The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces in Tulkarm on 11/14. Israeli forces shot and injured 6 Palestinians during raids in Qiffin and al-Khader. Israeli forces also assaulted a Palestinian man in Huwwara. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raided a printing shop in Ramallah, sealing the shop, and closed and sealed the offices of an orphanage in Beit Umar, seizing files and computers. Israeli forces also issued notices that it will seize 501 dunams of land in Jaba’a and 12 dunams in Wadi Rahal. 44 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Far’un, Qusin, Dheisheh refugee camp, Hebron, Bethlehem, and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police dispersed a march by Israeli extremists who called for full Israeli control over the Haram al-Sharif compound. The march was dispersed after marchers violated the agreement with Israeli police. 6 Palestinians were arrested in Sur Baher and at the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Gaza City, Beit Lahiya, Khan Yunis, Jabalia refugee camp, and Rafah, killing around 350 people. Israeli airstrikes also destroyed the 13th century Othman bin Qashqar Mosque in Gaza City and put al-Awda Hospital under siege, opening fire at the hospital. Hamas said it had destroyed 135 military vehicles in the past 72 hours. 2 Israeli soldiers were killed, including the son of Israeli war cabinet member Gadi Eizenkot. In Lebanon, an Israeli airstrike on Majdal Zoun injured several people. Islamic Jihad said 2 of its members were killed by Israel near the Blue Line. 1 Israeli was killed and 2 Israeli soldiers were lightly injured by an anti-tank missile in Matat and near Shtula. Israel said it attacked Syria after 2 missiles were launched toward Israel. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/7; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU, REU 12/8)

More than 17,177 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 7,729 children and 5,153 women, and around 46,000 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 258 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 67 children. More than 3,325 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. 93 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.9 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. As of 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. The Jordanian military air dropped medical supplies at its field hospital in Gaza. 69 trucks carrying aid, including 13 gallons of fuel, entered Gaza. Rafah remained the only place where aid was delivered to, except for the delivery of medical supplies to 2 hospitals in Khan Yunis. 121 wounded Palestinians and 491 foreign nationals were evacuated to Egypt. (AJ, HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 12/7; AJ, HA 12/8)

Israeli videos of dozens of Palestinian men being stripped to their underwear, forced to sit on the ground, and taken by Israeli forces to a large hole dug in the ground circulated in Israeli media and on social media. What happened to the men, who were taken from UN schools in Beit Lahiya, remained unknown as some of them were identified as civilians, including journalists, doctors, and academics. Hamas condemned the Israeli action, calling it revenge for Israel’s failed invasion and calling on human rights organizations to intervene. Al-Araby Al-Jadeed identified one of the Palestinians as their journalist Diaa Kahlout and said several of his family members were among the detainees. (AJ, AP 12/7; AJ, NYT, REU 12/8)

Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir ordered the Israel Prison Service to move members of Hamas’ Qassam Brigades to an underground wing of the Nitzan Prison. The underground wing was said to have not been used for years. (AJ 12/8)

UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator Martin Griffiths said the current humanitarian mission in Gaza could not be described as an “humanitarian operation” given the pace of the Israeli attacks on southern Gaza, which prevent the UN from delivering aid. (AJ, AP, UNOCHA 12/7)

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said their investigation into the Israeli killing of Lebanese Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah on 10/13 revealed the killing was likely deliberate and should be investigated as a war crime. U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken said the killing should be investigated, noting that he believed Israel was already doing so. Lebanon said it would add the investigation to its complaint it has filed with the UN over Israeli attacks. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said “Israeli criminality has no limits.” (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, WAFA 12/7; AJ, REU, REU 12/8)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh told Bloomberg News that the PA was working with the U.S. to plan for the political situation in Gaza once Israel’s war is over. Shtayyeh said Hamas could become a partner under the PLO umbrella if it accepts the PLO’s political platform. The Times reported that a team of UK advisors were in Ramallah to help the PA prepare for governing Gaza. Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry expressed support for the PA governing Gaza. (AJ 12/7; AJ, HA, HA, REU 12/8)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will turn “Beirut and South Lebanon into Gaza and Khan Yunis” in a warning to Hezbollah. (AJ, AP, HA 12/7; AJ 12/8)

Secretary of State Blinken said at a press conference with UK foreign secretary David Cameron that there was a gap between Israel’s stated intent to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza and the reality on the ground. (AJ, AP, HA, REU 12/7; AJ, REU 12/8)

