The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers physical assault and pepper spray 3 Palestinians during a raid in Fateh Sidra in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces shoot and kill 2 Palestinians during a raid in Attil. Israeli forces also raid Nur Shams refugee camp, uprooting streets, causing damage to infrastructure, including roads, water, electricity, sewage, and internet, affecting more than 84,600 people, and demolishing a home. Elsewhere, Israeli forces uproot 51 olive trees and 15 grape vines in Husan. Israeli forces also demolish 2 homes in Umm al-Tiran, displacing 7 people. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 25 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, al-Bireh, Qalqilya, Salfit, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 6 Palestinians, tying them together before dragging them through the streets in Isawiya. Israeli forces also prevent Palestinians from entering the Haram al-Sharif compound and place barbed wire fencing at the compound near the Lion’s Gate. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, and Gaza City, killing at least 67 people. 2 children die of starvation at the Kamal Adwan Hospital, bringing the death toll from starvation to at least 27. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attack 2 sites in the Beqaa Valley near Baalbek, killing one person and injuring others, and buildings in Ayta ash Shab and Naqoura. Hezbollah attacks Khirbet Maar and Kafrchouba. In Yemen, U.S. and UK forces bomb several locations, killing 11 people and injuring 14. (AJ, HA, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/11; HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/12; UNOCHA 3/13)

More than 31,112 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 72,760 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 419 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 4,665 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 247 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,474 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. 236 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The UAE, Egypt, Jordan, France, Belgium, and the U.S. airdrop 169 aid packages over Gaza. The Gaza Ministry of Health says more than 2,000 medical personnel are starving in northern Gaza. 95 Palestinian orphans are evacuated from Rafah to an SOS Children’s Village in Bethlehem. (AJ, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/11; HA, HA, UNOCHA 3/12; UNOCHA, WAFA 3/13)

Israel restricts entry to the Haram al-Sharif compound on the first day of Ramadan to men over the age of 55, women over the age of 50, and children under the age of 10, in addition to requiring identification to enter. The PA calls for urgent international intervention to overturn the Israeli decision. Jordan says Israel is “playing with fire.” (AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 3/11; HA 3/12; NYT, UNOCHA 3/13)

The Israeli military presents a plan to dismantle UNRWA operations in Gaza and in the West Bank, saying doing so will undermine Hamas’s civilian rule in Gaza. The plan includes slandering UNRWA and its staff with help from other Israeli governmental bodies. Israel’s military says it has assassinated the deputy head of Hamas’s military wing, Marwan Issa, saying he was the fourth highest ranking Hamas member. Military Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi issues a disciplinary note to a general who ordered the demolition of a university building in Gaza without authorization. (HA, HA, HA, NYT 3/11; HA, NYT 3/12)

The Knesset passes a law allowing Israeli victims of Palestinian attacks and their families to sue the PA for compensation. (HA 3/12)

The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) releases a statement calling on Israel to halt all planned evictions and demolitions in the al-Bustan neighborhood in Silwan. The OHCHR says the demolitions could constitute a war crime. (OHCHR 3/11)

The UN Security Council discuss the UN report on sexual violence allegedly committed in Israel and Palestine. PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour says the UN is displaying double standards by never holding a meeting on sexual violence committed by Israelis against Palestinians. U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield says the “evidence before us is damming and devastating.” Russia’s deputy permanent representative to the UN Maria Zabolotskaya says a comprehensive study covering Gaza is also needed before any conclusions can be made and points out that most of the UN data is from the Israeli government. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres tells reporters that “[i]nternational humanitarian law lies in tatters . . . [the] threatened Israeli assault on Rafah could plummet the people of Gaza into an even deeper cycle of hell.” (AJ, HA, WAFA 3/11; AP, HA 3/12)

At a U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, CIA director Bill Burns outlines the current ceasefire proposal, which includes the release of 40 Israeli captives in exchange for a “defined number of Palestinian prisoners,” a 6-week ceasefire, and “a major surge in humanitarian assistance.” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says the U.S. has not received Israel’s plan for the protection of Palestinians in Rafah during its planned invasion. The U.S. fiscal 2025 budget request includes $7.6 billion for Middle East partners, including Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. Unlike past years, the budget does not include funding for UNRWA. (AJ, HA 3/11)

8 Democratic Senators write a letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to stop providing offensive weapons to Israel until Israel lifts its blockade on humanitarian aid going to Gaza, saying the transfer of weapons violates the Foreign Assistance Act. The letter is written by Senators Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Jeff Merkey (D-OR) and signed by Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Peter Welch (D-VT), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM). (AJ, HA, NYT 3/12)

12 Israeli human rights organizations sign an open letter saying Israel is not complying with the ICJ’s provisional measure to facilitate humanitarian aid to Gaza. (AJ 3/11)

The UK Home Office grants a Palestinian citizen of Israel asylum, assessing that there is a risk he will be persecuted in Israel. In his asylum application, the Palestinian man said that Israeli apartheid systematically oppresses Palestinians and that he was at heightened risk of persecution due to his pro-Palestinian activism and anti-Zionist views. (AJ 3/12; AJ 3/13)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbs to injuries sustained from Israeli forces on 3/4 in Burin. An Israeli settler is stabbed and injured at a bus stop near the Neve Yaakov settlement; a Palestinian child is later arrested and accused of stabbing the settler. Israeli settlers with a military escort raid Jenin to visit Joseph’s Tomb. Israeli forces shoot and injure 7 Palestinians during a raid in Dheisheh refugee camp. Israeli forces also arrest 25 Palestinians during raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, al-Bireh, Bethlehem, Tulkarm, and Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a retaining wall and raze a tract of land in Silwan. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Rafah, and Dayr al-Balah, killing at least 86 people, including al-Aqsa TV presenter Muhammad Salama and his family in Dayr al-Balah. Israeli forces also open fire at Palestinians waiting to receive aid in Gaza City, injuring 8 people. A child and an elderly man die of starvation at the Kamal Adwan Hospital, bringing the death toll from starvation to at least 20 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attack Yaroun, Kafra, Yatar, and Fardis. Hezbollah forces attack Metula. In Syria, Israeli forces fire artillery, saying 2 rockets were launched at the Golan Heights. In Yemen, Houthi militants fire a missile at the True Confidence cargo ship, killing 3 people. It is the first time that a Houthi attack enforcing the Red Sea blockade has caused casualties. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/6; AP, AP, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/7)

More than 30,717 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 72,156 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, 244 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,453 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. 195 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/6; UNOCHA 3/7)

Israel’s National Planning and Building Council approves the advancement of 3,476 new settlement units in the Ma’ale Adumim, Kedar, and Efrat settlements. 694 units in Efrat receive final approval, while 2,452 in Ma’ale Adumm and 330 in Kedar are moved to the planning process. The PA calls for sanctions to deter Israel from its settlement enterprise. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Egypt, Bahrain, Turkey, and Qatar condemn the settlement expansion. German asks Israel to withdraw the approval, ‘strongly condemning’ the decision. (AJ, HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/6; AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/7)

HaMoked says the number of Palestinian prisoners has risen to 9,077, including more than 3,500 held in administrative detention. (AJ 3/6)

South Africa asks the ICJ to order additional emergency measures against Israel, citing imminent widespread famine, and tells the ICJ that Israel is breaching the measures the court already ruled it has to follow. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA 3/6; NYT, REU 3/7)

Israeli UN ambassador Gilad Erdan says Israel may close the UN’s headquarters in Jerusalem, deport UN officials from Israel, and evacuate UNRWA compounds in Jerusalem if UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres does not invoke Article 99 of the UN Charter to force the Security Council to discuss captives held in Gaza and allegations of sexual crimes committed on 10/7/2023. Israel approves aid funded by the UAE entering Gaza via the sea. The aid will be shipped from Cyprus to a dock controlled by Israel where it will be distributed using hovercrafts. (AJ, HA 3/6)

Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani meets with UK foreign secretary David Cameron, discussing the situation in Gaza and ceasefire negotiations. Cameron and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meet Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz in London, telling him more aid needs to enter Gaza. (AJ, AP, HA, NYT, WAFA 3/6; NYT 3/7)

Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi speaks with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken, calling for an immediate ceasefire. (AJ 3/6)

The Washington Post reports that the U.S. has secretly approved and delivered more than 100 separate arms shipments to Israel since 10/7/2023. The Post says the U.S. has circumvented congressional oversight in the majority of instances by processing arms sales that are below the threshold to notify Congress. The transfers include thousands of 155mm shells, tens of thousands of bomb guidance systems, Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, drones, Iron Dome munitions and more. (AJ, HA 3/6; HA 3/7)

Iraq and Qatar pledges $25 million to UNRWA. (AJ 3/6)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set a house and a car on fire in Burqa. Israeli settlers also throw stones at a home and damage 10 vehicles in Huwwara. Israeli forces shoot and injure 2 Palestinians during a raid in Sarra. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian woman in Zeita. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man, while others suffer tear-gas related injuries during a raid in al-Arroub refugee camp. Israeli forces also raze land in Husan. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 25 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, and Jericho; a crew of journalists from Palestine TV are detained, cuffed, and blindfolded during the raid in Jericho. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli settlers also fence off a tract of Palestinian-owned land in Silwan. Israeli forces assault a Palestinian man in Silwan, stealing his phone and cash. Israeli forces also deliver a demolition notice for a sports club and a school in Isawiya. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Rafah, Gaza City, Dayr al-Balah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Maghazi, Beit Lahiya, and al-Bureij refugee camp, killing at least 107 people. Israeli forces also open fire at Palestinians waiting to receive aid in Gaza City, killing 5 people and injuring at least 10.18 patients are evacuated from the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Ghaziyeh, injuring 14 people. Israeli forces also bomb Dhayra. Hezbollah attacks Barkat Risha. In Yemen, the Houthi movement says its forces shot down a U.S. MQ9 drone over Hodeidah. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/19; AJ, AP, AP, UNOCHA 2/20)

More than 29,092 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children and 7,200 women, and around 69,028 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 393 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 100 children. More than 4,511 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, 233 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,373 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 9 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. Israelis block the Nitzana crossing between Israel and Egypt, preventing aid entering Gaza via crossing. The Global Nutrition Cluster finds that 16% of children under the age of 2 in northern Gaza are “acutely malnourished” and that 90% of children under 5 in Gaza are infected by 1 or more infectious diseases.” (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/19; AP, AP 2/20; UNOCHA 2/22)

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) says it has received information that Palestinian women and girls have been “arbitrarily executed in Gaza, often together with family members, including their children.” The office also expresses alarm over the arbitrary detention of hundreds of women and girls in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including reports of sexual assault of detainees, including rape. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says the U.S. “strongly encourage[s] Israel to thoroughly and transparently investigate credible allegations and ensure accountability for abuses and violations” in response to the OHCHR’s statement. (AJ 2/19; AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA 2/20)

Hamas says Israel has killed 6,000 of its armed forces since 10/7/2023, contradicting Israel’s claim that the number is 12,000. (HA 2/19)

The Institute for the Study of War and the Critical Threats Project say Israeli forces are constructing a road across Gaza, dividing the north and the south. (AJ 2/20)

