The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian during a raid in Qalandia. Israeli forces also raided Jenin, injuring 7 and uprooting streets. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 4, including a disabled man, in Qalqas, al-Arroub refugee camp, and Baqa al-Hatab. Israeli forces also sealed 2 printing facilities in Dawha, claiming they were printing incendiary materials. Meanwhile, Israeli forces uprooted 31 olive trees in Nahalin. Israeli forces also seized a vehicle in Qablan. 38 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Bethlehem, Qalandia, Nablus, Ramallah, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces demolished a building in Bayt Hanina, displacing 13 people. In Gaza, at least 300 people were killed in Israeli attacks on Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Khan Yunis. Israel said it had surrounded and invaded Khan Yunis. Israeli troops also laid siege to the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya. 2 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat. Rockets were fired at Israel, injuring 2 in Ashkelon. In Lebanon, Israeli forces killed a Lebanese soldier and injured 3 others in an attack on a Lebanese military base; Israel later expressing regret, saying it would review the incident. 3 rockets were fired at Kiryat Shmona. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/5; AJ, HA, HA, NYT, WAFA 12/6)

More than 16,248 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 6,387 children and 4,257 women, and around 43,616 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 252 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 65 children. More than 3,325 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. 87 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.9 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. As of 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. The Gaza Ministry of Health said at least 1,207 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire ended on 12/1. UNRWA said 130 of its staff members have been killed by Israeli forces since 10/7. The UN said dozens of trucks carrying aid, including fuel, entered Gaza but did not provide the actual number. Rafah was the only area to receive aid for the third day in a row. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 12/5)

At the beginning of the day, PA health minister Mai al-Kaila said at least 15,900 Palestinians have been killed and 40,900 injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 10/7, saying the final number of dead will be much higher since many are buried in rubble. (REU, WAFA 12/5)

The PA Ministry of National Economy said 29% of business in the West Bank have been completely or partially closed since 10/7 due to Israeli actions. (WAFA 12/5)

UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said Israeli calls for Palestinians to evacuate do not work, stating the “so-called safe zones . . . are not scientific, they are not rational, there are not possible, and I think the [Israeli] authorities are aware of this.” (AJ 12/5)

Amnesty International released an investigation saying that 43 Palestinian civilians were killed on 10/13 in Israeli attacks where U.S.-made JDAM bombs were used. The U.S. said it was reviewing the Amnesty investigation. (AJ 12/5; REU 12/6)

The PA warned against reported Israeli plans to flood tunnels in Gaza with seawater, saying it would lead to the collapse of residential buildings and infrastructure and to the mixing of ground, sea, and wastewater. (AJ 12/5)

Israeli police approved the “March of Maccabees” in the Old City of Jerusalem on 12/7, where Israeli right-wingers will march in support of removing the Islamic Waqf in order to replace it with full Israeli control over the Haram al-Sharif compound. (AJ, HA, HA 12/5)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Israel has killed half of Hamas’ military commanders in Gaza. Netanyahu also said that Israel is the only power that can keep Gaza demilitarized after Israel’s war, rejecting suggestions that an international force be deployed in Gaza. (AJ, AX, HA 12/5; NYT 12/6)

Prime Minister Netanyahu also met with families of Israeli captives held in Gaza. Some of those who attended the meeting labelled it a farce and insulting. (HA, HA, REU 12/5; AJ 12/6)

Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry met with senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Chris Coons (D-DE) in Washington D.C., discussing efforts to end Israel’s war on Gaza. (AJ 12/5)

The leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council called for an end to the Israeli attacks on Gaza at a summit in Doha. Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said at the summit that Israel was committing genocide, called support for Israel’s actions “a disgrace,” and urged the UN Security Council to force Israel back to the negotiations on a ceasefire. (AJ, AJ, HA 12/5)

U.S. vice president Kamala Harris’s National Security Advisor Phil Gordon met with Israeli president Isaac Herzog, war cabinet members Benny Gantz, Tzachi Hanegbi, Ron Dermer, and Gadi Eisenkot, and opposition leader Yair Lapid, updating them on meetings Harris and Gordon held with Arab leaders in Dubai during the COP28 climate conference. Harris is leading the Biden administration’s efforts on securing another ceasefire. (AX, HA 12/5)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken announced that that the U.S. has put new visa restrictions on violent Israeli settlers, saying Israel is not doing enough to combat settler violence. Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant later condemned Israeli settler violence, saying only the military, the police, and the Shin Bet have a right to use violence against Palestinians. USAID administrator Samantha Power visited El Arish airport in Egypt where aid to Gaza arrives, saying more “must be done to protect civilians” and for aid to enter Gaza. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU 12/5)

