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 857th day.)
Since the “ceasefire” began on October 11, Israel has killed at least 611 Palestinians. Over 1,630 have been injured. Death toll figures are tentative.
Israel has so far violated the 11 October ceasefire deal in Gaza at least 1,620 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.
Oxfam to Halt Gaza Aid Over Israeli NGO Rules*
Oxfam will cease its Gaza operations after Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Ministry revoked the registration of 37 NGOs for non-compliance with new rules. Oxfam refused to submit employee data due to humanitarian and data protection principles.
*NOTE: Israel has recently banned 37 international NGOs from working in Gaza because they refused to comply with new requirements imposed by the Israeli government. The requirements, included providing a full list of Palestinian employees, are considered too invasive to share – Israel has killed 579 aid workers since October 7, 2023. It has killed more than 1,700 health workers, more than 140 civil defense staff and 256 journalists.
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Only one-third of expected travelers crossed Rafah since reopening
Gaza’s government media office said Thursday that only 1,148 Palestinians have crossed the Rafah border crossing with Egypt since its limited reopening earlier this month, roughly one-third of the 3,400 expected to travel under arrangements with Israel. 640 people departed Gaza and 508 returned between Feb. 2 and Feb. 18, while 26 others were turned back during attempts to leave.
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Gaza administration committee opens applications to form new police force
Committee says planned force will be built on accountability, transparency and rule of law as it calls on qualified Palestinians to apply.
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Gaza cemetery bulldozed by Israel must be ‘restored to the way it was’, families of Australian war dead say
The war graves were tended to by Palestinian caretakers for generations, including Essam Jaradah, who said the cemetery was “considered one of the most beautiful archaeological sites in Gaza”.
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Exclusive: approximately 350-acre compound planned as base for multinational force, according to records reviewed by the Guardian.
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‘We returned from hell’: Palestinian journalists recount torture in Israeli prisons
The Committee to Protect Journalists collected 59 in-depth testimonies from Palestinian journalists released from Israeli custody since October 7, 2023. These interviews revealed that 58 — all but one of those released — reported being subjected to what they described as torture, abuse, or other forms of violence since the onset of what human rights groups agree is a genocide (read the report here).
NOTABLE QUOTE: on Ramadan in Gaza
Journalist Ahmed Asmar writes in “Ramadan under the rubble: Gaza welcomes the holy month amid ruin and unhealed wounds”:
For Palestinians in Gaza, Ramadan is not simply a month of fasting and prayer; it is a test of endurance, faith, and the stubborn will to survive.
Ramadan in Gaza is stripped of comfort, but not of meaning. It has become a month not only of fasting from food, but of fasting from despair.
This is how Palestinians in Gaza welcome Ramadan in 2026: with hunger but also with dignity; with grief but also with steadfastness; with unhealed wounds but unbroken resolve.
The catastrophe is ongoing and the ceasefire is fragile by Israeli daily violations. Yet, Ramadan in Gaza is not merely observed but endured, reshaped, and reclaimed as a testament to faith and the unwavering will to remain.
“BOARD OF PEACE” NEWS AND HEADLINES
In opening remarks, Trump said the US would commit $10bn** (£740m) to a fund to reconstruct Gaza – a small amount, he said, to “achieve the dream of bringing lasting harmony to a region tortured by centuries of war, suffering and carnage*”. (With $7bn pledged from other countries, they allegedly have $17 bn. The United Nations estimates that rebuilding Gaza will cost $70 billion.)
“We’re going to straighten out Gaza, we’re going to make Gaza very successful and safe,” Trump said as he gaveled out the meeting. “And we’re also going to maybe take it a step further where if we see hotspots around the world, we can probably do that very easily. This is a tremendous group of powerful people.” He also claimed that “War in Gaza is over,” although Israel has killed over 600 since the “ceasefire” began.
Maj Gen Jasper Jeffers III, the US officer appointed to command the future international stabilization force (ISF), said the board planned to deploy 20,000 soldiers in five different sectors of Gaza, beginning with Rafah.
*NOTE: The idea that the Holy Land has been in conflict for centuries is patently false and a trope that suggests there is no solution. In fact, the region enjoyed peace for hundreds of years – until the project of taking over Palestine became too problematic to ignore. To read about typical disinformation on the region, with annotated rebuttal, go here.
**NOTE: On April 24, 2024, legislation was signed into law giving $63 million per day in military aid to Israel and $3.2 million per day in foreign (non-military) aid to the Palestinians. (For information on expenditures on behalf of both populations, go here.)
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‘Failure is not an option’ in Gaza reconstruction, says Trump envoy*
Jared Kushner, a key figure in US peace efforts, said Thursday that failure in the Gaza Strip is “not an option” as he outlined an ambitious vision for rebuilding the war-torn territory at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting in Washington.
“We are here to help the people of Gaza, to lift them up and give them every opportunity to succeed,” he said, describing the effort as a partnership with Gazans and Israelis to create “an environment that can be peaceful, that could be functional.”
