The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked and injured 2 Palestinians in Deir Istiya. Israeli settlers also stole several cows after Israeli forces arrested the owners of the cows in ‘Ain al-Hilweh. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers vandalized 60 olive trees and water pipes in Jalud. Israeli settlers also opened fire at Palestinian farmers near Qaryut. Israeli forces shot and injured 2 Palestinians, including a child, during raids in Aqabah and Silat al-Harithiya. Israeli forces also raided around 200 homes in Burqa, physically assaulting a woman and causing damage at several houses. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished an agricultural structure in Deir Balut and issued stop-work orders for a school near Yatta. 35 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Nablus, Jenin, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Jericho. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities forced a Palestinian family to demolish part of their own home in Shu’fat. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Khan Yunis, Maghazi, al-Bureij refugee camp, Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza City, and Jabalia refugee camp, killing dozens of people. Israeli forces also struck 50 buildings in al-Bureij refugee camp, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Maghazi between 12/24 and 12/25 and 1 of 2 water pipelines supplying water to southern Gaza. 5 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat. 21 patients were evacuated from al-Ahli Arab Hospital and 13 from al-Shifa Hospital to Khan Yunis. In Lebanon, Hezbollah said it killed an Israeli soldier near Kiryat Shmona. Israeli forces attacked Aita al-Shaab. In Syria, Israeli forces assassinated high-ranking Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Sayyed Razi Mousavi in an airstrike in the Sayyida Zeinab area outside of Damascus. Iran said Israel would “pay the price” for the assassination of Mousavi. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/25; AJ, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA 12/26)

More than 20,675 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 8,000 children and 6,200 women, and around 54,500 have been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 296 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 75 children. More than 3,800 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured since 10/7. 148 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 771 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. As of 12/23, at least 65,000 housing units had been destroyed and 290,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. There was no information about aid deliveries into Gaza. (AJ 12/25; UNOCHA 12/26)

An Israeli-made video of hundreds of Palestinians, including children, stripped to their underwear while being detained in a stadium in Gaza circulated in the media. The footage circulated amid reports that Palestinians have been executed in Israeli detention throughout Gaza. Hamas called on the ICC to hold Israel accountable for its killing and “terrorizing [of] civilians” in Gaza. (AJ 12/25; AJ, UNOCHA 12/26)

Israeli interior minister Moshe Arbel said he will revoke the East Jerusalem residency permit of Majed Juaba, claiming he is a known Hamas operative. (HA, HA 12/25)

Egypt presented a proposal for ending Israel’s assault on Gaza to Israel, Hamas, the U.S., and European governments that would see Israel withdraw from Gaza, all the captives released from Gaza, many Palestinian prisoners freed by Israel, and a united technocratic Palestinian government installed. In the first stage of the plan, all civilian captives would be released over a 7 to 10 day ceasefire period where Palestinian prisoners would also be released. The second stage would see all female soldiers released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners over a weeklong period. In the last stage, Hamas and Israel would negotiate the release of the remaining captives and Palestinian prisoners. Hamas denied reporting from Reuters that it and Islamic Jihad had rejected the proposal. (HA, TOI 12/24; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU 12/25; AJ 12/26)

The PLO Executive Committee met in Ramallah, discussing Israeli efforts to displace Palestinians throughout Palestine. (WAFA 12/26)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, saying there are 3 “prerequisites for peace between Israel and its Palestinian neighbors in Gaza,” the destruction of Hamas, demilitarization of Gaza, including a “temporary security perimeter” around Gaza, and “deradicalization” of Gaza. Netanyahu also visited Israeli soldiers in Gaza. (AJ, NYT 12/25)

MK and former Israeli ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said in an interview that Israel had received inquiries from countries in South America and Africa that are willing to take Palestinian refugees from Gaza in exchange for payment. Danon said “voluntary migration” is natural during and after wars, citing the situation in Syria. In response to Danon’s comments, Prime Minister Netanyahu said he encourages the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza but said Israel has not found countries that will take the displaced. (HA 12/25; HA, HA 12/26)

Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen said he had instructed his ministry to reject the residency permit application and extension of 2 UN staff members, saying the UN “cooperate with the propaganda of the terrorist organization Hamas.” (AJ, AJ, HA 12/25; NYT 12/26)

Ynet reported that the U.S. had rejected an Israeli request for Apache helicopters. Ynet also reported that the U.S. has sent 230 cargo planes and 20 ships loaded with weaponry to Israel since 10/7. (AJ 12/25; AJ 12/26)

Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu had ordered Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Mossad Director David Barnea not to meet each other unless Netanyahu is present, saying the ban was related to talks on the release of captives. (AJ, HA 12/25)

U.S. forces attacked alleged Kataib Hezbollah positions in Iraq, killing an Iraqi serviceperson and injuring 18 others. The Iraqi government called the attack “unacceptable.” 3 U.S. soldiers were reportedly injured in an attack by Kataib Hezbollah in Erbil. (HA 12/25; AJ, AP, HA, REU 12/26)

In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces in Jenin on 10/29. Israeli settlers vandalized Palestinian vehicles during a raid in Husan. Israeli forces attacked Tulkarm refugee camp killing 5 Palestinians, including 3 in a drone strike, and injuring 18. Israel also damaged water, electricity, and sewage lines, uprooted streets, and bulldozed a monument to Yasir Arafat. Israeli forces also shot and killed a Palestinian who allegedly tried to stab a soldier near Beit Einun. Elsewhere, Israeli forces punitively demolished the family home in ‘Urif of a Palestinian killed by Israeli forces after he allegedly killed 4 settlers near the Eli settlement on 6/20. 28 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, Qalqilya, Jenin, Nablus, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 90 Palestinians in Khan Yunis and Gaza City, including at least 13 people in an airstrike on Khan Yunis. 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. Israel said it had taken control of al-Shati refugee camp. Israel forces fired shots at al-Shifa Hospital. At the end of the day, Israel told the Gaza Ministry of Health that it will enter the hospital. Israel has bombed the vicinity of the hospital for days. 2 Israeli soldiers were killed and 4 seriously wounded in northern Gaza. Rockets were fired from Gaza, injuring 3 near Tel Aviv. In South Lebanon, Israel said it attacked Hezbollah sites in the Yiftah area. At the Red Sea, Israel said it intercepted a missile fired toward Eliat. The Houthi-led government in Yemen took responsibility. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/14; AJ, HA 11/15)

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. However, it did say that at least 11,451 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,630 children and 3,130 women, and 27,490 have been 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 2,700 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 Gaza Ministry of Health said 40 patients at al-Shifa Hospital have died in recent days. Hospital director Mohammad Abu Salmiya said 179 people had been buried in mass graves in the hospital compound, including 7 babies and 29 intensive care patients. The WHO said 22 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza were no longer operational. 15 medical workers and 91 truckloads of aid entered Gaza. An estimated 18,000 Palestinians fled from northern Gaza to the south. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 11/14; AJ 11/15)

Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said, “because of Hamas’s use of hospitals for military purposes, [the hospitals] will lose special protection in the international court.” Israel has presented animations, pictures of purported tunnels, and a video from al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital that it said was proof of Hamas’s presence at hospitals, all of which did not show any evidence to back Israel’s claim. In the video from al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital, Israel showed a piece of paper hanging on the wall that it claimed was a list of Hamas militants’ names. However, the list was merely a calendar with the names of the days of the week written in Arabic. The U.S. said it had intelligence that suggested a Hamas and Islamic Jihad presence at hospitals in Gaza, including al-Shifa. A U.S. national security council spokesperson said “[w]e do not support striking a hospital from the air and we don’t want to see a firefight in a hospital where innocent people, helpless people, sick people trying to get medical care they deserve are caught in crossfire.” Hamas called for the UN to inspect all hospitals in Gaza to debunk the Israeli and U.S. claims. Doctors at al-Shifa also rejected the claim that Palestinian militants were operating in the hospital. Human Rights Watch said Israel had not presented evidence “that would justify stripping hospitals of their special protections under international humanitarian law,” adding “international humanitarian law only allows attacking hospitals if room is made for safe evacuation.” (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 11/14; AJ, REU 11/15)

Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the prison facility where Israel is holding members of Hamas who were captured during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, saying prisoners were “handcuffed in a dark cell, iron beds, toilets in a hole in the floor and the [Israeli] national anthem constantly playing in the background.” Ben-Gvir said he will promote the death penalty for the Palestinian militants. (HA 11/14)

A New York Times investigation into an attack on al-Shifa Hospital on 11/10 said it was likely an Israeli attack that killed 7 people at the hospital and not an errant missile fired from Gaza as Israel had claimed. (AJ, NYT 11/14)

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said he welcomed “the initiative of members of Knesset Ram Ben-Barak and Danny Danon on the voluntary immigration of Gaza Arabs to countries around the world. This is the right humanitarian solution for the residents of Gaza and the entire region.” Smotrich was referencing an op-ed written by Ben-Barak and Danon that was published in the Wall Street Journal on 11/13. The PA and Hamas condemned Smotrich comments. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, REU, WAFA 11/14)

U.S. president Joe Biden discussed efforts for a prisoner exchange with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Shin Bet director Ronan Bar met with Egyptian officials in Egypt, discussing a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas. Nearly 100 members of the U.S. Congress watched a screening of a 43-minute video of the Hamas Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on 10/7. The screening was facilitated by the Israeli embassy. (HA 11/14)

Belize said it had withdrawn its accreditation for the Israeli ambassador-designate in the country, suspended activities at its consulate in Tel Aviv and the Israeli consulate in Belize, and withdrawn its request for accreditation for its consul to Israel, citing Israeli violations of international humanitarian law. (AJ 11/14)

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said “I have been clear the price of justice cannot be the continued suffering of all Palestinian civilians. Even wars have rules. All innocent life is equal in worth …. I urge the government of Israel to exercise maximum restraint …. The world is witnessing this, the killing of women and children, of babies. This has to stop.” (HA, REU 11/14; AJ, AJ 11/15)

