The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man shot by Israeli forces on 1/8 in Beitunia succumbs to his wounds. Israeli settlers set olive trees and an agriculture structure on fire near Kafr ad-Dik. Israeli forces raid Nablus and Abud, injuring 8 people with live ammunition, including a child, and cause widespread destruction in Nablus. Israeli forces also demolish a car wash and a nursery in Kafl Haris. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raze 6 dunams (1.5 acres) of Palestinian-owned land planted with 50 olive trees in Hebron and 2 dunams (.5 acres) of Palestinian-owned land near Bethlehem. Israeli forces also raid a medical clinic near Bethlehem, causing damage. Israeli forces arrest 26 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Ramallah, Tulkarm, Tubas, Hebron, Jenin, and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities demolish a Palestinian home in Sur Baher, displacing 8 people. In Gaza, Israel bombs Dayr al-Balah, Rafah, Gaza City, Khan Yunis, Maghazi, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least 147 people, including 4 crew members and 2 injured Palestinians being transported an ambulance, killing 40 people in a home at the entrance of al-Aqsa Hospital in Dayr al-Balah, and 15 people in an apartment building in Rafah. In the Naqab, Israeli forces demolish the al-Za’arura and Bir Hadaj Bedouin villages. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attack the home of a Hezbollah member in Kfarchouba, killing him. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/10; AJ 1/11)

More than 23,357 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 16,350 women and children, and around 59,410 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 335 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 84 children. More than 4,148 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, 184 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,076 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. 193 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. (WAFA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 1/10)

Israel places Khalida Jarrar in administrative detention for an initial period of 6 months. (AJ 1/10)

Haaretz reports that Israel demolished 140 Palestinian homes and 84 other structures in East Jerusalem in 2023, marking a 60% increase in home demolitions compared to 2022. The newspaper notes that during the first 9 months of 2023 10 housing units were demolished per month and after 10/7 the figure rose to 17 a month. (HA 1/10)

Hamas official Osama Hamdan says there are no talks about a prisoner exchange, adding Israel is defrauding the Israeli public by circulating reports about talks. Hamdan maintains the Hamas position that it will not engage until Israel stops its attacks on Gaza. Hamdan also calls on the ICJ not to be pressured by the U.S. (AJ, HA, NYT 1/10)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas meets with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken in Ramallah, discussing the situation in Gaza and the West Bank. Reports describe the meeting as intense, with Abbas pressing Blinken on Israel’s freezing of the PA’s tax revenue and Israel’s attacks on Gaza. Palestinians protest Blinken’s visit, saying he is not welcome. Blinken later tells the press in Bahrain that Abbas agreed to reform the PA in preparation to take control of Gaza. Abbas flies to Aqaba in Jordan after the meeting with Blinken where he meets Jordanian king Abdullah II and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, discussing ways to end Israel’s war in Gaza and prevent the displacement of Palestinians. PA prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh meets with U.S. deputy assistant secretary for Palestinian affairs Hady Amr in Ramallah. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/10; AJ, AJ, HA, NYT 1/11)

In an English language post on X Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says, “Israel has no intention of permanently occupying Gaza or displacing its civilian population,” contradicting statements by several of his coalition members. Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz says Hamas no longer has ruling capabilities in Gaza and that Israel will continue its war to prevent Hamas from regaining control. Gantz also says that security in Gaza will remain “in our hands.” Likud member and deputy speaker of the Knesset Nissim Vatur tells the Kol Barama radio station that “Gaza and its people must be burned.” (AJ, AP, HA, HA 1/10)

Colombia and Brazil issue statements in support of the South African case against Israel at the ICJ. Palestinians rally in Ramallah in support of the case. (AJ 1/10; AJ 1/11)

