The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers steal 53 sheep in Tuqu’. Israeli forces shoot and injure a 13-year-old Palestinian girl and uproot streets and other infrastructure during a raid in Jenin. Israeli forces also raid Dayr Sharaf, uprooting paved roads and water pipelines. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolish a house under construction in Umm al-Rihan. Israeli forces also seize a concrete pump in ‘Anin. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 30 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Hizma, Husan, al-Arroub refugee camp, Halhul, Dura, Qalqilya, and Nablus. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Dayr al-Balah, and Gaza City, killing at least 59 people. 2 rockets are fired at Israel; no damage is reported. In Kochav Yair, Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man, alleging that he rammed and injured 4 Israeli police officers. In the Red Sea, U.S. forces shoot down a missile and 2 drones launched from Yemen. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/3; AJ 4/4; UNOCHA 4/5)

More than 32,975 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,750 children and 8,900 women, and around 75,577 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 446 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 112 children. More than 4,760 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 255 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,549 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 160 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. U.S. and Jordanian forces airdrop 38,000 meals over northern Gaza.  (AJ, HA, UNOCHA 4/3; UNOCHA 4/5)

UNOCHA says it has documented more than 700 settler attacks on Palestinians since 10/7/2023, killing 17 Palestinians and injuring more than 400 others. (UNOCHA 4/3)

6 Israeli intelligence officers tell +972 Magazine and Local Call that Israel is using an AI program called Lavender to mark Palestinians and their homes as bombing targets on the basis that they are suspected members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad. According to the sources, 37,000 Palestinians have been marked as suspected militants. The report says that human analysts would spend on average 20 seconds evaluating the targets picked by Lavender, to make sure the target is male, before giving authorization. The reporting also says that a different AI system called Where’s Daddy would track targets to make sure they were at the family residence before an airstrike is conducted and that Israel permits 15-20 civilians to be killed for every junior member of Hamas and Islamic Jihad killed, while it has given authorization for the killing of more than 100 civilians to kill a commander. In November, the 2 news outlets revealed that Israel’s military uses an AI program called Gospel to mark buildings that are then attacked. (+972, AJ, HA 4/3; AJ, REU 4/4)

World Central Kitchen (WCK) founder Jose Andres tells Reuters that the Israeli attack that killed 7 WCK aid workers on 4/1 was systematic and not an accident. Andres says WCK had clear communications with the Israeli military which knew of the aid workers’ movements, saying “[e]ven if we were not in coordination with the [Israeli military], no democratic country and no military can be targeting civilians and humanitarians.” (AJ, AX, HA, REU 4/3)

The Lebanese military says it was a landmine that wounded the 4 UNIFIL troops on 3/30. (AJ, NYT 4/3)

Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani says in a news conference that the main issue in the ceasefire negotiations is Israel allowing Palestinians to return to northern Gaza. (AJ, HA 4/3)

PA prime minister Mohammad Mustafa speaks with Bahraini foreign minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Italian foreign minister Antionio Tajani, and Jordanian prime minister Bisher Khasawneh in phone calls. PA president Mahmoud Abbas speaks with Algerian president Abdelmadjid Tebboune in a phone call. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/3)

Fatah accuses Iran of trying to spread chaos in the West Bank. (REU 4/3)

Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz calls for early elections in September. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects the call. Israeli energy minister Eli Cohen says “[i]f the United States, our greatest friend which I value tremendously, doesn’t completely back Israel, it has nothing to do in the Middle East.” (AJ, AX, HA, REU 4/3; AJ 4/4)

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says Palestinian statehood should be determined by “direct negotiations” and not at the UN in response to a PA push to have the UN Security Council vote on full UN membership for the State of Palestine. (HA, REU 4/3; AJ, AP 4/4)

At the UN Security council, the U.S., UK, and France oppose a Russian-drafted statement condemning Israel’s attack on the Iranian consulate building in Damascus on 4/1. UN General Assembly president Dennis Francis tweets that he is outraged by the Israeli killing of World Central Kitchen aid workers on 4/1 and expresses deep concern over the risk of an escalation after the Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate. (AJ, REU 4/3; AJ 4/4

Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf writes a letter to UK prime minister Rishi Sunak, calling on him to immediately end the sale of arms to Israel. 600 UK legal professionals, including 3 former Supreme Court justices, call on the UK government to suspend arms sales to Israel, saying the UK could be complicit in genocide in Gaza.  (AJ, AP 4/3; AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU 4/4)

Polish deputy foreign minister Andrzej Szejna summons the Israeli ambassador, saying he wants “to talk to the ambassador about the new situation in Polish-Israeli relations and about the moral, political, and financial responsibility for the event that recently took place in the Gaza Strip,” referring to the killing of 7 aid workers on 4/1, including a Polish national. Israeli ambassador to Poland Yacov Livne said on 4/2 in response to reports that Israel deliberately killed the aid workers that “anti-Semites will always remain anti-Semites.” In a separate statement, the Polish foreign ministry says Israel does not have “the right to abuse force and illegal settlement” and that Poland recognizes the “right of Palestinians to establish a state.” (AJ, HA, REU 4/3; AJ 4/4; AP 4/5)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces install iron gates and place cement blocks at the entrances to Maeen, Shaab al-Butum, and Umm al-Khair in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces also deliver demolition notices for several structures in Hizma. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrest 15 Palestinians during raids in and around Ramallah, Qalqilya, Jenin, Hebron, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers vandalize Palestinian shops in the Old City. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, and Dayr al-Balah, killing at least 107 people. Israeli forces also force Palestinians to evacuate al-Amal Hospital as it and al-Shifa and Nasser hospitals remain under siege. 8 rockets are fired at Israel; no damage is reported. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Meiss Ej Jabal. (AJ, AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, UNOCHA 3/25)

More than 32,333 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 74,694 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 440 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 111 children. More than 4,665 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 251 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,509 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 139 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The U.S. and UK airdrop aid over northern Gaza. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 3/25; AJ, HA 3/26; UNOCHA 3/29)

At the UN Security Council, a resolution drafted by the council’s 10 elected members and demanding an immediate ceasefire through the month of Ramadan leading to a lasting ceasefire and the release of Israeli captives passes as the U.S. abstains and the 14 other council members vote in favor. The U.S. claims the resolution is non-binding, contrary to the stipulations of international law, and that the vote does not represent a shift in U.S. policy. U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield says the U.S. abstained because it does not agree with everything in the resolution, noting that the U.S.’s request to add condemnation of Hamas was ignored. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls the U.S. abstention a “clear departure from the consistent U.S. position in the Security Council since the beginning of the war” and cancels an Israeli delegation’s visit to the White House that would have discussed alternatives to a ground invasion of Rafah. The PA calls the resolution a step in the right direction. Hamas says it is committed to the conditions of the resolution and calls on the world to oblige Israel to implement it. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres says the resolution must be implemented and that it would be “unforgivable” if it is not. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AX, AX, AX, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/25; AJ, AP, NYT, WAFA, WAFA 3/26)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas meets with German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock in Ramallah. Germany donates $48 million to UNRWA for programs in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank. (AJ, WAFA 3/25)

Hamas says Israel has not responded to its ceasefire counterproposal and reiterates that the 4 main points of its proposal are: a comprehensive ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, return of displaced Palestinians to their homes in, and “a real exchange of prisoners.” (AJ, HA, REU 3/25; HA, HA 3/26)

Fatah issues a statement attacking Hamas for its criticism of the choice of Mohammad Mustafa as the new PA prime minister, saying “whoever caused Israel’s reoccupation of the Gaza Strip …. Does not have the right to dictate national priorities.” (WAFA 3/25)

The U.S. says it finds Israel’s assurances that it is not using U.S.-supplied weapons in contravention of international law credible and finds that Israel is not impeding U.S. humanitarian assistance to Gaza. 17 U.S. senators urged the Biden administration on 3/22 to determine that the Israeli assurances were not credible. (AJ, HA, HA 3/25)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant meets with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Washington D.C. Blinken reportedly tells Gallant that there are alternatives to an invasion of Rafah and calls for more aid to enter Gaza. (AX, HA, REU 3/25; AJ, NYT 3/26)

UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese issues a report saying that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Albanese adds that, “Israel’s genocide on the Palestinians in Gaza is an escalatory stage of a long-standing settler colonial process of erasure.” Albanese calls on UN member states to implement an arms embargo on Israel in addition to other economic and political measures. Albanese also recommends that South Africa brings its ICJ case against Israel to the UN Security Council as Israel is ignoring the interim rulings. (AJ 3/25; AJ 3/26)

Israeli emergency unity government minister Gideon Saar resigns from the government after his request to join the war cabinet is denied. (AJ, AX, HA, HA, REU 3/25)

Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi says during a press conference with Secretary-General Guterres that there “is nothing to deter Israel, but we have gone beyond that. The Israeli government is led by radical racist menaces.” (AJ, REU 3/25)

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says in an interview with Israel Hayom that Israel has to “finish up” the war because it is “losing at lot of the world … losing a lot of support.” (AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU 3/25; AJ 3/26)

The Brussels City Council votes unanimously to ban public procurement of products made in Israeli settlements. (AJ 3/26)

