Compilation of news reports – IAK staff
Israel killed at least 37 Palestinians across the Strip on Sunday, including eight people who were seeking food aid.
For detail on Israeli attacks in Gaza on Sunday, go here.
GAZA:
Gaza slides into lethal chaos as desperate Palestinians fight to survive
Every day for the last few weeks, somewhere in the devastated territory, gatherings at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) food distribution sites had a lethal conclusion when Israeli forces open fire on the crowds.
The exact toll over the last 12 days is unclear. Medical authorities in Gaza say about 450 have died and thousands more have been injured. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) admit that some have been hurt by their fire but have not admitted any deaths in shootings, which they say are directed at “suspects” who have posed a threat to their forces and only ever follow warning shots.
The GHF on Sunday said its model was working: “The Gaza health ministry, operated by Hamas, has been putting out false information on a daily basis which unfortunately media outlets have not verified before publishing.”*
But 10 witnesses interviewed by the Guardian last week all broadly corroborated reports of repeated lethal incidents involving high numbers of casualties, as do the records of medical aid groups working in Gaza.
The witnesses, many interviewed in hospital after being wounded, described similar scenarios.
Between 27 May and 19 June, the Red Cross field hospital in Rafah received 1,874 “weapon-wounded patients” and recorded 18 “mass casualty incidents”, in which the vast majority of the patients reported to medical staff that they had been wounded while trying to access food at or near GHF sites (continue reading here).
*NOTE: The world has gotten firsthand accounts of Israel’s massacres of Gazans since the first day of so-called aid distribution; globally recognized human rights organizations have warned that the GHF model was deeply flawed and bound to create chaos, calling it a “dangerous, politicized sham”; news reports have indicated from early on that the organization was a tool of the Israeli government, allegedly funded by the notorious Israeli Mossad.
Now they are asking us to believe that everything is fine.
RELATED: Gaza: No Space Left to Bury All the Dead
IRAN-ISRAEL-US NEWS SNAPSHOTS:
30,000-LB US BOMBS: Trump’s primary target in Iran was the farthest north, the underground enrichment facility at Fordow, generally thought impregnable to every conventional weapon with the possible exception of America’s biggest bomb, the 30,000lb (13,500kg) GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator. The seven B-2s approaching from the north were each carrying two of them.
IN THE WORKS FOR MONTHS: US defense secretary: “This is a plan that took months and weeks of positioning and preparation, so that we could be ready when the president of the United States called. It took a great deal of precision. It involved misdirection and the highest [level] of operational security. Our B-2 bombers went in and out of these nuclear sites without the world knowing at all.”*
NO FATALITIES: The head of Iran’s Red Crescent Society, Pir Hossein Kolivand, says there have been no fatalities in the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities: “Fortunately, we did not have any martyrs in last night’s events of the US aggression against Iran’s nuclear facilities,” he said, according to state television.
“MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN”: US president Donald Trump has brought up the possibility of regime change in Iran following US military strikes against key Iran military sites over the weekend: “It’s not politically correct to use the term, ‘Regime Change,’ but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!” Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.
“LET’S TALK PEACE”: Vice President JD Vance has claimed the US attacks had successfully set back Iran’s nuclear weapons program, adding that Trump now hopes to pursue a diplomatic solution: “We do not want to protract this or build this out any more than it’s already been built out. We want to end their nuclear program,” Vance told NBC’s Meet the Press. “We want to talk to the Iranians about a long-term settlement here,” he added. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said the US strikes have blown up any possibility of diplomacy.
IT’S ALL ABOUT TRUMP: The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, on Sunday repeated claims by Donald Trump that US strikes had completely destroyed Iran’s nuclear facilities and its ability to acquire nuclear weapons even as the Pentagon acknowledged it was too early to provide a full damage assessment. “Thanks to President Trump’s bold and visionary leadership and his commitment to peace through strength, Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been obliterated,” Hegseth said. “The operation President Trump planned was bold and it was brilliant.”
