The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault 4 Palestinians during a raid in Arab ar-Rashaiyda. Israeli settlers also assault a Palestinian man near Dura, threatening to kill him if he continues to herd his sheep in the area. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers steal a tractor in Battir. Israeli settlers also throw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling between Huwwara and Qalqilya. Israeli forces raid Balata refugee camp, demolishing homes and razing a main street. Israeli forces also arrest 10 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Nablus, Balata refugee camp, Qalqilya, Bethlehem, Hebron, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 5 Palestinians during raids in al-Tur and Shu’fat refugee camp. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Maghazi, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, and Gaza City, killing at least 77 people, including 4 at a tent for journalists outside of al-Aqsa Hospital in Dayr al-Balah where a WHO team is visiting to the assess needs of the hospital. Israeli forces also continue to raid and besiege al-Shifa Hospital. 4 Palestinians die of starvation at the Kamal Adwan Hospital, bringing the number of hunger-related deaths to at least 34. An Israeli soldier is killed in combat and another soldier succumbs to wounds sustained on 3/29. In Ashdod, Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man who allegedly stabbed and injured 3 Israelis in a shopping mall. In Beersheba, Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian citizen of Israel who allegedly stabbed and injured an Israeli soldier at a bus station. In Jerusalem, tens of thousands of Israelis rally, calling for new elections. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Kounine, killing Hezbollah commander Ismail al-Zin. Israeli forces also bomb Meiss Ej-Jabal, Blida, Markaba, and Kafr Kila. Hezbollah forces attack Israeli military sites in Metulla and al-Manara. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb Damascus, killing 2 people. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/31; AJ, HA, HA, NYT 4/1; UNOCHA 4/3)

More than 32,782 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 75,298 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, 254 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. 226 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. U.S. forces airdrop 50,000 meals over northern Gaza. UK forces also airdrop aid over Gaza. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA 3/31; UNOCHA 4/3)

Israeli military officials and soldiers tell Haaretz that Israel has designated “kill zones” in Gaza where all Palestinians entering the invisible zone are classified as terrorists and soldiers are ordered to kill all unarmed adult men. (HA 3/31)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas swears in the new PA government headed by prime minister Mohammad Mustafa, who also will be the new foreign minister. (HA 3/30; AJ, WAFA 3/31; WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/1)

A Hamas official tells Al-Aqsa TV that the PA has sent undercover security forces to Gaza using an Egyptian aid convoy and that 6 members of the security forces have been arrested. The PA denies the claim. (AJ, REU 3/31; HA 4/1)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says in a speech that “the whole world is ganging up on us,” calling on Israelis to unite in defending Israel physically and morally. Netanyahu also says the invasion of Rafah is not delayed due to U.S. pressure and rejects calls for early elections. After the speech Netanyahu undergoes surgery for a hernia, leaving Justice Minister Yariv Levin as acting prime minister. Netanyahu will be released from the hospital on 4/2. (AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU 3/31; HA, REU 4/1)

Israeli attorney general Gali Baharav-Miara sends letters to the ministers of defense and education, telling them that ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students must be drafted into the military starting on 4/1. (AJ, HA 3/31)

Pope Francis calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of captives during his Easter address. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA 3/31)

The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. is concerned that intelligence sharing with Israel is leading to civilian deaths. The Journal also says that the Biden administration wrote a memo after 10/7/2023 expanding the scope of intelligence sharing with Israel. (AJ, HA, WSJ 3/31)

UN sources tell the Guardian that Israeli military chief of staff Herzi Halavi presented to UN officials last week a plan to dismantle UNRWA, which would include the transfer of some UNRWA staff to a replacement agency that would focus on the delivery of aid in Gaza or expanding the World Food Programme’s operations in Gaza. (GDN 3/31; AJ 4/1)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces install iron gates and place cement blocks at the entrances to Maeen, Shaab al-Butum, and Umm al-Khair in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces also deliver demolition notices for several structures in Hizma. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrest 15 Palestinians during raids in and around Ramallah, Qalqilya, Jenin, Hebron, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers vandalize Palestinian shops in the Old City. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, and Dayr al-Balah, killing at least 107 people. Israeli forces also force Palestinians to evacuate al-Amal Hospital as it and al-Shifa and Nasser hospitals remain under siege. 8 rockets are fired at Israel; no damage is reported. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Meiss Ej Jabal. (AJ, AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, UNOCHA 3/25)

More than 32,333 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 74,694 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, 251 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,509 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. 139 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The U.S. and UK airdrop aid over northern Gaza. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 3/25; AJ, HA 3/26; UNOCHA 3/29)

At the UN Security Council, a resolution drafted by the council’s 10 elected members and demanding an immediate ceasefire through the month of Ramadan leading to a lasting ceasefire and the release of Israeli captives passes as the U.S. abstains and the 14 other council members vote in favor. The U.S. claims the resolution is non-binding, contrary to the stipulations of international law, and that the vote does not represent a shift in U.S. policy. U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield says the U.S. abstained because it does not agree with everything in the resolution, noting that the U.S.’s request to add condemnation of Hamas was ignored. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls the U.S. abstention a “clear departure from the consistent U.S. position in the Security Council since the beginning of the war” and cancels an Israeli delegation’s visit to the White House that would have discussed alternatives to a ground invasion of Rafah. The PA calls the resolution a step in the right direction. Hamas says it is committed to the conditions of the resolution and calls on the world to oblige Israel to implement it. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres says the resolution must be implemented and that it would be “unforgivable” if it is not. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AX, AX, AX, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/25; AJ, AP, NYT, WAFA, WAFA 3/26)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas meets with German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock in Ramallah. Germany donates $48 million to UNRWA for programs in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank. (AJ, WAFA 3/25)

Hamas says Israel has not responded to its ceasefire counterproposal and reiterates that the 4 main points of its proposal are: a comprehensive ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, return of displaced Palestinians to their homes in, and “a real exchange of prisoners.” (AJ, HA, REU 3/25; HA, HA 3/26)

Fatah issues a statement attacking Hamas for its criticism of the choice of Mohammad Mustafa as the new PA prime minister, saying “whoever caused Israel’s reoccupation of the Gaza Strip …. Does not have the right to dictate national priorities.” (WAFA 3/25)

The U.S. says it finds Israel’s assurances that it is not using U.S.-supplied weapons in contravention of international law credible and finds that Israel is not impeding U.S. humanitarian assistance to Gaza. 17 U.S. senators urged the Biden administration on 3/22 to determine that the Israeli assurances were not credible. (AJ, HA, HA 3/25)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant meets with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Washington D.C. Blinken reportedly tells Gallant that there are alternatives to an invasion of Rafah and calls for more aid to enter Gaza. (AX, HA, REU 3/25; AJ, NYT 3/26)

UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese issues a report saying that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Albanese adds that, “Israel’s genocide on the Palestinians in Gaza is an escalatory stage of a long-standing settler colonial process of erasure.” Albanese calls on UN member states to implement an arms embargo on Israel in addition to other economic and political measures. Albanese also recommends that South Africa brings its ICJ case against Israel to the UN Security Council as Israel is ignoring the interim rulings. (AJ 3/25; AJ 3/26)

