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...
-
March 28, 2024
-
March 7, 2024
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...
-
February 5, 2024
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...
-
January 31, 2024
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...
-
January 20, 2024
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attack 3 Palestinian shepherds with sticks and steal some of their sheep in Rammun. Israeli settlers also assault a Palestinian man in Huwwara. Elsewhere,...
-
January 14, 2024
In the West Bank, Israeli forces fatally shoot 2 Palestinian children in al-Bireh; Israel claims they threw explosives at a military base. Israeli forces also fatally shoot a 14-year-old...
-
January 4, 2024
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian man at his home in Kisan. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man in Tammun during a raid. Israeli forces also continue the raid in...
-
December 25, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked and injured 2 Palestinians in Deir Istiya. Israeli settlers also stole several cows after Israeli forces arrested the owners of the cows in ‘Ain al-...
-
November 8, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked 2 Palestinians harvesting olives in Burqin, injuring them with sticks and stones. 2 Israeli settlers were shot and injured at the Itamar settlement....
-
November 6, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in Qaryut. Israeli settlers also vandalized Palestinian property, including water tanks, solar panels, and a vehicle in...
-
October 21, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers injured 5 Palestinians in Yasuf, including 3 with live ammunition and 2 with stones. Israeli settlers also assaulted Palestinians harvesting olives in Deir...
-
May 23, 2021
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers used pepper spray on 3 Palestinians at the Wadi Qana nature reserve near Salfit and vandalized 5 vehicles. Israeli forces closed all the entrances to Dayr Nidham...
-
November 12, 2020
In the West Bank, Israeli forces assaulted 1 77-year-old Palestinian man who refused to leave his land near Bayt Umar. Israeli forces also demolished 1 house, 1 retaining wall and a number of...
-
January 7, 2020
In the West Bank, Israeli forces arrested 9 Palestinians, including 8 during late-night raids in and around al-‘Arub refugee camp, Nablus, Jenin, and Ramallah; and 1 at a military checkpoint in...
-
November 9, 2015
The wave of violence and the corresponding Israeli crackdown continue across the oPt. IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian woman at a checkpoint nr. Qalqilya as she approaches them with a knife...
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 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)
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 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 attack 3 Palestinian shepherds with sticks and steal some of their sheep in Rammun. Israeli settlers also assault a Palestinian man in Huwwara. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers vandalize 3 homes in al-Ghazi and Susiya in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces raid the home of a former prisoner in al-Minya, vandalizing it and seizing his car. Israeli forces arrest 22 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Nablus, Tubas, Bethlehem, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities force a Palestinian family to demolish their own home in Silwan. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Jabalia refugee camp, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Beit Lahiya, Rafah, and al-Bureij refugee camp, killing at least 165 people. Israeli forces drop leaflets in Rafah with photos of 69 captives, saying “Want to go home? Provide information if you recognize one of the hostages.” An Israeli soldier is killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces assassinate 2 Hezbollah members in a drone strike on Bazouriyeh and bomb a 3-story house in Houla. In Syria, Israeli forces attack Damascus, killing 5 Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps members. In Iraq, a missile attack on the U.S. al-Asad airbase lightly injures U.S. military service member. In Yemen, U.S. forces bomb an anti-ship missile they say was being prepared to be launched. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/20; AJ, AJ, HA, UNOCHA 1/21)
More than 24,927 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 10,600 children and 7,200 women, and around 62,388 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 362 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 91 children. More than 4,310 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, 191 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,178 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 69,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 80 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. (UNOCHA 1/21)
Al-Baidar Organisation for Defending Bedouin Rights says Israeli forces and settlers committed 1,124 crimes against Palestinian Bedouin communities in the West Bank in 2023. (AJ 1/20)
The Popular Resistance Committees in Gaza’s al-Nasser Salah al-Deen Brigades releases a video of an Israeli captive who says he fears for his life. (AJ, HA, HA 1/20)
Hamas political bureau member Musa Abu Marzouk says Hamas is not interested in keeping the Israeli captives held in Gaza, saying Israel will be forced to make a deal agreeing to a prisoner exchange. (AJ 1/20)
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterates his opposition to a Palestinian state, saying he “will not compromise on full Israeli security control over the entire area west of Jordan.” In response, PA spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeinah says it is time for the U.S. to recognize the State of Palestine. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 1/20; AJ, NYT 1/21)
The Non-Aligned Movement issues a statement calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the remaining captives and expresses support for the South African case against Israel at the ICJ after a summit held in Kampala, Uganda. In a speech to the Non-Aligned Movement members, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres says the “wholesale destruction of Gaza and the number of civilian casualties caused by the Israeli army in such a short period are totally unprecedented during my mandate,” calling on Israel to end its attacks. PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki addresses the summit, criticizing the international system for not ending the Israeli attacks on Gaza. (AJ, AP 1/19; AJ, AP, WAFA, WAFA 1/20; WAFA 1/21)
Belgian minister of development cooperation Caroline Gennez says Belgium will “fully support” the ICJ if it “calls on Israel to cease its military campaign in Gaza.” (AJ, WAFA 1/20)
CNN reports that it has found that Israeli forces systematically destroyed cemeteries in Gaza. (AJ 1/20)
The Times reports that Gadi Eisenkot, Benny Gantz, and Ayre Deri could leave Israel’s emergency government if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant continue to ignore their arguments for a ceasefire to bring back the remaining captives held in Gaza. (AJ, LT 1/20)
The Intercept reports that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) donated $95,000 to House of Representative speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) after he pushed through a $14 billion aid package to Israel. AIPAC donated $104,000 to Johnson in 2023. The aid package is still stuck in the Senate. (AJ 1/20)
