Sa’ar’s use of the word “sovereignty” is code for annexation. “Annexation” is acquiring territory by force, and is a flagrant violation of international law. As such it can have no effect on the legal status of the territory, which remains de jure occupied.
57% of Israelis say Israel has not won any war since October 2023: Poll
The Israeli soldier who destroyed Jesus’ statue in South Lebanon is not just one bad apple
5 Laws and Standards That Require the US Cut Off Weapons to Israel: A memo the Institute for Middle East Understanding Policy Project is circulating in Congress detailing five laws and international standards that obligate the United States to stop sending or selling weapons to Israel. The memo comes after 40 senators voted to block some arms sales to Israel in mid-April – a record number. Still, the entire Republican Party and a handful of Democrats prevented Congress from fulfilling its legal obligations by blocking some weapons transfers to Israel.
MORE NEWS & HEADLINES:
Pentagon may be understating severity of US missile stockpile shortage – report: Vice President Vance has reportedly discussed the issue with Trump, noting that a weapons shortage would be extremely detrimental to American interests.
The 2024 IDF Bill and the Question of Extending US Military Protections: A real policy push emerged in 2024 to extend certain legal protections to Americans who serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). In 2024, members of Congress introduced H.R. 8445, a bill that would have amended federal law “to provide for the eligibility of United States citizens who serve in the Israeli Defense Forces for certain protections relating to such service.”
Israel’s direction poses ‘existential threat’ to Judaism, UK’s leading progressive rabbis warn: The UK’s most senior progressive rabbis, Charley Baginsky and Josh Levy, warn that Israel’s current political direction risks becoming “incompatible with Jewish values”, while insisting that criticism of the country’s government is “a Jewish obligation” rather than an act of disloyalty.
Palestinian football body appeals to sports court over FIFA Israel ruling: FIFA said last month it would not sanction Israel over locating clubs in illegal West Bank settlements*, citing the unresolved legal status of the West Bank under public international law. PFA vice president Susan Shalabi responded, ”The (FIFA) council decided after 15 years of deliberations on this issue not to decide. So the only course of action that we have is to go to CAS [Court of Arbitration for Sport] and to appeal that. We will go through the whole process until we are able to achieve justice.”
*NOTE: The legal status of the West Bank is hardly “unresolved.” Only Israel and the US consider the region to be “disputed.” 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. Israeli settlers are sometimes referred to as “colonizers.”
Arizona lawmakers back move to replace “West Bank” with “Judea and Samaria” in official use
UK ambassador says only special relationship US has is ‘probably’ with Israel: Washington ambassador Christian Turner’s remarks in a leaked audio were reported on day two of a visit by King Charles to the US this week.
New petition seeks ‘accountability’ from UK over role in Israel-Palestine: The 400-page petition, titled “Regarding Britain’s responsibility for wrongs and reparations in Palestine” and initiated by the Britain Owes Palestine campaign, documents alleged unlawful acts and systemic abuses during the period of 1917 to 1948, from the signing of the Balfour Declaration (in which the UK promised a Jewish homeland in Palestine to the Zionist movement) to the end of the British Mandate on Palestine that saw the creation of Israel.
It argues that the UK’s governance of the territory – captured from the Ottoman Empire during World War 1 – denied the Palestinian Arab majority meaningful self-governance and established a political system that entrenched apartheid and ethnic cleansing. The use of emergency powers to suppress the 1936 Arab Rebellion, the petition says, made violence and collective punishment “legal” in name while removing access to the court system.
ICYMI, A SELECTION OF YESTERDAY’S HEADLINES:
One of the greatest tragedies of this war has been the deliberate targeting of Iran’s medical facilities
Rats, Fleas and Endless Queues: Inside the Daily Misery of Gaza’s Tent Camps
Former Mossad Chief Compares West Bank Israeli Settler Violence* to That of Nazis During Holocaust
New opposition ticket that wants to topple Netanyahu is also Jewish supremacist
WATCH: Netanyahu hypocritical comment on alleged Trump assassination attempt: “There is no place for violence…against anyone”
(Read yesterday’s daily update here.)
STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – APRIL 28, 2026*:
- At least 73,750 Palestinians killed, 184,099 injured – including:
- Gaza: at least 72,594 killed (~22,000 children, 33,000 women and girls), 172,399 injured
- West Bank/East Jerusalem: at least 1,156 killed (~240 children), 11,700 injured
*NOTE: Thousands of those killed in Gaza have yet to be identified, and an estimated 8,000 more are still buried under rubble (some sources put the number of missing as high as 14,000); 3,000 more are reportedly missing. Only the dead who are brought to hospitals are included in the official fatality count. Additionally, the numbers of injured are very conservative estimates.
Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – April 28, 2026: ~1,661 – 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).
By one count, Israeli attacks have killed approximately 282 Palestinian journalists and media workers (most recent March 9, 2026; other groups have tallied between 215 and 356 Palestinian journalists killed – depending on the criteria used). Palestinians have killed 4 Israeli journalists (all on October 7, 2023).
**NOTE: It is unknown at this time how many of the deaths and injuries of Israelis on October 7 were caused by Israeli soldiers.
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