The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man during a raid in Ya’bad. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in al-Amari refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assault 3 Palestinian children during a raid in Beit Umar. Israeli forces also arrest 40 Palestinians during raids in and around Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem, Jenin, Qalqilya, Tubas, Nablus, and Jerusalem. In East Jerusalem, 16 Palestinians are arrested at the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Beit Hanun, Gaza City, Dayr al-Balah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Rafah, and Maghazi, killing at least 62 people, including 3 medics in Beit Hanun. 3 rockets are fired at Israel, causing damage to a road in Sderot. In Tel Aviv, an Israeli man succumbs to injuries sustained in an attack in Gan Yavne on 3/31. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Khaim and Kafr Kila. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at Israeli forces in Bayd Blida and Shlomi. In Jordan, protesters march towards the Israeli embassy in Amman for the 12th day in a row. In the Red Sea, U.S. forces shoot down a missile launched from Yemen. (AJ, HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/4; AJ, UNOCHA 4/5)

More than 33,037 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,750 children and 8,900 women, and around 75,668 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 447 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 112 children. More than 4,700 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 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 255 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,549 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 176 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza, including 10 trucks delivering food aid to northern Gaza. 1,850 gallons of fuel is delivered to northern Gaza to operate 13 water wells in Jabalia and Gaza City. U.S. forces airdrop 50,000 meals over northern Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent says 31 children have died of starvation in Gaza and that 1,000 children have lost 1 or both of their legs in Gaza. Oxfam says Palestinians in northern Gaza only consume about 245 calories a day because of Israel’s policy to starve the population. (AJ, UNOCHA, WAFA 4/4; AJ, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 4/5)

Haaretz reports that an Israeli doctor working at the Sde Teiman detention center wrote letters to Israeli ministers and the attorney general last week describing inhumane conditions at the center. The doctor says 2 Palestinians had their legs amputated due to handcuff injuries in the past 2 weeks and that detainees are blindfolded, fed through straws, forced to defecate in diapers, and constantly held in restraints. Israel releases 101 Palestinians who have been held in Israeli detention centers back to Gaza. The Shin Bet says it arrested 11 Palestinians, including 7 Palestinian citizens of Israel, who were allegedly planning to assassinate Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. (AJ, HA, HA, HA 4/4; HA 4/5)

The NGO Open Arms says it has suspended efforts to bring aid to Gaza by sea from Cyprus, citing the killing of 7 aid workers on 4/1. Open Arms director Oscar Camps says Gaza is a “dystopian laboratory where people’s blood flows while war technologies are tested and perfected.” Doctors Without Borders rejects Israel’s explanation that the attack on the aid workers was an accident, citing previous attacks on aid workers. World Central Kitchen, the organization the 7 aid workers were employed by, calls for an independent investigation into the killings. (AJ, AX, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA 4/4)

Israel extends the detention of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh’s sister by 12 days. Haniyeh’s sister Sabah was arrested on 4/1. (AJ, HA 4/4)

The Israeli High Court of Justices asks the Israeli government to explain why more aid is not being allowed to enter Gaza. Israel’s military halts all leave for combat troops, citing a situational assessment. (AJ, HA, NYT 4/4; HA, NYT 4/5)

A Human Rights Watch investigation into an Israeli attack on a residential building in Gaza on 3/31/2023 where 106 Palestinians were killed finds that the attack was an “apparent war crime.” (AJ, AP, HA, HA, HRW, WAFA 4/4)

PA prime minister Mohammad Mustafa meets with U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs head George Noll, discussing the PA’s efforts to implement reforms, and later meets USAID representative for the West Bank and Gaza Amy Tohill-Stull in Ramallah. (AJ, HA 4/4)

Hamas official Osama Hamdan says there has been no progress in ceasefire negotiations despite Hamas’ flexibility. (AJ, HA, HA, REU, REU 4/4)

Israeli economy minister Nir Barkat calls Qatar “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” that funds terrorism all over the world. (AJ 4/4)

U.S. president Joe Biden speaks with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call, calling for an immediate ceasefire. Biden reportedly urges Netanyahu to take action to stop civilian suffering in Gaza, including by increasing aid access and expanding the powers of the Israeli negotiations team that is working on a ceasefire. Biden is also said to have informed Netanyahu that he would temporarily suspend further deliberations on arms transfers to Israel and requested that Israel send the U.S. a detailed report on the killings of the 7 aid workers who died in 3 airstrikes on 4/1. A White House readout of the conversation says, “US policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action” on steps to “address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers.” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says the U.S. expects “a drastic increase in the humanitarian assistance getting in, additional crossings opened up, and a reduction in the violence against civilians and certainly aid workers.” After the meeting, the Israeli war cabinet approves the opening of the Beit Hanun (Erez) crossing to allow more aid to enter Gaza. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks to Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant, expressing his “outrage” over the killing of the 7 aid workers. Centrist Democratic senator Chris Coons (D-DE) says he would vote to condition aid to Israel if Israel invades Rafah “at scale” while making “no provisions for civilians or for humanitarian aid.” (AJ, AJ, AX, AX, AX, AX, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU 4/4; AP, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU 4/5)

Polish prime minister Donald Tusk says Israel should explain the circumstances of the killing of the 7 aid workers on 4/1 and compensate their families. Cypriot foreign minister Constantinos Kombos calls for accountability. Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau calls the killings “absolutely unacceptable.” (AJ, AJ, HA 4/4; AP 4/5)

The Washington Post reports that the U.S. approved the transfer of more than 1,000 MK82 500-pound bombs, 1,000 small diameter bombs, and fuses for MK80 bombs on 4/1. (AJ, HA, REU 4/4)

The Elders releases a statement calling on all nations to stop sending arms to Israel and calling out the U.S. for accepting Israeli assurances of compliance with international law “despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.” (AJ 4/4)

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says in an interview that Israel is “losing the PR war. They are losing it big,” adding Israel needs to finish its attacks fast. (AJ, AP, HA 4/4; AJ 4/5)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers graze their sheep on Palestinian land in al-‘Awja, damaging wheat and barley crops. Israeli settlers also throw stones at Palestinian vehicles and block the road leading to the Huwwara checkpoint. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, causing damage. Israeli settlers also attack a Palestinian home in Khalayl al-Louz. Israeli forces violently disperse Palestinians in Huwwara, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also demolish 6 commercial structures in al-‘Awja and issue a stop-work notice for a home in Deir Balut. Elsewhere, Israeli forces seize a tractor in Qarawat Bani Hassan. Israeli forces also close the entrance to Husan. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 25 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Jenin, Tubas, Tulkarm, Aqraba, Hebron, and Bethlehem. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Dayr al-Balah, Rafah, Khan Yunis, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 63 people, including 7 aid workers of Palestinian, Polish, American, British, and Australian nationality from World Central Kitchen in Dayr al-Balah. Israeli forces also withdraw from al-Shifa Hospital after a 14-day siege, leaving it completely destroyed; witnesses say that hundreds of bodies are found in and around the hospital. The Gaza Media Office says that 400 Palestinians were killed during the attack on al-Shifa. In the Naqab, Israeli police arrest the sister of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who is an Israeli citizen, in Tel as-Sabi. A drone launched from Iraq damages an Israeli military building in Eliat; no injuries are reported. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq takes responsibility. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Rachaya Al Foukhar. In Jordan, protesters demonstrate near the Israeli embassy in Amman for the ninth day in a row. In Syria, Israeli forces target an Iranian consulate building in Damascus with airstrikes, assassinating Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp senior commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi and killing 11 others. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/1; AJ, AP, AP, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA 4/2; AP, UNOCHA 4/3; NYT 4/4)

More than 32,845 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,750 children and 8,900 women, and around 75,392 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 445 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 112 children. More than 4,700 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 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 254 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,520 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 190 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (AJ, HA, WAFA 4/1; AP, AP, NYT 4/2; UNOCHA, UNOCHA 4/3)

World Central Kitchen (WCK) suspends all operations in Gaza after 7 of its workers are killed in an Israeli airstrike (see above), returning 3 ships docked off the coast of Gaza carrying 240 tons of aid to Cyprus. The organization runs 68 community kitchens in Gaza and has sent some 1,700 truckloads of aid into Gaza. Several investigations into the Israeli bombing of the WCK aid convoy reveal that the 3 vehicles the aid workers were in were targeted in 3 strikes 1.5 miles apart. The 3 vehicles were clearly marked with WCK’s logo on the top of the cars. The Israeli narrative changes several times during the period after the attack, from saying an armed person was traveling with the vehicles to saying the clearly marked vehicles were misidentified. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls the attack “unintended” and “tragic” and says “[t]hese things happen in wartime.” UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese says the Israeli attack was a deliberate effort to starve the population of Gaza. Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese calls Netanyahu, expressing “anger and concern” at the killing of the Australian aid worker. U.S. president Joe Biden says he is “outraged and heartbroken,” adding Israel is not doing enough to protect aid workers. The White House claims that there is no evidence that the aid workers were killed deliberately. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres says 196 aid workers have been killed in Gaza since 10/7/2023. Refugees International president Jeremy Konyndyk calls the attack “a clear war crime.” Hamas labels the attack terrorism. (REU 4/1; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AX, AX, BC, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/2; AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 4/3; NYT 4/4)

The Israeli Civil Administration announces that it will seize 206.3 dunams (51 acres) of land in Jiftlik, adding it to the settlement council in the Jordan Valley and declare 170 dunams (42 acres) of Palestinian land south of Furaydis near the Etzion settlement bloc as state land. (AJ, PCN, WAFA 4/1; PCN 4/2)

The Knesset passes a law allowing the Israeli government to ban Al Jazeera in Israel in a 71-10 vote. Al Jazeera says Prime Minister Netanyahu, who called it a “terror channel,” is lying about the news organization to justify the killing of its employees. Minister for the development of the Negev (Naqab) and Galilee Yitzhak Wasserlauf calls for the resettlement of Gaza. (AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, REU 4/1; AJ 4/2)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas speaks with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken in a phone call, calling on the U.S. to stop the Israeli attacks on Gaza. The 2 also discuss the new PA government. PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour calls on the UN Security Council to schedule a vote on full Palestinian membership of the UN in April. The UN General Assembly voted to grant Palestine full membership in 2011 but the decision was never discussed at the Security Council. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 4/1; AP 4/2)

