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 871st day.)
Four Palestinians, including a child, were killed and another wounded Friday by Israeli gunfire and shelling
Since the “ceasefire” began on October 11, Israel has killed at least 637 Palestinians. Over 1,704 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.
WAR ON IRAN NEWS & HEADLINES:
Why is If Americans Knew covering the war on Iran? It can not be overemphasized that Israel has been the impetus behind US policies and actions vis-a-vis Iran for years. This is especially true right now, under Donald Trump. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing the US to attack Iran for decades.
The American people have made clear that they do not want to go to 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.”
Death toll (all numbers are tentative):
- Six US troops have been killed and 18 more have been “seriously wounded” since Saturday, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).
- In Israel, 13 people have been killed and 834 injured since Saturday, the majority with minor injuries.
- In Iran, 1,332 people have reportedly been killed since the conflict began, state media says (other sources put the number somewhat lower).
- In Lebanon, at least 217 people have been killed.
- In other Arab states, at least 25 people have been killed.
BE AWARE: Many videos and images of the Iran war are AI generated: Footage of missiles raining on Tel Aviv and Dubai’s Burj Khalifa in flames among many fake depictions of conflict spreading online.
IRAN:
War crime accusations against US, Israel: Amir-Saeid Iravani, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, tells the UN Security Council that the US and Israel are bombing civilian areas in his country, stating: “These acts constitute clear war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
US-Israeli Bombs Strike ‘The Fourth School in 6 Days’ in Iran: According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), at least 192 children have been killed across the Middle East since the war on Iran started. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said that as it wages its war in Iran, the US is not abiding by “stupid rules of engagement,” and has boasted of raining down “death and destruction from the sky all day long.”
Record pace of strikes in Iran bombing campaign: analysis: Even in the opening days of Israel’s unprecedented bombardment on Gaza after October 7th, it appears that around half the number of targets were hit compared to the first days in Iran.
Iran on defense: Tehran launched missiles and drones at Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, apparently targeting US bases and civilian infrastructure including oil pipelines. Other missiles were launched at Israel, though fewer than in the first days of the conflict.
Iran not interested in negotiating: In an interview with CNBC, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Iran is “not asking for a ceasefire” and “we don’t see any reason why we should negotiate with the US when we negotiated with them twice, and every time they attacked us in the middle of negotiations.”
Iran’s deputy foreign minister warned European nations that they will become legitimate targets if they become involved in the US and Israel’s war on Tehran. If any country “joins America and Israel in the aggression against Iran, they will be also legitimate targets for Iran’s retaliation.”
Envoy discusses Iran’s resistance against US and Israeli aggression: Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh spoke to reporters on Friday: “[The US and Israel] would like to put an end to the existence of Iran. We are fighting a heroic, nationalistic war to push back these aggressors,” he said. “We have no option but to hit wherever the Americans are originating their attack from…we are just merely attacking US bases, US assets and also those sheltered in different residential areas…”
Schools, hospitals, playgrounds: Iran’s civilian sites hit by US-Israeli strikes
U.S./TRUMP ADMINISTRATION:
US State Department approves possible emergency arms sale to Israel: The US State Dept. it has approved a possible military sale of to Israel worth $151.8m. Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that an “emergency exists that requires the immediate sale to the Government of Israel.”
‘The Military-Industrial Complex Is Winning’: While Bombing Iran, Trump Says Weapons Contractors to Boost Production: The president and Lockheed Martin said that the expansion began months ago, but his comments followed a White House meeting held amid a US-Israeli assault on Iran and mounting threats against Cuba.
‘Operation Epic Fury’ burns an estimated $5.82 billion in just 100 hours: The first 100 hours of “Operation Epic Fury” have cost the US at least $5.82 billion, or about 0.69% of the entire 2026 US defense budget. The total operational costs thus far has risen to $3.3 billion. In addition, the US has lost roughly $2.52 billion in military assets.
$1 Billion Daily Cost of Trump’s Iran War Could Fund Food Aid, Healthcare for Tens of Millions: “Medicare for All, or endless foreign wars?” asked Democratic US Senate candidate Graham Platner. “Anyone in the House or Senate giving the wrong answer should lose their seat.”
