News roundup for Monday, May 11, 2026, Day 948 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 killed four Palestinians and injured others during the past 24 hours, in a continuation of their violations of the ceasefire agreement for the 215th consecutive day across multiple areas of the Gaza Strip.
DEATH TOLL – GAZA GENOCIDE (tentative):
- At least 850 since ceasefire began Oct. 11, 2025
- 72,736 killed (~22,000 children, 33,000 women and girls) since October 2023
- More statistics below
“We are suffering from two wars. The war of bombs, and the war of rats.”
Rats have overrun Gaza’s displacement camps – biting children as they sleep, spreading disease and destroying what little people have left. pic.twitter.com/fTOIExLRN2
— AJ+ (@ajplus) May 11, 2026
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.)
Israeli Border Police Kills A Palestinian In Qalandia: Israeli Border Police officers shot and killed Ayman Al-Hashlamoun, during what it called an armed confrontation that erupted as the forces invaded the Qalandia refugee camp on Monday. The soldiers stormed the nearby Qalandia Vocational Training Center, firing live rounds, gas bombs, and concussion grenades, and prevented ambulance crews from reaching the wounded man before he succumbed to his injuries.
In a statement, the Israeli police claimed that Border Police units “foiled an armed attack,” alleging that a Palestinian exited a vehicle and opened fire at the soldiers with a rifle.
If not stopped, Israel will wipe out Christians from Palestine by 2050: Bethlehem pastor: Palestinian Christians are facing an existential crisis under Israeli occupation, with movement restrictions, economic collapse and rising attacks by extremist occupiers pushing families to flee, according to prominent Palestinian pastor and theologian Mitri Raheb.
Occupation forces expel Catholic priest from Palestine amidst widespread anger in Christian circles: Father Louis served as the pastor of the Latin Church in Beit Sahour and the spiritual advisor for youth, and is considered one of the most influential figures among Palestinian Christian youth. He led a funeral service and a solemn procession for Shireen Abu Akleh in Jenin, a moment that deeply moved Palestinians and was later deemed “political incitement” by Israeli authorities.
Palestinians in Jerusalem receive only 7% of housing units*: Palestinians constitute nearly 40 percent of Jerusalem’s population, yet the data indicates that Israeli authorities approved only about 600 housing units for Palestinians in 2025, compared to approximately 9,000 units allocated to Jews.
*NOTE: Across the West Bank, 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. At the same time, hundreds of Palestinian-owned homes and other structures were demolished. Most home demolitions undertaken by Israel are due to Palestinians’ “building without a permit.” Israel admits that its construction permit system is highly discriminatory.
Israeli army raids West Bank’s Ramallah, renews closure of Al Jazeera office
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced Monday a new plan to “seize strategic areas in the West Bank in Areas A, B and C*,” in response to a new round of sanctions against settlers** and settler groups by the EU. “European hypocrisy knows no bounds,” Smotrich said. “No one will force the State of Israel to pursue a policy of national suicide.”
*NOTE: Although some 400,000 Israeli settlers live in Area C of the West Bank (vs. about 300,000 Palestinians), Area C is part of Palestine. Area C, which includes over 60% of the West Bank, is under full Israeli administration in what was meant in 1995 to be a temporary arrangement. To learn more about Areas A, B, and C, go here.
**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.
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” or “occupiers.”
New ‘Nakba*’ in Jerusalem: Israel steps up Silwan demolitions near Al-Aqsa: An estimated 20,000 Palestinian-owned homes are under demolition orders across the city; if carried out, the Al-Aqsa Mosque, would be encircled by a belt of settler compounds and biblical-themed parks, and inaccessible to Palestinian residents.
*NOTE: In 1948, Israel dispossessed 750,000 Palestinian people and exiled them permanently to Gaza and other locations in what Palestinians refer to as the Nakba (“catastrophe”).
