News roundup for Wednesday, June 17, 2026, Day 985 since Israel began its 2023 genocide on the Palestinian people.
Compilation of news reports – IAK staff
NEWS & HEADLINES FROM GAZA:
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.
Israeli drone strike kills 2 beachgoers, wounds 6 in southern Gaza: An Israeli attack on crowded beachfront in Khan Younis targeted civilians seeking relief from summer heat, as Israel’s ceasefire violations continue across enclave.
More than 1,000 people in Gaza have been killed (1,005 to be exact) since a US-brokered October “ceasefire” between Hamas and Israel was agreed, and the humanitarian situation in the besieged enclave remains catastrophic. From October 2023 to October 2025 – the height of Israel’s genocide on Gaza – Israel was killing, on average, over 100 Palestinians a day. Israeli forces were gleefully bombing nearly all of Gaza’s 36 hospitals, and more than 200 schools and universities.
DEATH TOLL – GAZA GENOCIDE (tentative):
- At least 1,005 since ceasefire began Oct. 11, 2025 (247 children, 191 women)
- 5 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire began – one by friendly fire, and four others incidents during the first three weeks of the ceasefire.
- 73,016 killed (~22,000 children, 33,000 women and girls) since October 2023
- More statistics below
NEWS & HEADLINES FROM THE OCCUPIED WEST BANK/EAST JERUSALEM:
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.)
Netanyahu gov’t doubled number of Jewish communities (i.e. settlements*) in strategic area** near Jerusalem: A local government spokesperson said, “Under this government, the number of communities in Gush Etzion has doubled over the past three years… The primary credit for this transformation goes, first and foremost, to our friend” Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
The Netanyahu government has led an unprecedented drive to expand Jerusalem’s control of the occupied Palestinian West Bank, having approved tens of thousands of homes and dozens of new communities in the past three-and-a-half years.
*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. That is, Israeli settlements are a violation of international law.
Israeli settlers are sometimes referred to as “colonizers.” Many analysts believe the word “colonizer” is more accurate than “settler.” Zionism has been described by several scholars as a form of settler colonialism. Zionism’s founders and early leaders were aware and outspoken about their status as colonizers; early leading Zionists such as Theodor Herzl, Max Nordau, and Ze’ev Jabotinsky described Zionism as colonization.
**RELATED: The fraud of Gush Etzion, Israel’s mythological settlement bloc, How to establish a new settlement without the world noticing
‘He wanted to burn me alive’: 92-year-old recounts West Bank settler* attack, and other stories of settler violence, as the number of attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank escalates.
*NOTE: More than 700,000 settlers live illegally on Palestinian land in over 500 settlements and settlement outposts 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. Learn more about Israeli settler violence here and here.
HRW: Israel escalating home demolitions*, evictions in East Jerusalem: “Israeli authorities are intensifying their longstanding illegal policy of emptying areas surrounding Jerusalem’s Old City of Palestinians and replacing them with Israeli settlers,” said a spokesperson for Human Rights Watch. “Israeli efforts to change the demography of Jerusalem are war crimes, enabled by the impunity granted by Israel’s close allies.”
*NOTE: Most home demolitions ordered by Israel are due to Palestinians’ “building without a permit.” Israel admits that its construction permit system is highly discriminatory. Between 2016 and 2020, 99.1 percent of Palestinian requests for building permits were rejected, according to data provided by the IDF’s Civil Administration. According to UN data, at least 13,800 homes have been demolished, displacing over 22,000 Palestinians, since 2009.
Israel has ordered the demolition of dozens of Palestinian homes in the Silwan district of East Jerusalem in the past two years, to make room for a biblical theme park. The park will focus exclusively on the city’s Jewish past, although many Israeli archaeologists point out that visible remains date to other eras, before and after King David’s iron-age reign. These efforts exemplify Israel’s approach to all things Palestinian: erasure.
Israel approves Jewish religious school construction in occupied West Bank’s Hebron*: Decision marks 1st implementation of Israel’s move to take away Palestinian municipality’s building and planning authority, in violation of Hebron Agreement.
*NOTE: Around 35,000 Palestinians live in the West Bank city of Hebron, where the Ibrahimi Mosque is located, along with about 800 Jewish settlers, who are protected and supported by 1,500 Israeli soldiers. To read more about Israeli settler violence (backed by Israeli military) in the West Bank city of Hebron, go here, and see this video.
Israel Approves 576 New Colonial Units: The so‑called “Higher Planning Council” of the Israeli military’s “Civil Administration” approved on Wednesday a new package of colonial construction plans, including 576 additional colonial units across several illegal colonies in the occupied West Bank.
ISRAELI MEDIA: US wants part of the billions Israel owes to the Palestinian Authority: The US has reportedly convinced the Palestinian Authority to give up a significant portion of the $5 billion in revenues owed to the PA by Israel. The money would instead to to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), the panel of Palestinian technocrats overseen by the Board of Peace that is tasked with replacing Hamas rule in Gaza. Trump’s Board of Peace has no funding to carry on its work.
