The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked 1 Palestinian vehicle near Salfit, causing damage. Israeli settlers also threw a Molotov cocktail at a Palestinian-owned truck near ‘Urif, causing it to catch fire. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers uprooted olive, apple, and almond trees in al-Khader. Israeli settlers also set fire to trees in a public park in Qarawat Bani Hassan. 3 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Beit Ijza and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 7/2; PCHR 7/6; UNOCHA 7/8)

Haaretz reported that Israel’s Civil Administration has not been enforcing laws against illegal construction by settlers in the West Bank since Bezalel Smotrich was placed in charge of the agency. In 2022, about 25 Israeli settlement structures were removed or demolished per month while in 2023 the average has been 2 per month. (HA 7/2)

The Israeli government approved the Ramat Arbel outpost in the Galilee as part of its effort to “Judaize” the Galilee. (HA, WAFA 7/2)

In Syria, Israeli forces conducted airstrikes on a Syrian air defense battery Israel claimed had fired an anti-aircraft missile at it which exploded in midair. (HA, MEE, REU, REU, WAFA 7/2)

Israel's Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved a preliminary vote to allow prison sentences for children under 14 if they are convicted on “terrorism” related murder or attempted murder. (HA 7/2)

Israel said it would purchase 25 F-35 fighter jets worth $3 billion from the U.S. with funds from U.S. military aid. (AJ, AP, HA, MEE, REU 7/2)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian crops in al-Twana in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces shot and injured 2 Palestinians with baton rounds during a raid in Burin; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. An Israeli soldier was filmed vandalizing a Palestinian car, including breaking 1 window, in Qaryut. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 7 with baton rounds. (ALM, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/30; PCHR 7/6; UNOCHA 7/8)

Australia, Canada, and the UK issued a joint statement calling on Israel to reverse its decision to expand Israeli settlements, including the advancement of more than 5,000 new settlement units on 6/26, and to shorten the process for approving new settlement units. (REU 6/30; AJ, WAFA 7/1)

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) updated its list of businesses involved in Israeli West Bank settlements, removing 15 business that were included in the 2020 list. The OHCHR said in the report that the list was incomplete as only the 112 business on the 2020 list were reexamined. (OHCHR, WAFA 6/30)

The members of UNESCO voted to readmit the U.S. to the organization after the Trump administration left UNESCO in 2017, citing alleged anti-Israel bias. Palestine was 1 of 10 members to vote against the U.S. readmission. (ALM 6/30; ALM 7/2)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers blocked Route 60 near Turmus ‘Ayya. Israeli forces raided Tura, leading to tear-gas related injuries. (WAFA, WAFA 6/29; PCHR 7/6; UNOCHA 7/8)

A Jerusalem district court made an injunction against the evacuation of a settlement outpost near the Eli settlement after Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant approved an evacuation order for the outpost. (HA, WAFA 6/29)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken announced that former U.S. ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro had been appointed senior advisor for regional integration, a full-time ambassador-level position seeking to convince more countries to normalize relations with Israel. (ALM, HA 6/29)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with a military escort assaulted Palestinians in Umm al-Akhouas in the Masafer Yatta area, injuring 10. Israeli settlers also assaulted 1 Palestinian man with a riffle in Umm Laikhous in the Masafer Yatta area when the man and others in the community confronted armed settlers who had set up tents on their land; 4 Palestinians were arrested when Israeli forces arrived. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raided the Haram al-Sharif compound after the morning Eid al-Adha prayer, arresting 18 Palestinians. Around 100,000 worshippers attended the prayer. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/28; PCHR 7/6; HA 7/8; UNOCHA 7/8)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant signed 4 administrative detention orders for Israeli settlers accused of attacking Palestinians in the West Bank. More than 1,000 Palestinians are imprisoned on administrative detention. (HA, TOI 6/28)

Axios reported that Somalia and Comoros will send officials to attend the next Negev Forum normalization summit as observers. (AX 6/28)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken told the Council of Foreign Relations that rising violence in the West Bank is making it “a lot tougher, if not impossible” to make a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Blinken referred to the West Bank as Israel’s “backyard.” (AJ, ALM, HA, MEE, REU 6/28; HA 6/29)

In the West Bank, armed Israeli settlers attacked 3 Palestinian shepherds near Jericho. Israeli forces shot and injured 2 Palestinians with live ammunition and arrested 6 others during a late-night raid in Nablus. (WAFA, WAFA 6/27; PCHR 7/6; UNOCHA 7/8)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with Israeli president Isaac Herzog, who congratulated Abbas on the occasion of Eid al-Adha. Herzog also condemned recent Israeli settler violence in the call with Abbas. Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant also spoke with PA civil affairs minster Hussein al-Sheikh. (ALM, HA, REU 6/27; AJ 6/28)

1 Israeli soldier was killed during a training exercise in the Naqab. (HA 6/27)

The U.S. State Department said in its annual fiscal transparency report that the PA is still short of the minimum requirements for fiscal transparency, however, it also noted that the PA has made significant progress. (HA 6/27)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken told Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen that the U.S. was concerned with the rise in violence in the West Bank. The 2 also discussed potential normalization deals. (REU 6/27; HA, MEE 6/28)

In a statement, the UN Security Council urged Israel and the PA to avoid actions that could inflame tensions in the West Bank. PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour called on council members to protect Palestinians from settler violence. (WAFA 6/27; AJ, HA 6/28)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set up tents on land near Deir Sharaf. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near Duma, injuring 2 Palestinians and damaging a car. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers assaulted Palestinians with pepper spray near Jamma’in, injuring 1. Israeli forces uprooted 70 olive trees in Khallet al-Qutun near Tuqu’. Israeli forces also leveled land near Qaryut in preparation for settlement expansion. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raided the home of 16 Palestinians who had previously been imprisoned by Israel, seizing cash, several vehicles, and jewelry, claiming that the Palestinians had received payments from the PA. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/26; PCHR 7/6; UNOCHA 7/8)

The Israeli military alleged that a rocket was launched from the Jenin area at Israel before exploding within the West Bank, causing neither damage nor injuries. (HA, JP, TOI 6/26)

An Israeli parole board denied an early release petition for Palestinian prisoner Walid Daqqa, who the Israeli prison service acknowledge is terminally ill with cancer. Daqqa, who has been imprisoned by Israel for 39 years, has already completed his original sentence but was sentenced to an additional 2 years for allegedly helping smuggling cellphones into prison. (WAFA 6/26; HA 6/27)

In Lebanon, 1 Israeli drone was shot down by Hezbollah militants near Zibqin. (AJ, ALM, AP, HA, REU 6/26)

