The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbs to injuries sustained from Israeli forces in Qabatiya on 3/30. Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian woman during a raid in Susiya in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli settlers also throw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near Nablus, causing damage. Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Nablus. Israeli forces also assault Palestinian farmers in the Masafer Yatta area. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolish 2 homes in as-Samu and 2 homes under construction in al-Simiya. Israeli forces also seize a rickshaw in Deir Balut. Meanwhile, Israeli forces raze land near Ya’bad and Arrabah. Israeli forces also arrest 34 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Husa, Battir, Bethlehem, Qalandia, Hizma, Nablus, Madama, Qabalan, Qiffin, ‘Azzun, and Jayyus. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 71 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Ainata, Aitaroun, and Blida. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at Nahariya. In Jordan, protesters demonstrate outside of the Israeli embassy in Amman for the 10th day in a row. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/2; AJ, UNOCHA 4/3)

More than 32,916 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,750 children and 8,900 women, and around 75,495 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 446 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 112 children. More than 4,700 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 254 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,520 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. U.S. forces airdrop aid over northern Gaza. 158 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The UN suspends aid movements at night in Gaza, citing risks to aid workers. (AJ, WAFA 4/2; AJ, HA, REU, UNOCHA 4/3; UNOCHA 4/5)

Anera, the second largest humanitarian organization in Gaza, suspends operations following the Israeli attack on World Central Kitchen aid workers on 4/1 that killed 7 people. The UAE suspends its operations in the maritime corridor between Cyprus and Gaza due to the attack. (AJ, AX, HA, REU, WAFA 4/2; AJ 4/3)

140 countries sign letters to the presidents of the UN Security Council and the General Assembly, and UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres supporting Palestine gaining full UN membership. The Security Council would have to approve full membership for Palestine before the General Assembly can vote on approval. U.S. deputy ambassador to the UN Robert Wood says the U.S. position remains that the issue of Palestinian statehood is a final status issue to be decided in talks between Israel and Palestine. (REU 4/2; AJ, AP 4/3)

A ceasefire proposal formulated by Egypt and Qatar is sent to Hamas. (HA 4/3)

The World Bank and the UN release a report saying the damage to Gaza’s infrastructure is estimated at $18.5 billion and that the estimated 26 million tons of rubble caused by Israeli destruction  will take years to remove. (AJ, REU, WAFA 4/2; AJ 4/3)

PA prime minister Mohammad Mustafa addresses the first cabinet meeting of the new government, outlining 3 major priorities: easing the hardship of Palestinians in Gaza, achieving financial stability, and reform of public institutions to make them more productive, accountable, and transparent. Mustafa also speaks with UK foreign secretary David Cameron, Egyptian prime minister Mustafa Madbouly, and Japanese foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa in separate phone calls. PA president Mahmoud Abbas speaks with Jordanian king Abdullah II in a phone call, saying he supports Jordan as external forces are trying to interfere in internal Jordanian affairs, exploiting the situation in Gaza. It is not immediately clear what Abbas is referring to, but it could relate to the more than week-long protests outside of the Israeli embassy in Amman. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/2; WAFA 4/3)

The UN Security Council discusses Israel’s attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on 4/1. The Russian and Iranian ambassadors condemn the attack, as does Secretary-General Guterres who says the “inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and personnel must be respected in all cases in accordance with international law.” The U.S., France, and the UK do not condemn the Israeli attack but say that diplomatic structures should be protected. (AJ, HA, REU 4/2; NYT 4/3)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken meets with French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris. Blinken says the U.S. is in contact with Israel on how to distribute aid in Gaza, adding not enough aid is getting in. (HA 4/2)

U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan postpones a trip to Saudi Arabia to discuss Saudi-Israeli normalization with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman after he suffers a cracked rib. (AJ, AX, HA 4/2; REU 4/3)

47,800 Americans in Wisconsin vote “uninstructed” in the Democratic primary election, more than the 20,682 votes President Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump by in the state in 2020. Wisconsin is one of several swing states where a campaign to criticize Biden’s policy on Gaza has gathered significant support. (HA 4/2; AJ 4/3)

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

More than 32,333 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 74,694 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 440 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 111 children. More than 4,665 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 251 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,509 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 139 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The U.S. and UK airdrop aid over northern Gaza. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 3/25; AJ, HA 3/26; UNOCHA 3/29)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalize a home and throw stones at vehicles in al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya. 1 Israeli soldier is shot and killed and 7 others are injured, including both settlers and soldiers, near the Dolev settlement. Israeli forces subsequently kill the alleged Palestinian perpetrator near Deir Ibzi using missiles fired from a helicopter. In East Jerusalem, 120,000 worshipers pray at the Haram al-Sharif compound on the second Friday of Ramadan; Palestinians from the West Bank are largely prevented from entering East Jerusalem. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, Dayr al-Balah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, and Beit Lahiya, killing at least 82 people. Israeli forces also attack and besiege al-Shifa Hospital for the fifth day in a row. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Khaim, Ayta ash Shab, Kfar Kila, Hula, and Taybeh. Hezbollah forces attack an Israeli military building in Zarit and Israeli positions in Metulla and Kfarchouba. In Yemen, U.S. and UK forces carry out airstrikes on 6 sites in Sanaa. (AJ, HA, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/22; AJ, AP, REU 3/23; UNOCHA 3/25)

More than 32,072 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 74,298 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 440 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 111 children. More than 4,665 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 250 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,489 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 177 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/22; UNOCHA 3/25)

Israel seizes 8,000 dunams (1,976) acres of land in the Jordan Valley for settlement expansion around the Yafit settlement near Fasayil and fast-track planning and construction of settler roads west of Ramallah. The seizure brings the total amount of seized land in the West Bank in 2024 to 10,640 (2,629 acres), more than the last 10 years combined. The PA calls the decision part of an “official policy racing against time to annex the West Bank and eliminate the possibility of creating a Palestinian state.” The Arab League condemns the decision. The EU calls on Israel to reverse the decision and says it “will not recognize changes to the 1967 borders unless agreed by the parties.”  (AJ, AJ, PCN, REU, WAFA, WAFA 3/22; AJ, WAFA 3/23; AJ 3/24; PCN 3/25)

CIA director Bill Burns and Mossad director David Barnea arrive in Doha for ceasefire negotiations. (AX 3/21)

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh speaks with Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, discussing the situation in Gaza. Amir-Abdollahian also speaks with Islamic Jihad secretary-general Ziyad al-Nakhalah. (AJ 3/22)

At the UN Security Council, Russia, China, and Algeria vote against a U.S. ceasefire resolution while Guyana abstains. Hamas thanks Russia, China, and Algeria for voting against the ceasefire that “gave [Israel] cover and legitimacy for the war of extermination.” PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour calls the U.S. resolution “one-sided.” Chinese ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun says the resolution “sets up conditions for a ceasefire, which is no different from giving a green light to continued killings.” French ambassador to the UN Nicolas de Riviere says the U.S. resolution is “not strong enough” as it does not as it does not call for an unconditional and immediate ceasefire and does not draw a “red line” for the potential Israeli invasion of Rafah. Guyanese ambassador to the UN Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett explains her country’s abstention in the vote, saying the resolution does not say directly address Israeli responsibility. French president Emmanuel Macron says he will work with Jordan and the UAE to draft a resolution that would gain support from all council members. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 3/22; AP 3/23)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken. Blinken warns Netanyahu that Israel is losing international support and reiterated U.S. opposition to a ground invasion of Rafah. Netanyahu says after the meeting that Israel “will do it on our own” if the U.S. opposes its Rafah plans. Blinken also participates in a war cabinet meeting and meets President Isaac Herzog. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU 3/22)

Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, and the UAE call on Israel to open all crossings to Gaza to allow aid to enter. (AJ 3/22)

Ireland, Spain, Malta, and Slovenia agree to work toward recognizing the State of Palestine after a meeting between the countries’ prime ministers on the sidelines of the European Council meeting. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 3/22)

The U.S. House of Representatives passes a funding bill 286 votes to 135 to avoid a partial government shutdown, banning funding for UNRWA until March 2025. The Senate subsequently also passes the bill. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) votes against the bill, saying the “Netanyahu government should not receive another penny from U.S. taxpayers.” 17 Democratic senators urge the Biden administration to reject Israel assurances that it is complying with international humanitarian law in Gaza. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) calls on the U.S. government to suspend arms transfers to Israel, calling Israeli actions in Gaza “genocide.” (HA 3/21; AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, NYT 3/22; HA, HA 3/23)

Finland resumes funding of UNRWA. (AJ, HA, REU 3/22)

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

More than 31,988 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 74,188 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 439 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 111 children. More than 4,665 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 250 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,489 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 122 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The U.S. airdrops 50,000 meals over northern Gaza. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/21; AJ, UNOCHA 3/22)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbs to wounds sustained from Israeli forces in Nur Shams refugee camp on 10/19/2023. An Israeli settler shoots and kill a Palestinian man after he shoots and kills 2 Israeli settlers at a gas station near the Eli settlement. Israeli settlers also throw stones at Palestinians at the Za’atra checkpoint, injuring a man. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers ram a Palestinian man in al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, causing minor injuries. Israeli settlers also raid Arab al-Milehat, throwing stones at homes. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers disassemble and steal 2 agricultural structures in Kisan. Israeli forces shoot and kill 2 Palestinians and injure another while they are picking gundelia flowers near Bayt Awa. Israeli forces also shoot and kill a Palestinian child during a raid in Beit Furik. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Jalazone refugee camp. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian man in Jenin. Meanwhile, Israeli forces demolish a home and 2 agricultural structures during a raid in Ein ad-Duyuk al-Tahta. Israeli forces also arrest 20 Palestinians during raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, and Bethlehem. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Nuseirat refugee camp, al-Bureij refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Jabalia refugee camp, and Beit Hanun, killing at least 81 people. Israeli forces also open fire at an aid convoy where thousands of Palestinians are seeking to gather aid. Eyewitnesses report that Israel used live ammunition, tank shells, and drone-fired missiles to attack the crowd, at least 112 people are killed and 760 are injured. Israeli tanks also run over the bodies of the dead and injured. The attack is dubbed the Flour Massacre. 4 children die of starvation at the Kamal Adwan Hospital. Israeli settlers storm the Beit Hanun (Erez) crossing, attempting to create a settlement in Gaza. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fires 2 rockets at Goren. In Yemen, U.S. forces attack a missile launch site and shoot down a drone. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/29; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 3/1)

