Compilation of news reports – IAK staff
At least 71 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza on Thursday. Two infants – one 5 months old, the other just 10 days old – died of malnutrition in the enclave. Five were killed in a supposed “safe zone.”
According to medical sources, the death toll from food and medicine shortages in the Gaza Strip is at least 244.
At least 549 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces while trying to access humanitarian supplies in the past four weeks, and a further 4,066 were injured at or near US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution sites, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office.
For detail on Israeli attacks in Gaza on Thursday, go here.
GAZA NEWS, SNAPSHOTS, & HEADLINES:
Israel’s blockade of aid is starving hundreds of premature babies, according to new reports that cite Gaza health officials, doctors, and aid groups.
The Associated Press reported Wednesday that 580 premature infants are at risk of death, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, due to a shortage of medical-grade formula entering the strip.
Dr. Ahmed al-Farah, head of the pediatrics and obstetrics department at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, one of the few functional medical facilities left in Gaza warned last week that the hospital’s stock of milk was “completely depleted,” and that unless aid was delivered immediately, the babies would face “an avoidable disaster.” The widely publicized call was answered with the shipment of 20 boxes of formula from the U.S. aid group Rahma Worldwide.
Al-Farah said this was enough to meet the needs of 10 babies for two weeks, but warned that in the long run it would be far too little, especially with no guarantee of aid in the future (continue reading here).
‘It’s a Killing Field’: IDF Soldiers Ordered to Shoot Deliberately at Unarmed Gazans Waiting for Humanitarian Aid
Israeli soldiers in Gaza told Haaretz that the army has deliberately fired at Palestinians near aid distribution sites over the past month.
Conversations with officers and soldiers reveal that commanders ordered troops to shoot at crowds to drive them away or disperse them, even though it was clear they posed no threat.
“It’s a killing field,” one soldier said. “Where I was stationed, between one and five people were killed every day. They’re treated like a hostile force – no crowd-control measures, no tear gas – just live fire with everything imaginable: heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars. Then, once the center opens, the shooting stops, and they know they can approach. Our form of communication is gunfire” (continue reading here).
Israel closes the most direct route for aid to Palestinians in Gaza
Israel has closed crossings into northern Gaza, cutting the most direct route for aid to reach hundreds of thousands of people at risk of famine, as airstrikes and shelling killed dozens more people in the devastated Palestinian territory.
The move to close the crossings on Thursday will increase diplomatic pressure on Israel as attention shifts from its brief conflict with Iran, back to the violence and grave humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Food has become extremely scarce in Gaza since a tight blockade on all supplies was imposed by Israel throughout March and April, threatening many of the 2.3 million people who live there with a “critical risk of famine”.
Since the blockade was partly lifted last month, the UN has tried to bring in aid but has faced major obstacles. Reaching the north, where the need is greatest, has been hardest but became much easier when Israel opened the Zikim crossing, allowing wheat and other basics to be transported there directly (continue reading here).
Ha’aretz explains the reason for the closure: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu halted the entry of humanitarian aid into the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday after Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened to leave the coalition if aid continued to reach Hamas.
Smotrich issued the threat during a cabinet meeting after a video was circulated on social media that allegedly showed armed individuals on aid trucks.
NOTE: Israeli officials are fully aware that Hamas has not been hijacking or looting aid trucks. Rather, criminal gangs in Gaza have been stealing truckloads of aid – with assistance from the Israeli military and at the behest of the government. Aid agencies have said again and again that Hamas has not been stealing aid. Some analysts suggest that Bezalel Smotrich’s accusation is merely an excuse to shut off a supply route to Gaza’s most desperate residents.
Israeli strike at Gaza market kills 18 Palestinians, doctor and witnesses say
At least 18 Palestinians have been killed after an Israeli drone strike targeted a Gaza police unit attempting to assert control over a market in the city of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, a doctor and eyewitnesses told the BBC.
Eyewitnesses said Israeli drones fired at members of the police force, dressed in civilian clothing and wearing masks, who were confronting vendors they accused of price gouging and selling goods looted from aid trucks.
The Ministry of Interior condemned the strike, accusing Israel of committing “a new crime against a police unit tasked with maintaining public order” (continue reading here).
Israeli airstrike kills 3 Gaza policemen pursuing thieves, collaborators: Gaza Interior Ministry
An Israeli airstrike killed three Palestinian policemen and an unspecified number of civilians in western Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on Thursday evening, the Gaza Interior Ministry announced.
The strike targeted a police vehicle pursuing “a group of thieves and collaborators with Israel” in the Asdaa area, the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry accused Israel of pursuing “malicious plans” to destabilize Gaza by repeatedly targeting security forces to hinder their efforts to maintain internal stability and combat armed groups operating under Israeli orders, the statement concluded.
