Indonesia prepares possible Gaza deployment; GOP weighs ban on mail-in voting; Lawmakers report back on unredacted Epstein files

Drop Site Daily: February 10, 2026

Israeli attacks kill at least six Palestinians across Gaza. Red Crescent evacuates patients from Gaza under Israeli restrictions. Israel detains at least 30 Palestinians, including children, in West Bank raids. Indonesia prepares possible troop deployment to Gaza. U.S. military kills two in 38th vessel strike. The U.S. military boards a Venezuela-linked oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after a long pursuit. Former police chief says U.S. President Donald Trump knew of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse in 2006. Lawmakers who viewed unredacted Epstein files say DOJ blacked out the names of men who are “likely incriminated.” The White House pushes Republicans to restrict mail-in voting. NYC nurses reach a deal to end their strike at two major hospital systems. Hundreds are reported dead in RSF-run prison in western Sudan. Turkey says Iran–U.S. talks show no signs of imminent military conflict. Lebanese municipal worker killed by Israeli forces in border town. Leaked messages show U.K. health secretary privately accusing Israel of war crimes. Turkey has no plans to withdraw troops from northern Syria. Five abducted mine workers are confirmed dead in Mexico’s Sinaloa state. Somalia signs a military cooperation deal with Saudi Arabia. Bangladesh secures lower U.S. tariffs in trade deal.

Exclusive from Drop Site: No high-level Cuba–U.S. talks are underway despite Trump’s claims. Sources tell Drop Site that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is misrepresenting the situation to Trump. Meanwhile, the U.S. escalation of the oil blockade is deepening Cuba’s energy crisis.

Jmail, the archive of Epstein emails stylized to look like the Gmail interface, now includes all of Epstein’s publicly released emails. They are available here.

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

President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson surrounded by members of Congress in the Oval Office on February 3, 2026. Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images.

The Gaza Genocide, West Bank, and Israel

• Israeli attacks kill at least five Palestinians across Gaza on Tuesday: Five Palestinians were killed and at least 13 injured in Israeli attacks in Gaza early this morning, according to Al Jazeera Arabic. Sources at Al-Aqsa Hospital told Al Jazeera Tuesday morning that a Palestinian woman was killed by Israeli forces in al-Musaddar village in central Gaza and two people were killed by Israeli bombing on Salah al-Din Street in central Gaza. This follows at least six Palestinians killed on Monday, including four killed in an Israeli strike on a residential apartment west of Gaza City.

• Casualty counts: At least five Palestinians were killed and five injured in Israeli attacks in Gaza over the past 24 hours. The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023 has risen to 72,037 killed, with 171,666 injured. Since October 11, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 586 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 1,558, while 717 bodies have been recovered from under the rubble, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

• Red Crescent evacuates patients from Gaza: The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said it helped evacuate 40 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing on Monday. The group included 20 patients seeking medical treatment abroad and 20 companions. The Gaza Government Media Office says only 397 people out of a scheduled 1,600 have passed through the Rafah crossing since February 2, when it was partially reopened by Israel. The figure includes 225 who travelled out of Gaza and 172 who entered the enclave.

• Israel detains at least 30 in West Bank raids: At least 30 Palestinians, including children, were arrested by Israeli forces across the West Bank on Tuesday, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society. The arrests came amid a series of overnight Israeli raids across Bethlehem, Hebron, Jericho, Nablus, and Jenin. The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society said Israel is carrying out a targeted campaign of arrests against the wives and sisters of Palestinian detainees. It used as an exemplary case the detention of Wafaa Abu Ghlemi, the wife of imprisoned leader Ahed Abu Ghlemi, who was seized from her home in Ramallah during a Monday raid in the West Bank.

• U.N. chief warns Israeli measures in West Bank undermine two-state solution: U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said he is “gravely concerned” by Israel’s approval of measures aimed at accelerating the annexation of the occupied West Bank, warning the move is “eroding the prospect for the two-state solution.” Guterres reiterated that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied territory is “unlawful” and called for the measures to be reversed.

