Three journalists among 11 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza; Netanyahu joins Trump’s “Board of Peace”; DOJ subpoenas top Minnesota Democrats for obstructing ICE
Drop Site Daily: January 21, 2026
At least 11 Palestinians are killed in Gaza, including journalists and children, in a surge of Israeli attacks. Israeli forces impose sweeping lockdown across southern Hebron. President Donald Trump says his “Board of Peace” could replace the UN, as Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu joins. Winter storms devastate Gaza shelters amid aid restrictions. B’Tselem says Israel runs a “network of torture camps” for Palestinians. U.S. forces seize seventh sanctioned oil tanker. Venezuela receives $300 million from the first $500 million U.S. oil sale. Mexico expels 37 alleged cartel figures to the United States. President Trump presses aides for “decisive” military options against Iran, as Treasury Secretary Bessent touts the role of U.S. sanctions in Iran’s economic collapse. Iran’s foreign minister warns against U.S. escalation. Carney says U.S.-led “rules-based international order” is finished. “Sell America” trade accelerates amid the U.S.–Europe standoff over Greenland. DOJ reveals the DOGE team had contacts with an advocacy group that sought to overturn election results. UN rights chief confronts RSF over Darfur atrocities. Gunmen kill at least 31 in western Niger village attack. Six security personnel are killed in an ambush in northwest Nigeria. Somalia signs defense cooperation deal with Qatar after cutting ties with UAE. Uganda army chief threatens opposition figures online. Former Burkinabè leader is accused of assasination plot and expelled from Togo to Burkina Faso.
New Reporting from Drop Site: Satellite analysis from Forensic Architecture suggests Israel is militarily seizing land in Rafah with aims to corral Palestinians, as documents leaked to Drop Site show the “planned community” in the area would force Palestinians into an Israeli panopticon. Ceasefire talks collapse as hostilities escalate between Syria’s central government based in Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. Argentina centralizes intelligence and its security apparatus under a new decree from President Javier Milei.
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The Gaza Genocide, West Bank, and Israel
At least 11 Palestinians killed in surge of Israeli attacks across Gaza: The bodies of 11 Palestinians arrived at hospitals in Gaza between this morning and 4:00pm local time, while six Palestinians were injured, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. The Health ministry has not updated the total death toll recorded since October 7, 2023, which on Tuesday stood at 71,551 killed, with 171,372 injured.
Three journalists among those killed in Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday: Three Palestinian journalists—Mohammed Salah Qashta, Abdul Raouf Samir Shaath, and Anas Ghanem—were killed in Israeli attacks on Wednesday. The journalists were targeted in a strike on their car, while filming for an Egyptian government humanitarian initiative in the central town of Zahraa. Footage of the aftermath of the strike showed the targeted vehicle clearly marked with the Egyptian Committee’s logo. Over 260 journalists have been killed in Israel’s war on Gaza. In separate Israeli attacks on Wednesday, a man and his 13-year-old son were killed in an Israeli drone strike, along with a 22-year-old man, while collecting firewood on the east side of Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, according to the Associated Press. Another 13-year-old boy was shot and killed by the Israeli military in Bani Suhaila, eastern Khan Younis.
More Israeli strikes and shelling on Gaza: On Tuesday, Israeli forces carried out airstrikes east of Khan Younis, Deir al-Balah, and Bureij camp, alongside artillery fire east of Gaza City, demolitions near Beit Lahiya, naval fire toward fishing boats off Shati camp, and renewed shelling in western Rafah, according to Palestine Online. Additional reports described intense shelling and the demolition of residential buildings east of Jabalia camp in northern Gaza.
Israeli forces impose sweeping lockdown across southern Hebron: Israeli forces carried out a second consecutive day of military operations in southern Hebron, sealing neighborhoods, storming homes, and imposing curfews in the area, according to Ultra Palestine. The neighborhood saw heavy troop deployments, road closures, and shop shutdowns, which have dramatically altered the course of life for Hebron’s Palestinian residents. An officer from the IDF’s “Civil Administration” unit reportedly told local clan leaders that Israel is demanding the surrender of all weapons and would close the area for a full year if Palestinians do not comply.
“No significant increase” in Gaza aid under ceasefire plan: There has been no meaningful rise in humanitarian supplies entering Gaza, eight diplomats told Reuters. European governments are reassessing their involvement in the U.S.-led Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel, with one Western diplomat calling the body “directionless,” while another said, “Everybody thinks it’s a disaster, but there is no alternative.”
