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 832nd day.)
Five Palestinians were killed on Thursday by Israeli fire in separate violations across the Gaza Strip, while a three‑month‑old infant died from severe cold in Gaza City
Since the “ceasefire” began on October 11, Israel has killed at least 477 Palestinians. At least 1,301 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 10 Palestinian children have died of extreme cold this winter.
Israel has so far violated the 11 October ceasefire deal in Gaza at least 1,300 times (as of Jan. 15, 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.
Over 230,000 women, girls in Gaza face limited health access amid continued Israeli violence: UN
Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric cited the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), which warned that “there is an increased risk of gender-based violence, child marriage, and exploitation of women and girls,” as well as limited access to reproductive health services for 15,000 pregnant women.
RELATED: Pregnant women in Gaza face catastrophic scenarios
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What we know so far about the reopening of Gaza’s Rafah crossing
Plans to reopen the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, after 1.5 years of closure have moved closer to implementation, with Palestinian and international officials confirming that the crossing is set to reopen in both directions next week.
Israel has not formally confirmed the reopening date. Israel has kept the crossing closed in spite of ceasefire agreements, keeping Gazans in food insecurity, without basic medical supplies, and without proper shelter.
“BOARD OF PEACE” AND “GAZA MASTER PLAN” NEWS & HEADLINES*:
On Wednesday, Jan. 22, the Board of Peace became official, with its mandate that may include usurping the role of the United Nations. Donald Trump is set to lead the board for life. The board is populated with a mix of world leaders and a number of wealthy individuals. The Board of Peace even includes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an indicted war criminal – but zero Palestinians. (Read more here.)
Also presented on Jan. 22 was a new, colonialist “master plan” for the reconstruction of Gaza.
*NOTE: No doubt, much will be written about the new Gaza plan in the coming days. In all the commotion, IAK encourages readers to seek out Palestinian voices and opinions. They have a greater stake in the future of Gaza than any investor or politician.
Mosab Abu Toha, a Palestinian writer from Gaza, said, “If the goal is truly peace, then the path is simple: end the occupation and help restore the rights that have been taken from Palestinians since 1948. We, the Palestinian people, are the ones who must determine our own future. Peace cannot be imposed while our land is occupied, our lives controlled, and our voices ignored.”
Jared Kushner unveils plan for ‘free market Gaza’ with coastal towers and data centers
The plan estimated that $25bn would be needed to develop the Palestinian enclave’s utilities and public services. A further $3bn investment fund was designated for what was described as commercial zones, business districts and grants to stimulate local enterprise.
The proposal includes building a new airport, port, freight line and logistics corridor, a new trilateral crossing at Rafah, and new roads connecting Gaza’s urban centers; residential neighborhoods and industrial zones which would include “data centers and advanced manufacturing facilities”; it also sets out areas designated for “coastal tourism” along Gaza’s coastline, with a plan to construct 180 “mixed use towers” (continue reading here).
Kushner lays out the US “master plan” for “catastrophic success” in Gaza pic.twitter.com/dPoMTHNyOX
— Olga Nesterova (@onestpress) January 22, 2026
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Gaza ‘master plan*’ hinges on Hamas disarmament
Jared Kushner said the plan would include a focus on Hamas’s “demilitarization,” and that there is “no plan B.”
He pointed out, “If Hamas doesn’t demilitarize, that would be what holds this plan back.”
Kushner said that once demilitarization was completed, the Israeli military would withdraw to a security perimeter around Gaza.
*NOTE: This so-called master plan was created without Palestinian input, contains zero planning for what Palestinians will do or where they will go during the reconstruction, zero information on compensation for Palestinians’ loss of land and wealth, and zero specifics on what is meant by “demilitarization.” The plan does suggest that a lot of money is to be made by tech investors and real estate developers – but not by Palestinians, who will supposedly be 100% employed, but have a household income of just $13,000 per year.
Critically, Hamas has made clear that it will not surrender its weapons as long as the occupation remains in place, because it would leave them defenseless against further attacks by Israel or others. Kushner’s statement disregards this fact, and preemptively puts the blame on the Palestinians if the plan falls apart.
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A sampling of responses to Kushner’s Gaza vision
Meral Hussein-Ece, a member of the UK House of Lords, wrote on X: “So there we have it. It was always about land theft & profits above human beings.”