U.S. president Joe Biden said at a fundraiser that he had heard reports “of women raped, repeatedly raped, and their bodies being mutilated while still alive” by Hamas militants on 10/7. Hamas denied the accusations. (REU 12/5)

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution, H.R. 894, declaring that anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism in a 311-14 vote; 94 Democrats voted present. The resolution also condemned the phrase “from the river to the sea.” (AJ, HA, NYT 12/5; AJ 12/6)

5 U.S. pro-Israel organizations, the American Jewish Committee, the Jewish Federation of North America, the Anti-Defamation League, AIPAC, and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, created a joint lobbying arm called The 10/7 Project to promote pro-Israel narratives to journalists and U.S. lawmakers. (HA 12/5)

Deutche Welle reported that applicants for citizenship in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt will be required to declare their support for Israel’s right to exist to obtain German citizenship. (AJ 12/5)

CNN reported that the U.S. expects Israel to end its mass ground invasion of Gaza in January 2024. (AJ, HA 12/5)

The Washington Post reported that Israeli sources have estimated that 5,000 out of 30,000 Palestinian militants in Gaza have been killed since 10/7. (AJ, WP 12/5)

Dabke, the Palestinian national dance, was included on the UNCESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. (WAFA 12/5)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set a Palestinian-owned vehicle on fire and sprayed racist graffiti on walls in al-Mughayyir. Israeli settlers also assaulted Palestinian herders and journalists, razed land, and set up a tent in Khallet Taha near Bayt Awa. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers razed land in Aqraba and Majdal Bani Fadel. Israeli forces shot and injured 2 Palestinians with baton rounds during a raid in Rumana. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers dumped the belongings of the Sub Laban family on the street after they had seized their home in the Old City on 7/11; 1 member of the displaced family was arrested by Israeli police. Israeli forces issued demolition notices for several shops in Silwan. 2 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Jabel Mukaber. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian fisherman with a baton round 1.5 nautical miles west of Jabalia refugee camp. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 7/23; PCHR 7/24; PCHR 7/27; UNOCHA 7/29)

Islamic Jihad secretary-general Ziyad al-Nakhalah said that the group will boycott a meeting of Palestinian factions set to take place in Cairo on 7/30 unless the PA releases members of the Palestinian resistance, including Islamic Jihad members who have been arrested in recent weeks. (QDS 7/23; MEMO 7/24)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu underwent surgery to have a pacemaker fitted. Justice Minister Yariv Levin was acting prime minister during the operation. Netanyahu was admitted to a hospital last weekend, allegedly due to dehydration. (MEE 7/22; AJ, AP, HA, MEE, NYT, TOI 7/23; AP, BBC, HA, REU 7/24)

U.S. president Joe Biden told Walla that he does not think it makes “sense for Israeli leaders to rush” the judicial overhaul as he thinks it is divisive. (AX 7/23; HA 7/24)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces raided the Palestine Technical University in Tulkarm, leading to a confrontation with students; 2 were injured by baton rounds and 16 suffered tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also seized 1 residential tent, demolished an agricultural structure, and seized agricultural equipment in Beit Samia. 17 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Nablus, Bethlehem, Hebron, Tulkarm, Tubas, and Salfit. In East Jerusalem, 4 Palestinians were arrested in the Old City and Shu‘fat. In Israel, Israeli police shot and killed 1 Palestinian man from Hebron who was working at a construction site in Ashkelon after he stabbed a police officer. The Israeli police officer approached the Palestinian man who was working at the construction site without a permit before he lightly wounded the officer. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, MEE, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/12; WAFA 4/13; PCHR 4/14; UNOCHA 4/23)

The Israeli Civil Administration signed an order declaring 22,000 dunams (5,445 acres) of land in Area C south of Jericho an Israeli nature reserve. The nature reserve, dubbed Nachal Og Nature Reserve, is situated on 6,000 dunams (1,483 acres) of privately-owned Palestinian land. The nature reserve designations means that Palestinians will not be allowed to cultivate the land or have their livestock graze on it, without approval from the Israeli nature reserve officer. (PCN 5/24; HA, WAFA 5/25)

