Compilation of news reports – IAK staff
(While a “ceasefire” is ostensibly in place, Israel has continued its assault on Gaza without interruption. If Americans Knew considers the war to be ongoing, and in its 818th day.)
A Palestinian man was killed on Tuesday morning when an Israeli drone fired at him in the eastern sector of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the devastated Gaza Strip.
Since the “ceasefire” began on October 11, Israel has killed at least 424 Palestinians. At least 1,199 have been injured. Death toll figures are tentative.
Israel has so far violated the 11 October ceasefire deal in Gaza at least 969 times in 89 days. More statistics below.
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.)
Gaza now has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world
After more than two years of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, the daily unbearable churn of mass death and mourning, with homes, hospitals and schools destroyed, the besieged Palestinian territory also faces the fastest and most damaging economic collapse on record. That is according to the United Nations, which says Gaza’s unemployment rate has reached 80 percent.
Small-scale businesses have expanded, ranging from solar-powered phone-charging stations to women knitting baby clothes. They provide households with short-term means of survival, but it is not enough to restore economic stability or generate sustainable, protected employment (continue reading here).
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Gaza Hospitals ‘Overwhelmed’ with Patients amid Severe Shortage of Medication
Hospitals in Gaza face a critical situation despite the ceasefire agreement, with a surge in patient numbers, severe shortage of medication and daily deaths, according to Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, the director of the Al-Shifa medical complex.
According to Dr. Abu Salmiya, the number of injuries resulting from Israeli bombings has decreased, but “there has been a significant increase in hospital admissions due to the current severe flu outbreak” in Gaza.
Given the lack of medication, he emphasized, “the stage we are currently experiencing is one of the worst in this war of extermination.”
RELATED: Gaza children risk snipers to attend tent schools
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Fuel Shortages, Lack of Equipment: Gaza’s Civil Defense Suspends Operations
Gaza’s Civil Defense Authority announced on Monday that it can no longer respond to requests for the removal of hazards posed by buildings damaged by Israel’s bombings, due to fuel shortages and a lack of rescue equipment.
Since the so-called ceasefire agreement came into effect last October, its teams have successfully removed concrete blocks and walls from approximately 3,445 damaged buildings, which had posed a direct threat to the safety of people. Approximately 1,560 calls for assistance remain pending for damaged buildings that still pose a serious danger.
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Almost 1,300 Palestinians from Gaza still held in Israeli detention*
1,287 Palestinians from Gaza remain in Israeli detention under emergency powers – 41 of them arrested during the ceasefire – while Israeli forces are continuing to make new arrests. Since 7 October 2023, thousands of Palestinians from Gaza and the occupied West Bank have been detained in Israeli facilities, where many have been held in extreme conditions and faced torture and abuse.
*NOTE: The vast majority of Palestinians being held in Israeli prisons are political prisoners; thousands 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 regularly use torture (and have done so for over 50 years).
Each year, hundreds of Palestinians (many of them minors) are imprisoned for throwing stones, which can carry a sentence of up to 20 years (for Palestinians, not Israeli Jews).
RELATED: Testimonies of Systematic Rape and Sexual Torture in Israeli Detention against Palestinian Detainees
OCCUPIED WEST BANK/EAST JERUSALEM NEWS & HEADLINES:
(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.)
11 Palestinians injured as Israeli forces raid Birzeit University in occupied West Bank
Eleven Palestinians were wounded Tuesday when Israeli forces raided Birzeit University north of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, according to medical and local sources. Three were shot in the legs with live fire, three were injured by shrapnel, and five treated for tear gas inhalation.
Israeli forces reportedly raided the Birzeit University campus, smashed doors, and broke into facilities; they used live fire, sound grenades and tear gas inside the grounds, triggering panic among students and staff.
The raid followed a student event held in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and coincided with preparations to screen a film titled “Hind Rajab,” which documents the killing of a five-year-old child during the Gaza war (continue reading here).
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‘A year of bloodshed’: nearly 24,000 army, settler attacks* on West Bank Palestinians in 2025
The head of the Colonization & Wall Resistance Commission (CWRC), Minister Mu’ayyad Sha’ban, reported that, in 2025, the Israeli occupation forces and colonizers committed 23,827 attacks against Palestinian citizens and their property in the governorates of the West Bank – a record high for the number of attacks documented within a single year.
The attacks were categorized: 1,382 targeted land and trees, 16,664 attacks targeted individuals, while 5,398 attacks targeted property. The Israeli army was responsible for 18,384 attacks, while colonizers carried out 4,723 attacks, and both parties together were involved in an additional 720 attacks (continue reading here).
