The Palestine Chronology

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 set up utility poles on Palestinian land near Tuqu’ to supply a settlement outpost with electricity. Israeli settlers also set up caravans near Qusra. Israeli forces raid Tulkarm refugee camp and Nur Shams refugee camp, firing a missile from a drone at Palestinians in Tulkarm refugee camp, causing injuries, and uproot streets with bulldozers and punitively demolish a home in Nur Shams refugee camp. Israeli forces also raid al-Ram, Yatta, and Qalqilya, injuring 6 with live ammunition, including a child. Elsewhere, Israeli forces install an iron gate blocking the northern entrance to Birzeit. Large demonstrations are held in protest against the Israeli assassination of Saleh al-Arouri and a general strike is staged in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour that Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces demolish 3 homes and a commercial structure in Jabel Mukaber and violently disperse Palestinians protesting the demolitions, injuring several by assault; 14 people are displaced due to the demolitions. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Maghazi, al-Bureij refugee camp, Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 128 people and attacking the Palestinian Red Crescent Society headquarters in Khan Yunis for the second day in a row. 2 Israeli soldiers are killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb a residential building in Naqoura, killing 3 Hezbollah members. At least 6 other Hezbollah members are killed in Israeli strikes elsewhere. Hezbollah says it attacked Israeli military positions. In the Red Sea, the Houthi government attacks a container ship bound for Israel according to its military spokesperson. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/3; AJ, UNOCHA 1/4)

More than 22,313 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. 317 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 991 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. 105 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karim Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA 1/3)

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society says Israel arrested 11,000 Palestinians in 2023, including 1,085 children and 300 women, noting that 5,500 have been arrested after 10/7 and the current number of Palestinian prisoners is 8,800, including 3,291 held without charge. 661 Palestinians from Gaza are held at the Sde Teiman military base, which is used as a detention camp. Sources tell Haaretz that the detained Palestinians are abused by Israeli guards. (AJ, HA, WAFA 1/3)

Israel’s military says an Israeli captive its forces tried to rescue was killed during the operation and 2 Israeli soldiers were injured. It was unclear when and where the operation was carried out. (HA, HA 1/3)

Human Rights Watch (HRW) calls on Israel to release information about how many Palestinian workers from Gaza were detained by Israel on or after 10/7, how many are still being held in detention centers, and what the basis is for their detention. HRW also calls on Israel to investigate the reports of abuse of Palestinians detained by Israel. (HRW 1/3)

The ICJ confirms that it will hold public hearings in The Hague on 1/11 and 1/12 on the genocide proceedings instituted by South Africa against Israel. Malaysia and Turkey endorse the South African case. (AJ, HA, WAFA 1/3; AJ, HA, HA, HA 1/4; AJ 1/9)

The UN Security Council calls on Yemen’s Houthi government to end its attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The U.S., Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the UK issue a statement condemning the attacks. (AJ, HA 1/3)

Israeli Channel 12 reports that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu told families of Israelis held in Gaza that his government is considering a “scenario of surrender and deportation.” It was unclear if he referred only to members of Hamas. Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich says 70% of Israelis are in favor of displacing Palestinians from Gaza. (HA 1/3)

Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah says in a speech that Hezbollah will retaliate against the assassination of Hamas deputy political leader Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut, praises Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, condemns the U.S. for preventing a ceasefire in Gaza, and says Israel has suffered a strategic defeat. (AJ, AJ, HA 1/3)

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller calls the South African genocide case against Israel at the ICJ “meritless” and counterproductive. U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby condones the Israel assassination of Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut on 1/2, saying Israel “has a right and responsibility to go after the threat that Hamas poses.” Kirby also says that Hamas’ ideology cannot be eliminated, and the group will likely not be erased, as is Israel’s stated goal. (AJ, HA 1/3; AJ 1/4)

U.S. senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) meets with Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz, discussing U.S. support for Israel’s war on Gaza. (HA 1/3)

EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borell says the world must impose an end to Israel’s war on Gaza. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA 1/3)

Yesh Din says it has documented 240 incidents of settler violence since 10/7 in 93 towns and villages in the West Bank, noting that Israel has not filed a single indictment against a settler since then. Yesh Din also says Israel has imposed a total closure of the West Bank, effectively ruining the olive harvest. (AJ 1/3)

