UNICEF: Over 100 children killed in Gaza since “ceasefire”; Mass funeral in Iran; ICE arrests dozens of refugees in Minnesota
Drop Site Daily: January 14, 2026
Gaza officials say there have been at least 32 recent deaths from the cold, diseases, and collapsing shelters. U.S. plans for a Gaza governance framework to be released by Wednesday, with Gaza’s postwar planners reportedly tied to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Israeli forces raid a refugee camp and homes in East Jerusalem. President Donald Trump urges Iranian protestors to seize institutions, says talks are canceled with Iranian officials. Iran’s security chief names Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu as “killers.” Thousands of mourners attend a mass state funeral in Tehran, as Iranian state television acknowledged reports of a high death toll. Dark-money networks back the push for regime change in Iran. The U.S. designates Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorist organizations. A New York state legal settlement forces Betar U.S. to dissolve nonprofit operations. Dozens of refugees are arrested in Minnesota amid Trump administration crackdown. Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez to send envoy to the U.S., as Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado visits Washington. South Korean prosecutors seek the death penalty for ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol over his imposition of martial law in 2024. Russia launches strike on Ukraine’s power grid amid freezing cold, as UN says 2025 was deadliest year for Ukrainian civilians since 2022. Seven Pakistani police killed in TTP bomb attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Bangladesh summons Myanmar envoy after cross-border fighting wounds civilians. Uganda orders nationwide internet shutdown ahead of elections.
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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 15 Palestinians arrived at hospitals in Gaza, including 13 recovered from under the rubble, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023 is now 71,439 killed, with 171,324 injured.
Total casualty counts since ceasefire: Since October 11, the first full day of the ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 449 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 1,246, while 710 bodies have been recovered from under the rubble, according to the Ministry of Health.
Gaza officials report 32 deaths from cold and collapsing shelters: One Palestinian was killed and one injured as a result of a building collapse, bringing the total number of deaths from building collapses since the onset of winter to 25, according to the Ministry of Health. At least seven children have also died from exposure to the cold this winter. Health officials and doctors say hospitals are overwhelmed as they face shortages of medicines and medical supplies, rising malnutrition among mothers and children, and a surge in respiratory illnesses, while Israeli restrictions continue to limit the entry of essential health items.
UNICEF says more than 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the October ceasefire: More than 100 children, including 60 boys and 40 girls, have been killed in Gaza since the October ceasefire, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund. Speaking from Gaza, UNICEF representative James Elder said children are still being killed by airstrikes, drones, tank shelling, and live fire, while others are dying in tent shelters from exposure to winter storms.
Six resistance fighters killed, Israeli military says: Israel’s military claims its forces killed six Palestinian resistance fighters during a gunfight in the Rafah area. Israeli officials have framed the continued presence of Palestinian fighters—whom Israel has refused to allow to return west of the “yellow line”—as justification for ongoing attacks under the ceasefire.
Israeli militia leader claims responsibility for killing Khan Younis police chief: An Israeli-backed militia leader in Gaza, Hossam al‑Astal, claimed responsibility for the assassination of Mahmoud al‑Astal, head of investigations for the Khan Younis police, in a shooting in the al-Mawasi area on January 12. Gaza’s Interior Ministry had started an investigation into the killing, stating that the attack was carried out by an armed group collaborating with Israel and operating from an area under Israeli control, with Gaza’s security sources saying the gunmen intercepted Mahmoud al-Astal’s car and opened direct fire before fleeing.
Trump administration to release its plans for Gaza governance framework by Wednesday: Washington is preparing to announce a new governance framework for Gaza as soon as Wednesday, according to the Financial Times. A broader “board of peace,” led by President Donald Trump, is also expected and would entail an executive committee that includes U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff and Presidential Advisor Jared Kushner. Critics warn that the governance framework lacks international buy-in, peacekeeping commitments, and adequate funding, with only about $1 billion raised compared to the estimated needs totaling tens of billions.
Gaza’s postwar planners tied to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation: Several U.S. and Israeli officials now shaping Gaza’s postwar governance had previously played central roles in the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which oversaw so-called aid distribution in Gaza last year during which over 2,600 Palestinian aid seekers were killed, according to the Financial Times. The report says the team includes senior U.S. Envoy Aryeh Lightstone, who worked to secure funding and international backing for the GHF, and Michael Eisenberg, Liran Tancman, and Roman Gofman, who brought the GHF to fruition by collaborating with their Israeli counterparts. All four are now working on the “second stage” of the ceasefire.
