Israel attacks hospital and demolishes university building in Gaza City, ICE kills a man in Chicago, and U.S. warship boards a Venezuelan tuna fishing boat

Drop Site Daily: September 15, 2025

At least 37 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza since dawn today. Israeli attacks in the morning killed 25 in Gaza City, including one journalist; the number of journalists killed since October 2023 is over 250. Israel demolished four high-rise towers in Gaza City, while thousands fled southwards in anticipation of a full military occupation of the city. A U.S. warship boarded a Venezuelan fishing boat, its foreign minister said, in Venezuelan waters, while U.S. President Donald Trump did not rule out striking the country. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a defense bill with pro-Israel measures and allowances. During a raid in Chicago, ICE killed Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez after he dropped his kids off at school. Turkey’s ruling AKP Party arrested a prominent member of its opposition and saw protests erupt in response. The Pakistani military launched a campaign against the Pakistani Taliban near the Afghan border, killing 45 militants while losing 19 soldiers.

This is Drop Site Daily, our new, free daily news recap. We send it Monday through Friday.

⭐️ Drop Site News, with @unmutehumanity, launched a fundraiser last week to help 29 vetted Palestinian journalists who are either evacuating from Gaza to another country, or being violently displaced from Gaza City to elsewhere in Gaza. We hit our goal of $150,000, and a huge thank you to everyone who has given so far. All the money goes directly to these journalists and their families, and they can certainly use every penny of it.

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New article: Drop Site’s Murtaza Hussain, Ryan Grim, and Waqas Ahmed obtained a leaked watchdog report exposing widespread fraud in Pakistan’s February 2024 elections. A group of observers from the UK-based Commonwealth Secretariat documented voter suppression, raids on PTI offices, internet shutdowns, and manipulated vote counts that overturned the party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s lead. But the Commonwealth suppressed the report at Pakistan’s request, the first time in its 70-year history that an election monitoring report was withheld.

Drop Site’s publication revealed the scale of the fraud and the international complicity in shielding the military-backed government, but the Pakistani government has now banned the news media from discussing our reporting. You can read our story and find the leaked Commonwealth Secretariat report exclusive here.

Smoke rises as Israeli airstrikes destroy the al-Ghafari tower in Gaza City on September 15, 2025. The morning’s attacks killed at least 25 people. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP).

The Genocide in Gaza

• At least 37 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza since dawn today, including 25 killed in Gaza City, according to Al Jazeera. Among those killed was Palestinian journalist Mohammed al-Kouifi, who worked for the Safa news agency and Al-Aqsa TV channel.

• Gaza’s Ministry of Health reports at least 34 Palestinians killed and 316 injured in the past 24 hours. Three Palestinians were killed and 47 injured while seeking aid. The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023 is now 64,905 killed, with 164,926 injured.

• Three more deaths were recorded over the past 24 hours due to starvation and malnutrition, bringing the total since the start of the war to 425, including 145 children.

• The Israeli military bombed the high rise al-Ghafri Tower in Gaza City on Monday, according to Al Jazeera. The attack comes after Israel targeted four high rise towers in Gaza City on Sunday—including one on the Islamic University campus. The strikes killed at least 48 people in Gaza City, including a family of six who had fled Beit Hanoun, with hundreds more wounded. Israel claimed without evidence that the strikes had targeted Hamas surveillance posts.

• On August 2, Israeli forces declared Gaza’s Beit Hanoun Battalion had “surrendered and [been] defeated.” Yet today, the Shin Bet announced they killed 11 fighters, including commanders, in a tunnel raid there. As Jon Elmer told Drop Site in July, Beit Hanoun has been “where the General’s plan went to die,” with fighters enduring Israel’s siege and continuing their resistance.

• Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant reports that at least 114 children in Gaza, aged 15 or under, were treated for single gunshot wounds to the head or chest by 15 international doctors and a nurse—indicating deliberate targeting. Many were shot in Israeli-declared “humanitarian zones,” with forensic analysis showing bullets consistent with snipers or armed drones. The report details amputations without anesthesia, maggot-infested wounds, and hospitals bombed mid-operation, with some medical staff smuggling evidence to the ICC despite personal risks.

