The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man during a raid in Ya’bad. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in al-Amari refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assault 3 Palestinian children during a raid in Beit Umar. Israeli forces also arrest 40 Palestinians during raids in and around Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem, Jenin, Qalqilya, Tubas, Nablus, and Jerusalem. In East Jerusalem, 16 Palestinians are arrested at the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Beit Hanun, Gaza City, Dayr al-Balah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Rafah, and Maghazi, killing at least 62 people, including 3 medics in Beit Hanun. 3 rockets are fired at Israel, causing damage to a road in Sderot. In Tel Aviv, an Israeli man succumbs to injuries sustained in an attack in Gan Yavne on 3/31. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Khaim and Kafr Kila. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at Israeli forces in Bayd Blida and Shlomi. In Jordan, protesters march towards the Israeli embassy in Amman for the 12th day in a row. In the Red Sea, U.S. forces shoot down a missile launched from Yemen. (AJ, HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/4; AJ, UNOCHA 4/5)

More than 33,037 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,750 children and 8,900 women, and around 75,668 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 447 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 112 children. More than 4,700 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 255 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,549 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 176 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza, including 10 trucks delivering food aid to northern Gaza. 1,850 gallons of fuel is delivered to northern Gaza to operate 13 water wells in Jabalia and Gaza City. U.S. forces airdrop 50,000 meals over northern Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent says 31 children have died of starvation in Gaza and that 1,000 children have lost 1 or both of their legs in Gaza. Oxfam says Palestinians in northern Gaza only consume about 245 calories a day because of Israel’s policy to starve the population. (AJ, UNOCHA, WAFA 4/4; AJ, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 4/5)

Haaretz reports that an Israeli doctor working at the Sde Teiman detention center wrote letters to Israeli ministers and the attorney general last week describing inhumane conditions at the center. The doctor says 2 Palestinians had their legs amputated due to handcuff injuries in the past 2 weeks and that detainees are blindfolded, fed through straws, forced to defecate in diapers, and constantly held in restraints. Israel releases 101 Palestinians who have been held in Israeli detention centers back to Gaza. The Shin Bet says it arrested 11 Palestinians, including 7 Palestinian citizens of Israel, who were allegedly planning to assassinate Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. (AJ, HA, HA, HA 4/4; HA 4/5)

The NGO Open Arms says it has suspended efforts to bring aid to Gaza by sea from Cyprus, citing the killing of 7 aid workers on 4/1. Open Arms director Oscar Camps says Gaza is a “dystopian laboratory where people’s blood flows while war technologies are tested and perfected.” Doctors Without Borders rejects Israel’s explanation that the attack on the aid workers was an accident, citing previous attacks on aid workers. World Central Kitchen, the organization the 7 aid workers were employed by, calls for an independent investigation into the killings. (AJ, AX, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA 4/4)

Israel extends the detention of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh’s sister by 12 days. Haniyeh’s sister Sabah was arrested on 4/1. (AJ, HA 4/4)

The Israeli High Court of Justices asks the Israeli government to explain why more aid is not being allowed to enter Gaza. Israel’s military halts all leave for combat troops, citing a situational assessment. (AJ, HA, NYT 4/4; HA, NYT 4/5)

A Human Rights Watch investigation into an Israeli attack on a residential building in Gaza on 3/31/2023 where 106 Palestinians were killed finds that the attack was an “apparent war crime.” (AJ, AP, HA, HA, HRW, WAFA 4/4)

PA prime minister Mohammad Mustafa meets with U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs head George Noll, discussing the PA’s efforts to implement reforms, and later meets USAID representative for the West Bank and Gaza Amy Tohill-Stull in Ramallah. (AJ, HA 4/4)

Hamas official Osama Hamdan says there has been no progress in ceasefire negotiations despite Hamas’ flexibility. (AJ, HA, HA, REU, REU 4/4)

Israeli economy minister Nir Barkat calls Qatar “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” that funds terrorism all over the world. (AJ 4/4)

U.S. president Joe Biden speaks with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call, calling for an immediate ceasefire. Biden reportedly urges Netanyahu to take action to stop civilian suffering in Gaza, including by increasing aid access and expanding the powers of the Israeli negotiations team that is working on a ceasefire. Biden is also said to have informed Netanyahu that he would temporarily suspend further deliberations on arms transfers to Israel and requested that Israel send the U.S. a detailed report on the killings of the 7 aid workers who died in 3 airstrikes on 4/1. A White House readout of the conversation says, “US policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action” on steps to “address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers.” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says the U.S. expects “a drastic increase in the humanitarian assistance getting in, additional crossings opened up, and a reduction in the violence against civilians and certainly aid workers.” After the meeting, the Israeli war cabinet approves the opening of the Beit Hanun (Erez) crossing to allow more aid to enter Gaza. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks to Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant, expressing his “outrage” over the killing of the 7 aid workers. Centrist Democratic senator Chris Coons (D-DE) says he would vote to condition aid to Israel if Israel invades Rafah “at scale” while making “no provisions for civilians or for humanitarian aid.” (AJ, AJ, AX, AX, AX, AX, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU 4/4; AP, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU 4/5)

Polish prime minister Donald Tusk says Israel should explain the circumstances of the killing of the 7 aid workers on 4/1 and compensate their families. Cypriot foreign minister Constantinos Kombos calls for accountability. Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau calls the killings “absolutely unacceptable.” (AJ, AJ, HA 4/4; AP 4/5)

The Washington Post reports that the U.S. approved the transfer of more than 1,000 MK82 500-pound bombs, 1,000 small diameter bombs, and fuses for MK80 bombs on 4/1. (AJ, HA, REU 4/4)

The Elders releases a statement calling on all nations to stop sending arms to Israel and calling out the U.S. for accepting Israeli assurances of compliance with international law “despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.” (AJ 4/4)

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says in an interview that Israel is “losing the PR war. They are losing it big,” adding Israel needs to finish its attacks fast. (AJ, AP, HA 4/4; AJ 4/5)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Mukhmas. Israeli forces shoot and kill a 13-year-old Palestinian boy and injure 2 others during a raid in Qabatiya. Israeli forces also shoot and injure 2 Palestinians during a raid in Tubas. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 23 Palestinians in the Old City near the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Nuseirat refugee camp, Maghazi, and Dayr al-Balah, killing at least 82 people. Israeli forces also open fire at Palestinians waiting to receive aid at the Kuwait Roundabout in Gaza City, killing at least 17. Meanwhile, Israeli forces continue to raid and besiege al-Shifa Hospital. In Sakhnin, Deir Hanna, and Kafr Kanna, thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel mark Land Day under the slogan “Stop the war on Gaza.” In Tel Aviv, Israeli police violently disperse Israeli anti-government protesters. In Lebanon, a UNIFIL peacekeeping foot patrol is bombed, wounding 4 UN personnel from Chile, Norway, Australia, and Lebanon; Israel denies responsibility. Israeli forces bomb Naqoura, Taybeh, Hanin, Tayr Harfa, Yarin, and Dhayra. Hezbollah forces attack an Israeli military base in Ya’ara with a drone and fire missiles at Kafrchouba, Khirbet Maar, and Raheb. In Jordan, police violently disperse protesters outside of the Israeli embassy for the seventh day in a row. In Yemen, U.S. forces bomb 2 aerial surveillance systems. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/30; AJ, NYT 3/31; HA 4/1; UNOCHA 4/3)

More than 32,705 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 75,190 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 445 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 112 children. More than 4,700 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 253 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,520 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 78 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (WAFA 3/30; UNOCHA 4/3)

The Gaza Media Office reports that Israeli forces have killed more than 400 people and destroyed and damaged more than 1,050 homes in and around al-Shifa Hospital during the 13-day siege of the hospital. (AJ 3/30)

The Alliance of Palestinian Forces, which includes Hamas and Islamic Jihad, releases a statement opposing a reported Israeli plan to establish an Arab military force in Gaza. (AJ 3/30; HA 4/1)

Islamic Jihad secretary-general Ziad al-Nakhalah meets with Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Tehran, telling reporters that he promises that “we will be the victors in the war.” (AP 3/30)

Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi, Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry, and French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne call for an “immediate and permanent ceasefire” after a meeting in Cairo. Sejourne also says his government will put forward a draft resolution at the UN Security Council setting out a political settlement of the war in Gaza. (WAFA 3/30; AJ 3/31)

The Arab Parliament of the Arab League issues a statement marking Land Day, saying Israel is waging “a war of genocide and forced displacement.” (AJ 3/30)

Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel demands in a tweet on X that Israel ends “the genocide” in Gaza. (AJ, WAFA 3/31)

A video circulating online shows U.S. representative Tim Walberg (R-MI) saying that no aid should be provided to Palestinians and that Gaza “should be like Nagasaki and Hiroshima” referring to the U.S. nuclear bombings of the 2 Japanese cities during World War II. (AJ, NYT 3/31)

The Guardian reports that the UK government has received legal advice that Israel is breaking international law in Gaza. (AJ, GDN 3/30; AJ, HA, HA 3/31)

50 members of the UK House of Lords and parliament call on the government to reinstate UNRWA funding. (AJ, HA 3/30)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalize a home and throw stones at vehicles in al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya. 1 Israeli soldier is shot and killed and 7 others are injured, including both settlers and soldiers, near the Dolev settlement. Israeli forces subsequently kill the alleged Palestinian perpetrator near Deir Ibzi using missiles fired from a helicopter. In East Jerusalem, 120,000 worshipers pray at the Haram al-Sharif compound on the second Friday of Ramadan; Palestinians from the West Bank are largely prevented from entering East Jerusalem. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, Dayr al-Balah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, and Beit Lahiya, killing at least 82 people. Israeli forces also attack and besiege al-Shifa Hospital for the fifth day in a row. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Khaim, Ayta ash Shab, Kfar Kila, Hula, and Taybeh. Hezbollah forces attack an Israeli military building in Zarit and Israeli positions in Metulla and Kfarchouba. In Yemen, U.S. and UK forces carry out airstrikes on 6 sites in Sanaa. (AJ, HA, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/22; AJ, AP, REU 3/23; UNOCHA 3/25)

More than 32,072 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 74,298 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 440 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 111 children. More than 4,665 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 250 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,489 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 177 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/22; UNOCHA 3/25)

Israel seizes 8,000 dunams (1,976) acres of land in the Jordan Valley for settlement expansion around the Yafit settlement near Fasayil and fast-track planning and construction of settler roads west of Ramallah. The seizure brings the total amount of seized land in the West Bank in 2024 to 10,640 (2,629 acres), more than the last 10 years combined. The PA calls the decision part of an “official policy racing against time to annex the West Bank and eliminate the possibility of creating a Palestinian state.” The Arab League condemns the decision. The EU calls on Israel to reverse the decision and says it “will not recognize changes to the 1967 borders unless agreed by the parties.”  (AJ, AJ, PCN, REU, WAFA, WAFA 3/22; AJ, WAFA 3/23; AJ 3/24; PCN 3/25)

CIA director Bill Burns and Mossad director David Barnea arrive in Doha for ceasefire negotiations. (AX 3/21)

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh speaks with Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, discussing the situation in Gaza. Amir-Abdollahian also speaks with Islamic Jihad secretary-general Ziyad al-Nakhalah. (AJ 3/22)