*NOTE: The so-called Board of Peace does not include a single Palestinian, nor have they been asked for their input. How they are expected to “succeed” in a “partnership” that does not include them, Jared Kushner doesn’t say.
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Report: FIFA Plans to Build Gaza’s Football Academy, Major Soccer Infrastructure Projects
According to Sky News, FIFA plans to build a 20,000-seat national stadium, five regulation-size soccer fields at $1 million each, 50 community pitches at $50,000 each and an academy focused on developing young players.
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.)
Young Palestinian-American* shot, killed by Israeli settlers in West Bank
IAK reported yesterday that Nasrallah Abu Siyam was killed by Israeli settlers on Wednesday. It has come to light that Abu Siyam held Palestinian and American citizenship. A US embassy official condemned the violence. “The US Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas,” the official told Reuters.
*NOTE: When Palestinian-Americans are killed in Israel, the US government consistently has little or no response, giving Israel the benefit of the doubt or the opportunity to whitewash the incident. The State Department’s comment that it prioritizes US citizens’ safety overseas does not include citizens of Palestinian descent.
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The quiet conquest of the West Bank and the death of the Oslo Accords
Through a new land registration drive, Israel is trying to secure through paperwork what warfare alone has failed to deliver.
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House Progressives Press Trump as Israel’s Illegal West Bank Annexation Accelerates
“Trump said he’s against it but does nothing as Netanyahu destroys the prospect of a two-state solution.”
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ALL IN A DAY’S WORK: MORE ISRAELI OCCUPATION ACTIONS ON THURSDAY:
Israeli army detains at least 37 Palestinians in raids across occupied West Bank
Israeli Colonizers Attack Church in Occupied Jerusalem
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.)
Gali Baharav-Miara pushed back against accusations from the police and National Security Ministry, stating that a bill to authorize advanced surveillance has been ‘sitting on the government’s table for a long time.’
*NOTE: As CNN recently reported, Palestinian citizens of Israel face overall exclusion and marginalization, including “selective enforcement” of the law: “On the one hand, a tough approach towards political activity and freedom of expression, and on the other, a soft approach towards criminals and crime.” Israel Police have solved just 15% of homicides in Israel’s Palestinian communities, versus 65% among Jewish Israelis. Palestinian perpetrators are brought to swift justice in crimes against Israelis, but in Palestinian-on-Palestinian crime, little effort is made. Spyware will not solve the problem, only compromise Palestinians’ privacy.
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‘Christians Out*’: Jerusalem Church Tagged With Hate Graffiti
The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem warned last month that ‘recent activities undertaken by local individuals who advance damaging ideologies, such as Christian Zionism**, mislead the public, sow confusion, and harm the unity of our flock.’
*NOTE: In recent years, Israel’s treatment of Palestinian Christians has often been reprehensible, aggressively policing Christian holy sites during holidays – including both governmental/military and civilian/settler actions. A Palestinian church leader recently stated that Israeli policies are “part of a systematic policy aimed at dismantling the authentic Christian presence in Palestine.”
**NOTE: Christian Zionism is antithetical to the teachings of Jesus. Much has been written in opposition to Christian Zionism – for example, read this and this and this.
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Podcaster Tucker Carlson may or may not have been detained, interrogated in Tel Aviv airport – depending on whose story you believe*
Conservative US podcaster Tucker Carlson and his staff were briefly detained by Israeli security officials Wednesday shortly after he conducted an interview with US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, the Daily Mail reported. Israeli airport security confiscated the group’s passports and “demanded to know what we spoke to Ambassador Huckabee about,” Carlson said.
A US Embassy spokesperson said Carlson had not been detained, merely gone through routine passport control, the same as “countless visitors to Israel, including Ambassador Huckabee and other diplomats.”
*NOTE: Israel’s claims carry little weight: historically, Israel has lied to the US and the world many times. Among Israel’s lies are numerous atrocity stories about the October 7th attack that have since been proven untrue (more examples here).
The Israeli military has also disseminated false stories about its own actions throughout the war. Previously, Israel has been caught in many lies – for examples, see this and this. Many of Israel’s lies have been debunked even by traditionally pro-Israel mainstream media.
Israel and its advocates have spent enormous sums in recent months, in a scramble to rehabilitate Israel’s genocide-tarnished image by peddling lies. Pro-Israel billionaires have bought social media corporations and TV networks in order 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.
Prisoners’ group says Palestinian detainee with leukemia in critical condition
The Palestinian Prisoners Club has warned that Palestinian detainee Fidaa Assaf, 49, is in critical condition after her leukemia reportedly worsened in Israeli custody. Assaf has been held since February 2025 on charges of “incitement”. She requires urgent and intensive treatment that is reportedly not being adequately provided in prison.
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Israeli forces demolish 2 homes, strike southern Lebanon* in latest ceasefire breach
*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 – the most violated ceasefire deal in recorded history – 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.