Israeli emergency unity government minister Gideon Saar resigns from the government after his request to join the war cabinet is denied. (AJ, AX, HA, HA, REU 3/25)

Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi says during a press conference with Secretary-General Guterres that there “is nothing to deter Israel, but we have gone beyond that. The Israeli government is led by radical racist menaces.” (AJ, REU 3/25)

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says in an interview with Israel Hayom that Israel has to “finish up” the war because it is “losing at lot of the world … losing a lot of support.” (AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU 3/25; AJ 3/26)

The Brussels City Council votes unanimously to ban public procurement of products made in Israeli settlements. (AJ 3/26)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbs to injuries sustained in an Israeli airstrike on Jenin on 3/20. Israeli settlers vandalize Palestinian vehicles in Hebron. Israeli forces kill 4 Palestinians, including 2 in a drone strike and 2 who are shoot, and severely damage infrastructure with bulldozers during a raid in Nur Shams refugee camp. Israeli forces also shoot and kill a Palestinian man near al-Khader. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man and injure 2 others during a raid in al-Am’ari refugee camp. Israeli forces also shoot and kill a Palestinian man and injure 2 others during a raid in Aqabat Jaber refugee camp. Israeli forces also arrest 25 Palestinians during raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, Nablus, and Bethlehem. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza City, Khan Yunis, and Dayr al-Balah, killing at least 65 people. Israeli forces also continue the siege of al-Shifa Hospital for the fourth day in a row, blowing up one of its buildings and issuing an evacuation order for the hospital. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attack Tayr Harfa, Meiss Ej Jabal, Marjayoun, Khiam, al-Adissa, Yaroun, and Kafr Kila. Hezbollah forces attack Zarit, Shlomi, Metulla, and Avimim. (WAFA 3/20; AJ, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/21; UNOCHA 3/22)

More than 31,988 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 74,188 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 439 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. 122 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The U.S. airdrops 50,000 meals over northern Gaza. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/21; AJ, UNOCHA 3/22)

Israel says its military has killed more than 50 Palestinians in and around al-Shifa Hospital in the past 24 hours. Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor says Israel has killed over 200 Palestinians at the hospital since 3/18, including many that have been executed after being arrested. 13 patients have died at the hospital since 3/18. Al Jazeera publishes footage from February showing an Israeli drone targeting 4 Palestinians walking in the middle of a road in Khan Yunis. (AJ, HA, REU 3/21; REU 3/22)

The Israeli High Court of Justice halts an Israeli plan to transfer more than 20 Palestinian patients, including people receiving cancer treatment, from East Jerusalem to Gaza until a petition is heard by the court. (AJ, HA, HA, NYT, UNOCHA 3/21)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken meets Egyptian, Saudi, Qatari, and Jordanian foreign ministers Sameh Shoukry, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, and Ayman Safadi and PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh in Cairo. Blinken says the group discussed “post-conflict Gaza” and the need for “a state for Palestinians and security guarantees for Israelis.” Before the meeting, the PA says Blinken’s diplomatic efforts are not yielding any results and that they are just buying Israel time. Blinken also meets with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. CNN reports that on 3/6 Blinken told Qatar to threaten Hamas officials with expulsion to pressure the group into agreeing to the U.S.-Israeli ceasefire proposal. (REU 3/20; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 3/21; AJ 3/22)

UK foreign secretary David Cameron says in a letter to a British MP that aid is not getting into Gaza because of “arbitrary denials” of aid trucks by Israel and “lengthy clearance procedures.” Cameron also denies that the UN requested that the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing be closed during Sabbath, saying it is Israel that made that decision. (AJ 3/21)

European Council president Charles Michel tweets that EU leaders call for an “immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable ceasefire” after a summit in Brussels. (AJ, WAFA 3/21)

The Norwegian wealth fund’s ethics council says it is examining which firms are selling weapons to Israel that are used in Gaza and that the wealth fund could divest from those companies if it finds that the weapons are used for “serious and systematic violations” of international law. (AJ, REU 3/21)

U.S. House of Representatives speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) says he is planning to invite Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress, adding that he has been invited to speak at the Knesset. (NYT 3/21)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers shoot and kill a Palestinian man during a raid in Aqraba. Israeli settlers also seize 20 residential structures from Palestinians who were displaced in November 2023 in al-Ma’ajat near Jericho. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man near Beit Fajjar, claiming he shot and injured 2 Israeli soldiers. Israeli forces arrest 4 Palestinians in and around ‘Azzun, Kafr Thulth, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, more than 50 Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least 93 people, including 30 people involved in securing the safe passage of aid to Gaza City at the Kuwait Roundabout in Gaza City, 27 people in a building in Nuseirat refugee camp, and the director of police investigations in northern Gaza Raed al-Banna. Israeli forces continue the siege of al-Shifa Hospital after raiding it on 3/18 and bombing adjacent buildings, killing at least 20 people and arresting 150 during the raid. An Israeli soldier is killed in combat. In Lebanon, Hezbollah forces fire missiles at Israeli forces in al-Tayhat Hill and al-Malikiyah, injuring 2. In Syria, Israel bombs several military sites near Damascus. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/19; AJ, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/20; UNOCHA 3/22)

More than 31,819 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 73,934 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 428 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 1,482 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. 147 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (UNOCHA, WAFA 3/19; UNOCHA 3/21)

Mossad director David Barnea leaves ceasefire negotiations Doha to brief the Israeli war cabinet, while the rest of the Israeli delegation remains for continued talks. Israel’s Channel 13 reports that Israeli national security and finance ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich say they will resign and leave the government if Israel releases “dozens of terrorists with blood on their hands” as part of the ceasefire deal. The Qatari Foreign Ministry says there is cautious optimism regarding a ceasefire deal. Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh says Israel is trying to sow chaos and sabotage the ceasefire negotiations by assassinating police officers and Hamas officials. The deputy chairperson of Hamas’s political bureau Mousa Abu Marzook reportedly meets UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Tor Wennesland. (AJ, HA, NYT 3/19; AJ 3/20)

Newly appointed PA prime minister Mohammad Mustafa says in a mission statement that he will appoint a “non-partisan, technocratic government that can gain both the trust of our people and the support of the international community” and that will have a “zero tolerance” policy toward corruption. Mustafa also says he will create an independent agency to oversee the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza. The PA issues a statement saying Israel has quietly begun its attack on Rafah by systematically destroying the city. (AJ, AP, WAFA 3/19)

The UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk says Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid for Gaza may be war crime as it could amount to a starvation tactic. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA 3/19)

Canadian foreign minister Melanie Joly says Canada will implement the parliamentary resolution from 3/18 and cease further arms exports to Israel. Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz says “[h]istory will judge Canada’s current action harshly.” (AJ, HA, HA, WAFA 3/19; AJ, REU, WAFA 3/20)