In the West Bank, Israeli forces fatally shoot 2 Palestinian children in al-Bireh; Israel claims they threw explosives at a military base. Israeli forces also fatally shoot a 14-year-old Palestinian during a raid in Ein as-Sultan refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces fatally shoot 2 Palestinians near Sa’ir, saying they tried to break through a checkpoint. Israeli forces also shoot and injure 1 Palestinian during a raid in Deir Sammit. Meanwhile, Israeli forces issue stop-work orders for several homes in Furush Bayt Dajan and 2 homes in Duma. Israeli forces arrest 40 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities order owners of 200 homes and other facilities in the Old City to demolish or partially demolish their property, saying they were built illegally after 2015. In Gaza, the telecommunications outage from 1/12 continues for the third day in a row. Israeli forces bomb Beit Lahiya, Dayr al-Balah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Rafah, Gaza City, and Khan Yunis, killing at least 125 people, including 2 Paltel workers trying to restore telecommunications services and 3 relatives of MK Ahmad Tibi in Nuseirat refugee camp. Heavy rain mixed with sewage flood homes and tents in Gaza City, Khan Yunis, and Rafah. Near the Blue Line, Israeli forces fatally shoot 4 people in Shebaa Farms; the Alez al-Islami Brigades say the 4 men were members of their organization. A guided missile fired from Lebanon kills 2 Israelis in Yuval. Israeli forces conduct airstrikes 20 miles north of the Blue Line. In the Red Sea, U.S. forces shoot down a cruise missile fired at a U.S. military ship. (HA 1/13; AJ, HA, HA, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/14; HA, UNOCHA 1/15)
More than 23,868 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 16,350 women and children, and around 60,582 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 345 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 87 children. More than 4,197 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 186 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,113 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 69,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 64 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah crossing, while 113 trucks enter via the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing. The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society says Israel has arrested 5,875 Palestinians in the West Bank since 10/7. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, AX, AX, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/14)
Hamas releases a video of 3 captives who are seen appealing to the Israeli government to stop the attacks on Gaza. Hamas military spokesperson Abu Obeida says the fate of many of the Hamas-held captives is unknown as Israeli attacks may have killed a lot of them. (AJ, HA, REU, REU 1/14; REU 1/15)
The Israeli military releases data on the 100th day of its assault on Gaza, saying it has bombed 30,000 locations, arrested 2,300 Palestinians in Gaza and 2,650 in the West Bank, and killed 9,000 militants in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will keep fighting until “total victory.” (AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA 1/14)
Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz speaks to UAE foreign minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. (AJ, AJ, HA 1/14)
U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says it is time for Israel to start transitioning to a “lower intensity” operation in Gaza. President Joe Biden marks the 100th day of Israel’s war by releasing a statement that does not mention the killing of Palestinians but instead focuses on the Israelis held captive in Gaza. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also tweets about the captives and does not mention the suffering of Palestinians. (AJ, AP, WhiteHouse 1/14; AJ 1/15)
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi says during a press conference with Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry in Cairo that there should be an international peace conference to set a timetable for the implementation of a 2-state solution. (HA 1/14)
Axios reports that President Biden’s patience with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is running out, citing unnamed U.S. officials. Biden is said to have spoken to Netanyahu almost every other day since 10/7 until a phone call on 12/23 where Biden ended the conversation in anger over Israel withholding the PA’s tax revenue, not allowing enough aid to enter Gaza, the intensity of the Israeli bombing of Gaza, and the lack of engagement on plans for after Israel’s war. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) tells Axios that “Netanyahu has given Biden the finger” at every juncture and that the Biden administration pleads with Netanyahu but gets “slapped in the face over and over again.” Axios also says Secretary Blinken’s visit to Israel earlier in the week was contentious due to the Israeli refusal to pay the PA its full tax revenue. (AP 1/13; AX 1/14; HA 1/15)
Israeli Channel 12 reports that war cabinet member Gadi Eisenkot pressed the rest of the war cabinet to make a deal with Hamas to free the remaining captives, however, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reportedly disagreed, saying military pressure is the only way forward. Channel 12 also reports that the Bank of Israel expects the war on Gaza to cost $54 billion between 2023 and 2025. So far, the war has cost Israel $6.6 billion. (AJ 1/14)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian man at his home in Kisan. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man in Tammun during a raid. Israeli forces also continue the raid in Nur Shams refugee camp for the second day in a row. The raid ends after 40 hours with 13 Palestinians suffering from broken bones during Israeli interrogations, 400 Palestinians detained, and vast destruction caused by bulldozers and drone-fired missiles on its second day; 3 Israeli soldiers are reportedly injured during the raid. Elsewhere, Israeli forces begin constructing settler roads in the Masafer Yatta area near Umm al-Khair. Israeli forces also arrest a child and confiscate 60 sheep he is herding. Israeli forces arrest 27 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Tulkarm, Salfit, Qalqilya, Hebron, Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus, Tubas, and Ramallah. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Rafah, Maghazi, Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 125 people, including at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society’s headquarters in Khan Yunis for the third day in a row. Palestinians in Maghazi report that Israeli forces massacre Palestinian civilians with snipers and bulldozers. Jabalia refugee camp floods after heavy rain, leading to sewage mixing with the standing water. An anti-aircraft missile fired at an Israeli helicopter hits a clinic in Kibbutz Nirim. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fires rockets at Israeli soldiers near al-Marj and Israeli forces target Hezbollah in Maroun al-Ras. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/4; AJ 1/5; AJ 1/6)