U.S. president Joe Biden spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu. According to the White House, Biden told Netanyahu that more aid is required to enter Gaza, Israel needed to do more to protect civilians, and expressed concern over settler violence in the West Bank. Biden also spoke with Jordanian king Abdullah II, who demanded he call for an immediate ceasefire. U.S. officials said Israel had agreed to open the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing to allow more aid to enter Gaza. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA 12/7; HA 12/8)

The U.S. said it had resumed flying drones over Gaza to locate captives. (HA 12/7)

Russian president Vladimir Putin met with Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi in Moscow, discussing the situation in Palestine. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU 12/7)

The G7 released a statement saying Israel should do more to protect civilians and allow more aid into Gaza. (AJ 12/7)

13 U.S. senators announced they were working on introducing an amendment to the bill that includes $14 billion in military aid to Israel, requiring that U.S. arms are used in accordance with U.S law., international humanitarian law, and the law of armed conflict.  (AJ, AP, HA 12/7)

Al-Haq and Global Legal Action Network filed a legal challenge to UK exports of weapons to Israel in the UK High Court. (AP 12/7)

Axios reported that Egypt had warned Israel and the U.S. of a “rupture” in Egyptian-Israeli relations if Palestinian refugees begin to flee to Egypt as a result of Israeli attacks on Gaza. (AX 12/7)

The Council on American-Islamic Relations said it had received 2,171 complaints of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate between 10/7 and 12/2. (AJ 12/7)

Austria ended its suspension of aid to Palestinians, saying there was no indication the funds had been spent on funding or promoting terrorism or to spread anti-Semitic content. (HA 12/7)

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

The Gaza Ministry of Health was not able to fully update the casualty figures due to a collapse in services and communications at hospitals in northern Gaza. However, it stated that at least 11,800 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,630 children and 3,130 women, and around 32,000 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 3,250 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 204 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 47 children. More than 2,730 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals had been killed and 5,431 have injured since 10/7. 56 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.61 million Palestinians, around 70% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. As of 11/6, at least 40,000 housing units have been destroyed and 220,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 45% of all housing units. Around 10,000 people fled northern Gaza to the south. Around 26,000 gallons of fuel and 30 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza. 15 injured Palestinians arrived in the UAE for treatment. (AJ, AP, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 11/18; HA 11/19)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers carried out excavations at a water spring in Ein al-Beida. Israeli forces shot and killed 3 Palestinians and injured 1 other during a raid in Jaba’. Israeli forces also assaulted 2 minors in Hebron. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian during a raid in al-Yamun. 8 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Jenin, Silat al-Harithiya, Sabastia, Beita, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raided Makassed Hospital in al-Tur. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen west of Gaza City, injuring 4. In the Tel Aviv, an Israeli police officer shot and killed 1 Palestinian man after he shot and injured 3 Israelis; 1 of the Israeli victims succumbed to his injuries on 3/20. Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant ordered the military to demolish the Palestinian perpetrator’s family home. (AJ, AJ, ALM, AP, HA, HA, MDW, MEE, MEE, PCHR, PCHR, REU, REU, SKY, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/9; WAFA 3/10; MDW 3/14; PCHR 3/16; UNOCHA 3/19; HA 3/20)

The U.S. granted Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich a diplomatic visa for his trip to Washington D.C. where he will address the Israel Bonds summit. It had been reported that the State Department had been discussing if the U.S. should deny Smotrich entry to the country over his remarks in support of the settler attacks in Huwwara on 2/26, which the U.S. called “irresponsible, disgusting, and repugnant.” (ALM, AX, HA, MEE 3/9; MDW 3/10; MDW 3/11)

U.S. secretary of defense Lloyd Austin met with Defense Minister Gallant in Tel Aviv. Austin told reporters that diplomacy is the best option to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Austin also expressed concern about settler violence in the West Bank. Austin also met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (AJ, ALM, AP, AX, REU, REU 3/9; ALM, GDN 3/10)

The Wall Street Journal reported that Saudi Arabia wants U.S. security guarantees and assistance in building a civilian nuclear program in exchange for normalizing ties with Israel. (HA, NYT 3/9)

More than 90 Democratic members of the U.S. Congress signed a letter to U.S. president Joe Biden urging him to pressure the Israeli government not to undermine its judicial branch, to scale-down Israeli raids in the West Bank, and not to annex the West Bank. (HA 3/9)

