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

More than 30,717 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 72,156 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 416 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 108 children. More than 4,648 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 244 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,453 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 195 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/6; UNOCHA 3/7)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbs to wounds sustained from Israeli forces during a raid in Jenin on 2/29. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian child in Huwwara. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Balata refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces uproot around 400 olive tree saplings in Wadi Fukin. Israeli forces also punitively demolish a home in Kafr Dan. Meanwhile, Israeli forces demolish an agricultural structure in Shuqba. Israeli forces also assault 2 Palestinians during a raid near Tubas. Separately, Israeli forces shoot and kill a cow during a raid in al-Halawa in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces also arrest 22 Palestinians during raids in and around Kober, Ramallah, al-Bireh, Hebron, Tulkarm, Qalqilya, and Jericho, including a woman who was exchanged for Israeli captives during the prisoner exchange deal in November 2023. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Jabalia refugee camp, Gaza City, Beit Lahiya, and Khan Yunis, killing at least 97 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Hula, Jabal al-Batam, Majdal Zoun, and Kafra, killing 3 people, including a child, in Hula. Hezbollah attacks Kiryat Shmona, causing damage. In Yemen, U.S. forces attack 3 missile launch sites. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/5; AJ, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/6)

More than 30,631 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 72,043 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 415 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 4,606 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, 244 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,453 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 182 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The U.S., Jordan, Egypt, and France airdrop 36,800 meals in northern Gaza. (AJ, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/5; UNOCHA 3/6)

Hamas says the “ball is in the Israeli court” after concluding 3 days of ceasefire negotiations in Cairo. (AJ, HA 3/5; NYT 3/6)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas meets with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. Erdogan says during a news conference that “Netanyahu and his accomplices in murder will surely be held accountable for every drop spilled before the law and public conscience,” calling the Israeli actions in Gaza “blatant genocide.” PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh meets with Dutch foreign minister Hanke Bruins Slot in Ramallah. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/5; WAFA 3/6)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issues a statement saying the number of worshippers allowed to enter the Haram al-Sharif compound during the first week of Ramadan will be similar to 2023. (AJ, HA, REU 3/5; NYT 3/6)

Foreign ministers of OIC countries convene in Jeddah for an extraordinary meeting on the situation in Gaza. The organization calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. (WAFA, WAFA 3/5; WAFA 3/6)

U.S. secretary of defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken meet with Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz in Washington D.C. Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan meet with Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, discussing ceasefire negotiations. Blinken calls the situation in Gaza “simply unacceptable.” (AJ, HA, REU 3/5; HA 3/6)

The U.S. Department of Treasury sanctions former Israeli official Tal Dilian for his involvement in selling spyware that is used on Americans. Dilian is the co-owner of Intellexa, which produces the Predator spyware. (AJ, HA 3/5)

AP and Canadian media report that Canada will resume UNRWA funding after seeing the interim report into the Israeli allegations that UNRWA staff took part in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. Later, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada has not made a final decision. (AJ, AP, HA 3/6; AJ, HA, REU 3/7)

Chile bans Israeli companies from taking part in the International Air and Space Fair in Santiago in April. (AJ 3/6)

Presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says when asked if he approves of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, “[y]ou have got to finish the problem.” A poll commissioned by the Center for Economic and Policy Research show that 52% of Americans think the U.S. should halt arms shipments to Israel, including 62% of Democrats. (AJ, AJ 3/6)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers physically assault and pepper spray a Palestinian man in Nablus during a raid near Joseph’s Tomb. Israeli settlers also begin constructing a settlement outpost in al-Muarajat. Israeli forces shoot and kill an 11-year-old child and injure 2 others during a raid in Burin. Israeli forces also shoot and kill a 16-year-old child during a raid in al-Am’ari refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian child in Fawwar refugee camp. Israeli forces also punitively demolish the home in Jenin of a Palestinian man killed by Israeli forces in May 2023. Meanwhile, Israeli forces raid Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camp, uprooting streets. Israeli forces also arrest 55 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Tubas, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, and Ramallah. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Gaza City, Rafah, Bayt Lahiya, Jabalia refugee camp, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 124 people. A Palestinian child dies of hunger at the Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah. Al-Awda Hospital in Jabalia refugee camp partially resumes operations after receiving fuel. In Lebanon, Hezbollah forces attack Israelis near the Blue Line, killing an Indian national and injuring 7 others near Margaliot. Israeli forces bomb al-Adisa, Chihine, Hula, Markaba, and Ayta ash Shab, killing 3 medics in al-Adisa. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/4; UNOCHA 3/5)

More than 30,534 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 71,920 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 413 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 107 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, 244 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,453 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 170 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 3/4; UNOCHA 3/6)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas meets with Guinea-Bissau president Umaro Sissoco Embalo in Ramallah. Embalo met with Israeli officials in Israel on 3/3. Abbas later travels to Turkey for a 3-day visit. (WAFA, WAFA 3/4)

3 Palestinian members of the Knesset, Ayman Odeh, Ahmad Tibi, and Youssef Atauna, meet with Jordanian king Abdullah II in Amman, discussing Israel’s war on Gaza and planned Israeli restrictions on Palestinian entry to the Haram al-Sharif compound during the month of Ramadan. (AJ, HA 3/4)

At the UN General Assembly, countries discuss the U.S. decision to veto a 2/20 ceasefire resolution at the Security Council and are briefed by UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini. (AJ, WAFA 3/4)

U.S. president Joe Biden tweets that he will not give up on pushing for a 6-week ceasefire. Vice President Kamala Harris meets with Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz. A White House readout of the meeting says Harris reiterates Israel’s right to defend itself, expresses deep concern for the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and urges Hamas to accept a 6-week ceasefire. Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich says Gantz is in the U.S. to advance U.S. plans to establish a Palestinian state. Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Adviser for Energy and Investment Amos Hochstein meets with Lebanese Parliament speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut, discussing the escalation between Hezbollah and Israel. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says “some members of the Israeli cabinet” are working to obstruct aid entering Gaza. (AJ, AP, HA, NYT 3/4; AJ, AX 3/5; AJ 3/6)

UNRWA says some of its staff have been forced to give confessions under torture and ill-treatment by Israeli forces. The statement follows an Israeli claim that there are more than 450 Hamas and Islamic Jihad affiliated people working for UNRWA and the release of audio files purporting to be evidence that 2 UNRWA workers confessed to taking part in events on 10/7/2023. Commissioner-General Lazzarini says Israel “seeks to eliminate [UNRWA’s] role in protecting the rights of Palestinian Refugees.” (AJ, AP, HA 3/4; AJ, HA, UNOCHA 3/5)

UN special representative of the secretary-general on sexual violence in conflict Pramila Patten says during a press conference that a UN investigation team has found that Palestinians in the West Bank are subject to “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment” in detention and are subject to “disproportionate physical and sexual violence, including sexual harassment and threats of rape during house raids, including at night, and at checkpoints.” Patten also say that the team has “found clear and convincing information that sexual violence, including rape and sexual torture” has been committed against Israeli captives released after being held in Gaza and that there are “reasonable grounds to believe conflict-related sexual violence” occurred on 10/7/2023 in at least 3 locations. Patten says some highly publicized allegations of sexual violence were determined to be unfounded and stresses that the report is not the result of an investigation as Israel did not share any evidence of allegations. (AJ, AJ, HA, INT, NYT, REU 3/4; AP, NYT 3/5; UNOCHA 3/6)

The Israeli National Social Security Agency says 806 Israeli civilians have been killed since 10/7/2023, including 38 children. (HA 3/4)

Spain announces sanctions on 12 violent Israeli settlers. (WAFA 3/4; AJ 3/5)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers demolish an agricultural structure in Qusra. Israeli settlers also assault Palestinians in Maghayyir al-Abeed in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces arrest 16 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Husan, Nablus, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Beit Fajjar. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Khan Yunis, Jabalia refugee camp, Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza City, and Dayr al-Balah, killing at least 90 people, including 9 in an attack on an aid truck in Dayr al-Balah. Israeli forces also open fire at Palestinians waiting to receive flour in Gaza City, causing injuries. 4 Palestinian children die at the Kamal Adwan Hospital due to hunger. In Lebanon, Hezbollah attacks Israeli forces along the Blue Line. Israeli forces bomb Ayta ash Shab and Khiam, (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/3; AJ 3/4)

More than 30,410 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,230 children and 8,860 women, and around 71,700 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 411 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 105 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, 244 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,432 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. 130 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (WAFA 3/3; UNOCHA 3/4)

