The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raid Burin, setting fire to a vehicle and attacking homes. Israeli settlers also seize and occupy dozens of residential caves in Tuqu’, ‘Arab al-Rashayida, Kaysan, Za’atra, and Bayt Ta’mar. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling in Huwwara. Israeli settlers posing as soldiers also attack a school in Khallet al-Maiya. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers throw stones at a house in Turmus ‘Ayya and attempt to set fire to it, causing damage to the house, a solar panel, and several vehicles. Israeli forces fatally shoot 2 Palestinians and injure 9 others during a raid in Dura; a video shows that Israeli forces used a Palestinian man they took from his phone shop as a human shield. A video circulating on social media also shows 2 Israeli soldiers kicking a man lying on the ground during the raid. Israeli forces also fatally shoot a member of the PA security forces during a raid in Nur Shams refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man and demolish 2 homes and a barbershop, displacing 12 people during a raid in Qalqilya. Israeli forces also shoot and injure 8 Palestinians, including 2 children, at a checkpoint in Qalandia and in Bayt Liqya, Qiffin, and Nablus. Meanwhile, Israeli forces assault 2 Palestinians during raids in Dheisheh refugee camp and Beita. Israeli forces also demolish a greenhouse in al-Jalama. Israeli forces arrest 48 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Bayt Awa, Dura, Bayt Rima, Jalazone refugee camp, Beitin, Zababdeh, and Nablus, including 25 students at an-Najah University in Nablus. In Ra’anana, Israeli police arrest 2 Palestinians from Hebron, saying they rammed and stabbed 13 Israelis, killing 1 of them. Israeli forces subsequently raid the family homes of the 2 Palestinians in Bani Na’im and Bayt ‘Amr, taking measurements for punitive demolitions; tear-gas related injuries are reported in both places as Palestinians resist the raids. In Gaza, telecommunications services are down for the fourth day in a row. Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Rafah, Gaza City, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Maghazi, killing at least 132 people. An Israeli soldier is killed in combat. Rockets are fired at Israel; no damage is reported. In Lebanon, Israeli forces conduct airstrikes on Maroun al-Ras. Rockets are fired at Israel; no damage is reported. In the Red Sea, Houthi forces attack a U.S.-owned container ship, causing damage. In Iraq and Syria, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps attack what it calls a Mossad espionage headquarters near Erbil with ballistic missiles, killing 4 and injuring 6 others and alleged ISIS perpetrators of terrorist operations in Iran in eastern Syria. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, 1/15; AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA 1/16; HA 1/18)

More than 24,100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 16,870 women and children, and around 60,834 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 348 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 87 children. More than 4,197 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 186 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,113 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 69,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 108 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah crossing. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 1/15)

Hamas releases a video of the bodies of 2 Israeli captives it says have been killed in an Israeli airstrike. In another video a captive says she was injured in an Israeli airstrike. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU 1/15)

Israel’s military says it has withdrawn an army division from Gaza, leaving 3 combat divisions in the area. The military also transfers the Duvdevan unit from Gaza to the West Bank as Israeli military officials say the West Bank is “on the brink of an implosion.” (AJ, HA, HA 1/15)

The Knesset approves the extension of an emergency regulation allowing Israel to deny Palestinian prisoners meetings with their lawyers for up to 180 days and approves the first reading of an extension of the temporary order which allows poorer conditions for prisoners. The Israeli cabinet approves the 2024 budget, slashing funds earmarked for the development of Palestinian communities in Israel by 15% and allocating $80 million to the Settlements and National Missions Ministry. 5 members of Benny Gantz’s National Unity party vote against the budget. (AJ, HA, REU 1/15; AJ, AJ, HA, HA 1/16)

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid claims Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant are not speaking to each other. Gallant reportedly stormed out of a cabinet meeting this weekend after 1 of his aides was refused entry. (AJ, HA 1/15)

In the West Bank, armed Israeli settlers forced a Palestinian family to leave their home near Tuqu’, stealing furniture, solar panels, and water tanks. Israeli settlers also opened fire at homes in al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, causing damage. Israeli forces shot, injured, and arrested a Palestinian in Beit Ur al-Tahta. Israeli forces also shot and injured 2 Palestinians during a raid in Fahma. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished a Palestinian home in Shuqba. 52 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Nablus, Jenin, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Tulkarm. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces punitively demolished the family home in Silwan of a Palestinian killed by Israel forces who allegedly killed 7 Israelis in January. In Gaza, Israeli forces stormed al-Shifa Hospital, assaulting and detaining Palestinians seeking shelter there, holding them blindfolded and naked outside the hospital, demolishing walls, and opening fire inside the hospital. Israel also arrested al-Shifa’s only electric generator mechanic and the technician working on the oxygen stations. 50 people were killed in an airstrike on a mosque in al-Sabrah and 25 were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City. The number of fatalities was likely much higher since the Gaza Ministry of Health was unable to communicate with hospitals and civil defense members in northern Gaza. Jordan said Israel had injured 7 of its staff members at the Jordanian field hospital. Israel also blew up Gaza’s parliament building and hit the last functioning flour mill in Gaza in Deir al-Balah with an airstrike. Israel also dropped leaflets telling residents of al-Qarara, Khuza’a, Bani Suheila, and Abasan in southern Gaza to evacuate immediately. 2 Israeli soldiers were killed. Rockets were fired from Gaza, injuring 2 in Ashkelon. In Lebanon, Israel attacked Odaisseh, Balat, Labouneh, Marwahin, Serda, and Naqoura; no injuries were reported. Hezbollah hit an Israeli post near the Lebanese village of Houla, causing damage. (HA, NYT 11/14; AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA ,WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/15; AJ, AJ, AP, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA 11/16)

The Gaza Ministry of Health was not able to update the casualty figures due to a collapse in services and communications at hospitals in northern Gaza, leaving the death toll at 11,479, including 4,630 children and 3,130 women, and around 32,000 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 3,250 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 187 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 47 children. More than 2,730 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals had been killed and 5,431 have injured since 10/7. 51 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.61 million Palestinians, around 70% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. As of 11/6, at least 40,000 housing units have been destroyed and 220,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 45% of all housing units. The first shipment of fuel entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing; it was restricted to use for UN vehicles only. UN vehicles ran out of fuel again on 11/16 due to the low quantity of fuel delivered. The UN said all 10 water wells in Rafah had stopped functioning due to a lack of fuel. Lebanon’s health ministry said 77 people have been killed and 251 injured in Israeli attacks since 10/7. (HA 11/14; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 11/15)

Hamas said the U.S. was “wholly responsible” for the Israeli attack on al-Shifa Hospital because it parroted Israel’s “false claim that the resistance is using al-Shifa medical complex for military ends.” Jordan condemned Israel’s storming of the hospital. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called Israel a “terror state” and called on Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare whether Israel has nuclear weapons or not. (HA 11/14; AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, REU, WAFA 11/15; AJ 11/16)

The Israeli military posted a video purporting to show that weapon caches were found in 1 part of al-Shifa Hospital. The video was later deleted from the military’s X account. Hamas official Bassem Naim called the Israeli claims “a farce.” (AJ, HA, NYT, REU 11/15; AJ 11/16)

Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Israel was issuing an average of 1,700 weapons licenses. 236,000 gun license applications have been submitted since 10/7 and 18,000 have been approved so far. (AP, HA 11/15)

The Knesset Ethics Committee suspended MKs Aida Touma-Sliman and Iman Khatib-Yassin from party and committee meetings for 2 months and 1 month respectively, citing statements they made on Israel’s war on Gaza. (HA 11/15)

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid said Prime Minister Netanyahu should be voted out of office in a no confidence vote and another Likud member should be allowed to form a government. (AJ, HA 11/15; AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, REU 11/16)

Reuters reported that Iranian ayatollah Ali Khamenei told Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh earlier this month that Iran will not attack Israel on Hamas’ behalf, saying Hamas did not give Iran prior warning of its operation. Khamenei and Haniyeh reportedly met in Tehran around 11/4. (HA 11/15)