Trump says “Board of Peace” could replace the United Nations, as Netanyahu reportedly joins: President Donald Trump said his proposed Board of Peace “might” replace the United Nations, though he added he would like the UN to continue its work for now, ahead of the board’s charter signing Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Netanyahu joins “Board of Peace”: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted a position on President Trump’s “Board of Peace” which will oversee Gaza. Netanyahu has overseen Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and the International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for his arrest over war crimes in Gaza. Other countries also accepted invitations to join the Board of Peace including: Egypt, Bahrain, Kosovo, and Azerbaijan. They join the United Arab Emirates, Armenia, Morocco, Vietnam, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan and Argentina. Meanwhile, Norway and Sweden said Wednesday they won’t accept their invitations, following France which also declined.
Winter storms devastate Gaza shelters amid aid restrictions: Shelters for at least 4,000 displaced families across 80 displacement sites in Gaza were damaged or destroyed by winter storms last week, according to the UN, as humanitarian agencies said Israeli restrictions continue to slow and limit shelter aid. Hundreds of thousands of people remain “exposed to winter conditions without adequate shelter,” the UN said, while adding that aid operations are continuing “despite daily impediments” that affect both the speed and scale of assistance. Read Drop Site’s feature coverage here.
UN outlines education, shelter, and healthcare updates in Gaza: The UN said nearly 450 temporary learning spaces are operating across Gaza, reaching about 40 percent of children, while aid partners distributed more than 1,300 tents, 7,000 tarpaulins, and thousands of mattresses, blankets, and winter clothing over the past week. The UN reiterated the need for “sustainable shelter solutions,” including repairing damaged homes, clearing rubble, and restoring water and sanitation systems. 140 surgical and rehabilitation beds have been added at Nasser Medical Complex, along with five neonatal intensive care beds at Awda Hospital.
UN chief condemns Israel’s demolition of UNRWA compound in Sheikh Jarrah: UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he “condemns in the strongest terms” Israeli authorities’ demolition of the UNRWA compound in Sheikh Jarrah, stressing that the site “remains United Nations premises, and is inviolable and immune from any form of interference,” citing a January 8, 2026 letter Gueterres sent to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He described the actions as “wholly unacceptable” and in violation of Israel’s obligations under international law, including the UN Charter and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. He urged Israel to “immediately cease the demolition” and “return and restore the compound and other UNRWA premises to the United Nations without delay.”
Gaza authorities cite 1,300 Israeli ceasefire violations after 100 days: Israeli violations since the October 10 “ceasefire” have resulted in 1,820 people killed, wounded, or detained, including 483 killed, with over 96 percent struck inside residential areas far from the “Yellow Line,” according to Gaza’s Government Information Office. The office reported 1,287 injuries and 50 civilian arrests, and said Israel allowed in just 43 percent of agreed-upon aid trucks and 13 percent of required fuel while blocking heavy equipment, shelter materials, medical supplies, and supplies necessary for power plant operations. Gaza officials warned the pattern amounts to deliberate starvation and coercion, urging the U.S., the UN, and ceasefire guarantors to enforce full compliance and allow immediate humanitarian access.
B’Tselem says Israel runs a “network of torture camps” for Palestinians: Israeli Center for Human Rights B’Tselem said in its new report that Israel maintains a “systemic, institutionalized policy of torture and abuse” against Palestinian prisoners, charging that “the entire Israeli regime is complicit” and that the international community bears responsibility for “enabling the systemic torture” by failing to intervene. The report documents at least 84 Palestinian deaths in Israeli custody since October 2023, alongside accounts of beatings, electric shocks, sexual violence, starvation, medical neglect, and extreme overcrowding. B’Tselem said the scale of abuses obliges international actors to press for accountability and ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
Football leaders intervene to halt West Bank pitch demolition: FIFA president Gianni Infantino and UEFA League Chief Aleksandr Ceferin have reportedly stepped in to stop Israel’s planned demolition of a football pitch in the Aida refugee camp, used weekly by around 250 children, after the Israeli military said it was “illegally constructed” near Israel’s separation barrier, according to the New York Times. Following weeks of international pressure and talks involving Swiss officials, the demolition has been suspended pending a final Israeli government decision.
U.S. News
U.S. forces seize seventh sanctioned oil tanker: U.S. military forces boarded and commandeered a seventh oil tanker, allegedly connected with Venezuela, on Tuesday. U.S. Southern Command posted on social media that U.S. forces apprehended the vessel Sagitta, claiming that the tanker was operating in defiance of President Donald Trump’s “established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean,” part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to take control of Venezuela’s oil.