The ICJ begins hearings in the case of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories. 52 countries will present oral and written arguments before the court between 2/19 and 2/26. The case was triggered on 12/30/2022 when a majority of members of the UN General Assembly voted to seek an opinion on the legal consequences of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki, PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour, and academics and legal experts address the ICJ judges on the first day of the hearings. Al-Maliki urges the judges to order an end to the Israeli occupation. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel does not recognize the legitimacy of the ICJ proceedings. (HA 2/18; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/19)

At the UN Security Council, the U.S. circulates a draft resolution calling for a temporary ceasefire and calls an invasion of Rafah, under the current circumstances, dangerous to civilians and damaging for regional security. (AJ, HA, HA 2/19; NYT 2/20)

Prime Minister Netanyahu says he will submit legislation to the Knesset to reject “international efforts to force on us a Palestinian state.” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich tells his Religious Zionism party that he has called on Netanyahu to end the Oslo Accords if “unilateral steps [are] taken against the state of Israel,” including ending all transfers of funds to the PA. (AJ, HA, HA 2/19)

The Knesset fails to expel MK Ofer Cassif, reaching 85 out of 90 required votes. The campaign to expel Cassif follows his support of the South African genocide case against Israel at the ICJ. 11 MKs voted against the expulsion while 24 were absent. (AJ, HA, HA, REU 2/19; NYT 2/20)

The Qatari foreign ministry says Prime Minister Netanyahu is seeking to prolong the war on Gaza by calling on Qatar to pressure Hamas into releasing Israeli captives. (HA 2/18; AJ, HA, REU 2/19; HA 2/20)

EU high commissioner for foreign policy Josep Borrell says 26 of 27 EU members call for an immediate pause in fighting in Gaza. The only country not to support the statement is Hungary. (AJ, HA, REU 2/19)

Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva recalls the Brazilian ambassador to Israel in response to Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz saying Lula will not be welcome in Israel until he retracts comments comparing Israel’s assault on Gaza to the Holocaust. The presidents of Colombia and Bolivia express support for Lula’s comments. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA 2/19; AJ, HA, NYT 2/20; AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/21)

Spanish foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares says that if the EU does not take action against violent Israeli settlers then Spain will proceed with sanctions unilaterally. (AJ, HA, REU 2/19)

A report by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health projects that between 2/7 and 8/6/2024 the excess number of deaths in Gaza could range from 4,200 to 259,680. In the best scenario where a ceasefire is reached and no epidemics occur the mean estimate is 6,550 excess deaths while in the worst scenario where the attacks escalate and epidemics occur the mean estimate of excess deaths is 85,750. However, projections show that the number could be upwards of 259,680. (Gaza-Projections 2/19; NYT 2/21)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces during a raid in Tulkarm on 11/7. Israeli settlers opened fire at Palestinian vehicles near Bethlehem; no injuries were reported. Israeli settlers also began constructing a settlement road on Palestinian-owned land in Birin. Israeli forces shot and killed 4 Palestinians, including 2 children, and injured 17 others during raids in al-Fara’a refugee camp, Ya’bad, and Balata refugee camp. Israeli forces also opened fire at a Palestinian vehicle and detained the driver in Husan. Elsewhere, Israeli forces also demolished a home in Umm Rukba near al-Khader and 2 homes and 2 agricultural structures in Umm Qissa in the Masafer Yatta area. 42 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Jenin, Ramallah, Nablus, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, and Tubas. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces demolished parts of a home in Silwan. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Maghazi, Khan Yunis, Jabalia refugee camp, Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Gaza City, killing hundreds of people, including more than 100 in Jabalia. Prominent Palestinian poet and academic Refaat Alareer was also killed along with several family members in Gaza City. 3 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat. Rockets were fired at Israel, injuring 1 in Nir Yitzhak. In Lebanon, rockets were fired at Israeli military sites and soldiers in Tal Shaar and Karm al-Tuffah and Israel attacked several places. In Yemen, the Houthi-led government said it had fired ballistic missiles at Israeli military posts near Eilat which were shot down by Israel’s Arrow missile defense system. The U.S. said it had shot down a drone launched by Yemen. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/6; AJ, AJ 12/7; AJ 12/8)

The casualty numbers for Gaza were not updated, leaving the number at more than 16,248 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 6,387 children and 4,257 women, and around 43,616 injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 257 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 67 children. More than 3,325 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. 90 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.9 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 11/18, at least 45,000 housing units had been destroyed and 233,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 60% of all housing units. The Red Crescent said its ambulance center in the northern province of Gaza has stopped working due to a lack of fuel. Patients and staff were evacuated from the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Jabalia as the hospital had stopped working. 20 patients that could not be evacuated stayed at the hospital. 80 trucks carrying aid, including 15 gallons of fuel, entered Gaza. Only Rafah received aid for the fourth day in a row. 23 wounded Palestinians and 680 foreign nationals were evacuated to Egypt. (AJ, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA 12/6)

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter, forcing the UN Security Council to convene on 12/8 on the basis of threats to “international peace and security,” saying a ceasefire is needed in Gaza to avoid “irreversible implications for Palestinians as a whole and for peace and security in the region.” Israeli ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan said Guterres had reached “a new moral low.” Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen called Guterres a “danger to world peace.” After the invocation of Article 99, the UAE circulated a draft resolution calling for “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” and for all parties to comply with international law. (AJ, AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA 12/6; AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 12/7; AP, WAFA 12/8)

The Israeli security cabinet approved an increase in the amount of fuel entering Gaza from around 13,000 gallons to 26,000 gallons a day. Axios reported that the decision was made after pressure from the Biden administration, which had called on Israel to allow 39,000 gallons to enter Gaza daily. The decision was opposed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. (AJ 12/6; AX 12/7)

Birzeit University published pictures of the central archive of the Gaza municipality, saying Israel had deliberately destroyed thousands of valuable documents to erase the history of Gaza. (AJ 12/6)

The PA Wall and Settlements Commission said it had recorded 610 Israeli settler attacks, which killed 10 Palestinians, since 10/7. (AJ 12/6)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant signed an administration detention order for an Israeli settler who was arrested on 10/3 for attacking Palestinians. (HA 12/7)

PA UN envoy Riyad Mansour addressed the assembly of parties to the Rome Statute, saying “Israel has effectively destroyed every single requirement for live in the Gaza Strip” and complaining that the ICC has not delivered justice for Palestine. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 12/6)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with U.S. vice president Kamala Harris’ National Security Advisor Phil Gordon in Ramallah, discussing the future of the political situation in Gaza after Israel’s war. (HA, WAFA 12/6; HA 12/7)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the PA will not govern Gaza as long as he is prime minister. (AJ 12/6)

Israel revoked the residency visa for UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Lynn Hastings, saying she did not condemn Hamas’ Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. The UN said on 12/1 that Hastings would be replaced in anticipation of the visa revocation. The PA condemned the revocation of Hastings’ visa. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 12/6)

Israel’s military discussed closing the “Desert Frontier” unit made up of Israeli settlers in the West Bank after a series of incidents where soldiers from the unit attacked and abused Palestinians and Israeli activists. (HA 12/6)

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) said Israel has established 100 “Community Security Squads” equipped with M16 rifles, adding the members of the militias have only received 7 hours of training and lacked proper oversight. ACRI also said there have been reports of Palestinian citizens of Israel being rounded up by the militias to show their identity cards. (AJ, HA 12/6; HA 12/7)

UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk said he had asked Israel for weeks to have his team investigate Israeli allegations of sexual violence committed by Hamas militants in Israel on 10/7 but said Israel had not responded. (AJ, WAFA 12/6)

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said “I consider even the debating of this plan as disrespectful to my Palestinian siblings. For us, this is not a plan that can be debated, considered, or discussed,” referring to Israeli suggestions that a buffer zone should be made within Gaza. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller also said the Israeli plan was in violation of U.S. policy, suggesting Israel could make a buffer zone in its own territory. (AJ, HA, REU, REU 12/6)

Russian president Vladimir Putin met with UAE president Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi and Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, discussing energy cooperation, the situation in Gaza, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Saudi state media reported that Putin and bin Salman shared “deep concern” for the situation in Gaza. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA 12/6; AJ, REU 12/7)

The U.S. Senate failed to pass a $111 billion bill to provide $50 billion to Ukraine and $14 billion to Israel in a 49-51 vote. All Republicans and Democratic senators Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) voted against the bill. Republicans sought to separate the aid for Israel from the aid for Ukraine as many Republican senators are opposed to significant spending on Ukraine, while Sanders opposed spending on Israel given the Palestinian death toll in Gaza. Schumer changed his vote from in favor to against to allow him to bring the bill up again at a later date. (HA, NYT 12/6; AJ, HA 12/7)

Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo said his government will work with the U.S. to sanction “individuals involved in actions that undermine peace, security, and stability” in the West Bank. (AJ 12/6; HA, HA, REU, WAFA 12/7)

Reuters reported that an “orientation note” circulated among EU foreign ministers ahead of a meeting showed the EU was considering tougher sanctions on Hamas and imposing sanctions against violent Israeli settlers. EU commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic condemned an Israeli settler attack in Khirbet Zanuta which destroyed an EU-funded school. Nils Schmid, foreign policy spokesperson of Germany’s ruling Social Democratic Party, said imposing sanctions on settlers was a good idea. (HA, REU, REU, REU 12/6)

Haaretz reported that Foreign Minister Cohen had bypassed objections from foreign ministry staff to issue diplomatic passports for Prime Minister Netanyahu’s son Yair, Likud politician and settlement leader Israel Gantz, and senior Likud member Benny Biton. (HA 12/7)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers shot and injured 2 Palestinian children, aged 12 and 14, in Deir Qadis. Israeli settlers with a military escort also raided Wadi Qelt, storming 5 homes and intimidating residents. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers destroyed water pipes leading to 3 villages in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian during a raid in Qalqilya. Israeli forces also assaulted Palestinians in Hizma. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians in al-Arroub refugee camp, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces seized a vehicle in Halawa. At least 60 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Hebron, Bethlehem, Jericho, Ramallah, Nablus, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolished an apartment on the third floor of an apartment building in Sur Baher. Israeli forces raided the home of al-Aqsa Mosque preacher Sheikh Ikrimah Sabri in Silwan, issuing a demolition notice for the 5-story building he lives in. Israeli authorities forced a Palestinian family to demolish their own home in Sur Baher. In Gaza, Israeli forces killed around 316 Palestinians and wounded more than 664 others during airstrikes on Rafah, al-Bureij, Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City, Jabalia refugee camp, Khan Yunis and Faluja, including Islamic University of Gaza president Sufyan Tayeh and his family in Faluja. Israeli forces also targeted the Kamal Adwan Hospital, killing 4 people. Israel said it had started to move its ground invasion to southern Gaza and told Palestinians in 20% of Khan Yunis to evacuate to al-Mawasi and Rafah. Israel also said its forces assassinated the commander of Hamas’ al-Shati Brigades. 3 Israeli soldiers were killed. Rockets were fired at Israel, hitting 2 buildings in Sderot; no injuries were reported. In Lebanon, militants fired anti-tank missiles at Israeli forces, injuring 11 soldiers and a civilian. Israel said it attacked several targets in Lebanon. In Syria, Israeli forces fired artillery at southern Syria, saying a rocket was fired at Israel. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/3; AJ, AJ, HA 12/4; HA 12/5; AJ, NYT 12/6)