Reuters reported that Israel had approved the delivery of 6,340 gallons of diesel to Gaza. Haaretz later reported that the fuel was only for trucks used by the UN, not for hospitals. (AJ, AX, REU 11/14; HA 11/15)

Bloomberg News reported that in late October the U.S. quietly approved an Israeli request to send it laser-guided missiles, 155mm shells, night-vision devices, bunker-buster munitions, and new army vehicles. (AJ 11/15)

The Washington Post published an op-ed by King Abdullah II of Jordan, who said Israel has undermined the peace process for 2 decades by expanding settlements and allowing Israeli settlers to attack Palestinians. He called for a “concerted international effort to develop a regional architecture of peace, security and prosperity, built on a Palestinian-Israeli peace based on the two-state solution,” saying that Israeli violence will not grant it victory. (AJ 11/14)

German chancellor Olaf Schulz said Israel is a democracy that abides by international law and said it has “the right and duty to defend itself.” (AJ, HA 11/14)

Spanish minister for social rights Ione Belarra said 60 ministers from Europe and Latin America had signed a petition calling for the ICC to investigate Israeli leaders for genocide. (AJ 11/14)

More than 500 political appointees and staff members from 40 U.S. government agencies sent a letter to President Biden protesting his support for Israel’s war on Gaza. (NYT 11/14)

Tens of thousands of pro-Israel demonstrators rallied at the Mall in Washington D.C. Among the speakers was Christians United for Israel founder John Hagee, who in the past has blamed Jewish people for the Holocaust. The American Jewish anti-occupation organization IfNotNow called the rally “a pro-war, pro-Nakba rally.” (AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU 11/14; AJ, AJ 11/15)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed 2 Palestinians during raids in Beit ‘Anan and Sa’ir. Israeli forces also shot and injured 10 Palestinians during raids in Tulkarm refugee camp, Arrabah, and Sa’ir. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian girl at the Qalandia crossing, claiming she was carrying a knife. Israeli forces also seized 1 vehicle and vandalized 2 others during a raid in Shaab al-Butum in the Masafer Yatta area. 56 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Jericho, Jenin, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed 306 Palestinians, including mass casualties in strikes on residential buildings and UNRWA schools in Rafah and Khan Yunis. Israel also killed WAFA journalist Mohammad Abu Hasira and 42 members of his family in an airstrike in Gaza City. 450 people were injured in the Israeli airstrikes. The Red Cross said 5 trucks carrying aid to health facilities in Gaza City came under fire, damaging 2 of the trucks and lightly injuring a driver. The Red Cross did not say who attacked the convoy. Rockets were fired at Israel, causing damage. In South Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked several sites, causing damage. Israeli fighter jets were also reported to be flying over Beirut. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/7; AJ, AJ, NYT 11/8)

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 10,328 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,100 children and 2,550 women, and 25,956 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 2,450 people were buried in rubble, including 1,350 children. 153 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 44 children. More than 2,386 people have been injured. Around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 injured since 10/7. 30 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began. Over 1.61 million Palestinians, around 70% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. At least 40,000 housing units have been destroyed and 220,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. 93 aid trucks entered Gaza. 19 Palestinians, including 12 children suffering from cancer, and around 600 foreign nationals were evacuated to Egypt. The WHO said 160 health care workers have been killed while on duty in Gaza and that in some hospitals operations are performed without anesthesia due to lack of supplies. The Israeli military released a video showing thousands of Palestinians fleeing south from the northern part of Gaza. The UN said that 15,000 people fled from the north to the south today, 5,000 on 11/6, and 2,000 on 11/5. The UN also said that there was no flour left in northern Gaza and that all bakeries are closed. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/7; AJ, AP, AP 11/8)

PA Wall and Settlement Resistance Committee head Muayad Shaaban said 9 Palestinian communities, totaling 1,000 people, in the eastern West Bank have been displaced from their homes since 10/7. (AJ 11/7)

The Israeli human rights organizations ACRI, HaMoked, and Ir Amim petitioned the Israeli High Court of Justice to lift restrictions on Kafr ‘Aqab in East Jerusalem, which has been under a strict closure since 10/7, including being completely shut off from 5 p.m. to the next morning. Only private vehicles can leave and enter the neighborhood in the period that the checkpoint is open. (HA 11/7)

Hamas said it wanted to release 12 captives but that “the situation on the ground is what hinders this from being completed.” (AJ 11/7)

PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh spoke with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh spoke with Swedish foreign minister Tobias Billström. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 11/7)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the Israeli ground invasion of Gaza a ‘phenomenal success.’ Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the intention of the ground invasion was to remove Hamas and guarantee the Israeli military free access to Gaza “without limitations on operations.” Hamas said Israel had not made big military gains in Gaza. (AJ, AP, HA 11/7)

The Israeli National Planning and Building Council approved the establishment of a new community named Hanon near Gaza. (HA 11/7)

United Arab List leader MK Mansour Abbas told Radio al-Nas that he denounced the Hamas operation on 10/7, saying innocent civilians were killed and that Islam is against taking women, children, and elderly as captives. He added that Hamas’ actions did “not represent our Arab society, nor our Palestinian people nor our Palestine nation.” (HA 11/7)

U.S. vice president Kamala Harris urged Israel to hold Israeli settlers accountable for the many attacks they commit against Palestinians in the West Bank during a conversation with Israeli president Isaac Herzog. Herzog wrote a letter to 700 U.S. university presidents demanding that they deal with students that allegedly support the actions of Hamas. (AJ, HA 11/7)

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 234-188 to censor Palestinian American representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) for defending the pro-Palestinian phrase “from the river to the sea.” 22 Democrats joined Republicans in voting to censor Tlaib. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) blocked the fast-tracking of a bill that would provide Israel $14 billion in aid and cut the same amount from the budget of the Internal Revenue Service. Democrats want the Israel funding to be part of a bill that also includes aid to Ukraine and Taiwan. (HA, NYT 11/7; AJ, AJ, AP, HA 11/8)

CIA director William Burns met with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who called on an immediate ceasefire. (AJ 11/7)

Saudi Arabia said that in addition to the scheduled OIC extraordinary summit on 11/12, the country will host an emergency meeting of the Arab League and an Africa-Saudi summit on the situation in Gaza. (HA 11/7; AJ, REU 11/8)

UK Labour Party MP and shadow minister for employment rights and protections Imran Hussain resigned from the party’s frontbench in protest over leader Keir Starmer’s refusal to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. (AJ 11/8)

Germany said it had decided to release $75.8 million in aid to Palestinians that it suspended nearly month ago when it said it would review its support of Palestine. Germany also pledged an additional $21.5 million in support for Palestine. The majority of the aid will go to Palestinians in Gaza and Jordan through UNRWA. (REU 11/7)

In Gaza, an Israeli airstrike killed 471 Palestinians in al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City. The hospital, which was filled with patients and Palestinians seeking shelter from Israeli bombardment, had received evacuation warnings from Israel on 10/14, 10/15, and 10/16. Israel claimed it was an errant rocket fired by Hamas that caused the mass casualties, however all evidence presented by Israel was debunked in subsequent investigations. Other Israeli airstrikes killed around 200 Palestinians, mostly in Rafah and Khan Yunis. Israel also assassinated the head of Hamas’ Shura Council Osama Mazini, who led negotiations on the prisoner exchange that saw Gilad Shalit transferred to Israel in exchange for 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in 2011, and Hamas commanders Muhammad Alwadia, Ayman Nofal, and Akram Hijaz. Israeli airstrikes also reportedly killed 3 members of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh’s family. 6 were killed in an airstrike on an UNRWA school sheltering Palestinians in al-Maghazi. Rockets were fired at Israel, causing damage. In the West Bank, there were large demonstrations against the PA and the Israeli bombing of the al-Ahli Arab Hospital throughout the West Bank, with PA forces violently dispersing Palestinian protesters, killing a 12-year-old girl in Jenin with live ammunition, and injuring many others with tear gas. Israeli forces shot and killed 2 Palestinians, including a minor, during raids in Halhul and Nabi Salih. An elderly Palestinian succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces on 10/13 in Nablus. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinians, injuring 8 with live ammunition in Nablus. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assaulted an ambulance driver near al-Arroub refugee camp, causing a fractured arm and bruises. Israeli forces arrested Palestinian Legislative Council speaker Aziz Dweik during a raid. 115 others were arrested during raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Nablus, including 50 Palestinians from Gaza who were employed in Israel before being expelled to the West Bank. The Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners’ Affairs Authority said Israel has arrested 680 Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked targets north of the Blue Line. Hezbollah said it fired an anti-tank missile at a vehicle in Metula; 3 were reportedly injured. Israel said it killed 4 people who had entered Israel from Lebanon. 4 were also killed in an Israeli airstrike west of Yarine. In Jordan, protesters attempted to storm the Israeli embassy in Amman. (AP 10/7; AJ, AP, HA, REU 10/16; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/17; AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA 10/18)

The Gaza Ministry of Health said at least 3,500 Palestinians have been killed and 12,500 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7, including 47 entire families consisting of 500 people. In addition, Israeli media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. 61 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 13 children. More than 1,230 had been injured, including at least 300 with live ammunition. Israeli officials recorded no new fatalities, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,300 Israelis and foreign nationals; 4,229 have been injured since 10/7. The UN reported that over 1 million Palestinians have been displaced since 10/7 and that since 11 p.m. on 10/12 there has been a complete electricity blackout due to the Israeli blockade. At least 11,887 housing units have been destroyed in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. The number is likely much higher as the latest data is from 10/14. The Palestinian civil defense team said that more than 1,000 Palestinians were under the rubble of buildings in Gaza. The Committee to Protect Journalists said 13 Palestinian, 3 Israeli, and 1 Lebanese journalist have been killed in attacks relating to the Israel-Hamas war since 10/7. (AJ 10/16; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 10/17; HA 10/18)

