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 843rd day.)
Hospitals across the Gaza Strip received 3 Palestinians killed and 15 others injured during the past 24 hours.
Since the “ceasefire” began on October 11, Israel has killed at least 556 Palestinians. At least 1,500 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 1,450 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.
Blindfolded, beaten, humiliated: How Israeli forces abused Palestinians returning to Gaza
Returnees describe hours of interrogation, physical abuse and confiscation of personal belongings at the Rafah crossing.
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Gangs ‘humiliate’ Palestinians at Gaza–Egypt border as Israel blocks dozens from returning
Israel-backed gangs operating near the Rafah Border Crossing have been transferring Palestinians seeking to enter Gaza to Israeli checkpoints, and are taking part in interrogations, as travel remains severely restricted despite the official reopening of the crossing as part of the ceasefire deal.
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Gaza petroleum authority says Israel supplies 20% of stipulated cooking gas
Based on political understandings and the recent agreement, around 1,500 gas trucks should have entered Gaza by this point in the ceasefire, but only 307 have arrived – a failure to meet commitments and a continued pattern of delay.amounts to a policy of “drip-feeding” and delaying the entry of goods and humanitarian aid.
*NOTE: In fact, Israel has violated most or all of the terms of the ceasefire: All military operations were supposed to be suspended, but Israel has continued them, killing over 500 Palestinians since the ceasefire began; rehabilitation of infrastructure, hospitals, and bakeries was supposed to begin, and Israel was supposed to allow entry of necessary equipment to remove rubble and open roads – none of these commitments have been fulfilled.
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After 71,000 deaths, Israel worries about smoking in Gaza
According to Nahum Barnea, a columnist for Yedioth Ahronoth, the “coordinator of operations in the territories,” who decides what goods enter Gaza, has ruled that cigarettes are not humanitarian items because they are “harmful to health.”
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Gaza civil defense halts recovery of Palestinian bodies due to fuel shortage
Emergency agency says lack of fuel under Israel’s blockade has limited its ability to respond to distress calls and humanitarian missions.
IRAN NEWS AND HEADLINES:
The Trump administration’s (and Democrats‘ – and previous administrations‘) desire for regime change and military weakening of Iran is wholly in the interests of Israel. The bad blood between the US and Iran is due in great part to American meddling. The cost – in both lives and tax dollars – of a war with Iran on Israel’s behalf could be staggering.
US shoots down Iranian drone approaching American aircraft carrier in Arabian Sea
“Continued Iranian harassment and threats in international waters and airspace will not be tolerated. Iran’s unnecessary aggression near US forces, regional partners and commercial vessels increases risks of collision, miscalculation, and regional destabilization,” said US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins.
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Israel sets red lines ahead of Iran–US talks
Israel is pushing the US to maintain the “three no’s” in upcoming talks with Iran, Israeli media reported – referring to the demand that Tehran end enrichment and give up its nuclear program, end its ballistic missile program, and halt support for resistance groups in the region.
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.)
Occupation Forces Kill One, Injure Others in Jericho
Israeli forces killed Sa’id Nael Sa’id Al-Sheikh and injured others, on Tuesday evening, after storming the city of Jericho, in the northeastern part of the occupied West Bank.
Al-Sheikh died as a result of a live gunshot wound to the abdomen, adding that he suffered a ruptured liver.
Palestinian prisoner dies a week after release from Israeli jail
Palestinian prisoner Khaled al-Saifi, 67, has died as a result of medical negligence a week after his release from Israeli jail, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Affairs Commission and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society.
Al-Saifi, a resident of the Dheisheh refugee camp in the West Bank, had been arrested twice since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, where he faced torture, abuse, and starvation.
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1,872 Attacks in One Month – Sharp Rise in Israeli Violence, Land Seizures, and Family Expulsions
Israeli occupation forces and armed settlers carried out 1,872 attacks against Palestinians and their property across the occupied West Bank during January 2026, according to newly released data by the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission. 1,404 were carried out directly by Israeli military and security forces, while 468 were committed by settlers, often under direct army protection.
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Israel’s Shin Bet ‘downgrades settler assault from terror attacks to serious incidents’
Kan 11 reports that under new rules, arson on Palestinian property counts as terror only if there’s ‘clear intent to kill.’
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ALL IN A DAY’S WORK: MORE ISRAELI OCCUPATION ACTIONS ON TUESDAY:
Israeli Colonizers Assault Families Near Hebron
Israeli Soldiers Abduct 30 Palestinians In West Bank
New Eviction Orders in Baten al‑Hawa in Silwan
Tuesday Night: Army Abducts Six Palestinians Across the West Bank
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.)
Former Israeli Defense Minister: Israel’s ideology of ‘Jewish supremacy’ resembles Nazi race theory
Wash. Post: Israeli military tech start-ups cash in on two years of war
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Amnesty demands Israel drop death penalty bills ‘entrenching apartheid’
Amnesty International has called on Israel to abandon legislation that would expand the use of the death penalty, warning that the measures would violate international law and “further entrench Israel’s apartheid system” against Palestinians.
