The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raid Burin, setting fire to a vehicle and attacking homes. Israeli settlers also seize and occupy dozens of residential caves in Tuqu’, ‘Arab al-Rashayida, Kaysan, Za’atra, and Bayt Ta’mar. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling in Huwwara. Israeli settlers posing as soldiers also attack a school in Khallet al-Maiya. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers throw stones at a house in Turmus ‘Ayya and attempt to set fire to it, causing damage to the house, a solar panel, and several vehicles. Israeli forces fatally shoot 2 Palestinians and injure 9 others during a raid in Dura; a video shows that Israeli forces used a Palestinian man they took from his phone shop as a human shield. A video circulating on social media also shows 2 Israeli soldiers kicking a man lying on the ground during the raid. Israeli forces also fatally shoot a member of the PA security forces during a raid in Nur Shams refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man and demolish 2 homes and a barbershop, displacing 12 people during a raid in Qalqilya. Israeli forces also shoot and injure 8 Palestinians, including 2 children, at a checkpoint in Qalandia and in Bayt Liqya, Qiffin, and Nablus. Meanwhile, Israeli forces assault 2 Palestinians during raids in Dheisheh refugee camp and Beita. Israeli forces also demolish a greenhouse in al-Jalama. Israeli forces arrest 48 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Bayt Awa, Dura, Bayt Rima, Jalazone refugee camp, Beitin, Zababdeh, and Nablus, including 25 students at an-Najah University in Nablus. In Ra’anana, Israeli police arrest 2 Palestinians from Hebron, saying they rammed and stabbed 13 Israelis, killing 1 of them. Israeli forces subsequently raid the family homes of the 2 Palestinians in Bani Na’im and Bayt ‘Amr, taking measurements for punitive demolitions; tear-gas related injuries are reported in both places as Palestinians resist the raids. In Gaza, telecommunications services are down for the fourth day in a row. Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Rafah, Gaza City, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Maghazi, killing at least 132 people. An Israeli soldier is killed in combat. Rockets are fired at Israel; no damage is reported. In Lebanon, Israeli forces conduct airstrikes on Maroun al-Ras. Rockets are fired at Israel; no damage is reported. In the Red Sea, Houthi forces attack a U.S.-owned container ship, causing damage. In Iraq and Syria, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps attack what it calls a Mossad espionage headquarters near Erbil with ballistic missiles, killing 4 and injuring 6 others and alleged ISIS perpetrators of terrorist operations in Iran in eastern Syria. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, 1/15; AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA 1/16; HA 1/18)

More than 24,100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 16,870 women and children, and around 60,834 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 348 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 87 children. More than 4,197 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, 186 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,113 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. 108 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah crossing. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 1/15)

Hamas releases a video of the bodies of 2 Israeli captives it says have been killed in an Israeli airstrike. In another video a captive says she was injured in an Israeli airstrike. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU 1/15)

Israel’s military says it has withdrawn an army division from Gaza, leaving 3 combat divisions in the area. The military also transfers the Duvdevan unit from Gaza to the West Bank as Israeli military officials say the West Bank is “on the brink of an implosion.” (AJ, HA, HA 1/15)

The Knesset approves the extension of an emergency regulation allowing Israel to deny Palestinian prisoners meetings with their lawyers for up to 180 days and approves the first reading of an extension of the temporary order which allows poorer conditions for prisoners. The Israeli cabinet approves the 2024 budget, slashing funds earmarked for the development of Palestinian communities in Israel by 15% and allocating $80 million to the Settlements and National Missions Ministry. 5 members of Benny Gantz’s National Unity party vote against the budget. (AJ, HA, REU 1/15; AJ, AJ, HA, HA 1/16)

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid claims Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant are not speaking to each other. Gallant reportedly stormed out of a cabinet meeting this weekend after 1 of his aides was refused entry. (AJ, HA 1/15)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted some 50 olive saplings in Kafr ad-Dik. A contractor working for the Israeli military intentionally rammed a 75-year-old Palestinian man, who was said to be in critical condition; the man was standing in front of a tow truck to prevent it from seizing cars from his village Umm al-Khair, when the truck driver plowed into him. Israeli soldiers at the scene did not assist the man after he was hit and instead left the area with the cars. Israel said that stones had been thrown at the truck leading up to the incident and that the driver had been hit by 1 of the stones. The man succumbed to his injuries on 1/17. 5 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Burqa, Beita, and Abu Dis. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities demolished 1 Palestinian-owned home in Silwan, displacing 6. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at agricultural lands east of Dayr al-Balah and al-Fukhari; no injuries were reported. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 3 nautical miles west of the shore; no injuries were reported. In Israel, a right-wing Israeli protester assaulted 1 Palestinian journalist interviewing him outside of the hospital where a Palestinian prisoner is being treated in relation to his hunger strike. (MEE, MEMO, MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/5; HA, MEMO, PCHR 1/6; HA 1/14; HA, MEMO, WAFA 1/17)

A local committee in Israel approved more than 3,500 new settlement units in East Jerusalem. The plans will be discussed further at a municipal committee meeting on 1/17. (AP 1/5; MEMO, MEMO 1/6; MEMO, WAFA 1/7)

The Israeli government postponed discussions of a new settlement in the E-1 area north of Abu Dis and between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim indefinitely. (HA 1/5)

