Pakistan and Afghanistan declare “open war”; Ellison’s Paramount poised to acquire Warner Bros for $111B; Mamdani to Trump: Let's Build
Drop Site Daily: February 27, 2026
Israeli airstrikes hit two police stations in Gaza. Fourteen-year-old Palestinian shot by IDF at close range and denied medical care, BBC report shows. Iran and the United States conclude talks in Geneva. The U.S. State Department authorizes departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel from Israel. Vice President JD Vance will meet the Omani foreign minister in Washington. Hillary Clinton denies ties to Jeffrey Epstein in House deposition. House Democrats will force a vote on Khanna-Massie Iran War Powers Resolution. NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani meets President Donald Trump for a second time. DHS agents detain a student after entering Columbia dormitory in search of a “missing child”; Mamdani secures her release. The United States plans to take in up to 4,500 white South African refugees per month. Paramount poised to acquire Warner Bros after Netflix walks away from the deal. Family of Francesca Albanese sues over U.S. sanctions. U.S. military laser downs Border Patrol drone in Texas. Labor leaders press Democrats to drop their support for Janet Mills. Israeli air strikes kill teenager in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. Pakistan and Afghanistan enter “open war.” Cuba says it alerted United States to alleged armed infiltration attempt. Israeli forces enter Syria’s Quneitra province. Thousands displaced by RSF attacks in western Darfur. President Paul Kagame lobbied Senator Lindsey Graham over stalled Rwanda sanctions. Turkey and United States are reportedly negotiating an energy-for-defense framework tied to F-35s. Zelenskyy discusses more U.S.-brokered talks. Hannah Spencer wins Gorton and Denton by-election in an upset over Labour.
New from Drop Site: Palantir’s AI is already playing a major role in tracking Gaza aid deliveries. Argentinian workers fight a bill that strips workers of protections.
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The Gaza Genocide, West Bank, and Israel
Israeli airstrikes hit two police stations in Gaza: At least five Palestinians were killed and several others injured by Israeli airstrikes on two police stations in the Mawasi area in southern Gaza and Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza on Thursday, Al Jazeera reported. In Rafah, the Israeli military struck Palestinian resistance fighters on Friday saying they were “emerging from underground terror infrastructure” and alleging violation of the ceasefire—as Israel continues to besiege and target fighters it signed the ceasefire with, citing unverified claims of security threats.
14-year-old Palestinian shot by IDF at close range and denied medical care, BBC report shows: Jad Jadallah, a 14-year-old Palestinian resident of the al-Far’a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, was shot at close range by Israeli soldiers during a November raid, a BBC investigation found. Closed-circuit television footage showed an Israeli soldier firing on an unsuspecting Jadallah, then continuing to shoot at him as he attempted to run away before collapsing in an alley. Video and witness accounts reviewed by the BBC indicate at least 14 soldiers formed a cordon as he “bled to death” for roughly 45 minutes. The soldiers administered no life-saving medical aid to Jadallah, and Red Crescent ambulances were reportedly blocked from reaching him. The Israeli army has since refused to return his body to his family. The BBC’s full report is available here.
Israel’s High Court freezes deportation order against international aid groups: Israel’s High Court of Justice issued a temporary injunction on Friday, halting a government move that would have forced 37 international aid organizations to stop operating in Gaza and the West Bank. Seventeen NGOs and the Association of International Development Agencies previously filed an urgent petition seeking suspension of the decision, warning of devastating humanitarian consequences if their work is shut down. The new rules, introduced in late December, require organizations to submit detailed staff information or cease operations within 60 days. Aid groups argue that sharing employee names could endanger staff, and are asking the court to remove the disclosure requirement and allow deregistered NGOs to continue operating while the case is heard. At least 588 aid workers have been killed by Israel since the start of the genocide in Gaza, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
State Department authorizes departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel from Israel: The State Department on Friday authorized the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel and family members of U.S. government personnel from Israel due to “safety risks.” The announcement comes amid concerns that the U.S. could strike Iran, and Iran’s threat to retaliate against Israel and U.S. bases. Mike Huckabee, the ambassador to Israel, told embassy employees in an email that they could leave the country and urged anyone considering departure to do so immediately, according to AP. “Those wishing to take AD should do so TODAY,” Huckabee wrote, using an acronym for “authorized departure.”