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa said South Africa, along with other countries, had filed a referral to the ICC for an investigation into war crimes potentially committed by Israel in Gaza. (AJ, AJ 11/16)

12 UN Security Council members voted for a resolution introduced by Malta calling for urgent, prolonged humanitarian ceasefires and unconditional release of the captives held by Hamas. The U.S., UK, and Russia abstained. A Russian amendment calling for a ceasefire was blocked by the U.S. PA UN envoy Riyad Mansour said the resolution fell short of condemning Israel for its attacks on Palestinian civilians, assaults on hospitals and schools, and the killing of UN staff, journalists, and doctors. (AJ, AJ, AX, HA, NYT, REU 11/15; AJ, AP, HA, WAFA, WAFA 11/16)

U.S. president Joe Biden said at a press conference after a meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping that it “would be a big mistake [for Israel] to reoccupy Gaza,” and that a “real” Palestinian state must be created to end the overall conflict. Biden also falsely claimed Israel was bringing incubators to al-Shifa Hospital, despite the hospital not needing incubators but rather fuel to power the incubators. Biden also said the Israel’s war on Gaza will not end until Hamas is defeated and claimed that Hamas has a headquarters under al-Shifa Hospital, despite Israel tacitly retracting that claim. (AJ, HA, NYT 11/15; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU 11/16)

U.S. national security council coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk met with senior U.S. officials in Israel, including Prime Minister Netanyahu. McGurk has been part of the U.S. effort to normalize ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia. (HA 11/15)

The U.S. said it shot down a drone in the Red Sea that was launched from Yemen. (AJ, HA 11/15)

24 House Democrats urged President Biden to end “grave violations of children’s rights” by calling for an immediate ceasefire. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) called the Israeli refusal to allow fuel to be delivered to water desalination plants and generators at hospitals “inhumane.” Capitol police violently dispersed protesters blocking the entrance to the Democratic Party’s headquarters and calling for a ceasefire (AJ, HA 11/15; AJ 11/16)

In the UK parliament 56 out of 198 Labour Party members broke with the party line to vote in support of a ceasefire. The motion, which failed 293-125, was put forward by the Scottish National Party. Several members of the Labour Party resigned from their positions on the opposition frontbench after the vote. (AJ, REU 11/15; AJ, AJ, NYT 11/16)

A motion to expel the Israel ambassador and impose sanctions on Israel failed in the Irish parliament. The motion, which was denied in an 85-55 vote, was proposed by the Social Democrats party. (IN 11/15; HA 11/16)

Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez said Israel must end its “indiscriminate killing of Palestinians,” demanding a ceasefire, and said his government will work toward Spain and other European countries recognizing the state of Palestine. (AJ 11/15) 

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinians harvesting olives in the Masafer Yatta area, injuring 2. Israeli settlers also attempted to kidnap a child in Khirbet al-Farisiyya. Elsewhere, armed Israeli settlers posing as soldiers vandalized a mosque in Menizel. Israeli forces raided Nur Shams refugee camp and attacked it with drones, killing 13 Palestinians, including 5 children, banned movement in and out of the refugee camp, and uprooted pavement with bulldozers. An Israeli soldier was killed in an IED explosion and 9 others were wounded. Israeli forces also shot and killed 3 Palestinians, including 2 minors, during raids in Budrus, Tulkarm, and Dheisheh refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 16 others during a raid in Budrus and al-Arroub refugee camp. Israeli forces also demolished the family home in Qibya of a Palestinian alleged to have killed a settler before he was shot and killed by Israeli forces near Kafr Qaddum on 7/6. Around 184 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Hebron, Ramallah, Dheisheh refugee camp, Tubas, Beita, Qalqilya, al-Eizeriya, Umm Safa, and Aqabat Jaber refugee camp, including 50 Palestinians workers from Gaza staying in Dheisheh refugee camp who had been expelled to the West Bank. In Gaza, around 285 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes. Israeli forces also assassinated the first female member of the Hamas political bureau Jamila al-Shanti, the head of the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committee Rafat Harb Hussein Abu Halal, and Hamas’ Jehad Mheisen. Israeli airstrikes also bombed the 12th century Church of Saint Porphyrius, killing at least 8 people sheltering in it and targeted 5 bakeries, killing many people waiting to purchase bread. Rockets were fired at Israel; no fatalities were reported. In Lebanon, Israeli forces shot and killed a journalist and injured 1 other in Hula. Israeli forces also attacked parts of South Lebanon with combat helicopters and killed 3 people it claimed were firing anti-tank missiles at Israel. Israel said 30 rockets were fired at Israel. (AJ, HA 10/18; AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/19; AJ, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA 10/20)

The Gaza Ministry of Health said as of 5 p.m. at least 3,785 Palestinians had been killed, including at least 1,524 children, and 12,500 had been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7, including 47 entire families consisting of 500 people. It is estimated that hundreds are still trapped in rubble. In addition, Israeli media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. 81 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 22 children. More than 1,434 have been injured, including at least 300 with live ammunition. Israeli officials recorded no new fatalities, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals; 4,562 have been injured since 10/7. The number of Israelis killed rose from 10/18 as Israel released the names of Israelis killed on 10/7. The UN reported that over 1 million Palestinians have been displaced since 10/7 and that since 11 p.m. on 10/12 there has been a complete electricity blackout due to the Israeli blockade. At least 21,900 housing units have been destroyed and 121,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting around 30% of all homes in Gaza. The Committee to Protect Journalists said 21 journalists have been killed since 10/7, including 17 Palestinians, 3 Israelis, and 1 Lebanese. (AJ, HA 10/18; AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 10/19)

The UN reported that 74 Palestinian households, comprised of 545 people, have been displaced from Bedouin communities in Area C of the West Bank due to settler violence and access restrictions. (BTselem, UNOCHA 10/19)

Haaretz reported that on 10/12 a group of 20-25 Israeli settlers and soldiers abducted 3 Palestinians from the depopulated Wadi al-Seeq community before assaulting, undressing, and urinating on 2 of them, putting 1 of their faces in feces, and attempted to sodomize 1 of them. The 3 Palestinians were abused for 6 hours before they were dropped off at an abandoned building and photographed. The settlers and soldiers also stole their phones, a car, and $544 in cash. The Israeli military said it was investigating the incident and 1 commander of the military unit was suspended. (HA 10/19; MEMO, TOI 10/20)

Palestinian officials said that Israeli authorities have warned that Israeli forces will target the Gaza Power Plant if it tries to resume operations. (UNOCHA 10/19)

Palestinian officials also said Israel has arrested 4,000 workers from Gaza, holding them in military bases, and have arrested 1,070 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, doubling the total number of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. (AJ 10/21)

An Al Jazeera investigation into the bombing of al-Ahli Arab Hospital found that evidence presented by Israel misrepresented the event, ruling out that footage used by Israel showed a misfired rocket hit the hospital and saying that no footage from live streams suggest that rockets were fired from Gaza at the moment of the bombing. (AJ 10/19)

The U.S. said it had intercepted 3 cruise missiles and several drones fired by Houthi forces in Yemen. The Defense Department said the missiles and drones were heading north in the Red Sea, potentially toward Israel. Rockets and drones also attacked the U.S. Ain al-Asad air base and another compound hosting U.S. military forces near Baghdad International Airport. It was unclear who attacked the bases. (AJ 10/18; HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU 10/19; AP, HA 10/20)

Egyptian machinery reportedly entered Gaza to repair roads near the Rafah crossing to facilitate the transfer of humanitarian aid. However, Hamas denied that repairs had begun. Israel has bombed the Rafah crossing at least 4 times since 10/7. At least 100 trucks are waiting to enter Gaza near the crossing while others are waiting at El Arish Airport. UN officials said UN observers will inspect aid to Gaza before it enters through the Rafah crossing (AJ, AP, REU 10/19)

