In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed 2 Palestinians during raids in Beit ‘Anan and Sa’ir. Israeli forces also shot and injured 10 Palestinians during raids in Tulkarm refugee camp,...
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November 7, 2023
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May 11, 2022
In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed Shireen Abu Akleh, a prominent Palestinian-American Al Jazeera journalist, while her and colleagues, wearing press uniforms, were covering a raid...
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January 12, 2022
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked 1 Palestinian surveyor in Kafr Qalil, causing injuries to his head. Israeli settlers with military escort made roadblocks around Sabastia. Israeli...
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December 20, 2021
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian houses and vehicles in Kafr Qaddum, causing damage. Israeli forces raided the homes of 4 of the Palestinians accused of participating...
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July 18, 2021
In the West Bank, Israeli forces closed off large parts of Hebron to Palestinians, including forcing Palestinians to close their shops in the Bab al-Zawyeh area to allow Israeli settlers to tour...
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February 3, 2021
In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolished 15 tents, seized 3 vehicles, and arrested 1 Palestinian activist trying to prevent the forces from demolishing and seizing Palestinian property in...
In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed 2 Palestinians during raids in Beit ‘Anan and Sa’ir. Israeli forces also shot and injured 10 Palestinians during raids in Tulkarm refugee camp, Arrabah, and Sa’ir. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian girl at the Qalandia crossing, claiming she was carrying a knife. Israeli forces also seized 1 vehicle and vandalized 2 others during a raid in Shaab al-Butum in the Masafer Yatta area. 56 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Jericho, Jenin, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed 306 Palestinians, including mass casualties in strikes on residential buildings and UNRWA schools in Rafah and Khan Yunis. Israel also killed WAFA journalist Mohammad Abu Hasira and 42 members of his family in an airstrike in Gaza City. 450 people were injured in the Israeli airstrikes. The Red Cross said 5 trucks carrying aid to health facilities in Gaza City came under fire, damaging 2 of the trucks and lightly injuring a driver. The Red Cross did not say who attacked the convoy. Rockets were fired at Israel, causing damage. In South Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked several sites, causing damage. Israeli fighter jets were also reported to be flying over Beirut. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/7; AJ, AJ, NYT 11/8)
The Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 10,328 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,100 children and 2,550 women, and 25,956 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 2,450 people were buried in rubble, including 1,350 children. 153 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 44 children. More than 2,386 people have been injured. Around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 injured since 10/7. 30 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began. Over 1.61 million Palestinians, around 70% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. At least 40,000 housing units have been destroyed and 220,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. 93 aid trucks entered Gaza. 19 Palestinians, including 12 children suffering from cancer, and around 600 foreign nationals were evacuated to Egypt. The WHO said 160 health care workers have been killed while on duty in Gaza and that in some hospitals operations are performed without anesthesia due to lack of supplies. The Israeli military released a video showing thousands of Palestinians fleeing south from the northern part of Gaza. The UN said that 15,000 people fled from the north to the south today, 5,000 on 11/6, and 2,000 on 11/5. The UN also said that there was no flour left in northern Gaza and that all bakeries are closed. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/7; AJ, AP, AP 11/8)
PA Wall and Settlement Resistance Committee head Muayad Shaaban said 9 Palestinian communities, totaling 1,000 people, in the eastern West Bank have been displaced from their homes since 10/7. (AJ 11/7)
The Israeli human rights organizations ACRI, HaMoked, and Ir Amim petitioned the Israeli High Court of Justice to lift restrictions on Kafr ‘Aqab in East Jerusalem, which has been under a strict closure since 10/7, including being completely shut off from 5 p.m. to the next morning. Only private vehicles can leave and enter the neighborhood in the period that the checkpoint is open. (HA 11/7)
Hamas said it wanted to release 12 captives but that “the situation on the ground is what hinders this from being completed.” (AJ 11/7)
PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh spoke with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh spoke with Swedish foreign minister Tobias Billström. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 11/7)