Israeli new site Zman Yisrael reports that Israeli officials are in talks with Congo about the country absorbing Palestinians displaced from Gaza. The site also reports that Israeli officials are in similar talks with other unnamed African countries. An Israeli political source tells Haaretz that the story is false. (AJ, HA, TOI 1/3)

Israel’s Supreme Court delays the enactment of a law that would take away the right of the attorney general to declare a prime minister unfit for office. (AP, NYT 1/3; HA 1/4)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers opened fire at Palestinians harvesting olives in Qusra; no injuries were reported. Israeli settlers with a military escort also raided Wadi al-Hasin, injuring 1 Palestinian minor and entering homes and commercial stores. Israeli forces raided Jenin and Jenin refugee camp, killing 3 Palestinians, including 2 in a drone strike, and arresting Fatah’s secretary general in Jenin Ata Abu Ramila and Fatah member Jamal Hawil. Israeli forces also shot and killed 1 disabled 65-year-old Palestinian man during a raid in Tulkarm. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raided a funeral procession for 1 child killed on 10/31 in Beit Umar, injuring 2 with live ammunition and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also shot and injured 2 Palestinians, including a child, during raids in Aida refugee camp and Ya’bad. Meanwhile, Israeli forces demolished 2 homes and 4 agricultural structures in al-Khader and seized a bulldozer in Deir Balut. Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem observed a general strike in protest over Israel’s attacks on Gaza. 62 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Jenin, Hebron, Qalqilya, Ramallah, Tulkarm, and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israel again cut off phone and internet services. The services were gradually restored 8 hours later. At least 280 Palestinians were killed and 697 injured in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. Israel conducted massive airstrikes on Jabalia refugee camp for a second day in a row. Hamas said 195 Palestinians were killed, 777 were injured, and 120 are missing in Jabalia refugee camp in the past 2 days. Israel claimed it had assassinated Hamas member Muhammad Asar. Rockets were fired at Israel. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked several places it said was linked to Hezbollah. Hezbollah said it had shot down an Israeli drone. Lebanon’s state run news agency said 2 Lebanese shepherds were killed by Israeli forces while grazing their herds by the Wazzani river. (HA 10/31; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/1; AP, REU 11/2)

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 8,805 Palestinians had been killed, including around 5,811 women and children, and 22,240 had been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 1,800 people, including 940 children, have been reported missing. 129 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 35 children. More than 2,274 people have been injured. Israel said 15 soldiers had been killed in Gaza since its ground invasion, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,400 Israelis, including foreign nationals, since 10/7. 5,431 Israelis have been injured. The UN reported that over 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half the population in Gaza, had been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete blackout of electricity in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. As of 10/23, at least 27,781 housing units have been destroyed and 150,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. The number is likely much higher given the lack of recent data. About 450 people, including 81 injured Palestinians and people with foreign passports, left Gaza to Egypt via the Rafah crossing. It was reported that Qatari mediation had brokered the agreement for a limited evacuation of some people from Gaza. 55 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza. PA health minister Mai al-Kaila said the only cancer hospital in Gaza, the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, had stopped operating due to Israeli bombardments and running out of fuel. The Indonesian Hospital’s main generator stopped working, putting the hospital’s oxygen station, ventilators, air-conditioners, and fridges in the morgue out of commission. 14 out of 35 hospitals in Gaza were out of commission. The UN said 11 out of 20 bakeries in Gaza have been destroyed in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. The UN also said it had recorded 171 settler-related incidents of violence against Palestinians and Palestinian property, 7 a day, since 10/7. UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini visited Gaza, saying the “scale of the tragedy is unprecedented.” (HA 10/31; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/1; AJ, AP, AP 11/2)

36 Palestinians fled their homes in al-Ganoub near Hebron due to Israeli settler violence. (UNOCHA 11/1)

The Israel Prison Service said 6,704 Palestinians were imprisoned in Israel, including 2,070 who were held in administrative detention. 1,512 were imprisoned during the month of October. Al Jazeera reported that Arafat Hamdan, who died in Israeli custody on 10/24, died because he was beaten and left in the sun with a bag over his head for hours while being refused his diabetes medicine. Palestinian Prisoners Society spokesperson Amani Sarahneh said a medical report issued by the Israel Prison Service showed that Omar Daraghmeh, who died in Israeli custody on 10/23, had “internal bleeding, particularly in his stomach and intestines.” The UN Human Rights Office reported that Palestinians arrested by Israel have been subject to violent and humiliating acts by Israeli forces during their arrest.  (AJ, UNOCHA 11/1; HA 11/2)