The Israeli Higher Planning Council approved 5,700 settlement housing units and retroactively approved the Palegi Maim, HaYovel, and Nof Harim settlement outposts. 818 housing units received final validation including 359 in Elkana, 381 in Revava, 29 in Givat Ze’ev, 42 in Carmiel, and 7 in Hermesh. 4,915 housing units were approved for deposit, including 1,563 in Eli, 98 in Ariel, 714 in Givat Ze’ev, 340 in Ma ‘ale Adumim, 312 in Beitar Ilit, 310 in Adora, 264 in Etz Efraim, 152 in Ma ‘ale Amos, 78 in Asfar, and 754 in the 3 settlement outposts. Peace Now reported that more than 13,000 housing units had been approved in the first half of 2023. The French foreign ministry and the UN issued a statement condemning the settlement approval and the recent Israeli settler violence. The U.S. said it was “deeply troubled by Israel’s decision.” (HA 6/25; AJ, ALM, ALM, AP, BBC, HA, HA, PCN, REU, WAFA, WAFA 6/26; WAFA 6/27; UN 6/28; NYT 6/29)

The Palestinian Legislative Council in Gaza announced that it had filed a complaint against Israel with the ICC over the Israeli blockade of Gaza. (MDW 6/29)

Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had told a Knesset committee that his government is ready to help the PA financially to prevent it from collapsing but that the Palestinian “ambitions for the establishment of a state must be eliminated.” (NA, QDS 6/26; MEMO 6/27; QDS 6/29)

The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs counted 570 Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians and Palestinian property between 1 January and 26 June, raising the number of attacks counted by the UN from 71 in 2022 to 95 incidents in the first half of 2023. (HA 7/1)

The Taub Center for Israel Studies at New York University made available documents from the Israeli archives showing that the Israeli military poisoned Palestinian land around Aqraba in 1972 to ensure that Palestinians could not cultivate the land as Israel established the Gitit settlement on land confiscated from the town’s residents. The Israeli military estimated that they had caused property loss from the spraying of the land amounting to $25,000. (HA 6/23)

In West Bank, Israeli settlers burned Palestinian crops outside of Turmus ‘Ayya. Israeli settlers also sprayed racist graffiti on agricultural structures in Shufa and stole 1 donkey. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers assaulted 1 Palestinian in al-Zawiya. Israeli forces arrested 3 Palestinian minors during a raid in Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. (MEE, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/25; PCHR 7/6; UNOCHA 7/8)

1 Palestinian was sentenced to death by hanging by the Military Permanent Court in Gaza for the killing of a police officer on 6/10. (PCHR 6/25)

The Biden administration informed Israel that it will no longer fund research institutes and scientific and technological projects in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, reversing a policy made by the Trump administration. Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen voiced his disapproval with the decision, saying “[i]n similar cases, in the past, the Israeli government has always made sure to give full damages to those hurt by these decisions.” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller later clarified that the U.S. had not reversed the Trump administration’s interpretation that settlements are “not per se inconsistent with international law.” (AX, HA, TOI, TOI 6/25; MEE 6/26; HA, WAFA 6/27)

In the West Bank, around 100 Israeli settlers with a military escort raided Umm Safa, attacking Palestinians, including journalists from Palestine TV, setting fire to houses and vehicles, and throwing stones at vehicles, including an ambulance; 4 Israeli settlers was arrested. 1 Israeli military vehicle was set on fire during the assault on Umm Safa. 1 Israeli soldier was later arrested on suspicion of being an active participant in the settler attacks. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles near Ras Karkar, injuring 1 Palestinian. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers vandalized 6 tents in al-Mughayyir. Israeli settlers also set fire to Palestinian crops in al-Twana and let their sheep graze on crops in Ein al-Beida in the Masafer Yatta area. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers set up 2 mobile homes near Deir Istiya. Israeli settlers also set fire to trees near Sa‘ir. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian minor who allegedly opened fire at Israeli soldiers at the Qalandia checkpoint. 3 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Ya’bad and Arrabah, including 1 minor. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/24; HA, HA, HA 6/25; PCHR 7/6; UNOCHA 7/8)

In Tel Aviv, thousands of Israelis continued the weekly protest against the Israeli government for the 25th Saturday in a row. (HA, HA 6/24)

Israeli military chief of staff Herzl Halevi, Shin Bet director Ronen Bar, and Police commissioner Kobi Shabtai issued a statement calling the Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians “nationalist terror” and claimed that the Israeli military would expend more resources to prevent the attacks and the Shin Bet would increase its usage of administrative detention against Israeli settlers. (HA, REU 6/24; AJ 6/25)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with a military escort raided Deir Dibwan, setting fire to trees; 1 Palestinian was injured by live ammunition fired by Israeli forces during the raid. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles near Beitin and Hebron. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian man during a raid in Nablus. Israeli forces also shot a 5-year-old Palestinian boy in the eye with a rubber-coated bullet in Bizarya; the boy’s eye was later removed at a hospital. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 4 with baton rounds and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bayt Dajan, causing tear-gas related injuries. Meanwhile, Israeli forces seized 1 excavator in Dahariya. 11 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Askar refugee camp, Bethlehem, Abu Nuyaim, Beit Umar, Dura, and Tulkarm; 2 Palestinians were injured by Israeli live ammunition during the raid in Askar refugee camp. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/23; WAFA, WAFA 6/24; HA 6/27; PCHR 7/6; UNOCHA 7/8)

The Shin Bet said it had arrested 3 Israeli settlers following several Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian towns and villages in the past week. (AP 6/23)

Representatives from 20 EU countries visited Turmus ‘Ayya to express condolences to the victims of the Israeli settler attack on 6/21. In a statement the countries said as the occupier Israel is obligated to protect Palestinians and prosecute the violent settlers. (WAFA 6/23; HA 6/24)

Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir told Israeli settlers at the partly resettled Evyatar settlement outpost that the settlers should “[r]un to the hilltops” and build settlements “in all the hills around.” Ben-Gvir also called for the Israeli military to “launch a military operation, take down buildings and eliminate terrorists. Not just one or two, but dozens and hundreds and if needed, thousands.” Later on 6/25, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said such calls to grab land are “unacceptable to me.” (HA, WAFA, WAFA 6/23; WAFA 6/24; CNN 6/25)

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan spoke with his Israeli counterpart Tzachi Hanegbi, expressing concern about Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian villages. Several Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including pro-Israel representatives, condemned the settler attacks, as did the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee. Morocco also officially canceled the second summit of the normalization organization the Negev Forum, citing “uncomfortable diplomatic relations.” The summit, scheduled to be held in Rabat, has been postponed since March. (HA, REU 6/23; HA, HA 6/24; HA, WAFA, WAFA 6/25)

U.S. national security spokesperson John Kirby said that U.S. officials had met with victims of the Israeli settler attacks on Turmus ‘Ayya on 6/21 and that U.S. citizens were among the victims. (AJ 6/23)