Israel said Hezbollah has granted Hamas permission to fire rockets at Israel and “will bear the consequences.” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told soldiers near the Gaza fence to get ready for a ground invasion. (AP, HA, REU 10/19)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi. (WAFA 10/19)

UK prime minister Rishi Sunak traveled to Israel for meetings with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog. Sunak said upon his arrival that he “stands with Israel” and that the UK is on the forefront of the effort to avoid further escalation of the conflict. 6 UK nationals were killed in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and 9 are still missing. Sunak also met with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, who called Israel’s targeting of civilians in Gaza “a heinous crime and brutal attack.” Sunak will later travel to Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar. (AJ 10/18; AJ, HA, HA, REU, REU, REU 10/19)

In an Oval Office address, U.S. president Joe Biden compared Hamas to Russian president Vladimir Putin and his attack on Ukraine, saying both want to annihilate their neighbors. Biden further claimed that Hamas uses Palestinians as human shields and said he had told President Abbas he supports the Palestinian people. Biden also said he will send an “unprecedented” aid package for Israel to Congress for approval. The package was reportedly worth $14 billion. Israel had asked the U.S. for weapons, including precision-guided munitions, JDAMs, Iron Dome replenishment, and mortar shells. The U.S. Senate unanimously adopted a resolution affirming Israel’s right to self-defense and condemning Hamas and Iran. 10 Republican senators said they will introduce legislation to redirect $100 million in planned humanitarian aid to Palestinians to replenishing the Iron Dome. House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries said he had received a briefing that suggested the al-Ahli Arab Hospital bombing was caused by a rocket misfired by Islamic Jihad. California governor Gavin Newsom said he was traveling to Israel. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, REU, REU 10/19; HA, REU 10/20)

Turkish media reported that the Israeli ambassador and other Israeli diplomats have left the country. (HA 10/19)

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said the PA should take control of Gaza after Israel concludes its attack. (AJ 10/18)

Russia said it will deliver 27 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Gaza via Egypt. Germany said it would donate $52.91 million to the World Food Programme, UNICEF, and UNWRA to help Palestinians in Gaza. (AJ 10/18; HA 10/19)

AP reported that Hamas may have used North Korean weapons during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, including F-7 rocket-propelled grenades. (AP 10/19)

A CBS News/YouGov poll found that 53% of U.S. Democrats and 55% of Independents believed that the U.S. should not send additional weapons and supplies to Israel, while 56% of all those polled disapproved of President Biden’s handling of the war. (HA 10/19)

More than 400 U.S. congressional staffers signed a letter saying they were “profoundly disturbed” by the lack of humanity extended to the Palestinian people by the U.S. Congress. Huffington Post reported that State Department officials were preparing a letter of dissent to the Biden administration’s approach to the war. (HA 10/19)

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Israel has been included in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program effective immediately, despite Israel’s entry to the program being scheduled for 11/30. (AP, HA, NYT 10/19)

Many countries urged their citizens to leave Lebanon as soon as possible. (AJ, AJ, HA 10/19)

The Hilton Houston Post Oak by the Galleria in Texas said it had determined that it cannot host the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights’ (USCPR) national conference, citing security risks to its staff and guests. Texas governor Greg Abbot called USCPR “Hamas supporters.” The Council of American-Islamic Relations canceled a banquet at the Marriott Crystal Gateway hotel in Arlington, Virginia, after receiving bomb threats. (AP, HA 10/19)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers razed 2 dunums (0.5 acres) of Palestinian farmland near Kisan. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinians at the Deir Sharaf junction, injuring 1. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near Silat ad-Dhahr, damaging 1. Israeli settlers also chased Palestinian herders in Khillet Makhoul; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces delivered a demolition order for 1 greenhouse in Tubas, 3 stop-work orders for residential structures in Masafer Yatta, 2 stop-work orders against homes in Rujeib, and seized 1 tractor in al-Zawiyeh. 9 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Hebron, Ramallah, and Dheisheh refugee camp. In East Jerusalem 2 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids. In Gaza, 3 Palestinians were arrested near the Gaza Fence east of Rafah. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/20; WAFA, WAFA 6/21; PCHR 6/23; UNOCHA 7/2)

Israeli police indicted 1 Israeli settler for attacks on left-wing Israeli activists in the Masafer Yatta area on 6/10. The settler was indicted on charges of assault, armed assault, and intentionally damaging a vehicle. (HA 6/20)

The New York Times reported that its own investigation into the killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh concluded that the bullet that killed Abu Akleh on 5/11 was fired from the location of an Israeli military convoy and “most likely by a soldier from an elite unit.” It also concluded that there were no armed Palestinians near where Abu Akleh was killed. Investigations by CNN, Bellingcat, B’Tselem, and many other organizations have also found that Israeli soldiers deliberately killed Abu Akleh. (AJ, NYT, WAFA 6/20)

Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett and foreign minister Yair Lapid held a press conference announcing that they have decided to hold a vote next week to dissolve the Knesset. If the vote passes, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid will be caretaker prime minister until new elections are held on 10/25. In a joint statement, the 2 ministers said that they had “exhausted options to stabilize” the government coalition. Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Bennett was mulling retiring from politics. A decisive factor in the government coalition’s collapse was the failure to extend the emergency regulations extending Israeli law to Israeli settlers, which will be automatically extended if the Knesset is dissolved. (HA 6/19; AJ, ALM, ALM, AX, DW, F24, GDN, HA, HA, MDW, MEE, MEMO, NPR, NYT, REU 6/20; ABC, ALM, ALM, AP, AP, CNN, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, IN, JP, MEE, REU, TOI 6/21; ALM, CNN 6/22)

Prime Minister Bennett also claimed that Türkiye, in coordination with Israel, had arrested several people said to be planning attacks against Israelis in Türkiye. It was reported that the people arrested were working on behalf of Iran. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid is expected to travel to Türkiye on 6/23. On 6/19, Israel’s president Isaac Herzog spoke to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, thanking him for his country’s effort to arrest the potential attackers. (HA, HA, REU 6/19; HA 6/20)

Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz told the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Israel and partners in the Middle East had begun working together on air force cooperation against Iran, calling the cooperation the “Middle East Air Defense Alliance.” Defense minister Gantz said that he continues to work with the U.S. to strengthen the cooperation with Middle East countries. (AP, HA  NYT, REU 6/20)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces delivered demolition notices for 6 houses and 2 commercial structures in Ar-Rafaiya in the Masafer Yatta area and stop-work orders for 7 houses under construction in Marda. 6 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Kharbatha al-Misbah, Nablus, Aida refugee camp, and Yatta. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities demolished 3 Palestinian homes: 2 in Sur Baher and 1 in Bayt Hanina. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian farmers east of Beit Hanun; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/15; MEMO, PCHR 6/16; UNOCHA 7/2)

Haaretz reported that settler violence against Palestinians has been raising in 2022, with more than 400 recorded incidents in the 1st half of the year, compared to 650 recorded incidents in all of 2021. A source in the Israeli military told Haaretz that the military is aware of the situation and is seeing an increase in radicalized Israeli settlers. The Israeli military recorded 360 incidents of Israeli settler violence in the West Bank against Palestinians in 2019; in 2020 the number increased to 500, before in increasing to 650 last year. (HA 6/15)

An Israeli police investigation into the attacks on the funeral procession for Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on 5/13 found that Israeli police had acted with misconduct, but no commanders were disciplined. According to the Haaretz source, the decision not to discipline any of the commanders responsible was made before the investigation started. The report was also not released to the public. (TOI 6/15; AJ, F24, HA, JP, MEE 6/16)

An Israeli court found former Gaza director of the charity World Vision, Mohammad El Halabi, guilty of membership of a terrorist organization, providing information to a terror group, taking part in forbidden military exercises, and carrying a weapon. The purported evidence against El Halabi is kept secret and the guilty verdict was in part based on a confession given under duress to an informant. World Vision, independent audits, and the Australian government have all said they have found no evidence of wrongdoing by El Halabi since he was 1st arrested in 2016. El Halabi has declined multiple plea deals that would have seen him released before the upcoming sentencing, refusing to enter a plea for a crime he says he is innocent of. (WAFA 6/14; AP, HA, NYT, REU 6/15; WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/16; WAFA 6/19)