Hamas said that 7 of the captives held by Hamas were killed in the Israeli airstrikes on Jabalia refugee camp on 10/31, saying “almost 50” of the captives have been killed in Israeli bombardments since 10/7. (AJ 11/1)

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) filed war crime complaints to the ICC in relation to the killing of 8 Palestinian and 1 Israeli journalists. RSF said 34 journalists had been killed since 10/7. The organization also said that more journalists have been killed since 10/7 than in in any other conflict since 1992. (AJ, AP 11/1; HA 11/2)

UN commissioner for human rights Volker Turk said the Israeli attacks on Jabalia refugee camp could amount to war crimes. Colombian president Gustavo Petro condemned the attack and said “[i]t’s called Genocide, they do it to remove the Palestinian people from Gaza and take it over.” EU high commissioner for foreign policy Josep Borell called the Jabalia refugee camp attack appalling. (AJ, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/1; AJ, AJ, AJ, HA 11/2)

PA prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh and Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki met with UK minister of state for the Middle East and North Africa Lord Tariq Ahmed in Ramallah, calling on the UK to support a ceasefire. (WAFA 11/1)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant said Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich should transfer the PA tax revenue to the PA, as it helps “in preventing terrorism.” It was reported that Gallant was left with the decision of whether to use new emergency regulations to ban Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel. Israeli sources told Haaretz that the Israeli government was hesitant to shut down Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel as it may undermine Qatari negotiations on a prisoner exchange. (AJ, REU 11/1; HA, HA 11/2)

The Religious Zionism party said its MK Zvi Sukkot will be appointed chairman of the Knesset subcommittee on West Bank issues. Sukkot has been arrested several times and had restraining orders against entering the West Bank for his connection to settler violence.  (HA 11/1; HA 11/2)

Jordan recalled its ambassador to Israel. (AJ, AJ, REU, WAFA 11/1; HA 11/2)

For the first time U.S. president Joe Biden called for a “pause” to “get the prisoners out.” White House press secretary Katrine Jean-Pierre announced that the Biden administration will develop a national strategy to counter Islamophobia in the U.S., mentioning the “barbaric killing of Wadea al-Fayoume” a Palestinian American child who was killed by his landlord near Chicago on 10/15. The U.S. House of Representatives blocked a motion to censure Democrat Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). The motion, which was brought to the floor by Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), charged Tlaib with “anti-Semitic activity” and “leading an insurrection,” referring to a Jewish-led sit-in at the Capitol where protestors demanded a ceasefire in Gaza. Taylor Greene has herself made anti-Semitic comments. 23 Republicans voted against the motion and 13 Democrats abstained. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. still wants to move forward with its efforts to normalize ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel and claimed that Saudi Arabia has indicated a willingness to proceed. (AJ 11/1; AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA 11/2)

The Houthi-led Yemeni government said it would continue to carry out military operations against Israel until Israel stops attacking Gaza. (HA 11/2)