More than 22,438 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 8,800 children and 6,300 women, and around 57,697 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 318 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 80 children. More than 3,949 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured since 10/7, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 173 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,003 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. As of 12/23, at least 65,000 housing units had been destroyed and 290,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 177 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karim Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 1/4)
Israel’s military publishes on Facebook that it has closed the evacuation corridor on Salah al-Din Street and opened a new corridor on al-Rashid Street. Movement is only allowed from north to south between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. (AJ, UNOCHA 1/4)
The Palestinian Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Authority names 51 Palestinian women and children who had been abducted by Israeli forces in Gaza and taken to the Damon Prison. (AJ, WAFA 1/4)
Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant releases a framework for post-war Gaza in which a Palestinian entity that is not hostile to Israel and is not Hamas nor the PA is in control of Gaza, Israeli settlers do not return to Gaza, but the Israeli military will be able to operate in Gaza and oversee the borders. Gallant also says an international coalition will be responsible for rebuilding Gaza. The PA rejects Gallant’s framework. Gallant also meets with U.S. deputy assistant to the president and senior adviser for energy and investment Amos Hochstein, saying the window for diplomacy with Lebanon is closing. Hochstein also meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who tells him that Israel is seeking “a fundamental change on its border with Lebanon.” Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz says Israel will return its ambassador to Spain. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, REU 1/4; AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA 1/5)
Lebanon files a complaint with the UN Security Council over the Israeli assassination of Saleh al-Arouri and over Israel’s usage of Lebanese airspace to attack Syria. (AJ, HA 1/5)
Jordan says it backs South Africa’s case against Israel at the ICJ. (AJ 1/9)
The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, France, Japan, Germany, Slovenia, the Netherlands, and Qatar condemn statements made by Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir calling for the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the resettling of Gaza by Israeli settlers. UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk says he is “very disturbed” by the statements. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA 1/4; AJ, WAFA, WAFA 1/5)
U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says the U.S. has “not seen anything that would convince us that we need to take a different approach in terms of trying to help Israel defend itself.” Kirby also says that Israel should release the PA tax revenue to the PA, saying it is “Palestinian money,” and defends UNRWA from attacks by Israel and U.S. Republicans, saying “UNRWA does important work.” (AJ, HA 1/4; HA 1/5)
U.S. forces conduct an airstrike in Baghdad, killing Popular Mobilisation Forces commander Hajj Mushtaq Talib al-Saidi. Iraqi prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani condemns the attack, calling it a violation of Iraqi sovereignty and later on 1/5 says the government will start the process of removing the U.S.-led coalition from Iraq. (AJ, AP, HA, REU 1/4; AJ, AP, REU 1/5)
Israel chooses British lawyer Malcom Shaw to represent the country at the upcoming genocide hearings at the ICJ. Axios reports that Israel’s Foreign Ministry has sends out a cable to its embassies instructing its diplomats to pressure countries into issuing statements against South Africa’s case against Israel at the ICJ. (HA, HA 1/4; AX 1/5)
A political appointee at the U.S. Department of Education, Tariq Habash, resigns over U.S. support for Israel’s attacks on Gaza, saying he will not be quietly complicit. Habash was the political advisor in the department’s Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development. (HA, NYT 1/4)
Peace Now issues a report saying settlement activity in the West Bank has surged at unprecedented levels since 10/7. The report says Israeli settlers have created 9 new settlement outposts, made 18 paved roads, returned to the Amona outpost, closed roads for Palestinian vehicles, and built fences outside settlements. (PCN, PCN 1/4; NYT, WAFA 1/5)
The Intercept reports that all CNN stories related to Israel and Palestine are being reviewed at the CNN Jerusalem bureau before publication, where the stories are subject to the Israeli military’s censor. The Intercept also says CNN has issued directives to its journalists on language to avoid, directed them not to relay statements from Hamas, and has hired a former Israeli soldier from the Military Spokesperson Unit to serve as a reporter. (INT 1/4)
Former U.S. vice president Mike Pence tours northern Israel, writing a message on a bomb intended to be dropped on Lebanon. (HA 1/5; HA 1/6; HA 1/7)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked and injured 2 Palestinians in Deir Istiya. Israeli settlers also stole several cows after Israeli forces arrested the owners of the cows in ‘Ain al-Hilweh. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers vandalized 60 olive trees and water pipes in Jalud. Israeli settlers also opened fire at Palestinian farmers near Qaryut. Israeli forces shot and injured 2 Palestinians, including a child, during raids in Aqabah and Silat al-Harithiya. Israeli forces also raided around 200 homes in Burqa, physically assaulting a woman and causing damage at several houses. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished an agricultural structure in Deir Balut and issued stop-work orders for a school near Yatta. 35 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Nablus, Jenin, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Jericho. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities forced a Palestinian family to demolish part of their own home in Shu’fat. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Khan Yunis, Maghazi, al-Bureij refugee camp, Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza City, and Jabalia refugee camp, killing dozens of people. Israeli forces also struck 50 buildings in al-Bureij refugee camp, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Maghazi between 12/24 and 12/25 and 1 of 2 water pipelines supplying water to southern Gaza. 5 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat. 21 patients were evacuated from al-Ahli Arab Hospital and 13 from al-Shifa Hospital to Khan Yunis. In Lebanon, Hezbollah said it killed an Israeli soldier near Kiryat Shmona. Israeli forces attacked Aita al-Shaab. In Syria, Israeli forces assassinated high-ranking Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Sayyed Razi Mousavi in an airstrike in the Sayyida Zeinab area outside of Damascus. Iran said Israel would “pay the price” for the assassination of Mousavi. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/25; AJ, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA 12/26)