UNRWA said parts of southern Gaza, containing about 14% of the population, received water for 3 hours. The remaining seawater desalination plant in Gaza shut down due to a lack of fuel. (AJ 10/16; HA 10/17)

Hundreds of trucks carrying aid to Gaza were stuck near the Rafah crossing as Israel continued to prevent safe passage into Gaza. Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry said the crossing was not officially closed but was not functioning due to being targeted 4 times by Israel. (AJ 10/16; HA, REU, REU 10/17)

UN human rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said Israel’s siege and order to evacuate northern Gaza could breach international law. (AJ, REU 10/17)

Israel attempted to deny that it killed hundreds of Palestinian civilians in an airstrike on al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, presenting a range of questionable evidence to put the blame on Islamic Jihad. Israeli government social media accounts published what it claimed to be evidence that it was a rocket misfire not an airstrike, but later deleted the videos when a New York Times journalist questioned the timing of the videos. Military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said “[a]ccording to our intelligence, Hamas checked reports and understood it was a Palestinian Islamic Jihad misfire, then launched a global media campaign to inflate numbers of casualties.” Israel has previously employed misinformation campaigns to deflect blame for atrocities, on occasion then taking responsibility long after the event, as in the case of the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh. A UK Channel 4 investigation said evidence presented by Israel was both likely fabricated and contradictory, but did not reach a conclusion regarding the origin of the blast. Israeli president Isaac Herzog called reports that Israel conducted the airstrike “21st century blood libel.” Many Western leaders called for an investigation or referred to the loss of life without condemning the perpetrators. Leaders in the Middle East were unequivocal in their condemnation of the Israeli airstrike. King Abdullah II of Jordan, PA president Mahmoud Abbas, and Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi canceled meetings with U.S. president Joe Biden scheduled for 10/18 in Amman. The UAE and Russia called a meeting of the UN Security Council on 10/18 on the attack on the hospital. U.S. Defense Department spokesperson Sabrina Singh said in response to questions about the incident that Hamas puts “their command and control units inside hospitals,” adding the U.S. does not know who the perpetrator was. Biden said he spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu and that his national security team will gather information about the incident. Large demonstrations were held in Washington D.C., Turkey, Jordan, Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, and Morocco. (AJ, AP 10/16; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/17; AJ, AJ, AP, C4, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/18)

The PA foreign ministry accused Israel of ethnic cleansing and genocide aimed at removing all Palestinians from Gaza. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics said Israel has killed at least 3,057 Palestinians since the beginning of 2023, including 2,793 in Gaza and 264 in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. (WAFA, WAFA 10/17)

Fatah’s military wing, al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, called on President Abbas to step down as the head of Fatah’s Martyrs and Prisoners Commission. (AJ 10/18)

Military spokesperson Hagari ruled out a ceasefire, saying Israel continues to “prepare for the next stages of war.” Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said the Israeli campaign would take several months. The Israeli military also said that it could not confirm that white phosphorus was used in attacks on Gaza but maintained that it would not be “unlawful” in certain situations. Israeli police commissioner Kobi Shabtai said, “[w]hoever wants to become an Israeli citizen, welcome. Anyone who wants to identify with Gaza is welcome. I will put him on the buses heading there now.” Shabtai also said he had outlawed demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. (HA 10/17; AJ, HA, WAFA 10/18; AJ 10/19)

After the Israeli airstrike on al-Ahli Arab Hospital, President Abbas traveled back from Amman to Ramallah to hold an emergency meeting. In a speech Abbas called the airstrike a heinous crime and declared 3 days of mourning. Earlier in the day Abbas met with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken in Amman. Blinken later called Abbas to offer condolences on the massacre at al-Ahli Arab Hospital. PA envoy to the UN Riyad Mansour called on the UN Security Council to intervene by demanding a ceasefire. (AJ 10/16; AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/17; AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA 10/18)

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh spoke with South African foreign minister Nalendi Pandor, who conveyed support for Palestine and expressed sadness for the loss of innocent life in Gaza and Israel. (AJ 10/16; REU 10/18)

The Knesset National Security Committee approved legislation allowing Israeli prisons to admit new inmates above their legal capacity, which would worsen conditions for Palestinian prisoners. Since 10/7, family visits have been suspended, public phones have been blocked, and all electrical devices have been cut off from power. The Hadassah University Hospital refused to treat a Palestinian militant captured by Israel, saying it would “offend national feelings.” (HA, HA 10/17)

The U.S. announced that President Biden will visit Israel on 10/18. The New York Times reported that Biden’s visit will postpone Israel’s planned ground operation in Gaza by at least 24 hours. The Times also reported that Israel has asked the U.S. for $10 billion in emergency aid. Secretary of State Blinken said the announcement was made after Prime Minister Netanyahu committed to allowing aid to enter Gaza and to establishing safe zones at an 8-hour long meeting of the Israeli war cabinet that Blinken attended. New York governor Kathy Hochul said she will visit Israel. Biden also said he will visit Jordan. Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said he would push through an emergency aid package to Israel “as quickly as possible.” 6 Republican senators introduced legislation to end all U.S. funding for UNRWA. All senators except Rand Paul (I-KY) sponsored a resolution in support of Israel’s war against Hamas. (AJ, HA 10/16; AJ, HA, HA, REU, REU 10/17; HA 10/18)

King Abdullah II said Jordan and Egypt would not take in Palestinian refugees from Gaza, calling it a red line. Abdullah II also met with German chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin. Scholz warned Hezbollah and Iran to stay out of the Hamas-Israel war. Scholz later traveled to Israel where he met with Prime Minister Netanyahu, invoking the German genocide of the Jewish people as a reason for Germany to “ensure Israel’s existence and security.” Lebanese foreign minister Abdallah Bou Habib said Israel was “pouring oil on fire” at the Lebanese border. Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan said Egypt will host a summit on the situation in Gaza on 10/21. (AJ 10/16; HA, REU, REU, REU 10/17; AP, HA 10/18)

Iranian sources told Al Jazeera that the U.S. had sent the Iranian UN representative a message warning Iran of war if it enters the conflict. (HA 10/17)

U.S. Central Command commander Michael Kurilla arrived in Israel for meetings with Israeli military leaders. The U.S. also sent 2,000 Marines to the Middle East. (AJ, HA, HA, HA 10/16; HA, REU 10/17; AP 10/18)

Russian president Vladimir Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping discussed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict during a meeting in Beijing. (AJ, AJ, HA 10/17)

159 U.S. citizens were evacuated from Israel headed for Cyprus on a cruise ship. Nearly 1,000 U.S. citizens have left Israel on State Department-charted planes to Europe since 10/13. (AJ, HA, HA 10/16; HA 10/17)

Japanese foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa said Japan will donate $10 million in emergency aid to Gaza. Spain said it would donate $1 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza. The Netherlands pledged $10 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza. (AJ 10/16; HA, REU, REU, REU 10/17)

The EU held a video conference for the leaders of its 27 members to discuss the situation in Gaza and find a unified stance after EU member states had expressed dissatisfaction with the EU leadership’s pro-Israel statements, including European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s failure to call on Israel to abide by international law during her visit on 10/17. Irish president Michael D Higgins called von der Leyen’s comments about Israel’s attacks “thoughtless and even reckless,” questioning where she gets the authority to speak on behalf of the EU on the issue. After the meeting, the EU leadership agreed to condemn Hamas’ operation in Israel on 10/7, expressed solidarity with the people of Israel, said Israel has a right to defend itself in line with humanitarian and international law, and called on Hamas to release all captives. (AJ 10/15; AJ 10/16; AJ, EU, HA, REU 10/17)

Germany’s Mainz 05 soccer club suspended Dutch Egyptian player Anwar El Ghazi for a pro-Palestinian social media post. (AJ 10/17)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces installed an iron gate at the northern entrance to Halhul. Israeli forces also razed an agricultural road in Khirbat al-Makhul near Ya’bad and placed dirt mounts on it, making it impassable. Elsewhere, Israeli forces took measurements for punitive demolitions of 2 homes in Hebron belonging to the family of 2 Palestinians who are accused of killing an Israeli settler on 8/21. 21 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Tulkarm, Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian farmers east of Khan Yunis; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/23; PCHR 8/24; UNOCHA 9/11)

Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir told Israeli Channel 12 News’ Mohammad Magadli during a panel discussion that “my right, the right of my wife and my children to move around Judea and Samaria [the West Bank] is more important than freedom of movement for the Arabs [Palestinians]. The right to life comes before freedom of movement. Sorry, Mohammad, but that is the reality.” Ben-Gvir also said that he “is handing out arms to anyone who can defend themselves,” referring to settlers. The U.S. State Department later condemned Ben-Gvir’s remarks on Palestinians’ freedom of movement, calling them racist. (HA, MEE 8/23; AJ, HA, HA, HA, MEE 8/24; ALM, HA, MEE, QDS, WAFA, WAFA 8/25; HA 8/27)

United Arab List chairperson Mansour Abbas and Blue and White party chairperson Benny Gantz visited Tira, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fire National Security Minister Ben-Gvir over the Israeli police’s inaction in solving crimes in Palestinian communities in Israel. (HA, WAFA 8/24)

Israel said it would increase its natural gas extraction from the Tamar offshore gas field in order to increase exports to Egypt by 38.7 billion cubic meters over the next 11 years. Israeli energy minister Israel Katz said the deal would strengthen diplomatic ties with Egypt. (REU 8/23; ALM 8/24)

