In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalize a Palestinian home in Sinjil with graffiti and stones. Israeli settlers also assault Palestinian shepherds in al-Minya. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers...
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February 20, 2024
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January 10, 2024
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....
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December 8, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with a military escort assaulted 3 Palestinians in Khallet al-Daba in the Masafer Yatta area and stole their mobile phones. Israeli settlers also vandalized 8...
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December 1, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raided Jalud, setting fire to vehicles and throwing stones at homes. Israeli settlers also assaulted Palestinians and stole olive harvest in Khirbet Yanun....
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November 30, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted 10 olive trees in Kafr ad-Dik. Israeli settlers with a military escort also raided al-Twana, assaulting Palestinians. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers...
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November 23, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted 12 olive trees in Salfit and vandalized Palestinian property in al-Twana in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces shot and killed 3 Palestinians,...
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November 21, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in Yamun and damaged their vehicle. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles in Awarta, causing damage...
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November 20, 2023
In the West Bank, a Palestinian succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces on 11/9 in Jenin refugee camp. Israeli settlers assaulted Palestinian herders and stole some of their sheep in...
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November 13, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized a home in Shaab al-Butum for the third time in recent days and vandalized a power generator and internet cables in Wadi Jahish in the Masafer Yatta...
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November 11, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked and injured 4 Palestinians harvesting olives in Jamma’in with dogs, stones, and pepper spray. Israeli forces shot and killed 2 Palestinians during raids...
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November 1, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers opened fire at Palestinians harvesting olives in Qusra; no injuries were reported. Israeli settlers with a military escort also raided Wadi al-Hasin, injuring 1...
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October 31, 2023
In the West Bank, a Palestinian child succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces in Zawata on 10/30. Israeli settlers opened fire at Palestinian farmers in Beit Umar, causing damage to a...
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October 26, 2023
In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbed to wounds sustained from Israeli forces last week in Tura. 2 Israeli settlers were injured in what was said to be an attack by Palestinians near the...
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October 25, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in Burin, assaulting them at gun point and stealing tools, phones, and olive crops. Israeli settlers also raided Qarawat...
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October 20, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers opened fire at Palestinians harvesting olives in Yasuf, forcing the Palestinians to flee; no injuries were reported. Israeli settlers also set fire to a home and...
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September 22, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted olive tree saplings and vandalized agricultural equipment in Qaryut. Israeli settlers also fenced off a tract of land in Ein al-Hilweh in the Jordan...
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July 27, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set up a tent near Qaryut. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian farmers and set a car on fire in ‘Asira al-Qibliya. Israeli forces shot and killed 1...
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June 19, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted 20 olive tree saplings and stole a water tank in Umm Safa. Israeli forces raided Jenin, killing 7 Palestinians, including 2 minors, and injuring 91. 7...
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May 17, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized 1 water well, 120 olive tree saplings, and wheat and barley crops in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces shot and injured 6 Palestinians, including...
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January 26, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles near Huwwara, causing damage. Israeli forces shot and killed 10 Palestinians, including 3 by surface-to-air missiles and...
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October 19, 2022
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assaulted Israeli activists helping Palestinians in Kisan with olive harvesting. Israeli settlers also assaulted Palestinians harvesting olives with sticks and...
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July 12, 2022
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...
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October 25, 2021
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers stole olive harvesting equipment in Jalud. Israeli settlers also attacked Palestinians harvesting olives near Aqraba, disturbing their harvest. Elsewhere,...
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April 23, 2021
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted 13 olive trees in Hares. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling between Nablus and Jenin. Israeli forces violently...
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January 11, 2021
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted some 60 olive saplings in Jalud. Israeli settlers also attacked Palestinian vehicles traveling on the Nablus-Qalqilya road, leading to 1 injury and...
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalize a Palestinian home in Sinjil with graffiti and stones. Israeli settlers also assault Palestinian shepherds in al-Minya. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers destroy water pipes in Susiya. Israeli forces shoot and injure 4 Palestinians, uproot streets, and bomb a home in Jenin refugee camp. Israeli forces also raid Tuqu’, causing tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raze land in Husan for the second day in a row. Israeli forces also arrest 26 Palestinians, including 2 who were released during the prisoner exchange in November 2023 and 6 children, during raids and around Abud, Ramallah, Hebron, Tulkarm, Bethlehem, Nablus, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish an 8-story residential building under construction in Bayt Hanina. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Khan Yunis, Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, al-Bureij refugee camp, Maghazi, and Dayr a-Balah, killing at least 103 people. 18 people are evacuated from the Nasser Hospital, 118 patients are still inside the hospital. An Israelis soldier is killed in combat. In Lebanon, Hezbollah launches 6 rockets at Shebaa Farms. Israeli forces attack Blida, Kafr Kila, and Ayta ash Shab. In the Red Sea, Houthi forces launch a suicide drone at a U.S.-owned ship, causing damage. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/20; AJ, HA 2/21)
More than 29,195 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children and 7,200 women, and around 69,170 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 393 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 100 children. More than 4,522 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, 235 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,396 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. 19 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/20; UNOCHA 2/21; UNOCHA 2/22)
The World Food Programme announces that it cannot deliver aid in northern Gaza due to Israeli attacks and “complete chaos and violence due to the collapse of civil order.” The Gaza Media Office calls the decision “a death sentence for three-quarters of a million people.” (AJ, AP, HA 2/20; AJ, AJ, UNOCHA 2/21)
Israel orders the evacuation of the Zeitoun and Turkmen neighborhoods of Gaza City. (NYT 2/20; AJ 2/21)
UNOCHA releases a report saying that Palestinians in the West Bank were prevented from harvesting olives in more than 96,000 dunams (23,622 acres) of land due to Israeli restrictions during the 2023 harvesting season. Palestinians suffered a loss of $10 million from not being able to harvest olives. The report also notes that there were 113 incidents of Israeli settlers attacking Palestinians harvesting olives and stealing their crops between September and November. (UNOCHA 2/20; AJ 2/21)
The Israeli Justice Ministry is investigating 3 Israeli police officers who are suspected of sexually assaulting a man they arrested at the Hizma checkpoint in late December 2023. The unnamed victim told an Israeli court that the police officers “stuck whatever they had in the car into my anus.” A sexual assault examination conducted by the Institute for Forensic Medicine found that he had been sexually assaulted. (HA 2/20)
Israeli military chief of staff Herzl Halevi calls on Israeli military officers to “distinguish between terrorist and non-terrorist, not to take anything that is not ours – a souvenir or military item – and not to film revenge videos . . . We are not on a killing spree, revenge or genocide . . . We will not make a mistake and allow it to achieve anything in the international arena.” +972 Magazine and Local Call reports that Israeli soldiers are stealing Palestinian property in Gaza with the blessing of their commanders. (+972, HA 2/20)
Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh travels to Egypt for ceasefire negotiations. Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan says the U.S. veto of a ceasefire resolution at the UN Security council (see below) shows the U.S. is an accomplice to Israeli crimes. Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich says freeing the Israeli captives is not the most important goal for Israel. (AJ, HA, HA, HA 2/20)
UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini says Israel has not presented any evidence to back its allegation against UNRWA employees despite repeated calls for Israel to cooperate with the UN in its investigation. (AJ, HA 2/20)
At the UN Security Council, the U.S. vetoes an Algerian draft resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire. The UK abstains, while the 13 other members vote in favor. U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield calls the resolution “wishful and irresponsible.” The U.S. has offered its own draft resolution calling for a temporary ceasefire as soon as it is practical, but the resolution was not formally presented for a vote. PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour calls the U.S. veto “absolutely reckless and dangerous.” The PA Presidency condemns the veto, saying U.S. support for Israel makes it “a partner in the crime of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and war crimes.” France, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, the OIC, and Saudi Arabia say they regret that a ceasefire resolution could not be adopted. China criticizes the U.S. for stifling “an overwhelming consensus.” (AP 2/19; AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/20; AJ, AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/21)
On the second day of the ICJ hearings on the legality of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, South Africa says the occupation is “inherently and fundamentally illegal,” that Israeli apartheid is even more extreme than that in South Africa, and calls Israel’s occupation settler colonialism. Algeria, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, and Chile also deliver statements on the question of Israel’s occupation. Canada was scheduled to deliver remarks but decided not to. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/20; NYT 2/22)
UK crown prince William says in a statement after visiting the UK Red Cross headquarters that “[s]ometimes, it is only when faced with the sheer scale of human suffering that the importance of permanent peace is brought home,” adding that “too many have been killed” in Gaza. (AJ, HA, NYT 2/20; NYT 2/22)
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 assaulted 3 Palestinians in Khallet al-Daba in the Masafer Yatta area and stole their mobile phones. Israeli settlers also vandalized 8 olive trees in Burin. Israeli forces shot and killed 6 Palestinians, including a child, during a raid in al-Fara’a refugee camp. Israeli forces also shot and injured 8 Palestinians, including a child, during raids in Fawwar refugee camp, Kafr Ni’ma, Beit Umar, and Hizma. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrested the deputy director of the Islamic Waqf in Jerusalem, Sheikh Najeh Bkerat, in Dar Salah. Israeli forces also raided Qarawat Bani Hassan, destroying a memorial erected for a Palestinian killed by Israeli forces on 12/2. An Israeli soldier was shot and injured during a raid in Ya’bad. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians heading for the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Jabalia refugee camp, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Rafah, and Dayr al-Balah, killing around 350 people. Israeli airstrikes targeted the Yaffa Hospital in Dayr al-Balah, Al Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis, and Palestinians queuing for water in Khan Yunis. Rockets were fired at Israel; no damage was reported. 4 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked a military hospital in Ain Ebel, causing damage. Israeli forces also injured 3 Lebanese soldiers in Naqoura. In Syria, Israel said it attacked several targets near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. 4 people were reportedly killed in an airstrike on a car in Madinat al-Baath. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/8; AJ, HA, REU 12/9)
More than 17,487 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 7,729 children and 5,153 women, and around 46,480 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 264 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 68 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. 97 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. UNRWA said that at least 273 Palestinians sheltering at its shelters have been killed and 966 injured in Israeli attacks since 10/7. Rafah remained the only governate to receive aid. 4 injured Palestinians and 585 foreign nationals were evacuated to Egypt while 13 humanitarian staff and 11 ambulances donated by Turkey entered Gaza. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 12/8; UNOCHA 12/9)
Hamas said an Israeli attempt to free a captive failed, leading to the death of the captive, Israeli solider Sa’ar Baruch. Israel said 2 Israeli soldiers were seriously injured in the rescue attempt. (AJ, HA, NYT, REU 12/8; AJ, HA 12/9)
Al Jazeera said a number of the Palestinians taken by Israeli forces from UN schools in Beit Lahiya on 12/7 and stripped to their underwear were released, while others were taken to a military base in Israel, including Al-Araby Al-Jadeed journalist Diaa al-Kahlout. (AJ, AP, NYT 12/8)
The Israeli Education Ministry ordered school principals in East Jerusalem to suspend Palestinian students who were released as part of the prisoner exchange last week until 2024. (HA 12/8)
Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant signed an order to place an Israeli settler in administrative detention for attacks on Palestinians. Gallant also spoke with U.S. secretary of defense Lloyd Austin, who urged him to “increase efforts to protect civilians in Gaza, increase delivery of humanitarian assistance, and curb extremist settler violence in the West Bank.” Israel said an Israeli military helicopter killed an Israeli soldier during an attack on a building in Gaza last week. (HA, HA 12/8)
