In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian man at his home in Kisan. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man in Tammun during a raid. Israeli forces also continue the raid in...
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January 4, 2024
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December 13, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized several water tanks and a vehicle during a raid in Shaab al-Butum and Wadi Abu Jahish in the Masafer Yatta area. The Israeli raid in Jenin continued...
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November 6, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in Qaryut. Israeli settlers also vandalized Palestinian property, including water tanks, solar panels, and a vehicle in...
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August 30, 2023
In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian man, described as a bystander, was killed during an exchange of fire between Palestinian militants and PA forces in Tulkarm. Palestinian militants threw an...
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June 23, 2022
In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and injured 2 Palestinians using live ammunition during a raid in Dheisheh refugee camp. 11 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Ramallah,...
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March 9, 2022
In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian who was shot by Israeli forces during a protest in Burqa on 3/1 succumbed to his wounds. Israeli settlers uprooted and stole grape saplings and damaged a stone wall...
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November 10, 2021
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers shot and injured 2 Palestinians and injured 5 others with stones near Khalat al-Daba; 3 cars were also damaged. 13 Palestinians were arrested during late-night...
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September 23, 2021
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers leveled Palestinian agricultural land near Deir ‘Ammar before Israeli forces removed them from the area. Israeli forces sealed off Sabastia for the 2d day in a...
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August 24, 1994
PNA Planning M Shaath, Israeli negotiator Maj. Gen. Danny Rothschild initial early empowerment accord in Cairo giving PNA control of education, health, welfare, taxes, tourism; ability to amend...
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January 4, 1983
Military Action:
After day of quiet, renewed artillery exchanges in Tripoli, coastal road cut 20 miles south of city; IDF announces 4 Katyusha rockets found in South Lebanon.
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June 30, 1982
Military Action:
Phalange forces, backed by IDF, have artillery duels with Syrian-supported Lebanese leftist militia; Phalange-Druze conflicts reported (nephew of Gemayel reportedly killed...
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian man at his home in Kisan. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man in Tammun during a raid. Israeli forces also continue the raid in Nur Shams refugee camp for the second day in a row. The raid ends after 40 hours with 13 Palestinians suffering from broken bones during Israeli interrogations, 400 Palestinians detained, and vast destruction caused by bulldozers and drone-fired missiles on its second day; 3 Israeli soldiers are reportedly injured during the raid. Elsewhere, Israeli forces begin constructing settler roads in the Masafer Yatta area near Umm al-Khair. Israeli forces also arrest a child and confiscate 60 sheep he is herding. Israeli forces arrest 27 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Tulkarm, Salfit, Qalqilya, Hebron, Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus, Tubas, and Ramallah. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Rafah, Maghazi, Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 125 people, including at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society’s headquarters in Khan Yunis for the third day in a row. Palestinians in Maghazi report that Israeli forces massacre Palestinian civilians with snipers and bulldozers. Jabalia refugee camp floods after heavy rain, leading to sewage mixing with the standing water. An anti-aircraft missile fired at an Israeli helicopter hits a clinic in Kibbutz Nirim. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fires rockets at Israeli soldiers near al-Marj and Israeli forces target Hezbollah in Maroun al-Ras. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/4; AJ 1/5; AJ 1/6)
More than 22,438 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 8,800 children and 6,300 women, and around 57,697 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 318 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 80 children. More than 3,949 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured since 10/7, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 173 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,003 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. As of 12/23, at least 65,000 housing units had been destroyed and 290,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 177 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karim Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 1/4)
Israel’s military publishes on Facebook that it has closed the evacuation corridor on Salah al-Din Street and opened a new corridor on al-Rashid Street. Movement is only allowed from north to south between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. (AJ, UNOCHA 1/4)
The Palestinian Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Authority names 51 Palestinian women and children who had been abducted by Israeli forces in Gaza and taken to the Damon Prison. (AJ, WAFA 1/4)
Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant releases a framework for post-war Gaza in which a Palestinian entity that is not hostile to Israel and is not Hamas nor the PA is in control of Gaza, Israeli settlers do not return to Gaza, but the Israeli military will be able to operate in Gaza and oversee the borders. Gallant also says an international coalition will be responsible for rebuilding Gaza. The PA rejects Gallant’s framework. Gallant also meets with U.S. deputy assistant to the president and senior adviser for energy and investment Amos Hochstein, saying the window for diplomacy with Lebanon is closing. Hochstein also meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who tells him that Israel is seeking “a fundamental change on its border with Lebanon.” Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz says Israel will return its ambassador to Spain. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, REU 1/4; AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA 1/5)
Lebanon files a complaint with the UN Security Council over the Israeli assassination of Saleh al-Arouri and over Israel’s usage of Lebanese airspace to attack Syria. (AJ, HA 1/5)