In the West Bank, 100s of Israeli settlers attended a ceremony at a Yeshiva in the Homesh settlement outpost. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinians in Hebron and physically assaulted 2. Israeli forces shot and killed 3 Palestinians and injured 10 others during late-night raids in Jenin and Jenin refugee camp. Israeli forces also shot and killed 1 Palestinian minor with 2 shots in his back and injured 2 others with live ammunition in Abud; Israel claimed that the 3 had thrown stones at settler cars in the area. Elsewhere, Israeli forces delivered a demolition order for 1 home in Maeen and 2 stop-work orders for homes in Shaab al-Butum and Qawawis in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces also raided an office of the PA Ministry of Culture in Jenin, damaging books and paintings. Meanwhile, Israeli forces removed a Palestinian flag from the roof of a school in al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, replacing it with an Israeli flag. 14 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Silwad, Nablus, Beita, Beit Furik, Jenin, Jenin refugee camp, Bethlehem, Aida refugee camp, and Hebron. (AJ, AN, AP, HA, HA, HA, IN, MDW, MEE, MEMO, PCHR, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/8; MEE, MEMO, MEMO, PCHR 12/9; PCHR 12/15; UNOCHA 12/22)

The Palestinian civil affairs authority said that Israel had approved 650 of 900 travel applications submitted by Palestinian Christians in Gaza to visit relatives in the West Bank and abroad during the Christmas holidays. (MEE, MEMO, WAFA 12/8; ALM 12/14; MEMO 12/15)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with Chinese president Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Arab-China Summit in Riyadh. (WAFA, WAFA 12/8)

Likud Party leader Benjamin Netanyahu requested to a 2-week extension for forming the next Israeli government from Israeli president Isaac Herzog. President Herzog granted a 10-day extension on 12/9. (HA, REU, TOI 12/8; HA 12/9)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raided Huwwara, spraying pepper spray at 1 Palestinian man confronting the settlers who were trying to steal Palestinian flags. Israeli settlers also assaulted 2 Palestinians near Burqa, causing hospitalizations. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers attacked 1 Palestinian family traveling in a car near Duma, spraying pepper spray at 3 Palestinians, including a 2-year-old who received medical assistance. Israeli forces delivered stop-work orders against 3 houses and 1 agricultural structure in al-Khader. 12 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Tulkarm, Kafr Qaddum, Habla, Aida refugee camp, Hebron, and al-Juwaya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers attacked 2 Palestinians working for the Israeli municipality in the Ramat Eshkol settlement; 1 of the Palestinians was slashed with a knife in the back and the other was beaten and suffered a broken arm. The Israeli settlers had asked the 2 men if they were Arabs before assaulting them. Israeli forces raided Silwan, firing tear gas and stun grenades, causing injuries. 3 were arrested during late-night raids in Silwan and the Old City. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces shot and injured 3 Palestinian fishermen and damaged 1 boat within 3 nautical miles west of al-Sudaniyya. (MEE, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/16; HA 6/17; HA 6/20; PCHR 6/23; UNOCHA 7/2)

Al Jazeera published an image of the bullet that killed Shireen Abu Akleh in Jenin refugee camp on 5/11. Ballistic and forensic experts said that the bullet was 5.56mm, used by Israeli forces, and manufactured in the U.S. (AJ, AP, HA 6/16)

The Catalonian parliament passed a resolution saying Israel is committing the crime of apartheid against the Palestinian people. (MEE 6/16; WAFA 6/17)

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, 1 Palestinian minor, shot by Israeli forces on 5/12, succumbed to his wounds. Israeli settlers shot and injured 1 Palestinian while raiding Bani Na‘im. Israeli settlers with military escort also raided Silat al-Harithiyya, leading to confrontations; no injuries were reported. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers also blocked a main road to al-Bireh and threw stones at Palestinian vehicles, causing damage. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles near Bayt Jala and al-Walaja. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian using live ammunition during a Nakba Day protest in Zeita, near Tulkarm. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Aida refugee camp, causing tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Tura, injuring 1 with live ammunition. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters at a checkpoint near Huwwara, injuring 1 with a rubber-coated bullet; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Separately, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Hebron, injuring 1 with live ammunition and 1 with rubber-coated bullets; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bayt Umar, leading to tear-gas related injuries. 7 Palestinians were arrested, including 2 during house raids in al-Khadir and Dura, and 5 during protests near Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers with military escort raided Bayt Hanina and Shu‘fat refugee camp, leading to confrontations; 2 Palestinians were injured by the Israeli forces in Bayt Hanina. Israeli settlers later raided Shu‘fat refugee camp again, injuring 2 Palestinians with live ammunition. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian, saying he had intentionally rammed 7 officers, who were lightly injured, in Shaykh Jarrah; 1 journalist was physically assaulted at the scene and others had stun grenades thrown at them. 25 Palestinians were arrested. In Gaza, 50 Palestinians were killed, including 19 children, and dozens were injured, raising the comprehensive death toll since 5/10 from 153 to 203, including 60 children and 2 pregnant women. The casualties included: 43, including 19 children, and dozens wounded in air strikes hitting residential buildings in Gaza City; 1, and 2 wounded in a drone strike in Jabaliya; 1, and 11 injured in air strikes on a residential buildings in Nuseirat; 3 in air strikes on Bayt Hanun; 2 in a drone strike on a house in Rafah. Israel also attacked and demolished the homes of Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar and his brother in Khan Yunis; no injuries were reported in the air strikes. In Israel, rockets from Gaza hit 1 house in Ashdod and damaged 5 vehicles in Ashkelon; no injuries were reported. Israel’s defense minister Benny Gantz extended the state of emergency in Lydda for 48 hours. Israel arrested 1 Palestinian-Israeli imam Shaykh Kamal Khatib, the deputy leader of the northern faction of the Islamic Movement in Israel, saying he had made incendiary remarks about Israel’s attacks on al-Aqsa Mosque. 28 people were wounded in a subsequent protest in Kafr Kana where he was arrested, including many by Israeli live ammunition. 8 Palestinian-Israelis were arrested in Taiba and Qalansawe. 2 Jordanian citizens were arrested in Gilboa after having crossed from Jordan into Israel. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, CNN, HA, HA, NPR, NYT, PCHR, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/16; PCHR 5/17; ALM 5/19; HA, PCHR 5/20; MEE 5/21; HA 5/25; NYT 5/26; AP 6/2; NYT 6/24)

Egypt opened the Rafah crossing 1 day earlier than planned to allow the passage of students and medical patients. 95 Palestinians were reported to have been evacuated to Egypt for treatment of injuries before the border officially reopened. (HA, REU 5/16)

2 Israeli settlers were killed and 150 were injured when a structurally unsound seating area collapsed in a synagogue in Givat Ze’ev. (AJ, AP, CNN, HA, REU 5/16)

The High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel announced a general strike on 5/18 to protest attacks on members of its community. (HA 5/16)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke to Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte about the Israeli escalation of violence in the Palestinian territories. (WAFA 5/16)

Haaretz reported that Israeli senior officials did not consider a ceasefire option at its latest security cabinet meeting. (HA 5/16)

Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz met with U.S. deputy assistant secretary for Israel and Palestinian affairs Hady Amr. U.S. president Joe Biden said in an Eid holiday speech that his “administration is going to continue to engage Palestinians and Israelis and other regional partners to work toward sustained calm.” Later, secretary of state Antony Blinken said that “the violence must end immediately.” Earlier in the day, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had reiterated that his government has no plans for a ceasefire, saying the attacks on Gaza “will take time.” (AJ, HA 5/16; HA 5/17)

Jordanian king Abdullah II said that Jordan has been involved in intense diplomacy with its allies in Europe and the U.S. to put pressure on Israel to stop its attacks on Gaza. (HA, REU 5/16)

28 U.S. Democratic senators, led by Jon Ossoff (D-GA), called for an immediate ceasefire “[t]o prevent any further loss of civilian life and to prevent further escalation of conflict in Israel and the Palestinian territories.” (HA, NYT 5/17)

At a UN security council (UNSC) meeting on Israel-Palestine, UN secretary-general António Guterres said that the situation was “utterly appalling,” calling for an immediate ceasefire. He said the UN is actively involved in facilitating a ceasefire. This was the 3d time in a week that the UNSC met about the situation and the 3d time the U.S. stalled any joint statement. PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki said that “[e]ach time Israel hears a foreign leader speak of its right to defend itself it is further emboldened to continue murdering entire families in their sleep.” (AJ, AP, HA, WAFA, WAFA 5/16; TOI 5/17)

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation called for an immediate halt of Israeli attacks on Gaza and “systematic crimes” against Palestinians. Saudi Arabia also condemned Israel’s “fragrant violations” of Palestinian rights. PA foreign minister al-Maliki criticized the countries that had normalized relations with Israel, saying, “running towards this colonial Israeli system without achieving peace and ending the Israeli occupation of Arab and Palestinian lands represents support for the apartheid regime and participation in its crimes.” (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 5/16)

Pope Francis, for the 2d Sunday in a row, denounced the escalation of violence in Israel and Palestine, saying that the death of children was a “sign that they don’t want to build the future but want to destroy it.” (HA 5/16; WAFA 5/17)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces raided Kafr Malik, leading to clashes with Palestinians; 1 Palestinian was shot by a rubber-coated bullet, others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also razed hundreds of olive trees near Tubas. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished 1 residential structure and 1 agricultural structure in Sawahara al-Sharqiyya, seized 2 agricultural structures in Khan al-Ahmar, and demolished 1 mosque in a Bedouin community near Yatta. Palestinians protested the PA presidential decrees published on 1/11, which critics say serve to bolster the PA presidency at the expense of the judicial branch of government; the protests were held in front of the court complex in Ramallah. 18 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Jenin, Qabatiya, Madama, Sabastiyya, Hizma, Hebron, and Birzeit. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/27; HA, PCHR 1/28)

The PA announced it had decided to close the Allenby border crossing with Jordan to prevent the spread of new COVID-19 virus variants. The closure is in effect until 2/3. (WAFA 1/28)