Reuters reports that U.S. congressional leaders and the White House have agreed to continue blocking UNRWA funding until March 2025 as part of a deal to secure a spending bill. U.S. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel tells reporters that the U.S. has “not yet seen conclusive evidence indicating that Israel is using starvation as a weapon in the Gaza war.” (AJ, WAFA 3/19; AJ, NYT 3/20; AJ, HA 3/21)

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, 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, Israeli settlers demolish an agricultural structure in Qusra. Israeli settlers also assault Palestinians in Maghayyir al-Abeed in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces arrest 16 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Husan, Nablus, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Beit Fajjar. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Khan Yunis, Jabalia refugee camp, Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza City, and Dayr al-Balah, killing at least 90 people, including 9 in an attack on an aid truck in Dayr al-Balah. Israeli forces also open fire at Palestinians waiting to receive flour in Gaza City, causing injuries. 4 Palestinian children die at the Kamal Adwan Hospital due to hunger. In Lebanon, Hezbollah attacks Israeli forces along the Blue Line. Israeli forces bomb Ayta ash Shab and Khiam, (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/3; AJ 3/4)

More than 30,410 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,230 children and 8,860 women, and around 71,700 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 411 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 105 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 1,432 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. 130 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (WAFA 3/3; UNOCHA 3/4)

Haaretz reports that Israel is holding Palestinian prisoners in makeshift cages that do not have walls, beds, or toilets near the Atarot police base. (HA 3/3)

A delegation of Hamas officials, led by Khalil al-Hayya, arrives in Cairo for ceasefire talks. Israeli media reports that the Israeli delegation left Cairo after claiming that Hamas declined to share a list of captives that are still alive. (AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU 3/3; REU 3/4)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas appoints Khaled Abdel Aziz Taha Dudin as governor of Hebron, Ghassan Mohammad Bakr Daghlas as governor of Nablus, and Kamal Muhammad Mahmoud Abu al-Rub as governor of Jenin. PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh meets with U.S. senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) in Ramallah, calling on the U.S. to support an immediate ceasefire and saying Palestine needs a Marshall Plan to recover once the Israeli war on Gaza is over. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 3/3)

Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz arrives in Washington D.C. for meetings with U.S. vice president Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and other officials. It is reported that Gantz’s trip is not done in coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is said to be angry that Gantz is meeting with U.S. officials. Israel’s military claims that its initial review of the Flour Massacre on 2/29 finds that most of the deaths were due to a stampede. Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman calls for early elections. (AP, HA, NYT, REU 3/2; HA, HA, HA, REU 3/3; AP, NYT 3/4)

During a speech in Selma, Alabama, Vice President Harris says “[w]hat we are seeing every day in Gaza is a tragedy,” calling for an immediate 6-week ceasefire. Harris also says Israel must open up additional crossings and not impose “unnecessary restrictions” on aid. (AJ, AJ, AX, HA, NYT, REU, REU 3/3; NYT 3/4)

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation changes the title and some of the text of the Israeli song for the Eurovision Song Contest after the European Broadcasting Union rejected the song “October Rain” for being too political. The changes were reportedly done upon request by Israeli president Isaac Herzog. (HA, REU 3/3)

The New York Times reports that a forthcoming UNRWA report will charge Israel with “a range of ill-treatment” experienced by Palestinians taken from Gaza to detention centers in Israel. The report is based on interviews with 100 of the 1,002 Palestinians that have been released back to Gaza after being detained in Israel. (NYT 3/3)

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, Israeli settlers vandalize a Palestinian home in Sinjil with graffiti and stones. Israeli settlers also assault Palestinian shepherds in al-Minya. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers destroy water pipes in Susiya. Israeli forces shoot and injure 4 Palestinians, uproot streets, and bomb a home in Jenin refugee camp. Israeli forces also raid Tuqu’, causing tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raze land in Husan for the second day in a row. Israeli forces also arrest 26 Palestinians, including 2 who were released during the prisoner exchange in November 2023 and 6 children, during raids and around Abud, Ramallah, Hebron, Tulkarm, Bethlehem, Nablus, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish an 8-story residential building under construction in Bayt Hanina. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Khan Yunis, Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, al-Bureij refugee camp, Maghazi, and Dayr a-Balah, killing at least 103 people. 18 people are evacuated from the Nasser Hospital, 118 patients are still inside the hospital. An Israelis soldier is killed in combat. In Lebanon, Hezbollah launches 6 rockets at Shebaa Farms. Israeli forces attack Blida, Kafr Kila, and Ayta  ash Shab. In the Red Sea, Houthi forces launch a suicide drone at a U.S.-owned ship, causing damage. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/20; AJ, HA 2/21)

More than 29,195 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children and 7,200 women, and around 69,170 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 4,522 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. 19 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/20; UNOCHA 2/21; UNOCHA 2/22)

The World Food Programme announces that it cannot deliver aid in northern Gaza due to Israeli attacks and “complete chaos and violence due to the collapse of civil order.” The Gaza Media Office calls the decision “a death sentence for three-quarters of a million people.” (AJ, AP, HA 2/20; AJ, AJ, UNOCHA 2/21)

Israel orders the evacuation of the Zeitoun and Turkmen neighborhoods of Gaza City. (NYT 2/20; AJ 2/21)

UNOCHA releases a report saying that Palestinians in the West Bank were prevented from harvesting olives in more than 96,000 dunams (23,622 acres) of land due to Israeli restrictions during the 2023 harvesting season. Palestinians suffered a loss of $10 million from not being able to harvest olives. The report also notes that there were 113 incidents of Israeli settlers attacking Palestinians harvesting olives and stealing their crops between September and November. (UNOCHA 2/20; AJ 2/21)

The Israeli Justice Ministry is investigating 3 Israeli police officers who are suspected of sexually assaulting a man they arrested at the Hizma checkpoint in late December 2023. The unnamed victim told an Israeli court that the police officers “stuck whatever they had in the car into my anus.” A sexual assault examination conducted by the Institute for Forensic Medicine found that he had been sexually assaulted. (HA 2/20)

Israeli military chief of staff Herzl Halevi calls on Israeli military officers to “distinguish between terrorist and non-terrorist, not to take anything that is not ours – a souvenir or military item – and not to film revenge videos . . . We are not on a killing spree, revenge or genocide . . . We will not make a mistake and allow it to achieve anything in the international arena.” +972 Magazine and Local Call reports that Israeli soldiers are stealing Palestinian property in Gaza with the blessing of their commanders. (+972, HA 2/20)

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh travels to Egypt for ceasefire negotiations. Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan says the U.S. veto of a ceasefire resolution at the UN Security council (see below) shows the U.S. is an accomplice to Israeli crimes. Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich says freeing the Israeli captives is not the most important goal for Israel. (AJ, HA, HA, HA 2/20)

UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini says Israel has not presented any evidence to back its allegation against UNRWA employees despite repeated calls for Israel to cooperate with the UN in its investigation. (AJ, HA 2/20)