*NOTE: Israel has illegally built around 280 settlements on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, which are home to more than 700,000 illegal settlers. Some settler groups have a history of violence against Palestinians, often with the assistance of Israeli military forces (a phenomenon that has grown significantly worse since October 7th, 2023).
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Israel pushes ahead with vast illegal settlement* in heart of West Bank
Israel is moving to start construction on a vast illegal settlement in the heart of the West Bank, designed to “bury the idea of a Palestinian state,” with a plan to construct 3,401 homes, effectively severing the north from the south of the occupied West Bank for Palestinians, and further cut off East Jerusalem.
Yonatan Mizrachi of Settlement Watch and Peace Now said, “This timeline suggests bulldozers could start work in less than a year.” The construction work would seal a land grab the British government has described as “a flagrant breach of international law” (continue reading here).
*NOTE: 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 in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
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WEST BANK HEADLINES:
In West Bank, Israeli army approves use of monitoring bracelets to ‘replace’ administrative detention
Tel Aviv claims this is a method to ‘combat settler violence’ while critics point to ongoing impunity and a history of surveillance targeting Palestinians.
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Israeli Colonizers Injure 2 Palestinians, Soldiers Abduct 2, In Bethlehem
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Israeli Soldiers Injure 7 Palestinians Near Tubas, Escalate Violations In West Bank
ISRAEL NEWS & HEADLINES:
(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 accurately. IAK passes along only factual reporting.)
How Israel’s move in Somaliland fits in its broader strategy for regional dominance
As Donald Trump proclaimed a “forever peace” in the region last October, Israel proceeded to dramatically escalate its military operations, launching repeated assaults across Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and beyond.
In Gaza, Israel has violated the ceasefire over a thousand times; in Lebanon, it continues to target resistance forces; in Syria, it attempts to destabilize the new regime by exacerbating sectarian divisions; and more recently, it has continued to beat the drums of war with Iran.
Its recent recognition of Somaliland also signals an Israel that seeks to regionalize its terror regime, challenge Turkey’s presence in Somalia, and position itself closer to Yemen and Iran for future skirmishes (continue reading here).
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ISRAEL HEADLINES:
Crime and sexual offenses surge in Israel, opposition leader Lapid tells Knesset
2 killed in fresh Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon* despite ceasefire
Strikes come amid reports of Israeli preparations for large-scale attack in Lebanon (*NOTE: Israel has attacked Lebanon almost every day since the ceasefire was reached on 27 November 2024. committing over 10,000 air and ground violations).
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Israeli forces conduct 3 new raids in Syria’s* Quneitra
Israeli forces have been carrying out near-daily incursions into Syrian territory, particularly in Quneitra’s countryside (*NOTE: The Israeli army has carried out over 1,000 airstrikes and 400 cross-border raids on Syria since December 2024).
HEADLINES FROM ISRAELI MEDIA:
(You can learn a lot about a country from its headlines. Get a glimpse inside this country that is rife with turmoil and contradictions that receives $63 million a day from America.)
In Netanyahu’s Israel, Even Bereavement Has Become Politicized
The ceremony for hostages and their families wasn’t because of what they sacrificed for the country, but because of their support for the government during the war. The speakers used the event to praise some bereaved families and incite against others.
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Ben-Gvir – the Pyromaniac in Charge of Israel’s Police – Dreams of Igniting an Arab [Palestinian] Uprising
Under the war’s shadow, the minister was able to distribute hundreds of thousands of arms to any Jewish citizen who wanted one while almost totally silencing the Arab community’s political expression for over 18 months.
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Israel pushes world to recognize Somaliland
Netanyahu discussed recognition with Indian PM Modi in Wednesday call as Jerusalem pursues diplomatic blitz to legitimize African territory.
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Behind Trump’s headline diplomacy is a void: core questions on Israeli withdrawal, Hamas disarmament and Gaza’s future governance are postponed or outsourced. This isn’t a peace effort but conflict management, preserving the status quo and leaving Palestinians without a political horizon.
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Israel grants 4G access to Palestinian West Bank cell companies after war delay
Communications Ministry ratifies deals inked by Israeli, Palestinian telecom firms; move won’t cover Gaza, where networks are stuck on 2G.
OTHER NEWS & HEADLINES:
Israel’s arms manufacturers benefit from EU funding for cutting edge civilian research
The EU has funneled millions of euros’ worth of funding meant for civilian research programs to Israeli arms manufacturers and other defense firms despite a ban on the funding of military and dual-use research.