Palestinian officials said that the U.S. had refused Palestinian calls for peace negotiations, claiming that the Israeli political situation is too sensitive. The request was made during the weekend, when top Palestinian officials met with U.S. secretary of state for Near East affairs Barbara Leaf and her deputy Hady Amr in Ramallah ahead of president Joe Biden’s visit to Palestine, Israel, and Saudi Arabia on 7/13-7/16. Israeli sources told Haaretz that Secretary Leaf had asked Israeli politicians to refrain from sending Israeli soldiers into Area A and not to carry out punitive demolitions ahead of President Biden’s visit. Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid said that Israel is seeking peace with Saudi Arabia and elaborated, “I won't say whether we have under-the-radar talks with the Saudis . . . We have a joint interest in the subject of Iran, that it won't become a nuclear threshold state.” (AJ, AP, AX, AX, HA, HA, HA 6/15)

Russia summoned the Israeli ambassador to express “grave concern” over an Israeli air strike that damaged the Damascus International Airport on 6/10. The Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov called Israel’s reasoning for attacking the airport “unconvincing.” (HA, JP, REU 6/15)

Israel, Egypt, and the EU signed a deal to increase the sale of liquified natural gas from Israel to the EU via Egypt, in a stated effort to reduce EU countries’ dependency on Russian gas. The EU also said it would provide Egypt $105 million in aid to help the country cope with the rise in wheat prices. (ALM, AP, REU 6/14; ALM, AP, HA, MEE, MEMO, REU, TOI, WSJ 6/15)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers destroyed a memorial for 1 Palestinian rights activist who was killed by Israeli forces on 1/5 in Umm al-Khair. Israeli settlers also assaulted 1 Palestinian farmer in Kisan. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian man and injured 3 by live ammunition and 2 with baton rounds during a raid in Halhul. Israeli forces also shot and injured 1 Palestinian with live ammunition during a raid in Nablus. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 3 Palestinians with live ammunition during a raid in Jenin refugee camp. Israeli forces also raided Jayyus, injuring 1 Palestinian with live ammunition and confiscating 1 bulldozer. Meanwhile, Israeli forces demolished an apartment building under construction in Beit Jala. Israeli forces also delivered a punitive demolition notice and took measurements for a separate punitive demolition in Rumana. 7 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Baytin, al-Mazra‘a ash-Sharqiya, Tell, Tammun, Nur Shams refugee camp, and Tulkarm. In East Jerusalem, 9 Palestinians were arrested, and 1 Palestinian was assaulted before being taken to a hospital for treatment during a late-night raid in Isawiya and the Old City. (AJ, AN, AP, HA, MEE, REU, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/9; AA, PCHR 6/10; PCHR 6/16; UNOCHA 6/17)

Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett met with UAE president Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi. Israeli media speculated if the meeting was part of Israeli and U.S. preparations to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. (AJ, ALM, AP, HA, NYT, REU 6/9; HA 6/10)

Israel announced that Israeli citizens will be able to travel to the Qatar 2022 soccer World Cup, despite Israel and Qatar not having formal relations. Foreign minister Yair Lapid said the development “opens a new door for us to warm ties [with Qatar].” Israel is not qualified for the World Cup in Qatar. (MEE, REU 6/9)

The U.S. state department announced that the Palestinian Affairs Unit at the Israeli embassy will change its name to U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs and start reporting directly to the Near Eastern Affairs Bureau in the State Department “on substantive matters” instead of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem. The diplomatic representative to the PA was also changed from U.S. ambassador to Israel Tom Nides to Hady Amr, who was promoted to the state department envoy to Palestinians. The PA has demanded that the Biden administration uphold president Joe Biden’s promises made during his presidential campaign, including to reopen the U.S. consulate to Palestinians in Jerusalem. (AJ, AP, AX, GDN, HA, MEE, REU 6/9; JP 6/12)

A bipartisan group of members of the U.S. house and senate introduced legislation that would require the defense department to submit a strategy for an integrated air and missile defense system for Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman within 180 days. The bill, “the Deterring Enemy Forces and Enabling National Defenses Act of 2022,” was described as an effort to bolster Israeli ties with countries in the Middle East. The senate version of the bill was introduced by Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and James Lankford (R-OK), while the house version was introduced by Brad Schneider (D-IL), David Trone (D-MD), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Ann Wagner (R-MO), and Don Bacon (R-NE). (HA 6/9)

The director general of the international atomic energy agency (IAEA) Rafael Grosso warned that Iran is in the process of removing 27 surveillance cameras from the country’s nuclear sites. The Iranian move comes as the progress in talks for the U.S. to renter the Iran nuclear deal has stalled, and Israel has intensified its assassinations of Iranian military personnel and scientists. Director General Grosso said that Iran would leave some 40 surveillance cameras at its nuclear facilities. The announcement came 1 day after 30 members of the IAEA board released a joint statement urging Iran to cooperate with the agency. (AJ, HA, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU 6/8; AJ, AP 6/9; AP 6/10)

A study by the organization AirPressure.info found that Israel has violated Lebanese air space 22,000 times in the past 15 years. (GDN, MEE 6/9)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set fire to 1 Palestinian vehicle near the Za‘atra checkpoint. Israeli settlers also vandalized homes, a mosque, and a bulldozer in ‘Urif. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers with military escort stormed Huwwara, leading to a confrontation between Palestinians and Israeli forces; 1 was injured by a baton round and 6 by tear gas. Israeli settlers also removed Palestinian flags in the town. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian minor while escorting Israeli settlers to Joseph’s Tomb near Nablus; 19 other Palestinians were injured by baton rounds and 67 by tear gas. Israel claimed that Palestinians threw stones and Molotov cocktails at the Israeli forces escorting the settlers. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolished a 2-story apartment building in Beit Safafa, displacing 13 Palestinians from 2 families. (ABC 5/24; AJ, AP, CBS, HA, JP, MDW, MEE, REU, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/25; PCHR 5/26; UNOCHA 6/4)

An Israeli appeals court overturned a lower magistrate court’s decision from 5/23 to allow 3 Israeli Jews access to the Haram al-Sharif compound after they performed prayers at the compound, effectively upholding that Jews are not allowed to pray at the compound. The judge cited “safeguarding of public order” as a decision for the ruling. (AJ, HA, MEE, REU 5/26)

Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu toured East Jerusalem in what was described as a private visit to prevent a chance for the public to see him accompanied by Israeli officials. The Waqf was responsible for his security at the Haram al-Sharif compound. Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu also met with Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid and Israel’s tourism minister Yoel Razvozov. Çavuşoğlu said that he believes Israeli Turkish normalization will have a positive impact on finding a peaceful solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. (HA 5/24; AA, AJ, ALM, HA, HA, REU, REU, WAFA 5/25)

MK Michael Biton of the Blue and White Party announced that he would no longer vote with the Israeli government coalition until an agreement has been made on public transportation reform. Biton said he would make an exception in the case of a no-confidence vote on the Israeli coalition. (TOI 5/25)

The New York Times reported that 1 Iranian engineer, Ehsun Ghadbeigi, was killed and 1 other person was injured in a suicide drone attack on the Parchin military base near Tehran. According to the reporting, a U.S. official confirmed that Ghadbeigi was assassinated but did not say who conducted the attack. The NYT said the attack fit a pattern of Israeli strikes on Iran. (HA 5/26; HA, NYT 5/27; HA 6/6)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers stole 1 residential tent and vandalized a fence in Khirbet Martaba. Israeli also settlers assaulted 2 Palestinian minors in Qusra, leading to the hospitalization of 1 of them. Israeli forces subsequently violently dispersed Palestinians in Qusra protesting the settler attack, injuring 22 with baton rounds and tear gas. Israeli forces also shot and injured 7 Palestinians with baton rounds during a raid in Jifna; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. 8 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Silwad, Ras Karkar, Beit Fajjar, and al-‘Ain refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, dozens of Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces assaulted and detained 4 Palestinians in the Old City. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/22; WAFA 5/23; PCHR 5/26; UNOCHA 6/4)