U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan and Secretary Blinken hold a virtual meeting with Israeli national security advisor Tzachi Hanegbi and Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, discussing Israel’s planned invasion of Rafah. A joint statement says Israel has agreed to take U.S. concerns into account. Reuters reports that the U.S. considering approving an arms transfer to Israel worth $18 billion, including 25 F-15 fighter jets. White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre says the Biden administration is seeking more information from Israel about footage of executions at al-Shifa Hospital. Jean-Pierre also express concern over Israel’s push to ban Al Jazeera. (AJ, AP, HA, REU 4/1; AJ, AP, HA, NYT 4/2; AX 4/3)

At the UN Security Council, France circulates a draft resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, condemning Hamas’ attack on Israel on 10/7/2023, and demanding immediate access for aid into Gaza. (AP 4/2)

Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says Israeli failures in Gaza have led to Israel targeting the Iranian consulate in Damascus, calling for a serious international response. Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi says the attack will not go unanswered. Pakistan and Syria condemn Israel’s attack. Russia requests that the UN Security Council convene on 4/2 to discuss the attack. Axios reports that the U.S. tells Iran that it did not have any involvement in the attack. (AJ, HA, HA, NYT 4/1; AP, AX, HA, REU 4/2; AP, REU 4/3)

Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez tells reporters in Amman that he expects Spain will recognize the State of Palestine by July and that many other countries in the EU would do the same. (AJ, HA, HA, REU 4/2)

Sri Lanka donates $1 million to UNRWA. (WAFA 4/1)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers burn down a Palestinian home in al-Muarajat. Israeli settlers also try to demolish a home in al-Jiftlik. 3 settlers are injured when gunmen open fire at vehicles near Jericho. Israeli forces shoot and injure 4 Palestinians during a raid in Qalandia refugee camp. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian during a raid in Nablus. Israeli forces arrest 25 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, Tulkarm, Jenin, and Salfit. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Beit Lahiya, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least 62 people. Israeli forces also continue the sieges of al-Shifa and al-Amal hospitals, shooting and killing Sawt al-Quds Radio journalist Muhammad Abu Sakhil at al-Shifa. A Palestinian child dies of starvation at the Kamal Adwan Hospital. In Lebanon, Hezbollah forces attack Israeli positions in Kfarchouba. In Jordan, large protests near the Israeli embassy continue for the fifth day in a row. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb Damascus, injuring 2. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/28; AP, AP, REU, UNOCHA 3/29)

More than 32,552 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 74,980 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 444 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 111 children. More than 4,700 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 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 252 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,520 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. Reuters reports that Israel is delaying visa requests for aid workers, hindering aid efforts. UNICEF says Israel has directly hit 212 schools in airstrikes since 10/7/2023, including 53 that have been completely destroyed. 7 members of Palestinian Red Crescent are released by Israel after being arrested at al-Amal Hospital on 2/9. (AJ, REU, REU, WAFA 3/28; UNOCHA 3/29)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas approves the new government presented to him by prime minister Mohammed Mustafa. The government will be sworn in on 3/31. The PA says Israel is showing “total contempt” for the UN Security Council ceasefire resolution with its continued attacks on Gaza. Abbas meets with Belgian foreign minister Hadja Lahbib. Lahbib says during a tour of West Bank villages “[c]olonization and increasing violence perpetrated by settlers in the West Bank are illegal. They must stop.” (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, REU, WAFA, WAFA 3/28; HA, NYT 3/29)

Hamas deputy political leader Khalil al-Hayya says he is not optimistic about a ceasefire deal in the near future but that Hamas is ready to resume negotiations and ready to show “the greatest level of flexibility for the sake of our people.” Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades leader Mohammed Deif calls on Muslims to “[s]tart marching today, now, not tomorrow, towards Palestine” in a recorded speech. (AJ, AP 3/28)

Islamic Jihad secretary-general Ziyad al-Nakhalah meets with Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran. (AJ 3/28)

Israel claims to have killed Hamas commander Raad Thabet at al-Shifa Hospital, calling him a top 10 commander. The Gaza Media Office says Israeli forces have killed around 200 people on the hospital grounds since 3/18, including 65 members of the civil defense. The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor says Israel has executed 13 children in and around al-Shifa since 3/18. (AJ, HA 3/28)

The ICJ issues new provisional orders against Israel, including ordering Israel to ensure the unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance to Gaza, including food, water, electricity, fuel, shelter, clothing, hygiene and sanitation requirements, and medical supplies. The ICJ also orders Israel to open up more crossings and keep them open for “as long as necessary.” The ICJ says that since the provisional measures were first ordered on 1/26 the situation in Gaza has changed from a risk of famine to the beginning of a famine. The PA and South Africa welcome the new measures. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, REU, REU, WAFA 3/28; AJ, AP 3/29)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells families of Israeli soldiers held captive in Gaza that the Israeli military is preparing to enter Rafah. (AJ 3/28)

U.S. military chairperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Brown says the U.S. has not provided Israel with all the weapons they have asked for due to a lack of capacity and not being willing to provide certain types of weapons or ammunition. Politico reports that the Department of Defense is exploring creating a fund for a multinational or Palestinian peacekeeping force in Gaza. (AJ, AP, HA 3/28)

The German bank Berliner Sparkasse freezes the account of the Jewish anti-Zionist group The Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Middle East and request a list of its members and their addresses. (AJ 3/28)

France will reportedly pursue legal action against French Israeli soldiers implicated in war crimes in Gaza. (HA 3/28)

Japan says it will resume funding of UNRWA after foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa meets UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini in Tokyo. France says it will provide $32.41 million to UNRWA in 2024. Kuwait donates $2 million to UNRWA. (AJ, HA, REU, REU 3/28; AJ 3/29)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shoot and injure 2 Palestinians during a raid in Qabatiya. Israeli forces also arrest 30 Palestinians during raids in and around Jalazone refugee camp, Hebron, Tulkarm, Nablus, Jenin, and Tubas. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Gaza City, Khan Yunis, Jabalia refugee camp, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Maghazi, killing at least 81 people, including 30 people sheltering in a home near al-Shifa Hospital. Israeli forces also continue to besiege the Nasser, al-Shifa, and al-Amal hospitals. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Tayr Harfa, Baalbek, Hermel, Ayta ash Shaab, Kafr Kila, and Dhahirah, killing 3 people. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at Avivim, damaging a winery, and at the Mount Meron air base. In Jordan, police violently disperse protesters outside of the Israeli embassy. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb Deir ez-Zor, killing 17 people, including a WHO staffer and an Iranian military advisor. (AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/26; AJ, NYT, UNOCHA 3/27)

More than 32,414 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 74,787 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 440 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 111 children. More than 4,665 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 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 251 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,509 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 193 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The Gaza Media Office says 12 people have drowned trying to retrieve airdropped aid that landed in the sea and 6 have been killed in stampedes while trying to reach airdropped aid in the past week. (AJ, NYT, REU 3/26; UNOCHA 3/27; UNOCHA 3/29)

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh meets Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Tehran. Haniyeh says in a press conference that the UN Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire from 3/25 indicates that “the Israeli occupation is experiencing unprecedented political isolation” and that Israel has not been able to achieve “any of its military or strategic objectives” in Gaza. (AJ, REU 3/26)

Israel recalls its negotiating team from Qatar, saying Hamas insists on “extreme demands: immediately ending to the war, a complete withdrawal of the IDF from the Gaza Strip and to remain in power.” Reuters reports that the negotiation team has been recalled for consultations and a small Israeli team remains in Doha. (AP, AX, HA, REU 3/26)

Israel’s military spokesperson Daniel Hagari says Hamas deputy military commander Marwan Issa was killed on 3/11. The U.S. announced on 3/18 that Issa had been killed. (AJ, AJ, HA 3/26)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant meets with U.S. secretary of defense Lloyd Austin in Washington, D.C. Austin calls the situation in Gaza a “human catastrophe” and says the civilian death toll is “far too high.” Gallant says Gaza will not be governed by Hamas or Israel after the war. German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock calls for unhindered access for aid to Gaza and says the “humanitarian situation in Gaza is hell” during a visit to Israel. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU 3/26)

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says an Israeli ground invasion of Rafah “would hurt Israel’s national security,” citing the potential to further isolate Israel globally. Miller also says Israel’s assertion that the passing of the UN Security Council ceasefire resolution had an impact on the ceasefire negotiations is “inaccurate in almost every respect,” noting Hamas’s response to the Israeli proposal was prepared before the Security Council vote. Lastly, Miller says the U.S. has not made a conclusive determination as to whether Israel is using U.S.-supplied weapons in accordance with international law or hindering U.S. aid from entering Gaza. (AJ, HA 3/26; AP, HA 3/27) 

During a speech at the UN Human Rights Council, UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese says “Israel has committed 3 acts of genocide causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group, deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part, and imposing measures intended to prevent birth within the group.” Albanese also says Israel has dropped 25,000 tonnes of explosives on Gaza since 10/7/2023, equivalent to 2 nuclear bombs. Albanese released a report on Israel’s attacks on Gaza on 3/25. (AJ, HA 3/26)

UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini says UNRWA only has funds to run operations until the end of May. (AJ 3/26)

Colombian president Gustavo Petro says the international community should break diplomatic relations with Israel if Israel does not comply with the Security Council ceasefire resolution. (AJ, HA 3/26)

An Israeli woman held captive in Gaza until she was released on 11/30/2023 tells the New York Times that she was sexually assaulted by one of the people guarding her. Hamas official Basem Naim tells the Times that the allegation will be investigated but that it cannot be done at the moment due to “the current circumstances.” (NYT 3/26)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces install iron gates and place cement blocks at the entrances to Maeen, Shaab al-Butum, and Umm al-Khair in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces also deliver demolition notices for several structures in Hizma. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrest 15 Palestinians during raids in and around Ramallah, Qalqilya, Jenin, Hebron, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers vandalize Palestinian shops in the Old City. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, and Dayr al-Balah, killing at least 107 people. Israeli forces also force Palestinians to evacuate al-Amal Hospital as it and al-Shifa and Nasser hospitals remain under siege. 8 rockets are fired at Israel; no damage is reported. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Meiss Ej Jabal. (AJ, AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, UNOCHA 3/25)

More than 32,333 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 74,694 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 440 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 111 children. More than 4,665 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 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 251 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,509 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 139 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The U.S. and UK airdrop aid over northern Gaza. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 3/25; AJ, HA 3/26; UNOCHA 3/29)

