Compilation of news reports – IAK staff
Israeli forces killed at least 94 Palestinians in Gaza on Wednesday, including at least 19 aid seekers. In total, Israel has killed at least 2,036 aid seekers since May 27, 2025 (learn about aid seekers here).
The total known number of Palestinians who have died from malnutrition stands at 271, including 112 children.
For detail on Israeli attacks in Gaza on Wednesday, go here.
GAZA NEWS:
(For some basic info on the Palestine-Israel conflict, go here. For a bit 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 City’s residents defy Israel’s assault, refuse to be displaced
The Israeli army said Wednesday it launched a “new phase” of its ongoing offensive to reoccupy Gaza City, as Israel escalated its genocidal war on the Palestinian enclave. “We have begun preliminary operations and the first stages of the attack on Gaza City. Our forces are now holding the outskirts of Gaza City,” military spokesman Effie Defrin told a press conference.
Some reports indicated that the maneuver could last until 2026, framed as part of what the army calls a “final resolution” against Hamas.
Despite the escalation of Israeli attacks, thousands of Palestinians are refusing to leave their Gaza City homes, insisting that there is nowhere left to flee.
Yet the reaction from civilians in Gaza City has been remarkably unified. Rather than moving south, where conditions are already dire, families are choosing to remain in their homes even if those homes are now cracked walls and rubble (continue reading here).
+++
Aid groups warn Israel blocking all shelter supplies for Gaza residents
International aid agencies said on 20 August that they have not been able to deliver shelter materials into Gaza, despite Israeli claims last month that restrictions on such supplies had been lifted.
Officials from five organizations, including UN bodies, told Reuters that Israeli bureaucratic obstacles remain in place.
The UN estimates that over 1.3 million Palestinians are without tents, with more displacement expected as Israeli operations expand toward Gaza City, with the aim of fully occupying it (continue reading here).
+++
Shelter supplies will be available in Israel’s relocation/concentration camp
Israel Hayom, a daily newspaper in Israel, reveals the existence of the IDF’s “Population Relocation Unit,” which is preparing to forcibly displace nearly 1 million Palestinians from Gaza City south of the Netzarim Corridor.
The Southern Command’s Population Relocation Unit is tasked with mapping civilians, issuing evacuation notices, and shelling with artillery which the report calls the “clearest message” to leave.
COGAT has begun preparing infrastructure to absorb the displaced: tents and other shelter equipment entered Gaza this week for the first time since March 2, and plans were approved in late July to build a UAE-funded water pipeline from Egypt to the al-Mawasi future concentration camp.
OCCUPIED WEST BANK/EAST JERUSALEM NEWS & HEADLINES:
(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.)
UN warns about ‘devastating humanitarian impact’ of Israel’s controversial E1 settlement plan in occupied West Bank
The UN on Wednesday warned that Israel’s approval of more than 3,000 illegal housing units for settlers in the so-called E1 plan would have a “devastating humanitarian impact” on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, and “would effectively cut off the northern and central West Bank from the south,” threatening Palestinian movement and access.
“The plan specifically puts 18 Palestinian Bedouin communities at a higher risk of displacement,” it added.
Israel’s settlement expansion also includes the construction of a bypass road for Palestinians only, and add on to the separation, or apartheid wall, which in 2004 the International Court of Justice deemed illegal and ordered demolished.
NOTE: The settlement plan is a violation of multiple international laws, and entrenches Israel’s label as an apartheid state.
Multiple human rights organizations have documented and reported on Israeli apartheid, including: Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the Israeli human rights groups B’Tselem, and Yesh Din , the UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine, the International Court of Justice, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), and Harvard Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic.
To read about Israel’s illegal “apartheid wall,” go here.
+++
Israeli settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque
Israeli settlers stormed the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Wednesday morning under the protection of Israeli police, entering through the Moroccan Gate in organized groups.
The Islamic Endowments Department said the settlers performed rituals in the eastern area of the mosque and took part in Talmudic prayers, in what was described as a continuing pattern of provocative incursions into one of Islam’s holiest sites.
NOTE: Anyone can visit the Al Aqsa Mosque grounds, but only Muslims are allowed to pray there, according to an understanding known as the ‘status quo agreement,’ which has existed since Israel captured the Old City of Jerusalem from Jordan in 1967.
+++
MORE WEST BANK HEADLINES:
Undercover Soldiers Kidnap Injured Journalist Near Bethlehem
Sick East Jerusalem Palestinians face ‘intolerable’ checkpoint delays to access medical care
ISRAEL NEWS:
(Get a glimpse inside Israel and the turmoil within its government. Often, our news items and headlines are taken from Israeli media.)
Israel to acquire KC-46 refueling aircraft in $500 million US-funded deal
Israel is set to sign a contract with the U.S. government to purchase its fifth and sixth Boeing-made refueling aircraft for the Air Force, pending approval from the Defense Procurement Ministerial Committee.
The deal is a follow-on contract for two additional KC-46 refueling aircraft, supplementing the four already purchased. The new planes will be fitted with Israeli systems and adapted to meet the operational requirements of the Israeli Air Force.