At the UN Security Council, Russia, China, and Algeria vote against a U.S. ceasefire resolution while Guyana abstains. Hamas thanks Russia, China, and Algeria for voting against the ceasefire that “gave [Israel] cover and legitimacy for the war of extermination.” PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour calls the U.S. resolution “one-sided.” Chinese ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun says the resolution “sets up conditions for a ceasefire, which is no different from giving a green light to continued killings.” French ambassador to the UN Nicolas de Riviere says the U.S. resolution is “not strong enough” as it does not as it does not call for an unconditional and immediate ceasefire and does not draw a “red line” for the potential Israeli invasion of Rafah. Guyanese ambassador to the UN Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett explains her country’s abstention in the vote, saying the resolution does not say directly address Israeli responsibility. French president Emmanuel Macron says he will work with Jordan and the UAE to draft a resolution that would gain support from all council members. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 3/22; AP 3/23)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken. Blinken warns Netanyahu that Israel is losing international support and reiterated U.S. opposition to a ground invasion of Rafah. Netanyahu says after the meeting that Israel “will do it on our own” if the U.S. opposes its Rafah plans. Blinken also participates in a war cabinet meeting and meets President Isaac Herzog. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU 3/22)

Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, and the UAE call on Israel to open all crossings to Gaza to allow aid to enter. (AJ 3/22)

Ireland, Spain, Malta, and Slovenia agree to work toward recognizing the State of Palestine after a meeting between the countries’ prime ministers on the sidelines of the European Council meeting. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 3/22)

The U.S. House of Representatives passes a funding bill 286 votes to 135 to avoid a partial government shutdown, banning funding for UNRWA until March 2025. The Senate subsequently also passes the bill. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) votes against the bill, saying the “Netanyahu government should not receive another penny from U.S. taxpayers.” 17 Democratic senators urge the Biden administration to reject Israel assurances that it is complying with international humanitarian law in Gaza. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) calls on the U.S. government to suspend arms transfers to Israel, calling Israeli actions in Gaza “genocide.” (HA 3/21; AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, NYT 3/22; HA, HA 3/23)

Finland resumes funding of UNRWA. (AJ, HA, REU 3/22)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raid Burin and Madama, throwing stones at homes and vehicles. Israeli forces demolish 2 homes in al-Matar near Jericho. Israeli forces also raze 15 dunams (3.7 acres) of land, uprooting around 150 olive trees in Husan. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrest 15 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Dheisheh refugee camp, Tell, Arura, as-Samu, Tulkarm, and Attil, including a Palestinian prisoner exchanged during the ceasefire deal in November 2023; 13 Palestinians released in the prisoner exchange have been rearrested. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 20 Palestinians during raids in Isawiya. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least 81 people. Israeli forces also raid al-Shifa Hospital, killing 20 people, including the person in charge of coordinating humanitarian aid to northern Gaza, Fayeq al-Mabhouh, and arresting more than 80 people, including Al Jazeera journalist Ismail al-Ghoul, who is released 12 hours later. An Israeli soldier is killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb buildings in Adissa, Ramyah, and Kafr Kila. Hezbollah forces attack Israeli facilities in Shebaa Farms, al-Tahyat Hill, and al-Bayad Bilda. In Yemen, U.S. forces bomb 13 sites, saying they are targeting weapon storage facilities, drones, and anti-ship missiles. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/18; AJ, HA 3/19)

More than 31,726 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 73,792 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 426 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 111 children. More than 4,665 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 249 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,482 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 125 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/18; UNOCHA 3/20)

A UN report says famine is expected in northern Gaza in May. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls the imminent famine “an entirely manmade disaster” that can be halted. EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borrell says Gaza is in a “state of famine, affecting thousands of people,” adding that the Israel is using “[s]tarvation as a weapon of war.” Israel denies UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini entry to Gaza. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/18; NYT 3/19)

Joint List MK Ahmad Tibi says Palestinian prisoner and prominent politician Marwan Barghouti has been beaten by Israeli guards while in solitary confinement on 3/6 and 3/12, adding his life is in danger. PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh calls for international protection of Palestinian prisoners, citing the “isolation, torture and attempts to coerce, humiliate and beat” Barghouti. (AJ, HA, WAFA 3/18)

Israeli hands over the body of the 13-year-old Palestinian boy killed by Israeli forces in Shu’fat on 3/12 on the conditions that he is buried at night with no more than 50 people in attendance and that he is buried in ‘Anata rather than at a cemetery adjacent to the Old City where his relatives are buried. (WAFA 3/18)

Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir says Israel has approved 100,000 new gun licenses since 10/7/2023. (HA 3/18; AJ 3/19)

Israel responds to South Africa’s request to the ICJ to order additional measures against Israel, calling it “morally repugnant.” (AJ, AJ, AP, REU 3/18; HA 3/19)

Reuters reports that the Israeli delegation, led by Mossad director David Barnea, that arrived in Doha today will suggest a 6-week ceasefire during which 40 captives will be released by Hamas. Multiple outlets report that the negotiations are expected to take 2 weeks and will be done with the direct but remote participation of Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Siwnar. (AJ, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU 3/18)

U.S. president Joe Biden speaks with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the first time since 2/15. The 2 agree to have Israel send a team of officials to Washington D.C. to discuss “alternative approaches” to Israel’s planned Rafah invasion. Biden calls on Netanyahu to increase the flow of aid to Gaza. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirms Israel assassinated Hamas member Marwan Issa on 3/11 and that the U.S. will help Israel bring “justice” for the rest of the Hamas leadership. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU 3/18; AJ, HA, NYT 3/19)

The EU foreign ministers unanimously agree to sanction violent Israeli settlers. Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich says Israel will respond by “strengthening and entrenching settlements in all parts of the land of Israel.” (AJ, HA, HA, REU, WAFA 3/18; WAFA 3/19)

The Canadian House of Commons passes a non-binding motion calling for an end to arms exports to Israel, an immediate ceasefire, the release of all captives held in Gaza, and working toward a 2-state solution. Language, proposed by the New Democratic Party, calling for Canada to recognize the State of Palestine was removed from the motion. Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau speaks with Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz, voicing concerns over the Israeli plans to invade Rafah. Gantz tells Trudeau that Canada should not unilaterally recognize the State of Palestine. (HA, NYT, REU 3/18; AJ 3/19)

The UN Security Council condemns the Houthi movement’s attack on the ship True Confidence on 3/6 which killed 3 crew members. (AJ 3/18)

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says “any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion. They hate everything about Israel and they should be ashamed of themselves.” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates calls Trump’s comments “vile and unhinged antisemitic rhetoric.” (HA, HA, NYT 3/18; AP, HA 3/19)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers throw stones at homes in Burin. Israeli settlers also raid Duma, threatening Palestinians with evictions. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man in Hebron, claiming he had opened fire at Israeli settlers; no Israelis are injured. Israeli forces also arrest 20 Palestinians during raids in and around Tulkarm, Hebron, Tubas, Bethlehem, Nablus, and Jenin. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Dayr al-Balah, Rafah, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 63 people. In Tel Aviv, Israeli police disperse protesters calling for early elections with water cannons. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Marwahin, Markaba, Wazzani, Tayr Harfa, and Meiss Ej Jabal. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at Israeli forces in Kfarchouba and Ramim. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb 2 sites near Damascus. In Yemen, U.S. and UK forces attack 4 sites in al-Durayhimi. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/16; UNOCHA 3/18)

More than 31,553 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 73,546 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 426 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 111 children. More than 4,665 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 247 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,476 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 200 tonnes of food aid, equivalent to 10 truckloads, arrive at the coast of Gaza. The aid is delivered in coordination between the charities Open Arms and World Central Kitchen and the UAE. 36 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. France, the U.S., Germany, and Jordan airdrop aid over northern Gaza. The UN Human Rights Office says it has documented at least 26 attacks on aid trucks in Gaza since the middle of January.  (AJ, GDN, HA, NYT, NYT, WAFA 3/16; NYT 3/17; UNOCHA, UNOCHA 3/18)

Palestinian prisoner Juma Abu Ghanima dies at an Israeli hospital after he is found in his cell at the Eshel prison on 3/12, becoming the 14th Palestinian prisoner to die in Israel custody since 10/7/2023 (HA, HA, WAFA 3/16)

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Israeli efforts to expand the buffer zone along the Gaza fence have caused widespread destruction of buildings and that Israel intends it to be more than half a mile wide. The reporting also says that Israeli forces have demolished some 150 homes in order to create a road that cuts Gaza in half. (HA, WSJ 3/16)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas speaks with Qatari emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, discussing the situation in Palestine. (AJ, WAFA 3/16)

Israeli media reports that New Hope party leader Gideon Sa’ar has threatened to leave the unity government if he is not appointed to the war cabinet. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich calls on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel the Israeli delegation’s trip to Doha for ceasefire negotiations. (AJ, HA 3/16)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken meets with Bahraini prime minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa in Manama, discussing their joint efforts to combat Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and ceasefire efforts in Gaza. (HA 3/16)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbs to injures sustained from Israeli forces during a raid in Fawwar refugee camp on 6/17/2023. Israeli settlers set fire to a vehicle in Kafr Ni’ma. Israeli settlers also vandalize olive, almond, grape, and fig trees, demolish an agricultural structure, and steal property in Qusra. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian child and vandalize wheat and barley fields in Ein al-Beida in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces raid al-Fara’a refugee camp, destroying infrastructure and property. In East Jerusalem, 80,000 Muslim worshippers attend Friday prayers at the Haram al-Sharif compound. Thousands of worshippers from the West Bank are denied entry to East Jerusalem for the prayers. Israeli forces block Palestinian Red Crescent medics from entering the compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, Beit Hanun, and Rafah, killing at least 149 people, including 36 members of the same family gathered to break their fast in a home in Nuseirat refugee camp. Rockets are fired at Sderot; no damage is reported. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Hula, Marwahin, Kafr Kila, Ayta ash Shab, and Labbouneh. Hezbollah forces attack an Israeli radar site in Shebaa Farms. In the Red Sea, a missile fired from Yemen hits a tanker. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/15; AJ, HA, HA, WAFA 3/16; WAFA 3/17)

More than 31,490 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 73,439 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 425 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 111 children. More than 4,665 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 247 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,476 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. UNICEF says that 31% of children under the age of 2 in Gaza are suffering from acute malnutrition. The UN says the rubble caused by Israeli attacks take years to clear. 187 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. U.S. forces airdrop 35,700 meals and 31,800 bottles of water over northern Gaza. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/15; HA, REU 3/16; WAFA 3/17; UNOCHA 3/18)

Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the PFLP, and the Palestinian National Initiative criticize the appointment of the new PA prime minister Mohammed Mustafa, calling it a “unilateral” designation by President Mahmoud Abbas that “inflicts harm on our people and national cause,” saying the formation of the new government should be done by national consensus. Fatah responds by saying Hamas caused the Israeli invasion of Gaza by “undertaking the October 7 adventure.” Agence France-Presse reports that Hamas, Islamic Jihad, PFLP, and Houthi movement members discussed coordinating their actions against Israel last week. (AJ, HA, REU 3/15; AJ, HA, HA 3/16) 

PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour sends letters to UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres and the presidents of the Security Council and General Assembly, urging them to act to stop the genocide in Gaza. (WAFA 3/15)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issues a statement saying that Israel will send a delegation to Qatar to continue ceasefire negotiations and that the Israeli military is preparing to invade Rafah. U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says Hamas’s ceasefire proposal is “within the bounds” of what has been discussed in recent months. Times of Israel, Channel 12, and Ynet report that an invasion of Rafah is not imminent. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant presents the security cabinet with 4 scenarios for the political situation in Gaza after Israel’s war, including Hamas control, Israeli occupation, chaos, and local rule in coordination with the PA, saying he prefer the latter scenario. (AJ, HA, REU 3/15; AJ, AJ 3/16)

Australia resumes funding of UNRWA. Foreign Minister Penny Wong says the “best available current advice from agencies and the Australian government lawyers is that UNRWA is not a terrorist organization and that existing additional safeguards sufficiently protect Australian taxpayer funding.” Australia will also deploy a military cargo plan to help airdrop aid in Gaza. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA 3/15)

German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock tweets on X that a “large-scale [Israeli] offensive in Rafah cannot be justified.” (AJ 3/15)

The Elders’ chairperson Mary Robinson calls on the U.S. to end arms transfers to Israel and says the “government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on the wrong side of history completely.” (AJ 3/15)

The ICJ says it will hear arguments in Nicaragua’s case against Germany, in which Nicaragua accuses Germany of “facilitating the commission of genocide” in Gaza on 4/8 and 4/9. (AJ, REU 3/15)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raid Jalbun and Huwwara, opening fire at homes; no injuries are reported. Israeli forces demolish 7 agricultural structures in Barta’a and 2 agricultural structures in Qabalan. Israeli forces also deliver a stop-work notice for a Swiss-funded sports field in Qalandia and seize a vehicle and equipment. Elsewhere, Israeli forces set up 2 iron gates on roads leading to Huwwara. Israeli forces also arrest 20 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Jericho, Qalqilya, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raid al-Qibli Mosque at the Haram al-Sharif compound, forcibly removing worshippers. Israeli forces also erect iron barriers at the King Faisal, al-Ghawanmeh, and al-Hadid gates to the compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb al-Bureij refugee camp, Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, and Rafah, killing at least 69 people. Israeli forces also open fire at Palestinians waiting to receive aid at the Kuwait Roundabout in Gaza City, killing at least 21 people and injuring 155. In Beit Kama, a Palestinian citizen of Israel stabs and kills an Israeli soldier before he is shot and killed. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb a home in Naqoura. Israeli forces also bomb Tayr Harfa, Kunin, and Hamul. Hezbollah attacks Israeli soldiers in al-Abad. In Yemen, U.S. forces bomb 9 anti-ship missiles and 2 drones at different sites, saying Houthis fired 4 anti-ship missiles at vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/14; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT 3/15)

More than 31,341 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 73,134 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 425 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 111 children. More than 4,665 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 247 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,475 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 142 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. U.S. and Jordanian forces airdrop 13,900 meals over northern Gaza. (HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/14; UNOCHA 3/15)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas appoints the current chairperson of the Palestine Investment Fund and former deputy prime minister and minister of national economy, Mohammed Mustafa, as the new PA prime minister. Abbas says in a statement that he asked Mustafa to create a plan to re-unify the administration of Gaza and the West Bank, lead reforms in the PA government, security services, and economy, and fight corruption. The U.S. National Security Council welcomes the appointment of Mustafa. UK foreign secretary David Cameron also welcomes the appointment. According to Axios, State Department and White House officials have met with Mustafa and heard his plans for post-war Gaza and rehabilitating the PA economy. The PA condemns Israel for setting up barriers and gates around the Haram al-Sharif compound ahead of Friday prayers. The PA also calls on the ICC to summon Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for incitement to kill Palestinians, citing his statement in support of the killing of a Palestinian child in East Jerusalem on 3/12. Abbas speaks with Jordanian king Abdullah II, discussing the situation in Palestine. (AJ, AJ, AX, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/14; AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT 3/15)

Reuters reports that Hamas has submitted a 2-stage ceasefire proposal where the first stage would see Israeli women, children, elderly, and ill captives, including female soldiers, exchanged for 700-1,000 Palestinian prisoners. During the first stage a date for a permanent ceasefire and a deadline for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza would be set. The remaining captives would be released in another prisoner exchange. The Israeli prime minister’s office calls Hamas’s terms “unrealistic” but says the war and security cabinets will discuss the proposal on 3/15. Hamas also calls on Palestinians to break the siege of the al-Aqsa Mosque. (AJ, HA, HA, REU 3/14; AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU 3/15)

Representatives from several clans in Gaza tell international organizations and Israel that they will not participate in Israel’s plan to circumvent Hamas in the distribution of aid. (HA 3/14)

National Security Minister Ben-Gvir bans the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation from broadcasting in Israel and Jerusalem. (WAFA 3/14)

The U.S. sanctions 3 Israeli settlers, Neriya Ben Pazi, Zvi Bar Yosef, and Moshe Sharvit, and the 2 settlement outposts Moshe’s Farms and Zvi’s Farms. Sharvit and Bar Yosef are responsible for the 2 outposts and are also sanctioned by the UK. (AJ, AX, HA, REU, WAFA 3/14)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant signs a letter assuring the Biden administration that Israel will use U.S. weapons in accordance with international law and will allow U.S.-supported humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. (AX 3/15)

The U.S. circulates a draft resolution at the UN Security Council, supporting efforts to establish an immediate and sustained ceasefire. It is unclear when the draft will be put to a vote. (REU 3/14; AP 3/15)

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) calls for new elections in Israel, calling Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu 1 of 4 major obstacles for peace, along with “radical right-wing Israelis in government and society,” Hamas, and PA president Abbas. Schumer also says that if Netanyahu remains in power then the U.S. should “play a more active role in shaping Israeli policy by using our leverage to change the present course.” House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) says he may introduce a standalone bill for aid to Israel, saying Schumer’s comment “made the situation even more urgent.” The House has already passed 2 Israel funding bills, which Schumer has rejected as Senate Democrats want to tie Israel funding to Ukraine funding. The Likud Party condemns Schumer’s remarks, saying “the Israeli public supports a total victory over Hamas, rejects any international dictates to establish a Palestinian terrorist state, and opposes the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza” and that Israel is “not a banana republic.” (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT 3/14; AJ, HA 3/15)

Leader of the Houthi movement Abdul-Malik al-Houthi says Houthi forces will attack Israeli-linked ships in the Indian Ocean that are circumventing the blockade of the Red Sea by going south of the African continent. Al-Houthi also says that 34 members of the Houthi movement have been killed since the U.S.-led anti-Houthi coalition began attacking its forces. (AJ, REU 3/14; AJ, HA 3/15)

The Toronto Star and Reuters report that Canada has stopped shipments of non-lethal military equipment, such as night vision goggles, to Israel due to concerns over human rights violations. (AJ 3/14)

The European Parliament pass a resolution denouncing the “catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, including the risk of imminent starvation.” EU commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic says that neither the EU, nor to his knowledge any other UNRWA donor, has been presented with any evidence against UNRWA employees by Israel. (AJ, REU 3/14)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers physical assault and pepper spray 3 Palestinians during a raid in Fateh Sidra in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces shoot and kill 2 Palestinians during a raid in Attil. Israeli forces also raid Nur Shams refugee camp, uprooting streets, causing damage to infrastructure, including roads, water, electricity, sewage, and internet, affecting more than 84,600 people, and demolishing a home. Elsewhere, Israeli forces uproot 51 olive trees and 15 grape vines in Husan. Israeli forces also demolish 2 homes in Umm al-Tiran, displacing 7 people. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 25 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, al-Bireh, Qalqilya, Salfit, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 6 Palestinians, tying them together before dragging them through the streets in Isawiya. Israeli forces also prevent Palestinians from entering the Haram al-Sharif compound and place barbed wire fencing at the compound near the Lion’s Gate. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, and Gaza City, killing at least 67 people. 2 children die of starvation at the Kamal Adwan Hospital, bringing the death toll from starvation to at least 27. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attack 2 sites in the Beqaa Valley near Baalbek, killing one person and injuring others, and buildings in Ayta ash Shab and Naqoura. Hezbollah attacks Khirbet Maar and Kafrchouba. In Yemen, U.S. and UK forces bomb several locations, killing 11 people and injuring 14. (AJ, HA, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/11; HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/12; UNOCHA 3/13)

More than 31,112 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 72,760 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 419 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 108 children. More than 4,665 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 247 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,474 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 236 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The UAE, Egypt, Jordan, France, Belgium, and the U.S. airdrop 169 aid packages over Gaza. The Gaza Ministry of Health says more than 2,000 medical personnel are starving in northern Gaza. 95 Palestinian orphans are evacuated from Rafah to an SOS Children’s Village in Bethlehem. (AJ, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/11; HA, HA, UNOCHA 3/12; UNOCHA, WAFA 3/13)

Israel restricts entry to the Haram al-Sharif compound on the first day of Ramadan to men over the age of 55, women over the age of 50, and children under the age of 10, in addition to requiring identification to enter. The PA calls for urgent international intervention to overturn the Israeli decision. Jordan says Israel is “playing with fire.” (AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 3/11; HA 3/12; NYT, UNOCHA 3/13)

The Israeli military presents a plan to dismantle UNRWA operations in Gaza and in the West Bank, saying doing so will undermine Hamas’s civilian rule in Gaza. The plan includes slandering UNRWA and its staff with help from other Israeli governmental bodies. Israel’s military says it has assassinated the deputy head of Hamas’s military wing, Marwan Issa, saying he was the fourth highest ranking Hamas member. Military Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi issues a disciplinary note to a general who ordered the demolition of a university building in Gaza without authorization. (HA, HA, HA, NYT 3/11; HA, NYT 3/12)

The Knesset passes a law allowing Israeli victims of Palestinian attacks and their families to sue the PA for compensation. (HA 3/12)

The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) releases a statement calling on Israel to halt all planned evictions and demolitions in the al-Bustan neighborhood in Silwan. The OHCHR says the demolitions could constitute a war crime. (OHCHR 3/11)

The UN Security Council discuss the UN report on sexual violence allegedly committed in Israel and Palestine. PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour says the UN is displaying double standards by never holding a meeting on sexual violence committed by Israelis against Palestinians. U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield says the “evidence before us is damming and devastating.” Russia’s deputy permanent representative to the UN Maria Zabolotskaya says a comprehensive study covering Gaza is also needed before any conclusions can be made and points out that most of the UN data is from the Israeli government. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres tells reporters that “[i]nternational humanitarian law lies in tatters . . . [the] threatened Israeli assault on Rafah could plummet the people of Gaza into an even deeper cycle of hell.” (AJ, HA, WAFA 3/11; AP, HA 3/12)

