The Palestine Chronology

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 forces closed off large parts of Hebron to Palestinians, including forcing Palestinians to close their shops in the Bab al-Zawyeh area to allow Israeli settlers to tour it. Israeli forces also seized an excavator in Burin. 7 Palestinians were arrested, including 5 during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Burqin, and Deir Ghasana, 1 was arrested at a checkpoint near al-Khader, and 1 was arrested at the entrance to Zabbuba. In East Jerusalem, nearly 1,700 Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound on the Jewish holiday Tisha B’Av, drawing criticism from the Israeli governing party the United Arab List, the PA, Hamas, the EU, and Jordan. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters on and around the Haram al-Sharif compound who were expressing anger over the settler incursion, causing injuries and 5 arrests. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, MEMO, MEMO, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 7/18; MEMO, MEMO 7/19; PCHR 7/29)

The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt was open for 1 day. (MEMO, WAFA 7/19)

In a statement after the Israeli settlers had toured the Haram al-Sharif compound, Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett said the Israeli security forces had preserved “freedom of worship for Jews on the Mound [the Haram al-Sharif compound],” a significant departure from the status quo of the Holy Sites and a 1st from an Israeli prime minister. Under the status quo agreement, only Muslims have the right to worship on the Haram al-Sharif compound. 1 day later, Prime Minister Bennett clarified that the wording was a mistake and that he meant “visit” rather than “worship.” (HA, MEMO 7/18; AP, HA, JP, WAFA 7/19)

The Israeli high court of justice rejected a petition from Peace Now to stop the transfer of Israeli public funds to the Amana movement, which funds and builds unauthorized constructions in Israeli settlements and settlement outposts. (HA 7/19)

Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid said that the Israeli government would examine the diplomatic ramifications of the demolition and eviction of the bedouin community Khan al-Ahmar. (HA 7/18; MEMO 7/19)

The PFLP-GC said it had elected a new leader, Talal Naji, to replace Ahmed Jibril who died on 7/7 after months of sickness. (AP, HA 7/18)

17 news outlets published a Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International investigation based on a leak of more than 50,000 records of phone numbers, which had been targeted for surveillance with Pegasus spyware from the Israeli spyware company NSO Group’s clients. The investigation found that at least 180 journalists from 21 countries had been targeted by 12 NSO Group clients, including the governments of Bahrain, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, India, the UAE, Mexico, Hungary, Azerbaijan, Togo, and Rwanda. The investigation also found that heads of governments, including Pakistan’s prime minister Imran Khan, France’s president Emmanuel Macron, and Morocco’s king Mohammed VI, were among possible victims. Furthermore, the investigation showed that Pegasus spyware was installed on Saudi dissent journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s fiancée’s phone and that his son had been listed for targeting before Khashoggi was murdered by special forces in Saudi’s embassy in Istanbul on 10/2/2018. Charges against NSO Group that its spyware was used against Khashoggi have been denied by the company. The Israeli government approves all sales of spyware from NSO Group to potential clients. Amazon subsequently said it had shut down its servers used by NSO Group. The investigation comes as a different investigation into another Israeli spyware company Candiru was released on 7/15. Later, after the Forbidden Stories investigation was published and with international criticism mounting, the Knesset’s foreign affairs and defense committee chairman Ram Ben Barak on 7/22 said that his committee would review the process of granting licenses to export spyware to other countries. France and Luxembourg said they would start investigations into the Israeli-made spyware. (NYT 7/17; AI, AJ, F24, GDN, HA, HA, HA, HA, MEE, NYT 7/18; AJ, ALM, AP, GDN, MEE, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, NPR, REU, REU 7/19; AJ, ALM, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, MEE, REU 7/20; AJ, AP, HA, HA, MEE, MEE, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, MEMO, REU, REU, REU 7/21; AJ, ALM, BBC, HA, HA, HA, HA, MEE, MEE 7/22; HA, MEE, MEE 7/23; CNN, HILL 7/25)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set up mobile homes outside of the Shvut Rachel settlement near Jalud to expand the settlement. Israeli forces demolished several structures in Khirbet Humsa after demolishing more than 30 structures on 7/7. Israeli forces also demolished 1 large Canaanite-era cemetery near al-Khader to expand a settlement road; the cemetery was dated around 2300 to 1550 B.C.E. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished a large water tank in Bayt Dajan. Palestinian students from Birzeit University held a sit-in protest at the university for the mass arrest of 33 students on 7/14 by Israeli forces in Turmus ‘Ayya, were the students were visiting the family who were victims of a punitive demolition on 7/8. All of the 33 students were released the same day. 10 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around ‘Asira al-Qibliya, Marah Rabah, Deir Qaddis, Abu Dis, and ‘Anin. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian was arrested during a house raid in al-Tur. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian agricultural lands east of Khuza‘a; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 7/15; PCHR 7/29)