The Knesset passed legislation to connect homes constructed without permits to the electric grid in the Naqab desert. The legislation was put forward by Mansour Abbas of the United Arab List. It passed 61-0 as the Israeli opposition boycotted the vote due to the legislation being fast-tracked. During discussions of the legislation, Walid Taha of the United Arab List gave a speech in Arabic, angering members of the Likud party and leading Abbas to ask Taha to continue in Hebrew. (HA 1/4; HA 1/5; ALM 1/7)

1 Palestinian American man was sentenced by an Israeli military court to 2 life sentences and $820,000 in fines, in addition to having his home demolished, for the killing of 1 Israeli settler and injuring 2 other settlers near Za’tara on 5/2/2021. (HA, MEE 1/5)

1 Jewish Israeli man was sentenced to 1 year in prison for partaking in a mob attack in Bat Yam that in May 2021 caused serious injury to 1 Palestinian man. The Palestinian man was pulled out of his car and beaten by at least a dozen Israelis. The Jewish Israeli man was not charged with incitement to terror and theft with racist motives after entering a plea deal. (AP, HA 1/5)

In Syria, Israeli tanks opened fire at Syria from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israel said it had fired warning shots at 6 suspicious people in Syria. (MEMO, REU, REU 1/5)

Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz met with Jordanian king Abdullah II in Amman, discussing security issues. (AP, ALM, HA, REU 1/5; ALM 1/6)

Haaretz reported that, due to a technical error, the Israeli state archive had revealed censored material from the Israeli cabinet meeting during the Nakba in the summer of 1948. Amongst the information accidentally released was agricultural minister Aharon Zisling’s statement to other high-level Israeli leaders that he “can forgive instances of rape” by Jewish militants against Palestinian women, which he considered less severe than stealing from Jews. In another instance, Israel’s prime minister David Ben-Gurion told the cabinet that he is against “wholesale demolition of villages . . . but there are places that constituted a great danger and constitute a great danger, and we must wipe them out. But this must be done responsibly, with consideration before the act.” (HA 1/5; MEE, WAFA 1/6)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized some 70 olive trees in Khillat al-Dabe in Masafer Yatta. The Hebron Rehabilitation Committee said Israeli forces prevented its workers from renovating 12 Palestinian-owned homes in the al-Jabari area of Hebron. 12 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Bethlehem, Tuqu‘, Beit Fajjar, Beit Sahour, al-Am‘ari refugee camp, Beita, Bayt Dajan, and Rujeib. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian minor, facing eviction by Israeli settlers, allegedly stabbed an Israeli settler in her neighborhood in Sheikh Jarrah; the settler was lightly injured. The Palestinian girl was found in a nearby school 1 hour later and was arrested by Israeli forces; she denied involvement. Israeli forces also arrested 3 other people at the school and raided the girl’s home, arresting her mother. Israeli settlers toured Sheikh Jarrah, chanting “death to Arabs.” Israeli forces later closed off Sheikh Jarrah, preventing activists and journalists from entering the neighborhood. 5 Palestinians were arrested in Isawiya. In Israel, Israeli right-wing activists vandalized a mosque in Umm al-Fahm by spraying racist graffiti and drawing the Star of David on it. (AJ, HA, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/8; ALM, HA 12/9; HA 12/10; PCHR 12/16)

The Israeli Jerusalem municipality advanced early-stage plans for a new Israeli settlement in East Jerusalem near Bayt Safafa, to be called Givat Shaked. The plans for the new settlement include 473 settler units, 2 schools, and synagogues. The settlement was 1st proposed by former Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995, but shelved after international outrage, including from the U.S. (HA, MEE 12/6; MEMO 12/7; TOI 12/8)

Members of the Hamas political bureau visited Moscow for meetings with Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov. (MEMO 12/8)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with Tunisian president Kais Saied in Tunis. (WAFA 12/7; WAFA, WAFA 12/8)

Jordan rescinded its submission to the Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, and apologized after pressure from Palestinians who called the film Amira offensive. The film depicts a Palestinian girl who is ostracized from her community after she discovers that she was conceived by sperm from an Israeli prison guard and not the Palestinian prisoners she thought was her father. The PA and Hamas were among those lobbying against the movie. (HA, MEE, MEMO 12/9)

Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz claimed, in response to a formal query by members of the Meretz party, that the 6 rights organizations he had declared terrorist organizations on 10/22 had PFLP members who did not work for them on their payroll. He also claimed that PFLP members controlled the organizations. (HA 12/8)

Lebanon’s labor minister Mustafa Bayram said Lebanon would ease restrictions on what professions Palestinian refugees in the country are allowed to work. Labor Minister Bayram’s office quickly sought to clarify that the changes would be within the confines of the current Lebanese legislation. The legislation does not allow much leeway for substantial changes to the rules banning Palestinians from certain jobs. Bayram, who is from the Amal party, was quickly shunned by Lebanese politicians from other parties, who said he does not have the authority to make any changes on the issue. Gebran Bassil of the Free Patriotic Movement called the comments “‘naturalization in disguise’ of the Palestinians . . . there shouldn’t be any stealing of jobs from Lebanese under the current circumstances.” Bayram eventually completely retracted his initial statement, saying that there will be no changes. (AA, JP 12/9; HA 12/13)