At the UN Security Council, the U.S. vetoes an Algerian draft resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire. The UK abstains, while the 13 other members vote in favor. U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield calls the resolution “wishful and irresponsible.” The U.S. has offered its own draft resolution calling for a temporary ceasefire as soon as it is practical, but the resolution was not formally presented for a vote. PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour calls the U.S. veto “absolutely reckless and dangerous.” The PA Presidency condemns the veto, saying U.S. support for Israel makes it “a partner in the crime of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and war crimes.” France, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, the OIC, and Saudi Arabia say they regret that a ceasefire resolution could not be adopted. China criticizes the U.S. for stifling “an overwhelming consensus.” (AP 2/19; AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/20; AJ, AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/21)

On the second day of the ICJ hearings on the legality of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, South Africa says the occupation is “inherently and fundamentally illegal,” that Israeli apartheid is even more extreme than that in South Africa, and calls Israel’s occupation settler colonialism. Algeria, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, and Chile also deliver statements on the question of Israel’s occupation. Canada was scheduled to deliver remarks but decided not to. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/20; NYT 2/22)

UK crown prince William says in a statement after visiting the UK Red Cross headquarters that “[s]ometimes, it is only when faced with the sheer scale of human suffering that the importance of permanent peace is brought home,” adding that “too many have been killed” in Gaza. (AJ, HA, NYT 2/20; 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 bring their cattle to graze on Palestinian farmland in Khirbet al-Farisiyya, destroying crops. Armed Israeli settlers force 4 Palestinian families to leave their homes in Kisan. Israeli forces shoot 5 Palestinians with live ammunition, killing 1 child and wounding 5, and shoot 8 others with baton rounds during a raid in Beit Umar. Israeli forces also seize building equipment and arrest 4 Palestinians during a raid in Deir Balut. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 18 Palestinians during raids in Jericho, Hebron, Qalqilya, Nablus, and Ramallah. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces demolish the home belonging to the prominent Palestinian activist Fakhri Abu Diab in Silwan, displacing 10 people. The U.S. and EU condemn the demolition. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, and Gaza City, killing at least 103 people, including Al Jazeera guest analyst Ayman Rafati and his family in an airstrike on Gaza City. Rockets are fired at Zikim and Ashkelon; no damage is reported. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attack Nabatieh and as-Sawana, killing 11 civilians, including 6 children. Israeli forces also kill a Hezbollah member in Adashit. A Hezbollah strike on a military base in Safed kills 1 Israeli soldier and injures 8 others. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/14; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/15)

More than 28,576 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 11,500 children and 7,200 women, and around 68,291 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 389 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 4,475 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, 230 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,352 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. 130 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The WHO says Israel has prevented the organization from entering the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis since 1/29. (AJ, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 2/14; UNOCHA 2/15)

Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir says Palestinian political leader Marwan Barghouti has been moved to solitary confinement, claiming he was encouraging the outbreak of a third intifada. Hamas has demanded that Barghouti be released as part of a ceasefire deal. (AJ 2/14; AJ 2/15)

Peace Now reports that the Israeli housing ministry has issued tenders for 523 housing units in 10 different settlements in the West Bank since the beginning of 2024. (PCN 2/14)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas issues a statement calling on Hamas to quickly finalize a ceasefire deal to avoid an Israeli invasion of Rafah. The PA requests an extraordinary meeting at the Arab League. (AJ, HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA 2/14; HA 2/15)

CIA director Bill Burns meets with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad director David Barnea, discussing ceasefire negotiations. Netanyahu orders the Israeli negotiation team not to return to Cairo for further talks. Netanyahu says Israel will “fight until complete victory and this includes a powerful action also in Rafah after we allow the civilian population to leave the battle zones.” Netanyahu speaks with French president Emmanuel Macron, who warns him against invading Rafah. Foreign Minister Israel Katz tells his German counterpart Anna Baerbock that UNRWA cannot be part of humanitarian assistance efforts in Gaza. Finance Minister Bezalel Smtorich and Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer announce a plan to provide cash payments of $550 a month for 2 years to new immigrants who settle in the West Bank and in border regions in the north and south. Communications Minister Shlomo Karni approves the UAE field hospital in Gaza’s use of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service. (AJ, AX, AX, HA, NYT, REU 2/14; AJ, AX, HA, HA 2/15; AJ, HA 2/16)

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi meet in Cairo, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. (AJ, AP, HA 2/14; HA 2/15)

U.S. president Joe Biden signs an executive order preventing Palestinians from being deported from the U.S. for a period of 18 months. The order also compels the Department of Homeland Security to issue work permits to Palestinians in the U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirms that Israel is blocking flour from entering Gaza. The State Department condemns the demolition of Fakhri Abu Diab’s home in East Jerusalem. (AJ, AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU 2/14)

The U.S. House of Representatives passes a resolution 418-0 condemning Hamas over accusations that Hamas used sexual violence during 10/7/2023. (HA 2/14)

Spain and Ireland call on the European Commission to investigate whether Israel is complying with international law. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 2/14)

The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. State Department is investigating Israeli usage of white phosphorus in Gaza and Lebanon. (AJ, WAFA 2/15)

The Washington Post reports that the U.S. and several Arab countries will present a long-term plan for establishing a Palestinian state, including Israeli withdrawal from many West Bank settlements, a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem, the rebuilding of Gaza, and international oversight over the Palestinian governance. (NYT, WP 2/14; HA, HA 2/15; HA 2/16)

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology bans the pro-Palestinian student group Coalition Against Apartheid. (AP, HA 2/14)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers shoot and injure 2 Palestinians, including a child, and set a vehicle and a home on fire during a raid in ‘Asira al-Qibliya. Israeli settlers also assault 2 Palestinians and damage their vehicles after raiding their home in Kisan. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian homes and set a car on fire in Madama. Israeli settlers also demolish 3 structures in Susiya. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers set fire to a vehicle in Huwwara. Israeli forces shoot and injure 4 Palestinians during raid in Tell, al-Ram, Tammun, and Ramallah. Israeli forces also violently disperse a funeral procession in Biddu, injuring 2 people with baton rounds. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrest 27 Palestinians during raids in and around Hebron, Tubas, Tell, Deir Ghassana, ‘Azzun, and Arrabah. In East Jerusalem, a Palestinian child succumbs to injuries sustained from Israeli forces on 2/11 in the Old City. Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, and Gaza City, killing at least 164 people, including at least 74 people in Rafah. Israeli forces also shoot and kill 7 and injure at least 14 others at the Nasser Hospital. 3 Israelis soldiers are killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb several places, killing 5 members of Hezbollah, including in a home in Chihine. Islamic Jihad says 2 of its fighters were killed by Israel near the Blue Line. In the Red Sea, Houthi fighters attack a cargo ship with naval missiles, saying it is U.S. owned. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/12; AJ, AP, HA, HA 2/13; AJ, AP, HA 2/14)

More than 28,340 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 11,500 children and 7,200 women, and around 67,984 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 387 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 99 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 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 227 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,326 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. UNRWA Gaza chief Thomas White says there is an outbreak of hepatitis A and a very high number of Palestinians experiencing diarrhea. (AJ, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/12; UNOCHA 2/13)

