Horrific situation in Gaza, West Bank – Not a ceasefire Day 124

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 850th day.)

At least seven Palestinians, including a child and a woman, have been killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, in the latest Israeli violations of the October “ceasefire”.

Since the “ceasefire” began on October 11, Israel has killed at least 587 Palestinians. Over 1,550 have been injured. Death toll figures are tentative. 

Israel has so far violated the 11 October ceasefire deal in Gaza at least 1,620 times (as of Feb. 1, 2026). 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.

Israel used weapons in Gaza that made thousands of Palestinians evaporate

According to the Al Jazeera Arabic investigation, The Rest of the Story, Civil Defense teams in Gaza have documented 2,842 Palestinians who have “evaporated” since the war began in October 2023, leaving behind no remains other than blood spray or small fragments of flesh.

Experts and witnesses attributed this phenomenon to Israel’s systematic use of internationally prohibited thermal and thermobaric weapons, often referred to as vacuum or aerosol bombs, capable of generating temperatures exceeding 3,500 degrees Celsius [6,332 degrees Fahrenheit] (continue reading here).

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In Gaza, One Man Is Searching for the Remains of His Family With a Flour Sifter

Hammad spent weeks clearing away tons of rubble and then began to dig. “I was able to recover my brother, his wife, and their children. When I reached the living room in my home, it became clear that it was completely burned. I realized that the fate of my children was unknown—that they were burned and their bones had melted away.

I then went to the room where my wife had been and I found her bones,” Hammad told Drop Site News. “How did I know it was my wife? First, the location of the room. Second, the bones of the unborn child were found in the same place, because the pregnancy was complete” (continue reading here).

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Between tumors and trauma, Gaza’s sick face war beyond the frontlines

As medical needs grow in Gaza, Israel’s planned March 1 ban on 37 humanitarian organizations risks further weakening already fragile aid networks, leaving cancer patients without treatment and traumatized children without critical support.

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The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a technocratic committee of Palestinians, was formed nearly a month ago, but Israel has yet to allow the group to enter Gaza, while the US has still not made clear to the NCAG what its exact mandate will be. The group has neither offices nor staff, nor residences.

Add to that the fact that Trump added the ICC-indicted Benjamin Netanyahu to the ‘Board of Peace’ and accommodated all of Israeli demands, and it is clear that Israel intends to sabotage Phase Two of what’s become a unilateral ceasefire after Israel repeatedly violated Phase One into virtual obsolescence (continue reading here).

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Is Israel keeping its word on the Rafah crossing?

From the day Israel opened the Rafah crossing, Feb. 2, to Feb. 9, only 397 Palestinians have passed through the crossing. Israel had said that about 50 patients (plus several accompanying family members) would be allowed to leave Gaza per day, and 50 would be allowed to enter, for a total of about 1,600 travelers at this point. Israel has roughly a 25% compliance rate so far, the Gaza government media office said in a statement.

Palestinian estimates in Gaza indicate that about 22,000 wounded and sick people need to leave the territory for medical treatment amid what officials describe as a catastrophic collapse of the health system caused by Israel’s war on Gaza, and about 80,000 Palestinians have registered to return to Gaza.

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Damaged and dilapidated homes are a ‘silent threat’ against Gaza’s Palestinians

Experts in engineering and public safety warn of the danger posed by tilted and cracked residential buildings across all neighborhoods of Gaza City.

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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.)

Former Israeli PM Olmert warns occupied West Bank policies resemble ‘ethnic cleansing’

“No one can blame anyone else but the Israelis that live in the West Bank and the government that supports them, who are perpetrating the hostilities inhuman against non-involved Palestinians”, Olmert said on Euronews’ Europe Today program. “This is something that comes close to an attempt to make ethnic cleansing.”

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Israeli minister calls West Bank measures ‘de facto sovereignty,’ says no to future Palestinian state

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Settlers* filmed entering Palestinian village, harassing locals at night

Settlers on Monday night entered the northern West Bank hamlet of Fase’il in  an ATV, blasting the horn and shining bright lights into homes, according to footage published by residents. Another clip shows a water pipeline after it was broken apart by settlers.