The UN Security Council passes a resolution demanding that Yemen’s Houthi government ends its attacks on ships in the Red Sea and frees the ship Galaxy Leader and its crew. Russia, China, Mozambique, and Algeria abstain. 3 Russian amendments to the resolution fail. The Houthis call the resolution a “political game.”  (AJ, AP, AP, HA 1/10; AJ, AJ, HA 1/11)

The ICC sets up a portal for submission of evidence of Israeli war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, or aggression. (AJ, WAFA 1/10)

The Chinese Foreign Ministry calls for an immediate ceasefire and for Israel to stop “collective punishment” of the people of Gaza. (AJ 1/10)

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis suggests at a presidential primary debate that Egypt or Saudi Arabia should resettle some Palestinians from Gaza if Israel “makes the calculation that [it is needed] to avert a second Holocaust.” Another candidate, Nikki Haley, says the U.S. should give Israel “whatever it wants.” (AJ, HA 1/11)

A poll conducted for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy finds that 96% of Saudis believe all Arab states should sever all ties with Israel. A YouGov poll commissioned by Medical Aid for Palestinians and the Council for Arab-British Understanding shows that 71% of people in the UK support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, while 17% approve of the UK government’s handling of the war on Gaza. (AJ 1/10)

The Jewish Forward reports that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has started including pro-Palestine rallies in its tally of anti-Semitic incidents. The report also says that the ADL now deems all anti-Zionist chants and slogans anti-Semitic, leading to pro-Palestine rallies where anti-Zionist slogan were chanted constituting 40% of incidents of anti-Semitism counted in a recent ADL report. (AJ, HA 1/10)

The International Ice Hockey Federation bars Israel from participating in world championship events, citing security concerns. Israel calls the ban “anti-Semitic.” The decision prevents the U20 Israeli hockey team from participating in a Division III world championship tournament later this month. (HA, TOI 1/11)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian man at his home in Kisan. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man in Tammun during a raid. Israeli forces also continue the raid in Nur Shams refugee camp for the second day in a row. The raid ends after 40 hours with 13 Palestinians suffering from broken bones during Israeli interrogations, 400 Palestinians detained, and vast destruction caused by bulldozers and drone-fired missiles on its second day; 3 Israeli soldiers are reportedly injured during the raid. Elsewhere, Israeli forces begin constructing settler roads in the Masafer Yatta area near Umm al-Khair. Israeli forces also arrest a child and confiscate 60 sheep he is herding. Israeli forces arrest 27 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Tulkarm, Salfit, Qalqilya, Hebron, Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus, Tubas, and Ramallah. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Rafah, Maghazi, Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 125 people, including at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society’s headquarters in Khan Yunis for the third day in a row. Palestinians in Maghazi report that Israeli forces massacre Palestinian civilians with snipers and bulldozers. Jabalia refugee camp floods after heavy rain, leading to sewage mixing with the standing water. An anti-aircraft missile fired at an Israeli helicopter hits a clinic in Kibbutz Nirim. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fires rockets at Israeli soldiers near al-Marj and Israeli forces target Hezbollah in Maroun al-Ras. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/4; AJ 1/5; AJ 1/6)

More than 22,438 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 8,800 children and 6,300 women, and around 57,697 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 318 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 80 children. More than 3,949 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured since 10/7, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 173 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,003 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. As of 12/23, at least 65,000 housing units had been destroyed and 290,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 177 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karim Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 1/4)

Israel’s military publishes on Facebook that it has closed the evacuation corridor on Salah al-Din Street and opened a new corridor on al-Rashid Street. Movement is only allowed from north to south between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. (AJ, UNOCHA 1/4)

The Palestinian Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Authority names 51 Palestinian women and children who had been abducted by Israeli forces in Gaza and taken to the Damon Prison. (AJ, WAFA 1/4)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant releases a framework for post-war Gaza in which a Palestinian entity that is not hostile to Israel and is not Hamas nor the PA is in control of Gaza, Israeli settlers do not return to Gaza, but the Israeli military will be able to operate in Gaza and oversee the borders. Gallant also says an international coalition will be responsible for rebuilding Gaza. The PA rejects Gallant’s framework. Gallant also meets with U.S. deputy assistant to the president and senior adviser for energy and investment Amos Hochstein, saying the window for diplomacy with Lebanon is closing. Hochstein also meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who tells him that Israel is seeking “a fundamental change on its border with Lebanon.” Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz says Israel will return its ambassador to Spain. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, REU 1/4; AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA 1/5)