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

More than 31,112 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 72,760 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 419 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 108 children. More than 4,665 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 247 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,474 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 236 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The UAE, Egypt, Jordan, France, Belgium, and the U.S. airdrop 169 aid packages over Gaza. The Gaza Ministry of Health says more than 2,000 medical personnel are starving in northern Gaza. 95 Palestinian orphans are evacuated from Rafah to an SOS Children’s Village in Bethlehem. (AJ, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/11; HA, HA, UNOCHA 3/12; UNOCHA, WAFA 3/13)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbs to wounds sustained from Israeli forces in Nur Shams refugee camp on 10/19/2023. An Israeli settler shoots and kill a Palestinian man after he shoots and kills 2 Israeli settlers at a gas station near the Eli settlement. Israeli settlers also throw stones at Palestinians at the Za’atra checkpoint, injuring a man. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers ram a Palestinian man in al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, causing minor injuries. Israeli settlers also raid Arab al-Milehat, throwing stones at homes. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers disassemble and steal 2 agricultural structures in Kisan. Israeli forces shoot and kill 2 Palestinians and injure another while they are picking gundelia flowers near Bayt Awa. Israeli forces also shoot and kill a Palestinian child during a raid in Beit Furik. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Jalazone refugee camp. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian man in Jenin. Meanwhile, Israeli forces demolish a home and 2 agricultural structures during a raid in Ein ad-Duyuk al-Tahta. Israeli forces also arrest 20 Palestinians during raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, and Bethlehem. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Nuseirat refugee camp, al-Bureij refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Jabalia refugee camp, and Beit Hanun, killing at least 81 people. Israeli forces also open fire at an aid convoy where thousands of Palestinians are seeking to gather aid. Eyewitnesses report that Israel used live ammunition, tank shells, and drone-fired missiles to attack the crowd, at least 112 people are killed and 760 are injured. Israeli tanks also run over the bodies of the dead and injured. The attack is dubbed the Flour Massacre. 4 children die of starvation at the Kamal Adwan Hospital. Israeli settlers storm the Beit Hanun (Erez) crossing, attempting to create a settlement in Gaza. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fires 2 rockets at Goren. In Yemen, U.S. forces attack a missile launch site and shoot down a drone. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/29; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 3/1)

More than 30,147 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,230 children and 8,860 women, and around 71,217 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 409 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 103 children. More than 4,606 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 240 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,431 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. The Red Crescent says its medical clinic in Jabalia is receiving 100-150 cases of patients with Hepatitis A daily. (AJ, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA 2/29)

22-year-old Palestinian prisoner Assef al-Rifai dies in an Israeli prison, becoming the 11^th Palestinian to die in Israeli prison since 10/7. Al-Rifai, who had been imprisoned since 2022, suffered from cancer. (WAFA 2/29)

In response to the Flour Massacre (see above), Israel’s military first says Palestinians were killed in a stampede trying to get aid, blaming the aid truck drivers, then later said that Israeli soldiers had opened fire due to fear of the crowds but that most of the Palestinians had been killed in a human stampede and by the aid trucks. In its defense, Israel releases edited drone footage which appears to show hundreds of Palestinians taking cover from Israeli bullets. The PA calls the incident an “ugly massacre” and Hamas calls the attack an “unprecedented war crime.” UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres labels the incident appalling and calls for an independent investigation. EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borrell calls it “totally unacceptable,” Colombia denounces Israel’s genocide, suspending weapons purchases from Israel. French president Emmanuel Macron expresses “[d]eep indignation at the images coming from Gaza where civilians have been targeted by Israeli soldiers. I express my strongest condemnation of these shootings and call for truth, justice, and respect for international law.” Spain, Belgium, Turkey, Portugal, Italy, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, China, Canada, Yemen, Australia, and other countries express shock and contempt for the Israeli actions. The U.S. blocks an Algerian statement at the UN Security Council that assigns blame to Israel for the incident, saying it needs to be “thoroughly investigated.” The Israeli newspaper Haaretz for the first time calls on Israel to end its war, citing the incident. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 2/29; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 3/1) 

Representatives from Hamas, Fatah, and many other Palestinian parties meet in Moscow for reconciliation talks and about forming a technocratic consensus government that will lead the PA. Palestinian National Initiative secretary-general Mustafa Barghouti says, “I have never seen the atmosphere so close to unity as it is today.” Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov tells the Palestinian representatives at the meeting that if they can announce a unity position on the basis of the PLO those who use the lack of Palestine unity to prevent “the settlement in the Middle East, will lose their winning cards.” Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh meets with Chinese ambassador to Qatar Zhou Jian, discussing “ways to stop the war” in Gaza. President Mahmoud Abbas meets with UN senior coordinator for humanitarian aid and reconstruction in Gaza Sigrid Kaag and USAID administrator Samantha Power in Ramallah. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 2/29; AJ 3/1)

The Israeli Civil Administration declares 2,640 dunams (652 acres) of land in Abu Dis and al-Eizariya Israeli state land. 120 Palestinian families live on the land. The area declared state land connects the Ma’ale Adumim settlement and the Keidar settlement. (AJ, REU, WAFA 2/29; HA 3/1)

Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Store says the PA has received $114 million from Israel as part of the tax revenue payments and that more money will be dispersed in “the coming days.” (REU 2/29)

UNRWA says it has not received $89 million from the European Commission that was due on 2/29. 17 rights and aid organizations, including Save the Children and Oxfam, call on the EU to disperse the funds. The UN says Israel has not provided evidence about its claims against 12 UNRWA staffers for the independent investigation by the UN. Germany says it will increase aid to Gaza by $21.6 million and that its military will start taking part in aid airdrops if enough aid cannot be dispersed by land. (AP, AP, REU 2/29)

Israel claims it has killed more than 13,000 militants in Gaza since its ground invasion. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls Hamas’s demands for a ceasefire “delusional,” saying he will not accept them and that he rejects international calls for a ceasefire. The Israeli negotiators who had been in Qatar this week return to Israel. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich calls for a “massive” settlement expansion in response to the killing of 2 Israeli settlers near the Eli settlement. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir says aid to Gaza must stop as it endangers Israeli soldiers, citing the Flour Massacre where no Israeli soldiers were injured while more than a 100 Palestinians were killed. The Israeli government says it is still reviewing whether it will severely limit the number of Muslim worshippers it will allow to enter the Haram al-Sharif compound during Ramadan. (AJ, REU 2/29; AJ 3/1)

U.S. president Joe Biden walks back his comment that a ceasefire will happen by 3/4 but says that he is still hopeful. Biden also issues a statement calling on Republicans to pass a bill providing aid to Israel to “help ensure Israel can defend itself against Hamas and other threats.” Biden speaks with Qatar emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, discussing the need for aid and a ceasefire in Gaza. Secretary of State Blinken speaks with Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, discussing the same issues. White House deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton says the U.S. is deeply concerned that it has not received an Israeli plan for how it will provide security for Palestinians in Rafah if the Israeli military invades the city. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) calls on Israel to end its military operations in Gaza, citing the Flour Massacre. (AJ, AX, HA, NYT, REU, REU 2/29; AJ, HA 3/1)

UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk condemns Israel’s war on Gaza, calling it “carnage” at the UN Human Rights Council and says that war crimes have been committed by both Israel and Hamas, calling for accountability for the perpetrators. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 2/29)

New Zealand says it will impose travel bans on “a number” of violent Israeli settlers. New Zealand also designates the entirety of Hamas as a “terrorist group.” (AJ, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/29)

British politician George Galloway of the Workers Party of Britain wins a seat in the UK parliament in the by-election in Rochdale, telling Labour Party leader “Kier Starmer, this is for Gaza.” The Labour Party held the seat in Rochdale until last month when MP Tony Lloyd died. (NYT, NYT 2/29; AJ, AJ, HA 3/1)

Haaretz reports that AIPAC has spent $4.5 million in attack ads against Dave Min in the Democratic primary for a congressional seat in California. (HA 2/29)

The heads of 36 international news outlets sign a letter in support of journalists in Gaza, calling for their protection. (AJ, AP 2/29)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with a military escort prevent Palestinian farmers from cultivating their land in Atuf. Israeli forces shoot and kill 4 Palestinians during a raid in ‘Azzun; 1 Israeli soldier is injured. Israel later says it has decided to keep the bodies of the Palestinians. Israeli forces also assault a Palestinian man at a checkpoint in Yanoun, seizing his car. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assault Palestinian farmers in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces also raid Hebron, assaulting a disabled man. Meanwhile, Israeli forces violently disperse a protest in al-Arroub refugee camp, causing tear-gas related injuries. Palestinians protest the killing of Saleh al-Arouri (see below) in Jenin, Hebron, and Ramallah. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raze land, uprooting olive trees in Beit Safafa. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Maghazi, Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, Nuseirat refugee camp, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Gaza City, killing at least 207 people, including 5 in the Palestinian Red Crescent Society headquarters at al-Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis where 14,000 people are sheltering. Israeli forces also open fire at civilians at a market in Nuseirat refugee camp, killing a child. 1 Israeli soldier is injured in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces assassinate Hamas political bureau deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri in an airstrike on the Hamas offices in the Dahiyeh suburb of Beirut. 6 other members of Hamas are killed, including al-Qassem Brigades commanders Samir Findi and Azzam al-Aqraa and Hamas members Mahmoud Zaki Shahin, Mohammad Bashasha, Mohammad al-Rayes, and Mohammad Hamoud, and 11 are injured in the strike. In Syria, Israeli forces attack several places near Damascus, causing damage. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/2; AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, UNOCHA 1/3; AJ, AJ, HA, HA 1/4)

More than 22,185 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 8,800 children and 6,300 women, and around 57,697 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 317 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 80 children. More than 3,812 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured since 10/7, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 171 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 983 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. 143 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karim Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. (AJ, AJ, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 1/2; AP 1/3)

Lebanese caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati says Israel is trying to pull Lebanon into its war on Gaza by assassinating Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut. Hezbollah says in a statement that it will retaliate. Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh calls the assassination an act of terrorism. Israeli cabinet secretary Yossi Fuchs instructs Israeli ministers not to comment on the assassination. Fatah announced a general strike in the West Bank in response to the assassination. U.S. officials tell Axios that Israel did not notify the Biden administration of the assassination in advance. (AJ, AX, HA 1/2)