The office of the Israeli attorney general approved connecting Israeli settlement outposts built on Israel-declared state lands in the West Bank to the electrical grid. In the decision, the attorney general’s office also said that Palestinian villages in Area C, not recognized by Israel, should be given equal consideration in being connected to the electrical grid, citing international law of non-discrimination. (HA 4/12; MEMO 4/13)

Representatives from Ireland, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden signed a letter to EU enlargement commissioner Olivér Várhelyi of Hungary, urging him to disburse EU aid to the PA. Commissioner Várhelyi has been withholding the aid, saying that the PA needs to reform its schoolbooks to conform with a pro-Israeli narrative. (WAFA 4/12)

In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian minor succumbed to wounds sustained from Israeli live ammunition on 5/18. Israeli settlers leveled land in Kisan. Israeli settlers also set up mobile homes south of Hebron. Israeli forces also raided Jaba‘, injuring 4, including 1 minor, when Palestinians confronted the forces. Israeli forces also raided ‘Araqa, injuring 1 minor with live ammunition, when Palestinians confronted the forces. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bethlehem, injuring 7 with rubber-coated bullets and others with tear gas. 11 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Nablus, Jenin, and Jericho. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raided al-Makassed Hospital, leaving without making arrests. 8 Palestinians were arrested during raids in the Old City, al-Tur, Silwan, and Shu‘fat. In Gaza, 4 Palestinians were killed and many were injured, raising the comprehensive death toll since 5/10 from 232 to 236, including 65 children and 3 pregnant women. The casualties included: 1, and 9 wounded, including 3 children, during an air strike on a house in Khan Yunis; 1, and 1 wounded in an air strike on Bayt Lahiya; 2 in an air strike on a car traveling in Jabaliya. Israeli air strikes also hit power lines near Rafah, causing a total electricity blackout in the city. Israeli forces attacked 1 house in Khan Yunis, causing damage, but the missile remained unexploded as it landed on a bed, saving the family living in the house. 4 factories were also destroyed by Israeli air strikes in an industrial zone east in al-Muntar. In Israel, 1 Israeli soldier was injured by an anti-tank missile rocket fired from Gaza at a military bus. 1 rocket from Gaza hit a house in Ashkelon, causing damage; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces violently dispersed a funeral procession for 1 Palestinian-Israeli who was killed by Israeli police on 5/19 in Umm al-Fahm; 3 were arrested; a general strike was also called in Umm al-Fahm in protest over the killing. (AJ, HA, HA, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/20; MEE, PCHR 5/21; NYT 5/26; PCHR 5/27)

It was reported that a ceasefire between Hamas, Islamic Jihad in Palestine, and Israel had been brokered by Egypt and would take effect at 2 a.m. on 5/21. Prior to the reporting, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had called a meeting at the security cabinet. Shortly after the 2 sides announced the ceasefire, U.S. president Joe Biden praised Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for his role in the ceasefire and Prime Minister Netanyahu for agreeing to it. Biden said in remarks that “Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve to live safely and securely and to enjoy equal measures of freedom, prosperity, and democracy,” in what can be viewed as a slight shift in the paradigm of U.S. statements on Israel and Palestine. President al-Sisi also praised President Biden for his work on the ceasefire agreement. Several prominent Democrats in the U.S. House and Senate welcomed the news of the ceasefire, but said it was time to do more to resolve the roots of the conflict. PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki called for the world to address the core issues, saying that the ceasefire is not enough. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AP, AX, AX, GDN, HA, REU, REU, WAFA 5/20; AM, AP, CNN, FOX, HA, HA 5/21)

Haaretz reported that 90% of the Israeli citizens charged for the violence in Israeli towns and cities since the start of the Hamas-Israel escalation were Palestinian citizens of Israel. District prosecutors have been criticized for not indicting Jewish-Israelis. (HA 5/20)

Adalah filed a petition on behalf of Palestinians in Shayk Jarrah to have Israeli police remove checkpoints around the neighborhood, which are severely impeding the residents’ freedom of movement. The checkpoints are also meant to block entry of Palestinians who are not residents of the neighborhood, as many residents remain threatened by evictions. (Adalah, HA 5/20)