EU high representative for foreign affairs Josep Borrell wrote an op-ed in Project Syndicate, saying that European and Arab states must start being more engaged in pursuing peace between Israel and Palestine as U.S. efforts have not brought peace any closer. Borrell wrote that he and other EU representatives have already taken an initiative to start talks with Saudi Arabia and the Arab League. Borrell also criticized Israel for allowing settler violence against Palestinians, not protecting civilians during military operations, expanding settlements, and eroding the status quo at the holy sites. (PS 3/9; WAFA 3/15)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers opened fire at Hizma, causing damage. Israeli settlers also attacked a Palestinian TV crew near Hebron covering the killing of 1 Palestinian woman (see below). Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian near Hebron, claiming that she had opened fire at soldiers and settlers with an M16 rifle; no Israelis were injured. Israeli forces seriously wounded 1 Palestinian near Jaba‘. Israeli forces also sealed off the entrances to Silwad and Kafr al-Dik. Elsewhere, Israeli forces fired tear gas and stun grenades at a car repair shop near al-Za‘ayyem, causing a fire damaging several vehicles. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Huwwara, injuring 2 with rubber-coated bullets and 15 with tear gas. Separately, Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Qalqilya, al-Arqa, and al-Bireh, leading to tear-gas related injuries. 29 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Bani Na‘im, al-Dhariyya, al-Ubaydiyya, Tuqu‘, al-Ram, Birzeit, Bil‘in, Beita, Madama, Tell, Qabatiya, Silat al-Harithiyya, al-Tamun, Tubas, and Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers assaulted church officials at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, causing injuries and 1 hospitalization. 8 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Shu‘fat and Shaykh Jarrah. In Gaza, 13 Palestinians were killed, including 2 children and 1 pregnant woman, and many were injured, raising the comprehensive death toll since 5/10 from 219 to 232, including 65 children and 3 pregnant women. The casualties included: 4, including 1 pregnant woman and 1 child, and 2 were wounded in air strikes on 2 houses in Dayr al-Balah; 2, including 1 child, during air strikes in Jabaliya; 2 in air strikes on apartment buildings in Gaza City; 1, and 1 child wounded in artillery shelling in Bayt Hanun; 1 by live ammunition while on agricultural lands east of Juhur al-Dik; 1 Palestinian succumbed to wounds sustained on 5/13 during an air strike on Bayt Hanun; 2 bodies of unidentified Palestinians arrived at al-Shifa Hospital. 7 residential buildings and 1 youth center were demolished in Israeli attacks on Khan Yunis. In Israel, 1 Palestinian-Israeli minor who was shot and injured by Israeli police while sitting in a car with friends in Umm al-Fahm on 5/18 succumbed to his injuries. 1 Israeli man stabbed and injured 1 Palestinian worker from the West Bank in Holon. 58 Palestinian citizens of Israel were reported arrested after the general strike and mass protest on 5/18. 1 Israeli was lightly wounded by a rocket from Gaza in Sderot, 2 other rockets caused damage. 4 rockets were fired at the Haifa and ‘Akka areas from Lebanon; no damage or injuries were reported. Israel subsequently shelled areas of Lebanon; no damage or injuries were reported. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, MEE, PCHR, REU, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/19; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, MEMO, PCHR, PCHR, WAFA 5/20; HA, MEE, MEMO 5/21; NYT 5/26)

Hamas said it estimated that $92 million’s worth of damage was sustained to residential buildings and non-governmental offices since 5/10. $22 million’s worth of damage was sustained to the power grid as people in Gaza only are receiving 3-4 hours of electricity a day. Hamas also said that Gaza’s water supply is hard hit with 95% of the water unfit for drinking. (HA 5/20)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas said in a speech that his efforts to hold elections are ongoing, and that he is “ready to form an internationally accepted unity government.” President Abbas also discussed the situation in Gaza and East Jerusalem with UN secretary-general António Guterres. (WAFA, WAFA 5/19; ALM 5/21)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh spoke with EU representative Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff in Ramallah, calling on the EU to pressure Israel to stop its aggression in East Jerusalem and Gaza. Prime Minister Shtayyeh also spoke with Facebook executives about Facebook’s censuring of Palestinian voices on its platforms. (WAFA, WAFA 5/19)