UN human rights commissioner Volker Türk criticized the Israeli usage of “advanced weapons” in the West Bank this week, saying it was adding to volatility of the situation. For the first time since the Second Intifada, Israel used drones and helicopters to attack Palestinians in the West Bank. (AJ, WAFA 6/23)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set up 6 mobile homes on Palestinian-owned land in al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, creating a new settlement outpost. It was reported Israeli forces leveled land in preparation for the settlers to create the outpost. Israeli settlers also set up caravans near Mukhmas. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers also raided ‘Urif, setting fire to homes and a mosque and vandalizing the electric panel supplying the town, cutting power for hours. Security footage also showed the settlers tearing apart a Quran outside of the mosque. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles near Nahalin, Yasuf, and Ras Karkar. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers with a military escort also attacked Palestinians in Jalud, injuring 1 Palestinian with live ammunition and others with stones. Israeli settlers also raided Sinjil and Umm Safa before being repelled by Palestinians. Separately, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians in Khirbet Tuba in the Masafer Yatta area, causing bruises and damage to property. Israeli forces raided Nablus, punitively demolishing the family home of 1 Palestinian man who allegedly took part in the killing of an Israeli soldier in October 2022; 33 Palestinians were injured by tear gas. Israeli forces also shot and injured 1 Palestinian during a raid in Dheisheh refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished 4 residential structures in al-Maleh. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers assaulted 5 Palestinians in Silwan. Israeli authorities demolished 1 agricultural structure, uprooted trees, and razed a plot of land in Umm Tuba. (ABC, AJ, AJ, ALM, AP, HA, HA, HA, MEE, NYT, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/22; PCN 6/23 HA, HA 6/24; PCN 6/29; PCHR 7/6; UNOCHA 7/8)

The Jerusalem District Planning Committee approved proposed plans to build a new American embassy on a plot of land known as the Allenby complex, which is privately owned by several Palestinian families. It is still undetermined if the U.S. will move ahead with its plans to build the embassy on the plot of land because it was seized by Israel from the Palestinian families after the Nakba. (HA 6/22)

U.S. ambassador to Israel Tom Nides said at a Geneva Initiative event in Tel Aviv that the U.S. does “not stand and watch settler violence. I have been very clear and very specific that we will not stand by, and we are pushing the Israelis to take whatever action they need to take to stop those people.” The Saudi foreign ministry also issued a statement condemning the settler attacks. (HA, WAFA 6/22)

The annual UN report on the treatment of children in conflict zones left out Israel on the list of shame for the killing and mistreatment of Palestinian children. According to the report, 42 Palestinian children were killed and 933 were injured during 2022. Human Rights Watch and the PA expressed disappointment that Israel was left off the list. (AJ 6/23; HRW 6/27; WAFA, WAFA 6/28 AJ 6/29)

The chair and deputy chair of the Elders, Mary Robinson and Ban Ki-moon, issued a statement after visiting Israel and Palestine, warning that the “one-state reality is now rapidly extinguishing the prospect of a two-state solution.” The statement said that Robinson and Ban did not hear a “detailed rebuttal of the evidence of apartheid. On the contrary, the declarations and policies of the current Israeli Government . . . clearly show an intent to pursue permanent annexation rather than temporary occupation, based on Jewish supremacy.” (AP, ELDERS 6/22; MEE 6/23; HA 6/26; HA 7/2)  

In the West Bank, more than 250 Israeli settlers with a military escort raided Turmus ‘Ayya, shooting and killing 1 Palestinian, injuring 12 others with live ammunition, and setting 60 vehicles, 30 homes, and dozens of trees on fire. It was unclear if the Palestinian casualty was killed by settlers or Israeli forces during the raid. Israeli settlers also raided al-Mazra’a al-Gharbiya, vandalizing Palestinian property. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers vandalized farmland, a junkyard, a car wash, vehicles, and a gas station in al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya. Israeli settlers also raided Kafr ad-Dik, vandalizing homes and vehicles. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers vandalized 3 agricultural structures and 25 lemon and fig trees in Burqa. Israeli settlers also set fire to farmland in Husan. Israeli forces assassinated 3 Palestinians, including 1 minor, in a drone strike on a vehicle in Jalama. The Jenin Brigades said 2 of the Palestinians were members of Islamic Jihad and 1 was a member of Fatah. It was the first time since 2006 that Israel used drones to attack Palestinians in the West Bank. Israeli forces also raided ‘Urif, arresting 5 and taking measurements for punitive demolitions of 2 homes. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian during a late-night raid in Kafr Malik. 3 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Tammun, Rumana, and Aqabat Jaber refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities demolished 2 apartments in al-Tur. (AJ, AJ, AX, BBC, HA, HA, MDW, MEE, MEE, MEE, NYT, PCHR, REU, REU, TOI, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/21; AP, HA, NYT, PCHR, PCHR, TIME 6/22; MEE, NPR 6/23; HA 6/24; AJ 6/29; UNOCHA 7/8)

The PA said that it had recorded 310 settler attacks on Palestinians and their property since 6/20. (ALM 6/22)

U.S. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel called on Israel to investigate the incident in Turmus ‘Ayya and to compensate Palestinians for damaged property. The EU also called the settler attacks “unacceptable.” (HA, TOI, WAFA 6/21; MEE, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/22)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government would immediately advance 1,000 new settlement housing units in Eli as collective punishment for the killing of 4 Israeli settlers near the settlement on 6/20. (HA, MEE, REU, TOI 6/21; PCN 6/23)

Axios reported that U.S. senior advisor for energy and infrastructure Amos Hochstein was in Saudi Arabia to continue talks on a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia. It was reported that Hochstein was discussing the Saudi demand for U.S. help in creating a nuclear program in return for formally normalizing ties with Israel. (AX 6/21)

In the West Bank, 1 Israeli settler and Israeli forces shot and killed 2 Palestinians who allegedly shot and killed 4 Israeli settlers and wounded 4 others at a gas station near the Eli settlement east of al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya. Israeli settlers subsequently raided al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, setting fire to 30 cars and 10 homes. Israeli settlers also raided Huwwara setting fire to 20 cars, throwing stones at Palestinian vehicles, and attacking Israeli forces. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles near Nablus and Za‘atra. Israeli settlers, including Religious Zionism Party MK Zvi Sukkot, also entered the evacuated Evyatar settlement outpost in an attempt to resettle it. Israeli forces issued demolition notices for 3 homes and an agricultural building in al-Karmel. Israeli forces also closed several checkpoints near Jenin, Salfit, Ramallah, and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities demolished 1 Palestinian house in Silwan. Israeli forces raided the Haram al-Sharif compound, forcing overnight worshippers at al-Aqsa Mosque to leave in order to facilitate settler tours of the compound in the morning. (AJ, AJ, ALM, HA, HA, MEE, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/20; AP, HA, HA, HA, MDW, MEE, NYT, REU, REU 6/21; AJ, NYT, PCHR 6/22; HA 6/24; UNOCHA 7/8)

In response to the killing of the 4 settlers, Israel revoked travel permits for all Palestinians sharing the last names of the 2 alleged perpetrators. Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir demanded that the Israeli government respond to the killing of the 4 Israeli settlers by assassinations by airstrikes, demolitions, deportations, and death penalty. UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland said he was alarmed by the “cycle of violence.” (AJ, AJ, MEE 6/20; HA, HA, HA, HA 6/22)

Hamas political bureau head Ismail Haniyeh met with Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran. (MEMO 6/21)