Federal subpoenas served to Minnesota Democrats amid unrest: Federal grand jury subpoenas were served on Tuesday to six offices of state and local Democrats, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Governor Tim Walz, and Attorney General Keith Ellison, a Justice Department official told Reuters. Trump administration officials have accused Walz and Frey of deliberately stoking interference with ICE operations in “collusion” with anti-government agitators, with one of the subpoenas ordering the custodian of records for Mayor Frey to produce documents dating from the beginning of 2025 related to “cooperation or lack of cooperation with federal immigration authorities.”
Medical groups sue the CDC: The American Academy of Pediatrics and a coalition of other medical groups on Monday moved to expand a lawsuit filed last year against the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, after a decision earlier this month narrowed the list of vaccines recommended for children. The policies adopted under U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will lower vaccination rates, the medical organizations said, adding that the decisions by the CDC are unlawful and “egregious, reckless, and dangerous.”
Zohran Mamdani and Bernie Sanders rally with striking nurses: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders rallied with striking nurses in Manhattan on Tuesday, as the strike entered its ninth day, one of the largest and longest strikes in the city’s history. The strike began on January 12, and the nurses union says it has held one bargaining session with each of the three hospital systems disrupted: Mount Sinai, Montefiore, and NewYork-Presbyterian.
DOJ reveals DOGE team collaborated with a group that worked on overturning election results: Newly disclosed court filings show two members of DOGE working inside the Social Security Administration (SSA) were secretly in touch with an advocacy group seeking to “overturn election results in certain states,” with one signing a possible voter-data agreement involving Social Security records, according to Politico. A senior U.S. Department of Justice official said the employees were referred for potential violations of the Hatch Act and disclosed that DOGE members shared data on unapproved third-party servers and may have accessed restricted personal information. The filing also said a senior Elon Musk advisor, Steve Davis, was copied on an email containing sensitive SSA data.
“Sell America” trade accelerates amid Trump–Europe standoff over Greenland: Global markets saw a massive selling of U.S. bonds and securities. U.S. bond yields rose sharply, pushing the dollar down nearly 1 percent, and lifting the euro, while gold and silver surged to fresh highs. U.S. equities plunged, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling more than 800 points and the S&P 500 and Nasdaq dropping over 2 percent, as investors reassessed U.S. assets amid fears Washington is becoming an unreliable trading partner. Much of this movement was motivated by Trump’s renewed threats against Greenland and the vocal opposition of ostensible allies to the Trump administration’s recent actions.
Trump reverses position on UK–Mauritius Chagos deal: President Donald Trump attacked a UK agreement transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius after previously endorsing it in talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Trump cited the deal to justify his push to acquire Greenland, saying Britain was “giving away extremely important land,” stunning UK officials who note the agreement follows international law and had explicit U.S.-backing as recently as last year.
Iran
Trump presses aides for “decisive” military options against Iran: President Donald Trump is continuing to press advisors for “decisive” military options against Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported, as the U.S. deployed an aircraft carrier, fighter jets, and additional air defenses to the Middle East. Aides are refining scenarios, ranging from limited strikes on Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps facilities to options aimed at forcing regime change, even as officials warn air power alone may not topple the government and could draw retaliation. Iranian leaders have threatened “all-out war,” if Washington targets the country’s leadership.
Iran’s foreign minister warns Trump against escalation in Wall Street Journal op-ed: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that Iran deliberately showed restraint in earlier confrontations with the U.S. and Israel but warned this should not be assumed in the future, saying Tehran would have “no qualms about firing back with all we have,” if attacked again. He argued that recent unrest began as a form of peaceful protest but turned violent after foreign actors intervened, framing Iran’s crackdown as a necessary counterterrorism measure. Araghchi warned a direct war with Iran would be “ferocious” and prolonged and urged President Donald Trump to abandon his threats and “try respect.”
Iran’s foreign minister says Europe is facing “blowback” over Trump tariffs threat: Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi also criticized European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after she warned at Davos that “a deal is a deal,” referring to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to impose new tariffs on Europe over Greenland. Araghchi said Europe supported President Trump when he withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and added that the current crisis amounts to “blowback” that “could not happen to a more deserving continent.”