More than 20,675 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 8,000 children and 6,200 women, and around 54,500 have been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 296 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 75 children. More than 3,800 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured since 10/7. 148 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 771 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. As of 12/23, at least 65,000 housing units had been destroyed and 290,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. There was no information about aid deliveries into Gaza. (AJ 12/25; UNOCHA 12/26)
An Israeli-made video of hundreds of Palestinians, including children, stripped to their underwear while being detained in a stadium in Gaza circulated in the media. The footage circulated amid reports that Palestinians have been executed in Israeli detention throughout Gaza. Hamas called on the ICC to hold Israel accountable for its killing and “terrorizing [of] civilians” in Gaza. (AJ 12/25; AJ, UNOCHA 12/26)
Israeli interior minister Moshe Arbel said he will revoke the East Jerusalem residency permit of Majed Juaba, claiming he is a known Hamas operative. (HA, HA 12/25)
Egypt presented a proposal for ending Israel’s assault on Gaza to Israel, Hamas, the U.S., and European governments that would see Israel withdraw from Gaza, all the captives released from Gaza, many Palestinian prisoners freed by Israel, and a united technocratic Palestinian government installed. In the first stage of the plan, all civilian captives would be released over a 7 to 10 day ceasefire period where Palestinian prisoners would also be released. The second stage would see all female soldiers released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners over a weeklong period. In the last stage, Hamas and Israel would negotiate the release of the remaining captives and Palestinian prisoners. Hamas denied reporting from Reuters that it and Islamic Jihad had rejected the proposal. (HA, TOI 12/24; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU 12/25; AJ 12/26)
The PLO Executive Committee met in Ramallah, discussing Israeli efforts to displace Palestinians throughout Palestine. (WAFA 12/26)
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, saying there are 3 “prerequisites for peace between Israel and its Palestinian neighbors in Gaza,” the destruction of Hamas, demilitarization of Gaza, including a “temporary security perimeter” around Gaza, and “deradicalization” of Gaza. Netanyahu also visited Israeli soldiers in Gaza. (AJ, NYT 12/25)
MK and former Israeli ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said in an interview that Israel had received inquiries from countries in South America and Africa that are willing to take Palestinian refugees from Gaza in exchange for payment. Danon said “voluntary migration” is natural during and after wars, citing the situation in Syria. In response to Danon’s comments, Prime Minister Netanyahu said he encourages the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza but said Israel has not found countries that will take the displaced. (HA 12/25; HA, HA 12/26)
Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen said he had instructed his ministry to reject the residency permit application and extension of 2 UN staff members, saying the UN “cooperate with the propaganda of the terrorist organization Hamas.” (AJ, AJ, HA 12/25; NYT 12/26)
Ynet reported that the U.S. had rejected an Israeli request for Apache helicopters. Ynet also reported that the U.S. has sent 230 cargo planes and 20 ships loaded with weaponry to Israel since 10/7. (AJ 12/25; AJ 12/26)
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu had ordered Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Mossad Director David Barnea not to meet each other unless Netanyahu is present, saying the ban was related to talks on the release of captives. (AJ, HA 12/25)
U.S. forces attacked alleged Kataib Hezbollah positions in Iraq, killing an Iraqi serviceperson and injuring 18 others. The Iraqi government called the attack “unacceptable.” 3 U.S. soldiers were reportedly injured in an attack by Kataib Hezbollah in Erbil. (HA 12/25; AJ, AP, HA, REU 12/26)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked 2 Palestinians harvesting olives in Burqin, injuring them with sticks and stones. 2 Israeli settlers were shot and injured at the Itamar settlement. Israeli forces shot and killed 2 Palestinian during raids in Bethlehem and at-Tabaqa. Israeli forces also raided Bethlehem, injuring 64 Palestinians and firing tear gas near an orphanage, leading to the evacuation of 100 children. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 3 Palestinians, including a child, during raids at Birzeit University and in al-Mughayyir and Sabastia. 55 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, Nablus, Tulkarm, Ramallah, Tubas, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces demolished the family home in Shu’fat refugee camp of a 13-year-old boy who was arrested after he allegedly stabbed and killed 1 Israeli soldier on 2/13. The father and brother of the Palestinian child were arrested and beaten by Israeli forces ahead of the demolition. The U.S. condemned the demolition. In Gaza, 241 Palestinians were killed, including 43 members of the same family, and around 500 injured in Israeli airstrikes. Israel said it assassinated Hamas member Mahsan Abu-Zina. Israel also said 1 Israeli soldier was killed and 2 seriously wounded in northern Gaza. Rockets were fired at Israel; no injuries were reported. In Syria, Israeli forces conducted airstrikes near Damascus, killing 3 people said to be members of Hezbollah. (HA 11/7; AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/8; AJ, HA 11/9; AP 11/10)
The Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 10,569 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,324 children and 2,823 women, and 26,475 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 2,450 people were buried in rubble, including 1,350 children. 155 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 44 children. More than 2,397 people have been injured. Around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 injured since 10/7. 33 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began. Over 1.61 million Palestinians, around 70% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. As of 11/6, at least 40,000 housing units have been destroyed and 220,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting around 45% of all housing units. Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City shut down most of its operations after running out of fuel and being hit by Israeli airstrikes daily since 11/5. 106 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing. No one was evacuated from Gaza to Egypt. It was estimated that 50,000 people fled the northern part of Gaza to the south, bringing the total number to 72,000 since 11/5. UNRWA said 99 of its staff members had been killed since 10/7, including 2 in the past 24 hours. The WHO said that diarrhea and chickenpox were spreading in Gaza and warned that there was a risk of cholera and other epidemics. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate said 44 Palestinian journalists had been killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and 25 have been detained in the West Bank since 10/7. (AP 11/7; AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/8; AJ, HA, REU 11/9; AJ 11/10)