A Jerusalem court overturned an Israeli police decision to bar 3 Jewish people from entering the Haram al-Sharif compound after they violated the ban on praying at the Muslim site. PA president Mahmoud Abbas called the court decision “a grave assault against the historic status quo,” and Jordan said the ruling violates international law. Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett’s office issued a statement saying that there had been no policy change at the Haram al-Sharif compound. Hamas said that the court decision crossed “all red lines and is a dangerous escalation.” Israeli police appealed the decision on 5/23. (AJ, HA, MEMO, REU, TOI 5/22; CNN, HA, JP, MEE, TOI, WAFA 5/23)

The 6 Palestinians who escaped Gilboa prison on 9/6/2021 were sentenced to 5 years in prison for their escape and each fined $1,487. 5 other Palestinian prisoners were sentenced to 4 years for assisting in their escape. (AJ, AP, HA, MEMO, WAFA 5/22)

Hamas imposed a 16.5% tax on 24 products from the West Bank, including bottled water and soft drinks. PA economy minister Khaled al-Osaily called the new taxes “illegal and not permissible within the same nation.” (ALM 6/1)

Hamas and the PA warned Israel, in separate statements, against carrying out the right-wing flag march through East Jerusalem on 5/29. (HA, MEMO 5/22)

Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi, who on 5/19 announced that she was leaving the Israeli government coalition, said she would resume supporting the coalition after meetings with foreign minister Yair Lapid and several mayors. Rinawie Zoabi’s reversal brought the government coalition back to an equal number of Knesset members to that of the opposition. Rinawie Zoabi told her colleagues on 5/19 that she was leaving the coalition due to Israeli attacks on Palestinians at the Haram al-Sharif compound and at the funeral for Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. She further stated that the government coalition is not a government of change but a right-wing government. (AP, AX, HA, MEMO, NYT, REU 5/22; HA 5/23)

In Iran, a colonel in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Forces, Hassan Sayyad Khodaei, was assassinated in front of his house in Tehran by 2 people on a motorbike. Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi said on 5/23 that the assassination is being investigated and that Iran will revenge the killing. The New York Times reported later, on 5/25, that Israel had told the U.S. that it was behind the assassination of Khodaei. (AA, AJ, AP, HA, MEE, REU, TOI 5/22; AP, GDN, HA, IN, JP, MEE, REU 5/23; AJ, ALM, AP, HA 5/24; HA, NYT 5/25; HA 5/26; REU 5/29; REU 5/30)

Chairperson of the EU parliament’s relations with Palestine Manu Pineda was forced to cancel a trip to the occupied Palestinian territories with a group of other EU parliamentarians after Israel refused to allow him entry to Israel and his delegation access to Gaza. President of the EU parliament Roberta Metsola said on Twitter that she regretted the decision but that she would continue her visit to Israel. (HA, TOI 5/21; AJ, JP, TOI 5/22; HA, MEMO, WAFA 5/23; MEMO 5/25)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians working their land near Sinjil. Israeli settlers also assaulted Palestinian shepherds near Kisan. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers blocked a road between Nablus and Qalqilya.

In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians protesting an incursion by Israeli settlers at the Haram al-Sharif compound; 30 were injured by baton rounds and tear gas.

In Gaza, 5 rockets were fired at Israel; 4 of them were intercepted and 1 caused damage to a house in Sderot. Israel subsequently conducted air strikes, causing damage to several homes in al-Bureij refugee camp, Gaza City, and Nusseirat refugee camp. (HA 4/20; AJ, AJ, AP, AP, CNN, HA, IN, JP, NPR, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/21; PCHR 4/28; UNOCHA 5/13)

Israel closed all crossings from the West Bank and Gaza to East Jerusalem and Israel at 5 P.M. for the Jewish holiday of Passover. The closure will remain in effect until an unspecified time on 4/23. (HA 4/21)

U.S. acting assistant secretary of state for Near East affairs Yael Lempert and deputy assistant secretary for Israeli and Palestinian affairs Hady Amr met with PA president Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid in separate meetings in an effort to calm the situation surrounding the Haram al-Sharif compound, where Israeli forces have attacked Palestinian worshippers for a week, including in al-Aqsa Mosque. (HA 4/21; WAFA 4/22)

The Arab league slammed Israel for interfering with Muslims’ rights to worship at the Haram al-Sharif compound and criticized the Israeli government for continuing to allow Jewish people to worship at the Holy site. The statement was released after a meeting of Arab League foreign ministers in Jordan from the UAE, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, and the PA. (AJ, REU, WAFA 4/21)

Iran said it had arrested 3 people suspected of being Mossad agents. (HA 4/20; AP 4/21)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set up tents and a mobile home on Palestinian-owned land in Battir. Israeli forces assaulted and arrested 1 Palestinian in Hebron. Israeli forces also shot and injured 1 Palestinian with a rubber-coated bullet and others suffered tear-gas related injuries during a raid in Abu Dis; 7 were arrested. 25 other Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids ‘Azzun, Silat al-Harithiya, Nur Shams refugee camp, Nablus, Beitunia, al-Bireh, Dayr Abu Mash‘al, al-Khader, Hebron, and Dura. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian man who allegedly had stabbed 2 Israeli soldiers in the Old City; the man was shot by Israeli forces while he was lying on the ground. Israeli police removed 10 checkpoints in Sheikh Jarrah after Adalah petitioned the Israeli supreme court to have the checkpoints removed. The checkpoints were erected to help protect Israeli settlers that have been harassing Palestinians threatened by eviction in the neighborhood. 1 Palestinian family demolished their own home in Bayt Hanina, displacing 5. 1 other Palestinian was arrested in Kafr ‘Aqab. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire east of Khuza‘a and Maghazi, damaging a vehicle; no injuries were reported. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/7; AJ, AP 3/8; PCHR 3/9 MEE, PCHR 3/10; UNOCHA 3/11; PCN 3/14)

Israel charged 4 Palestinians from Sheikh Jarrah with throwing a Molotov cocktail at the home of 1 Israeli settler family’s residence in the neighborhood, causing a fire that destroyed the house and a vehicle in January. (HA 3/7)

In Syria, Israeli fighter jets, flying from Lebanese air space, fired missiles at the Damascus area, killing 2 and causing damage. Iran later said that the 2 killed were members of the Revolutionary Guard Corps. (AJ, HA, JP, MEMO, TOI 3/7; HA 3/8; AP, MEMO, REU 3/9; MEMO 3/10)

Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid met with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken in Latvia, briefing him on Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett’s efforts to mediate between Russia and Ukraine. (HA 3/7)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with military escort raided Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus, leading to a confrontation with Palestinians protesting the incursion; no injuries were reported. Israeli settlers also attacked Palestinian farmers with pepper spray east of Hebron. Israeli forces delivered stop-work orders for 1 mosque, 3 houses, and 1 commercial structure in Marda. Israeli forces also forced Palestinian business owners to close their shops in Huwwara, claiming that stones had been thrown at Israeli settlers near the shops. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished 4 water wells in Khallet al-Dabe. Israeli forces also demolished 1 commercial structure in ‘Anata. Israeli military said that shots were fired from a car at Israeli soldiers near Nablus; no injuries were reported. 13 Palestinians were arrested, including 10 during late-night raids in Dahariya, Za‘atra, Silwad, and Zeita; 3 were arrested at checkpoints near Bethlehem and Nablus. (TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/2; MEMO, MEMO, PCHR 2/3)