• On Saturday night, Israel struck near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, killing at least one person and injuring several others after a civilian vehicle was hit. Journalist Osama Abu Rabee reports that drones also fired at the hospital, wounding additional civilians.

• The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’s Olga Cherevko told Reuters that conditions since the UN famine declaration on Aug. 22 remain dire, with starvation deaths occurring daily. About 1 million people remain in northern Gaza, many unable or unwilling to leave, while aid convoys face 12+ hour delays for Israeli approvals, leaving the most vulnerable unreached. Cherevko called the risk of famine spreading south “extremely worrisome.”

• UN data shows only 24% of aid trucks reached Gaza this month, delivering just 114 trucks total (1,713 tons) compared to the 600 trucks per day that are needed. Three-fourths of shipments (366 of 481 trucks) were intercepted in transit, depriving warehouses and bakeries of nearly 4,200 tons of food. OCHA spokesperson Olga Cherevko described convoys being “attacked and taken over… by men with guns,” highlighting the extreme risks facing aid deliveries.

West Bank and Jerusalem

• A coalition of 84 humanitarian and human rights groups launched a campaign on Monday calling on countries—particularly members of the European Union and the United Kingdom—to ban all commercial or investment activities related to Israeli settlements in Palestine. The EU is Israel's largest trading partner. The campaign also calls for a ban on financial institutions providing loans to companies involved in projects within the settlements. The report highlights "how foreign states and corporations, through ongoing trade with illegal settlements, directly enable the humanitarian crisis driven by Israel’s prolonged occupation. With a focus on the EU and its member states and the UK, it addresses the urgent need for a ban on settlement trade as a mechanism to uphold international law, protect Palestinian livelihoods, and halt and reverse Israel’s settlement expansion and end its unlawful occupation."

• A Ramallah court has denied bail for Palestinian businessman Samir Hulileh, extending his detention 15 days, while investigators probe accusations of “inciting sectarian strife” on social media. Hulileh confirmed to Drop Site that he was approached by the U.S. last year as a possible candidate to govern Gaza post-war. His lawyer calls the charges baseless and plans to file another bail request Monday.

• Mahmoud Hassan Al-Wardian, 61, was released from Israeli detention on Sept. 12 in critical condition after three weeks in interrogation cells. Prisoners’ groups say he suffered severe torture causing serious health deterioration, and video shows him rushed to a hospital immediately after his release. Rights groups warn his case reflects a broader crackdown, with nearly 20,000 Palestinians detained in the West Bank since October 2023. Many are held without charge and subjected to systematic abuse.

• Israeli forces boasted of demolishing the West Bank home of a Palestinian accused in a May attack; a policy Israel openly acknowledges. Human rights groups and the UN say such demolitions are collective punishment and violate the Fourth Geneva Convention.

• Jasper Nathaniel reports: A 13-member delegation of New York–area police chiefs and commissioners visited Israel this week under a program run by the Ministry for Diaspora Affairs, dubbed “Birthright for American police chiefs,” JNS reports. They toured Kfar Aza and Oct. 7 attack sites, experienced air-raid sirens, met with Israeli security officials, and were briefed on new policing tech. Officials said they’ll bring lessons home to “protect Jewish communities,” raising concern that militarized tactics honed under occupation could be applied in New York.

Israel’s Attack on Qatar and Ceasefire Negotiations

• Channel 12 reports Mossad Chief David Barnea opposed last week’s strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, refusing Mossad participation. Barnea argued the meeting could have advanced a U.S.-backed ceasefire and hostage negotiations, a view shared by IDF Chief Eyal Zamir and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi. Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and the Shin Bet supported the strike, citing Hamas’s likely rejection and a narrow window to act.

• BBC reports that Qatar’s MFA spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari would not confirm whether Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya was killed or injured in Israel’s strike. Doha announced it will host an emergency Arab-Islamic summit Monday to condemn the attack as a “blatant violation of sovereignty” and coordinate a regional response. Al-Ansari warned that no Gulf state is safe, urging the international community to “collectively stop” Netanyahu.