The International Committee of the Red Cross condemns Israel’s continued targeting of Palestinian Red Crescent Society facilities in Gaza. (HA 1/2)

The PA calls on Israel to immediately hand over a Palestinian baby that was kidnapped from Gaza by Israeli forces and brought to Israel. An Israeli soldier, who has since been killed in Gaza, told Israeli army radio that he had taken a baby to Israel. A picture of the soldier with a baby in Gaza circulated online. (AJ, AJ 1/2)

Haaretz reports it has received testimonies from Palestinian prisoners in Gilboa Prison who say they have been assaulted, humiliated, and abused by Israeli guards since 10/7. Among other transgressions, Israeli guards have been beating and threatening prisoners who refuse to kiss the Israeli flag. Others said that guards would put 11 prisoners in a cell made to fit 3, and step on their food before allowing them to eat it. (HA 1/2)

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh says Hamas has delivered its position on negotiations to Egypt and Qatar, which is based on a “complete cessation of the [Israeli] aggression.” (REU 1/2)

The Supreme Authority of Palestinian Tribes in the Gaza Strip denounces and rejects an Israeli proposal that would see Palestinian tribes have more political power in Gaza, saying it would create confusion and strife. (AJ, MEE 1/2)

Turkey says it arrested 34 people suspected of being part of a Mossad plot. 15 are later formally arrested by a Turkish court and 8 others are deported. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU 1/2)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson Eylon Levy says Israel will defend itself at the ICJ after South Africa triggered proceedings by invoking the Genocide Convention on 12/29. Levy calls the South African accusations “blood libel,” saying “history will judge you, and it will judge you without mercy.” The hearings are scheduled to begin on 1/11 and 1/12. Netanyahu tells families of Israeli captives held by Hamas that Hamas’ ultimatum in negotiations about a ceasefire had “softened a little.” (AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, REU 1/2; REU 1/5)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken speaks with UK foreign secretary David Cameron, discussing the situation in Gaza and in the Red Sea. (HA 1/2)

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller calls comments by Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir in favor of depopulating Gaza “inflammatory and irresponsible.” Ben-Gvir responds to Miller’s statement saying the U.S. “is our best friend, but first of all we will do what is best for the State of Israel: the migration of hundreds of thousands from Gaza.” French president Emmanuel Macron also tells Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz that the comments are unacceptable. EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borell also condemns Smotrich and Ben-Gvir’s statements. Likud Party MK Moshe Saada tells Channel 14 that those who call for the destruction of all Palestinians in Gaza are right. (AJ, AJ, AX, HA, HA, REU 1/2; AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT 1/3)

U.S. intelligence agencies release a declassified report saying that they believe the Israeli assessment that Hamas and Islamic Jihad used parts of al-Shifa Hospital to operate against Israel was at least partially correct but that captives were moved before Israel stormed the hospital. The New York Times notes that U.S. officials did not provide any visual evidence to back up the assessment. After raiding the hospital Israel changed its claim from the tunnels underneath being a Hamas command center to the tunnels being used by Hamas. (NYT, REU 1/2; HA 1/3)

U.S. senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) says, “Congress must reject that funding [referring to providing billions to Israel]. The taxpayers of the United States must no longer be complicit in destroying the lives of innocent men, women, and children in Gaza.” Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) says Israel has created a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, saying, “Stop bombing Gaza. Resume the cease-fire. Work toward a permanent peace.” (AJ 1/2)

A poll conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute shows that 75% of Israeli Jewish respondents support continuing the same scale of indiscriminate bombing of Gaza, despite U.S. pressure to tone down the assault. (HA, HA 1/2) 

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed 2 Palestinians, including a child, in Beit Einun and Husan. Israeli forces shot and injured 2 Palestinians during a raid in al-Yamun. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished 2 homes under construction and a warehouse near Ni’lin and 1 residential structure in al-Jiftlik. Israeli forces also seized 10 vehicles in al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya. Meanwhile, Israeli forces delivered notices that they will seize 5 dunams (1.1 acres) of land near Bethlehem to build a settler road. In Gaza, Paltel reported a complete communications blackout in all of Gaza. Israeli forces bombed Jabalia refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, and Gaza City; it was unclear how many casualties there were due to the communications blackout. Israeli bombings destroyed 56 buildings in the Shuja’iya neighborhood of Gaza City. 3 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces shelled several sites, killing 2 members of Hezbollah. Israeli snipers also shot and killed a Lebanese civilian driving near Kfar Kila. (AJ, AP, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/20; AJ, AP, HA 12/21; NYT 12/26)

More than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 7,729 children and 5,153 women, and around 54,000 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 3,387 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. 134 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 719 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 12/3, at least 52,000 housing units had been destroyed and 253,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 60% of all housing units. 71 trucks entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing and 120 trucks entered via the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing. (AJ, AJ, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 12/20; NYT 12/21)

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights released a statement saying it had received reports that Israeli forces had executed 11 unarmed Palestinians in front of their families in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. on 12/19. The Israeli forces also reportedly forced women and children into a room and threw a grenade at them, causing injuries. The Human Rights Office called for an immediate and independent investigation. (UN, UNOCHA 12/20; AJ, AJ 12/21)

Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia has banned all Israeli-flagged cargo ships from docking in its ports, citing the “Israeli massacre and brutality against Palestinians.” (AJ 12/20)

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials. Hamas official Ghazi Hamad told Al Jazeera that the party had tried to contact Fatah to begin talks about the situation in Gaza now and the future of a unified Palestinian political system, but that PA president Mahmoud Abbas had rejected talks. The Wall Street Journal reported that Hamas’ political bureau was in talks with other Palestinian factions about the situation in Gaza after the Israeli attack. Political bureau member Husam Badran told the Journal that the talks also included former Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad and former Fatah member Mohammed Dahlan. The Journal also reported that Hamas turned down a proposal to exchange a weeklong ceasefire for 40 captives held in Gaza. Hamas has said on several occasions that it will not negotiate while being attacked. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, WSJ 12/20; HA 12/21)

Israel, Cyprus, and the UK agreed to open an aid corridor between Gaza and Cyprus “under Israeli security supervision and control.” It was unclear how and when the corridor would be operational. (AJ, HA, REU 12/20)

The UN Security Council discussed a resolution on Gaza for the third day in a row without calling a vote. (AJ, NYT, WAFA 12/20)

Israeli Channel 12 reported that an Israeli tank shelled a house in Kibbutz Be’eri where Palestinian militants were holding Israeli captives, injuring an Israeli. (AJ 12/20)

In a report, Human Rights Watch charged Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, with silencing support for Palestine on the 2 social media platforms. (HRW 12/20; AJ 12/21)

Democracy for the Arab World Now said it submitted a list of 40 Israeli commanding officers to the ICC who have been involved in Israel’s attack on Gaza and should be investigated for war crimes. (AJ 12/20)

The Huffington Post reported that the U.S. was planning to pressure Switzerland not to hold a Geneva Convention conference on violations of international law during Israel’s assault in Gaza. (AJ 12/20)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized several water tanks and a vehicle during a raid in Shaab al-Butum and Wadi Abu Jahish in the Masafer Yatta area. The Israeli raid in Jenin continued from 12/12, 3 Palestinian were killed, 2 in a drone strike including a child, raising the number of Palestinians killed during the raid to 9. Israeli forces also injured 3 others, destroyed 4 homes and a barber shop with anti-tank missiles, and arrested several, including the Jenin Freedom Theatre director Ahmed Tobasi during the raid. Israeli soldiers filmed themselves singing a Hanukkah song using a mosque’s loudspeaker. 5 Israeli soldiers were injured in friendly fire during the raid. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assaulted 4 Palestinians after detaining them in al-‘Azza refugee camp. Israeli forces also demolished a Palestinian home in Susiya in the Masafer Yatta area. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities demolished 4 Palestinian homes in Silwan, Ras al-Amud, and Wadi Qaddum, displacing 36 people. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Khan Yunis, Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City, and Rafah, killing at least 194 Palestinians and injuring 499. Israeli forces also bombed 2 UNRWA shelters in Jabalia refugee camp and raided the Kamal Adwan Hospital for the second day in a row, arresting several people. Rockets fired from Gaza at Israel damaged a supermarket in Ashdod. In the Red Sea, 2 missiles were fired from Yemen at a commercial tanker, landing in the sea. (AJ, AP, AP, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/13; HA, NYT, NYT, REU 12/14)

More than 18,682 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 7,729 children and 5,153 women, and around 50,594 have been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 277 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 71 children. More than 3,387 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. 115 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 600 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 12/3, at least 52,000 housing units had been destroyed and 253,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 60% of all housing units. Heavy rain worsened the situation for displaced Palestinians as several parts of Gaza flooded. 152 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing. Aid was only distributed in Rafah. 268 dual nationals were evacuated to Egypt. (AJ, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 12/13)

Palestinian witnesses told Al Jazeera that Israeli forces brought Palestinians to the Shadia Abu Ghazala School in Faluja and executed them, including women, children, and babies. Footage from the building showed dead people lying on the floor of a classroom and hundreds of bullet casings. (AJ 12/13)

Senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk told Al-Monitor that Hamas could follow the PLO and recognize Israel as a step toward reconciliation with Fatah. Separately, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a speech that “[w]e are open to discuss any ideas or initiatives that could end the [Israeli] aggression and open the door for putting the Palestinian house in order in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,” calling any political arrangement in Gaza without the inclusion of Hamas a “delusion.” (ALM, HA 12/13; HA, HA 12/14)

CNN reported that a U.S. intelligence assessment said that about 40-45% of the 29,000 air-to-ground munitions Israel had used on Gaza have been unguided “dumb bombs.” (CNN 12/13)

The Israeli war cabinet blocked Mossad director David Barnea’s request to travel to Qatar to restart a ceasefire/prisoner negotiation. (HA, HA 12/13; HA 12/14)

A poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research showed that 42% of Palestinians in Gaza and 44% of Palestinians in the West Bank said they support Hamas, up from 12% in September, while 88% said they wanted PA president Mahmoud Abbas to resign. The poll also found that Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti would win a presidential election. (AJ, AP, HA 12/13; REU 12/14)

Israeli ambassador to the UK Tzipi Holovely told Sky News that Israel rejects a 2-state solution. (AJ 12/13; HA 12/14)

U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal that the Biden administration was withholding a shipment of 27,000 M4 and M16 assault rifles to Israel over concerns that they may be handed out to violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank. (AJ, AX, WSJ 12/13; HA 12/14)

U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan met with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia, discussing the situation in Gaza and in the Red Sea. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said he believes that the U.S. still can foster a normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said ending Israel’s war on Gaza does not “serve the long-term security interest of everyone in the region.” President Joe Biden met with families of Americans held captive by Hamas, saying he will continue to do everything possible to secure their release. (AJ, AP, HA, REU 12/13)

UK foreign secretary David Cameron said the UK will ban “those responsible for settler violence from entering the UK to make sure our country cannot be a home for people who commit these intimidating acts.” (AP, HA, REU 12/14)

Qatar pledged $50 million to Palestinian refugees in Gaza. (AJ 12/13)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers stole around 30 cows in ‘Ain al-Hilweh. Israeli settlers also erected a large menorah on Palestinian-owned land in Tal Ma’in in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces raided Jenin for the majority of the day and into 12/13, killing 6 Palestinians, including 4 in a drone strike, and arresting at least 100; 1 ill Palestinian child died in an ambulance that was unable to reach a hospital that was under Israeli siege. Israeli forces also shot and injured 3 Palestinians, including a child, during raids in Ni’lin and Kobar. Israeli forces also demolished 2 agricultural structures in ‘Anata. In addition to the 100 people detained and arrested in Jenin, 50 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, and Tubas. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Khan Yunis, Dayr al-Balah, Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Gaza City, killing at least 217 Palestinians and injuring 455. Israeli forces raided the Kamal Adwan Hospital, arresting 71 medical staffers and bombed an UNRWA school in Beit Hanun; there were reports that medical staff had been shot and killed in the hospital. 10 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat, including 9 in the Shuja’iyya neighborhood of Gaza City. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked a site they claimed was used by Hezbollah. Hezbollah said it attacked 2 Israeli military positions. In Syria, Israeli forces attacked several places, saying 3 missiles were fired at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. In the Red Sea, Israel deployed 4 warships. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/12; AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU 12/13; NYT 12/14)

More than 18,412 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 7,729 children and 5,153 women, and around 50,100 have been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 274 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 70 children. More than 3,387 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. 115 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 600 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 12/3, at least 52,000 housing units had been destroyed and 253,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 60% of all housing units. 107 trucks carrying aid, including fuel, entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing. Israel said it had inspected aid trucks at the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing and the trucks sent to the Rafah crossing in Egypt before entering Gaza. An injured Palestinian and 399 dual nationals were evacuated to Egypt. Israel said it found the bodies of 2 Israeli captives in Gaza, including a soldier and a civilian. The Gaza Ministry of Health said it has document 360,000 cases of infectious diseases in shelters. The WHO said it has recorded cases of meningitis, jaundice, impetigo, chickenpox, and upper respiratory infections. (AJ, AJ, AX, NYT, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 12/12)

The Israeli military released data showing at least 20 out of 115 soldiers killed in Gaza have been killed in friendly fire and in accidents, including 13 that were mistaken for Palestinians. Israel said it believed that 19 of the remaining 135 Hamas-held captives were dead (AJ, HA, HA, YNET 12/12; HA 12/13)

Hamas called on the PA to end its security coordination with Israel, saying Israel does not want a political settlement but to consolidate the occupation. (AJ 12/12)

The UN General Assembly adopted an Egyptian-drafted resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate and unconditional release of all captives with 153 votes in favor, 10 against, and 23 abstentions. Austria, Czechia, Guatemala, Israel, Liberia, Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, and the U.S. voted against the non-binding resolution. Amendments put forward by the U.S. and Austria failed to reach the 2/3 threshold with 84 voting in favor of the U.S. amendment and 89 voting in favor of the Austrian amendment. Hamas welcomed the resolution. U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the U.S. opposed the “one-sided” resolution because it did not condemn Hamas (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU 12/12; AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, WAFA 12/13)

U.S. president Joe Biden gave a speech at a campaign reception, reiterating narratives that have proven to be false, including that Hamas militants beheaded babies on 10/7 and calling Hamas animals. Biden also said Israel has to strengthen the PA and said Israel was “starting to lose that support [from the EU] by the indiscriminate bombing that takes place” in Gaza. He further complained about Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition partners, naming National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Lastly, he said “I believe, without Israel as a freestanding state, not a Jew in the world is safe,” despite more than a quarter of the world’s Jewry living in the U.S. In response to Biden’s speech, PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh said the U.S. should call for an immediate ceasefire and put forward a comprehensive peace plan. Israeli minister of communications Shlomo Karhi said in response to Biden’s call for a 2-state solution that Israel would not accept a Palestinian state. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU WAFA, White House 12/12; AJ, HA 12/13)

Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a statement that “Gaza will be neither a Hamas-stan nor Fatah-stan.” Netanyahu also told the Israeli Public Broadcasting Cooperation that the Gaza “Strip will be under Israeli military control. After the war, a civilian administration will operate in Gaza and the Strip will be rehabilitated under the leadership of the Gulf states. We will not give in to international pressure.” He added he will not “let Israel repeat the mistake of Oslo.” (AJ, HA 12/12; NYT 12/13)

Haaretz reported that the Israeli military’s Influencing Department was operating a Telegram channel called 72 Virgins – Uncensored where Israelis share footage and videos of Israelis attacking Palestinians and of dead Palestinians. The channel had 5,300 followers. (AJ, HA, HA 12/12)

The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel had begun pumping seawater into the tunnel system under Gaza, citing multiple U.S. officials. (AJ, HA 12/12; HA 12/13)

The World Bank said it expected the Palestinian economy to contract by 3.7% in 2023 and 6% in 2024 due to the impact of the Israeli war on Gaza. The World Bank had expected the economy to grow by 3% in 2024. (AJ 12/12)

The lower house of the Swiss parliament moved to cut the government’s aid to UNRWA. The decision was overturned by the upper house on 12/14 (AJ, HA 12/12; REU 12/13)

German sports brand Puma announced it was ending its sponsorship of the Israeli national soccer team in 2024, saying the move was decided last year and was unrelated to the war on Gaza. BDS activists have targeted Puma for its sponsorship of Israel’s national team since it was announced in 2018. (AJ, WAFA 12/12)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with a military escort attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in Burin, stealing crops. Israeli settlers posing as soldiers also attacked 2 Palestinians in Qawawis in the Masafer Yatta area, stealing their property. Israeli forces killed 5 Palestinians in a drone strike on Fatah’s headquarters in Balata refugee camp, injuring 2 others. Israeli forces later raided the camp, demolishing a home and uprooting streets. Israeli forces also shot and killed a Palestinian and injured 3 others during a raid in Tubas. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured a Palestinian during a raid in Idhna. Israeli forces also assaulted Palestinians harvesting olives in al-Zawiya, Kisan, and Nahalin. 38 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Jaba’, Tubas, Jericho, Fasayil, and Birzeit. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed students and staff at a school in Isawiya, physically assaulting them and causing tear-gas related injuries. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes in Khan Yunis and on an UNRWA school in Jabalia refugee camp killed 116 people. Israeli attacks on Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanun, and Gaza City also killed dozens, including at Tal al-Zaatar, an UNRWA-run school, and the Kamal Adwan Hospital. 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. Israeli forces ordered the evacuation of al-Shifa Hospital, forcing at least 2,500 people to flee. 25 medical workers and 291 patients remained at the end of the day. The WHO said it would help evacuate those remaining at the hospital in the next 2-3 days. A Doctors Without Borders convoy evacuating patients from al-Shifa was attacked, killing 1 and injuring another. 3 Israeli soldiers were killed in fighting with militants. In Lebanon, Israel said it attacked sites linked to Hezbollah, including an aluminum plant near Nabatieh. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/18; AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA 11/19)

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 stated that at least 11,800 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,630 children and 3,130 women, and around 32,000 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 3,250 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 204 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 47 children. More than 2,730 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals had been killed and 5,431 have injured since 10/7. 56 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. Around 10,000 people fled northern Gaza to the south. Around 26,000 gallons of fuel and 30 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza. 15 injured Palestinians arrived in the UAE for treatment. (AJ, AP, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 11/18; HA 11/19)

Thaer Samih Abu Assab died in the Ktzi'ot Prison, the sixth Palestinian to die in an Israeli prison since 10/7. (HA, WAFA 11/18; AJ 11/19)

Jordan set up a field hospital in Nablus to provide services to the city, which has been under Israeli siege since 10/7. (AJ 11/18)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas called on U.S. president Joe Biden to intervene to end Israeli attacks on Gaza during a televised speech, calling the attacks genocide. (WAFA 11/18; AJ 11/19)

The Israeli police said it did not believe that Hamas had prior knowledge of the Nova music festival held near Kibbutz Re’im but spontaneously targeted it after entering Israel on 10/7. Israeli police said 364 people were killed at the music festival. Police sources said that Israeli combat helicopters may have hit festivalgoers while attacking militants. The festival was originally scheduled to end on 10/6 but on 10/3 was extended to 10/7. (AJ, AJ, HA 11/18; AJ 11/19)

Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen “there will be Israeli security control from the Jordan [river] to the [Mediterranean] sea at all times,” saying the PA should not govern Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the PA “in its current form is not capable of accepting the responsibility for Gaza.” (AJ, HA 11/18)