Haaretz reported that Israeli attorney general Avichai Mendelblit authorized establishing an Israeli settlement on the evacuated Evyatar settlement outpost near Beita. Attorney General Mendelblit is leaving office this week. Palestinians have held weekly protests at the site since the outpost was erected in May 2021. The outpost was evacuated in June 2021, but the houses erected remained as the settlers struck a deal with the Israeli government that they could move back if Israel deemed that the land is state-owned. Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz will have to declare the area state-owned, after which there will be a 45-day period to file objections. Several Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the past year while protesting the outpost. In a letter from Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid to Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett, Lapid warned that if the Israeli government legalized the Evyatar settlement outpost, it “could have serious diplomatic consequences and damage foreign relations, first and foremost from the United States,” saying that the U.S. has already made this clear to him. Labor and Meretz publicly opposed legalizing the settlement outpost. (AP, HA, IN 2/2; HA, JP, MEE, TOI, TOI, TOI 2/3; HA, HA, HA 2/4; UNOCHA 2/11)

The Shin Bet admitted to having threatened random Palestinians in Israel that it would “settle the score” if they had participated in protests related to the May 2021 uprising in Israel that coincided with Israeli attacks on Gaza and eviction threats against Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah. (HA, MEE 2/3)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with Amnesty International’s secretary-general Agnès Callamard in Ramallah, discussing the report Amnesty released on 2/1 that charged Israel with the crime of apartheid. (WAFA 2/2)

Defense Minister Benny Gantz said, at a conference in Tel Aviv, that the Israeli military on 4 occasions had offered assistance to Lebanon. According to Gantz, the offers were made to strengthen the Lebanese army in facing “the strengthening of Hezbollah under Iran’s support.” Israeli military sources later denied that Israel had made such offers and that Israel had only offered humanitarian aid following the explosion in the Beirut port. (HA 2/2; MEMO 2/3)

Israel, Oman, and Saudi Arabia all took part in the International Maritime Exercise 2022, led by the U.S. and with the participation of nearly 60 countries. It was the 1st time that Saudi Arabia and Oman partook in a naval exercise with Israel, which they have no formal relations with. (AJ, ALM 2/2)

The FBI confirmed reporting from the New York Times published on 1/28 that the agency had bought the NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware, but claimed to never have used it. The FBI further stated that it had bought the spyware for “product testing and evaluation.” (ALM, AP, HA, REU 2/2; MEMO 2/3)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raided Khallet al-Dabe in Masafer Yatta, vandalizing 70 olive trees and releasing Palestinian-owned sheep on the land, destroying crops as they grazed. 24 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Bethlehem, Dheisheh refugee camp, al-Arroub refugee camp, Balata refugee camp, Tell, Tulkarm, and Deir al-Ghusun. In East Jerusalem, a group of Israeli settlers attacked 1 Palestinian man in Sheikh Jarrah and vandalized 5 Palestinian-owned vehicles. The settlers sprayed pepper spray at the man and threw stones at vehicles; 2 of the settlers were arrested by Israeli police on 12/10 in relation to the attack. 13 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Ras al-Amud and Isawiya. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 3 nautical miles west of Beit Lahiya; no injuries were reported. In Gaza, Israeli forces arrested 2 Palestinians near the Gaza fence east of Khan Yunis. Israeli forces also opened fire at Palestinian farmers east of al-Maghazi; no injuries were reported. (MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/9; HA, WAFA 12/10; PCHR 12/16)

The Israeli ministry of justice closed a probe into the killing of 1 Palestinian who was lying on the ground after allegedly stabbing 1 Israeli man near the Damascus Gate plaza on 12/4. The ministry accepted the Israeli soldiers’ claim that they were acting in self-defense when they executed the man on the ground, several feet away from the soldiers. (AJ, HA, MEE, WAFA 12/9)

Haaretz reported that complaints of beatings of 10 Palestinian prisoners by Israeli prison guards had been given to Israeli police. The beatings allegedly unfolded in the aftermath of the prisoner escape on 9/6 as Palestinian prisoners subsequently were transferred from Gilboa prison to Shata prison. (HA 12/5; HA 12/9)

The British war monitoring NGO Airwars released a report focused on Israeli air strikes in Gaza and Syria. Airwars found that during the 11-day attack on Gaza in May, Israel killed between 151 and 192 Palestinian civilians in 128 “locally reported civilian harm events.” Airwars also found that between 15 and 20 civilians were killed in Gaza due to Palestinian rocket misfires. In a comparative study between Israeli attacks on Syria and Gaza, Airwars found that Israel killed many times more civilians during its 11-day attack on Gaza then it had done in Syria since 2013. Airwars attributed this discrepancy to willingness to attack densely populated areas of Gaza, while showing hesitancy to do so in Syria. (AA, Airwars 12/9)

Haaretz released an investigative report based on previously classified Israeli ministerial documents about the Nakba. The report revealed that Israeli cabinet ministers were aware of the massacres on Palestinians by the Israeli military. (HA 12/9; HA, MEE 12/10; WAFA 12/12)

Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid met with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo to discuss Iran, normalization deals, and the reconstruction of Gaza. Foreign Minister Lapid presented President al-Sisi with his “economy for security” plan for Gaza. (AJ, ALM, HA, MEMO 12/9; ALM, MEMO 12/10)

Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz met with senior U.S. officials in Washington, including Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Defense Minister Gantz is said to be trying to convince the U.S. officials to expand sanctions on Iran. (AX 12/8; AJ, HA, REU 12/9; ALM, NYT 12/10)

NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware was detected on 4 activists’ phones in Kazakhstan. The 4 activists are critics of the Kazakh government. (HA 12/9)

Sweden pledged $5.7 million to UNRWA and UN’s development program, earmarked to help Palestinians in Gaza rebuild after Israel’s attacks in May. (WAFA 12/9)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with military escort harassed students on their way to school in al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, preventing some from reaching the school. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians and Israeli activists protesting a visit by Israeli president Isaac Herzog to Hebron (see below). Israeli forces also demolished water pipelines supplying Atuf with water. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Ramallah, injuring 1 with a rubber-coated bullet. 3 Palestinians were arrested, including 2 during late-night raids in Kaubar and al-Arroub refugee camp, and 1 near al-Jaba‘. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian was arrested during a house raid in Isawiya. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at agricultural lands east of Dayr al-Balah; no injuries were reported. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen northwest of Khan Yunis; no injuries were reported. (AP, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/28; PCHR 12/2)

President Herzog visited Hebron for a Hanukkah ceremony in al-Ibrahimi Mosque, drawing condemnation and protest from Palestinians and Israeli left-wing activists. The PA foreign ministry said that President Herzog was breaking international law and “embracing the settlement enterprise.” The religious advisor to PA president Mahmoud Abbas, Mahmoud Habbash, compared Herzog’s participation in the ceremony with that of Ariel Sharon visiting the Haram al-Sharif compound in 2000. The OIC, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Arab League also issued statements of condemnations criticizing the visit. (HA, MEE 11/26; AP, HA, WAFA, WAFA 11/28; +972, MEMO, MEMO, WAFA 11/29; ALM, MEMO 11/30)

The Israeli high court of justice denied Palestinian appeals against demolitions of 58 homes in Wadi Yasoul in Silwan, which would lead to the displacement of 725 Palestinians. (HA 11/28; WAFA 11/29; PCHR 12/2)

1 Palestinian prisoner held on administrative detention ended his hunger strike after Israel set a date for his release. The man had been hunger-striking for 49 days and was admitted to a prison hospital on 11/24 as his condition deteriorated. (WAFA 11/28)

President Abbas extended the COVID-19-related state of emergency for another 30 days. The state of emergency has been in effect since March 2020, when the pandemic hit Palestine. (WAFA 11/28)

Israel’s and the UK’s foreign ministers Yair Lapid and Liz Truss wrote an article in the Telegraph, saying the 2 countries will work together in preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons. Foreign Minister Lapid was in London meeting UK officials before heading to France for meetings on 11/29. The article was published 1 day before talks began in Vienna to revamp efforts to reenter a new Iran nuclear agreement. (DT, GDN, REU 11/28; AJ, DT, HA, JP, TOI 11/29)