An Israeli court ruled that Israeli forces had violated international law when they shot and killed 1 Palestinian 14-year-old in 2004 near Rafah, but that the family was not entitled to compensation, citing a wartime action principle. The Israeli soldiers shot her after she ran away from them as they fired warning shots. After she ran from the soldiers, they fired at her back and the commander shot her again as she lie dead on the ground. The commander was acquitted of all charges at an Israeli military court the year after. (HA 5/20)

A spokesperson for the Israeli military said that it had been trying to assassinate the head of Hamas’s military division Mohammed Deif throughout the duration of the ongoing attack on Gaza. Hamas later told AP that Deif is still alive and in charge of its military operations. (HA 5/19; AP 5/20)

1 Israeli journalist from Channel 20 was fired after saying, during a live broadcast, that “[o]ne [rocket] has fallen on a soccer field in a large Arab community [Shefa-Amr, a Palestinian-Israeli community]. Regretfully for us, it did not result in mass deaths there.” The rocket that the Israeli journalist Kobi Finkler was referring to was fired from Lebanon. (AJ, HA 5/20)

Haaretz reported that applications for gun licenses in Israel had risen 7-fold in the past weeks as violence had been rising in Israel. (HA 5/19)

The UNRWA appealed to have the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings opened for humanitarian access. (AJ 5/19)

U.S. president Joe Biden spoke to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging him to de-escalate the violence, according to a White House readout. It was the 4th time the 2 spoke in a week. Prime Minister Netanyahu said later in a statement that he was “determined to carry on with the attacks until calm and security are restored to Israeli citizens.” It was also reported that Egypt had secured a ceasefire agreement in principle between Hamas and Israel. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said calm could only be restored if Israel stopped its attack on Jerusalem and Gaza. Netanyahu also told some 70 foreign diplomats that he is considering sending group troops to Gaza to “conquer” it. (AJ, AJ, ALM, AP, AX, HA, HA, MEE, REU 5/19; AP, AP, AX 5/20) 

A letter circulated among House Democrats by Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) called for the U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken to work toward a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, and to provide humanitarian relief to Gaza. The letter also called for more than doubling the U.S. funding to the UNRWA, bringing the U.S. funding back to the level it was before the Trump administration ended all funding. Separately, more than 130 members of the House called on an immediate ceasefire. 3 Democrats in the House, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Mark Pocan (D-WI), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) also introduced a resolution aimed at blocking the $735 million’s worth of arms to Israel. In the Senate, senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (D-VT), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) introduced a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, saying that every Palestinian and Israeli life matters; 8 other Democrats later co-sponsored the resolution. (AJ, HA, HA, HA, REU, Twitter 5/19; AJ 5/20)

Facebook said it has set up a center to monitor Arabic and Hebrew content deemed inflammatory or otherwise violating Facebook’s policies. Facebook has been criticized for silencing Palestinian voices on its social media platforms, including Instagram and WhatsApp. (WAFA 5/19; HA 5/20)

250 employees at Alphabet, the parent company of Google, wrote an open letter calling for Alphabet to review all business contracts, terminating those “with institutions that support violations of Palestinian rights,” including the Israeli military. The letter also called for not stifling free speech on Palestine. (AJ, HA, MEE, WAFA 5/19)

At the UN, the U.S. again refused to support a UN security council (UNSC) statement calling for an immediate ceasefire after intensified pressure from France. This was the 4th time the UNSC had met to discuss the escalation between Hamas and Israel since it began and the 4th time that the U.S. has blocked a statement. (AX 5/18; AJ, REU 5/19; HA 5/20)

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa said to France24 that the situation in Gaza, particularly the bombing of homes and confinement to the strip, reminded him of apartheid in South Africa. When asked if Israel was an apartheid state, President Ramaphosa said that the country is an apartheid type of state. (F24 5/19; MEMO, WAFA 5/20; AM 5/21)

Norway’s wealth fund divested from 2 companies, Shapir Engineering and Industry Ltd. and Mivne Real Estate KD Ltd., due to the companies’ involvement in Israeli settlement activity. (AJ 5/20; MEMO 5/21)

Ireland announced $1.83 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza. (WAFA 5/20)

The Iranian Red Crescent said it would donate $100,000 to the Palestinian Red Crescent to help treat the wounded in Gaza. (WAFA 5/19)

UNRWA called for extra funding of $38 million to help the organization with its humanitarian efforts after the attacks on Gaza. (WAFA 5/19; AJ 5/20)