More than 15,523 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 6,387 children and 4,257 women, and around 41,316 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 246 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 65 children. More than 3,300 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. 80 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.8 million Palestinians, nearly 80% 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 11/18, at least 45,000 housing units had been destroyed and 233,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 60% of all housing units. 100 trucks carrying aid, including around 13,000 gallons of fuel, entered Gaza. The Red Crescent said increased Israeli attacks on southern Gaza have made it much more difficult to deliver aid. As a result, aid was only distributed in Rafah. 13 injured Palestinians, 11 companions, and 566 foreign nationals were evacuated. (AJ, AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 12/3)

The PA foreign ministry said Israel was seeking to “solidify the separation” between the West Bank and Gaza. (AJ 12/3)

Shin Bet director Ronen Bar said the Israeli cabinet had discussed assassinating leaders of Hamas “in Gaza, the Palestinian territories, in Lebanon, in Turkey, and in Qatar,” calling it “our Munich.” A Turkish intelligence official said there would be “serious consequences” if Israel kills Palestinians in Turkey. Military chief of staff Herzl Halevy said Israeli forces would fight in southern Gaza “as we did strongly and thoroughly in the northern part.” Israel also claimed to have found 800 tunnel shafts in Gaza. (AJ, HA 12/3; HA 12/4)

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said his office will “further intensity its efforts to advance its investigations” in the occupied Palestinian territories. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, WAFA 12/3)

Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said Qatar calls for an “immediate, comprehensive, and impartial international investigation” into Israel’s attacks in Gaza and that his country continues to work toward another ceasefire. (AJ 12/3)

The U.S. said that an American warship and several commercial ships were attacked in the Red Sea. Yemen’s Houthi government said it had attacked an Israeli ship with a missile and attacked another with a drone. The U.S. also said that its Rumalyn Landing Zone base in Syria was attacked by 15 rockets. (AJ, HA, HA, NYT 12/3; AJ 12/4)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in Yamun and damaged their vehicle. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles in Awarta, causing damage. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers set fire to a school in Zanuta, causing extensive damage. Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian during a raid in Balata refugee camp. Israeli forces also shot and injured 6 Palestinians, including a child, during raids in ad-Doha, ‘Asira al-Qibliya, Jenin, and Balata refugee camp. 45 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Jenin, Ramallah, Jericho, Nablus, Bethlehem, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces demolished a Palestinian-owned home in Isawiya, displacing 6, and a structure in Silwan. In Gaza, the Israeli military said it had encircled Jabalia refugee camp. Israeli soldiers continued their sieges of the Indonesian and al-Shifa hospitals; around 500 patients and staff were evacuated from the Indonesian Hospital to a hospital in Khan Yunis later in the day. At least 120 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza City, Jabalia refugee camp, Beit Lahiya al-Bureij, and Khan Yunis. Israel also attacked al-Awda Hospital, killing 3 doctors and a patient. The number of fatalities was likely much higher since the Gaza Ministry of Health was unable to communicate with hospitals and civil defense members in northern Gaza. 2 Israeli soldiers were killed. 10 rockets were fired at Israel with 1 hitting Ness Ziona; no injuries were reported. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked several areas of South Lebanon, saying anti-tank missiles were fired by Hezbollah at Israel. 4 people, including an elderly woman and 2 journalists working for Al-Mayadeen television network, were killed in Israeli attacks in Kfar Kila and Tair Harfa. 4 Hamas members were killed in a drone strike on Chaatiyeh, reportedly including deputy chief of the Qassem Brigades in Lebanon Khalil Kharraz. Hezbollah later said it attacked Israeli tanks and soldiers, a military base in Beit Hilal, and a missile factory in Shlomi. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/21)

The Gaza Ministry of Health was not able to fully update the casualty figures due to a collapse in services and communications at hospitals in northern Gaza, leaving the casualty numbers at around 13,000 Palestinians killed, including 5,500 children and 3,500 women, and around 32,000 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 3,250 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 209 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 52 children. More than 2,885 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. 73 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.61 million Palestinians, around 70% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. As of 11/6, at least 40,000 housing units had been destroyed and 220,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 45% of all housing units. 2 trucks carrying 17,000 gallons of fuel and 79 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing. UNRWA said 108 members of its staff have been killed in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. (AJ, AP, HA, UNOCHA 11/21)

Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha was released after being arrested on 11/18 by Israeli forces in Gaza. Abu Toha was reportedly beaten while detained. (AJ, HA, NYT 11/21)

The Ministry of National Economy in the Nablus governorate said Israel had only allowed 45 Palestinian businesses to operate in Huwwara since 10/7, forcing 255 business to close. (AJ 11/21)

Jordan said Israel had ordered the evacuation of its field hospital in Gaza, saying it would not heed the order. (AJ, HA 11/21)

Hamas said it had agreed to the terms of the first prisoner exchange and temporary ceasefire. Islamic Jihad said it was coordinating with Hamas on the prisoner exchange deal. The Israeli war, security, and government cabinets convened in separate meetings in the evening to discuss the deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the deal was likely to happen, despite opposition from National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and that Israel would continue its war on Gaza after the temporary ceasefire. The meeting of the government cabinet was still ongoing at the end of the day. It was reported by Haaretz that the Israeli public would have 24 hours to appeal to the Israeli High Court of Justice if the government decides to approve the deal. Islamic Jihad said an Israeli captive it had tried to release earlier for humanitarian reasons had died. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, HA, REU, REU, REU 11/21; AJ, HA 11/22)

Jordanian prime minister Bisher Khasawneh said “[a]ny displacement [of Palestinians in the West Bank] or creating the conditions that would lead to it, Jordan will consider it a declaration of war and constitute a material breach of the peace treaty.” (AJ, HA, REU 11/21)

Lebanese caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati condemned the Israeli killing of 2 Lebanese journalists, saying Israel’s “goal is to silence the media that exposes its crimes and attacks.” (AJ, AP 11/21)

U.S. national security council spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. would not support Israeli military action in southern Gaza unless it “clearly articulated [a] plan for how they are going to protect the lives of the hundreds of thousands of people that have now added to the population because they were asked to leave by the Israelis.” Kirby also said that the Biden administration was considering redesignating the Yemeni Houthi government a terrorist organization, citing its attacks on Israel and the seizure of an alleged Israeli-linked vessel on 11/19. Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said the U.S. continued to supply Israel with “155 mm rounds, precision-guided munitions, and air defense systems.” Politico reported that the U.S. had sent Israel the coordinates for humanitarian sites, including hospitals, and gave Israel information about the movement of aid groups to avoid Israeli attacks on protected groups. However, Israel reportedly continued attacking those sites. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU 11/21; AJ 11/22)

A survey by the organization Arab World for Research and Development found that 98% of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza said they could not “forgive nor forget” Israel’s attacks on Gaza, with 65% saying the attacks were targeting all Palestinians. 75% said they supported Operation Al-Aqsa Flood to some extent. 22% said they expected the PA to return to power in Gaza. (AJ 11/21)

The European Commission said its review of its aid to Palestine did not find evidence that funds were used for Hamas. (AJ, HA, REU 11/21)

Representatives from the OIC and Arab League and the foreign ministers of the PA, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Jordan met with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow. Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry said Israel’s goal with bombing southern Gaza was to force Palestinians to flee Gaza. (AJ, HA, WAFA 11/21)

Leaders of the BRICS countries met virtually to discuss the situation in Gaza, demanding a ceasefire and condemning attacks on civilians in Gaza and Israel. Representatives of Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE, all countries that will join BRICS in 2024, also attended the meeting. Saudi crown prince Mohammad bin Salman called for a global ban on exports of arms to Israel. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU 11/21)

The South African parliament voted 248-91 to close the Israeli embassy and suspend ties with Israel. The motion was non-binding, leaving President Cyril Ramaphosa to implement it. (AJ, AJ, HA, WAFA 11/21)

The Scottish parliament voted 90-28 in favor of a ceasefire. All parties except for the Scottish Conservatives supported the motion. (AJ 11/21)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians in Thulth, injuring 4. Israeli settlers also seized the roof of a Palestinian-owned building in the Tel Rumeideh area of Hebron. Israeli forces began work on a settler road near Kafr ad-Dik. 15 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Tubas, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Hebron. PA forces arrested Palestinian journalist Aqil Awawdeh in Ramallah. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers vandalized several vehicles in Silwan, smashing windshields. Israeli settlers also toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian farmers east of Khan Yunis; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 7/13; HA, IFJ, QDS 7/14; MEE 7/15; PCHR 7/19; UNOCHA 7/29)

Peace Now reported that the Israeli government had advanced construction of 12,855 settlement housing units in the West Bank since the beginning of 2023, marking the highest number since Peace Now started tracking settlement advancement in 2012. 9,805 settler units were approved for deposit and 3,500 for validation. (PCN, REU 7/13; AJ, MEE 7/14)

In the West Bank, unidentified gunmen opened fire at an Israeli settler vehicle near Qalqilya. Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians with batons, pepper spray, and stone at a spring near Tubas. Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian during a raid in Jericho. Israeli forces also leveled land and uprooted olive trees in Kafl Haris and razed an agricultural road in Zanuta. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters during a raid in Dheisheh refugee camp, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also demolished a water cistern serving 6 Palestinian families in al-Baqa’a. 16 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Qalqilya, Bethlehem, Jericho, Tulkarm, Hebron, Ramallah, and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raided the home of Islamic Waqf Department deputy director Najeh Bkeirat in Sur Bahir, detaining him. Israeli forces also demolished a retaining wall in al-Tur and a pergola in Wadi al-Juz. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raided Silwan, damaging a house and causing tear-gas related injuries. (QDS, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 7/12; MEE, PCHR, WAFA 7/13; BTselem 7/19; UNOCHA 7/29)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas visited Jenin for the first time in 12 years, giving a speech in Jenin refugee camp. Abbas praised the steadfastness of the Jenin residents in light of Israel’s attacks. The visit followed Israel’s large-scale attack on Jenin refugee camp on 7/3 and 7/4. Around 1,000 PA troops secured the area for Abbas. Abbas also canceled a meeting with representatives of different Palestinian factions without giving a reason. (AJ, ALM, AN, AP, BBC, HA, MEE, NYT, QDS, REU, TOI, WAFA, WAFA 7/12; MEE 7/13; MDW 7/14)

2 Israeli settlers, including an off-duty soldier, were charged with terrorism, 1 for vandalizing a mosque in ‘Urif and the other for placing a chair in front of the door of a Palestinian home in Umm Safa and setting the chair on fire. Both incidents occurred in June. (AJ, HA, REU, TOI 7/12)

In Lebanon, Israeli forces opened fire at people approaching the border fence to Israel near Metula; 3 members of Hezbollah were said to be injured. (AJ, ALM, AP, HA, HA, MEE, REU 7/12; HA 7/13)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant visited Azerbaijan, discussing strategic, diplomatic, and security ties with President Ilham Aliyev, Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov, and other officials. (ALM 7/12; HA 7/13; ALM 7/14)

