Drop Site Daily: October 9, 2025
Israel kills 11 Palestinians over the past 24 hours in Gaza. President Donald Trump announces a ceasefire agreement has been reached between Hamas and Israel, while Israeli military continues sporadic attacks in Gaza. The Israeli cabinet will convene today to discuss the deal. A UN study finds 54,600 children under 5 in Gaza may be acutely malnourished. Trump says Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker “should be in jail” for allegedly failing to protect ICE agents. Russia warns that the United States supplying Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles would be a “qualitatively new” escalation that could draw them into direct confrontation. The Senate fails to pass a resolution aimed at stopping Trump’s extrajudicial U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats. Colombian President Gustavo Petro says that a vessel bombed this week by the United States was Colombian and carried Colombian citizens. Eleven Pakistani soldiers killed in a clash near the Afghan border.
Drop Site’s Jeremy Scahill will discuss the Gaza ceasefire deal on Electronic Intifada with founder Ali Abunimah and his colleagues at 3pm ET today. Watch live here.
This is Drop Site Daily, our new, free daily news recap. We send it Monday through Friday.
The Genocide in Gaza
- Over the past 24 hours, 11 dead and 49 injured Palestinians arrived at hospitals in the Gaza Strip, according to Gaza’s health ministry, while two Palestinians were killed and 13 injured while seeking aid. The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023 is now 67,194 killed, with 169,890 injured.
- The Israeli military has continued sporadic attacks in Gaza following the announcement of a ceasefire agreement on Wednesday. The Israeli cabinet is due to convene this afternoon to discuss the deal. Eyad Amawi, a representative of the Gaza Relief Committee and a coordinator for local NGOs, said in a message to Drop Site this morning: “The situation is calmer than before, though some explosions are still heard due to the continued presence of the army in several parts of the Gaza Strip, posing a real danger.”
- Israeli tanks fired directly at civilians on Al-Rashid Street on Thursday as they were trying to return to northern Gaza, Quds News Network reported. Gaza’s Higher National Committee for Ambulance and Emergency warned displaced Palestinians against rushing to return home in an advisory statement: “Do not rush to return until you are fully certain of the issuance of instructions from the official authorities, the withdrawal of the Israeli forces, and the safety of the roads and paths. Avoid gatherings and crowding during the return, and strictly adhere to the directives of the competent official authorities.”
- On social media, an Israeli military spokesperson said: “The Israeli Defense Forces have begun operational preparations in preparation for implementing the agreement, and within this framework, field preparations and procedures are being conducted for transitioning to new suitable deployment lines in the near period.”
- Israel has reportedly been destroying up to 300 residential units a day in Gaza City using remote operated explosive laden armored personnel carriers, also known as robotic vehicles, according to Channel 4. The Israeli military has dramatically increased the use of robotic vehicles since last month, the report said. The Israeli military calls the operations “military necessity” and says precautions are taken, but the report noted they are being used in civilian neighborhoods where families once lived, leaving Gaza City now unrecognizable.
- A new UN study found that more than 54,600 children under five in Gaza may be acutely malnourished, with more than 12,800 severely affected. By August, around 16% of children in Gaza aged six months to just under five years were suffering from a life-threatening type of malnutrition known as acute wasting, including nearly 4% with severe wasting, the report found. The study, conducted by the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was published in The Lancet medical journal on Wednesday and is the most comprehensive study of child hunger in the region to date, the authors said.
- A new report alleges that Israel’s military recycled 3D assets from a cyberpunk art project and museum exhibits to create its widely circulated models of alleged Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iranian sites. One of the most prominent, depicting a supposed underground Hamas command center beneath Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital, reused elements of an old IDF animation from a previous claim about a tunnel under a UN school. (via Jack Sapoch.)
Ceasefire Negotiations
- Hamas and other Palestinian factions have agreed to a first phase for a Gaza ceasefire, though some details still need finalization with mediators. President Donald Trump announced the deal on Wednesday, which includes the release of all Israeli captives and Israel’s partial troop withdrawal, on Truth Social. The tentative agreement also provides for the resumption of aid into Gaza and the release of roughly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Hamas emphasized that major issues—demilitarization, disarmament, and Gaza’s future governance—will be deferred to later negotiations. Read Jeremy Scahill’s report here.
- Netanyahu’s office announced that the deal will only take effect after receiving cabinet approval. Netanyahu will convene his security cabinet today at 15:00 GMT to discuss whether to approve the deal.
- Diplomats from five Arab counties—Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates—will meet with their counterparts from France, Germany, the UK, Germany, Spain, Turkey and the EU today in Paris to discuss the deal.
- A senior Hamas official also told Drop Site that Palestinian negotiators faced intense pressure from Arab and Islamic mediators over the past 48 hours to quickly agree to key parts of Trump’s plan, including the hostage exchange, a ceasefire, and the resumption of aid.
- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi and many other leaders hailed the deal as a “historic moment.” On social media he wrote: “This agreement does not only close the chapter of war; it also opens the door of hope for the peoples of the region for a future defined by justice and stability.” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan thanked Trump in an online statement for “demonstrating the necessary political will” and thanked Qatar and Egypt for mediating the deal. “I extend my heartfelt greetings to my Palestinian brothers and sisters who have endured indescribable suffering for two years,” Erdogan said.
- Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he welcomed the return of the Israeli captives but that he had “immense fear about the consequences of emptying the jails and releasing the next generation of terrorist leaders” in reference to releasing Palestinian captives. He added that as soon as the Israeli captives are returned, Israel must continue trying to eradicate Hamas and ensure Gaza is demilitarized.