U.S. ambassador to Israel Tom Nides tweeted that he was “[d]eeply concerned about the civilian deaths and injuries that have occurred in the West Bank these past 48 hours, including that of minors,” referring to both Israeli settler and Palestinian casualties. This led to criticism from Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog, who said that the “balanced” statement was disrespectful to the Israeli settler casualties. Nides later condemned the killing of the 4 Israelis in a separate tweet. (HA 6/21)

UN Human Rights Council Commission of Inquiry member Miloon Kothari said the commission would continue its investigation, calling the rise in Israeli settler violence disturbing and a means of Israeli annexation. (AJ, REU 6/20)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted 20 olive tree saplings and stole a water tank in Umm Safa. Israeli forces raided Jenin, killing 7 Palestinians, including 2 minors, and injuring 91. 7 Israeli soldiers were injured by an IED; an Israeli combat helicopter subsequently fired on Palestinians while the wounded soldiers were extracted from Jenin. It was the first time since the Second Intifada that combat helicopters were deployed in the West Bank. Among the Palestinian wounded were a clearly marked journalist and a Palestinian minor who was struck by gunfire while at her home. 2 Palestinians were arrested. 7 Israeli vehicles were damaged and left in Jenin. The Palestinian Red Crescent said Israeli forces had fired live ammunition at 4 Palestinian ambulances during the raid. The PA called the incident a “recurring massacre.” Israeli forces also shot and killed 1 Palestinian and injured 2 others with live ammunition during a raid in Husan. Elsewhere, Israeli forces opened fire at a Palestinian vehicle near Tura, injuring 2 who had allegedly rammed 1 Israeli soldier. Israeli forces also demolished a structure in Qalandia. 14 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Jenin refugee camp, Beita, al-Fara’a refugee camp, Hebron, al-Mughayyir, and Jalazun refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, ALM, ALM, AP, BCC, CNN, HA, HA, HA, JP, MEE, MEE, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/19; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, MEE, PCHR, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA 6/20; AJ, HA, MEE, WAFA, WAFA 6/21; AJ, MEE, PCHR 6/22; AJ 6/28; HA 6/29; UNOCHA 7/8)

Israeli finance minister and de facto West Bank governor Bezalel Smotrich called for a “broad operation to eradicate terrorists’ nests” in the West Bank after the Israeli raid in Jenin, saying the raid was “tweezer activity.” UN human rights commissioner Volker Türk expressed “extreme” worry about Israel’s excessive use of forces and extrajudicial killings. Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, Tunisia, and Egypt condemned the Israeli raid. (AJ, AP, HA, WAFA 6/19; WAFA 6/20)

PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh met with U.S. assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs Barbara Leaf in Ramallah. Al-Sheikh called on the U.S. to pressure Israel to end its unilateral measures and stop its deadly raids. (WAFA 6/19)

Israeli national security advisor Tzachi Hanegbi acknowledged that the Israeli hope of direct flights between Israel and Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj would not happen. Israel had been pushing for the flights to show that Israel and Saudi Arabia were nearing a normalization deal. (HA, REU 6/19)

Saudi Arabia barred an Israeli diplomat, who had received an invitation, from an event in Paris where Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman was delivering a speech. (HA 6/23)

An anti-BDS bill was introduced to the British House of Commons by Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove. The bill, which would prevent local councils and universities from boycotting Israel and companies that trade with Israel, will have to pass 5 stages to become law. (MEE 6/16; HA 6/19; MDW, MEE 6/20)

The European Commission’s Trade Department issued new guidelines forcing importers to declare if products are made in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, or the Golan Heights. The guidelines were made to ensure that settlement products are not tariff exempt in the EU the same way that Israeli products are. (HA 6/19)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles near Burqa. Israeli settlers also stole 10 sheep in Yasuf. Israeli forces raided Burqa leading to tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also raided Silat al-Harithiya, leading to tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces issued stop-work orders for 2 roads and 3 houses in Qarawat Bani Hassan. Israeli forces also issued a demolition notice for a primary school in Badia Yatta. PA forces assaulted and arrested 1 Palestinian student who was a candidate for president of Birzeit University’s student council In East Jerusalem. Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, 2 Palestinians were arrested by the Gaza fence. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/18; PCHR 6/19; PCHR 6/22; UNOCHA 7/8)

The Israeli cabinet approved changes to the settlement construction permit process, reducing the influence of the Civil Administration and the Ministry of Defense to significantly shorten the permit process. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was given authority to approve 1 of the permit stages. As a result of the changes, the Higher Planning Council will be approving 4,650 new settlement units in the West Bank. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that the U.S. “is deeply troubled by the Israeli government’s reported decision to advance planning for over 4,000 settlement units in the West Bank. We are similarly concerned by reports of changes to Israel’s system of settlement administration that expedite the planning and approvals of settlements.” Miller further called on Israel to “fulfill the commitments it made in Aqaba, Jordan and Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt” earlier this year. PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh said that the PA would boycott the Joint Economic Committee meeting on 6/19 is response to the cabinet decision. UN secretary-general António Guterres urged Israel to reverse its decisions. (AJ, AX, HA, MEE, NYT, PCN, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/18; AP, HA, HA, MEE, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/19; AJ, MEE, WAFA 6/20; MDW, MDW 6/21)

Israeli sources told Al-Monitor that Morocco had canceled the planned Negev Forum of the normalizing countries, Israel and the U.S., in the country due to the settlement decisions described above. (ALM, HA, MEMO 6/21)

Islamic Jihad secretary-general Ziyad al-Nakhalah met with Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran. (ALM 6/19)

A Hamas delegation led by its political leader Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Tehran for meetings with Iranian officials. (AJ, ALM, QDS, QDS 6/19; MEMO 6/20)

Israel preliminarily approved the development of the Gaza Marine gas field, saying it would require security coordination with the PA and Egypt. A PA official told Reuters that the PA is awaiting to see exactly what Israel has agreed to before it will comment. (AN, HA, JP, REU, TOI 6/18; ALM 6/19; MEMO 6/20)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian during a raid in Jenin. Israeli forces also rammed and injured 1 Palestinian during a raid in Askar refugee camp, with others suffering tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assaulted and arrested 1 Palestinian minor during a raid in Arrabah. Israeli forces also issued a stop-work order for a house in Zwedin in the Masafer Yatta area. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinians farmers west of Khan Yunis; no injuries were reported. In Tayibe, Palestinian citizens of Israel demonstrated against Israeli demolition orders for Palestinian properties in the city. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/17; PCHR 6/22; UNOCHA 7/8)

In Tel Aviv, Israeli demonstrators protested against the Israeli government for the 24th week in a row. (HA, MEE 6/17)

U.S. assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs Barbara Leaf arrived in Israel for meetings with Israeli officials. Leaf is also expected to meet with PA officials next week. (TOI 6/18)

The New York Times reported that U.S. national security council coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk was in Saudi Arabia on an unannounced trip to attempt to negotiate a normalization deal between the U.S., Israel, and Saudi Arabia. (AX, NYT 6/17; NA 6/18)