A UN Security Council resolution calling for ceasefire and the unconditional release of the Hamas-held captives was vetoed by the U.S., with the UK abstaining and the remaining 13 members voting in favor. Before the vote, PA UN envoy Riyad Mansour said the objective of the Israeli campaign was to ethnically cleanse Gaza, adding Israeli representatives were publicly admitting it. U.S. UN ambassador Robert Wood said the Hamas attack on 10/7 was the “worst attack on our people” in decades. After the vote Wood explained the veto, calling the resolution imbalanced for not condemning Hamas’ operation on 10/7. UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini said the constant Israeli bombings have made UNRWA’s ability to operate extremely limited. After the vote, Mansour called the U.S. vote a disaster. Hamas called the veto “unethical and inhumane.” Israeli UN ambassador Gilad Erdan thanked the U.S. for “standing firmly by our side.” Human Rights Watch UN director Louis Charbonneau said that the U.S. risks being complicit in Israeli war crimes by continuing to provide weapons and diplomatic cover. Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf called the UK’s abstention “incomprehensible.” (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/8; AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/9)
During an interview with Reuters, PA president Mahmoud Abbas called for an international conference to end the war in Gaza and to create the foundations for a lasting end to the Israeli occupation. Abbas said he was for “peaceful resistance” that led to a 2-state solution with a sovereign Palestinian state in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. Abbas also said he would accept a future election result if Hamas won. Later, Abbas’ office released a statement saying the U.S. veto at the UN Security Council made it complicit in war crimes against Palestinians. (HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 12/8; REU 12/9)
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his opposition to the PA governing Gaza after Bloomberg News ran an interview with PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh on 12/7, where he said the PA was working with the U.S. in preparation for taking over the governing of Gaza. (AJ, HA 12/8)
French president Emmanuel Macron spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu, urging him to open the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing and calling on Israel to protect civilians in Gaza and the West Bank. (AJ, HA 12/8)
The Arab-Islamic Summit Ministerial Committee met with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken, discussing the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The committee expressed their disappointment with the U.S. veto at the UN Security Council. The committee was represented by foreign ministers from the PA, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt. Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud also met with Blinken separately, calling for a ceasefire. (AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA 12/8; AJ, HA, NYT 12/9)
The Biden administration bypassed congressional review of the sale of 14,000 tank shells to Israel worth $106.5m. The Biden administration had asked Congress to approve the sale of 45,000 shells with the sale of the remaining 31,000 pending congressional approval. (AJ 12/8; AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, REU 12/9)
The European Commission announced that the EU will provide Palestine with at least $135 million in humanitarian aid through 2024. (HA 12/8)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raided Jalud, setting fire to vehicles and throwing stones at homes. Israeli settlers also assaulted Palestinians and stole olive harvest in Khirbet Yanun. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers raided a store in al-Zawiya, vandalizing it and steal items. Israeli settlers also threatened Palestinians in the al-Ka’abneh community near Jericho with death if they did not flee their village; the settlers threw stones at Palestinians, vandalized a vehicle and stole another. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers with military escort also attacked Palestinians in Qarawat Bani Hassan, stealing cash and vandalizing property. Israeli settlers also attacked Palestinian shepherds in the Masafer Yatta area and vandalized 50 olive trees in Qusra. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 2 with live ammunition and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also shot and injured 1 child during a riad in Sa’ir. East Jerusalem, Israeli forces sealed off the family homes in Sur Baher of 2 Palestinians who were killed after they shot and killed 3 Israelis in West Jerusalem on 11/30 in preparation for punitive demolitions. In Gaza, Israeli forces killed at least 180 Palestinians and injured more than 589 after the ceasefire expired at 7 a.m, including a family of 5 fleeing northern Gaza to the south on Salah al-Din Street and in bombardments on Rafah, al-Maghazi refugee camp. Israeli forces also bombed an ambulance outside of al-Shifa hospital, killing 2 paramedics. Elsewhere, Israeli forces attacked al-Awda Hostpial, causing damage and dropped leaflets in al-Qarara, Khuza’a, Abasan, and Bani Suheila, telling Palestinians to flee to Rafah. Rockets and mortar shells were fired at Israel, injuring 5 soldiers in Nirim. In Lebanon, Israeli forces shelled Hula, killing 2 civilians and 1 member of Hezbollah. Rockets were fired from Lebanon at Israel. In Yemen, Israeli forces reportedly attacked a missile warehouse in Saana. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/1; AJ, UNOCHA 12/2)
More than 15,180 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 6,150 children and 4,000 women, and around 37,000 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 242 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 63 children. More than 3,200 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. 75 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.8 million Palestinians, nearly 80% 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 11/18, 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 Red Crescent said Israeli forces prevented aid trucks from entering Gaza via the Rafah crossing. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate said 67 Palestinian journalists had been killed by Israel since 10/7. UNRWA reported a Hepatitis A outbreak at 1 of its shelters. (AJ, AJ, AX, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 12/1; AJ 12/2)
Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S. said they were working on reinstating the ceasefire which expired at 7 a.m. Israel confirmed that 4 captives held by Hamas had died. The U.S. parroted Israel’s explanation for the not extending the ceasefire, saying that Hamas did not produce a list of captives for exchange. Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to announce that Israel will not negotiate another ceasefire until all captives are released from Gaza. Hamas said it was Israel who undermined extending the ceasefire by rejecting 3 separate options presented to them by mediators, but that Israel had already decided to resume its attacks. The PA said it held the U.S. responsible for the resumption of Israeli attacks on Gaza. Israel said that Hamas still holds 137 captives, including 4 from before 10/7. During the temporary ceasefire 240 Palestinians, 107 children and 133 adults, including 65 18-year-olds and 68 women, were exchanged for 105 captives held by Hamas. 75% of the Palestinians were not convicted of a crime, most were arrested within the past year with 37 since 10/7. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AX, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/1; HA 12/3)
Israel published a map of Gaza dividing it into hundreds of small parcels, saying it will notify Palestinian civilians to leave the parcels when Israel intends to attack them. (AJ, UNOCHA 12/1)
Addameer said conditions in Israeli prisons had deteriorated significantly since 10/7, noting that 6 Palestinians had died and that prisoners are denied medical care, electricity, family and lawyer visits, and sufficient food and water. The UN Human Rights Office in the occupied Palestinian territories expressed concern over the “massive rise in the number of Palestinians arrested and detained, the number of reports of ill-treatment and humiliations suffered by those in custody, and the reported failure to adhere to basic due process.” (AJ, HA, REU, UNOCHA 12/1)
Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Israel “must return to and crush Gaza with all our might.” (AJ 12/1)
U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken claimed that Israel had taken steps to minimize civilian causalities by telling Palestinians in Gaza where they can go to safe zones. Blinken also spoke with Israeli strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer calling on Israel to allow the same amount of aid into Gaza as during the ceasefire period. (HA 12/1; AX 12/2)
Reuters said Israel had informed Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia that it intends to create a buffer zone in Gaza. The 4 countries reportedly opposed Israel’s plans. Reuters also reported that the U.S. has told Israel that it will impose visa bans on violent Israeli settlers in the coming weeks. (AJ, HA, REU 12/1; AJ, REU 12/2; HA 12/3)
1 person self-immolated outside of the Israeli consulate in Atlanta. Authorities said a Palestinian flag was recovered at the scene. The individual was said to be in critical condition. The Israeli consul general in Atlanta Anat Sultan-Dadon called the self-immolation an act of hate towards Israel. (AJ, HA, NYT 12/1; AJ 12/2)
The UN said Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process Lynn Hastings would be replaced after Israel refused to renew her visa. UN secretary-general spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said “[w]e need to make sure that there’s agreement and everybody is ok with the people we send,” calling Israeli slander against Hastings “unacceptable.” (AJ, HA 12/1)
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez spoke with Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz, saying Israel had a right to defend itself but said they civilian death toll in Gaza was unbearable. (AJ 12/1)
The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. had provided Israel with BLU-09 bunker busting bombs weighing 2,000 pounds each. The Journal said the U.S. had provided Israel with 15,000 bombs and 57,000 artillery shells since 10/7. (AJ 12/1; AJ 12/2)
The United Auto Workers union in the U.S., representing 400,000 people, called for the U.S. to pressure Israel to end its war in Gaza. (AJ, HA 12/1)
The New York Times reported that staff at the World Food Programme were angered at Executive Director Cindy McCain’s timid response to the situation in Gaza and that she had compromised the neutrality of the organization by sharing a stage on 11/18 with former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak as a prize named after her late husband John McCain was awarded to the “People of Israel.” (NYT 12/1)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted 10 olive trees in Kafr ad-Dik. Israeli settlers with a military escort also raided al-Twana, assaulting Palestinians. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers blocked the entrance to Deir Balut. Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man, claiming he had injured 2 Israeli soldiers in a car ramming near Atuf. Israeli forces also shot and killed a Palestinian outside of the Ofer Prison, injuring 4 others with live ammunition. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raided Tulkarm, damaging infrastructure and Palestinian property. Israeli forces also assaulted and detained 3 Palestinian farmers in Khirbet Yanun. Meanwhile, Israeli forces shot and injured 2 Palestinians during raids in Idhna and Arrabah. Israeli forces also demolished 5 homes and 6 water tanks in Farasin. Separately, Israeli forces seized a home in Karma, turning it into a military outpost. In the western part of Jerusalem, 2 Palestinian gunmen were killed after they opened fire at a bus station, killing 3 people and wounding 16 others. An Israeli civilian was killed by the soldier who killed the 2 Palestinians after the soldier mistook him for a Palestinian. The soldier was later arrested for the killing of the Israeli after a video circulated showing he had his hands raised in the air. Hamas said the 2 gunmen were members of its armed wing. Israeli forces subsequently arrested members of the families of the 2 Palestinians in Sur Baher. In Gaza, a Palestinian man succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces on 11/29 in Beit Hanun. Israeli forces shot and injured an Israeli journalist in southern Gaza. In Lebanon, Israel said it shot down an “aerial target” crossing from Lebanon. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/30; AP, HA 12/3; HA 12/4)
The Gaza Media Office did not update the casualty numbers, leaving the death toll from Israeli attacks at 15,000 as of 11/27, including 6,150 children and 4,000 women, and around 35,000 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 242 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 63 children. More than 3,200 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. 75 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.8 million Palestinians, nearly 80% 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. Israel said that at least 2,005 soldiers have been wounded since 10/7. Dozens of trucks carrying aid entered Gaza, including 7 trucks carrying fuel. 14 ambulances provided by Saudi Arabia also arrived in Gaza. Gaza’s Ministry of Health said hundreds of Palestinians needed to be evacuated to hospitals outside of Gaza for treatment. 30 people were evacuated to Egypt, including 9 wounded. 91 Palestinians returned to Gaza from Egypt and 31 medical staffers from the UAE and 2 UN staffers entered Gaza. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 11/30; UNOCHA 12/1)
The temporary ceasefire that was set to expire at 7 a.m. was extended for an additional day into 12/1. 30 Palestinian prisoners, 8 women and 22 children, were released from Israeli prisons on the seventh day of the prisoner exchange. 8 Israeli captives were released from Gaza. 2 Russian Israelis released on 10/29 were counted as released today to uphold the 1 to 3 prisoner release ratio that the parties had agreed to. Israel reportedly rejected a proposal from Hamas to exchange 7 captives and the bodies of 3 captives who had been killed in Israeli airstrikes. Egypt and Qatar said they continued efforts to extend the ceasefire by 2 days. Parents of Palestinians released in the prisoner exchanges called on the Red Cross to investigate the treatment of Palestinians after freed Palestinians said they were beaten and mistreated in prison. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, AX, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/30; AJ, AP, NYT 12/1)
U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and attended a meeting of the Israeli war cabinet. Blinken urged Israel to account “for humanitarian and civilian needs in southern Gaza before any military operation there,” and to curb settler violence in the West Bank. Blinken also reportedly expressed support for Israel’s continued war but warned that the longer it takes the more pressure there would be on Israel and the U.S. Blinken also met PA president Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, saying the 2 discussed the need for reforms in the PA to combat corruption, aid to Gaza, and settler violence. Abbas presented Blinken with a file documenting Israeli crimes in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and urged Blinken to support a lasting ceasefire. (AJ, AJ, AX, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 11/30; AP 12/1; HA 12/4)
Israeli energy minister Israel Katz called on Israel to punish the families of the 2 Palestinian gunmen that killed 3 Israelis in Jerusalem, saying they should lose their East Jerusalem residency cards. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir responded to the shooting by saying Israel will distribute more weapons to Israeli civilians. (AJ 11/30)
Higher Arab Monitoring Committee chairperson Mohammed Barakeh petitioned the Israeli High Court of Justice to end the Israel’s ban on protests in Palestinian communities in Israel. (HA 11/30; WAFA 12/2)
Qatari minister of state for international cooperation Lolwah al-Khater visited Gaza, meeting with Thomas White, the director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza. (AJ 11/30)
ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan visited Israel, touring areas attacked by Hamas on 10/7. Khan was invited to visit Israel by Israeli families that have relatives held captive in Gaza. In an interview with Haaretz, Khan said he had “reason to believe” that Hamas had committed crimes under international law on 10/7. Khan also said he was looking into settler attacks in the West Bank and the large casualty numbers in Gaza. Palestinian rights organizations urged Khan to visit Gaza. (AJ 11/30; HA 12/2)
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez said he doubted that Israel respected international humanitarian law and called Israel’s resumption of attacks in Gaza unacceptable. Israel subsequently summoned the Spanish ambassador for a reprimand and recalled its ambassador to Spain for consultations. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 11/30)
Jordan hosted an aid conference for Gaza. King Abdullah II condemned Israel for not allowing sufficient aid into Gaza. (REU 11/29; AJ, REU 11/30)