Haaretz reports that Israel is holding Palestinian prisoners in makeshift cages that do not have walls, beds, or toilets near the Atarot police base. (HA 3/3)

A delegation of Hamas officials, led by Khalil al-Hayya, arrives in Cairo for ceasefire talks. Israeli media reports that the Israeli delegation left Cairo after claiming that Hamas declined to share a list of captives that are still alive. (AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU 3/3; REU 3/4)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas appoints Khaled Abdel Aziz Taha Dudin as governor of Hebron, Ghassan Mohammad Bakr Daghlas as governor of Nablus, and Kamal Muhammad Mahmoud Abu al-Rub as governor of Jenin. PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh meets with U.S. senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) in Ramallah, calling on the U.S. to support an immediate ceasefire and saying Palestine needs a Marshall Plan to recover once the Israeli war on Gaza is over. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 3/3)

Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz arrives in Washington D.C. for meetings with U.S. vice president Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and other officials. It is reported that Gantz’s trip is not done in coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is said to be angry that Gantz is meeting with U.S. officials. Israel’s military claims that its initial review of the Flour Massacre on 2/29 finds that most of the deaths were due to a stampede. Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman calls for early elections. (AP, HA, NYT, REU 3/2; HA, HA, HA, REU 3/3; AP, NYT 3/4)

During a speech in Selma, Alabama, Vice President Harris says “[w]hat we are seeing every day in Gaza is a tragedy,” calling for an immediate 6-week ceasefire. Harris also says Israel must open up additional crossings and not impose “unnecessary restrictions” on aid. (AJ, AJ, AX, HA, NYT, REU, REU 3/3; NYT 3/4)

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation changes the title and some of the text of the Israeli song for the Eurovision Song Contest after the European Broadcasting Union rejected the song “October Rain” for being too political. The changes were reportedly done upon request by Israeli president Isaac Herzog. (HA, REU 3/3)

The New York Times reports that a forthcoming UNRWA report will charge Israel with “a range of ill-treatment” experienced by Palestinians taken from Gaza to detention centers in Israel. The report is based on interviews with 100 of the 1,002 Palestinians that have been released back to Gaza after being detained in Israel. (NYT 3/3)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbs to injuries sustained from Israeli forces in Kafr Ain on 1/22. Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near Bizarya, causing damage. Israeli settlers also assault Palestinian shepherds in Umm al-Khair, causing injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers raid Huwwara, vandalizing homes and vehicles. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man and injure another at the Dayr Sharaf checkpoint; Israel claims the dead man opened fire at Israeli soldiers. Israeli forces also punitively demolish the family home in Hebron of a Palestinian man killed by Israeli forces in Beit Jala on 11/16/2023; the demolition is carried out with explosives, damaging other apartments in the building. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolish an agricultural structure in Yatma. Israeli forces also arrest 5 Palestinians during a raid in Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 10 Palestinians, including 4 children, at the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Rafah, Maghazi, Dayr al-Balah, and Khan Yunis, killing at least 130 people. Israeli forces also shoot and kill a Palestinian doctor while his is operating on a patient in the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. In Lebanon, Hezbollah attacks 2 Israeli bases, injuring 3 soldiers in Kiryat Shmona. 30 rockets are also fired at Ein Zeitim and Dalton. Israeli forces kill a Hezbollah member in an airstrike on Nabatieh, others are reportedly injured. Israel also attacks Khiam and Kafrhamam. In Yemen, the U.S. military says it has conducted 7 airstrikes. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/8; AJ, AP, HA, REU 2/9)

More than 27,840 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 11,500 children and 7,200 women, and around 67,317 have been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 383 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 96 children. More than 4,426 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 225 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,314 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. UNOCHA says 650,000 Palestinians in Gaza have no homes to return to and that there are an estimated 12 million tons of debris from Israeli bombings that needs to be cleared. (HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/8; AJ 2/9)

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society says Muhammad Ahmad al-Sabar, a Palestinian held in administrative detention since May 2022, has died in the Ofer Prison. Al-Sabar is the eighth prisoner to die in Israeli custody since 10/7/2023. (AJ, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/8)

Israeli forces release 71 Palestinians from Gaza at the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing. The New York Times reports that U.S. intelligence officers told Congress that they believe Israeli forces have killed a third of Hamas militants. (AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA 2/8; AJ, HA, NYT 2/9)

A Hamas delegation led by political bureau deputy leader Khalil al-Hayya arrives in Cairo for meetings with Qatari and Egyptian officials on a ceasefire deal. The Israeli war cabinet discusses the Hamas response to the ceasefire proposal. (AJ, HA 2/8)

UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk says Israel’s destruction of homes to create a buffer zone in Gaza “amounts to a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and [is] a war crime.” (AJ, NYT 2/8)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken meets with Israeli war cabinet members Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot and opposition leader Yair Lapid on the second day of his visit to Israel. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says Israel moving its troops to Rafah “without due consideration for their [Palestinians sheltering there] safety would be a disaster and we would not support it.” President Joe Biden issues a memorandum saying countries receiving U.S. military aid must assure the U.S. that they are adhering to international law and requiring the state and defense departments to send a report to Congress within 90 days on the use of U.S.-supplied weapons. Biden also says in a speech that Israel’s response in Gaza has been “over the top,” and that innocent people in Gaza are “starving, in trouble and dying. It’s got to stop.” In the speech, Biden mistakenly calls Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi the president of Mexico. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT 2/8; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU 2/9)

The U.S. Senate advances a supplemental foreign aid only bill, including $14 billion to Israel in a procedural 67-32 vote. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) is the only Democrat to vote against it. (HA, REU 2/8)

The ICJ says Nicaragua has requested to join South Africa in the genocide case against Israel. (AJ, WAFA 2/8)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attack 3 Palestinian shepherds with sticks and steal some of their sheep in Rammun. Israeli settlers also assault a Palestinian man in Huwwara. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers vandalize 3 homes in al-Ghazi and Susiya in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces raid the home of a former prisoner in al-Minya, vandalizing it and seizing his car. Israeli forces arrest 22 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Nablus, Tubas, Bethlehem, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities force a Palestinian family to demolish their own home in Silwan. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Jabalia refugee camp, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Beit Lahiya, Rafah, and al-Bureij refugee camp, killing at least 165 people. Israeli forces drop leaflets in Rafah with photos of 69 captives, saying “Want to go home? Provide information if you recognize one of the hostages.” An Israeli soldier is killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces assassinate 2 Hezbollah members in a drone strike on Bazouriyeh and bomb a 3-story house in Houla. In Syria, Israeli forces attack Damascus, killing 5 Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps members. In Iraq, a missile attack on the U.S. al-Asad airbase lightly injures U.S. military service member. In Yemen, U.S. forces bomb an anti-ship missile they say was being prepared to be launched. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/20; AJ, AJ, HA, UNOCHA 1/21)

More than 24,927 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 10,600 children and 7,200 women, and around 62,388 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 362 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 91 children. More than 4,310 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 191 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,178 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 69,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 80 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. (UNOCHA 1/21)

Al-Baidar Organisation for Defending Bedouin Rights says Israeli forces and settlers committed 1,124 crimes against Palestinian Bedouin communities in the West Bank in 2023. (AJ 1/20)

The Popular Resistance Committees in Gaza’s al-Nasser Salah al-Deen Brigades releases a video of an Israeli captive who says he fears for his life. (AJ, HA, HA 1/20)

Hamas political bureau member Musa Abu Marzouk says Hamas is not interested in keeping the Israeli captives held in Gaza, saying Israel will be forced to make a deal agreeing to a prisoner exchange. (AJ 1/20)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterates his opposition to a Palestinian state, saying he “will not compromise on full Israeli security control over the entire area west of Jordan.” In response, PA spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeinah says it is time for the U.S. to recognize the State of Palestine. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 1/20; AJ, NYT 1/21)

The Non-Aligned Movement issues a statement calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the remaining captives and expresses support for the South African case against Israel at the ICJ after a summit held in Kampala, Uganda. In a speech to the Non-Aligned Movement members, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres says the “wholesale destruction of Gaza and the number of civilian casualties caused by the Israeli army in such a short period are totally unprecedented during my mandate,” calling on Israel to end its attacks. PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki addresses the summit, criticizing the international system for not ending the Israeli attacks on Gaza.  (AJ, AP 1/19; AJ, AP, WAFA, WAFA 1/20; WAFA 1/21)

Belgian minister of development cooperation Caroline Gennez says Belgium will “fully support” the ICJ if it “calls on Israel to cease its military campaign in Gaza.” (AJ, WAFA 1/20)