The Israeli High Court of Justice ruled to evict Israeli settlers who had been occupying Palestinian-owned land for 30 years in the Jordan Valley. The court accepted a petition by 20 Palestinian landowners filed 5 years ago but gave the settlers 7 years to leave the 1,000 dunams (250 acres) of land which was planted with date-bearing palms. The judge wrote in her ruling that the settlers’ cultivation of the land was done in violation “of international law, but also in violation of the government’s declared policy and even contrary to halakhic law.” (HA 11/9)
PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki filed a complaint to the International Atomic Energy Agency over Israeli heritage minister Amichai Eliyahu’s comment that Israel could drop a nuclear bomb on Gaza, calling the comment the “prevailing discourse in Israel” and “an official recognition that Israel possesses nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction.” PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte, who invited Abbas to the Netherlands. Abbas also spoke with Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese, urging him to help stop the Israeli attacks in Gaza, calling it genocide. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/8; AJ, REU 11/9)
Hamas deputy political leader Saleh al-Arouri condemned the U.S. for supporting the continuation of the war on Gaza while encouraging humanitarian pauses and called on Arab states that have normalized relations with Israel to sever political and economic ties. Al-Arouri also said Hamas is ready for a comprehensive deal that would see all Palestinian prisoners released by Israel in exchange for the captives held by Hamas. (AJ 11/8)
Israeli education minister Yoav Kisch said Israel could rebuild Israeli settlements in Gaza. Military chief of staff Herzl Halevi told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that the PA has been working extensively to prevent pro-Hamas demonstrations in the West Bank. (HA 11/8; HA 11/9)
U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken said Israel should not reoccupy Gaza after the war and that Palestinians in Gaza should not be forcefully displaced from Gaza. Haaretz reported that unnamed European diplomats were worried about Israeli politicians’ call to reoccupy Gaza. (HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU 11/8)
The G7 issued a joint statement after a meeting in Tokyo condemning Hamas, supporting Israel’s right to self-defense, and calling for “humanitarian pauses.” (AP, HA 11/7; AJ, AP, HA, NYT 11/8)
26 Democratic senators signed a letter to the Biden administration requesting clarification on Israel’s strategy in Gaza. More than 1,000 staffers from the U.S. Agency for International Development signed a letter calling for an “immediate ceasefire.” 100 congressional staffers also staged a walkout demanding a ceasefire. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT 11/8; AJ 11/9)
The Wall Street Journal reported that Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi had rejected a proposal by CIA director William Burns that would see Egypt take control of the security in Gaza before the PA can take over after Israel’s war. The New York Times reported that a Qatari-mediated deal to release 50 of the Hamas-held captives failed after Israel decided to launch its ground invasion on 10/27. (AJ, HA 11/8; AJ 11/9)
The U.S. Department of Defense said the U.S. military had attacked a facility used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in eastern Syria; 9 people were reportedly killed. Yemen shot down a U.S. drone flying over Yemeni territorial waters. (AJ, HA, NYT 11/8; AJ, HA, HA, NYT 11/9)
Italy said it would send a hospital ship to the coast of Gaza to treat injured Palestinians. (AJ 11/8)
Spanish minister for social rights Ione Belarra called on the international community to sanction Israel and said Israel was carrying out a “planned genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza. Belgian deputy prime minister Petra De Sutter called on the Belgian government to place sanctions on Israel and investigate its bombings of hospitals and refugee camps. (AJ, AJ 11/8; HA 11/9)
Brandeis University banned a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, claiming the student group openly supports Hamas. (AJ 11/8)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in Qaryut. Israeli settlers also vandalized Palestinian property, including water tanks, solar panels, and a vehicle in al-Rakiz and al-Mafqara in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces shot and killed 6 Palestinians during raids in Halhul, Beit Fajjar, and Tulkarm. Israeli forces also shot and injured 8 Palestinian during raids in al-Khader, Tulkarm, Ya’bad, Beit Fajjar, and Halhul. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assaulted 1 Palestinian in ‘Azzun. 70 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Dura, Nabi Salih, Qalqilya, Shu’fat refugee camp, ‘Anata, Hebron, and Nablus, including prominent activist Ahed Tamimi and senior Fatah member Marouf Rifai. The Palestinian Prisoners Commission said 2,150 Palestinians have been arrested since 10/7. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police shot and killed 1 Palestinian minor after he allegedly stabbed 2 Israeli soldiers in the Old City. 1 of the soldiers later died of her wounds. In Gaza, telecommunications were gradually restored in the morning after Israel cut the internet and phone connection on 11/5. 252 Palestinians were killed and 1,200 injured in Israeli airstrikes. Israel said it had attacked 450 sites overnight and assassinated Hamas member Jamal Musa. Israeli airstrikes targeted al-Shifa Hospital, killing 1 and injuring 170 others, and the Nasser Medical Complex, killing at least 8. Bombardments also caused mass casualties in az-Zawaidah and Tel as-Sultan. In Lebanon, Hamas claimed responsibility for firing 16 rockets near Haifa. Israel said it attacked the launch sites. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/6; AJ, AJ, REU 11/7)
The Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 10,022 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,100 children and 2,550 women, and 25,408 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 2,260 people were buried in rubble, including 1,270 children. 151 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 44 children. More than 2,386 people have been injured. Around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 injured since 10/7. 30 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began. Over 1.61 million Palestinians, around 70% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. At least 40,000 housing units have been destroyed and 220,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. 4 ambulances carrying 17 injured Palestinians entered Egypt through the Rafah crossing. 50 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing. PA health minister Mai al-Kaila said 175 medical personnel and 34 civil defense workers have been killed by Israel in Gaza since 10/7. The UN said 89 UNRWA staff members have been killed. The Committee to Protect Journalists said 36 journalists have been killed since 10/7. (AJ, AJ. HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/6; AJ 11/7)
A Palestinian man held in Israeli prison, Majad Ahmed Zaqoul, died in Israeli custody at the Ofer prison, being the third Palestinian to die in Israeli prison since 10/7. Zaqoul was working in Israel on 10/7 and was arrested by Israel shortly after. Israel has not investigated the death of the 2 other Palestinians who died while in Israeli custody since 10/7. (AJ, HA, WAFA 11/6; WAFA 11/7)