Israel says it forces rescued 2 Israeli captives from a building in Rafah. Israel says the large-scale airstrikes on Rafah that killed at least 74 Palestinians were a diversion for the rescue mission. (HA, NYT 2/11; AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, UNOCHA, REU, REU 2/12; NYT 2/13)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas meets with Qatari emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, discussing the possibility of a unity government in Palestine. (HA, WAFA 2/12)

Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah meets with Islamic Jihad secretary-general Ziad al-Nakhalah. (AJ, HA 2/12)

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich says, “the Egyptians bear considerable responsibility for October 7.” A spokesperson for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry says Smotrich is trying to divert attention from Israel’s own shortcomings. Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Interior Minister Moshe Arbel say UN special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese will be banned from Israel, citing her comments that the “victims of 7/10 were not killed because of their Judaism, but in response to Israel’s oppression.” U.S. representative to the UN Human Rights Council Michele Taylor accuses Albanese of having a “history of using anti-Semitic tropes.” (AJ, HA 2/12; AJ 2/13)

U.S. president Joe Biden meets with Jordanian king Abdullah II at the White House. Biden tells the press that Palestinians in Rafah need to be protected. Abdullah II says a lasting ceasefire is needed to protect Palestinians and an Israeli invasion of Rafah would be a catastrophe. (AJ, AX, HA, NYT 2/12; NYT, WAFA 2/13)

The UN Security Council meets to discuss the situation in Rafah and an Algerian draft resolution calling for a ceasefire. Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, says the UN will not play a part in Israel’s plans for evacuation of Rafah, saying “there is no place that is currently safe in Gaza.” ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan says he is deeply concerned about Israel’s plans in Rafah, adding “[a]ll wars have rules and the laws applicable to armed conflict cannot be interpreted so as to render them hollow or devoid of meaning.” Khan also says Israel has not changed its conduct in Gaza and “those who do not comply with the law should not complain later when my Office takes action pursuant to its mandate.” (AJ, HA, NYT 2/12; AJ, HA 2/13)

The U.S. Senate votes 70-29 to approve a bill which if approved by the House and President Biden would provide $95 billion in military aid to Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel, including $14 billion to Israel, ban funding of UNRWA, and provide $9.15 billion in humanitarian assistance to civilians in conflict zones, including in Gaza and the West Bank. Biden calls on the House to immediately approve the Senate bill, which he says, “provides Israel with what it needs to protect its people against the terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah and others.” Before voting in favor of the bill, Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) says Israel is committing “textbook” war crimes in Gaza. (HA 2/12; AJ, AP, HA, HA, INT 2/13)

EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borell calls on the U.S. to suspend military aid to Israel saying, “if you believe that too many people are being killed, maybe you should provide less arms in order to prevent so many people being killed.” (AJ, AJ, HA, HA 2/12)

The UK government sanctions 4 Israeli settlers. The PA foreign ministry welcomes the measure but calls it insufficient. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 2/12)

A Dutch court orders the Dutch government to halt exports of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel. The Dutch government says it will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/12)

In the West Bank, Palestinians protest outside the UNRWA headquarters in Ramallah against the countries that have suspended funding to the agency. Israeli settlers assault Palestinians in Khillet al-Farra in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces raid Nur Shams refugee camp, killing 3 Palestinians and injuring 1, uprooting streets, and destroying property. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian during a raid in Wadi al-Fara’a. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolish a home under construction in Bayt Jala. Israeli forces also arrest 25 Palestinians during raids in Jenin, Hebron, Qalqilya, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Tulkarm. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Khan Yunis, and Gaza City, killing at least 123 people, including 13 people collecting water from a truck distributing aid in Gaza City. Israeli forces also shoot and kill a paramedic and injure 2 others while they are evacuating injured people in Gaza City and open fire at al-Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis, injuring 2. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and kill a woman trying to collect water for the Nasser Hospital. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinian fishermen northwest of Rafah. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Khiam, killing 1 civilian and wounding 2 others. Israeli forces also bomb Marwahin and Bani Haiyyan. In Iraq, U.S. forces kill at least 3 people, including a senior member of Kataib Hezbollah, in an airstrike on Baghdad. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/7; AJ, UNOCHA 2/8)

More than 27,708 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 11,500 children and 7,200 women, and around 67,147 have been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 379 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 1,304 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. 169 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The Gaza Ministry of Health says 11,000 sick and wounded Palestinians need evacuation for treatment. The Gaza Media Office says Israeli has burned 3,000 housing units in Gaza during its ground invasion. The UN says Israel has prevented 51 out of 61 planned aid missions to northern Gaza. Israelis continue to block the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing for the second day in a row. (AJ, AP, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/7; AJ, UNOCHA 2/8)

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society says that there are 3,484 Palestinians held in administrative detention, including 40 children and 11 women. (WAFA 2/7)

An Israeli soldier dies of a fungal infection after being exposed 7 weeks ago in Gaza. (HA 2/7)

Details of Hamas’s counterproposal to the Israeli, U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian ceasefire proposal are unveiled. The Hamas proposal includes 3 stages of 45 days. In the first stage, Israel and Hamas would exchange the remaining female, child, and elderly Israeli captives for 1,500 Palestinian prisoners, see 500 trucks of aid enter Gaza daily, allow Palestinians to return to their homes in Gaza, allow the entry of 60,000 temporary homes and 200,000 tents, and stop Israeli settlers from entering the Haram al-Sharif compound. In the second stage, male captives would be exchanged for more Palestinian prisoners. In the third phase, the bodies of those killed would be exchanged. The proposal also calls for securing the reconstruction of Gaza and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces. Hamas political bureau member Mohammad Nazzal says the Hamas proposal has clear deadlines which the original proposal lacked, that Qatar, Egypt, Russia, Turkey, and the UN will be guarantors for maintaining the ceasefire, and that the proposal is final. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls the counterproposal “delusional,” saying Israel will not end its war on Gaza and will continue until “total victory.” (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU 2/7; NYT, NYT 2/8)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken meets with PA president Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, discussing negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza, Israel’s withholding of PA tax funds, and settler violence. Abbas also expresses the importance of the U.S. recognizing the state of Palestine. Blinken also meets with Prime Minister Netanyahu, military Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and President Issac Herzog. The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reports that Netanyahu promises Blinken that Israel will not invade Egypt at the Philadelphi Corridor without coordination with Egypt. Blinken says at a press conference that Hamas will not play a role in the future governance of Gaza, that the death toll in Gaza remains too high, and that Israel should open the Beit Hanun (Erez) crossing to allow more aid to enter Gaza. Blinken also says that the Hamas response to the ceasefire deal has “clear non-starters,” but that he thinks there is space for an agreement to be reached. Lastly, Blinken says that Israel cannot use the events of 10/7/2023 as a “license to dehumanize others.” Netanyahu says he complained to Blinken about the U.S. executive order allowing the U.S. sanction Israeli settlers, calling the order “inappropriate” and “highly problematic.”  (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AX, AX, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/7; HA, HA, NYT, REU 2/8)