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the Israeli ground invasion of Gaza a ‘phenomenal success.’ Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the intention of the ground invasion was to remove Hamas and guarantee the Israeli military free access to Gaza “without limitations on operations.” Hamas said Israel had not made big military gains in Gaza. (AJ, AP, HA 11/7)
The Israeli National Planning and Building Council approved the establishment of a new community named Hanon near Gaza. (HA 11/7)
United Arab List leader MK Mansour Abbas told Radio al-Nas that he denounced the Hamas operation on 10/7, saying innocent civilians were killed and that Islam is against taking women, children, and elderly as captives. He added that Hamas’ actions did “not represent our Arab society, nor our Palestinian people nor our Palestine nation.” (HA 11/7)
U.S. vice president Kamala Harris urged Israel to hold Israeli settlers accountable for the many attacks they commit against Palestinians in the West Bank during a conversation with Israeli president Isaac Herzog. Herzog wrote a letter to 700 U.S. university presidents demanding that they deal with students that allegedly support the actions of Hamas. (AJ, HA 11/7)
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 234-188 to censor Palestinian American representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) for defending the pro-Palestinian phrase “from the river to the sea.” 22 Democrats joined Republicans in voting to censor Tlaib. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) blocked the fast-tracking of a bill that would provide Israel $14 billion in aid and cut the same amount from the budget of the Internal Revenue Service. Democrats want the Israel funding to be part of a bill that also includes aid to Ukraine and Taiwan. (HA, NYT 11/7; AJ, AJ, AP, HA 11/8)
CIA director William Burns met with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who called on an immediate ceasefire. (AJ 11/7)
Saudi Arabia said that in addition to the scheduled OIC extraordinary summit on 11/12, the country will host an emergency meeting of the Arab League and an Africa-Saudi summit on the situation in Gaza. (HA 11/7; AJ, REU 11/8)
UK Labour Party MP and shadow minister for employment rights and protections Imran Hussain resigned from the party’s frontbench in protest over leader Keir Starmer’s refusal to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. (AJ 11/8)
Germany said it had decided to release $75.8 million in aid to Palestinians that it suspended nearly month ago when it said it would review its support of Palestine. Germany also pledged an additional $21.5 million in support for Palestine. The majority of the aid will go to Palestinians in Gaza and Jordan through UNRWA. (REU 11/7)
In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed Shireen Abu Akleh, a prominent Palestinian-American Al Jazeera journalist, while her and colleagues, wearing press uniforms, were covering a raid in Jenin refugee camp, 1 other journalist was injured (for more see below). Israeli forces subsequently raided the home of Abu Akleh in East Jerusalem, where her friends and family were gathered; the Israeli forces confiscated Palestinian flags. Israeli forces also shot and killed 1 Palestinian with a baton round in al-Bireh; several others were also injured with baton rounds. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished 19 structures in Masafer Yatta, including 9 residential structures and delivered demolition notices for another 19 structures, including 6 homes. The demolitions followed a high court of justice ruling on 5/4, allowing Israel to displace more than 1,000 Palestinians in the area. Israeli forces also demolished 1 Palestinian-owned home in al-Walaja and 1 Palestinian-owned home in al-Twana. 8 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Nur Shams refugee camp, Beita, and Silwad. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian in the Old City, claiming that the man had charged at Israeli police; Israel did not say whether the man was armed. Israeli forces also demolished a commercial structure in Jabel Mukaber. (AA, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AX, GDN, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, INT, MEE, MEE, MEE, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, NYT, PCHR, PCHR, REU, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/11; +972, AJ, AJ, AJ, ALM, AP, HA, HA, HA, IN, MEE, MEE, MEMO, NYT, PCHR, WAFA, WP 5/12; HA, UNOCHA 5/13; AJ 5/19; AJ, MEE 5/20; UNOCHA 6/4)
After Israeli forces killed Abu Akleh, Israel’s prime minister Naftali Bennett said it was Palestinian gunfire that killed her. Later, after B‘Tselem, among others, had proved that it could not have been the Palestinians Israel claimed had hit Abu Akleh; Israel later acknowledged that it may have been their soldiers that killed Abu Akleh with a shot to the head, as her colleagues and other eyewitnesses had said. Israel said it would investigate the incident and offered that the PA join their investigation, which the PA rejected, calling for an international investigation and referring the case to the ICC. According to the PA, Israel claimed that the PA had rejected the joint investigation before Israel had offered it as a possibility to the PA. PA civil affairs minister Hussein Sheikh said that Israel deliberately had targeted her for assassination. The Israeli diaspora minister Nachman Shai acknowledged in an interview “that Israel’s credibility is not very high in such events.” Several countries called for an investigation into Abu Akleh’s death. Israel later said that its initial investigation into the death of Abu Akleh was inconclusive. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, ALM, ALM, AX, GDN, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, INT, MEE, MEE, MEE, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/11; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, ALM, CBS, CNN, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA. HA, HA, MDW, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, NYT, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WP, WSJ 5/12; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, JP, LT, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, REU, TIME, WAFA, WAFA 5/13; REU, WAFA 5/14; AP 5/16; MEE 5/19)
400 members of the Nachala settler movement gathered at a conference in the West Bank, discussing plans to erect 10 new settlement outposts on 20 July later his year. (HA 5/14)
Israel’s interior minister Ayelet Shaked signed an order to merge the unrecognized village of Dahmash with the city of Ramle, despite opposition to the merger from the village’s Palestinian residents. The residents of Dahmash had begun making their own plans for merging with Sdot Dan Regional Council because the council includes several farming communities like Dahmash, but the interior ministry advised against this due to Sdot Dan being predominantly Jewish. (HA 5/12)
United Arab List leader Mansour Abbas told reporters that his party would give the Israeli government coalition another chance after temporarily suspending its membership of the coalition last month after days of Israeli-led violence at the Haram al-Sharif compound during the month of Ramadan. (AP, AX, HA, JP 5/11; ALM 5/12; TOI 5/13)
Syria said Israel had attacked 1 target in Khader in the Quneitra province; no injuries were reported. (AJ. HA, REU 5/11)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked 1 Palestinian surveyor in Kafr Qalil, causing injuries to his head. Israeli settlers with military escort made roadblocks around Sabastia. Israeli forces arrested and assaulted 1 80-year-old Palestinian American man in Jiljilyya during a late-night raid, leading to his death; the man was found dead by Palestinians in an empty house in Jiljilyya after being arrested by the Israeli forces; the U.S. called for an investigation into his death. Israeli forces also delivered stop-work notices for 2 houses and for work on the electric grid in Bayt Dajan. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished 1 house, 2 water wells and 2 agricultural structures in al-Fakhit. Israeli forces also shot and injured 1 Palestinian journalist with a rubber-coated bullet during a raid in Beitunia. 12 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Halhul, Hebron, Asira ash-Shamaliya, and Silat al-Harithiya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities delivered a demolition notice for a mosque in Isawiya and demolished 2 retaining walls in al-Walaja. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 6 nautical miles off the coast; no injuries were reported. In Israel, 5 Palestinians were arrested for burning tires in Tel as-Sabi in protest over the Jewish National Fund’s forestation project on land Bedouins use for agriculture. Radical Israeli politician Itamar Ben-Gvir was among the people planting trees on the Bedouins’ land. (ALM, ALM, HA, HA, HA, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, NYT, TOI, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WP 1/12; AJ, AP, MDW, MEMO, MEMO, PCHR, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/13; HA 1/14; HA, WAFA 1/15; WAFA 1/16; NYT 1/20)
British consul general in Jerusalem Diane Corner met with Palestinians threatened by eviction in Sheikh Jarrah. (WAFA 1/13)
Haaretz reported that U.S. military personal charged with training Palestinian forces were given a tour of Hebron, including of al-Ibrahimi Mosque by settler advocate Noam Arnon. The tour was arranged by the Israeli military’s central command leader Yahuda Fuchs. (HA 1/12)
The Israeli supreme court reduced the sentence handed to an Israeli settler who had thrown a stun grenade at a Palestinian home in Sarta from 20 months to 12 months, reinstating a plea agreement a lower court had deemed too lenient. (HA 1/12; MEMO 1/13)
The United Arab List (UAL) boycotted sessions in the Knesset today in protest over a Jewish National Fund (JNF) forestation project in Bedouin-inhabited areas of the Naqab desert. In wake of the UAL boycott, the Israeli opposition passed 5 bills in preliminary votes. Labor minister Meir Cohen and UAL leader Mansour Abbas later came to an agreement that future work by the JNF must be negotiated by the coalition partners. (AP, HA, REU 1/12; ALM, HA, HA, HA 1/13)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian houses and vehicles in Kafr Qaddum, causing damage. Israeli forces raided the homes of 4 of the Palestinians accused of participating in the killing of an Israeli settler on 12/16 and took measurements for punitive demolitions in Silat al-Harithiya; the forces also violently dispersed Palestinians protesting the raids, injuring 1 with live ammunition. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinians protesting an Israeli incursion near Ramallah, inuring 1 with live ammunition and 1 minor with a rubber-coated bullet. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raided al-Lubban Ash-Sharqiya, assaulting the mayor of the village and several students. 13 Palestinians were arrested during house raids in Birzeit, Dura, al-Bireh, Kafl Haris, Abu Dis, Qatanna, Beit Umar, and Dahariya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities handed eviction orders to 2 families living on a plot of land in Sheikh Jarrah that Israel wants to construct a school on. The families were given until 1/25/2022 to leave their property, displacing 12 people. In Gaza, Israeli forces made incursions and leveled land east of al-Fukhari. Israeli forces also opened fire at Palestinian bird hunters east of Khuza‘a; no injuries were reported. In Israel, Israeli forces demolished the Bedouin village al-‘Araqeeb for the 196th time since 2000. (TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/20; MEMO 12/21; PCHR 12/23)
In East Jerusalem, EU representative to Palestine Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff led an EU delegation, meeting Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah threatened by Israeli forced evictions. (MEMO 12/21)
1 Palestinian prisoner in the Israeli Nafha prison allegedly stabbed 1 Israeli prison guard, lightly wounding the guard. There were subsequent reports of collective punishment of Palestinian prisoners in the same ward, including beatings and outdoor confinement in cold weather. (HA 12/20; WAFA 12/21)
Representatives for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel on administrative detention said the prisoners have decided to boycott sessions in Israeli military courts and in the supreme court from 1/1/2022 because of Israel’s arbitrary use of administrative detention on Palestinians. (HA 12/20)
PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said during the weekly cabinet meeting that the PA has sent a letter to the UN urging it to intervene against Israeli settler violence. (WAFA 12/20)
Palestinian member of the Knesset for United Arab List and chairperson of Knesset’s interior committee Walid Taha said he had canceled all official meetings for the week in protest over Israel’s interior minister Ayelet Shaked’s opposition to a bill that would provide electricity to Palestinian homes built in Israel without a permit. (HA 12/20)
Israel’s ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan wrote a letter to UN secretary-general António Guterres demanding that he acts to prevent UN funding from going to Palestinian rights organizations deemed terrorist organizations by Israel. The UN OCHA agency had mentioned its partnership with Health Work Committees in its plan for 2022, a Palestinian organization deemed illegal by Israel. (HA 12/20)
Israeli NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware was found on a Tunisian national’s phone. The man is part of a UN-mandated investigation into crimes committed in relation to the Saudi-led war in Yemen. (HA 12/20)
In the West Bank, Israeli forces closed off large parts of Hebron to Palestinians, including forcing Palestinians to close their shops in the Bab al-Zawyeh area to allow Israeli settlers to tour it. Israeli forces also seized an excavator in Burin. 7 Palestinians were arrested, including 5 during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Burqin, and Deir Ghasana, 1 was arrested at a checkpoint near al-Khader, and 1 was arrested at the entrance to Zabbuba. In East Jerusalem, nearly 1,700 Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound on the Jewish holiday Tisha B’Av, drawing criticism from the Israeli governing party the United Arab List, the PA, Hamas, the EU, and Jordan. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters on and around the Haram al-Sharif compound who were expressing anger over the settler incursion, causing injuries and 5 arrests. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, MEMO, MEMO, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 7/18; MEMO, MEMO 7/19; PCHR 7/29)
The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt was open for 1 day. (MEMO, WAFA 7/19)
In a statement after the Israeli settlers had toured the Haram al-Sharif compound, Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said the Israeli security forces had preserved “freedom of worship for Jews on the Mound [the Haram al-Sharif compound],” a significant departure from the status quo of the Holy Sites and a 1st from an Israeli prime minister. Under the status quo agreement, only Muslims have the right to worship on the Haram al-Sharif compound. 1 day later, Prime Minister Bennett clarified that the wording was a mistake and that he meant “visit” rather than “worship.” (HA, MEMO 7/18; AP, HA, JP, WAFA 7/19)
The Israeli high court of justice rejected a petition from Peace Now to stop the transfer of Israeli public funds to the Amana movement, which funds and builds unauthorized constructions in Israeli settlements and settlement outposts. (HA 7/19)
Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid said that the Israeli government would examine the diplomatic ramifications of the demolition and eviction of the bedouin community Khan al-Ahmar. (HA 7/18; MEMO 7/19)
The PFLP-GC said it had elected a new leader, Talal Naji, to replace Ahmed Jibril who died on 7/7 after months of sickness. (AP, HA 7/18)