The PA refused to accept the partial transfer of its tax revenue collected by Israel after Israel decided to withhold sums earmarked for administration expenses in Gaza, in addition to the funds withheld that Israel says the PA pays to the families of Palestinian detainees and Palestinians killed by Israeli forces. The amount Israel earmarked for Gaza was $140 million a month. PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with Austrian chancellor Karl Nehammer, calling for an immediate ceasefire. (HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 11/6)
The Knesset approved a temporary bill banning consumption of “words of praise, sympathy or encouragement for acts of terrorism” by Hamas or ISIS. Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, demanding that the Israeli military creates “security zones around the settlements and roads” and prevents Palestinians from approaching them. (AJ, HA, REU 11/6)
Qatar condemned Israel for claiming that there was a tunnel system under the Qatar-funded Sheikh Hamad Hospital in Gaza. Israel had released a photo to back up its claims, but engineers have pointed out that the purported tunnel is for water storage. An Al Jazeera investigation later disproved the Israeli claim. (AJ, HA 11/6; AJ 11/8)
South Africa recalled its ambassador to Israel, calling Israeli actions in Gaza “genocide.” The deputy speaker of the Bahraini parliament said the parliament wants to cancel the country’s normalization deal with Israel. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU 11/6; HA 11/7; NYT 11/8)
The UAE said it would establish a field hospital in Gaza and that 5 aircraft carrying the necessary equipment were en route to Egypt. France said it was in talks with Egypt to set up a field hospital in the Sinai to treated wounded Palestinians from Gaza. (AJ, HA 11/6)
The 15 UN Security Council members failed to agree to a resolution on Israel’s attacks on Gaza. The U.S. insisted the council call for “humanitarian pauses” while other states demanded a call for a “humanitarian ceasefire.” UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres launched a $1.2 billion humanitarian appeal to help 2.7 million Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and said Gaza was becoming “a graveyard for children.” (AJ, AP, AX, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 11/6; AJ, HA 11/7)
U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken met with Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara. U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu had discussed “tactical pauses.” Axios later reported that Biden asked Netanyahu for a 3-day ceasefire to allow sufficient aid to enter Gaza. In return, Hamas would release 10-15 captives and verify the identities of the remaining captives, a proposal Netanyahu reportedly rejected. Netanyahu told ABC News that a ceasefire depended on the release of the Hamas-held captives, but that Israel could allow “tactical pauses.” Netanyahu also said Israel will maintain the “overall security responsibility” for Gaza for “an indefinite period” when Israel has finished its campaign. U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patal said in response to Netanyahu’s comments that Gaza will remain Palestinian land and that the U.S. does not support reoccupation. (AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, REU 11/6; AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU 11/7; HA, NYT 11/8)
The U.S. military said a nuclear submarine had arrived in the eastern Mediterranean. The submarine was said to have not been carrying nuclear weapons but Tomahawk missiles. It was also reported that the U.S. planned to send Israel $320 million worth of Spice Family Gliding Bomb Assemblies, a precision guided munition for fighter jets. The State Department approved the shipment. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, REU 11/6; AJ, HA 11/7)
EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen presented 5 principles for after Israel’s war on Gaza; 1) Gaza cannot be a haven for terrorists; 2) Hamas cannot rule Gaza; 3) there cannot be a long-term Israeli security presence in Gaza; 4) no forced displacement of Palestinians; 5) no continuous siege on Gaza. Von der Leyen also announced that the EU will allocate another $27 million in aid to Gaza. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA 11/6)
Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian spoke with Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan about the situation in Gaza, agreeing to convene an extraordinary summit of the OIC in Saudi Arabia on 11/12. (HA 11/6)
The New York Times reported that the U.S. had told Hezbollah and Iran that it will intervene militarily if they attack Israel. (HA, NYT 11/6)
Haaretz reported that U.S. officials told the newspaper that Secretary Blinken got the impression that Israel does not have a strategy for what to do when its war on Gaza ends. Blinken reportedly broached the question in meetings with Israeli officials on 11/3, receiving the impression that the matter has barely been discussed. (HA 11/6; HA 11/7)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers injured 5 Palestinians in Yasuf, including 3 with live ammunition and 2 with stones. Israeli settlers also assaulted Palestinians harvesting olives in Deir Istiya and al-Khader. A Palestinian family of 16 fled their home in Khirbet ar-Ratheem, south of Hebron, after Israeli settlers raided the area, causing destruction to their property and threatening them with guns. Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian minor during a raid in Jericho. Israeli forces also shot and injured 10 Palestinians with live ammunition during raids in Askar refugee camp, Beita, and Deir as-Sudan. Elsewhere, Israeli forces punitively demolished the home of a Palestinian man in Aqabat Jaber refugee camp using explosives. Israeli forces also seized Hamas political bureau deputy leader Salah al-Arouri’s home in Bani Zeid al-Sharqiya, turning it in to a Shin Bet facility. Meanwhile, Israeli forces prevented Palestinians from harvesting olives in Duma, Burin, Zabbuba, and Sebastia. More than 120 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Aroura, Rantis, Bethlehem, Hebron, Deir Sammit, and Nablus. The Palestinian Prisoners Club said at least 1,070 Palestinians have been arrested in the West Bank since 10/7. In Gaza, around 250 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes. Rockets were fired at Israel; no new fatalities were reported. In Lebanon, anti-tank missiles fired at Israel wounded an Israeli soldier and Israel attacked Hezbollah-linked sites. Hezbollah said 19 of its members have been killed by Israel since 10/7, including 6 today. In Cyprus, a small homemade bomb exploded near the Israeli embassy in Nicosia with no damage or injuries reported; 4 Syrians were arrested. (AJ, HA 10/20; AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/21; UNOCHA 10/22)