British Israeli historian Avi Shlaim says in his newly published book Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew that Israel’s Mossad was responsible for several bombings in Iraq in 1950 and 1951 that led to the migration of Iraqi Jews to Israel. (MEE 6/17)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bayt Dajan, leading to tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also raided Beit Umar, injuring 2, including a journalist, with live ammunition and others with tear gas. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 3 with baton rounds and others with tear gas. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police violently dispersed Palestinians and solidarity activists in the Old City demonstrating against Israeli plans to expel the Sub Laban family from their home. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/16; PCHR 6/22; UNOCHA 7/8)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with Kyrgyz president Sadyr Japarov in Bishkek. (WAFA 6/16)

Russia announced that the country and the Israeli-run Jerusalem municipality made an agreement to allow Russia to construct “a complex of buildings and structures used for the need of the branch office of the Consular section of the Russian Embassy in Israel” at a parking lot in Jerusalem. An Israeli official told Haaretz that the agreement was essentially a “real-estate deal” that reinforced the Israeli claim to Jerusalem. (AJ, ALM, HA, REU 6/16)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian herders in al-Thaala in the Masafer Yatta area, forcing them to leave their pastures. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian and wounded 2 others with live ammunition and 170 with tear gas during a punitive demolition raid in Nablus. The Israeli forces demolished the family home of 1 Palestinian accused of having killed an Israeli soldier in October 2022. Israeli forces also raided Ya’bad, razing a road, damaging 2 vehicles, and raiding the Electricity Authority building. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished 1 Palestinian-owned home in Bayt Jala. Israeli forces also demolished 8 residential structures east of Tubas, displacing 16. In East Jerusalem, an Israeli settler threw stones at the Cenacle Christian site, damaging windows. The vandal was released from custody on 6/16 under the condition that he stay away from the Old City for 30 days.  (ABC, AJ, ALM, AP, HA, MEE, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/15; HA 6/18; PCHR 6/22; UNOCHA 7/8)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with Chinese prime minister Li Qiang in Beijing. At the end of Abbas’ 4-day trip, the PA and China issued a joint statement where the PA supported China’s treatment of its Muslim minority in Xinjiang, which has been severely condemned by human rights organizations. (AP, WAFA 6/15; AP 6/16)

The UNRWA staff union in the West Bank ended its 4-month long strike and resumed services in the refugee camps. (WAFA 6/15; REU, WAFA 6/16)

The Islamic Supreme Fatwa Council in Palestine issued a fatwa against participation in the upcoming Israeli municipal elections in Jerusalem. (QDS, WAFA 6/15)

A conference on spitting attacks by Jewish people on Christians in the Old City organized by the Center for the Study of Relations Between Jews, Christians, and Muslims at the Open University of Israel was forced to change its venue from the Tower of David Museum in the Old City of Jerusalem after pressure from the Israeli-run municipality, including from the mayor’s office. Jerusalem deputy mayor Arieh King called the conference “anti-Semitic.” Officials from the Israeli Foreign Ministry and Jerusalem municipality were invited to attend the conference but refused. (HA 6/15)

A CNN investigation confirmed Palestinian eyewitness accounts that Israeli forces did not intervene to protect Palestinians from the Israeli settler pogrom in Huwwara on 2/26. An Israeli soldier told CNN that he and the other soldiers knew of the threat posed by the Israeli settlers but chose not to intervene and instead allowed the settlers to enter Huwwara. The CNN investigation also said that Israeli soldiers only intervened to prevent Palestinian residents from trying to repel the settler attack. (CNN, HA 6/15)

In the West Bank, 5 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Jenin, Jalbun, and ‘Anata. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces arrested 5 Palestinian fishermen and seized their boat west of al-Waha. (PCHR, WAFA, WAFA 6/14; PCHR 6/15; UNOCHA 7/8)

The Israeli military claimed that Israeli soldiers had shot and killed a 2-year-old Palestinian on 6/1 by mistake, as Israeli soldiers mistook Israeli fire elsewhere for emanating from the vehicle the 2-year-old and his father were in. (AP, REU 6/14; AJ, BBC 6/15)

A report released by the Israeli organizations Kerem Navot and Haqel found that half of the privately owned Palestinian land Israel has seized in the West Bank is used for Israeli settlers only. Of 74,000 dunams (18,285 acres) seized in 313 expropriation orders since 1967, around 37,000 dunams (9,142 acres) is accessible to both Palestinians and settlers while 36,000 (8,895 acres) is accessible only to settlers. (HA 6/15)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with Chinese president Xi Jinping in Beijing. Xi told Abbas that China “have always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights.” Xi also said that China would work for a comprehensive and just solution to the Israeli occupation. The 2 sides announced a strategic partnership and signed a number of cooperative agreements. (AJ, AP, ALM, AX, QDS, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/14; HA 6/18)

Islamic Jihad secretary-general Ziyad al-Nakhalah met with Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. (MEMO 6/15; ALM 6/19)

In Syria, Israeli forces conducted airstrikes from the Golan Heights at Damascus, injuring 1 soldier and causing damage. (AJ, AP, HA, MEE 6/14; REU 6/15)

Axios reported that the Negev Forum normalization summit scheduled to be held in Morocco this month was postponed for the 4th time. (AX 6/14)

In the West Bank, 1 unidentified person shot and injured 1 Israeli settler and 4 Israeli soldiers near Ya’bad. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian and injured 8 others during a raid in Balata refugee camp. Israeli forces also demolished a car scrap yard in Ein ad-Duyuk al-Tahta. Elsewhere, Israeli forces issued notifications that it will seize 70 dunams (17.3 acres) of land in Azzun ‘Atma and Masha. 8 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Ya’bad, Dheisheh refugee camp, ad-Doha, Askar refugee camp, and Seida. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolished 1 car wash shop in Shu’fat. 2 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Jabel Mukaber and Silwan. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian fisherman with a baton round west of al-Sudaniyya. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, MEE, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/13; PCHR, WAFA 6/14; PCHR 6/15; UNOCHA 6/18; UNOCHA 7/8)

Israel’s military advocate general said that the soldiers responsible for the death of Palestinian American Omar As’ad on 1/12/22 will not be criminally prosecuted. 78-year-old As’ad died of heart failure after being arbitrarily detained and left on his stomach on the floor in a yard of an abandoned house while handcuffed, blindfolded, and gagged. The U.S. State Department said on 6/14 that it is seeking more information from Israel about the decision not to charge the soldiers. (AP, HA, REU 6/13; AJ, AJ, AP, BBC, HA, MDW, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA 6/14)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas began his 4-day official visit to China. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA 6/13)

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill creating an ambassador-level position at the State Department focused on creating normalization deals for Israel. The bill, which passed 413-13, was co-sponsored by Democrat Ritchie Torres (D-NY) and Republican Mike Lawler (R-NY). (HA 6/13; MDW 6/14)

The Lebanese parliament failed to elect a president for the 12th time. Lebanon has not had a president since Michel Aoun’s term ended in October 2022. (AJ, AP, HA 6/14)

