Compilation of news reports – IAK staff
Israeli forces killed at least 70 Palestinians in Gaza on Saturday, including 2 aid seekers. In total, Israel has killed at least 2,605 aid seekers since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation opened on May 27, 2025 (learn about aid seekers here).
The number of known starvation/malnutrition deaths stands at 460, including 154 children.
Additional statistics below. For detail on Israeli attacks in Gaza on Saturday, go here.
CEASEFIRE NEWS & HEADLINES:
Trump Unveils “Gaza Withdrawal Map”
Trump’s plan is only a minor obstacle to Netanyahu’s vision of emptying Gaza
Israel plans to maintain military presence at 3 strategic sites in, around Gaza after prisoner deal: Report
Egypt prepares inclusive Palestinian dialogue to discuss Gaza’s future
Trump’s Plan: Instant Rewards for Israel, Vague Promises for Palestinians
WATCH: Trump’s Plan for Gaza ‘Reeks of Colonialism,’ Says Former Palestinian Negotiator
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.)
Despite Trump’s Claimed ‘Pause’, Israel Continues Bombing Civilians in Gaza
Hamas submitted on Friday its response to Trump’s Gaza plan to end the two-year genocide, agreeing to release all Israeli captives. The group said it is ready to “immediately enter negotiations through mediators to discuss the details” of the exchange.
Trump welcomed the Hamas response, and wrote on his Truth Social site that he believes the Palestinian group is “ready for a lasting PEACE,” and that “Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza” so that the captives could be released.
Early on Saturday, Trump also said he appreciated that Israel had “temporarily stopped the bombing” to give a “chance” to the deal to be completed, and unconfirmed reports from Israel’s Army Radio also claim, “the operation to conquer [Gaza City] has been blocked – and halted for now,” Army Radio’s military correspondent, Doron Kadosh, said in a post on X.
However, local sources and residents reported that since Trump’s order to stop the bombing, there has been relentless and indiscriminate Israeli bombardment across the Gaza Strip. 70 Palestinians were reportedly killed on Saturday.
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Netanyahu spins Gaza bloodshed into a positive
Netanyahu said ‘we managed to get Hamas to the negotiating table through our military force’, when what actually happened was the US sees that Israel has become even more of a pariah state, which by definition then makes not only the US more of a pariah state, but also within Trump’s own Republican coalition.
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Just an hour ago, Israeli terrorists celebrated as aircraft struck the already-damaged Al-Azhar University campus in Al-Mughraqa.
The university had been partially destroyed months ago, but the Faculty of Law building remained standing; now it has been blown up. pic.twitter.com/XfrHjwWA2S
— Israel Genocide Tracker (@trackingisrael) October 4, 2025
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GAZA HEADLINES:
Report: Internet Infrastructure a Major Target of Israeli Attacks in Gaza
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 Sumud Flotilla from Al Jazeera here.)
Next Gaza-bound flotilla approaches int’l waters off Egypt’s Alexandria
The International Committee to Break the Siege of Gaza announced Saturday that two additional boats had joined the latest wave of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s mission to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza, raising the total number of vessels en route to 11, after Israel attacked the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters.
In a statement, the committee reaffirmed its mission, saying: “Our goal is Gaza – to break the siege, stop the ongoing extermination, and secure a maritime corridor.”
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Deported flotilla activists were denied legal rights: Adalah
Adalah, an Israeli rights group providing legal aid, said that detainees reported being blocked from speaking with lawyers. Israel’s foreign ministry responded: “All of Adalah’s claims are complete lies*. Of course, all detainees … were given access to water, food, and restrooms; they were not denied access to legal counsel, and all their legal rights were fully upheld” (continue reading here).
*NOTE: Israel’s denial carries little weight: historically, Israel has not proven itself trustworthy. Among Israel’s lies are numerous atrocity stories about the October 7th attack that have since been proven untrue (more examples here). The Israeli military has also disseminated false stories about its own actions throughout the war. Previously, Israel has been caught in many lies – for example, this and this and this.
Many of Israel’s lies have been debunked even by traditionally pro-Israel mainstream media.
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Greta Thunberg ‘forced to kiss’ Israeli flag while in custody: Report
Some quotes from flotilla members about their treatment by Israel
137 deportees from all over the world landed in Istanbul on Saturday. Here is a sample of what they said about their experience.
Italian journalist Lorenzo Agostino: “They took us to land, and once on land, they behaved like a terrorist group. We were, I mean, people were kicked. We were left without fresh water for over two days. Overall, they took every opportunity to humiliate any of us. I had the feeling of being in a really barbaric place.”
French activist Yasin Benjelloyn: “The way they (Israel) treated us is they prevented us from having medicine for those who needed medicine. They only gave us water after 32 hours…We had barely any food….They do this to us — innocent civilians — and it could only let us imagine what they do to the Palestinians.”
Argentinian activist Gonzalo Di Pretoro: “I said I need my special shoes [for an amputated right foot]. They said no … they pushed me when I said I needed this.”
Argentinian activist Nicolas Calabrese: “They kidnapped us in international waters, that is ridiculous, it’s terrorism from the state of Israel, against the people of different countries of the world who were [peacefully], legally, sailing in international waters.”