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) said she would not attend Israeli president Isaac Herzog’s address to Congress, citing Israel’s ban on Omar and representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) from entering Israel and Palestine in 2019, Israel’s increase in its killing of Palestinians in the West Bank, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement that he wants to crush Palestinians’ hope of statehood. Later on 7/13 and 7/14, Omar was joined in her boycott by Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Cori Bush (D-MO). Omar and Bowman also boycotted a speech by Indian prime minister Narendra Modi in June. (AX, HA, HA, MEE 7/13; HA, MEE 7/14; HA 7/15; WAFA 7/16)

A U.S. national security council spokesperson said that “[t]here is no talk of some kind of formal reassessment. The United States and Israel share a special bond, and our enduring commitment to Israel’s security is ironclad.” The statement followed a New York Times column by Thomas Friedman, who said a U.S. reassessment of its ties to Israel was inevitable. (NYT 7/11; HA, HA 7/12)

In the West Bank, Palestinians in several cities observed a general strike in solidarity with residents of Shu‘fat and ‘Anata, which have been closed by Israel since 10/8. Palestinians in Nablus also observed a general strike in protest against Israeli closures of all the entrances to the city. Israeli settlers attacked 1 vehicle transporting patients to an-Najah Hospital, damaging the vehicle. Israeli settlers with military escort also visited Joseph’s Tomb, leading to a confrontation with Palestinians resisting the incursion near Nablus; 1 Palestinian was shot and injured by Israeli forces. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers raided Huwwara, attacking businesses and people and blocking a road, 1 Palestinian was injured. Israeli settlers also set fire to a poultry facility and truck in Qusra. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian and injured 1 other while violently dispersing Palestinian protesters at al-Arroub refugee camp. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bethlehem, injuring 1 with a baton round and causing tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Ramallah, injuring 2 with live ammunition. Israeli forces also assaulted 1 Palestinian man after forcing him out of his vehicle at a checkpoint near Bayt Lid. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers led by MK Itamar Ben-Gvir toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Coinciding with the tour, Israeli forces assaulted and arrested 3 at the compound, including 2 Waqf guards. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Isawiya, Silwan, al-Tur, Ras al-Amud, Shu‘fat refugee camp, Jabel Mukaber, Sur Baher, and Bayt Hanina, using tear gas and stun grenades. A general strike was also observed by Palestinians in East Jerusalem in solidarity with Shu‘fat and ‘Anata. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/12; ALM, BBC, GDN, HA, HA, MDW, MEE, MEE, MEMO, PCHR, PCHR 10/13; UNOCHA 10/16; UNOCHA 11/1)

The Israeli cabinet approved the maritime border agreement with Lebanon, sending it to the Knesset for final approval in 2 weeks. (AP, HA 10/12)

The U.S. White House released its National Security Strategy. The strategy included language referring to expanding normalization deals for Israel and a commitment to Israel as a “Jewish and democratic” state. The strategy paper also restated president Joe Biden’s position in support of a 2-state solution “along the 1967 lines, with mutually agreed swaps.” The paper did not mention any effort to restart negotiations. (White House 10/12; MEE 10/13)

In the West Bank, PA security forces, dressed in civilian clothes, violently dispersed Palestinian students and staff protesting the dismissal of 10 students from the Islamic bloc and 5 employees at An-Najah National University in Nablus, causing several injuries from beatings and pepper spray. The Iranian news agency Tansim said 1 of its Palestinian reporters was abducted by Palestinian gunmen while covering the events before being beaten and warned against writing negatively about the PA. Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling between Nablus and Jenin. Israeli settlers also vandalized 8 olive trees in Qaryut. Israeli forces evicted 4 Palestinians from their land in Wadi Fukin. 12 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Ramallah, Tuqu‘, Bethlehem, Surif, al-Tabaqa, Nablus, Far‘un, Rumana, and Aqabat Jaber refugee camp; Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians protesting the raid in Nablus, injuring 2 with shrapnel. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces assaulted and arrested 2 Palestinians in Silwan and arrested 1 other in Isawiya. (MEE, WAFA, WAFA 6/14; PCHR 6/15; PCHR 6/16; AP, HA 6/17; UNOCHA 7/2)

Hamas released a statement accusing PA forces in the West Bank of torturing Hamas supporters. (ALM 7/2)

EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced that the frozen $224 million in economic aid to the PA from 2021 had been unfrozen and would be transferred to the PA. The announcement came ahead of a meeting between President von der Leyen and PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh in Ramallah. Von der Leyen later met with Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett and president Isaac Herzog. The EU funding to the PA was frozen due to 1 Hungarian commissioner’s concern over “incitement” in PA schoolbooks. Prime Minister Shtayyeh also met with his Italian counterpart Mario Draghi. (AA, HA, JP, POL, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/14; AJ, WAFA 6/15)

Israel’s deputy religious affairs minister Matan Kahana of the Yamina party was filmed telling Israeli high schoolers in the Efrat settlement that “if there was a button that could be pressed, that would remove all the Arabs from here, send them on an express train to Switzerland—where they would live an amazing life, I wish them all the best in Switzerland—I would press that button. . . . there is no such button. We were probably meant to [co]exist here on this land in some form,” Palestinian members of the Israeli parliament attacked Kahana for his remarks and he later apologized for wording his statements poorly. (AJ, AP, HA, MEE 6/14; HA, MDW, TOI 6/15)

The U.S. White House expressed concern over negotiations between the Israeli spyware company NSO Group and the American defense contractor L3Harris for the latter to buy technology from the former. The deal would see NSO Group removed from the U.S. department of commerce’s blacklist and would transfer NSO’s clients in the U.S., UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, and possibly EU and NATO countries to L3Harris. The New York Times later reported that the negotiations had collapsed after they were made public and that U.S. intelligence officials had backed L3Harris’s potential acquisition of NSO Group. (HA 6/14; MEE, REU 6/15; NYT, WP 7/10; HA, TOI 7/11)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces delivered demolition notices for 4 houses, 8 water wells, and 1 agricultural structure in a-Tabban in the Masafer Yatta area and stop-work notices for 2 water wells and 1 agricultural structure in Zif. Israeli forces also sealed a well in Beit Lid. Elsewhere, Israeli forces prevented Palestinians from working their land in Qusra. Israeli forces also fired tear gas at Palestinians trying to enter Israel for work at the separation wall near Jenin. 15 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Bethlehem, Nablus, and Ramallah. In East Jerusalem, representatives from the EU and UN visited Palestinians in Silwan who are threatened by Israeli demolitions and displacement. Israeli forces shot and injured 3 minors with baton rounds on the Jerusalem-Ramallah street. 5 Palestinians were arrested during raids. In the Naqab, Israeli forces demolished al-Araqib for the 202d time since 2000. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/7; PCHR 6/9; UNOCHA 6/17)

The PA finance ministry said it would pay PA employees 80% of their wages as it continues to be unable to pay its employees in full due to Israel’s withholding of parts of the PA tax revenue. (REU 6/7)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh met with German vice chancellor and economy and energy minister Robert Habeck in Ramallah. The 2 discussed German support for energy projects in Palestine. Prime Minister Shtayyeh briefed Vice Chancellor Habeck on Israeli violations against Palestinians. Shtayyeh also called on the international community to create a political horizon for ending the Israeli occupation and for Germany to exert pressure on Israel to allow the PA to hold elections in East Jerusalem. (WAFA 6/7)

UN human rights council’s commission of inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, released its 1st report since receiving its mandate on 5/27/2021. In its report, it pointed to Israel’s continued occupation of Palestinian territory and discrimination against Palestinians as a key factor in recurrent tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. 2d, the report noted Palestinian resentment is fueled by lack of consequences for Israeli human rights violations. A commissioner working on the report said that “Israel clearly has no intentions of ending the occupation. In fact, it has established clear policies to ensure complete permanent control over the Occupied Palestinian Territory.” The report also criticized the PA and Hamas for using the occupation as justification for human rights violations against their own people. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, UNOCHR, WAFA 6/7; MEE, MEMO, WAFA, WAFA 6/8)

Israeli ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan was elected vice president of the 77th session of the UN general assembly (UNGA), along with 20 others. The appointment will see Ambassador Erdan chair UNGA meetings and being part of agenda selection. Erdan will serve for 1 year, starting in September. PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said that the PA leadership was “surprised by and deplore the election of Israel's ambassador to the United Nations for the position of Vice President of the United Nations General Assembly, which we consider an attempt to promote and legitimize the colonial occupation regime on the land of the State of Palestine.” (JP 6/7; TOI 6/8; MEE 6/9; WAFA 6/13)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at 4 Palestinian-owned vehicles in Marda. Israeli settlers also attacked 1 Palestinian man near Burqa; the man was treated at a hospital for fractures to his hand. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers set up a settlement outpost in al-Muarrajat between Ramallah and Jericho. Israeli settlers also vandalized 2 solar panels in Burin. Israeli forces closed the Shufa and al-Kafiyat checkpoints. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian farmers trying to work their lands near Qusra, causing tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces delivered stop-work orders for 6 residential and commercial structures in al-Khalediya. 13 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Qabatiya, al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, Beita, ‘Urif, Tammun, Tubas, Bethlehem, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, 1 Israeli settler rammed 1 Palestinian minor with their car in Silwan. In Israel, 1 Palestinian man shot and killed 5 people in Bnei Brak, including 2 Ukrainian nationals, 1 police officer, and 2 Israeli civilians, before he was shot and killed. The Palestinian man was from the West Bank town of Ya‘bad and was in Israel without a permit working nearby. PA president Mahmoud Abbas condemned the attack. (AX, HA, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/29; AJ, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/30; HA, HA, PCHR 3/31; ALM, HA 4/1; HA 4/3; UNOCHA 4/10)

Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz met with Jordan’s king Abdullah II in Amman. King Abdullah called on Israel to respect Palestinian access to the holy places in Jerusalem during the month of Ramadan. (AJ, HA 3/29)

The PA and Agence Française de Développement signed agreements worth $32 million for the restoration of the Saint Hilarion Monastery in Gaza and construction of a water reservoir west of Ramallah and a seawater desalination plant in Gaza. (WAFA 3/29)

In the West Bank, PA forces arrested 12 Palestinians for partaking or intending to partake in demonstrations against the PA in Ramallah; at least 23 others were arrested on the same grounds on 8/21. The UN and EU later criticized the PA for arresting its critics, as did prominent progressive congresspeople in the U.S. Israeli forces raided Araqah, dispersing Palestinians with tear gas and seizing security camera recordings at a shop. Israeli forces also shot and injured 1 Palestinian man with special needs at the container checkpoint near Bethlehem. 6 Palestinians were arrested, including 2 at checkpoints in Yatta and Bethlehem and 4 at raids in and around Hebron and Beit Fajjar. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian family demolished their own home in Bayt Hanina, displacing 8. 4 Palestinians were arrested in the Old City, Silwan, and al-Tur. In Israel, Israeli police accompanied by bulldozers demolished 2 Palestinian homes in Umm al-Fahm. (HA, MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/22; TOI 8/23 AJ, JP, MEE, TOI 8/24; HA, MEE 8/25; JP, MEE, PCHR 8/26; HA 8/27)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed 1 11-year-old boy near Beit Umar who was sitting in his father’s car; according to the family, the child’s father decided to turn his car around after seeing a flying checkpoint near the city, when the Israeli forces fired 13 bullets at the car. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters near the Evyatar settlement outpost, injuring 8 with rubber-coated bullets and others with tear gas. Elsewhere, Israeli forces delivered demolition orders against 1 water well and 1 agricultural structure in al-Fakheit in the Masafer Yatta area. 11 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Hebron, and Jenin refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces razed land and demolished 1 agricultural structure in al-Tur. 1 Palestinian was arrested during a late-night raid in Silwan. (AA, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 7/28; AA, MEE, MEE, PCHR 7/29; MEMO, WAFA 7/30; HA 8/3; AA, WAFA 8/4; MEE 8/5; HA 8/8)