Amnesty International released a report on the Israeli attacks on Gaza between May 9 and May 13, calling on the ICC “to consider the applicability of the crime against humanity of apartheid within its current formal investigation.” Amnesty found that 31 Palestinians had been killed, including in unlawful killings and possible war crimes. Amnesty also found that 3 Palestinians in Gaza were possibly killed by rockets misfired by Palestinian armed groups. (AI 6/13; MEE 6/14)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian agricultural land near ‘Asira al-Qibliya. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near Qusra, causing damage. Israeli forces seized 1 bulldozer and 1 vehicle from Palestinian municipal workers in Beit Umar working to repair a water pipeline. Israeli forces also razed a road, an agricultural structure, and a water well in Hizma. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian during a raid in Zababdeh. Israeli forces also shot and injured 1 Palestinian and arrested 4 others during a raid in Nablus. 11 others were arrested during late-night raids in Qaryut, Beita, Dura, Dheisheh refugee camp, Jalazun refugee camp, and Biddu. In the Naqab, Israeli authorities demolished 5 Palestinian homes in Arara, displacing 50 Palestinians, including 15 children. (QDS, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/12; PCHR 6/15; UNOCHA 6/18; HA 6/24)

Axios reported Israel has notified the U.S. that it will announce plans to construct 4,000 new settlement units this month. (AX, WAFA 6/12; JP, MEE, WAFA, WAFA 6/13; TOI 6/14)

Al Monitor reported that Mohammad Dahlan, Nasser al-Qidwi, and Marwan Barghouti are in talks to present Barghouti as a candidate to succeed PA president Mahmoud Abbas. (ALM 6/10)

PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki met with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Faisal bin Farhan in Riyadh. Al-Maliki asked bin Farhan for help in holding Israel accountable. (WAFA 6/12)

The spokesperson at the Saudi Arabian embassy in the U.S. Fahad Nazer told the Saudi channel Arab News that normalization with Israel “can do wonders . . . but for that to happen, for the kingdom to take that step, we need the core dispute to be resolved,” referring to the Israeli occupation. (HA 6/12)

UNESCO said that the U.S. will rejoin the agency and pay more than $600 million in back dues. Under the Trump administration the U.S. redrew from UNESCO in 2019, claiming the agency had an anti-Israel bias. (AX 6/11; ALM, AP, HA 6/12)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assaulted Palestinians in Hebron. Israeli forces issued 2 demolition notices for homes in as-Samou. In Qalansawe, 1 Palestinian man was shot and killed marking the 100^th Palestinian citizen of Israel to be killed in a homicide in Israel since the beginning of the year. Palestinian citizens of Israel have blamed the Israeli government for its inaction in dealing with gun violence in Palestinian cities and towns. (HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA 6/10; PCHR 6/15; UNOCHA 6/18)

In Tel Aviv, Israelis protested for the 23rd Saturday in a row against the Israeli government. (AJ, AP, HA, HA 6/10)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian man at the Rantis checkpoint, claiming he had tried to take a weapon from an Israeli soldier after his car was stopped at the checkpoint. Israeli forces also tased and injured 1 Palestinian woman near Huwwara, claiming that she had tried to stab an Israeli soldier. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed a funeral procession in Beit Umar, injuring 2 with baton rounds and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 3 with baton rounds and others with tear gas. Meanwhile, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bayt Dajan, injuring 15 with tear gas. 8 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Nabi Salih, Beita, and Zweidin. (AJ, AP, HA, QDS, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/9; PCHR 6/15; UNOCHA 6/18)

The Higher Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel called for a general strike on 6/9 and 6/10 over the continuing rise in homicide rates among Palestinian citizens of Israel, blaming Israeli police inaction. (QDS, WAFA 6/9)

Axios reported that the Israeli government had decided to postpone discussions on settlement construction in the E1 area of the West Bank. Discussions were scheduled to take place next week. According to the reporting, both the U.S. and European countries have expressed concern about the plans to the Israeli government. (AX 6/9; MEE 6/10; JP 6/12)

In South Lebanon, Israeli forces violently dispersed Lebanese protesters demonstrating against Israeli constructing of a barrier near the border between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Lebanon south of Kfar Chouba. UNIFIL soldiers later intervened to help remove the Lebanese protesters. (AP, HA 6/9)

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that PA president Mahmoud Abbas will meet President Xi Jinping during a state visit on 6/13-6/16. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 6/9; JP 6/10; GDN, WAFA 6/11)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces raided Ramallah to punitively demolish the family home of a Palestinian accused of planting 2 bombs in Jerusalem in November 2022; 35 Palestinians were injured, including 20 by live ammunition and others with baton rounds, including 2 clearly marked press photographers who were hospitalized with baton round injuries to their head and stomach. Israeli forces also raided Zweidin in the Masafer Yatta area, firing tear gas at Palestinians and seizing 1 bulldozer. Elsewhere, Israeli forces issued stop-work orders for 5 residential structures in al-Burj. Israeli forces also issued notifications to residents of al-Zawiya that Israel will seize 96 dunams (23.7 acres) of Palestinian-owned land. 27 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Beita, Arrabah, Yatta, Beit Umar, and Biddu. (REU 6/7; AJ, ALM, AP, HA, MDW, MEE, MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/8; NA, WAFA 6/9; AJ 6/10; PCHR 6/15; UNOCHA 6/18)

A delegation of EU diplomats visited the Ghaith-Sub Laban family in the Old City of Jerusalem to show their support as the family is threatened by expulsion from their home this month. (QDS, WAFA 6/9)

Haaretz reported that Lehava chairperson Bentzi Gopstein was advising National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and others in the Israeli police. Gopstein is facing charges for inciting racism and terrorism against Palestinians and has been barred by the High Court of Justice from running for a seat in the Knesset. (HA, JP, TOI 6/8)

Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan told reporters that Saudi-Israeli normalization would have “limited benefits” without agreement on a “pathway to peace for the Palestinian people,” after a meeting with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken. Farhan also said that Saudi Arabia is developing its own nuclear program and would prefer U.S. help in its development but had other bidders too. (AP, AX, REU, REU 6/8)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Secretary of State Blinken that Israel does not consider itself bound by any agreement made between Iran and the U.S. during a phone call. It has been reported that Iran and the U.S. are close to getting back on track on Iran deal renegotiations after secret meetings in Oman last month. According to a State Department spokesperson, Blinken also said that Israel needs to uphold commitments made during the summits in Aqaba and Sharm El Sheikh in the spring. (AX, HA, MEE 6/8)

The UN Human Rights Council’s Commission of Inquiry said in its annual report that Israel is seeking to silence Palestinian civil society by labeling rights groups as terrorists. The report also said that Israel violates Palestinian human rights to ensure its permanent occupation. The commission also criticized Hamas and the PA for limiting expression of freedom. (AP, REU 6/8)

Adalah issued a position paper titled The Acceleration of the Annexation of the West Bank under the 37th Israeli Government led by Prime Minister Netanyahu, outlining the ways the Israeli government is accelerating policies to annex the West Bank. The paper mentions transferring management of settlements to Ministry of the Negev, the Galilee, and National Resilience, the appointment of Bezalel Smotrich as a minister in the Defense Ministry in charge of settlements, legalizing 10 settlement outposts, building over 7,000 new settlement units, re-establishing evacuated settlements, and introducing legislation that applies to the occupied territories. (Adalah, Adalah 6/8) 