At the UN Security Council, a resolution drafted by the council’s 10 elected members and demanding an immediate ceasefire through the month of Ramadan leading to a lasting ceasefire and the release of Israeli captives passes as the U.S. abstains and the 14 other council members vote in favor. The U.S. claims the resolution is non-binding, contrary to the stipulations of international law, and that the vote does not represent a shift in U.S. policy. U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield says the U.S. abstained because it does not agree with everything in the resolution, noting that the U.S.’s request to add condemnation of Hamas was ignored. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls the U.S. abstention a “clear departure from the consistent U.S. position in the Security Council since the beginning of the war” and cancels an Israeli delegation’s visit to the White House that would have discussed alternatives to a ground invasion of Rafah. The PA calls the resolution a step in the right direction. Hamas says it is committed to the conditions of the resolution and calls on the world to oblige Israel to implement it. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres says the resolution must be implemented and that it would be “unforgivable” if it is not. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AX, AX, AX, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/25; AJ, AP, NYT, WAFA, WAFA 3/26)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas meets with German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock in Ramallah. Germany donates $48 million to UNRWA for programs in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank. (AJ, WAFA 3/25)

Hamas says Israel has not responded to its ceasefire counterproposal and reiterates that the 4 main points of its proposal are: a comprehensive ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, return of displaced Palestinians to their homes in, and “a real exchange of prisoners.” (AJ, HA, REU 3/25; HA, HA 3/26)

Fatah issues a statement attacking Hamas for its criticism of the choice of Mohammad Mustafa as the new PA prime minister, saying “whoever caused Israel’s reoccupation of the Gaza Strip …. Does not have the right to dictate national priorities.” (WAFA 3/25)

The U.S. says it finds Israel’s assurances that it is not using U.S.-supplied weapons in contravention of international law credible and finds that Israel is not impeding U.S. humanitarian assistance to Gaza. 17 U.S. senators urged the Biden administration on 3/22 to determine that the Israeli assurances were not credible. (AJ, HA, HA 3/25)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant meets with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Washington D.C. Blinken reportedly tells Gallant that there are alternatives to an invasion of Rafah and calls for more aid to enter Gaza. (AX, HA, REU 3/25; AJ, NYT 3/26)

UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese issues a report saying that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Albanese adds that, “Israel’s genocide on the Palestinians in Gaza is an escalatory stage of a long-standing settler colonial process of erasure.” Albanese calls on UN member states to implement an arms embargo on Israel in addition to other economic and political measures. Albanese also recommends that South Africa brings its ICJ case against Israel to the UN Security Council as Israel is ignoring the interim rulings. (AJ 3/25; AJ 3/26)

Israeli emergency unity government minister Gideon Saar resigns from the government after his request to join the war cabinet is denied. (AJ, AX, HA, HA, REU 3/25)

Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi says during a press conference with Secretary-General Guterres that there “is nothing to deter Israel, but we have gone beyond that. The Israeli government is led by radical racist menaces.” (AJ, REU 3/25)

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says in an interview with Israel Hayom that Israel has to “finish up” the war because it is “losing at lot of the world … losing a lot of support.” (AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU 3/25; AJ 3/26)

The Brussels City Council votes unanimously to ban public procurement of products made in Israeli settlements. (AJ 3/26)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbs to injuries sustained from Israeli forces during a raid in Beita on 8/21/2023. Israeli forces raid Deir Ibzi, taking measurements for a punitive demolition of the family home of a Palestinian killed on 3/22. Israeli forces also arrest 15 Palestinians during raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Tubas, and Nablus. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Dayr al-Balah, Rafah, Beit Hanun, Jabalia refugee camp, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 72 people, including at least 19 people waiting for aid at the Kuwait Roundabout in Gaza City. Israeli forces also raid and besiege al-Shifa Hospital for the sixth day in a row; 5 patients are pronounced dead as Israeli forces prevent them from receiving care. An Israeli soldier is killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Naqoura Ayta ash Shab, and Khaim. Hezbollah forces attack Israeli positions in Kfarchouba. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/23; AP, HA, HA 3/24; UNOCHA 3/25)

More than 32,142 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 74,412 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 440 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 111 children. More than 4,665 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 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 251 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,489 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 58 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini says Israel has denied all UNRWA requests to deliver aid to northern Gaza this week. The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor says Israel has killed at least 560 Palestinians and injured 1,523 in attacks on people waiting for aid. North Sinai governor Mohamed Shusha says around 7,000 trucks carrying aid are waiting for approval to enter Gaza. (AJ, WAFA 3/23; UNOCHA 3/25)

Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim says Israel has withdrawn its agreement on points previously agreed to in ceasefire negotiations and that it seems that Israel is using the negotiations as cover to continue its attacks. Hamas says an Israeli captive has died due to a lack of food and medicine. (AJ, HA, REU, REU 3/23; REU 3/24)

At the UN Security Council, a vote on a new ceasefire resolution is postponed until 3/25. Israeli ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan says Palestinians need the same “educational transformation that the German people underwent after the Third Reich.” Erdan also says “the road to a permanent ceasefire passes through” Rafah. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres visits the Rafah crossing, calling for a ceasefire and for Israel to give “total, unfettered” access for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA 3/23)

U.S. president Joe Biden signs into law a spending bill that includes a provision to ban U.S. funding of UNRWA until March 2025 and provides Israel with $3.3 billion in funding. (AJ, Congress, HA, HA 3/23)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault 2 Palestinians herding sheep near Burin. Israeli settlers also assault a Palestinian man and set fire to his car during a raid in Burqa. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers raid Arab al-Malihat, threatening shepherds with guns. An Israeli airstrike targeting a vehicle kills the 3 Palestinian occupants. PA forces subsequently violently disperse Palestinians protesting outside of the Jenin governor’s office demanding that a Palestinian prisoner is released to participate in the funeral procession, 30 are injured. A Palestinian allegedly collaborating with Israel is reportedly killed after the airstrike. Israeli forces also raid Tulkarm, razing infrastructure and damaging buildings. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrest 30 Palestinians during raids in and around Tulkarm, Nablus, Hebron, Ramallah, Jericho, and Jalazone refugee camp. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Rafah, and al-Bureij, killing at least 104 people, including the head of aid distribution in Gaza Amjad Hathat. Israeli forces also continue the siege of al-Shifa Hospital and arrest Al Jazeera journalist Mahmoud al-Aliwa, the second Al Jazeera journalist to be arrested by Israeli forces at the hospital. Israeli military chief of staff Herzl Helevi tours the hospital. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Marjayoun, Houla, and Ghandouriya. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at Israeli soldiers in Metula and Avivim. (AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/20; AJ, HA, HA, REU, UNOCHA 3/21)

More than 31,923 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 74,096 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 431 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 111 children. More than 4,665 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 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 250 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,489 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 181 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. Jordan, the U.S., Egypt, Singapore, and Germany airdrop aid over Gaza. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/20; UNOCHA 3/21)

Israel says its forces have killed 90 people in and around al-Shifa Hospital since 3/18 and brought 160 out of 300 arrested Palestinians to Israeli detention centers in the Naqab. Hamas denies Israeli claims that Hamas members were in the hospital. The Gaza Media Office says Israeli attacks have killed more than 100 aid workers in the past week. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU 3/20; NYT 3/21)

Autopsy reports reveal that a Palestinian prisoner who died at the Ofer Prison on 2/8 died due to medical neglect while a prisoner who died on 1/1 at the Megiddo Prison died after being beaten. (HA 3/20)

The Israeli High Court of Justice approves the demolition of the family home of a Palestinian man who was killed by Israeli forces after he injured an Israeli soldier in East Jerusalem on 10/12/2023. It is the first time the Israeli court has approved a punitive demolition based on an attack that did not lead to Israeli fatalities. (AJ, HA, HA 3/20)

The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) urges FIFA to sanction Israel due to the Israeli attacks on Gaza. The PFA says 6 other national soccer associations endorse the proposal that will be discussed at the next FIFA congress in May. (AJ 3/20)

Palestinian MK Ayman Odeh is expelled from the Knesset after saying “[w]hat the Israeli army is doing [in Gaza] is murder, a massacre, the starvation of children.” (HA 3/20)

U.S. secretary of defense Lloyd Austin urges Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant to consider alternatives to a ground invasion of Rafah during a phone call. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says “gaps are narrowing” in the ceasefire negotiations. Hamas official Osama Hamdan says the Israeli response to the Hamas counterproposal was negative. Blinken also meets with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Jeddah and UAE foreign minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the UAE. Blinken says the U.S. has submitted a new draft resolution at the UN Security Council calling for an immediate ceasefire. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, REU, REU 3/20; AJ, AJ, AX, HA, NYT, NYT, REU 3/21; AJ 3/22)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with U.S. Republican senators via video link, telling them that he will continue attacking Gaza. Netanyahu also speaks with House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer reportedly declined a request by Netanyahu to address the Senate Democrats. (HA, HA, NYT, REU 3/20; AJ, AJ 3/21)

19 Democratic senators, led by Tom Carper (D-DE), call on the Biden administration to “promptly establish a bold, public framework outlining the steps necessary” to establish a Palestinian state. (AJ 3/21)

Saudi Arabia donates $40 million to UNRWA. (AJ, REU, WAFA 3/20; AJ 3/21)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers shoot and kill a Palestinian man during a raid in Aqraba. Israeli settlers also seize 20 residential structures from Palestinians who were displaced in November 2023 in al-Ma’ajat near Jericho. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man near Beit Fajjar, claiming he shot and injured 2 Israeli soldiers. Israeli forces arrest 4 Palestinians in and around ‘Azzun, Kafr Thulth, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, more than 50 Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least 93 people, including 30 people involved in securing the safe passage of aid to Gaza City at the Kuwait Roundabout in Gaza City, 27 people in a building in Nuseirat refugee camp, and the director of police investigations in northern Gaza Raed al-Banna. Israeli forces continue the siege of al-Shifa Hospital after raiding it on 3/18 and bombing adjacent buildings, killing at least 20 people and arresting 150 during the raid. An Israeli soldier is killed in combat. In Lebanon, Hezbollah forces fire missiles at Israeli forces in al-Tayhat Hill and al-Malikiyah, injuring 2. In Syria, Israel bombs several military sites near Damascus. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/19; AJ, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/20; UNOCHA 3/22)

More than 31,819 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 73,934 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 428 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 111 children. More than 4,665 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 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 250 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,482 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 147 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (UNOCHA, WAFA 3/19; UNOCHA 3/21)