FORDO ATTACK DID NOT SUCCEED: A senior U.S. official acknowledged that the American strike on the Fordo site had not destroyed the heavily fortified facility but said that the strike had severely damaged it, taking it “off the table.” The person noted that even a dozen bunker-busting bombs could not destroy the site.
IRANIAN, RUSSIAN LEADERS CONFAB: “[Iranian Foreign Minister] Abbas Araghchi … arrived in Moscow to hold consultations with the [Russian] president and other senior officials of Russia regarding regional and international developments following the military aggression by the United States and the Zionist regime against Iran,” the official IRNA news agency said on Sunday.
NO RADIOACTIVITY DETECTED: Iran’s Health Ministry says no radioactive contamination has been detected near the country’s nuclear facilities after the US strikes, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. The ministry cited assessments by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
IRAN AMBASSADOR SPEAKS OUT: In an address to the UN Security Council, Iran’s Ambassador Ali Bahreini said that Israel decided to “destroy diplomacy” when it struck Iran, two days ahead of nuclear talks that were set to take place between Iran and the US. While the West expects Iran to return to the negotiating table, he asked, how can it return to something “it never left”? He added that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has been “manipulated into a political weapon … exploited as a pretext for aggression and unlawful action.”
RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR SLAMS US: Russia’s Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya told the UN Security Council that the US has “yet again demonstrated its complete contempt for the position of the international community” with its attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities. “It’s prepared not only to turn a blind eye to the killings of tens of thousands of Palestinian women, children and old persons, but also to gamble with the safety and … well-being of humanity as a whole.”
CHINA CHIMES IN: “The actions of the US seriously violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, and have exacerbated tensions in the Middle East,” China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
VITAL TRADE ROUTE AT RISK: Iran’s parliament has reportedly approved the closing of the key strait of Hormuz shipping lane. Reuters reported Iran’s supreme national security council will make the final decision on the move, which could hamstring global trade by shutting the narrow passage between Iran and Oman. US secretary of state Marco Rubio urged China to advise Tehran against closing the vital trade route.
RELATED: If Iran Closes Hormuz: How the Strait Affects the World Economy
*NOTE: The implication of this statement is that all the while Trump appeared to be pursuing diplomacy, it was a ruse, and he had already made up his mind. He was sending Americans and Iran fraudulent signals all along.
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MORE ON IRAN-ISRAEL-US:
Tehran vows ‘everlasting consequences’ after US strikes Iranian nuclear facilities
Iran’s foreign minister said on 22 June that the US bombardment of the country’s nuclear facilities will have “everlasting consequences,” reserving the right to respond.
“The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on social media. “Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior.”
“In accordance with the UN Charter and its provisions allowing a legitimate response in self-defense, Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people.
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has also condemned the attack as a “barbaric and illegal act” and a “reckless provocation that will not go unanswered.”
“The American enemy, through a statement by its president in social media, has officially claimed responsibility for the attacks on these sites, which are under continuous monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) based on the safeguards agreement and the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),” the statement added (continue reading here).
Iran says US ‘must receive a response’ after Trump’s strikes on nuclear sites
Iran has warned the US to brace for retaliation after Donald Trump’s administration joined Israel in its war against Tehran, tearing up his isolationist foreign policy and launching the most consequential intervention in a conflict in a generation.
Almost a day after US strikes targeting three key Iranian nuclear sites, Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, told France’s Emmanuel Macron: “The Americans must receive a response to their aggression,” signaling a potential Iranian reprisal that could drag the US into a new, protracted conflict in the Middle East.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said he planned to fly to Moscow to meet Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, on Monday morning for consultations. Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, said any country used by the US to strike Iran “will be a legitimate target for our armed forces,” the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
On Sunday night, acting US ambassador Dorothy Shea told an emergency meeting of the UN security council that “any Iranian attack – direct or indirect – against Americans or American bases will be met with devastating retaliation.”*
She said at the meeting, called by Iran, that the US acted in defense of Israel and American citizens to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon after it “obfuscated” about its nuclear weapons program and “stonewalled good-faith efforts in recent negotiations” (continue reading here).
