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 788th day.)
Since the “ceasefire” began on October 11, Israel has killed at least 367 Palestinians. Among the dead are at least 136 children. At least 953 have been injured. Death toll figures are tentative.
Israel has so far violated the 11 October ceasefire deal in Gaza at least 591 times.
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.)
Nations ‘concerned’ about Israel opening one-way Gaza exit
Gaza mediators from eight Muslim-majority countries say they’re worried since Israel stated on Wednesday that it will open a crucial crossing for Palestinians to exit the Strip, but not return.
The opening of the crossing is part of the ceasefire agreement, but it was supposed to be open both ways.
Israel’s statement on Wednesday immediately raised fears the move could lead to the permanent displacement of Palestinians, something far-right ministers in Prime Minister Netanyahu’s hardline government have promoted for months.
Israel’s unilateral decision to open the Rafah crossing one way out only is not only a violation of the “ceasefire” but also a disingenuous & cruel tool for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza.
— Hanan Ashrawi (@DrHananAshrawi) December 5, 2025
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GAZA HEADLINES:
Hamas claims responsibility for assassination of Israeli- backed gang leader in Gaza
Makeshift movie screenings in Gaza City bring children ‘out of the ruin’
OCCUPIED WEST BANK/EAST JERUSALEM 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.)
Israeli Forces Kill a Palestinian Near Nablus
Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man, Baha Abdul-Rahman Rashed (38 years old) on Friday, in the town of Odala, south of Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank.
Media sources reported that Israeli forces invaded the center of the town of Odala and the vicinity of the Old Mosque while Muslim worshipers were leaving the mosque, sparking protests.
The sources added that the soldiers opened fire with live ammunition, tear gas canisters, and concussion grenades at citizens, striking Rashed in the head with a live round.
Since October 2023, Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least 1,090 Palestinians in the West Bank (~224 of them children).
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WEST BANK HEADLINES:
Baby suffers tear gas inhalation during Israeli raid in West Bank
At least 95,000 Palestinians affected by intensified Israeli operations in northern West Bank
Illegal Israeli settlers torch Palestinian vehicles, cut water lines in West Bank attacks
Soldiers Abduct Many Palestinians in Biddu, Jerusalem
Israeli Violations in Occupied West Bank, Friday
NEWS ABOUT 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 accurately. IAK passes along only factual reporting.)
Israel sets 2026 defense budget at over $30bn
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on 5 December that Tel Aviv’s 2026 defense budget has been set at NIS 112 billion ($34.63 billion), up from the NIS 90 billion ($23.4 billion) included in an earlier draft.
“We will continue to act decisively to reinforce the IDF and to fully address the needs of the fighters and to reduce the burden on reservists – in order to ensure the security of the State of Israel on every front,” Katz’s office said (continue reading here).
NOTE: In 2024 alone, the United States gave Israel $23 billion in military aid – paid for with US taxpayer dollars – two thirds of Israel’s entire 2026 military budget.
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Palestinian rights group warns Israel plotting to assassinate jailed Palestinian leader Barghouti
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) warned Friday of a “dangerous plan” it said aims to assassinate imprisoned Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti inside Israeli jails, amid allegations of severe assaults and growing international calls for his release.
Barghouti, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee and a leading figure in Palestinian politics, was arrested by Israel in 2002 and convicted of murder and attempted murder. Barghouti, 66, has spent 23 years in prison after what legal experts described as a flawed trial. He is serving five life sentences and remains widely popular among Palestinians.
Amjad al-Najjar, PPS director general, said Israel’s assaults on Barghouti reflect “dangerous intentions within the occupation government to get rid of him while in detention, in a compounded crime and a blatant violation of international humanitarian law” (continue reading here).
NEWS & HEADLINES FROM ISRAELI MEDIA:
(Get a glimpse inside this country that is rife with turmoil and contradictions that receives $63 million a day from American taxpayers. Israeli media sometimes tells the truth about itself, but often publishes myths, half-truths, and lies as facts.)
