The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers bring their cattle to graze on farmland in Deir Balut, causing damage to crops. Israeli settlers also fence off a tract of land and begin construction of a settlement road in the Jordan Valley. Israeli forces fatally shoot 2 Palestinians and injure at least 3 others in Nur Shams refugee camp during the second day of its raid in Tulkarm, bringing the total number of casualties to 8 deaths and at least 26 injuries; Israeli soldiers also continue demolishing infrastructure, blow up 3 homes, and prevent medics from reaching wounded Palestinians. Israeli forces also shoot and injure 10 Palestinians, including 2 with live ammunition and 8 with baton rounds, during raids in al-Bireh and al-Am’ari refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assault 4 Palestinians and injure others with tear gas during a raid in Husan. Israeli forces also demolish several homes and agricultural structures in Duma, displacing around 50 people. Israeli forces arrest 48 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hamala, Hebron, Deir al-Ghusun, Bayt Rima, Balaa, Nablus, Kafr ad-Dik, and Qalqilya. In Gaza, telecommunications services are down for the seventh day in a row. Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Rafah, Beit Hanun, Beit Lahiya, al-Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, Maghazi, and Khan Yunis, killing at least 172 people, including 16 in an airstrike on a home in Rafah and al-Quds TV news director Wael Fanouneh in an airstrike on Gaza City. Israeli forces also demolish al-Israa University in a controlled explosion after using it as a military base. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Aitaroun, Meiss Ej Jabal, Kfar Kila, and Odaisseh, causing damage. Lebanon’s National News Agency says Israel has used white phosphorus in Meiss Ej Jabal. In the Red Sea, the Houthi movement says it has attacked a ship 85 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen with “naval missiles,” causing damage. The U.S. military says it has bombed 2 anti-ship missiles ready to be launched in Yemen. In Iran, Pakistani forces bomb Baluchi separatists, killing 9 people, in what appears to be retaliation for an Iranian strike on Pakistan on 1/16. (NYT 1/17; AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/18; AJ, AP, AP, NYT, REU, REU 1/19)

More than 24,620 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 10,600 children and 7,200 women, and around 61,830 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 361 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 90 children. More than 4,252 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 191 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,178 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 69,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 98 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. UNRWA says the population of Rafah has quadrupled to more than 1.2 million. (AJ, NYT, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 1/18; AP, HA 1/19)

Lebanese officials say Hezbollah has rejected a U.S. proposal to move its militants further north from the Blue Line to reduce tensions with Israel, but that Hezbollah remains open to U.S. diplomacy to avoid further escalation. (HA, HA, REU 1/18)

A Haaretz investigation reveals that no Palestinian community in Israel is listed as eligible to receive weapons from the National Security Ministry, even as some of the communities are closer to Israeli “borders” than Jewish communities that are deemed eligible. (HA 1/18)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will continue to control all territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean, saying “it contradicts the idea of self-rule [for Palestinians]. So what? I tell this truth to our American friends.” Netanyahu adds, “[t]his conflict is not about a lack of a state, but about the existence of a state.” U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says in response that U.S. “support for Israel remains ironclad” despite disagreement on the issue. Miller also says that there is “no way” to solve Israel’s long-term security needs without the establishment of a Palestinian state. PA spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh says there will be no security and stability in the region without a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Saudi ambassador to the U.S. Reema bint Bandar Al Saud says any potential normalization agreement with Israel would be conditioned on a ceasefire and an “irrevocable” pathway for a Palestinian state. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, NYT, WAFA 1/18; AP, AP, NYT, REU 1/19)

The Israeli cabinet discusses whether to transfer the responsibility of disbursing the PA tax revenue to either Norway or the U.S. The plan, which was brought forward by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, is opposed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and is not voted on. Smotrich’s plan includes forcing the third-party country to also deduct tax revenue that is allocated to Gaza. (HA 1/19)

