Another newborn dies of cold exposure in Gaza; “Border Czar” Homan to take over Minnesota ICE operations; U.S. naval strike group nears Iran
Drop Site Daily: January 27, 2026
Final shepherd community displaced from southern Jordan Valley. Another newborn dies of exposure to the cold in Gaza. Gaza’s health ministry calls for the opening of Rafah crossing with over 20,000 Palestinians in need of medical evacuation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will not allow Gaza reconstruction. Hamas says Phase One commitments are fulfilled and will discuss disarmament. The UN gives updates on Gaza and the West Bank. Border Patrol “Commander-at-Large” Gregory Bovino to leave Minnesota as leadership shifts to “Border Czar” Tom Homan. House Democrats move to investigate U.S. Secretary Kristi Noem amid immigration crackdown. FBI probes Signal chats tracking immigration agents. Maine opens a tip line to document federal agent misconduct, as U.S. Senator for Maine Susan Collins backs DHS funding. U.S. carrier strike group arrives in Middle East amid escalated U.S. tensions with Iran. Kaiser nurses launch an “indefinite” strike action in California and Hawaii. Top House Democrat defends health insurers. Siege on Dilling breaks in South Kordofan, as the Sudanese Armed Forces gains control of Alsilak. Lebanon files UN complaint over ceasefire violations. Syrian Army–SDF ceasefire largely holds, as both parties trade accusations of breaches. Al Shabaab attack kills two in northeastern Kenya. New from Drop Site: A leaked “Board of Peace” draft plan concentrates power under US-backed Gaza authority. Protests target Capital One’s investment in Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems.
Tune into the Drop Site livestream at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time: Jeremy Scahill and Sharif Abdel Kouddous will be joined by Jonathan Whitall to discuss Drop Site’s exclusive story on the leaked “Board of Peace” document. Tune in here.
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The Gaza Genocide, West Bank, and Israel
Casualty counts in the last 24 hours: Over the past 24 hours, the bodies of two Palestinians arrived at hospitals in Gaza, while nine Palestinians were injured, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023 is now 71,662 killed, with 171,428 injured.
Total casualty counts since ceasefire: Since October 11, the first full day of the ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 488 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 1,350, while 714 bodies have been recovered from under the rubble, according to the Ministry of Health.
Another newborn dies of exposure to cold in Gaza: A 12-day-old baby, Haitham Abu Qass, died of exposure to extreme cold on Tuesday, according to the Health Ministry, bringing the number of children who have died of hypothermia during this winter season in Gaza to 11.
Health Ministry calls on opening of Rafah crossing with over 20,000 awaiting medical evacuation: Gaza’s health ministry released a statement saying the continued closure of the Rafah border crossing is threatening the lives of Palestinians in need of medical evacuation. The shortage of medicines and medical supplies, the shutdown of most specialized services, and the destruction of hospital infrastructure have caused more Palestinians in Gaza to seek treatment abroad. Over 20,000 patients with completed medical referrals, including 4,500 children, are awaiting permission to travel abroad for treatment, with 440 of those cases life threatening, the ministry said. Over 1,200 patients have died while awaiting permission to travel abroad for treatment. Cancer patients are among the most affected due to a lack of specialized treatments and diagnostic services in Gaza. At least 4,000 cancer patients are on urgent waiting lists for travel. Since Israel’s closure of the Rafah border crossing in May 2024, only 3,100 patients have been able to leave Gaza on medical evacuation. “Opening the crossing and facilitating the exit of patients and the wounded, along with ensuring the smooth flow of essential medical supplies, is the last remaining hope for these patients,” the ministry said.
Netanyahu says he will not allow Gaza reconstruction: Following the recovery of the body of Ran Gvili, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel is not preparing to allow reconstruction in Gaza in the near term, despite expectations entailed in later phases of the ceasefire agreement. Speaking in the Knesset, Netanyahu said the next stage is “not reconstruction,” but the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza.
