News roundup for Friday, May 29, 2026, Day 966 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 occupation forces continued to violate the “ceasefire” agreement in the Gaza Strip on Friday, carrying out airstrikes, drone attacks, artillery shelling, and live fire that killed and wounded a number of Palestinians in several areas of the besieged enclave, while also targeting homes, civilian infrastructure, and displacement areas.
Palestine warned on Friday of a worsening humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip due to Israel’s continued military campaign, blockade and restrictions on humanitarian aid, describing the situation as a violation of international humanitarian law.
UN says all of Gaza must be for Palestinians after Netanyahu orders further occupation: The UN rebuked Israel on Friday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his military to occupy 70% of Gaza, saying the entirety of the Palestinian territory must be for Palestinians. ‘One hundred percent of Gaza should be for the Palestinian people,’ said Stephane Dujarric. (Original story here.)
Hamas urges Board of Peace* to condemn Israeli plans to expand control over Gaza: Resistance group criticizes silence of Trump-backed body on Israeli plans to control 70% of Gaza Strip.
*NOTE: The so-called Board of Peace is a pay-to-play group of wealthy and powerful Israel supporters, dictators, and authoritarians, as well as Israeli prime minister and war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu and two Israeli real estate tycoons – but no Palestinians. In fact, the organization’s charter makes no reference to Gaza.
The lower-tier technocratic committee, made up of Palestinians, will do the grunt work in Gaza – if and when Israel allows the group to enter the Strip.
DEATH TOLL – GAZA GENOCIDE (tentative):
- At least 922 since ceasefire began Oct. 11, 2025
- 72,819 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.)
Occupation Forces Close the Al-Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron*: Israeli forces invaded the Islamic holy site on Friday morning and forced Palestinian worshippers and the staff to evacuate. The Ibrahimi mosque is closed until further notice; Israel has not given any explanation for the move, which comes during the Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Adha, commemorating the prophet Ibrahim’s (Abraham) devotion to God.
The Ministry of Religious Endowments and Affairs called the Israeli maneuver a “blatant attack” and “a serious violation of freedom of worship and a direct targeting of the right of Muslims to access their holy sites,” as well as “a flagrant violation of international laws and agreements that guarantee freedom of worship and the protection of holy places at all times.”
*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.
ISRAELI MEDIA: IDF Ramps Up Enforcement Against Palestinians Who Live in Firing Zones*, Ignores Settler** Construction: Soldiers confiscated dozens of Palestinian vehicles and water tanks, and ignored residents’ complaints of a water shortage. In the same firing zones, Israeli settler outposts thrive, with the cabinet recently approving a new settlement there.
*RELATED: When your village becomes a “firing zone” – that’s ethnic cleansing
**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. Israeli settlers are sometimes referred to as “colonizers.”
ISRAELI MEDIA: Leading House Democrats Call for Immediate U.S. Action Against Israeli Settler Violence, West Bank Annexation: Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Rep. Sean Casten urged the restoration of Biden-era sanctions on extremist Israeli settlers and a ban on Israeli West Bank residents from participating in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program.
Friday Dawn Invasion, Abductions And Violations
Occupation Authorities Force a Palestinian to Demolish His Home Near Jerusalem
Israeli Forces Invade Multiple West Bank Communities
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.
UN says Israel did not provide ‘iota’ of evidence it took efforts to prevent sexual violence amid blacklisting: Pramila Patten, the UN official who authored the report that included Israel on the blacklist for the first time, told reporters she spent the better part of the past year seeking information from Israel that it had adopted preventative measures against sexual violence after Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned in August that Israel could be added.
“I never received an iota of information on measures taken by the government of Israel on implementation of the preventive measures,” Patten said.
RELATED:
ISRAELI MEDIA: Election Year Economics: How the Netanyahu Government Is Sneaking Through Settlement Tax Breaks: Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is focused on tax breaks for Israeli settlers living deep in the West Bank, a Likud MK is arming allies with bribe money and the Knesset speaker is leading an expensive delegation to New York.
ISRAELI MEDIA: Ben-Gvir Keeps Using Police for Pre-election Propaganda Tours Despite Court Ruling: The national security minister has increased heavily publicized visits to Arab (i.e. Palestinian) communities while flanked by senior police officers and security forces, despite previous warnings from Israel’s election chief over illegal campaign propaganda.