Iran
Iran and the United States conclude talks in Geneva: Another round of indirect talks between U.S. and Iranian officials concluded in Geneva on Thursday without a deal. Iran’s foreign minister said afterwards that “further progress has been made” in diplomatic engagement with the U.S., calling this round “the most intense so far.” He said six hours of talks included “a serious examination of the elements of an agreement, both in the nuclear field and in the sanctions field” and ended with a “mutual understanding” to continue detailed discussions on “sanctions termination and nuclear-related steps.” Further technical talks are scheduled for next week in Vienna, where the International Atomic Energy Agency is headquartered.
Reports shed light on potential Iran proposal: A senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera that Tehran rejects permanently ending enrichment, dismantling facilities, or exporting uranium stockpiles, calling enrichment a “sovereign right,” but confirmed offering a temporary freeze, reduced stockpiles under IAEA supervision, and economic cooperation. Separately, Elyas Hazrati, head of Iran’s Government Information Council, said enrichment “will continue in accordance with our needs,” that “nothing will leave Iran,” and that alternatives including dilution remain “on the table,” while stressing sanctions relief is the priority.
Vice President JD Vance to meet Omani foreign minister in Washington: Vice President JD Vance is set to meet on Friday in Washington with Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi in previously unreported talks aimed at averting war with Iran, NBC News reported. Vance told The Washington Post on Thursday that “there is no chance” of a years-long war with Iran. “The idea that we’re going to be in a Middle Eastern war for years with no end in sight — there is no chance that will happen,” he said.
United States
House Democrats will force a vote on Khanna-Massie Iran War Powers Resolution next week: Democratic leadership in the House announced it will compel a vote as soon as the body reconvenes on the bipartisan Khanna-Massie Iran War Powers Resolution, which would require the president to seek congressional approval before using military force against Iran. The war, of course, could be launched before the vote, but the administration has indicated the assault will last for quite some time, meaning the vote would remain relevant. In a statement issued Thursday, Democratic leaders described a potential conflict as “a war of choice,” “reckless,” and “unconstitutional,” saying the resolution would allow every member of Congress to record his or her position regarding further escalation in the region. Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) said he would support the Khanna-Massie resolution, making him the second Republican to publicly signal his support.
Mamdani meets President Donald Trump for a second time: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani met on Thursday with President Donald Trump at the White House for a second time, proposing a $21 billion federal plan to build 12,000 affordable homes over Sunnyside Yard in Queens. To make his pitch, Mamdani presented Trump with mock New York Daily News front page reading “Trump to City: Let’s Build”—a play on a famous NYDN headline concerning the city’s request for a federal bailout (“Ford To City: Drop Dead”). Mamdani’s office described the president as “very enthusiastic” about the proposal.
DHS agents detain student after entering Columbia dormitory, Mamdani secures release: An undergraduate at Columbia University, Ellie Aghayeva, was detained by federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday, according to a statement from Columbia University President Claire Shipman. According to Shipman, the agents entered a campus residential building at approximately 6:30 a.m on Thursday and detained Aghayeva, gaining entry by claiming they were searching for a “missing person.” She was released after Mayor Zohran Mamdani brought the issue up to Trump during their meeting. Mamdani also asked for cases against four others to be dismissed: Yunseo Cheng; Mahmoud Khalil, a recent graduate, was detained at his apartment in 2025; Mohsen Mahdawi, a Columbia undergraduate, was arrested by ICE agents in Colchester, Vermont. The fourth, Leqaa Kordia, who participated in protests at the school, remains in detention. Drop Site contributor Areeba Fatima spoke to protesters about the arrest of Aghayeva.
U.S. to take in up to 4,500 white South African refugees per month: The United States aims to process up to 4,500 refugee applications per month from white South Africans, according to a January 27 State Department contracting document reviewed by Reuters. The document outlines plans to install 14 prefabricated trailers on United States embassy property in Pretoria to create a secure processing site after operations at a previous location in Johannesburg were disrupted by a South African immigration raid. Only about 2,000 white South Africans have entered the United States as refugees as of January 31, after the program was launched in May 2025. President Trump previously set a cap of 7,500 refugees to be admitted in total in FY 2026. The South African government has rejected Trump’s claims that Afrikaners face systemic persecution, the basis for the Trump administration’s refugee policy.
Francesca Albanese’s family sues over U.S. sanctions: The family of UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has sued the Trump administration over U.S. sanctions imposed on her last year for her criticism of Israel’s policies in Gaza. In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Washington, Albanese’s husband and child, who is a minor and a U.S. citizen, outlined the impact the sanctions have had on their lives. “At its heart, this case concerns whether Defendants can sanction a person—ruining their life and the lives of their loved ones, including their citizen daughter—because Defendants disagree with their recommendations or fear their persuasiveness,” the filing said. The State Department dismissed the lawsuit as baseless and said, “Francesca Albanese has openly supported antisemitism, terrorism, and has engaged in lawfare against our nation and our interests, including against major American companies vital to the world economy.”