More than 30,147 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,230 children and 8,860 women, and around 71,217 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 409 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 103 children. More than 4,606 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 240 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,431 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. The Red Crescent says its medical clinic in Jabalia is receiving 100-150 cases of patients with Hepatitis A daily. (AJ, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA 2/29)

22-year-old Palestinian prisoner Assef al-Rifai dies in an Israeli prison, becoming the 11^th Palestinian to die in Israeli prison since 10/7. Al-Rifai, who had been imprisoned since 2022, suffered from cancer. (WAFA 2/29)

In response to the Flour Massacre (see above), Israel’s military first says Palestinians were killed in a stampede trying to get aid, blaming the aid truck drivers, then later said that Israeli soldiers had opened fire due to fear of the crowds but that most of the Palestinians had been killed in a human stampede and by the aid trucks. In its defense, Israel releases edited drone footage which appears to show hundreds of Palestinians taking cover from Israeli bullets. The PA calls the incident an “ugly massacre” and Hamas calls the attack an “unprecedented war crime.” UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres labels the incident appalling and calls for an independent investigation. EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borrell calls it “totally unacceptable,” Colombia denounces Israel’s genocide, suspending weapons purchases from Israel. French president Emmanuel Macron expresses “[d]eep indignation at the images coming from Gaza where civilians have been targeted by Israeli soldiers. I express my strongest condemnation of these shootings and call for truth, justice, and respect for international law.” Spain, Belgium, Turkey, Portugal, Italy, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, China, Canada, Yemen, Australia, and other countries express shock and contempt for the Israeli actions. The U.S. blocks an Algerian statement at the UN Security Council that assigns blame to Israel for the incident, saying it needs to be “thoroughly investigated.” The Israeli newspaper Haaretz for the first time calls on Israel to end its war, citing the incident. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 2/29; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 3/1) 

Representatives from Hamas, Fatah, and many other Palestinian parties meet in Moscow for reconciliation talks and about forming a technocratic consensus government that will lead the PA. Palestinian National Initiative secretary-general Mustafa Barghouti says, “I have never seen the atmosphere so close to unity as it is today.” Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov tells the Palestinian representatives at the meeting that if they can announce a unity position on the basis of the PLO those who use the lack of Palestine unity to prevent “the settlement in the Middle East, will lose their winning cards.” Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh meets with Chinese ambassador to Qatar Zhou Jian, discussing “ways to stop the war” in Gaza. President Mahmoud Abbas meets with UN senior coordinator for humanitarian aid and reconstruction in Gaza Sigrid Kaag and USAID administrator Samantha Power in Ramallah. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 2/29; AJ 3/1)

The Israeli Civil Administration declares 2,640 dunams (652 acres) of land in Abu Dis and al-Eizariya Israeli state land. 120 Palestinian families live on the land. The area declared state land connects the Ma’ale Adumim settlement and the Keidar settlement. (AJ, REU, WAFA 2/29; HA 3/1)

Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Store says the PA has received $114 million from Israel as part of the tax revenue payments and that more money will be dispersed in “the coming days.” (REU 2/29)

UNRWA says it has not received $89 million from the European Commission that was due on 2/29. 17 rights and aid organizations, including Save the Children and Oxfam, call on the EU to disperse the funds. The UN says Israel has not provided evidence about its claims against 12 UNRWA staffers for the independent investigation by the UN. Germany says it will increase aid to Gaza by $21.6 million and that its military will start taking part in aid airdrops if enough aid cannot be dispersed by land. (AP, AP, REU 2/29)

Israel claims it has killed more than 13,000 militants in Gaza since its ground invasion. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls Hamas’s demands for a ceasefire “delusional,” saying he will not accept them and that he rejects international calls for a ceasefire. The Israeli negotiators who had been in Qatar this week return to Israel. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich calls for a “massive” settlement expansion in response to the killing of 2 Israeli settlers near the Eli settlement. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir says aid to Gaza must stop as it endangers Israeli soldiers, citing the Flour Massacre where no Israeli soldiers were injured while more than a 100 Palestinians were killed. The Israeli government says it is still reviewing whether it will severely limit the number of Muslim worshippers it will allow to enter the Haram al-Sharif compound during Ramadan. (AJ, REU 2/29; AJ 3/1)

U.S. president Joe Biden walks back his comment that a ceasefire will happen by 3/4 but says that he is still hopeful. Biden also issues a statement calling on Republicans to pass a bill providing aid to Israel to “help ensure Israel can defend itself against Hamas and other threats.” Biden speaks with Qatar emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, discussing the need for aid and a ceasefire in Gaza. Secretary of State Blinken speaks with Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, discussing the same issues. White House deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton says the U.S. is deeply concerned that it has not received an Israeli plan for how it will provide security for Palestinians in Rafah if the Israeli military invades the city. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) calls on Israel to end its military operations in Gaza, citing the Flour Massacre. (AJ, AX, HA, NYT, REU, REU 2/29; AJ, HA 3/1)

UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk condemns Israel’s war on Gaza, calling it “carnage” at the UN Human Rights Council and says that war crimes have been committed by both Israel and Hamas, calling for accountability for the perpetrators. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 2/29)

New Zealand says it will impose travel bans on “a number” of violent Israeli settlers. New Zealand also designates the entirety of Hamas as a “terrorist group.” (AJ, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/29)

British politician George Galloway of the Workers Party of Britain wins a seat in the UK parliament in the by-election in Rochdale, telling Labour Party leader “Kier Starmer, this is for Gaza.” The Labour Party held the seat in Rochdale until last month when MP Tony Lloyd died. (NYT, NYT 2/29; AJ, AJ, HA 3/1)

Haaretz reports that AIPAC has spent $4.5 million in attack ads against Dave Min in the Democratic primary for a congressional seat in California. (HA 2/29)

The heads of 36 international news outlets sign a letter in support of journalists in Gaza, calling for their protection. (AJ, AP 2/29)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shoot and kill 3 Palestinians and injure 3 others during raids in al-Fara’a refugee camp and Tubas. Israeli forces also shoot and kill a Palestinian man near al-Muntar. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Beit Furik. Israeli forces also seize a bulldozer during a raid in Bidya. Meanwhile, Israeli forces also arrest 30 Palestinians from Gaza in Barta’a and 5 others in Nablus, Beit Furik, Jalazone, Jericho, and Tubas, including a Palestinian child in Jericho who was released as part of the ceasefire prisoner swap in November 2023. 9 Palestinians prisoners released as part of the deal have been arrested again. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Gaza City, Dayr al-Balah, and Rafah, killing at least 96 people. 2 babies die at the Kamal Adwan Hospital due to dehydration. 2 rockets are fired at Ashkelon, both are intercepted. 2 Israeli soldiers die in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Ayta ash Shab, Sidon, and Tyre. Hezbollah fires anti-tank missiles at an Israeli airbase in the Mount Meron area, causing damage. In the Red Sea, U.S. forces shoot down 5 drones launched from Yemen. Germany naval forces also intercept a drone launched from Yemen. (HA 2/26; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/27; AJ, HA, UNOCHA 2/28)

More than 29,878 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children and 7,200 women, and around 70,215 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 404 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 102 children. More than 4,590 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 240 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,408 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. For the second day in a row, Jordan, Egypt, France, and the UAE airdrop humanitarian aid to Gaza using 6 C-130 planes. Jordanian king Abdullah II personally takes part in the airdrop mission. 135 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (AJ, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/27; UNOCHA 2/29)

The Israeli military’s Central Command commander Yehuda Fuchs signs an order to allow the Mitzpeh Yehuda settlement outpost to be turned into a new settlement called Mishmar Yehuda that initially would have 3,600 housing units and later expand to 13,600 housing units. Mitzpeh Yehuda is north of al-Ubeidiya. (HA, PCN, REU, WAFA 2/28)

Hamas official Basem Naim says Hamas has not received the U.S., Israeli, Egyptian, and Qatari ceasefire counterproposal. Reuters reports that the proposal’s first stage includes a 40-day ceasefire, a prisoner exchange ratio of 1 Israeli to 10 Palestinians, that both parties end military operations, a halt to Israeli arial reconnaissance operations for 8 hours a day, and a gradual return of Palestinians to northern Gaza except for men of military age. The second stage would see Israeli forces leave densely populated areas, at least 500 trucks carrying aid enter daily, 200,000 tents and 60,000 caravans enter Gaza, and Israel allow the rebuilding of hospitals and bakeries and allow heavy machinery to enter Gaza to remove rubble. (AJ, AJ, REU 2/27)

PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki meets with WHO director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus in Geneva, Switzerland, discussing the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Al-Maliki also briefs the UN Human Rights Council on the situation in Gaza. President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh meet with Japanese foreign minister Tsuji Kiyoto in Ramallah. Japan donates $32 million in emergency aid to Gaza through the World Food Programme, WHO, and UNICEF. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/27)