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Israeli army forces detain 2 shepherds, a child in Syria*’s Quneitra
*NOTE: Although Israel is not at war with Syria, the Israeli army has carried out over 1,000 airstrikes and 400 cross-border raids on Syria since December 2024, killing approximately 30 Syrians. The situation appears to meet the criteria for occupation – and where occupation exists, the occupying power is bound by extensive legal obligations.
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.)
Dozens of settler activists, including far-right legislator, illegally cross into Gaza
‘Gaza will always be ours,’ declares Otzma Yehudit lawmaker; IDF ‘strongly condemns’ incident, says activists put troops at risk.
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IDF police probe soldier’s viral claim of raping* Gaza civilians
An Israeli soldier told a foreign interviewer in an unauthorized interview, “we’re not just killing them, we’re raping them” while discussing operations in Gaza. An IDF spokesperson said, “The soldier’s words do not reflect the IDF’s actual operations and values.”
According to Israel Hayom, “The statement was apparently made as a joke, but the interviewer did not treat it as such, and the video went viral.”
*NOTE: Even excluding this Israeli soldier’s account, credible testimonies abound (including at least one video) of Palestinians being sexually abused at the hands of Israeli soldiers – some of whom have become folk heroes. (American mainstream media have failed to cover this issue in any meaningful way.)
On the other hand, Israel’s accusations of “mass rape” by Hamas members on October 7th have turned out to be pure fabrication, as independent news sites revealed early on, and consistently reported ever since. Israel has failed to produce a single identified victim or firsthand testimony, any forensic evidence or credible eyewitnesses. Mainstream media have disingenuously continued to report falsehoods.
OTHER NEWS & HEADLINES:
US Builds Up Air Power Reminiscent of Iraq Invasion as Trump Mulls Iran Attacks
Trump suggested he would make a decision in the next 10 days in remarks at the Board of Peace event Thursday.
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A New PAC Wants to Counter Israel’s Influence. It Also Welcomes Hitler Apologists.
AZAPAC’s Michael Rectenwald wants to fight pro-Israel interests in politics. To do that, he’s courted Nick Fuentes and endorsed white nationalist candidates.
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Over 150 former diplomats accuse French FM of ‘spreading disinformation’ against Francesca Albanese*
Several European nations have called on Albanese to resign her UN post over a doctored video widely circulated by a pro-Israel NGO.
*NOTE: Ms. Francesca Albanese is an international lawyer, specializing in human rights and the Middle East. Since May 2022, she has served as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories. Albanese has been outspoken in her calls to end the genocide in Gaza – no wonder supporters of Israel want her to be removed from her position.
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‘Not genociders’: Macron defends French citizens fighting for Israel in Gaza
French President Emmanuel Macron said on 15 February of French nationals fighting Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, “We cannot accept, we must never accept that any of our children, that any French person, be accused of being genocidal…That is impossible, and it represents a reversal of values to which we must not yield.” The president’s remarks come after judges charged two French-Israeli women with ‘complicity in genocide’ for blocking Gaza aid convoys.
ICYMI, A SELECTION OF YESTERDAY’S HEADLINES:
Trump officials plan to build 5,000-person military base in Gaza, files show
West Bank: Palestinian Succumbs to Injuries in Jerusalem
Filmmaker Refuses Berlin Award Over Israeli General’s Recognition
(Read yesterday’s daily update here.)
STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – FEBRUARY 19, 2026*:
- At least 73,183 Palestinians killed, 182,71 injured – including:
- At least 72,069 killed in Gaza (~22,000 children, 33,000 women and girls)
- At least 1,114 killed in the West Bank (~230 children)
- At least 171,728 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 8,000 more are still buried under rubble; 3,000 more are reportedly missing, with no information about their fate.
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.
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.
Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – February 19, 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.
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)
- Tucker Carlson interrogated in Israel, has passport seized after interviewing US ambassador
- 6,000 Amputees in Gaza Face Impossible Recovery amid Israeli War Ultimatum
- Compliant aid: Who are the Israel-approved NGOs scaling up in Gaza?
- Israel’s Favorite American President
- Israel’s “Yellow Line” Is a Death Trap for Palestinians. We Drove Into It.
- Why Israel’s expanding occupation in Syria presents a critical legal test
- Gaza is not a natural disaster. It is the victim of genocide enabled by global inaction
- Netanyahu’s plan to “end” US aid to Israel is to give even more money under a different name
- Noor’s short life of unimaginable suffering
- Israel Destroyed Gaza’s Hospitals. Now It’s Banning Doctors Without Borders.
- Is Spite of What Zionists Say, It’s a Good Thing to Criticize Governments
- Palestinian mother, daughter recount strip searches, harsh conditions in Israeli detention
- Israel used weapons in Gaza that made thousands of Palestinians evaporate
- ADL’s Stats Twist Israel’s Critics Into Antisemites