Bessent touts sanctions’ role in Iran’s economic collapse: U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at the World Economic Forum in Davos that U.S. sanctions have helped crash Iran’s economy, fuel public anger, and drive recent nationwide protests, telling Fox News that “in December, their economy collapsed,” and calling the strategy a positive development of “economic statecraft” with “no shots fired.”
Sudan
UN rights chief confronts RSF over Darfur atrocities: The United Nations Human Rights Office said High Commissioner Volker Türk met a Rapid Support Forces delegation in Nairobi strictly as a party to the conflict, not as a recognition of the group’s authority, to confront the group over mass atrocities in Darfur, according to Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani. Türk told RSF leaders he personally met survivors of gang rape and mass killings in El Geneina and rejected RSF claims that the abuses were “isolated,” warning leadership they are responsible for preventing violations and will be held accountable.
Sanctioned RSF commander reportedly visited Washington amid Darfur atrocities: A senior commander of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces was in Washington, D.C. last October while RSF forces carried out mass atrocities in El Fasher, Darfur, killing up to 150,000 people within weeks, according to NatSec Daily. U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Cory Booker are demanding explanations from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent over how Algoney Hamdan Dagalo Musa—brother of RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo—was allowed to enter and remain in the United States. Lawmakers said Dagalo attended a Quad-related meeting on Sudan and was later photographed around Washington, raising questions about visa waivers, sanctions enforcement, and possible foreign facilitation of his travel.
Other International News
Syrian government takes control of ISIS detention camp: Syrian government forces took control of al-Hol detention camp in northeast Syria on Wednesday that houses tens of thousands of people suspected of having ties to the Islamic State group. The capture of the camp came a day after Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) withdrew from the detention camp, which they had been running for years. Late Tuesday, the Syrian government and the SDF announced a new four-day truce after a previous ceasefire broke down.
Carney says U.S.-led “rules-based international order” is finished: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told the World Economic Forum in Davos that the U.S.-led international liberal order “will not return,” arguing it was a “pleasant fiction” by which powerful states exempted themselves, enforced trade rules asymmetrically, and applied international law unevenly. He said that the concept of international integration is now openly used by hegemons as a tool of “economic coercion.” Carney instead called for “values-based realism,” urging middle-sized powers to act collectively and build partnerships. “If you are not at the table, you are on the menu,” he said.
Mexico expels 37 alleged cartel figures to the United States: Mexico’s National Security Cabinet said it transferred 37 members of domestic cartel organizations to the U.S. on Tuesday, describing them as a “real threat” to national security and stressing that the men were expelled—not extradited—under Mexico’s National Security Law, with U.S. assurances that the death penalty would not be sought. The detainees were flown on seven Mexican military aircraft to destinations including Washington, Houston, New York, Pennsylvania, San Antonio, and San Diego. Authorities said this marks the third such transfer under the current administration, bringing the total number of “high-impact” criminals expelled to the U.S. to 92.
Venezuela receives $300 million from first $500 million U.S. oil sale: Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said Venezuela has received $300 million of the first $500 million in proceeds from oil sales under the U.S.–brokered deal, with funds to be routed through the central bank to help stabilize the foreign exchange market and support workers’ purchasing power. The funds were deposited in a Qatar-based account and split among four Venezuelan banks, though detailed accounting for the remaining $200 million and the timing of additional transfers has not been publicly explained by either the U.S. or Venezuelan governments.
Russian airstrikes leave much of Kyiv without heating: A major Russian overnight aerial assault on Ukraine using drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles hit multiple cities including Kyiv, Dnipro, and Odessa. The attacks knocked out heat and electricity to roughly half of Kyiv’s residential buildings, as well as the country’s parliament, as temperatures hovered near -10°C. The strikes killed at least four people and injured 33.
Vitol markets Venezuelan crude to China under U.S.-controlled deal: The Vitol Group, one of the world’s largest independent oil traders, has begun offering Venezuelan crude to Chinese refiners at a much narrower discount, as part of the initial U.S. sale of up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil, Bloomberg reported. The sales follow U.S. authorization for select traders to market Venezuelan oil after Washington blocked Caracas’s direct exports to China, and demanded it cut energy ties with Beijing and other U.S. adversaries, according to ABC News.
Gunmen kill at least 31 in western Niger village attack: At least 31 people were killed when gunmen attacked a village in the commune of Gorouol in Niger’s Tillabéri region over the weekend, according to student organizations and an area resident cited by the Associated Press. The resident blamed the assault on the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, which operates in the border region of Mali and Burkina Faso—an area that has seen escalating violence, despite the Nigerien military junta’s 2023 pledge to curb insurgent attacks.