The Gaza Ministry of Health said as of 5 p.m. at least 4,385 Palestinians had been killed, including at least 1,524 children, and 13,561 had been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7, including 47 entire families consisting of 500 people. The UN said that about 70% of Palestinians killed in Gaza are children and women. It is estimated that hundreds are still trapped in rubble. In addition, Israeli media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. 84 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 26 children. More than 1,653 have been injured, including at least 360 with live ammunition. Israeli officials recorded no new fatalities, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals; 4,629 have been injured since 10/7. The UN reported that over 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half the population in Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7 and that since 11 p.m. on 10/12 there has been a complete electricity blackout due to the Israeli blockade. At least 26,756 housing units have been destroyed and 139,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. At least 42% of all housing units have been either destroyed or damaged in Israeli airstrikes. 43 unidentified Palestinians were buried in a mass grave in Gaza City. It was the second time Palestinians in Gaza were buried in mass graves this week. The Palestinian Health Ministry said 37 medical personnel have been killed since 10/7 and 7 hospitals no longer are operational. The first trucks carrying aid to Gaza arrived through the Rafah crossing. About 35 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza. Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said fuel will not enter Gaza via the Rafah crossing. UNRWA said 17 of its staff members have been killed and 35 of its buildings damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. (AJ, HA 10/20; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/21; HA 10/22; HA 10/23)
Israel said it attacked several high-rise buildings in northern Gaza in recent days in preparation for a ground invasion. Israel also dropped leaflets over Gaza City, warning that Israel considers people who remain there collaborators with terrorists. (AJ 10/21; HA, HA 10/21; REU 10/22)
Hamas said it sought to release 2 additional captives for “humanitarian reasons,” but that Israel declined to receive them. Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh spoke with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. (AJ 10/20; AJ, AJ, HA 10/21)
A PA official told Haaretz that Israel only allowed the aid that arrived in Gaza today to enter because of the release of 2 captives on 10/20 and that future aid will depend on the release of more captives. The official said that the U.S. and European countries have been trying to link aid to the release of civilian captives. (HA 10/21)
5 UN agencies released a joint statement calling the situation in Gaza “catastrophic.” (HA 10/21; WAFA 10/22)
Leaders from the PA, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, Italy, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, South Africa, the UAE, UN, and EU, and senior government officials from Kuwait, Germany, France, Japan, Norway, Russia, and China met at the Cairo Peace Summit on Israel’s war on Gaza. Jordanian king Abdullah II said “[t]oday Israel is literally starving civilians in Gaza but for decades Palestinians have been starved of hope, of freedom and of future,” complaining that Israel is never held accountable and calling its actions in Gaza a war crime. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said Hamas’ attack does not justify “collective punishment of the Palestinian people.” PA president Mahmoud Abbas called on Hamas and Israel to release all captives and prisoners. The summit ended without agreement on a joint statement. Abbas met with Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez, EU high representative for foreign affairs Josep Borell, European Council president Charles Michel, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, Japanese foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa, and South African president Cyril Ramaphosa on the sidelines of the summit. (AJ 10/20; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/21)
Prime Minister Meloni arrived in Israel for meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog. HA 10/21)
U.S. forces shot down 2 drones flying near Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq. The U.S. deployed a THAAD missile defense system battery and multiple Patriot missile batteries in the Middle East to “increase force protection for U.S. forces in the region, and assist in the defense of Israel,” according to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III. (AJ 10/21; HA, NYT 10/22)
The U.S. introduced a draft UN Security Council resolution, saying Israel has a right to defend itself, Iran needs to stop exporting arms to “militias and terrorist groups,” and calling for unhindered aid and protection of civilians. (HA 10/21)
AP said, based on videos, its experts have determined that it was likely an errant rocket that caused the explosion at al-Ahli Arab Hospital on 10/17. French and Canadian intelligence also suggested that an errant rocket fired by Palestinian militants caused the explosion. Investigations by UK Channel 4, Al Jazeera, and Forensic Architecture have concluded that it was likely an Israeli airstrike or artillery fire that caused the explosion. (AJ 10/20; AJ, AP 10/21; AJ, HA, HA 10/22)
Thousands of demonstrators attended pro-Palestinian rallies in many major cities throughout the world, including more than 100,000 in London. (AJ 10/20; AJ, AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/21)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers used pepper spray on 3 Palestinians at the Wadi Qana nature reserve near Salfit and vandalized 5 vehicles. Israeli forces closed all the entrances to Dayr Nidham, closed roads leading to Ya‘bad with concrete blocks and set up a metal gate, and closed access to 7 villages near Salfit. 17 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Kafr Dan, Qabatiya, Ya‘bad, Nablus, Balata refugee camp, al-Twana, Tulkarm, and Ramallah. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Shaykh Jarrah, injuring 1 with a sound bomb. Israel began allowing Jewish worshipers at the Haram al-Sharif compound for the 1st time since the beginning of Ramadan on 4/12; some 250 Jewish worshipers with military escort visited the compound; 9 Palestinians were arrested for protesting the settler incursion. 10 other Palestinians were arrested during raids in Bayt Hanina, al-Tur, and the Old City. In Israel, 1 Israeli woman succumbed to injuries sustained in a fall while seeking shelter on 5/15, raising the Israeli death toll from the Hamas-Israel escalation to 13. (AJ, AP, HA, MEMO, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/23; PCHR 5/27)
PA presidency spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh warned that Israel’s lockdown of Shaykh Jarrah and continued attacks on the Haram al-Sharif compound could lead to an end of the ceasefire, which went into effect on 5/21, and asked the U.S. to intervene to keep the calm. (WAFA 5/23)
Leader of Hamas’s politburo Ismail Haniyeh met with Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, thanking him for Qatar’s support of Palestine. (MEMO 5/24)
Israeli police released a statement saying it had arrested 1,550 people since 5/9 who have taken part in violent and non-violent protest throughout Israel. Over 70% of the people arrested were Palestinian citizens of Israel, prompting Adalah to call it a “war” against Palestinian demonstrators. Israeli police have named the mass arrest campaign “Operation Law and Order.” (AJ, INT, MDW, NYT, WAFA 5/24)
The Jordanian foreign ministry condemned Israel’s continued violations of status quo agreements in East Jerusalem, specifically the continued raids on the Haram al-Sharif compound and policy reversal in allowing Jewish worshipers at the compound. (WAFA 5/23)