A +972 Magazine and Local Call investigation based on interviews with 7 current and former members of the Israeli intelligence community, Palestinian testimonies, data, and documentation from Gaza revealed that Israel had increased its attacks on what it calls “power targets,” which include private buildings, infrastructure, and high-rise blocks, to create a shock effect among civilians. According to the sources, the goal of bombing these civilian targets is to “lead civilians to put pressure on Hamas.” Several sources also said Israel has files that show its assessment of how many civilians will be killed in the bombing of these civilian targets. A source told the 2 publications that Israel had increased its permitted “collateral damage” from dozens when targeting a Hamas commander to hundreds and that Israel is fully aware how many civilians will be killed in its attacks. The sources also revealed that Israel use AI-based systems, such as Habsora, to identify targets, including the suspected homes of junior members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The investigation also said that Israel had broken from previous protocol by allowing the targeting of residential buildings without warning the residents, with Israeli Air Force chief of staff Omer Tishler saying that the “roof knocking” policy does not apply to war. Israel estimated that it had killed 1,000-3,000 Palestinian militants in Gaza out of at least 15,000 casualties. (+972, AJ 11/30)
The Washington Post reported that in late October Pope Francis told Israeli president Isaac Herzog in a phone call not “to respond to terror with terror”. (AJ, HA 11/30)
German and Belgian police searched homes of people who allegedly made social media posts in support of Hamas in Munster, Nordhorn, and Eupen. (AJ, HA 11/30)
Al Jazeera said its analysis of hundreds of speeches at the UN found that 55% of nations that have spoken on the issue of the situation in Gaza have called for a ceasefire, while 23% have called for a “pause,” and 22% did not call for either a pause or a ceasefire. (AJ 11/30)
The New York Times reported that Israeli military and intelligence officers knew of Hamas’ plans for Operation Al-Aqsa Flood but dismissed the attack as aspirational. The Israeli military obtained a 40-page document it called “Jericho Wall” outlining the plans for the operation, which the Times said was followed “with shocking precision.” The document showed that Hamas had intricate knowledge of Israeli military bases, prompting questions of whether it had informants in the Israeli military. (NYT 11/30; AP 12/1; NYT 12/2)
MSNBC cancelled The Mehdi Hasan Show, hosted by Mehdi Hasan, from 1/1/2024, saying it was making changes in preparation for the 2024 U.S. presidential elections. MSNBC was criticized for silencing voices critical of Israel with its cancelation of the show. Hasan was pulled off air for a period after the Israeli attacks started on 10/7. (AJ 11/30)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted 12 olive trees in Salfit and vandalized Palestinian property in al-Twana in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces shot and killed 3 Palestinians, including a 12-year-old during raids in Balata refugee camp, Beita, and Burqa. Israeli forces also shot and injured 5 people during raids in Balata refugee camp, Habla, and Burqa. Israeli forces also issued stop work orders for 8 homes in al-Khader. 76 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around ‘Azzun, al-Arroub refugee camp, Nablus, Balata refugee camp, Jenin, Tubas, Bethlehem, Aroura, and Abu Dis. 3,130 Palestinians have been arrested in the West Bank since 10/7. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shot, injured, and arrested a Palestinian child in Jabel Mukaber. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed around 270 Palestinians, including 30 in an airstrike on an UNRWA school in Jabalia refugee camp, 15 in Khan Yunis, 14 in Rafah, 10 in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City, and 5 in Nuseirat refugee camp. Israel also bombed the Zeitoun neighborhood, Bani Suhaila, al-Daraj, and al-Tufah. Israel said it had assassinated Hamas naval commander Omar Abu Jallah. Israeli forces also attacked the Indonesian Hospital’s main gate, power generators, and administrative office. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrested al-Shifa Hospital director Mohammad Abu Salmiya and other medical staff. After the arrest, the Gaza Ministry of Health suspended coordination with the WHO. 4 wounded Palestinians died during an evacuation from the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital to Khan Yunis. Israel said it attacked 300 sites in Gaza during the day. Rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel; no injuries were reported. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked several sites, saying they had been used to fire 35 rockets toward Israel, causing damage to 2 homes. In the Red Sea, the U.S. said it shot down drones launched from Yemen. (HA 11/22; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/23; UNOCHA 11/24; AJ 11/25; AJ 11/25)
The Gaza Media Office reported that 14,800 Palestinian have been killed, including 6,000 children and 4,000 women, and around 35,000 have injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 220 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 54 children. More than 2,885 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. 75 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.7 million Palestinians, more than 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 11/18, 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. 18,000 gallons of fuel and 80 truckloads of aid entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing. 433 foreign nationals and 17 wounded Palestinians were evacuated to Egypt. Less than 500 people fled northern Gaza to the south; UNOCHA noted that there were more people arrested by Israeli forces while crossing than in previous days. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 11/23)
Qatar announced that the ceasefire will begin at 7 a.m. on 11/24 with 13 captives being released to Israel at 4 p.m. The ceasefire was reportedly delayed due to a disagreement over the list of captives that would be released. The Israeli High Court of Justice rejected 2 petitions against the prisoner exchange, saying the court did not have justification to intervene in the ceasefire deal. Israel said Palestinians will not be allowed to return to the north of Gaza during the ceasefire. Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant said he expected the Israeli attacks on Gaza to continue for 2 months after the ceasefire period is over. Egypt said 35,000 gallons of diesel, 4 trucks of gas, and 200 trucks carrying aid would enter Gaza daily from 11/24 during the ceasefire. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AX, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT 11/23; HA, HA 11/24)
Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that an Iranian brokered deal would see 23 Thai captives released by Hamas without conditions. (HA 11/23)
Displaced Palestinians returning to the homes they fled from in al-Qanoub near Sa’ir said Israeli settlers had demolished and stolen all their belongings, including 5 homes, tents, and solar panels. The settlers had threatened the Palestinians with displacement or death. (WAFA 11/23)
PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with the Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez and Belgian prime minister Alexander de Croo in Ramallah, discussing the situation in Gaza and the West Bank. (WAFA 11/23)
A delegation of foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic countries, including the PA, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, and Nigeria met with French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris, discussing the situation in Gaza. The delegation had met with leaders in the UK, Russia, and China in the past week. (WAFA 11/23)
Israeli Channel 12 reported that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had instructed police not to deal with Israeli settler violence against Palestinians. Ben-Gvir also instructed prison authorities to use “an iron fist” in repressing celebrations of prisoner releases. (AJ 11/23)
Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah met with Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Lebanon. (AJ 11/23; HA 11/24)
Spanish foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares said before a meeting in Israel between Prime Minister Sanchez and Israeli president Isaac Herzog and prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Spain wants to recognize a Palestinian state in the “very short term,” adding the existence of a Palestinian state is the “best guarantee for peace in the Middle East.” During the meeting with Netanyahu, Sanchez proposed an international conference to settle the overall conflict. UK prime minister David Cameron also met with Netanyahu. (AJ, HA, REU 11/23)
Israeli communications minister Shlomo Karhi submitted a proposal to the Israeli cabinet that would end the publication of government notices in Haaretz and halt all government payments to the newspaper, including by canceling all state employees’ subscriptions. (AJ, HA 11/23)
German police raided 15 properties it claimed were linked to Hamas and Samidoun. (AJ, AP 11/23)
The UN said its member states had raised $218 million in funding for its flash appeal for Gaza, constituting 18% of the 1.2 billion requested. (UNOCHA 11/23)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in Yamun and damaged their vehicle. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles in Awarta, causing damage. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers set fire to a school in Zanuta, causing extensive damage. Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian during a raid in Balata refugee camp. Israeli forces also shot and injured 6 Palestinians, including a child, during raids in ad-Doha, ‘Asira al-Qibliya, Jenin, and Balata refugee camp. 45 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Jenin, Ramallah, Jericho, Nablus, Bethlehem, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces demolished a Palestinian-owned home in Isawiya, displacing 6, and a structure in Silwan. In Gaza, the Israeli military said it had encircled Jabalia refugee camp. Israeli soldiers continued their sieges of the Indonesian and al-Shifa hospitals; around 500 patients and staff were evacuated from the Indonesian Hospital to a hospital in Khan Yunis later in the day. At least 120 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza City, Jabalia refugee camp, Beit Lahiya al-Bureij, and Khan Yunis. Israel also attacked al-Awda Hospital, killing 3 doctors and a patient. 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. 2 Israeli soldiers were killed. 10 rockets were fired at Israel with 1 hitting Ness Ziona; no injuries were reported. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked several areas of South Lebanon, saying anti-tank missiles were fired by Hezbollah at Israel. 4 people, including an elderly woman and 2 journalists working for Al-Mayadeen television network, were killed in Israeli attacks in Kfar Kila and Tair Harfa. 4 Hamas members were killed in a drone strike on Chaatiyeh, reportedly including deputy chief of the Qassem Brigades in Lebanon Khalil Kharraz. Hezbollah later said it attacked Israeli tanks and soldiers, a military base in Beit Hilal, and a missile factory in Shlomi. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/21)
The Gaza Ministry of Health was not able to fully update the casualty figures due to a collapse in services and communications at hospitals in northern Gaza, leaving the casualty numbers at around 13,000 Palestinians killed, including 5,500 children and 3,500 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. 209 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 52 children. More than 2,885 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. 73 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 had been destroyed and 220,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 45% of all housing units. 2 trucks carrying 17,000 gallons of fuel and 79 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing. UNRWA said 108 members of its staff have been killed in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. (AJ, AP, HA, UNOCHA 11/21)
Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha was released after being arrested on 11/18 by Israeli forces in Gaza. Abu Toha was reportedly beaten while detained. (AJ, HA, NYT 11/21)
The Ministry of National Economy in the Nablus governorate said Israel had only allowed 45 Palestinian businesses to operate in Huwwara since 10/7, forcing 255 business to close. (AJ 11/21)
Jordan said Israel had ordered the evacuation of its field hospital in Gaza, saying it would not heed the order. (AJ, HA 11/21)
Hamas said it had agreed to the terms of the first prisoner exchange and temporary ceasefire. Islamic Jihad said it was coordinating with Hamas on the prisoner exchange deal. The Israeli war, security, and government cabinets convened in separate meetings in the evening to discuss the deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the deal was likely to happen, despite opposition from National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and that Israel would continue its war on Gaza after the temporary ceasefire. The meeting of the government cabinet was still ongoing at the end of the day. It was reported by Haaretz that the Israeli public would have 24 hours to appeal to the Israeli High Court of Justice if the government decides to approve the deal. Islamic Jihad said an Israeli captive it had tried to release earlier for humanitarian reasons had died. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, HA, REU, REU, REU 11/21; AJ, HA 11/22)
Jordanian prime minister Bisher Khasawneh said “[a]ny displacement [of Palestinians in the West Bank] or creating the conditions that would lead to it, Jordan will consider it a declaration of war and constitute a material breach of the peace treaty.” (AJ, HA, REU 11/21)
Lebanese caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati condemned the Israeli killing of 2 Lebanese journalists, saying Israel’s “goal is to silence the media that exposes its crimes and attacks.” (AJ, AP 11/21)
U.S. national security council spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. would not support Israeli military action in southern Gaza unless it “clearly articulated [a] plan for how they are going to protect the lives of the hundreds of thousands of people that have now added to the population because they were asked to leave by the Israelis.” Kirby also said that the Biden administration was considering redesignating the Yemeni Houthi government a terrorist organization, citing its attacks on Israel and the seizure of an alleged Israeli-linked vessel on 11/19. Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said the U.S. continued to supply Israel with “155 mm rounds, precision-guided munitions, and air defense systems.” Politico reported that the U.S. had sent Israel the coordinates for humanitarian sites, including hospitals, and gave Israel information about the movement of aid groups to avoid Israeli attacks on protected groups. However, Israel reportedly continued attacking those sites. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU 11/21; AJ 11/22)
A survey by the organization Arab World for Research and Development found that 98% of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza said they could not “forgive nor forget” Israel’s attacks on Gaza, with 65% saying the attacks were targeting all Palestinians. 75% said they supported Operation Al-Aqsa Flood to some extent. 22% said they expected the PA to return to power in Gaza. (AJ 11/21)
The European Commission said its review of its aid to Palestine did not find evidence that funds were used for Hamas. (AJ, HA, REU 11/21)
Representatives from the OIC and Arab League and the foreign ministers of the PA, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Jordan met with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow. Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry said Israel’s goal with bombing southern Gaza was to force Palestinians to flee Gaza. (AJ, HA, WAFA 11/21)
Leaders of the BRICS countries met virtually to discuss the situation in Gaza, demanding a ceasefire and condemning attacks on civilians in Gaza and Israel. Representatives of Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE, all countries that will join BRICS in 2024, also attended the meeting. Saudi crown prince Mohammad bin Salman called for a global ban on exports of arms to Israel. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU 11/21)
The South African parliament voted 248-91 to close the Israeli embassy and suspend ties with Israel. The motion was non-binding, leaving President Cyril Ramaphosa to implement it. (AJ, AJ, HA, WAFA 11/21)
The Scottish parliament voted 90-28 in favor of a ceasefire. All parties except for the Scottish Conservatives supported the motion. (AJ 11/21)