U.S. president Joe Biden published an op-ed in the Washington Post, saying that the U.S. may start issuing visa bans to extremist settlers to discourage settler violence. Biden also called for Gaza and the West Bank to be reunited under PA rule when Israel ends its attack on Gaza. At the IISS Manama Dialogue security conference in Bahrain, National Security Council Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk linked humanitarian aid to Gaza with the release of captives, saying “the surge in humanitarian relief, the surge in fuel, the pause in fighting will come when hostages are released.” Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi sharply criticized the U.S., saying it would have imposed sanctions on any other country that “did a fragment of what Israel” does in Gaza and that international calls for Israel to abide by international law do not change its behavior. (AJ, AP, AP, HA, REU, REU, WP 11/18; AX, HA, HA 11/19)

U.S. senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) called on the U.S. to condition aid to Israel, saying Israel “does not have the right to wage almost total warfare against the Palestinian people. This is morally unacceptable and in violation of international law.” Sanders said to receive U.S. aid, Israel must end indiscriminate bombings and start pauses, allow displaced Palestinians in Gaza to return to their homes, not re-occupy or blockade Gaza, end settler violence and settlement expansion in the West Bank, and commit itself to peace talks for a two-state solution. (HA 11/18)

The German foreign ministry said its review of aid to Palestinians did not show any indication of misuse. (REU 11/18)

The social media companies TikTok and Meta removed 8,000 posts related to Israel and Gaza at Israel’s request. (AJ 11/18)

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 settlers attacked 1 Palestinian child outside of her home in Madama and threw stones at her family’s house; she was hospitalized for her injuries. Israeli forces demolished 1 school and 1 mosque under construction in the Masafer Yatta area and 11 vending stalls in ‘Anin. Israeli forces also prevented maintenance work to be carried out in al-Ibrahimi Mosque. 1 Palestinian was arrested during a late-night raid in Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, 4 Palestinians were arrested in the Old City and Jabal Mukabir. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian farmers east of Khan Yunis; no injuries were reported. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/17; WAFA 1/18; PCHR 1/21)

The Israeli higher planning committee gave the final approval for 365 new settler units and preliminary approval for 415 other settler units in the West Bank as promised by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 1/11. The decision drew condemnation from the PA, EU, UN, and several Arab countries. PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said he hoped that U.S. president-elect Joe Biden would work toward curbing Israeli settlement activities. Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz said that Prime Minister Netanyahu tried to stop Gantz’s approval of a small number of Palestinian construction projects in the West Bank. Netanyahu’s office denied the claim. (AP, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/17; WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/18; AJ, WAFA, WAFA 1/19)

The Israel Prison Service announced that it would begin vaccinating all prisoners for the COVID-19 virus, including Palestinian prisoners. (AJ 1/17)

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas met with the heads of Jordanian, Egyptian, and PA intelligence services to brief them on the progress in Hamas-Fatah reconciliation and the upcoming Palestinian elections. (AP, JP, TOI 1/17; HA 1/18)

The Israeli minster of education Yoav Gallant instructed his ministry to ban schools from hosting representatives from organizations that “treat the IDF soldiers with contempt and call Israel an apartheid state.” Members of the Knesset have complained about B’Tselem director Hagai El-Ad’s access to speak to high school students. B’Tselem released a position paper on 1/12 explaining why the human rights organization now considers Israel an apartheid state. (HA, TOI 1/17; AJ, AP, CBS, HA, JP, MEE, TOI, WP 1/18)

In the West Bank, 1 Israeli settler rammed into a flock of Palestinian-owned sheep near Susiya, killing 10. Israeli forces violently dispersed the weekly anti-settlement protest in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 15 using rubber-coated bullets while others suffered tear-gas related injuries; of the 15, 4 were hospitalized. Israeli forces also assaulted 1 Palestinian worker seeking to enter Israel near the separation wall in Far‘un, causing him to sustain 2 fractures in 1 leg. 5 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Bayt Jala, Qatanna, Ramallah, and Beitunia, including Hamas official Hassan Yousef; Fatah’s central committee member Jibril Rajoub condemned Israel’s arrest of Yousef. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian was arrested during a late-night raid in al-Tur. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen northwest of Khan Yunis within the allowed fishing area; no injuries were reported. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian agricultural lands east of Khuza‘a; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/2; PCHR 10/8)

Crossings from Gaza and the West Bank to Israel and East Jerusalem were closed due to the Israeli Sukkot holiday. (PCHR 10/8)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas extended the COVID-19-related state of emergency for another 30 days. The 1st COVID-19-related state of emergency was issued on 5 March. According to the PA health ministry, more than 50,000 Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus and 379 people have died from it. (WAFA 10/2)

The vice president of Sudan’s transitional government Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo said in an interview with a Sudanese TV station that if Sudan establishes relations with Israel then the U.S. will remove Sudan from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism. Dagalo said that Sudan would “need Israel” as the country could benefit from Israeli technical and agricultural capabilities. He further stated that establishing relations and normalizing are not the same. (AJ 10/3)

U.S. president Donald Trump tweeted that he and the 1st lady Melania Trump have both tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. PA president Mahmoud Abbas wished the U.S. presidential couple a speedy and full recovery. (AJ, HA, REU 10/2; WAFA 10/3)

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)

Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmlands near Rafah and Khan Yunis, causing no damage. They also arrest 2 Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel near Jabaliya refugee camp. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries (1 fisherman is arrested and his boat is confiscated). In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raze a swath of Palestinian land to set up an illegal settlement outpost near Nablus. Also near Nablus, settlers also uproot 33 olive trees from a Palestinian grove and throw stones at Palestinian vehicles, causing no reported damage or injuries. Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian barn and uproot a number of nearby trees outside al-‘Arub refugee camp near Hebron. They also deliver stop-work orders to a Palestinian home under construction near Hebron. IDF troops arrest 10 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Qalqilya, Ramallah, Salfit, Jenin, and Nablus; and patrol near Nablus and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, dozens of right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif in the morning. Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian during raids in the Old City. (MNA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/10; MNA, MNA, WAFA 3/11; PCHR 3/14)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas appoints senior Fatah official Mohammed Shtayyeh prime minister, replacing outgoing prime minister Rami Hamdallah. Abbas calls on Shtayyeh to form a new government that can work toward reuniting Gaza and the West Bank and prepare for a new round of elections. Meanwhile, PA finance minister Shukri Bishara announces that the PA will only be paying 50% of its civil servants’ salaries for 2/2019 due to budget constraints stemming from Israel’s decision to withhold a fraction of the tax revenues transferred monthly to the PA. (AP, HA, MNA, REU, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, YA 3/10; MNA 3/11)

A Palestinian minor succumbs to injuries sustained when IDF troops violently dispersed Palestinian demonstrations along Gaza’s border fence on 2/22. This brings the death toll stemming from the Great March of Return to 208. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 3/11; EI 3/13)

Hours after the Israeli Air Force bombed several Hamas sites across Gaza, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Hamas should not expect Israel to abstain from a full-scale assault on Gaza because there is an Israeli election coming up on 4/9. “I suggest to Hamas—don’t count on it,” he adds. “We will do everything necessary to restore security and quiet to the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip and to the south in general.” (TOI 3/10)

In response to an Israeli television personality saying that Israel is a country for all its citizens, Israeli prime minister Netanyahu says that Israel is a state for Jews alone. “Israel is not a state of all its citizens. According to the Nation-State Law that we passed, Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish People—and them alone.” (HA 3/11)

Japan announces a $7 million contribution to UNRWA to support Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and Syria. (MNA, WAFA 3/10)

Unidentified Palestinians fly an incendiary device from Gaza into southern Israel attached to a cluster of balloons, where it lands in an open area in the Sdot Negev Regional Council. IDF troops detonate the device, causing no damage or injuries. In response, the Israeli Air Force conducts 3 air strikes on Hamas sites in Khan Yunis, Gaza City, and Bayt Hanun, causing extensive damage. Also along Gaza’s border, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians gathering to continue the Great March of Return near al-Bureij refugee camp; 1 Palestinian is injured. They also open fire on Palestinian farmland near Rafah, Gaza City, Bayt Hanun, and Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, following the shooting attack on an Israeli settler vehicle at the nearby Beit El checkpoint on 1/5, IDF troops conduct raids in al-Bireh overnight, confiscating surveillance tapes and sparking clashes with stone-throwing residents of the area throughout the day; several Palestinians are injured (1 critically). They also arrest 5 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during late-night raids near Ramallah, Jenin, Hebron, and Tubas; and patrol near Hebron and Nablus. Israeli settlers uproot 60 olive and almond trees from a Palestinian grove near Hebron. (HA, JP, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, YA 1/6; PCHR 1/10)

Following a week of increasing tensions between Fatah and Hamas, the Fatah-dominated PA announces plans to remove its staff from the Rafah border crossing on 1/7. “This decision comes in the light of recent developments and brutal practices of the de facto gangs,” reads the PA statement. “Since we took over the Rafah crossing, Hamas has been obstructing the work of our crew there. We had to bear a lot in order to give the opportunity for the Egyptian effort to end the division.” The PA took control of the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing in the context of the 10/12/17 Hamas-Fatah reconciliation agreement, which was never fully implemented. (JP, REU, WAFA 1/6)

U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman says that the Trump administration’s long-awaited Palestinian-Israeli peace plan will likely not be released for at least several more months. “We want to release it a way that gives it the best chance of getting a good reception,” he says, adding that the upcoming Israeli elections on 4/9 are “a factor, but not the only factor.” Meanwhile, U.S. national security advisor John Bolton meets with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. Following the meeting, Bolton says that the U.S.-Israel relationship has never been stronger than it is now under Netanyahu and U.S. president Donald Trump. (HA, JP, JP, TOI 1/6)