• Indonesia prepares possible troop deployment to Gaza: Preparations are underway to deploy thousands of Indonesian soldiers to the Gaza Strip as part of the International Stabilization Force, according to Israel’s public broadcaster Kan News, potentially making Indonesia the first foreign military presence on the ground in Gaza. The troops would reportedly be stationed in southern Gaza between Rafah and Khan Younis. “It’s still ongoing. We’re waiting for the results of the co-ordination with the coordinator in Gaza,” Indonesian army chief of staff General Maruli Simanjuntak said on Monday. “Could be one brigade, probably 5,000 to 8,000. But it’s all still being negotiated.” He did not specify what activities the Indonesian troops would be involved in, but said the training was focused on humanitarian and reconstruction needs.

U.S. News

• No high-level Cuba–U.S. talks underway, despite Trump claims: President Donald Trump said on February 1 that the United States is engaged in negotiations with senior Cuban officials, but five Cuban and American officials told Drop Site that no high-level talks between Havana and Washington are taking place and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has misrepresented the state of talks internally. The full report from Ryan Grim, Noah Kulwin, and José Luis Granados Ceja is available here.

• U.S. military kills two in 38th vessel strike: The U.S. military conducted a strike against a boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Thursday, killing two people, according to U.S. Southern Command. It posted a video of the strike and said two were killed with one survivor and adding, “Following the engagement, USSOUTHCOM immediately notified U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivor.” Since September, at least 130 people have been killed in 38 U.S. strikes on vessels in the Pacific and Caribbean. This was the first strike under SOUTHCOM’s new commander, Gen. Francis L. Donovan.

• U.S. military boards Venezuela-linked oil tanker in Indian Ocean: U.S. forces boarded the Suezmax oil tanker Aquila II in the Indian Ocean after tracking it from the Caribbean. Washington accused the vessel of breaching its blockade on Venezuelan shipping and sanctions on sanctioned oil tankers. The tanker departed Venezuelan waters in early January with roughly 700,000 barrels of heavy crude bound for China. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the operation was conducted as a maritime “right-of-visit” and emphasized the U.S.’ resolve to enforce its blockade. The tanker’s ultimate fate is reportedly being determined by U.S. officials.

• Netanyahu goes to Washington: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, has departed Israel for Washington, D.C., where he is set to meet Donald Trump on Wednesday. Netanyahu said the talks will focus on Gaza, the wider region, and “first and foremost” negotiations with Iran, adding that he will present Israel’s positions on what he called the “principles of the negotiations,” which he claimed are vital not only for Israel but for regional security.

• Former police chief says Trump knew of Epstein abuse in 2006: Former Palm Beach police chief Michael Reiter told the Federal Bureau of Investigation in a 2019 interview that President Donald Trump called him in July 2006, saying Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse of teenage girls was widely known in New York and Palm Beach, according to a new report from The Miami Herald. Reiter’s account directly contradicts Trump’s public denials.

• Lawmakers say DOJ redacted names of men “likely incriminated” in Epstein files: Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna said on Monday that the U.S. Department of Justice redacted the names of at least six men who may be incriminated in documents related to Jeffrey Epstein after viewing the unredacted files. They are considering disclosing the names on the House floor, they said, where they would be protected from legal action by the speech and debate clause.

• Rep. Becca Balint also reviewed unredacted Epstein files at the Department of Justice and told Drop Site they contradict Trump’s claim that he expelled Epstein from Mar-a-Lago, stating flatly, “That is not true. It’s a lie.” Balint’s full remarks are here.

• White House pushes Republicans to restrict mail-in voting: The Trump administration is pressing congressional Republicans to add provisions limiting or banning mail-in voting to the SAVE America Act. House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed discussions are underway but said no final decisions have been made, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune has remained noncommittal as party leaders weigh whether tougher mail-in ballot rules could jeopardize passage of the bill.