The Israeli Electric Company said it would not restore the damaged power lines in Gaza until 2 Israelis, believed to be held captive by Hamas, and the bodies of 2 dead Israelis are returned to Israel. (HA 5/20)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with German chancellor Angela Merkel about efforts to get a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. President Abbas also met with German foreign minister Heiko Maas in Ramallah. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 5/20)

Before the ceasefire was announced, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh wrote a letter to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, asking for “mobilization of Arab, Islamic and international support” in ending Israeli air strikes. (AP 5/20)

Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani said that the country had reached an agreement in principle with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signatories about complying with and having the U.S. rejoin the deal. (HA 5/20)

U.S. senator and chair of the Senate budget committee Bernie Sanders (D-VT) said he would introduce a resolution of disapproval of a $735 million arms sale to Israel. (AJ, ALM, HA, REU 5/20)

At the UN, U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that the U.S. had “not been silent,” despite blocking UN security council statements criticizing the violence from the latest escalation between Hamas and Israel. UN general-secretary António Guterres said he was “deeply shocked by the continued air and artillery bombardment” of Gaza and said that Gaza’s children lived in “hell on Earth.” No unified statement was released by the UN general assembly. (AJ, AJ, ALM, HA, REU 5/20)

1 Jewish AP reporter was fired after Stanford University College Republicans criticized her for pro-Palestinian activism while she was a student at the school, before she was hired at AP. Later, more than 100 AP journalists wrote an open letter to AP criticizing the decision. (SFGATE 5/20; FOX, MEE, MEMO 5/21; MEE 5/22; MEE 5/24)

The foreign minister of Germany, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia visited Israel upon the invitation of Israeli foreign minister Gabi Ashkenazi to be briefed on the Israeli-Hamas escalation. In meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the 3 foreign ministers were shown parts of a drone that had been shot down on 5/18 that Netanyahu claimed was Iranian. (ALM, HA 5/20)

Unidentified fighters fire a projectile from Gaza into s. Israel, which lands in an open area nr. Ashqelon, causing no damage or injuries. Late at night, Israeli forces carry out air strikes on 2 Hamas military sites in n. Gaza, injuring 4 Palestinians. (HA, MNA 8/8; TOI, WAFA, YA 8/9; PCHR 8/10)

A Palestinian woman dies of cancer in Rafah. On 8/10, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights will state that Israeli authorities are responsible for her death because they delayed granting her a permit to travel from Gaza to Jerusalem for treatment. (MEZ, WAFA 8/10)

In the West Bank, IDF troops confiscate a Palestinian’s car during a raid nr. Hebron; arrest 21 Palestinians during further raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Tulkarm, Jenin, Bethlehem, and Nablus; and patrol nr. Hebron and Nablus. Israeli settlers set fire to a large swathe of Palestinian land nr. Nablus, damaging hundreds of citrus trees. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a home in Jabal Mukabir, displacing a Palestinian family of 4. They also arrest 4 Palestinians during raids in Silwan and the Old City, and shut down a main road leading to villages n. of the city, which will remain closed until 8/10. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Dayr al-Balah and again nr. Khan Yunis, causing no damage or injuries. (MNA, WAFA 8/8; MNA 8/9; PCHR 8/10; MNA 8/11)

An Israeli settler on a motorcycle runs over and seriously injures an elderly Palestinian outside Duma village nr. Nablus; he dies later in the day. It is unclear if the collision is an accident or an intentional ramming attack. Elsewhere in the West Bank, IDF troops conduct raids in al-Am‘ari r.c. nr. Ramallah overnight, arresting 1 Palestinian and sparking clashes with stone-throwing residents; 4 Palestinians are injured. IDF troops arrest 4 more Palestinians during late-night raids and house searches in Jenin and around Bethlehem. Israeli forces uproot around 500 olive trees outside a village nr. Salfit. Overnight, unidentified suspects throw Molotov cocktails at a structure in an Israeli settlement nr. Nablus, causing damage. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police escort around 100 Jewish settlers and 13 Israeli archaeologists on a tour of Haram al-Sharif, and bar Palestinian maintenance workers from entering the sanctuary. They arrest 2 Palestinians during raids in Ras al-Amud, the Old City, and Silwan. In Gaza, 8 Palestinians are injured when a tunnel collapses in e. Gaza City. In Israel, dozens of Palestinian protesters gather outside the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashqelon in solidarity with hunger-striking prisoner Bilal Kayed. A counter-protest by right-wing Israeli activists sparks minor clashes; 13 Palestinians and Israelis are arrested, and there are no serious injuries. (JP, MNA, WAFA 8/10; PCHR 8/11; PCHR 8/18)