Smotrich, Sa’ar approve NIS 2.35 billion ($726 million) in hasbara* budget for campaigns, influencers in 2026
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar agreed on a budget of NIS 2.35 billion for Israel advocacy campaigns, as part of the 2026 budget presented on Friday.
The budget will be used for campaigns to raise awareness for Israel worldwide, to fund social media campaigns, collaborate with civil society organizations, and bring delegations of leaders, elected officials, influencers, and others to Israel, the government said in a statement.
*NOTE: 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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RELATED:
TikTok investor: ‘Embed the love and respect for Israel’ in the US
Israel is paying influencers $7,000 per post
Israel wants to train ChatGPT to be more pro-Israel
Israel Expands U.S. Propaganda Effort with $10 Million Influence Blitz Targeting Gen Z, Christians, and AI Systems
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HEADLINES FROM ISRAELI MEDIA:
A ‘Conditional Pardon’ for Netanyahu? Israel’s President Better Say No
Ms. Rachel, Israeli children deserve your voice
Netanyahu is gambling with Israel’s security
OTHER NEWS & HEADLINES:
At first I thought it was funny that Ms. Rachel was in the running for “Anti-Semite of the Year”, as she is clearly not an anti-semite but a genuine, sweet lover of all children, But seeing how it has affected her life, I don’t think it’s funny anymore. It’s disgusting. https://t.co/ajx8s4PeXY
— Medea Benjamin (@medeabenjamin) December 6, 2025
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MORE HEADLINES:
The billionaire family poised to rewire U.S. media in Israel’s favor
ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT) – A SELECTION OF YESTERDAY’S HEADLINES:
Three Gaza Detainees Die in Israeli Custody
Israel is threatening to demolish a popular West Bank youth football pitch
(Read yesterday’s daily update here.)
STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – DECEMBER 5, 2025*:
- At least 71,444 Palestinians killed, 181,030 injured – including:
- At least 70,354** killed in Gaza (~22,000 children, 33,000 women and girls)
- At least 1,090 killed in the West Bank (~223 children)
- At least 171,030 injured in Gaza
- More than 10,000 injured in the West Bank
- At least 482 have died from malnutrition in Gaza, including 160 children
- About 624 bodies have been recovered since the ceasefire began
*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.
**Officials confirmed the inclusion of 223 additional martyrs in the cumulative count. These individuals were added after the Governmental Committee for the Recognition of Martyrs completed and approved their documentation between November 28 and December 5, 2025.
Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – December 5, 2025: ~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 in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Israel.
By one count, Israeli attacks have killed approximately 275 Palestinian journalists and media workers; Palestinians have killed 4 Israeli journalists (other groups have tallied between 215 and 327 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 hunger strike is not being televised – nor will the last gasps of our dying freedoms
- No more fear: ‘Track AIPAC’ website, a sign of rapidly changing US public positions on Palestine and Israel
- Bethlehem’s Christmas tree rises after two silent years amid Gaza’s genocide and West Bank violence
- WATCH: Israel Is Behind Trump’s Escalation on Venezuela – Col. Wilkerson
- Israel used bulldozers to bury Palestinians in shallow, unmarked graves, CNN reveals
- Legislating apartheid: How Israel entrenched unequal rule during Gaza war
- The Israel lobby is melting down before our eyes
- Inside Israel’s shadow campaign to win over American media
- Stop Anti-Semitism Lists Ms. Rachel, Tucker Carlson as Finalists for ‘Antisemite of the Year’
- IDF whistleblower testimonies appear to confirm claims of Israeli war crimes in Gaza
- Why Rachel Maddow and Bill Kristol Attended Cheney’s Funeral
- Pregnant women in Gaza face catastrophic scenarios
- Educators Worry Palestine Censorship Could Reshape Public Education Entirely
- Why Is the Establishment Ignoring the Recently Declassified JFK Files?