• Columbia University protester returned to ICE custody after hospital discharge: Leqaa Kordia was discharged from the hospital on Monday, after receiving medical care over the weekend as a result of a “serious medical episode,” and was immediately returned to Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention, Laila El-Haddad reports. El-Haddad said ICE blocked Kordia’s family and lawyers from contact with her for more than 72 hours and that relatives still do not know what occurred during her hospitalization.

• NYC nurses reach a deal to end strike at two major hospital systems: Nurses in New York City reached a tentative deal with two of three major hospital systems to end a month-long strike over staffing levels, workplace safety, health insurance and other issues. The tentative agreement announced Monday by the nurses’ union affects the more than 10,000 nurses who were on strike at the Montefiore and Mount Sinai hospital systems. Some 5,000 nurses remain on strike at NewYork-Presbyterian while negotiations continue.

International News

• Turkey says Iran–U.S. talks show no signs of imminent military conflict: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met in Ankara on Monday with Board of Peace head, Nickolay Mladenov, to discuss the humanitarian and political situation in the Gaza Strip, and separately spoke by phone with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi about nuclear negotiations. Speaking to CNN Türk, Fidan said there are currently no signs of an imminent confrontation between the United States and Iran.

• Israel kills Lebanese municipal worker in border town: On Monday, Israeli forces shot and killed Abdullah Nasser, a municipal employee in Aita al-Shaab, according to a report from Lebanon’s Public Health Emergency Operations Centre. Journalist Ghadi Francis described Nasser as a steadfast figure who, after the ceasefire, devoted himself to clearing rubble and recovering bodies in the town near the southern border of Lebanon.

• Reuters: Ethiopia hosts covert camp training RSF fighters for Sudan war: Ethiopia is hosting a secret training camp in the Benishangul-Gumuz region near the Sudan border to prepare thousands of fighters for Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, according to a Reuters investigation, marking the first direct evidence of Ethiopian involvement in the conflict and a major escalation as the war draws in regional powers. Eight sources said the camp and related logistics were financed and supported by the United Arab Emirates—claims Abu Dhabi denies—as satellite imagery and security documents reviewed by Reuters show the facility could house up to 10,000 fighters and is linked to new drone infrastructure at Asosa airport, raising fears of spillover fighting near the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

• U.N. says millions returning to Sudanese cities as displacement surges elsewhere: The International Organization for Migration reported on Monday that more than 3.5 million people have returned to their homes across Sudan, following the Sudanese army’s recapture of Sennar, Gezira, and the capital Khartoum. At the same time, displacement is rising in nine other states, particularly Darfur and the Kordofan region, which now hosts the majority of Sudan’s 9.1 million internally displaced people, more than half of whom are children, the agency said.

• Hundreds reported dead in RSF-run prison in western Sudan: A local volunteer group told Middle East Eye that more than 300 people have died in the past two months inside Shala prison southwest of El-Fasher, which has been operated by the Rapid Support Forces since October. The group said detainees are dying from disease, starvation, and lack of medical care amid a cholera outbreak, with the prison believed to hold up to 9,000 civilians.

• Leaked messages show U.K. health secretary privately accusing Israel of war crimes: U.K. Health Secretary Wes Streeting released private WhatsApp and text messages exchanged with Peter Mandelson, revealing that Streeting privately said in July 2025 that Israel was “committing war crimes before our eyes,” engaging in “rogue state behaviour,” and should face state-level sanctions—positions the government has not adopted publicly. Streeting shared the correspondence with Sky News to rebut what he called “smear and innuendo” over his relationship with Mandelson, a close confidant of Prime Minister Keir Starmer who resigned from the Labour Party amid fallout over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

• Eritrea denies Ethiopian accusations: Eritrea rejected accusations from Ethiopia that it is backing armed groups and occupying Ethiopian territory, calling the claims “false and fabricated” and part of a hostile campaign by Addis Ababa, Reuters reported on Monday. As clashes resume between Ethiopian federal forces and Tigrayan fighters—the first major fighting since 2022—Asmara warned against escalation.