The Israeli Army Radio reports that the military and the Shin Bet have urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to restrict entry for Muslim worshippers to the Haram al-Sharif compound during Ramadan, citing the security situation in the West Bank. (AJ 2/27)

Israeli economy minister Nir Barakat tells reporters at the World Trade Organization conference in Abu Dhabi that “in the wars Israel had we had a dip in the economy but immediately after we had a huge spike in innovation. And the knowledge and the experience Israel is gathering in this round of violence is second to none . . . Especially after this war I think we are probably going to be leading many, many initiatives on what next-generation warfare is going to look like.” (REU 2/27)

At the UN Security Council, UNOCHA head and representative in Geneva Ramesh Rajasingham says 576,000 people in Gaza are “one step away from famine.” (AJ, HA, REU, UNOCHA 2/27; AJ, AP 2/28)

U.S. treasury secretary Janet Yellen says Israel has started transferring the PA’s tax revenue to the PA upon request from the U.S. and that she urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to reverse the ban on Palestinians from the West Bank working in Israel. President Joe Biden meets with House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) at the White House, urging him to pass the Senate supplemental funding bill providing aid to Israel and Ukraine. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks with Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and UAE foreign minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, discussing the situation in Gaza and the establishment of a Palestinian state. USAID administrator Samantha Power says the U.S. will provide an additional $53 million in humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. (AJ, AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU 2/27; NYT 2/28)

Axios reports that the U.S. has given Israel until mid-March to sign a letter guaranteeing that Israel will use U.S.-provided weapons in accordance with international law and that Israel will allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. (AJ, AX 2/27)

A poll released by Data for Progress shows 67% of U.S. voters support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, including 77% of Democrats and 56% of Republicans. (AJ 2/27)

At the Michigan presidential primaries, an effort to challenge President Biden’s Gaza policy gains support as more than 100,000 voters vote “uncommitted” which organizers had urged people who are angry with Biden’s approach to do in the Democratic primary. Michigan is a swing state which former president Donald Trump won with 11,000 votes in 2016 and Biden won with 150,000 votes in 2020. (AJ, AP, HA, NYT 2/28)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbs to injuries sustained in an Israeli drone strike on Jenin on 2/22. Israeli settlers raid Taybeh, kidnapping 3 elderly Palestinian farmers who are later released from a military base in Tarqumiyah. Israeli forces seize a bulldozer during a raid in Nabi Salih. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Dayr al-Balah, Rafah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, and al-Bureij refugee camp, killing at least 90 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb near Baalbek, killing 2 people and injuring 6 others. Israeli forces also bomb al-Sarira, Ayta ash Shab, Majadel, and Wadi al-Dalafa, killing at least 2 people in Majadil. Islamic Jihad says 2 of its fighters are killed in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah shoots down an Israeli drone using a surface-to-air missile and fires 60 Katyusha rockets at an Israeli military site. In Yemen, U.S. forces attack 6 sites. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/26; AP 2/27; UNOCHA 2/28)

More than 29,782 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children and 7,200 women, and around 70,043 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 400 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 102 children. More than 4,575 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 238 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,396 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 138 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. Israel allows 10 trucks carrying aid to enter northern Gaza. Jordan and France airdrop aid to Gaza from 4 C-130 planes at 11 sites. The Red Crescent says it has suspended medical missions for the next 48 hours as it is unable to ensure the safety of its staff. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 2/26; AP, UNOCHA 2/27)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh resigns on behalf of himself and the rest of the cabinet during the weekly cabinet meeting in Ramallah, saying “the next stage and its challenges require new governmental and political arrangements that take into account the new reality in Gaza and the need for a Palestinian-Palestinian consensus based on Palestinian unity.” Shtayyeh says he submitted his resignation to President Mahmoud Abbas on 2/20 but formally submitted his resignation in writing today. Abbas accepts the resignation of Shtayyeh and the rest of the cabinet, asking him and the rest of the ministers to stay on as caretakers until a new government is formed. Shtayyeh, who has been prime minister since March 2019, also cites the genocide in Gaza and the “unprecedent escalation in the West Bank and Jerusalem” as reasons for resigning. Before Shtayyeh’s resignation, over the weekend it was rumored that the Palestinian government would resign in order to facilitate the formation of a technocratic government to be led by the PA as requested by the U.S. (HA 2/25; AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 2/26; AP, HA 2/27)

The New York Times reports that Israel has agreed to release 15 high-profile Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 5 female Israeli soldiers as part of the potential ceasefire deal. U.S. president Joe Biden says he hopes a ceasefire agreement can be reached by 3/4. Axios reports that Israeli military chief of staff Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet director Ronen Bar traveled to Egypt last week to assure the Egyptian government that Israel will take measures to prevent Palestinians from fleeing to Egypt during its planned invasion of Rafah. A delegation of Israeli officials arrive in Qatar for ceasefire talks. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says Palestinians will not be allowed to return to northern Gaza until all Israeli captives are released. Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi and U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken discuss the ceasefire negotiations. (AJ, AP, AX, AX, HA, NYT, REU, REU 2/26; AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU 2/27)

Israeli industry minister Nir Barkat meets with Saudi minister of commerce Majid bin Abdullah Alkassabi on the sidelines of a World Trade Organization meeting in the UAE, saying the 2 countries can “make history together.” (AJ 2/26)

During the sixth and final day of the ICJ hearings on the legality of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, the Arab League calls the occupation an “affront to international justice” and says Israel perpetrates “racial domination and apartheid” against Palestinians. Turkey, Zambia, Spain, Fiji, the Maldives, the African Union, and the OIC also present arguments. During the 6 days of hearings, only the U.S., Fiji, Hungary, and the UK spoke in favor of Israel’s argument that the court should not make a decision on the occupation while 50 other countries and organizations argued, to varying degrees, that the occupation is illegal and has to end. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/26; WAFA 2/27)

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres says the UN Security Council’s “lack of unity on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and on Israel’s military operations in Gaza following the horrific terror attacks by Hamas on 7 October, has severely—perhaps fatally—undermined its authority,” calling for reform of the council. Arab diplomats meet with Guterres, warning him about Israeli plans to severely limit the number of worshippers allowed at the Haram al-Sharif compound during Ramadan. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA 2/26)

USAID administrator Samantha Power visits a World Food Programme warehouse in Jordan, saying only around 85 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza a day while around 500 are needed. (AJ, HA 2/26)

President Biden reiterates in an interview his previous claim that without Israel, Jews living throughout the world would not be safe. (AJ 2/27)

Israel submits a report on progress it has made since the ICJ issued provisional measures to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza as part of the South African genocide case against Israel. Human Rights Watch says Israel has ignored the ICJ provisional measures and “in some ways even intensified its repression, including further blocking lifesaving aid.” Amnesty International also says Israel has failed to comply with the measures. (Airwars, AJ, HA, HA, WAFA 2/26; NYT 2/27)

EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borrell criticizes European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in an interview with El Pais, saying her trip to Israel in October 2023 “with such a completely pro-Israeli position, without representing anyone but herself in a matter of international politics, has carried a high geopolitical cost for Europe.” Borrell also says Israeli prime minister Benjamin “Netanyahu’s plans for Gaza are unacceptable. The seeds of hatred are being sown for generations. It is an open secret that the Israelis funded Hamas and played at dividing the Palestinians.” (AJ, EP 2/26)

19,012 artists sign an open letter calling on Israel to be banned from the Venice Biennale, saying there should not be a “genocide pavilion at the Venice Biennale.” Italian minister of culture Gennaro Sanguiliano rejects the call, saying the letter is “shameful.” The Biennale later issues a statement saying it would “not take into consideration any petition or call to exclude” countries. (AJ, ANGA, HA 2/26; AJ, AJ, REU 2/27; AP, NYT 2/28)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Qibya. Israeli settlers also assault and pepper spray 2 Palestinians before stealing their car in Susiya. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers open fire at a vehicle traveling near Yanun, causing it to crash; no serious injuries are reported. Israeli settlers also throw stones at vehicles traveling near an-Nassariya, causing damage. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers set fire to a vehicle during a raid in Burin. Israeli forces shoot and injure 2 Palestinians during a riad in Jalazone refugee camp. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian child during a raid in Jayyus. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian during a raid in Tell. Israeli forces also issue demolition notices for 2 homes and a water well in Khallet al-Fara. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 11 Palestinians during raids in Dheisheh refugee camp, Nahalin, Beit Fajjar, Za’atra, and Irtah. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces assault Palestinians while preventing them from reaching the Haram al-Sharif compound for Friday prayers in the Old City and Wadi al-Juz. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, and Gaza City, killing at least 104 people, including at least 24 in a home in Dayr al-Balah. A 2-year-old Palestinian dies at al-Shifa Hospital due to hunger. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Bint Jbeil, killing 2 paramedics. Israeli forces also bomb Kafr Kila and Labbouneh. In the Red Sea, the U.S. military says it shot down 3 suicide drones launched from Yemen. In Yemen, U.S. and UK forces attack 3 sites in Ras Issa. (AJ, AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/23; AJ, AJ 2/25)

More than 29,514 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children and 7,200 women, and around 69,616 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 399 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 102 children. More than 4,545 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 235 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,396 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 50 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/23; UNOCHA 2/26)

It is revealed that Izz al-Din Ziyad al-Banna died in Ramla Prison on 2/20, becoming the 10^th Palestinian prisoner to die in Israel custody since 10/7. (AJ, WAFA 2/23; WAFA 2/24)