After Israel refused to allow restoration work on the Dome of the Rock and other holy places in the Haram al-Sharif compound, Jordan’s foreign minister Ayman Safadi said Israel had agreed to retract its objections and allow the restoration work. (WAFA 1/27; WAFA 1/28)

Member of the Palestinian-Israeli Balad party Mtanes Shehadeh said after a meeting among members of the Arab Joint List that the list will likely be dissolved before the next election due to “fundamental political differences.” 1 of the reasons the Arab Joint List is having irreconcilable differences is that Mansour Abbas, the leader of the United Arab List, is seeking closer ties with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Another reason is the United Arab List’s more conservative values compared to the 3 other parties. Parties running for the Israeli elections have until 2/4 to submit their composition of candidates. (HA 1/25; HA, TOI 1/27)

Large protests broke out in Tripoli in Lebanon, leading to confrontations between police and protesters. 1 protester was reported dead and 226 people injured, including 26 police officers. The protesters started taking to the street on 1/25, demonstrating against the COVID-19-related lockdown measures and deteriorating living conditions. (AP 1/27; AP 1/28)

The new U.S. administration said it would freeze the sale of F-35 fighter jets to the UAE and munitions to Saudi Arabia to review the transactions. U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken said the practice of new administrations reviewing pending sales of weaponry is not uncommon. The sale of the F-35 fighter jets to the UAE was part of the Israel-U.S.-UAE normalization deal announced in August 2020. Secretary Blinken also spoke with the Israeli foreign minister Gabi Ashkenazi over the phone to discuss, among other issues, expanding the Trump administration’s normalization efforts. (AJ, AX, HA, HA, TOI 1/27)

At her confirmation hearing, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. president Joe Biden’s nominee for UN ambassador, said that she finds the BDS movement “unacceptable” and that it is on “the verge of antisemitism.” Thomas-Greenfield also said she was looking forward to combatting “anti-Israel bias” at the UN and hoped to see more countries join normalization deals with Israel and the U.S. (HA, MEE, TOI 1/27)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling south of Nablus, east of Bethlehem, and near Ya‘bad, damaging several cars and causing at least 3 injuries. 1 of the Israeli settlers was killed when Israeli forces chased after them and the car flipped over; 4 other settlers suffered injuries and were released without charges. Israeli settlers subsequently attacked a police compound in East Jerusalem, leading to clashes and 50 arrests. Later, 1 Palestinian bus driver from East Jerusalem was attacked near the settlement where the Israeli settler, who died earlier, was buried; 2 Israeli settlers used pepper spray and stones and threatened him with a gun as they yelled “Death to Arabs.” Israeli settlers also slashed the tires of Palestinian cars near Hebron and blocked roads near Kafr Qaddum. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers assaulted 1 Palestinian man near Nablus, causing him to need treatment at a hospital. Israeli forces shot and injured 5 Palestinians using live ammunition during raids in Nablus. Israeli forces also demolished 2 Palestinian-owned houses, 1 water well, and 1 agricultural structure in al-Samou, displacing 20 Palestinians, and delivered 1 stop-work order for a water well in Dhariyya. 6 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Jenin refugee camp, Jenin, Nablus, al-Mughayyir, and Dahaysha refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian minor, who had opened fire on Israeli forces near the Haram al-Sharif compound; he was killed as he was fleeing the scene and 1 Israeli soldier was injured as he fell during the pursuit. Israeli forces also raided 3 Palestinian-owned stores in Bayt Hanina, seizing tobacco products with PA labels. 1 Palestinian family started demolishing their own home in Silwan to avoid an Israeli-imposed demolition fee of 70,000 NIS ($22,000). 3 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Silwan and Issawiyya. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen within 3 nautical miles west of Bayt Lahiya. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on agricultural lands on 3 separate occasions east of Bayt Hanun and al-Bureij; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces also made incursions and levelled 48 acres of farmland planted with peas and potatoes belonging to 7 Palestinian families. In Israel, Palestinian citizens of Israel protested Israeli police inaction in addressing violence in their communities. More than 100 Palestinian citizens of Israel have been killed in communal violence and Israeli police are largely inactive in solving the issue. The protesters drove a caravan from Kafa Qara to the Knesset. (WAFA 12/19; HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/21; AJ, WAFA 12/22; HA 12/23; PCHR 12/24)

Special advisor to U.S. president Donald Trump Jared Kushner met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of a joint trip by Israeli and U.S. officials to Morocco on 12/22 as part of the 2 countries’ normalization deal. (HA 12/21)

As part of the normalization deal between Israel and Sudan, President Trump signed a bill giving immunity to the state of Sudan for future U.S. lawsuits by victims of the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in East Africa. The bill also provides Sudan close to $1 billion in aid and loans. (AJ, AX 12/22)

Canadian foreign minister Karina Gould said Canada would provide the UNRWA with $70 million over the next 3 years. (AJ 12/22)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolished 1 car wash in Anata. Israeli forces also razed Palestinian-owned land near Hebron. 13 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Ya‘bad, Jenin, Nablus, Beitunia, Halhul, and Dura. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian was arrested during raids in Issawiyya; clashes erupted during the raids. In Gaza, Israeli forces made incursions to level farmland east of Dayr al-Balah. Israeli forces also opened fire at agricultural lands east of Qarara; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/10; PCHR 11/12)

The secretary-general of the PLO Saeb Erakat succumbed to the COVID-19 virus after battling the infection since 10/8. Secretary-General Erakat was moved to a hospital in West Jerusalem on 10/18 and reported to be in critical condition on 10/19. PA president Mahmoud Abbas declared a 3-day mourning period. (AJ, AP, HA, JP, LAT, MEE, NBC, NPR, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WP 11/10)

1 Palestinian prisoner, 46 years old and suffering from throat cancer, died at an Israeli hospital. According to the Palestinian Human Rights Centre, medical neglect and a COVID-19 illness contributed to his early death. (PCHR 11/12; PCHR 11/11)

The Israeli Knesset approved the Bahrain normalization deal 62-14. All 14 nay votes were cast by members of the Joint Arab List. (HA 11/10)

Israeli claimed to have shot down a drone belonging to Hezbollah over Israeli airspace. (HA 11/10)

U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo announced that he had authorized the sale of 50 F-35 fighter jets, 18 Reaper drones, and air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions to the UAE, citing the normalization deal the country made with Israel. (AP, HA 11/10; DT 11/11)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces confiscated 2 diggers and 2 trucks working on a cancer treatment facility near Yatta. 22 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Ramallah, Jenin, Nablus, Tubas, Bethlehem, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians erupted during a late-night raid in Issawiyya, leading to tear-gas related injuries. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on agricultural lands east of Khan Yunis; no injuries were reported. (WAFA 9/22; PCHR 9/24)

The health minister of the PA Mai al-Kaila said Israel had obstructed a shipment of 100,000 COVID-19 testing swabs via Jordan, causing them to be destroyed. (WAFA 9/22)

Senior officials from Fatah and Hamas met in Turkey to continue talks about reconciliation between the 2 parties. (AJ, HA, WAFA 9/22)

The PA announced it would no longer chair Arab League meetings, citing the UAE and Bahrain’s normalization with Israel. The PA had 6 months left of its chairmanship preceding over Arab League meetings. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA 9/22)

Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz met with senior advisor to president Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, in Washington D.C. to discuss Israel’s qualitative military edge and normalization with Arab and Muslim nations. Gantz also met with U.S. secretary of defense Mark Esper. (HA 9/22)

In a video speech to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) the emir of Qatar Shaykh Tamim Hamad al-Thani castigated the international community’s inaction over the Israeli occupation of “Palestinian and Arab land.” Emir al-Thani also said that the Arab Peace Initiative is the only way for peace. French president Emmanuel Macron, also via video link to the UNGA, called for decisive negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. (AJ 9/22; WAFA 9/23)

Germany contributed $65.5 million to different public sector programs in the occupied Palestinian territories, including $31.6 million for the water sector in Gaza. (WAFA 9/22)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers stormed Bidya and leveled 16 dunams of land using bulldozers, destroying some 950 olive, almond, fig, grape, and citrus trees, and 1 caravan, and fenced off some 20 dunams (4.95 acres) of Palestinian-owned land in Kisan. Israeli forces demolished shacks used for farming in Tarqumiyya and ordered stop-work on 1 house in Taqqua, seizing 1 concreate mixer. Israeli forces also demolished 1 Palestinian-owned house in Bayt Sira. 13 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Yatta, Jenin, Tulkarm, and Ramallah. In Israel, Israeli forces raided cells and assaulted Palestinian prisoners in Megiddo prison. Israeli forces also demolished the Bedouin village al-Araqib for the 178th time since 2000. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/17; PCHR 9/24)

In Lebanon, leaders of Hezbollah’s political wing accused the U.S. of obstructing the formation of a new Lebanese government as a deadline for forming a government passed on 9/15. (HA 9/17)

A bipartisan group of members of the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a resolution supporting the normalization deal between Bahrain, the UAE, and Israel, and called on other Arab and Muslim countries to join. The resolution also called on the U.S. government to ensure that U.S. weapons sales does not harm Israel’s qualitative military edge. (HA 9/18)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set fire to a tractor and wrote racist graffiti in ‘Urif and slashed tires on several vehicles and wrote racist graffiti on buildings in Yasuf. Israeli settlers also threw stones and paint at an Israeli border police vehicle near the Yitzhar settlement. Israeli settlers also set fire to Palestinian agricultural lands in Asira; subsequently, local Palestinians and Israeli forces clashed in the area, leading to tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also razed land east of Tulkarm. Separately, Israeli forces injured 3 Palestinians using rubber-coated bullets as they were seeking to enter Israel via the separation wall near Far‘un. 20 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Hizma, Bethlehem, Salfit, Nablus, Tulkarm, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian family demolished part of their house built to accommodate their disabled son in Sur Bahir. 4 Palestinians were arrested, including 3 during late-night raids in Issawiyya and the Old City, and 1 Waqf guard at the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israel fired missiles at Gaza City, Bayt Hanun, and Dayr al-Balah, causing damage; incendiary balloons were launched from Gaza toward Israel, sparking fires. 1 unexploded Israeli shell was found at an UNRWA school west of Gaza City. Israel announced that it would stop all imports of fuel into Gaza as collective punishment for incendiary balloons landing in Israel. (AJ, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/13; HA, HA 8/14; PCHR 8/16; PCHR 8/17; PCHR 8/19)