At a U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, CIA director Bill Burns outlines the current ceasefire proposal, which includes the release of 40 Israeli captives in exchange for a “defined number of Palestinian prisoners,” a 6-week ceasefire, and “a major surge in humanitarian assistance.” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says the U.S. has not received Israel’s plan for the protection of Palestinians in Rafah during its planned invasion. The U.S. fiscal 2025 budget request includes $7.6 billion for Middle East partners, including Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. Unlike past years, the budget does not include funding for UNRWA. (AJ, HA 3/11)

8 Democratic Senators write a letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to stop providing offensive weapons to Israel until Israel lifts its blockade on humanitarian aid going to Gaza, saying the transfer of weapons violates the Foreign Assistance Act. The letter is written by Senators Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Jeff Merkey (D-OR) and signed by Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Peter Welch (D-VT), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM). (AJ, HA, NYT 3/12)

12 Israeli human rights organizations sign an open letter saying Israel is not complying with the ICJ’s provisional measure to facilitate humanitarian aid to Gaza. (AJ 3/11)

The UK Home Office grants a Palestinian citizen of Israel asylum, assessing that there is a risk he will be persecuted in Israel. In his asylum application, the Palestinian man said that Israeli apartheid systematically oppresses Palestinians and that he was at heightened risk of persecution due to his pro-Palestinian activism and anti-Zionist views. (AJ 3/12; AJ 3/13)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian man near Salem. Israeli settlers also kidnap, undress, and beat a Palestinian man near the Homesh settlement outpost, handing the man to Israeli forces after several hours. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers bring their sheep to graze on Palestinian crops in al-Fakhit, causing damage. Israeli settlers also set up a tent and a caravan in Sinjil. Israeli forces seize a tractor in the Masafer Yatta area. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers vandalize 10 tombstones at the Bab al-Rahma cemetery. Israeli forces assault Palestinians at the entrance to the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Nuseirat refugee camp, Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, Jabalia refugee camp, and Gaza City, killing at least 82 people. 2 people die of starvation at the Kamal Adwan Hospital and al-Shifa Hospital, bringing the death toll from starvation to at least 25. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Khirbet Selm, killing 5 people, including 2 children. Israeli forces also open fire at a joint UNIFIL-Lebanese army convoy, causing damage. Hezbollah forces attack Israeli soldiers in the Shebaa Farms area. In the Red Sea, the U.S. military says its forces shot down 28 drones launched from Yemen. (AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/9; WAFA 3/10; UNOCHA 3/11; HA 3/12)

More than 30,960 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 72,524 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 417 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 108 children. More than 4,665 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 246 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,469 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 136 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. U.S. forces airdrop 41,000 meals in northern Gaza. (AJ, HA, WAFA 3/9; UNOCHA 3/11; UNOCHA 3/13)

Hamas says Israeli forces killed 7 Israeli captives last week during bombardments of Gaza. Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh calls on Arab and Muslim countries to “work at political, legal, and diplomatic levels to stop the onslaught of our people.” (AJ, HA 3/9)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office releases a statement saying Hamas is not interested in a ceasefire deal and that CIA director Bill Burns meet with Mossad director David Barnea on 3/8, discussing the topic. (AJ, AX, HA 3/9)

Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz tweets that Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan is “one of the greatest oppressors and anti-Semites in history” after Erdogan compares Prime Minister Netanyahu to Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin, calling the Israeli government the “Nazis of our time.” (AJ 3/9; HA 3/10)

Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi says in a speech that he will not allow “the separation of Palestinians from their land” and estimates that the rebuilding of Gaza would cost more than $90 million. (AJ 3/9)

U.S. president Joe Biden says in an interview with MSNBC that Prime Minister Netanyahu is hurting Israel more than helping and that Israel invading Rafah is a red line but that he would not cut off all arms transfers to Israel. (HA, MSNBC 3/9; AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, NYT 3/10; HA 3/11; AX 3/12)

Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez says he will push the Spanish Congress to recognize the State of Palestine before his mandate ends in 2027. (AJ, AP 3/9; WAFA 3/10)

Sweden resumes funding UNRWA, providing $19.4 million to the agency. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, WAFA 3/9)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers block a road leading to Nablus after Israeli forces reopened the road for the first time since 10/7/2023. Israeli settlers also bring livestock to graze on Palestinian farmland in al-Juwaya, damaging crops. Israeli forces assault 5 Palestinians during a raid in Tubas. Israeli forces also issue a military order seizing 29 dunams (7 acres) of land in Sinjil and Turmus ‘Ayya. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrest 37 Palestinians during raids in and around Jalazone refugee camp, Bethlehem, Tubas, Jenin, Hebron, Tulkarm, and Nablus. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Jabalia refugee camp, Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Rafah, Gaza City, and Khan Yunis, killing at least 83 people. An Israeli soldier dies in combat. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fires a missile at a radar site in Shebaa Farms, causing damage. Israeli forces bomb Ayta ash Shab, Naqoura, and Aitaroun. In Yemen, U.S. forces attack 4 missile launch sites. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/7; AJ, HA, REU 3/8)

More than 30,800 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 72,298 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 416 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 108 children. More than 4,648 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 245 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,469 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. The U.S. and Jordan airdrop meals in northern Gaza. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/7)

Haaretz reports that according to Israeli figures 27 Palestinians from Gaza held in Israel have died during their detention since 10/7/23, including at the Sde Teiman and Anatot detention camps and during interrogations elsewhere. (HA, WAFA 3/7)

Israel hands over the bodies of 47 Palestinians that had been exhumed and taken to Israel from Khan Yunis. (WAFA 3/7)

A Hamas delegation leaves ceasefire negotiations in Cairo, saying Israel is thwarting all attempts to reach a ceasefire. CIA director Bill Burns reportedly arrived in Egypt on the night of 3/6 to take part in the negotiations. (AJ, AJ, AX, HA, NYT, REU 3/7)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas appoints Hussein Jadallah Hamayel as the governor of Jericho. (WAFA 3/7)

The EU launches a probe into whether Israel is complying with human rights obligations stipulated in the EU-Israel trade agreement. EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borrell says the Israeli actions in Gaza “give the impression that its objectives go beyond destroying Hamas.” (AJ 3/7)

In his State of the Union address, U.S. president Joe Biden says the U.S. military will set up a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza to deliver aid but that no U.S. soldiers will enter Gaza as it will be built offshore. Biden also says, “to the leadership of Israel I say this: Humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip.” Biden is filmed telling Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) that he has told Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that “you and I are going to have a come to Jesus meeting.” The PA presidency thanks Biden for supporting a 2-state solution and a ceasefire during his speech. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA 3/7; AJ, AJ, AJ, AX, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 3/8)

Axios reports that the White House has asked the State Department and the Defense Department to compile a list of all pending arm transfers to Israel. (AJ, AX, HA 3/7)

Norwegian foreign minister Espen Barth Eide warns Norwegian companies about doing business in and with Israeli settlements, saying that they should be aware that there is a risk they contribute to violations of international humanitarian law. (HA 3/7)

Chinese foreign minister Want Yi says China fully supports full Palestinian membership of the UN and that the world can no longer ignore the “historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people.” (HA, WAFA 3/7)

The European Broadcasting Union approves changes to the Israeli song at the Eurovision Song Contest, allowing the Israeli singer Eden Golan to participate. (AJ, HA 3/7)

Spain pledges $22 million to UNRWA. (AJ, HA 3/7)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbs to injuries sustained from Israeli forces on 3/4 in Burin. An Israeli settler is stabbed and injured at a bus stop near the Neve Yaakov settlement; a Palestinian child is later arrested and accused of stabbing the settler. Israeli settlers with a military escort raid Jenin to visit Joseph’s Tomb. Israeli forces shoot and injure 7 Palestinians during a raid in Dheisheh refugee camp. Israeli forces also arrest 25 Palestinians during raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, al-Bireh, Bethlehem, Tulkarm, and Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a retaining wall and raze a tract of land in Silwan. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Rafah, and Dayr al-Balah, killing at least 86 people, including al-Aqsa TV presenter Muhammad Salama and his family in Dayr al-Balah. Israeli forces also open fire at Palestinians waiting to receive aid in Gaza City, injuring 8 people. A child and an elderly man die of starvation at the Kamal Adwan Hospital, bringing the death toll from starvation to at least 20 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attack Yaroun, Kafra, Yatar, and Fardis. Hezbollah forces attack Metula. In Syria, Israeli forces fire artillery, saying 2 rockets were launched at the Golan Heights. In Yemen, Houthi militants fire a missile at the True Confidence cargo ship, killing 3 people. It is the first time that a Houthi attack enforcing the Red Sea blockade has caused casualties. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/6; AP, AP, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/7)

More than 30,717 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 72,156 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 416 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 108 children. More than 4,648 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 244 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,453 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 195 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/6; UNOCHA 3/7)

Israel’s National Planning and Building Council approves the advancement of 3,476 new settlement units in the Ma’ale Adumim, Kedar, and Efrat settlements. 694 units in Efrat receive final approval, while 2,452 in Ma’ale Adumm and 330 in Kedar are moved to the planning process. The PA calls for sanctions to deter Israel from its settlement enterprise. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Egypt, Bahrain, Turkey, and Qatar condemn the settlement expansion. German asks Israel to withdraw the approval, ‘strongly condemning’ the decision. (AJ, HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/6; AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/7)

HaMoked says the number of Palestinian prisoners has risen to 9,077, including more than 3,500 held in administrative detention. (AJ 3/6)

South Africa asks the ICJ to order additional emergency measures against Israel, citing imminent widespread famine, and tells the ICJ that Israel is breaching the measures the court already ruled it has to follow. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA 3/6; NYT, REU 3/7)

Israeli UN ambassador Gilad Erdan says Israel may close the UN’s headquarters in Jerusalem, deport UN officials from Israel, and evacuate UNRWA compounds in Jerusalem if UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres does not invoke Article 99 of the UN Charter to force the Security Council to discuss captives held in Gaza and allegations of sexual crimes committed on 10/7/2023. Israel approves aid funded by the UAE entering Gaza via the sea. The aid will be shipped from Cyprus to a dock controlled by Israel where it will be distributed using hovercrafts. (AJ, HA 3/6)

Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani meets with UK foreign secretary David Cameron, discussing the situation in Gaza and ceasefire negotiations. Cameron and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meet Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz in London, telling him more aid needs to enter Gaza. (AJ, AP, HA, NYT, WAFA 3/6; NYT 3/7)

Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi speaks with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken, calling for an immediate ceasefire. (AJ 3/6)

The Washington Post reports that the U.S. has secretly approved and delivered more than 100 separate arms shipments to Israel since 10/7/2023. The Post says the U.S. has circumvented congressional oversight in the majority of instances by processing arms sales that are below the threshold to notify Congress. The transfers include thousands of 155mm shells, tens of thousands of bomb guidance systems, Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, drones, Iron Dome munitions and more. (AJ, HA 3/6; HA 3/7)