Lebanon files a complaint with the UN Security Council over the Israeli assassination of Saleh al-Arouri and over Israel’s usage of Lebanese airspace to attack Syria. (AJ, HA 1/5)

Jordan says it backs South Africa’s case against Israel at the ICJ. (AJ 1/9)

The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, France, Japan, Germany, Slovenia, the Netherlands, and Qatar condemn statements made by Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir calling for the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the resettling of Gaza by Israeli settlers. UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk says he is “very disturbed” by the statements. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA 1/4; AJ, WAFA, WAFA 1/5)

U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says the U.S. has “not seen anything that would convince us that we need to take a different approach in terms of trying to help Israel defend itself.” Kirby also says that Israel should release the PA tax revenue to the PA, saying it is “Palestinian money,” and defends UNRWA from attacks by Israel and U.S. Republicans, saying “UNRWA does important work.” (AJ, HA 1/4; HA 1/5)

U.S. forces conduct an airstrike in Baghdad, killing Popular Mobilisation Forces commander Hajj Mushtaq Talib al-Saidi. Iraqi prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani condemns the attack, calling it a violation of Iraqi sovereignty and later on 1/5 says the government will start the process of removing the U.S.-led coalition from Iraq. (AJ, AP, HA, REU 1/4; AJ, AP, REU 1/5)

Israel chooses British lawyer Malcom Shaw to represent the country at the upcoming genocide hearings at the ICJ. Axios reports that Israel’s Foreign Ministry has sends out a cable to its embassies instructing its diplomats to pressure countries into issuing statements against South Africa’s case against Israel at the ICJ. (HA, HA 1/4; AX 1/5)

A political appointee at the U.S. Department of Education, Tariq Habash, resigns over U.S. support for Israel’s attacks on Gaza, saying he will not be quietly complicit. Habash was the political advisor in the department’s Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development. (HA, NYT 1/4)

Peace Now issues a report saying settlement activity in the West Bank has surged at unprecedented levels since 10/7. The report says Israeli settlers have created 9 new settlement outposts, made 18 paved roads, returned to the Amona outpost, closed roads for Palestinian vehicles, and built fences outside settlements. (PCN, PCN 1/4; NYT, WAFA 1/5)

The Intercept reports that all CNN stories related to Israel and Palestine are being reviewed at the CNN Jerusalem bureau before publication, where the stories are subject to the Israeli military’s censor. The Intercept also says CNN has issued directives to its journalists on language to avoid, directed them not to relay statements from Hamas, and has hired a former Israeli soldier from the Military Spokesperson Unit to serve as a reporter. (INT 1/4)