Legal scholar Ramy Abdu warned that Palestinians were facing “a plan to eliminate their very presence, based on domestication, subjugation, and control”.
Activist Melanie D’Arrigo accused the Trump administration of exploiting the crisis for profit, writing: “The world sees death, destruction and injustice – and they see dollar signs.”
Novelist Susan Abulhawa said the proposal would mean that “the indigenous traditions and social fabric of this land will be obliterated utterly”.
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US envoy Witkoff praises leaders for creating a ‘sense of hope*’ in Gaza
US special envoy Steve Witkoff on Thursday thanked world leaders and officials for their contributions in reaching a peace agreement in Gaza.
Witkoff said he was proud to speak after accomplishing a mission the world had described as “impossible” and “unattainable.”
“We have achieved a peace deal in Gaza,” he said, adding that “we have created a sense of hope for what the future can bring, to Gaza, and all other places where the Board of Peace will operate.”
*NOTE: Witkoff’s statement is ignorant, to say the least: he may have collected signatures on a piece of paper, but he has not achieved peace. Israel is still killing, Gazans are still dying, Netanyahu is still a war criminal overseeing a genocide. Witkoff may have hopes for greater wealth on the backs of Palestinians, but they have not been allowed to participate in the planning or invited to join the Board of Peace. He could not possibly know whether they have a sense of hope.
RELATED: How Israel and the U.S. are using the ‘shock doctrine’ to impose a new administration in Gaza
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Netanyahu skips ‘Board of Peace’ signing in Davos over fears of arrest as a war criminal*
Switzerland has stated it would enforce the ICC warrant against Netanyahu should he visit the country.
*NOTE: Israel has run an almost decade-long secret “war” against the International Criminal Court, deploying its intelligence agencies to surveil, hack, pressure, smear, and allegedly threaten senior ICC staff in an effort to derail the court’s inquiries into Israeli leaders’ crimes. Read more here.
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Trump disinvites Canada’s Carney from Board of Peace as Spain, France decline to join
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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.)
‘If you sleep, settlers* will burn your house’: fear in the West Bank
Ras Ein al-Auja was one of the last Palestinian herding communities in this part of the Jordan Valley, but now, the herders’ sheep have gone – most of them stolen or poisoned by settlers or sold off by villagers under pressure. Their water has been cut off – the Ras Ein spring declared off-limits by the neighboring settlers for the past year.
Since the start of this year, about 450 of the 650 Palestinian inhabitants of Ras Ein al-Auja have fled their homes – for many the only place they have ever lived – because of violence by Israeli settlers (continue reading here).
*NOTE: Settlers are an armed civilian population that poses a serious threat to Palestinians: Israelis, especially illegal settlers, can legally be heavily armed – Palestinians are not allowed to own weapons; settlers already enjoy impunity, even support and assistance from the Israeli government and military, as they attack Palestinians on a daily basis.
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ALL IN A DAY’S WORK: MORE ISRAELI OCCUPATION ACTIONS ON THURSDAY:
Israeli Invasions, Abductions Across The Occupied West Bank
Soldiers Shoot a Palestinian Near Hebron, Injure Others in Al-Bireh, Qalandia
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.)
Israel accused of extracting billions from Gazans to pay for their own genocide
Israeli forces have reportedly turned Gaza’s markets and commercial sector into a new arena of pressure, using trade restrictions and financial controls as tools to punish the population and exhaust its remaining resources. The sources said these measures have contributed to financing part of the cost of the war from the pockets of Gaza’s residents themselves.
As a result, the sources noted, a black market has flourished, monopolies have emerged, and the cost of goods has soared due to the imposition of high fees on imports and the concentration of commercial activity in the hands of a small group of approved traders (continue reading here).
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Israeli bullets found inside bodies of Iranian children killed in riots: Report
Forensic examinations have revealed Israeli military-grade ammunition embedded in the bodies of children killed during recent rioting in Iran.
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Israeli troops fire on sheep herders, shell farmland 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.
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.)
How much did the war on Gaza cost Israel*?
The overall cost of the Gaza war is estimated at around 222 billion shekels (about $60 billion), indicating that each day of fighting cost roughly 280 million shekels (about $76 million).