In the West Bank, a Palestinian succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces on 11/9 in Jenin refugee camp. Israeli settlers assaulted Palestinian herders and stole some of their sheep in Tuqu’. Israeli settlers also raided Kisan, stealing solar panels and a generator. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers raided Shaab al-Butum in the Masafer Yatta area, demolishing a residential structure and vandalizing solar panels, water tanks, and 70 olive tree saplings. Israeli settlers also attacked 2 Palestinians and 2 foreign journalists during a raid in Manizil and al-Rakiz in the Masafer Yatta, causing bruises. Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man during a raid near al-Arroub refugee camp. Israeli forces also shot and injured a Palestinian during a raid in Arrabah. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished a 4-story building under construction in al-Za’im. Nearly 50 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Deir al-Ghusun, Ramallah, Deir Ibzi, Bethlehem, and Qaryut. In Gaza, Israeli forces sealed off the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahiya; Israeli shelling of the hospital killed 12 people. 100 patients were later evacuated from the hospital. The Israeli seige of al-Shifa Hospital continued for the fifth day. Israeli forces also attacked a Doctors Without Borders clinic in Gaza City, destroying 4 of its vehicles that were clearly marked with the organization’s logo. Israeli airstrikes targeted Nuseirat refugee camp, killing 20, Rafah killing 15, and Khan Yunis killing a family of 5. 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. The Israeli military said it attacked 250 sites in Gaza. 2 Israeli soldiers were killed. In Tayibe, Israeli police arrested a 14-year-old Palestinian citizen of Israel for allegedly posting support for Hamas on social media. In Lebanon, Israel attacked several areas, including the home of Amal party official Kabalan Kabalan; no injuries were reported. Israel said Hezbollah launched 25 rockets and 3 drones at Israel, hitting military sites; no injuries were reported. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, CNN, HA, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/20; AJ, HA, HA 11/21)
The Gaza Ministry of Health was not able to fully update the casualty figures due to a collapse in services and communications at hospitals in northern Gaza, leaving the casualty numbers at around 13,000 Palestinians killed, including 5,500 children and 3,500 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. 208 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 52 children. More than 2,885 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. 71 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 had been destroyed and 220,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 45% of all housing units. Some 25,000 people fled northern Gaza to the south. The UN said that since shelters are completely full newly arrived displaced people were sleeping on the streets. 51 aid trucks entered Gaza, including trucks carrying material to build 2 field hospitals run by the UAE and Jordan. 2 trucks carrying 17,000 gallons of fuel entered Gaza. 180 doctors and nurses entered Gaza. 571 foreign nationals and 67 injured Palestinians were evacuated from Gaza via the Rafah crossing. Jordanian crown prince Hussein arrived in Egypt to oversee the establishment of the Jordanian field hospital, which will be set up in Khan Yunis. The Committee to Protect Journalists said 50 journalists have been killed since 10/7, including 45 Palestinians and 1 Lebanese. (AJ, AP, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 11/20; HA, UNOCHA 11/21)
Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak told CNN that the tunnels system Israel is claiming that Hamas uses under al-Shifa Hospital was built by Israel “five or four decades ago …. to enable more space for the operation of the hospital within the very limited size of the compound.” (CNN 11/20)
A witness said that the Palestinian man who died at the Ketziot Prison in the Naqab on 11/18, Thaer Samih Abu Assab, was beaten to death by Israeli forces after they raided his cell and assaulted 10 prisoners. (AJ 11/20)
Israeli forces reportedly arrested Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha on 11/18 while he was fleeing from northern Gaza to Rafah to get to the U.S. where his son has citizenship. (HA 11/21)
Israel indicted 2 Israelis on charges of terrorism for throwing Molotov cocktails at a court, a post office, banks, and Palestinian homes in Sheikh Jarrah. (HA 11/20)
The Israeli military said there have been several incidents of friendly fire in Gaza, saying Israeli soldiers had been killed as a result. There were more than 10,000 Israeli soldiers in Gaza. Israel’s military also said it had transferred 300 Palestinians from Gaza to Israel. (AP, HA 11/20)
Foreign ministers from the PA, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, and Indonesia and a representative from the OIC met with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Beijing, calling for a ceasefire. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 11/20)
Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh met with International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) president Mirjana Spoljaric in Qatar, who demanded that Hamas release all captives immediately and that the ICRC be allowed to visit the captives. The Hamas information ministry called on Egypt to open the Rafah crossing permanently, saying it fears epidemics and famine will hit Gaza due to the lack of food and basic medical services. A Hamas military spokesperson said the Qassam Brigades had destroyed 60 military vehicles in the past 3 days and that Israeli forces had killed their own soldiers after thinking they were captured by Hamas militants. (AJ, AP, HA 11/20)
PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with Latvian president Edgars Rinkević in Ramallah, discussing the situation in Gaza and the West Bank. (WAFA 11/20)
Israeli interior minister Moshe Arbel demanded that the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) build an aid program for Israelis evacuated from the area around Gaza and near the Blue Line, during a meeting with UNHCR representative in Israel Matthias Larota. The Knesset Ethics Committee banned Likud MK Nissim Vaturi from speaking at the next 10 Knesset sessions after he accused 2 Palestinian, MKs Aida Touma-Sliman and Iman Khatib-Yassin, of supporting Hamas. (HA 11/20)
Israel recalled its ambassador to South Africa. South Africa recalled its ambassador to Israel weeks ago and referred the situation in Gaza to the ICC on 10/7. The South African parliament is also scheduled to vote on 11/21 to close the Israeli embassy and cut all ties with Israel until a ceasefire is implemented. (AJ, HA 11/20; AJ, HA 11/21)
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he will not allow the issue of Israeli nuclear weapons to be dropped from the international agenda and said the “shame of the Holocaust has literally taken European leaders hostage,” referring to their support for Israel. (HA 11/20)
White House senior adviser for energy and investment Amos Hochstein met with Israeli officials, discussing the situation at the Blue Line and the development of the Gaza Marine gas field off the coast of Gaza, which he said would benefit the Palestinian economy. Hochstein arrived in Israel after meetings with Lebanese officials. (AJ, AX, HA, REU 11/20)
Amnesty International said Israel had committed war crimes by attacking a church in Gaza City on 10/19 and a residential building in Nuseirat refugee camp on 10/20, which killed 46 civilians, including 20 children. Amnesty said it had visited the sites, interviewed witnesses and survivors, and analyzed satellite imagery to reach its conclusion. (HA, WAFA 11/20)
13 U.S. senators urged President Joe Biden to work with Israel to increase aid to Gaza, including by reopening the Karem Abu Salem (Karem Shalom) crossing and to protect Palestinian civilians. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) called for a ceasefire, the second U.S. senator to do so after Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). 41 members of the House have called for a ceasefire. (AJ, HA 11/20)
Qatar said the revenue from the Asia Cup 2023 soccer tournament held in the country will go to Palestinian relief efforts. The Australian soccer team, which is playing against the Palestinian soccer team in a World Cup qualifying game in Kuwait on 11/21, said its players and soccer association will donate a 5-figure sum to Palestinians in Gaza. (AJ, WAFA 11/20)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized a home in Shaab al-Butum for the third time in recent days and vandalized a power generator and internet cables in Wadi Jahish in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces shot and killed a 66-year-old Palestinian taxi driver while he working in Hebron. Israeli forces also shot and killed 2 Palestinians during a late-night raid in Tulkarm refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces also shot and injured 4 Palestinians during a raid in Qalqilya. Israeli forces also opened fire at Palestinians harvesting olives in Zabbuba. 50 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Hebron, Jericho, Nablus, Qalqilya, and Jenin. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes on residential buildings in Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Bani Suhaila, and Jabalia refugee camp killed dozens of Palestinians and wounded many others, with at least 31 fatalities in Jabalia. Israel also attacked the Qatari-run Gaza Reconstruction Committee building, leading to condemnation from Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan. Israel claimed its forces assassinated Hamas militant Yaqoub Ashour and political wing member Muhammad Khamis Dababesh. 2 Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza. Rockets were fired at Israel, causing a fire in Petah Tikva. In South Lebanon, Israel attacked several places, calling them Hezbollah positions, killing 2 in Ainata and injuring Al Jazeera journalist Isaam Mawasi in Yaroun. (AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/13; WAFA 11/14)
The Gaza Ministry of Health was not able to fully update the casualty figures due to a collapse in services and communications at hospitals in northern Gaza. However, it did say that at least 11,360 Palestinians have been killed, up from 11,078 on 11/10, including 4,609 children and 3,100 women, and 27,490 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 3,250 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 180 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 47 children. More than 2,552 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals had been killed and 5,431 have injured since 10/7. 47 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.61 million Palestinians, around 70% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. As of 11/6, at least 40,000 housing units have been destroyed and 220,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 45% of all housing units. The PA Health Ministry said at least 32 patients at al-Shifa Hospital had died in the past 3 days, including 6 premature babies. 155 truckloads of aid entered Gaza through via the Rafah crossing. About 600 foreign nationals were evacuated to Egypt. The UN indicated that 12,500 displaced people, 900 patients, and 1,000 health workers fled the hospital over the weekend, saying that around 200,000 Palestinians have fled northern Gaza to the south since 11/5. The Kamal Adwan Hospital shut down operations after running out of fuel. The main power generator at al-Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis shut down due to a lack of fuel, putting 25 patients at imminent risk of death. UNRWA said Israel had used UNRWA facilities in Gaza to make camp sites and for interrogation of displaced Palestinians, as well as the killing of 5 Palestinians. UNRWA also said that it would be unable to receive aid from 11/14 due to its trucks running out of fuel. The Committee to Protect Journalists said 42 journalists and media workers had been killed since 10/7, including 37 Palestinians, 4 Israelis, and 1 Lebanese. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 11/13; AJ 11/14)
A 33-year-old Palestinian prisoner died in the Megiddo Prison. The Prisoners’ Commission and the Prisoner’s Society called his death a “premediated assassination.” 5 Palestinians have died in Israeli custody since 10/7. (WAFA 11/14)
The Shin Bet said it had recorded 120 hate crimes committed by Israeli settlers in the West Bank since 10/7 but that no one had been charged with any offenses. (HA 11/13)
Hamas official Osama Hamdan said an agreement on a prisoner exchange had come close several times, but that Israel repeatedly changed the terms at the last minute. Hamdan said most recently an agreement came close that would have seen Israel release 200 children and 75 women and allow fuel through the Rafah crossing in exchange for 50 captives. Hamas released a video that reportedly showed Israeli airstrikes killing a female captive and released a video of the captive filmed before her death. (AJ, HA 11/13; NYT 11/14)
PA prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called on the UN and EU “to parachute aid into Gaza, especially the north.” (AJ 11/13)
The Israel Broadcasting Authority blocked the broadcast of the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen channel in Israel. The Knesset passed a law to allow the defense minister to declare foreigners terrorists even if they have not been declared terrorists by bodies outside of the country. 2 Israeli soldiers were dismissed after they raided a school in al-Twana, seizing a Palestinian flag and threatening to raid the school daily. (AJ, AP, HA, REU 11/13; HA 11/14)
U.S. president Joe Biden met with Indonesian president Joko Widodo, who told him that a “ceasefire is a must for the sake of humanity.” Separately Biden said he expected “less intrusive action relative to the [al-Shifa] hospital,” saying the “hospital must be protected.” Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with newly appointed UK foreign secretary David Cameron about the situation in Gaza. (AJ, HA 11/13; AJ, AJ 11/14)
Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Store called on Israel to hand over the full tax revenue amount to the PA. (AJ, HA 11/13)
The Center for Constitutional Rights in the U.S. filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Palestinian human rights organizations against President Biden, Secretary Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, claiming they have failed to prevent Israeli genocide of Palestinians. (AJ 11/13; AJ 11/14)
30 U.S.-based civil society groups wrote a letter to Secretary Austin, urging the U.S. not to send 155mm artillery shells to Israel, saying they will be used for indiscriminate targeting due to the nature of the shells. (AJ 11/13)
An Iraqi militia released a video of Russian Israeli academic Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was kidnapped in Baghdad in March. (HA, NYT 11/13)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked and injured 4 Palestinians harvesting olives in Jamma’in with dogs, stones, and pepper spray. Israeli forces shot and killed 2 Palestinians during raids in Arrabah and Jenin. Israeli forces shot and injured 6 Palestinians during raids in Yatta, Tana, Jenin, Tulkarm, and Qalqilya. Elsewhere, Israeli forces prevented Palestinians from harvesting olives near Madama, seizing their tools. 25 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Idhna, Ramallah, Tulkarm, and Bethlehem. In Gaza, it was unclear how many Palestinians were killed and injured by Israeli airstrikes due to a collapse in services and communications at hospitals in the north. At least 13 were killed and 15 wounded in an airstrike on Rafah. Doctors Without Borders said people fleeing al-Shifa Hospital were being shot at as the hospital was surrounded by Israeli forces. Israeli attacks on al-Shifa Hospital killed 3 nurses and caused damage to several facilities including water tanks, a well, and the oxygen station. 5 Israeli soldiers were killed by Palestinian militants. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/11; UNOCHA 11/12)
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. As of 11/10, at least 11,078 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,506 children and 3,027 women, and 27,490 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 2,450 people were buried in rubble, including 1,350 children. 176 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 47 children. More than 2,552 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals had been killed and 5,431 have injured since 10/7. 47 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. Thousands of Palestinians fled from northern Gaza to the south. No one was evacuated from Gaza to Egypt. 53 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing. PA health minister Mai al-Kaila said 20 out of 30 hospitals in Gaza had shut down and that 37 premature babies were at risk of death due to the lack of oxygen at al-Shifa Hospital, noting that 2 babies died early today. Al-Shifa Hospital director Muhammad Abu Salmiya said the hospital was without power, internet, water, and medical supplies, saying it completely ran out of fuel. Abu Salmiya also said Israel had attacked the hospital, preventing people from leaving. Jordan air-dropped medical aid to the Jordanian field hospital in Gaza for the second time. (AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA 11/11; AJ, HA, WAFA 11/12)