Former U.S. vice president Mike Pence tours northern Israel, writing a message on a bomb intended to be dropped on Lebanon. (HA 1/5; HA 1/6; HA 1/7)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted 12 olive trees in Salfit and vandalized Palestinian property in al-Twana in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces shot and killed 3 Palestinians, including a 12-year-old during raids in Balata refugee camp, Beita, and Burqa. Israeli forces also shot and injured 5 people during raids in Balata refugee camp, Habla, and Burqa. Israeli forces also issued stop work orders for 8 homes in al-Khader. 76 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around ‘Azzun, al-Arroub refugee camp, Nablus, Balata refugee camp, Jenin, Tubas, Bethlehem, Aroura, and Abu Dis. 3,130 Palestinians have been arrested in the West Bank since 10/7. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shot, injured, and arrested a Palestinian child in Jabel Mukaber. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed around 270 Palestinians, including 30 in an airstrike on an UNRWA school in Jabalia refugee camp, 15 in Khan Yunis, 14 in Rafah, 10 in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City, and 5 in Nuseirat refugee camp. Israel also bombed the Zeitoun neighborhood, Bani Suhaila, al-Daraj, and al-Tufah. Israel said it had assassinated Hamas naval commander Omar Abu Jallah. Israeli forces also attacked the Indonesian Hospital’s main gate, power generators, and administrative office. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrested al-Shifa Hospital director Mohammad Abu Salmiya and other medical staff. After the arrest, the Gaza Ministry of Health suspended coordination with the WHO. 4 wounded Palestinians died during an evacuation from the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital to Khan Yunis. Israel said it attacked 300 sites in Gaza during the day. Rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel; no injuries were reported. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked several sites, saying they had been used to fire 35 rockets toward Israel, causing damage to 2 homes. In the Red Sea, the U.S. said it shot down drones launched from Yemen. (HA 11/22; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/23; UNOCHA 11/24; AJ 11/25; AJ 11/25)

The Gaza Media Office reported that 14,800 Palestinian have been killed, including 6,000 children and 4,000 women, and around 35,000 have injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 220 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 54 children. More than 2,885 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. 75 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.7 million Palestinians, more than 70% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. As of 11/18, at least 45,000 housing units had been destroyed and 233,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 60% of all housing units. 18,000 gallons of fuel and 80 truckloads of aid entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing. 433 foreign nationals and 17 wounded Palestinians were evacuated to Egypt. Less than 500 people fled northern Gaza to the south; UNOCHA noted that there were more people arrested by Israeli forces while crossing than in previous days. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 11/23)

Qatar announced that the ceasefire will begin at 7 a.m. on 11/24 with 13 captives being released to Israel at 4 p.m. The ceasefire was reportedly delayed due to a disagreement over the list of captives that would be released. The Israeli High Court of Justice rejected 2 petitions against the prisoner exchange, saying the court did not have justification to intervene in the ceasefire deal. Israel said Palestinians will not be allowed to return to the north of Gaza during the ceasefire. Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant said he expected the Israeli attacks on Gaza to continue for 2 months after the ceasefire period is over. Egypt said 35,000 gallons of diesel, 4 trucks of gas, and 200 trucks carrying aid would enter Gaza daily from 11/24 during the ceasefire.  (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AX, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT 11/23; HA, HA 11/24)

Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that an Iranian brokered deal would see 23 Thai captives released by Hamas without conditions. (HA 11/23)

Displaced Palestinians returning to the homes they fled from in al-Qanoub near Sa’ir said Israeli settlers had demolished and stolen all their belongings, including 5 homes, tents, and solar panels. The settlers had threatened the Palestinians with displacement or death. (WAFA 11/23)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with the Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez and Belgian prime minister Alexander de Croo in Ramallah, discussing the situation in Gaza and the West Bank. (WAFA 11/23)

A delegation of foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic countries, including the PA, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, and Nigeria met with French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris, discussing the situation in Gaza. The delegation had met with leaders in the UK, Russia, and China in the past week. (WAFA 11/23)

Israeli Channel 12 reported that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had instructed police not to deal with Israeli settler violence against Palestinians. Ben-Gvir also instructed prison authorities to use “an iron fist” in repressing celebrations of prisoner releases. (AJ 11/23)

Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah met with Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Lebanon. (AJ 11/23; HA 11/24)

Spanish foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares said before a meeting in Israel between Prime Minister Sanchez and Israeli president Isaac Herzog and prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Spain wants to recognize a Palestinian state in the “very short term,” adding the existence of a Palestinian state is the “best guarantee for peace in the Middle East.” During the meeting with Netanyahu, Sanchez proposed an international conference to settle the overall conflict. UK prime minister David Cameron also met with Netanyahu. (AJ, HA, REU 11/23)