British activist Kieran Andrieu: “Yesterday night we were shouting that possibly someone was having a heart attack. They didn’t come. They didn’t care. They gave us food that was infested with insects. They subjected some people to torture. If this is how Israel behaves towards Europeans, you can only imagine how it treats Palestinians every single day,”
Former Libyan Prime Minister Omar al-Hassi said far-right Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir arrived and threatened the detainees with torture and imprisonment, accusing them of supporting Hamas. “We told him we are messengers from the world carrying aid from Europe, Türkiye, North Africa, Latin America, the US, and even Jews who love peace,” al-Hassi said, adding that Ben-Gvir responded “in a bloody, racist way” and displayed “utter contempt for international activists.”
RELATED: ISRAELI MEDIA: Israel lashes out at flotilla activists after ‘bedbugs’, ‘mistreatment’ claims
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Yemeni-Jewish journalist joins Freedom Flotilla to defy Israel’s siege
A Yemeni-Jewish freelance journalist based in Paris, Noa Avishag Schnall, has joined the 2025 Freedom Flotilla to Gaza, saying that “determination to do the right thing overrides fear” as she and fellow activists set sail to challenge Israel’s blockade of the enclave.
“I joined the 2025 Freedom Flotilla, both out of a sense of deep-rooted responsibility to my Palestinian siblings, currently enduring a genocide and ethnic cleansing at the hands of Israel, and as an escalation of decisive action to break Israel’s illegal siege of Gaza,” she told Anadolu.
“The real question is not why I joined, but rather why it’s left to civilians to act on the duties of nation-states,” she said. “Nation-states that are neglecting their clearly outlined obligations under the Geneva Conventions and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
FLOTILLA HEADLINES:
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.)
Israeli Colonizers Destroy Solar Infrastructure in West Bank
Israel approves new plan to seize 9 acres of land in northern West Bank
Israeli Colonizers Attack Palestinian Communities in Hebron and Jericho
Israeli Forces Shoot 4, Assault Others in the West Bank
ISRAEL 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.)
HERE’S WHAT ISRAELIS ARE READING:
Report details Netanyahu’s maneuvers to avoid being ousted days after Oct. 7
‘I Was Defending Something I No Longer Believed In’: How Two Years of the Gaza War Changed Jewish Students Around the World
Majority of US Jews think Israel committed war crimes, 40% say guilty of genocide in Gaza – poll
Legal aid group: Ben Gvir endorsing ‘abuse’ of detained flotilla activists in prison
Right-wing activists set up sukkahs (tents) on border, seek to spend festival at Gaza settlement ruins
OTHER NEWS & HEADLINES:
Trump plans to make Israel great in the world’s eyes again
The US president also said one of his goals is to rehabilitate Israel’s image, as experts have said the country is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, spurring global outrage and mass protests.
“Bibi took it very far and Israel lost a lot of support in the world,” Trump said, using Netanyahu’s nickname. “Now, I am gonna get all that support back” (continue reading here).
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Many American Jews sharply critical of Israel on Gaza, Post poll finds
Many American Jews sharply disapprove of Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza, with 61 percent saying Israel has committed war crimes and about 4 in 10 saying the country is guilty of genocide against the Palestinians, according to a Washington Post poll.
The findings are striking given the long-standing ties between the U.S. Jewish community and Israel, suggesting the potential for a historic breach over the Gaza war (continue reading here).
NOTE: In July, a Gallup poll suggested that only 32 percent of Americans approved of Israel’s military action in Gaza, a 10-point drop from September 2024.
MORE HEADLINES:
Majority of US Democratic voters favor wide-ranging punitive measures against Israel, poll shows
2 years of Gaza genocide: Germany faces reckoning over blanket support for Israel
ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT) – A SELECTION OF YESTERDAY’S HEADLINES:
Hamas agrees to release hostages but rejects foreign governorship of Gaza
What does Globalize the Intifada mean?
(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 4, 2025*:
- At least 68,188 Palestinians killed, 179,583 injured – including:
- at least 67,139 killed in Gaza (~20,000 children, 23,000 women)
- at least 1,049 killed in the West Bank (~212 children)
- at least 169,583 injured in Gaza
- more than 10,000 injured in the West Bank
- at least 460 have died from malnutrition in Gaza, including 154 children
At least 2,605 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 13,549 people. 65 Israeli soldiers (most recent Sept. 28) 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 – October 4, 2025: ~1,658 – including ~1,139 on October 7, 2023 (~36 children), 466 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 270 Palestinian journalists and media workers; Palestinians have killed 4 Israeli journalists (other groups have tallied between 203 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)
- Who’s really encouraging attacks like the one on a synagogue? Look to our leaders
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- Will California Zionize K-12 Education?
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- TikTok investor: ‘Embed the love and respect for Israel’ in the US
- Israel is paying influencers $7,000 per post
- Exposing JFK Airport’s hidden arms pipeline to Israel
- Experts weigh in on Trump’s Gaza “Peace” Plan – and find it wanting
- Cornell Cut Classes by a Pro-Palestinian Professor After an Israeli Student’s Discrimination Complaint
- ‘Full-throated assault on the First Amendment’: Judge rips into Trump over attempts to deport pro-Palestinian academics
- This Yom Kippur, There Will Be No Forgiveness for Israel’s Sins in Gaza
- Why Trump’s 20-point Plan for Ending the Gaza War Simply Won’t Work
- The destruction of Gaza City is a crime against history
- Israel wants to train ChatGPT to be more pro-Israel
- How Jeffrey Epstein Helped to Broker an Israeli Security Agreement With Mongolia
- Americans’ Support for Israel Dramatically Declines, Times/Siena Poll Finds
- From Netanyahu’s Deceitful UN Speech on Gaza, a Terrible Truth Emerges
- A List of Every House Democrat Calling on Trump to Recognize Palestine