CNN reports that it has found that Israeli forces systematically destroyed cemeteries in Gaza. (AJ 1/20)

The Times reports that Gadi Eisenkot, Benny Gantz, and Ayre Deri could leave Israel’s emergency government if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant continue to ignore their arguments for a ceasefire to bring back the remaining captives held in Gaza. (AJ, LT 1/20)

The Intercept reports that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) donated $95,000 to House of Representative speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) after he pushed through a $14 billion aid package to Israel. AIPAC donated $104,000 to Johnson in 2023. The aid package is still stuck in the Senate. (AJ 1/20)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man shot by Israeli forces on 1/8 in Beitunia succumbs to his wounds. Israeli settlers set olive trees and an agriculture structure on fire near Kafr ad-Dik. Israeli forces raid Nablus and Abud, injuring 8 people with live ammunition, including a child, and cause widespread destruction in Nablus. Israeli forces also demolish a car wash and a nursery in Kafl Haris. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raze 6 dunams (1.5 acres) of Palestinian-owned land planted with 50 olive trees in Hebron and 2 dunams (.5 acres) of Palestinian-owned land near Bethlehem. Israeli forces also raid a medical clinic near Bethlehem, causing damage. Israeli forces arrest 26 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Ramallah, Tulkarm, Tubas, Hebron, Jenin, and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities demolish a Palestinian home in Sur Baher, displacing 8 people. In Gaza, Israel bombs Dayr al-Balah, Rafah, Gaza City, Khan Yunis, Maghazi, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least 147 people, including 4 crew members and 2 injured Palestinians being transported an ambulance, killing 40 people in a home at the entrance of al-Aqsa Hospital in Dayr al-Balah, and 15 people in an apartment building in Rafah. In the Naqab, Israeli forces demolish the al-Za’arura and Bir Hadaj Bedouin villages. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attack the home of a Hezbollah member in Kfarchouba, killing him. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/10; AJ 1/11)

More than 23,357 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 16,350 women and children, and around 59,410 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 335 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 84 children. More than 4,148 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 184 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,076 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 69,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 193 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. (WAFA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 1/10)

Israel places Khalida Jarrar in administrative detention for an initial period of 6 months. (AJ 1/10)

Haaretz reports that Israel demolished 140 Palestinian homes and 84 other structures in East Jerusalem in 2023, marking a 60% increase in home demolitions compared to 2022. The newspaper notes that during the first 9 months of 2023 10 housing units were demolished per month and after 10/7 the figure rose to 17 a month. (HA 1/10)

Hamas official Osama Hamdan says there are no talks about a prisoner exchange, adding Israel is defrauding the Israeli public by circulating reports about talks. Hamdan maintains the Hamas position that it will not engage until Israel stops its attacks on Gaza. Hamdan also calls on the ICJ not to be pressured by the U.S. (AJ, HA, NYT 1/10)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas meets with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken in Ramallah, discussing the situation in Gaza and the West Bank. Reports describe the meeting as intense, with Abbas pressing Blinken on Israel’s freezing of the PA’s tax revenue and Israel’s attacks on Gaza. Palestinians protest Blinken’s visit, saying he is not welcome. Blinken later tells the press in Bahrain that Abbas agreed to reform the PA in preparation to take control of Gaza. Abbas flies to Aqaba in Jordan after the meeting with Blinken where he meets Jordanian king Abdullah II and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, discussing ways to end Israel’s war in Gaza and prevent the displacement of Palestinians. PA prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh meets with U.S. deputy assistant secretary for Palestinian affairs Hady Amr in Ramallah. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/10; AJ, AJ, HA, NYT 1/11)

In an English language post on X Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says, “Israel has no intention of permanently occupying Gaza or displacing its civilian population,” contradicting statements by several of his coalition members. Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz says Hamas no longer has ruling capabilities in Gaza and that Israel will continue its war to prevent Hamas from regaining control. Gantz also says that security in Gaza will remain “in our hands.” Likud member and deputy speaker of the Knesset Nissim Vatur tells the Kol Barama radio station that “Gaza and its people must be burned.” (AJ, AP, HA, HA 1/10)

Colombia and Brazil issue statements in support of the South African case against Israel at the ICJ. Palestinians rally in Ramallah in support of the case. (AJ 1/10; AJ 1/11)

The UN Security Council passes a resolution demanding that Yemen’s Houthi government ends its attacks on ships in the Red Sea and frees the ship Galaxy Leader and its crew. Russia, China, Mozambique, and Algeria abstain. 3 Russian amendments to the resolution fail. The Houthis call the resolution a “political game.”  (AJ, AP, AP, HA 1/10; AJ, AJ, HA 1/11)

The ICC sets up a portal for submission of evidence of Israeli war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, or aggression. (AJ, WAFA 1/10)

The Chinese Foreign Ministry calls for an immediate ceasefire and for Israel to stop “collective punishment” of the people of Gaza. (AJ 1/10)

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis suggests at a presidential primary debate that Egypt or Saudi Arabia should resettle some Palestinians from Gaza if Israel “makes the calculation that [it is needed] to avert a second Holocaust.” Another candidate, Nikki Haley, says the U.S. should give Israel “whatever it wants.” (AJ, HA 1/11)

A poll conducted for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy finds that 96% of Saudis believe all Arab states should sever all ties with Israel. A YouGov poll commissioned by Medical Aid for Palestinians and the Council for Arab-British Understanding shows that 71% of people in the UK support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, while 17% approve of the UK government’s handling of the war on Gaza. (AJ 1/10)

The Jewish Forward reports that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has started including pro-Palestine rallies in its tally of anti-Semitic incidents. The report also says that the ADL now deems all anti-Zionist chants and slogans anti-Semitic, leading to pro-Palestine rallies where anti-Zionist slogan were chanted constituting 40% of incidents of anti-Semitism counted in a recent ADL report. (AJ, HA 1/10)

The International Ice Hockey Federation bars Israel from participating in world championship events, citing security concerns. Israel calls the ban “anti-Semitic.” The decision prevents the U20 Israeli hockey team from participating in a Division III world championship tournament later this month. (HA, TOI 1/11)

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 settlers with military a escort stole an olive harvest and vandalized olive trees in Awarta. Israeli settlers also opened fire at Palestinians harvesting olives in Aqraba; no injuries were reported. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers stole around 40 sheep in Khallet Hamad. Israeli settlers also raided Qaryut, opening fire at Palestinians in the area; no injuries were reported. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers razed farmland near Qasra. Israeli forces shot and injured a Palestinian child in Husan. Israeli soldiers also assaulted a Palestinian man in Dheisheh refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished a Palestinian home in Bani Na’im. Israeli forces also razed land in Artas. Meanwhile, Israeli forces notified Palestinian families in Deir Qala that Israel will seize 18 dunams (4.4 acres) of land. 28 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Jericho, Balata refugee camp, Bayt Awa, Hebron, Tarqumiyah, Bethlehem, Abu Dis, al-Eizariya, Ramallah, Jenin, and Qalqilya. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Rafah, Khan Yunis, Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Maghazi, and Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least 208 Palestinians and injuring 416. Israeli forces also shot and injured a surgeon inside al-Awda Hosptial, which has been under Israeli siege for 6 days, and hit the Kamal Adwan hospital with an airstrike. Rockets were fired at Israel, injuring 1. In Lebanon, Israeli forces killed a Lebanese official in Taybeh, Hezbollah said it had attacked Israeli soldiers in Shtula and Metula. In the Red Sea, a Norwegian commercial ship, The Strinda, was hit by a cruise missile launched by Yemen according to the U.S. military. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/11; HA, HA, REU 12/12; AP 12/13)

More than 18,205 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 7,729 children and 5,153 women, and around 49,645 have been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 267 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 69 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. 101 Israeli soldiers have been killed 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. 100 trucks carrying aid, including fuel, entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing. 33 injured Palestinians and 461 dual nationals were evacuated to Egypt. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 12/11; AJ 12/13)

Al Jazeera said Israel had killed the father of its journalist Anas al-Sharif in his family’s home in Jabalia refugee camp, saying Israel deliberately targets its journalists in Gaza. (AJ, AJ, AP, WAFA, WAFA 12/11)

Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem were on strike over Israel’s bombing of Gaza. People outside of Palestinian also participated in the strike; most noteworthy was the Lebanese government’s decision to close government offices and institutions in solidarity with Gaza. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA 12/11)