The contract, valued at roughly half a billion dollars and funded through U.S. aid, marks a significant milestone in the Defense Ministry’s broader force buildup for the IDF.
Israel Orders $260M in Advanced Airborne Munitions From Elbit Systems
Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer, has accepted two contracts worth $260 million to deliver advanced airborne munitions to the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
CEO Bezhalel Machlis said, “These new contracts underscore our commitment to delivering cutting-edge technologies that meet the evolving needs of Israel’s defense forces,” adding that the new products “will attract interest from armies around the world, given their relevance to emerging operational needs.”
NOTE: The Israeli defense ministry reports record-breaking arms sales in recent years, including nearly $14.8 billion in 2024.
In spite of numerous canceled weapons deals and sanctions due to the war with Gaza, the defense ministry stated that there has still been “a high demand for Israeli technology among many countries.”
One reason for the popularity of Israeli products is that they are “battle-tested” in Gaza.
Many of the weapons products that Israel profits from were developed using American taxpayer dollars.
RELATED: Israel’s arms industry thrives on genocide and the world keeps buying
+++
Israel’s dehumanization of Palestinians is now “complete”
In 1985, a survey of 520 books in Hebrew children’s literature found that 86 depicted Palestinians as “inhuman, war lovers, devious monsters, bloodthirsty dogs, preying wolves, or vipers”.
Twenty years later, when many of those now deployed to Gaza were likely at school, 10 percent of a sample batch of Israeli children who were asked to draw Palestinians depicted them as animals.
“The dehumanization of Palestinians is a process that goes back decades,” Erella Grassiani of the University of Amsterdam said. “But I’d say it’s now complete. We’ve seen incredibly cruel acts from the first day to now, with Israeli soldiers seeking revenge for [the Hamas-led attack of] October 7,” she said.
RELATED: How Does Israel Justify Mass Killings? It Starts in the Schools.
+++
NETANYAHU’S DESPERATE EFFORT TO STOP RECOGNITION OF PALESTINE: Israeli PM Netanyahu sent a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron accusing his push for Palestinian state recognition to be fueling antisemitism. Netanyhau demanded a reversal by September 23, calling the move “appeasement.” French officials called the charge “abject” and “erroneous,” and noted that France needs “no lessons in the fight against antisemitism.” Netanyahu is reportedly preparing similar warnings to other governments backing recognition at the UN.
+++
BEN-GVIR USES GAZA DESTRUCTION PHOTOS TO TORTURE PALESTINIAN PRISONERS: Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir forced Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons to view photos of the mass destruction caused by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip. “That’s what the prisoners need to see every day,” Ben-Gvir said, pointing out the images hanging on the walls of an Israeli prison. “I hope they all see their houses here,” Ben-Gvir said.
RELATED: Welcome to Hell
MORE ISRAEL HEADLINES:
Netanyahu Stalls, Delays Security Cabinet Meeting Days After Hamas’ Gaza Deal Response
Netanyahu: ‘If We Wanted to Commit Genocide in Gaza, We Would’ve Done It in One Afternoon’
Trump’s Support for Netanyahu Is Now the Main Obstacle to a Gaza Cease-fire Deal
OTHER NEWS:
Pentagon seeks billions in ‘emergency funds’ to restock arms used in defense of Israel
The Pentagon is seeking over $3.5 billion* to replenish weapons and defense systems used to protect Israel, Bloomberg reported on 19 August – citing budget documents.
The documents, which were prepared through mid-May, indicate that the funds are meant for restocking interceptor missiles as well as other tasks – and every paragraph listing the items is tagged as an “emergency budget request.”
The spending is described as necessary to make up for costs linked to the US army’s responses to the “situation in Israel,” as well as operations “executed at the request of or in coordination with Israel for the defense of Israeli territory, personnel or assets during attacks by Iran [or its allies].”
*NOTE: This expense is in addition to $63 million per day the US gives to Israel in military aid, thanks to the Israel lobby and pro-Israel donors.
+++
Trump calls Netanyahu a ‘war hero’ despite ICC arrest warrant over war crimes in Gaza
US President Donald Trump praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “war hero,” even though the Israeli leader is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes in Gaza.
“He’s a good man. He’s in there fighting…He’s a war hero, because we worked together. He’s a war hero. I guess I am too,” Trump said Tuesday in an interview with conservative radio host Mark Levin.
Trump dismissed efforts to hold Netanyahu accountable, claiming “they’re trying to put him in jail.” It was unclear if he was referring to the ICC warrant or Netanyahu’s domestic corruption cases, which have been ongoing since 2020.
+++
Democratic senators accuse Israel of ‘silencing the voices of Gazan journalists’
Seventeen Democratic senators, led by Jewish Sen. Brian Schatz, have written to President Donald Trump about Israel’s killing of journalists in Gaza and to urge increased access and protection.