PA prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh criticized Germany for supplying Israel with weapons during its war on Gaza. (AJ 11/11)
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he did not support resettling Gaza, saying it is not a “realistic goal,” and said the PA should not govern Gaza. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told soldiers near the Blue Line that “[w]hat we do in Gaza, we know how to do in Beirut.” (AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA 11/11; AJ, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA 11/12; HA 11/13)
Arab League and OIC leaders met for a joint session of the 2 organizations in Riyadh. In a joint statement, the members said Israel must end its “aggression against Gaza,” rejected the notion that Israel was acting in self-defense, and called for a halt to arms exports to Israel. PA president Mahmoud Abbas called on the UN Security Council and the U.S. to quickly intervene to end the Israeli attacks and to end Israel’s expulsion of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi told the joint session that the U.S. bears full responsibility for the Israeli actions in Gaza and called on the groups to designate the Israeli government and military a terrorist organization. It was the first time Raisi visited Saudi Arabia and the first visit by an Iranian president since 2012. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called on the IAEA to investigate Israel’s possession of nuclear weapons and for an international peace conference to solve the overall conflict. Qatari emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said Israel was using humanitarian aid as political blackmail and said the international community had failed in stopping Israeli war crimes. Hamas representative Osama Hamdan criticized the summit for failing to outline concrete steps to stop the Israeli attacks. Abbas met with leaders of Iraq, Bahrain, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia after the summit. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/11; AJ 11/12)
Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah said Hezbollah was launching drones at Israel every day, calling it part of a “war of attrition for the Israeli air defense.” Nasrallah also said Hezbollah will introduce heavier weapons to its fight against Israel. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU 11/11; HA 11/12)
Reuters reported that the UAE does not plan to sever ties with Israel over its attacks on Gaza. (REU 11/11)
Organizers said 1 million pro-Palestinian protestors marched in London, while London police estimated 300,000 took part. Major protests were also held in New York, Brussels, Paris, Baghdad, Karachi, Berlin, Edinburgh, and elsewhere. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 11/11)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers opened fire at Palestinians harvesting olives in Qusra; no injuries were reported. Israeli settlers with a military escort also raided Wadi al-Hasin, injuring 1 Palestinian minor and entering homes and commercial stores. Israeli forces raided Jenin and Jenin refugee camp, killing 3 Palestinians, including 2 in a drone strike, and arresting Fatah’s secretary general in Jenin Ata Abu Ramila and Fatah member Jamal Hawil. Israeli forces also shot and killed 1 disabled 65-year-old Palestinian man during a raid in Tulkarm. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raided a funeral procession for 1 child killed on 10/31 in Beit Umar, injuring 2 with live ammunition and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also shot and injured 2 Palestinians, including a child, during raids in Aida refugee camp and Ya’bad. Meanwhile, Israeli forces demolished 2 homes and 4 agricultural structures in al-Khader and seized a bulldozer in Deir Balut. Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem observed a general strike in protest over Israel’s attacks on Gaza. 62 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Jenin, Hebron, Qalqilya, Ramallah, Tulkarm, and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israel again cut off phone and internet services. The services were gradually restored 8 hours later. At least 280 Palestinians were killed and 697 injured in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. Israel conducted massive airstrikes on Jabalia refugee camp for a second day in a row. Hamas said 195 Palestinians were killed, 777 were injured, and 120 are missing in Jabalia refugee camp in the past 2 days. Israel claimed it had assassinated Hamas member Muhammad Asar. Rockets were fired at Israel. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked several places it said was linked to Hezbollah. Hezbollah said it had shot down an Israeli drone. Lebanon’s state run news agency said 2 Lebanese shepherds were killed by Israeli forces while grazing their herds by the Wazzani river. (HA 10/31; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/1; AP, REU 11/2)
The Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 8,805 Palestinians had been killed, including around 5,811 women and children, and 22,240 had been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 1,800 people, including 940 children, have been reported missing. 129 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 35 children. More than 2,274 people have been injured. Israel said 15 soldiers had been killed in Gaza since its ground invasion, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,400 Israelis, including foreign nationals, since 10/7. 5,431 Israelis have been injured. The UN reported that over 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half the population in Gaza, had been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete blackout of electricity in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. As of 10/23, at least 27,781 housing units have been destroyed and 150,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. The number is likely much higher given the lack of recent data. About 450 people, including 81 injured Palestinians and people with foreign passports, left Gaza to Egypt via the Rafah crossing. It was reported that Qatari mediation had brokered the agreement for a limited evacuation of some people from Gaza. 55 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza. PA health minister Mai al-Kaila said the only cancer hospital in Gaza, the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, had stopped operating due to Israeli bombardments and running out of fuel. The Indonesian Hospital’s main generator stopped working, putting the hospital’s oxygen station, ventilators, air-conditioners, and fridges in the morgue out of commission. 14 out of 35 hospitals in Gaza were out of commission. The UN said 11 out of 20 bakeries in Gaza have been destroyed in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. The UN also said it had recorded 171 settler-related incidents of violence against Palestinians and Palestinian property, 7 a day, since 10/7. UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini visited Gaza, saying the “scale of the tragedy is unprecedented.” (HA 10/31; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/1; AJ, AP, AP 11/2)
36 Palestinians fled their homes in al-Ganoub near Hebron due to Israeli settler violence. (UNOCHA 11/1)
The Israel Prison Service said 6,704 Palestinians were imprisoned in Israel, including 2,070 who were held in administrative detention. 1,512 were imprisoned during the month of October. Al Jazeera reported that Arafat Hamdan, who died in Israeli custody on 10/24, died because he was beaten and left in the sun with a bag over his head for hours while being refused his diabetes medicine. Palestinian Prisoners Society spokesperson Amani Sarahneh said a medical report issued by the Israel Prison Service showed that Omar Daraghmeh, who died in Israeli custody on 10/23, had “internal bleeding, particularly in his stomach and intestines.” The UN Human Rights Office reported that Palestinians arrested by Israel have been subject to violent and humiliating acts by Israeli forces during their arrest. (AJ, UNOCHA 11/1; HA 11/2)
Hamas said that 7 of the captives held by Hamas were killed in the Israeli airstrikes on Jabalia refugee camp on 10/31, saying “almost 50” of the captives have been killed in Israeli bombardments since 10/7. (AJ 11/1)
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) filed war crime complaints to the ICC in relation to the killing of 8 Palestinian and 1 Israeli journalists. RSF said 34 journalists had been killed since 10/7. The organization also said that more journalists have been killed since 10/7 than in in any other conflict since 1992. (AJ, AP 11/1; HA 11/2)
UN commissioner for human rights Volker Turk said the Israeli attacks on Jabalia refugee camp could amount to war crimes. Colombian president Gustavo Petro condemned the attack and said “[i]t’s called Genocide, they do it to remove the Palestinian people from Gaza and take it over.” EU high commissioner for foreign policy Josep Borell called the Jabalia refugee camp attack appalling. (AJ, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/1; AJ, AJ, AJ, HA 11/2)
PA prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh and Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki met with UK minister of state for the Middle East and North Africa Lord Tariq Ahmed in Ramallah, calling on the UK to support a ceasefire. (WAFA 11/1)
Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant said Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich should transfer the PA tax revenue to the PA, as it helps “in preventing terrorism.” It was reported that Gallant was left with the decision of whether to use new emergency regulations to ban Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel. Israeli sources told Haaretz that the Israeli government was hesitant to shut down Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel as it may undermine Qatari negotiations on a prisoner exchange. (AJ, REU 11/1; HA, HA 11/2)
The Religious Zionism party said its MK Zvi Sukkot will be appointed chairman of the Knesset subcommittee on West Bank issues. Sukkot has been arrested several times and had restraining orders against entering the West Bank for his connection to settler violence. (HA 11/1; HA 11/2)
Jordan recalled its ambassador to Israel. (AJ, AJ, REU, WAFA 11/1; HA 11/2)
For the first time U.S. president Joe Biden called for a “pause” to “get the prisoners out.” White House press secretary Katrine Jean-Pierre announced that the Biden administration will develop a national strategy to counter Islamophobia in the U.S., mentioning the “barbaric killing of Wadea al-Fayoume” a Palestinian American child who was killed by his landlord near Chicago on 10/15. The U.S. House of Representatives blocked a motion to censure Democrat Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). The motion, which was brought to the floor by Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), charged Tlaib with “anti-Semitic activity” and “leading an insurrection,” referring to a Jewish-led sit-in at the Capitol where protestors demanded a ceasefire in Gaza. Taylor Greene has herself made anti-Semitic comments. 23 Republicans voted against the motion and 13 Democrats abstained. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. still wants to move forward with its efforts to normalize ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel and claimed that Saudi Arabia has indicated a willingness to proceed. (AJ 11/1; AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA 11/2)
The Houthi-led Yemeni government said it would continue to carry out military operations against Israel until Israel stops attacking Gaza. (HA 11/2)
Pope Francis called for a 2-state solution with Jerusalem as a special status city. (AJ 11/1; REU 11/2)
In the West Bank, a Palestinian child succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces in Zawata on 10/30. Israeli settlers opened fire at Palestinian farmers in Beit Umar, causing damage to a vehicle and forcing the Palestinians to flee. Israeli forces shot and killed 2 Palestinians during raids in Tubas and Beit Umar, including a child and a 70-year-old man. Israeli forces also shot and injured 8 Palestinians during raids in Qabatiya, Tubas, and Dheisheh refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished the family home of senior Hamas member Saleh al-Arouri in Aroura; Israeli forces placed a flag in the rubble of the house saying Hamas equals ISIS. Israeli forces also uprooted 12 olive trees and razed farmland in Farkha. 52 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarm, and Ramallah. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed more than 200 Palestinians. Israel said it had attacked 300 targets in Gaza and assassinated Hamas commanders Nasim Abu Ajina and Ibrahim Biari in airstrikes. The airstrike that Israel claimed killed Biari killed at least 50 people injured 150 in Jabaliya refugee camp and leveled 30 residential buildings; Hamas denied that Israel had killed Biari. Hamas said it killed an Israeli soldier and damaged 2 vehicles near Gaza City. Israel said 15 soldiers had been killed during the ground invasion today. Rockets were fired at Israel causing damage and injuries. Israel said it shot down a drone near Eliat; the Houthi-led government in Yemen claimed responsibility. In Lebanon, Israel said it intercepted a surface-to-air missile fired at an Israeli drone and killed a member of Hezbollah. (HA 10/30; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/31; AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT 11/1)
The Gaza Ministry of Health said at least 8,525 Palestinians have been killed, including around 5,700 women and children, and 21,543 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. 1,800 Palestinians, including 940 children, have been reported missing. In addition, Israeli media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. 125 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 35 children. More than 2,209 have been injured. Israel said 15 soldiers were killed in Gaza, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals; 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. The UN reported that over 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half the population in Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7 and that since 11 p.m. on 10/12 there has been a complete electricity blackout due to the Israeli blockade. As of 10/23, at least 27,781 housing units had been destroyed and 150,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. 59 truckloads of aid entered Gaza. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres called the pace of aid entering Gaza “completely inadequate.” UNICEF spokesperson James Elder described Gaza as “a graveyard for thousands of children” and “a living hell for everyone else.” (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 10/31; HA, NYT 11/1)
Amnesty International said Israel had used white phosphorus smoke artillery shells in South Lebanon between 10/10 and 10/16 “indiscriminately, and therefore unlawfully.” Amnesty said Israel injured 9 civilians with white phosphorus in Dhayra on 10/16. The Lebanese civil defense said it was fighting wildfires in South Lebanon that it claimed erupted due to Israel firing white phosphorous shells. (AJ, AP, HA, REU 10/31)
Hamas military spokesperson Abu Obaida said Hamas will release a number of captives who hold non-Israeli passports in the coming days, saying “we do not want to hold them in the Gaza Strip.” Abu Obeida also said the Israeli soldier Israel claimed to have freed on 10/30 was not held by Hamas. Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh met with Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Qatar. Gaza Interior minister, Iyad al-Bazom, said Israel is seeking to separate northern Gaza from the south with its ground invasion. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU 10/31)
Fatah called for a general strike on 11/1 in response to the attack on Jabaliya refugee camp. PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with UK prime minister Rishi Sunak, discussing the situation in Gaza and the need for a political solution to the Israeli occupation. (HA, WAFA, WAFA 10/31)
The Shin Bet warned the Israeli government of an “explosion” in violence in the West Bank due to the increase in Israeli settler attacks. (AJ 10/31)
The Israeli military issued an temporary order of 2 year minimum sentences for Palestinians in the West Bank who are convicted of having an association with Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Lions’ Den, and ISIS and 1 year for incitement, attempting to enter a restricted location, and obtaining information about the restricted location in the context of terror organizations. (HA 10/31)
The Wall Street Journal reported that Egyptian prime minister Mustafa Madbouly said Egypt is ready to sacrifice the lives of millions to ensure Palestinians do not flee or are forcefully displaced to Egypt. (HA 10/31)