UNRWA says it no longer is able to operate in northern Gaza and only has “a few staff” left in the area. (AJ, WAFA 2/23)

Israel bans Palestinian vehicles from traveling on Road 417 in the West Bank between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. for 15 days, citing the attack that killed an Israeli on 2/22. (AJ, HA 2/23; UNOCHA 2/26)

Hamas releases a statement saying its delegation to Egypt for ceasefire negotiations, led by political leader Ismail Haniyeh, has left the country after 3 days of meetings with Egyptian officials, including intelligence chief Abbas Kamel. Osama Hamdan later gives a briefing calling on Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem to mobilize in defense of the Haram al-Sharif compound as Israel is planning to limit the number of people allowed to enter the compound for Ramadan. Hamdan also says Israel is not serious about reaching a ceasefire deal. (AJ, HA 2/23)

The UN Human Rights Office calls for a review of human rights violations in Palestinian territories and in Israel and for an arms embargo against Israel. (WAFA, WAFA 2/23; HA, HA, NYT 2/24)

Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz calls on the UN Security Council to pressure Lebanon to take action against Hezbollah and ensure that the area south of the Litani River is demilitarized, warning that Israel will take action. (AJ 2/23)

7 Israeli human rights organizations, including B’Tselem, Doctors for Human Rights, Breaking the Silence, and Gisha, call on countries to restore funding for UNRWA, saying the Israeli allegations do “not justify the punitive freeze on the Agency’s funding.” (AJ 2/23)

During the fifth day of the ICJ hearings on the legality of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, the UK argues against the ICJ providing an advisory opinion on the issue, calling the occupation a bilateral dispute. Norway, Namibia, Oman, Pakistan, Indonesia, Qatar, Syria, Tunisia, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Sudan criticize the Israeli occupation. (AJ, AJ, WAFA 2/23)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken calls Israeli settlements “inconsistent with international law,” reversing what is dubbed the Pompeo Doctrine, when in 2019 the Trump administration reversed U.S. policy to declare Israeli settlements “not per se inconsistent with international law.” Blinken also calls the Israeli settlement expansion announcement from 2/22 disappointing. Germany condemns the Israeli settlement expansion announcement. The UK calls the announcement “deeply concerning.” (AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, REU 2/23; AJ, NYT, NYT 2/24)

The American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) New York branch informs Columbia University that if the university does not reinstate the local chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace by 3/1 the school will be sued by the ACLU. (AJ 2/23)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault 3 Palestinians in ‘Asira al-Qibliya. Israeli settlers also assault 2 Palestinian children in al-Mufaqara in the Masafer Yatta area. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities force a Palestinian family to demolish their own home in Silwan. Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian during a raid in Shu’fat refugee camp. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, and Beit Hanun, killing at least 83 people. Israel’s military says it has arrested around 100 Palestinians at the Nasser Hospital, claiming they are terror suspects. In Lebanon, Israel attacks Jabel Blat and Wadi Hamoul. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb Mahajjah, causing damage. In Yemen, U.S. forces attack 5 Houthi-linked sites. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/17; AJ, NYT, REU 2/18; UNOCHA 2/19)

More than 28,858 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children and 7,200 women, and around 68,677 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 390 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 100 children. More than 4,499 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 232 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,361 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 4 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (WAFA 2/17; UNOCHA, UNOCHA 2/19)

Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani says ceasefire negotiations are “not very promising” but that they will continue. Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh says that Hamas will not accept anything less than an end to hostilities and the lifting of the siege. (AJ, HA, REU 2/17; AJ 2/18)

PA prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh meets with South African president Cyril Ramaphosa at the sidelines of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa. Shtayyeh also addresses the summit, saying “[l]et the voice of Africa and the voice of the union be loud for the freedom of Palestine and the right of its people to self-determination and the embodiment of the Palestinian state and its recognition as a member of the United Nations.” (AJ, AP, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/17)

North Sinai governor Mohamed Abdel Fadhil Shousha says the leveling of land and building of walls near Gaza is to provide facilities for the delivery of aid and not for receiving Palestinian refugees. (AJ 2/17)

UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini says Israel is seeking to destroy UNRWA because it thinks the agency’s abolition would resolve the status of the Palestinian refugees. (AJ, AP, WAFA 2/17)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects international pressure for a 2-state solution, calling it “a reward for terrorism” and says he halted the ceasefire negotiations due to Hamas’s demands being “delusional.” President Isaac Herzog claims that medication brought into Gaza for Israeli captives has not reached the captives yet. (AJ, HA, NYT, REU 2/17)

Norway says Israel and the PA are close to reaching an agreement on the unfreezing of the PA’s tax revenue. (AJ, HA 2/17; HA 2/18; AJ 2/19)

U.S. envoy for humanitarian issues in the Middle East David Satterfield says Israel has not presented evidence that Hamas is diverting UN aid in Gaza. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says at the Munich Security Conference that there is an urgent need to create a Palestinian state and an extraordinary opportunity for Israel to normalize ties with its neighbors. U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield says the U.S. will veto a ceasefire resolution drafted by Algeria at the UN Security Council. (AJ, HA, REU, REU 2/17; AJ, AJ, HA, WAFA 2/18)

EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borrell says the EU has asked Israel not to invade Rafah. (AJ, WAFA 2/17)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbs to injuries sustained from Israeli forces in Kafr Ain on 1/22. Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near Bizarya, causing damage. Israeli settlers also assault Palestinian shepherds in Umm al-Khair, causing injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers raid Huwwara, vandalizing homes and vehicles. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man and injure another at the Dayr Sharaf checkpoint; Israel claims the dead man opened fire at Israeli soldiers. Israeli forces also punitively demolish the family home in Hebron of a Palestinian man killed by Israeli forces in Beit Jala on 11/16/2023; the demolition is carried out with explosives, damaging other apartments in the building. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolish an agricultural structure in Yatma. Israeli forces also arrest 5 Palestinians during a raid in Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 10 Palestinians, including 4 children, at the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Rafah, Maghazi, Dayr al-Balah, and Khan Yunis, killing at least 130 people. Israeli forces also shoot and kill a Palestinian doctor while his is operating on a patient in the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. In Lebanon, Hezbollah attacks 2 Israeli bases, injuring 3 soldiers in Kiryat Shmona. 30 rockets are also fired at Ein Zeitim and Dalton. Israeli forces kill a Hezbollah member in an airstrike on Nabatieh, others are reportedly injured. Israel also attacks Khiam and Kafrhamam. In Yemen, the U.S. military says it has conducted 7 airstrikes. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/8; AJ, AP, HA, REU 2/9)

More than 27,840 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 11,500 children and 7,200 women, and around 67,317 have been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 383 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 1,314 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 650,000 Palestinians in Gaza have no homes to return to and that there are an estimated 12 million tons of debris from Israeli bombings that needs to be cleared. (HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/8; AJ 2/9)

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society says Muhammad Ahmad al-Sabar, a Palestinian held in administrative detention since May 2022, has died in the Ofer Prison. Al-Sabar is the eighth prisoner to die in Israeli custody since 10/7/2023. (AJ, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/8)

Israeli forces release 71 Palestinians from Gaza at the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing. The New York Times reports that U.S. intelligence officers told Congress that they believe Israeli forces have killed a third of Hamas militants. (AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA 2/8; AJ, HA, NYT 2/9)

A Hamas delegation led by political bureau deputy leader Khalil al-Hayya arrives in Cairo for meetings with Qatari and Egyptian officials on a ceasefire deal. The Israeli war cabinet discusses the Hamas response to the ceasefire proposal. (AJ, HA 2/8)

UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk says Israel’s destruction of homes to create a buffer zone in Gaza “amounts to a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and [is] a war crime.” (AJ, NYT 2/8)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken meets with Israeli war cabinet members Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot and opposition leader Yair Lapid on the second day of his visit to Israel. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says Israel moving its troops to Rafah “without due consideration for their [Palestinians sheltering there] safety would be a disaster and we would not support it.” President Joe Biden issues a memorandum saying countries receiving U.S. military aid must assure the U.S. that they are adhering to international law and requiring the state and defense departments to send a report to Congress within 90 days on the use of U.S.-supplied weapons. Biden also says in a speech that Israel’s response in Gaza has been “over the top,” and that innocent people in Gaza are “starving, in trouble and dying. It’s got to stop.” In the speech, Biden mistakenly calls Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi the president of Mexico. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT 2/8; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU 2/9)

The U.S. Senate advances a supplemental foreign aid only bill, including $14 billion to Israel in a procedural 67-32 vote. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) is the only Democrat to vote against it. (HA, REU 2/8)

The ICJ says Nicaragua has requested to join South Africa in the genocide case against Israel. (AJ, WAFA 2/8)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man, claiming he tried to attack soldiers near the Beit Furik checkpoint. Israeli forces also demolish a home, issue demolition notices for 6 others in al-Nuweimah, and demolish a retaining wall in Bani Na’im. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces demolish part of a Palestinian home in Silwan. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Jabalia refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, and Gaza City, killing at least 107 people, including the director of the Palestinian Information Center in the Gaza Strip Rizq al-Gharabli. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attack Jabel Blat and Khula. Hezbollah says it hit “spy equipment” in Shuba Hills. Anti-tank fire injures 2 Israeli soldiers near Mitzpe Adi. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb Homs, killing and injuring several people. In the Red Sea, Houthi forces say they attacked a UK and a U.S. ship with naval missiles. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/6; AJ, AP, AP, HA 2/7)