A Palestinian-led technocratic committee would temporarily take over Gaza’s governance: The plan would appoint former UN Envoy and Bulgarian Defense Minister Nickolay Mladenov as “high representative” overseeing the “National Committee for the Administration of Gaza,” a Palestinian-led technocratic committee for day-to-day administration. Dr. Ali Shaath will serve as chair of the committee. Energy and transport issues are temporarily combined under the chair’s authority, resulting in 14 individuals covering 15 portfolios that span finance, health, education, justice, communications, and tribal affairs. Their first meeting is set for Thursday at the U.S. Embassy compound in Cairo.
Israeli forces raid Shuafat refugee camp for the third consecutive day: Israeli occupation forces stormed the Shuafat refugee camp in occupied East Jerusalem for a third consecutive day, according to the Shehab Agency. Eyewitness accounts and social media footage show soldiers firing stun grenades and tear gas, raiding homes and shops, detaining Palestinian youths, and assaulting residents.
Israeli forces raid homes in Silwan’s Batn al-Hawa neighborhood: Israeli occupation forces raided homes belonging to Jerusalem residents in the Batn al-Hawa neighborhood of Silwan in occupied East Jerusalem, according to Silwanic News. The raids are part of ongoing Israeli operations in Silwan, where increased repression has included home incursions, arrests, and the displacement of Palestinian residents.
Iran
Mass state funeral in Tehran: Thousands of mourners filled the streets near Tehran University under heavy security on Wednesday for a mass funeral of security forces and civilians killed in Iran’s nationwide demonstrations, according to the Associated Press. Iranian state television earlier reported that 300 coffins would be on display, but AP reporters saw around 100. Iranian authorities claim to have regained control of the country after two weeks of mass protests.
Death toll in Iran continues to climb: The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said at least 2,571 people have been killed in the protests, including 2,403 demonstrators and 147 government-affiliated personnel. More than 18,100 people have been detained, the group said. AP said HRANA’s figures have been reliable in the past, but says it has not been able to independently verify the toll, as Iran’s authorities have cut internet and communications access, limiting outside reporting. HRANA receives funding from the CIA-linked National Endowment for Democracy. In a broadcast on Tuesday, Iranian state television acknowledged reports of a high death toll, quoting an official saying there was “a high number of martyrs” from different walks of life, including security forces.
Calls for evacuation from Iran: The U.S. State Department and the U.S. “Virtual Embassy” for Iran issued a formal warning telling U.S. citizens in Iran to leave the country immediately. The directive comes as numerous Western countries and regional states have issued warnings to their citizens to leave the country amid fears of more violent unrest.
Iran security chief names Trump and Netanyahu as “killers”: Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani responded Tuesday to President Donald Trump after Trump said to “save the names” of those killing Iranians, declaring that “the main killers of the people of Iran are, one, Trump and, two, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.”
Trump tells Iranian protestors to seize institutions, says talks canceled: President Donald Trump on Tuesday encouraged Iranian protestors to “keep protesting—take over your institutions,” promising that “help is on the way” and warning that “killers and abusers” will “pay a big price.” Trump also said he canceled planned meetings with Iranian officials, reversing expectations that negotiations would resume after he claimed roughly 36 hours earlier that Iran had reached out to reopen talks.
Gulf states warn U.S. against striking Iran: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and “other Gulf states” are urging Washington to avoid military action against Iran, warning it would destabilize the region, threaten energy markets, and risk uncontrolled escalation that would harm U.S. allies as much as Tehran, according to The Wall Street Journal. The report says Saudi Arabia is leading efforts to persuade the United States toward restraint and diplomacy.
U.S. News
U.S. designates Muslim Brotherhood branches as terrorist organizations: The U.S. designated the Muslim Brotherhood organizations in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon as terrorist groups on Tuesday, following a presidential executive order issued weeks earlier to begin the blacklisting process. The U.S. Treasury and State Departments cited the group’s alleged support for Hamas and its activities against Israel. The move was welcomed by the Foreign Ministry of Egypt, which called its own branch of the Brotherhood “terrorists” and commended the move as a “pivotal step.” The national branches of the Brotherhood contested the move, saying that they are politically legitimate and that the U.S. designation will have “no legal effect” within their home countries.