Bolivia announced that it has severed ties with Israel due to “the aggressive and disproportionate Israeli military offensive taking place in the Gaza Strip.” Israel condemned Bolivia for supporting “terrorism.” Bolivian Israeli ties were restored in 2020 by the right-wing interim President Jaenine Anez after they were first cut by President Evo Morales in 2009. Columbia and Chile recalled their ambassadors from Israel for consultations. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, and Jordan condemned Israel’s massive airstrike on the Jabaliya refugee camp. Qatar called the attack “a new massacre against the defenseless Palestinian people.” Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf said “I am sorry to those innocent men, women and children in Jabalia Refugee Camp that the world could not protect you. This blatant disregard for human life must be condemned unequivocally,” calling for a ceasefire. The Arab League reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/31; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU 11/1)
The Financial Times reported that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked his Austrian and Czech counterparts to lobby EU members to pressure Egypt into taking refugees from Gaza. Germany and France reportedly dismissed the idea. (AJ 10/31)
U.S. president Joe Biden spoke to King Abudullah II of Jordan, discussing humanitarian aid to Gaza. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli president Isaac Herzog discussed aid and the need to protect civilians in Gaza and the West Bank. U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. has told Israel that the need for fuel in Gaza was urgent. Responding to a question about Prime Minister Netanyahu comparing Palestinians to the biblical people Amalek, Kirby said, “I am not qualified to speak much on biblical history, but we have been crystal clear on our concern about genocidal behavior about any leader. That is not what we are seeing Israel desire to do,” further claiming that Israel is trying to prevent civilian casualties. U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda-Thomas Greenfield said the U.S. “is deeply concerned by the significant uptick in violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank.” The U.S. deployed a F-15E fighter jet squadron and special forces to Jordan. 25 U.S. heavy transport planes also landed in Jordan. The Pentagon said the U.S. has soldiers in Israel helping with identifying captives held by Hamas. The U.S. criticized Lebanon for not filling its presidency, leaving it vacant for 365 days. At the U.S. Senate, a member of Code Pink was removed while castigating Secretary Blinken for U.S. complicity in the Israeli attacks on Gaza, while several others held their hands, covered in red dye, raised. Blinking told the Senate that the U.S. and other countries had discussed the future of Gaza, including having the PA govern there. The U.S. Senate confirmed, in a 53-43 vote, former Treasury secretary Jack Lew as the next U.S. ambassador to Israel. All Democrats and Republican senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Rand Paul (R-KY) voted to confirm Lew. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU 10/31; AJ, NYT, REU 11/1)
EU high representative for foreign affairs Josep Borell discussed the need to restore a “political horizon and relaunch the peace process” with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and representatives from the OIC. (AJ, HA, WAFA 10/31)
A poll commissioned by the Arab American Institute found that Arab American support for U.S. president Joe Biden has decreased 42% since 2020. 40% of the people polled said they would vote for Donald Trump, 17.4% for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and 3.8% for Cornel West, while 25.1 said they were undecided. (AJ, HA, REU, REU 10/31)
Virginia attorney general Jason Miyares said he will open an investigation into American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), alleging that the organization was providing support to terrorist organizations and was not fundraising with a proper registration. AMP denied the allegations and said Miyares was “attempting to score political points with hateful extremists.” (AJ, HA 10/31)
4 Belgian transport workers’ unions issued a joint statement calling on their members to refuse to handle military equipment bound for Israel, labelling Israel’s actions in Gaza genocide. (REU 10/31)
Director of the New York office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Craig Mokhiber, resigned in a letter to UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk, saying the UN was failing in its mission to stop genocide in reference to the Israeli attacks on Gaza. Mokhiber accused the U.S., the UK, and parts of Europe of being complicit in the Israeli genocide in Gaza. (GDN, NYT 10/31)
In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbed to wounds sustained from Israeli forces last week in Tura. 2 Israeli settlers were injured in what was said to be an attack by Palestinians near the Rimonim settlement north of Wadi as-Seeq. Israeli settlers assaulted 5 Palestinians during raids in Deir Jarir, Qusra, Bethlehem, and Taybeh. Israeli settlers also vandalized homes, stole items, and assaulted Palestinians in Shaab al-Buum and Khirbet Saddet al-Tha’leh in the Masafer Yatta area. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers left leaflets in Deir Istiya warning Palestinians to flee to Jordan before they are forcefully expelled in the “great Nakba.” Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian child and injured another during a raid in Jalazone refugee camp. Nearly 100 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Biddu, Kobar, Arora, al-Mughayyir, al-Bireh, Bethlehem, Hebron, Sanour, and Marda. In Gaza, Israeli attacks killed at least 481 Palestinians, including 209 children. Israeli tanks entered Gaza, killing several people and damaging buildings. Israel also said it used combat helicopters to assassinate 4 Hamas members, Shadi Barud, Tareq Ma’ruf, Rafat Abbas, and Ibrahim Jadbah in Gaza City. Rockets were fired at Israel; no new injuries were recorded. In South Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked Ayta al-Shaab. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/26; HA, UNOCHA 10/27)
The Gaza Ministry of Health said at least 7,028 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 4,000 women and children, and 18,482 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. It is estimated that 1,600 people, including 900 children, were trapped in rubble. In addition, Israeli media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. 104 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 30 children. More than 1,956 have been injured. Israeli officials recorded no new fatalities, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals; 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. The UN reported that over 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half the population in Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7 and that since 11 p.m. on 10/12 there has been a complete electricity blackout due to the Israeli blockade. As of 10/23, at least 27,781 housing units had been destroyed and 150,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. At least 45% of all housing units have been either destroyed or damaged in Israeli airstrikes. 12 truckloads of aid entered Gaza. (AJ, HA, WAFA 10/26; UNOCHA 10/27)
The Gaza Ministry of Health published the names and ID numbers of more than 7,000 Palestinians killed, including 2,665 children, in Israeli attacks since 10/7. The publication of the names comes 1 day after U.S. president Joe Biden questioned the reliability of the ministry’s data. (AJ, NYT 10/26)
PA minister of public works and housing minister Mohammad Ziyara said 200,000 housing units have been completely or partially destroyed by Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. Israel said that 224 people are being held captive in Gaza. (AJ, WAFA 10/26)
Hamas leaders Bassem Naim and Moussa Abu Marzouk and Iranian deputy foreign minister Ali Baghiri Kani met with Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov in Moscow. Israel condemned Russia for hosting members of Hamas. Hamas military spokesperson Abu Obeida said Israeli airstrikes have killed around 50 captives. Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a speech that Israeli attacks on Gaza will “destabilize the entire region” and that the resistance in Gaza was “doing well.” (AJ, HA 10/26; AP, HA 10/27)
At the UN Security Council, PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki said Israel was waging “a war of revenge” with no real objective. Al-Maliki also met with ICC prosecutor Karim Khan in The Hague. The UN General Assembly also convened an emergency session. (REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/26)
The UAE, Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, and Morocco released a joint statement, condemning the targeting of civilians, forced displacement, and collective punishment of Palestinians in Gaza. (AJ, HA 10/26)
EU leaders agreed on a final communique after a 7-hour-long meeting on the Israeli attacks on Gaza, calling for “humanitarian corridors” and “pauses.” (AJ 10/26)
Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said of Israeli attacks on Gaza, “it is not war, it is a genocide that has killed 2,000 children.” (AJ 10/26)
A venue in Israel canceled a Palestinian-Jewish conference after Israeli police warned the venue’s owner of “consequences.” The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee said Israel is “persecuting the Arab public, trying to prevent political meetings and silence them.” (HA 10/25; HA, HA 10/26)
The U.S. said it attacked 2 facilities with links to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in Syria. The U.S. also deployed 900 troops to the Middle East. A Pentagon spokesperson said that they were not going to Israel. (AJ 10/26; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT 10/27)
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution denouncing anti-Semitism on campuses. In related remarks, senators conflated criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism. The Anti-Defamation League sent 200 letters to campuses in the U.S. requesting that they investigate Students for Justice in Palestine for possibly violating a law prohibiting support for a foreign terrorist organization. (Congress, HA 10/26; INT 10/27)
A Gallup poll found that U.S. president Joe Biden lost 11 percentage points among Democrats since September and that his overall approval rating has dropped from 41 to 37. (AJ, HA 10/26)
Switzerland suspended financial support for 6 Palestinian and 5 Israeli NGOs, including Adalah, Al-Shabaka, Gisha, 7amleh, HaMoked, Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Centre, MIFTAH: The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy, Palestinian Center for Human Rights, Palestinian NGO Network, Physicians for Human Rights, and the Women's Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling. Switzerland said it would analyze the feasibility of the programs. (HA 10/26)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in Burin, assaulting them at gun point and stealing tools, phones, and olive crops. Israeli settlers also raided Qarawat Bani Hassan, opening fire at Palestinians harvesting olives, forcing them to flee. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers uprooted 55 trees using a bulldozer in al-Twana. Israeli settlers also assaulted Palestinians in Khallet ad-Dabi, causing fractures and bruises on several of them. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian homes in Arab al-Milehat near Jericho. Israeli forces killed 7 Palestinians, including 2 children, during raids in Jenin refugee camp, Qalqilya, and Qalandia refugee camp; 5 of the Palestinians were killed in a drone strike on Jenin refugee camp. Israeli forces also shot and injured 28 Palestinians during raids in Jenin refugee camp and Qalandia refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces razed land and uprooted 25 trees near Beit Umar. 52 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, Salfit, Jenin, Tubas, Bayt Awa, and Beit Umar. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli settlers with a military escort also attacked Palestinians in al-Sawana, injuring 3, including 2 with baton rounds and 1 by assault. Israeli forces demolished a Palestinian home in Shaykh Jarrah, displacing 9. Israel also forced a Palestinian family to demolish their own home in Bayt Hanina. 20 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed 756 Palestinians, including the wife, son, daughter, and grandchild of Al Jazeera Gaza bureau chief Wael Dahdouh in an airstrike that was said to be targeting him. Israeli airstrikes also destroyed a bakery in Dayr al-Balah shortly after it received a shipment of flour. Rockets were fired at Israel, causing damage and injuries. In Lebanon, Israeli attacks killed 2 members of Hezbollah, increasing the number of Hezbollah members killed to 40 since 10/7. In Syria, Israeli forces attacked Aleppo International Airport, rendering it out of service, and killed at least 8 and wounded 7 others in a different attack in southwestern Syria. (AJ 10/24; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/25; AJ, AP, AP, AP, WAFA 10/26)
The Gaza Ministry of Health said as of 5 p.m. at least 6,547 Palestinians had been killed, including at least 4,000 women and children, and 17,439 had been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. It is estimated that 1,500 were trapped in rubble. In addition, Israeli media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. 102 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 29 children. More than 1,833 have been injured. Israeli officials recorded no new fatalities, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals; 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. The UN reported that over 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half the population in Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7 and that since 11 p.m. on 10/12 there has been a complete electricity blackout due to the Israeli blockade. At least 27,781 housing units have been destroyed and 150,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. At least 45% of all housing units have been either destroyed or damaged in Israeli airstrikes. The Committee to Protect Journalists said at least 24 journalists have been killed since 10/7, including 20 Palestinians, 3 Israelis, and 1 Lebanese. The UN said the shortage of fuel was undermining its efforts to help Palestinians in Gaza. Israel told 40,000 Palestinians in Dayr al-Balah and Khan Yunis to evacuate to al-Mawasi. (AJ 10/24; HA, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA 10/25; AP 10/26)
The Palestinian Federation of Trade Unions said between 9,000 and 9,500 Palestinians from Gaza, employed in Israel, were in Israel on 10/7. 5,000 of them made it to the West Bank, with some 2,000 of them subsequently being arrested by Israel while 1,000 are unaccounted for. A Palestinian worker told Haaretz after he was released from an Israeli detention camp that Palestinians were held in the sun for 2 days without food, while they were blindfolded and their hands were tied. He also said he was beaten and threatened with death during an interrogation. (AJ 10/24; HA 10/25; HA, WAFA 10/26; AJ 10/28)
Oxfam said Israel was using starvation as a weapon of war, saying only 2% of the food that circumstances would have entered Gaza under normal circumstances has been delivered since 10/7 and that 104 trucks of food are needed daily to cover the needs of the population. (AJ 10/25)
Hamas deputy political leader Saleh al-Arouri and Islamic Jihad secretary-general Ziad al-Nakhalah met with Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. (AJ 10/24; AJ, HA, REU 10/25; HA 10/26)
U.S. president Joe Biden questioned the accuracy of the death toll reported by the Gaza Ministry of Health. Human Rights Watch said the data provided by the ministry is accurate, saying their own investigations are aligned with the ministry’s data. Biden also criticized Israeli settlers for “attacking Palestinians in places that they are entitled to be.” After a call with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a readout of the conversation stated that they discussed a “pathway for a permanent peace.” Newly elected House of Representatives speaker Mike Johnson’s first act as speaker was to bring a pro-Israel resolution to the floor, which passed 412-10, with 6 voting present. The U.S. said it will send 2 Iron Dome batteries and 300 interceptors to Israel. (AJ, REU 10/24; AJ, HA, HA, NYT, NYT 10/25; AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, REU 10/26)
At the UN Security Council, the U.S. and UK vetoed a Russian resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire. China, Gabon, Russia, and the UAE voted for the resolution while the 9 other members abstained. Russia and China vetoed a U.S. resolution calling for “humanitarian pauses.” The UAE also voted against it, while Albania, France, Ecuador, Gabon, Ghana, Japan, Malta, Switzerland, and the UK voted in favor. Brazil and Mozambique abstained. (AJ 10/24; AJ, REU 10/25; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, WAFA 10/26)
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a speech that he will not visit Israel as planned and that relations between the 2 states will not improve, calling Israel’s attacks on Gaza “inhumane.” Erdoğan also said Hamas is a liberation group that protects its lands and people. (AJ 10/24; AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU 10/25; NYT 10/26)