More than 27,585 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. 376 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 95 children. More than 4,417 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, 224 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. 103 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah crossing. Israelis block the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, preventing the entry of 132 trucks. UNOCHA says the Israeli evacuation order in Gaza now covers 66% of the area. (AJ, AP, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/6; AJ 2/7; UNOCHA 2/8)

Israel’s public defender’s office issues a report based on visits to the Carmel, Damon, and Eshel prisons and the Russian Compound, saying conditions for all prisoners are deteriorating and noting that half of all prisoners have less than 29.5 square feet of space while around 3,400 prisoners are sleeping on mattresses on the floor. The report says that prisoners are experiencing “[i]ntolerable overcrowding; poor sanitary conditions; hygiene problems and infestations; poor ventilations; a lack of basic equipment.” (HA 2/7)

Hamas responds to the Israeli, U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian ceasefire proposal. Hamas official Ghazi Hamad says Hamas is seeking to have as many Palestinian prisoners released as possible.   Hamas also says its response was delayed due to many issues in the proposal being “unclear and ambiguous.” Qatar calls the response “mostly positive.” Israel says it is “thoroughly” evaluating the response. U.S. president Joe Biden calls the Hamas response “a little over the top.” (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU 2/6; AJ 2/7)

The PA says it will pay civil servants 60% of their December salaries this week as Israel continues to withhold the PA’s tax revenue. (HA, REU 2/6)

The Israeli military opens an investigation into allegation its forces killed Israelis on 10/7/2023. The military also says that it believes that 32 additional captives out of the 136 remaining captives held in Gaza have been killed. Haaretz reports that the Israeli military has begun investigating dozens of incidents in Gaza that are suspected to have violated international law, including killings of civilians and targeting of hospitals, schools, and government institutions. The New York Times releases an investigation showing Israeli soldiers posting videos on social media of themselves gleefully destroying civilian property. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU 2/6; NYT 2/7)

Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz meets with the UN envoy for humanitarian aid to Gaza Sigrid Kaag, saying the UN must find a way to bypass UNRWA in delivering aid. (AJ 2/6)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken meets with Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani in Doha, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo, and later travels to Israel. At a press conference with Al Thani, Blinken says the U.S. will be promoting steps toward a Palestinian state and Israeli normalization deals after the war in Gaza. He also calls the notion that Hezbollah and the Houthi Movement are acting in solidarity with Palestinians “absolutely wrong,” saying their actions are “fundamentally about Iran’s quest for power.” Al Thani says suspending UNRWA funding would “have catastrophic consequences.” (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU 2/6; AJ, NYT 2/7)

The U.S. House of Representatives rejects a standalone bill for $17.6 billion in assistance to Israel, unlike the Senate bill which includes Ukraine, Taiwan, and border funding. President Joe Biden previously said he would veto the House bill. Congressperson Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) calls Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “genocidal maniac.” (HA, NYT, REU 2/6; AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, NYT 2/7)

The ICJ elects Ugandan judge Julia Sebutinde as its vice president for a 3-year period. Sebutinde was the only judge on the 17-member panel to vote against all provisional measures in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel in January. Lebanese judge Nawaf Salam is elected president of the ICJ. (AJ 2/7)

Lebanese foreign minister Abdallah Bou Habib says after a meeting with his French counterpart Stephane Sojourne that he was warned that Israel might launch a war on Lebanon. (AJ 2/6)

Newly elected far-right Argentinian president Javier Milei arrives in Israel, telling Foreign Minister Katz upon his arrival that his plan is to move the Argentinian embassy to East Jerusalem. Milei also meets with President Isaac Herzog. (AJ, AP, HA, HA 2/6; AJ, HA, NYT 2/7)

The regional government of Wallonia in Belgium suspends its 2 ammunition export licenses to Israel. (AJ 2/6)

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

More than 26,900 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 10,600 children and 7,200 women, and around 65,946 have been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 374 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 94 children. More than 4,387 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 222 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,293 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 1/31)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More than 26,751 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 10,600 children and 7,200 women, and around 65,636 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 374 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 94 children. More than 4,382 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 222 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,283 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 134 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA 1/30)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted 10 olive trees in Kafr ad-Dik. Israeli settlers with a military escort also raided al-Twana, assaulting Palestinians. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers blocked the entrance to Deir Balut. Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man, claiming he had injured 2 Israeli soldiers in a car ramming near Atuf. Israeli forces also shot and killed a Palestinian outside of the Ofer Prison, injuring 4 others with live ammunition. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raided Tulkarm, damaging infrastructure and Palestinian property. Israeli forces also assaulted and detained 3 Palestinian farmers in Khirbet Yanun. Meanwhile, Israeli forces shot and injured 2 Palestinians during raids in Idhna and Arrabah. Israeli forces also demolished 5 homes and 6 water tanks in Farasin. Separately, Israeli forces seized a home in Karma, turning it into a military outpost. In the western part of Jerusalem, 2 Palestinian gunmen were killed after they opened fire at a bus station, killing 3 people and wounding 16 others. An Israeli civilian was killed by the soldier who killed the 2 Palestinians after the soldier mistook him for a Palestinian. The soldier was later arrested for the killing of the Israeli after a video circulated showing he had his hands raised in the air. Hamas said the 2 gunmen were members of its armed wing. Israeli forces subsequently arrested members of the families of the 2 Palestinians in Sur Baher. In Gaza, a Palestinian man succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces on 11/29 in Beit Hanun. Israeli forces shot and injured an Israeli journalist in southern Gaza. In Lebanon, Israel said it shot down an “aerial target” crossing from Lebanon. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/30; AP, HA 12/3; HA 12/4)

The Gaza Media Office did not update the casualty numbers, leaving the death toll from Israeli attacks at 15,000 as of 11/27, including 6,150 children and 4,000 women, and around 35,000 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 242 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 63 children. More than 3,200 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 1.8 million Palestinians, nearly 80% 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 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. Israel said that at least 2,005 soldiers have been wounded since 10/7. Dozens of trucks carrying aid entered Gaza, including 7 trucks carrying fuel. 14 ambulances provided by Saudi Arabia also arrived in Gaza. Gaza’s Ministry of Health said hundreds of Palestinians needed to be evacuated to hospitals outside of Gaza for treatment. 30 people were evacuated to Egypt, including 9 wounded. 91 Palestinians returned to Gaza from Egypt and 31 medical staffers from the UAE and 2 UN staffers entered Gaza. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 11/30; UNOCHA 12/1)

The temporary ceasefire that was set to expire at 7 a.m. was extended for an additional day into 12/1. 30 Palestinian prisoners, 8 women and 22 children, were released from Israeli prisons on the seventh day of the prisoner exchange. 8 Israeli captives were released from Gaza. 2 Russian Israelis released on 10/29 were counted as released today to uphold the 1 to 3 prisoner release ratio that the parties had agreed to. Israel reportedly rejected a proposal from Hamas to exchange 7 captives and the bodies of 3 captives who had been killed in Israeli airstrikes. Egypt and Qatar said they continued efforts to extend the ceasefire by 2 days. Parents of Palestinians released in the prisoner exchanges called on the Red Cross to investigate the treatment of Palestinians after freed Palestinians said they were beaten and mistreated in prison.  (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, AX, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/30; AJ, AP, NYT 12/1)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and attended a meeting of the Israeli war cabinet. Blinken urged Israel to account “for humanitarian and civilian needs in southern Gaza before any military operation there,” and to curb settler violence in the West Bank. Blinken also reportedly expressed support for Israel’s continued war but warned that the longer it takes the more pressure there would be on Israel and the U.S. Blinken also met PA president Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, saying the 2 discussed the need for reforms in the PA to combat corruption, aid to Gaza, and settler violence. Abbas presented Blinken with a file documenting Israeli crimes in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and urged Blinken to support a lasting ceasefire. (AJ, AJ, AX, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 11/30; AP 12/1; HA 12/4)

Israeli energy minister Israel Katz called on Israel to punish the families of the 2 Palestinian gunmen that killed 3 Israelis in Jerusalem, saying they should lose their East Jerusalem residency cards. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir responded to the shooting by saying Israel will distribute more weapons to Israeli civilians. (AJ 11/30)

Higher Arab Monitoring Committee chairperson Mohammed Barakeh petitioned the Israeli High Court of Justice to end the Israel’s ban on protests in Palestinian communities in Israel. (HA 11/30; WAFA 12/2)

Qatari minister of state for international cooperation Lolwah al-Khater visited Gaza, meeting with Thomas White, the director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza. (AJ 11/30)

ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan visited Israel, touring areas attacked by Hamas on 10/7. Khan was invited to visit Israel by Israeli families that have relatives held captive in Gaza. In an interview with Haaretz, Khan said he had “reason to believe” that Hamas had committed crimes under international law on 10/7. Khan also said he was looking into settler attacks in the West Bank and the large casualty numbers in Gaza. Palestinian rights organizations urged Khan to visit Gaza. (AJ 11/30; HA 12/2)

Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez said he doubted that Israel respected international humanitarian law and called Israel’s resumption of attacks in Gaza unacceptable. Israel subsequently summoned the Spanish ambassador for a reprimand and recalled its ambassador to Spain for consultations. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 11/30)

Jordan hosted an aid conference for Gaza. King Abdullah II condemned Israel for not allowing sufficient aid into Gaza. (REU 11/29; AJ, REU 11/30)