Israeli communications minister Shlomo Karhi submitted a proposal to the Israeli cabinet that would end the publication of government notices in Haaretz and halt all government payments to the newspaper, including by canceling all state employees’ subscriptions. (AJ, HA 11/23)

German police raided 15 properties it claimed were linked to Hamas and Samidoun. (AJ, AP 11/23)

The UN said its member states had raised $218 million in funding for its flash appeal for Gaza, constituting 18% of the 1.2 billion requested. (UNOCHA 11/23)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized water pipelines in Kisan. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian during a raid in Zawata. Israeli forces also seized 2 Palestinian-owned vehicles in al-Hadidya in the Jordan Valley. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers assaulted 3 Palestinians in a public park. Israeli settlers also toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli authorities forced 1 Palestinian family to demolish their own home in Bayt Hanina. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen west of al-Sudaniya, causing damage to boats. (AJ, AP, HA, MEE, QDS, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/10; HA, UNOCHA 8/11; PCHR 8/17; UNOCHA 8/28)

An Israeli military court released 4 Palestinians arrested in relation to the Israeli settler attack on Burqa on 8/4. The 4 were released on condition that they stay in Burqa for 1 week and pay bail of $550 as they remained charged with aggravated assault. MK Ahmad Tibi was present at the hearing, saying the 4 Palestinians were victims of an invasion and should not be on trial. (HA, REU 8/10)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas dismissed the PA governors of Jenin, Nablus, Tulkarm, Qalqilya, Bethlehem, Tubas, Hebron, Jericho, Gaza City, North Gaza, Khan Yunis, and Rafah, leaving only the governors of Ramallah, al-Bireh, and Salfit in their positions. Abbas also issued a decree to form a committee to select candidates for the vacant governorships. (AP, HA, QDS, WAFA 8/10; AJ, ALM, MEMO 8/11; MEMO 8/14; HA 8/20)

President Abbas also spoke with Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh on the phone. The 2 leaders agreed to speed up the establishment of committees for political reconciliation that was agreed during the reconciliation conference on 7/30 in Egypt. (MEMO 8/11)

Director of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Dorothee Klaus, said fighting in Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp had destroyed 400 homes and left half of the camp off-limits as the Lebanese military is barring access. (AP 8/10)

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid told a delegation of U.S. Democrats that he opposes a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia that would see the country enrich uranium. Saudi Arabia is reportedly demanding a nuclear program in exchange for normalizing ties with Israel. Lapid later said in an interview with Channel 12 that he does not have a problem with Saudi Arabia having a nuclear program, but that Israel cannot allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium on their own soil. (HA 8/10; ALM 8/11)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces seized equipment worth around $30,000 in a quarry near Beit Fajjar, Israeli forces had earlier in the day sealed off a road leading to the quarry. Israeli forces also set up mobile structures on Palestinian-owned land in Khirbat Humsa. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished 3 Palestinian-owned structures near al-Ramadin; 1 Palestinian journalist working for WAFA was assaulted and another Palestinian was detained during the demolition. Israeli forces also demolished 25 produce stands near al-Jalama checkpoint north of Jenin. 32 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids, including 21 in al-Am‘ari refugee camp, 1 Palestinian was also was bitten by a police dog. PA forces opened fire at a sit-in protest in front of the education directorate headquarters in Tubas, injuring 2 with live ammunition bullet shrapnel. The Palestinian students were peacefully protesting in Tubas, Bethlehem, Ramallah, Tulkarm, and Nablus, demanding that parts of the matriculation exams are removed due to the COVID-19 virus. The Tubas governor said that an investigation into the incident was underway and that it was the action of 1 individual. 11 others were arrested during late-night raids in Qalqilya, Qatanna, Tuqu‘, and Sa‘ir. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces punitively demolished the family home, in Shu‘fat refugee camp, of 1 Palestinian man who was killed after killing 1 Israeli settler and injuring 4 others in the Old City on 11/21/2021. In Gaza, Israeli forces made incursions and leveled agricultural land east of Khan Yunis and north of Bayt Lahiya. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 3 nautical miles west of the shore; no injuries were reported. (AP, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/1; MEMO 2/2; AJ, MEMO, PCHR 2/3; UNOCHA 2/11)