Pope Francis called for a 2-state solution with Jerusalem as a special status city. (AJ 11/1; REU 11/2)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raided at-Tuba and Wadi Ijheish in the Masafer Yatta area, assaulting Palestinians and stealing 6 sheep and agricultural equipment. Israeli settlers also raided Qaryut, vandalizing property. Israeli forces shot and killed 5 Palestinians during raids in Askar refugee camp, Dheisheh refugee camp, Bayt Rima, Balata refugee camp, and Tammun. Israeli forces also shot and injured 38 people, including at least 3 children, during raids in Tammun, Dheisheh refugee camp, Balata refugee camp, ‘Urif, Askar refugee camp, Nablus, and Bayt Rima. Meanwhile, Israeli forces punitively demolished the family home in Askar refugee camp of a Palestinian man killed by Israeli forces in Nablus in May; the man was accused of taking part in the killing of 3 Israeli settlers in April. Israeli forces also punitively demolished the family home of a Palestinian killed by Israeli forces in Burqa and delivered a punitive demolition notice to the family of a Palestinian killed in Rumana. Elsewhere, Israeli forces razed land near Abu Basal to expand a nearby settlement. Israeli forces also closed the Dream Radio station in Hebron, threating to destroy its contents if it did not stop broadcasting. 35 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Nablus, Jenin, Hebron, Qalqilya, Tubas, Salfit, and Tulkarm. The PA Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs said more than 1,590 Palestinian have been arrested in the West Bank since 10/7. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces fired tear gas at Palestinians in Silwan, igniting a fire and causing injuries. In Gaza, some communications were restored after being cut off by Israel on 10/27. At least 302 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks. Islamic Jihad said Israel has assassinated 1 of its senior political officials, Taysir Alghouti, and killed several members of his family in Rafah. Islamic Jihad also said it attacked some Israeli military vehicles in Gaza. 2 Israeli soldiers were injured by a mortar shell in Gaza. Rockets were fired at Israel, causing damage. In Hanita, Islamic Jihad said 2 al-Quds Brigades fighters had been killed during an operation near the Blue Line. In Lebanon, Hezbollah said it had downed an Israeli drone. (AJ, HA 10/28; AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/29; AP, AJ 10/30)

The Gaza Ministry of Health said at least 8,005 Palestinians have been killed, including around 5,000 women and children, and 20,242 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. 1,800 Palestinians, including 940 children, have been reported missing. In addition, media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. 115 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 33 children. More than 2,150 have been injured. Israeli officials recorded no new fatalities, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals; 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. The UN reported that over 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half the population in Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7 and that since 11 p.m. on 10/12 there has been a complete electricity blackout due to the Israeli blockade. As of 10/23, at least 27,781 housing units had been destroyed and 150,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. At least 45% of all housing units have been either destroyed or damaged in Israeli airstrikes. The bodies of 62 unidentified Palestinians were buried in a mass grave near al-Shifa Hospital. It was the third time Palestinians in Gaza had to resort to burying Palestinians killed by Israel in a mass grave since 10/7. 33 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza. Israel opened a second water pipe to Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said Israel has ordered it to evacuate al-Quds Hospital; airstrikes later damaged the hospital as well as the al-Shifa and Indonesian hospitals. UNRWA said the slow flow of aid has prompted thousands of Palestinians in Gaza to take food supplies from its warehouses. The UN said nearly 1,000 Palestinians have been displaced from their homes in the West Bank since 10/7 due to Israeli settler attacks and Israeli military demolitions. (AJ 10/28; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 10/29; AJ, AJ, AP, WAFA 10/30)

Save the Children said more children have been killed in Gaza in the past 3 weeks than the total number of children killed in conflicts around the world since 2019, saying so far 3,324 have been killed in Gaza and 36 in the West Bank. (AJ 10/29; AJ 10/30)

A Palestinian citizen of Israel, actress Maisa Abd Elhadi, was charged by Israel with incitement to terrorism and expressing solidarity with a terrorist organization for an Instagram post. Interior Minister Moshe Arbel directed the Population and Immigration Authority to determine if he could revoke her citizenship. Elhadi was arrested on 10/12. (HA 10/30)

Reporters Without Borders said their investigation into the Israeli killing of Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah on 10/13 in Lebanon concluded that Israel intentionally targeted him and other journalists. (AJ 10/28; REU 10/29; AJ 10/30; AP 10/31)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant signed an order to place the settler activist Ariel Danino on administrative detention for 4 months for his involvement in settler attacks on Palestinians. (HA 10/29)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with Bahraini foreign inister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani in Ramallah. PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki spoke with UK foreign secretary James Cleverly. (WAFA, WAFA 10/29)

A leaked internal U.S. State Department memo recommended that President Joe Biden pressure Israel to allow more aid to enter Gaza, estimating that 52,000 pregnant women and 30,000 babies were drinking brackish or contaminated water due to the lack of water in Gaza. (HA 10/29; AJ 10/30)

The Washington Post reported that the U.S. pressured Israel to turn communications back on in Gaza. (AJ 10/30)

International Committee of the Red Cross president Mirjana Spoljaric said “[i]t is unacceptable that civilians have no safe place to go in Gaza amid the massive bombardments, and with a military siege in place there is also no adequate humanitarian response currently possible. This is a catastrophic failing that the world must not tolerate.” (HA 10/28)