Six security personnel killed in ambush in northwest Nigeria: Five soldiers and one police officer were killed in an ambush in Zamfara state on Monday, the Nigerian army said, adding that troops repelled the attackers and prevented further harm to nearby communities. Northern Nigeria has seen a surge in kidnappings and violence, alongside a long-running insurgency led by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province, which the UN says has killed about 35,000 civilians and displaced more than 2 million people across the region.
Somalia signs defense cooperation deal with Qatar after cutting ties with UAE: Somalia and Qatar signed a defense cooperation agreement in Doha aimed at coordinating military training, facilitating the exchange of expertise, and implementing broader security collaboration, the Somali Defense Ministry said. The announcement comes days after Mogadishu terminated all defense and port agreements with the United Arab Emirates. The deal was signed by Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi and Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Affairs Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani, and the move underscores Somalia’s pivot toward closer ties with Qatar and Saudi Arabia amid accusations that the UAE undermined Somali sovereignty through its Somaliland partnerships.
Uganda army chief threatens opposition figures online: Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces Muhoozi Kainerugaba publicly threatened to kill opposition supporters and the opposition’s presidential candidate in a series of social media posts on Tuesday. Kainerugaba is the son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.
Ex-president accused of murder plot expelled from Togo to Burkina Faso: Former Burkinabè leader Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba has been expelled from Togo and returned to Burkina Faso, after being accused of an alleged assasination plot to kill Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso’s current transition leader, according to the BBC. Damiba, whose military-led presidency lasted less than a year after he seized power in 2022, had been living in exile in Togo since being ousted in a coup later that year.
Cambodia–Thailand border dispute escalates over post-ceasefire demolitions. The Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights said that Thai forces destroyed a “significant number” of homes in villages in the Banteay Meanchey province with no military justification, citing satellite imagery of the villages, as villagers said access to their homes was restricted by Thai soldiers. The two nations’ border conflict stems from a dispute over the colonial-era demarcation of their 800-kilometre (500-mile) border, where both sides claim territory and centuries-old temple ruins. More than 127,000 Cambodians remain displaced following the December clashes between Cambodia and Thailand, according to Cambodia’s interior ministry.
More from Drop Site
“Israel Is Preparing Land in Rafah to Corral Palestinians into an Area Under Full Military Occupation”: Israel is razing a strategic area of Rafah in southern Gaza, compacting the ground, and clearing rubble in a way that suggests the land is being prepared for the construction of new residential infrastructure, according to new research by Forensic Architecture. The findings, based on an analysis of satellite imagery, suggest that Israel is beginning to build infrastructure which may be used to house Palestinians and effectively contain them in an area under full Israeli military control. Read the latest collaboration between Drop Site and Forensic Architecture here.
“Leaked Documents: ‘Planned Community’ in Rafah Would Force Palestinians Into Israeli Panopticon”: Meanwhile, the U.S. military-led group supporting “stabilization efforts” in Gaza has put forward plans for a housing block for Palestinians in Gaza in an area under full Israel military control. According to materials circulated by the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) and obtained by Drop Site News, the “planned community,” if developed, would contain and control its residents through biometric surveillance, checkpoints, monitoring of purchases, and educational programs promoting normalization with Israel. Read the latest from Drop Site’s Sharif Abdel Kouddous here.
“‘Total War For Survival’: Syria’s SDF Prepares for Showdown With Damascus”: A reported agreement between Syria’s central government in Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) unraveled last Sunday, after planned ceasefire talks between Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi in Damascus collapsed. Fighting quickly resumed as groups aligned with Damascus attacked SDF positions. The Syrian government announced a four-day ceasefire on Tuesday afternoon, but attacks from militias linked to Damascus reportedly continued. Read Alexis Daloumis latest dispatch on these developments in Syria here.
“After Trump’s Bailout, Argentina’s So-Called Libertarian President Issues Emergency Decree to Ramp Up Surveillance”: Argentine President Javier Milei issued Decree 941 on December 31 during a legislative recess, folding all intelligence agencies under the State Intelligence Secretariat, which reports directly to the presidency. The order grants the power to apprehend individuals without prior judicial order. Human rights groups warn that the decree gives the intelligence services “powers characteristic of a secret police force, including detention authority, and establishes a legal framework for the surveillance of the entire population under conditions of extreme secrecy.” Read more from Drop Site contributor Sam Carliner here.
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Trump's board of peace looks more like war board
What force can ever stop this ongoing treachery?