Iraq and Qatar pledges $25 million to UNRWA. (AJ 3/6)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbs to wounds sustained from Israeli forces during a raid in Jenin on 2/29. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian child in Huwwara. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Balata refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces uproot around 400 olive tree saplings in Wadi Fukin. Israeli forces also punitively demolish a home in Kafr Dan. Meanwhile, Israeli forces demolish an agricultural structure in Shuqba. Israeli forces also assault 2 Palestinians during a raid near Tubas. Separately, Israeli forces shoot and kill a cow during a raid in al-Halawa in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces also arrest 22 Palestinians during raids in and around Kober, Ramallah, al-Bireh, Hebron, Tulkarm, Qalqilya, and Jericho, including a woman who was exchanged for Israeli captives during the prisoner exchange deal in November 2023. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Jabalia refugee camp, Gaza City, Beit Lahiya, and Khan Yunis, killing at least 97 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Hula, Jabal al-Batam, Majdal Zoun, and Kafra, killing 3 people, including a child, in Hula. Hezbollah attacks Kiryat Shmona, causing damage. In Yemen, U.S. forces attack 3 missile launch sites. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/5; AJ, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/6)

More than 30,631 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 72,043 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 415 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 108 children. More than 4,606 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 244 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,453 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 182 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The U.S., Jordan, Egypt, and France airdrop 36,800 meals in northern Gaza. (AJ, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/5; UNOCHA 3/6)

Hamas says the “ball is in the Israeli court” after concluding 3 days of ceasefire negotiations in Cairo. (AJ, HA 3/5; NYT 3/6)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas meets with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. Erdogan says during a news conference that “Netanyahu and his accomplices in murder will surely be held accountable for every drop spilled before the law and public conscience,” calling the Israeli actions in Gaza “blatant genocide.” PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh meets with Dutch foreign minister Hanke Bruins Slot in Ramallah. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/5; WAFA 3/6)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issues a statement saying the number of worshippers allowed to enter the Haram al-Sharif compound during the first week of Ramadan will be similar to 2023. (AJ, HA, REU 3/5; NYT 3/6)

Foreign ministers of OIC countries convene in Jeddah for an extraordinary meeting on the situation in Gaza. The organization calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. (WAFA, WAFA 3/5; WAFA 3/6)

U.S. secretary of defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken meet with Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz in Washington D.C. Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan meet with Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, discussing ceasefire negotiations. Blinken calls the situation in Gaza “simply unacceptable.” (AJ, HA, REU 3/5; HA 3/6)

The U.S. Department of Treasury sanctions former Israeli official Tal Dilian for his involvement in selling spyware that is used on Americans. Dilian is the co-owner of Intellexa, which produces the Predator spyware. (AJ, HA 3/5)

AP and Canadian media report that Canada will resume UNRWA funding after seeing the interim report into the Israeli allegations that UNRWA staff took part in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. Later, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada has not made a final decision. (AJ, AP, HA 3/6; AJ, HA, REU 3/7)

Chile bans Israeli companies from taking part in the International Air and Space Fair in Santiago in April. (AJ 3/6)

Presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says when asked if he approves of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, “[y]ou have got to finish the problem.” A poll commissioned by the Center for Economic and Policy Research show that 52% of Americans think the U.S. should halt arms shipments to Israel, including 62% of Democrats. (AJ, AJ 3/6)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbs to wounds sustained from Israeli forces in Nur Shams refugee camp on 10/19/2023. An Israeli settler shoots and kill a Palestinian man after he shoots and kills 2 Israeli settlers at a gas station near the Eli settlement. Israeli settlers also throw stones at Palestinians at the Za’atra checkpoint, injuring a man. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers ram a Palestinian man in al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, causing minor injuries. Israeli settlers also raid Arab al-Milehat, throwing stones at homes. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers disassemble and steal 2 agricultural structures in Kisan. Israeli forces shoot and kill 2 Palestinians and injure another while they are picking gundelia flowers near Bayt Awa. Israeli forces also shoot and kill a Palestinian child during a raid in Beit Furik. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Jalazone refugee camp. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian man in Jenin. Meanwhile, Israeli forces demolish a home and 2 agricultural structures during a raid in Ein ad-Duyuk al-Tahta. Israeli forces also arrest 20 Palestinians during raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, and Bethlehem. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Nuseirat refugee camp, al-Bureij refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Jabalia refugee camp, and Beit Hanun, killing at least 81 people. Israeli forces also open fire at an aid convoy where thousands of Palestinians are seeking to gather aid. Eyewitnesses report that Israel used live ammunition, tank shells, and drone-fired missiles to attack the crowd, at least 112 people are killed and 760 are injured. Israeli tanks also run over the bodies of the dead and injured. The attack is dubbed the Flour Massacre. 4 children die of starvation at the Kamal Adwan Hospital. Israeli settlers storm the Beit Hanun (Erez) crossing, attempting to create a settlement in Gaza. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fires 2 rockets at Goren. In Yemen, U.S. forces attack a missile launch site and shoot down a drone. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/29; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 3/1)

More than 30,147 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,230 children and 8,860 women, and around 71,217 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 409 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 103 children. More than 4,606 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 240 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,431 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. The Red Crescent says its medical clinic in Jabalia is receiving 100-150 cases of patients with Hepatitis A daily. (AJ, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA 2/29)

22-year-old Palestinian prisoner Assef al-Rifai dies in an Israeli prison, becoming the 11^th Palestinian to die in Israeli prison since 10/7. Al-Rifai, who had been imprisoned since 2022, suffered from cancer. (WAFA 2/29)

In response to the Flour Massacre (see above), Israel’s military first says Palestinians were killed in a stampede trying to get aid, blaming the aid truck drivers, then later said that Israeli soldiers had opened fire due to fear of the crowds but that most of the Palestinians had been killed in a human stampede and by the aid trucks. In its defense, Israel releases edited drone footage which appears to show hundreds of Palestinians taking cover from Israeli bullets. The PA calls the incident an “ugly massacre” and Hamas calls the attack an “unprecedented war crime.” UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres labels the incident appalling and calls for an independent investigation. EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borrell calls it “totally unacceptable,” Colombia denounces Israel’s genocide, suspending weapons purchases from Israel. French president Emmanuel Macron expresses “[d]eep indignation at the images coming from Gaza where civilians have been targeted by Israeli soldiers. I express my strongest condemnation of these shootings and call for truth, justice, and respect for international law.” Spain, Belgium, Turkey, Portugal, Italy, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, China, Canada, Yemen, Australia, and other countries express shock and contempt for the Israeli actions. The U.S. blocks an Algerian statement at the UN Security Council that assigns blame to Israel for the incident, saying it needs to be “thoroughly investigated.” The Israeli newspaper Haaretz for the first time calls on Israel to end its war, citing the incident. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 2/29; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 3/1) 

Representatives from Hamas, Fatah, and many other Palestinian parties meet in Moscow for reconciliation talks and about forming a technocratic consensus government that will lead the PA. Palestinian National Initiative secretary-general Mustafa Barghouti says, “I have never seen the atmosphere so close to unity as it is today.” Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov tells the Palestinian representatives at the meeting that if they can announce a unity position on the basis of the PLO those who use the lack of Palestine unity to prevent “the settlement in the Middle East, will lose their winning cards.” Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh meets with Chinese ambassador to Qatar Zhou Jian, discussing “ways to stop the war” in Gaza. President Mahmoud Abbas meets with UN senior coordinator for humanitarian aid and reconstruction in Gaza Sigrid Kaag and USAID administrator Samantha Power in Ramallah. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 2/29; AJ 3/1)

The Israeli Civil Administration declares 2,640 dunams (652 acres) of land in Abu Dis and al-Eizariya Israeli state land. 120 Palestinian families live on the land. The area declared state land connects the Ma’ale Adumim settlement and the Keidar settlement. (AJ, REU, WAFA 2/29; HA 3/1)

Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Store says the PA has received $114 million from Israel as part of the tax revenue payments and that more money will be dispersed in “the coming days.” (REU 2/29)

UNRWA says it has not received $89 million from the European Commission that was due on 2/29. 17 rights and aid organizations, including Save the Children and Oxfam, call on the EU to disperse the funds. The UN says Israel has not provided evidence about its claims against 12 UNRWA staffers for the independent investigation by the UN. Germany says it will increase aid to Gaza by $21.6 million and that its military will start taking part in aid airdrops if enough aid cannot be dispersed by land. (AP, AP, REU 2/29)

Israel claims it has killed more than 13,000 militants in Gaza since its ground invasion. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls Hamas’s demands for a ceasefire “delusional,” saying he will not accept them and that he rejects international calls for a ceasefire. The Israeli negotiators who had been in Qatar this week return to Israel. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich calls for a “massive” settlement expansion in response to the killing of 2 Israeli settlers near the Eli settlement. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir says aid to Gaza must stop as it endangers Israeli soldiers, citing the Flour Massacre where no Israeli soldiers were injured while more than a 100 Palestinians were killed. The Israeli government says it is still reviewing whether it will severely limit the number of Muslim worshippers it will allow to enter the Haram al-Sharif compound during Ramadan. (AJ, REU 2/29; AJ 3/1)

U.S. president Joe Biden walks back his comment that a ceasefire will happen by 3/4 but says that he is still hopeful. Biden also issues a statement calling on Republicans to pass a bill providing aid to Israel to “help ensure Israel can defend itself against Hamas and other threats.” Biden speaks with Qatar emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, discussing the need for aid and a ceasefire in Gaza. Secretary of State Blinken speaks with Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, discussing the same issues. White House deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton says the U.S. is deeply concerned that it has not received an Israeli plan for how it will provide security for Palestinians in Rafah if the Israeli military invades the city. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) calls on Israel to end its military operations in Gaza, citing the Flour Massacre. (AJ, AX, HA, NYT, REU, REU 2/29; AJ, HA 3/1)

UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk condemns Israel’s war on Gaza, calling it “carnage” at the UN Human Rights Council and says that war crimes have been committed by both Israel and Hamas, calling for accountability for the perpetrators. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 2/29)

New Zealand says it will impose travel bans on “a number” of violent Israeli settlers. New Zealand also designates the entirety of Hamas as a “terrorist group.” (AJ, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/29)

British politician George Galloway of the Workers Party of Britain wins a seat in the UK parliament in the by-election in Rochdale, telling Labour Party leader “Kier Starmer, this is for Gaza.” The Labour Party held the seat in Rochdale until last month when MP Tony Lloyd died. (NYT, NYT 2/29; AJ, AJ, HA 3/1)

Haaretz reports that AIPAC has spent $4.5 million in attack ads against Dave Min in the Democratic primary for a congressional seat in California. (HA 2/29)

The heads of 36 international news outlets sign a letter in support of journalists in Gaza, calling for their protection. (AJ, AP 2/29)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbs to injuries sustained in an Israeli drone strike on Jenin on 2/22. Israeli settlers raid Taybeh, kidnapping 3 elderly Palestinian farmers who are later released from a military base in Tarqumiyah. Israeli forces seize a bulldozer during a raid in Nabi Salih. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Dayr al-Balah, Rafah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, and al-Bureij refugee camp, killing at least 90 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb near Baalbek, killing 2 people and injuring 6 others. Israeli forces also bomb al-Sarira, Ayta ash Shab, Majadel, and Wadi al-Dalafa, killing at least 2 people in Majadil. Islamic Jihad says 2 of its fighters are killed in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah shoots down an Israeli drone using a surface-to-air missile and fires 60 Katyusha rockets at an Israeli military site. In Yemen, U.S. forces attack 6 sites. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/26; AP 2/27; UNOCHA 2/28)