30 Israeli human rights and civil society organizations urged the international community to “act urgently to stop the state-backed wave of settler violence which has led, and is leading to, the forcible transfer of Palestinian communities in the West Bank.” The French foreign ministry called on Israel to take action to protect Palestinians in the West Bank. (AJ 10/28; HA, WAFA 10/29)

President Biden told Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that more humanitarian aid has to enter Gaza immediately. Before the 2 spoke, U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan said Israel “has a responsibility to rein in the settlers.” Sullivan also said Israel must distinguish between “terrorist targets” and civilians and claimed Hamas was using human shields. Biden also spoke with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. (AJ 10/28; AJ, HA, REU, REU, WAFA 10/29)

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said, “the world is witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe taking place before our eyes,” in reference to the situation in Gaza. (AJ 10/28; HA 10/29)

Pope Francis called for a ceasefire and the release of the Hamas-held captives. (HA, REU 10/29)

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan visited the Rafah crossing, saying the ICC has ongoing investigations into potential war crimes committed by Hamas and Israel. Khan said impeding aid to Gaza could constitute a war crime. (AJ 10/28; AJ, HA, HA, REU, WAFA 10/29; AJ 10/30)

Jordan said it has asked the U.S. to deploy the Patriot air defense system in Jordan. (AJ 10/28; REU 10/29)

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations were held in many cities across the world, including in Islamabad, Beirut, Berlin, Madrid, Athens, and Ottawa. (AJ 10/28; AJ, REU, WAFA 10/29)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raided Burqa, throwing stones at homes and vandalizing 2 vehicles. Israeli forces raided a girl’s school in al-Eizariya, causing damage to school property. In East Jerusalem, 1 Israeli settler was injured in a ramming incident near Qalandia. 1 Palestinian suspect was arrested. Israeli forces also shot and injured 1 Palestinian at a light rail station in the French Hill neighborhood, claiming he had stabbed a settler. Israeli authorities forced 1 Palestinian family to demolish parts of their own home in Jabel Mukaber. In Gaza, Israeli forces shot and injured 2 Palestinians near the Gaza fence, claiming that 1 of them had opened fire at Israeli soldiers; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. (AP, HA, HA, QDS, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/21; PCHR 9/27)

Israel assassinated 2 people in a drone strike in Beit Jann west of Damascus. The 2 were reported to be members of Islamic Jihad, which Islamic Jihad denied. Israeli tanks also attacked 2 temporary structures erected by the Syrian army near the Golan Heights. (AJ, AP, HA, REU 9/21)

The UN release a report saying that Israeli settler violence had displaced more than 1,100 Palestinians in the West Bank since 2022. The report also said that the UN had counted an average of 3 settler attacks a day. (AP, HA, UNOCHA 9/21)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas addressed the UN General Assembly at its annual meeting, warning that peace in the region is impossible without the “Palestinian people enjoying full legitimate and national rights.” Abbas criticized world leaders for not holding Israel accountable for its atrocities and called on UN members to recognize the State of Palestine. It was reported that Palestinian officials had trouble getting meetings for Abbas on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly due to the publication on 9/7 of Abbas’ remarks at the Fatah Revolutionary Council in August that were said to be anti-Semitic. President Abbas met with UN secretary general Antonio Guterres. (HA 9/20; AJ, AP, HA, MEE, REU, WAFA, WAFA 9/21; WAFA 9/22)

PA prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh met with U.S. state department special representative for Palestinian affairs Hady Amr in New York. (WAFA 9/21)

PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour said in an interview that the Palestinian leadership is confident that Saudi Arabia would protect Palestinian interests in a potential normalization deal with Israel and that the Saudis have accepted the Palestinian position on the negotiations, including restarting peace talks and protecting Palestinians’ right to self-determination. Haaretz reported that the Palestinian demands includes a settlement freeze, expanding Areas B and C, full membership at the UN, reopening the PLO office in Washington, and reopening the U.S. consulate in East Jerusalem. Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen told Israel’s Army Radio that there is a likelihood that a normalization deal can be finalized in the first quarter of 2024. (HA, REU 9/21)

