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 838th day.)
Three Palestinians were killed and five injured Thursday by Israeli army gunfire and airstrikes in the Gaza Strip despite a ceasefire.
Since the “ceasefire” began on October 11, Israel has killed at least 492 Palestinians. At least 1,356 have been injured. Death toll figures are tentative.
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.
Israel has so far violated the 11 October ceasefire deal in Gaza at least 1,300 times (as of Jan. 15, 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.
As “ceasefire” enters Phase Two, is Israel finished with war? Short answer: Not even close
The Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that Israel is currently “preparing for the collapse of the Trump plan” and has already made preparations for resuming its assault on Gaza “without restrictions,” seeking this time to directly occupy the entire Strip. Israel’s Channel 14 further highlighted that the army’s chief of staff has approved plans for a large-scale attack on the enclave, including the invasion of areas that Israeli forces didn’t enter during two years of fighting.
Israel has made no secret of its intention to keep Gaza deadlocked indefinitely. The Israeli government is proactively taking steps to ensure that phase two of Trump’s plan will not proceed as planned — and at most, as Netanyahu remarked dismissively, remain a “symbolic” spectacle — in order to convince the Americans that Gaza is ungovernable, and thus prove the need for sustained Israeli military rule (continue reading here).
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Israeli army pushes to ‘reduce’ Gaza aid* during Phase Two of ceasefire: Report
The Israeli news site Jerusalem Post reports that Israel’s military thinks it is time to reduce the number of aid trucks entering Gaza, claiming the people only need 200 trucks a day, not the 600 stipulated in the ceasefire agreement. As they have done throughout the war, the IDF claims Hamas is stealing aid.
All throughout the first phase, Israel had already been severely restricting the amounts of aid entering Gaza in violation of the deal.
ANTIWAR ADDS: While the Israeli military claims the Palestinians are “flooded” with supplies, aid agencies say the people of Gaza are still struggling to survive. Most people in Gaza are displaced and living in tents. Israel is refusing to allow temporary housing to enter Gaza, leading to several children freezing to death.
The UN’s humanitarian affairs spokesperson, Olga Cherevko, said aid organizations were still facing “severe limitations.”
*NOTE: At no point during the 100+ days of the ceasefire did Israel allow 600 trucks of aid per day – Gaza officials report that an average of about 260 trucks (43%) have come in per day. This is insufficient, given that before the war, Gaza received about 500 trucks of aid per day – while producing some of its own food. Today, only about 1.5% of Gaza’s cropland is undamaged accessible, so much more is needed, not less.
Regarding Hamas’ alleged theft of aid: UN agencies and investigations by The Washington Post, Israeli news site Ha’aretz and other outlets documented widespread, months-long aid theft by criminal gangs under Israeli watch and with Israeli government support. Perhaps most significantly, an analysis by the US government found no evidence of systematic theft by Hamas of U.S.-funded humanitarian supplies.
Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly stated that they have large quantities of sheltering materials, food, and medical supplies waiting just outside the border, but Israel does not allow them into the Strip.
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Gaza municipality warns of imminent thirst crisis as water shortage reaches 90%
The water pipeline was damaged during bulldozing operations carried out by forces, cutting a supply line that previously covered around 70 per cent of Gaza City’s current water needs.
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Israel announces limited reopening* Sunday of Gaza’s Rafah crossing
Israel announced that the crucial Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt would be reopened on Sunday, but only for the “limited movement of people”.
Entry and exit “will be permitted in coordination with Egypt, following prior security clearance of individuals by Israel, and under the supervision of the European Union mission”, it added.
HA’ARETZ ADDS: Only residents of the Gaza Strip who had left the enclave during the war will be permitted to enter Gaza through the crossing; only sick and wounded Palestinians will be allowed to exit the Gaza Strip, along with those accompanying them. The move is largely symbolic: between 150 and 200 entries and exits are expected at the crossing per day.
Israel agreed to fully open the Rafah border crossing after the body of Ran Gvili, the last hostage held in Gaza, was found and returned to Israel on Monday.
*NOTE: The Rafah crossing was supposed to be opened over 100 days ago as part of the ceasefire agreement. In fact, Israel has failed to fulfill every obligation of the ceasefire deal. All military operations were supposed to be suspended, but Israel has continued them, killing 492 Palestinians since the ceasefire began; Israel was supposed to restart the full quantity of aid into Gaza (600 trucks a day), along with rehabilitation of infrastructure (water, electricity, sewage), rehabilitation of hospitals and bakeries, and entry of necessary equipment to remove rubble and open roads – none of these commitments have been fulfilled.
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Trump Claims ‘It Looks Like’ Hamas Will Disarm; That’s News to Hamas
President Donald Trump said on Thursday that “it looks like” Hamas is “going to disarm,” and his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said the group would “give up their AK-47s,” as Washington pressed a second-phase Gaza framework in which demilitarization is a core requirement – but senior Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk said Hamas never agreed to surrender its weapons, said disarmament was never raised directly with Hamas by the United States or mediators, and said “not for a single moment” did Hamas discuss surrendering weapons or any formula for disarmament.
