On Int’l Day of Persons with Disabilities, remember Gaza – Not a Ceasefire Day 55

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On Int’l Day of Persons with Disabilities, remember Gaza – Not a Ceasefire Day 55
On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the wounded in Gaza who have lost their limbs are calling on the world to acknowledge their suffering and allow the entry of medical supplies and prosthetic limbs. (Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor)

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 787th day.)

Israel’s military has killed seven Palestinians, including two children (ages 8 and 10), in its latest violations of a United States-brokered ceasefire in Gaza. 

Since the “ceasefire” began on October 11, Israel has killed at least 360 Palestinians. Among the dead are at least 136 children. At least 922 have been injured. Death toll figures are tentative.

Israel has so far violated the 11 October ceasefire deal in Gaza at least 591 times.

Rubble removal efforts at the historic Great Omari Mosque and the Palestinian Museum (Qasr al-Basha), which once housed 40,000 archaeological artefacts, in Gaza City, Gaza, on November 20, 2025.
Rubble removal efforts at the historic Great Omari Mosque and the Palestinian Museum (Qasr al-Basha), which once housed 40,000 archaeological artefacts, in Gaza City, Gaza, on November 20, 2025. (Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor)

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.) 

Israeli strikes kill seven Palestinians sheltering in Gaza makeshift camp

At least four drone strikes were reported west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, targeting a makeshift camp for displaced people, and marking the latest violation of the ceasefire. Israel claimed the strikes targeted a “Hamas operative”.

Israel claimed the bombing was in response to an exchange of fire earlier in the day between its troops and Hamas fighters trapped in tunnels in Rafah, who Israel has prevented from moving to western Gaza.  “Our policy is clear,” said PM Netanyahu, “Israel will not tolerate the harming of IDF (Israeli army) soldiers and will respond accordingly.”

Gaza’s Civil Defense spokesperson said the victims were sheltering in a camp considered “safe” and were not in a combat zone. “How many more massacres must be committed before everyone understands that what is happening in Gaza is not a ‘response to an incident’ but a systematic and direct targeting of civilians?” he said.

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6,000 amputees need urgent long-term rehabilitation in Gaza, Health Ministry says

In a statement marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Health Ministry called the situation for the 6,000 amputees in Gaza “shocking,” with 25% of all amputation cases involving children who now face permanent disabilities at an early age.

Thousands of wounded civilians and their families are experiencing “deep humanitarian suffering,” and need sustained physical rehabilitation, psychological, and social support services, the ministry added, calling on relevant international organizations to prioritize amputees in Gaza and strengthen access to specialized care and rehabilitation programs (continue reading here).

Save the Children reports that more than 10 children on average have lost one or both of their legs every day in Gaza since October 7, with many amputations performed without anesthesia
Save the Children reports that more than 10 children on average have lost one or both of their legs every day in Gaza since October 7, with many amputations performed without anesthesia (photo)

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Israel used bulldozers to bury Palestinians in shallow, unmarked graves, CNN reveals

Video footage geolocated to the Zikim area of Gaza shows several decomposing bodies, some half-buried, next to an overturned aid truck. Dogs can be seen scavenging the corpses. Satellite images analyzed by CNN confirm that bulldozers were active in the area during and after the incidents. 

The Israeli army has denied intentionally using bulldozers to bury bodies, claiming they are used for routine operational purposes. However, whistleblowers from within the army provided corroborating accounts of the use of bulldozers to dispose of bodies elsewhere in Gaza.

One former Israeli soldier told CNN that his unit buried nine unarmed Palestinians without marking the graves or taking photographs for identification. “The smell of the rotting corpses became overwhelming as dogs scavenged the remains,” he told CNN (continue reading here).

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UNRWA warns Gaza tents offer no protection as Israel blocks vital winter aid

A spokesperson for the UN agency assisting Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), said it has procured large quantities of food, medicine and winter shelter materials — including hundreds of thousands of tents, tarpaulins, blankets and clothing — but Israel has restricted their entry to Gaza.

He said the tents currently in use across Gaza are worn out and provide little protection from strong winds, heavy rainfall or rising tides. Thousands of displaced families are exposed to severe weather.

He added that UNRWA has been waiting for six months for permission to bring the supplies into Gaza, but Israel has allowed in only a fraction of what is needed, despite the “critical humanitarian situation” facing nearly 1.5 million Palestinians who are living in the open or in makeshift, damaged tents.

Severed fingers and incisions: Bodies returned by Israel shock Gaza families

(also see below: Guinness World Records cuts ties with Israel: Media)

Trump says phase 2 of Gaza plan ‘going to happen pretty soon’

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.)

Bethlehem’s Christmas tree rises after two silent years amid Gaza’s genocide and West Bank violence

Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ and one of Christianity’s most sacred sites, is preparing to mark Christmas this year after cancelling public celebrations during two years of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and escalating violence across the occupied West Bank.

The tree will be lit on December 6, and there will be a midnight mass on Christmas Eve. But the festivities will be muted: “We decided to observe Christmas despite everything Palestine is enduring,” said Lucy Thaljiyeh, deputy mayor of Bethlehem.

“But the celebrations will be limited to religious rituals and their spiritual essence only. There will be no loud festivities, no musical performances, no large markets.”

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The worst Palestinian olive harvest in collective memory

Locals say Israeli settlers have managed to seize approximately 7,000 dunums (700 hectares or 1,730 acres) of land around the village homes over time – aided by the Israeli military.

Olive cultivation comprises about 20 percent of Palestine’s total agricultural output, a relatively small portion of total economic output that plays an outsized role for rural families (continue reading here).