Israel’s interior ministry said it would start processing family unification requests from Palestinians over the age of 50 who had received residency permits within the last 5 years. The ministry said it would start with that age group because they pose less of a security threat. If a family unification request is approved, the Palestinian will be “upgraded” to “temporary resident” with social benefits. There are 1,680 requests waiting as the Israeli interior ministry has refused to process the requests despite a temporary ban on Palestinian unifications expiring in July 2021. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Hamoked, and Physicians for Human Rights said Israel should start reviewing all applications and not just those for Palestinians over the age of 50. (HA 2/1)

Amnesty International released a 280-page report named “Israel’s Apartheid Against Palestinians: Cruel System of Domination and Crime Against Humanity,” prepared over the last 4 years. Amnesty said in its report that it had found that “Israel has imposed a system of oppression and domination over Palestinians wherever it exercises control over the enjoyment of their rights—across Israel and the OPT and with regard to Palestinian refugees. The segregation is conducted in a systematic and highly institutionalized manner through laws, policies and practices, all intended to prevent Palestinians from claiming and enjoying equal rights to Jewish Israelis within Israel and the OPT, and thus intended to oppress and dominate the Palestinian people.” Amnesty concluded that this institutionalized discrimination perpetrated by Israel is “the international wrong of apartheid, as a human rights violation and a violation of public international law wherever it imposes this system.” Its research was based on “relevant Israeli legislation, regulations, military orders, directives by government institutions and statements by Israeli government and military officials.” Amnesty said that “Israel must grant equal and full human rights to all Palestinians in Israel and the OPT in line with principles of international human rights law and without discrimination, while ensuring respect for protections guaranteed for Palestinians in the OPT under international humanitarian law. It must also recognize the right of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to return to homes where they or their families once lived in Israel or the OPT. In addition, Israel must provide victims of human rights violations, crimes against humanity and serious violations of international humanitarian law—and their families—with full reparations. These should include restitution of and compensation for all properties acquired on a racial basis.” The Israeli foreign ministry called the report anti-Semitic. Amnesty refuted the charged said that Israel is diverting attention away from its violations of Palestinians’ human rights. U.S. state department spokesperson Ned Price said that the U.S. does not agree with Amnesty’s assessment “that Israel’s actions constitute apartheid.” Neither U.S. or Israeli senior officials commented on the evidence presented in the report. The UK and Germany also said they disagreed with the terminology of apartheid used in the report. The PA foreign ministry welcomed the report. (AP, HA, HA, JDF, WAFA 1/31; +972, AI, AJ, AP, CNN, GDN, HA, HA, HA, HILL, IN, JP, MDW, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, POL, REU, SKY, TOI, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WP 2/1; HA, HA, JP, JP, MDW, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA 2/2; +972, MEE, MEMO 2/3; TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/4; AJ 2/5)

Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said at a conference in Tel Aviv that Israel will start using lasers to intercept missiles “within a year.” (ALM, AP, HA, JP, MEMO, REU 2/1)