U.S. News
- At a White House event, Trump escalated his rhetoric against Antifa, saying, “It should be clear to all Americans we have a very serious left-wing terror threat in our country.” He added, “They’ve threatened people, but we will be far more threatening to them than they ever were with us, including the people who fund them.” He was joined by senior officials who described Antifa as terrorists, cartel-like criminals, and just as dangerous as ISIS or Hamas, and that the organization would be dealt with similarly.
- Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker “should be in jail” for allegedly failing to protect ICE agents. His comments come as Texas and Illinois National Guard troops deploy to support federal immigration enforcement—a move both Johnson and Pritzker called unconstitutional. Trump has threatened to invoke the 1807 Insurrection Act to bypass state objections, while Johnson signed an executive order barring federal agents from using city property and vowed, “I’m not going anywhere.”
- The Pentagon investigated nearly 300 Defense Department employees—service members, civilians, and contractors—for online comments after conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s killing, with some facing reprimands or disciplinary action, according to the Washington Post. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the probe, framing criticism of Kirk as a potential violation of military norms. Dozens of service members and civilians received administrative punishment as of late September, with several facing nonjudicial or termination proceedings.
- An effort to block U.S. strikes on alleged drug vessels near Venezuela failed in the Senate on Wednesday, 48-51. Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul, who voted in favor of the resolution, said the move aimed to prevent “unintended escalation” and renewed efforts at regime change, arguing that Congress must “reassert its authority” over the use of force.
- Nearly a quarter of the FBI’s 13,000 agents—rising to 40% in major field offices—are now assigned to immigration enforcement, with agents pulled from counterterrorism, cybercrime, and other priorities, according to data obtained by Sen. Mark R. Warner. FBI Director Kash Patel has also fired senior leaders and redirected agents to support Trump’s policing priorities in cities like Chicago, Portland, and Washington, D.C.
- After the U.S. carried out airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities on June 22, ICE began arresting a disproportionate number of Iranian immigrants across the United States. Most had no criminal convictions or pending charges, according to internal data obtained by Prism Reports.
- The Department of Labor has issued a new rule lowering wages for H-2A guest agricultural workers, explicitly citing the administration’s strict immigration enforcement as a driver of labor shortages that threaten food production. The rule allows employers to pay lower wages and charge for housing, effectively cutting $2.46 billion annually from farmworker pay, while the Labor Department argues American workers are unavailable or unskilled for these jobs. The United Farm Workers and labor economists say the policy exploits immigrant labor, undermines domestic workers, and misrepresents the actual workforce situation to justify wage suppression. Read more from David Dayen at The American Prospect.
- Apple has removed DeICER, a civic-reporting app that allowed users to log immigration enforcement activity, from its App Store after a law enforcement complaint, citing Guideline 1.1.1 against content targeting protected groups, an exclusive report from Migrant Insider finds. They argued the app could be used to harm officers, invoking federal protections for ICE agents as a “protected class. Developer Rafael Concepcion says he will continue appealing, warning that Apple’s decision effectively shields government actors from public scrutiny under a policy meant to protect marginalized communities.”
International News
- Russia warned Wednesday that supplying Ukraine with long‑range Tomahawk missiles would be a “qualitatively new” escalation that could draw Moscow into direct confrontation with the United States. President Trump is weighing sending the weapons—which can reach deep into Russian territory—to Kyiv. Kremlin and defense officials threatened retaliation, saying U.S. personnel would be needed to field the systems and vowed to target those who supply or use them. Russia knocked out more than half of Ukraine’s natural gas production, according to a report in Bloomberg citing undisclosed sources, ahead of winter.
- Eleven Pakistani soldiers were killed in a gunfight with Pakistan Taliban fighters during an intelligence raid in Orakzai, near the Afghan border. The army said 19 fighters were also killed after an “intense” exchange of fire, while Reuters reported the clash began with a roadside bomb ambush. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the troops’ service as attacks by the Pakistan Taliban have surged in recent months.
- Colombian President Gustavo Petro said a vessel bombed this week by the United States in the Caribbean was Colombian and carried Colombian citizens, calling it “an aggression against all of Latin America and the Caribbean.” The strike, announced Sunday by President Trump, was the fourth in recent weeks by the U.S. The White House says 21 people have been killed in the operations. Petro’s remarks came as he met European leaders in Belgium, while Washington has halted diplomatic outreach to Venezuela amid growing regional fallout.
- At least 12 people were killed and 17 injured when Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces shelled El Fasher Hospital in North Darfur, one of the last functioning medical centers in the besieged city, according to the Sudan Doctors’ Network. The group said the dead included a doctor and nursing staff, following earlier reports from Agence France-Presse of an attack on the hospital’s maternity ward that killed eight people. The assault comes amid worsening humanitarian conditions under a year-long siege on El Fasher, with the World Food Program warning that the city’s remaining 250,000 to 300,000 residents face starvation, and new government data showing a nationwide rise in cholera and dengue fever.
More From Drop Site
- Legacy Journalists from NYT, CNN Are Mentors in a Fellowship Founded for Pro-Israel “Information War”: A new journalism fellowship founded by hardline Israel advocate Jacki Karsh aims to “shift some of the narrative” in Israel’s favor — with mentors including current journalists from The New York Times, CNN, and The Atlantic. Karsh, who calls journalism her “front” in Israel’s “information war,” created the program with the Los Angeles Jewish Federation. New York Times reporters Jodi Rudoren and Sharon Otterman and CNN’s Van Jones are among 16 mentors participating in the fellowship despite the paper’s ethics code warning against perceived conflicts of interest. Read Sharif Abdel Kouddous’ latest for Drop Site here.
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