Mossad director David Barnea leaves ceasefire negotiations Doha to brief the Israeli war cabinet, while the rest of the Israeli delegation remains for continued talks. Israel’s Channel 13 reports that Israeli national security and finance ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich say they will resign and leave the government if Israel releases “dozens of terrorists with blood on their hands” as part of the ceasefire deal. The Qatari Foreign Ministry says there is cautious optimism regarding a ceasefire deal. Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh says Israel is trying to sow chaos and sabotage the ceasefire negotiations by assassinating police officers and Hamas officials. The deputy chairperson of Hamas’s political bureau Mousa Abu Marzook reportedly meets UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Tor Wennesland. (AJ, HA, NYT 3/19; AJ 3/20)

Newly appointed PA prime minister Mohammad Mustafa says in a mission statement that he will appoint a “non-partisan, technocratic government that can gain both the trust of our people and the support of the international community” and that will have a “zero tolerance” policy toward corruption. Mustafa also says he will create an independent agency to oversee the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza. The PA issues a statement saying Israel has quietly begun its attack on Rafah by systematically destroying the city. (AJ, AP, WAFA 3/19)

The UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk says Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid for Gaza may be war crime as it could amount to a starvation tactic. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA 3/19)

Canadian foreign minister Melanie Joly says Canada will implement the parliamentary resolution from 3/18 and cease further arms exports to Israel. Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz says “[h]istory will judge Canada’s current action harshly.” (AJ, HA, HA, WAFA 3/19; AJ, REU, WAFA 3/20)

Reuters reports that U.S. congressional leaders and the White House have agreed to continue blocking UNRWA funding until March 2025 as part of a deal to secure a spending bill. U.S. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel tells reporters that the U.S. has “not yet seen conclusive evidence indicating that Israel is using starvation as a weapon in the Gaza war.” (AJ, WAFA 3/19; AJ, NYT 3/20; AJ, HA 3/21)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces arrest 25 Palestinians during raids in and around Qalqilya, Hebron, Bethlehem, Tulkarm, Ramallah, and Jenin. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, al-Bureij, and Gaza City, killing at least 92 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Naqoura, Aitaroun, Ayta ash Shab, Marwahin, and Hamool. Hezbollah forces fire anti-tank missiles at Metula; there are no reports of injuries or damage. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb the southern part of the country, wounding a Syrian soldier. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/17; UNOCHA 3/18)

More than 31,645 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 73,676 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 426 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 111 children. More than 4,665 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 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 247 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,476 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 192 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza, including 13 trucks that arrive in Jabalia refugee camp and Gaza City. The aid arriving in Jabalia is the first in 4 months. U.S. forces airdrop 28,000 meals and 34,500 bottles of water over northern Gaza. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 3/17; UNOCHA, UNOCHA 3/18)

Adalah says it has documented 19 clear cases of torture in Israeli prisons since 10/7/2023, including sexual violence. (AJ 3/17)

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh meets with a delegation of Chinese diplomats in Doha, discussing the situation in Gaza and the political situation in Palestine. (AJ 3/17)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas meets with Brazilian foreign minister Mauro Vieira in Ramallah, warning against the humanitarian consequences of an Israeli invasion of Rafah. (AJ, WAFA 3/17)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says during a press conference with German chancellor Olaf Scholz that Israel will invade Rafah, but that Israel will enable civilians to leave the city. Scholz says an invasion of Rafah would make regional peace “very difficult.” Scholz also says Israel has a “right to defend itself” but adds the humanitarian cost of Israel’s attacks on Gaza is “extremely high, many will argue much too high.” (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, REU 3/17)

Haaretz reports that Israeli finance minister and minister with a portfolio at the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich is trying to appoint a settler, Hillel Roth, from the Yitzhar settlement as the deputy head of the Civil Administration and transfer authority over settlement building regulations to him instead of the military’s Central Command. (HA 3/17; HA 3/18)

Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani meets with UAE foreign minister Abdullah bin Zayed in Doha, discussing ceasefire negotiations. (AJ 3/17)

U.S. president Joe Biden meets with Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar, saying that a ceasefire and more humanitarian aid is needed in Gaza. Varadkar says Irish solidarity with Palestinians is rooted in the Irish “story of displacement, of dispossession, a national identity questioned and denied, forced emigration, discrimination, and now hunger.” (HA 3/15; AJ, HA, NYT 3/17)

U.S. senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) says in an interview that Israel’s claim that UNRWA is a Hamas proxy is “just flat-out lies” and says Prime Minister Netanyahu wants to get rid of UNRWA because he wants to destroy hopes of a 2-state solution. (AJ 3/17)

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reiterates his support for Israel’s attacks on Gaza, saying Israel should “finish it up and do it quickly and get back to the world of peace,” claiming he would make a normalization agreement between Iran and Israel. (AJ, HA, HA 3/17)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raid Jalbun and Huwwara, opening fire at homes; no injuries are reported. Israeli forces demolish 7 agricultural structures in Barta’a and 2 agricultural structures in Qabalan. Israeli forces also deliver a stop-work notice for a Swiss-funded sports field in Qalandia and seize a vehicle and equipment. Elsewhere, Israeli forces set up 2 iron gates on roads leading to Huwwara. Israeli forces also arrest 20 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Jericho, Qalqilya, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raid al-Qibli Mosque at the Haram al-Sharif compound, forcibly removing worshippers. Israeli forces also erect iron barriers at the King Faisal, al-Ghawanmeh, and al-Hadid gates to the compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb al-Bureij refugee camp, Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, and Rafah, killing at least 69 people. Israeli forces also open fire at Palestinians waiting to receive aid at the Kuwait Roundabout in Gaza City, killing at least 21 people and injuring 155. In Beit Kama, a Palestinian citizen of Israel stabs and kills an Israeli soldier before he is shot and killed. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb a home in Naqoura. Israeli forces also bomb Tayr Harfa, Kunin, and Hamul. Hezbollah attacks Israeli soldiers in al-Abad. In Yemen, U.S. forces bomb 9 anti-ship missiles and 2 drones at different sites, saying Houthis fired 4 anti-ship missiles at vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/14; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT 3/15)

More than 31,341 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 73,134 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 425 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 111 children. More than 4,665 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 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 247 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,475 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 142 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. U.S. and Jordanian forces airdrop 13,900 meals over northern Gaza. (HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/14; UNOCHA 3/15)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas appoints the current chairperson of the Palestine Investment Fund and former deputy prime minister and minister of national economy, Mohammed Mustafa, as the new PA prime minister. Abbas says in a statement that he asked Mustafa to create a plan to re-unify the administration of Gaza and the West Bank, lead reforms in the PA government, security services, and economy, and fight corruption. The U.S. National Security Council welcomes the appointment of Mustafa. UK foreign secretary David Cameron also welcomes the appointment. According to Axios, State Department and White House officials have met with Mustafa and heard his plans for post-war Gaza and rehabilitating the PA economy. The PA condemns Israel for setting up barriers and gates around the Haram al-Sharif compound ahead of Friday prayers. The PA also calls on the ICC to summon Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for incitement to kill Palestinians, citing his statement in support of the killing of a Palestinian child in East Jerusalem on 3/12. Abbas speaks with Jordanian king Abdullah II, discussing the situation in Palestine. (AJ, AJ, AX, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/14; AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT 3/15)

Reuters reports that Hamas has submitted a 2-stage ceasefire proposal where the first stage would see Israeli women, children, elderly, and ill captives, including female soldiers, exchanged for 700-1,000 Palestinian prisoners. During the first stage a date for a permanent ceasefire and a deadline for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza would be set. The remaining captives would be released in another prisoner exchange. The Israeli prime minister’s office calls Hamas’s terms “unrealistic” but says the war and security cabinets will discuss the proposal on 3/15. Hamas also calls on Palestinians to break the siege of the al-Aqsa Mosque. (AJ, HA, HA, REU 3/14; AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU 3/15)

Representatives from several clans in Gaza tell international organizations and Israel that they will not participate in Israel’s plan to circumvent Hamas in the distribution of aid. (HA 3/14)

National Security Minister Ben-Gvir bans the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation from broadcasting in Israel and Jerusalem. (WAFA 3/14)

The U.S. sanctions 3 Israeli settlers, Neriya Ben Pazi, Zvi Bar Yosef, and Moshe Sharvit, and the 2 settlement outposts Moshe’s Farms and Zvi’s Farms. Sharvit and Bar Yosef are responsible for the 2 outposts and are also sanctioned by the UK. (AJ, AX, HA, REU, WAFA 3/14)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant signs a letter assuring the Biden administration that Israel will use U.S. weapons in accordance with international law and will allow U.S.-supported humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. (AX 3/15)

The U.S. circulates a draft resolution at the UN Security Council, supporting efforts to establish an immediate and sustained ceasefire. It is unclear when the draft will be put to a vote. (REU 3/14; AP 3/15)

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) calls for new elections in Israel, calling Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu 1 of 4 major obstacles for peace, along with “radical right-wing Israelis in government and society,” Hamas, and PA president Abbas. Schumer also says that if Netanyahu remains in power then the U.S. should “play a more active role in shaping Israeli policy by using our leverage to change the present course.” House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) says he may introduce a standalone bill for aid to Israel, saying Schumer’s comment “made the situation even more urgent.” The House has already passed 2 Israel funding bills, which Schumer has rejected as Senate Democrats want to tie Israel funding to Ukraine funding. The Likud Party condemns Schumer’s remarks, saying “the Israeli public supports a total victory over Hamas, rejects any international dictates to establish a Palestinian terrorist state, and opposes the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza” and that Israel is “not a banana republic.” (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT 3/14; AJ, HA 3/15)

Leader of the Houthi movement Abdul-Malik al-Houthi says Houthi forces will attack Israeli-linked ships in the Indian Ocean that are circumventing the blockade of the Red Sea by going south of the African continent. Al-Houthi also says that 34 members of the Houthi movement have been killed since the U.S.-led anti-Houthi coalition began attacking its forces. (AJ, REU 3/14; AJ, HA 3/15)

The Toronto Star and Reuters report that Canada has stopped shipments of non-lethal military equipment, such as night vision goggles, to Israel due to concerns over human rights violations. (AJ 3/14)