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with a military escort raided al-Mazra’a al-Gharbiya, vandalizing property. Israeli settlers also erected vending stalls on a highway near al-Farisiya. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers stole 14 Palestinian-owned sheep in Kafr ad-Dik. Israeli forces issued demolition notices for a residential structure near Tubas and 3 homes in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces also shot and injured 1 Palestinian with live ammunition during a raid in Kafr Dan; 4 were arrested. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 6 Palestinians during a raid in Aqabat Jaber refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound; some settlers were seen openly praying on the compound. In Umm al-Fahm, Israeli authorities demolished several Palestinian-owned agricultural structures. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/7; PCHR, WAFA 6/8; UNOCHA 6/18)

An Israeli bulldozer nearly plowed into a Lebanese protester before UNIFIL soldiers convinced the Israeli soldier manning to bulldozer to move back. Israeli forces have been working on constructing a barrier in the area south of Kfar Chouba near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. (AP, HA 6/9)

Fatah deputy chairperson Mahmud Aloul told reporters that Fatah’s decline in popularity is linked to the party’s inability to deliver on promises made when Fatah adopted a peaceful resistance. Aloul also said he would not seek to succeed Mahmoud Abbas as Fatah chairperson, saying the party needs someone from the younger generation. (ALM, QDS 6/7; ALM 6/10)

U.S. special representative for Palestinian affairs Hady Amr met with members of the family of the 2-year-old boy Israeli forces shot on 6/1 and who succumbed to his wounds on 6/5. On 6/6, Amr’s office called on the Israeli government to “evaluate all use of deadly force that involves civilian casualties.” Amr also met with PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh. (TOI, WAFA 6/7; WAFA 6/8)

Israeli national security advisor Tzachi Hanegbi met with Moroccan officials, including Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, in Rabat, discussing possible Israeli recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. In return for recognition of sovereignty Morocco is reportedly willing to upgrade the 2 countries’ diplomatic missions to embassies and enter a free-trade agreement. (ALM, HA, MEE, REU, TOI 6/7; HA, MEE, REU 6/8; ALM 6/10; HA 6/11)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken met with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah. According to a U.S. official, the 2 discussed Israel normalization, Yemen, Sudan, and human rights. Blinken also met with Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and GCC ministers at a GCC ministerial meeting in Riyadh. The GCC nations and the U.S. issued a joint statement after the meeting calling for a “2-state solution along 1967 borders with mutually agreed swaps consistent with internationally recognized parameters and the Arab Peace Initiative.” Iran reopened its embassy in Riyadh and bin Salman met with Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro a day prior to Blinken’s meetings. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, REU, TOI 6/7; DoS, NYT, REU 6/8; NYT 6/10)

In the West Bank, 1 Israeli settler was lightly injured by glass shards from his vehicle after his car was hit by live ammunition near Huwwara. Israeli settlers set up tents on Palestinian-owned land near Yatta. Hundreds of Palestinians took part in a funeral procession from Ramallah to Nabi Salih for the 2-year-old Palestinian boy who was critically injured by Israeli forces on 6/1 and died of his wounds on 6/5. Israeli forces attacked Palestinians in Nabi Salih after the funeral, injuring 1 with live ammunition, 1 with a baton round, and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Beit Umar, causing tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces uprooted 50 olive trees in Hizma. Israeli forces also temporarily seized, for 3 days, parts of a 3-story house in Zeita for a military outpost. Meanwhile, Israeli forces demolished 1 house in al-Mazra’a al-Gharbiya. 11 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Tammun, Tulkarm, Qabatiya, Nablus, and Beit Fajjar. In East Jerusalem, 5 Palestinian families demolished their own homes in Wadi Qaddum, displacing more than 30 Palestinians. Israeli authorities also demolished 1 home in Wadi al-Juz, displacing 8. 3 Palestinians were arrested in Isawiya. (AJ, HA, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/6; PCHR 6/8; UNOCHA 6/18)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in a phone conversation about the killing of 3 Israeli soldiers by an Egyptian police officer on 6/3. The 2 sides have promised a joint investigation into the incident. (HA, REU 6/6)

In the West Bank, 2 Israeli soldiers were injured after being hit by a vehicle in Huwwara; 1 Palestinian man was arrested in relation to the incident. Israeli settlers raided Kafr Thulth, throwing stones at Palestinians and Palestinian property and setting 1 vehicle on fire; 1 Palestinian was also injured by a baton round fired by Israeli forces who intervened to aid the settlers. Israeli settlers also raided Ein Samiya, uprooting trees and throwing stones at Palestinian vehicles. Israeli forces issued notifications that Israel will seize 42 dunams (10.3 acres) of land in Sarta and Bruqin to expand a settler road. Israeli forces also seized 1 tractor in Beit Furik. 24 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in al-Mughayyir, Aqabat Jaber refugee camp, Tuqu, Hebron, Beit Umar, Dahariya, and Deir al-Ghusun. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/5; PCHR 6/8; UNOCHA 6/18)

A 2-year-old boy who was critically injured by Israeli forces on 6/1 succumbed to his wounds. The PA condemned the killing, saying that 28 Palestinians children had been killed by Israeli forces since the beginning of 2023. The PA also called the Israeli investigation into the incident whitewashing. (ABC, AP, BBC, CNN, GDN, HA, MEE, REU, WAFA, WAFA 6/5; HA, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA 6/6; HA, WAFA 6/7; HA 6/8)

Israel handed over the body of 1 Palestinian man killed by Israeli forces on 4/24 to his family in East Jerusalem and ordered the family to limit the number of participants at the funeral to 25. (WAFA 6/5)

Hamas political bureau head Ismail Haniyeh and other high-ranking officials met with Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel in Cairo, discussing reconciliation. PA prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh met with Kamel last week. Islamic Jihad secretary-general Ziyad al-Nakhalah also met with Kamel in Cairo. It was reported that the Hamas and Islamic Jihad leadership were invited to Egypt to discuss Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s plan to develop Gaza, including increasing Egyptian electricity supply, rebuilding infrastructure, building a port, and developing a gas field. (QDS, QDS, QDS 6/5; MEMO, QDS 6/6; HA 6/8)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with representatives from Palestinian parties in the Knesset and local council to discuss the rising murder rates in those communities. Netanyahu said he agreed to form a ministerial committee, that he would chair, to address the issue. 89 Palestinians have been killed in Israel in mostly gun-related violence in 2023. (HA, HA 6/5; HA 6/6)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken spoke at the annual AIPAC conference in Washington D.C., saying that the Biden administration is committed to normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, but that such a deal is “not a substitute for progress between Israelis and Palestinians.” Blinken will travel to Saudi Arabia in the coming days to promote a normalization deal. (AJ, AX, DoS, HA, NYT 6/5; ALM, CNN, MDW, REU 6/6)