17 news outlets published a Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International investigation based on a leak of more than 50,000 records of phone numbers, which had been targeted for surveillance with Pegasus spyware from the Israeli spyware company NSO Group’s clients. The investigation found that at least 180 journalists from 21 countries had been targeted by 12 NSO Group clients, including the governments of Bahrain, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, India, the UAE, Mexico, Hungary, Azerbaijan, Togo, and Rwanda. The investigation also found that heads of governments, including Pakistan’s prime minister Imran Khan, France’s president Emmanuel Macron, and Morocco’s king Mohammed VI, were among possible victims. Furthermore, the investigation showed that Pegasus spyware was installed on Saudi dissent journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s fiancée’s phone and that his son had been listed for targeting before Khashoggi was murdered by special forces in Saudi’s embassy in Istanbul on 10/2/2018. Charges against NSO Group that its spyware was used against Khashoggi have been denied by the company. The Israeli government approves all sales of spyware from NSO Group to potential clients. Amazon subsequently said it had shut down its servers used by NSO Group. The investigation comes as a different investigation into another Israeli spyware company Candiru was released on 7/15. Later, after the Forbidden Stories investigation was published and with international criticism mounting, the Knesset’s foreign affairs and defense committee chairman Ram Ben Barak on 7/22 said that his committee would review the process of granting licenses to export spyware to other countries. France and Luxembourg said they would start investigations into the Israeli-made spyware. (NYT 7/17; AI, AJ, F24, GDN, HA, HA, HA, HA, MEE, NYT 7/18; AJ, ALM, AP, GDN, MEE, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, NPR, REU, REU 7/19; AJ, ALM, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, MEE, REU 7/20; AJ, AP, HA, HA, MEE, MEE, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, REU, REU, REU 7/21; AJ, ALM, BBC, HA, HA, HA, HA, MEE, MEE 7/22; HA, MEE, MEE 7/23; CNN, HILL 7/25)
In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolished 15 tents, seized 3 vehicles, and arrested 1 Palestinian activist trying to prevent the forces from demolishing and seizing Palestinian property in Khirbat Humsa; Israeli forces demolished 25 structures in Khirbet Humsa on 2/1. The EU said it would send representatives to Khirbet Humsa on 2/4 to witness the destruction; more than 70 Palestinians were displaced during the mass demolitions on 2/1 and 2/3. Israeli forces also conducted military drills in the Masafer Yatta area, damaging crops and agricultural structures for the 2d day in a row. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished 1 house under construction in Anata and 11 vending stalls near Jenin. Israeli forces also delivered 1 demolition notice for a house in al-Khadir. 25 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Tuqu‘, al-Fawar refugee camp, Bayt Umar, Hizma, Salfit, Nablus, Sabastiyya, Tulkarm, and Qabatiya. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian farmers east of al-Shuka and arrested 1 Palestinian in the vicinity of the Gaza fence; no injuries were reported. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen 3 nautical miles west of al-Sudaniyya; no injuries were reported. (REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/3; AP, HA, HA, NBC, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA 2/4; OCHA 2/5)
The Israeli high court of justice approved the punitive demolition of the family home of 1 Palestinian accused of killing an Israeli settler on 12/20/2020. The punitive demolition will displace 7 people: the accused Palestinian, his wife, 3 children, and 2 parents. (HA 2/3)
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed retired police major general Aharon Franco to lead efforts to combat violence in Palestinian communities in Israel and said he had allocated $30 million for the efforts. Franco has made degrading comments about Muslims in Israel in the past. The Israeli plan to combat violence in the Palestinian communities includes confiscating weapons and the construction of police and fire stations in several cities and towns. Ayman Odeh of Hadash (The Democratic Front for Peace and Equality) called the plan inadequate and an “election ploy.” (HA 2/4)
3 of the 4 parties in the Joint Arab List announced they will remain on the same slate for the March elections as the more conservative Ra’am (United Arab List) broke with the alliance. The 3 remaining parties in the Joint Arab List are Hadash, Ta’al (Arab Movement for Renewal), and Balad (National Democratic Alliance). Hadash leader Ayman Odeh will continue to lead the slate. The leader of Ra’am Mansour Abbas said his party had not decided on who it would support amidst rumors that the party will support Benjamin Netanyahu. (HA 2/3; AJ, AP 2/4; MEMO 2/5)
Israeli forces conducted air strikes in Syria near Quneitra, causing damage but no injuries. Israeli forces also flew a drone over Lebanon, which evaded an anti-aircraft missile fired at it. Hezbollah said it shot down an Israeli drone on 2/1. (AP, HA, HA 2/3; AJ, JP, JP 2/4)