US to give $30m to Gaza Humanitarian Foundation despite violent and chaotic rollout of food distribution
The Trump administration has authorized a $30m grant to the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, making the US a direct backer of an aid organization that is closely linked to private security contractors and has been accused by critics of “politicizing” the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza.
According to a document seen by the Guardian, the state department has already disbursed $7m to GHF, a US- and Israeli-backed aid organization that has been given preferential access to operate in Gaza because it says that it can deliver millions of meals to starving people without that food falling into the hands of Hamas.
But its rollout has been chaotic, with Israeli forces killing hundreds of people near distribution centers policed by private military contractors and Israeli soldiers, resignations by senior leadership who have said the humanitarian organization’s mission was “politicized”, and reports of close ties and collaboration with the Israeli government.
Insiders said that the application for the grant was rushed through the state department unusually quickly, especially for a first-time applicant that should undergo an audit to receive USAID funding.
“It was pushed through over the technical and ethical objections of career staff,” a source told the Guardian (continue reading here).
RELATED: Trump administration must give full support to response in Gaza that is grounded in reality — Oxfam
GOFUNDME BLOCKS GAZA AID: GoFundMe has been accused of blocking “millions of dollars” of life-saving aid from reaching Gaza. Charity leaders, activists and desperate Palestinians in Gaza have condemned the crowdfunding website for shutting down or blocking withdrawals for Palestine-related fundraising pages – and have accused bosses of having “blood on their hands”. Despite questions from Al Jazeera, the company has not revealed the amount of money raised on its platform for Gaza that has been frozen in its system or has been refunded to donors.
SPANISH PM STANDS UP FOR GAZA: After Spanish Prime MInIster Pedro Sanchez called Israel’s war on Gaza a “genocide” and urged the EU to suspend cooperation with Israel, Israel’s embassy in Madrid has accused of “demonizing” Israel, and saying his country was “on the wrong side of history”. “This is not only deeply regrettable: it is morally indefensible,” the embassy said. “Let us be clear: Israel, a democratic country facing existential threats on multiple fronts, has the right — and the duty — to defend its citizens.”
IRAN AND IRAN-ADJACENT SNAPSHOTS AND HEADLINES:
EUROPEAN SOURCE SAYS IRAN’S URANIUM LIKELY INTACT: Preliminary intelligence assessments shared with European governments indicate that Iran’s 900-pound stockpile of enriched uranium remains largely intact following US strikes on its nuclear facilities last weekend. Officials familiar with the intelligence said the cache had already been dispersed to other locations by the time the US struck the Fordow nuclear facility. President Trump had insisted that the uranium was still there when bunker-buster bombs were dropped on the underground facility.
DID ISRAEL USE TOXIC BOMBS ON IRAN? A well-informed source revealed to Fars News Agency on 26 June that Israel may have used depleted uranium (DU) munitions in its recent airstrikes targeting sensitive sites across Iran. Initial tests conducted at the impact zones reportedly detected traces suggestive of uranium; further testing is being done. Depleted uranium, a dense metal used in bombs and tank shells to penetrate armored targets, is not classified as nuclear weaponry, but it poses serious long-term health risks due to its low-level radioactivity and toxic chemical composition.
KHAMENEI CALLS TRUMP’S ATTACK “FAILURE”: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said in a video statement released on 26 June that the US entered the war to prevent Israel’s destruction, but “it gained nothing from this war…The US President exaggerated events to cover up their failure, which was evident to anyone listening. In response, Iran delivered a heavy blow to one of America’s key bases in the region – Al-Udeid Air Base – and inflicted damage. The same media that exaggerated the US attack tried to downplay Iran’s response, but it was a significant event,” he said.
IRAN REJECTS US “SELF-DEFENSE” EXCUSE: According to Iranian media, Iran’s representative to the UN wrote a formal letter condemning the US for its recent attack, rejecting Washington’s attempts to justify its strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities as an act of self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. Iran denounced the “blatant distortion” of international law and the UN’s Charter, saying the attacks were a violation of Tehran’s sovereignty, and contravened principles governing the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
ASSASSINATION WASN’T “REALISTIC”: Israel’s Defense Minister said the military would have assassinated Iran’s supreme leader during the 12-day conflict if it was possible. “I estimate that if Khamenei had been in our sights, we would have taken him out,” Katz said in the interview with Israel’s Kan public broadcaster. He added that Khamenei knew the threat and “went underground to very great depths…so it wasn’t realistic in the end.”
How Israel launched attacks from inside Iran to sow chaos during war
Iran ratifies bill ending cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog
In Hebrew social media post, Iran’s Khamenei threatens ‘heavy cost’ if Israel renews attacks
WEST BANK/EAST JERUSALEM NEWS AND HEADLINES:
Israel’s Ben-Gvir allows illegal settlers to sing, dance at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa complex
Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has authorized illegal settlers to sing and dance freely during their visits to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, Israeli media said Thursday.