• Trump says he told Qatar’s Emir: “You need better public relations,” because “Qatar has been a very great ally of the United States.” He added, “people talk about it so badly, but they shouldn’t be.”

• Arab leaders blasted Israel at an emergency Arab-Islamic summit hosted by Qatar in Doha on Monday. The summit was organized in the wake of Israel's attack on Hamas leaders gathering in Doha last week that killed at least six people. Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani opened the summit saying “If you wish to insist on the liberation of hostages, why then do they assassinate all negotiators? How can we host in our country negotiating delegations from Israel while they send drones and planes for an air raid against our country? There is no need for questions. This is just cowardly aggression, and there is no room to deal with such a party.” Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani proposed forming “a joint Arab-Islamic committee to convey our position to the Security Council and international bodies." Jordan’s King Abdullah II said, “Our response must be clear, decisive and, above all, deterring." Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said, "This belligerence reflects clearly that Israeli practices have gone beyond diplomatic and military logic. They have crossed all red lines."

U.S. News

• The House passed an $848 billion defense bill loaded with anti-BDS and pro-Israel measures, including amendments barring Pentagon contractors that boycott Israel, an expansion of billions in joint weapons programs, and plans to further militarize Gaza’s border with Egypt. Lawmakers also folded in provisions that shield Israeli officials from ICC warrants, boost U.S.–Israel missile defense and arms integration, and condition federal funds on campus crackdowns against pro-Palestine advocacy. Separately, a bill allowing the State Dept. to revoke passports based on mere accusations of “terrorism support” is moving forward, raising alarms from civil liberties groups. Together, the measures mark one of the most sweeping expansions of state power against domestic dissent in years.

• U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio began his Israel trip at the Western Wall with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Ambassador Mike Huckabee. Axios reports Netanyahu will press Rubio on annexation of West Bank territory, with proposals ranging from 10% to 60% of Area C—a move that hinges on Trump’s approval.

• A U.S. warship boarded a Venezuelan tuna fishing boat in Venezuelan waters, its foreign minister said on Saturday. President Donald Trump renewed his threats to the government of Venezuela, accusing it of sending gang members and drugs to the United States. When asked if Trump plans to engage in military strikes on the country, Trump told reporters, "We'll see what happens."

• A repatriated Korean worker from the Hyundai-LG battery factory documented their seven-day experience in ICE custody in Georgia, revealing mistreatment and confusion despite holding a valid B1 business visa. The worker described being mocked with terms like “North Korea” and “Rocket Man,” body-searched in full safety gear, handcuffed with cable ties, and housed in overcrowded rooms with moldy mattresses and dirty water. ICE provided arrest forms with no explanation or Miranda rights, and detainees were pressured by Korean consulate officials to sign “voluntary departure” documents, with warnings that disputes could prolong detention for months or years.

• New York Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist nominee for NYC mayor, signaling establishment Democrats are rallying around Mamdani despite sharp policy differences, especially on Israel and taxation. Hochul framed their alliance around shared commitments to affordability and resisting Donald Trump’s agenda.

• Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez was killed during an ICE raid in Chicago as he tried to flee, according to his Franklin Park neighbors and security footage. ICE claims he tried to run over agents, while witnesses describe him as scared and unarmed. His death sparked protests outside the Broadview ICE facility and heightened fear among local residents.

• Rep. Chuy García is calling on ICE to release Willian Gimenez, a Venezuelan day laborer arrested Friday in Chicago’s Little Village. Gimenez is a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit alleging off-duty Chicago cops beat and choked migrant workers while working as Home Depot security, and he is reportedly being targeted in retaliation for the suit. ICE has refused to disclose his location or allow legal access, prompting García to denounce the agency as “secret political police.”

• The University of California, Berkeley, disclosed on September 4 that it has provided the federal government with names of about 160 students, faculty, and staff connected to alleged antisemitic incidents, complying with a Trump-era investigation into how universities handle such complaints. Prominent professor Judith Butler is one of those who received a letter about the disclosure. They called the move a “breach of trust” and likened it to McCarthy-era blacklists, warning the move could threaten jobs, academic freedom, and visa status for international students.