The ATV used in the footage appears to be of the same model given by the government last year to illegal farming outposts in the West Bank with the stated goal of “strengthening the resilience” of such outposts and “deepening” Israeli control of the territory.

*NOTE: Israel has built around 280 settlements, home to more than 700,000 illegal settlers, on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. 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.

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.

 (*NOTE: Learn more about Israeli settler violence here and here.)

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Misery deepens in West Bank amid dearth of permits to work in Israel

Some 100,000 people whose permits were revoked after Oct. 7 face dwindling and dangerous options as economic crisis in territory worsens.

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ALL IN A DAY’S WORK: MORE ISRAELI OCCUPATION ACTIONS ON TUESDAY:

Israeli forces arrest child during raid near Hebron

Israeli army detains 25 Palestinians in West Bank raids

Israeli forces issue demolition order for sports stadium in Masafer Yatta

Settlers open fire on shepherds in Masafer Yatta

Colonizers Seize Caves in Masafer Yatta

Palestinian female journalist re-arrested after previous release in exchange deal

Israeli Army Confiscates Vehicles, Blocks Key Road, and Abducts Young Man

Israeli Forces Demolish Two Homes Near Jenin

Israel Orders Demolition of Electricity Network in Ethna

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.)

Palestinian boy has been in the West Bank since 2022 but is still registered as a resident in the strip where ban applies.

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Netanyahu says he will present ‘Israel’s vision’ on Iran talks to Trump during US visit

“I will present to the president our vision for the principles of the [US-Iran] negotiations,” Netanyahu said, claiming that Israel’s approach reflects “important principles not only for Israel, but for everyone seeking peace and security in the Middle East.” Netanyahu traveled to Washington on Tuesday afternoon, and will return to Israel on Thursday.

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Despite arrest warrant*, Netanyahu’s plane en route to US crosses airspace of 3 ICC member states

Flight data revealed Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s aircraft, en route to the United States, flew over three countries – Greece, Italy, and France – that are parties to the Rome Statute and members of the international Criminal Court. The states are obligated to comply with the court’s decisions, yet they did not close their airspace to Netanyahu’s aircraft.

*NOTE: The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu on Nov. 21, 2024, over war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, where more than 72,000 people have been killed in a brutal assault since Oct. 2023. Several Hamas members were also charged, but Israel has since assassinated them.

Israel has run an almost decade-long secret “war” against the International Criminal Court, deploying its intelligence agencies to surveil, hack, pressure, smear, and allegedly threaten senior ICC staff in an effort to derail the court’s inquiries into Israeli leaders’ crimes. Read more here. 

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A Palestinian influencer spent 27 months in Israeli prison — for social media posts

Abdel Rahim Haj Yahya, an Israeli citizen, was convicted of incitement to terror soon after October 7. He is convinced it was because of his large following.

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Netanyahu revokes citizenship of 2 Palestinians in Israel, orders deportation to Gaza

‘Many more like them are on the way,’ Israeli prime minister warns, threatening additional measures against Palestinians following a first-of-its-kind move.

NEWS & 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.)

‘You Sent Us to Battle, Now Rehabilitate Us’: Israel Has One Therapist for 850 Veterans With PTSD

Testimonies at a Knesset committee session reveal a system overwhelmed by a 180 percent surge in PTSD cases, leaving veterans struggling for food and basic recognition.

OTHER NEWS & HEADLINES:

What happens when Netanyahu visits Trump? A look at his past six US trips

Netanyahu embarks on his sixth US trip amid escalating tensions in the region and ongoing US-Iran negotiations.

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Judge Ends Öztürk Deportation Effort But Press Freedom Group Still ‘Disgusted That It Ever Happened’

“They’d throw out all of us who dissent if they could,” warned the Freedom of the Press Foundation’s chief of advocacy (read about Rumeysa Ozturk here).

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US family demands pro-Palestine protester’s release after hospitalization

Loved ones say they were ‘stonewalled’ by immigration agents as Leqaa Kordia was rushed to the hospital from a US detention center (read about Leqaa Kordia here).