“For the first time in years, Jewish visitors were permitted to sing and dance openly across the sacred site, in line with a new policy introduced by Ben-Gvir,” Israeli Channel 7 reported.
Ben-Gvir, a settler himself who heads the far-right Jewish Power Party, oversees Israel’s police force (continue reading here).
RELATED: What does the ‘status quo’ mean at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque?
Israeli Army Abducts 17 Palestinians In Nablus And Qalqilia
Israeli Colonizers Invade Bedouin Community In Jericho
UN rights office sounds the alarm over forced displacement in the West Bank
PROTEST NEWS AND HEADLINES:
Palestinian American girl sues school after refusing Pledge of Allegiance
World Council of Churches denounces Israel’s apartheid and occupation, calls for divestment and sanctions
OTHER NEWS AND HEADLINES:
Mamdani stood firm in his support of Gaza. The Democratic party could learn from him
As the ballots were counted on Wednesday in the Democratic primary election for mayor in New York City, a young candidate with little national name recognition, Zohran Mamdani, stood atop a slate of candidates including the runner-up, and favorite, Andrew Cuomo.
There are several reasons why Mamdani was able to pull off this remarkable victory, putting him on track to compete favorably in the mayoral election in November, and many of them have implications for elections outside New York City.
But one area where the contrast between the candidates could not be clearer was on the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Mamdani, for his part, stood with protesters, demanded the release of Mahmoud Khalil, and called out Israel’s war crimes. Mamdani even pledged he’d have the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, an indicted war criminal, arrested if he came to New York City while he was mayor. Cuomo, on the other hand, volunteered to be part of Netanyahu’s legal defense team before the international criminal court (continue reading here).
‘It’s proven that Zionism is a paper tiger in Democratic politics’: breaking down Zohran Mamdani’s stunning New York victory
Netanyahu wants to meet Trump at White House after Iran war success
FedEx faces criminal complaint in Belgium over arms shipments to Israel
STATISTICS OCTOBER 7, 2023 – JUNE 26, 2025:
- At least 57,329 Palestinians killed, 141,417 injured – including:
- at least 56,331 killed in Gaza (~16,500 children)
- at least 998 killed in the West Bank (~200 children)
- at least 132,632 injured in Gaza
- at least 8,785 injured in the West Bank
According to Palestinian authorities, during the ceasefire Jan. 19 – March 18 2025, Israeli attacks killed at least 170 Gazans, and Israel committed at least 962 ceasefire violations.
Since the Israeli army resumed its assaults on Gaza on March 18, it has killed at least 6,008 people. 31 Israeli soldiers (most recent June 24) have been killed during the same time period.
Thousands of those killed in Gaza have yet to be identified, and an estimated 14,000 more are still buried under rubble.
Reported Israeli death toll from October 7, 2023 – June 26, 2025: ~1,620 – including ~1,139 on October 7, 2023 (~36 children), 435 military forces since the ground invasion began in Gaza, 46 military and civilians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Israel.
By one count, Israeli attacks have killed approximately 221 Palestinian journalists and media workers; Palestinians have killed 4 Israeli journalists (other groups have tallied between 185 and 283 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)
- Israel is building a tunnel to cut off Palestinians from the heart of the West Bank
- “No Evidence”: WTKR’s Attempt to Sink the USS Liberty Reunion
- The infants who died at the sound of bombs: Death without weeping
- In Light of Israel’s War on Iran, the Late David Glick’s 2015 Essay Proves Sadly Predictive
- ‘The Hunger Games’: Inside Israel’s aid death traps for starving Gazans
- Trump official to The Grayzone: CIA’s Ratcliffe acts as ‘Mossad stenographer’ on Iran
- The Iran war is Trump’s unconditional surrender to Israel
- Israel is luring the US into a trap
- ‘Trapped in incubators’: Gaza’s premature babies caught between Israeli siege and world silence
- What Life Is Like for a Palestinian in Israel as It Attacks Iran
- Genocide goes Squid Game as Israel outsources ‘aid’ to Gaza gangs
- AIPAC demands Democrats “stand with Israel” on Iran
- Mahmoud Khalil released from ICE detention after more than three months
- Why BBC editors must one day stand trial for colluding in Israel’s genocide
- American Committee on Foreign Relations Miseducates Public and Censors Truth-Telling Analysts
- UC San Francisco fired me for speaking out against genocide, but as a physician I could not remain silent
- Is Israel’s favorite US general helping to push us into war?
- Israel blocks its Palestinian citizens from bomb shelters during Iran strikes
- Meet the American military veterans fasting for Gaza
- IAEA report didn’t say Iran is producing nuclear weapons
- BBC coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza ‘systematically biased against Palestinians’