Israeli war cabinet minister Gadi Eisenkot tells Channel 12 that he helped prevent an Israeli “preemptive strike” on Lebanon on 10/11/2023 and says Israel will not be able to retrieve the captives held in Gaza alive without a deal with Hamas. The Times of Israel quotes National Security Minister Ben-Gvir as telling Israeli soldiers in the West Bank that “[w]hen your life is in danger or [you] see a terrorist – even if he does not endanger you – shoot.” Ben-Gvir’s office later says he told the soldiers to shoot “armed terrorists.”  (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 1/18; AP, AP, AP, NYT 1/19)

U.S. president Joe Biden responds to a question about the efficacy of the U.S. attacks on Yemen saying “when you say working, are they stopping the Houthis? No. Are they going to continue? Yes.” (AP 1/18; AJ, AP 1/19)

Mexico and Chile refer Israel’s attacks on Gaza to the ICC over possible war crimes. (AJ, AP, HA, REU 1/18; AP, WAFA 1/19)

The European Parliament votes in favor of a permanent ceasefire on the condition that Hamas is dismantled and all captives are released, and for an acceleration of humanitarian aid to Gaza in a symbolic vote that pass 312-131, with 72 members abstaining. (AJ, AP, REU, WAFA 1/18)

Politico reports that U.S. officials have told Israeli leaders to restore telecommunications services in Gaza. (AJ 1/18)

The Financial Times, citing unnamed “senior Arab officials,” reports that Arab states will present a plan that will see normalization of Saudi ties with Israel in exchange for Palestine becoming a full member of the UN, irreversible steps toward Palestinian statehood, and Israel ceasing its attacks on Gaza. (AJ, FT, HA 1/18)

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

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 10,818 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,412 children and 2,918 women, and 26,905 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 2,450 people were buried in rubble, including 1,350 children. 173 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 46 children. More than 2,492 people have been injured. Around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 injured since 10/7. 35 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began. Over 1.61 million Palestinians, around 70% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. As of 11/6, at least 40,000 housing units have been destroyed and 220,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 45% of all housing units. 65 trucks carrying aid to Gaza and 7 ambulances entered via the Rafah crossing. 12 injured Palestinians and 695 foreign passport holders were evacuated from Gaza to Egypt. Around 50,000 people fled north Gaza to the south, bringing the total number to 122,000 since 11/5. UNRWA launched a flash appeal for $481 million to address the humanitarian needs in Gaza and the West Bank. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 11/9; WAFA 11/10)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the West Bank, Israeli forces killed 1 Palestinian child during a raid in Balata refugee camp; Israeli forces said that the child had thrown a stone at the forces during the raid; no soldiers were reported injured. Israeli forces also shot and injured 2 Palestinian minors near a watchtower in al-Arroub refugee camp, claiming that the 2 threw stones at soldiers. Elsewhere, Israeli forces delivered stop-work orders for 4 commercial buildings in Salfit, 1 demolition order for a house in Bayt Jala, and demolished 3 agricultural structures in Khirbet al-Rahwa. 15 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, al-Bireh, Beit Sahour, Bayt Jala, al-Arroub refugee camp, Sa‘ir, Mirka, al-Zawiya, ‘Azzun, and Balata refugee camp. (AJ, HA, MEE, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/24; PCHR 8/26)

Haaretz reported that Israel had sent more troops to the Gaza fence in anticipation of another Palestinian demonstration on 8/25. Israel is also said to have instructed its soldiers to respond “more aggressively” to the Palestinian protests, despite injuring more than 40 Palestinians on 8/21. It was also reported that Hamas, in talks with Egypt, had agreed to end or curb the sending of incendiary balloons into Israel. (HA 8/24; MEMO 8/25)

500,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine donated by the U.S. arrived in Palestine, with 300,000 doses in the West Bank and 200,000 in Gaza. The PA said it had received a total of 2.5 million COVID-19 doses, which have been distributed between the West Bank and Gaza. Hamas, like the PA, recently required workers to get vaccinated. (HA, WAFA 8/24)

7 out of the 20 Palestinians from East Jerusalem who had their Israeli government benefits revoked in May saw these benefits restored. The revoked benefits included their health insurance and government allowances. (HA 8/24)

