The Human Cost Continues
Ryan Grim & Jeremy Scahill document a grim Wednesday in Gaza: at least 22 Palestinians killed, five of them children. The ceasefire, now in its fourth month, has not stopped the killing. Since October 11, Israel has killed at least 556 Palestinians in Gaza. The total death toll since October 7, 2023 now stands at 71,824.
Rafah: A Corridor That Doesn't Flow
The Rafah crossing reopened partially this week. The result: five patients evacuated. Seven companions allowed through. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher called it "not enough."
Ryan Grim & Jeremy Scahill writes, "The limited reopening of the Rafah crossing has done little to save Gaza's patients, as children continue to die waiting for medical evacuation." Seven-year-old Anwar Al-Ashi died of kidney failure the same day the crossing opened. His family had waited weeks for treatment unavailable in Gaza. Only a handful of patients were permitted to leave.
Doctors said evacuation approvals have been cut from about 50 patients per day to as few as five. Health officials call this a "slow death sentence." More than 20,000 patients remain on waiting lists. The UN warned that the current pace would take roughly 12 years to address Gaza's medical crisis.
Returnees face strict limits: one personal bag, no liquids, no cigarettes, no electronics except a single phone. Cash capped at 2,000 shekels with 24-hour declaration. Sabah al-Raqab, a returnee, told Al-Resalah Net that the Israel-backed Abu Shebab militia seized her at the crossing, handed her to Israeli forces, and subjected her to beatings, strip searches, and hours of interrogation. She called the journey "a piece of hell."
"The UN warned that the current pace of evacuations would take roughly 12 years to address Gaza's medical crisis."
Critics might note that Israel cites security concerns for limiting crossings, arguing that unrestricted flow could allow weapons or fighters to enter. But the numbers—five patients per day against 20,000 waiting—suggest a policy choice, not a security necessity.
West Bank Raids, European Dissent
Israeli forces shot dead Saeed Nael Saeed al-Sheikh, 24, during a raid in Jericho. Omar Zahir al-Mane'i, 20, died of wounds from a shooting near the separation wall in Qalqilya. Twenty-five Palestinians arrested in West Bank raids Wednesday, including Dr. Mustafa Al-Shennar, a sociology professor at An-Najah National University.
More than 400 former senior European diplomats and officials urged the EU to increase pressure on Israel. They called for a time-bound review and potential suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The signatories warned against joining what they termed a U.S.-led "Board of Peace," arguing it risks sidelining the United Nations.
The UAE denied reports it would administer Gaza's civil society. Minister Reem Al Hashimy called the claims "false and unfounded." Gaza's governance "is the responsibility of the Palestinian people," she said.
U.S.-Iran Tensions, U.S. Immigration Battles
The U.S. military shot down an alleged Iranian drone in international waters. U.S. Central Command said the drone "continued to fly toward the ship despite de-escalatory measures." Iran's Tasnim news agency reported communication was lost with a drone and an investigation was underway.
Nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran are expected in Oman. Tehran requested moving the venue from Turkey and limiting scope to its nuclear program.
A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from terminating Temporary Protected Status for roughly 350,000 Haitian nationals. The administration announced it will appeal. The TPS program, created after Haiti's 2010 earthquake, has kept hundreds of thousands from deportation. Critics argue the program is now a lifeline for people with no safe country to return to.
In Portland, U.S. District Judge Michael Simon ordered federal agents to stop firing tear gas and projectile munitions at peaceful protesters outside an ICE facility. The ruling marks the fourth judicial curb on federal crowd-control practices this year.
A Columbia Heights fourth-grader, Elizabeth Zuna Caisaguano, was released from ICE custody after public outcry. She and her mother spent nearly a month detained. Elizabeth was sent to the facility even though a trusted adult could have cared for her.
Media Bloodbath, Congressional Questions
Washington Post Editor-in-Chief Matt Murray announced a "broad strategic reset" with significant layoffs. "It's an absolute bloodbath," one employee told The Guardian. The Post is ending its sports desk, restructuring local coverage, reducing international reporting, and eliminating Book World coverage. Owner Jeff Bezos remained silent despite employee pleas.
Ryan Grim & Jeremy Scahill writes, "Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) told Drop Site's Julian Andreone that he could not say for certain, but it 'wouldn't surprise' him if Jeffrey Epstein had ties to intelligence agencies, including Israel's Mossad." Hawley added, "His network was vast."
On Alex Pretti, who brought a firearm to an ICE protest, Senator Tommy Tuberville said Pretti "went there to create some kind of problem." When asked about Kyle Rittenhouse, who fatally shot protesters in 2020, Tuberville said, "He was defending himself."
The Filton 24 Acquittal
Twenty-four direct actionists affiliated with Palestine Action were acquitted in a UK court on charges for sabotaging Elbit Systems, an Israeli weapons manufacturer. The acquittal signals growing judicial recognition of protest tactics targeting military supply chains.
Bottom Line
The Rafah crossing's partial reopening is a humanitarian failure by design, not accident. Five patients per day against 20,000 waiting is not a bottleneck—it's a blockade. Meanwhile, U.S. courts are drawing lines: TPS stays for Haitians, crowd-control weapons barred in Portland, a child released from ICE. The question is whether these judicial interventions can outpace the institutional momentum toward harsher enforcement. Ryan Grim & Jeremy Scahill's reporting centers the human cost—the children dying while waiting, the returnees describing "a piece of hell," the fourth-grader detained despite having a father to care for her. That focus is the point.