U.S. senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said in a statement that the U.S. Security Coordinator for Israel and the PA’s report on the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh contains important insights and that it should be released to the public. Van Hollen was able to review the report after weeks of delays by the State Department in providing the report. (AJ, HILL, REU 6/5; MEE 6/6)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raided Burqa, vandalizing 3 vehicles and leading to confrontations between Israeli forces and Palestinian; tear-gas related injuries were reported. Israeli settlers also assaulted 1 Palestinian family in the Masafer Yatta area, injuring 1 minor. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers set up tents in Deir Balut. Israeli settlers also toured a religious site in Kifl Haris. Israeli forces hit 1 Palestinian minor with a military vehicle during a raid in Beit Furik, causing injuries. Israeli forces also issued a notification that Israel will seize 2 dunams (.5 acre) of land in al-Khader. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian man trying to enter Israel for work at the separation wall near Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers led by former MK Yehuda Glick toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/4; WAFA 6/5; PCHR 6/8; UNOCHA 6/18)

The Israeli cabinet decided to expand a law allowing Israeli residential communities to choose who can live in the communities and to subsidize land prices in communities with “demographic and security hardships,” as part of the larger policy of Judaizing the Galilee. (HA 6/5; MEE 6/6; WAFA 6/7)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with a military escort toured Jericho. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 2 with baton rounds and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bayt Dajan, injuring 1 with a tear gas canister and others with tear gas. 8 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Bani Na’im, Ya’bad, Jalamah, and Burqa. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian family demolished their own home in Umm Tuba. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/2; PCHR 6/8; UNOCHA 6/18)

A Hamas official told Haaretz that Hamas and the PA are working together to pressure Gulf countries to continue funding the World Food Programme cash payments to 200,000 Palestinians in Gaza, which is set to be shut down this summer due to funding cuts. (HA 6/2; MDW 6/10)

Haaretz reported that Israel is allowing 6 settlement outposts to operate in the part of Masafer Yatta that Israel has designated a firing zone and where the Palestinian residents will be forcefully expelled. 3 of the outposts were built after the High Court of Justice ruling in May 2022 allowing the Israeli government to expel the more than 1,000 Palestinians. (HA 6/2; WAFA 6/3)

UNRWA commissioner-general Phillippe Lazzarini said that his agency only had secured $107 million in new contributions of the $300 million needed during a donor conference. UNRWA did not say who had provided the new funds. Lazzarini said before the conference that UNRWA needs $150 million to keep its services running until the end of 2023, $50 million to start 2024 without liabilities, $75 million to keep food programs in Gaza running and $30 million for cash distributions in Syria and Lebanon. (WAFA, WAFA 6/2; AJ, AP, WAFA, WAFA 6/3) 

Mexico upgraded the Palestinian representation in Mexico City to an embassy. (WAFA 6/2)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers fenced off a tract of Palestinian-owned land in Umm al-Ubur in the Jordan Valley. Israeli settlers also vandalized 25 olive trees and grapevines and erected tents at a water spring in Ein al-Beida. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers set fire to crops outside of Qusra. Israeli settlers also destroyed 2 tombstones at a graveyard in Burqa. Israeli forces shot and injured a 2-year-old Palestinian and his father outside of their home in Nabi Salih, claiming to be returning fire at Palestinian militants. The 2-year-old was evacuated by helicopter to a hospital in Israel for treatment and later succumbed to his succumbed to his wounds on 6/5. The Israeli military claimed that the incident would be investigated. Neither the family of the 2-year-old nor others in Nabi Salih had heard any other gun shots than those fired by the Israeli forces. Israeli forces also shot and injured 1 Palestinian at a checkpoint in Deir Sharaf. Elsewhere, Israeli forces issued a notice to a Palestinian family that they will seize 5 dunams (1.25 acres) of land in al-Mughayyir for construction of a military watchtower. Israeli forces also raided several towns in the Tulkarm area, violently dispersing Palestinians protesting the incursions; tear-gas related injuries were reported. 38 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Tuqu, Beit Umar, Fawwar refugee camp, Ramallah, Nablus, Qabatiya, and Kafl Haris. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen; no injuries were reported. (TOI, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/1; AA, AJ, AP, HA, JP, MEE 6/2; HA, WAFA 6/5; HA, HA 6/6; PCHR 6/8; UNOCHA 6/18)

The main entrances to al-Mughayyir were closed off by Israel for the 20th consecutive day. (WAFA 6/1)

The PA called on UNESCO to help prevent Israel from passing a law that would stifle speech on Palestine by Palestinian teachers in Israel. The law, which has passed 1 reading in the Knesset, would require security checks for Palestinian teachers in schools in Israel. (WAFA 6/1)

Officials from Hamas and Islamic Jihad met with officials from the Egyptian intelligence services. The meetings followed meetings between PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamal on 5/30. (HA 6/2)

Senior Israeli officials, including Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi, and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer met with U.S. officials, including CIA director William Burns, in Washington D.C. The 2 sides discussed growing instability in the West Bank and the PA’s diminishing standing among Palestinians. (AX 6/1; ALM, HA 6/2)

The BDS movement said that the security company G4S will sell its 25% stake in the Israeli company Policity to G1 following years of campaigning against the complicity of G4S in Israeli human rights violations against Palestinians. (WAFA 6/1)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers blocked a road south of Jenin and threw stones at Palestinian vehicles, causing damage. Israeli settlers also vandalized heavy machinery in Madama. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers raided Burqa, throwing stones at Palestinian homes. Israeli forces seized a vehicle, an electric transformer, and a forklift used by Aqraba municipal workers to rehabilitate and clean a water spring. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli municipal workers demolished commercial structures in Wadi Qaddum. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/31; PCHR 6/1; UNOCHA 6/18)

In Lebanon, 5 members of the PFLP-GC were killed and 10 others injured in an explosion in Qusaya. The PFLP-GC said that an Israeli airstrike had killed the 5 members while Israel denied having carried out the attack. (AJ, ALM, AP, HA, MEE, REU 5/31; BBC, HA 6/1)

Palestinian citizens of Israel began a 3-day sit-in protest outside of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office calling on the Israeli police to ensure the safety of Palestinian citizens as the murder rate in Palestinian towns and cities continued to rise. (MEE 5/31) 

An Israeli parole committee in Ramle prison said it could not determine if Palestinian prisoner Walid Daqqa was eligible for parole and decided to refer the question to a different committee. The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society called the decision tantamount to killing him given Daqqa’s bone marrow cancer. (WAFA 5/31; MDW 6/4)

4 Israeli soldiers were arrested for assaulting 1 Palestinian man after arresting him in Deir Abu Mash‘al on 5/27. (HA 5/31)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh and Egyptian prime minister Moustafa Madbouly signed a number of agreements to further cooperation between the 2 countries in Cairo. (WAFA, WAFA 5/31)

U.S. assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs Barbara Leaf told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Middle East subcommittee that there is “a lot of misreporting and hyperventilation in the press” regarding potential normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Leaf also said that it “is an end goal” for the U.S. to facilitate normalization. (HA, HA 5/31; MEE 6/1)