*NOTE: It should go without saying that the US initiated this conflict – as Israel did a week ago – and it is Iran that will be retaliating.
RELATED: I’ll Slug You, and If You Resist, I’ll Slug You Harder
US, not Iran, betrayed diplomacy: Araghchi
Asked what the conditions would be for Iran to come back to the negotiations after the US attack, the Iranian foreign minister said it is “irrelevant” to ask Iran to return to diplomacy.
“We were in the middle of diplomacy. We were in the middle of talks with the United States when Israelis blew it up,” Araghchi said.
“And again, we were in the middle of talks and negotiation with Europeans [that] happened only two days ago in Geneva, when this time, Americans decided to blow it up.
“So it was not Iran, but the US who betrayed diplomacy. They betrayed negotiations,” he said. “I think they have proved that they are not men of diplomacy, and they only understand the language of threat and force. And this is very unfortunate.”
“The door for diplomacy should always stay open, but this is not the case right now,” he said. “My country has been under attack, under aggression, and we have to respond based on our legitimate right to self-defense.”
The US attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, he said, “is an unforgivable violation of international law”.
“[Trump] has betrayed not only Iran by abusing our commitment to diplomacy but also deceived his own voters by submitting to the wishes of a wanted war criminal who has grown accustomed to exploiting the lives and wealth of American citizens to further the Israeli regime’s objectives,” said Araghchi, referring to Netanyahu.
RELATED: US senator warns against history repeating itself in Iran, recalling Iraq invasion
IRAN-ISRAEL-US HEADLINES:
Top Things You Still Think You Know About Iran that are Not True
Russia warns US against assassinating Khamenei, calls regime change attempts ‘unacceptable’
Pakistan’s UN envoy condemns US a day after Trump Nobel Peace Prize nomination
If Iran withdraws from the NPT, ‘other countries could follow suit’
US warns of ‘heightened threat environment’ after Iran attacks
US State Department issues worldwide alert for American citizens abroad after attack on Iran
NOTABLE QUOTES:
Trita Parsi, the executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft:
We have to keep in mind the reality of the situation, which is that two nuclear-equipped countries attacked a non-nuclear weapons state without having gotten attacked first. Israel was not attacked by Iran – it started that war; the United States was not attacked by Iran – it started this confrontation at this point.
Parsi said the attacks on Iran “will send shockwaves” throughout the world because it will be very difficult for countries that risk ending up in the crosshairs of the US and Israel to feel that they are safe without having a nuclear deterrent.
So I fear that we will see proliferation, but I also think that this has more or less guaranteed that Iran will be a nuclear weapons state in five to 10 years from now.
Bernie Sanders, on the US involvement in Iran:
In the 1960s the United States government lied to the American people and took us into a terrible war in Vietnam. The result of that war was that over 58,000 young Americans died and many more came back wounded both in mind and in spirit. Millions of Vietnamese were also killed.
Decades later, Americans were told by then-President George W. Bush that the U.S. must act quickly to stop Iraq from building “weapons of mass destruction”—with U.S. officials following the guidance of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
[Following the guidance of Netanyahu] the United States invaded Iraq [because of a manufactured threat of WMD] and became embroiled in a long civil war there. No weapons of mass destruction were ever found. That war was based on a lie—a lie which cost us 4,492 young Americans, 32,000 wounded, over half a million Iraqis and trillions of dollars.The American people are being lied to again today. We cannot allow history to repeat itself.
Pope Leo, head of the Roman Catholic Church, on remembering the suffering of Gaza:
In this dramatic scenario, which includes Israel and Palestine, the daily suffering of the population, especially in Gaza and other territories, risks being forgotten, where the need for adequate humanitarian support is becoming increasingly urgent.
Let diplomacy silence the weapons, let nations chart their future with peace efforts, not with violence and bloody conflicts. Every member of the international community has a moral responsibility: to stop the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable abyss.