Hamas says Phase One commitments fulfilled, discusses disarmament: Hamas Political Bureau member Suhail Al-Hindi told Al-Araby TV that the resistance fulfilled “100%” of its Phase One ceasefire commitments after guiding mediators to the location of the final Israeli captive’s body. Addressing the prospect of disarmament, Al-Hindi said the central issue is Israel’s compliance with the ceasefire—citing closed crossings, blocked aid, and continued killings—and added that although armed resistance under occupation is a legal right, Palestinian factions are open to discussing mechanisms such as storing weapons or a long-term truce, stressing that decisions over arms are a national matter for Palestinians—not Hamas alone.
UN daily Gaza update: The United Nations said hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians in Gaza remain in unsafe, makeshift shelters or damaged buildings, exposed to severe weather, environmental hazards, and unexploded ordnance. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said some families are sheltering near unstable coastal cliffs, where landslides and flooding pose life-threatening risks. Aid groups continue to warn that most materials needed to mitigate weather-based dangers are not being allowed in, rendering any present efforts to remedy the effects of winter storms inadequate.
Final shepherd community displaced from southern Jordan Valley: The last remaining residents of the shepherd community in Ras Ein al-Auja have been forcibly displaced, following months of Israeli settler violence against them in the southern Jordan Valley. The community had been home to around 800 Palestinians, roughly half of them children, and marks the latest of 45 Palestinian communities displaced in the occupied West Bank since October 2023, according to B’Tselem.
UN update on the West Bank: The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that 2025 saw a record number of Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, with more than 1,800 incidents—the highest ever recorded by the UN—and over 37,000 Palestinians displaced, mostly in the territory’s northern governorates. It also discussed a fire which broke out at the UNRWA headquarters in East Jerusalem, days after Israeli demolitions in the neighborhood, and warned that the Qalandiya training center, which serves 350 Palestinian students, faces closure under newly proposed Israeli legislation.
U.S. News
Bovino to leave Minnesota as federal leadership shifts, Homan to take over: Gregory Bovino and some of his U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents are expected to leave Minnesota immediately, following intense resistance to federal immigration enforcement operations after the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol agent on Saturday. The news of Bovino’s departure follows Trump’s announcement that Tom Homan, the White House “Border Czar,” is being dispatched to take over Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the state. Trump said in a statement that Homan “will report directly” to the President.
House Democrats move to investigate Noem amid immigration crackdown: House Democrats are preparing to open an investigation into DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, laying the groundwork for a possible impeachment push, citing “deadly and unconstitutional” conduct during the Trump administration’s recent immigration enforcement surge, and they intend to pursue the investigation without their Republican colleagues. At least 145 Democrats have backed an impeachment resolution as of Monday, according to the Washington Post.
FBI probes Signal chats tracking immigration agents: Kash Patel said the Federal Bureau of Investigation has opened an investigation into Signal group chats used by Minnesota residents to share information about federal immigration agents’ movements, citing concerns that such activity could put agents “in harm’s way.” Patel said the move was inspired by conservative commentator Cam Higby (who claimed he had “infiltrated” these groups) and drew sharp criticism from free speech advocates, who say that sharing lawfully obtained information about law enforcement is protected by the First Amendment.
Maine opens tip line to document federal agent misconduct: Maine has created an email tip line to report “intimidating or excessive behavior” by federal agents, as the Maine Office of the Attorney General seeks to document civil rights violations and excessive force during the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement surge in the state. In announcing the move, the attorney general’s office said evidence of “constitutionally-deficient, excessive, and intimidating enforcement tactics” is already emerging in the state, with particular concern for immigrant communities such as Lewiston’s large Somali population, and follows similar actions in Colorado and California.
Collins backs DHS funding: Republican Senator Susan Collins announced her support for the broader Homeland Security funding bill on the Senate floor Monday, which includes billions for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In her remarks, Collins referenced the killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti (whom she misnamed), while urging colleagues to approve the Homeland Security package, saying that over 80 percent of the funding goes to non-immigration and non-border security functions. Collins is often a swing-vote in the Senate, and her vote carries additional weight given the ongoing immigration operations in her state.