Trump is ‘fine’ with another religious leader ruling Iran: US President Donald Trump told CNN, “It depends on who the person is. I don’t mind religious leaders. I deal with a lot of religious leaders, and they are fantastic,” Trump said.” I’m saying there has to be a leader that’s going to be fair and just. Do a great job. Treat the United States and Israel well, and treat the other countries in the Middle East – they’re all our partners.”
Trump ‘considering sending US ground troops’ to Iran: Trump has reportedly privately discussed sending small contingents of US ground troops to Iran for strategic missions while denying plans for full invasion. The White House rejected the report’s implications.
Analysis of Major Polls Shows Trump’s War on Iran Is Historically Unpopular: “Not merely negative-number-so-what unpopular, but worst-ever-support-for-war-when-it-started unpopular.”
ISRAEL:
Missiles fired at Israel: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the start of its 23rd wave of strikes, and the Israeli military confirmed that defense systems* were intercepting missiles launched from Iran (*NOTE: The US pays Israel $500M each year to cover costs of Israel’s defense equipment, especially Iron Dome).
US skips congressional review to approve munitions sale to Israel: Israel requested 12,000 BLU-110A/B general-purpose, 1,000-pound bomb bodies; Marco Rubio determined that the sale was in the US’s “national security interests.”
LEBANON AND MIDDLE EAST:
‘The memories stay behind’: hundreds of thousands flee the Israeli bombs in Beirut: The normally vibrant southern suburbs are a ghost town, their throngs of people replaced by rubble and fires.
Lebanon says Israeli missile attacks wounded UN peacekeepers* from Ghana: UNIFIL site in town of Qouzah in Bint Jbeil district was struck by Israeli missiles, resulting in several injuries for Ghanaian peacekeepers, say Lebanese media and President Joseph Aoun (*NOTE: read about UNIFIL, the UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, here.)
Houthi leader declares support for Iran and warns group ready to act: Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, leader of Yemen’s Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement, said that his group stands with Iran in the ongoing regional conflict and is prepared to take action if developments require it. Al-Houthi accused Israel of seeking to impose a policy of domination across the region and of preparing for a wider war against those he referred to as “the free people of the nation”.
EUROPE AND BEYOND:
Iranian mathematician missing in Canada may have been targeted by Tehran, activists say: Police say Masood Masjoody was most likely murdered; Iranian expats suspect he was killed for his criticism of the theocratic regime.
Russia is providing Iran intelligence to target U.S. forces, officials say: Russia is providing Iran with information to attack American warships and aircraft in the Middle East, the first indication that another major U.S. adversary is participating — even indirectly — in the war.
Indonesia to exit Trump’s Gaza board if Palestinians not benefitted: President Prabowo Subianto conveyed the position during a meeting with more than 160 Islamic scholars at the presidential palace in Jakarta on Thursday evening.
Israel bombs Tehran, Friday:
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.
I Spoke to Families in Gaza’s Largest Tent Camp. Here’s What They Told Me.
Before the war, Al-Mawasi was known as a quiet coastal stretch west of Khan Younis, an open space used for farming, with proximity to the sea. These open lands quickly became one of the most crowded areas in the Gaza Strip.
How can such a place be considered a “safe zone” when it lacks the most basic necessities for life? No proper sewage systems, no organized infrastructure, no spacing between families, and not even enough room to pitch a new tent. Many families had nowhere to set up their tents, let alone space to store water or build a makeshift toilet nearby. Here are just a few stories out of thousands who continue to suffer in Gaza’s tent camps (continue reading here).
+++
The Border Between Gaza and Egypt Had Just Reopened. Then War With Iran Started.
Israel’s closure of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt has thrown surgeries and school plans into limbo.
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.)
Violent Israeli settler attacks surge in West Bank as focus remains on Iran
An Israeli rights group said they documented 50 cases of Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank in the four days that followed the start of the war on Iran.