A vice president of the American telecommunications company Mobileum said that he had alerted the FBI to a meeting between the Israeli company NSO Group and Mobileum in 2017, saying that the NSO Group sought to buy access to the SS7 network. Mobileum did not deny the meeting but said that no deal was made with the NSO Group. The former employee who now works for Citizen Lab filed a whistleblower complaint about the meeting and presented evidence to the U.S. justice department, the securities and exchange commission, and the federal communications commission in June 2021. The former VP said that NSO Group senior employees explicitly said during the meeting that they would “drop off bags of cash in [the VP’s] office.” The former VP also said that if the NSO Group had gained access to the SS7 network, it would have “access to the home networks of operators around the world, access to millions and millions of users without bypassing any sort of security controls. That’s a very tantalizing capability for them to have.” (AJ, GDN, HA, MEE, WP 2/1)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized 10 vehicles and sprayed graffiti reading “non-Jews=enemies” on private homes in Sarta near the settlements of Barkan and Revava. Israeli forces demolished a structure under construction in Anata northeast of Jerusalem. The demolition led to clashes with local Palestinians, causing tear gas inhalation injuries. In Dayr Balut near Salfit, Israeli forces demolished 2 caravans and a car wash. 15 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Jenin, Ramallah, Nablus, and Tubas. In East Jerusalem, 2 Palestinians were arrested in Issawiyya. (WAFA, WAFA 6/26; HA, WAFA 6/27)

The Israeli foreign ministry reprimanded the Chilean ambassador to Israel after the Chilean president Sebastián Pinera visited the Haram al-Sharif compound with PA officials on 6/25. The Israeli foreign minister Yisrael Katz called the tour of the East Jerusalem holy site a “violation of Israel’s sovereignty on the Temple Mount.” (HA 6/26)

The Omani foreign ministry announced that Oman will open an embassy in Ramallah. (AJ, WAFA 6/26)

For the 2d day in a row, officials and businesspeople from the Middle East, Europe, and the U.S. met in Bahrain for the Peace to Prosperity workshop. It was reported that 15 Palestinian businesspeople showed up despite the Palestinian-announced boycott. 1 Palestinian spoke at the conference. The Lebanese prime minister Saad al-Hariri said that his government and the Lebanese parliament oppose the U.S. peace plan. It is believed that $6 billion is set aside for Lebanon to permanently settle Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. Hariri stipulated that, “our constitution bans naturalization.” No Lebanese representative participated in the workshop. (HA, HA, HA 6/26)

The EU pledged $23.8 million for the UNRWA. (WAFA 6/27)

Off the coast of Gaza nr. al-Sudaniyya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli forces confiscate a bulldozer in e. Nablus that Palestinians were using to open a road in the area. Elsewhere, IDF troops injure a Palestinian child and confiscate several solar panels in a raid in a bedouin village nr. Abu Dis. The IDF conducts house searches and raids in 1 village nr. Ramallah, ‘Askar r.c. nr. Nablus, and al-Fara‘a r.c. nr. Tubas, arresting 8 Palestinians and sparking clashes in which 2 more are injured; patrols in 3 villages nr. Hebron during the day. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct a raid in the Old City, arresting 1 Palestinian. (MNA, WAFA 4/1; MNA, PCHR 4/2; PCHR 4/9)

In The Hague, Palestinian FM Riyad al-Maliki attends an induction ceremony at the ICC, marking the Palestine’s official membership at the court. Meanwhile, a German delegation is in Gaza to meet with reps. of Hamas and to discuss the possibility of a long-term cease-fire with Israel. (AFP, HA, JP, MNA, NYT, WAFA 4/1; ALM 4/14)

PA Finance Min. Shukri Bishara announces that PA employees earning more than NIS 2,000 ($515) per mo. will only receive 60% of their salaries for 3/2015 on 4/2, despite the Israeli govt.’s 3/27 pledge to unfreeze the transfers of tax revenues collected on behalf of the PA. This will be the 4th mo. in a row that PA employees have received reduced salaries. (REU, WAFA 4/1)

In Syria, fighters affiliated with ISIS conduct an assault on Yarmouk r.c. outside Damascus. During a day of intense fighting, they take control of large areas of the camp, casting further uncertainty over the fate of the approximately 18,000 Palestinian refugees and other civilian residents. (AFP, MNA 4/1; WAFA 4/2)