Russia announced that it would open trade representation offices in Bethlehem, Hebron, and Nablus. (WAFA 8/13)

U.S. president Donald Trump announced that Israel and the UAE had agreed to establish full diplomatic ties and that Israel, as part of the agreement, had decided to suspend annexation of parts of the West Bank. In a joint statement from the 3 parties, it said that “Israel will suspend declaring sovereignty over areas outlined in the President’s Vision for Peace and focus its efforts now on expanding ties with other countries in the Arab and Muslim world.” Later, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that annexation is “still on the table” and a promise he is committed to. Subsequently, President Trump said, “Israel agreed not to annex parts of the West Bank. It is more than taking it off the table—they agreed not to do it. This is a very smart concession by Israel. It is off the table now.” U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman later said that annexation is “off the table now but it’s not off the table permanently. You can’t have peace and annexation at the same time.” PA president Mahmoud Abbas called the deal a “betrayal of Jerusalem, al-Aqsa Mosque and the Palestinian cause.” The PA also recalled its ambassador to the UAE. Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum said of the deal: “[t]his announcement is a reward for the Israeli occupation’s crimes . . . The normalization is a stabbing in the back of our people.” U.S. officials also said that Bahrain and Oman are likely to soon normalize relations with Israel. (HA, HA, HA, HA, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 8/13; AJ, AJ, REU, REU, REU 8/14; HA 8/15; REU 8/16; AJ 8/17)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian school in ‘Ayn Bus was set on fire, damaging classrooms, and racist Hebrew graffiti was painted on the building. Israeli forces seized tracts of land north of Hebron to expand an Israeli settlement. 11 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Biddu, Bethlehem Tubas, Tulkarm, Hebron, and Jenin. During a raid in Jenin, Israeli forces confiscated a vehicle and cash. Palestinians protested the U.S. administration’s version of a peace plan in several places throughout the West Bank; at least 12 Palestinians were reported injured. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolished a Palestinian-owned store in Wadi al-Juz. 8 Palestinians were arrested, including 3 during raids in Silwan and the Old City, and 5 at the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Palestinians also protested the U.S. administration’s peace plan. (AJ, HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/28; PCHR 1/30)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was indicted in the 3 corruption cases against him. Prime Minister Netanyahu had earlier on that day, before the indictment, withdrawn his request for immunity from prosecution. (AJ, HA 1/28)

U.S. president Donald Trump, flanked by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, presented the U.S. administration’s version of a peace plan, which on all contentious issues took maximalist Israeli positions. The plan presented a vision for 2 states; however, the map of these 2 “states” presented with the plan showed a carved-up West Bank where the majority of Israeli settlements and the Jordan Valley were annexed by Israel. A swath of land in Israel, where some 250,000 Palestinian citizens of Israel live, would be annexed to the Palestinian “state.” Some land in Israel along the Egyptian border would also be part of the Palestinian state. Jerusalem would become part of Israel and the Palestinian capitol would be east of Jerusalem on the West Bank side of the separation border. Gaza and the West Bank would be connected by a bridge or a tunnel. The Palestinian state would be demilitarized, including disarming Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Palestine (PIJ). Israel would control all of Palestine’s international borders. There would be no right of return for Palestinians as “[t]heir Arab brothers have the moral responsibility to integrate them into their countries as the Jews were integrated into the State of Israel.” Furthermore, the peace plan would allow Jews to pray on Haram al-Sharif and the PA would have to stop paying stipends to families of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Palestinians, according to the plan, would have 4 years after the “peace deal” was signed to achieve the right to their own state. (BBC, NPR, NYT, REU 1/28; AJ, HA 1/29; HA 1/30)

The Palestinian leadership’s response to the U.S. administration’s vision of a peace plan was condemnation. PA president Mahmoud Abbas said that “Trump and Netanyahu declared the slap of the century, not the deal. And we will respond with slaps.” At President Abbas’s speech were representatives from Hamas and PIJ. Hamas said Abbas had spoken with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and that the 2 had agreed to stand together in unity on the matter. Abbas also called for an urgent session at the Arab League to discuss the U.S. peace plan. (AJ, AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA 1/28)

Shortly after the U.S. peace plan was released, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that he would convene the Israeli cabinet on 2/1 to start annexing Israeli settlements, the Jordan Valley, and the northern Dead Sea. Jared Kushner, senior advisor to President Trump, said shortly after Netanyahu’s announcement that he did not believe that Israel would start annexing West Bank settlements on 2/1, contradicting the Israeli prime minister. (HA, HA, HA 1/29)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolished a shack and razed 6 dunams (1.4 acres) of agricultural land in Bayt Umar. Palestinians in Hebron observed a general strike protesting Israel’s plans to make a new settlement and closed fruit and vegetable market in the city, announced on 12/1. During a protest march against the settlement, clashes broke out between protesters and Israeli forces, leading to tear-gas related injuries. 11 Palestinians were arrested during 9 late-night raids in and around Hebron, Dura, Ramallah, Jenin, and Tulkarm; and 2 at a flying checkpoint near Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers damaged 160 Palestinian-owned cars by slashing tires and houses were defaced by racist graffiti like “Arabs = enemies” in Shu‘fat. A Palestinian family demolished a room in their house in Jabal Mukabir after receiving a demolition order on 12/6. 2 Palestinians were arrested during evening raids in the Old City and Issawiyya. (HA, JP, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/9; PCHR 12/12)

Israel’s public security minister Gilad Erdan issued an order banning PA governor of Jerusalem Adnan Ghaith from conducting any PA-related activity in East Jerusalem, including holding meetings, gatherings, and conferences. Governor Ghaith has been arrested by Israel 7 times since becoming governor in 2018. (HA 12/10)

Austria signed a $2.2 million agreement to fund UNRWA programming in Syria. (WAFA 12/10)

In the West Bank, 8 Palestinians were arrested, including 7 during late-night raids in and around Bayt Awa, Yatta, and Bethlehem; 1 at a flying checkpoint near Jenin. 1 Palestinian teenager was hospitalized after being beaten by Israeli forces during a daytime raid near Nablus. In East Jerusalem, 4 Palestinians were arrested during daytime raids in the Old City and Issawiyya. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen; no injuries were reported. (WAFA 12/1; PCHR 12/5)

Israel’s defense minister Naftali Bennett ordered the “planning processes to be advanced” for new settler housing in Hebron. The plan includes development of a closed fruit and vegetable market for settler housing. According to Defense Minister Bennett, the new settlement housing “will create territorial continuation from the Cave of the Patriarchs [al-Ibrahimi Mosque] to the Avraham Avinu neighborhood, and double the number of Jewish residents in the city.” PLO’s secretary general Saeb Erakat said in a tweet that Bennett’s announcement was the “first tangible result of the U.S. decision to legitimize colonization,” referring to U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo’s announcement from 11/18 that the U.S. no longer considers the Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law. Defense Minister Bennett also sent a letter to the Palestinian municipal government of Hebron demanding consent for the demolition of the fruit and vegetable market, threatening that Bennett would start legal proceedings to lift the municipality’s protected status over the site. (AJ, AP, HA, WAFA, WAFA 12/1; HA 12/8)

The Israeli cabinet approved an allocation of 40 million shekels ($11.5 million) for construction of 1st-aid stations and security in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The chairperson of the Joint Arab List Ayman Odeh subsequently sent a letter to the Israeli attorney general demanding an examination of the constitutionality of the allocation, saying that the approval “raise[s] a grave suspicion of a budget allocation in exchange for a political favor.” (HA 12/1)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. president Donald Trump spoke on the phone and, according to Prime Minister Netanyahu, the 2 discussed recognizing the Jordan Valley as Israel’s official eastern border in addition to a defense pact and Iran. (HA, TOI 12/2)

Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land near al-Bureij refugee camp. IDF troops then arrest 4 Palestinian minors attempting to cross into Israel near the site of the incursion, and violently disperse Palestinian protesters throwing stones at the border fence near the main Great March of Return tent camp outside Khan Yunis (1 Palestinian is injured). Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli forces carry out the punitive demolition of the Jenin home of a Palestinian imprisoned in connection with the 1/9/18 killing of an Israeli settler. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers damage 20 Palestinian vehicles and spray-paint “Death to Arabs” on a nearby wall in Bayt Iksa. Some of the same settlers vandalize more Palestinian property in Rammun village near Ramallah later in the day. IDF troops arrest 1 Palestinian during a raid in Bethlehem, and patrol near Nablus, Hebron, and Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 5 Palestinians during raids in Silwan, Issawiyya, and the Old City. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 4/23; PCHR 4/26)

A deaf Palestinian succumbs to injuries sustained on 4/1 when the IDF violently dispersed peaceful protesters along Gaza’s border. A Palestinian witness to the shooting says that the deceased was walking away from the border fence when an Israeli sniper shot him in the back of the head. His death brings the death toll stemming from the Great March of Return to 36. (HA, MNA, WAFA 4/23; EI 4/24; PCHR 4/26; HQ 5/5)