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UN peacekeepers says Israeli drone dropped stun grenade near patrol in southern Lebanon*
UNIFIL personnel observed two Israeli drones flying over the patrol “in a hostile manner” and posed “a direct threat” to their safety. The force said one drone subsequently dropped a stun grenade, which exploded around 50 meters from the patrol before the aircraft headed back towards Israel.
*NOTE: Although Israel signed a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon in November 2024, Israel has attacked Lebanon almost every day since, committing over 10,000 air and ground violations, and killing over 300. Additionally, Israel continues to occupy five Lebanese hilltops seized during the latest war, and other Lebanese areas it has held for decades.
(Read about UNIFIL, the UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, here.)
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.)
Israeli Officials Looking for Ways to Benefit Economically From Gaza Reconstruction
In recent days, senior Finance Ministry officials have explored ways to create economic opportunities for Israel, including a proposal in which countries involved in Gaza’s reconstruction would fund the expansion of the Ashkelon power plant, with Israel supplying electricity to the Strip’s residents in return.
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Politicians Have No Business Interfering in Israeli Universities
If approved, a proposed amendment to the Council for Higher Education Law would transfer powers from the Council for Higher Education to the government, including authority over content, appointments and budget allocation. It would also allow academic institutions to be sanctioned for private statements of faculty members that are deemed “incitement.” This kind of process doesn’t exist in any single developed country.
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Israel High Court to Netanyahu: Explain Why Ben-Gvir Shouldn’t Be Dismissed
The order is a necessary first step before the court can order Netanyahu to fire the National Security Minister. Ben-Gvir said in response that the court has ‘no authority’ and that ‘there will be coup’ against him spurred by Israel’s judiciary.
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Four Minutes Is All It Takes for Israeli Settlers* to Torch a Bedouin Village in the West Bank
Enforcement is often directed at those who try to protect the victims – human rights activists, Palestinians clinging to their land – while the hilltop rioters act almost unhindered. Sometimes the acts of violence are carried out under the protection of security forces. This is not a “gang of children” or “at-risk youth.” It is organized violence involving large numbers of people operating in the open with the understanding that it will not be punished.
*NOTE: Israel has illegally built around 280 settlements on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, which are home to more than 700,000 illegal settlers. 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 about Israeli settler violence here and here.)
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For Six Hours, Israeli Settlers Rampaged Two West Bank Villages – While Soldiers Looked On
‘Settlers tried to break down our door, broke the window and sprayed us with pepper spray,’ a Palestinian resident recalls.
EPSTEIN-ISRAEL NEWS & HEADLINES:
The Jeffrey Epstein saga expands every day with new anecdotes of intrigue, treachery, and depravity – one common, grossly underreported thread is the almost constant presence of Israel, Israeli, and pro-Israel players in Epstein’s orbit. Drop Site News and other independent outlets have covered this story well; If Americans Knew has shared their work consistently. With every new Epstein-Israel revelation, mainstream media falls farther behind, and truth takes a hit. For more headlines on Epstein’s deep connections to Israel see recent IAK Daily Update here, and check here.
In talks with Jeffrey Epstein, former Israeli PM proposed racially selective conversions to preserve Jewish majority
A 2013 recording of a private meeting hosted by disgraced sex offender linked to Mossad, Jeffrey Epstein, captures former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak proposing a policy of mass conversion to Judaism aimed at preserving a Jewish majority in Israel. Barak suggests that unlike during the early years of the state, Israeli authorities could now “be selective” and “control the quality” of who is accepted as Jewish.
The three-and-a-half-hour conversation, which also included former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, appears in the latest tranche of Epstein-related materials (continue reading here).
Middle East Eye reported that the group targeted by Barak was Russians: he urged Putin to send one million Russians to Israel.
OTHER NEWS & HEADLINES:
Two Human Rights Watch (HRW) employees who make up the organization’s entire Israel and Palestine team are stepping down from their positions after leadership blocked a report that deems Israel’s denial of Palestinian refugees the right of return a “crime against humanity”.
“I have lost my faith in the integrity of how we do our work and our commitment to principled reporting on the facts and application of the law,” Omar Shakir, head of the two-person Palestine team, wrote in his resignation letter. “As such, I am no longer able to represent or work for Human Rights Watch.” The resignations have roiled one of the most prominent human rights groups in the world just as HRW’s new executive director, Philippe Bolopion, begins his tenure (continue reading here).
*NOTE: In December 1948, following Israel’s establishment based on the ethnic cleansing of approximately 750,000 Palestinians, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 194, which states: “refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property.”
The right of return for Palestinian refugees has been affirmed repeatedly by the UN General Assembly, human rights organizations like Amnesty International, and in 2000, Human Rights Watch. Read more about the right of return in the Geneva Conventions.