Japan donated $10 million to the PA in support of its budget and Cyprus donated $113,000 to the UNRWA. (WAFA, WAFA 11/28; MEMO 11/29)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian man during a late-night raid in Tubas; Islamic Jihad said the man was a member of the organization, and PCHR said the man was throwing stones at Israeli forces but posed no imminent threat to them when they shot him from a distance of 33 yards; 2 Palestinians were arrested during the raid. Israeli forces also demolished 1 grocery store, 1 vegetable store, and 1 gas station near Qalandia and demolished 1 residential structure and 5 agricultural structures in Tarqumiyah, displacing 4. Elsewhere, Israeli forces fired tear gas at Palestinian pupils heading to a school in al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, injuring 1 with a tear gas canister to his arm and some 70 with tear gas. 11 Palestinians were arrested, including 8 during late-night raids in Ya‘bad, Bayt Dajan, and Zababdeh; 3 were arrested while driving near Beita. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian family demolished their own home in Ras al-Amud In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian agricultural lands east of Maghazi; no injuries were reported. (AJ, AP, HA, JP, MEE, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/16; ALM, MEMO 11/17; PCHR 11/18)

It was reported in Israeli media that PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with new director of the Shin Bet Ronen Bar in the last week. The 2 were said to have discussed security coordination and efforts to reach a long-term ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Director Bar had also in recent days held meetings with head of Egyptian intelligence Abbas Kamel and Jordanian officials. (HA, JP, MEMO 11/16)

An Israeli military court refuted claims by defense and foreign ministers Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid that a Spanish woman working for Health Work Committees had any links to the 6 Palestinian rights organizations that Israel last month deemed terrorist. The 2 ministers had tried to justify the designation by using the conviction of the Spanish woman as evidence, which the military court then rejected. The Spanish woman was also sentenced by the military court to 13 months in prison and a fine of $16,000 after entering a plea deal. (HA 11/16; AP, TOI 11/17)

The cybersecurity firm ESET published a report saying that the Israeli spyware company Candiru’s spyware was used to hack 20 websites in the UK, Yemen, South Africa, Italy, Iran, and Syria, including Middle East Eye. The hackers were able to use the websites to gain access to computers of website visitors. (GDN, VICE 11/16; HA, MEMO 11/17)

U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield met with Israel’s defense minister Benny Gantz in Israel. According to the readout from the meeting, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield urged Gantz to curb settlement activity. (HA 11/16; MEMO 11/17)

Palestine Legal submitted a civil rights complaint against the George Washington University (GWU) to the DC office for human rights for discriminating against Palestinians. High-level GWU administrators had forced its employees to cancel a session for Palestinian students experiencing trauma related to the Israeli assault on Gaza in May. In addition, organizers of the event at GWU were forced to apologize for the language used in advertising the event. (JC 11/16; MEE, WAFA 11/17)

UNRWA said that 8 countries had pledged $614 million during a donor conference hosted by Jordan and Sweden. (WAFA, WAFA 11/16; MEMO, WAFA 11/17)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with military escort toured Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus; 5 Palestinians were injured by rubber-coated bullets and others by tear gas as Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians protesting the incursion. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 41-year-old Palestinian plumber who was returning home from work near Beita; the Israeli military said it would investigate why the man was killed as Israeli forces initially reported that he was advancing toward Israeli soldiers with an iron bar. Israeli forces subsequently injured 1 with live ammunition, 19 with rubber-coated bullets, and 72 with tear gas as they violently dispersed Palestinians protesting the killing of the man. Israeli forces also violently dispersed a protest in ‘Ain al-Hilweh against the creation of a settlement outpost, injuring 4 with pepper spray, and 1 was arrested. 3 others were arrested during late-night raids in Beit Fajjar and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian started demolishing part of his house in al-Tur. 3 Palestinians were arrested in the Old City and Sheikh Jarrah. (REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 7/27; AJ, ALM, AP, HA, MEE, TOI, WAFA, WAFA 7/28; PCHR 7/29; HA 8/6)

The AP reported that PA president Mahmoud Abbas had fired the director of Ramallah’s national library Ehab Bseiso on 6/27 because of Bseiso’s criticism of the killing of Nizar Banat by PA forces on 6/24. PA forces also shut the office of J-Media in Ramallah. The director of J-Media Alaa al-Rimawi was previously arrested by PA forces after he gave a sermon at Banat’s funeral. (HA 7/27; MEMO, MEMO 7/28)

The Jerusalem Post reported that the Israeli government will not evict Palestinians living in Sheikh Jarrah for the time being if the high court of justice rules the evictions permissible on 8/2. According to a government official, the government is concerned about the optics given the international campaign and general opposition to the forced expulsions of Palestinians from East Jerusalem and the potential for causing a situation akin to the escalation of tensions between Gaza and Israel in May. (JP 7/27; MEMO 7/28)

The Knesset approved an amendment to the Basic Law of Government allowing the 2 government leaders Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid to rotate the prime minister position amongst them during the government’s 4-year term. (HA 7/28)

Iranian officials claimed that Iran had arrested members of a Mossad cell and seized weapons it had stored to allegedly use against Iranian forces during protests over water shortages in Iran. (ALM, HA 7/27; MEMO 7/28)

The U.S. arms company Lockheed Martin and the Israeli Rafael Advanced Defense Systems announced an agreement in principle to develop a laser air defense system to combat rockets. (JP 7/27; ALM 7/28)

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) released an investigation into Israel’s Operation Guardian of the Walls from May, in which the organization found that Israel committed war crimes. The investigation focused on 3 specific Israeli attacks against Palestinian civilians in which 62 were killed, the majority children. The HRW concluded that there were no military targets at or near the attacked areas, despite Israeli claims. HRW also concluded that Israel used U.S.-made munitions in at least 2 of the 3 attacks it investigated. HRW said it would release a report on potential war crimes committed by Palestinian militant groups in August. (AJ, AP, BBC, HA, HRW, MEE, WAFA 7/27)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized 47 olive trees near Burin. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians protesting in East Jerusalem, Bethlehem, al-Ram, and al-Arub refugee camp against the planned settler march, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in al-Bireh; no injuries were reported. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian with live ammunition by the separation wall in Jalama village. Israeli forces also delivered stop-work notices for 5 structures in Burqin and for a road near Sabastiyya. 3 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Mirka and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, the new Israeli government allowed far-right Israelis and Israeli settlers, including MKs Itamar Ben-Gvir of Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) and Bezalel Smotrich of HaTzionut HaDatit (the Religious Zionist Party) to march through the Old City of Jerusalem, yelling “Death to Arabs” and “May your village burn down.” Israeli forces had forced Palestinian-owned stores in the Old City to close for the march. Member of the newly formed government coalition, Mansour Abbas Ra’am (United Arab List), said that the march was an “unrestrained provocation” and “incitement to violence.” In a tweet, the new Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid condemned the racist slogans targeting Palestinians. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians protesting the march, injuring 33, including 6 who were hospitalized, and arresting 17. Israel had also sealed parts of the Old City for entry of Palestinians. Prior to the march, Israeli settlers also toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, in response to Israel allowing the provocative march through the Old City, incendiary balloons sent from Gaza started some 20 fires in Israel. Israeli forces shot and injured 3 Palestinians protesting at the Gaza fence by Khuza‘a with live ammunition and arrested 3 who attempted to cross into Israel. Israeli forces also violently dispersed a Palestinian protester by the Gaza fence east of al-Showka, leading to tear-gas related injuries. 1 Palestinian succumbed to injuries sustained during the Israeli attacks in Bayt Hanun on 5/13 during the Israeli attacks on Gaza in mid-May, raising the comprehensive death toll since 5/10 from 265 to 266, including 67 children and 3 pregnant women. (AP 6/14; AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, F24, HA, MEE, MEMO, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/15; ALM, HA, TOI 6/16; PCHR 6/17)