Jordan says it backs South Africa’s case against Israel at the ICJ. (AJ 1/9)
The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, France, Japan, Germany, Slovenia, the Netherlands, and Qatar condemn statements made by Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir calling for the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the resettling of Gaza by Israeli settlers. UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk says he is “very disturbed” by the statements. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA 1/4; AJ, WAFA, WAFA 1/5)
U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says the U.S. has “not seen anything that would convince us that we need to take a different approach in terms of trying to help Israel defend itself.” Kirby also says that Israel should release the PA tax revenue to the PA, saying it is “Palestinian money,” and defends UNRWA from attacks by Israel and U.S. Republicans, saying “UNRWA does important work.” (AJ, HA 1/4; HA 1/5)
U.S. forces conduct an airstrike in Baghdad, killing Popular Mobilisation Forces commander Hajj Mushtaq Talib al-Saidi. Iraqi prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani condemns the attack, calling it a violation of Iraqi sovereignty and later on 1/5 says the government will start the process of removing the U.S.-led coalition from Iraq. (AJ, AP, HA, REU 1/4; AJ, AP, REU 1/5)
Israel chooses British lawyer Malcom Shaw to represent the country at the upcoming genocide hearings at the ICJ. Axios reports that Israel’s Foreign Ministry has sends out a cable to its embassies instructing its diplomats to pressure countries into issuing statements against South Africa’s case against Israel at the ICJ. (HA, HA 1/4; AX 1/5)
A political appointee at the U.S. Department of Education, Tariq Habash, resigns over U.S. support for Israel’s attacks on Gaza, saying he will not be quietly complicit. Habash was the political advisor in the department’s Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development. (HA, NYT 1/4)
Peace Now issues a report saying settlement activity in the West Bank has surged at unprecedented levels since 10/7. The report says Israeli settlers have created 9 new settlement outposts, made 18 paved roads, returned to the Amona outpost, closed roads for Palestinian vehicles, and built fences outside settlements. (PCN, PCN 1/4; NYT, WAFA 1/5)
The Intercept reports that all CNN stories related to Israel and Palestine are being reviewed at the CNN Jerusalem bureau before publication, where the stories are subject to the Israeli military’s censor. The Intercept also says CNN has issued directives to its journalists on language to avoid, directed them not to relay statements from Hamas, and has hired a former Israeli soldier from the Military Spokesperson Unit to serve as a reporter. (INT 1/4)
Former U.S. vice president Mike Pence tours northern Israel, writing a message on a bomb intended to be dropped on Lebanon. (HA 1/5; HA 1/6; HA 1/7)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized several water tanks and a vehicle during a raid in Shaab al-Butum and Wadi Abu Jahish in the Masafer Yatta area. The Israeli raid in Jenin continued from 12/12, 3 Palestinian were killed, 2 in a drone strike including a child, raising the number of Palestinians killed during the raid to 9. Israeli forces also injured 3 others, destroyed 4 homes and a barber shop with anti-tank missiles, and arrested several, including the Jenin Freedom Theatre director Ahmed Tobasi during the raid. Israeli soldiers filmed themselves singing a Hanukkah song using a mosque’s loudspeaker. 5 Israeli soldiers were injured in friendly fire during the raid. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assaulted 4 Palestinians after detaining them in al-‘Azza refugee camp. Israeli forces also demolished a Palestinian home in Susiya in the Masafer Yatta area. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities demolished 4 Palestinian homes in Silwan, Ras al-Amud, and Wadi Qaddum, displacing 36 people. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Khan Yunis, Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City, and Rafah, killing at least 194 Palestinians and injuring 499. Israeli forces also bombed 2 UNRWA shelters in Jabalia refugee camp and raided the Kamal Adwan Hospital for the second day in a row, arresting several people. Rockets fired from Gaza at Israel damaged a supermarket in Ashdod. In the Red Sea, 2 missiles were fired from Yemen at a commercial tanker, landing in the sea. (AJ, AP, AP, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/13; HA, NYT, NYT, REU 12/14)
More than 18,682 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 7,729 children and 5,153 women, and around 50,594 have been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 277 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 71 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. 115 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 600 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. As of 12/3, 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. Heavy rain worsened the situation for displaced Palestinians as several parts of Gaza flooded. 152 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing. Aid was only distributed in Rafah. 268 dual nationals were evacuated to Egypt. (AJ, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 12/13)
Palestinian witnesses told Al Jazeera that Israeli forces brought Palestinians to the Shadia Abu Ghazala School in Faluja and executed them, including women, children, and babies. Footage from the building showed dead people lying on the floor of a classroom and hundreds of bullet casings. (AJ 12/13)
Senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk told Al-Monitor that Hamas could follow the PLO and recognize Israel as a step toward reconciliation with Fatah. Separately, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a speech that “[w]e are open to discuss any ideas or initiatives that could end the [Israeli] aggression and open the door for putting the Palestinian house in order in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,” calling any political arrangement in Gaza without the inclusion of Hamas a “delusion.” (ALM, HA 12/13; HA, HA 12/14)
CNN reported that a U.S. intelligence assessment said that about 40-45% of the 29,000 air-to-ground munitions Israel had used on Gaza have been unguided “dumb bombs.” (CNN 12/13)
The Israeli war cabinet blocked Mossad director David Barnea’s request to travel to Qatar to restart a ceasefire/prisoner negotiation. (HA, HA 12/13; HA 12/14)
A poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research showed that 42% of Palestinians in Gaza and 44% of Palestinians in the West Bank said they support Hamas, up from 12% in September, while 88% said they wanted PA president Mahmoud Abbas to resign. The poll also found that Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti would win a presidential election. (AJ, AP, HA 12/13; REU 12/14)