• Turkey says it has no plans to withdraw troops from northern Syria: Turkey’s Chief of General Staff, Yaşar Güler, said Ankara has no plans to withdraw its forces from northern Syria, stressing that any decision would be taken solely by the Turkish state and not influenced by external pressure, according to a report from Al Monitor. Turkey is principally concerned about the SDF’s links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, the report claims. Ankara has an estimated 10,000–20,000 troops deployed across northern Syria.

• U.N. says fighting eases in parts of Syria: The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said violence has subsided in Aleppo, Al-Hasakeh, and Raqqa following a January 30 peace agreement, but that nearly 160,000 people remain displaced in the country, power outages persist, water systems are faulty, food supplies are unreliable, and schools still face widespread closures. OCHA says that between January 25 and February 5, U.N. partners delivered 154 aid trucks to the cities of Qamishli and Kobani, and aid their aid more than 190,000 people.

• Five abducted mine workers confirmed dead in Mexico’s Sinaloa state: Mexico’s Attorney General’s office said Monday it has identified five bodies found in El Verde, a rural area of Sinaloa, and has thus confirmed the deaths of five of the ten employees abducted last month from a Canadian-run mine operated by Vizsla Silver near Mazatlán. The killings are tied to factional violence between components of the Sinaloa Cartel under the leadership of Ismael Zambada and that of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán (both of whom are in custody in the United States). Sinaloa saw more than 1,680 homicides in 2025.

• Somalia signs military cooperation deal with Saudi Arabia: Somalia signed a military cooperation agreement on Monday with Saudi Arabia, Al Jazeera reports, as Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi met his counterpart Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz in Riyadh. The move follows a similar defense pact with Qatar last month.

• Bangladesh secures lower U.S. tariffs in trade deal: Bangladesh signed a trade agreement with the United States on Monday, which cut tariffs on Bangladeshi exports to 19 percent. The agreement also outlines tariff exemptions for some textiles and garments made using U.S. materials. In return for the cut, the White House said Dhaka will grant preferential access for U.S. agricultural and industrial products and ease its non-tariff barriers. The announcement is expected to strengthen Bangladesh’s export-driven garment sector.

• China vows tougher stance against Taiwan “separatists”: At Beijing’s annual Taiwan Work Conference on Tuesday, senior Chinese leader Wang Huning said China will firmly back “patriotic pro-reunification forces” in Taiwan and strike hard against independence advocates, according to Reuters. The Chinese military has warned that separatist forces would be “wiped out” if they provoke conflict, according to earlier reporting by Reuters. The comments come as President Xi Jinping reiterated to President Donald Trump that Taiwan is the central issue in U.S.–China relations.

• Japan election strengthens hardline security agenda: Japan’s governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partners secured a solid parliamentary majority in national elections, extending their long-running dominance of Japanese politics. The vote gives Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi greater latitude to expand defense spending, loosen postwar military constraints, and deepen security cooperation with the U.S.

More from Drop Site

• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) reacted to Drop Site News reporting on internal divisions in the Trump administration’s Cuba policy by pointing to Gaza as evidence of a broader collapse in Western human rights norms. She said the “entire Western world” is looking the other way as the Trump administration “starves and deprives a people” because they deem the regime politically objectionable. AOC also warned that hospitals are nearing fuel exhaustion and that “innocent children [and] women” are being put in harm’s way. A video of her interaction with Drop Site’s Julian Andreone is available here.

• Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) called Drop Site News’ reporting that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been cutting President Trump out of Cuba policy, “shocking,” though he noted that he was sceptical of the account. Donalds defended Rubio’s working relationship with Trump and told our Capitol Hill correspondent that he himself has “long wanted regime change” in Cuba. Andreone’s discussion with Donalds can be watched here.

• Drop Site’s Ryan Grim joined NewsNation to discuss recent developments in Venezuela after the abduction of Nicolas Maduro. His full appearance is available here.

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