The Ad Hoc Liaison Committee held a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly annual meeting in New York. Prime Minister Shtayyeh called on representatives from some 30 countries at the meeting to help the PA overcome its political and financial challenges. (WAFA, WAFA 9/21)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Democratic Republic of Congo will move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and that Israel will open an embassy in Kinshasa after meeting Congolese president Felix Tshisekedi at the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly meeting. (REU, TOI 9/21; AJ 9/22)

The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. has proposed that the potential Saudi nuclear program, which is part of the Saudi-Israeli normalization negotiations, will be run by the U.S. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called reports that the Netanyahu government is open to uranium enrichment in Saudi Arabia “reckless and irresponsible.” (HA, HA, MEE, WSJ 9/21)

In the West Bank, masked gunmen fired 12 shots at Hebron deputy mayor Asmaa Hatem Nasser al-Shurbati’s car parked in front of her house and later fired shots at her husband’s clinic in Hebron, causing damage. Israeli settlers set up tents and sheep pens on Palestinian land in Shaab al-Butum in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian during a raid in Aqabat Jaber refugee camp, 2 were arrested. Israeli forces also raided Jalbun, leading to tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces issued 23 stop-work orders for homes in Qarawat Bani Hassan. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians protesters near the Gaza fence east of Gaza City, injuring 4 with live ammunition and others with tear gas. (AP, HA, MDW, MEE, MEMO, PCHR, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/20; PCHR, PCHR 9/21; UNOCHA 9/26)

Israeli settlers from the Im Tirtzu organization harassed and threatened a delegation of foreign diplomats touring Palestinian communities experiencing settler violence with members of B’Tselem near Ramallah. 1 settler were arrested by PA forces in Taibeh in Area B and transferred to Israel after PA forces fired warning shots at the settlers when they entered Taibeh. 1 of the settlers waived a gun at the PA forces when they arrived. EU high representative for foreign affairs Josep Borrel spoke to Israel foreign minister Eli Cohen about the incident. A diplomat told Haaretz that the delegation had informed Israel about the tour beforehand but when they contacted the Israeli army to request assistance they did not show up. (HA, WAFA 9/21)

1 Palestinian prisoner held in administrative detention suspended his 49-day long hunger strike after an Israeli military court said it would not extend his detention beyond 12/2. (QDS, WAFA 9/20)

U.S. president Joe Biden met Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly meeting in New York. According to a White House statement, Biden cautioned Netanyahu about further advancing his judicial overhaul without gaining a broad consensus and invited Netanyahu to the White House later in 2023. Israeli officials said the Biden-Netanyahu conversation mostly concerned the Israeli-Saudi normalization deal. U.S. national security council coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk and presidential envoy on energy security Amos Hochstein, who have been leading the U.S. negotiations with Saudi Arabia on normalization, also attended the meeting. It was the first time Biden and Netanyahu met since Netanyahu took office in December 2022. According to an Israeli official, Netanyahu told Biden that there can be a Palestinian component to the deal but the Palestinians cannot have veto power. Netanyahu also met with UN secretary general Antonio Guterres, telling him that the UN should condemn Iran and Palestinian ‘terror.’ (AJ, AX, AX, HA, HA, MDW, MEE, NYT, PCN, REU 8/20; HA, HA 9/21; HA, HA 9/22)

Israeli government ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, along with 11 members of the Likud Party, sent Prime Minister Netanyahu a letter demanding that Israeli-Saudi normalization not be tied to improvements for the Palestinian people. (HA 9/21; HA 9/22)

Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammed bin Salman told Fox News in an interview that normalization with Israel is moving closer every day. Bin Salman said “[f]or us, the Palestinian issue is very important. We need to solve that part,” later saying “[w]e hope that it [the normalization talks] will reach a place that will ease the life of Palestinians and get Israel as a player in the Middle East.” Lastly, bin Salman said that if Iran gets a nuclear weapon, then Saudi Arabia will “have to get one.” One of the Saudi demands for normalization is that the U.S. aids the country in creating a nuclear program. (AJ, AX, HA 9/20; AJ, ALM, MEE, REU 9/21; HA, MEE 9/22)