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Nvidia CEO: ‘The implications of building AI infrastructure in Israel are profound’
Huang, the founder and CEO of Nvidia, is considered one of the most influential figures in today’s global AI economy.
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Israel turns to Christian pilgrims* to reboot post-war tourism
Government officials believe Christian pilgrims, Evangelical travelers, and Jewish communities overseas can form the backbone of a gradual recovery, even as broader tourism remains constrained. Israel’s Tourism Ministry announced a renewed marketing push: more than NIS 20 million ($6.5 million) has been allocated to a digital campaign intended to rebuild confidence and reintroduce Israel to audiences already inclined to visit.
*NOTE: Israel has been targeting Western Christians in major campaigns with an eye to turning them into influencers (some of them paid) for Israel.
Israel and its advocates have been spending enormous sums in the last year or so (ever since Israel’s reputation has dipped – due to the genocide it is committing in Gaza). Pro-Israel billionaires have bought social media corporations and TV networks to control their content; Israel has hired influencers to whitewash its image, media creators to manipulate artificial intelligence chatbots, and enlisted organizations to target groups with pro-Israel propaganda.
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Now that Israel has admitted the Gaza death toll is accurate, don’t let apologists move the goalposts
In truth, the reliability of the official death toll should never have been in doubt, but now that it has been approved by Israel, some supporters already appear to be shifting the goalposts, arguing that while the overall death toll of 70,000 may be accurate, what actually matters is the ratio of civilians to militants among them, which they claim is comparatively low for urban warfare.
Throughout the war, Israeli leaders have claimed a civilian casualty ratio as low as 1:1, or, more recently, 1.5:1, and now they allege that militants account for as many as 25,000 of Gaza’s dead. But these claims, too, fall apart under basic scrutiny. Israel’s own database appeared to indicate that 83% of Gaza’s dead were civilians (continue reading here).
In France, the word “intifada*” is on trial
A French prosecution over pro-Palestinian speech casts solidarity activism as antisemitism in an Orwellian move that criminalizes dissent and reinforces Islamophobic narratives.
*NOTE: Rouand X, an Afro-Palestinian, explains: At its core, “globalize the intifada” captures the idea that the Palestinian Intifada — the term Palestinians popularized during their grassroots uprising against the occupation back in 1987, and which means to “shake off” and “rise up” — was never just a local uprising confined to the streets of Gaza or the alleyways of the West Bank.
It was, instead, a model of struggle that revealed how ordinary people could resist a system of domination with nothing but their own bodies, voices, and determination. To globalize the Intifada means to recognize that this form of resistance — decentralized, popular, and rooted in everyday life — carries lessons for oppressed peoples everywhere.
In this way, the Intifada was immune to the tactics normally used by occupiers to crush revolts. What made it endure was precisely that resistance was normalized into the daily rhythm of life. Palestinians went to work, to school, to the market, and in the same breath, participated in protests, strikes, or acts of defiance (continue reading here).
ICYMI, A SELECTION OF YESTERDAY’S HEADLINES:
With Desalination Plants Destroyed, Families in Gaza Are Drinking Salty Water
Israeli Forces Kill a Palestinian Near Qalqilia
Israel Court Claims It Can’t Protect Palestinians Because Settlers* “Do Not Obey Orders”
Trump Seeks $1 Billion From ‘Strongly Antisemitic Harvard’ as Two Sides Remain Far From Deal
(Read yesterday’s daily update here.)
STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – FEBRUARY 3, 2026*:
- At least 72,936 Palestinians killed, 182,608 injured – including:
- At least 71,824 killed in Gaza (~22,000 children, 33,000 women and girls)
- At least 1,112 killed in the West Bank (~230 children)
- At least 171,608 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 – February 3, 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)
- The Truth About Gaza’s Dead – Part 1: How We Got Here
- They were forced to hand one son over to the Israeli army in return for another. Eight months later he was dead in prison
- Exclusive: New owner of CBS coordinated with former Israeli military chief to counter the country’s critics, according to leaked emails
- AIPAC Gears Up for Midterm Election Cycle With $95 Million War Chest
- Official US gov’t reports contradict Mike Waltz’s rants against UNRWA
- Trump Again Bypasses U.S. Congress to Push $6 Billion in Arms Sales to Israel
- NBA Star Stephen Curry’s Ties To Israeli Military Intelligence
- ‘Apocalyptic wasteland’: Biden admin. blocked warning on deteriorating Gaza situation after Oct. 7
- Why Israeli counterterrorism tactics are showing up in Minnesota
- Israel Went to Extremes to Return Ran Gvili’s Body. Why Doesn’t It Accord Dead Palestinians the Same Respect?
- Across the West, speaking for Palestine is now a crime
- A West Bank Bus Trip Through ‘the Best Documented Ethnic Cleansing in History’
- Mike Huckabee’s distorted theology does not speak for Christians worldwide
- CBS Evening News” With Tony Dokoupil Is Ellisons’ & Weiss’s Pro-Israel Show