Israeli ambassador to the UK Tzipi Holovely told Sky News that Israel rejects a 2-state solution. (AJ 12/13; HA 12/14)
U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal that the Biden administration was withholding a shipment of 27,000 M4 and M16 assault rifles to Israel over concerns that they may be handed out to violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank. (AJ, AX, WSJ 12/13; HA 12/14)
U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan met with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia, discussing the situation in Gaza and in the Red Sea. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said he believes that the U.S. still can foster a normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said ending Israel’s war on Gaza does not “serve the long-term security interest of everyone in the region.” President Joe Biden met with families of Americans held captive by Hamas, saying he will continue to do everything possible to secure their release. (AJ, AP, HA, REU 12/13)
UK foreign secretary David Cameron said the UK will ban “those responsible for settler violence from entering the UK to make sure our country cannot be a home for people who commit these intimidating acts.” (AP, HA, REU 12/14)
Qatar pledged $50 million to Palestinian refugees in Gaza. (AJ 12/13)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in Qaryut. Israeli settlers also vandalized Palestinian property, including water tanks, solar panels, and a vehicle in al-Rakiz and al-Mafqara in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces shot and killed 6 Palestinians during raids in Halhul, Beit Fajjar, and Tulkarm. Israeli forces also shot and injured 8 Palestinian during raids in al-Khader, Tulkarm, Ya’bad, Beit Fajjar, and Halhul. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assaulted 1 Palestinian in ‘Azzun. 70 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Dura, Nabi Salih, Qalqilya, Shu’fat refugee camp, ‘Anata, Hebron, and Nablus, including prominent activist Ahed Tamimi and senior Fatah member Marouf Rifai. The Palestinian Prisoners Commission said 2,150 Palestinians have been arrested since 10/7. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police shot and killed 1 Palestinian minor after he allegedly stabbed 2 Israeli soldiers in the Old City. 1 of the soldiers later died of her wounds. In Gaza, telecommunications were gradually restored in the morning after Israel cut the internet and phone connection on 11/5. 252 Palestinians were killed and 1,200 injured in Israeli airstrikes. Israel said it had attacked 450 sites overnight and assassinated Hamas member Jamal Musa. Israeli airstrikes targeted al-Shifa Hospital, killing 1 and injuring 170 others, and the Nasser Medical Complex, killing at least 8. Bombardments also caused mass casualties in az-Zawaidah and Tel as-Sultan. In Lebanon, Hamas claimed responsibility for firing 16 rockets near Haifa. Israel said it attacked the launch sites. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/6; AJ, AJ, REU 11/7)
The Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 10,022 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,100 children and 2,550 women, and 25,408 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 2,260 people were buried in rubble, including 1,270 children. 151 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 44 children. More than 2,386 people have been injured. Around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 injured since 10/7. 30 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began. Over 1.61 million Palestinians, around 70% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. At least 40,000 housing units have been destroyed and 220,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. 4 ambulances carrying 17 injured Palestinians entered Egypt through the Rafah crossing. 50 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing. PA health minister Mai al-Kaila said 175 medical personnel and 34 civil defense workers have been killed by Israel in Gaza since 10/7. The UN said 89 UNRWA staff members have been killed. The Committee to Protect Journalists said 36 journalists have been killed since 10/7. (AJ, AJ. HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/6; AJ 11/7)
A Palestinian man held in Israeli prison, Majad Ahmed Zaqoul, died in Israeli custody at the Ofer prison, being the third Palestinian to die in Israeli prison since 10/7. Zaqoul was working in Israel on 10/7 and was arrested by Israel shortly after. Israel has not investigated the death of the 2 other Palestinians who died while in Israeli custody since 10/7. (AJ, HA, WAFA 11/6; WAFA 11/7)
The PA refused to accept the partial transfer of its tax revenue collected by Israel after Israel decided to withhold sums earmarked for administration expenses in Gaza, in addition to the funds withheld that Israel says the PA pays to the families of Palestinian detainees and Palestinians killed by Israeli forces. The amount Israel earmarked for Gaza was $140 million a month. PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with Austrian chancellor Karl Nehammer, calling for an immediate ceasefire. (HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 11/6)
The Knesset approved a temporary bill banning consumption of “words of praise, sympathy or encouragement for acts of terrorism” by Hamas or ISIS. Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, demanding that the Israeli military creates “security zones around the settlements and roads” and prevents Palestinians from approaching them. (AJ, HA, REU 11/6)
Qatar condemned Israel for claiming that there was a tunnel system under the Qatar-funded Sheikh Hamad Hospital in Gaza. Israel had released a photo to back up its claims, but engineers have pointed out that the purported tunnel is for water storage. An Al Jazeera investigation later disproved the Israeli claim. (AJ, HA 11/6; AJ 11/8)
South Africa recalled its ambassador to Israel, calling Israeli actions in Gaza “genocide.” The deputy speaker of the Bahraini parliament said the parliament wants to cancel the country’s normalization deal with Israel. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU 11/6; HA 11/7; NYT 11/8)
The UAE said it would establish a field hospital in Gaza and that 5 aircraft carrying the necessary equipment were en route to Egypt. France said it was in talks with Egypt to set up a field hospital in the Sinai to treated wounded Palestinians from Gaza. (AJ, HA 11/6)
The 15 UN Security Council members failed to agree to a resolution on Israel’s attacks on Gaza. The U.S. insisted the council call for “humanitarian pauses” while other states demanded a call for a “humanitarian ceasefire.” UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres launched a $1.2 billion humanitarian appeal to help 2.7 million Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and said Gaza was becoming “a graveyard for children.” (AJ, AP, AX, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 11/6; AJ, HA 11/7)