The PA called on the U.S. to “oblige Israel” to stop the policy of deducting funds from the PA’s tax revenue, calling it piracy and collective punishment. (WAFA 12/11)

Israel started allowing Palestinian Americans living in the West Bank access to Israel for the first time since 10/7 after the U.S. threatened to suspend Israel’s membership in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. (AX 12/11)

Comments by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the Knesset foreign affairs and defense committees were leaked to the press. Netanyahu said the “difference between Hamas and the PA is only that Hamas wants to destroy us here and now, and the PA wants to do it in stages.” Netanyahu also said Gaza will be under Israeli military control and that Gulf states will rehabilitate the area. (AJ 12/11; HA, WAFA, WAFA 12/12)

U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. was “asking questions” in relation to reporting from Amnesty International and the Washington Post that Israel had used U.S.-supplied white phosphorus in Lebanon. The Post said a journalist had found remnants of 3 artillery shells that indicated that they were U.S.-made white phosphorous shells. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz, calling on Israel to take steps to avoid civilian harm and increase aid. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller called images of Palestinians stripped to their underwear while in Israeli custody in Gaza “deeply disturbing”  (AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, WP 12/11; AJ 12/12)

EU high representative for foreign affairs Josep Borell called the destruction in Gaza “even greater than destruction suffered by the German cities during the Second World War,” noting that 60-70% of the casualties are civilians and 85% of the population have been internally displaced. Borell also said the EU will propose sanctions on violent Israeli settlers. France, Germany, and Italy also called on the EU to set up a special sanctions scheme to target Hamas. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA 12/11)

Sky News Arabia reported that Israel had asked Egypt and Qatar to mediate another ceasefire, citing Egyptian sources. (HA 12/11; HA 12/12)

Rutgers University in New Jersey notified Students for Justice in Palestine that it had suspended its chapter at the university, citing complaints about the group. (HA 12/12; HA, HA 12/13)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian during a raid in Qalandia. Israeli forces also raided Jenin, injuring 7 and uprooting streets. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 4, including a disabled man, in Qalqas, al-Arroub refugee camp, and Baqa al-Hatab. Israeli forces also sealed 2 printing facilities in Dawha, claiming they were printing incendiary materials. Meanwhile, Israeli forces uprooted 31 olive trees in Nahalin. Israeli forces also seized a vehicle in Qablan. 38 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Bethlehem, Qalandia, Nablus, Ramallah, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces demolished a building in Bayt Hanina, displacing 13 people. In Gaza, at least 300 people were killed in Israeli attacks on Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Khan Yunis. Israel said it had surrounded and invaded Khan Yunis. Israeli troops also laid siege to the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya. 2 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat. Rockets were fired at Israel, injuring 2 in Ashkelon. In Lebanon, Israeli forces killed a Lebanese soldier and injured 3 others in an attack on a Lebanese military base; Israel later expressing regret, saying it would review the incident. 3 rockets were fired at Kiryat Shmona. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/5; AJ, HA, HA, NYT, WAFA 12/6)

More than 16,248 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 6,387 children and 4,257 women, and around 43,616 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 252 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 65 children. More than 3,325 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. 87 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.9 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. As of 11/18, at least 45,000 housing units had been destroyed and 233,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 60% of all housing units. The Gaza Ministry of Health said at least 1,207 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire ended on 12/1. UNRWA said 130 of its staff members have been killed by Israeli forces since 10/7. The UN said dozens of trucks carrying aid, including fuel, entered Gaza but did not provide the actual number. Rafah was the only area to receive aid for the third day in a row. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 12/5)

At the beginning of the day, PA health minister Mai al-Kaila said at least 15,900 Palestinians have been killed and 40,900 injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 10/7, saying the final number of dead will be much higher since many are buried in rubble. (REU, WAFA 12/5)

The PA Ministry of National Economy said 29% of business in the West Bank have been completely or partially closed since 10/7 due to Israeli actions. (WAFA 12/5)

UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said Israeli calls for Palestinians to evacuate do not work, stating the “so-called safe zones . . . are not scientific, they are not rational, there are not possible, and I think the [Israeli] authorities are aware of this.” (AJ 12/5)

Amnesty International released an investigation saying that 43 Palestinian civilians were killed on 10/13 in Israeli attacks where U.S.-made JDAM bombs were used. The U.S. said it was reviewing the Amnesty investigation. (AJ 12/5; REU 12/6)

The PA warned against reported Israeli plans to flood tunnels in Gaza with seawater, saying it would lead to the collapse of residential buildings and infrastructure and to the mixing of ground, sea, and wastewater. (AJ 12/5)

Israeli police approved the “March of Maccabees” in the Old City of Jerusalem on 12/7, where Israeli right-wingers will march in support of removing the Islamic Waqf in order to replace it with full Israeli control over the Haram al-Sharif compound. (AJ, HA, HA 12/5)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Israel has killed half of Hamas’ military commanders in Gaza. Netanyahu also said that Israel is the only power that can keep Gaza demilitarized after Israel’s war, rejecting suggestions that an international force be deployed in Gaza. (AJ, AX, HA 12/5; NYT 12/6)

Prime Minister Netanyahu also met with families of Israeli captives held in Gaza. Some of those who attended the meeting labelled it a farce and insulting. (HA, HA, REU 12/5; AJ 12/6)

Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry met with senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Chris Coons (D-DE) in Washington D.C., discussing efforts to end Israel’s war on Gaza. (AJ 12/5)

The leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council called for an end to the Israeli attacks on Gaza at a summit in Doha. Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said at the summit that Israel was committing genocide, called support for Israel’s actions “a disgrace,” and urged the UN Security Council to force Israel back to the negotiations on a ceasefire. (AJ, AJ, HA 12/5)

U.S. vice president Kamala Harris’s National Security Advisor Phil Gordon met with Israeli president Isaac Herzog, war cabinet members Benny Gantz, Tzachi Hanegbi, Ron Dermer, and Gadi Eisenkot, and opposition leader Yair Lapid, updating them on meetings Harris and Gordon held with Arab leaders in Dubai during the COP28 climate conference. Harris is leading the Biden administration’s efforts on securing another ceasefire. (AX, HA 12/5)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken announced that that the U.S. has put new visa restrictions on violent Israeli settlers, saying Israel is not doing enough to combat settler violence. Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant later condemned Israeli settler violence, saying only the military, the police, and the Shin Bet have a right to use violence against Palestinians. USAID administrator Samantha Power visited El Arish airport in Egypt where aid to Gaza arrives, saying more “must be done to protect civilians” and for aid to enter Gaza. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU 12/5)

U.S. president Joe Biden said at a fundraiser that he had heard reports “of women raped, repeatedly raped, and their bodies being mutilated while still alive” by Hamas militants on 10/7. Hamas denied the accusations. (REU 12/5)

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution, H.R. 894, declaring that anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism in a 311-14 vote; 94 Democrats voted present. The resolution also condemned the phrase “from the river to the sea.” (AJ, HA, NYT 12/5; AJ 12/6)

5 U.S. pro-Israel organizations, the American Jewish Committee, the Jewish Federation of North America, the Anti-Defamation League, AIPAC, and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, created a joint lobbying arm called The 10/7 Project to promote pro-Israel narratives to journalists and U.S. lawmakers. (HA 12/5)

Deutche Welle reported that applicants for citizenship in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt will be required to declare their support for Israel’s right to exist to obtain German citizenship. (AJ 12/5)

CNN reported that the U.S. expects Israel to end its mass ground invasion of Gaza in January 2024. (AJ, HA 12/5)

The Washington Post reported that Israeli sources have estimated that 5,000 out of 30,000 Palestinian militants in Gaza have been killed since 10/7. (AJ, WP 12/5)

Dabke, the Palestinian national dance, was included on the UNCESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. (WAFA 12/5)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinians traveling near Nablus and Tulkarm. Israeli forces shot and killed 3 Palestinians after they shot and killed an Israeli soldier and injured 3 Israeli soldiers at the Tunnels checkpoint west of Bethlehem; Hamas took responsibility for the attack. Israeli forces also shot and injured 3 Palestinians, including 2 children during raids in Beita and Deir Nidham. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assaulted 2 Palestinians near Carmel, causing bruises. Israeli forces also demolished 2 homes and a marble factory in Wadi Fukin. 69 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Hebron, Dura, Jenin, Kafr Ra’i, Qalqilya, Husan, Nablus, Jericho, and al-Fara’a refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, 2 Palestinians were arrested during a late-night raid in Isawiya. In Gaza, telecommunications broke down for the third time, this time due to a lack of fuel. Israeli airstrikes killed at least 19 people in Jabaliya refugee camp, al-Qarara, and al-Maghazi refugee camp. 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 and due to the telecommunications breakdown. Israeli forces continued to raid al-Shifa Hospital, stealing bodies of Palestinians who had not yet been buried. Israel also put al-Ahli Hospital under siege, preventing movement in and out of the hospital. Israel said the bodies of 2 of the Israeli captives were found in a building near al-Shifa Hospital. In South Lebanon, Israel attacked several sites and anti-tank missiles were fired at Israel. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/16; AJ, AP 11/17)