U.S. military laser downs Border Patrol drone in Texas: On Thursday, the United States military used a laser to shoot down what it described as a “seemingly threatening” drone near Fort Hancock, Texas, about 50 miles southeast of El Paso, later determining it belonged to Customs and Border Protection. It was the second laser-related airspace disruption in the area in two weeks, after Customs and Border Protection previously deployed a counter-drone system near Fort Bliss without hitting any targets, leading the Federal Aviation Administration to shut down El Paso airspace for several hours.
Labor leaders press Democrats to drop their support for Janet Mills: Union leaders are urging Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to withdraw support for Governor Janet Mills in Maine’s Democratic Senate primary, according to NBC News, arguing her record on labor is weaker than that of her opponent Graham Platner. United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain discussed the race with Schumer on a phone call earlier this month, while the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers have backed Platner and warned that national party spending for Mills could undermine Democratic chances against incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
Hillary Clinton denies ties to Jeffrey Epstein in House deposition: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton denied meeting Jeffrey Epstein or knowing about his crimes during a more than six-hour closed-door deposition on Thursday before the House Oversight Committee in Chappaqua, New York, calling the inquiry “partisan political theater” and accusing Republicans of trying to distract from President Donald Trump’s connections to Epstein. The session briefly descended into chaos after Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado leaked a photograph from inside the room to Benny Johnson, a right-wing podcaster, prompting objections from Clinton’s lawyers and Democratic members who said committee rules were violated. President Bill Clinton is scheduled to testify on Friday before the panel concerning his ties to Epstein.
Epstein files shed light on Leon Black’s spending: Apollo Global Management co-founder and Epstein associate Leon Black spent lavishly on himself, according to a recent trove of Epstein-related documents released by the Justice Department, with expenses including a $3 million 60th birthday party and more than $115 million on art purchases in 2011 alone, as well as an estimated $1.2 billion in family expenditures from 2007 to 2011. Two of the country’s largest teachers’ unions, which have pension investments in Apollo, have urged the SEC to investigate previous statements about the firm’s ties to Epstein, which they say may have been “misleading.” Apollo, one of the country’s largest private equity firms in the world, has invested in nearly every sector of the American economy and has been under increasing scrutiny for how it has pressured its healthcare acquisitions to aggressively cut costs. Read more about Black, Epstein, and Apollo, at The Lever, here.
Paramount poised to acquire Warner Bros after Netflix walks away from the deal: Paramount Skydance is in a position to acquire Warner Brothers Discovery after Netflix declined to match its $111 billion dollar offer. On Thursday, Warner’s board announced that Paramount’s latest offer to buy the entire company for $31 per share was superior to the agreement it had previously struck with Netflix. Warner gave Netflix four business days to come up with a counteroffer—but Netflix responded the same day, declining to raise its offer. Paramount’s offer still requires regulatory approval in the US and Europe. President Trump has a close relationship with billionaire Larry Ellison, the father of Paramount’s CEO David Ellison who is heavily backing Paramount’s bid to buy Warner. If completed, it would create the largest media conglomerate in U.S. history.
International News
Israeli air strikes kill teenager in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley: A wave of Israeli air strikes across Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley killed a 16-year-old Syrian national west of Baalbek, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported Thursday; the report identified the teenager as Hussein al-Khalaf. Israeli jets also struck areas near Hermel, according to Al Jazeera English. The Israeli military claimed without evidence that it targeted “infrastructure” linked to Hezbollah’s Radwan Force, and an Israeli Merkava tank reportedly fired two shells on the outskirts of Aitaroun and Yaroun in Nabatieh. Twenty-nine were wounded in Thursday’s attacks.
Pakistan and Afghanistan enter “open war”: Pakistan’s defense minister declared an “open war” with the Taliban government in Afghanistan, with intense cross-border strikes and ground offensives along the Durand Line on Thursday. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Afghan forces launched “large-scale offensive operations” on the border. Afghan officials claimed that they have captured between 13 and 19 Pakistani border posts and killed up to 55 Pakistani soldiers. Pakistan responded with airstrikes on Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia on Friday, with Al Jazeera reporting explosions and anti-aircraft fire over the Afghan capital. Pakistani officials said more than 130 Taliban fighters were killed and 200 were injured in attacks on Thursday and Friday.