A mortar fired from Syria lands in the Israelioccupied Golan Heights, causing no damage or injuries. IDF artillery then shell the area from which the mortar was fired, causing an unclear amount of damage or injuries. “The IDF sees the Syrian civil regime as responsible for all that happens on its territory, and will not tolerate any attempt to harm the sovereignty of the State of Israel or the security of its citizens,” the IDF states after the exchange. (HA, YA 4/23)

Palestinian diplomats file a formal complaint against Israel with the UN office in Geneva responsible for monitoring the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The complaint alleges that Israel has violated the convention in a variety of ways, including the parallel justice systems for Palestinians and settlers in the West Bank. “Not only is the purpose of the settlement regime discriminatory in itself, it is further maintained by a system of discriminatory measures, severely depriving Palestinians of their fundamental rights,” one diplomat says. (MNA 4/24)

Israeli forces surround 2 Jenin-area homes of Palestinians suspected of participating in the 1/9 killing of an Israeli settler overnight, sparking a brief firefight and clashes with stonethrowing residents of the area; 1 Palestinian is killed, 7 are injured, and at least 4 are arrested. Meanwhile, IDF troops arrest 4 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during late-night raids near Jenin, Bethlehem, and Hebron; and patrol near Hebron and Nablus. In the West Bank, Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian farmers working near Hebron, causing no major injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 10 Palestinians during latenight raids in Abu Dis and Hizma. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Gaza City, causing no damage or injuries. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 2/3; PCHR 2/8)

The PLO Executive Committee meets in Ramallah and calls on the PA to immediately put together a plan for “disengagement” with Israel on all levels, including security coordination and economic cooperation. Meanwhile, Arab League asst. secy.-gen. Said Abu Ali says that the Arab League has adopted the Palestinian goal of pursuing a UN-mandated multilateral mechanism to administer a new round of Palestinian-Israeli peace talks. He says that various Arab MKs are working with several international groups to build support for the idea. (WAFA 2/3)

Off Gaza’s coast nr. Dayr al-Balah, Israeli naval forces fire warning shots at 1 Palestinian fishing boat, then confiscate 8 nets. In the West Bank, Israeli forces destroy hundreds of trees in a nature reserve nr. Tubas; demolish the remaining grocery stands set up along bypass road Route 60 (several stands were confiscated on 6/15). IDF troops conduct 3 raids in Jenin r.c., arresting 1 Palestinian on each and destroying their property. They also conduct raids in Aida r.c. and 1 village nr. Bethlehem, and 2 villages each nr. Hebron, Qalqilya, Ramallah, and Nablus, arresting 12 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 3; patrol in 4 villages nr. Hebron, 2 nr. Ramallah, and 1 nr. Jericho. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police arrest 5 Palestinians as they exit Haram al-Sharif, and more than 50 right-wing Jewish activists tour the sanctuary. Israeli forces conduct a late-night raid in Issawiyya, sparking clashes with stone- and firework-throwing residents; 5 Palestinians are injured. Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian on a night raid in al-‘Izzariya. In n. Israel, the IDF declares a section of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights a closed military zone to nonresidents in response to recent fighting on the Syrian side of the border. (JP, MNA, WAFA, YA 6/16; PCHR 6/18)

Hamas sources say that Israel and Hamas have been holding an indirect exchange through various Arab, Turkish, and European channels about the prospect of agreeing to a 5–10-year cease-fire, and that elements under discussion relate to easing the blockade, including the possible construction of a seaport, and the entry of materials into Gaza in exchange for quiet. (AFP, HA, MNA, TOI 6/16; MNA 6/17)

At a meeting of the Fatah Revolutionary Council in Ramallah, PA pres. Abbas says that he intends to dissolve the PA consensus govt. and form an entirely new cabinet within the next few days. Hamas official Basem Naim speculates that Abbas was caught “off guard” by today’s reports of indirect talks between Hamas and Israel, and they prompted him to make this decision. However, other reports say that conversations about dissolution have been going on for mos. (HA, MNA, NYT 6/16)

Israel’s Defense Ministry announces a series of loosened restrictions on Palestinians’ movement during Ramadan this year (the holy mo. begins the evening of 6/17). The Israeli High Court of Justice rules to seal the East Jerusalem room of the man accused of shooting right-wing Jewish activist Yehuda Glick on 10/29/2014. The State’s prosecutors argued for the court to approve the punitive demolition of the whole home, as was initially ordered in the wake of the shooting. (JP, MNA, TOI, YA 6/16; HA 6/17)

IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Bayt Hanun shoot and injure a Palestinian man nr. the border fence. Meanwhile, IDF troops e. of al-Maghazi r.c. fire smoke bombs into agricultural lands nr. the border fence. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and raids in Jenin, a village nr. Hebron, and Aida r.c. nr. Bethlehem, arresting 2; patrols in 3 villages nr. Ramallah, 2 nr. Hebron, and in al-Fawar r.c. Israeli troops also arrest a Palestinian driving in Aida r.c. and clash with stone-throwing Palestinian youth in a village nr. Qalqilya. Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian homes in Hebron, causing damage but no injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct raids in Jabal Mukabir, Issawiyya, and the Old City, arresting 7 Palestinians. (MNA, WAFA 4/26; PCHR 4/29)

An IAF jet attacks 4 unknown assailants attempting to cross the border from Syria into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to plant explosives; 3 of the assailants are killed. Hours later, several Arab media outlets release unconfirmed reports that the IAF responded to the attempted explosive attack with air strikes on Hizballah and Syrian army missile batteries nr. the border. (AFP, JP, YA 4/26; HA, JP, YA 4/27)

IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Khan Yunis open fire on Palestinians nr. the border fence gathering to commemorate Land Day, injuring 2. In the West Bank, thousands of Palestinians gather in several villages and cities for Land Day; IDF troops violently disperse protests in villages nr. Nablus and Ramallah, causing a number of Palestinians to suffer tear gas inhalation. The IDF conducts house searches and raids in 2 villages nr. Hebron, 1 nr. Jenin, and Tulkarm, arresting 4 Palestinians; patrols in 5 villages nr. Ramallah, 1 nr. Jericho, and al-‘Arub r.c. and 1 village nr. Hebron. Israeli forces deliver demolition notices to 7 Palestinian-owned agricultural structures and water wells in a village nr. Nablus and to 7 residential structures in a village nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently disperse Palestinians marching through the Old City to commemorate Land Day, injuring 1 and arresting 2. They also arrest 3 Palestinians at Haram al-Sharif, 3 in the Old City, and 1 during a house search in Silwan. Meanwhile, Palestinian citizens of Israel gather in Jerusalem, Dayr Hanna in the Galilee, and Rahat in the Negev to commemorate Land Day, but the Arab High Follow-Up Comm. does not call for a general strike as it did in 2014. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA, YA 3/30; YA 3/31; PCHR 4/2)

The Jerusalem Municipality announces that it has approved tenders to build 142 new residences in the Har Homa settlement in East Jerusalem. Also, the Interior Ministry’s District Planning and Building Comm. approves a plan to construct over 2,200 new residences for Palestinians in Jabal Mukabir, East Jerusalem, and to retroactively approve hundreds that have already been built in the neighborhood. (WAFA 3/30; TOI 3/31; HA 4/1)

The PA Ministry of Civil Affairs announces that it will be providing 1 year of financial support to the approximately 15,000 Palestinian families in Gaza whose homes were destroyed during OPE. The project will be funded by international donors, primarily Arab League mbrs., and will grant families between NIS 1,000 and 1,500 per mo. ($250 to $378). (MNA, WAFA 3/30)

A bipartisan group of 4 U.S. senators sends a letter to Pres. Obama stating their opposition to the admin.’s reported reassessment of its policies regarding Israel and the possible end of U.S. support of Israel in international institutions, such as the UN. (TOI 3/31)

In the West Bank, Israeli soldiers open fire on 2 Palestinian teenagers walking in a mountainous area s. of Nablus, killing 1 and seriously injuring the other. The IDF says they were throwing stones and ignored warning shots. Late at night, IDF troops open fire at a Palestinian vehicle outside Bayt Umar nr. Hebron, seriously injuring 2 men. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids nr. Ramallah and Hebron; patrols nr. Jenin and Hebron. Israeli soldiers also arrest 1 Palestinian at a checkpoint outside Bayt ‘Amr village and construct a surveillance tower at a checkpoint nr. Tulkarm. Private Israeli security guards from the Ofra settlement assault and detain a Palestinian nr. Silwad. Off the coast of the n. Gaza Strip, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats on 2 separate occasions, causing no damage or injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct house searches and arrest raids in Silwan. (JP, MNA, NYT, WAFA 12/29; JP, MNA, TOI 12/30; PCHR 12/31)

Jordan submits the Palestinians’ amended draft res. to the UNSC after the Arab Group at the UN approves the amendments. PA Pres. Abbas predicts a vote will be held on 12/30. Secy. of State Kerry calls 13 FMs from around the world to argue against the measure, then a U.S. State Dept. spokesperson says that the U.S. will not support it. (AFP, AP, HA, JP, TOI 12/29; MNA 12/30)

A PA unity govt. delegation arrives in Gaza City to coordinate reconstruction efforts, open the crossings, and deal with issues facing Gaza’s workers. It is the 2d meeting of the govt. in Gaza since its formation on 6/2 (the 1st was on 10/9). Dozens of Palestinians gather at the Erez border crossing to protest the unity govt.’s perceived inaction. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Environmental Quality Authority of Gaza announces that it will stop importing batteries and electrical appliances from Israel, citing their detrimental effects on the environment and the import fees collected by Israeli authorities. (HA, MNA, YA 12/29)

Egyptian security forces uncover and demolish 19 tunnels leading from Gaza under the border into Rafah, including 1 that led to a house 1,700 m from the border. (DNE 12/29; MNA 12/30)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids nr. Jenin, Nablus, Tulkarm, Ramallah, and Hebron. During a raid in ‘Askar r.c., residents throw stones at the Israeli soldiers, and 1 Palestinian is injured by rubber-coated metal bullets. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raid the home of a former prisoner in Jabal Mukabir and arrest her. (MNA 12/17; PCHR 12/18, 12/25)