The Gaza Ministry of Health was not able to update the casualty figures due to a collapse in services and communications at hospitals in northern Gaza, leaving the death toll at 11,479, including 4,630 children and 3,130 women, and around 32,000 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 3,250 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 190 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 47 children. More than 2,730 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals had been killed and 5,431 have injured since 10/7. 51 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.61 million Palestinians, around 70% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. As of 11/6, at least 40,000 housing units have been destroyed and 220,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 45% of all housing units. No aid entered Gaza due to UNRWA vehicles running out of fuel. Turkey said that 27 cancer patients from Gaza arrived in Turkey for treatment. The director of the Indonesian Hospital said its facilities were “completely out of service,” with 45 patients still awaiting surgery. The Gaza Ministry of Health said 9 out of 35 hospitals in Gaza were partially functioning while the rest were out of service. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA 11/16)

The Palestinian Prisoners Society said Israel had arrested more than 2,760 Palestinians during raids in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7. (AJ, WAFA 11/16)

The members of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee at the UN said they will not participate in the establishment of a “safe zone” without an agreement of all parties, saying these ‘safe zones’ otherwise put Palestinians at risk. (UNOCHA 11/16)

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh said he was confident in the resistance’s ability to outlast the Israeli war on Gaza. (AJ 11/16)

The Israeli military claimed to have found a tunnel and weapons at al-Shifa Hospital but refused to allow independent observers access to its findings. Israel had claimed that Hamas had a command-and-control center at the hospital but no longer appeared to make that claim. (AJ, REU, REU 11/16)

PA finance minister Shoukry Bishara sent a letter to Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich demanding that Israel pay the PA the full amount of tax revenue due from October. (HA 11/16)

Israeli interior minister Moshe Arbel informed 2 Palestinians, who he claims are Hamas operatives, that Israel has begun efforts to revoke their Jerusalem residency status. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Israel should stop talks on a prisoner swap, saying Israel should only “talk with fire and brimstone.” (AJ, HA 11/16)

Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi said Jordan will not ratify an agreement with Israel to exchange water for energy due to Israel’s attacks on Gaza. (AJ, HA, REU 11/16)

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Israel must ensure that food, water, and medical care is available at al-Shifa Hospital. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz, urging him to address the rise in settler violence and discussing humanitarian aid to Gaza. Blinken also told ABC News that he has told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel cannot reoccupy Gaza. France called Israeli settler violence a “policy of terror.” (AJ, HA, REU 11/16; AJ, HA, WAFA 11/17)

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Israel was violating the visa waiver agreement with the U.S. by preventing Palestinian Americans from entering the West Bank and flying into Ben-Gurion Airport. (AX, NYT 11/16)

Bloomberg News reported that the EU and U.S. were considering raising a UN peacekeeping force to be deployed in Gaza when a ceasefire is reached. (AJ 11/16)

U.S. senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) called on Israel to “Stop the bombing NOW” in a tweet on X. (AJ, HA 11/16)

The Los Angeles Times editorial board called for a ceasefire. (AJ 11/16)

Protesters from Jewish Voice for Peace blocked traffic on the Bay Bridge in San Francisco, calling for a ceasefire. (AJ, HA, REU 11/16)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian herders in Kisan with sticks, injuring 2, including a child. Israeli forces killed 14 Palestinians, including a PA officer, during a raid in Jenin and Jenin refugee camp. During the raid Israeli forces opened fire at ambulances, used drones to attack buildings with airstrikes, and used 4 bulldozers to raze paved streets. Israeli forces also shot and killed 4 Palestinians during raids in al-Am’ari refugee camp, Balata refugee camp, Hebron, and Bethlehem. Meanwhile, Israeli forces shot and injured 69 Palestinians during raids in Bethlehem, Beit Furik, Aqraba, Ni’lin, Jenin, Balata refugee camp, and al-Bireh. Israeli forces also displaced 20 Palestinian families from their homes in Khirbet Tana, demolishing homes and destroying beehives. 50 Palestinians, mostly people from Gaza working in Israel before 10/7, were arrested in Barta’a. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed 243 Palestinians and injured around 430 others. Israeli airstrikes targeted the vicinity of al-Nasr Hospital, al-Awda Hospital, the Indonesian Hospital, and al-Shifa Hospital, killing at least 3 people and causing significant damage to the hospitals and 2 ambulances.  Israeli said it assassinated Hamas member Ibrahim Abu-Ma’asiv in an airstrike. 2 Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza. In South Lebanon, anti-tank missiles were fired at Israel and Israel attacked Lebanon. In Eilat, Israel said a drone launched from Syria damaged a school in Eilat. Israel also said it deployed its Arrow 3 missile defense system for the first time to intercept a surface-to-surface missile fired at Eilat, reportedly from Yemen. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/9; AJ, AJ, HA, REU 11/10)

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 10,818 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,412 children and 2,918 women, and 26,905 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 2,450 people were buried in rubble, including 1,350 children. 173 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 46 children. More than 2,492 people have been injured. Around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 injured since 10/7. 35 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. 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. 65 trucks carrying aid to Gaza and 7 ambulances entered via the Rafah crossing. 12 injured Palestinians and 695 foreign passport holders were evacuated from Gaza to Egypt. Around 50,000 people fled north Gaza to the south, bringing the total number to 122,000 since 11/5. UNRWA launched a flash appeal for $481 million to address the humanitarian needs in Gaza and the West Bank. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 11/9; WAFA 11/10)

The PA Finance Ministry said it returned its tax revenue to Israel due to Israel deducting $600 million Israel said is earmarked for administrative expenses in Gaza. (WAFA 11/9)

Israel arrested High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel chairperson Mohammed Barakeh and former MKs Haneen Zoabi, Sami Abou Shehadeh, and Mtanes Shehadeh who were planning to attend a small anti-war protest in Nazareth. Since Israel has banned large anti-war protests, Barakeh said he had told Nazereth police that he and 40 others would rally together, leading to his arrest. Protesters later demonstrated against the arrests of the Palestinian leaders outside of a police station in Tel Aviv; 15 were arrested. After the Palestinian leaders were released, Abou Shahadeh said he was arrested for “being a Palestinian citizen calling to end the war. By contrast, If I were a Jewish citizen calling for a genocide of Palestinians I could become a minister.”  (AJ, HA, HA, HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA 11/9; NYT 11/10)

Hamas said 1 Israeli soldier held captive in Gaza was killed in an Israeli airstrike. Islamic Jihad released a video of an Israeli child and elderly woman that it said it wanted to release for humanitarian reasons. (AJ, HA, HA, REU, REU 11/9; NYT 11/10)

Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Mashal arrived in Cairo, reportedly to discuss a prisoner exchange. (AJ, HA 11/9)

During a speech at an aid conference in Paris, PA prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said that Hamas could not be eliminated because it is not just a military organization but “also an idea.” Shtayyeh also said Israel was waging war against all Palestinians, violating international law. French president Emmanuel Macron, who hosted the conference, said civilians in Gaza must be protected, calling for humanitarian pauses and for countries to work on a ceasefire. Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry complained that the international community has an “imbalance” in its conscience when it ignores Israeli violations of international law. Separately, PA presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh said Israel’s aim is to kill as many Palestinians as possible, referring to the many killed in the West Bank as Israel attacks Gaza. Abu Rudeineh called on the U.S. to force Israel to stop its attacks. PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki met with UK foreign secretary James Cleverly in Riyadh, calling on the UK to help achieve a ceasefire. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/9)

Haaretz reported an increase in Israeli soldiers publishing videos of themselves beating and humiliating Palestinians they have arrested in the West Bank. (HA 11/9)

A report by the UNDP and the ESCWA said Palestinian GDP had shrunk 4% during the first month of Israel’s attacks on Gaza. It projected that if the attacks continue for a second month it will drop by 8.4%, and by 12% if attacks continue for a third month. (AJ, HA 11/9; AJ, AJ, AP, AP 11/10)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson Ofir Gendelman tweeted a video he claimed showed Palestinians staging people being injured and evacuated. However, the video was backstage footage from the Lebanese short film The Reality. Gendelman kept the tweet up even after X (formerly known as Twitter) clarified what the video actually showed. (DB 11/9)