French president Emmanuel Macron met with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who said the 2 discussed the “many, many civilian casualties” that could result from an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza. Macron also met with King Abdullah II of Jordan in Amman. Macron said France will deploy a navy ship to bring aid to Gaza hospitals via Egypt. (AJ 10/24; HA, REU, REU 10/25; AP 10/26)
Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf called UK prime minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer’s refusal to call for a ceasefire “infuriating.” (AJ 10/24)
The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. has asked Israel to hold off on its planned ground invasion of Gaza until the U.S. has bolstered its defenses in Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, and the UAE. Haaretz reported that as of 10/22, 80 U.S. military planes have landed in Israel, Jordan, and Cyprus. (HA 10/24; HA, HA, NYT, REU 10/25)
Axios reported that U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken has asked Qatar to “tone down” Al Jazeera’s rhetoric on the Israeli attacks on Gaza. (AJ 10/24)
Fans of the Scottish soccer club Celtic waived 100s of Palestinian flags during a Champions League match against Atletico Madrid in Glasgow. (AJ 10/24; AJ 10/26)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers opened fire at Palestinians harvesting olives in Yasuf, forcing the Palestinians to flee; no injuries were reported. Israeli settlers also set fire to a home and vandalized water pipes in al-‘Awja. Israeli forces shot and killed 2 minors during raids in Huwwara and Beitunia. Israeli forces shot and injured 21 Palestinians with live ammunition during raids in al-Azza refugee camp, ‘Urif, Idhna, Beit Furik, al-Bireh, Bethlehem, al-Khader, Tura, and Beitunia. Elsewhere, Israeli forces punitively demolished a home with explosives in ‘Urif. 55 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Bethlehem, Nablus, Ramallah, and Jalazone refugee camp. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed around 350 Palestinians, including Hamas member Muhammad Tzviach. Israeli airstrikes destroyed the Grand al-Omari Mosque in Jabalia. Rockets were fired at Israel; no fatalities were reported. At the Lebanese border, an Israeli soldier was killed and 3 others injured in anti-tank fire near Margaliot. Israeli forces also attacked Hezbollah camps with combat helicopters. (AJ, AP, HA 10/19; AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/20; AP, HA, REU 10/21)
The Gaza Ministry of Health said as of 5 p.m. at least 4,137 Palestinians had been killed, including at least 1,524 children, and 13,162 had been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7, including 47 entire families consisting of 500 people. The UN said that about 70% of Palestinians killed in Gaza are children and women. It is estimated that hundreds are still trapped in rubble. In addition, Israeli media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. 83 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 25 children. More than 1,434 have been injured, including at least 350 with live ammunition. Israeli officials recorded no new fatalities, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals; 4,629 have been injured since 10/7. The UN reported that over 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half the population in Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7 and that since 11 p.m. on 10/12 there has been a complete electricity blackout due to the Israeli blockade. At least 21,900 housing units have been destroyed and 121,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting around 30% of all homes in Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent said Israel has told al-Quds Hospital to evacuate its 500 patients and the 12,000 people sheltering at the hospital. UNRWA said 16 of its staff members have been killed and 10 wounded in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. The Committee to Protect Journalists said that 22 journalists have been killed since 10/7, including 18 Palestinians, 3 Israelis, and 1 Lebanese. (AJ 10/19; AJ, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/20; WAFA 10/21)
Amnesty International said it has documented Israeli actions that should be investigated as war crimes, including indiscriminate attacks leading to mass civilian casualties. (AI 10/20)
Hamas released 2 American captives, a mother and her daughter, “on humanitarian grounds” after negotiations with Qatar. It was unclear if Hamas received anything in return. A Hamas statement also said the group had released the captives “to prove to the American people and the world that the claims made by Biden and his fascist administration are false and baseless.” (AJ 10/19; AJ, HA, HA 10/20; HA 10/22)
Forensic Architecture released a preliminary analysis of the al-Ahli Arab Hospital bombing saying the “[f]ragmentation patterns may indicate the projectile came from the northeast – the direction of the Israeli-controlled side of the Gaza perimeter – and not from the west [as Israel has claimed].” UK Channel 4 and Al Jazeera have also concluded that Israeli claims that the explosion at the hospital was caused by an errant rocket are dubious. (AJ 10/19; AJ, AJ 10/20)
PA president Mahmoud Abbas traveled to Cairo for a summit on the Hamas-Israel war and humanitarian aid to Gaza. Representatives from Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UN, the UK, and the UAE will attend. In Cairo, Abbas met with UK prime minister Rishi Sunak. Abbas also spoke with French president Emmanuel Macron, Chilean president Gabriel Boric, and Pakistani caretaker prime minister Anwar al-Haq. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/20)
The Israeli prime minister’s office said, “[t]he prime minister has defined the objective – to obliterate Hamas, any talk of decisions to relinquish Gaza to the Palestinian Authority or any other authority is a lie.” (HA, HA 10/20)
The White House made a formal request to Congress for $10.6 billion in military aid to Israel, $3.7 billion in State Department financing to cover foreign military financing and embassy support, and $9.15 billion in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, Israel, Gaza. U.S. president Joe Biden has publicly said $100 million will be allocated for Gaza. (AJ 10/16; HA 10/20)
The U.S. and EU issued a joint statement after the EU leadership met with President Biden in Washington D.C., expressing concern at the “deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.” More than 800 EU officials wrote a letter to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, criticizing her “uncontrolled” support of Israel and calling the EU’s response to the massacres in Gaza “indifference.” (AJ 10/19; AJ, AJ 10/20)
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Israeli attacks on Gaza amounted to genocide and had to be stopped. (AJ 10/19; HA 10/20)
The New York Times reported that the President Biden urged the Israeli war cabinet not to attack Hezbollah in a “preemptive strike,” fearing that the U.S. and Iran would get directly involved. (HA 10/21)
McDonald’s franchises in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, and Turkey pledged $3 million in support for Palestinians in Gaza after McDonald’s in Israel said its franchises there would give free meals to Israeli soldiers. (AJ 10/19; AJ 10/20)
Meta apologized for inserting the word “terrorist” in the biographies of many Palestinian users on Instagram. (AJ 10/19)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted olive tree saplings and vandalized agricultural equipment in Qaryut. Israeli settlers also fenced off a tract of land in Ein al-Hilweh in the Jordan Valley. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers pepper sprayed a 4-year-old Palestinian boy in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian man during a raid in Kafr Dan. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 3 with baton rounds and others with tear gas. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian and attacked others with tear gas during a confrontation between Israeli settlers and Palestinians in Khirbet Tana. In Gaza, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters at the Gaza fence, injuring 10 with live ammunition and others with baton rounds and tear gas. Israeli forces also conducted air strikes and fired artillery shells at Gaza, injuring 2 and causing damage, saying that 2 fires were started in Israel from incendiary balloons. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, MEE, REU, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/22; WAFA, WAFA 9/23; UNOCHA 9/26; PCHR 9/27)
Jordan and Sweden co-hosted a funding meeting for UNRWA on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly annual meeting. (WAFA 9/22)
South Africa granted Palestinian passport holders 90-days visa free travel in the country. (WAFA 9/22)
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the UN General Assembly, saying Saudi normalization will “enhance the prospects of peace with the Palestinians,” while displaying a map depicting the new Middle East after normalization that omitted the West Bank or Gaza. Later in an interview with CNN, Netanyahu said normalization with Saudi Arabia is getting closer every day, parroting the phrasing of Saudi crown prince Mohammad bin Salman and dismissed concerns that his coalition partners would vote against the deal, saying they “talk and talk.” The PA called Netanyahu’s speech “hateful” and “provocative.” (AJ, ALM, AP, HA, HA, HA, MDW, MEE, NYT, REU 9/22; HA, WAFA 9/23; WAFA 9/24)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set up a tent near Qaryut. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian farmers and set a car on fire in ‘Asira al-Qibliya. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian minor during a late-night raid in Qalqilya. Israeli forces also razed land, uprooting 120 olive and almond trees in Qusra. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raided ‘Asira al-Qibliya, injuring 15 with tear gas. Palestinian militants from al-Ayyash Battalion launched an improvised rocket at Israel from Jenin before it exploded near the launch site. The launch was said to be retaliation for the settler tour of the Haram al-Sharif compound (see below). In East Jerusalem, Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir toured the Haram al-Sharif compound for the third time this year. Ben-Gvir was joined by Naqab and Galilee development minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf and some 1,780 other settlers. Hamas, the PA, Morocco, and Jordan condemned the touring of the compound. Palestinians were prevented from entering the compound during the incursion. 16 Jews were arrested at the compound for praying at the site. (AJ, AJ, ALM, AN, HA, HA, HA, MEE, MEE, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 7/27; AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 7/28; UNOCHA 7/29; PCHR 8/3; UNOCHA 8/11)
Hours after National Security Minister Ben-Gvir toured the Haram al-Sharif compound, Bahrain said it had to postpone a visit by Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant, citing King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa’s schedule. (HA 7/28; HA 7/30)
U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan met with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, discussing Saudi-Israeli normalization. The New York Times reported that King Salman had intervened to insist that a deal would have to include concessions to Palestine. Later on 7/28, President Biden said at a campaign event that “[t]here is a rapprochement maybe under way” in relation to the Saudi-Israel normalization talks. (White House 7/27; AJ, AP, HA, REU 7/28; NYT 7/29; HA, REU 7/30; REU 7/31)
The UN Security Council held a meeting on the situation in the Middle East, discussing the increase in violence in the West Bank. (WAFA 7/27)
The Arab League submitted written statements to the ICJ in support of Palestine. (WAFA 7/27)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted 20 olive tree saplings and stole a water tank in Umm Safa. Israeli forces raided Jenin, killing 7 Palestinians, including 2 minors, and injuring 91. 7 Israeli soldiers were injured by an IED; an Israeli combat helicopter subsequently fired on Palestinians while the wounded soldiers were extracted from Jenin. It was the first time since the Second Intifada that combat helicopters were deployed in the West Bank. Among the Palestinian wounded were a clearly marked journalist and a Palestinian minor who was struck by gunfire while at her home. 2 Palestinians were arrested. 7 Israeli vehicles were damaged and left in Jenin. The Palestinian Red Crescent said Israeli forces had fired live ammunition at 4 Palestinian ambulances during the raid. The PA called the incident a “recurring massacre.” Israeli forces also shot and killed 1 Palestinian and injured 2 others with live ammunition during a raid in Husan. Elsewhere, Israeli forces opened fire at a Palestinian vehicle near Tura, injuring 2 who had allegedly rammed 1 Israeli soldier. Israeli forces also demolished a structure in Qalandia. 14 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Jenin refugee camp, Beita, al-Fara’a refugee camp, Hebron, al-Mughayyir, and Jalazun refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, ALM, ALM, AP, BCC, CNN, HA, HA, HA, JP, MEE, MEE, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/19; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, MEE, PCHR, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA 6/20; AJ, HA, MEE, WAFA, WAFA 6/21; AJ, MEE, PCHR 6/22; AJ 6/28; HA 6/29; UNOCHA 7/8)
Israeli finance minister and de facto West Bank governor Bezalel Smotrich called for a “broad operation to eradicate terrorists’ nests” in the West Bank after the Israeli raid in Jenin, saying the raid was “tweezer activity.” UN human rights commissioner Volker Türk expressed “extreme” worry about Israel’s excessive use of forces and extrajudicial killings. Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, Tunisia, and Egypt condemned the Israeli raid. (AJ, AP, HA, WAFA 6/19; WAFA 6/20)
PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh met with U.S. assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs Barbara Leaf in Ramallah. Al-Sheikh called on the U.S. to pressure Israel to end its unilateral measures and stop its deadly raids. (WAFA 6/19)
Israeli national security advisor Tzachi Hanegbi acknowledged that the Israeli hope of direct flights between Israel and Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj would not happen. Israel had been pushing for the flights to show that Israel and Saudi Arabia were nearing a normalization deal. (HA, REU 6/19)
Saudi Arabia barred an Israeli diplomat, who had received an invitation, from an event in Paris where Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman was delivering a speech. (HA 6/23)
An anti-BDS bill was introduced to the British House of Commons by Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove. The bill, which would prevent local councils and universities from boycotting Israel and companies that trade with Israel, will have to pass 5 stages to become law. (MEE 6/16; HA 6/19; MDW, MEE 6/20)
The European Commission’s Trade Department issued new guidelines forcing importers to declare if products are made in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, or the Golan Heights. The guidelines were made to ensure that settlement products are not tariff exempt in the EU the same way that Israeli products are. (HA 6/19)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized 1 water well, 120 olive tree saplings, and wheat and barley crops in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces shot and injured 6 Palestinians, including 1 with live ammunition and 5 with baton rounds during a raid in Nablus to clear the area around Joseph’s Tomb for a large settler tour. Israeli forces also demolished 1 agricultural structure in Nabi Ilyas and issued a demolition notice for a commercial structure in Deir Balut. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces demolished 1 residential building in Wadi Qaddum, displacing 50. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen west of Beit Lahiya; no injuries were reported. (ALM, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/17; PCHR 5/18; UNOCHA 6/2)
The subcommittee for settlements under the Higher Planning Committee in the Civil Administration approved 552 housing units for construction in the Givat Ze’ev settlement. The Israeli Ministry of Construction and Housing also issued a tender for the construction of 58 housing units in the planned new settlement Ariel West. (PCN 5/17; WAFA 5/20)
The Knesset approved a preliminary vote to ban flying the flag of a “hostile entity,” including the Palestinian flag. If enacted the flying of the Palestinian flag could be punishable by up to 1 year in prison. The bill will have to pass 3 readings in the Knesset to become law. (QDS 5/17; JDF, MEE 5/18: HA 5/25)
Ahead of the Jerusalem Day march in Jerusalem, Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said that his policy is “to allow the complete freedom of movement for Jews in Jerusalem.” (HA 5/17)