WEST BANK NEWS:
(For background on the West Bank, read this and this)
Widespread Israeli Invasions, Abductions, Across West Bank
Israeli Forces Shoot a Child Near Nablus
Israeli Occupation Forces Abduct 28 Palestinians Across West Bank
PROTEST NEWS:
(For background on the student protest movement, read this)
Freed Activist Mahmoud Khalil Slams Columbia University for Silence on His Arrest
Mahmoud Khalil, the pro-Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate student who was released Saturday after more than three months in ICE detention, spoke at a rally outside the university, condemning his arrest and criticizing Columbia for remaining silent throughout his ordeal.
“While it’s good to be with you here today, I have to say this is the beginning of a long journey,” Khalil told the crowd, flanked by his wife, lawyers and fellow activists. “My being here is sweet, but it’s not a good story. Not when Palestinians are still being killed under U.S. bombs, and not when supporting their right to struggle is so heavily criminalized.”
Khalil also accused Columbia of failing to support him, saying the university declined to host Saturday’s rally on campus grounds. “They say they protect international students, but in three months behind bars, I didn’t get a single call,” he said (continue reading here).
Mahmoud Khalil vows to continue to ‘speak up for Palestine’ after release
Why did Egypt block the Global March to Gaza?
Protesting to San Jose State U. for Firing Tenured Professor Sang Hea Kil for Palestine Protest
MORE HEADLINES:
Trump Attacks Rep. Massie for Opposing His Illegal Bombing of Iran
STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – JUNE 22, 2025:
- At least 56,951 Palestinians killed, 140,027 injured – including:
- at least 55,959 killed in Gaza (~16,500 children)
- at least 992 killed in the West Bank (~199 children)
- at least 131,242 injured in Gaza
- at least 8,785 injured in the West Bank
According to Palestinian authorities, during the ceasefire Jan. 19 – March 18 2025, Israeli attacks killed at least 170 Gazans, and Israel committed at least 962 ceasefire violations.
Since the Israeli army resumed its assaults on Gaza on March 18, it has killed at least 5,647 people. 23 Israeli soldiers (most recent June 18) have been killed during the same time period.
Thousands of those killed in Gaza have yet to be identified, and an estimated 14,000 more are still buried under rubble.
Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – June 22, 2025: ~1,613 – including ~1,139 on October 7, 2023 (~36 children), 428 military forces since the ground invasion began in Gaza, 46 military and civilians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Israel.
By one count, Israeli attacks have killed approximately 221 Palestinian journalists and media workers; Palestinians have killed 4 Israeli journalists (other groups have tallied between 184 and 281 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)
- AIPAC demands Democrats “stand with Israel” on Iran
- Mahmoud Khalil released from ICE detention after more than three months
- Why BBC editors must one day stand trial for colluding in Israel’s genocide
- American Committee on Foreign Relations Miseducates Public and Censors Truth-Telling Analysts
- UC San Francisco fired me for speaking out against genocide, but as a physician I could not remain silent
- Is Israel’s favorite US general helping to push us into war?
- Israel blocks its Palestinian citizens from bomb shelters during Iran strikes
- Meet the American military veterans fasting for Gaza
- IAEA report didn’t say Iran is producing nuclear weapons
- BBC coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza ‘systematically biased against Palestinians’
- Zionism Is Not an American Principle
- Massie, Democrats move to block US strikes on Iran
- Professor John Mearsheimer: Israel gets the US to do its bidding
- America Has Betrayed Palestinians. We Will Still Prevail.
- Pure Orwell: Europe condemns Iran for attacks on its own territory
- Israel’s Hidden Front: How Israel’s Military Embeds Itself Among ‘Civilians’
- ‘I Wished for Death’: A Palestinian Man’s Torture at an Israeli Checkpoint
- Trump’s “aid” boss oversees lethal food distribution in Gaza
- The rise of Abu Shabab: Mapping the Gaza militia armed by Israel
- Israel uses antisemitism as cover for Gaza genocide. It’s a trap
