More children die from cold exposure in Gaza; Death toll climbs in Iran; Minnesota and the Twin Cities sue DHS to halt ICE’s “federal invasion”
Drop Site Daily: January 13, 2026
More children die from exposure to cold in Gaza amid winter storms. Destroyed buildings collapse and crush tents and makeshift homes west of Gaza City, killing at least four Palestinians. Gaza’s doctors are without proper medical instruments leading to “total diagnostic collapse.” UN warns rain and cold are reversing humanitarian gains in Gaza. UN finds acute malnutrition in 6.4% of screened children in Gaza. Israeli police probe uncovers abuse by Haredi Border Police unit. An unnamed Iranian official says around 2,000 killed in Iran’s protests with the country’s internet and telecommunications partially restored. President Donald Trump announces secondary tariffs for Iran’s trading partners and weighs strikes on Iran as diplomacy remains in play. Iran’s national security secretary dismisses Trump’s threats to Tehran rallies. Iran’s parliamentary speaker threatens regional retaliation in address to Trump. Iran summons European ambassadors, screens protest violence footage. Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado set to meet Trump at White House. The Trump administration more than doubles annual visa revocations. Minnesota, Minneapolis, Saint Paul sue Homeland Security to stop “federal invasion” by ICE. Right-wing groups fundraise for Minneapolis ICE agent. Billionaire Steve Cohen pushes renewed bid to privatize veterans’ mental health care. Israeli attacks hit multiple southern Lebanon villages near the border. Sudan’s army prepares a major offensive to retake Kordofan and Darfur. A Rapid Support Forces (RSF) drone strike hits an army base in Sinja, killing 27, while another strike kills at least 10 in southeastern Sudan. Somalia cancels UAE security and defense deals over alleged transit of Yemeni secessionist leader. Regional backlash disrupts UAE arms flights to Sudan’s RSF. Darfur governor accuses Ethiopia of backing Sudan’s RSF. Boulos says that the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and UAE aligned on defeating Houthis. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum speaks with Trump amid security tensions. New from Drop Site: How the UAE’s decade-long project in Yemen ended in 48 hours as Saudi Arabia swiftly consolidated power over the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council.
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Drop Site Livestream at 9:30 a.m. ET. Drop Site’s livestream will feature discussions on the recent protests in Iran, and how Israel and the U.S. have sought to exploit the country’s unrest. Jeremy Scahill and Murtaza Hussain will be joined by journalist Saeed Mohyeddin of On The Line Media and Narges Bajoghli, co-director of the Rethinking Iran Initiative and a professor at Johns Hopkins University. The livestream is available here.
The Gaza Genocide, West Bank, and Israel
Casualty counts in the last 24 hours: Over the past 24 hours, the bodies of five Palestinians arrived at hospitals in Gaza, while six Palestinians were injured, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023 is now 71,424 killed, with 171,324 injured.
Total casualty counts since ceasefire: Since October 11, the first full day of the ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 447 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 1,246, while 697 bodies have been recovered from under the rubble, according to the Ministry of Health.
More Palestinian children die from exposure to cold: A one-year-old child died due to extreme cold bringing the total number of child deaths from the cold since the beginning of this winter season to seven, according to the health ministry.
Building collapses kill displaced Palestinians west of Gaza City: At least four Palestinians were killed and several others injured when a polar storm caused walls to collapse onto tents and makeshift homes sheltering displaced families west of Gaza City.
“Total diagnostic collapse” leaves Gaza doctors working blind: Israel’s siege has destroyed diagnostic capacity, including X-ray and imaging units at Al-Shifa Hospital, leaving physicians unable to diagnose conditions such as pneumonia, heart failure, internal bleeding, or fractures, Mimi Syed, a U.S.-based doctor who has volunteered twice in Gaza told Drop Site. Syed pointed out that. The Gaza Health Ministry previously said that 90% of blood testing and transfusion supplies are depleted and 75% of core lab materials are unavailable, while aid groups warn roughly 350,000 chronically ill patients are in danger of losing their lives due to the extreme shortages of medicines and diagnostics.