The Israeli military said it would scale back its late-night house raids in the West Bank. (AP, TOI 6/16; HA, HA 6/17)

The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research said a new poll found that 535 Palestinians believe that Hamas is “most deserving of representing and leading the Palestinian people” and that 145 believed the same about Fatah. The poll was sourced from 1,200 Palestinians in face-to-face surveys in the West Bank and Gaza. (HA, TOI 6/15)

Iran said it had made 6.5 kilos (14 lbs.) of uranium enriched to 60%. Iran’s announcement seemed to be a way of asserting pressure on the U.S. as indirect talks about the U.S. reentering the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action agreement are ongoing. (AP, HA 6/15)

U.S president Joe Biden picked Tom Nides, a former Obama administration official and current Morgan Stanley vice chairman of investment, as the new ambassador to Israel. Nides will need to be confirmed by the U.S. senate before assuming the role. (AJ, HA, IN, REU 6/15; HA 6/16)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized 1 solar panel and 15 olive seedlings near ‘Urif. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Dura and Bayt Umar, leading to tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Hebron, injuring 13, including 5 with live ammunition and 8 with rubber-coated bullets; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces seized a caravan in Sabastiyya. 5 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Tarqumiyya and Jenin refugee camp; Israeli forces also seized a vehicle during a house raid in Aqraba. In East Jerusalem, 1 Israeli settler rammed Palestinians with his vehicle near the Old City, causing injuries; Palestinians were throwing stones at the vehicle but it was unclear what transpired before the ramming, which appeared in a video. Israeli settlers also attacked Palestinians in Shaykh Jarrah during a tour of the neighborhood by 2 Israeli lawmakers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. Israeli forces attacked Palestinian worshipers with tear gas, sound bombs, and rubber-coated bullets at the Haram al-Sharif compound, injuring more than 305 people, including inside of al-Aqsa Mosque where a sound bomb caught a carpet on fire. Israeli forces prevented the Palestinian Red Crescent from entering the compound. Israel also reversed its decision from 5/9 to allow Jewish worshipers to enter the Haram al-Sharif compound for the Israeli celebration of Jerusalem Day. The Jerusalem Day march was later canceled by its organizers as Israeli police decided to prevent the settler march to go through the Damascus Gate plaza. Israeli forces also confiscated the keys to the al-Aqsa Mosque from the Islamic Waqf. Also at the Haram al-Sharif compound, Israeli police were filmed beating up an Israeli-accredited Palestinian journalist covering the events for Anadolu Agency. The Palestinian Red Crescent said that 612 Palestinians were injured throughout Jerusalem, including 333 who were hospitalized. In Gaza, Israeli started a military operation later dubbed “Guardian of the Wall” after Hamas fired rockets at Israel, giving Israel hours to leave the Haram al-Sharif compound. Hamas had earlier in the day warned Israel that it would fire rockets at 6 p.m. if Israel did not remove its forces from the holy places. 20 Palestinians were killed, including 9 children, and dozens were injured. The casualties included: 2, including 1 child, in 1 drone strike at Jabaliya; 10, including 6 children in 2 drone strikes at Bayt Hanun, with 32 others wounded, including 12 children; and 1, with 2 injured, in an Israeli air strike in Khan Yunis. 7 were also killed, including 1 child, and 34 were injured in Jabaliya in an explosion that was not conclusively attributed to an Israeli air strike. Additionally, damage was sustained in al-Bureij refugee camp, al-Qarara, and Rafah. In Israel, 1 Palestinian citizen of Israel was shot dead and 1 other injured by 1 Jewish-Israeli in Lydda; 3 Jewish-Israelis were arrested. Israeli forces later violently dispersed Palestinian-Israeli protesters at the Lydda city hall. In Ramla, Jewish-Israelis threw stones at Palestinian-Israelis and their property and set fire to trash cans. Israeli police dispersed Palestinian-Israeli protesters in Nazareth, Kafr Kana, Kafr Manda, Shefa-Amr, Majdal Krum, Dayr Khana, Umm al-Fahm, Baka al-Garbiyeh, Taiba, Jaffa, Haifa, and Jaljulya; 46 were arrested. The Knesset was evacuated after a rocket from Gaza landed in the vicinity of Jerusalem. (HA 5/9; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AX, FOX, GDN, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, MEE, MEE, MEE, MEE, MEMO, NYT, PCHR, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/10; ALM, HA, HA, MEE, PCHR, PCHR 5/11; ALM, HA, WAFA 5/12; WAFA 5/19; MEE 5/21; NYT 5/26)

Israel closed all crossings to Gaza and the sea for fishing as collective punishment for rockets fired at Israel. (PCHR 5/10)

The PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh and the PA presidency condemned Israel’s attack on the Haram al-Sharif compound and called on the international community to take action. The PA civil affairs minister Hussein al-Sheikh said the Palestinian leadership is “examining all options to respond to this heinous aggression against the holy sites and the citizens.” PA president Mahmoud Abbas also discussed the situation with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/10)

Leader of the Ra’am (United Arab List) Mansour Abbas said that he had broken off contacts with Israeli opposition leaders Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett just before he was to have a joint meeting with them, citing the violence in Jerusalem and Gaza. Mansour Abbas met with Naftali Bennett on 5/9. (ALM, HA 5/10; ALM, HA, MEMO, NBC 5/11)

Israel attacked Syria in the Quneitra region with a helicopter, injuring 1. (HA 5/10)

Iran confirmed that it is in direct talks with Saudi Arabia to resolve the issues between the 2 countries. A Saudi official confirmed the talks on 5/7. (AJ, HA, REU 5/10)

The U.S. said 1 of its Coast Guard ships had fired 30 warning shots at 13 Iranian vessels that came too close to the ship and 6 other U.S. navy vessels. Iran said that it was the U.S. that had acted recklessly in the encounter. (AJ, HA, REU 5/10; AP, MEMO 5/11)

UN security council members met at an emergency session to discuss the situation in Palestine-Israel. No statement was issued after the meeting. U.S. state department spokesperson Ned Price said that the U.S. administration wanted to make sure that a statement would “not escalate tensions.” Spokesperson Price also refused to say if the U.S. condemned the Israeli air strike that killed 9 Palestinian children, and suggested that Palestinians, contrary to Israelis, do not have the right to defend themselves, saying that only states recognized by the U.S. have that right. (HA, MEE 5/11)

In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli troops open fire on Palestinian fishermen nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, an Israeli settler is killed and his wife wounded, when they are attacked by a Palestinian outside their home in the n. Jordan Valley. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Hebron at night; patrols in 1 village nr. Jenin in the afternoon, and in 3 villages nr. Hebron, and 1 village each nr. Jenin, Ramallah and Tulkarm at night. Jewish settlers torch 3 Palestinian cars in Burqa village nr. Ramallah and leave racist graffiti on the wall of the mosque. In East Jerusalem, Jewish right-wing activists enter the al-Aqsa mosque compound to perform religious rituals. (MNA 10/10; REU, JP 10/11; PCHR 10/24)

Israel’s FM Yair Lapid meets with U.S. VP Joe Biden, Treasury Secy. Jack Lew and White House Middle East Coordinator Phil Gordon at the White House. The meeting focuses on developments regarding Iran, negotiations with the Palestinians, and the need to strengthen economic ties with the latter. (YA 10/11)

Speaking at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry says that the cuts in aid to Egypt will not have much impact in the country, that it is not a “withdrawal” from relations with Cairo, and that the aid could be restored should “credible progress” be made in restoring an inclusive govt. Egyptian military spokesperson Col. Ahmed Mohammed Ali declines to comment, but the Foreign Ministry calls the decision “flawed . . . in terms of content and timing.” Meanwhile, a suicide attack on a military checkpoint nr. al-Arish kills 4 soldiers and wounds 5 others. (AFP, AP, MNA, REU 10/10)