UN envoy for the Middle East Tor Wennesland issued a report warning that the economic crisis in the West Bank and Gaza could threaten regional stability. The report called for investment in health, education, social support, employment opportunities for youth and women, and infrastructure. The report was issued ahead of a donor conference for Palestine which will take place on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly meeting. (HA 9/20)

Norway contributed $2.9 million to the World Food Programme in support of vulnerable Palestinians in Gaza. (WAFA 9/20)

In the West Bank, an Israeli settler rammed a 4-year-old Palestinian in Kisan, causing life-threatening injuries. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near al-Bireh and Shufa and vandalized a barn in Khirbet Makhul. Israeli forces raided Arrabah, assassinating 3 Palestinians sitting in a car, including a minor. Israeli forces also issued 15 demolition and stop-work orders for homes and 2 demolition notices for walls on agricultural lands in Yatma. 5 Palestinians were arrested during a late-night raid in Burqa; Israel said the arrests were related to the settler attack on Burqa on 8/4. 5 others were arrested during late-night raids in Hebron, Fawwar refugee camp, Bayt Awa, and Rumana. In East Jerusalem, 2 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids. In the Naqab, Israeli police detained and deported a Palestinian woman to Gaza after stopping her and examining her papers. The woman, who had lived in Israel since 1992 after marrying a Palestinian citizen of Israel, was forced to leave her 12 children behind, including 4 minors. (AJ, CNN, HA, MEE, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/6; AP, HA, PCHR 8/7; PCHR 8/10; UNOCHA 8/11; HA 8/27; HA 8/28)

6 Palestinian families living in al-Qaboun fled their homes due to Israeli settler violence and attacks by Israeli forces. (WAFA 8/6; MEE, UNOCHA 8/10; AP 8/24)

In Tel Aviv, thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel, carrying 141 coffins, protested Israeli police inaction in addressing the homicide rate in Palestinian communities. 141 Palestinian citizens of Israel have been killed in 2023. (HA, HA 8/6; HA, MEE 8/7)

The court of appeal in Gaza issued death sentences to 7 Palestinians for allegedly collaborating with Israel. (MEMO, PCHR 8/7)

PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour sent letters to the UN secretary-general, the president of the UN Security Council, and the president of the UN General Assembly, demanding that the international community intervene to protect Palestinians. (WAFA 8/6)

The Israeli organization Retired Police Commissioners and Major Generals’ Forum sent a letter to Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai and Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar warning that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is trying to interfere in the investigation into the settler terror attack on Burqa on 8/4 after he praised 2 of the arrested settlers, saying the suspects should get a “medal of honor.” (JP, TOI, TOI, WAFA 8/6; MEMO 8/7)

The Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported that Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich blocked the funding of a preparatory course that would help Palestinians living in East Jerusalem get admitted to Israeli universities. $54 million had been allocated to the program. (JP, TOI 8/6; JP 8/7)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and injured 2 Palestinians using live ammunition during a raid in Dheisheh refugee camp. 11 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Ramallah, Bayt Rima, Beit Ula, Fawwar refugee camp, Idhna, Jenin, Jericho, and Fari‘ah refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, 4 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Silwan and Shu‘fat refugee camp. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen west of al-Sudaniyya; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/23; PCHR 6/30; UNOCHA 7/2)

The Israeli justice ministry began the process of registering land adjacent to the Haram al-Sharif compound, including at the Ophel Archeological Park in the Old City. (HA 6/26; MEE 6/27; MEMO 6/29)

Israeli military authorities extended the administrative detention period of 1 Palestinian prisoner by 4 months despite promising to release him at the end of his current detention period after he had been hunger striking for 111 days. The man is currently hospitalized for complications related to his hunger strike, which he ended on 6/21. The man resumed his hunger strike on 7/2 (WAFA 6/23; WAFA 7/5)

Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh met with Hezbollah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. There were also reports that Haniyeh was scheduled to meet with Lebanese president Michel Aoun and prime minister Najib Mikati. (HA 6/23)

The PLO executive committee met in Ramallah. During the meeting, the committee discussed the U.S. Biden administration’s failure to fulfil its promises to the Palestinian people and plans to initiate national dialogue to end the intra-Palestinian political division. (WAFA 6/24)