Palestinian residents examine olive trees on their land damaged by Israelis in the Yatta district of Hebron, West Bank on May 24, 2025.
Palestinian residents examine olive trees on their land damaged by Israelis in the Yatta district of Hebron, West Bank on May 24, 2025. (Mamoun Wazwaz – Anadolu Agency)
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WEST BANK HEADLINES:

As displaced Palestinians wait to return to their homes in West Bank refugee camps, U.S. reconstruction plans threaten to erase the camps

‘Collective punishment’: Family home of suspect demolished in West Bank

Israeli Forces Abduct Disabled Palestinian in Salfit

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 has shown how to carry out a genocide and get away with it

Israeli prime minister backs expansion of settlement outposts in occupied West Bank: Report

Israeli court resumes Netanyahu’s corruption trial after pardon request

Israel stages drone strikes, raids in southern Syria

Israeli reports Palestinian prisoners face ‘hunger, overcrowding and violence’

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.)

Kicking the Corpse: Netanyahu’s Pardon Request Caps the Slow Death of Law in Israel

The Israeli government’s respect for the rule of law is nonexistent, but it is still Benjamin Netanyahu who makes the greatest mockery of it.

The prime minister’s request to end his trial is only the most outlandish part of his government’s efforts to undermine Israel’s institutions, legal norms and democracy.

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The IDF Is Building A Fence Through the Jordan Valley, Cutting Off Palestinians From 11k Acres of Their Land

Like the separation barrier on the western side of the West Bank, this one will also separate Palestinians from Palestinians, block their access to their land, and affect their livelihoods.

Under the cover of security needs, the barrier is, in fact, just part and parcel of a decades-old policy whose main purpose is to build and expand settlements, thwart the natural growth of Palestinian villages, and restrict Palestinian agriculture and shepherding communities – through the declaration of “firing zones,” expropriations, policies limiting water access, construction bans, frequent demolitions, and limits on travel.

More recently, acts of settler violence have been contributing to the dispossession of Palestinians.  The current section of the barrier will block Palestinian access to some 11,119 acres of land and clear the area for more outposts (continue reading here).

Parts of Israel's "Security Fence" or "Apartheid Wall" is 10 meters (over 30 ft) high made of reinforced concrete; the majority is a complex system of electronic fences. It is over 440 miles long, and cuts off about 10% of the West Bank from its owners.
Parts of Israel’s “Security Fence” or “Apartheid Wall” is 10 meters (over 30 ft) high made of reinforced concrete; the majority is a complex system of electronic fences. It is over 440 miles long, and cuts off about 10% of the West Bank from its owners. (Justin McIntosh via Wikimedia Commons)

OTHER NEWS & HEADLINES:

Sorry If This Is Antisemitic* But I Think It’s Wrong To Train Dogs To Rape Prisoners

There are records of Nazis and Chilean fascists using dogs to rape prisoners in this way, though according to the IHRA definition of antisemitism that western governments have been shoving down our throats lately it is against the rules to draw any comparisons between Israel and the Nazis.

So I am very sorry if this comes across as antisemitic, but I think it’s wrong to sexually assault prisoners using trained rape dogs. I actually think it’s one of the most evil things I’ve ever heard of (continue reading here).

*NOTE: Thanks to a yearslong program of indoctrination by pro-Israel organizations, the word “antisemitism” has taken on a new, distorted meaning that can include nearly all criticism of Israel – in other words, disapproval of the self-proclaimed “Jewish State” may be incorrectly labeled antisemitic.

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Guinness World Records cuts ties with Israel: Media

Guinness World Records decided to halt all dealings with Israel, blocking new submissions, including a request to certify an Israeli kidney-donation record, local media reported on Wednesday.

According to Channel 12, a volunteer group called “Gift of Life,” which promotes kidney donations, approached Guinness to register a milestone involving 2,000 Israeli donors who saved lives through organ donation, but it received an email from Guinness stating: “We are not currently processing record applications from Israel.”

RELATED: The Global Zionist Organ Trafficking Conspiracy

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No more fear: ‘Track AIPAC’ website, a sign of rapidly changing US public positions on Palestine and Israel

“The Track AIPAC is grassroots in identifying how powerful AIPAC is. The founders wanted to show how much money is going to each member of Congress. They want to make the money toxic, so that even the recipients of smaller donations will want to return the money,” said David Frank, a professor of communication and political rhetoric at the University of Oregon.

“A lot of politicians no longer fear AIPAC, especially with the genocide in Gaza,” said Frank.

Recent polls confirm the US public’s shift away from unconditional support for Israel. A recent Pew Research poll found that nearly six in 10 US citizens have an unfavorable view of the Israeli government (continue reading here).

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US pushes for ‘Trump economic zone’ as Lebanon, Israel begin direct talks

US President Donald Trump is pushing for a joint Lebanese-Israeli economic zone in south Lebanon, a proposal framed as “cooperation” but seen by many in Beirut as an attempt to reshape the border under US and Israeli terms, as the two enemy states held rare direct talks.

American outlet Axios reported details of Wednesday’s meeting, where civilian representatives from Lebanon and Israel publicly engaged for the first time since 1983 (continue reading here).

MORE HEADLINES:

Trump urges Netanyahu to implement phase 2 of Gaza deal and halt killing of Hamas members as pardon prospects emerge

ICYMI (IN CASE YOU MISSED IT) – A SELECTION OF YESTERDAY’S HEADLINES:

‘Every day, I wish I could die’: In Gaza, survivors battle the long-term effects of war trauma amid a fragile ceasefire

Israeli forces kill two Palestinian teenagers in occupied West Bank

Legislating apartheid: How Israel entrenched unequal rule during Gaza war

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