Cuba says it alerted U.S. to alleged armed infiltration attempt: Cuba said it alerted U.S. authorities as soon as it detected that a Florida-registered vessel involved in what it described as a thwarted attempt at armed infiltration had come from U.S. territory, adding that Cuba remained in contact with the State Department and the Coast Guard before any shooting occurred. Cuban officials said the intercepted boat was carrying assault rifles, a sniper rifle, pistols, Molotov cocktails, night-vision equipment, body armor, camouflage clothing, ammunition, combat rations, and communications gear. It also stated that its investigation into the incident remains ongoing. Cuba’s Vice Foreign Minister Fernández de Cossío said two suspects, Amijail Sánchez González and Leordan Enrique Cruz Gómez, were already on Cuba’s national terrorism list. “This is not an isolated incident,” de Cossío said, saying that Cuba has in recent years warned of an “increase in violent and terrorist plots and actions against Cuba,” originating in the United States.
United Nations seeks relief for Cuba: The United Nations is warning that without fuel, basic services and relief operations in Cuba cannot continue. United Nations Resident Coordinator in Cuba Francisco Pichon said Thursday that cargo extraction at ports and supply transport are already slowed or paralyzed, describing the fuel crisis triggered by a U.S. executive order as a “risk multiplier,” disrupting hospitals, water systems, food distribution, and medicine delivery, with only a 30-day contingency plan in place. The shortages are affecting some 5 million people with chronic illnesses, thousands of cancer patients, more than 32,000 pregnant women, and the roughly 20,000 newborns annually who depend on incubators and ventilators. Pichon also reports that the UN’s $74 million response plan is only about 30 percent funded as of Thursday.
Claudia Sheinbaum criticizes the U.S. for allowing guns to enter Mexico: Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum criticized the United States on Thursday over “Operation Fast and Furious,” the gun-walking program that allowed more than 2,000 weapons to reach Mexican cartels between 2009 and 2011, many of which later surfaced at crime scenes including the 2010 killing of United States Border Patrol agent Brian Terry. Sheinbaum said 70 to 80 percent of illegal firearms seized in Mexico originate in the United States.
Israeli forces enter Syria’s Quneitra province: Dozens of Israeli military vehicles entered Syria’s southwestern Quneitra province in the occupied Golan Heights on Wednesday, with Al-Ikhbariah TV reporting that a convoy of about 30 vehicles carried out a search operation near Tel al-Ahmar and Ain Ziwan. Syria’s state news agency said forces also approached Bariqa village, where they detained a young Syrian man. Quneitra lies partly within the buffer zone established by the United Nations under a 1974 disengagement agreement, after Israel seized much of the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967. Israeli strikes across Syria have intensified since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, with ACLED recording more than 600 Israeli air, drone, or artillery attacks on the country in 2025 alone.
China escalates military purge: Chinese President Xi Jinping has dismissed nine senior People’s Liberation Army officers from China’s legislature, deepening an ongoing anti-corruption purge inside the military. The move follows an investigation into senior general Zhang Youxia and further consolidates Xi’s control over the top Chinese military authority. Among those removed are Ding Laifu, commander of the strategically vital 73rd Army—a unit central to any potential Taiwan conflict and the commander of a nuclear missile base.
Paul Kagame lobbied Sen. Lindsey Graham over stalled Rwanda sanctions: Rwandan President Paul Kagame called South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham in late January to urge him to block sanctions over Kigali’s alleged breach of a Trump-brokered Congo peace deal, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. The proposed sanctions were drafted after Rwanda-backed M23 rebels renewed their offensive in the eastern DRC, threatening the peace agreement signed at the White House in December. Graham argued to Trump that Rwanda is an important security and critical minerals partner, and senior officials ultimately delayed the sanctions rollout. Fighting between M23 and the Congolese government continues in South Kivu, with M23 seizing a critical mining town in the region yesterday.
Turkey and United States reportedly negotiating energy-for-defense framework tied to F-35s: Turkey is preparing to sign a multi-billion-dollar energy agreement with the United States that could pave the way for Ankara to purchase Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, according to a report from Defence Industry Europe, with negotiations said to center on a $500 billion cooperation framework linking energy investment to defense procurement. The proposal would see United States energy firms invest in exploration, production, and pipeline development in Turkey’s Mediterranean waters, as well as in Syria and Libya. Turkey was removed from the F-35 program in 2019 after acquiring the Russian S-400 missile system, which Washington said threatened the aircraft’s security, and any revival of the deal would likely draw objections from Greece and Israel. There has been no official confirmation of a deal.