More than 29,782 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children and 7,200 women, and around 70,043 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 400 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 102 children. More than 4,575 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 238 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,396 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 138 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. Israel allows 10 trucks carrying aid to enter northern Gaza. Jordan and France airdrop aid to Gaza from 4 C-130 planes at 11 sites. The Red Crescent says it has suspended medical missions for the next 48 hours as it is unable to ensure the safety of its staff. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 2/26; AP, UNOCHA 2/27)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh resigns on behalf of himself and the rest of the cabinet during the weekly cabinet meeting in Ramallah, saying “the next stage and its challenges require new governmental and political arrangements that take into account the new reality in Gaza and the need for a Palestinian-Palestinian consensus based on Palestinian unity.” Shtayyeh says he submitted his resignation to President Mahmoud Abbas on 2/20 but formally submitted his resignation in writing today. Abbas accepts the resignation of Shtayyeh and the rest of the cabinet, asking him and the rest of the ministers to stay on as caretakers until a new government is formed. Shtayyeh, who has been prime minister since March 2019, also cites the genocide in Gaza and the “unprecedent escalation in the West Bank and Jerusalem” as reasons for resigning. Before Shtayyeh’s resignation, over the weekend it was rumored that the Palestinian government would resign in order to facilitate the formation of a technocratic government to be led by the PA as requested by the U.S. (HA 2/25; AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 2/26; AP, HA 2/27)

The New York Times reports that Israel has agreed to release 15 high-profile Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 5 female Israeli soldiers as part of the potential ceasefire deal. U.S. president Joe Biden says he hopes a ceasefire agreement can be reached by 3/4. Axios reports that Israeli military chief of staff Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet director Ronen Bar traveled to Egypt last week to assure the Egyptian government that Israel will take measures to prevent Palestinians from fleeing to Egypt during its planned invasion of Rafah. A delegation of Israeli officials arrive in Qatar for ceasefire talks. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says Palestinians will not be allowed to return to northern Gaza until all Israeli captives are released. Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi and U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken discuss the ceasefire negotiations. (AJ, AP, AX, AX, HA, NYT, REU, REU 2/26; AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU 2/27)

Israeli industry minister Nir Barkat meets with Saudi minister of commerce Majid bin Abdullah Alkassabi on the sidelines of a World Trade Organization meeting in the UAE, saying the 2 countries can “make history together.” (AJ 2/26)

During the sixth and final day of the ICJ hearings on the legality of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, the Arab League calls the occupation an “affront to international justice” and says Israel perpetrates “racial domination and apartheid” against Palestinians. Turkey, Zambia, Spain, Fiji, the Maldives, the African Union, and the OIC also present arguments. During the 6 days of hearings, only the U.S., Fiji, Hungary, and the UK spoke in favor of Israel’s argument that the court should not make a decision on the occupation while 50 other countries and organizations argued, to varying degrees, that the occupation is illegal and has to end. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/26; WAFA 2/27)

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres says the UN Security Council’s “lack of unity on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and on Israel’s military operations in Gaza following the horrific terror attacks by Hamas on 7 October, has severely—perhaps fatally—undermined its authority,” calling for reform of the council. Arab diplomats meet with Guterres, warning him about Israeli plans to severely limit the number of worshippers allowed at the Haram al-Sharif compound during Ramadan. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA 2/26)

USAID administrator Samantha Power visits a World Food Programme warehouse in Jordan, saying only around 85 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza a day while around 500 are needed. (AJ, HA 2/26)

President Biden reiterates in an interview his previous claim that without Israel, Jews living throughout the world would not be safe. (AJ 2/27)

Israel submits a report on progress it has made since the ICJ issued provisional measures to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza as part of the South African genocide case against Israel. Human Rights Watch says Israel has ignored the ICJ provisional measures and “in some ways even intensified its repression, including further blocking lifesaving aid.” Amnesty International also says Israel has failed to comply with the measures. (Airwars, AJ, HA, HA, WAFA 2/26; NYT 2/27)

EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borrell criticizes European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in an interview with El Pais, saying her trip to Israel in October 2023 “with such a completely pro-Israeli position, without representing anyone but herself in a matter of international politics, has carried a high geopolitical cost for Europe.” Borrell also says Israeli prime minister Benjamin “Netanyahu’s plans for Gaza are unacceptable. The seeds of hatred are being sown for generations. It is an open secret that the Israelis funded Hamas and played at dividing the Palestinians.” (AJ, EP 2/26)

19,012 artists sign an open letter calling on Israel to be banned from the Venice Biennale, saying there should not be a “genocide pavilion at the Venice Biennale.” Italian minister of culture Gennaro Sanguiliano rejects the call, saying the letter is “shameful.” The Biennale later issues a statement saying it would “not take into consideration any petition or call to exclude” countries. (AJ, ANGA, HA 2/26; AJ, AJ, REU 2/27; AP, NYT 2/28)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Qibya. Israeli settlers also assault and pepper spray 2 Palestinians before stealing their car in Susiya. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers open fire at a vehicle traveling near Yanun, causing it to crash; no serious injuries are reported. Israeli settlers also throw stones at vehicles traveling near an-Nassariya, causing damage. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers set fire to a vehicle during a raid in Burin. Israeli forces shoot and injure 2 Palestinians during a riad in Jalazone refugee camp. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian child during a raid in Jayyus. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian during a raid in Tell. Israeli forces also issue demolition notices for 2 homes and a water well in Khallet al-Fara. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 11 Palestinians during raids in Dheisheh refugee camp, Nahalin, Beit Fajjar, Za’atra, and Irtah. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces assault Palestinians while preventing them from reaching the Haram al-Sharif compound for Friday prayers in the Old City and Wadi al-Juz. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, and Gaza City, killing at least 104 people, including at least 24 in a home in Dayr al-Balah. A 2-year-old Palestinian dies at al-Shifa Hospital due to hunger. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Bint Jbeil, killing 2 paramedics. Israeli forces also bomb Kafr Kila and Labbouneh. In the Red Sea, the U.S. military says it shot down 3 suicide drones launched from Yemen. In Yemen, U.S. and UK forces attack 3 sites in Ras Issa. (AJ, AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/23; AJ, AJ 2/25)

More than 29,514 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children and 7,200 women, and around 69,616 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 399 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 102 children. More than 4,545 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 235 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,396 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 50 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/23; UNOCHA 2/26)

It is revealed that Izz al-Din Ziyad al-Banna died in Ramla Prison on 2/20, becoming the 10^th Palestinian prisoner to die in Israel custody since 10/7. (AJ, WAFA 2/23; WAFA 2/24)

UNRWA says it no longer is able to operate in northern Gaza and only has “a few staff” left in the area. (AJ, WAFA 2/23)

Israel bans Palestinian vehicles from traveling on Road 417 in the West Bank between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. for 15 days, citing the attack that killed an Israeli on 2/22. (AJ, HA 2/23; UNOCHA 2/26)

Hamas releases a statement saying its delegation to Egypt for ceasefire negotiations, led by political leader Ismail Haniyeh, has left the country after 3 days of meetings with Egyptian officials, including intelligence chief Abbas Kamel. Osama Hamdan later gives a briefing calling on Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem to mobilize in defense of the Haram al-Sharif compound as Israel is planning to limit the number of people allowed to enter the compound for Ramadan. Hamdan also says Israel is not serious about reaching a ceasefire deal. (AJ, HA 2/23)

The UN Human Rights Office calls for a review of human rights violations in Palestinian territories and in Israel and for an arms embargo against Israel. (WAFA, WAFA 2/23; HA, HA, NYT 2/24)

Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz calls on the UN Security Council to pressure Lebanon to take action against Hezbollah and ensure that the area south of the Litani River is demilitarized, warning that Israel will take action. (AJ 2/23)

7 Israeli human rights organizations, including B’Tselem, Doctors for Human Rights, Breaking the Silence, and Gisha, call on countries to restore funding for UNRWA, saying the Israeli allegations do “not justify the punitive freeze on the Agency’s funding.” (AJ 2/23)

During the fifth day of the ICJ hearings on the legality of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, the UK argues against the ICJ providing an advisory opinion on the issue, calling the occupation a bilateral dispute. Norway, Namibia, Oman, Pakistan, Indonesia, Qatar, Syria, Tunisia, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Sudan criticize the Israeli occupation. (AJ, AJ, WAFA 2/23)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken calls Israeli settlements “inconsistent with international law,” reversing what is dubbed the Pompeo Doctrine, when in 2019 the Trump administration reversed U.S. policy to declare Israeli settlements “not per se inconsistent with international law.” Blinken also calls the Israeli settlement expansion announcement from 2/22 disappointing. Germany condemns the Israeli settlement expansion announcement. The UK calls the announcement “deeply concerning.” (AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, REU 2/23; AJ, NYT, NYT 2/24)

The American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) New York branch informs Columbia University that if the university does not reinstate the local chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace by 3/1 the school will be sued by the ACLU. (AJ 2/23)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers open fire at Palestinians during a raid in Shaab al-Butum in the Masafer Yatta area; no injuries are reported. Israeli settlers also open fire at 2 commercial structures and an electric transformer in al-Naqura, causing a power outage in the village. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers raid Tuqu’, threatening Palestinian shepherds. Israeli settlers also set up 3 mobile homes in Wadi Rahal. Israeli forces shoot and kill 2 Palestinians after they allegedly shot and killed 1 Israeli settler and injured 10 others on a highway near the Ma’ale Adumim settlement. Israeli forces also bomb Jenin using a drone, killing 2 Palestinians, including a child, and injuring 15 others. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure 2 Palestinians during a raid in Balata refugee camp. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian during a raid in ad-Doha. Meanwhile, Israeli forces detain 2 10-year-old Palestinian boys for 6 hours in Sinjil. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces assault and arrest 2 Palestinians outside of the compound’s Lions Gate. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Jabalia refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Rafah, Gaza City, Khan Yunis, Nuseirat refugee camp, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Maghazi, killing at least 97 people, including 18 people from the same family in a home in Gaza City. 5 patients die at the Nasser Hospital due to the lack of power and oxygen as Israeli forces continue to occupy the hospital. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Kafr Remen, Tayr Harfa, Jbaa, Kafr Kila, Maroun al-Ras, Khiam, Umm al-Tut, and Shehin, killing 4 people in Kafr Remen. Hezbollah attacks an Israeli military building in Kfar Yuval. In the Red Sea, a ship is hit by 2 missiles fired from Yemen. Israel’s Arrow missile defense system shoots down a ballistic missile the Houthi movement says is fired by its forces. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/22; AJ, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA 2/23)

More than 29,410 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children and 7,200 women, and around 69,465 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 399 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 102 children. More than 4,530 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 235 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,396 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 42 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/22; UNOCHA 2/23)

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich issues a statement after meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, saying the government will submit plans for 2,350 new settlement units in Ma’ale Adumim, 300 in the Keidar settlement, and 694 in the Efrat settlement in response the killing of an Israeli settler earlier in the day. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir says Israeli settlers’ right to freedom of movement in the West Bank overrides that of Palestinians’, adding he will further limit the freedom of movement for Palestinians. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA 2/22; HA 2/23)

