In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and injured 2 Palestinians with live ammunition during a raid in Aqraba. Israeli forces also issued a demolition notice for a house in Idhna, giving the...
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones and other objects at Palestinian vehicles near al-Mughayyir, causing 1 Palestinian driver to lose control of his car, injuring him and his son. The...
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In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and injured 2 Palestinians with live ammunition during a raid in Aqraba. Israeli forces also issued a demolition notice for a house in Idhna, giving the family 8 days to demolish their home. Elsewhere, Israeli forces fired tear gas near a school in Silwad, causing tear-gas related injuries to students and staff. 6 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Abu Dis, Tulkarm, Nablus, Jifna, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, 4 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Isawiya. (MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/9; PCHR 1/12; UNOCHA 2/16)
The Israeli prison service began transferring Palestinians to different prisons in Israel to impede contact between them. 70 Palestinian prisoners, including Palestinian presidential candidate Marwan Barghouti, were transferred to the Nafha prison. A total of 2,000 Palestinian prisoners will, according to the plans, be transferred from the prison they are incarcerated in to a new location. (HA, WAFA 1/9; ALM, MEMO 1/10)
Israel Hayom reported that Israel forces had demolished 2 structures at an archeological site in Khirbet Tarfin in Area B on 11/24/2022. The demolition was approved by then Defense Minister Benny Gantz. (HA 1/10)
Likud Party MK Hanoch Milwidsky told the Knesset during a debate on revoking citizenship for Palestinians convicted of terrorism that he prefers Jewish terrorists and will not seek to revoke their citizenship. The proposed legislation Milwidsky was defending would see Palestinians receiving prisoner stipends from the PA, or through a foreign body, having their citizenship revoked. Midwidsky said, “I prefer Jewish murderers to Arab murderers and as a general rule in the Jewish state I prefer Jews to disloyal Arabs here.” (HA, TOI, WAFA 1/9; MEE 1/10)
Representatives from the U.S., Israel, the UAE, Egypt, Bahrain, and Morocco met in Abu Dhabi for the first day of a two-day summit of the Negev Forum, discussing normalization and regional integration. The members of the forum issued a document on 1/10 stating that they want to develop and implement initiatives to strengthen the Palestinian economy and quality of life. (AX, MEE 1/8; ALM, MEMO 1/9; TOI 1/10; AX 1/11; AN, MEMO 1/12)
The U.S. Supreme Court allowed a lawsuit brought by WhatsApp against the Israeli spyware company NSO Group to continue, denying the NSO Group immunity as a foreign government agent. NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware has been used to spy on activists and journalists in several countries, with more than 100 cases where the spyware having been installed via WhatsApp messages in more than 100 cases. (AJ, MDW, MEE 1/9; MEMO 1/10)
The UAE summoned the Israeli envoy to the country, demanding that Israel cease to put Palestinian lives at risk at the Haram al-Sharif compound. (HA, JP, MEMO, REU, WAFA 4/19; ALM 4/21)
U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken spoke with PA president Mahmoud Abbas, Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi, and Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid in an effort to calm the situation at the Haram al-Sharif compound. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also spoke with Israel’s president Isaac Herzog about the situation at the compound. According to President Erdoğan’s Twitter account, he told President Herzog that he was “very upset” about the events at the compound over the weekend. (HA, MEMO, MEMO, REU, REU, WAFA 4/19)
The UN security council convened to discuss the Israeli incursions into the Haram al-Sharif compound, which led to nearly 200 Palestinian injuries over the weekend. The meeting was requested by Jordan. (HA 4/19)