Palestinian prisoner dies of injuries from gunfire by Israeli occupiers in West Bank
Israeli Soldiers Seriously Injure a Youth in Bethlehem
West Bank Invasions, Abductions, Demolitions, and Colonizer (i.e. Settler) Attacks on Monday
Israeli occupiers (i.e. settlers) establish new illegal settlement outpost in West Bank
Soldiers Fire Gas at Residents Near Tulkarem Camp
Israeli Army Demolishes Dozens of Workshops in Al‑‘Ezariya
Soldiers Abduct A Palestinian Near Jerusalem
Israeli Colonizers Attack Cars Near Ramallah
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 troops jailed briefly* for desecration of Virgin Mary statue in Lebanon: Israel’s military said the soldier posing with the statue would be jailed for 21 days, and the one who photographed him 14. The military “views the incident with great severity and respects freedom of religion and worship, as well as holy sites and religious symbols of all religions and communities,” according to a spokesperson. (Original story here.)
*NOTE: Compare the “great severity” of the punishment for this act by a Jewish soldier with a typical punishment for Palestinians: each year, hundreds of Palestinians (many of them minors) are imprisoned for throwing stones, which can carry a sentence of up to 20 years (for Palestinians, not Israeli Jews).
Israel pushes for hangings and ‘show trials’ for ‘October 7 detainees’: A new legal framework would allow special tribunals to admit evidence obtained through torture and broadcast proceedings, raising alarms among rights groups.
Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport becomes ‘US military base,’ official says: Civil aviation chief warns growing US military presence at Ben Gurion Airport is disrupting civilian air traffic, delaying foreign airlines’ return.
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.
The American people have made clear that they do not want the US embroiled in a war with Iran, but Israel partisans and the Israel lobby use their massive political clout to bring about whatever is beneficial to Israel – including putting the US military in harm’s way. For more background on Israel’s role in American wars, watch IAK’s short film, “The Israeli Hit List.“
Details of Iran’s latest ceasefire proposal, submitted to mediators over the weekend, emerged on Monday morning. Iran’s conditions to end the conflict, reported by Tasnim News Agency, include an immediate end to hostilities and guarantees against renewed aggression, the lifting of U.S. sanctions, Iranian management of the Strait of Hormuz, and other items.
Trump rejects ‘unacceptable’ Iranian response after call with Netanyahu: Trump called the proposal “garbage,” and claimed he did not bother to read the whole document.
US energy secretary admits Washington has no plan to remove enriched uranium from Iran
UK, France convene defense ministers from over 40 nations to discuss military plans to ‘reopen’ Hormuz: The UK and France hope to turn diplomatic understandings into military plans for the Strait of Hormuz. Both countries have begun moving military assets, including an aircraft carrier and mine-clearing ships, toward the strait. Italy is also repositioning ships.
US report says UAE secretly carrying out attacks on Iran
DEATH TOLL – WAR ON IRAN (tentative):
- United States: 13 (or more)
- Iran: at least 3,636 (1,701 civilians, 254 children)
- Israel: 35 (16 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.
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 – the most violated ceasefire deal in recorded history. (Read about UNIFIL, the UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, here.)
Nine people were killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon on Monday despite an ongoing ceasefire, Lebanese media reported.
The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has recorded extensive Israeli army activity over the last three days, according to a UN spokesperson on Monday. He noted that “peacekeepers observed more than 1,296 trajectories or projectiles attributed to the Israeli Defense Forces, and 64 trajectories or projectiles attributed to Hezbollah” during this period.
The Israeli military is preparing for an expansion of its ground campaign in south Lebanon, Hebrew media reported on 11 May, in response to what Israel calls Hezbollah’s “ceasefire violations*.” The news coincides with concerns over a shortage of troops within Tel Aviv’s ranks.
*NOTE: As mentioned above, Israel has broken records in its number of ceasefire violations in Lebanon.
Agriculture sabotage: The Israeli war on food security in Lebanon: Israeli attacks have devastated Lebanon’s farmland, livestock, and irrigation systems, worsening food insecurity and rural economic collapse. Over 65% of Lebanon’s agricultural land is now heavily damaged amid ongoing aggression since 2023.