*NOTE: Under the terms of the Oslo Accords, Israel collects import/export taxes on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, which is supposed to be handed over for the PA’s operating budget. Israel regularly keeps back some of this revenue (an amount now totaling over $5 billion), claiming it is being used illegally for the so-called Pay-For-Slay program (Palestinians often call it the Martyr’s Fund) – a social safety net for the Palestinian families that have lost their breadwinner due to the conflict with Israel.
Israel claims the program encourages Palestinians to volunteer for suicide missions.
ISRAELI MEDIA: Israel seizes property tied to Gaza drone smuggling in first-of-its-kind enforcement action:
Colonizer attacks intensify across the occupied West Bank
Army Invades West Bank Areas, Abducts Palestinians
Israel Expands Military Base Construction on Seized Jenin Land: Families were informed of the land confiscation order under the pretext of “military use.”. Residents and local officials say the construction of this permanent military installation signals a further entrenchment of Israeli military control over Jenin and its refugee camp, and raises fears of additional displacement, surveillance, and future invasions.
Israeli occupiers [i.e. settlers] set fire to 2 mosques: Israeli occupiers on Wednesday set fire to parts of two mosques in the villages of Jiljilya and Mazra’a al-Nubani, north of the central occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, and sprayed Hebrew slogans on their walls.
DEATH TOLL – WEST BANK/EAST JERUSALEM (tentative):
NEWS & HEADLINES FROM ISRAEL:
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 news accurately. IAK gets the facts – sometimes from Israeli media sites, where we can get a glimpse inside this country that is rife with turmoil and contradictions, and that receives $63 million a day from America.
Israeli army included on UN blacklist for 3rd year over ‘grave violations’ against children: Yet-to-be-released report reveals 12,445 grave violations against 5,663 children in Israel and Palestine last year.
RELATED: ‘Not a normal war’: doctors say children have been targeted by Israeli snipers in Gaza
Israel’s Defeat in Iran Isn’t a Disaster – It’s an Opportunity to Face the Truth: The war in Iran has shown Israel the truth. Its so-called all-powerful army failed to achieve anything significant other than political ruin. Any rational country would draw the same conclusion – an end to living by the sword and the sword alone.
IRAN & LEBANON – NEWS & HEADLINES:
It can not be overemphasized that Israel is the impetus behind US policies and actions vis-a-vis Iran. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing the US to attack Iran for decades, using lies and deception. Under President Trump, he got his wish.
Israel has invaded Lebanon seven times in the last half century. Between 1978 and 2000, Israel maintained an 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon — Hezbollah was formed to fight that occupation.
US releases official agreement with Iran. Read the 14-point text HERE.
Iran deal includes $300 billion fund, more than half of which already committed, source says: The new fund is a private investment vehicle, not a reconstruction or reparations program, and will not include any government money or grants, the source said, adding that companies based in the U.S., the Gulf Arab states, Asia, South America and Africa have agreed to commit financing.
Trump Clarifies U.S. Not Paying for Iranian Reconstruction: The U.S. will not contribute to any reconstruction fund for Iran, President Donald Trump said at the G7 Summit Wednesday, after backlash from Israel and its American supporters. “We’re not putting up 10 cents,” Trump said.
“We have taken a lot of [Iranian] money, and we have their money,” Trump said at a news conference. “It’s not our money, it’s their money, and we froze it at a certain point in time. I guess we’re going to have to give it back, you know, if we didn’t give it back, nobody would ever invest in the dollar again,” he added.
ISRAELI MEDIA: As Iran deal takes force, Trump says ‘it’s okay’ for Iran to have some ballistic missiles: “If other countries have them, it’s a little bit unfair for [Iran] not to have some,” Trump said, adding, “Missiles aren’t the problem… They hurt a little location, but they don’t blow up the planet (like nuclear weapons do).”
Israel preparing for collapse of US-Iran agreement, report says: Officials in Israel reportedly believe the agreement between the US and Iran is unlikely to endure, and Netanyahu’s government has instructed the security establishment and the Israeli military to continue developing potential targets and preparing for future scenarios.
Iranian army warns Israel of ‘severe response’ over at least 84 violations (and counting) in Lebanon: “If the child-killing army of the Zionist regime does not end its aggression in southern Lebanon, it should expect a severe response from the powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Israel Hits Lebanon With Drone Strikes Hours After Trump and Iran Sign Interim Peace Deal: A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the agreement with the US would be “nullified” if the Trump administration refused to “force” Israel to end its assault on Lebanon.
‘Without me there is no Israel’ says Trump warning Tel-Aviv to stop flattening homes in Lebanon: “Israel’s fighting Hezbollah too long, and too many people are being killed. And you don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody. Because there are a lot of people in those apartment houses, and they’re not all Hezbollah, that I can tell you… Without us, without the United States, there would be no Israel. Without me, there would be no Israel.”