Israel confirms its forces are building a new road through central Gaza “to move logistics and soldiers.” (AJ 2/22)

Prime Minister Netanyahu presents his post-war plan for Gaza to the Israeli war cabinet, which includes installing “local officials” to govern the area, “maintain an indefinite freedom to operate throughout” Gaza, enlarge the “buffer zone” inside Gaza, and the complete demilitarization of Gaza before reconstruction is allowed to begin. Netanyahu’s plan also includes the permanent closure of UNRWA and the rejection of “unilateral recognition” of a Palestinian state. The Times of Israel reports that Israel has agreed to allow U.S. flour to enter Gaza. (AJ, AX, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/23)

Defense Minister Gallant meets with U.S. National Security Council coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk, saying Israel will expand the authority of Israeli negotiators to reach a prisoner exchange deal in Paris over the weekend. U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby calls the meetings McGurk had with Gallant and Egyptian officials “constructive.” (AX 2/21; AJ, AP, AX, AX, HA, HA, REU, REU 2/22; AJ, NYT 2/23)

Jordanian representatives, including Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, give statements to the ICJ on the fourth day of the hearings on the legality of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, saying Israeli policies and practices show that Israel intends for the occupation to be permanent. Japan’s representative argues that even territory that is not internationally recognized cannot be acquired by force. Ireland’s representative says Israel has committed serious breaches of international law during its occupation. China says the issue of Palestinian self-determination is a UN issue, countering a U.S. argument made on 2/21, and argues that because of the occupation the right to self-defense lies more with the Palestinians than with the Israelis. Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Luxembourg, Malaysia, and Mauritius also present arguments. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 2/22)

UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini writes a letter to UN General Assembly president Dennis Francis, saying Israel is making a “concerted effort” to dismantle UNRWA, including by ordering UNRWA to leave a vocational center in East Jerusalem and pay Israel $4.5 million for using the facility, pointing out that the facility was given to UNRWA by Jordan in 1952. Lazzarini also says Israel is only giving UNRWA staffers visas for 1-2 months, that Finance Minister Smotrich has threatened UNRWA with revoking its tax exemption, that an Israeli bank has blocked the UNRWA account, and that Israeli customs has suspended shipments of goods to UNRWA. (AJ 2/22; AJ 2/23)

The UN Security Council convenes to discuss the situation in Gaza. UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Tor Wennesland and representatives from Doctors Without Borders brief council members on the situation. (WAFA, WAFA 2/22)

U.S. president Joe Biden says in a tweet that the “overwhelming majority of Palestinians are not Hamas . . . In fact, they’re also suffering as a result of Hamas’ terrorism.” (HA 2/22; HA 2/23)

After a 2-day G20 meeting in Brazil, EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borrell and Brazilian foreign minister Mauro Vieira say that there is unanimous agreement among the G20 members in support of a 2-state solution. (REU 2/22)

The Houthi movement announces that Israeli, UK, and U.S.-owned ships are banned from the Red Sea. (AJ, AJ 2/22)

Haaretz reports that Israeli forces shot and killed an Israeli citizen and injured his girlfriend on 10/7/2023, mistaking them for Palestinians. (AJ, HA 2/22)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raid ‘Asira al-Qibliya, injuring a Palestinian, and attempt to set a house on fire. Israeli settlers also begin construction of a settler road in al-Muarajat. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers raid al-Minya, threatening Palestinians. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian, uproot streets, and damage property during a raid in Jenin. Israeli forces also shoot and kill a Palestinian child in ‘Azzun. Elsewhere, Israeli forces issue demolition notices for a house and an agricultural structure in Khillet al-Farra in the Masafer Yatta area. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli authorities force a Palestinian family to demolish their 3-story apartment building in at-Tur, displacing 5 families comprising 23 people. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza City, Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, and Khan Yunis, killing at least 118 people, including 12 at a square in Nuseirat refugee camp, 22 in a home in Nuseirat refugee camp, 25 in a home in Dayr al-Balah, and 2 at a Doctors Without Borders shelter for staff members and their families in Khan Yunis. 8 patients die due to a lack of power and oxygen and 21 people are evacuated from the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Majdal Zoun, killing a woman and a child. Hezbollah militants fire rockets at Israeli military bases in Metila and Matzuva. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb Damascus, killing 2 people in an apartment building. In Yemen, U.S. forces attack 4 Houthi-related sites. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/21; AJ, AJ, UNOCHA 2/22; UNOCHA 2/23)

More than 29,313 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children and 7,200 women, and around 69,333 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 395 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 101 children. More than 4,528 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 235 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,396 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. The UK and Jordan airdrop 4 tons of aid to the Tal al-Hawa Hospital. 50 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (AJ, HA, REU, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 2/21; UNOCHA 2/22)

Khaled Shawish becomes the ninth Palestinian prisoner to die in an Israeli prison since 10/7/2023. 53-year-old Shawish had been imprisoned by Israeli since 2007. 20 lawyers representing Palestinians at the Ofer military court announce a strike, citing poor treatment of Palestinian prisoners and defense lawyers, including beatings of prisoners on their way to court and searches of lawyers entering Israeli facilities. (AJ, WAFA 2/21; HA 2/22)

UNOCHA reports that around 4,000 Palestinians were displaced in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 2023, including 1,326 from demolition of which 173 were from punitive demolitions, 911 during Israeli military operations which destroyed 220 structures, 1,539 from settler violence, and 200 due to movement restrictions in the Masafer Yatta area. (UNOCHA 2/21)

The Israeli-run Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office announces that it will prosecute the head of the Supreme Islamic Council in Jerusalem Ekrima Sa’id Sabri for incitement to terrorism, saying he visited families of Palestinians who carried out attacks on Israelis in October 2022. (HA 2/21)

Israeli military advocate general Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi issues a warning to Israeli soldiers that “improper conduct” including unjustified use of force, destruction of property, and looting are criminal actions. Tomer-Yerushalmi says her office has “come across cases of improper conduct.” (HA 2/21; AJ 2/22)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh meets with UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Tor Wennesland, EU representative to Palestine Alexandre Stutzman, and World Bank country director for the West Bank and Gaza Stefan Emblad in Ramallah, discussing the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, long-term aid for rebuilding Gaza, and the PA’s financial crisis. (WAFA 2/21)

The Knesset votes 99 to 9 to reject “international dictates regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians and the establishment of a Palestinian state.” (AJ, AJ, HA, REU 2/21)

At the third day of the ICJ hearings on the legality of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, the U.S. argues that the ICJ should not order the unconditional withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied territories without security guarantees. Hungary similarly says the ICJ should not exercise its jurisdiction. Colombia, the Comoros, Cuba, Egypt, the UAE, Russia, France, the Gambia, and Guyana also present arguments. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/21; NYT 2/22)

UK House of Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle breaks with precedent by allowing the Labour Party to introduce its own amendment to a motion introduced by the Scottish National Party (SNP) calling for a ceasefire. The Labour Party amendment waters down the language of the SNP motion, removes language criticizing Israel, and adds language defending its conduct. The Labour motion is adopted after SNP and Conservative Party MPs leave the vote in protest. (AJ, AJ, AP 2/21; AJ, AP 2/22)

The UK High Court of Justice rejects a petition to suspend UK arms exports to Israel. The Guardian reports that the UK is considering suspending arms export licenses to Israel if Israel invades Rafah. (AJ, GDN 2/21)

A video from 2/15 shows U.S. congressman Andy Ogles (R-TN) telling a pro-Palestinian activist that “I think we should kill them all if that makes you feel better. Hamas and the Palestinians have been attacking Israel for 20 years. It is time to pay the piper.” (AJ, HA 2/21)

The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. intelligence community has assessed with “low confidence” that some UNRWA staffers took part in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, suggesting that the U.S. has not seen corroborating evidence. (HA 2/21; AJ 2/22)

The European Broadcasting Union says it is reviewing the lyrics of the Israeli song submitted to the Eurovision contest to examine if it is too political. The song is titled “October Rain” and is about events on 10/7/2023 and its aftermath. The Israeli contestant, Russian Israeli singer Eden Golan, performed in Russian-annexed Crimea in 2016. (HA, NYT 2/22)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set a house and a car on fire in Burqa. Israeli settlers also throw stones at a home and damage 10 vehicles in Huwwara. Israeli forces shoot and injure 2 Palestinians during a raid in Sarra. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian woman in Zeita. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man, while others suffer tear-gas related injuries during a raid in al-Arroub refugee camp. Israeli forces also raze land in Husan. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 25 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, and Jericho; a crew of journalists from Palestine TV are detained, cuffed, and blindfolded during the raid in Jericho. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli settlers also fence off a tract of Palestinian-owned land in Silwan. Israeli forces assault a Palestinian man in Silwan, stealing his phone and cash. Israeli forces also deliver a demolition notice for a sports club and a school in Isawiya. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Rafah, Gaza City, Dayr al-Balah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Maghazi, Beit Lahiya, and al-Bureij refugee camp, killing at least 107 people. Israeli forces also open fire at Palestinians waiting to receive aid in Gaza City, killing 5 people and injuring at least 10.18 patients are evacuated from the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Ghaziyeh, injuring 14 people. Israeli forces also bomb Dhayra. Hezbollah attacks Barkat Risha. In Yemen, the Houthi movement says its forces shot down a U.S. MQ9 drone over Hodeidah. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/19; AJ, AP, AP, UNOCHA 2/20)

More than 29,092 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children and 7,200 women, and around 69,028 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 393 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 100 children. More than 4,511 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 233 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,373 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 9 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. Israelis block the Nitzana crossing between Israel and Egypt, preventing aid entering Gaza via crossing. The Global Nutrition Cluster finds that 16% of children under the age of 2 in northern Gaza are “acutely malnourished” and that 90% of children under 5 in Gaza are infected by 1 or more infectious diseases.” (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/19; AP, AP 2/20; UNOCHA 2/22)

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) says it has received information that Palestinian women and girls have been “arbitrarily executed in Gaza, often together with family members, including their children.” The office also expresses alarm over the arbitrary detention of hundreds of women and girls in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including reports of sexual assault of detainees, including rape. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says the U.S. “strongly encourage[s] Israel to thoroughly and transparently investigate credible allegations and ensure accountability for abuses and violations” in response to the OHCHR’s statement. (AJ 2/19; AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA 2/20)

Hamas says Israel has killed 6,000 of its armed forces since 10/7/2023, contradicting Israel’s claim that the number is 12,000. (HA 2/19)

The Institute for the Study of War and the Critical Threats Project say Israeli forces are constructing a road across Gaza, dividing the north and the south. (AJ 2/20)

The ICJ begins hearings in the case of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories. 52 countries will present oral and written arguments before the court between 2/19 and 2/26. The case was triggered on 12/30/2022 when a majority of members of the UN General Assembly voted to seek an opinion on the legal consequences of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki, PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour, and academics and legal experts address the ICJ judges on the first day of the hearings. Al-Maliki urges the judges to order an end to the Israeli occupation. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel does not recognize the legitimacy of the ICJ proceedings. (HA 2/18; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/19)

At the UN Security Council, the U.S. circulates a draft resolution calling for a temporary ceasefire and calls an invasion of Rafah, under the current circumstances, dangerous to civilians and damaging for regional security. (AJ, HA, HA 2/19; NYT 2/20)