Peace Now released a report marking the first year of the Bennett-Lapid government, detailing how the current Israeli government has accelerated the displacement of Palestinians compared to average numbers during the Netanyahu governments. Compared with the yearly average of the Netanyahu governments, the Bennett-Lapid government has promoted 26% more settlement units, issued tenders for 15% more settlement construction, demolished 35% more Palestinian homes in the West Bank, and 59% more Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem. Additionally, settler violence has risen with 45% and 45 more Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces compared with the yearly average of the Netanyahu governments. (PCN 6/23)

Israel’s foreign minister Yair Lapid met with his Türkiye counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in Ankara, in a bid to further normalized relations between the 2 countries. (AJ, ALM, HA, MEE, REU 6/23)

24 Democratic senators, led by Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), wrote a letter to the Biden administration, calling on it to “ensure that a comprehensive, impartial, and open investigation” into the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is conducted. The senators also addressed secretary of state Antony Blinken, attorney general Merrick Garland, and FBI director Christopher Wray. (HA, MEE, REU 6/23; AJ, MDW, WAFA 6/24)

President of Suriname Chandrikapersad Santokhi told the National Assembly that Suriname would not build an embassy to Israel in Jerusalem, citing budget constraints. Suriname announced plans to open an embassy to Israel in Jerusalem during a visit by its foreign minister Albert Ramdin on 5/30. (AJ, HA 6/24)

UNRWA announced that it had received pledges of $160 million for its general programming, but warned that it still expects a shortfall of $100 million in its core budget for 2022. (WAFA 6/24)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian houses and vehicles in Kafr Qaddum, causing damage. Israeli forces raided the homes of 4 of the Palestinians accused of participating in the killing of an Israeli settler on 12/16 and took measurements for punitive demolitions in Silat al-Harithiya; the forces also violently dispersed Palestinians protesting the raids, injuring 1 with live ammunition. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinians protesting an Israeli incursion near Ramallah, inuring 1 with live ammunition and 1 minor with a rubber-coated bullet. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raided al-Lubban Ash-Sharqiya, assaulting the mayor of the village and several students. 13 Palestinians were arrested during house raids in Birzeit, Dura, al-Bireh, Kafl Haris, Abu Dis, Qatanna, Beit Umar, and Dahariya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities handed eviction orders to 2 families living on a plot of land in Sheikh Jarrah that Israel wants to construct a school on. The families were given until 1/25/2022 to leave their property, displacing 12 people. In Gaza, Israeli forces made incursions and leveled land east of al-Fukhari. Israeli forces also opened fire at Palestinian bird hunters east of Khuza‘a; no injuries were reported. In Israel, Israeli forces demolished the Bedouin village al-‘Araqeeb for the 196th time since 2000. (TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/20; MEMO 12/21; PCHR 12/23)

In East Jerusalem, EU representative to Palestine Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff led an EU delegation, meeting Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah threatened by Israeli forced evictions. (MEMO 12/21)

1 Palestinian prisoner in the Israeli Nafha prison allegedly stabbed 1 Israeli prison guard, lightly wounding the guard. There were subsequent reports of collective punishment of Palestinian prisoners in the same ward, including beatings and outdoor confinement in cold weather. (HA 12/20; WAFA 12/21)

Representatives for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel on administrative detention said the prisoners have decided to boycott sessions in Israeli military courts and in the supreme court from 1/1/2022 because of Israel’s arbitrary use of administrative detention on Palestinians. (HA 12/20)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said during the weekly cabinet meeting that the PA has sent a letter to the UN urging it to intervene against Israeli settler violence. (WAFA 12/20)

Palestinian member of the Knesset for United Arab List and chairperson of Knesset’s interior committee Walid Taha said he had canceled all official meetings for the week in protest over Israel’s interior minister Ayelet Shaked’s opposition to a bill that would provide electricity to Palestinian homes built in Israel without a permit. (HA 12/20)

Israel’s ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan wrote a letter to UN secretary-general António Guterres demanding that he acts to prevent UN funding from going to Palestinian rights organizations deemed terrorist organizations by Israel. The UN OCHA agency had mentioned its partnership with Health Work Committees in its plan for 2022, a Palestinian organization deemed illegal by Israel. (HA 12/20)

Israeli NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware was found on a Tunisian national’s phone. The man is part of a UN-mandated investigation into crimes committed in relation to the Saudi-led war in Yemen. (HA 12/20)