The European Parliament pass a resolution denouncing the “catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, including the risk of imminent starvation.” EU commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic says that neither the EU, nor to his knowledge any other UNRWA donor, has been presented with any evidence against UNRWA employees by Israel. (AJ, REU 3/14)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers block a road leading to Nablus after Israeli forces reopened the road for the first time since 10/7/2023. Israeli settlers also bring livestock to graze on Palestinian farmland in al-Juwaya, damaging crops. Israeli forces assault 5 Palestinians during a raid in Tubas. Israeli forces also issue a military order seizing 29 dunams (7 acres) of land in Sinjil and Turmus ‘Ayya. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrest 37 Palestinians during raids in and around Jalazone refugee camp, Bethlehem, Tubas, Jenin, Hebron, Tulkarm, and Nablus. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Jabalia refugee camp, Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Rafah, Gaza City, and Khan Yunis, killing at least 83 people. An Israeli soldier dies in combat. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fires a missile at a radar site in Shebaa Farms, causing damage. Israeli forces bomb Ayta ash Shab, Naqoura, and Aitaroun. In Yemen, U.S. forces attack 4 missile launch sites. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/7; AJ, HA, REU 3/8)

More than 30,800 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 72,298 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 416 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 108 children. More than 4,648 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 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 245 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,469 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. The U.S. and Jordan airdrop meals in northern Gaza. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/7)

Haaretz reports that according to Israeli figures 27 Palestinians from Gaza held in Israel have died during their detention since 10/7/23, including at the Sde Teiman and Anatot detention camps and during interrogations elsewhere. (HA, WAFA 3/7)

Israel hands over the bodies of 47 Palestinians that had been exhumed and taken to Israel from Khan Yunis. (WAFA 3/7)

A Hamas delegation leaves ceasefire negotiations in Cairo, saying Israel is thwarting all attempts to reach a ceasefire. CIA director Bill Burns reportedly arrived in Egypt on the night of 3/6 to take part in the negotiations. (AJ, AJ, AX, HA, NYT, REU 3/7)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas appoints Hussein Jadallah Hamayel as the governor of Jericho. (WAFA 3/7)

The EU launches a probe into whether Israel is complying with human rights obligations stipulated in the EU-Israel trade agreement. EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borrell says the Israeli actions in Gaza “give the impression that its objectives go beyond destroying Hamas.” (AJ 3/7)

In his State of the Union address, U.S. president Joe Biden says the U.S. military will set up a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza to deliver aid but that no U.S. soldiers will enter Gaza as it will be built offshore. Biden also says, “to the leadership of Israel I say this: Humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip.” Biden is filmed telling Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) that he has told Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that “you and I are going to have a come to Jesus meeting.” The PA presidency thanks Biden for supporting a 2-state solution and a ceasefire during his speech. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA 3/7; AJ, AJ, AJ, AX, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 3/8)

Axios reports that the White House has asked the State Department and the Defense Department to compile a list of all pending arm transfers to Israel. (AJ, AX, HA 3/7)

Norwegian foreign minister Espen Barth Eide warns Norwegian companies about doing business in and with Israeli settlements, saying that they should be aware that there is a risk they contribute to violations of international humanitarian law. (HA 3/7)

Chinese foreign minister Want Yi says China fully supports full Palestinian membership of the UN and that the world can no longer ignore the “historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people.” (HA, WAFA 3/7)

The European Broadcasting Union approves changes to the Israeli song at the Eurovision Song Contest, allowing the Israeli singer Eden Golan to participate. (AJ, HA 3/7)

Spain pledges $22 million to UNRWA. (AJ, HA 3/7)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers demolish an agricultural structure in Qusra. Israeli settlers also assault Palestinians in Maghayyir al-Abeed in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces arrest 16 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Husan, Nablus, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Beit Fajjar. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Khan Yunis, Jabalia refugee camp, Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza City, and Dayr al-Balah, killing at least 90 people, including 9 in an attack on an aid truck in Dayr al-Balah. Israeli forces also open fire at Palestinians waiting to receive flour in Gaza City, causing injuries. 4 Palestinian children die at the Kamal Adwan Hospital due to hunger. In Lebanon, Hezbollah attacks Israeli forces along the Blue Line. Israeli forces bomb Ayta ash Shab and Khiam, (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/3; AJ 3/4)

More than 30,410 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,230 children and 8,860 women, and around 71,700 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 411 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 105 children. More than 4,606 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 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 244 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,432 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 130 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (WAFA 3/3; UNOCHA 3/4)

Haaretz reports that Israel is holding Palestinian prisoners in makeshift cages that do not have walls, beds, or toilets near the Atarot police base. (HA 3/3)

A delegation of Hamas officials, led by Khalil al-Hayya, arrives in Cairo for ceasefire talks. Israeli media reports that the Israeli delegation left Cairo after claiming that Hamas declined to share a list of captives that are still alive. (AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU 3/3; REU 3/4)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas appoints Khaled Abdel Aziz Taha Dudin as governor of Hebron, Ghassan Mohammad Bakr Daghlas as governor of Nablus, and Kamal Muhammad Mahmoud Abu al-Rub as governor of Jenin. PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh meets with U.S. senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) in Ramallah, calling on the U.S. to support an immediate ceasefire and saying Palestine needs a Marshall Plan to recover once the Israeli war on Gaza is over. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 3/3)

Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz arrives in Washington D.C. for meetings with U.S. vice president Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and other officials. It is reported that Gantz’s trip is not done in coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is said to be angry that Gantz is meeting with U.S. officials. Israel’s military claims that its initial review of the Flour Massacre on 2/29 finds that most of the deaths were due to a stampede. Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman calls for early elections. (AP, HA, NYT, REU 3/2; HA, HA, HA, REU 3/3; AP, NYT 3/4)

During a speech in Selma, Alabama, Vice President Harris says “[w]hat we are seeing every day in Gaza is a tragedy,” calling for an immediate 6-week ceasefire. Harris also says Israel must open up additional crossings and not impose “unnecessary restrictions” on aid. (AJ, AJ, AX, HA, NYT, REU, REU 3/3; NYT 3/4)

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation changes the title and some of the text of the Israeli song for the Eurovision Song Contest after the European Broadcasting Union rejected the song “October Rain” for being too political. The changes were reportedly done upon request by Israeli president Isaac Herzog. (HA, REU 3/3)

The New York Times reports that a forthcoming UNRWA report will charge Israel with “a range of ill-treatment” experienced by Palestinians taken from Gaza to detention centers in Israel. The report is based on interviews with 100 of the 1,002 Palestinians that have been released back to Gaza after being detained in Israel. (NYT 3/3)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbs to wounds sustained from Israeli forces in Nur Shams refugee camp on 10/19/2023. An Israeli settler shoots and kill a Palestinian man after he shoots and kills 2 Israeli settlers at a gas station near the Eli settlement. Israeli settlers also throw stones at Palestinians at the Za’atra checkpoint, injuring a man. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers ram a Palestinian man in al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, causing minor injuries. Israeli settlers also raid Arab al-Milehat, throwing stones at homes. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers disassemble and steal 2 agricultural structures in Kisan. Israeli forces shoot and kill 2 Palestinians and injure another while they are picking gundelia flowers near Bayt Awa. Israeli forces also shoot and kill a Palestinian child during a raid in Beit Furik. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Jalazone refugee camp. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian man in Jenin. Meanwhile, Israeli forces demolish a home and 2 agricultural structures during a raid in Ein ad-Duyuk al-Tahta. Israeli forces also arrest 20 Palestinians during raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, and Bethlehem. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Nuseirat refugee camp, al-Bureij refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Jabalia refugee camp, and Beit Hanun, killing at least 81 people. Israeli forces also open fire at an aid convoy where thousands of Palestinians are seeking to gather aid. Eyewitnesses report that Israel used live ammunition, tank shells, and drone-fired missiles to attack the crowd, at least 112 people are killed and 760 are injured. Israeli tanks also run over the bodies of the dead and injured. The attack is dubbed the Flour Massacre. 4 children die of starvation at the Kamal Adwan Hospital. Israeli settlers storm the Beit Hanun (Erez) crossing, attempting to create a settlement in Gaza. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fires 2 rockets at Goren. In Yemen, U.S. forces attack a missile launch site and shoot down a drone. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/29; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 3/1)

More than 30,147 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,230 children and 8,860 women, and around 71,217 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 409 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 103 children. More than 4,606 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 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 240 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,431 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. The Red Crescent says its medical clinic in Jabalia is receiving 100-150 cases of patients with Hepatitis A daily. (AJ, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA 2/29)

22-year-old Palestinian prisoner Assef al-Rifai dies in an Israeli prison, becoming the 11^th Palestinian to die in Israeli prison since 10/7. Al-Rifai, who had been imprisoned since 2022, suffered from cancer. (WAFA 2/29)

In response to the Flour Massacre (see above), Israel’s military first says Palestinians were killed in a stampede trying to get aid, blaming the aid truck drivers, then later said that Israeli soldiers had opened fire due to fear of the crowds but that most of the Palestinians had been killed in a human stampede and by the aid trucks. In its defense, Israel releases edited drone footage which appears to show hundreds of Palestinians taking cover from Israeli bullets. The PA calls the incident an “ugly massacre” and Hamas calls the attack an “unprecedented war crime.” UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres labels the incident appalling and calls for an independent investigation. EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borrell calls it “totally unacceptable,” Colombia denounces Israel’s genocide, suspending weapons purchases from Israel. French president Emmanuel Macron expresses “[d]eep indignation at the images coming from Gaza where civilians have been targeted by Israeli soldiers. I express my strongest condemnation of these shootings and call for truth, justice, and respect for international law.” Spain, Belgium, Turkey, Portugal, Italy, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, China, Canada, Yemen, Australia, and other countries express shock and contempt for the Israeli actions. The U.S. blocks an Algerian statement at the UN Security Council that assigns blame to Israel for the incident, saying it needs to be “thoroughly investigated.” The Israeli newspaper Haaretz for the first time calls on Israel to end its war, citing the incident. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 2/29; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 3/1) 

Representatives from Hamas, Fatah, and many other Palestinian parties meet in Moscow for reconciliation talks and about forming a technocratic consensus government that will lead the PA. Palestinian National Initiative secretary-general Mustafa Barghouti says, “I have never seen the atmosphere so close to unity as it is today.” Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov tells the Palestinian representatives at the meeting that if they can announce a unity position on the basis of the PLO those who use the lack of Palestine unity to prevent “the settlement in the Middle East, will lose their winning cards.” Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh meets with Chinese ambassador to Qatar Zhou Jian, discussing “ways to stop the war” in Gaza. President Mahmoud Abbas meets with UN senior coordinator for humanitarian aid and reconstruction in Gaza Sigrid Kaag and USAID administrator Samantha Power in Ramallah. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 2/29; AJ 3/1)

The Israeli Civil Administration declares 2,640 dunams (652 acres) of land in Abu Dis and al-Eizariya Israeli state land. 120 Palestinian families live on the land. The area declared state land connects the Ma’ale Adumim settlement and the Keidar settlement. (AJ, REU, WAFA 2/29; HA 3/1)

Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Store says the PA has received $114 million from Israel as part of the tax revenue payments and that more money will be dispersed in “the coming days.” (REU 2/29)

UNRWA says it has not received $89 million from the European Commission that was due on 2/29. 17 rights and aid organizations, including Save the Children and Oxfam, call on the EU to disperse the funds. The UN says Israel has not provided evidence about its claims against 12 UNRWA staffers for the independent investigation by the UN. Germany says it will increase aid to Gaza by $21.6 million and that its military will start taking part in aid airdrops if enough aid cannot be dispersed by land. (AP, AP, REU 2/29)

Israel claims it has killed more than 13,000 militants in Gaza since its ground invasion. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls Hamas’s demands for a ceasefire “delusional,” saying he will not accept them and that he rejects international calls for a ceasefire. The Israeli negotiators who had been in Qatar this week return to Israel. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich calls for a “massive” settlement expansion in response to the killing of 2 Israeli settlers near the Eli settlement. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir says aid to Gaza must stop as it endangers Israeli soldiers, citing the Flour Massacre where no Israeli soldiers were injured while more than a 100 Palestinians were killed. The Israeli government says it is still reviewing whether it will severely limit the number of Muslim worshippers it will allow to enter the Haram al-Sharif compound during Ramadan. (AJ, REU 2/29; AJ 3/1)

U.S. president Joe Biden walks back his comment that a ceasefire will happen by 3/4 but says that he is still hopeful. Biden also issues a statement calling on Republicans to pass a bill providing aid to Israel to “help ensure Israel can defend itself against Hamas and other threats.” Biden speaks with Qatar emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, discussing the need for aid and a ceasefire in Gaza. Secretary of State Blinken speaks with Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, discussing the same issues. White House deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton says the U.S. is deeply concerned that it has not received an Israeli plan for how it will provide security for Palestinians in Rafah if the Israeli military invades the city. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) calls on Israel to end its military operations in Gaza, citing the Flour Massacre. (AJ, AX, HA, NYT, REU, REU 2/29; AJ, HA 3/1)

UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk condemns Israel’s war on Gaza, calling it “carnage” at the UN Human Rights Council and says that war crimes have been committed by both Israel and Hamas, calling for accountability for the perpetrators. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 2/29)

New Zealand says it will impose travel bans on “a number” of violent Israeli settlers. New Zealand also designates the entirety of Hamas as a “terrorist group.” (AJ, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/29)

British politician George Galloway of the Workers Party of Britain wins a seat in the UK parliament in the by-election in Rochdale, telling Labour Party leader “Kier Starmer, this is for Gaza.” The Labour Party held the seat in Rochdale until last month when MP Tony Lloyd died. (NYT, NYT 2/29; AJ, AJ, HA 3/1)

Haaretz reports that AIPAC has spent $4.5 million in attack ads against Dave Min in the Democratic primary for a congressional seat in California. (HA 2/29)

The heads of 36 international news outlets sign a letter in support of journalists in Gaza, calling for their protection. (AJ, AP 2/29)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers open fire at Palestinian homes, uproot 10 olive trees, and bring their livestock to graze on farmland in Badia Umm Qissa in the Massafer Yatta area. Israeli settlers also place mobile homes on Palestinian-owned land in Wadi Rahal. Israeli forces raid 2 printing houses in Ramallah and Beitunia, destroying equipment. Israeli forces also issue a notice that Israel will seize 18 dunams (4.5 acres) of land in Deir Dibwan. Elsewhere, Israeli forces erect a metal gate at the entrance to Burin, obstructing movement to the village. Israeli forces arrest 20 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Tulkarm, Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian-owned parking lot located next to the Yusufiya Cemetery at the walls of the Old City. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, and Gaza City, killing at least 87 people. Israeli forces also storm the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis after besieging it for 25 days. 1 Israeli soldier is killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Naqoura, Labbouneh, Tayr Harfa, and Yarin. Hezbollah fires rockets at Birkhat Risha, Kiryat Shmona, and the Zarit military base. In the Red Sea, the Houthi movement says its forces attacked a UK bulk carrier. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/15; AJ, HA, HA 2/16)

More than 28,663 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 11,500 children and 7,200 women, and around 68,396 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 389 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 100 children. More than 4,499 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 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 230 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,361 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 20 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza (UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/15; UNOCHA 2/16)

Hamas denies Israeli claims that it has a presence at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, saying on several occasions it has asked international organizations to inspect hospitals to debunk the Israeli claims that it uses them. Hamas calls the storming of the hospital “a continuation of the war of extermination.” (AJ 2/15; AJ 2/16)

The Committee to Project Journalists releases its annual report, saying 72 out of 99 journalists killed in 2023 were Palestinians reporting on Israel’s war on Gaza. (AJ 2/15)

The UN Conference on Trade and Development says the postwar reconstruction of Gaza will cost around $20 billion. (HA, REU 2/15)

The Washington Post reports that Egypt is building a wall along the Gaza-Egypt border in preparation for a scenario where Palestinians are forced to flee to Egypt due to an Israeli invasion of Rafah. (AJ, HA, WP 2/15; HA, HA, NYT, REU 2/16)

Peace Now releases its annual report, saying a record 26 new settlement outposts were erected in 2023 and a record 12,349 settlement housing units were advanced. (PCN 2/15)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas tells al-Sharq al-Awsat that U.S. officials have only offered him empty assurances regarding the 2-state solution that they never followed through with and that Hamas could join the PLO if they commit to its political platform and approve agreements signed with international bodies. (HA 2/15)

The Arab League meets to discuss the situation in Gaza. Arab League secretary-general Ahmed Aboul Gheit calls “on all parties that understand the gravity of the situation to act immediately in order to stop these crazy [Israeli] plans” to invade Rafah. (AJ, WAFA 2/15)

U.S. investigators from the embassy in Jerusalem visit the family and the scene of the killing of Palestinian American Mohammad Khdour, who was killed on 2/10. U.S. investigators have also visited the family of Palestinian American child Tawfic Abdel Jabber, who was killed last month. (AP 2/15)

President Joe Biden speaks with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, telling him that Israel should not proceed with plans to invade Rafah “without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the civilians.” In a tweet on X, Netanyahu says Israel “continue[s] to oppose the unilateral recognition of a Palestinians state.” U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby tells reporters “I wish I could tell you that flour was moving [into Gaza] but I cannot do that right now.” During a phone call, UK prime minister Rishi Sunak urges Netanyahu to fully open the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing to allow more aid to enter. (AJ, AX, HA, REU, REU 2/15; AJ, HA, HA, REU 2/16)

The prime ministers of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand issue a joint statement calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” and voicing concern over Israel’s planned ground invasion of Rafah. (HA 2/14; AJ, AJ, REU, WAFA, WAFA 2/15)

Ireland says it will donate $21.5 million to UNRWA. (AJ, REU 2/15)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers bring their cattle to graze on Palestinian farmland in Khirbet al-Farisiyya, destroying crops. Armed Israeli settlers force 4 Palestinian families to leave their homes in Kisan. Israeli forces shoot 5 Palestinians with live ammunition, killing 1 child and wounding 5, and shoot 8 others with baton rounds during a raid in Beit Umar. Israeli forces also seize building equipment and arrest 4 Palestinians during a raid in Deir Balut. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 18 Palestinians during raids in Jericho, Hebron, Qalqilya, Nablus, and Ramallah. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces demolish the home belonging to the prominent Palestinian activist Fakhri Abu Diab in Silwan, displacing 10 people. The U.S. and EU condemn the demolition. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, and Gaza City, killing at least 103 people, including Al Jazeera guest analyst Ayman Rafati and his family in an airstrike on Gaza City. Rockets are fired at Zikim and Ashkelon; no damage is reported. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attack Nabatieh and as-Sawana, killing 11 civilians, including 6 children. Israeli forces also kill a Hezbollah member in Adashit. A Hezbollah strike on a military base in Safed kills 1 Israeli soldier and injures 8 others. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/14; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/15)

More than 28,576 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 11,500 children and 7,200 women, and around 68,291 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 389 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 100 children. More than 4,475 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 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 230 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,352 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 130 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The WHO says Israel has prevented the organization from entering the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis since 1/29. (AJ, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 2/14; UNOCHA 2/15)

Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir says Palestinian political leader Marwan Barghouti has been moved to solitary confinement, claiming he was encouraging the outbreak of a third intifada. Hamas has demanded that Barghouti be released as part of a ceasefire deal. (AJ 2/14; AJ 2/15)

Peace Now reports that the Israeli housing ministry has issued tenders for 523 housing units in 10 different settlements in the West Bank since the beginning of 2024. (PCN 2/14)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas issues a statement calling on Hamas to quickly finalize a ceasefire deal to avoid an Israeli invasion of Rafah. The PA requests an extraordinary meeting at the Arab League. (AJ, HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA 2/14; HA 2/15)

CIA director Bill Burns meets with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad director David Barnea, discussing ceasefire negotiations. Netanyahu orders the Israeli negotiation team not to return to Cairo for further talks. Netanyahu says Israel will “fight until complete victory and this includes a powerful action also in Rafah after we allow the civilian population to leave the battle zones.” Netanyahu speaks with French president Emmanuel Macron, who warns him against invading Rafah. Foreign Minister Israel Katz tells his German counterpart Anna Baerbock that UNRWA cannot be part of humanitarian assistance efforts in Gaza. Finance Minister Bezalel Smtorich and Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer announce a plan to provide cash payments of $550 a month for 2 years to new immigrants who settle in the West Bank and in border regions in the north and south. Communications Minister Shlomo Karni approves the UAE field hospital in Gaza’s use of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service. (AJ, AX, AX, HA, NYT, REU 2/14; AJ, AX, HA, HA 2/15; AJ, HA 2/16)

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi meet in Cairo, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. (AJ, AP, HA 2/14; HA 2/15)

U.S. president Joe Biden signs an executive order preventing Palestinians from being deported from the U.S. for a period of 18 months. The order also compels the Department of Homeland Security to issue work permits to Palestinians in the U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirms that Israel is blocking flour from entering Gaza. The State Department condemns the demolition of Fakhri Abu Diab’s home in East Jerusalem. (AJ, AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU 2/14)

The U.S. House of Representatives passes a resolution 418-0 condemning Hamas over accusations that Hamas used sexual violence during 10/7/2023. (HA 2/14)

Spain and Ireland call on the European Commission to investigate whether Israel is complying with international law. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 2/14)