Gaza authorities warn winter storm could trigger mass casualties amid shelter collapse: Ninety four percent—or 127,000 of 135,000—of tents in Gaza for displaced people are uninhabitable, leaving hundreds of thousands exposed to severe winter cold—without blankets, mattresses, or heating—according to Gaza’s Government Media Office. Officials attribute the crisis to Israel’s destruction of roughly 90% of Gaza’s structures, its displacement of more than two million people, and its closure of crossings for over 500 days, during which it has blocked 250,000 aid and fuel trucks. Israeli attacks have also struck 303 shelters and 61 food distribution centers, while Israeli destruction of 38 hospitals and the related closure of 96 health centers in the enclave has contributed to tens of thousands of respiratory and infectious illnesses, with and at least 21 deaths from cold exposure, including the deaths of 18 children.
OCHA warns rain and cold are reversing humanitarian gains in Gaza: The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said conditions in Gaza remain dire as winter storms undo recent aid efforts, noting partners reached 28,000 families last week but at least 1.1 million people still urgently need shelter as tents continue to be destroyed by wind and rain. The United Nations stressed tents are only a stopgap and said total recovery requires the tools, cement, heavy machinery, and sustained funding necessary for reconstruction.
UN finds acute malnutrition in 6.4% of screened children in Gaza: The United Nations said about 4,900 of roughly 76,000 children screened in Gaza in December were identified with acute malnutrition—around 6.4 percent—including more than 820 severe cases. UN partners said total acute malnutrition cases identified in 2025 now approach 95,000.
Israel demolished 2,500+ buildings in Gaza since ceasefire: Israel has demolished more than 2,500 buildings in the Gaza Strip since the October ceasefire, according to The New York Times, citing analysis of satellite imagery from Planet Labs showing extensive destruction in areas under Israeli control and beyond the so-called Yellow Line. Israeli officials told the Times that demolitions target tunnels and booby-trapped structures, but the paper notes the scale of destruction far exceeds clear security needs and violates the ceasefire.
Hamas signals readiness to cede Gaza governance, urges Palestinian unity: Hazem Qassem said Hamas has put forward “positive and advanced positions” to reorganize Palestinian politics. Citing President Donald Trump’s proposal for a Gaza “Board of Peace,” Qassem said Hamas has instructed government bodies to prepare to hand over responsibilities to an independent technocratic administration, reaffirming a decision to step aside from governance.
Israeli police probe uncovers abuse by Haredi Border Police unit: Israel Police Internal Investigations Unit uncovered video footage from August–September 2025 showing Border Police officers from the Haredi Avnet Battalion carrying out severe beatings and abuse of Palestinian workers in Beit Hanina and the surrounding areas of Jerusalem, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported.
Iran
An Iranian official says around 2,000 killed in Iran’s protests: Around 2,000 people, including security personnel, have been killed in the protests in Iran, an Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday. The official, who declined to be named, said “terrorists” were behind the deaths of both protestors and security personnel and did not give a breakdown of who had been killed. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) gave similar figures on Tuesday, saying 1,847 people have been killed, including 135 government members, while over 16,700 people have been detained. HRANA receives funding from the CIA-linked National Endowment for Democracy.
Iran’s internet blackout surpassed 100 hours and has now been partially restored: People in Iran are now able to make calls for the first time in days after telecommunications were cut by authorities, according to the Associated Press. “Several people in Tehran were able to call The Associated Press on Tuesday morning and speak to a journalist there. The AP bureau in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was unable to call those numbers back. The witnesses said text messaging still was down and that internet users in Iran could connect to government-approved websites locally but nothing abroad,” the AP reported. Iran’s nationwide internet shutdown lasted more than 100 hours amid the country’s ongoing protests, riots, and a widening government crackdown. Authorities are working with security officials to restore service and plan to do so in phases, Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday, with access first provided to government ministries and foreign embassies before being extended to the broader public.