ISRAELI MEDIA: IDF Prepared for Possibility That Iran War Could Resume Without Prior Warning
Israel acknowledges firing at civilian aircraft over occupied West Bank: Israeli military says it mistook a plane bound for Ben Gurion Airport for drone; claims an investigation is underway.
ISRAEL-US WAR/CEASEFIRE ON IRAN – 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.
UAE joined US-Israeli war against Iran from the outset: Report: The UAE operated as a third member of the coalition in carrying out strikes on Iran alongside US and Israel from start of war, WSJ reveals.
DEATH TOLL – WAR ON IRAN (tentative):
- United States: 13 (or more)
- Iran: at least 3,636 (1,701 civilians, 254 children)
- Israel: about 40 (19 Israeli soldiers, and 1 friendly fire – including both Iran and Lebanon-related deaths; another count shows 20 Israeli civilian deaths)
- Arab states (including Palestine, excluding Lebanon), at least 154
ISRAEL’S WAR/CEASEFIRE ON LEBANON – NEWS & HEADLINES:
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.
At least 14 people were killed in Israeli air strikes Friday targeting towns in southern Lebanon, according to state-run media, as Lebanese and Israeli military delegations hold security talks at the Pentagon.
DEATH TOLL – WAR ON LEBANON (tentative):
- At least 380 killed since “ceasefire” began on April 17, 2026 (22 children, 39 women)
- At least 3,355 people have been killed since war began on March 2, 2026
MORE NEWS & HEADLINES:
The time for a U.S. arms embargo on Israel is now: The U.S. is starting talks on a new military aid deal for Israel as support for the country hits an all-time low. Israel’s supporters are feeling the pressure and pushing for cosmetic changes, but don’t fall for it. We need a full arms embargo now.
Nearly half of young U.S. Jews want to replace Israel with binational state, poll finds: The new data reflects generational shift and growing gulf between American and Israeli Jews.
AIPAC is funneling pro-Israel money to candidates and covering its tracks: With its brand toxic in some Democratic primaries, the lobbying group has set up portals to steer donors to campaigns without attaching its name.
German police draw guns on peace activists protesting arms supplies to Israel: Footage shows police pointing handguns at peaceful protesters outside Rheinmetall site in Berlin.
ICYMI, A SELECTION OF YESTERDAY’S HEADLINES:
Trump wants the Palestinians to pay for the U.S. occupation of Gaza
Israel’s offshore gas plans condemned as illegal resource grab
UN Report Accuses Israeli Forces of Rape, Sexual Abuse of Palestinian Detainees
Israel Privately Pressing U.S. to Kill Iran’s Lead Negotiator and Launch New Strikes
(Read yesterday’s daily update here.)
STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – MAY 29, 2026*:
- At least 73,985 Palestinians killed, 184,684 injured – including:
- Gaza: at least 72,819 killed (~22,000 children, 33,000 women and girls), 172,894 injured
- West Bank/East Jerusalem: at least 1,166 killed (~244 children), 11,700 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 – May 29, 2026: ~1,661 – 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)
- ‘A War Criminal Admitting to His Crimes’: Netanyahu Says He Ordered Military to Seize 70% of Gaza
- Pro-Israel cash goes undercover as US voters turn against Israel
- Trump pal funneled millions of Israeli gov’t cash into US media
- ‘My only “crime” was being a doctor’: Dr. Ahmad Mhanna on his 22 months in Israeli detention
- In the epicenter of Lebanon’s legacy of conflict with Israel lies Palestine – Two Articles
- U.S. bears brunt of Israel’s missile defense, Pentagon assessments show
- Joe Kent’s Memorial Day Speech on Israeli influence over the U.S. and the Executive branch
- UN Adds Israel to Blacklist of Perpetrators of Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones, Ambassador Says
- Israel Relaunches, Rebrands Online Propaganda Campaign
- Israel’s Proposal to End US Military Funding Is Actually Designed to Further Enmesh the US in Its Oppression of Palestinians
- Warmongers in meltdown as Trump heralds Iran deal
- ‘I feel like I lost my life’: Gaza amputees fight for mobility amid shortages
- Not just the US: How 51 countries armed Israel during Gaza war
- Democrats: It’s the genocide, stupid