Kaiser nurses launch “indefinite” strike in California and Hawaii: More than 30,000 nurses and other healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente went on strike Monday in California and Hawaii, launching what they described as an indefinite walkout. The workers say the strike is driven by unfair labor practices, including inadequate staffing levels, wages, and Kaiser’s refusal to bargain in good faith over a new contract. The strike follows a larger walkout last October and comes after the union filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board, which has cited Kaiser for several labor violations in recent years.
Top House Democrat defends health insurance industry: A House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing with health insurance CEOs from UnitedHealth Group, Cigna, Elevance Health, and Ascendiun was held on capitol hill last week. Frank Pallone Jr., the panel’s senior Democrat, told health insurance executives that “This is not your fault—this is the Republicans’ fault,” when addressing soaring health care costs. Pallone Jr. has accepted hundreds of thousands in campaign cash from the insurance sector in his nearly 40 years as a congressman. Read more in the latest from The Lever here.
Sudan
Siege broken on Dilling in South Kordofan, SAF gains control of Alsilak: The Sudanese Armed Forces said it broke the long-standing siege on Dilling on Tuesday, where food and medical supplies had been fully cut off for more than a year and a half, affecting tens of thousands of civilians. Dilling sits on a strategic corridor between Kadugli and El Obeid, both targets of encirclement efforts by the Rapid Support Forces. SAF and allied forces also gained control of Alsilak in Blue Nile State, a day after the area was taken by the RSF.
UN Sudan report discusses new displacement: The United Nations said fighting in Kordofan is driving fresh displacement and placing civilians at severe risk, with more than 1,000 people recently displaced from besieged cities in South Kordofan. Since October, over 65,000 people have been uprooted across Kordofan, including 6,500 who have fled into South Sudan, while the UN warned that despite scaled-up vaccinations, health care, and water services in Darfur, vast humanitarian needs remain unmet.
No peace without RSF elimination, Burhan says: Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said there would be “no peace” in Sudan until the Rapid Support Forces are eliminated, arguing that any settlement including the group would merely delay the crisis, according to the Anadolu Agency. Speaking from Port Sudan, Burhan criticized international ceasefire efforts that he said have enabled the RSF’s territorial gains after the fall of El Fasher. He added that Sudan has proposed Türkiye or Qatar as mediators—choices rejected by the RSF—and has floated Saudi Arabia and Egypt as alternatives. “We trust in God first, then in [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan,” he reportedly said.
Other International News
U.S. carrier strike group arrives in Middle East amid Iran tensions: The USS Abraham Lincoln and three accompanying destroyers arrived in the Middle East on Monday, raising the prospect that President Donald Trump could order airstrikes against Iran. U.S. Central Command said the strike group is operating in the Indian Ocean to “promote regional security.” The deployment adds thousands of U.S. service members and includes aircraft such as F-35 and F/A-18 fighter jets, alongside destroyers capable of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles, with additional F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft and military cargo flights also moving into the region.
Turkey prepares for potential Iranian refugee wave: The Turkish Foreign Ministry has briefed the country’s parliament on contingency plans to manage a possible mass influx of refugees from Iran in the wake of a U.S. attack, including proposals for a buffer zone on the Iranian side of the border to prevent large numbers of refugees entering Turkish territory. Ankara has reportedly begun strengthening security measures along the border including surveillance equipment, drones, and physical barriers in anticipation of a possible war or collapse of the Iranian government.
Lebanon files UN complaint over ceasefire violations: Lebanon has filed a complaint with the United Nations, urging the Security Council to press Israel to halt attacks and fully withdraw from the country, citing repeated violations of a November 2024 ceasefire and UN Security Council Resolution 1701. The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants said the filing included three tables documenting thousands of daily Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty in October, November, and December 2025, in which there were respectively 542, 691, and 803 incidents. The complaint came a day after Israeli strikes across Lebanon killed at least two people and wounded several others.
Syrian Army–SDF ceasefire largely holds, though both parties trade accusations of breaches: A ceasefire between the Syrian Arab Army and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces is largely holding despite both sides accusing each other of violations following its 15 day extension. The army said the SDF launched more than 25 explosive drone attacks on its positions in the Aleppo countryside, while the SDF accused government forces of shelling residential areas near Ain al-Arab.