U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken said that the Biden administration is committed to “giving Israel the means to defend itself,” despite growing calls among democrats and activists to condition U.S. military aid to Israel. (AJ 5/23)
The UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories Lynn Hastings said that the UN would launch an urgent appeal to countries to help rebuild Gaza after Israeli air strikes caused massive destruction during the latest escalation, which ended on 5/21. U.S. president Joe Biden said his administration would work with the UN to send humanitarian aid to Gaza in a way that prevents Hamas from benefiting. Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz said he will condition any aid that is not for humanitarian relief on the release of Israeli prisoners and the bodies of 2 Israelis to Israel. Defense minister Gantz also said that Gaza should be kept on the “basic humanitarian threshold.” (AJ, HA, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 5/23; HA 5/24)
Kuwait said it will send 40 tons of aid to the Palestinian Red Crescent to help with its response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. (MEMO 5/24)
In the West Bank, Israeli forces assaulted 1 77-year-old Palestinian man who refused to leave his land near Bayt Umar. Israeli forces also demolished 1 house, 1 retaining wall and a number of sheds in al-Walaja, and the foundations of 1 house in Bayt Jala. Elsewhere, Israeli forces leveled Palestinian land in Yanuh to expand a nearby settlement. Israeli forces also clashed with Palestinians during a late-night raid in Kaubar, leading to tear-gas related injuries. 8 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Qalandia, Tulkarm, Yatta, Nablus, and Beita. In East Jerusalem, 4 Palestinians were arrested during raids in al-Tur and Wadi Juz. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on agricultural lands east of Khuza‘a; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/12; PCHR 11/19)
1 Israeli soldier who had been missing since 11/10 was found dead near the Hizma checkpoint in the West Bank. Israel did not provide any further details. (HA 11/12)
The Israeli attorney general Avichai Mendelblit announced that Israel will freeze enforcement of the Kaminitz Law, which aims at punishing Israeli residents who build without a permit. While the law does not single out Palestinian-Israelis explicitly, it disproportionately effects Palestinian-Israelis because the time it takes to obtain a construction permit in Palestinian areas of Israel is much longer than in Israeli-Jewish areas. According to Haaretz, it is estimated that 50,000 Palestinian-owned houses in Israel are built without a permit. The freeze, which lasts until 2023, was seen as a win for the Joint Arab List whose politicians have been working with Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz and justice minister Avi Nissenkorn to get it through. (HA 11/12)
Axios reported that U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo will visit Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Golan Heights. During his trip, Secretary Pompeo is scheduled to visit a settler winery in Psagot near al-Bireh, which announced it will make a new series of wine named after him. The winery is built on 80 dunams (20 acres) of privately-owned Palestinian land seized by Israel. Pompeo will be the 1st U.S. secretary of state to visit both the Golan Heights and West Bank settlements. Pompeo was also the 1st secretary of state to visit the Wailing Wall. PA prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said in a tweet, “[w]e deplore US Sec. of State Mike Pompeo’s intent to visit the illegal settlement of Psagot, built on lands belonging to Palestinian owners in Al-Bireh city, during his visit to Israel next week. This dangerous precedent legalizes settlements& a blot to int’l legitimacy/ UN res’s.” (AX, HA 11/12; AJ, Twitter 11/13; WAFA 11/15)
The NYT reported that U.S. president Donald Trump, in a meeting with U.S. military officials, requested options for attacking Iran’s nuclear site in Natanz. According to NYT sources, he was ultimately dissuaded by the military officials not to launch an attack on Iran. (NYT, REU 11/16)
The prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan said in an interview that the U.S. and at least 1 other unnamed country have been pressuring him to recognize Israel. Prime Minister Khan said he would not normalize relations with Israel until a peace agreement is made with Palestine. Khan, when pressed on what the 2d country was, said, “[l]eave this. There are things we cannot say.” (HA 11/17)
In the West Bank, Israeli forces arrested 9 Palestinians, including 8 during late-night raids in and around al-‘Arub refugee camp, Nablus, Jenin, and Ramallah; and 1 at a military checkpoint in Hebron. During the raid in al-‘Arub refugee camp, Israeli forces confiscated 2,000 NIS ($578). Israeli forces also razed some 100 dunams of agricultural land near Hebron and delivered demolition notices for 4 homes in Yatta. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrested 11 Palestinians at the Haram al-Sharif compound, including 5 in the morning and 6 in the evening. The 6 arrested in the evening were taken into custody because they were chanting “nationalistic slogans” at Israeli police. A video of the incident shows Israeli forces kicking 1 of the Palestinians in the head during the arrest. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire northeast of al-Bureij; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/7; HA 1/8; PCHR 1/9)
An Israeli soldier who placed a snake inside a Palestinian family’s car during a search on 12/23/2019 in Bayt Furik received 18 days of prison. His continued employment for the IDF will be reevaluated by the end of his sentence. (TOI 1/7)
Iran retaliated to the U.S. assassination of Qasem Soleimani on 1/2 by striking 2 U.S. military bases in Iraq, causing damage; no injuries were reported. (AJ, AJ, AJ, CNN, FOX, HA, WP 1/8)
The wave of violence and the corresponding Israeli crackdown continue across the oPt. IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian woman at a checkpoint nr. Qalqilya as she approaches them with a knife. IDF troops conduct a raid on the campus of a university nr. Tulkarm, sparking clashes with Palestinian students; 18 Palestinians are injured. Palestinian youths throw stones at IDF troops in a village nr. Qalqilya, sparking clashes; 1 Palestinian is injured. Israeli soldiers assault and arrest 3 Palestinian students s. of Nablus. The IDF conducts a series of late-night raids in Hebron, 3 villages and al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, 1 village each nr. Tulkarm and Bethlehem, in and around Qalqilya, and ‘Ayn al-Sultan r.c. nr. Jericho, arresting 35 Palestinians, issuing arrest summons to 8, and confiscating over NIS 35,000 (around $9,000). An Israeli settler opens fire on Palestinian farmers harvesting olives nr. Nablus, causing no injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raid a hospital in al-Tur, searching for the medical records of a Palestinian patient (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 11/9; YA 11/10; PCHR 11/12)
Israeli PM Netanyahu meets with U.S. pres. Barack Obama in Washington to discuss U.S. military aid to Israel, the lack of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, and how to deescalate the recent tension in Israel and the oPt. (AP, HA, JP, NYT 11/9; HA, JP 11/10; JTA 11/11)