The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set fire to a Palestinian-owned vehicle in al-Zawiya. An Israeli settler also rams a flock of sheep with his car in Kisan, killing 1 and injuring others. Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian with live ammunition during a raid in Qusra. Israeli forces also open fire at a Palestinian vehicle traveling in Hebron before arresting the driver. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 25 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Baqa al-Hatab, Jenin, Hebron, Tubas, and Tulkarm. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces prevent the movement of Palestinian worshippers to the Haram al-Sharif compound, limiting the entry to 13,000 worshippers for Friday prayers. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Beit Lahiya, killing at least 112 people. Israeli forces shoot and kill 4 Palestinians at al-Amal Hospital, including the Palestine Red Crescent Society’s director of the youth and volunteers department Hedaya Hamad. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Tayr Harfa, Wadi Hassan, Majdal Zoun, Marwahin, Zibqin, and Jabal Balat. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb Damascus, killing an Iranian national and causing damage. In Yemen, Houthi militants fire a ballistic missile at Eilat, which Israel says is intercepted over the Red Sea. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/2; WAFA 2/3)

More than 27,131 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 11,500 children and 7,200 women, and around 66,287 have been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 374 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 94 children. More than 4,391 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 222 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,296 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. UNICEF says it estimates that 17,000 Palestinian children in Gaza have been left separated from their families during the Israeli assault on Gaza and that nearly all children in Gaza require mental health support. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 2/2; HA 2/4)

Hamas official Osama Hamdan says the ceasefire proposal by Israel, Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S. is not acceptable, saying a permanent ceasefire is needed. Hamdan also says Hamas demands the release of Marwan Barghouthi and Ahmad Saadat in a prisoner swap as part of the deal. Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhala speaks to Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, discussing the ceasefire proposal. (AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA 2/2; AJ 2/3)

Al-Haq, Al Mezan, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights condemn the decision by the U.S., Germany, the UK, Canada, Australia, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Japan, Austria, Latvia, Lithuania, and Romania to suspend funding for UNRWA, calling their decisions collective punishment of Palestinian refugees. (WAFA 2/2)

The Israeli security cabinet convenes for a briefing on the ceasefire proposal. Sources say that the proposal includes a 142-day ceasefire where 1 Israeli captive would be released every day. Many in the security cabinet reportedly oppose the plan. (HA 2/2)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant says Israel will not stop attacking Lebanon if a ceasefire deal is reached in Gaza. MK and former defense minister Avigdor Liberman tells the Jerusalem Post that Egypt should control Gaza, Jordan should control Area A and parts of Area B of the West Bank, while Israel annexes Area C and parts of Area B. (AJ, HA 2/2)

U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield says an Algerian-circulated draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza could jeopardize “sensitive negotiations” for a temporary ceasefire. (REU 2/2)

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau says he is considering sanctioning “those responsible for extremist violence or extreme settler violence in the West Bank.” The U.S. sanctioned 4 Israeli settlers on 2/1. (AJ, HA, HA, WAFA 2/2)

The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee schedules a vote on 2/6 on a bill called “Stop Support for UNRWA ACT” that would bar the U.S. from making contributions to the agency. (INT 2/2)

U.S. senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) says he will introduce an amendment to the foreign aid supplemental package that would cut $10.1 billion in “offensive weaponry funding” to Israel, saying the U.S. “must end its complicity in the nightmare unfolding in Gaza.” (AJ 2/2)

More than 800 officials from the U.S., UK, and EU release a letter of dissent criticizing their nations’ policies of support for Israel’s war in Gaza. (AJ, NYT 2/2; WAFA 2/3)