+++
OPINION: Israel’s closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque is an act of war
The holy site is not being closed to protect Palestinians during the Israeli-US war on Iran. This is part of a broader strategy to destroy the status quo. Preventing worshippers from reaching the mosques, but allowing them in markets, streets and workplaces, does not make them any safer. Amid the genocidal war in Gaza, the idea that Israeli authorities are concerned for the safety of any Palestinian is not merely laughable; it is stomach-turning.
The targeting of mosques through such measures stems, rather, from a vision of religious replacement espoused by Israel’s Zionist government and the Zionist right more broadly. Religious Zionists, who have become the dominant current in Israeli society, call the Al-Aqsa complex Temple Mount.
+++
Israel restricts prayer at Ibrahimi Mosque on 3rd Friday of Ramadan
Only about 60 worshippers allowed to enter Hebron site under security restrictions, instead of the usual thousands, mosque director says.
*NOTE: Around 35,000 Palestinians live in the West Bank city of Hebron; along with about 800 Jewish settlers, who are protected by 1,500 Israeli soldiers to support them. To read more about Israeli settler violence (backed by Israeli military) in the West Bank city of Hebron, go here, or see the video below.
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 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 media: Centralized, Coordinated, Brazen: The Dangerous Transformation of the Hilltop Youth
The violent hilltop youth of the Israeli settlements are often seen as a scattered, leaderless movement acting spontaneously. Recent years have proven the opposite: This is organized crime.
OTHER NEWS & HEADLINES:
Marine Veteran Brian McGinnis Removed From Senate Hearing After Protest Over US Policy Toward Israel
Brian C. McGinnis, a Marine Corps veteran and Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate in North Carolina, was forcibly removed from a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on March 4, 2026, after interrupting the proceedings with a protest over U.S. policy in the Middle East. During the hearing, McGinnis stood and began shouting objections to what he characterized as the U.S. movement toward war with Iran in support of Israel.
Footage of the removal shows multiple officers attempting to pull McGinnis away from a doorway as he held onto the frame. Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana, a Republican member of the committee and former Navy SEAL, left his seat and physically assisted officers in removing McGinnis. Security personnel were already engaged in removing McGinnis when Sheehy intervened physically. Whether that intervention was necessary or appropriate has become a point of debate.
McGinnis allegedly suffered a broken arm during the struggle.
ICYMI, A SELECTION OF YESTERDAY’S HEADLINES:
(Read yesterday’s daily update here.)
‘Deranged and Dangerous’: Trump Says ‘I Guess’ Americans Should Expect a Deadly Attack on US
Israel Accused of Using AI to Pick Iran Targets ‘Without Any Human Oversight’—Just Like in Gaza
Medical stocks ‘critically low’ in Gaza, WHO says
Telling Arab [i.e. Palestinian] Israelis to ‘take shelter’ is a cruel joke
STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – MARCH 6, 2026*:
- At least 73,241 Palestinians killed, 183,801 injured – including:
- At least 72,120 killed, 172,801 injured in Gaza (~22,000 children, 33,000 women and girls)
- At least 1,121 killed, 11,000 injured in the West Bank (~232 children)
*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.
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 (2025-26).
Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – March 6, 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)
- US troops were told war on Iran was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’, watchdog alleges
- ‘Dirty Work’ :The truth about how Israel was founded
- Mass Expulsion in Lebanon as Israel Expands War: “We Don’t Know Where to Go”
- Lies, distortions, and propaganda: how the U.S. mainstream media coverage on Iran hides the truth
- Palestinians in Gaza fear famine returning as Israel cuts off food amid Iran war
- AIPAC, other pro-Israel groups enter midterms with $100 million to spend
- Iranian girls killed by ‘double-tap’ strikes on Minab school
- Bari Weiss Is Going Full ‘Propaganda-Palooza’ With the Iran War
- Inside the Pro-Israel Campaign to Stop ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ From Winning an Oscar
- After Iran, It’s Turkey
- Inside the plan to kill Ali Khamenei
- More than 1,000 Civilians Killed in U.S.-Israeli Bombing of Iran, Rights Group Says
- The Neocons: First in War, Last in Peace
- With focus on Iran and Gaza, Israel is quietly annexing the West Bank