In an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi says that Egypt’s military coordination with Israel is at its “closest ever.” He adds, “We have a wide range of cooperation with the Israelis.” (AJ, CBS, HA 1/6)

Approximately 1,500 right-wing Jewish activists visit Joseph’s Tomb near Nablus overnight, sparking clashes between their IDF escort and Palestinian residents of the area; 20 Palestinians are injured, including 2 journalists. Elsewhere in the West Bank, IDF troops raid a Palestinian boys school near Nablus, sparking minor clashes; there are no reported injuries. They also arrest 3 Palestinians during raids in Qalqilya; and patrol near Hebron and Tulkarm. Separately, PA security forces arrest dozens of Hamas affiliates during raids across the West Bank. The raids come one day after Hamas security forces summoned dozens of Fatah members for interrogation in Gaza. In East Jerusalem, approximately 1135 right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif to commemorate Sukkot, sparking minor confrontations between their Israeli security escort and Palestinian worshippers; there are no reported injuries or arrests. Israeli forces arrest 8 Palestinians during raids in Qalandia refugee camp, Biddu, and the Old City. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct limited incursions to level land near Khan Yunis and Bayt Lahiya. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries. (MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, TOI, TOI, WAFA, WAFA 9/27; PCHR 10/4)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas addresses the UN General Assembly in New York City, calling on the Trump administration to reverse its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, reinstate aid to UNRWA, and oppose Israel’s settlement enterprise. “It is ironic that the [Trump] administration still talks about what they call the ‘Deal of the Century,’” he says. “But what is left for this administration to give to the Palestinian people?" He also calls on Hamas to implement their 12/7/17 reconciliation agreement and give up control of Gaza to the PA. In response, Hamas releases a statement calling Abbas’s speech a “declaration of failure” on the stalled Palestinian reconciliation process. (HA, TOI, YA 9/27; DPA, HA, HA, JP, MNA, MNA, TOI, YA, YA 9/28)

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi says that Germany, Sweden, the EU, Japan, and Turkey, as well as a number of other countries, collectively pledged $118 million to UNRWA at a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York City this week. Meanwhile, the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee, the main policy-level fundraising body for the Palestinians, meets in New York to discuss an proposed humanitarian aid package for Gaza. (HA, JP, MNA 9/28; TOI 9/29)

After meeting with Rwandan president Paul Kagame, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announces that Israel and Rwanda will soon open embassies in each other’s countries. Netanyahu also says Kagame wants to start a direct flight between Kigali and Tel Aviv. (TOI 9/29)

Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops violently disperse dozens of Palestinians gathering near Rafah, Khan Yunis and Jabaliya refugee camp to continue the Great March of Return; 5 Palestinians are injured. Amid the demonstrations, an Israeli aircraft conducts an air strike on a protest camp near Rafah, causing damage. Separately, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land near Jabaliya refugee camp. On the other side of the border fence, Israeli firefighters put out 7 fires that were reportedly sparked by incendiary balloons and kites flown from Gaza. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct raids in Rumana village near Jenin overnight, sparking minor clashes; several Palestinians are injured. They also arrest 5 Palestinians during further raids in and around Hebron, Qalqilya, and Nablus; and patrol near Hebron throughout the day. In East Jerusalem, approximately 362 right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif to commemorate Sukkot. Late at night, Israeli forces assault and arrest 2 Palestinians in Silwan. (MNA, MNA, MNA, WAFA, WAFA 9/26; MNA, PCHR 9/27)

On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York City, U.S. president Donald Trump meets with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At a joint press conference, Trump says he thinks a “2-state solution will work best.” His statement marks the first time he has publicly expressed a preference for the 2-state solution while in office. Later in the day, Trump says that Netanyahu was “very nice” to him and that a 2-state solution is “more likely,” but that he would be “OK with 1 state, 2 states, whatever they want.” Netanyahu, for his part, tells Israeli reporters that Trump accepts that Israel should retain a military presence in the West Bank even if a 2-state solution is agreed upon. (HA, TOI, WAFA, YA 9/26; HA, HA, JP, WAFA, YA, YA 9/27)

Ahead of PA president Mahmoud Abbas’s planned address to the UN General Assembly on 9/27, Hamas denounces Abbas as an illegitimate representative of the Palestinian people. According to sources close to Hamas’s leadership, the statement stems from the Egyptian delegation’s visit to Gaza last week for talks on the stalled Palestinian reconciliation process. The Egyptians reportedly backed Abbas’s position that there could be no long-term cease-fire with Israel until Hamas and Fatah reconcile and the PA resumes control of Gaza. “Most of the donor countries, including the Arab countries, have adopted this line,” the source says. “So it looks like Hamas is losing the momentum to advance calm on a separate track from reconciliation, and the situation in Gaza is getting worse.” Meanwhile, Hamas security forces summon dozens of Fatah members for interrogation in Gaza. According to some reports from Gaza, they also threaten at least 1 print shop owner with “arrests and beatings” should he print any materials in support of PA president Abbas’s planned speech to the UN General Assembly on 9/27. (HA 9/26; TOI 9/27)

One day after the UK Labour Party endorsed a freeze on UK arms sales to Israel, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says that he intends to recognize the State of Palestine if he is elected to lead the UK. (TOI, YA 9/26)

IDF troops violently disperse thousands of Palestinians gathering along Gaza’s border fence near Gaza City, Khan Yunis, and Jabaliya refugee camp to continue the Great March of Return; 3 Palestinians are injured. Meanwhile, Israeli firefighters put out 12 fires in southern Israel that were reportedly sparked by incendiary balloons and kites flown from Gaza. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Gaza City, causing no damage or injuries. In East Jerusalem, 420 right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif in the morning to commemorate Sukkot. Meanwhile, Israeli police detain 2 Islamic Waqf guards attempting to bring tools and other equipment into the sanctuary. They also assault and arrest 2 Palestinians in the Old City and arrest a 3d during a late-night raid in Abu Dis. In the West Bank, IDF troops order a number of Palestinian shops in central Hebron to close and set up mobile checkpoints in the area, easing access to al-Ibrahimi Mosque for right-wing Jewish activists commemorating Sukkot. They also arrest 7 Palestinians during late-night raids near Hebron, Qalqilya, and Tulkarm; and patrol in the Hebron area throughout the day. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers uproot at least 6 olive trees in a Palestinian grove near Hebron. (MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, TOI, WAFA, WAFA 9/25; PCHR 9/27)

A Hamas spokesperson denies that the Egyptian-mediated talks on a long-term cease-fire with Israel and a reconciliation agreement with Fatah have stalled. “The efforts of our Egyptian brothers continue,” he says. “We in Hamas are responsive to these ongoing efforts.” (AFP, TOI 9/25)

The World Bank reports that Gaza’s economy is in “free fall,” having contracted by 6% in the first quarter of 2018. World Bank officials are planning to present the report to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee, the main policy-level fundraising body for the Palestinians, at its meeting in New York City on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on 9/27. (HA, JP, YA 9/25)

IDF troops violently disperse hundreds of Palestinian minors gathering near Gaza City and Khan Yunis to continue the Great March of Return; 1 Palestinian is killed and 14 are injured. This brings the death toll stemming from the Great March of Return to 158. Meanwhile, Israeli firefighters put out approximately 7 fires in and around Israeli border communities that were reportedly sparked by incendiary kites or balloons flown from Gaza. The Israeli Air Force conducts air strikes on sites in central and northern Gaza reportedly used as staging areas for such attacks, injuring 2 Palestinian minors. In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 2 Palestinians during a late-night raid near Nablus; and patrol in and around Hebron, Salfit, and Qalqilya. (HA, TOI, WAFA 9/23; MNA, MNA 9/24; PCHR 9/27)

One day after an Egyptian delegation visited Gaza for meetings with Hamas officials, al-Hayat reports that the Egyptians proposed a new framework for Palestinian reconciliation and a long-term cease-fire between Hamas and Israel. The plan would reportedly see the PA take control of Gaza and limits on Hamas’s military wing, inter alia. Hamas and Fatah officials both say that the proposal is unlikely to help Hamas and Fatah overcome their differences. Meanwhile, a Hamas official says that the Egypt-mediated backchannel talks with Israel over a long-term cease-fire are at an impasse, that it’s the PA’s fault for opposing the process, and that Hamas plans to escalate the ongoing protests along Gaza’s border fence in response. (AH, TOI, TOI 9/23)

Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian youth in the Old City of Jerusalem after she allegedly attempts to stab an Israeli police officer at Damascus Gate, causing no injuries. Palestinian witnesses say that she did not pose a threat to the police, and that she was “executed in cold blood.” Elsewhere in East Jerusalem, the Israeli police open a new station in Shu‘fat r.c. It’s the first of 5 new stations planned across East Jerusalem as part of the NIS 1 b. plan to increase security announced in 8/2016 (see JPS 46 [1]). Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 6 Palestinians during late-night raids in Silwan and the Old City. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct limited incursions to level land nr Dayr al-Balah and Khan Yunis. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault Palestinian farmers protesting the expansion of a settler bypass road nr. Ramallah; there are no serious injuries. IDF troops confiscate surveillance tapes, arrest 8 Palestinians, and issue 2 arrest summons during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Qalqilya, and Hebron; and patrol nr. Nablus and Hebron during the day. (HA, MNA 5/7; MNA 5/8; PCHR 5/11)

The Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for the 2d of 3 planned days. They also announce that the crossing will be open an additional day on 5/9. (WAFA 5/7)

The IPS releases footage, taken on 4/27 and 5/5, purportedly showing Marwan Barghouti eating cookies and candy in his prison cell. Barghouti, the Fatah leader who organized the Dignity Strike, is currently being held at Kishon Prison. Some IPS sources say that they provided him with the food to see if they could get him to break his strike. Barghouti’s lawyer and various Palestinian leaders dismiss the videos as forgeries. (JP, NYT, TOI 5/7; HA 5/8)