“The recent targeted Israeli strike on a group of journalists and media workers, which killed six journalists, including well- known Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif, is just one example of attacks on reporters in Gaza, and part of a pattern of violence that has silenced the voices of far too many Gazan journalists,” the senators wrote.
“Israel has not provided convincing evidence for its claim that al-Sharif was a Hamas militant. Absent a compelling explanation of the military objective for this attack, it appears Israel is publicly admitting to targeting and killing journalists who have shown the world the scale of suffering in Gaza, which would be a violation of international law.”
“The United States must make it clear to Israel that banning and censoring media organizations and targeting or threatening members of the press is unacceptable and must stop.”
RELATED: More than 80 Organizations Call on Congress to Uphold US Law and Suspend Security Assistance to Israel
+++
Lawsuit demands Trump administration reveal Gaza Humanitarian Foundation funding
The New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) said on Wednesday that it filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for its failure to comply with a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request demanding the financial records of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
“Today’s lawsuit seeks records that could shed light on not only the decision-making process… but also on the creation of GHF, its funding and how it plans to use” a US government grant, CCR said.
“The Center for Constitutional Rights is particularly interested in information that could reveal whether the administration’s distribution of funds has any link to President Trump’s ‘Gaza Riviera’ plan, which would cleanse the area of Palestinians and redevelop it for investors,” the statement said.
+++
Egypt mobilizes 40,000 troops in Sinai amid Gaza displacement fears, source says
Egypt has deployed additional forces along the border with Gaza amid rising fears that Israel’s planned occupation of the strip could push Palestinians into North Sinai, a senior military source told Middle East Eye.
He said that about 40,000 soldiers are now deployed in North Sinai, almost double the number allowed under the 1979 Egypt–Israel peace treaty.
“Egypt’s army is on the highest state of alert we’ve seen in years,” the source said (continue reading here).
+++
MORE HEADLINES:
The US Treats Israeli Pedophiles Nicer Than Wounded Palestinian Kids
ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT) – A SELECTION OF YESTERDAY’S HEADLINES:
Israel’s outrageous demands for ending siege of Jenin
Israeli far-right demands Netanyahu reject Gaza ceasefire offer approved by Hamas
Mike Huckabee dehumanizes Palestinians in comment on ceasefire negotiations
STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – AUGUST 20, 2025*:
- At least 63,224 Palestinians killed, 166,344 injured – including:
- at least 62,192 killed in Gaza (~18,500 children)
- at least 1,032 killed in the West Bank (~210 children)
- at least 157,114 injured in Gaza
- at least 9,230 injured in the West Bank
- at least 271 have died from malnutrition in Gaza, including 112 children
According to Palestinian authorities, during the ceasefire Jan. 19 – March 18 2025, Israeli attacks killed at least 170 Gazans, and Israel committed at least 962 ceasefire violations.
At least 2,036 Palestinians have been killed while trying to access aid parcels from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which started operating on May 26, 2025.
Since the Israeli army resumed its assaults on Gaza on March 18, 2025 it has killed at least 10,646 people. 50 Israeli soldiers (most recent July 26) have been killed during the same time period.
*NOTE: Thousands of those killed in Gaza have yet to be identified, and an estimated 14,000 more are still buried under rubble. Additionally, the numbers of injured and starved are very conservative estimates.
Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – August 20, 2025: ~1,629 – including ~1,139 on October 7, 2023 (~36 children), 454 military forces since the ground invasion began in Gaza, 46 military and civilians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Israel. (72 soldiers have reportedly died due to “operational incidents.”)
By one count, Israeli attacks have killed approximately 234 Palestinian journalists and media workers; Palestinians have killed 4 Israeli journalists (other groups have tallied between 192 and 306 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)
- Why are Americans not speaking out against Israel’s genocide? If Americans Knew founder Alison Weir breaks it down
- Amnesty: New testimonies provide compelling evidence that Israel’s starvation of Palestinians in Gaza is a deliberate policy
- Palestinian woman declared dead found alive in Israeli detention months later
- United Methodist Church divests from Israel bonds
- AIPAC stands by Katherine Clark as she walks back ‘genocide’ comment
- Israelis Understand That Trump Can End The Nightmare In Gaza. Americans Should Know This Too.
- Inside Gaza’s Only Catholic Church, One Month After Israel’s Attack
- Israeli government official arrested in Nevada in internet crimes against children sting
- The Israeli flag just became the only national flag illegal to burn in the United States. Yeah. I’m dead serious.
- North Carolina Democrat spurns AIPAC, in latest sign of party’s growing distance from Israel
- Palestine sounds alarm about ‘unprecedented’ Israeli assault on churches
- Why children are starving so much faster than adults in Gaza
- Second Most Powerful House Democrat Calls Israel’s Genocide a ‘Genocide’
- ‘Thousands More Will Die in Gaza, Not From Bombs or Bullets, but From Bureaucratic Decisions’
- Washington DC Really Is Israeli-Occupied Territory
- Inside the New Group Giving Antisemitism Trainings at Harvard
- Meet the Israeli fanatic running Ted Cruz’s office
- On grief and being the only survivor in your family in Gaza