• Arizona sports outlet PHNX Sports has fired lead Phoenix Suns reporter Gerald Bourguet after he questioned why outrage over right-wing activist Charlie Kirk’s killing was louder than outrage over school shootings, mass deportations, or killings in Gaza. PHNX said the decision was made to keep its community “a safe place,” though Bourguet was not endorsing violence and framed his comments as a call for consistent moral standards. His firing is part of a broader wave of suspensions and dismissals over commentary on Kirk’s death.

• On the red carpet for the Emmy Awards, Javier Bardem declared he will not work with any film or TV company “who justifies or supports the genocide” in Gaza, saying: “It’s as simple as that. We should not be able to do that, in this industry or any industry.” On stage during the ceremony, Hannah Einbinder finished her acceptance speech for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in Hacks by saying: “Go Birds, fuck ICE, and free Palestine.” Bardem and Einbinder are among over 4,500 film industry figures who have signed an open letter calling for a boycott “Israeli film institutions—including festivals, cinemas, broadcasters and production companies—that are implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.”

International News

• Turkey’s ruling AKP under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has detained over 500 opposition figures in nine months, focusing exclusively on municipalities run by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). Fourteen CHP mayors, including Istanbul’s Ekrem Imamoglu, and more than 200 local officials are jailed or under house arrest pending corruption and bribery investigations, which the party calls politically motivated. The crackdown, widely seen as an effort to weaken Erdogan’s electoral rivals ahead of future elections, has sparked protests and concerns about judicial independence.

• Britain will bar all Israelis, civilian and military, from enrolling at the Royal College of Defense Studies starting next year, citing Israel’s escalating war on Gaza and the UK’s commitment to international humanitarian law. The move is the first in the school’s near-100-year history and comes as criticism grows over Israel’s genocidal campaign targeting Gaza’s starved population. The ban drew criticism from a former Israeli defense official, who called it “discriminatory” and “a betrayal of an ally at war.”

• An anti-immigrant march in London organized by far right activist Tommy Robinson drew over 100,000 demonstrators on Saturday, who clashed with police and injured at least 26 officers. At least 25 people were arrested. Elon Musk spoke to the crowd by video saying, “There’s something beautiful about being British and what I see happening here is a destruction of Britain, initially a slow erosion, but rapidly increasing erosion of Britain with massive uncontrolled migration."

• A global weekend of demonstrations in solidarity with Gaza took place around the world. Around 50,000 people joined New Zealand’s largest pro-Palestine march Saturday in Auckland, organized by Aotearoa for Palestine. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez praised pro-Palestinian demonstrators who disrupted La Vuelta a España cycling race, including blocking roads and neutralizing the final stage in Madrid, in protest of Israel’s team amid the Gaza genocide.

• Pakistani security forces said they carried out three raids on Pakistani Taliban hideouts near the Afghan border, resulting in 19 soldiers and 45 militants killed. They accused the militants of using Afghan territory to stage attacks and alleged Indian support, while urging the Taliban government in Kabul to prevent cross-border terrorism. Pakistani leaders, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, attended funerals and visited wounded troops, stressing the desire for peaceful relations with neighbors but demanding that Afghanistan act against militants.

More from Drop Site

• “I thought it was the last day of my life”: Amel Guettatfi reports for Drop Site on the harrowing ordeal of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, acting director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, who remained on the frontlines treating patients throughout an 80-day Israeli siege before being detained without charge. Dr. Abu Safiya’s story is the subject of a new Al Jazeera Fault Lines documentary, available to watch here.

• Global Sumud Flotilla update: The Global Sumud Flotilla departed from Bizerte, Tunisia, on Sunday, heading toward Gaza after arriving in Tunis a week earlier and facing two explosions by suspected drones on its ships. Around 16 ships with at least 180 participants—including parliamentarians from France, Brazil, Spain, Argentina, Italy, and Germany—are carrying surplus humanitarian aid, and will join fleets from Italy and Greece in international waters.

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