The Israeli ministry of defense said it had informed the PA that it would increase the number of work permits for Palestinians by 16,000. 15,000 of the permits would be for construction work and 1,000 would be for work in hospitality. The Israeli government would still need a final approval for the increase. (MEMO, TOI 7/28)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh met with EU envoy for the Middle East peace process Sven Koopmans in Ramallah, where he called for a revival of the peace process under the auspices of the Quartet on the Middle East. Envoy Koopmans also met with PA foreign minister Riyad Maliki and head of the civil affairs authority Hussein al-Sheikh. (WAFA 7/28; MEMO 7/29)

PA health minister and head of the PA environmental quality authority Mai al-Kaila and Jamil Matour met with the Israeli health and environmental protection ministers Nitzan Horowitz and Tamar Zandberg, both of the Meretz (Vigor) party, in Jerusalem to discuss cooperation on health and environmental issues. The agreements reached included direct ambulance service from Gaza to the West Bank via the Beit Hanun crossing, easing restrictions on Palestinian medical teams accessing East Jerusalem and Area C, and for Israel to accept vaccination certificates produced by the PA. The meeting was arranged by Israel’s minister of regional cooperation Issawi Frej upon the request of the U.S. The last time PA and Israeli ministers met was in 2018 when PA prime minister Rami Hamdallah met with Israeli finance minister Moshe Kahlon. (HA 8/28; MEMO 7/29; ALM 8/5)

Israel’s defense minister Benny Gantz visited the French defense minister Florence Parly in Paris to relay Israeli findings in regards to the news that the Israeli company NSO Group’s spyware Pegasus had been used to spy on French President Emmanuel Macron’s phone. (AJ, HA, HA, REU 7/27; REU 7/28; ALM, MEMO, MEMO 7/29)

In a briefing at the UN security council, the deputy special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Lynn Hastings said that the UNRWA was facing “an imminent cash flow crisis” amounting to $100 million. Deputy Special Coordinator Hastings also called for Israel to ease restrictions on the entry of goods and people into Gaza. (MEMO 7/28; MEMO, WAFA 7/29)

In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian shot by Israeli forces on 5/15 in Ramallah succumbed to his injuries. Israeli forces razed 4 dunams (1 acre) of land, uprooting olive trees and destroying a well near Husan. Israeli forces also demolished 1 car wash near Hizma. Elsewhere, Israeli forces delivered stop-work orders for 2 residential structures, 2 tents, 2 toilets, and 1 agricultural structure near Yatta. 14 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Hebron, Dayr Sharaf, Tulkarm, and Bayt Fajjar. In East Jerusalem, 3 Palestinians were arrested in al-Tur and Silwan. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian farmers east of al-Shuka; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces also made incursions and leveled land east of al-Fukhari. 2 Palestinians were killed by an unexploded Israeli missile in Dayr al-Balah, raising the comprehensive death toll since 5/10 from 261 to 263, including 67 children and 3 pregnant women. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/2; PCHR 6/3)

In an interview with Vice News, the Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar said that Hamas was ready for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire hours after firing the 1st rocket during the escalation of violence last month and that Hamas had communicated this to the Egyptian, Qatari, and UN mediators every day of the assault on Gaza. Sinwar reiterated that the Hamas rockets fired at Israel on 5/10 were intended to be a message to Israel that Hamas will not allow Israel’s aggression at al-Aqsa Mosque and in Shaykh Jarrah, and about Israel’s violations of international law in the occupied Palestinian territories in general. (YouTube 6/2)

Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid (There Is a Future) told Israeli president Reuven Rivlin that he had formed a government coalition 30 minutes before his mandate to do so ran out. The coalition consisted of an extremely diverse group of parties and people, including Naftali Bennett of Yamina (Rightwards) who will be prime minister for the 1st 2 years. The other party leaders were Mansour Abbas of Ra’am (United Arab List), Gideon Sa’ar of Tikva Hadasha (New Hope), Avigdor Lieberman of Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home), Nitan Horowitz of Meretz (Vigor), Merav Michaeli of Labor, and current deputy and defense minister Benny Gantz of Kahol Lavan (Blue and White). The only factor binding these parties, which range from far-right to left, was the desire to unseat prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to the government agreement, after the 1st 2 years with Bennett as prime minister, Lapid will become prime minister in a rotation deal similar to the 1 made between Prime Minister Netanyahu and Deputy Prime Minister Gantz, which never materialized. The Knesset also elected Isaac Herzog as the new Israeli president. President-elect Herzog was most recently the chairman of the Jewish Agency and before that, the leader of Labor. (HA 6/1; AJ, AJ, AJ, ALM, ALM, AP, AP, AX, HA, HILL, REU, REU 6/2; AJ, AJ, ALM, ALM, ALM, ALM, AP, AP, CNN, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, JP, NYT, REU, REU, REU 6/3; GDN, HA, HA 6/4)

The largest Iranian naval ship caught fire and sank in the Gulf of Oman; it was unclear what caused the fire. Similarly, a mysterious fire broke out at an oil refinery near Tehran. (AJ, AP, AP, REU 6/2; AP 6/3; AP 6/4)

145 democrats in the house of representatives co-signed a letter by Jamie Raskin (D-MD) to Senator James Risch of the senate committee of foreign affairs, requesting that he stop holding up $75 million in aid earmarked for Palestinians in Gaza in his committee, stressing the urgency of the situation. Senator Risch has said he wants to make sure that the NGOs administering the aid do not work with Hamas. (TOI 5/27; HA, Rep. Raskin 6/2)

UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini said, during a visit to East Jerusalem, that Israeli-planned evictions of Palestinians in Shaykh Jarrah violate international law. (AJ, WAFA 6/2)

Germany pledged $18.2 million in aid to Palestinians via the UN. (WAFA 6/2)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set fire to more than 100 hay bales south of Hebron. Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian using live ammunition during a raid in Ya‘bad; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces demolished 1 residential tent and 2 agricultural tents, and seized solar panels in al-Samou. Israeli forces also razed a tract of land near Khirbet Umm al-Khawas in the Masafer Yatta area for settlement expansion. 21 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Ramallah, Tulkarm, Jenin, Tubas, Qalqilya, Bethlehem, Hebron, and Qatanna. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian was arrested during a house raid in Silwan. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/1; WAFA 6/2; PCHR 6/3)

The Israeli Jerusalem affairs ministry told a Jerusalem court that it had frozen plans by settler organization Ateret Cohanim to open a Yemeni Jewish heritage center in Silwan as part of its plans to Judaize East Jerusalem. (HA 6/2)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas extended the COVID-19-related state of emergency by 30 days. (WAFA 6/1)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh met with Omani officials in Muscat and the Kuwaiti prime minister Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah in Kuwait. (WAFA, WAFA 6/1)

The PA summoned representatives from Austria, the Czech Republic, the UK, and Bulgaria to express dissatisfaction with the countries’ votes in favor of protecting Israel from investigations at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on 5/27. (WAFA 6/1)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, during the ceremony for Mossad’s new chief David Barneam that if he had to choose between “[f]riction with the United States and eliminating the Iranian threat—eliminating the existential threat wins.” (AP, HA 6/1)

Israel summoned the ambassador of Argentina to Israel because of the country’s vote at the UNHRC on 5/27 to investigate potential Israeli war crimes. In the past couple of days, Israel has also summoned the ambassadors of Mexico and the Philippines over their votes at the UNHRC. (JP 6/1)

During a trip to Israel, senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told Fox News that Israel is planning to ask the U.S. for $1 billion in military aid to “replenish the Iron Dome batteries” after the 11 days of escalation of violence last month, which Israel dubbed “Operation Guardian of the Walls.” (HA, HILL, REU 6/1; AJ 6/2)

17 Democratic U.S. senators led by Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) signed a letter to secretary of state Antony Blinken urging him to pressure Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israel is conditioning the allowance of much of the humanitarian aid into Gaza on a number of demands to Hamas, including releasing 2 Israeli citizens and the bodies of 2 soldiers. The senators also called on Secretary Blinken to see that aid to Palestinians be raised to the same amount as before former president Donald Trump slashed it. (AX 6/1; HA 6/2)

According to the Financial Times, almost 200 Facebook employees have asked the company to set up a task force to investigate claims that the company suppresses pro-Palestinian voices on its social media platforms. (AJ 6/2; WAFA 6/4)

EU representative to Palestine Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff said, during a press conference held in front of the ruins of the al-Jala high-rise in Gaza City, that reconstruction of Gaza required Israel lifting its blockade of the area. (WAFA 6/1)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assaulted 1 Palestinian farmer working his land near Qalqilya. Israeli forces uprooted some 100 olive trees while razing some 30 dunams (7.4 acres) of land in Jayyus. Israeli forces also delivered demolition notices for 10 houses in Ni‘lin and Dayr Qaddis in Area B. Elsewhere, Israeli forces seized 2 residential tents and 2 agricultural tents, displacing 15 Palestinians in al-Buwayb in the Masafer Yatta area. Palestinians protested Israeli attacks on Palestinian and international journalists at the office of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate in Ramallah. 11 Palestinians were arrested, including 10 during raids in and around Bethlehem, Nablus, al-‘Arub refugee camp, Bayt Umar, Hebron, Dayr Abu Mash‘al, Idhna, al-‘Amari refugee camp, Dayr Balut, and Surayf, and 1 was arrested at a checkpoint in Huwwara. In East Jerusalem, 5 Palestinians were arrested in al-Tur, Silwan, and the Old City. In Gaza, 1 Palestinian was found dead in rubble resulting from Israeli air strikes in Gaza City, raising the comprehensive death toll since 5/10 from 260 to 261, including 67 children and 3 pregnant women. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/31; PCHR 6/3)

In Gaza, electricity remained limited to 6 hours followed by blackouts for 12 hours despite repairs made to power lines that were damaged during the most recent escalation between Israel and Hamas. It was reported that the power shortages were due to Israel continuing to withhold fuel transfers to Gaza’s power plant. It was also reported that Israel continues to prevent Palestinians in need of cancer treatment from traveling to East Jerusalem for chemotherapy. (HA, HA 5/31; MEMO 6/1)

Palestinian prisoners started an open-ended hunger strike for the Israel Prison Service allow family visits, which has been prohibited since March of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (WAFA 5/31)