Citizen Lab found that spyware from the Israel company Cytrox was found on a CNN Greece journalist’s phone. The journalist was working on covering a Greek corruption scandal when his phone was infected with the spyware known as Predator. (HA 4/19)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones and other objects at Palestinian vehicles near al-Mughayyir, causing 1 Palestinian driver to lose control of his car, injuring him and his son. The driver was flown to a hospital and was said to be in critical condition. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles near Duma, causing damage. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers threw stones and opened fire on Palestinians near Burqa; no injuries were reported. 6 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Jalazun refugee camp, Bayt Rima, Zeita, and Deir Sharaf; Israeli forces injured 3 Palestinians with rubber-coated bullets during the raid in Jalazun refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrested the deputy director of Islamic Waqf, Sheikh Najeh Bakirat, at the Haram al-Sharif compound; Bakirat was later released on 11/28 on the condition that he does not visit the Haram al-Sharif compound for 20 days and the West Bank for 30 days. 2 others were arrested during late-night raids in Silwan and Jabal Mukaber. In Gaza, Israeli forces made incursions and leveled land. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen; no injuries were reported. (MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/24; MEE, PCHR, WAFA 11/25; MEMO 11/29)
The Jerusalem district planning and building committee advanced plans for a new settlement in East Jerusalem at the abandoned Qalandia Airport, called Atarot airport by Israel. The plan entails 9,000 new settler units intended for ultra-Orthodox Jews. It was later reported that the Israeli government told the U.S. that it would not advance plans for the settlement and had explained that the committee’s work is independent of the government. (TOI, WAFA 11/24; AJ, AP, HA, MEE, MEMO 11/25; MEMO, WAFA 11/26; MEMO 11/27; ALM 11/29)
Israel said it would allow 500 Christians living in Gaza—about half of Gaza’s Christian population—to enter Jerusalem and the West Bank for Christmas celebrations. Additionally, 200 Christians in Gaza will be allowed to travel to Jordan for journeys abroad. (HA 11/25)
Israel transferred 1 Palestinian prisoner to a prison hospital in Ramle. The man has been on hunger strike for 47 days to protest his administrative detention. (MEMO 11/25)
The Israeli supreme court rejected an appeal from a Palestinian man whose 3 daughters and 1 niece were killed when Israeli tanks fired shells at his apartment in Gaza in 2009. The court held that the Israeli military is not liable for wartime actions, including killings of civilians. (AP, HA, MEMO 11/24)
According to Syrian media, Israeli air strikes killed 2 civilians and injured 1 civilian and 6 soldiers in the Homs region. According to Syrian officials, Israeli fighter jets fired the missiles from Lebanese air space. (AJ, AP, HA, JP, TOI 11/24)
Israel’s defense minister Benny Gantz met with his Moroccan counterpart Abdellatif Loudiyi in Morocco, signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for joint intelligence sharing, research, and military training. Morocco announced on 11/22 that its military had bought anti-drone systems from the Israeli company Skylock Dome. The PLO executive committee condemned the MoU, saying it contravenes agreements made at Arab League summits and the Area Peace initiative. The PFLP and Hamas also publicly condemned Morocco for inviting Defense Minister Gantz. (AJ, AP, MEMO 11/23; AJ, ALM, AP, AX, HA, MEMO, MEMO, TOI 11/24; MEMO 11/25; ALM, MEMO, WAFA 11/26; MEMO 11/27)
Israeli newspaper Calcalist reported that the Israeli government had limited the number of countries that can buy Israeli-made cyber technology, from 102 to 37. Among the countries said to be excluded are Mexico, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The report follows a decision by the U.S. to place bans on 2 Israeli spyware companies earlier this month. (HA 11/25; MEMO 11/26; MEMO 11/27)
Belgium announced that it will label Israeli settlement products by their settlement origin and not as made in Israel. The Israeli government condemned the decision and canceled planned meetings with Belgian officials. (HA, JP, WAFA 11/24; MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, WAFA 11/25)
Australia announced that it intends to add all Hezbollah entities as terrorist organization. Australia added Hezbollah’s External Security Organization as a terrorist organization in 2003. The declaration of intent follows the UK’s move to designate all of Hamas as a terrorist organization. (AJ, AP, HA, MEMO, TOI 11/24)