Israel claims helicopter malfunctioned in southern Lebanon, denies Hezbollah attack
DEATH TOLL – WAR ON LEBANON (tentative):
- At least 380 killed since “ceasefire” began on April 17, 2026 (22 children, 39 women)
- At least 2,846 people have been killed since war began on March 2, 2026
MORE NEWS & HEADLINES:
Not Just a Moral Crisis, Israel Is Now a Political Liability for the Democratic Party: The political ground beneath unconditional US support for Israel has shifted dramatically. For Democrats in particular, continuing to arm a genocidal apartheid state has always been morally indefensible, and is becoming increasingly politically incoherent. A substantial majority of Democratic senators voted to block the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars in offensive weapons to Israel.
Still, many of the Democratic senators who voted against those resolutions, along with House members who continue refusing to sign onto legislation to “Block the Bombs” and halt US investment in such terror, remain unable to recognize what even Trump has recently acknowledged: The Zionist state is increasingly becoming a political liability, with unconditional support no longer automatic or easy to defend.
Israeli Real Estate Expo Advertising West Bank Settlements Returns to NYC: The controversial event and the NYPD’s response to resulting protests present a test for Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
World’s top 10 firms gain nearly $4.2T amid Middle East war
ICYMI, A SELECTION OF YESTERDAY’S HEADLINES:
On Mother’s Day, it is dangerous to be a woman in Gaza
Just Like Clockwork: Police Violence Is Exposed, Officers Play the Victim
Israeli Drone Kills Man and 12-Year-Old Daughter in ‘Barbaric’ Double-Tap Strike
Filmmakers slam BBC after Gaza documentary wins award despite being dropped
(Read yesterday’s daily update here.)
STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – MAY 11, 2026*:
- At least 73,892 Palestinians killed, 184,235 injured – including:
- Gaza: at least 72,736*** killed (~22,000 children, 33,000 women and girls), 172,535 injured
- West Bank/East Jerusalem: at least 1,156 killed (~240 children), 11,700 injured
*NOTE: Thousands of those killed in Gaza have yet to be identified, and an estimated 8,000 more are still buried under rubble (some sources put the number of missing as high as 14,000); 3,000 more are reportedly missing. Only the dead who are brought to hospitals are included in the official fatality count. Additionally, the numbers of injured are very conservative estimates.
***NOTE: The Health Ministry stated that 103 additional fatalities were recently added to the cumulative statistics after their data were verified and officially recognized by the Committee for the Accreditation of Martyrs earlier this month.
Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – May 11, 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).
By one count, Israeli attacks have killed approximately 282 Palestinian journalists and media workers (most recent March 9, 2026; other groups have tallied between 215 and 356 Palestinian journalists killed – depending on the criteria used). Palestinians have killed 4 Israeli journalists (all on October 7, 2023).
**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 Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians
- Motherhood in Gaza Looks Like Caregiving Even When There’s Nothing Left to Give
- Israel used the Nakba to steal not only Palestinians’ land, but their financial wealth too
- Israeli Soldiers Abduct Many Palestinians in Occupied West Bank
- Armed Israeli Colonizers Destroy Agricultural Property, Seize Land in West Bank
- A Palestinian Boy Was Shot Dead by Israeli Troops. His Death Has No ‘Sociological Consequences’
- Israel’s Smotrich orders the uprooting of 3,000 Palestinian trees in West Bank
- Biden’s Genocide Squad Must Be Stopped Before They Strike Again
- ‘War Is a Divine Mission’: The Influential Group Seeking to Bring the Israeli Army Under Torah Law
- Group indicted for insider trading allegedly used ‘going to Israel’ as code for illegal sales
- A Conservative’s View: Trump’s War on Iran Is Destroying America
- Israel’s war on the West Bank comes for Palestinian greenhouses
- New $270 million Israeli-only roads project in the West Bank is Netanyahu’s latest bid to impose de facto annexation
- Gaza investigation: A family’s fight to find their missing relatives