New York settlement forces Betar U.S. to dissolve nonprofit operations: A settlement initiated by New York Attorney General Letitia James has effectively shut down nonprofit operations of the radical pro-Israel group Betar U.S. in New York. The settlement bars Betar U.S. from instigating or encouraging violence, harassment, or intimidation. The attorney general office’s allegations, citing WhatsApp group chats and other evidentiary material, state that Betar illegally targeted Arab, Muslim, Palestinian, and Jewish New Yorkers. A $50,000 penalty would be triggered by any violation of the settlement’s terms. Betar told the attorney general’s office it is dissolving its nonprofit and winding down New York operations in accordance with the agreement. In June 2025, Drop Site reported that some members of Betar used WhatsApp group chats to plan violent counter-protests against pro-Palestine demonstrations and to commit potential hate crimes against Muslims in New York City. Read here.
Dozens of vetted refugees arrested in Minnesota amid Trump administration crackdown: Federal immigration agents have arrested dozens—possibly more than 100—refugees in Minnesota in recent days. Most of those detained are Somali, including children, despite their lawful entry after passing U.S. security screenings, according to the New York Times. Some Minnesota detainees have been transferred to facilities as far away as Texas. The detentions follow a Trump administration directive to re-examine asylum cases for those without green cards—a move that marks an unprecedented reinterpretation of refugee law, critics say.
Dark-money networks back regime change in Iran: As President Donald Trump moves the United States toward open hostilities with Iran, conservative dark-money networks have poured millions into think tanks advocating regime change, according to the Lever. From 2020–2023, Donors Trust gave more than $2.7 million to the far-right Center for Security Policy, while the Sarah Scaife Foundation funneled over $1.6 million to the hawkish Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, according to reporting. The funding traces back to billionaire donors linked to right-wing fundraising impresarios Leonard Leo and Barre Seid, and attends more to neoconservative and energy industry interests than to national security ones. Read the latest report here.
Other International News
Venezuela to send envoy to Washington as María Corina Machado visits U.S.: Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez is dispatching former foreign minister Félix Plasencia to Washington on January 15 to meet senior U.S. officials. The visit coincides with opposition leader María Corina Machado’s own talks in the capital, including a scheduled meeting with President Trump. The diplomatic engagements reflect competing efforts by rival Venezuelan political figures to influence U.S. policy.
Fighting escalates in Sudan: Fighting is escalating across Sudan, with civilians facing rising violence, displacement, and hunger, UN agencies warned. In North Darfur, at least 19 civilians were killed during a ground assault in the Jarjira area, according to local reports. At the same time, new attacks circulated on social media, including SAF drone strikes in Habila in South Kordofan, a region of central Sudan, and an RSF drone strike on an army base in Kosti, a major city in White Nile State in south-central Sudan. Displacement continues to surge. The International Organization for Migration estimates more than 8,000 people fled villages in Kernoi locality, also in North Darfur, in a single day, with some crossing into Chad. A severe hunger crisis is unfolding in the same region. A recent UNICEF survey found acute malnutrition far above emergency levels, including 53% in Um Baru, a remote area of North Darfur.
Druze leader in Suwayda calls for independent state, praises Israeli intervention: The Druze community may seek an autonomous or independent state under Israeli supervision, a senior Druze cleric in southern Syria said Tuesday. In an interview with Yedioth Ahronoth, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri praised Israel’s airstrikes for halting attacks on Druze civilians and said Israel was the only actor capable of guaranteeing their protection, and he sharply condemned Syria’s authorities for last summer’s violence in Suwayda, which he described as a “genocide.”
South Korean prosecutors seek death penalty for ex-President Yoon over martial law “rebellion”: An independent counsel on Tuesday asked the Seoul Central District Court to sentence former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to death on rebellion charges tied to his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024. The counsel called Yeol’s implementation of martial law an “anti-state” self-coup aimed at prolonging his rule, and he faces eight criminal charges from jail and was removed from office last April. Yeol has called the proceedings politically motivated. A verdict is expected in February, though legal experts say life imprisonment is more likely given South Korea’s disinclination to impose the death penalty.
Iraq’s al-Sudani steps aside, clearing path for Maliki to seek premiership: Iraq’s caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has agreed to withdraw his bid for a new term clearing a path for former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, two Iraqi officials told the Associated Press on Tuesday. The move comes despite al-Sudani’s bloc winning the most seats in November’s parliamentary elections and shifts momentum toward Maliki as factions negotiate the formation of a new government. There is growing pressure in Iraq to rein in armed groups, such as the Popular Mobilization Forces, an issue expected to dominate talks over the next government.
Russia launches strike on Ukraine’s power grid amid freezing cold: Russia fired nearly 300 drones along with ballistic and cruise missiles at eight Ukrainian regions overnight Tuesday, killing at least four people in the Kharkiv region and leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity around Kyiv, according to the Associated Press. Ukrainian officials and U.S. diplomats described the barrage—the second major assault in four days—as an attempt to “weaponize winter” by targeting the country’s electricity infrastructure amid freezing temperatures.