The Israeli police announce a NIS 1 b. (approx. $260 m.) plan to increase their presence in Palestinian areas of East Jerusalem by adding 1,200 officers and 5 new outposts in Ras al-Amud, Jabal Mukabir, Silwan, Issawiyya, and Sur al-Bahir. The outposts will be headquartered in buildings that already offer civic services, such as national insurance and post, reportedly to stop them from becoming sources of tension, as police outposts in East Jerusalem have been in the past. (HA, JP 8/10)

Dozens of Gazans gather nr. the border for a 2d day, protesting the Israeli killing of 7 Gazans on 10/9. IDF troops open fire on the protesters, killing 2, injuring 26, and arresting 5 of the 70 who cross into Israel. Meanwhile, unidentified Palestinians fire a rocket toward Ashqelon, Israel, and it is intercepted by an Iron Dome missile defense battery. IAF jets launch retaliatory air strikes on Hamas military sites in s. and c. Gaza, killing 1 pregnant Palestinian and her young daughter and injuring 5 others. Off the coast nr. Jabaliya r.c., Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI 10/10; PCHR 10/15)

Stabbing attacks continue in East Jerusalem, with 2 such incidents today. First, Israeli police shoot and kill a Palestinian youth nr. a gate to the Old City after he allegedly stabs and injures 2 Israelis. Later, Israeli police shoot and kill a Palestinian after he stabs and injures 2 policemen nr. the same gate (a 3d police officer is injured by friendly fire), and clashes break out following the attack. After a funeral for the Palestinian killed in Shu‘fat r.c. on 10/8, Israeli forces clash with and violently disperse stone-throwing Palestinians. Israeli forces also arrest 2 Palestinians in a hospital in al-Tur and clash with stone-throwers, injuring at least 29 Palestinians. (MNA, WAFA 10/10; MNA, YA 10/11; PCHR 10/15)

In the West Bank, undercover Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian youth and detain 4 others in overnight clashes nr. Jenin; the IDF will conduct raids in the village during the day, confiscating computers and arresting 1 Palestinian. Throughout the day IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian stone-throwers and protesters across the West Bank, injuring 34 Palestinians and 1 Israeli soldier. The IDF also conducts raids and patrols throughout the region, arresting 4 Palestinians and confiscating a vehicle. Israeli settlers continue attacking Palestinians and their property, clashing with Palestinians outside the Kiryat Arba settlement; Israeli forces violently disperse the gathering. Palestinian shops in and around Hebron observe a general strike in the morning, protesting the killings of Palestinians from the area by Israeli forces on 10/7 and 10/9. In Israel, around 1,500 Palestinian citizens peacefully march through Nazareth in protest of the recent Israeli attacks and restrictions on access at Haram al-Sharif. A similar demonstration in Ramla turns violent, and the Israeli police arrest 10 Palestinians accused of stone-throwing. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 10/10; HA, JP, MNA, WAFA, YA 10/11; TOI 10/12; PCHR 10/14)

Israeli PM Netanyahu approves the deployment of 16 reserve companies of border police—as many as 2,000 troops—in Palestinian cities across Israel, in Jerusalem, and along major highways (the cabinet will approve the proposal on 10/11). (JP, TOI 10/10)

The Israeli crackdown on protests in East Jerusalem continues as the Israeli authorities restrict Palestinians’ access to Haram al-Sharif; only men over 40 and women are permitted to enter the sanctuary. Meanwhile, Israeli forces clash with Palestinian protesters across the city for the 2d day in a row (nr. the Old City and in Jabal Mukabir, Silwan, Issawiyya, Shu‘fat r.c., al-Tur, Abu Dis, al-‘Izzariya, and Wadi al-Juz); at least 4 Israeli police and 4 Palestinians are injured, and 11 Palestinians are arrested. Israeli forces also conduct raids and house searches in Silwan, Jabal Mukabir, Shaykh Jarrah, and the Old City, arresting 16 Palestinians and sparking minor clashes. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA 9/18; PCHR 10/1)