Hamas says a delegation led by political bureau deputy leader Khalil al-Hayya will travel to Egypt for continued ceasefire talks with officials from Egypt and Qatar. (AJ 2/7)

PA health minister Mai al-Kaila sends a letter to UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, calling on him to ensure that medical personnel in Gaza are protected as 340 doctors and health workers have been killed by Israeli forces. Al-Mezan says in a letter to Guterres that the UN Office on Genocide Prevention has failed in its mandate, calling it “double standards.” (AJ, WAFA 2/7)

The Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry issues a statement saying “in light of what has been attributed to the U.S. National Security Spokesperson, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms that the position of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has always been steadfast on the Palestinian issue . . . The Kingdom has communicated its formal position to the U.S. administration that there will be no diplomatic relations with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is recognized on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and that the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip stops and all Israeli occupation forces withdraw from the Gaza Strip.” In the statement, Saudi Arabia also calls on UN Security Council members to recognize the state of Palestine. The PLO and PA welcome the Saudi statement. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/7)

Argentinian president Javier Milei meets with Prime Minister Netanyahu in Jerusalem, saying Argentina will designate Hamas as a terrorist organization. On 2/6, Milei said he would move the Argentinian embassy to East Jerusalem. The Arab League and OIC condemn Milei’s promise to move the embassy. (AJ, HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA 2/7)

The U.S. Senate rejects a $118 billion bill that would fund Israel’s war on Gaza, send military aid to Ukraine, and fund the U.S.-Mexico border. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VA) says he voted against the bill because the military aid to Israel is “unconscionable” given the Israel’s “horrific war against the Palestinian people,” and because of the provisions in the bill that would prevent UNRWA funding. (AJ, AJ, HA 2/7)

The American Civil Liberties Union writes a letter to U.S. secretary of education Miguel Cardona, calling on him to reject the International Holocaust Remembrance Association’s working definition of anti-Semitism, saying it conflates anti-Semitism with political speech. (AJ 2/7)

Canadian immigration minister Marc Miller says Egyptian and Israeli authorities have not allowed 1,000 Palestinians who have been granted permission to come to Canada to be evacuated. (AJ 2/7)

Norway transfers $26 million to UNRWA, saying millions of people should not be collectively punished for the alleged wrongdoing of 12 staff members. (AJ 2/7)

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)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh says Israel has not transferred the PA tax funds to Norway and that the PA has not received any of the money. President Mahmoud Abbas meets with French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne in Ramallah, calling on France to recognize the state of Palestine. Sejourne meets Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz earlier in the day, with Katz thanking Sejourne for suspending UNRWA funding. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 2/5)

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid says he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would enter the emergency government to provide a safety net in favor of a ceasefire deal to get the remaining captives released. A no confidence motion against the government at the Knesset gets 21 votes in favor, failing to obtain the 61 votes required. (HA 2/5)

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres appoints an independent review group led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colanna to assess UNRWA’s neutrality and Israeli allegations against the agency. UK’s Channel 4 reports, after seeing the 6-page dossier Israel used to accuse 12 UNRWA staffers of taking part in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, that Israel “provides no evidence” to back its claim. Instead, the dossier states that “from intelligence information, documents, and identity cards seized during the course of the fighting, it is now possible to flag around 190 Hamas and PIJ terrorist operatives who serve as UNRWA employees. More than 10 UNRWA staffers took part in the seventh of October.” The New York Times reports that UNRWA will lose $65 million by the end of February due to funding suspensions by Germany, Japan, and Sweden. Spain says it will donate $3.8 million in aid to UNRWA.  (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/5; NYT 2/6; HA 2/7)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken meets with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, discussing humanitarian aid to Gaza and regional diplomacy. After the meeting, Blinken says that Saudi Arabia has a strong interest in pursuing normalization with Israel but that it requires “an end to the conflict in Gaza, and a clear, credible, time-bound path to the establishment of a Palestinian state.” Blinken also announces that the U.S. will cancel visas for employees of companies that provide spyware that is used against political activists, human rights defenders, and journalists. (AJ, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU 2/5; AJ, HA, NYT 2/6)

At the UN Security Council, China and Russia criticize the U.S. for its airstrikes on Iraq and Syria on 2/3. (AJ 2/6)

Amnesty International says Israeli killings of Palestinians in the West Bank since 10/7/2023 show “a chilling disregard for Palestinian lives” and “are in blatant violation of international human rights law.” (AI, AJ 2/5)

A man on a motorbike attacks a Palestinian American man driving in Austin, Texas, stabbing and wounding him and pulling a Palestinian flag from the car. (AJ 2/6)

The Japanese company Itochu Corporation’s aviation unit announces it will end its strategic cooperation with the Israeli defense company Elbit Systems, citing the ICJ ruling from January. (AJ, REU, WAFA 2/5)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault 2 Palestinian children in Susiya in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli settlers also assault a Palestinian man with their rifles south of Hebron. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers demolish a tent and uproot 20 olive trees in the Fatih Sidra area of Masafer Yatta. Israeli settlers also ram Palestinian-owned sheep in al-Muarajat, killing and injuring several. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers attack Palestinian shepherds in Shaab al-Butum, forcing them to flee. Israeli forces open fire at a Palestinian vehicle before assaulting Palestinians in the car and seizing it in Tuqu’. Israeli forces also demolish a Palestinian home in Tarqumiyah. 15 Palestinians are arrested during late-night raids in and around Qalqilya, Nablus, Bethlehem, Qalandia refugee camp, and Kharbatha Bani Harith. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, Beit Hanun, Jabalia refugee camp, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 150 people. Israeli forces also shoot and kill 12 people at al-Amal Hospital. An Israeli soldier is killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Blida, Hanine, at Tiri, Aitaroun, Naqoura, al-Dhahira, Majdalzon, and Labouneh, killing a person and destroying an ambulance. Hezbollah says it attacked 3 Israeli military sites. In Yemen, U.S. forces bomb a missile launch site. (AJ, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/31; AJ, NYT 1/2)

More than 26,900 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 10,600 children and 7,200 women, and around 65,946 have been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 374 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 94 children. More than 4,387 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, 222 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,293 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, UNOCHA, WAFA 1/31)

The PA calls for the formation of an international field committee to investigate Israeli crimes in Gaza, referring to the 30 bodies that were found in Beit Lahiya on 1/30 who appear to have been killed and dumped in a mass grave while blindfolded and with their hands tied. (WAFA 1/31)

The UN Security Council meets to discuss the ICJ ruling on provisional measures. PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour says a ceasefire is needed to implement the provisional measures instituted by the ICJ on 1/26. UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordination Martin Griffiths calls the relief entering Gaza “grossly inadequate.” UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres calls UNRWA the “backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza” and iterates his call for countries that have suspended funding for the agency to reverse their decisions. EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borell calls UNRWA’s role in Gaza “irreplaceable” and critical to preserve. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/31; NYT 1/2)