UN says 2025 was deadliest year for Ukrainian civilians since 2022: Civilian casualties in Ukraine reached their highest level since the first year of the war—with 2,514 civilians killed and 12,142 injured in 2025, a 31% increase from 2024—according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. The agency attributed most casualties to attacks by Russian forces in government-controlled areas. Intensified frontline fighting and the expanded use of long-range weapons and short-range drones made large swaths of territory uninhabitable.
Seven Pakistani police killed in TTP bomb attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Seven police officers were killed Monday when a remote-controlled bomb struck their armored vehicle in the Tank district of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to Reuters. Credit for the attack was claimed by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has intensified operations in the region, as relations between Islamabad and Kabul have deteriorated over allegations that these militants operate from within Afghan territory, charges denied by the Afghani Taliban.
Bangladesh summons Myanmar envoy after cross-border fighting wounds civilians: Bangladesh summoned Myanmar’s ambassador on Tuesday after gunfire from clashes in Myanmar’s Rakhine State crossed the border and wounded a 12-year-old Bangladeshi girl and injured a fisherman. Fighting has intensified between junta forces, the Arakan Army, and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army. Dhaka said the “unprovoked firing” violated international law, while border authorities reported detaining 53 ARSA fighters who crossed into the Bangladeshi coastal town of Cox’s Bazar, According to AFP.
Uganda orders nationwide internet shutdown ahead of elections: Uganda’s communications regulator ordered a sweeping suspension of public internet access and mobile services on Tuesday. The suspension started at 6:00 pm with no stated end date, and directed all network operators and service providers to block social media, messaging apps, web browsing, email, video streaming, SIM card sales, and outbound data roaming during the election period. Authorities under President Yoweri Museveni said the shutdown is intended to curb misinformation and election-related violence, but rights groups warn the move will suppress reporting, organizing, and political dissent, echoing similar blackouts imposed during the 2016 and 2021 elections.
More from Drop Site
Drop Site’s Livestream Highlights
The west’s “Disney-fied” Iran narrative: Iranian voices rejecting foreign intervention are being drowned out in western media, journalist Samira Mohyeddin told Drop Site News. Mohyeddin said Iranian students and workers were active in the early days of the protests, calling for human rights and democracy, while explicitly rejecting U.S. and Israeli intervention. Instead, she warned, a “Disney-fied” narrative of a benevolent prince returning to save Iran dominates coverage. She added that Israeli officials openly urging Iranians to rise up only strengthens state claims of foreign interference and fuels fears of fragmentation and instability.
Foreign signaling accompanied escalation of violence in Iran protests, journalist says: Hostile messaging from foreign actors interested in the downfall of the Iranian government coincided with escalating violence during Iran’s protests, journalist Samira Mohyeddin said during Drop Site’s Tuesday Livestream. Mohyeddin pointed to a January 1 post by former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo inviting Iranians to take to the streets, where “Mossad agents” would be found “walking beside them.” Similarly, Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu told Israel Hayom that Israeli operatives were “on the ground,” adding, “We have a hand in this.”
How can Iran’s government contest foreign interference without resorting to civilian repression?: Drop Site’s Jeremy Scahill asked how Iran can respond to the real threat of foreign interference without turning it into a justification for domestic repression. Narges Bajoghli, co-director of the Rethinking Iran Initiative, said Iranians are exhausted by sanctions, economic collapse, and years of state narratives blaming outside actors, arguing that while U.S. and Israeli interference is real, its constant invocation has eroded state legitimacy and trapped the country between genuine imperial pressure and authoritarian responses that target civilians rather than deliver reforms.
The full livestream can be accessed here.
Drop Site News’ Ryan Grim joined The Young Turks: Grim discussed recent Drop Site reporting, including coverage of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged ties to Israeli intelligence and a new investigation by Iona Craig on Yemen. He also highlighted Iona Craig’s recent reporting on Saudi Arabia’s rapid consolidation of control in southern Yemen and the escalating conflict between the Saudi and UAE-backed contingents in the country.
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UNICEF reporting over 100 children killed after a supposed ceasefire should shatter any remaining illusions about “de-escalation.” Children freezing in tents, refugees arrested in the U.S., and mass funerals in Iran all point to the same reality: state violence and impunity are being normalized across borders, while accountability is endlessly deferred. This isn’t stability—it’s managed cruelty.