Israel cannot stop home demolitions in southern Lebanon: Ben-Gvir: “Israel cannot stop the demolition of houses in southern Lebanon. We simply cannot stop, that’s all. We cannot allow the residents of southern Lebanon to return. We must continue to control the territory.”
NAME AND SHAME: Construction equipment multinationals may be aiding Israeli war crimes in Lebanon, experts say: Verified images show Israeli military using excavators made by Caterpillar, Volvo, Hyundai, Doosan, Hitachi and Komatsu – to destroy homes, public utilities, shops and other structures across southern Lebanon, even entire villages. These manufacturers risk prosecution for complicity in war crimes.
RELATED: ‘I Felt I Was a Monster’: IDF Soldiers Talk About the ‘Moral Injury’ – and the Silence
Iranian army warns Israel of ‘severe response’ over dozens of violations in Lebanon
Conflict in Lebanon slowing down, but shows no sign of stopping as US-Iran MoU signing approaches: United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the number of projectiles fired between Israeli forces and Lebanon fell to 174 on Sunday, compared with 705 the previous Sunday. Of these, 169 were attributed to Israel and five to Hezbollah, he said.
DEATH TOLL – WARS ON IRAN & LEBANON (tentative):
- United States: 13 (or more) since Feb. 28, 2026
- Iran: at least 3,636 (1,701 civilians) since Feb. 28, 2026 (another source puts the number at 3,499)
- Lebanon: at least 3,826 people since March 2, 2026
- Arab states: at least 154 (including Palestine, excluding Lebanon)
- Israel: at least 54 people (Iran killed 20 civilians; Hezbollah killed 30 soldiers, 4 civilians)
MORE NEWS & HEADLINES:
Once a Target of TrackAIPAC, Ro Khanna Gains Its Endorsement: Khanna stated, “I’m proud to be the first member of Congress to sign the PEACE Pledge to reject campaign contributions and political support from AIPAC, DMFI, and other groups that promote unconditional support for Israel.
“The pledge also affirms my opposition to the genocide in Gaza and my commitment to voting against future military assistance to any country whose security forces are committing human rights violations. Rejecting AIPAC money isn’t enough — every member of Congress must be clear on these issues.”
Hillary Clinton says Netanyahu is ‘obsessed’ with Iran, Saudi normalization: Former US Secretary of State Clinton says Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu repeatedly pushed for a strike on Iran while she was in office.
Trump Admin Admits to Using Grok to Bomb Iran In Federal Lawsuit Backing Musk: The Trump administration is defending Musk’s data center by admitting that it has used its AI to enable strikes on Iran.
Inside Albania and Israel’s quietly expanding alliance: As Albania seeks to strengthen its position within Western political structures and attract foreign investment – including the Kushners’ island – close ties with Washington and its partners carry both political and economic value. And those efforts have increasingly come under public scrutiny.
ICYMI, A SELECTION OF YESTERDAY’S HEADLINES:
Gaza children running out of time to treat blast-induced hearing loss
The Israeli State Armed Settlers With Thousands of Guns. Now It Can’t Control Them
Ambassador Huckabee claims US would not exist without Israel
President Donald Trump criticized Israel’s occupation and bombing of Lebanon
(Read yesterday’s daily update here.)
STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – June 17, 2026*:
- At least 74,185 Palestinians killed, 185,901 injured – including:
- Gaza: at least 73,016 killed (~22,000 children, 33,000 women and girls), 173,265 injured
- West Bank/East Jerusalem: at least 1,169 killed (~244 children), 12,666 injured
*NOTE: Thousands of remains in Gaza have yet to be identified, and thousands more are still buried under rubble; others are reportedly missing.
Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – June 17, 2026: ~1,663 – including ~1,139** on October 7, 2023 (~36 children), 472 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 (these numbers do not include deaths from the conflicts with Lebanon or Iran).
**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)
- What would happen if US actually cut off military aid to Israel?
- Western Media Normalize Ethnic Cleansing of Lebanon by Viewing It Through Israel’s Eyes
- Behind the Screen, Netanyahu Is Annexing Gaza ‘Step-by-Step’
- How pro-Palestinian Groups Are Using AIPAC’s Playbook in New York and Beyond
- Trump Administration Targets Americans Opposed to Zionism
- Gaza children running out of time to treat blast-induced hearing loss
- The U.S. and Iran have struck a deal to open the Strait of Hormuz, but Israel may prevent an end to the war
- Pro-Israel Donors Power Last-Minute Surge of Espaillat Spending
- “They Stole Our Home and Our Life”: Israel Permanently Displaces Syrians in Quneitra
- Massie Recognizes USS Liberty Attack. Here’s Why That Matters
- The blatant racism and cruelty that define Israel’s settler movement
- Israeli army ‘murdered child’ in Gaza and then dumped body on a roadside
- The Forward’s Hit Piece on Thomas Massie and USS Liberty Veterans
- Israel’s former defense minister compares settler ideology to Nazism