Israeli Channel 12 reports that Mossad director David Barnea briefed the Israeli cabinet on the ceasefire negotiations held over the weekend. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu writes on X that his “red lines” on an agreement are that Israel will not end the war and will not release “thousands of terrorists,” refering to Palestinian prisoners. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir writes a letter to Netanyahu calling on him to block aid from entering Gaza. Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer meets with U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan at the White House. (AJ, HA, REU, REU 1/31)

South African foreign minister Naledi Pandor says Israel is ignoring the ICJ ruling on provisional measures. Pandor also says she asked ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan why he was able to issue an arrest warrant for Russian president Vladimir Putin but not for Prime Minister Netanyahu. (AP, AP, HA 1/31)

The U.S. House of Representatives passes H.R. 6679, preventing entry to the U.S. of members of the PLO, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad in a 422-2 vote. The bill would need to be approved by both the Senate and the president. PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh calls the bill a “dangerous decision” and demands a response from the Biden administration. The PA presidency condemns and denounces the bill for banning the entry of PLO members. (AA, WAFA, WAFA 2/1; WAFA 2/2)

Haaretz reports that Israeli commanders have instructed soldiers to set fire to Palestinian homes in Gaza and that in the past months hundreds of homes have been destroyed by Israeli soldiers setting fire to them. A photo of a note left behind by Israeli soldiers reads “[w]e are not burning the house so you can enjoy it, and when you leave – you will know what to do.” (HA 1/31)

Haaretz also reports that in the aftermath of 10/7/2023, Zaka community emergency response volunteers staged scenes in Israeli villages that were attacked to attract donations for the organization instead of properly handling bodies of deceased Israelis and spread accounts of atrocities that never happened to garner media attention. The Israeli military decided from 10/7/2023 to let Zaka handle the bodies of the dead instead of using its unit trained in the identification and collection of human remains. (HA 1/31)

Ynet reports that Prime Minister Netanyahu told the UN envoys from Malta, Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, Slovenia, and Sierra Leone that UNRWA must be replaced during a meeting in Jerusalem. (AJ, AP, REU 1/31)

Axios reports that U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken has instructed the State Department to review and present policy options on U.S. and international recognition of a Palestinian state. A senior U.S. official tells Axios that some people in the Biden administration think that recognition of a Palestinian state should be the first step toward ending the Israeli occupation rather than the last. (AX, REU 1/31)

U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says the U.S. is looking for an extended pause in fighting in Gaza. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says the U.S. has warned Israel about reducing the size of Gaza. (AJ, HA 1/31)

A federal judge in Oakland, California, dismisses a lawsuit brought by Palestinian Americans seeking to end U.S. support for Israel’s campaign in Gaza on the basis of genocide, saying he would have issued an injunction but is legally not able to do so due to a lack of jurisdiction. The judge, Jeffrey White, instead implores the Biden administration to “examine the results of their unflagging support” of Israel on the basis that “it is plausible that Israel’s conduct amounts to genocide.” (NYT 1/31; AJ, INT, HA 2/1)

The city of Chicago follows a number of other U.S. cities in calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Some 70 cities in the U.S., including Atlanta, Minneapolis, Seattle, Detroit, and St. Louis, have passed resolutions on the Israeli attacks on Gaza with most calling for a ceasefire. (AJ, HA, NYT, REU 1/31; AJ, NYT 2/1)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces dressed as Palestinian civilians and medical staff raid the Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin, killing 3 Palestinians receiving treatment at the hospital. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian during a raid in Qiffin. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raid Nur Shams refugee camp and Tulkarm destroying 2 homes, displacing 12 people, and causing vast destruction to infrastructure. Israeli forces also demolish the Palestinian Equestrian Club in Qalandia. 18 Palestinians are arrested during late-night raids in and around Jenin, Ramallah, Hebron, Nablus, and Tulkarm. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities force a Palestinian family to demolish their own home in Jabel Mukaber, displacing 5 people. Israeli forces demolish a commercial structure in Silwan. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Dayr al-Balah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Beit Lahiya, Rafah, Gaza City, and Khan Yunis, killing at least 114 people. Israeli forces also detain dozens of Palestinians after raiding a shelter in Shati’ refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raid al-Amal Hospital, killing at least 1 woman and forcing people sheltering there to leave. Palestinians discover 30 bodies in a mass grave at a school in Beit Lahiya. The bodies are handcuffed and blindfolded. UNRWA says its staff and thousands of displaced Palestinians have been forced to leave Khan Yunis due to Israeli attacks. 3 Israeli soldiers are killed in combat. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fires rockets at a site in Metula. In the Red Sea, U.S. forces say they shot down a cruise missile fired from Yemen. (REU 1/29; AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/30; AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 1/31; AJ, UNOCHA 2/1)

More than 26,751 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 10,600 children and 7,200 women, and around 65,636 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 374 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 94 children. More than 4,382 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, 222 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,283 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. 134 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA 1/30)

Israel hands over the bodies of 80 Palestinians it has killed in Gaza through the Karem Abu Salem crossing. (AJ, REU, WAFA 1/30; UNOCHA 1/31)

Israel acknowledges it is pumping water into tunnels under Gaza. (AJ, HA, HA, NYT 1/30)

5 Israeli prison guards accused of beating Palestinian prisoner Thaer Abu Asab to death in the Ketziot prison on 11/18/2023 are transferred to a different prison unit while Israel investigates the incident. (HA 1/30)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh meets with ambassadors and representatives from European countries in Ramallah, briefing them on the situation in Palestine. President Mahmoud Abbas speaks with Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/30)

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh says Hamas is reviewing the ceasefire proposal formulated by Israeli, Qatar, Egypt, and American officials in Paris over the weekend. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will not agree to a ceasefire deal that includes a large-scale release of Palestinian prisoners and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. (AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT 1/30)

The Knesset House Committee votes to expel Hadash-Ta’al MK Ofer Cassif, referring the impeachment to the Knesset plenum. (AJ, AP 1/30; HA, REU 1/31)

The UN Security Council expresses concern over the “rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.” U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield says the U.S. needs to see “fundamental changes” to UNRWA before it resumes its funding. Thomas-Greenfield also says the U.S. has reached out to Israel for more information about the allegations made by Israel against 12 UNRWA staffers. (AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA 1/30; AJ, NYT, NYT, UNOCHA 1/31)

The heads of UN agencies issue a statement calling on countries that have suspended aid to UNRWA to reverse their decisions. Sweden and New Zealand join the list of countries that have suspended funding of UNRWA. After suspending funding for UNRWA on 1/26, Canada announces a $28.8 million contribution to the World Food Programme, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization, earmarked for Gaza. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 1/30; WAFA 1/31)

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says Israel has a right to “bring terrorists to justice” in response to questions about the Israeli raid at the Ibn Sina Hospital. The Red Cross says the Israeli killing of the 3 people contravenes international law. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani in Washington D.C., discussing a “just and durable solution for the Palestinian cause,” according to a Qatari statement. (AJ 1/30; AJ 1/31)