Al Shabaab attack kills two in northeastern Kenya: Al Shabaab militants killed a local chief and a teacher in Hulugho, a northeastern Kenya region near the Somali border, Kenyan police said on Monday, adding that security in the area had been reinforced and a multi-agency team was pursuing the attackers. Al Shabaab—which controls large parts of southern and central Somalia—has repeatedly carried out cross-border attacks aimed at pressuring Kenya to withdraw its troops from peacekeeping missions, including previous deadly incidents in the same area.
UN gives update on South Sudan: The United Nations has warned that possible large-scale military operations in Jonglei state could put hundreds of thousands of civilians at risk, with the UN Mission in South Sudan warning of the increasing danger of mass violence. The UN urged all parties to halt hostilities, protect civilians, and guarantee the safety and freedom of movement of UN personnel, following a speech by Johnson Olony, the deputy army chief for mobilization, in which he reportedly ordered troops to carry out “scorched-earth operations” during upcoming military actions in Jonglei.
India and the European Union clinch a landmark free-trade deal: India and the EU have agreed to a sweeping trade agreement creating a free-trade zone covering nearly two billion people, ending almost two decades of on-and-off negotiations. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the sides were “making history,” calling it the “mother of all deals,” while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the pact would unlock major opportunities for India’s 1.4 billion people and millions across the EU.
Saudi Arabia reassesses mega projects as budget pressures mount: Saudi Arabia has suspended plans to build the Mukaab, a colossal cube-shaped skyscraper at the heart of Riyadh, as well as its futuristic planned city NEOM on the Red Sea. The pauses come as the kingdom’s $925 billion sovereign wealth fund deals with financial pressure to rein in spending and reassess the feasibility of major projects amid low oil prices and budgetary pressures.
More from Drop Site
Exclusive: Leaked “Board of Peace” Resolution Outlines U.S.-Led Plan to Rule Over Gaza: Drop Site obtained a draft resolution outlining a U.S.-backed plan to govern Gaza under President Donald Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace,” naming two previously unreported Executive Board members: Susie Wiles and Martin Edelman. The document vests all legislative, executive, emergency, and judicial authority in the Board of Peace and its Executive Board, while creating a Palestinian body—the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza—with no independent sovereignty. Participation in governance, reconstruction, economic activity, or humanitarian aid is limited to actors who endorse the Comprehensive Plan, barring NGOs accused of ties to Hamas or other groups. Read more about the leaked plans of the so-called “Board of Peace” from Drop Site contributor Jonathan Whittall here.
Eject Elbit Is Pushing Capital One to Drop $90M Loan to Israel’s Largest Weapons Manufacturer: Drop Site contributor Christopher Ketcham reports on protests targeting Capital One Financial Corporation over its $90 million loan to Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems, with activists from “Eject Elbit” blockading access to Capital One’s McLean, Virginia campus and staging actions across multiple U.S. cities. Former and current Capital One employees told Drop Site that internal support for the protests was met with censorship on company Slack channels, including deletions of threads and restrictions on discussion of Elbit, Gaza, and Palestinian rights. Read more about the protests and the company’s crackdown here.
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A newborn dying of cold exposure is not a “tragic consequence” of war—it’s the predictable result of siege, blocked aid, and political decisions made in full view of the world. When crossings remain closed, reconstruction is explicitly ruled out, and even medical evacuations are denied, this isn’t about security or ceasefire “phases,” it’s about collective punishment. At the same time, the U.S. escalates militarily abroad and expands repression at home, from Minnesota to Maine. The throughline here is impunity: for starvation, displacement, and state violence—so long as it’s framed as policy.
Trump is likely still smarting at the public whipping he got in Davos, and going full TACO on Greenland. There should be real fear that President Bone-Spurs may be feeling a need, more than ever, to show the world that he is not all bluff and bluster. The terrifying opportunity at hand is Iran, and he just might allow himself to be goaded into proving his toughness in that theater. I don’t think the world fully understands that an attack on Iran, with its back already against the wall, will unleash something that forever changes how things work in the modern world. Think on that for a moment, how the future of the of the globe may be impacted by the mental stability of a mentally unstable individual. One man, just one. Hear the dice rattle?