The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. State Department is investigating Israeli usage of white phosphorus in Gaza and Lebanon. (AJ, WAFA 2/15)

The Washington Post reports that the U.S. and several Arab countries will present a long-term plan for establishing a Palestinian state, including Israeli withdrawal from many West Bank settlements, a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem, the rebuilding of Gaza, and international oversight over the Palestinian governance. (NYT, WP 2/14; HA, HA 2/15; HA 2/16)

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology bans the pro-Palestinian student group Coalition Against Apartheid. (AP, HA 2/14)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers shoot and injure 2 Palestinians, including a child, and set a vehicle and a home on fire during a raid in ‘Asira al-Qibliya. Israeli settlers also assault 2 Palestinians and damage their vehicles after raiding their home in Kisan. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian homes and set a car on fire in Madama. Israeli settlers also demolish 3 structures in Susiya. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers set fire to a vehicle in Huwwara. Israeli forces shoot and injure 4 Palestinians during raid in Tell, al-Ram, Tammun, and Ramallah. Israeli forces also violently disperse a funeral procession in Biddu, injuring 2 people with baton rounds. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrest 27 Palestinians during raids in and around Hebron, Tubas, Tell, Deir Ghassana, ‘Azzun, and Arrabah. In East Jerusalem, a Palestinian child succumbs to injuries sustained from Israeli forces on 2/11 in the Old City. Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, and Gaza City, killing at least 164 people, including at least 74 people in Rafah. Israeli forces also shoot and kill 7 and injure at least 14 others at the Nasser Hospital. 3 Israelis soldiers are killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb several places, killing 5 members of Hezbollah, including in a home in Chihine. Islamic Jihad says 2 of its fighters were killed by Israel near the Blue Line. In the Red Sea, Houthi fighters attack a cargo ship with naval missiles, saying it is U.S. owned. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/12; AJ, AP, HA, HA 2/13; AJ, AP, HA 2/14)

More than 28,340 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 11,500 children and 7,200 women, and around 67,984 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 387 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 99 children. More than 4,426 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 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 227 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,326 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 9 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. UNRWA Gaza chief Thomas White says there is an outbreak of hepatitis A and a very high number of Palestinians experiencing diarrhea. (AJ, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/12; UNOCHA 2/13)

Israel says it forces rescued 2 Israeli captives from a building in Rafah. Israel says the large-scale airstrikes on Rafah that killed at least 74 Palestinians were a diversion for the rescue mission. (HA, NYT 2/11; AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, UNOCHA, REU, REU 2/12; NYT 2/13)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas meets with Qatari emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, discussing the possibility of a unity government in Palestine. (HA, WAFA 2/12)

Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah meets with Islamic Jihad secretary-general Ziad al-Nakhalah. (AJ, HA 2/12)

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich says, “the Egyptians bear considerable responsibility for October 7.” A spokesperson for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry says Smotrich is trying to divert attention from Israel’s own shortcomings. Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Interior Minister Moshe Arbel say UN special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese will be banned from Israel, citing her comments that the “victims of 7/10 were not killed because of their Judaism, but in response to Israel’s oppression.” U.S. representative to the UN Human Rights Council Michele Taylor accuses Albanese of having a “history of using anti-Semitic tropes.” (AJ, HA 2/12; AJ 2/13)

U.S. president Joe Biden meets with Jordanian king Abdullah II at the White House. Biden tells the press that Palestinians in Rafah need to be protected. Abdullah II says a lasting ceasefire is needed to protect Palestinians and an Israeli invasion of Rafah would be a catastrophe. (AJ, AX, HA, NYT 2/12; NYT, WAFA 2/13)

The UN Security Council meets to discuss the situation in Rafah and an Algerian draft resolution calling for a ceasefire. Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, says the UN will not play a part in Israel’s plans for evacuation of Rafah, saying “there is no place that is currently safe in Gaza.” ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan says he is deeply concerned about Israel’s plans in Rafah, adding “[a]ll wars have rules and the laws applicable to armed conflict cannot be interpreted so as to render them hollow or devoid of meaning.” Khan also says Israel has not changed its conduct in Gaza and “those who do not comply with the law should not complain later when my Office takes action pursuant to its mandate.” (AJ, HA, NYT 2/12; AJ, HA 2/13)

The U.S. Senate votes 70-29 to approve a bill which if approved by the House and President Biden would provide $95 billion in military aid to Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel, including $14 billion to Israel, ban funding of UNRWA, and provide $9.15 billion in humanitarian assistance to civilians in conflict zones, including in Gaza and the West Bank. Biden calls on the House to immediately approve the Senate bill, which he says, “provides Israel with what it needs to protect its people against the terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah and others.” Before voting in favor of the bill, Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) says Israel is committing “textbook” war crimes in Gaza. (HA 2/12; AJ, AP, HA, HA, INT 2/13)

EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borell calls on the U.S. to suspend military aid to Israel saying, “if you believe that too many people are being killed, maybe you should provide less arms in order to prevent so many people being killed.” (AJ, AJ, HA, HA 2/12)

The UK government sanctions 4 Israeli settlers. The PA foreign ministry welcomes the measure but calls it insufficient. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 2/12)

A Dutch court orders the Dutch government to halt exports of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel. The Dutch government says it will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/12)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attack a Palestinian vehicle traveling near Nahalin, causing damage. Israeli settlers also set fire to an agricultural structure in Ya’bad. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian child, claiming he tried to stab soldiers at a checkpoint near al-Eizariya. Israeli forces also demolish a Palestinian home in al-Burj, displacing 7 people. Elsewhere, Israeli forces erect a surveillance tower and place caravans near Beit Umar. Israeli forces also arrest 28 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Silwad, Ramallah, Tulkarm, Hebron, Jenin, Tubas, and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 113 people. Israeli naval forces bomb an UNRWA aid truck. Israeli forces abduct al-Amal Hospital general manager Haider al-Qaddura and administrative director Maher Atallah as 8,000 people are evacuated from the hospital in Khan Yunis, which has been under an Israeli siege for 2 weeks. In Beershaba, Israeli police shoot and kill a Palestinian citizen of Israel after he allegedly tries to grab an Israeli police officer’s weapon. In Lebanon, Hezbollah attacks 2 Israeli military positions in Shebaa Farms and 1 in Yiftah. Israeli forces kill 3 members of the Amal Movement in an airstrike. In Yemen, U.S. forces bomb a drone launch site. (AJ, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/5; UNOCHA, WAFA 2/6)

More than 27,478 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 11,500 children and 7,200 women, and around 66,835 have been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 375 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 95 children. More than 4,415 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, 223 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,300 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 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. UNOCHA says Palestinians sheltering in and around Khan Yunis and Rafah need 50,000 cold weather tents, 200,000 bedding sets, 200,000 sealing kits, and 200,000 winter clothing kits. 218 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. Jordanian and Dutch forces airdrop aid to the Jordanian Field Hospital in Gaza for the second day in a row. (AJ, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 2/5; AJ, UNOCHA 2/6)

The Israeli military issues evacuation orders for parts of Gaza City and Rafah. The military also says at least 540 Israeli soldiers have been injured in friendly fire since the ground invasion of Gaza began. (AJ, UNOCHA 2/5)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh says Israel has not transferred the PA tax funds to Norway and that the PA has not received any of the money. President Mahmoud Abbas meets with French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne in Ramallah, calling on France to recognize the state of Palestine. Sejourne meets Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz earlier in the day, with Katz thanking Sejourne for suspending UNRWA funding. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 2/5)

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid says he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would enter the emergency government to provide a safety net in favor of a ceasefire deal to get the remaining captives released. A no confidence motion against the government at the Knesset gets 21 votes in favor, failing to obtain the 61 votes required. (HA 2/5)

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres appoints an independent review group led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colanna to assess UNRWA’s neutrality and Israeli allegations against the agency. UK’s Channel 4 reports, after seeing the 6-page dossier Israel used to accuse 12 UNRWA staffers of taking part in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, that Israel “provides no evidence” to back its claim. Instead, the dossier states that “from intelligence information, documents, and identity cards seized during the course of the fighting, it is now possible to flag around 190 Hamas and PIJ terrorist operatives who serve as UNRWA employees. More than 10 UNRWA staffers took part in the seventh of October.” The New York Times reports that UNRWA will lose $65 million by the end of February due to funding suspensions by Germany, Japan, and Sweden. Spain says it will donate $3.8 million in aid to UNRWA.  (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/5; NYT 2/6; HA 2/7)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken meets with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, discussing humanitarian aid to Gaza and regional diplomacy. After the meeting, Blinken says that Saudi Arabia has a strong interest in pursuing normalization with Israel but that it requires “an end to the conflict in Gaza, and a clear, credible, time-bound path to the establishment of a Palestinian state.” Blinken also announces that the U.S. will cancel visas for employees of companies that provide spyware that is used against political activists, human rights defenders, and journalists. (AJ, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU 2/5; AJ, HA, NYT 2/6)

At the UN Security Council, China and Russia criticize the U.S. for its airstrikes on Iraq and Syria on 2/3. (AJ 2/6)

Amnesty International says Israeli killings of Palestinians in the West Bank since 10/7/2023 show “a chilling disregard for Palestinian lives” and “are in blatant violation of international human rights law.” (AI, AJ 2/5)

A man on a motorbike attacks a Palestinian American man driving in Austin, Texas, stabbing and wounding him and pulling a Palestinian flag from the car. (AJ 2/6)

The Japanese company Itochu Corporation’s aviation unit announces it will end its strategic cooperation with the Israeli defense company Elbit Systems, citing the ICJ ruling from January. (AJ, REU, WAFA 2/5)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uproot 450 olive and almond tree saplings in Deir Sharaf. Israeli forces shoot and injure 4 Palestinians with live ammunition during raids in Tubas, Kafr al-Labad, and Hebron. Israeli forces also seize 3 vehicles in al-Zawiya. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raze 5 dunams of land planted with grape vines, uprooting 300 trees in Battir. Israeli forces also arrest 41 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Tubas, Arrabah, Ein as-Sultan refugee camp, Bethlehem, Salem, Bayt Ibia, and Yatta. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, and Rafah, killing at least 118 people. Israeli forces also continue to raid al-Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fires rockets at a radar station in Shebaa Farms. Israeli forces bomb Tayr Harfa. In Yemen, U.S. forces bomb a “UAV ground control station” and shoot down a drone over the Gulf of Aden. (HA 1/31; AJ, AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/1; UNOCHA 2/2)