U.S. president Joe Biden said Israel had agreed to daily 4-hour pauses in its attacks on Gaza to allow Palestinians in the north to flee south, saying it had taken longer for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to the pauses than he had hoped. Biden also said had asked for longer pauses that would help facilitate the release of captives. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said Palestinians fleeing the north of Gaza should be able to return. Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called the pauses a “particularly serious mistake.” Netanyahu clarified in an interview with Fox News that he does not seek to govern Gaza. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, REU 11/9; AJ, AP, HA, REU 11/10)

The Israeli organization HonestReporting said it had identified CNN, AP, and Reuters contributors who covered the Hamas Operation Al Aqsa Flood on 10/7, claiming they must have had knowledge of the operation prior to it or participated in it. Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz and National Security Minister Ben-Gvir said the journalists should be treated as terrorists. Likud Party MK Danny Danon said the journalist would be added to Israel’s kill list. The New York Times, which employs one of the freelance journalists, called HonestReporting’s allegations “reckless” and said it endangered their journalists in Gaza and Israel. CNN said it cut relations with 1 of the freelance journalists that HonestReporting posted a photo of standing next to Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU 11/9)

CIA director William Burns and Mossad director David Barnea traveled to Doha for meetings with Qatari prime minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani regarding a potential prisoner swap. Al Thani reportedly held a meeting with Hamas officials in Qatar on 11/8. (AJ, HA, HA, REU 11/9)

Belgian minister of development cooperation Caroline Gennez said her government was considering recognizing the state of Palestine and would donate $2.1 million in aid to Palestine and $5.3 million to the ICC. (AJ 11/9)

Media workers staged a sit-in demonstration at the New York Times headquarters, criticizing the newspaper’s pro-Israel bias. The American Postal Workers Union called for a ceasefire. (AJ, HA 11/9; AJ 11/10)

The Syrian Aviation Authority said the Damascus International Airport would not reopen for another week. The airport has been closed since 10/12 due to Israeli airstrikes damaging the runway. (HA 11/9)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at a Palestinian truck driving near Huwwara, injuring the driver and causing damage. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near Hebron. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers with a military escort also raided Qaryut, leading to tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bayt Dajan, assaulting 1 journalist and causing tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Israeli activists protesting near the home of Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir in the Kiryat Arba settlement, arresting 2 and confiscating Palestinian flags. 2 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Ni’lin and Surda. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces assaulted Palestinians trying to enter the Haram al-Sharif compound for noon prayers, injuring 4. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Sheikh Jarrah, injuring 1. In Gaza, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters near the Gaza fence east of Malka, injuring 1 with live ammunition and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also opened fire at Palestinian farmers east of Gaza City; no injuries were reported. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/25; HA 8/27; PCHR 8/31; UNOCHA 9/11)

1 Palestinian man succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces in Jenin refugee camp on 7/3 during Israel’s 2-day assault on the camp. (WAFA 8/25; AJ, AP 8/26; PCHR 8/31)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant signed an order to release a settler from administrative detention, saying he had confessed to his crimes. The settler was part of the settler attacks on Palestinians in the last week of June. (HA 8/25)

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs released a survey of the West Bank, finding Israel placed 645 obstacles to the movement of Palestinians. The UN counted 49 permanently staffed checkpoints, 139 intermittently staffed checkpoints, 304 roadblocks, 73 earth walls, road barriers, and trenches, and 80 obstacles of various types in H2 in Hebron, in addition to the restrictions posed by the separation wall. (UNOCHA 8/25)

The Wall Street Journal reported that the Chinese state-owned company China National Nuclear Corp had offered to build a nuclear plant in Saudi Arabia. It has been widely reported that a condition for Saudi normalization with Israel depends on U.S. help with establishing a nuclear program in Saudi Arabia. 4 U.S. officials also told Axios that the U.S. has informed Israel that it would have to make significant concessions to Palestine if they are to strike a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia. (AJ, ALM, AX, HA, WSJ 8/25; MEE 8/26)

The Dutch Supreme Court found that a Palestinian man, Ismail Ziada, cannot sue former Israeli military officials Benny Gantz and Amir Eshel over their involvement in the 2014 airstrike that killed 6 members of his family. The court found that the 2 have immunity from civil prosecution in the Netherlands. (AP, HA, REU 8/25)

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

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

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

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

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assaulted 2 Palestinians in Kafr ad-Dik, causing hospitalization. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles near Huwwara. Israeli forces handed temporary eviction notices to 2 Palestinian families, ordering them to leave their land for 3 days from 11/1 and for 10 hours on 11/9 while Israeli forces conducted military drills in Khirbet Humsa. Israeli forces also handed punitive demolition notices in Kafr Dan to 2 families who are relatives of 2 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces on 9/14. 37 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Tulkarm, Abud, ‘Anata, Biddu, Dheisheh refugee camp, Beit Umar, Surif, Iraq al-Tayeh, Nablus, al-Yamun, Jenin, al-Jiftlik, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians protesting in al-Tur, demanding the release of the body of a Palestinian killed by Israeli forces on 9/22. 3 Palestinians were arrested in Bayt Hanina and Jabel Mukaber. (MEE, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/27; MEMO 10/28; PCHR 11/3; UNOCHA 11/13)

Israel said it had eased the collective punishment restrictions imposed on Nablus and that it will remove some of the checkpoints that were set up 2 weeks ago. (HA 10/28)

Lebanon and Israel officially signed their maritime border demarcation agreement. Lebanese president Michel Aoun and Hezbollah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah both praised the agreement, saying that it does not signify a move towards normalization with Israel. The agreement provides Lebanon with the vast majority of potential profits from the Qana gas field and Israel all the profits from the Karish gas field. Energean, the company licensed to operate the Karish gas field, said it began production at Karish on 10/26. (AJ, HA, REU 10/26; AJ, ALM, AP, AX, BBC, HA, MEMO, MEMO, REU, REU, REU, REU 10/27)

Israel’s defense minister Benny Gantz met with Türkiye president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and defense minister Hulusi Akar in Ankara. Defense Minister Gantz said that the 2 sides had decided to resume defense cooperation. (AJ, ALM, AP, AX, HA, REU 10/27)

20 Democratic members of the U.S. house of representatives signed a letter, circulated by representative Don Beyer (D-VA), to U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken saying that Israel should not be included in the U.S. visa waiver program due to its ethic discrimination and racial profiling. (HA 10/28; MEE 10/31)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles near Burqa, causing damage. 1 7-year-old Palestinian child died during an Israeli house raid in Taqqua; the boy’s uncle said the child died of a heart attack when the Israeli forces entered his home and that he did not have any prior medical history. The U.S. state department called for “an immediate and through investigation” into the incident but later clarified that it believed Israel’s investigation was sufficient. Israeli forces also seized 1 bus in Ras al-Ahmar. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 3 Palestinians during a raid in Dura. Israeli forces also demolished 1 Palestinian home in Artas. 10 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Biddu, Beit Umar, Hebron, and Qalqilya. A general strike was observed in Jenin in protest over the killing of 4 Palestinians on 9/28. In East Jerusalem, 15 Palestinians were arrested in Isawiya, al-Tur, Sheikh Jarrah, Wadi Juz, and Silwan. (AA, AP, AX, HA, JP, MEE, MEMO, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/29; AJ, AP, HA, MEE, NA, NAT, TOI, UNOCHA, WAFA 9/30; HA 10/2; MEE 10/3; AP, PCHR 10/6; MDW 10/7; UNOCHA 10/16)

The Israeli military announced that it will supply settlement outposts, deemed illegal by the Israeli government, with observation and warning systems, lighting, public address systems, and firefighting equipment. The move was approved by the Israeli ministry of justice. (HA 9/29)

The Israeli interior minister Ayelet Shaked informed 17 Palestinians, who are relatives of a Palestinian accused of killing 4 Israeli soldiers in 2017, that if they do not leave East Jerusalem for the West Bank by 10/7, they will be forcefully removed by Israeli forces. Interior Minister Shaked also told public security minister Omer Bar-Lev to prepare for the forced expulsion. (HA 9/29)