Trump announces secondary tariffs for Iran trading partners: “Effective immediately, any country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America,” President Donald Trump said Monday.
Iran’s secretary of the supreme national security council dismisses Trump’s threats against Tehran rallies: Ali Larijani, an influential regime figure and current secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, addressed questions about threats from President Donald Trump during pro-regime rallies in Tehran on Monday. Larijani brushed off Trump’s remarks, saying he “talks too much” and should not be taken seriously, and added that the large turnout demonstrated Iranians are prepared to confront the U.S. and Israel.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker threatens regional retaliation in address to Trump: Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker, also addressed President Donald Trump during the Tehran rally on Monday, repeating earlier warnings that a U.S. attack on Iran would trigger regional retaliation. “Come and see how we will destroy all your positions in the region,” Ghalibaf said. “Come and see how the defenders of Iran will burn you into America’s history. Delusional Trump, do not believe the lies you are told. Mashhad did not fall. Iran’s defenders are present, and Imam Reza Shrine is present.”
Iran summons European ambassadors, screens protest violence footage: Iranian authorities on Monday summoned the ambassadors of the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and France to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, where officials screened video clips purporting to show armed protestors attacking security forces, committing arson, and assaulting bystanders, according to the state-aligned Fars News Agency. Tehran says the evidence it presented justifies its use of force, though the footage has not been independently verified. Iranian authorities say more than 109 security personnel have been killed by what they describe as “terrorists” and “rioters,” while opponents of the government report that more than 500 protestors have been killed since demonstrations began on December 28.
Trump weighs strikes on Iran as diplomacy remains in play: President Donald Trump is leaning toward military strikes on Iran to punish the regime for killing protestors, but has not made a final decision as the Trump administration considers Iranian proposals for negotiations, Axios reported. The report says Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has been in contact with Iran’s Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi about a possible diplomatic path, even as Trump warned Iran was nearing a “red line.”
Editors’ update: HRANA figures on Iran’s protests were updated after publication.
U.S. News
Minnesota and the Twin Cities file lawsuit against DHS: The state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul have filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security for surging federal agents into the state and possibly violating the 10th Amendment. The suit claims the surge amounts to a “federal invasion” to conduct unconstitutional stops and arrests, while seeking to end the “”unlawful, unprecedented surge of the federal law enforcement agents into Minnesota,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said at a news conference on Monday. The lawsuit comes after last week’s fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent.
Top DOJ civil-rights prosecutors resign in protest over refusal to probe Renee Good shooting: At least four senior leaders of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division’s criminal section resigned after Harmeet Dhillon declined to open a DOJ investigation into the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis. The departures—including the chief and deputy chiefs of the criminal section—came after Dhillon’s decision not to pursue a review of the shooting separate from the FBI’s.
Trump administration more than doubles annual visa revocations: The Trump administration revoked more than 100,000 U.S. visas in 2025—more than double the roughly 40,000 revoked in 2024 under the Biden administration—according to the U.S. State Department. Most revocations involved tourists and business travelers who overstayed visas, though about 8,000 students and 2,500 specialized workers also lost legal status. The administration has also made it a priority to suspend the visas of persons critical of Israel and its conduct in Gaza, with many student cancellations and ICE detentions tied to campus protests and Gaza activism. The administration says it has expanded “continuous vetting” and is reviewing all 55 million valid visas.
New York City sees largest nurses’ strike in city’s history: Nearly 15,000 nurses across New York City went on strike at 6:00 a.m. on Monday morning after no agreement was reached ahead of the December 31 deadline for contract negotiations. The New York State Nurses Association says it wants higher pay, an increase in staff to manage patients, fully funded benefits, and better workplace protections against violence for its members. “There is no shortage of wealth in the healthcare industry,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said standing with the striking nurses. “The CEO of Montefiore made more than $16 million last year. The CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian made $26 million. But too many nurses can’t make ends meet.” New York Governor Kathy Hochul had already declared a state of emergency, saying that a strike “could jeopardize the lives of thousands of New Yorkers and patients,” with all hospitals saying that they will remain open despite the strike.