Trump made the remark during a White House cabinet meeting and did not provide evidence for the assertion. Witkoff, speaking in the same setting, framed disarmament as inevitable and said, “They will because they have no choice. They’re going to give up their AK-47s” (continue reading here).
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Gaza-based journalist Bisan Owda regains TikTok account after outcry
Award-winning Palestinian journalist regains account with 1.4 million followers after surprise removal from video-sharing platform.
IRAN NEWS AND HEADLINES:
Trump weighs Iran strikes to inspire renewed protests, sources say
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US warship prepares to dock in Gulf of Aqaba amid regional tensions: Israeli media
Israeli broadcaster says move reflects heightened US-Israeli coordination as concerns grow over possible escalation involving Iran. Gulf of Aqaba coastline is divided among four countries: Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
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Iran says no negotiations ‘under threats’ as US military buildup grows
“If [the Trump admin] want negotiations to take shape, they must certainly abandon threats, excessive demands, and the raising of irrational issues.”
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How Trump’s demands on Iran have shifted over time
As the US president turns up the pressure on Tehran, his reasons for threatening military action have changed.
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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.)
A bloody season: the olive harvest in the West Bank
Journalists Rafaela Cortez and Ricardo Esteves Ribeiro embedded with Palestinians during the 2025 West Bank olive harvest. They witnessed terrible violence and oppression, including the killing of a 13-year-old boy, but also inspiring resistance.
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ALL IN A DAY’S WORK: MORE ISRAELI OCCUPATION ACTIONS ON THURSDAY:
Priests Warn of Escalating Colonizer Attacks Against Christian Families
Invasions, Abductions And Demolitions Across The West Bank
More Invasions, Abduction Across West Bank
Escalating Colonizer Attacks in the West Bank
Occupation Forces Shoot a Teen Near Hebron
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.)
Israel 3rd-worst jailer of journalists worldwide, press freedom group says
Israel is the “only country on the worst jailers’ list that is traditionally considered democracy,” and follows China and Myanmar.
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Israeli shelling hits rural areas of Daraa, Quneitra in southern Syria*
*NOTE: 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.
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.)
A School Principal Mentioned Israeli Settler Violence; His Students Demanded He Be Fired
Apple Buys Israeli Startup Specializing in Sound, Facial Detection in $1.5B Deal
The Israeli company, which has so far operated under the radar, filed a patent application last year to use ‘facial skin micromovements’ to detect mouthed words, identify a person and assess their emotions, heart rate and other indicators.
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Less than a third of Israelis say country won the war against Hamas in Gaza, poll finds
Just 17% of Israelis believe Hamas will lay down its arms.
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Ultra-Orthodox Schools for Boys Have No Teachers Trained in English, Math or Science, Finance Ministry Data Shows
It also indicated that the ministry has not developed a mandatory core curriculum for Haredi schools, nor has it developed a control, supervision, and enforcement plan.
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Israel’s overlooked challenge: Environmental damage from two years of war
As the Dead Sea diminishes, with an ever-shrinking shoreline and the appearance of thousands of dangerous sinkholes, a growing number of people are visiting the area to see this new reality for themselves – a kind of grim ecotourism.
OTHER NEWS & HEADLINES:
What’s UpScrolled, the app gaining popularity after TikTok’s US takeover?
Disgruntled TikTok users are flocking to the platform which is promising a ‘transparent tech’ experience.
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US immigration agency uses Israeli spyware, phone-hacking tech to track individuals: Report
Officials cultivate extensive collaboration with Israel through trips, joint training, technology transfers.
ICYMI, A SELECTION OF YESTERDAY’S HEADLINES:
Israel plans large [concentration] camp for Palestinians in southern Gaza, retired general says
Israeli Forces Kill a Palestinian Near Bethlehem
(Read yesterday’s daily update here.)
STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – JANUARY 29, 2026*:
- At least 72,777 Palestinians killed, 182,434 injured – including:
- At least 71,667 killed in Gaza (~22,000 children, 33,000 women and girls)
- At least 1,110 killed in the West Bank (~230 children)
- At least 171,434 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 29, 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)
- Playful Post on Tel Aviv Park Omits That It Was Built on Ruins of Palestinian Neighborhood
- Palestinian developer gains massive user support for app challenging censorship
- Gaza’s ‘Board of Peace’ – A New Phase of Palestinian Dispossession and Genocide
- Mike Huckabee is interfering with the work and witness of churches in the Holy Land to silence Palestinian Christians
- Israel to seek new security deal from US, official says
- Leaked “Board of Peace” Resolution Outlines U.S.-Led Plan to Rule Over Gaza
- Jonathan Greenblatt Rolls Out Plan to Activate Hispanic Evangelical Golems
- Greenpeace Demonstrator Exposes Folly of Protest Restrictions
- From CBS to TikTok, Pro-Israel Ellison is now in the driver’s seat
- Israel pays for UK advertisements attacking Doctors Without Borders
- Israel accused of extracting billions from Gazan people to pay for their own genocide
- In Gaza, We’re Struggling to Reintroduce Foods to Bodies Adjusted to Starvation
- Oppose Israel’s Abuses While You Still Can
- UNRWA Heads Tell Ha’aretz: ‘We Don’t Radicalize Palestinians – Their Lived Existence Does’