A +972 Magazine and Local Call investigation based on interviews with 7 current and former members of the Israeli intelligence community, Palestinian testimonies, data, and documentation from Gaza revealed that Israel had increased its attacks on what it calls “power targets,” which include private buildings, infrastructure, and high-rise blocks, to create a shock effect among civilians. According to the sources, the goal of bombing these civilian targets is to “lead civilians to put pressure on Hamas.” Several sources also said Israel has files that show its assessment of how many civilians will be killed in the bombing of these civilian targets. A source told the 2 publications that Israel had increased its permitted “collateral damage” from dozens when targeting a Hamas commander to hundreds and that Israel is fully aware how many civilians will be killed in its attacks. The sources also revealed that Israel use AI-based systems, such as Habsora, to identify targets, including the suspected homes of junior members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The investigation also said that Israel had broken from previous protocol by allowing the targeting of residential buildings without warning the residents, with Israeli Air Force chief of staff Omer Tishler saying that the “roof knocking” policy does not apply to war. Israel estimated that it had killed 1,000-3,000 Palestinian militants in Gaza out of at least 15,000 casualties. (+972, AJ 11/30)

The Washington Post reported that in late October Pope Francis told Israeli president Isaac Herzog in a phone call not “to respond to terror with terror”. (AJ, HA 11/30)

German and Belgian police searched homes of people who allegedly made social media posts in support of Hamas in Munster, Nordhorn, and Eupen. (AJ, HA 11/30)

Al Jazeera said its analysis of hundreds of speeches at the UN found that 55% of nations that have spoken on the issue of the situation in Gaza have called for a ceasefire, while 23% have called for a “pause,” and 22% did not call for either a pause or a ceasefire. (AJ 11/30)

The New York Times reported that Israeli military and intelligence officers knew of Hamas’ plans for Operation Al-Aqsa Flood but dismissed the attack as aspirational. The Israeli military obtained a 40-page document it called “Jericho Wall” outlining the plans for the operation, which the Times said was followed “with shocking precision.” The document showed that Hamas had intricate knowledge of Israeli military bases, prompting questions of whether it had informants in the Israeli military. (NYT 11/30; AP 12/1; NYT 12/2)

MSNBC cancelled The Mehdi Hasan Show, hosted by Mehdi Hasan, from 1/1/2024, saying it was making changes in preparation for the 2024 U.S. presidential elections. MSNBC was criticized for silencing voices critical of Israel with its cancelation of the show. Hasan was pulled off air for a period after the Israeli attacks started on 10/7. (AJ 11/30)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces attacked Palestinian farmers in Kisan and set fire to crops in Qaryut. Israeli settlers stole an olive harvest in Khirbet Yanun. Israeli forces continued their large-scale raid of Jenin, fatally shooting 4 people, including 2 children aged 8 and 15, and Mohammad Zubeidi, the son of prominent Islamic Jihad member Zakaria Zubeidi. Israeli airstrikes in the city destroyed a home and a vehicle while Israeli bulldozers tore up pavements, electric poles, and water and sewage pipes. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinians near the Ofer Prison, injuring 1 with live ammunition and others with tear gas. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinians trying to retrieve their belongings in Tal al-Hawa and at a fishing boat off the coast of Dayr al-Balah. Doctors returning to al-Nasr Hospital in Gaza City said they found 5 partially decomposed bodies of premature babies after Israeli forces had retreated from the hospital. In the Red Sea, the U.S. said it shot down a drone that was launched from Yemen. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/29)

The Gaza Media Office did not update the casualty numbers, leaving the death toll from Israeli attacks at 15,000 as of 11/27, including 6,150 children and 4,000 women, and around 35,000 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 238 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 63 children. More than 3,200 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 1.8 million Palestinians, nearly 80% 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. Al-Shifa Hospital said it would be able to reopen its emergency department on 11/30. Al-Ahli Arab Hospital and As Sahaba Hospital in Gaza City received 2,600 gallons of fuel, enabling them to run their generators for 7 days. The Red Crescent said it had delivered 21 truckloads of aid to northern Gaza. 10 wounded Palestinians were evacuated to Egypt while 74 Palestinians were able to return to Gaza. (AJ 11/28; AJ, HA, UNOCHA 11/29)

30 Palestinian prisoners, 15 children and 15 women, including prominent activist Ahed Tamimi who was arrested on 11/6, were released from Israeli prisons on the sixth day of the temporary ceasefire. 16 captives were released from Gaza to Israel, including 4 Thai nationals, 1 American Israeli, and 2 Russian Israelis. Hamas said it was working very hard to extend the ceasefire, which ends on 11/30. U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken, who is scheduled to visit the Middle East this week, said the U.S. would like to see the ceasefire extended and that the topic of the future government of Gaza should be discussed. Hamas released a statement saying an Israeli airstrike had killed 3 members of the same Israeli family, including 2 children. They did not say when the airstrike occurred. Israel said it believed that 159 captives were still being held in Gaza. Russian ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov said the release of the 2 Israelis with Russian citizenship was done in direct coordination with Hamas. (REU 11/28; AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA 11/29; AP, NYT, REU, WAFA 11/30)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas called for an international conference to end the Israeli occupation. (HA 11/29)

Israeli Foreign Ministry deputy director general for strategic affairs Joshua Zarka said Israel “will settle accounts with Qatar” after the captives are returned to Gaza, saying “Qatar played a bad role in everything related to hosting and legitimizing Hamas’ activities.” (AJ, HA 11/29)

A delegation of foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic countries, including the PA, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Qatar Indonesia, and Nigeria met with the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres at the UN headquarters in New York, discussing the situation in Gaza. (WAFA, WAFA 11/29)

The UN Security Council met to discuss the situation in Gaza. PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki told the council that the temporary ceasefire must become permanent to end the slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza, saying “this is not a war.” U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the U.S. was deeply troubled by the sharp rise in Israeli settler attacks in the West Bank and said the U.S. supports a longer ceasefire. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/29)

U.S. officials told Reuters that the Biden administration had asked Israel to narrow the zone of combat and tell Palestinians where to seek shelter from their attacks. (REU 11/29)

U.S. senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said he spoke to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who told him that the White House will not seek to place conditions on U.S. aid to Israel, despite earlier comments to the contrary. Sullivan met with dozens of senators on 11/28, discussing a $14.3 billion military aid package to Israel. Van Hollen and senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Jack Reed (D-RI) issued a statement expressing concern that the White House told them that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to start invading the southern Gaza after the ceasefire. (HA, NYT 11/29; AP 11/30)

UN office in Geneva director-general Tatiana Valovaya said “it is long past time to move in a determined, irreversible way towards a two-state solution, on the basis of the United Nation resolutions and international law,” during a speech on the occasion of the UN Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 11/29)

The French foreign ministry said the country was open to EU talks on sanctioning Israeli settlers who commit acts of violence against Palestinians. (REU 11/29)

In the West Bank, armed Israeli settlers assaulted 1 Palestinian and threatened others during a raid in Yarza. Israeli settlers also attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in Khirbet Quweis in the Masafer Yatta area, stealing the olive harvest and a tractor. Israeli forces shot and injured 8 Palestinians during a raid in Beit Umar. Israeli forces also opened fire at vehicles near Ya’bad, causing damage. 50 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Fawwar refugee camp, Beit Umar, Bethlehem, Jaba’, Balata refugee camp, Deir Jarir, and Nil’in. 1 Israeli soldier was lightly wounded by gunfire near Nabi Ilyas. In Gaza, Israeli forces killed 231 Palestinians and injured 650 others. Israel bombed al-Nasser Children’s Hospital and al-Wafa Hospital in Gaza City, reportedly killing patients and causing damage, including to solar panels. Israel also bombed al-Fakhoora School in Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least 15 people and injuring 45. Hamas said it killed 5 Israeli soldiers northwest of Gaza City. Rockets were fired at Israel, causing damage. In Lebanon, Israel conducted airstrikes and Hezbollah attacked several Israeli army posts. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, REU, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/4; WAFA 11/5; HA 11/6)

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 9,488 Palestinians have been killed, including 3,900 children and 2,430 women, and 24,173 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 2,200 people were buried in rubble, including 1,250 children. 144 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 43 children. More than 2,274 people have been injured. Around 1,400 Israelis, including foreign nationals, have been killed and 5,431 injured since 10/7. Over 1.5 million Palestinians, more than half 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 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. The generators at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza shutdown due to a lack of fuel. 30 truckloads of aid entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing. No injured people or foreign passport holders were evacuated to Egypt. (AJ, AP, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 11/4)

Hamas military spokesperson Abu Obeida said 60 Israeli captives were missing after intense Israeli bombing and that the bodies of 23 captives were trapped under rubble. Abu Obeida also said Hamas fighters had destroyed 24 Israeli military vehicles in Gaza in the past 24 hours. (AJ, HA, REU 11/4)

Iranian state-run IRNA news agency said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. (REU 11/4; AP, REU 11/5)

Al-Haq said it had documented abuses of Palestinian workers from Gaza who were in Israel on 10/7, including beatings, arbitrary detention, having their property stolen, and degrading treatment. 1 worker said he saw people beaten to the point that they were unable to walk, and dead Palestinians being urinated on by Israeli settlers. (AJ 11/4)

Axios reported that Israeli officials told the news outlet that Israel was working on a plan accept the delivery of fuel to southern Gaza under an international monitoring regime. (AJ, AX 11/4)

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said when Israel finishes its attack on Gaza, the area will be under Israeli military control for years. (HA 11/4; HA 11/5)