U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken met with Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara. U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu had discussed “tactical pauses.” Axios later reported that Biden asked Netanyahu for a 3-day ceasefire to allow sufficient aid to enter Gaza. In return, Hamas would release 10-15 captives and verify the identities of the remaining captives, a proposal Netanyahu reportedly rejected. Netanyahu told ABC News that a ceasefire depended on the release of the Hamas-held captives, but that Israel could allow “tactical pauses.” Netanyahu also said Israel will maintain the “overall security responsibility” for Gaza for “an indefinite period” when Israel has finished its campaign. U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patal said in response to Netanyahu’s comments that Gaza will remain Palestinian land and that the U.S. does not support reoccupation. (AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, REU 11/6; AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU 11/7; HA, NYT 11/8)
The U.S. military said a nuclear submarine had arrived in the eastern Mediterranean. The submarine was said to have not been carrying nuclear weapons but Tomahawk missiles. It was also reported that the U.S. planned to send Israel $320 million worth of Spice Family Gliding Bomb Assemblies, a precision guided munition for fighter jets. The State Department approved the shipment. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, REU 11/6; AJ, HA 11/7)
EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen presented 5 principles for after Israel’s war on Gaza; 1) Gaza cannot be a haven for terrorists; 2) Hamas cannot rule Gaza; 3) there cannot be a long-term Israeli security presence in Gaza; 4) no forced displacement of Palestinians; 5) no continuous siege on Gaza. Von der Leyen also announced that the EU will allocate another $27 million in aid to Gaza. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA 11/6)
Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian spoke with Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan about the situation in Gaza, agreeing to convene an extraordinary summit of the OIC in Saudi Arabia on 11/12. (HA 11/6)
The New York Times reported that the U.S. had told Hezbollah and Iran that it will intervene militarily if they attack Israel. (HA, NYT 11/6)
Haaretz reported that U.S. officials told the newspaper that Secretary Blinken got the impression that Israel does not have a strategy for what to do when its war on Gaza ends. Blinken reportedly broached the question in meetings with Israeli officials on 11/3, receiving the impression that the matter has barely been discussed. (HA 11/6; HA 11/7)
In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian man, described as a bystander, was killed during an exchange of fire between Palestinian militants and PA forces in Tulkarm. Palestinian militants threw an explosive device at Israeli soldiers who were escorting Israeli settlers to Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus, injuring 4. Israeli settlers assaulted 1 Palestinian man in Khirbet Umm Zuqah in the Jordan Valley. Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian man before arresting him, claiming he had attempted to ram Israeli soldiers near Hebron; his father at their home in Karma. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinians in Beit Umar, causing tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished an agricultural structure in Khirbet Tiba. 14 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Jericho, Tulkarm, and Ramallah. In East Jerusalem, an Israeli settler shot and killed 1 Palestinian minor in Bab a-Zahara, claiming he had stabbed 1 Israeli soldier. Israeli forces prevented the minor from receiving first aid; in a video the minor appeared unarmed before he was executed. Israeli settlers also toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israel forces made 1 Palestinian family demolish their own home in the Old City, displacing 4. 7 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids. (AJ, AJ, ALM, HA, HA, HA, MEE, REU, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/30; AP, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, PCHR, WAFA 8/31; UNOCHA 9/11)
The Coordination Administration for the Marches of Return in Gaza announced that it would be setting up tents east of Gaza City in preparation for the renewal of the Great March of Return protests. (HA, MEMO 8/31)
Israel denied the director of the Bisan Center for Research and Development, Ubai Aboudi, exit to Jordan via the Allenby crossing, summoning him for questioning. It was the third time that Israel has prevented Aboudi from traveling since 2022. Aboudi was scheduled to attend a meeting with UN human rights experts in Jordan. (Bisan, QDS, WAFA 9/5)
UNRWA made an appeal for $15.5 million to rebuild infrastructure, provide new schooling locations, and give cash assistance to Palestinian refugees who were displaced due to the fighting in Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in Lebanon earlier this month. (AP 8/30)
PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki attended the opening of the Palestinian embassy to Tajikistan in Dushanbe. (WAFA 8/30)
Axios reported that the PA has provided Saudi Arabia with a list of possible deliverables in exchange for not opposing Saudi-Israeli normalization. PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh was reported to have given Saudi national security advisor Musaed bin Mohammed al-Aiban the list 3 months ago. The list reportedly included: changing the status of parts of Area C to Area B, for the U.S. to reopen its consulate to Palestinians in Jerusalem, for Saudi Arabia open a consulate to the PA in Jerusalem, for Saudi Arabia to resume funding of the PA, and for Israel to agree to resume final status negotiations under a clear timeline. Axios further reported that al-Sheikh, PA intelligence chief Majed Faraj, and PA president Mahmoud Abbas’ foreign policy advisor Majdi Khaldi met with U.S. assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs Barbara Leaf last week in Jordan. Axios later reported that the meeting between the Palestinian officials and Leaf was tense, as Leaf dismissed the idea that the U.S. would support Palestine to obtain full UN membership. (AX 8/30; HA, MEE, WSJ 8/31; AX 9/3)
A report commissioned by the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People found that the Israeli occupation of the West Bank is unlawful, calling on Israel to immediately and unconditionally withdraw, including evacuating Israeli settlers. (MEE 8/30)
Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian condemned Israeli attacks in Syria during a press conference in Damascus, threatening retaliation. (HA 8/30)