Right-wing groups begin fundraising for Minneapolis ICE agent: Right-wing outlets and fundraising pages have been promoting online campaigns in support of Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent who fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026. The fundraising appeal made a point of highlighting that Mayor Jacob Frey is Jewish, framed as criticism of him to potential donors.
Van Hollen urges Democratic accountability over Gaza ahead of 2028: U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen told Breaking Points that he does not accept money from AIPAC and said Democrats should be held accountable for failing to challenge U.S. support for Israel’s assault on Gaza. Looking toward the 2028 U.S. presidential race, he said it should matter where candidates for the highest office “stood on this question of conscience.”
Graham shares photo from Iran regime-change event featuring public figures: A photo shared by U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham from an event supporting regime change in Iran shows several public figures wearing “Make Iran Great Again” hats, including CEO of Uber Dara Khosrowshahi, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon, and Lindsey Graham himself.
Steven Cohen pushes renewed bid to privatize veterans’ mental health care: Hedge fund billionaire Steven Cohen, whose firm paid a record $1.8 billion insider-trading fine in 2013, is backing the “RECOVER Act.” Critics say the legislation would gut the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) oversight and funnel public funds to private providers, including clinics tied to his Cohen Veterans Network. Veterans groups warn the bill revives a failed 2017 effort to bypass VA authorization and create a parallel system that accelerates privatization and would be lightly regulated. Read more on the privatization of veterans’ healthcare from The American Prospect here.
Other International News
Sheinbaum speaks with Trump amid security tensions and tariff stakes: Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she spoke by phone with President Donald Trump about security, drug trafficking, trade, and investment “within a framework of mutual respect,” following talks between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente in which Washington reiterated its focus on combating “narcoterrorism.” Mexican officials are alarmed by Trump’s threats against Mexico after U.S. action in Venezuela, and Sheinbaum reportedly wants to avoid a rupture ahead of upcoming tariff talks and a review of The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
Machado set for White House meeting with Trump: María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday, according to a senior White House official.
Israeli attacks hit multiple southern Lebanon villages near the border: Israeli forces carried out multiple attacks across southern Lebanon on Monday, striking border towns including Aita al-Shaab, Aitaroun, Adaysah, and Siddiqin. Additional fire was reported near Markaba, Houla, and farms close to Kfarshouba. In the attack on Adaysah, a spring was hit, and another Israeli strike was aimed at a motorcyclist.
Sudan’s army readies major offensive to retake Kordofan and Darfur: The Sudanese Armed Forces say they are preparing a large-scale offensive to retake Kordofan and Darfur from the Rapid Support Forces. Officials told Al Jazeera the military campaign would surpass last year’s recapture of Khartoum in scale. The army has already retaken some territory and pushed back RSF forces, according to Al Jazeera, though displaced Darfuris have largely refused to return until the RSF is expelled.
RSF drone strike hits army base in Sinja, killing 27: Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces carried out a drone strike on an army base in Sinja on Monday, killing 27 people and wounding at least 73 others, according to military and health officials cited by Agence France-Presse. Military sources said RSF drones targeted the headquarters of the 17th Infantry Division during a meeting of military, security, and government officials.
Another RSF drone strike kills a minimum of 10 in southeastern Sudan: At least ten civilians were killed and nine others wounded after a Rapid Support Forces drone strike hit civilian areas in Senga, according to the Sudan Doctors Network. The group said a guided missile fired from an RSF drone struck multiple sites, including a direct hit on civilians, calling the attack a grave new violation against noncombatants. Senga, the capital of Sennar State in southeastern Sudan, is a strategic city near the Blue Nile, an area that has seen escalating RSF attacks.