2 Palestinians were charged with terrorism for allegedly throwing stones at 1 Jewish family traveling by car in East Jerusalem on 5/9, a day where more than 330 Palestinians were injured by Israeli settlers and police. (HA 5/31)

Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar said Hamas was ready to negotiate the terms of releasing Israeli captives and the bodies of 2 Israeli soldiers held by the organization. The deputy head of Hamas in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya, had earlier that day warned Israel not to tie the issue of Israeli captives to aid to Gaza or to Israeli policy on Jerusalem. Israel’s foreign minister Gabi Ashkenazi made the opposite demand during a meeting with Egypt’s foreign minister Sameh Shoukry on 5/30. Head of Egyptian general intelligence Abbas Kamel also met with Sinwar in Gaza to discuss a long-term ceasefire with Israel. (HA 5/29; AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU 5/31; MEMO, MEMO 6/1)

Israeli public security minister Amir Ohana backed a call by Lydda councilman Amichai Langfeld to have armed Jewish-Israeli civilians patrol the streets of the city to “protect the Jewish community” there. Jewish-Israeli member of Knesset from the Joint Arab List Ofer Cassif said such calls were incitement. (HA 6/1)

Israel and the UAE signed a tax treaty. (HA, MEMO, REU 5/31)

Israel summoned the ambassador of Mexico to Israel because of the country’s vote at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on 5/27 to investigate potential Israeli war crimes. On 5/30, Israel also summoned the ambassador the Philippines over his country’s vote at the UNHRC. (JP 6/1)

More than 50 former prime ministers, foreign ministers, and senior international officials wrote an open letter calling for protecting the independence of the ICC and condemning attacks on the court. The letter mentioned Israel-Palestine as a place where, without the ICC, there “is no accountability for grave human rights violations, it is the victims seeking justice and people longing for lasting peace who are paying the price.” The letter also called allegation of anti-Semitism waged against the ICC “unfounded.” (GDN, GDN 5/31; MEMO, WAFA 6/1)

The UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency said in a report that Iran has failed to explain why traces of uranium were found at undeclared sites. (REU 5/31)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raided Khirbet Zanuta, assaulting Palestinians and causing damage to houses. Israeli settlers also seized an old Jordanian army building in Arab al-Rashayida near Bethlehem. Israeli forces raided the headquarters of the Palestinian Red Crescent in Tubas, firing 29 tear gas canisters at the building, causing tear-gas related injuries and starting a fire. Israeli forces also assaulted a man at the Hamra checkpoint near Nablus. 6 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around al-Bireh, Jenin, and Tayassir. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters demonstrating against Israeli-planned evictions of Palestinians in Batn al-Hawa, injuring 1 minor before arresting him. Israeli forces also arrested 1 Palestinian for gesturing his middle finger at Israeli forces in the Old City; the man’s lawyer said he was beaten by Israeli police while in detention; it was the 2d man in 2 days arrested for making the gesture. In Israel, 1 Palestinian citizen of Israel demolished his own home in Taibe to avoid exorbitant Israeli demolition fees. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/26; PCHR 5/27)

Israel opened an investigation into why Israeli forces shot 1 girl and her father in their house in Shaykh Jarrah on 5/25. The girl was shot in the back with a rubber-coated bullet, fracturing her spine. Her father was hit in his leg and with a stun grenade. 1 Israeli soldier was suspended while the investigation was ongoing. (AP 5/26; HA 5/27)

Israel revoked social and health benefits for 16 Palestinian families in East Jerusalem as a punitive measure because at least 1 member in each family is seen as a political activist for Palestinian rights to live in Shaykh Jarrah or against Israeli attacks on the Haram al-Sharif compound. It was also reported that 11 Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem were placed in administrative detention for periods of 3-6 months. (HA, MEMO, WAFA 5/27)

An Israeli court in Jerusalem postponed making a judgment on the eviction of 86 Palestinian families from their homes in Batn al-Hawa in Silwan. 15 European diplomats were present at the court during the postponement. (AJ, MEE, MEMO, WAFA 5/26; ALM, WAFA 5/27; HA 5/28; AJ 5/29)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met the British foreign minister Dominic Raab in Ramallah, calling for the revival of the International Quartet’s engagement in a peace process. (HA, WAFA, WAFA 5/26)

Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar threatened Israel with a more intense attack if Israel continues to attack the Haram al-Sharif compound. Sinwar also said that Hamas would not touch “a single cent” of international aid for rebuilding Gaza. (AJ, HA 5/26)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken met with Egyptian president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and other senior Egyptian officials discussing the Egyptian brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Secretary Blinken also met with Jordanian king Abdullah II in Amman. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU 5/26)

After the government of Ireland recognized Israel’s settlement activity as de facto annexation of Palestinian lands on 5/25, the Irish parliament passed a motion to condemn Israel’s “de facto annexation” of Palestinian lands. (AJ 5/26; AP, GDN, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/27)

The EU increased its financial support for Palestinians by $9.75 million to help rebuild Gaza. (WAFA 5/26)

Qatar announced it would donate $500 million to help rebuild Gaza. (AJ, AX, HA, REU 5/27; MEMO, WAFA 5/28)

In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian minor succumbed to wounds sustained from Israeli live ammunition on 5/18. Israeli settlers leveled land in Kisan. Israeli settlers also set up mobile homes south of Hebron. Israeli forces also raided Jaba‘, injuring 4, including 1 minor, when Palestinians confronted the forces. Israeli forces also raided ‘Araqa, injuring 1 minor with live ammunition, when Palestinians confronted the forces. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bethlehem, injuring 7 with rubber-coated bullets and others with tear gas. 11 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Nablus, Jenin, and Jericho. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raided al-Makassed Hospital, leaving without making arrests. 8 Palestinians were arrested during raids in the Old City, al-Tur, Silwan, and Shu‘fat. In Gaza, 4 Palestinians were killed and many were injured, raising the comprehensive death toll since 5/10 from 232 to 236, including 65 children and 3 pregnant women. The casualties included: 1, and 9 wounded, including 3 children, during an air strike on a house in Khan Yunis; 1, and 1 wounded in an air strike on Bayt Lahiya; 2 in an air strike on a car traveling in Jabaliya. Israeli air strikes also hit power lines near Rafah, causing a total electricity blackout in the city. Israeli forces attacked 1 house in Khan Yunis, causing damage, but the missile remained unexploded as it landed on a bed, saving the family living in the house. 4 factories were also destroyed by Israeli air strikes in an industrial zone east in al-Muntar. In Israel, 1 Israeli soldier was injured by an anti-tank missile rocket fired from Gaza at a military bus. 1 rocket from Gaza hit a house in Ashkelon, causing damage; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces violently dispersed a funeral procession for 1 Palestinian-Israeli who was killed by Israeli police on 5/19 in Umm al-Fahm; 3 were arrested; a general strike was also called in Umm al-Fahm in protest over the killing. (AJ, HA, HA, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/20; MEE, PCHR 5/21; NYT 5/26; PCHR 5/27)

It was reported that a ceasefire between Hamas, Islamic Jihad in Palestine, and Israel had been brokered by Egypt and would take effect at 2 a.m. on 5/21. Prior to the reporting, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had called a meeting at the security cabinet. Shortly after the 2 sides announced the ceasefire, U.S. president Joe Biden praised Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for his role in the ceasefire and Prime Minister Netanyahu for agreeing to it. Biden said in remarks that “Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve to live safely and securely and to enjoy equal measures of freedom, prosperity, and democracy,” in what can be viewed as a slight shift in the paradigm of U.S. statements on Israel and Palestine. President al-Sisi also praised President Biden for his work on the ceasefire agreement. Several prominent Democrats in the U.S. House and Senate welcomed the news of the ceasefire, but said it was time to do more to resolve the roots of the conflict. PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki called for the world to address the core issues, saying that the ceasefire is not enough. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AP, AX, AX, GDN, HA, REU, REU, WAFA 5/20; AM, AP, CNN, FOX, HA, HA 5/21)

Haaretz reported that 90% of the Israeli citizens charged for the violence in Israeli towns and cities since the start of the Hamas-Israel escalation were Palestinian citizens of Israel. District prosecutors have been criticized for not indicting Jewish-Israelis. (HA 5/20)

Adalah filed a petition on behalf of Palestinians in Shayk Jarrah to have Israeli police remove checkpoints around the neighborhood, which are severely impeding the residents’ freedom of movement. The checkpoints are also meant to block entry of Palestinians who are not residents of the neighborhood, as many residents remain threatened by evictions. (Adalah, HA 5/20)

The Israeli Electric Company said it would not restore the damaged power lines in Gaza until 2 Israelis, believed to be held captive by Hamas, and the bodies of 2 dead Israelis are returned to Israel. (HA 5/20)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with German chancellor Angela Merkel about efforts to get a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. President Abbas also met with German foreign minister Heiko Maas in Ramallah. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 5/20)

Before the ceasefire was announced, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh wrote a letter to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, asking for “mobilization of Arab, Islamic and international support” in ending Israeli air strikes. (AP 5/20)

Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani said that the country had reached an agreement in principle with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signatories about complying with and having the U.S. rejoin the deal. (HA 5/20)

U.S. senator and chair of the Senate budget committee Bernie Sanders (D-VT) said he would introduce a resolution of disapproval of a $735 million arms sale to Israel. (AJ, ALM, HA, REU 5/20)

At the UN, U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that the U.S. had “not been silent,” despite blocking UN security council statements criticizing the violence from the latest escalation between Hamas and Israel. UN general-secretary António Guterres said he was “deeply shocked by the continued air and artillery bombardment” of Gaza and said that Gaza’s children lived in “hell on Earth.” No unified statement was released by the UN general assembly. (AJ, AJ, ALM, HA, REU 5/20)

1 Jewish AP reporter was fired after Stanford University College Republicans criticized her for pro-Palestinian activism while she was a student at the school, before she was hired at AP. Later, more than 100 AP journalists wrote an open letter to AP criticizing the decision. (SFGATE 5/20; FOX, MEE, MEMO 5/21; MEE 5/22; MEE 5/24)