Public records show Israeli companies, central to the state’s military industry, have repeatedly participated in EU-backed research. For example, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), a state-owned defense company and one of Israel’s largest weapons manufacturers, received over $15m in EU funding. IAI produces drones, missile systems and surveillance technology used in the genocide in Gaza and the occupation of the West Bank (continue reading here).
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UK Hunger Strikers Facing Organ Failure – Day 64
Prisoners for Palestine warned that eight hunger strikers, including Heba Muraisi, face risk of organ failure as the protest enters its third month.
The organization reported that Palestine Action activist Heba Muraisi is on remand for more than a year over Palestine-related activism and she has now reached 64 of hunger strike, the longest-serving hunger striker amongst the group (continue reading here).
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MORE HEADLINES:
AIPAC donor on cusp of reaping billions from US abduction of Maduro
Paul Singer, a prominent Republican donor, has made a cut-rate offer to buy a string of Venezuelan-owned refineries in US.
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Iran’s top defense body threatens ‘firm response’ amid reports of possible Israeli attack
Since 12-day war, tensions have dramatically escalated between Iran and Israel.
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UK bans US Muslim preacher Shadee Elmasry for praising resistance against Israel
Pro-Israel activists and MPs called for Elmasry to be banned before Home Secretary Shabana Mahmoud’s decision.
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Swiss court rules Ali Abunimah detention was illegal
In these days of cowardice and complicity by governments in the face of shocking and monstrous crimes, it is more important than ever that citizens everywhere speak out. It is therefore vital that we fight back fiercely when our right to speak is attacked by government repression, says Ali Abunimah.
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Netanyahu reportedly asks Putin to assure Iran of no Israeli attack plans
The message was recently passed through the Russian president to Iran, amid fears that Tehran might preemptively strike Israel to prevent a possible Israeli attack.
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Palestinian church committee urges churches worldwide to protect aid work in Gaza
Committee warns Israeli restrictions on NGOs risk criminalizing humanitarian relief and worsening civilian suffering.
ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT) – A SELECTION OF YESTERDAY’S HEADLINES:
Netanyahu refuses to reopen Rafah crossing, keeping Gaza cut off
Netanyahu backs Ben-Gvir’s push for Jewish prayer at Haram Al-Sharif, risking regional unrest
Israeli national security minister calls for execution of Marwan Barghouti*
(Read yesterday’s daily update here.)
STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – JANUARY 6, 2026*:
- At least 72,494 Palestinians killed, 182,279 injured – including:
- At least 71,391 killed in Gaza (~22,000 children, 33,000 women and girls)
- At least 1,103 killed in the West Bank (~229 children)
- At least 171,279 injured in Gaza
- About 11,000 injured in the West Bank
*NOTE: Thousands of those killed in Gaza have yet to be identified, and an estimated 10,000 more are still buried under rubble. Additionally, the numbers of injured and starved are very conservative estimates. Only the dead who are brought to hospitals are included in the official fatality count.
Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – January 6, 2026: ~1,661 – including ~1,139** on October 7, 2023 (~36 children), 471 military forces since the ground invasion began in Gaza, about 52 military and civilians (by one count, there have been 44 victims) in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Israel.
By one count, Israeli attacks have killed approximately 275 Palestinian journalists and media workers; Palestinians have killed 4 Israeli journalists (other groups have tallied between 215 and 328 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’s role in Trump’s attacks on Venezuela
- This is how Israeli settlers, backed by the military, erased a Palestinian village from existence last week
- Israel is waging a reproductive genocide against Palestinian mothers in Gaza
- With Their Breadwinners Killed, Gaza’s Children Turn to Begging to Survive
- Israel And Its Supporters Deliberately Foment Hate And Division In Our Society
- ADL’s J7: Biweekly Jewish Nationalism Think Tank
- Israel gives war profiteers sole control of life-saving Gaza aid: Report
- Once Again, the New York Times Sells Israel’s Genocide in Gaza as Law Enforcement
- Israel Accuses Zohran Mamdani of Antisemitism for Reversing Orders Adams Gave Under Indictment
- Controlled Dissent: The Hidden System That Broke Charlie Kirk
- Four major dynamics in Gaza War that will impact 2026
- Stunning Victories and Rising Repression: a look back at the global student movement for Palestine in 2025
- Ha’aretz: Israel Blocked 37 Aid Groups From Gaza – and Then Claimed Credit for Their Work
- In occupied West Bank, Israel is seizing Palestinian homes and transforming them into military outposts