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AIPAC* Strategy Backfires as Progressive Underdog Wins Key House Race in New Jersey

“AIPAC’s spending and support for candidates is becoming a kiss of death in Democratic primaries.”

*NOTE: AIPAC, which by law should be registered as a foreign agent, is on a mission to keep Congress filled with the best pro-Israel legislators that money can buy. The group “babysits” each Congress member that has accepted AIPAC donations, to make sure they vote for any bill that helps Israel. AIPAC is often deeply involved in political campaigns, giving money to candidates on both sides of the aisle.

Public opinion in the U.S. is shifting away from support for Israel but few politicians seem to notice, choosing to obey their babysitter, instead of their constituents.

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Florida Republican candidate on the Western Wall: ‘Stupid wall’

James Fishback, a Republican candidate for governor in Florida, declared that if elected, he has no intention of traveling to Israel. “I will not visit the State of Israel,” he told the audience, adding, “I would rather travel to Brazil and other countries to bring jobs to Florida, and not visit countries just to kiss a stupid wall.” His remarks were met with applause from some attendees.

I’ll be the first to admit that I fell for the “Israel is our greatest ally” scam and the lie that criticizing Israel is “antisemitic.”

It wasn’t until I was offered a paid trip to Israel this summer (which I never took) that I realized how cringe and pathetic the propaganda…

— James Fishback (@j_fishback) December 16, 2025

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I am deeply concerned by the Israeli Security Cabinet’s decision yesterday, which even settler groups admit is tantamount to de facto annexation of the entire West Bank. These moves undermine the fundamental principles of the Oslo Accords. They make Israel’s military occupation… https://t.co/jpn9mAUTHL

— Rep. Nadler (@RepJerryNadler) February 10, 2026

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Swiss lawyers accuse their country and foreign minister of ‘aiding and abetting genocide in Gaza’

25 lawyers file complaint with International Criminal Court against Swiss foreign minister

ICYMI, A SELECTION OF YESTERDAY’S HEADLINES:

Red Cross President horrified by destruction in Gaza

Israeli minister promises to pass ‘allegiance’ to Israel law

IDF readying new Gaza offensive to disarm Hamas by force

(Read yesterday’s daily update here.)

STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – FEBRUARY 10, 2026*:

• At least 73,149 Palestinians killed, 182,666 injured – including:
• At least 72,037 killed in Gaza (~22,000 children, 33,000 women and girls)
• At least 1,112 killed in the West Bank (~230 children)
• At least 171,666 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; 5,000 more are reportedly missing, with no information about their fate.

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.

At least 25 Palestinians in Gaza have died due to the extreme cold, including 21 children, since the start of Israel’s genocidal war in October 2023. At least 11 Palestinian children have died of extreme cold this winter.

Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – February 10, 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 59 victims) in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Israel. 

By one count, Israeli attacks have killed approximately 281 Palestinian journalists and media workers (as of Jan. 21, 2026); Palestinians have killed 4 Israeli journalists (other groups have tallied between 215 and 333 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)
• Mysterious ‘peace’ groups are sending Americans pro-Israel texts
• Epstein files: Western media must stop burying the Israel connection
• Software developer exposes Israeli nonprofits’ massive spending to influence Americans
• Ronald Lauder’s son-in-law Kevin Warsh emerges as the next Fed chair
• A 14-year-old Palestinian Bled to Death for 45 Minutes as Israeli Soldiers Stood Nearby
• The toxic legacy of genocide
• Global Sumud Flotilla to launch ‘largest relief operation in history’ for Gaza
• Pentagon Makes Largest Known Arms Purchase From Israel — For Banned Cluster Weapons
• Israeli Military Found Gaza Health Ministry Death Toll Was Accurate. Will These Deniers Admit It?
• AIPAC Coordinates Donors in Illinois House Primaries
• Geneva Academy warns Gaza death toll could top 200,000
• Media ignore allegations that Israel raped German journalist
• Former Israeli PM: Settlers are Aiding and Abetting Jewish Rioters in the West Bank
• Tucker Carlson sheds light on Christian-Muslim harmony in Palestine, Jordan