An AP-NORC poll finds that 50% of Americans say the “military response from Israel in the Gaza Strip has gone too far” compared to 40% in early November 2023. (AJ, AX, AP 2/2; WAFA 2/3)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set up sheds in Dayr Istya. Israeli settlers with military escort vandalized property in Burqin and Israeli forces attacked Palestinians when they tried to fend off the settlers, injuring 2 with rubber-coated bullets. Israeli forces also shot and killed 1 Palestinian child and wounded dozens of others during a protest at a checkpoint in Bil‘in; Israel said that 2 Israeli soldiers were lightly injured. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian in Hebron, saying he was going to attack the soldiers. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Ramallah, killing 2 and injuring 64. Separately, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Qalqilya, injuring 12 with live ammunition and 20 with rubber-coated bullets; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bayt Ijza, injuring 3 with rubber-coated bullets; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Meanwhile, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Nablus, injuring 11 with live ammunition. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Atuf, injuring 11 with live ammunition. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Huwwara, injuring 1 with live ammunition. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Nabi Salih, injuring 13 Palestinians with live ammunition. Separately, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Qiffin, injuring 1 Palestinian with live ammunition; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Anabta, injuring 2 with live ammunition and 3 with rubber-coated bullets; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Meanwhile, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Beita, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bayt Fajjar, injuring 1 with rubber-coated bullets; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Aida refugee camp, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Dayr Sharaf, injuring 2 with live ammunition and 2 with rubber-coated bullets; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Separately, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in al-Naqura, injuring 1 with rubber-coated bullets; others suffered tear-gas related injuries and a tear gas canister ignited a fire in a field. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Luban al-Sharqiyya, injuring 5 with rubber-coated bullets; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Meanwhile, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Burqa, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bayt Furik, injuring 3 with rubber-coated bullets; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Hebron, injuring 1 with rubber-coated bullets; others with tear gas. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Qarawat Bani Hassan, injuring 1 with live ammunition. Separately, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters at a checkpoint near Jenin, injuring 7 with live ammunition. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Tuqu‘, leading to tear-gas related injuries. A total of 202 were reported injured during the protests in the West Bank. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Shaykh Jarrah and Bab al-Amud, injuring 41. Israeli forces also shot and injured 1 Palestinian minor in her back, fracturing her spine with a rubber-coated bullet, and injured her father with a rubber-coated bullet and stun grenade while they were inside their home in Shaykh Jarrah; a video shows the incident. 1 Palestinian was arrested during a late-night raid in Silwan. In Gaza, 3 Palestinians were killed, including 1 child, and many were injured, raising the comprehensive death toll since 5/10 from 216 to 219, including 63 children and 2 pregnant women. The casualties included: 1 in an air strike a house south of Gaza City; 1 of a heart attack during heavy bombardment of Rafah; and 1 Palestinian infant succumbed to her wounds sustained on 5/11 during an air strike on Gaza City that killed her father, mother, and sister. In Israel, Israeli police shot and seriously injured 1 Palestinian-Israeli minor who was sitting in a car with friends in Umm al-Fahm. Rockets fired from Gaza killed 2 Thai citizens working at a factory in Moshav Ohad, raising the Israeli death toll to 12. Israel also said it had destroyed 7.5 miles of Gaza tunnels overnight. 1 drone of unknown origin was shot down by Israeli forces near the northern part of the Israeli-Jordanian border. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/18; AX, CNN, HA, HA, HA, PCHR, PCHR, WAFA 5/19; PCHR 5/20; MEE 5/21; HA, NYT 5/26; HA 5/27)

Palestinians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza, and Israel observed a general strike in protest over evictions of Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the Israeli attacks on Gaza. (WAFA 5/18; HA 5/19)

A spokesperson for the health ministry in Gaza said that no more COVID-19 tests were being processed in Gaza due to an Israeli air strike destroying the sole COVID-19 test processing center. (AJ 5/18)

Israel opened the Kerem Shalom crossing and then closed it shortly after, citing Hamas’s shelling of the area. (AJ, AJ 5/18)

The Israeli high court of justice ruled that 1 Israeli settler must stop cultivating 170 dunams (42 acres) of land near Turmus ‘Ayya, saying the cultivation is illegal. The court, however, refused to rule on the ownership of the land, stating that the 8 Palestinian petitioners must obtain permission to farm the land from a different body as the court does not consider itself the proper venue for the question. (HA 5/23)

Israel’s Channel 12 said that an Egyptian truce proposal calling for an end to violence from 6 a.m. on 5/20 had been agreed to by Hamas. (AJ 5/19)

The Israeli police commissioner Kobi Shabtai was criticized by the public security minister Amir Ohana for saying that there “were terrorists from both sides [Jewish-Israeli and Palestinian-Israeli] and we will bring every one of them to justice.” (HA 5/18)

After saying that his committee would review a sale of arms to Israel on 5/17, chairman of the house of foreign affairs committee Gregory Meeks was said to have reversed course and that he is looking at discussing the arm sales with the Biden administration. The Biden administration had informed Congress on 5/4 that it would be selling Israel $735 million’s worth of precision-guided missiles. It was reported that Chairman Meeks had come under significant pressure after saying he would review the sale. Several other Democrats in the House have called for conditioning or ending military aid to Israel. (AJ, REU 5/17; ALM, HA, HA, MEE 5/18)

U.S. president Joe Biden joked, when asked by a journalist if he would answer a question about Israel, that she could ask a question if she let him run her over with the Ford F-150 he was sitting in. President Biden was visiting a Ford plant in Dearborn, Michigan. (FOX 5/18)

France called for the UN security council to agree on a resolution calling for a ceasefire. Prime minister Emmanuel Macron made the call after a meeting with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordanian king Abdullah II. (AJ, REU 5/18; AP, HA 5/19)

The EU foreign ministers met to discuss how to help facilitate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Hungary was said to have prevented consensus on a meaningful engagement. Separately, Germany said it would donate $48.9 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA 5/18; ALM 5/19)

The Egyptian presidency said it would give $500 million to help rebuild Gaza. (AJ 5/18)