Turkey and Chad recalled their diplomats in Israel. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also said that Israeli prime minister Benjamin “Netanyahu is no longer someone we can talk to. We have written him off.” (AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU, WAFA 11/4; WAFA 11/5; HA 11/6)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken met with the foreign ministers of Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, and Qatar in Oman. Lebanese caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati, who also took part, urged Blinken to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and to end “Israeli aggression” in southern Lebanon. Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi said Israel was committing war crimes and that Jordan does not accept the Israeli claim that Israel is acting in self-defense. Blinken dismissed the group’s call for a ceasefire, insisting on calling for “pauses.” Before meeting Blinken, the group held a meeting with PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, WAFA 11/4; AP 11/6)

Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian spoke with UK foreign minister James Cleverly, discussing the situation in Gaza. (AJ 11/4)

France said Israel had hit a French cultural institute in Gaza, saying it was in dialogue with Israel to understand why the institute was hit. Agence French Presse (AFP) called for an investigation into the Israeli bombing of its offices in Gaza City, saying the Israeli statement on the bombing “does not explain the extent of the damage caused to the AFP bureau,” and that the bombing “sends a deeply troubling message to all the journalists working in such difficult conditions in Gaza.”  (AJ 11/4)

U.S. president Joe Biden said progress had been made on the issue of “humanitarian pauses.” U.S. senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) called for “pauses,” saying Israel was violating international law with its indiscriminate killing in Gaza and that Israel was offending U.S. values. (AJ, AP 11/4)

Thousands of people protested in Washington D.C., Paris, Berlin, London, and elsewhere around the world, demanding an end to the Israeli attacks on Gaza. 300,000 reportedly partook in the demonstrations in Washington D.C. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, WAFA 11/4; AJ, AJ, NYT, WAFA 11/5)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set fire to 2 cars in Huwwara. Israeli settlers also vandalized 70 olive trees in Yasuf. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers uprooted 30 olive and grape trees and damaged water tanks and solar panels in Shaab al-Butum in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli settlers also assaulted Palestinians in Kisan. Israeli forces carried out an airstrike from a fighter jet on al-Anasari Mosque in Jenin, killing 2 Palestinians. It was the first time since the Second Intifada that Israel has used fighter jets in the West Bank. Israeli forces shot and killed 5 others, including a minor, during raids in Qabatiya, Tammun, Zawata, and Askar refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian they claimed had tried to ram Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint near al-Arroub refugee camp. Israeli forces also seized a bulldozer and arrested the driver in Qablan. 52 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Ramallah, al-Bireh, Hebron, Nablus, Qabatiya, Kafr Ra’i, Tubas, and Salfit, including al-Bireh mayor Islam al-Tawil. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed a protest in support of Gaza, arresting 6 people. In Gaza, Israeli forces killed nearly 400 Palestinians in airstrikes. Israeli forces also targeted the vicinity of al-Shifa and al-Quds hospitals. An Israeli soldier was killed and 3 wounded in anti-tank fire during a raid in near Khan Yunis. Rockets were fired at Israel causing no new fatalities. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked and killed militants in a missile strike that were allegedly firing anti-tank missiles at Israel. In Syria, Israeli forces fired missiles at Damascus and Aleppo international airports, killing 2 airport workers in Damascus and causing enough damage to close both airports. In Egypt, Israeli tank fire hit an Egyptian military post, injuring 7; Israeli called the incident an accident. (AP 10/20; AJ, HA 10/21; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, 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 10/22; AJ, HA, REU 10/23)

The Gaza Ministry of Health said as of 5 p.m. at least 4,651 Palestinians had been killed, including at least 1,524 children, and 14,245 had been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7, including 47 entire families consisting of 500 people. The UN said that about 70% of Palestinians killed in Gaza are children and women. It is estimated that hundreds are still trapped in rubble. In addition, Israeli media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. 92 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 27 children. More than 1,734 have been injured, including at least 360 with live ammunition. Israeli officials recorded no new fatalities, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals; 4,932 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. At least 26,756 housing units have been destroyed and 139,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. At least 42% of all housing units have been either destroyed or damaged in Israeli airstrikes. UNRWA said 29 of its staff members have been killed in Gaza since 10/7. AP reported that 17 aid trucks entered Gaza today, including 7 carrying fuel. The WHO said 4 trucks of medical supplies had entered Gaza to help more than 300,000 patients. The Gaza Ministry of Endowments said 31 mosques have been destroyed in Israeli airstrikes. (AJ 10/21; HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/22; HA 10/23)

The Palestinian Prisoners Society said 300 Palestinians have been placed in administrative detention and 1,130 have been arrested since 10/7. (AJ 10/21)

Israel evacuated 14 towns near the Blue Line. (HA 10/22)

Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian spoke with Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and Islamic Jihad secretary-general Ziyad al-Nakhalah. (AJ 10/21; HA 10/22; HA 10/23)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh met with 25 ambassadors and representatives in Ramallah, urging a united front in ending the Israeli attacks on Gaza. (WAFA 10/22)

Katyusha rockets were fired at the U.S. Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq. (HA 10/22)

Israeli president Isaac Herzog claimed that Hamas militants planned to use cyanide on Israelis, showing documents he said were found on a USB drive in the possession of militants killed by Israel. The documents Herzog presented did not seem authentic as the word “Al Qaeda” was written in English in a large font. (HA 10/22)

Israel closed its Public Diplomacy Ministry, allocating the budget of the ministry to rehabilitation of Israeli towns near the Gaza fence. (HA 10/22)

The New York Times reported that the U.S. has asked Israel to suspend its ground invasion of Gaza to allow negotiations over releasing more captives held by Hamas. President Joe Biden reiterated his belief that Israel has a “right to defend itself,” but said it must operate within the laws of war. Biden also discussed the situation in Gaza with Pope Francis. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. “expects a likelihood” of regional escalation and claimed that Hamas is preventing U.S. citizens from leaving Gaza. (AJ 10/21; AJ, HA, NYT, REU 10/22; HA 10/23)

President Biden, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, French president Emmanuel Macron, UK prime minister Rishi Sunak, German chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni issued a joint statement reaffirming their support for Israel’s war against Hamas, calling for the release of all captives, and calling for Israel to adhere to international law and protect Palestinian civilians. (AP 10/20; AJ, HA 10/22)

The Israeli Education Ministry removed Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg from the Israeli curriculum because of her support for Palestinians in Gaza and calls to end Israeli attacks. (HA 10/22)

Thousands marched in solidarity with Palestine in Copenhagen, Paris, Sydney, Brussels, Sarajevo, Sao Paolo, Santiago, and elsewhere. 2 people attacked a pro-Palestine demonstration in Skokie near Chicago, 1 attempted to ram protesters, while another, wearing an Israeli flag as a cape, sprayed pepper spray at protesters. Both were arrested. (WAFA 10/22; AJ 10/23)

In Gaza, an Israeli airstrike killed 471 Palestinians in al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City. The hospital, which was filled with patients and Palestinians seeking shelter from Israeli bombardment, had received evacuation warnings from Israel on 10/14, 10/15, and 10/16. Israel claimed it was an errant rocket fired by Hamas that caused the mass casualties, however all evidence presented by Israel was debunked in subsequent investigations. Other Israeli airstrikes killed around 200 Palestinians, mostly in Rafah and Khan Yunis. Israel also assassinated the head of Hamas’ Shura Council Osama Mazini, who led negotiations on the prisoner exchange that saw Gilad Shalit transferred to Israel in exchange for 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in 2011, and Hamas commanders Muhammad Alwadia, Ayman Nofal, and Akram Hijaz. Israeli airstrikes also reportedly killed 3 members of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh’s family. 6 were killed in an airstrike on an UNRWA school sheltering Palestinians in al-Maghazi. Rockets were fired at Israel, causing damage. In the West Bank, there were large demonstrations against the PA and the Israeli bombing of the al-Ahli Arab Hospital throughout the West Bank, with PA forces violently dispersing Palestinian protesters, killing a 12-year-old girl in Jenin with live ammunition, and injuring many others with tear gas. Israeli forces shot and killed 2 Palestinians, including a minor, during raids in Halhul and Nabi Salih. An elderly Palestinian succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces on 10/13 in Nablus. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinians, injuring 8 with live ammunition in Nablus. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assaulted an ambulance driver near al-Arroub refugee camp, causing a fractured arm and bruises. Israeli forces arrested Palestinian Legislative Council speaker Aziz Dweik during a raid. 115 others were arrested during raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Nablus, including 50 Palestinians from Gaza who were employed in Israel before being expelled to the West Bank. The Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners’ Affairs Authority said Israel has arrested 680 Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked targets north of the Blue Line. Hezbollah said it fired an anti-tank missile at a vehicle in Metula; 3 were reportedly injured. Israel said it killed 4 people who had entered Israel from Lebanon. 4 were also killed in an Israeli airstrike west of Yarine. In Jordan, protesters attempted to storm the Israeli embassy in Amman. (AP 10/7; AJ, AP, HA, REU 10/16; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/17; AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA 10/18)

The Gaza Ministry of Health said at least 3,500 Palestinians have been killed and 12,500 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7, including 47 entire families consisting of 500 people. In addition, Israeli media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. 61 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 13 children. More than 1,230 had been injured, including at least 300 with live ammunition. Israeli officials recorded no new fatalities, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,300 Israelis and foreign nationals; 4,229 have been injured since 10/7. The UN reported that over 1 million Palestinians 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. At least 11,887 housing units have been destroyed in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. The number is likely much higher as the latest data is from 10/14. The Palestinian civil defense team said that more than 1,000 Palestinians were under the rubble of buildings in Gaza. The Committee to Protect Journalists said 13 Palestinian, 3 Israeli, and 1 Lebanese journalist have been killed in attacks relating to the Israel-Hamas war since 10/7. (AJ 10/16; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 10/17; HA 10/18)