In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and injured 2 Palestinians using live ammunition during a raid in Dheisheh refugee camp. 11 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Ramallah, Bayt Rima, Beit Ula, Fawwar refugee camp, Idhna, Jenin, Jericho, and Fari‘ah refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, 4 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Silwan and Shu‘fat refugee camp. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen west of al-Sudaniyya; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/23; PCHR 6/30; UNOCHA 7/2)
The Israeli justice ministry began the process of registering land adjacent to the Haram al-Sharif compound, including at the Ophel Archeological Park in the Old City. (HA 6/26; MEE 6/27; MEMO 6/29)
Israeli military authorities extended the administrative detention period of 1 Palestinian prisoner by 4 months despite promising to release him at the end of his current detention period after he had been hunger striking for 111 days. The man is currently hospitalized for complications related to his hunger strike, which he ended on 6/21. The man resumed his hunger strike on 7/2 (WAFA 6/23; WAFA 7/5)
Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh met with Hezbollah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. There were also reports that Haniyeh was scheduled to meet with Lebanese president Michel Aoun and prime minister Najib Mikati. (HA 6/23)
The PLO executive committee met in Ramallah. During the meeting, the committee discussed the U.S. Biden administration’s failure to fulfil its promises to the Palestinian people and plans to initiate national dialogue to end the intra-Palestinian political division. (WAFA 6/24)
Peace Now released a report marking the first year of the Bennett-Lapid government, detailing how the current Israeli government has accelerated the displacement of Palestinians compared to average numbers during the Netanyahu governments. Compared with the yearly average of the Netanyahu governments, the Bennett-Lapid government has promoted 26% more settlement units, issued tenders for 15% more settlement construction, demolished 35% more Palestinian homes in the West Bank, and 59% more Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem. Additionally, settler violence has risen with 45% and 45 more Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces compared with the yearly average of the Netanyahu governments. (PCN 6/23)
Israel’s foreign minister Yair Lapid met with his Türkiye counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in Ankara, in a bid to further normalized relations between the 2 countries. (AJ, ALM, HA, MEE, REU 6/23)
24 Democratic senators, led by Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), wrote a letter to the Biden administration, calling on it to “ensure that a comprehensive, impartial, and open investigation” into the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is conducted. The senators also addressed secretary of state Antony Blinken, attorney general Merrick Garland, and FBI director Christopher Wray. (HA, MEE, REU 6/23; AJ, MDW, WAFA 6/24)
President of Suriname Chandrikapersad Santokhi told the National Assembly that Suriname would not build an embassy to Israel in Jerusalem, citing budget constraints. Suriname announced plans to open an embassy to Israel in Jerusalem during a visit by its foreign minister Albert Ramdin on 5/30. (AJ, HA 6/24)
UNRWA announced that it had received pledges of $160 million for its general programming, but warned that it still expects a shortfall of $100 million in its core budget for 2022. (WAFA 6/24)
In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian who was shot by Israeli forces during a protest in Burqa on 3/1 succumbed to his wounds. Israeli settlers uprooted and stole grape saplings and damaged a stone wall and barbed wire fence in Kafr ad-Dik. Israeli settlers also razed a plot of land near Battir. Israeli forces violently dispersed a memorial service held for a Palestinian killed by Israeli forces on 3/1 at the Khadouri Technical University campus north of Hebron, injuring 3 with rubber-coated bullets and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also confiscated 2 water pumps and electric cables in Birin. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished 1 Palestinian-owned home in Khallet al-Eideh near Hebron and assaulted 2 Palestinians resisting the demolition. Israeli forces also delivered a demolition order for a residential structure in the Abu al-Nuwwar Bedouin community east of Jerusalem. 20 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Jalazun refugee camp, al-Ram, Deir Abu Mash‘al, Tuqu‘, Hebron, Yatta, al-Zawiya, Jenin, and Fahma. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolished 1 Palestinian house under construction in Shu‘fat refugee camp. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen west of Beit Lahiya; no injuries were reported. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian famers east of Beit Hanun and Khan Yunis; no injuries were reported. In Israel, anti-Palestinian graffiti was sprayed on 1 Palestinian vehicle and the tires of 30 vehicles were slashed in Jaljulia. (HA, HA, MEMO, MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/9; MEMO, PCHR 3/10; UNOCHA 3/11; UNOCHA 3/25)
Israel’s police commissioner Kobi Shabtai instructed the Israeli police to halt Palestinian home evictions and demolitions in East Jerusalem and the Naqab during the month of Ramadan. (HA 3/9)
The Israeli civil administration said, after having to respond to a freedom of information petition from HaMoked, that during 2021 it had banned 10,594 Palestinians from the West Bank from traveling abroad. According to a source in the civil administration, travel bans can be applied to Palestinians by Israel automatically, for example, in cases where the person is a relative of someone deemed by Israel to be involved with terrorism. (HA, MEE 3/9; MEMO 3/10)
PA civil affairs minister Hussein al-Sheikh met with Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid. Civil Affairs Minister al-Sheikh said he stressed to Lapid the need for a political horizon and an end to Israeli settlement expansion. (WAFA 3/9)
The Jewish Agency said that “[i]f all goes well, we will bring tens of thousands [of Ukrainians] to Israel in the coming year,” referring to the refugee crisis in Ukraine as Russia has declared war on the country. (HA 3/9)
Israeli president Isaac Herzog met with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara. President Erdoğan told reporters after the meeting that he believes the 2 countries are entering an era of mutual ties. (AJ, ALM, AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU 3/9; HA, TOI 3/10)
Former U.S. vice president Mike Pence toured Hebron, including al-Ibrahimi Mosque, with Israeli settler activists MK Itamar Ben-Gvir and Baruch Marzel, who were both leaders of the Kach movement. Vice President Pence also received an honorary degree from the settler university in Ariel and met with former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, current prime minister Naftali Bennett, president Isaac Herzog, and foreign minister Yair Lapid. (AX 3/9; AP, HA, WAFA, WP 3/10; MEMO 3/11)