As violence and tension spread from Jerusalem across the oPt, unknown persons launch a rocket from Gaza into Israel that lands in Sderot, damaging a bus. Iron Dome missile defense batteries intercept a 2d rocket fired toward Ashqelon. At night, IAF jets launch retaliatory air strikes on 3 Hamas military sites in n. Gaza, causing 2 minor injuries and serious damage. Off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage. Israeli forces e. of al-Bureij r.c. arrest 2 Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international protesters at Friday demonstrations against the Israeli occupation and recent restrictions at Haram al-Sharif in 7 areas nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Nabi Salih, outside Ofer Prison, Silwad, ‘Abwayn, and Jalazun r.c.), and Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya, in and around Hebron, Tulkarm, Qalqilya, and nr. Bethlehem; 8 Palestinians are injured and at least 13 Palestinians are detained. Israeli forces also patrol in 2 villages nr. Hebron and 1 nr. Jenin. Meanwhile, Palestinian police officers assault 2 young Palestinian protesters in Bethlehem (a video taken of the incident will proliferate on Palestinian media in the next few days). The PASF reportedly blocked a group of demonstrators from approaching an Israeli military post to protest the recent Israeli restrictions on access at Haram al-Sharif. (AJA, HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 9/18; JP, MNA, YA 9/19; MNA 9/24; WAFA 9/27; PCHR 10/1)

In Israel, around 100 Jewish Israeli protesters clash with some 30 Palestinian citizens of Israel outside the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashqelon where Palestinian prisoner Muhammad Allan is on day 61 of a high-profile hunger strike; at least 10 protesters are arrested. In Gaza, a Palestinian woman succumbs to injuries sustained on 8/6 when a piece of unexploded Israeli ordnance was accidentally triggered in Rafah. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops on the border e. of Rafah and Khan Yunis open fire on Palestinian agricultural areas, and Israeli naval forces fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Rafah, causing no damage. In the West Bank, an Israeli settler injures a Palestinian when he rams him with his car nr. Nablus. IDF troops conduct house searches and raids in the Hebron and Tulkarm areas, arresting 4 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 3; patrol nr. Ramallah, Jericho, Qalqilya, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 2 Jewish Israelis accused of inciting violence at Haram al-Sharif, and later arrest 2 Palestinians on raids in Ras al-Amud and the Old City. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 8/16; PCHR 8/20)

In Gaza, Sarayat al-Shaykh Umar Hadid fire a Katyusha 130 rocket into Israel and it lands nr. Ashqelon, causing no serious damage or injuries. The group says that the recent rocket attacks (today and 6/3) are meant to remind Hamas that Israel is the enemy. In response, IAF jets launch air strikes on a vacant Hamas military base in n. Gaza, causing severe damage. Off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces fire warning shots at Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian and international activists nonviolently commemorating the 48th anniversary of al-Naksa nr. Jerusalem; there are no serious injuries. The IDF also conducts house searches and raids in 2 villages each nr. Hebron and Qalqilya, arresting 4 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 3 others; patrols in 2 villages each nr. Ramallah and Tulkarm, and 1 each nr. Hebron, Qalqilya, and Jericho. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 3 Palestinians on raids in Issawiyya and the Old City. (MNA, WAFA 6/6; HA, MNA, REU 6/7; PCHR 6/11)

An Egyptian appeals court overturns a lower court’s 2/28 designation of Hamas as a terrorist organization, following an appeal from the State Litigation Authority. A court official says the previous ruling is thrown out because the lower court did not have the proper jurisdiction. Hamas welcomes the new decision. (AHR, MNA, YA 6/6)

On the 2d day of billionaire Sheldon Adelson’s summit for pro-Israel U.S. megadonors in Las Vegas, a letter is read aloud from Israeli PM Netanyahu announcing that the Israeli govt. will begin expanding its efforts to counter the growing Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. The same day, Netanyahu announces that Strategic Affairs Min. Gilad Erdan’s office will receive NIS 100 m. (around $25.4 m.) to escalate its anti-BDS efforts, including hiring 10 new employees to deal solely with “delegitimization” activities worldwide. (FWD 6/4; TOI, YA 6/7; HA [Beinart Analysis], JTA 6/10)