UNRWA said parts of southern Gaza, containing about 14% of the population, received water for 3 hours. The remaining seawater desalination plant in Gaza shut down due to a lack of fuel. (AJ 10/16; HA 10/17)

Hundreds of trucks carrying aid to Gaza were stuck near the Rafah crossing as Israel continued to prevent safe passage into Gaza. Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry said the crossing was not officially closed but was not functioning due to being targeted 4 times by Israel. (AJ 10/16; HA, REU, REU 10/17)

UN human rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said Israel’s siege and order to evacuate northern Gaza could breach international law. (AJ, REU 10/17)

Israel attempted to deny that it killed hundreds of Palestinian civilians in an airstrike on al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, presenting a range of questionable evidence to put the blame on Islamic Jihad. Israeli government social media accounts published what it claimed to be evidence that it was a rocket misfire not an airstrike, but later deleted the videos when a New York Times journalist questioned the timing of the videos. Military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said “[a]ccording to our intelligence, Hamas checked reports and understood it was a Palestinian Islamic Jihad misfire, then launched a global media campaign to inflate numbers of casualties.” Israel has previously employed misinformation campaigns to deflect blame for atrocities, on occasion then taking responsibility long after the event, as in the case of the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh. A UK Channel 4 investigation said evidence presented by Israel was both likely fabricated and contradictory, but did not reach a conclusion regarding the origin of the blast. Israeli president Isaac Herzog called reports that Israel conducted the airstrike “21st century blood libel.” Many Western leaders called for an investigation or referred to the loss of life without condemning the perpetrators. Leaders in the Middle East were unequivocal in their condemnation of the Israeli airstrike. King Abdullah II of Jordan, PA president Mahmoud Abbas, and Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi canceled meetings with U.S. president Joe Biden scheduled for 10/18 in Amman. The UAE and Russia called a meeting of the UN Security Council on 10/18 on the attack on the hospital. U.S. Defense Department spokesperson Sabrina Singh said in response to questions about the incident that Hamas puts “their command and control units inside hospitals,” adding the U.S. does not know who the perpetrator was. Biden said he spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu and that his national security team will gather information about the incident. Large demonstrations were held in Washington D.C., Turkey, Jordan, Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, and Morocco. (AJ, AP 10/16; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/17; AJ, AJ, AP, C4, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/18)

The PA foreign ministry accused Israel of ethnic cleansing and genocide aimed at removing all Palestinians from Gaza. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics said Israel has killed at least 3,057 Palestinians since the beginning of 2023, including 2,793 in Gaza and 264 in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. (WAFA, WAFA 10/17)

Fatah’s military wing, al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, called on President Abbas to step down as the head of Fatah’s Martyrs and Prisoners Commission. (AJ 10/18)

Military spokesperson Hagari ruled out a ceasefire, saying Israel continues to “prepare for the next stages of war.” Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said the Israeli campaign would take several months. The Israeli military also said that it could not confirm that white phosphorus was used in attacks on Gaza but maintained that it would not be “unlawful” in certain situations. Israeli police commissioner Kobi Shabtai said, “[w]hoever wants to become an Israeli citizen, welcome. Anyone who wants to identify with Gaza is welcome. I will put him on the buses heading there now.” Shabtai also said he had outlawed demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. (HA 10/17; AJ, HA, WAFA 10/18; AJ 10/19)

After the Israeli airstrike on al-Ahli Arab Hospital, President Abbas traveled back from Amman to Ramallah to hold an emergency meeting. In a speech Abbas called the airstrike a heinous crime and declared 3 days of mourning. Earlier in the day Abbas met with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken in Amman. Blinken later called Abbas to offer condolences on the massacre at al-Ahli Arab Hospital. PA envoy to the UN Riyad Mansour called on the UN Security Council to intervene by demanding a ceasefire. (AJ 10/16; AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/17; AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA 10/18)

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh spoke with South African foreign minister Nalendi Pandor, who conveyed support for Palestine and expressed sadness for the loss of innocent life in Gaza and Israel. (AJ 10/16; REU 10/18)

The Knesset National Security Committee approved legislation allowing Israeli prisons to admit new inmates above their legal capacity, which would worsen conditions for Palestinian prisoners. Since 10/7, family visits have been suspended, public phones have been blocked, and all electrical devices have been cut off from power. The Hadassah University Hospital refused to treat a Palestinian militant captured by Israel, saying it would “offend national feelings.” (HA, HA 10/17)

The U.S. announced that President Biden will visit Israel on 10/18. The New York Times reported that Biden’s visit will postpone Israel’s planned ground operation in Gaza by at least 24 hours. The Times also reported that Israel has asked the U.S. for $10 billion in emergency aid. Secretary of State Blinken said the announcement was made after Prime Minister Netanyahu committed to allowing aid to enter Gaza and to establishing safe zones at an 8-hour long meeting of the Israeli war cabinet that Blinken attended. New York governor Kathy Hochul said she will visit Israel. Biden also said he will visit Jordan. Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said he would push through an emergency aid package to Israel “as quickly as possible.” 6 Republican senators introduced legislation to end all U.S. funding for UNRWA. All senators except Rand Paul (I-KY) sponsored a resolution in support of Israel’s war against Hamas. (AJ, HA 10/16; AJ, HA, HA, REU, REU 10/17; HA 10/18)

King Abdullah II said Jordan and Egypt would not take in Palestinian refugees from Gaza, calling it a red line. Abdullah II also met with German chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin. Scholz warned Hezbollah and Iran to stay out of the Hamas-Israel war. Scholz later traveled to Israel where he met with Prime Minister Netanyahu, invoking the German genocide of the Jewish people as a reason for Germany to “ensure Israel’s existence and security.” Lebanese foreign minister Abdallah Bou Habib said Israel was “pouring oil on fire” at the Lebanese border. Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan said Egypt will host a summit on the situation in Gaza on 10/21. (AJ 10/16; HA, REU, REU, REU 10/17; AP, HA 10/18)

Iranian sources told Al Jazeera that the U.S. had sent the Iranian UN representative a message warning Iran of war if it enters the conflict. (HA 10/17)

U.S. Central Command commander Michael Kurilla arrived in Israel for meetings with Israeli military leaders. The U.S. also sent 2,000 Marines to the Middle East. (AJ, HA, HA, HA 10/16; HA, REU 10/17; AP 10/18)

Russian president Vladimir Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping discussed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict during a meeting in Beijing. (AJ, AJ, HA 10/17)

159 U.S. citizens were evacuated from Israel headed for Cyprus on a cruise ship. Nearly 1,000 U.S. citizens have left Israel on State Department-charted planes to Europe since 10/13. (AJ, HA, HA 10/16; HA 10/17)

Japanese foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa said Japan will donate $10 million in emergency aid to Gaza. Spain said it would donate $1 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza. The Netherlands pledged $10 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza. (AJ 10/16; HA, REU, REU, REU 10/17)

The EU held a video conference for the leaders of its 27 members to discuss the situation in Gaza and find a unified stance after EU member states had expressed dissatisfaction with the EU leadership’s pro-Israel statements, including European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s failure to call on Israel to abide by international law during her visit on 10/17. Irish president Michael D Higgins called von der Leyen’s comments about Israel’s attacks “thoughtless and even reckless,” questioning where she gets the authority to speak on behalf of the EU on the issue. After the meeting, the EU leadership agreed to condemn Hamas’ operation in Israel on 10/7, expressed solidarity with the people of Israel, said Israel has a right to defend itself in line with humanitarian and international law, and called on Hamas to release all captives. (AJ 10/15; AJ 10/16; AJ, EU, HA, REU 10/17)

Germany’s Mainz 05 soccer club suspended Dutch Egyptian player Anwar El Ghazi for a pro-Palestinian social media post. (AJ 10/17)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles and stole an olive harvest near Burqa. Israeli settlers also used pepper spray against 2 Palestinians at the Awarta checkpoint. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers opened fire at Palestinian vehicles in Shaab al-Butum in the Masafer Yatta area, causing damage. Israeli settlers also assaulted a Palestinian man in Deir Istiya. Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian minor in Beita. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters, injuring 2 with live ammunition, in Tubas. 52 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, Nablus, Deir Istiya, and Ramallah. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed around 450 Palestinians and caused extensive damage. Israel also assassinated Hamas commander in the Khan Yunis Battalion Bilal al-Kadra. Rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel, causing injuries. In Lebanon, UNIFIL said its headquarters in southern Lebanon was hit by a rocket. Hamas said it had fired 20 rockets from Lebanon at Israel. Hezbollah said it had hit 2 tanks and an armored vehicle “in response to the killing of journalists and civilians.” An Israeli was killed and 3 were wounded by anti-tank missiles fired by Hezbollah at Shtula. (AP 10/7; AJ, HA 10/14; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/15; HA, HA, HA 10/16)

The Gaza Ministry of Health said at least 2,670 Palestinians have been killed and 9,600 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7, including 47 entire families consisting of 500 people. In addition, Israeli media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. Due to a lack of space in cemeteries, about 100 unidentified Palestinian bodies were laid to rest in mass graves in Gaza City. 55 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 12 children. More than 1,173 have been injured, including at least 300 with live ammunition. Israeli officials recorded no new fatalities, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,300 Israelis and foreign nationals; 3,436 have been injured since 10/7. The UN reported that nearly 600,000 Palestinians 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. The UN acknowledged that the number of displaced Palestinians was likely much higher because of the Israel order for Palestinians in the north to leave for the south. At least 11,887 housing units have been destroyed in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. (AJ 10/14; AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/15; AJ, HA, REU 10/16; HA 10/20)