Egypt’s cabinet approves a new res. designed to crack down on smuggling tunnels from Gaza into Egypt, which would make tunnel digging, or knowledge of tunnel digging, punishable by life imprisonment and home confiscation. The res. will be passed by presidential decree on 4/12. (HA, MNA 4/3; EN 4/12; TOI 4/13)

In a letter to U.S. Pres. Obama, 79 Democratic mbrs. of Congress encourage the continued pursuit of a 2-state solution despite Israeli PM Netanyahu’s controversial campaign rhetoric. (AFP, JTA, TOI 4/1; POL 4/2)

After a 1-day extension to their 3/31 political framework agreement deadline, reps. of the P5 +1 and Iran agree to another extension until 4/2. (HA, REU, TOI, YA 4/1; HA, REU 4/2)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man from al-Fara‘a r.c. nr. Tubas succumbs to injuries sustained during an IDF raid of his home in 2008. Israeli forces demolish 5 residences and a sheep barn in a village nr. Hebron; continue leveling land in a village nr. Bethlehem to eventually expand a nearby Israeli industrial zone. IDF troops clash with residents of a village n. of Jerusalem and 1 nr. Ramallah, injuring 9 with rubber-coated metal bullets and arresting 4; violently disperse Palestinian students demonstrating outside Ofer Prison in Ramallah, injuring 7 with rubber-coated metal bullets and arresting 1; 2 Israeli soldiers are lightly injured in the ensuing clashes. The IDF also conducts house searches and raids in 1 village each nr. Jenin, Hebron, and Qalqilya, as well as in Nablus, arresting 4 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 1; patrols in and around Tulkarm, and 1 village nr. Jenin; arrests 2 Palestinians while they are working in an Israeli settlement nr. Bethlehem. Israeli settlers erect 8 mobile homes on Palestinian land s. of Nablus, establishing a settlement outpost; throw stones at a Palestinian’s car nr. Nablus, causing minor damage. Nr. Nablus, armed Palestinians set fire to tires e. of Balata r.c. in protest of the recent PASF crackdown in the area. IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Khan Yunis fire warning shots at Palestinian farmers working nr. the border fence, causing no injuries. Israeli forces also conduct a limited incursion e. of Dayr al-Balah to level land. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces level land in a closed military zone nr. Qalandia, sparking clashes with residents; 9 Palestinians are injured with live ammunition and dozens are lightly injured with rubber-coated metal bullets. Israeli forces also level land on the e. outskirts of Issawiyya, clearing the area for construction of an Israeli national park; demolish temporary bedouin shelters that were funded by the EU. (MNA 3/9; AFP, HA, MNA, WAFA 3/10; AFP, MNA, WAFA 3/11; PCHR 3/12)

A group of Palestinians in Israeli prisons cancels its plans, announced on 3/9, to begin a series of demonstrations on 3/10 in protest of the poor conditions. According to Al Jazeera, the move comes after the group makes a preliminary deal with the Israel Prison Service (IPS), allowing for more frequent family visits, but an IPS official will refute the report on 3/11. (AJ 3/10; JP 3/11; PNN 3/12)

In the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, an IDF officeris lightly injured from gunfire emanating from Syria nr. Qunaytra. Meanwhile, senior United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) official Pierre Krähenbühl accompanies a convoy of aid into Yarmouk r.c. in Syria, the 1st shipment of assistance to the camp’s 18,000 occupants in 3 mos. (HA, JP, TOI, YA 3/10; MNA 3/11)

In Gaza, the chair of Qatar’s Comm. to Rebuild Gaza, Mohammed al-Emadi announces a series of new projects to build 1,000 housing units in Gaza, and that the 1st shipment of materials—4 truckloads of cement—arrived from Israel today. They will be funded through disbursals of the $1 b. Qatar pledged at the 10/12/2014 Gaza reconstruction conference in Cairo. (AFP, NYT 3/10; MEMO, REU 3/11; IMEMC 3/12; YA 3/13)