The Intercept and Local Call reported that Israeli settlers and soldiers had cooperated in the deliberately killing at least 4 Palestinians on 5/14, a day where Israeli soldiers and settlers ultimately killed 11 Palestinians across the West Bank. In videos obtained by B’Tselem, it is evident that Israeli settlers stand side by side with Israeli soldiers firing automatic rifles at Palestinians trying to protect themselves from a settler raid in ‘Urif. Similar joint attacks by settlers and soldiers led to killings of Palestinians in Iskaka, ‘Asira al-Qibliya, and al-Reihiya. (+972, INT 7/15; HA 7/16)

Haaretz said that documents they had examined revealed that the Israeli defense ministry had worked with a Jewish National Fund subsidiary, Himanuta, to purchase Palestinian-owned land in the West Bank and to prevent Palestinians from accessing the land in question. The deals between Himanuta and the defense ministry were made in 2018 and 2019. Among the purchases were a 1,000-dunam (250 acres) plot of land near the Hamra settlement, which Israel closed off to its Palestinian owners more than 50 years ago; a plot of land near Ramallah; the home of the Bakri family in Hebron; and a 218-dunam (54 acres) plot of land near the Argaman settlement. (HA 7/15)

Israel and Morocco signed a cybersecurity agreement in Rabat, further bolstering the 2 countries’ normalization deal. (MEMO 7/15)

The New York Times reported that Israel is refusing to extricate a Mexican former federal prosecutor, Tomas Zeron De Lucio, who is wanted for falsifying evidence, torture, and misuse of the NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware. According to NYT sources, Israel is refusing the extradition because of the country’s perception of Mexico as supportive of Palestine. Zeron De Lucio is said to have sought political asylum in Israel. (HA, MEMO, NYT 7/15; GDN, TOI 7/22; TOI 7/23)

The Canadian cybersecurity research group Citizen Lab said that spyware from the Israeli company Candiru was used to spy on more than 100 activists from several countries including Saudi Arabia, Israel, Hungary, Indonesia, the UK, Palestine, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, Spain, Turkey, Armenia, and Singapore. Spyware was installed on the users’ computers using the Microsoft operating system Windows. Microsoft said it had updated its software to close the hole in its security. 1 of the ways the spyware infected users’ devices was when a user clicked on a URL set up by the attacker. Citizen Lab found that activists had been hacked through domain names from fake websites with domain names such as “amnesty reports,” “refugee international,” woman studies,” “euro news,” and “CNN 24-7.” (AJ, AP, GDN, MEE, REU 7/15; ALM 7/16; NYT 7/17)

Lebanese prime minister-designate Saad Hariri resigned 9 months after being picked to try to form a government. Hariri’s resignation followed a meeting with President Michel Aoun on 7/14, where he proposed a 24-minister cabinet. (AJ, HA, REU, REU 7/14; AJ, AP, AX, HA, MEMO, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU 7/15; AP 7/16)

Facebook suspended the account of a Palestinian user who uploaded a letter from the Palestinian political prisoner in Israeli jail Khalida Jarrar to her recently deceased daughter. The account was initially suspended for 60 days but was unblocked by Facebook on 7/20. (HA 7/20; HA 7/21)

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said at a conference hosted by the Geneva Institute that China plans to increase its involvement in resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. At the virtual conference were also a member of the Knesset from the Meretz (Vigor) party and Ahmad Majdalani, the PA social development minister. (HA 7/15)

A football exhibition match between Beitar Jerusalem and the Spanish F.C. Barcelona was canceled after Barcelona demanded the game should not be held in Jerusalem, which the owner of Beitar Jerusalem refused. Barcelona’s demand came after weeks of pressure from Palestinians, including chairman of the Palestinian Football Association Jibril Rajoub and Joint List member of Knesset Sami Abu Shehadeh. (ALM 7/13; AJ, AP, HA, MEE, MEMO 7/15; ALM 7/16; WAFA 7/17; MEMO 7/18)