The foreign minister of Germany, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia visited Israel upon the invitation of Israeli foreign minister Gabi Ashkenazi to be briefed on the Israeli-Hamas escalation. In meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the 3 foreign ministers were shown parts of a drone that had been shot down on 5/18 that Netanyahu claimed was Iranian. (ALM, HA 5/20)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raided Qarawat Bani Hassan before confronted by Palestinian residents. Israeli settlers attacked 1 Palestinian minor near Kisan, causing injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers set fire to agricultural lands planted with olive trees in Jalud, causing extensive damage. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters commemorating Nakba Day throughout the West Bank, killing 1 Palestinian in Hebron and injuring 450, including 27 in Hebron, 29 in Qalqilya, 12 in Ramallah, 18 in Nablus, 9 in Tulkarm, 6 in Jenin, 2 in Bethlehem, and 1 in Tubas using live ammunition. 13 Palestinians were arrested, including 4 during late-night raids in Tulkarm and 9 during protests near Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Shaykh Jarrah, injuring 1 journalist and arresting 1. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in al-Tur, causing tear-gas related injuries and 1 arrest. 13 others were arrested during raids in Issawiyya, al-Tur, Silwan, and Sur Bahir. In Gaza, 17 Palestinians were killed, including 8 children, and dozens were injured, raising the comprehensive death toll since 5/10 from 136 to 153, including 41 children and 2 pregnant women. The casualties included: 10 members of the same family in an Israeli air strike in al-Shati refugee camp, including 8 children; 1 infant was found in the rubble of the house and was the only survivor of the attack; 2 in an air strike on a market in Gaza City; 1 in an air strike while driving north of Gaza City; 1 in a drone strike on agricultural lands near al-Bureij; 1, and 1 injured in an air strike on al-Bureij; 1 in an air strike while riding a motorbike in al-Maghazi; 1 Palestinian succumbed to wounds sustained in an air strike on a car wash al-Zawaideh. Israel also demolished al-Jalaa tower, a 12-story building in Gaza City hosting the offices of AP, Al Jazeera, and other international media outlets along with residential apartments; Israel claimed that it also housed Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Palestine intelligence offices, saying that made it a legitimate target; residents and workers were given 1 hour to evacuate the building. AP said their reporting capabilities in Gaza were significantly reduced while Al Jazeera called it a war crime and an act to stop reporting. Air strikes also demolished the home of senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya and severely damaged the 14-story tower al-Qahira and the 12-story tower al-Andalus in Gaza City. Shelling from land and sea also caused significant damage and injuries in Khan Yunis and Bayt Hanun. Egypt sent 10 ambulances to Gaza to pick up injured Palestinians for treatment at Egyptian hospitals. In Israel, 1 Israeli was killed by a rocket fired from Gaza in Ramat Gan, raising the Israeli death toll to 10. 6 buildings were also damaged in Ramat Gan. Rockets were also fired at Beersheba, Ashkelon, and Ashdod from Gaza, causing damage in Beersheba and Ashdod. Hundreds of Palestinian-Israelis protested in Jaffa over the Israeli police’s inability to protect them as violence has been escalating in the neighborhood and 1 minor was seriously injured by a firebomb on 5/14. 67 Palestinian-Israelis were reported arrested, including 52 in ‘Akka and 15 in Lydda. In Lebanon, hundreds of protesters gathered along the Blue Line to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and Shaykh Jarrah. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, MEE, MEE, PCHR, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/15; AP, AP, AP, AP, HA, MEE, PCHR, REU, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/16; AP 5/17; HA 5/18; PCHR 5/20; MEE 5/21; NYT 5/26; GDN 7/28)

There were major demonstrations in many cities worldwide in commemoration of Nakba Day and in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and those threatened by eviction in Shaykh Jarrah. (DM, DW, NAT 5/15 BBC, GDN, WAFA 5/16)

U.S. president Joe Biden spoke with both Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and PA president Mahmoud Abbas. It was the 1st time that President Biden and President Abbas have spoken since Biden took office in January. (HA, WAFA 5/15)

U.S. chair of the senate foreign relations committee Bob Menendez (D-NJ) said, after Israel demolished the building housing the offices of AP and Al Jazeera, that he was “deeply troubled by reports of Israeli military actions that resulted in the death of innocent civilians in Gaza as well as Israeli targeting of buildings housing international media outlets.” Menendez is known as 1 of the staunchest supports of Israel among the senate Democrats. Several House Democrats separately tweeted, “Apartheid states aren’t democracies,” in a reference to Israel. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT 5/15)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked 2 Palestinians near Nablus by throwing stones and physically assaulting them, causing their hospitalization. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian at a checkpoint in Za’atra and injured 1 other; Israeli forces claimed that 2 were in a car and refused to stop at the checkpoint. Israeli forces also violently dispersed protesters at a checkpoint north of Ramallah, injuring 9 Palestinians with rubber-coated bullets. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed protesters at the Qalandia checkpoint, injuring 37 Palestinians using rubber-coated bullets. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Jenin, injuring 1 with live ammunition while others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Meanwhile, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters, injuring 2 using live ammunition. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Tulkarm, injuring 1 with live ammunition; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Separately, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Hebron, injuring 7 with live ammunition and 10 with rubber-coated bullets. Israeli forces also injured 1 with a tear gas canister in Bethlehem. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters at the Huwwara checkpoint, injuring 5 with rubber-coated bullets. 14 Palestinians were arrested, including 13 at checkpoints in Tulkarm, Huwwara, and Jenin, and 1 was arrested during a late-night raid in Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed a sit-in protest against evictions in Shaykh Jarrah, spraying skunk water at protesters and arresting 3 residents. 6 other Palestinians were arrested, including 4 at a checkpoint in Issawiyya and 2 during late-night raids in Silwan and al-Tur. In Gaza, 10 Palestinians, including 1 child, were killed in Israeli air strikes, raising the comprehensive death toll since 5/10 from 20 to 30, including 10 children. The casualties included: 2, and 2 injured in an air strike on a 7-story building in al-Shati camp; 6, and at least 8 injured in 3 air strikes on apartment buildings in Gaza City; and 2 in an air strike near a chicken farm southwest of Dayr al-Balah. Additionally, Israeli air strikes damaged or destroyed dozens of buildings, including 1 14-story residential and commercial building, the Hanadi Tower west of Gaza City, 1 ice cream factory south of Gaza City, 1 health clinic and police station in Bayt Lahiya, 1 large school in Dayr al-Balah. Hamas reported that Israeli air strikes had destroyed all police buildings in Gaza. In Israel, 5 were killed by rockets from Gaza, including 2 Palestinian citizens of Israel, who were killed by a rocket fired from Gaza near Lydda, and 2 Jewish-Israelis and 1 Indian national in Ashkelon and Tel Aviv. 1 rocket fired from Gaza also damaged an Israeli pipeline in Ashkelon, igniting a large oil fire. A state of emergency was also declared in Lydda after a synagogue and some 30 cars were set on fire as Jewish-Israelis and Palestinian citizens of Israel clashed. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian-Israelis in Lydda after a protest erupted following a funeral of 1 Palestinian citizen of Israel who was killed by a Jewish-Israeli on 5/10; 12 Palestinian-Israelis were injured by stun grenades and rubber-coated bullets. Clashes also ensued in Ramla and a synagogue, a marketplace, and a Muslim cemetery were set on fire. In Acre, 1 police station and 1 restaurant were set on fire. 19 Palestinian citizens of Israel were arrested after trash bins were set on fire and stones were thrown at Israeli police in Haifa. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian-Israeli protesters in Jaffa, arresting 3; 2 police officers were reportedly injured. Clashes between Jewish-Israelis and Palestinian-Israelis were also reported in Beersheba. Israeli forces said that the Iron Dome had intercepted 85-90% of around 850 rockets fired from Gaza since 5/10. (AJ 5/10; AJ, AJ, AX, CBS, HA, HA, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, NYT, PCHR, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/11; AJ, AJ, AP, AP, BBC, CNN, CNN, HA, HA, HA, JP, MEMO, PCHR, PCHR, REU, REU, TOI 5/12; HA 5/18; WAFA 5/19; PCHR 5/20; MEE 5/21; NYT 5/26)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas canceled Eid al-Fitr celebrations to mourn for the Palestinians killed by Israel in the last couple of days. (MEMO 5/12)

A Spokesperson for the U.S. national security advisor said chief of Palestinian affairs at the U.S. embassy in Israel George Noll had delivered a letter from U.S. president Joe Biden to PA president Mahmoud Abbas. The spokesperson would not say what the letter was about, saying it was part of the administrations outreach to “the Palestinian leadership.” (HILL, WAFA 5/11)

The Arab League secretary-general Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Israel was responsible for the escalation between Hamas and Israel, stating that “Israeli violations in Jerusalem . . . is what led to the ignition of the situation in this dangerous way.” Secretary-general Gheit’s comments came after a meeting of Arab League foreign secretaries discussing the situation. (AJ, REU 5/11)

Haaretz reported that Palestinian and Egyptian sources said that talks to end the escalation between Hamas and Israel had ended due to opposition from Islamic Jihad and Israel. Leader of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh said that the escalation was started by Israel and that Hamas is ready for “an escalation and ready for calm, on the condition that they end the aggression against al-Quds.” Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Hamas and Islamic Jihad have paid—and will pay—a heavy price for their aggression . . . It will take time. We’ll restore security for the citizens of Israel.” (AJ, HA, MEMO 5/12)

It was reported that the U.S. was delaying a UN security council (UNSC) statement addressing the Israeli aggression in Jerusalem, and escalation of the conflict between Hamas and Israel. A UNSC emergency meeting was called on 5/9 by Tunisia and 9 other countries. The state department spokesperson Ned Price said secretary of state Antony Blinken, national security advisor Jake Sullivan, and deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman had talked to their Israeli counterparts and unnamed Palestinian officials. The White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said that President Joe Biden’s “support for Israel security, for its legitimate right to defend itself and its people is fundamental and will never waver . . . We condemn ongoing rocket attacks by Hamas and other terrorist groups, including against Jerusalem.” (HA, HA, REU 5/11; AP, HA 5/12)

The 57 members of the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation released a joint communiqué after an emergency meeting, calling Israeli attacks on the Haram al-Sharif compound “barbaric” and said the nations consider Israel’s attacks a “serious violation of international law.” (HA 5/11)

The U.S. treasury department sanctioned 7 Lebanese people for transferring $500 million on behalf of Hezbollah. (AJ, AP, REU 5/11)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set up a tent on Palestinian-owned land in Qusra. Israeli settlers also razed 15 dunams (3.7 acres) of agricultural land planted with wheat in Jalud. Israeli forces seized 1 tent and 1 electric generator in Masafer Yatta. Israeli forces also demolished 1 house near Bethlehem. Elsewhere, Israeli forces delivered a stop-work order for a house in Susiya. 24 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Tuqu‘, Bayt Umar, Dayr Jarir, Ramallah, Jenin, and Qabatiya; among the arrested were at least 4 prominent members of Palestinian political parties, including at least 1 who was running in the upcoming Palestinian elections. In East Jerusalem, 4 Palestinians were arrested during raids in al-Tur and Silwan. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/12; PCHR, PCHR 4/15)

In a joint statement by a number of PLO parties, the members said that “[t]here will be no elections without Jerusalem, and Israel possesses no veto to this.” (WAFA 4/12; TOI 4/13)

A PA court sentenced 1 Palestinian man to life in prison for treason against Palestine. (WAFA 4/12)

Israel allowed 3.5 tons of mail to enter the West Bank from Jordan after having stalled it in Jordan since 2018. (WAFA 4/12)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved delivery of extra water rations from the Jordan River to Jordan almost a month after the request was made. It had been reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu was stalling the request because of his personal deteriorating relationship with Jordanian king Abdullah II. It was also reported that U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken had asked Israel to send the extra water to Jordan. Prime Minister Netanyahu also held a joint press conference with U.S. secretary of defense Lloyd J. Austin III in Jerusalem. During the conference, which was held 1 day after Israel attacked the Iranian Natanz nuclear site, Netanyahu called the Iranian government a “fanatical regime.” When asked about the attack on the nuclear site, Netanyahu did not say whether it was an Israeli operation but did say, “[m]y policy as prime minister of Israel is clear: I will never allow Iran to obtain the nuclear capability to carry out its genocidal goal of eliminating Israel.” (AJ, HA 4/12)