Zelenskyy discusses more U.S.-brokered talks: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the next round of negotiations with Russia would likely take place in Abu Dhabi in early March, after talks concluded in Geneva on Thursday. Rustem Umerov, who led Kyiv’s delegation, said this round of negotiations involved economic and security issues, and that Ukraine wishes to make the next meeting with Russia “as substantive as possible.”
Hannah Spencer wins Gorton and Denton by-election in upset over Labour: Pro-Palestine Green candidate Hannah Spencer won a United Kingdom parliamentary by-election in Gorton and Denton on Thursday, securing 14,980 votes en route to victory. The win represents the UK Green Party’s first in a by-election and its first seat in northern England. Spencer, a self-employed plumber who left school at 16 and campaigned as “Hannah the Plumber,” told Sky News she is “really proud” of her record supporting Palestinians, and was filmed earlier in the day dancing with supporters to the Palestinian anthem “Ana Dammi Falastini” on her way to a polling station.
AP: Iranian security forces intimidated doctors, obstructed care to wounded protesters: Plainclothes Iranian security agents swarmed hospitals in several cities treating the wounded during mass protests in January, according to a report by the Associated Press based on interviews with doctors in Iran, reports from human rights groups, and AP’s verification of more than a dozen videos posted on social media. The agents monitored and sometimes prevented medical care to injured protesters, intimidated staff, harassed doctors, and detained demonstrators. The AP reported it verified videos posted from four hospitals “as a snapshot of the Iranian security forces’ activity.” One video verified by AP shows security agents breaking through glass entrance doors into Imam Khomeini Hospital in the western city of Ilam. The Health Ministry told state media it was investigating the incident, saying it was committed to protecting medical centers, staff and patients. Other videos verified by AP show a heavy presence of security forces surrounding three hospitals in Tehran, firing tear gas and chasing protesters. Health Ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour denied reports of treatment being prevented or protesters being taken from hospitals, calling them “untrue, but also fundamentally impossible.”
Thousands displaced by RSF attacks in western Darfur: Deadly attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan’s western Darfur region displaced more than 3,000 people in the past few days, according to the Sudan Doctors Network. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said Thursday more than two and a half times the number of civilians were killed in Sudan in 2025 compared with the previous year with thousands still missing or unidentified. “This war is ugly. It’s bloody. And it’s senseless,” Türk said during a human rights council session in Geneva. “If much of the international community continues to act as a passive bystander, then something is fundamentally wrong with our collective moral compass.”
Sudan Core Group launches atrocity prevention coalition: Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom announced the formation of a new Coalition for Atrocity Prevention and Justice in Sudan, aiming to strengthen civilian protection and advance accountability efforts as the war continues. They cited “collective outrage and profound sorrow” over a UN Fact-Finding Mission report that found Rapid Support Forces violence in El Fasher bears the “hallmarks of genocide.” The United States—historically a key player in the Sudan Core Group—did not join the statement.
More from Drop Site
Exclusive: Palantir maintains a desk at U.S.-led Gaza coordination center: Palantir Technologies maintains a permanent desk at the United States–led Civil Military Coordination Center in southern Israel, according to three diplomatic sources. Palantir is providing technological support on tracking delivery and distribution of aid, the sources tell Jonathan Whitall. “The United Nations already has a humanitarian architecture in place to step in during crises, abiding by humanitarian principles and grounded in international law,” UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese told Drop Site. “This profit-driven parallel system involving companies like Palantir, already linked to Israel’s unlawful conduct, can only be regarded as a monstrosity.” Jonathan Whittall’s full report on Palantir in Gaza is here.
Argentinian bill strips workers of protections: Argentina’s Chamber of Deputies approved a sweeping labor reform bill last Friday after a marathon parliamentary session stretching from Thursday into early Friday morning, amid the country’s fourth general strike since President Javier Milei took office. The measure, backed by Milei’s La Libertad Avanza party and allied right-wing blocs, would make it easier and cheaper to fire workers, extend the standard workday to 12 hours, reduce overtime and severance, and restrict strike and collective bargaining rights. Sam Carliner’s report on labor resistance to the Milei austerity regime can be found here.
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RE: the Paramount/Warners purchase. I used to think there was nothing worse than a arrogant, psychopathic billionaire. Silly me. Of course, there's something worse - it's a whole bleeding family of arrogant, psychopathic billionaires!
Hmm, ive thought warner bros was a dead company lol