Prime Minister Netanyahu says he will submit legislation to the Knesset to reject “international efforts to force on us a Palestinian state.” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich tells his Religious Zionism party that he has called on Netanyahu to end the Oslo Accords if “unilateral steps [are] taken against the state of Israel,” including ending all transfers of funds to the PA. (AJ, HA, HA 2/19)

The Knesset fails to expel MK Ofer Cassif, reaching 85 out of 90 required votes. The campaign to expel Cassif follows his support of the South African genocide case against Israel at the ICJ. 11 MKs voted against the expulsion while 24 were absent. (AJ, HA, HA, REU 2/19; NYT 2/20)

The Qatari foreign ministry says Prime Minister Netanyahu is seeking to prolong the war on Gaza by calling on Qatar to pressure Hamas into releasing Israeli captives. (HA 2/18; AJ, HA, REU 2/19; HA 2/20)

EU high commissioner for foreign policy Josep Borrell says 26 of 27 EU members call for an immediate pause in fighting in Gaza. The only country not to support the statement is Hungary. (AJ, HA, REU 2/19)

Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva recalls the Brazilian ambassador to Israel in response to Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz saying Lula will not be welcome in Israel until he retracts comments comparing Israel’s assault on Gaza to the Holocaust. The presidents of Colombia and Bolivia express support for Lula’s comments. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA 2/19; AJ, HA, NYT 2/20; AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/21)

Spanish foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares says that if the EU does not take action against violent Israeli settlers then Spain will proceed with sanctions unilaterally. (AJ, HA, REU 2/19)

A report by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health projects that between 2/7 and 8/6/2024 the excess number of deaths in Gaza could range from 4,200 to 259,680. In the best scenario where a ceasefire is reached and no epidemics occur the mean estimate is 6,550 excess deaths while in the worst scenario where the attacks escalate and epidemics occur the mean estimate of excess deaths is 85,750. However, projections show that the number could be upwards of 259,680. (Gaza-Projections 2/19; NYT 2/21)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set fire to a home, a vehicle, and 2 agricultural structures in Kisan. Israeli settlers also assault a Palestinian shepherd near al-Bireh. Israeli forces deliver demolition notices for 4 homes and a restaurant in al-Walaja. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man with a baton round during a raid in Shu’fat, others suffer tear-gas related injuries. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, Jabalia refugee camp, Khan Yunis, and Gaza City, killing at least 112 people. 5 people die at the Nasser Hospital after power outages cut oxygen supplies. 2 Israeli soldiers are killed in combat. In Bnei Re’em, a Palestinian man shoots and kills 2 Israelis and wounds 4 others at a bus stop before being shot dead by Israeli forces in East Jerusalem. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fires rockets at Ramya, killing an Israeli soldier. Israeli forces attack Bint Jbeil, Labourna, al-Naqoura, al-Fardis, Rachaya, al-Foukhar, and al-Harbiyah, causing damage. In Yemen, U.S. forces attack 2 sites near Hodeidah. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/16; HA 2/17; UNOCHA 2/19)

More than 28,775 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children and 7,200 women, and around 68,552 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 390 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 100 children. More than 4,499 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 232 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,361 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 199 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/16; UNOCHA 2/19)

The ICJ rejects South Africa’s request for additional provisional measures in the genocide case against Israel but says an Israeli assault on Rafah “would exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare with untold regional consequences” and orders Israel to adhere to the original provisional measures. Hamas welcomes the ICJ’s “direct and clear order to stop this brutal aggression leading to genocide against defenseless civilians.” (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA 2/16)

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) denies Israeli allegations that PRCS staff and equipment were involved in the attack on Israel on 10/7/2023, saying Israel deliberately creates a false narrative by circulating a video that clearly shows that the ambulance and staff in question are not from PRCS. (AJ 2/16)

The PA calls for sanctions on Israel, saying Israeli prime minister Benjamin “Netanyahu continues to disregard international demands and resolutions, and continues to kill our people, starve them, thirst them, and destroy their land to push them to emigrate.” (AJ 2/16)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant says the Israeli military is “thoroughly planning” its invasion of Rafah and claims that 30 UNRWA employees took part in the events on 10/7/2023. Israeli president Isaac Herzog meets with Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, discussing ceasefire negotiations. (AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA 2/16; REU 2/17)

Lebanon files a complaint with the UN Security Council over Israel’s killing of 11 civilians on 2/14. (AJ 2/16)

U.S. president Joe Biden says that he hopes Israel does not invade Rafah and stresses the need for a temporary ceasefire. At the Munich Security Conference, Vice President Kamala Harris says after Israel’s war on Gaza there should be “no reoccupation of Gaza, no change to its geographic territory, no return of terrorism by Hamas” and the PA should take over governance of Gaza. The foreign ministers of the U.S., UK, Germany, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Qatar discuss plans for Gaza after the war. (AJ, HA, REU 2/16)

Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov says Russia has invited all Palestinian factions to Russia for “inter-Palestinian” talks on 2/26. (AJ 2/16; AJ, HA 2/18)

French president Emmanuel Macron meets Jordanian king Abdullah II in Paris. In a joint press statement, Macron says that France will work with the EU and the UN Security Council to recognize a Palestinian state, adding it is no longer taboo in France. (HA, REU, WAFA 2/16; AP 2/17)

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Biden administration is preparing to send Israel around 1,000 MK-82 500-pound bombs and 1,000 KMU-572 JDAMs. (REU 2/16; AJ 2/17)

The New York Times reports that Israel was responsible for a sabotage attack on 2 gas pipelines in Iran on 2/15 and an explosion at a chemical factory near Tehran on 2/16. (HA, NYT 2/16; HA 2/17; AJ 2/18)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbs to injuries sustained from Israeli forces in Kafr Ain on 1/22. Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near Bizarya, causing damage. Israeli settlers also assault Palestinian shepherds in Umm al-Khair, causing injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers raid Huwwara, vandalizing homes and vehicles. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man and injure another at the Dayr Sharaf checkpoint; Israel claims the dead man opened fire at Israeli soldiers. Israeli forces also punitively demolish the family home in Hebron of a Palestinian man killed by Israeli forces in Beit Jala on 11/16/2023; the demolition is carried out with explosives, damaging other apartments in the building. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolish an agricultural structure in Yatma. Israeli forces also arrest 5 Palestinians during a raid in Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 10 Palestinians, including 4 children, at the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Rafah, Maghazi, Dayr al-Balah, and Khan Yunis, killing at least 130 people. Israeli forces also shoot and kill a Palestinian doctor while his is operating on a patient in the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. In Lebanon, Hezbollah attacks 2 Israeli bases, injuring 3 soldiers in Kiryat Shmona. 30 rockets are also fired at Ein Zeitim and Dalton. Israeli forces kill a Hezbollah member in an airstrike on Nabatieh, others are reportedly injured. Israel also attacks Khiam and Kafrhamam. In Yemen, the U.S. military says it has conducted 7 airstrikes. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/8; AJ, AP, HA, REU 2/9)

More than 27,840 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 11,500 children and 7,200 women, and around 67,317 have been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 383 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 96 children. More than 4,426 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, 225 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,314 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 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. UNOCHA says 650,000 Palestinians in Gaza have no homes to return to and that there are an estimated 12 million tons of debris from Israeli bombings that needs to be cleared. (HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/8; AJ 2/9)

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society says Muhammad Ahmad al-Sabar, a Palestinian held in administrative detention since May 2022, has died in the Ofer Prison. Al-Sabar is the eighth prisoner to die in Israeli custody since 10/7/2023. (AJ, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/8)

Israeli forces release 71 Palestinians from Gaza at the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing. The New York Times reports that U.S. intelligence officers told Congress that they believe Israeli forces have killed a third of Hamas militants. (AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA 2/8; AJ, HA, NYT 2/9)

A Hamas delegation led by political bureau deputy leader Khalil al-Hayya arrives in Cairo for meetings with Qatari and Egyptian officials on a ceasefire deal. The Israeli war cabinet discusses the Hamas response to the ceasefire proposal. (AJ, HA 2/8)

UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk says Israel’s destruction of homes to create a buffer zone in Gaza “amounts to a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and [is] a war crime.” (AJ, NYT 2/8)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken meets with Israeli war cabinet members Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot and opposition leader Yair Lapid on the second day of his visit to Israel. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says Israel moving its troops to Rafah “without due consideration for their [Palestinians sheltering there] safety would be a disaster and we would not support it.” President Joe Biden issues a memorandum saying countries receiving U.S. military aid must assure the U.S. that they are adhering to international law and requiring the state and defense departments to send a report to Congress within 90 days on the use of U.S.-supplied weapons. Biden also says in a speech that Israel’s response in Gaza has been “over the top,” and that innocent people in Gaza are “starving, in trouble and dying. It’s got to stop.” In the speech, Biden mistakenly calls Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi the president of Mexico. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT 2/8; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU 2/9)

The U.S. Senate advances a supplemental foreign aid only bill, including $14 billion to Israel in a procedural 67-32 vote. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) is the only Democrat to vote against it. (HA, REU 2/8)

The ICJ says Nicaragua has requested to join South Africa in the genocide case against Israel. (AJ, WAFA 2/8)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attack a Palestinian vehicle traveling near Nahalin, causing damage. Israeli settlers also set fire to an agricultural structure in Ya’bad. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian child, claiming he tried to stab soldiers at a checkpoint near al-Eizariya. Israeli forces also demolish a Palestinian home in al-Burj, displacing 7 people. Elsewhere, Israeli forces erect a surveillance tower and place caravans near Beit Umar. Israeli forces also arrest 28 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Silwad, Ramallah, Tulkarm, Hebron, Jenin, Tubas, and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 113 people. Israeli naval forces bomb an UNRWA aid truck. Israeli forces abduct al-Amal Hospital general manager Haider al-Qaddura and administrative director Maher Atallah as 8,000 people are evacuated from the hospital in Khan Yunis, which has been under an Israeli siege for 2 weeks. In Beershaba, Israeli police shoot and kill a Palestinian citizen of Israel after he allegedly tries to grab an Israeli police officer’s weapon. In Lebanon, Hezbollah attacks 2 Israeli military positions in Shebaa Farms and 1 in Yiftah. Israeli forces kill 3 members of the Amal Movement in an airstrike. In Yemen, U.S. forces bomb a drone launch site. (AJ, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/5; UNOCHA, WAFA 2/6)

More than 27,478 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 11,500 children and 7,200 women, and around 66,835 have been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 375 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 95 children. More than 4,415 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, 223 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,300 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 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. UNOCHA says Palestinians sheltering in and around Khan Yunis and Rafah need 50,000 cold weather tents, 200,000 bedding sets, 200,000 sealing kits, and 200,000 winter clothing kits. 218 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. Jordanian and Dutch forces airdrop aid to the Jordanian Field Hospital in Gaza for the second day in a row. (AJ, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 2/5; AJ, UNOCHA 2/6)

The Israeli military issues evacuation orders for parts of Gaza City and Rafah. The military also says at least 540 Israeli soldiers have been injured in friendly fire since the ground invasion of Gaza began. (AJ, UNOCHA 2/5)