Following 2 rounds of negotiations with reps. of the Arab Group at the UN, Jordanian diplomats officially submit a Palestiniandrafted res. to the UNSC. It is based on the French draft, but with substantial changes based on the Palestinians’ input, including the removal of a passage calling on the Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. (AFP, HA, MDW, MNA, NYT, TOI 12/17; AFP, HA 12/18)

After 3 days of negotiations, the Israel Prison Service (IPS) pledges to, among other things, phase out the use of solitary confinement “without cause,” leading over 100 Palestinian prisoners to suspend their hunger strike started on 12/9. (MNA 12/17; EI 12/19)

Israeli DM Ya’alon orders the evacuation of 2 military bases to expand nearby settlements, a move delayed on 11/25 when then-Fin. Min. Lapid refused to authorize the funds. (PM Netanyahu authorizes funding for the relocation on 1/4.) (HA 12/17)

The European Parliament passes a nonbinding motion expressing support for the recognition of Palestinian statehood “in principle,” which should complement a new round of peace talks. Meanwhile, Luxembourg’s parliament adopts a similar nonbinding motion calling on its govt. to recognize Palestine. (HA, MNA, WAFA 12/17)

In Geneva, 126 of the 196 signatories of the Fourth Geneva Convention convene to discuss Israel’s noncompliance with its strictures. They adopt a declaration by consensus that calls for investigations into all serious violations of international humanitarian law, including Israel’s. (AP, TOI, WAFA 12/17)

The Gen. Court of the EU, the body’s 2d highest court, removes Hamas from the EU’s list of designated terrorist organizations on the procedural grounds that the status was determined by media reports rather than by “acts examined and confirmed in decisions of competent authorities.” (HA, JP, MEMO, MNA, NYT, REU, TOI 12/17)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Hebron and 3 nearby villages at night; patrols in al-‘Arub r.c. and 1 village nr. Hebron at night. In Jenin, an IDF raid provokes clashes with residents of Jenin. (MNA 8/15; PCHR 8/22)

Muslim Brotherhood supporters take to the streets to protest against the previous day’s protest camp massacre. Arab leaders are divided in their response to the bloody developments in Egypt, with Turkey, Iran, and Qatar condemning the violent crackdown, while Saudi Arabia and the UAE back the military’s position. Meanwhile, gunmen in the Sinai shoot and kill 7 Egyptian soldiers at a checkpoint. (JP, MNA, REU 8/15)

A car bomb explodes in s. Beirut, killing 20 people and wounding 120. The attack is claimed by a group called Brigades of Aisha, which it says was as retaliation for Hizballah’s intervention in Syria on the side of Pres. Asad. (AP 8/15)

In the evening, unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, damaging 2 houses but causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah in the morning, in Tulkarm in the afternoon, and in 2 villages nr. Jenin (firing stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them in 1 instance) and 1 nr. Qalqilya late at night. In the afternoon, the IDF raids and searches stores nr. Qalqilya and enters al-Zira village nr. Bethlehem in search of Palestinian youths who had stoned a patrol earlier (questioning youths at random, arresting 4). Late at night, the IDF patrols in Aqabat Jabir r.c. nr. Jericho, firing live ammunition, rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them, wounding 3 Palestinians with live ammunition (2 seriously); enters Jericho and 1 nearby village to serve 3 Palestinians with papers summoning them for questioning. The IDF also makes a late-night raid on and search of the Nablus-area home of a Palestinian released in the recent prisoner swap that freed IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit, serving him with orders to appear for questioning; during the raid, a pregnant woman in the home complains of pain and is taken to the hospital, where she miscarries. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil’in, Kafr Qaddum, Nabi Salih, and Ni’lin; demonstrations in Bil’in, Nabi Salih, and Ni’lin also call for solidarity with hungerstriking Islamic Jihad prisoner Khader Adnan. IDF soldiers fire live ammunition (Nabi Salih only), rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; 3 Palestinian protesters, 1 Palestinian journalist, and 1 New York Times reporter are injured. Palestinians in Kafr al-Dik village nr. Salfit hold their first nonviolent protest against recent IDF actions in the nearby Dayr Sam’an archeological area that have been interpreted as preliminary steps to annex the area; IDF troops fire tear gas and percussion grenades to disperse them, causing no injuries. Jewish settlers fr. Carmiel settlement nr. Hebron escorted by IDF troops plant trees on 40 d. of nearby Palestinian agricultural land along a new settleronly bypass road. (JP 2/11; PCHR 2/16; OCHA 2/17)

Hamas’s Haniyeh arrives in Iran. Neither side discusses the visit, hoping to keep a low profile. Arab media reports (see NYT 2/11) say Hamas is resisting pressure fr. Iran to demonstrate support for Syria’s Asad. Gulf leaders urged Haniyeh against visiting Iran, but he demurred. (NYT 2/11)

In a rare interview with Israeli TV, Abbas states, “It was our mistake. . . . It was an Arab mistake as a whole” to reject the 1947 UN partition plan to divide historic Palestine into a Jewish and a Palestinian state. (NYT 10/29)

The IDF conducts daytime patrols in Tulkarm and 1 nearby village, Dura nr. Hebron (firing percussion grenades and unleashing attack dogs to chase off stone-throwing youths; 1 dog attacks a man outside his home, moderately injuring him), 2 villages nr. Jenin, and 1 nr. Ramallah; conducts late-night patrols in Beitunia nr. Ramallah. The weekly demonstrations by Palestinians and international activists in Bil‘in for a 4th week express solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, calling for the release of Fatah’s Barghouti and the PFLP’s Sa‘adat. In al-Nabi Salih and Ni‘lin, Palestinians and international activists rally in support of the Palestinian statehood bid at the UN. Demonstrations by Palestinians in Kafr Qaddum protest Israeli land seizures. In all 4 cases, IDF soldiers fire rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, injuring 1 Palestinian in Bil‘in. (PCHR 11/3; OCHA 11/4)

Uruguay recognizes an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 lines. (XIN 3/16)

Egypt completes repairs to its natural gas pipeline damaged during the 2/2011 Egyptian unrest (see Quarterly Update in JPS 159) and resumes sending natural gas to Israel. The Israeli navy detains a ship, the German-owned and Liberian flagged Victoria, en route fr. Syria to Egypt, 200 mi. off the Israeli coast that Israel claims was attempting to deliver arms to Gaza fr. Iran, taking it to Ashdod for further inspection; Israeli authorities said the ship carried 4 crates holding some 70,000 rounds of ammunition for Kalashnikov rifles, 1,000s of mortars, 6 Chinese C-704 antiship missiles, and 2 radar systems. Iran denies smuggling arms. The IDF makes a brief incursion into c. Gaza to level lands e. of al-Bureij r.c. to clear lines of sight. On the Rafah border, 2 Palestinians are killed, 4 are injured in an explosion in a smuggling tunnel. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that another 4 Palestinians have been killed in tunnel accidents since 3/2. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night patrols in Jenin and surrounding villages; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron. Jewish settlers attempt to enter Kafr Laqif village nr. Qalqilya but are prevented by the IDF and stone nearby Palestinian homes instead. In separate instances, Jewish settlers fr. Karnei Shomron and Keddumim settlements, both nr. Nablus, stone passing Palestinian vehicles. Across the West Bank and Gaza, 1,000s of Palestinians turn out for candlelight vigils calling for national reconciliation. Hamas security forces violently break up the biggest rally (as many as 100,000) in Gaza City, injuring 5 protesters. In the West Bank, PA security forces (PASF) fire tear gas at some 8,000 protesters in Ramallah, briefly dispersing them and injuring 20; some protesters return, vowing to stay in Ramallah’s Manara Square until the West Bank and Gaza are reunited (they stay until 4/17). Meanwhile, Hamas’s acting PM in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh invites Abbas to Gaza for reconciliation talks; Abbas responds favorably. Inside Israel, 2 cars owned by Israeli Palestinian students at Safad Academic College were torched during a campus event to promote Arab-Jewish dialogue. Anti-Arab graffiti also was sprayed on the wall of the college, saying: “Arabs get out,” “Death to Arabs,” and “Kahane was right.” (General Delegation of the PLO to the United States letter, IFM, National Public Radio 3/15; JAZ, JP, JTA, MNA, NYT, WP, WT 3/16; PCHR 3/17; OCHA 3/18; JPI 4/1)

In Bahrain, protesters ramp up demonstrations in response to Saudi Arabia’s incursion, while the king imposes a 3-mo. state of emergency, deploys the military, and closes schools and govt. offices. (NYT 3/16)

The Israeli navy turns back a Libyan freighter carrying 3,000 tons of humanitarian aid attempting to breach Israel’s blockade of Gaza. In the West Bank, the IDF sends an undercover unit into Nablus to ambush and assassinate al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AMB) mbr. Muhammad Abu Thira’ while he is in PA security force (PASF) custody in a PASF vehicle being transported fr. his home to a PASF facility where he would stay overnight, as part of the process to be granted amnesty by Israel. IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin town and r.c., nr. Bethlehem; conducts separate, synchronized late-night house searches in 4 villages nr. Jenin, without making any arrests. The IDF guards buses bringing 100s of Jewish settlers to Hebron to “defend” Beit Shalom. After dark, settlers rampage through Palestinian neighborhoods, attempt to seize a Palestinian home, heavily damage others. Jewish settlers fr. Shilo nr. Ramallah protesting the government order to evacuate Beit Shalom rampage through the villages of Turmusayya and Sinjil, slashing tires, vandalizing homes and a mosque, spraying graffitti saying “Death to Arabs” and “Muhammad is a Pig.” (NYT, WT 12/2; WJW, PCHR 12/4)