Israel’s Ministerial Comm. for Legislation approves a new version of the so-called nation-state bill, which would cancel Arabic’s status as an “official language” of Israel and codify Israel’s status as the “national home of the Jewish people”. Disagreements over previous drafts of this bill led to the dissolution of the Knesset and national elections in 3/2015 (see JPS 44 [3, 4]). Unlike earlier drafts, the version approved today does not subordinate Israel’s democracy to its Jewish character. (HA, JP, TOI 5/7)

In the West Bank, Israeli authorities reopen a road in e. Hebron 5 mos. after sealing it behind earth mounds. Israeli forces confiscate 4 water tanks and 2 cars, and demolish 16 residential tents and 15 livestock barracks in a village nr. Nablus, displacing 117 Palestinians. IDF troops conduct raids and house searches nr. Jenin, Ramallah, and Hebron, arresting 5 Palestinians; patrol nr. Hebron. Israeli settlers uproot trees and level land nr. Ramallah, sparking minor clashes with Palestinians in the area; there are no injuries. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land nr. al-Bureij r.c., arrest a Palestinian attempting to cross into Israel for work nr. Jabaliya r.c., and open fire on Palestinian picnickers nearby, causing no injuries or damage. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces detain 2 Palestinian fishermen nr. Khan Yunis. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 2 Palestinians during raids in the Old City. (MNA, WAFA 4/7; MNA 4/8; PCHR 4/14)

Western diplomats and senior Palestinian officials say that the Palestinian leadership informally circulated a draft res. to UNSC mbrs. this week condemning Israel’s settlements and calling for a 1-year time frame on a 2-state solution. They say PA pres. Abbas hopes to have it brought for a vote while he is in New York for a climate conference at the end of 4/2016 (he is set to arrive on 4/22). (HA, TOI 4/7; HA, JP, MNA, TOI, YA 4/8; TOI 4/10)

In Gaza City, senior Hamas and Fatah officials meet for national reconciliation talks, continuing the process begun in Doha on 3/26–27. There are no major announcements of progress. (MNA 4/8)

Israeli and Turkish officials meet in London for another round of reconciliation talks. Turkey’s FM will say, on 4/8, that progress was made today and that an agreement is due “very soon.” The Israeli govt. does not comment. (HA, JP, TOI, YA 4/8; ECO 4/12)

In Gaza, Egyptian authorities close the Rafah border crossing after keeping it open since 6/13. IDF troops on the border e. of Khan Yunis open fire on 3 Palestinians nr. the border fence, injuring 1. In the West Bank, a Palestinian man shoots and wounds 2 Israelis from Lydda who are traveling nr. an Israeli settlement outside Ramallah; 1 of the Israelis succumbs to his injuries later in the day. (The IDF will arrest 5 Palestinians allegedly responsible for the shooting attack on 7/15, including 3 mbrs. of Fatah’s military wing.) Later, the IDF conducts a violent raid in a village nr. Ramallah, destroying personal property, detaining several Palestinians, and confiscating recording equipment. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against the Israeli occupation in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Nabi Salih) and Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya; 3 Palestinians are injured. The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Jenin and 2 each nr. Ramallah and Jericho. Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian-owned vehicles nr. the Beit El settlement, breaking 1 windshield. (HA, JP, MNA, NYT 6/19; MNA, NYT 6/20; PCHR 6/25; NYT 7/15)

Cypriot pres. Anastasiades calls PA pres. Abbas to discuss the possibility of Abbas addressing an upcoming EU meeting in Brussels in an effort to restart the peace negotiations with Israel. Anastasiades discussed a similar possibility with Israeli PM Netanyahu on 6/15. (HA 6/29)

IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Khan Yunis fire on a group of Palestinians approaching the border fence, causing 3 to suffer from tear gas inhalation. Separately, IDF troops stationed e. of Rafah open fire on agricultural lands nr. the border fence, causing damage. In 2 incidents off the coast nr. Jabaliya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at demonstrations to commemorate Land Day, upcoming on 3/30, and protest Israel’s occupation in 6 areas nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Nabi Salih, Silwad, outside Ofer Prison, and Jalazun r.c.), and Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya; 10 Palestinians are moderately injured. The Israeli soldiers also cut off a main waterline into Kafr Qaddum, denying the village water for several hours. IDF troops also violently disperse Palestinian and international activists gathering in Abu Dis at the site of the “Gate of Jerusalem” protest tent camp. The IDF conducts house searches and raids in and around Hebron, arresting 1 Palestinian; conducts patrols in 2 villages nr. Hebron and 1 each nr. Jenin and Jericho. (MNA 3/27; PCHR 4/2)

The Israeli PM’s office announces that it is unfreezing tax revenue transfers to the PA that it has held as a punitive response to the Palestinian accession to the ICC since 1/2015. A statement announcing the move says that the total will be reduced by an undisclosed amount to pay portions of the PA’s debts to Israeli utility providers, such as the IEC. The PA FM criticizes the announced deductions, saying in a statement that they are “an unjustified and illegal procedure that could cause complications.” (AP, HA, JP, NYT, TOI 3/27; AFP, WAFA 3/28; JP 3/29)

French FM Fabius announces that, now that the 3/17 Israeli election has passed, he plans to explore the prospect of introducing another United Nations Security Council (UNSC) res. laying out parameters for a new round of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. Meanwhile, an EU spokesperson announces that Hamas will remain a designated terrorist organization pending a decision on an appeal of the General Court’s 12/17/2014 removal of Hamas from the list. Similarly, the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, which the U.S. claims funneled money to Hamas, has been removed from the list since it was last published in 7/2014. (AFP, AP, HA, REU, TOI 3/27; AFP 3/28)

The PA unity govt. delegation led by PM Hamdallah meets with Fatah and Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip, concluding its 3-day trip. (MNA 3/26) The Egyptian attorney, Samir Sabri, who filed the original motion to designate Hamas a terrorist organization in Egypt withdraws his case, saying he hopes to remove “obstacles which Egypt’s political leadership might face in serving its role in the Palestinian reconciliation.” The Court of Urgent Matters, which designated Hamas a terrorist organization 2/28, is expected to reconsider its initial ruling, though it was only in part based on Sabri’s motion. (AHR, MNA 3/27)

The 28th regular session of the UNHRC concludes today after a mo. of meetings, with the council having agreed on 3 res. on the Palestinians. They reaffirm the Palestinians’ right to self-determination, confirm Palestinian rights to sovereignty over their natural resources, and condemn ongoing settlement growth in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. (TOI 3/27; MNA 3/28)

PA Pres. Abbas arrives in Sharm al-Shaykh, Egypt, to participate in an Arab League summit on 3/28 and 3/29. Ahead of the summit, the Arab League agrees to send a delegation to Washington to lobby the U.S. Congress and promote the Arab Peace Initiative. (WAFA 2/25; MNA 3/27; HA 3/28)

In Gaza, IDF troops e. of Khan Yunis fire warning shots at Palestinian farmers nr. the border fence, causing no injuries or damage. Off the coast nr. al-Sudaniyya, Israeli naval forces fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, thousands of Palestinians attend the funeral of the Palestinian who was killed in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem on 2/23. Nr. Hebron, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian’s home under construction; bar Palestinian shepherds from grazing their livestock outside another village. Also nr. Hebron, the IDF conducts house searches in 1 village, arresting 1 Palestinian; patrols in 2 villages. Nearby, an Israeli settler hits a Palestinian with his car, moderately injuring him. Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque nr. Bethlehem late at night, leaving racist “pricetag” graffiti. In s. Israel, Israeli forces demolish 4 homes belonging to a bedouin Palestinian family. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct house searches and raids in Issawiyya and the Old City, arresting 4 Palestinians; they detain 5 Palestinian women as they exit Haram al-Sharif. (MNA, WAFA 2/24; HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 2/25; PCHR 2/26)

PA Dep. PM and National Economy Min. Mustafa Mohammed Mustafa announces that PA ministers have agreed to nullify the preliminary agreement signed by the private firm Palestine Power Generation Company (PPGC) on 1/5/2014 to import $1.2 b. worth of natural gas from Israel over 20 years. A PPGC source tells news site al-Araby al-Jadeed that the deal was suspended last summer due to disagreements over certain terms with the consortium formed by Noble Energy and the Delek Group. Mustafa adds that the PA will instead focus efforts on developing natural gas fields off the coast of the Gaza Strip. (AJD 2/25; MEE 2/27; EI 3/8)

The boycott of 6 Israeli consumer products companies in the West Bank goes into effect, with enforcement teams visiting shops in Ramallah. Senior Fatah official and chair of the National Comm. against Israeli Punitive Measures Mahmoud al-Aloul says that any seized products will be destroyed on 2/25. Al-Aloul announced the boycott on 2/9. It is not sanctioned by the PA. (WAFA 2/25; HA 3/9)

In the Gaza Strip, around 200 Palestinians violently protest outside the UN’s headquarters in Gaza City against UNRWA’s 1/27 suspension of its cash assistance program. The protest was organized by a Hamas comm. IDF troops e. of Khan Yunis open fire on agricultural lands, causing damage. Unknown assailants set fire to a Fatah official’s car in Gaza City. Also, dozens of Palestinian health professionals gather outside the Ministry of Health building to protest unpaid salaries. In the West Bank, a Palestinian youth is moderately injured when he sets off a piece of unexploded Israeli ordnance left over after recent IDF exercises nr. ‘Ayn al-Hilwa in the Jordan Valley. The IDF conducts arrest raids and house searches nr. Hebron and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, IDF troops conduct house searches and arrest raids in the Old City. An Israeli settler attempts to kidnap a Palestinian youth in Silwan, moderately injuring him in the attack. (AFP, MNA, WAFA 1/28; HA, MNA, PCHR 1/29; HA 1/30; PCHR 2/5)