Belgium signed a cooperation agreement with the PA worth $77 million over 5 years. The funding is earmarked for education, vocational training, job creation, and climate issues in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza. (WAFA 3/9; MEMO 3/10)
China donated 200,000 doses of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines to UNRWA to help inoculate Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. (WAFA 3/9)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers shot and injured 2 Palestinians and injured 5 others with stones near Khalat al-Daba; 3 cars were also damaged. 13 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Beit Ur al-Tahta, al-Bireh, Jenin, Bethlehem, Husan, Dura, and Fawwar refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raided the home of 1 Palestinian prisoner in Wadi al-Juz and ordered its occupants to demolish it; municipality workers demolished parts of the inside of the home before leaving. (MEMO, WAFA, WAFA 11/10; HA, PCHR, WAFA 11/11)
PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh told reporters during a press conference in Ramallah that if Israel does not embrace a 2-state solution, it will result in a 1-state reality of “apartheid.” Prime Minister Shtayyeh reiterated his charge against Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett, accusing him of a 3-no mantra: no to meeting PA president Abbas, no to peace negotiations, and no to a Palestinian state. (AP, HA 11/10)
Palestinian politician, nephew of Yasir Arafat, and former chairman of the Arafat Foundation Nasser al-Kidwa charged PA president Mahmoud Abbas with destroying the Arafat Foundation in an advance statement for the anniversary of Arafat’s death. Al-Kidwa said that President Abbas is destroying the foundation by dismissing its board and canceling its independence from the PA. (MEMO 11/11)
Israel claimed to have new evidence against the 6 Palestinian rights organizations recently deemed terrorist organizations by the state, based on a plea deal from a Spanish citizen who worked for Health Work Committee, which is not 1 of the 6 rights organizations in question. According to the indictment, some money raised by the woman was transferred to the PFLP without her knowledge. The woman, however, only said that she had suspected the organization acted on behalf of the PFLP. (AP, HA, JP, TOI 11/10; +972, MEE 11/11)
Israel, the U.S., Bahrain, and the UAE participated in a joint military drill in the Red Sea. The naval drill is scheduled to last for 5 days. (AJ, AP, HA, MEMO 11/11)
6 progressive-leaning members of U.S. congress, including Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Mondaire Jones (D-NY), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Barbara Lee (D-CT), Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), and Mark Pocan (D-MN) met with Israel’s prime minister Naftali Bennett during a J Street-sponsored trip to Israel and Palestine. Representatives Bowman and Pocan also visited Hebron and Susiya with Palestinian activist Nasser Nawajah and the executive director of Breaking the Silence Avner Gvaryahu. A bipartisan group of House representatives and senators led by Chris Coons (D-DE) also met with Prime Minister Bennett and PA prime minister Shtayyeh. Senator Coons said the group had asked Israel to provide more evidence against the 6 Palestinian rights organizations (see above). Members of the Democratic Socialists of America, of which Bowman is a member, debated whether to expel Bowman due to his participation in the meeting with Naftali Bennett and his association with J Street. In the end, the Democratic Socialists of America did not expel Bowman but said that it expected to see significant movement from him on Palestine if it was to endorse him for the 2022 elections. (HA, TOI, WAFA 11/10; HA, MEMO 11/11; FOX, HA, MDW 12/1; HA 12/3)
The U.S. Biden administration reverted to the voting pattern of the Obama administration on UNGA resolutions pertaining to UNRWA. The U.S., Cameroon, Canada, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, and Uruguay abstained on 1 resolution in support of Palestinian refugees’ right of return, while Israel was the only country that voted against. The U.S. and Israel were the only 2 countries to vote against a resolution calling for Israel to end its occupation of the Golan Heights. The U.S., Canada, Hungary, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, and Israel also voted against a resolution condemning Israeli settlement activity and evictions in East Jerusalem. (MEMO, WAFA 11/10; FOX, JNS, JP 11/11)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers leveled Palestinian agricultural land near Deir ‘Ammar before Israeli forces removed them from the area. Israeli forces sealed off Sabastia for the 2d day in a row and closed Palestinian stores. 7 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Jalazun refugee camp, Bani Na‘im, Bayt Awa, Ya‘bad, and Beit Sira. In East Jerusalem, some 600 Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. 6 Palestinians were arrested in Silwan, al-Tur, Isawiya, and at the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces made incursions and leveled land north of Beit Lahiya and east of Dayr al-Balah. Israeli forces also opened fire at Palestinian agricultural lands east of Khan Yunis and Beit Hanun; no injuries were reported. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fisherman within 3 nautical miles west of al-Sudaniyya; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/23; PCHR 9/30)
2 Palestinians who had been missing after going fishing on 9/3 off the coast of Gaza were reported detained at a prison in Egypt. (MEE 9/23)
The PA commission of detainees’ affairs said in a statement that 1 39-year-old Palestinian who died of leukemia 7 months after being released from an Israeli prison perished because of medical neglect while he was incarcerated by Israel. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 9/23)
The PLO rejected an agreement made between the U.S. and UNRWA to keep the U.S. providing funds to the agency, saying that the agreement is an attempt to abolish the Right of Return for Palestinian refugees. (WAFA 9/23)
It was reported that Sudan had seized a number of companies and bank accounts belonging to Palestinians. According to the reporting, the assets belong to Hamas as a means to generate revenue for the organization. Later, on 9/24, Hamas said that it did not have links to the companies and individuals targeted by Sudan. 1 day later, on 9/25, the PA urged Sudan to hand over the assets to the PA. A Hamas official said the seizing of the funds by Sudan was a way for the new government to win the support of the U.S by slandering Hamas. (HA, REU, TOI 9/23; AA, HA, MEMO, REU, TOI, WAFA 9/25; ALM 9/30)