U.S. senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) issues a statement calling on the Biden administration to restore funding of UNRWA. (AJ 1/30)

Kataib Hezbollah announces a suspension of hostilities against U.S. forces, saying it does not want to “embarrass” the Iraqi government. (REU 1/30; AJ 1/31; REU 2/1)

Times of Israel reports that Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant told Israeli lawmakers that Israel should be able to operate in Gaza the same way it operates in the West Bank after the war, using the Israeli raid on the Ibn Sina Hospital as an example. (AJ 1/30)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault 2 Palestinians working their land in Ramin. Israeli settlers also raid homes in Milehat. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers kill 3 Palestinian-owned sheep and wound 4 others near Susiya in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces punitively demolish 2 homes in Hebron belonging to families of 2 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces on 11/16/2023. Israeli forces also assault 2 Palestinians in Ya’bad. Israeli forces arrest 15 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities force a Palestinian family to demolish their own home in az-Za’ayyem, displacing 5. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Jabalia refugee camp, al-Shati refugee camp, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Dayr al-Balah, killing at least 178 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Kafra and Markaba, killing a civilian and a Hezbollah member and wounding several others. Lebanese security officials say the attack targeted a Hezbollah commander who was unharmed. Hezbollah fires rockets at a home in Avivim and at the Biranit military base, causing damage. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/21)

More than 25,105 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 10,600 children and 7,200 women, and around 62,681 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 362 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 91 children. More than 4,310 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, 193 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,203 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 69,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 66 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. (AJ, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 1/21)

Hamas issues a report titled “Our Narrative” explaining Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, calling it a “natural response” to the Israeli attempts to kill the Palestinian cause. Among the reasons given for the attack are the Israeli settlement campaign, the Judaization of the West Bank and Jerusalem, and the killing of thousands of Palestinian civilians since 2000. Hamas rejects claims that it deliberately targeted civilians, pointing to reports in Israeli media that Israeli forces targeted cars and homes in Israel on 10/7, but acknowledges that some civilians may have been killed by Hamas militants by accident during its confrontation with Israeli forces. Hamas also calls on the ICC to immediately investigate “all crimes in occupied Palestine.” Lastly, Hamas says its conflict is with Israel, not with Jewry. (AJ, AJ, HA 1/21)

PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki meets with South African minister of international relations and cooperation Naledi Pandor in Kampala, Uganda, discussing the South African case against Israel at the ICJ. Al-Maliki also meets with his Tunisian, Colombian, and Brazilian counterparts. PA UN ambassador Riyad Mansour meets UN General Assembly president Dennis Francis on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Kampala. (WAFA, WAFA 1/21; WAFA, WAFA 1/22)

The PA Foreign Ministry issues a statement urging the U.S. and EU countries to recognize the State of Palestine to counter Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s repeated rejection of a 2-state solution. (WAFA 1/22)

The Israeli security cabinet approves the transfer of the PA’s tax revenue to Norway. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is the only member of the cabinet to oppose the decision. PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh says the PA maintains that any deductions from the full amount of the tax revenue will be rejected and calls on the international community to force Israel to stop stealing the Palestinian people’s money. (AJ, HA, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 1/21)

Prime Minister Netanyahu rejects a Hamas proposal to end the Israeli attacks. Hamas’s proposal would have seen at least 100 captives released in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the release of Palestinian prisoners, and recognition of Hamas’s governance of Gaza. Netanyahu says, “I reject outright the terms of surrender of the monsters of Hamas.” (HA 1/21; AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU, REU 1/22)

The Wall Street Journal reports that U.S. intelligence agencies estimate that Hamas has lost 20-30% of its militants and still has weaponry to continue attacking Israeli forces for months. (AJ, HA 1/21; HA 1/22)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raid Mughayyir al-Ubeid in the Masafer Yatta area, assaulting an elderly woman and stealing 3 of her sheep. Israeli settlers also assault a Palestinian grazing sheep in Shaab al-Butum. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian child in ‘Ayn Bus. Israeli forces kill 5 Palestinians in an airstrike on a car in Balata refugee camp and raid the camp, raiding 400 homes, vandalizing 50 business, and damaging 18 vehicles. Israeli forces also raid Tulkarm, killing 6 Palestinians, including 4 in an airstrike, 2 of them children, and 2 with live ammunition; 7 Palestinians are injured, including 2 medics, and an Israeli soldier is also injured, 5 medics are arrested, while Israeli bulldozers uproot pavement. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raid Bani Na’im, injuring a Palestinian with live ammunition. Israeli forces also demolish an agricultural structure in Jayyus. Meanwhile, Israeli forces seize a vehicle in Umm al-Jimal. Israeli forces arrest 85 Palestinians, including 40 workers from Gaza, during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Qalqilya, Hebron, Tulkarm, Jericho, and Bethlehem. In Gaza, telecommunications services are down for the sixth day in a row. Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Rafah, Maghazi, al-Bureij refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City, and Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least 163 people. Israeli forces also damage the Jordanian field hospital in Khan Yunis and the Nasser Hospital, where about 7,000 people are sheltering, in airstrikes, and demolish al-Israa University in a controlled explosion after using it as a military base. An Israeli soldier is killed in combat. In Hura, Israeli police arrest 2 Palestinian citizens of Israel for writing “Free Palestine” and “Free Gaza” on a school blackboard in Meitar. In Lebanon, Hamas says its forces fire 20 rockets at an Israeli military base. Israeli forces attack Hula, Ayta ash Shab, and Dhayra. In the Red Sea, a drone launched from Yemen hits a U.S.-owned commercial ship, causing damage. U.S. forces launch 14 airstrikes in Yemen. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/17; AJ, REU, UNOCHA 1/18)

More than 24,448 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 10,600 children and 7,200 women, and around 61,504 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 359 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 90 children. More than 4,234 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 191 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,152 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 69,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 98 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. Medical aid for Palestinians and Israeli captives arrives in Gaza via the Rafah crossing. Hamas says that for each box of medicine earmarked for captives Palestinians receive 1,000. The Gaza Ministry of Health says Hepatitis A is spreading in makeshift refugee camps, noting that more than 8,000 cases have been detected. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 1/17; AJ, UNOCHA 1/18)

A video shows Israeli forces bulldozing graves and exhuming bodies at a cemetery in Khan Yunis. The Israeli military later says it exhumed the bodies to see if they are Israeli captives. (UNOCHA 1/17; AJ, HA, UNOCHA 1/18)

The Commission for Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs says Israeli officials admitted in an Israeli court that Palestinian prisoner Abdul-Rahman Marei was tortured to death by Israeli prison guards on 11/7/2023. (WAFA 1/17)

PA prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh meets Australian foreign minister Penny Wong in Ramallah. Wong expresses “deep concern” about settler violence in the West Bank during a tour of affected communities. The PA requests an extraordinary meeting at the Arab League to discuss the ongoing assaults on Gaza and the West Bank and the Israeli efforts to Judaize Jerusalem. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/17; AJ, HA 1/18)