Jordanian member of parliament Imad al-Adwan was charged in a state security court in Amman for smuggling weapons to the West Bank. Al-Adwan was arrested by Israeli forces on 4/22 and later handed over to Jordan. (AP, MEE 5/17)
Israeli Foreign Ministry director general Ronen Levy met with U.S. officials in Washington D.C. to discuss ways to expand the normalization deals the U.S. has been brokering for Israel, particularly the prospect of normalizing ties with Saudi Arabia. Among the U.S. officials were White House Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk, presidential envoy on energy security Amos Hochstein, and White House senior director for African affairs Judd Devermont. Hochstein and McGurk met with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman on 5/7. Axios also reported that the White House was considering appointing former U.S. ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro as the State Department normalization envoy. (AX 5/15; ALM 5/16; ALM, AX 5/17; ALM 5/19)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles near Huwwara, causing damage. Israeli forces shot and killed 10 Palestinians, including 3 by surface-to-air missiles and wounded more than 28 others during a raid in Jenin refugee camp. The PA and Hamas called the Israeli actions “a massacre” and the PA said it was halting security cooperation with Israel in response. Israeli forces also shot and killed 1 Palestinian during a protest in al-Ram against the raid in Jenin earlier in the day. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Beit Umar, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also shot and injured 2 Palestinians during a raid in ‘Azzun, others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Meanwhile, Israeli forces shot and injured 4 Palestinians during raids in al-Bireh. Israeli forces also shot and injured 1 Palestinian during a raid in Bethlehem. Israeli forces also razed land in Jabara and issued notices that they will uproot 100 olive tree saplings in Khallet ad-Dabi‘ in the Masafer Yatta area. 4 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in al-Am’ari refugee camp, al-Bireh, Tammun, and Dheisheh refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers chanted ‘Death to Arabs’ at the Damascus Gate plaza before vandalizing an Armenian restaurant in the Christian Quarter of the Old City. In Gaza, 1 Palestinian child succumbed to injuries sustained on 8/5/2022 during Israel’s assault on Gaza dubbed “Operation Breaking Dawn.” Islamic Jihad fired 7 rockets into Israel in retaliation for the Israeli attacks on Jenin refugee camp. Israel later conducted airstrikes in Gaza, causing damage. (AJ, AJ, ALM, AP, AP, AX, AX, HA, HA, HA, MDW, MEE, MEE, MEE, NYT, PCHR, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/26; AJ, AJ, AJ, ALM, ALM, HA, MDW, MDW, MDW, MEE, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/27; AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, WAFA 1/28; HA, MDW, WAFA, WAFA 1/29; AJ, MEE 1/30; PCHR 2/2; UNOCHA 2/3; HA 2/11)
Several countries condemned Israel’s raid in Jenin, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, and Oman. U.S. assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs Barbara Leaf said that the U.S. has reached out to Israel to understand the circumstances of the raid and urged the PA not to end its security coordination with Israel. The UN Security Council scheduled a closed-door session to discuss the raid on 1/27. The UN coordinator for the Middle East peace process Tor Wennesland called the raid alarming. (MEE, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/26; WAFA, WAFA 1/27)
Otzma Yehudit party MK Almog Cohen tweeted in response to Israel’s raid in Jenin, “Nice and professional work by the fighters in Jenin, keep killing them.” (HA, MEE, TOI 1/27)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assaulted Israeli activists helping Palestinians in Kisan with olive harvesting. Israeli settlers also assaulted Palestinians harvesting olives with sticks and pepper spray in Jamma‘in. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian after he allegedly shot and injured a settlement guard at the Ma’aleh Adumim settlement. The Palestinian is also accused of having shot and killed an Israeli soldier on 10/8. Israeli forces also delivered demolition notices against 1 agricultural structure in Azzun ‘Atma and 1 in Nabi Ilyas. Elsewhere, Israeli forces prevented Palestinians from harvesting olives near Dayr al-Ghusun by denying them access to their land. (AP, HA, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/19; MDW, MEE, MEMO, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/20; HA 10/21; UNOCHA 11/1)
Acting UN humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territories Lucia Elmi said 2022 had been the deadliest year on average for Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 2006. Coordinator Elmi said at least 105 Palestinians, including 26 children, had been killed, up by 57% compared to the monthly average in 2021. (WAFA 10/19)
A group of Hamas officials, including Khalil al-Hayya, met with Syrian president Bashir al-Asad in Damascus. Hamas cut relations with the Syrian government in 2012 after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war. (REU 10/18; AP, HA, MEE, REU 10/19)
Hamas said that Saudi Arabia had released 83-year-old Hamas official Mohammad Al-Khudary from prison after 3 years; he was said to be traveling to Jordan. (AJ, MEE, REU 10/19)
Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz issued a statement saying that Israel will not supply air defense systems to Ukraine. Media reported that while Israel is under pressure to support Ukraine in their effort to repel Russian forces, the Israeli government is afraid that Russia will retaliate by supplying S-400 air defense systems to Syria and Iran. (AX, HA, HA, MEE 10/19; HA, MEMO 10/20)
PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said Arab and Islamic countries had donated $39.5 million for developmental projects in Palestine through the Islamic Development Bank. (MEMO 10/20)
The PA also signed a $6.3 million economic support agreement with Norway and the UN development program for school projects in East Jerusalem. (WAFA 10/19)
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 stole olive harvesting equipment in Jalud. Israeli settlers also attacked Palestinians harvesting olives near Aqraba, disturbing their harvest. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers with Israeli military escort attacked Palestinians harvesting olives and a member of Rabbis for Human Rights in Awarta, using pepper spray against the member of Rabbis for Human Rights, who was hospitalized. Israeli forces delivered stop-work orders for 12 houses in Duma. Israeli forces also denied Palestinian farmers entry to their lands in Jalud. Elsewhere, Israeli forces seized a tent set up by solidarity activists in Khirbet al-Mufqara and dismantled part of a school in al-Maleh. Israeli forces also violently dispersed a protest in Ya‘bad, injuring 1 with a rubber-coated bullet. 10 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in al-Bireh, al-Am’ari refugee camp, al-Zawiya, Beita, and Ya‘bad. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities continued to raze Muslim graves at al-Yusufiya Muslim cemetery to make space for an Israeli park near the Haram al-Sharif compound; a video showed Israeli forces ripping a grieving Palestinian mother off her son’s grave before demolishing it. 3 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Silwan. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 3 nautical miles west of Gaza; no injuries were reported. In Gaza, Israeli forces made incursions and leveled land east of al-Fukhari. (HA, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/25; MEMO, REU 10/26; PCHR 10/28; MEE 10/29)
A hearing at the Israeli supreme court did not yield a decision on the eviction case of the Dweik family in Silwan. The family of 26 is under threat of eviction by the Israeli settler organization Ateret Cohanim, which claims to own the family’s homes. The Palestinian family has lived on the property for more than 50 years, from when Silwan was controlled by Jordan. (AJ, HA 10/25)
PA president Mahmoud Abbas promised a delegation from the 6 Palestinian rights organizations that were classified, by Israel, as terrorist organizations on 10/22 that the PA would take action against the decision. The head of the Israeli Labor party and transportation minister Merav Michaeli also criticized the Israeli government’s decision. Transportation Minister Michaeli’s main criticism was the manner in which the classifications were announced and that it could damage Israel’s relations with its allies. (HA 10/25; MEMO, WAFA 10/26)
Israel’s foreign minister Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid criticized the Israeli government’s decision to publish tenders for 1,300 new settler units in the West Bank. Meretz MK Mossi Raz also criticized the decision. (MEMO 10/26)
The 1st ever direct flight from Saudi Arabia to Israel completed its flight. The aircraft was registered in the UAE. (AA, JP 10/25; JP, MEMO 10/27)
In Sudan, the prime minister of the transitional government Abdalla Hamdok was placed in house arrest and 4 cabinet ministers were arrested in a military coup. Sudan’s interim government made moves to normalize relations with Israel in 2020 after a deal was made with the U.S. to take the country off the list of state sponsors of terror and to erase state debt to the U.S. Later in the day, the U.S. announced that it would freeze $700 million in aid for Sudan and that the normalization deal with the U.S. and Israel will have to be reevaluated. Israel did not comment on the coup. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, MEE, MEMO, REU 10/25; MEMO 10/26)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted 13 olive trees in Hares. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling between Nablus and Jenin. Israeli forces violently dispersed the weekly anti-settlement protest in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 1 with a rubber-coated bullet and others were injured by tear gas. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Tulkarm, injuring 1 with a rubber-coated bullet. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed protesters in Qalqilya, arresting 1. 4 Palestinians were arrested at checkpoints near Bethlehem, Qalandia, and Hizma. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters, injuring 50 using rubber-coated bullets, beatings, and tear gas near the Haram al-Sharif compound, Silwan, Issawiyya, Wadi al-Juz, and Shaykh Jarrah; 4 were arrested. In Gaza, several dozen rockets were fired at Israel and Israel fired missiles and shells at Gaza east of al-Bureij refugee camp; causing damage; 2 groups, the Nidal al-Amoudi Division and the Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades, claimed responsibility for the rockets fired at Israel, saying they were in response to the violence by Israeli right-wing activists in Jerusalem on 4/22. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/23; AJ, AJ, HA, WAFA 4/24; HA 4/25; PCHR 4/29)
Israeli public security affairs minister Amir Ohana condemned attacks against Jewish-Israelis in Jerusalem on 4/22, despite the fact that large crowds of right-wing Israeli activists and Israeli settlers had attacked Palestinians throughout Jerusalem, leading to more than 100 injuries. The attacks were planned by the Lehava group, which has links to right-wing Israeli lawmakers in the Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party. The U.S. embassy in Israel said that the U.S. is “deeply concerned about the incidents of violence” and called on “all responsible voices” to promote calm. Jordan condemned the violence, saying that Israel as “the occupying power” in East Jerusalem must protect the Palestinian residents against the violence. The UAE also later called on Israel to protect Palestinians from “acts of violence committed by right-wing extremist groups in the occupied East Jerusalem.” (HA 4/23; WAFA 4/24; WAFA, WAFA 4/25; AP, WAFA 4/26)
Saudi Arabia announced an indefinite ban on Lebanese agricultural products after finding 5.3 million pills of the amphetamine Captagon hidden in a shipment of pomegranates. (AJ 4/28)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted some 60 olive saplings in Jalud. Israeli settlers also attacked Palestinian vehicles traveling on the Nablus-Qalqilya road, leading to 1 injury and damage. Israeli forces shot and injured 7 Palestinians trying to enter Israel for work through the separation barrier near Far‘un. Israeli forces also seized heavy machinery used to rehabilitate a road in Kardala. 10 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Bayt Umar, Sabastiyya, Qabatiya, Jalazun refugee camp, and Nahalin. In East Jerusalem, 6 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Issawiyya. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen 3 nautical miles west of al-Sudaniyya; no injuries were reported. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian farmers east of Khan Yunis and Dayr al-Balah; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/11; PCHR 1/14)
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Israeli defense ministry and the civil administration’s higher planning committee will approve 800 new settlement units in the Itamar, Beit El, Shavei Shomron, Oranit, Givat Ze’ev, Tal Menashe, and Nofei Nehemia settlements and settlement outposts. Prime Minister Netanyahu also said on Facebook that “[w]e’re here [in the West Bank] to stay. We’re continuing to build the Land of Israel.” Leader of the Israeli opposition Yair Lapid of the Yesh Atid party called the announcement of the new settlement units “irresponsible,” citing the U.S. presidential transition on 1/20. France’s foreign ministry, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the PA denounced the settlement expansion. Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz also approved a small number Palestinian construction projects in al-Walaja, Hizma, Bethlehem, and Bayt Jala. All the projects need secondary approval. (ABC, AJ, AP, HA, REU, TOI, TOI, WAFA 1/11; REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/12)
PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh and a member of the PLO executive committee condemned the UAE for allowing Israeli settler products to be imported to its market after the 1st shipment of Israeli settler goods arrived in the UAE. (WAFA 1/11; REU 1/14)
The PA health ministry said it had approved the Russian-made COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V for emergency use. (WAFA 1/11)
PA president Mahmoud Abbas issued 3 presidential decrees, 2 of which critiques say serves to bolster the power of the PA presidency ahead of potential elections later this year. 1 decree allows the PA president to select judges instead of approving judges, who would be selected based on seniority. The decree also allows the president to force Palestinian judges to retire 5 years before the set retirement age of 70. A 2d decree establishes administrative courts, which can hear petitions against officials and institutions, previously a duty of the High Court of Justice. The president of the administrative court is appointed by the PA president. (HA 1/28)
An Israeli court in Lod ruled that screening or distributing the movie Jenin Jenin from 2002 by Mohammad Bakri should be banned and copies of the movie destroyed. Bakri was also ruled to pay $55,000 to an Israeli soldier who appears in archival footage used for the movie and $16,000 for the cost of the trial. The Israeli judge said that Bakri did not do enough research to label the movie a documentary. The PA ministry of culture condemned the ruling. (HA 1/11; AJ, TOI, WAFA 1/12; WAFA 1/13)
Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that he regretted forming a coalition with Prime Minister Netanyahu, saying that Netanyahu “cheated me and cheated you [the Israeli public].” He then called on all opposition leaders, including the Joint Arab List’s Ayman Odeh, to join him in sending “Bibi [Netanyahu] home” in the upcoming election. (HA 1/11)
The foreign ministers of Germany, France, Jordan, and Egypt met in Cairo to discuss reviving peace talks between Israel and Palestine. The quartet expressed willingness to work closely with the U.S. to map steps toward peace. In a statement, the 4 called for a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. According to the Jerusalem Post, the 4 countries had tried to invite the Israeli and PA foreign ministers to the meeting, but both were unable or unwilling to travel for the meeting. (HA, WAFA 1/11; JP 1/12)
U.S. billionaire and mega-donor to Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump, and Israeli settlements Sheldon Adelson died. Adelson had recently flown the convicted Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard to Israel from the U.S. so he could immigrate after being released from parole, and he bought the U.S. ambassador’s house in Tel Aviv from the U.S. state department earlier in 2020. Adelson was known to have had a large influence on U.S. president Donald Trump’s aggressively pro-Israel policies during his presidency. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU 1/12)