The U.S. house of representatives passed a bill 420-9-2, providing Israel with another $1 billion of military aid to allegedly restock Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system after Israel’s attack on Gaza in May. The $1 billion was removed from a stopgap government-funding bill on 9/21, prompting Democratic majority leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) to present the funding as a stand-alone bill. The 9 representatives to vote against the bill were Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), André Carson (D-IN), Marie Newman (D-IL), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Cori Bush (D-MO), And Thomas Massie (R-KY). Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Hank Johnson (D-GA) voted present. Representative Tlaib gave a speech before the vote calling Israel an apartheid state, drawing ire from several pro-Israel Democrats, including Ted Deutch (D-FL) who said that calling Israel an apartheid state was anti-Semitic. Later, Israel’s envoy to the UN Gilad Erdan said that the 9 representatives who voted against the bill were “either ignorant or antisemitic.” It is estimated that the deployment of the Iron Dome during May cost Israel a maximum of $120 million. (AJ, AP, FOX, FOX, HA, HA, HA, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, NYT, REU, TOI 9/23; CNN 9/24; WAFA 9/25; HA 9/26; HA 9/27; JCUR, MEE 9/28)
Also in the house of representatives, representative Andy Levin (D-MI), supported by more than 24 Democrats, introduced the Two-State Solution Act, aimed at preserving the feasibility of a 2-state solution. Among its provisions, the bill aims at distinguishing between Israel and occupied Palestinian territory, defined as the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza. The authors of the bill want the U.S. to label products from occupied Palestine as such and not as Israeli products. It also aims at pushing the U.S. administration to reopen the PLO mission in D.C. and U.S. consulate to Palestinians in Jerusalem. Lastly, the authors want the PA to end its payments to Palestinian prisoners and their families convicted of terrorism by Israeli military courts. (POL 9/22; AJ, HA, JP, MEE 9/23; TOI 9/24)
Texas’s state comptroller Glenn Hegar said that Ben & Jerry’s had been added to the state’s list of companies that boycott Israel and that Texas will start to divest from the company. Texas is the 4th state to divest from Ben & Jerry’s over its decision to stop selling ice cream in West Bank settlements and to move its franchise regional office from Israel. (NWK 9/23; JP 9/24)
Denmark and the PA signed an agreement for Denmark to provide $72 million in grants over the next 5 years to help development in, among other areas, local government, agriculture, and civil society. (WAFA 9/23; MEMO 9/24)
PNA Planning M Shaath, Israeli negotiator Maj. Gen. Danny Rothschild initial early empowerment accord in Cairo giving PNA control of education, health, welfare, taxes, tourism; ability to amend related laws subject to Israeli veto. All schools to be turned over by 8/29, other responsibilities by 9/12, provided financing is confirmed at mtg. of donor countries in Paris 9/9. Arafat asks for immediate $9.5 m. for running schools. Israel agrees to pay teachers' 1st-mo. salaries. Safe-passage corridor opens. (NYT, WP, WT 8/24; CSM 8/25; MENA, QY 8/24 in FBIS 8/25)
Pres. Clinton tells B'nai B'rith convention that U.S. will compensate Israel for any strategic advantages it relinquishes for peace. (QY 8/24 in IL 8/25; MM 8/26)
IDF announces it has begun evacuating some West Bank outposts in the Nablus area as part of the early empowerment agmt. (JP, MM 8/24)
Lebanese PM Rafiq Hariri meets with Hamas delegation to discuss elections, conditions of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. Lebanese Refugee Affairs M Walid Junblat says new houses to be built for Palestinian refugees in al-Quray'ah with help from UNRWA. (RL 8/24 in FBIS 8/25; Al-Safir 8/25 in FBIS 8/30; Al-Safir 8/30 in FBIS 9/1)
Pakistani PM Benazir Bhutto announces she will visit Gaza Strip 8/28 to meet with Arafat, but not visit Israel. (QY 8/24 in FBIS 8/25)
Israeli Finance, Interior Mins. reach agmt. with Israeli-Arab municipalities ending 39-day strike by heads of Arab towns. (HA 8/25 in IL 8/25)
Shin Bet, IDF arrest 10 mbrs. of Fateh Hawks accused of killing collaborators. (ITV 8/24 in FBIS 8/25; JP 9/3)
Military Action:
After day of quiet, renewed artillery exchanges in Tripoli, coastal road cut 20 miles south of city; IDF announces 4 Katyusha rockets found in South Lebanon.
Casualties:
UNRWA asks IDF for protection from Palestinian refugees in Sidon protesting delay in distribution of kerosene heating stoves, cement and winter clothing; 16-tent school operating in Ain el-Hilweh; 625 building plots cleared and allocated by UNRWA, 590 plots cleared by refugees, 850 plots allocated in Tyre; 40 killed, more wounded, large sections of Tripoli without electricity, water, telephone and basic food, hospitals short of supplies, many civilians living in shelters.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: IDF spokes-man announces Syria is building 2 bases for Soviet SA-5 missiles, warns USSR not to deploy missiles in Syria; President Yitzhak Navon begins 2 week visit to US, will meet Reagan with Shultz, Kissinger, AFL-CIO, Jewish groups; Mapam MK Elazar Granot introduces motion in Knesset that Sharon be removed as Defense Minister and be replaced in Lebanon negotiations because of his leak about a separate agreement with Lebanese leaders and distortion of the facts of the war from its beginning; Foreign Minister Shamir charges that Lebanese Muslim leaders opposed to normalization with Israel are agents of foreign interests, and reiterates commitment to Eretz Israel, calling on international convention delegates to invest all efforts in aliya; Moshavim Herut and Mismeret will close illegal camps for Arab workers who will have to return to Gaza to sleep; Yitzhak Rabin, touring settlements, says Labor Party firmly opposed to any withdrawal to 1948 green line, that Camp David accord includes change in frontier to incorporate Jerusalem and Jordan Valley; Peace Now distributes document of military government which says Science and Technology Minister Yuval Ne'eman and his assistant MK Hanan Porat helped establish supervisory teams of settlers to guard state lands and may be used to deport Palestinians; Peace Now charges that Kiryat Arba council intends to pressure and persuade Arab shop-owners to leave Hebron; at his courtmartial, IDF paratrooper and Deputy Commander of Judea District Major David Mofaz, one of seven defendants, excuses his beating of Palestinian students at Hebron's Islamic University by charging that District Commander Lt. Col. Shalom Lugassi instructed soldiers to beat, pester and break watches of demonstrators, that Sharon said Arab rioters should have their testicles ripped off; West Bank Military Commander Yaakov Hartabi testifies soldiers acted properly and according to written and oral orders.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Prime Minister Shafik Wazzan calls Syrian Prime Minister Abdel Raouf al-Kassem, appealing for security measures to end fighting in Tripoli; Rashid Karami goes to Damascus; local Tripoli leaders Mohammed Ali Dannawi of Muslim Salvation Front and Farouk Mokaddam of October 24 Movement call for withdrawal of Syrian troops from Tripoli.