The Israeli central election committee barred the Palestinian party Balad from running in the upcoming Israeli parliamentary elections. Balad chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh said his party will appeal the decision, which he called “an attempt by Gantz and Lapid to engineer the Arab leadership according to their political needs. Just like the party came out stronger following previous attempts to disqualify us and to disqualify our platform, it won't work this time as well.” Balad was banned from running based on its platform, which calls for Israel to be a state for all its citizens and thus not a Jewish state. The Israeli attorney general had on 9/27 presented an opinion that Balad should not be banned from running. The election committee also rejected a request to bar Ra’am from running. (HA, WAFA 9/29; MEMO 9/30)

Al Monitor reported that Israeli prime minister Yair Lapid’s office had rejected a request by PA president Mahmoud Abbas’s office to arrange a phone call between the 2 on the occasion of the Jewish new year on 9/25. (ALM 9/29)

The Lebanese parliament failed to elect a new president of the country as more than half of the votes by 128 members were blank. (AP, HA, MEMO, REU 9/29)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian-owned vehicles in the Old City of Hebron, causing damage. 20 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Beit Sira, Hebron, Jenin, Tubas, Tulkarm, and Qalandia refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians protesting Israeli air strikes on Gaza at the Damascus Gate plaza, assaulting several and arresting 1. In Gaza, Israel continued its assault on Gaza for the 2d day in a row, assassinating Islamic Jihad commander in southern Gaza Khaled Mansour, using fighter jets to fire 6 missiles on a 3-story building in Rafah refugee camp; 2 other members of Islamic Jihad were killed in the assassination, as were 4 others, including 1 child. 35 were injured, including 18 children. Israel further killed 7 other Palestinians in air strikes: 2 on a street in Beit Hanun; 2 riding a motorcycle in Khan Yunis; 2 near a market in Khan Yunis; and 1 while firing a mortar shell east of Jabaliya. Additionally, 7 Palestinians were killed in an explosion in Jabaliya refugee camp, including 4 children; it was unclear whether the explosion was caused by an Israeli missile or misfire of an Islamic Jihad rocket. This raises the death toll from Israel’s Operation Breaking Dawn to 31 since 8/5, including 10 children. 265, including 95 children, have been injured. The Gaza power plant stopped operations in the middle of the day due to a lack of fuel. 2 Israeli soldiers were reportedly lightly injured by a mortar shell. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, ALM, ALM, AP, AX, GDN, HA, HA, MDW, MDW, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, NYT, PCHR, PCHR, PCHR, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/6; AJ, AJ, AP, CNN, F24, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, JP, NYT, REU, TOI, WAFA 8/7; HA, UNOCHA 8/8; AHQ 8/9; PCHR, REU 8/11; HA 8/13 HA 8/16; UNOCHA 8/19; MDW 9/1)

The UNRWA closed all of its facilities, except for health services, in Gaza due to the Israeli attacks. (WAFA 8/6)

Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhala met with head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Hossein Salami in Tehran. Major-General Salami told al-Nakhala that Palestinians are not alone in their struggle against Israel. (AJ 8/6)

U.S. national security council spokesperson John Kirby said that the U.S. is working with Israeli and Palestinian partners to achieve calm in Gaza but “remain[s] unwavering in our commitment to Israel’s security.” Spokesperson Kirby also said that the U.S. “absolutely fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorist groups.” Secretary of defense Lloyd Austin “expressed concern regarding reports of civilian deaths and called for a timely and thorough investigation into any civilian casualties,” according to a readout of Austin’s conversation with Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz. (AJ, HA, WAFA 8/6; MDW 8/10)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized 450 olive, plum, grape, and almond trees near Turmus ‘Ayya. 7 Palestinians were arrested, including 5 returning to the West Bank from Jerusalem at the Qalandia checkpoint, 1 crossing from the West Bank to Jordan via the Allenby Bridge, and 1 while working his land in Idhna. (WAFA, WAFA 7/12; PCHR 7/21; UNOCHA 7/22)

Haaretz reported that the World Zionist Organization’s settlement division was finalizing plans to invest $8.5 million to connect settlement outposts in the West Bank to the Israeli electrical grid and preparing plans to have the outposts retroactively authorized by the Israeli government. (HA 7/12)

Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz approved 5,500 Palestinians to be registered with the Palestinian population registry and increased Gaza merchant permits for commerce in Israel from 1,500 to 15,000. Defense Minister Gantz also gave final approval for construction in Hizma and Harmaleh and 1st level approval for construction in Haris, Kisan, and Battir. Additionally, Israel said it would open a new crossing from Israel to the northern part of the West Bank to ease access to Jenin and delayed a meeting to expand Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem. The moves were described by Israel as a result of a meeting between Gantz and PA president Mahmoud Abbas last week and comes 1 day before U.S. president Joe Biden will arrive in Israel for a 4-day tour of Israel, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia. (AP, HA, WAFA 7/12)

4 members of the U.S. senate Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Dick Durban (D-IL), wrote a letter to U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken saying that the U.S. review of the evidence into the killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh “hardly constitutes an independent investigation into the overall circumstances of her killing.” In a separate letter, U.S. senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) called on the Biden administration to provide a senior-level classified briefing on the investigation details and the administration’s plan for accountability. (ALM, HA 7/12; MEE, WAFA 7/13)

Citing insufficient evidence, the foreign ministries of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Holland, Spain, and Sweden issued a joint statement saying that the countries have decided to dismiss Israeli claims that 6 Palestinian rights organizations are linked to terrorism and will continue funding them. The rights organizations were designated terrorist organizations by Defense Minister Gantz in October 2021. (AP, HA, MEE, REU, WAFA, WAFA 7/12; MDW 7/15)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized Palestinian property in Imreiha and assaulted 12 Palestinians in al-Mazra‘a al-Qibliya. Israeli forces seized 2 residential structures belong to 2 families in Markaz in the Masafer Yatta area, displacing 12 for a 2d time since 5/11, when Israeli forces also demolished their residential structures. Israeli forces also delivered stop-work notices for 6 residential structures in Artas. 12 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Bayt Rima, al-Ubeidiya, al-Khader, Hebron, and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, 3 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Qalandia refugee camp and Biddu. In Israel, Israeli forces tried to shoot down its own drone near Lebanon after misidentifying it. (HA, MEMO, REU, WAFA, WAFA 5/19; WAFA 5/20; PCHR 5/26; UNOCHA 6/4)

Defense for Children International – Palestine said Israel had used a 16-year-old Palestinian girl as a human shield on 5/13 by forcing her to stand in front of an Israeli military vehicle during a raid in Jenin on 5/13. (DCI-P 5/19)

Haaretz reported that Israel’s military police criminal investigation division had decided not to open a criminal investigation into the murder of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, reportedly because they fear such an investigation into an Israeli soldier would cause controversy among the Israeli right. Israel’s military also said it may have identified a rifle used by an Israeli soldier that could have killed Abu Akleh, but said it could not confirm this unless the PA hands over the bullet for analysis. The U.S. on 5/20 reiterated its call for a “thorough and transparent” investigation, while not directly addressing the Israeli decision not to launch a criminal investigation. (ABC, AJ, AP, CBS, GDN, HA, INT, MDW, MEE, MEMO, TOI 5/19; AJ 5/20)

1 member of the Meretz party, Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi, said she was leaving the government coalition, making the coalition a minority government with 59 out of 120 seats at the Knesset. Rinawie Zoabi criticized the coalition for being right-wing and hawkish, specifically pointing out the Israeli-led violence at the Haram al-Sharif compound and the killing of Abu Akleh. (AJ, ALM, AP, AX, CNN, HA, HA, MEE, NYT, REU 5/19)

Israel’s defense minister Benny Gantz met with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary Lloyd Austin. According to U.S. officials, the 2 mainly spoke about Iran, but Austin also brought up the Israeli-led violence at the funeral for Abu Akleh on 5/13. (HA, MDW, MEMO 5/19)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized some 100 olive trees east of Bethlehem. Israeli forces delivered demolition orders against 2 Palestinian-owned homes in al-Twana. 26 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Jericho, Aqabat Jaber refugee camp, Ein as-Sultan, Jiftlik, Jalazun refugee camp, Qatanna, Beit ‘Anan, Deir Sammit, Qarawat Bani Hassan, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian family demolished their own home in Jabel Mukaber. Israeli forces also delivered a notice to a family in Isawiya ordering them to demolish an extension to their house under construction. (MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/31; MEMO 2/1; PCHR 2/3)

An Israeli court ordered the Salem family in Sheikh Jarrah to leave their home between 1 March and 1 April. The eviction will displace 10 Palestinians, including 4 children. (WAFA 1/31; MEMO 2/1)