Hours after the IDF retaliated to projectile fire from Syria on 1/27, Hizballah fighters fire an antitank missile from inside Lebanon at an IDF convoy in a disputed area along the border nr. Shaba‘ Farms, killing 2 soldiers and injuring 7. The IDF responds with artillery fire, killing a Spanish peacekeeper with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). About an hour later, Hizballah fires mortars at several IDF positions in the area, causing no injuries. The IDF responds again by firing between 25 and 50 artillery shells and conducting IAF flyovers. Following the exchange, Hizballah and the Israeli govt. then exchange messages through UNIFIL expressing the desire to avoid further escalation. (AFP, BBC, HA, JP, MNA, TOI 1/28)

U.S. House of Reps. minority leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) calls Israeli PM Netanyahu and asks him to postpone or cancel his planned 3/3 congressional address. Netanyahu also speaks to Sens. Harry Reid (D-NV), the minority leader, and Chuck Schumer (D-NY), a prominent supporter of Israel. (RC 1/28; JP 1/29; HA 1/30)

In the Gaza Strip, Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for 9 hours, only allowing Palestinians in Egypt to enter Gaza. Off the coast nr. Rafah on 2 occasions, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. IDF troops along the n. border of Gaza arrest a Palestinian youth attempting to enter Israel, his father, and 1 other family mbr. E. of Khan Yunis, IDF troops open fire on agricultural land nr. the border fence, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli troops deliver stop-work orders to 2 Palestinians in Bayt Umar. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids nr. Ramallah, Salfit, Hebron, and Nablus; patrols nr. Ramallah, Jenin, Tulkarm, and Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, around 50 right-wing Jewish activists, accompanied by dozens of Israeli security troops, tour Haram al-Sharif. Separately, Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian woman nr. the Old City and arrest 1 Palestinian on a raid of his home in Jabal Mukabir. In West Jerusalem, a small group of Jewish Israelis assaults a Palestinian man nr. the Old City, leaving him moderately injured. (IMEMC, MNA, WAFA 11/30; MEMO, MNA 12/1; PCHR 12/4)

Israeli authorities decide to hold the Fatah secy.-gen. in Jerusalem in administrative detention for 5 mos. He and his brother were arrested on 11/24. (MNA 11/30)

At a press conference in Gaza City, Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri says that the PA unity govt.’s 6-mo. interim term has expired and that a national dialogue should resume to determine the future of national unity. Senior Fatah official Faisal Abu Shahla disputes Abu Zuhri, saying that there never was an agreement that the unity govt. would only last 6 mos. (MNA 11/30; IMEMC 12/1)

The IDF continues its assault on the Gaza Strip, killing 61 Palestinians. Local officials say targets struck include 5 mosques and a soccer stadium, in addition to other Palestinian infrastructure and multiple tunnels. Prolonged Israeli shelling of Khan Yunis kills at least 6 and wounds more than 20. Also, the IDF strikes a UNRWA-run school in c. Gaza. Palestinian fighters kill 2 Israeli soldiers overnight and fire approximately 67 rockets and mortar shells into Israel, with 18 projectiles intercepted by Iron Dome batteries. In the West Bank, an Israeli citizen shoots and kills a Palestinian man between al-Ram and Hizma checkpoint n. of Jerusalem, reportedly after the Palestinian man threw stones at the Israeli’s car. IDF troops shoot and injure 5 Palestinians in ‘Askar r.c. nr. Nablus, during clashes in an arrest raid. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Nablus and 2 villages nr. Ramallah at night. In East Jerusalem, Israeli security forces clash with Palestinians in at-Tur, Shu‘fat r.c., and Issawiyya, causing no serious injuries. (AFP, AP, JP, MNA, REU, YA 7/22; PCHR 7/23)

After 1 rocket lands nr. Ben Gurion Airport, the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) bans flights to and from Israel for at least 24 hours, and the European Aviation Safety Agency advises all carriers to avoid Tel Aviv “until further notice.” Israel’s Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz, in a statement, says “there is no need for U.S. carriers to suspend flights and reward terrorism.” U.S. Secy. of State Kerry and PM Netanyahu later discuss the FAA ban on a phone call. (AFP, AP, JP, MNA, REU, YA 7/22)

At a monthly meeting of the EU Council, the 28 EU FMs issue a statement that “strongly condemns the indiscriminate firing of rockets into Israel by Hamas and militant groups in the Gaza Strip” and also “condemns calls on the civilian population of Gaza to provide themselves as human shields.” Meanwhile, Secy. of State Kerry meets with Egypt’s Pres. al-Sisi in Cairo to discuss Gaza, and afterward, affirms that “there is a framework available to end the violence, and that framework was the Egyptian initiative.” Senior Fatah official al-Ahmad flies in to Cairo to also meet with Kerry. In Israel, UN Secy.-Gen. Ban meets with PM Netanyahu and at a Tel Aviv press conference, Ban condemns the rocket attacks, while the Israeli leader accuses Hamas of committing a “double war crime” of targeting Israeli civilians while using Palestinian civilians as human shields. (AFP, AP, HA, JP, MNA, REU, YA 7/22)

In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian at a checkpoint s. of Nablus. According to the Israeli military, the man 1st opened fire on soldiers, wounding 1, but his family denies the claim. IDF troops demolish a car wash in Hizma village nr. Jerusalem, and barns in Silwan, East Jerusalem. They also demolish a small house nr. Bethlehem. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Jenin and in 2 villages nr. Tulkarm. In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops target 2 military training sites, one nr. Gaza City and the other nr. Khan Yunis, causing no injuries. (HA, MNA, REU, WAFA 6/2; PCHR 6/5)

PA Pres. Abbas swears in the new national unity govt. in Ramallah, after final disagreements between Fatah and Hamas are resolved. The 18 ministers, including a secy. with ministerial rank but no portfolio, take an oath of office in a televised ceremony, though 4 are participating via teleconference from the Gaza Strip because Israel denied their entry into the West Bank. Abbas announces that the govt.’s principal task is to organize elections within 6 mos., and that preparations will begin immediately. Following a meeting of Israel’s security cabinet, which was called to coordinate a response, Netanyahu’s office issues a statement that says Israel will work against the inclusion of Hamas candidates in the planned Palestinian elections, while refusing to negotiate with the Palestinians as long as a Hamas-backed unity govt. is in power. U.S. State Dept. spokesperson Psaki announces that the Obama administration intends to work with the new PA unity govt. She cites a phone call between U.S. Secy. of State Kerry and Abbas over the weekend, in which Abbas assured Kerry that the new govt. would be committed to the principles of nonviolence, recognition of the state of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements. (AFP, HA, JP, MNA, REU, YA 6/2)

A mortar shell fired from Syria lands in the occupied Golan Heights, causing no injuries. In response, IDF troops fire an antitank missile back into Syrian territory. No damage or casualties are reported. (AP, HA, MNA 6/2)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers close to the border fence nr. Khan Yunis, causing no injuries. Off the coast nr. al-Sudaniyya, Israeli naval vessels open fire on Palestinian fishermen, injuring 1. In the West Bank, a Palestinian man is arrested at Tapuach Junction nr. Nablus while wearing an explosive belt. Reports in the Israeli media suggest the individual was acting alone. The IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Jenin in the morning, and in 1 village each nr. Hebron and Tulkarm at night; patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the afternoon, and in 3 villages each nr. Hebron and Ramallah at night. IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at weekly demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Nabi Salih, and Ni‘lin), and 1 village each nr. Bethlehem (al-Ma‘sara), Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum), and Salfit (Kafr al-Dik). There are no serious injuries, except in Bil‘in, where 1 is hit with a tear gas canister, and Ni‘lin, where 1 is hit by a bullet. Meanwhile, a car driven by an Israeli settler nr. al-Ram is hit by small arms fire, according to the Israeli army, causing no injuries. (HA, MNA, REU 5/30; PCHR 6/5)

U.S. State Dept. spokesperson Jen Psaki says that the U.S. has not invited PA PM Hamdallah to Washington, contrary to a claim made by senior Fatah official al-Ahmad. Al-Ahmad reportedly says also that the Obama administration plans to recognize the new PA unity govt., but Psaki denies the comments. Meanwhile in Gaza, Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh says that the final disputes about the formation of the unity cabinet are “under control” and there is “no turning back.” (JP, MNA 5/30; JP 5/31)

U.S. Pres. Barack Obama arrives in Israel and holds talks with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. At their news conference, Obama says that a ‘‘strong and secure Jewish state’’ is key to a lasting peace, ‘‘alongside a strong Palestinian state.’’ Obama also promises to do ‘‘what is necessary’’ to stop Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon. Meanwhile, the New York Times reports on a leaked document from the Palestinians’ Negotiations Affairs Department that indicates an apparent willingness by Pres. Mahmud Abbas to soften the demand that Israel publicly pledge to halt settlement construction before resumption of negotiations, instead accepting a secret, or de facto, freeze. (AP, MNA, REU 3/20)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF soldiers open fire in two locations nr. Khan Yunis from positions along the border fence, causing no casualties. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Hebronin the morning (briefly detaining over a dozen Palestinian children for throwing stones at troops) and in al-Bireh at night. (PCHR 3/21)

To mark Obama’s visit, around 100 Palestinian activists set up a tent camp east of Jerusalem to draw attention to Israeli settlement activities. Israeli security forces immediately surround the camp. Palestinians also rally in Ramallah, ahead of the U.S. president’s visit. (MNA, REU, JP 3/20)

Fatah sources in Gaza report that Hamas security services have summoned 7 Fatah members for interrogation (but they are not arrested). (MNA 3/20)