US and Other Countries: US Special Envoy Philip Habib summoned from vacation to Washington as President Reagan prepares a new initiative to break Lebanon stalemate.
Military Action:
Phalange forces, backed by IDF, have artillery duels with Syrian-supported Lebanese leftist militia; Phalange-Druze conflicts reported (nephew of Gemayel reportedly killed); Muslim/Christian conflicts around Tripoli; 2 Israeli generals visit Jumblatt's center, demand that his forces surrender artillery and mortars; Phalange moves into Chouf and Sidon, replacing Lebanese gendarmerie; Israeli jets hold mock battles over Beirut, dropping flares over Palestinian refugee camps; PLO bolsters positions inside W. Beirut; Phalange shoot from behind IDF lines.
Casualties:
Israeli government developing plans for security of southern Lebanon not involving international help (arms and uniforms given to villagers); observers report more physical damage in Tyre than Sidon (where casualties higher); Lebanese bankers protest IDF attempt to violate bank secrecy in Sidon; IDF asks Druze/Phalange leaders to stop fighting between followers (Phalange reportedly using arms against Druze; IDF caught in cross-fire); villages of Jumblatt refuse to be disarmed (Druze Likud Knesset member asks Sharon to restrain Phalangists "who draw their strength from the Defense Minister").
UNRWA reports that 50 percent of houses in 6 Palestinian refugee camps near Sidon/Tyre are destroyed, 40 percent of refugees have fled, UNRWA convoy scheduled to leave Jerusalem for Tyre today (draws on stocks in Gaza and West Bank); two-thirds of two camps near Tyre destroyed (no clear report on third camp); Ain el-Hilweh reportedly "virtually wiped out," Rashidiyeh suffers less damage; 200,000 tons of aid from France, West Germany, Denmark waiting in Cyprus for IDF permission to ship; Canadian physician who worked in Sidon says 50 percent of 10,000 killed by IDF invasion were children under 13 (his hospital was bombed 4 times, he saw pellet bombs dropped on refugee camps, and saw Palestinian prisoners beaten with clubs and metal-tipped whips).
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Begin disagrees with message from Haig that PLO should be allowed token political presence in Lebanon if Lebanon agrees (says that despite his statement in the US that Israel had no intention of entering Beirut, with IDF on Beirut's periphery "it was another matter," and urges Beirut residents to "flee for your lives"); Israeli Cabinet agrees to give negotiations more time, extends "deadline"; officials indicate Saudi plans for airlift might be acceptable; Foreign Ministry condemns EEC call for involvement of PLO in negotiations; Labor Alignment resolution opposing military action in Beirut gets 47 votes (Likud resolution gets 60, reference to multinational policing of 28-mile zone conspicuously absent); cost of war put at $2.5 billion for Israel ($1 b. in direct costs, $1.5 b. in indirect costs from resultant economic slowdown; equals 10-15 percent of GNP); IDF service extension for those essential for war effort being discussed; officials claim PLO takes advantage of peace negotiations; 200 protest Israeli invasion near Prime Minister's office (including 15 reservists back from Lebanon, who say they have signatures of 200 soldiers opposed to the war); trial of 20 Palestinian youths for guerrilla actions begins in Lydda and Ramal-lah; Israeli Druze leader asks Begin to restrain Phalange attacks on Lebanese Druze.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Phalange party plans to nominate Bashir Gemayel for Lebanese President; negotiations stall as no Arab countries indicate willingness to accept all PLO fighters; Lebanese continue to flee Beirut, leaving streets deserted; Wazzan puts civilian deaths at 15,000 (IDF Colonel Kadar says deaths number only a few thousand-in excess of 440 civilian deaths cited by Begin last week); Wazzan, after meeting with Habib, rejects Israeli conditions; PLO forces in Tripoli vow to fight on regardless of any settlement in-volving PLO forces in Beirut; PLO privately reiterates willingness to leave Lebanon (form of evacuation and surrender of arms left un-resolved); PLO meets with Salam.
Arab Govemments: Saudis reported active diplomatically; Arab League representatives meet in Taif to continue discussion of common approach to IDF invasion (includes Syrian, Saudi, Lebanese, PLO, Algerian and Kuwaiti envoys).
US and Other Countries: Reagand enies giving Israel "green light" for invasion, says it resulted from PLO rocket attacks on Israel; Senator Percy says IDF invasion of W. Beirut would be "unacceptable" because of civilian casualties; State Department official warns of risk of renewed fighting if PLO and Lebanon do not come to terms soon; Haig sends message saying PLO should be allowed some political presence in Lebanon if Lebanese authorities agree; French Foreign Minister Cheysson, after meeting with Egyptian envoy Ghali, speaks of PLO as representing Palestinian people; Greek Ministry of Culture supervises huge concert in Athens to aid Palestinian children; Nigerian parliament passes resolution condemning Israel; protests held in cities in USSR; USSR accuses Israelis of using chemical weapons in Lebanon supplied by US.