More than 27,019 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 10,600 children and 7,200 women, and around 66,139 have been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 374 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 94 children. More than 4,391 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, 222 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,293 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 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 200 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. Israelis block trucks carrying aid to Gaza arriving at Ashdod port. The New York Times says its analysis found that Israeli forces have destroyed hundreds of buildings in Gaza in at least 33 controlled demolitions, including schools, mosques, and entire sections of residential neighborhoods. UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzerini says UNRWA could be forced to shut down all its operations if funding does not resume. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/1; UNOCHA 2/5)

Israel releases 114 Palestinian detainees, taken from Gaza to Israel, via the Karem Abu Salem crossing. (HA 2/1

PA president Mahmoud Abbas speaks to Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in a phone call, discussing the situation in Palestine. (AJ, WAFA 2/1)

Hamas official Osama Hamdan says Hamas is studying the proposed ceasefire deal. (AJ, HA, REU 2/1)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant says Hamas’s Khan Yunis Brigade has been disbanded and that Israeli forces will push toward Rafah. Gallant also calls UNRWA “Hamas with a facelift.” (AJ, AP 2/1; AJ, NYT, REU 2/2)

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the Israeli military to examine if it could distribute aid in Gaza instead of UNRWA. Channel 7 reports that Foreign Minister Israel Katz called UNRWA a “part of Hamas’s murder machine.” (AJ, HA 2/1)

U.S. president Joe Biden signs an executive order allowing the U.S. to sanction people participating in acts of violence against civilians in the West Bank. The Department of the Treasury subsequently sanctions 4 settlers, David Chai Chasdai, Yinon Levi, Einan Tanjil, and Shalom Zicherman. In response to the sanctions, Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir calls on the U.S. to rethink its policy in the West Bank and calls the settlers “heroic.” Finance Minister Smotrich calls the decision “anti-Semitic.” Axios reports that the Biden administration considered adding Ben-Gvir and Smotrich to the list. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/1; HA, HA, NYT 2/2; HA 2/4)

UK foreign secretary David Cameron tells AP that UK recognition of the state of Palestine “cannot come at the start of the [peace negotiation] process, but it does not have to be the very end of the process,” saying “[w]hat we need to do is give the Palestinian people a horizon towards a better future, the future of having a state of their own.” Cameron also says that for the UK to recognize the state of Palestine Hamas leaders will have to leave Gaza. Cameron also meets with Lebanese caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati in Beirut. Israeli diaspora minister Amichai Chikli compares Cameron’s statement on recognition of Palestine to UK appeasement of Nazi Germany prior to World War II. (AJ, AP 2/1; AJ, HA, REU 2/2)

Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar tells reporters that Ireland wants the EU to review the EU-Israel Association Agreement on the basis that Israel may be breaching the agreement’s clause on human rights. (REU 2/1)

Belgian minister of development cooperation Caroline Gennez says she and Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib will summon the Israeli ambassador over the bombing of the Belgian development agency’s office in Gaza. (AJ 2/1; REU, WAFA 2/2)

The digital access group Access NOW says at least 30 people in Jordan, including journalists, lawyers, human rights activists, and political activists, have had their cellphones hacked using Pegasus spyware made by the Israeli company NSO Group. (AP 2/1)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault 2 Palestinian children in Susiya in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli settlers also assault a Palestinian man with their rifles south of Hebron. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers demolish a tent and uproot 20 olive trees in the Fatih Sidra area of Masafer Yatta. Israeli settlers also ram Palestinian-owned sheep in al-Muarajat, killing and injuring several. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers attack Palestinian shepherds in Shaab al-Butum, forcing them to flee. Israeli forces open fire at a Palestinian vehicle before assaulting Palestinians in the car and seizing it in Tuqu’. Israeli forces also demolish a Palestinian home in Tarqumiyah. 15 Palestinians are arrested during late-night raids in and around Qalqilya, Nablus, Bethlehem, Qalandia refugee camp, and Kharbatha Bani Harith. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, Beit Hanun, Jabalia refugee camp, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 150 people. Israeli forces also shoot and kill 12 people at al-Amal Hospital. An Israeli soldier is killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Blida, Hanine, at Tiri, Aitaroun, Naqoura, al-Dhahira, Majdalzon, and Labouneh, killing a person and destroying an ambulance. Hezbollah says it attacked 3 Israeli military sites. In Yemen, U.S. forces bomb a missile launch site. (AJ, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/31; AJ, NYT 1/2)

More than 26,900 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 10,600 children and 7,200 women, and around 65,946 have been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 374 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 94 children. More than 4,387 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, 222 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,293 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 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 1/31)

The PA calls for the formation of an international field committee to investigate Israeli crimes in Gaza, referring to the 30 bodies that were found in Beit Lahiya on 1/30 who appear to have been killed and dumped in a mass grave while blindfolded and with their hands tied. (WAFA 1/31)

The UN Security Council meets to discuss the ICJ ruling on provisional measures. PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour says a ceasefire is needed to implement the provisional measures instituted by the ICJ on 1/26. UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordination Martin Griffiths calls the relief entering Gaza “grossly inadequate.” UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres calls UNRWA the “backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza” and iterates his call for countries that have suspended funding for the agency to reverse their decisions. EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borell calls UNRWA’s role in Gaza “irreplaceable” and critical to preserve. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/31; NYT 1/2)

Israeli Channel 12 reports that Mossad director David Barnea briefed the Israeli cabinet on the ceasefire negotiations held over the weekend. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu writes on X that his “red lines” on an agreement are that Israel will not end the war and will not release “thousands of terrorists,” refering to Palestinian prisoners. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir writes a letter to Netanyahu calling on him to block aid from entering Gaza. Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer meets with U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan at the White House. (AJ, HA, REU, REU 1/31)

South African foreign minister Naledi Pandor says Israel is ignoring the ICJ ruling on provisional measures. Pandor also says she asked ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan why he was able to issue an arrest warrant for Russian president Vladimir Putin but not for Prime Minister Netanyahu. (AP, AP, HA 1/31)

The U.S. House of Representatives passes H.R. 6679, preventing entry to the U.S. of members of the PLO, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad in a 422-2 vote. The bill would need to be approved by both the Senate and the president. PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh calls the bill a “dangerous decision” and demands a response from the Biden administration. The PA presidency condemns and denounces the bill for banning the entry of PLO members. (AA, WAFA, WAFA 2/1; WAFA 2/2)

Haaretz reports that Israeli commanders have instructed soldiers to set fire to Palestinian homes in Gaza and that in the past months hundreds of homes have been destroyed by Israeli soldiers setting fire to them. A photo of a note left behind by Israeli soldiers reads “[w]e are not burning the house so you can enjoy it, and when you leave – you will know what to do.” (HA 1/31)

Haaretz also reports that in the aftermath of 10/7/2023, Zaka community emergency response volunteers staged scenes in Israeli villages that were attacked to attract donations for the organization instead of properly handling bodies of deceased Israelis and spread accounts of atrocities that never happened to garner media attention. The Israeli military decided from 10/7/2023 to let Zaka handle the bodies of the dead instead of using its unit trained in the identification and collection of human remains. (HA 1/31)

Ynet reports that Prime Minister Netanyahu told the UN envoys from Malta, Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, Slovenia, and Sierra Leone that UNRWA must be replaced during a meeting in Jerusalem. (AJ, AP, REU 1/31)

Axios reports that U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken has instructed the State Department to review and present policy options on U.S. and international recognition of a Palestinian state. A senior U.S. official tells Axios that some people in the Biden administration think that recognition of a Palestinian state should be the first step toward ending the Israeli occupation rather than the last. (AX, REU 1/31)

U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says the U.S. is looking for an extended pause in fighting in Gaza. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says the U.S. has warned Israel about reducing the size of Gaza. (AJ, HA 1/31)

A federal judge in Oakland, California, dismisses a lawsuit brought by Palestinian Americans seeking to end U.S. support for Israel’s campaign in Gaza on the basis of genocide, saying he would have issued an injunction but is legally not able to do so due to a lack of jurisdiction. The judge, Jeffrey White, instead implores the Biden administration to “examine the results of their unflagging support” of Israel on the basis that “it is plausible that Israel’s conduct amounts to genocide.” (NYT 1/31; AJ, INT, HA 2/1)

The city of Chicago follows a number of other U.S. cities in calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Some 70 cities in the U.S., including Atlanta, Minneapolis, Seattle, Detroit, and St. Louis, have passed resolutions on the Israeli attacks on Gaza with most calling for a ceasefire. (AJ, HA, NYT, REU 1/31; AJ, NYT 2/1)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers bring their cattle to graze on farmland in Deir Balut, causing damage to crops. Israeli settlers also fence off a tract of land and begin construction of a settlement road in the Jordan Valley. Israeli forces fatally shoot 2 Palestinians and injure at least 3 others in Nur Shams refugee camp during the second day of its raid in Tulkarm, bringing the total number of casualties to 8 deaths and at least 26 injuries; Israeli soldiers also continue demolishing infrastructure, blow up 3 homes, and prevent medics from reaching wounded Palestinians. Israeli forces also shoot and injure 10 Palestinians, including 2 with live ammunition and 8 with baton rounds, during raids in al-Bireh and al-Am’ari refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assault 4 Palestinians and injure others with tear gas during a raid in Husan. Israeli forces also demolish several homes and agricultural structures in Duma, displacing around 50 people. Israeli forces arrest 48 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hamala, Hebron, Deir al-Ghusun, Bayt Rima, Balaa, Nablus, Kafr ad-Dik, and Qalqilya. In Gaza, telecommunications services are down for the seventh day in a row. Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Rafah, Beit Hanun, Beit Lahiya, al-Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, Maghazi, and Khan Yunis, killing at least 172 people, including 16 in an airstrike on a home in Rafah and al-Quds TV news director Wael Fanouneh in an airstrike on Gaza City. Israeli forces also demolish al-Israa University in a controlled explosion after using it as a military base. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Aitaroun, Meiss Ej Jabal, Kfar Kila, and Odaisseh, causing damage. Lebanon’s National News Agency says Israel has used white phosphorus in Meiss Ej Jabal. In the Red Sea, the Houthi movement says it has attacked a ship 85 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen with “naval missiles,” causing damage. The U.S. military says it has bombed 2 anti-ship missiles ready to be launched in Yemen. In Iran, Pakistani forces bomb Baluchi separatists, killing 9 people, in what appears to be retaliation for an Iranian strike on Pakistan on 1/16. (NYT 1/17; AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/18; AJ, AP, AP, NYT, REU, REU 1/19)