The New York Times reported that Israel has changed its policy on allowing Jewish people to pray at the Haram al-Sharif compound. The reporting came after former MK and greater Israel advocate Yehuda Glick on 8/23 livestreamed himself praying at the Haram al-Sharif compound, in violation of the Status Quo agreement. While Israel does not have a law against non-Muslims praying at the compound, it has generally upheld the agreement. However, according to the NYT reporting, this does not seem to be the case anymore. (AJ, NYT 8/24; AP 8/25)

1 Palestinian on administrative detention ended his hunger strike after reassurances from Israel that his detention would not be renewed after January. The man was placed on administrative detention after being arrested on 9/22/2020 and had been hunger striking for 42 days. (WAFA 8/24)

A PA official said that the EU funding of its budget had still not arrived for 2021. The EU has helped fund the PA budget with $176 million, but the funding had not arrived due to technical reasons. The funding is presumed to be arriving in October, but the PA may not be able to pay salaries and social allowances for August without the funding. (JP 8/24)

The Fatah central committee said that PA president Mahmoud Abbas will reshuffle the PA government and announce new ministers on 8/27. It was later reported that the reshuffling was canceled. (ALM, MEMO 8/25)

In an interview with NYT before his trip to Washington D.C., Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said that there will not be the creation of a Palestinian state while he is in office, as he is opposed to Palestinian sovereignty. Prime Minister Bennett also said that his government would not annex parts of the West Bank, but would continue the expansion of settlements and Israel blockade of Gaza. (NYT 8/24; MEMO 8/25)

Citizen Lab released a report saying that the Israeli spyware company NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware was used to spy on 9 Bahraini nationals. (AP, HA 8/24)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized 1 Palestinian-owned agricultural structure in Kafr al-Dik. Israeli forces delivered demolition orders for 7 Palestinian-owned homes in Ma‘in. 17 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around al-Khadir, Husan, Hebron, Nablus, Tulkarm, Abu Dis, ‘Azun, Beita, Ramallah, al-Bireh, Sabastiyya, and Jenin refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces seized, for a 2d time, tents sheltering a family whose house was demolished in Issawiyya. 11 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Issawiyya, Shu‘fat refugee camp, and al-Tur; confrontations erupted during the raids in Issawiyya, leading to tear-gas related injuries and damage to property. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at agricultural lands east of Dayr al-Balah; no injuries were reported. (PCHR, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/4; PCHR 3/11)

Israeli authorities allowed changes to the structure of al-Ibrahimi Mosque, allowing the construction of an elevator to the designated Jewish area of the mosque. (WAFA 3/4)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas extended the COVID-19-related state of emergency for another 30 days. (WAFA 3/4)

According to Haaretz reporting, the Shin Bet has been threatening some Palestinian activists with administrative detention if they run in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections. Haaretz confirmed that at least 1 Palestinian activist was arrested and put in administrative detention for 4 months after announcing that he would run in the elections. (HA 3/4)

Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen and Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem to discuss a joint COVID-19 plan. Prime Minister Frederiksen had, prior to the trip, praised Israel’s vaccination campaign and said that Denmark is considering opening a vaccine factory with and/or in Israel, leading her own left-wing coalition to denounce her trip. The EU expressed dismay at the 2 European leaders’ trip, saying that cooperation on COVID-19 response was an EU issue 1st and foremost. (POL, POL 3/1; GDN, HA, REU 3/2; GDN, POL 3/3; AP, DR.DK, HA, POL, REU, TOI 3/4)

U.S. vice president Kamala Harris spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss the ICC investigation into Israel. Vice President Harris expressed support for the normalization deals between Israel, the U.S., and several Arab and African countries during the Trump administration. (REU 3/4; AJ, HA, TOI 3/5)

Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz told FOX News that Israel is constantly updating preparations to strike Iran. Defense Minister Gantz also said that Hezbollah has hundreds of thousands of missiles. (AP, AJ, FOX, HA 3/5)