The Israeli military said it had sent its findings relating to the death of an 80-year-old Palestinian American man who died while being detained by Israeli forces on 1/12 to the U.S. A statement said that the military’s investigation had found wrongdoing, moral failure, and failure of judgement in relation to the death. The commander of the Netzeh Israel unit was rebuked, and 2 company and platoon commanders were dismissed, but no one was held directly responsible for the killing of the Palestinian man. U.S. state department spokesperson Ned Price said on 2/1 that the U.S. “expects a thorough criminal investigation and full accountability in this case.” PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh called the military investigation a “sham” and pointed out that Israel only conducted the investigation due to the man’s American citizenship. (HA 1/31; AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, MEE, MEMO, NYT, TOI 2/1; HA, HA, WAFA 2/2)

An Israeli military court convicted 1 member of Hamas for attempted manslaughter in relation to the killing of 1 Israeli soldier in on 8/7/2019. The Palestinian man was not at the scene of the murder. (HA 2/1)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken in a phone call. According to a state department readout of the conversation, the 2 spoke about “the importance of strengthening the U.S. relationship with the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian people, as well as the need to improve quality of life for Palestinians in tangible ways . . . [and] challenges facing the Palestinian Authority and the need for reform.” Secretary Blinken also spoke with Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid. (REU, WAFA 1/31; HA, JP, MEMO, WAFA 2/1)

Israel’s defense minister Benny Gantz defended his meeting with PA president Mahmoud Abbas during a session at the Knesset, saying that it is in Israel’s interest to strengthen the PA. Gantz further stated, “[w]hether we like it or not, the Palestinian Authority is the legitimate and recognized leadership of our neighbors and has been for years.” (HA 1/31; MEMO 2/1)

Lebanon said it had arrested 35 people claiming to be Israeli spies working to infiltrate Palestinian organizations in Lebanon, Hezbollah, and the Lebanese intelligence agency. 15 had since been released, as Lebanon found that they were not spies working for Israel, and Lebanese intelligence confirmed that at least 12 were connected to Israel. (HA, MEMO 1/31)

Israeli forces fired several missiles at Damascus. Syrian air defense intercepted the missiles; however, material damage occurred during the interceptions. (AJ, AP, HA, JP, MEMO, TOI 1/31)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces uprooted 50 olive trees in Wadi Fukin. Israeli forces also demolished 9 residential and 14 agricultural structures in Ibziq. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished a house under construction in Qalqas. Israeli force shot and injured 6 Palestinians using live ammunition during a late-night raid in Tubas. 13 Palestinians were arrested during raids in al-Am‘ari refugee camp, Beit Umar, Halhul, Yatta, Jenin, Ya‘bad, and Kaft Laqif; 1 Palestinian was injured by Israeli live ammunition during a protest against the raid in al-Am‘ari refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces physically assaulted 2 Palestinians in Isawiya and Jabel Mukaber. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian farmers east of Dayr al-Balah; no injuries were reported. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 3 nautical miles west of Gaza City; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/28; MEE, WAFA 12/29; PCHR 12/30)

The Jordanian Detainees Committee in Saudi Arabia said that a Saudi court had reduced the sentence of former Hamas official Mohammad al-Khodari from 15 years to 3 years in prison. Al-Khodari was 1 of some 60 Jordanian and Palestinian nationals to receive sentences by Saudi Arabia earlier this year for an affiliation with Hamas or other resistance groups. (MEMO 12/29)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz at Gantz’s residence in Rosh Ha’ayin. The 2.5-hour-long meeting was attended by Israel’s coordinator of government activities in the territories Rassan Aliyan, PA civil affairs minister Hussein al-Sheikh, and head of PA security service Majed Faraj. Civil Affairs Minister al-Sheikh said the 2 sides spoke of a political horizon while Defense Minister Gantz tweeted that the meeting was about economic and civic measures and security coordination. An Israeli statement said Israel had agreed to register 6,000 Palestinians living in the West Bank and 3,500 living in Gaza, give the PA a $32-million advance on its tax income, and grant more business permits and VIP passes for the PA. Israeli and Palestinian officials said that President Abbas demanded more action against settler violence and the revocation of terror designations for 6 Palestinian rights organizations. It was President Abbas’s 1st meeting with an Israeli official in Israel since 2010. A Hamas spokesperson condemned Abbas’s visit, saying he was accommodating the occupation and “deepening Palestinian political divisions.” Islamic Jihad and the PFLP also condemned the meeting. (AP, HA, JP, TOI 12/28; ABC, AJ, ALM, AP, AX, F24, HILL, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, REU, TOI, WAFA, WAFA 12/29; ALM, HA, MEE, MEMO, MEMO 12/30; ALM, MEMO 12/31; TOI 1/1; TOI 1/2)

Israeli justice minister Gideon Sa‘ar said he wanted the Homesh settlement outpost legalized in response to the killing of 1 Israeli settler on 12/16. (HA 12/28)

In Syria, Israel conducted air strikes in Latakia, causing damage at the city’s port. Israeli sources claimed that Israeli missiles had hit Iranian munitions stored in containers. A Russian official said 4 missiles were fired from 2 Israeli F-16s, causing minor material damage. The Russian official also said that the Syrian air defense system was deactivated because a Russian plane was landing nearby. (AJ, AP, AP, GDN, HA, HA, NWK, REU 12/28; MEMO 12/29; AP, HA 12/30)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers from the evacuated Homesh settlement outpost attacked 3 Palestinian farmers working their lands near Burqa with stones, sticks, and physical assault. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles driving on the Jenin-Nablus road, damaging 4 cars. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian-owned olive trees in al-Shuyukh, damaging 50. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians during a raid in Nablus, injuring 1 with live ammunition and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also demolished an agricultural structure in Yatta and uprooted 250 olive trees in al-Ras. 3 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Bethlehem and Yatta. In East Jerusalem, 85 Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. 4 Palestinians were arrested during a raid in Isawiya. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at agricultural lands north of Beit Hanun; no injuries were reported. (HA, MEE, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/15; PCHR 11/18)

The Israeli state prosecutor’s office urged the Jerusalem district court to uphold a ban barring Palestinian applicants for family reunification, despite the law having expired in July. The state prosecutor’s office said that the expiration of the ban is only temporary. (HA 11/15)

It was reported that Israel’s defense minister Benny Gantz had asked the U.S. to pressure European and Arab countries to increase their aid to the PA, fearing that the PA might financially collapse soon. The request was reportedly made ahead of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee on 11/17. (HA 11/15)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized Palestinian property in al-Bireh, drawing the star of David and writing racist slogans on a building and a vehicle. Israeli forces demolished 3 houses in al-Walaja and 1 agricultural structure in al-Khader. Israeli forces also sprayed herbicides on olive crops in Battir, damaging 70 olive seedlings. 7 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Jenin, Ya‘bad, Husan, Bayt Awa, and Hebron; Israeli forces shot 1 Palestinian with live ammunition protesting the raid in Husan. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian family demolished their own home in Jabel Mukaber. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen 3 nautical miles from the coast; no injuries were reported. (HA, MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/9; PCHR 11/11)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said during a cabinet meeting that the PA had only received 10% of the usual contributions to its economy that it receives from foreign donors, leading to a very difficult financial situation. Prime minister Shtayyeh also pointed to Israeli deductions in the PA’s tax revenue and the COVID-19 pandemic as contributing to the PA’s financial hardship. (WAFA 11/9; MEMO 11/10)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas and EU representatives inaugurated a new headquarters built for the Palestinian Central Elections Commission, funded by the EU, in Ramallah. (WAFA, WAFA 11/9)

Jordanian king Abdallah II and foreign minister Ayman Safadi met with head of the United Arab List Mansour Abbas in Amman, to discuss the 2-state solution and King Abdallah’s custodianship of the holy places in Jerusalem. Abbas also told reporters that PA president Mahmoud Abbas has requested meeting him but that he has opted not to, fearing the response from the government coalition. (HA 11/9; ALM, ALM, MEMO 11/10)

Israel’s environmental protection minister Tamar Zandberg of Meretz (Vigor) said that the Israeli government was violating the coalition agreement by continuing to expand settlements in the West Bank. Environmental Protection Minister Zandberg also said she was dismayed by the targeting of Palestinian rights organizations in the West Bank. (HA 11/9)

Colombia’s president Iván Duque Márquez opened a trade office to Israel in Jerusalem, during a visit. The PA condemned the move and called on Colombia to reverse the decision. (TOI 11/9; WAFA 11/10)