The Lebanese outgoing minister of public works Michel Najjar signed a decree that extended Lebanon’s maritime border claim by 550 square miles. The decree still needs the approval of the defense minister, prime minister, and president before it becomes valid. (AJ, AP, HA, REU 4/12; REU 4/13; REU 4/15)

The EU imposed sanctions on 8 Iranian officials in response to the crackdown on protests in November 2019, when some 1,500 people were reportedly killed by Iranian forces. Iran denies that the death toll was that high. The UN said at least 304 people were killed. The EU is in the process of mediating between the U.S. and Iran to get the U.S. to rejoin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. (AJ, ALM, HA, REU 4/12; ALM 4/13)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces razed Palestinian-owned land in Khirbat Zanuta and razed land and demolished water pipes in al-Twana. Elsewhere, Israeli forces and Palestinians clashed in al-‘Izzariya after Israeli forces stormed a cemetery; 1 Palestinian-owned house was damaged by a fire ignited by sound bombs. 8 Palestinians were arrested, including 6 during raids in and around Shu‘fat, Hebron, Qalandia, Ramallah, and Jericho, and 2 were arrested at checkpoints in Hebron and near Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, an Israeli court issued an eviction order for an extended Palestinian family living in an apartment complex in Silwan; the eviction order affects 28 people. The court ruled in favor of the settler organization Ateret Cohanim. 2 Palestinians were arrested, including 2 during late-night raids in Issawiyya and al-Tur; 1 Algerian tourist was arrested at the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces made incursions to level land east of Khan Yunis. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen west of Bayt Lahiya within the allocated fishing zone; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA 9/7; PCN 9/9; PCHR 9/10; HA 9/15)

The UN launched a temporary service via the WHO to facilitate transfers of Gaza medical patients to Israel, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank in lieu of Israel and the PA’s ceased cooperation. (HA 9/8)

The EU warned Serbia and Kosovo that moving their embassies to Jerusalem as announced by U.S. president Donald Trump on 9/4 would undermine their hopes to gain membership in the union. (HA 9/7)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolished 8 structures in a bedouin village north of Ramallah and delivered demolition notices for 2 houses near Bethlehem. 11 Palestinians were arrested in and around Tulkarm, Jenin, Bethlehem, and Ramallah; during the raid in Tulkarm, 2 Palestinians were shot by Israeli forces using rubber-coated bullets; during the raid near Jenin, 1 Palestinian was shot by live ammunition. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian-owned home was demolished in Silwan and 1 Palestinian family demolished their own home in Sur Bahir to avoid exorbitant Israeli demolition fees. 4 Palestinians were arrested. In Gaza, Hamas authorities initiated a 48-hour curfew after 4 members of the same family tested positive for the COVID-19 virus on 8/24; these were the 1st people to test positive in Gaza outside of designated quarantine facilities. Israeli forces attacked buildings east of Rafah, causing damage; incendiary balloons were sent toward Israel, causing fires. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/25; PCHR 8/27)

Both PA president Mahmoud Abbas and PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh met separately with the British foreign secretary Dominic Raab in Ramallah. President Abbas told Secretary Raab peace cannot be achieved by bypassing the Palestinians through normalization of relations with other Arab countries. (WAFA, WAFA 8/25)

Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz and the defense minister of the UAE Mohammed al-Bawardi spoke during a phone call where the 2 discussed shared security interests. (HA, REU 8/25)

U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo spoke to the Republican National Convention from Jerusalem while on an official trip to the Middle East. Secretary Pompeo’s performance at the Republican National Convention was a violation of the Hatch Act and a congressional investigation was initiated shortly after his speech was broadcasted. In his speech, Pompeo touted U.S. president Donald Trump’s decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, saying “this very city of God, Jerusalem, the rightful capital of the Jewish homeland.” Secretary Pompeo also met with the prime minister of Sudan Abdalla Hamdok to discuss normalizing ties between Sudan and Israel, among other issues. A Sudanese spokesperson said that the transitional government was not mandated to normalize ties with Israel. (AJ, HA, HA, HA, HA 8/25; HA 8/27)

The Democratic candidate for vice president Kamala Harris said in a call with Jewish supporters that a Biden administration will not condition U.S. military aid to Israel. (HA 8/26)

The director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza, Matthias Schmale, called on Israel to start allowing fuel into Gaza as Gaza’s only power plant had remained closed for 1 week due to lack of fuel as Israel blocked the entrance of fuel to Gaza. (WAFA 8/25)

Palestinians in Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank protested against the UAE’s decision to normalize its ties with Israel. In the West Bank, Israeli forces violently dispersed the weekly anti-settlement protest in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 3 Palestinians using rubber-coated bullets and 1 with a tear gas canister to his head. Israeli forces and Palestinians also clashed west of Ramallah with young Palestinians throwing stones and Israeli forces firing live ammunition, rubber-coated bullets, and tear gas; 2 Palestinians were injured by rubber-coated bullets. 7 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarm, al-‘Amari refugee camp, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian family demolished their own home under construction in Silwan. In Gaza, Israel fired missiles and shells at Gaza City, Khan Yunis, and Rafah, causing extensive damage to 7 houses and minor injuries to 4 Palestinians; incendiary balloons were launched from Gaza toward Israel. It was reported that Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz had decided not to allow Qatari aid to enter Gaza as collective punishment for the incendiary balloons landing in Israel. Gantz has also ordered a halt of fuel transfers to Gaza and halved the fishing zone. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen, injuring 1 with a rubber-coated bullet. In Israel, Israeli police violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Jaffa demonstrating against the impending demolition of an 18th century Muslim cemetery. (HA, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/14; AJ 8/15; PCHR 8/19)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas and chairman of the Hamas politburo Ismail Haniyeh spoke via phone. According to WAFA, Haniyeh expressed Hamas’s support for a collective Palestinian movement. (WAFA 8/13)

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that Turkey is considering suspending its diplomatic ties with the UAE in light of the UAE’s decision to establish ties with Israel. Oman called the UAE’s decision “historic.” (HA, REU, WAFA 8/14; AJ 8/15)

U.S. congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN) introduced a bill co-sponsored by 6 other members of the house which seeks to prohibit U.S. funding for areas annexed by Israel. (WAFA 8/17)

The U.S. lost a bid at the UN Security Council to extend an arms embargo on Iran. 11 members abstained, Iran and China opposed, and the U.S. and the Dominican Republic were the only members voting in favor. Russia called for a world summit to avoid further “confrontation and escalation.” (AJ, HA 8/14; AJ, HA 8/15; AJ 8/17)

In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian was injured by Israeli forces ramming him with a vehicle during a raid in Tubas. Another Palestinian was injured by Israeli forces shooting him in the head near Nablus; Israeli authorities later said it was a mistake and that the Israeli forces thought the man to be someone else. Israeli forces uprooted and seized some 100 palm trees in Jiftlik. Israeli forces also razed land in Dura. 19 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Nablus, Tubas, Ramallah, Jalazun refugee camp, Bethlehem, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolished 3 Palestinian-owned homes and 1 store in Silwan. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at agricultural lands on 3 separate occasions east of al-Maghazi and Khuza‘a; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/5; HA 8/7; PCHR 8/13)

In Lebanon, the Lebanese government declared a 2-week state of emergency in Beirut in the wake of the deadly blast on 8/4, which killed more than 135 people and wounded more than 5,000. The president of Lebanon Michel Aoun said the government would initiate a transparent investigation into what could have happened. PA president Mahmoud Abbas called President Aoun to express his condolences and to offer assistance. (AJ, REU, WAFA 8/5)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raided Kafr Haris. Israeli forces demolished 2 Palestinian-owned buildings southeast of Yatta, displacing 10 people. Israeli forces also delivered stop-work orders to 15 Palestinian-owned houses in Kafr al-Dik. 7 Palestinians were arrested in and around Ramallah and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, 2 Palestinians were arrested in Silwan. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 7/16; PCHR 7/23)

Germany donated 50 ventilators to the PA to help Palestinians in the West Bank as COVID-19 cases surge. (WAFA 7/16)

In the West Bank, PA governors imposed lockdowns of several governates and cities, including Hebron city, Abu Falah village, and Nablus governate for 5 days, and several towns and villages in the Bethlehem governate for 7 days, to curb the spread of COVID-19. Later, the PA said it would impose a 5-day lockdown in the West Bank starting 7/3. Palestinians protested in Ramallah against Israel’s plans to annex parts of the West Bank. Israeli settlers razed land in ‘Ayn Bus and southeast of Qalqilya. 13 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Jalazun refugee camp, Birzeit, Kafr al-Dik, and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolished 1 house in Jabal Mukabir and 1 residential shack in Issawiyya. 11 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around al-Tur, Silwan and Bayt Hanina. In Gaza, Palestinians in Gaza City protested the planned Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank. (AJ, HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 7/1)

According to Haaretz sources in Gaza, Hamas’s military wing tested long-range missiles. (HA 7/1)

Israel’s foreign minister Gabi Ashkenazi told Israel’s Army Radio that, “[i]t seems unlikely to me that this [announcement of plans for annexation of parts of the West Bank] will happen today . . . I reckon there will be nothing today.” Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously announced that annexation of parts of the West Bank would begin on 7/1. (AJ, HA, REU 7/1)

The Syrian, Russian, and Turkish president issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s attacks on Syria and U.S. president Donald Trump’s decision to recognize the occupied Golan Heights as part of Israel. (AJ, HA 7/1)

In an op-ed in the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, UK prime minister Boris Johnson warned Israel against annexation of parts of the West Bank, saying that it would be a violation of international law and that the “UK will not recognize any changes to the 1967 lines, except those agreed between both parties.” (HA, YNET, REU, WAFA 7/1)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces placed cement blocks, barring access to several villages in the Jordan Valley. Israeli forces demolished 1 Palestinian-owned home in al-Khadir and demolished 1 car wash near Tuqu‘. 7 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around al-Bireh, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jericho, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian family who appealed the impeding demolition of their home in Jabal Mukabir to the Israeli high court of justice were told they had until 6/21 to demolish their house. 1 Palestinian was assaulted by 1 settler using pepper spray in Silwan. Israeli settlers with police escort toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. 4 Palestinians were arrested, including 3 during a late-night raid in Wadi al-Juz and 1 at the Haram al-Sharif compound. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/18; PCHR 6/25)

OCHA reported a 250 percent increase in the demolition of Palestinian-owned structures in the period between 6/2 and 6/15 compared to the weekly average since the beginning of 2020. Israel demolished 70 structures in the 2-week period, displacing 90 people and affecting over 280. (OCHR 6/18; WAFA 6/20)

The Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi went on an unannounced visit to Ramallah to discuss Israeli annexation plans with PA president Mahmoud Abbas. Foreign Minister Safadi said, “Jordan will stand by the Palestinians and will use any means at its disposal to guarantee them rights.” (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 6/18; HA, 6/19)

1 Israeli soldier who pled guilty to charges of negligence and reckless endangerment for killing 1 Palestinian man in Gaza without authorization from his superior received 45 days of community service and was demoted to the rank of private as punishment. (ABC 6/18)