Somalia cancels UAE security and defense deals over alleged transit of Yemeni secessionist leader: Somalia has canceled all security and defense agreements with the United Arab Emirates. The decision comes after opening an investigation into the alleged unauthorized use of Somali airspace and the Mogadishu airport to facilitate the transit of Aidarous al-Zubaidi, president of the separatist southern transitional council in Yemen, according to Reuters. The breakaway region of Somaliland said all agreements between Somaliland and the UAE remain lawful and binding as predicated on its presumed independence, although the country is not recognized by international organizations.
Regional backlash disrupts UAE arms flights to Sudan’s RSF: Regional pushback against the United Arab Emirates is disrupting Emirati weapons shipments to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, with Egypt and Saudi Arabia reportedly withdrawing overflight permission for arms flights from Abu Dhabi to eastern Libya. Somalia banned Emirati military flights and expelled the UAE from Bosasso, a key transit hub, according to the Africa team lead at Critical Threats. The disruption comes as RSF offensives intensify and as Saudi Arabia is reportedly brokering a $1.2 billion arms deal for the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
Darfur governor accuses Ethiopia of backing Sudan’s RSF: Mustafa Tambour, head of the SAF-allied Sudan Liberation Movement and governor of Central Darfur, claimed Ethiopia has effectively taken a side in Sudan’s war by serving as a key supply route and backer of the Rapid Support Forces. Citing “documented intelligence,” Tambour alleges RSF fighters move freely along the Sudan–Ethiopia border and inside Ethiopia—including in the capital of Addis Ababa—and that monitored camps have been established near Sudan’s borders.
Boulos says U.S., Saudi Arabia, and UAE aligned on defeating the Houthis: Masad Boulos, President Donald Trump’s senior adviser on Arab and African affairs, said the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates “all agree on the importance of defeating the Houthis.” The comments come as Saudi Arabia moves to consolidate power in southern Yemen, after its military mobilization against the UAE-backed STC.
Clashes between Damascus government and SDF continue in Aleppo: The Syrian army on Tuesday declared an area east Aleppo a “closed military zone,” in what might signal another escalation between government forces and the Kurdish-majority Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Clashes erupted last week between Syria’s provisional government and SDF amid stalled negotiations over how to integrate the autonomous SDF into the Syrian army, resulting in several people killed and over 140,000 people displaced. State news agency SANA reported that the army declared the area east of Aleppo near the towns of Maskana and Deir Hafer a closed military zone because of “continued mobilization” by the SDF “and because it serves as a launching point for Iranian suicide drones that have targeted the city of Aleppo.” An army statement Tuesday said armed groups should withdraw to the area east of the Euphrates River.
More from Drop Site
Saudi Arabia consolidates control in southern Yemen as UAE-backed STC fractures: Saudi Arabia accelerated its consolidation of power across southern Yemen over the weekend, when Saudi military action against the separatist Southern Transitional Council forces in Yemen, who are clients of the UAE, gave way to sweeping political change within the anti-Houthi camp. Thousands protested in Aden after an STC dissolution statement was read from Riyadh by Secretary-General Abdulrahman al‑Sebaihi, while STC leader Aidarous al‑Zubaidi instead fled via Somaliland to the UAE after Saudi Arabia declared him wanted for treason. The turmoil deepens a Saudi-UAE regional rivalry and raises fears for civilians already facing worsening humanitarian conditions. As one STC official in Aden told Drop Site, “The Southern Transitional Council is not a company to be dissolved by a statement… Any statement issued under pressure or in closed rooms in Riyadh represents only those who wrote it.” Read the newest from Iona Craig for Drop Site here.
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So if Trump can bomb tehran in retaliation for protests can they bomb DC in retaliation for Renee Good?
This shit doesn't go anywhere good 😬
Reading this daily feels like watching preventable deaths be normalized. Children in Gaza are freezing in tents because crossings are closed and reconstruction materials are blocked, while politicians debate optics and escalation elsewhere. This isn’t a natural disaster—it’s the deliberate outcome of siege, destruction, and impunity. The same governments invoking “human rights” in Iran are underwriting mass civilian suffering in Gaza and criminalizing dissent at home. Accountability can’t be selective.