The full cost of the war, including civilian expenditures such as compensation for businesses, property damage, funding for evacuees, and financing costs, is estimated by the Finance Ministry at 277 billion shekels (about $75 billion). The Bank of Israel, by contrast, estimates the total cost at 352 billion shekels (about $95 billion).
*NOTE: Using the median figure of $75 billion spent on the war, and 71,500 Palestinian fatalities, Israel spent over $1 million per Gazan killed, or about $37,500 for every person in Gaza.
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Israel said seeking to ensure more Palestinians are let out of Gaza than back in
Israel wants to restrict the number of Palestinians entering Gaza through the border crossing with Egypt to ensure that more are allowed out than in, three sources briefed on the matter said ahead of the border’s expected opening next week.
The three sources said it was still not clear how Israel planned to enforce limits on the number of Palestinians entering Gaza from Egypt, or what ratio of exits to entries it aimed to achieve.
As Trump, in Davos, hails Gaza prosperity, Palestinians dig for trash to burn to keep warm
With no income, not everyone can afford firewood, but search for it can be fatal; some resort to burning plastic despite health hazard.
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Dozens of Israeli Environmental Groups Urge FM to Block Withdrawal From Climate Pact
Groups warn that leaving the Paris climate accord could damage Israel’s economy, exports, energy security and international standing. The Israeli Climate Forum echoed the call, stressing that withdrawal would undercut scientific cooperation and national resilience.
OTHER NEWS & HEADLINES:
Film on Palestinian child Hind Rajab killed by Israel receives Oscar nomination
Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s film tells true story of the 5-year-old girl killed in Israeli fire on her family car in Gaza.
*NOTE: Read Hind’s story here.
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Pro-Palestine activist on hunger strike says he will begin refusing water
Palestine Action-linked remand prisoner Umer Khalid, 22, calls on the UK government to address concerns relating to alleged complicity in Israel’s war.
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Israel pays for UK adverts attacking Doctors Without Borders
Benjamin Netanyahu’s effort to drive medical charity out of Gaza backed by an aggressive Israeli propaganda campaign in Britain.
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They’re Trying To Sneak Israel’s President Into Australia Without Anti-Genocide Protests
ICYMI, A SELECTION OF YESTERDAY’S HEADLINES:
Three journalists among 11 Palestinians killed in Israel’s attacks on Gaza
Israeli official urges assassination and expulsion of UNRWA employees from Jerusalem
Ben-Gvir authorizes more gun permits for Israeli settlers in occupied West Bank
(Read yesterday’s daily update here.)
STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – JANUARY 22, 2026*:
- At least 72,669 Palestinians killed, 182,379 injured – including:
- At least 71,562 killed in Gaza (~22,000 children, 33,000 women and girls)
- At least 1,107 killed in the West Bank (~230 children)
- At least 171,379 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 – January 22, 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 278 Palestinian journalists and media workers; Palestinians have killed 4 Israeli journalists (other groups have tallied between 215 and 332 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)
- Brutal Beatings, Arson, and Impunity: A Palestinian Plant Nursery Becomes a Target for Settler Pogroms
- On Iran’s protests, Israeli hypocrisy knows no limits
- A Cease-fire for Israelis and a War for Palestinians
- ‘When will Baba come back?’ Gaza’s widows and orphans struggle to survive
- Genocide research institute levels accusations against Germany for denying Israel’s genocide against Palestinians
- How an Israeli Firm Spreads Lies and Chaos Around the World
- ADL ‘Helping’ Ted Cruz and Ben Shapiro ‘Take Down’ Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes, CEO Suggests
- Israel is Destroying Hope for the Future: Reproductive Violence in Gaza
- J Street is the new AIPAC in the Democratic Party
- The fate of Gaza’s disappeared remains unknown
- The U.S. has announced ‘Phase 2’ of the Gaza ceasefire. Here’s why it doesn’t matter for Palestinians.
- ‘My leg went to heaven before me’: Israeli war extinguishes Gaza childhoods
- Founders of deadly GHF ‘shaping’ new US-backed administration for Gaza: Report
- Genocide isn’t a mistake. Which is why the media can’t tell you the truth about Gaza
