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  • November 14, 2023

    In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces in Jenin on 10/29. Israeli settlers vandalized Palestinian vehicles during a raid in Husan. Israeli forces...

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  • November 2, 2023

    In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian child succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces on 10/30 in Zawata. Israeli settlers set fire to vehicles and buildings in Deir Sharaf, set fire to olive...

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  • October 26, 2023

    In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbed to wounds sustained from Israeli forces last week in Tura. 2 Israeli settlers were injured in what was said to be an attack by Palestinians near the...

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  • May 13, 2023

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  • September 19, 2022

    In the West Bank, unidentified assailants opened fire at a military post and at a settler vehicle near Huwwara; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces demolished 3 structures in 'Arab al-...

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  • May 24, 2022

    In the West Bank, 3 Israeli settlers, including 2 minors, were injured by Palestinians throwing stones at their vehicle near Huwwara. Israeli settlers vandalized 140 olive and almond trees and...

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  • May 9, 2019

    In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with military escort raided an archeological site near Bethlehem to perform prayers. During the raid, Israeli forces sealed off the area, impeding traffic for...

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  • May 14, 2018

    Today, Great March of Return demonstrations see tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza gathering along the border fence to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Nakba, to protest the opening...

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  • May 15, 2011

    On the anniversary of the Nakba, 1,000s of Palestinians fr. the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria stage marches (mostly nonviolent, though some stone throwing) toward the Israeli border...

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  • April 24, 2007

    On the day Israel marks independence day and Palestinians commemorate the Nakba, Hamas’s Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades fires 6 rockets and 8 mortars into Israel, causing no injuries, reiterating...

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  • May 15, 2001

    Palestinians mark Nakba commemoration day by observing 3 minutes of silence. Large rallies are held in every major Palestinian city in the West Bank and Gaza, after which a recorded...

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  • May 14, 2000

    At a PC mtg., PA chief negotiator `Abid Rabbuh resigns in protests after learning that secret PA-Israeli final status talks recently started in Stockholm. The Stockholm talks are...

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  • May 26, 1998

    PM Netanyahu arrives in China for 3-day visit. (MM 5/26)

    In Cairo, Arafat attends Arab League mtg. called to commemorate the 50th anniversary of al-Nakba; calls for Arab summit on the peace...

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In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces in Jenin on 10/29. Israeli settlers vandalized Palestinian vehicles during a raid in Husan. Israeli forces attacked Tulkarm refugee camp killing 5 Palestinians, including 3 in a drone strike, and injuring 18. Israel also damaged water, electricity, and sewage lines, uprooted streets, and bulldozed a monument to Yasir Arafat. Israeli forces also shot and killed a Palestinian who allegedly tried to stab a soldier near Beit Einun. Elsewhere, Israeli forces punitively demolished the family home in ‘Urif of a Palestinian killed by Israeli forces after he allegedly killed 4 settlers near the Eli settlement on 6/20. 28 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, Qalqilya, Jenin, Nablus, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 90 Palestinians in Khan Yunis and Gaza City, including at least 13 people in an airstrike on Khan Yunis. The number of fatalities was likely much higher since the Gaza Ministry of Health was unable to communicate with hospitals and civil defense members in northern Gaza. Israel said it had taken control of al-Shati refugee camp. Israel forces fired shots at al-Shifa Hospital. At the end of the day, Israel told the Gaza Ministry of Health that it will enter the hospital. Israel has bombed the vicinity of the hospital for days. 2 Israeli soldiers were killed and 4 seriously wounded in northern Gaza. Rockets were fired from Gaza, injuring 3 near Tel Aviv. In South Lebanon, Israel said it attacked Hezbollah sites in the Yiftah area. At the Red Sea, Israel said it intercepted a missile fired toward Eliat. The Houthi-led government in Yemen took responsibility. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/14; AJ, HA 11/15)

The Gaza Ministry of Health was not able to fully update the casualty figures due to a collapse in services and communications at hospitals in northern Gaza. However, it did say that at least 11,451 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,630 children and 3,130 women, and 27,490 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 3,250 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 187 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 47 children. More than 2,700 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals had been killed and 5,431 have injured since 10/7. 51 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.61 million Palestinians, around 70% 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 11/6, at least 40,000 housing units have been destroyed and 220,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 45% of all housing units. The Gaza Ministry of Health said 40 patients at al-Shifa Hospital have died in recent days. Hospital director Mohammad Abu Salmiya said 179 people had been buried in mass graves in the hospital compound, including 7 babies and 29 intensive care patients. The WHO said 22 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza were no longer operational. 15 medical workers and 91 truckloads of aid entered Gaza. An estimated 18,000 Palestinians fled from northern Gaza to the south. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 11/14; AJ 11/15)

Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said, “because of Hamas’s use of hospitals for military purposes, [the hospitals] will lose special protection in the international court.” Israel has presented animations, pictures of purported tunnels, and a video from al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital that it said was proof of Hamas’s presence at hospitals, all of which did not show any evidence to back Israel’s claim. In the video from al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital, Israel showed a piece of paper hanging on the wall that it claimed was a list of Hamas militants’ names. However, the list was merely a calendar with the names of the days of the week written in Arabic. The U.S. said it had intelligence that suggested a Hamas and Islamic Jihad presence at hospitals in Gaza, including al-Shifa. A U.S. national security council spokesperson said “[w]e do not support striking a hospital from the air and we don’t want to see a firefight in a hospital where innocent people, helpless people, sick people trying to get medical care they deserve are caught in crossfire.” Hamas called for the UN to inspect all hospitals in Gaza to debunk the Israeli and U.S. claims. Doctors at al-Shifa also rejected the claim that Palestinian militants were operating in the hospital. Human Rights Watch said Israel had not presented evidence “that would justify stripping hospitals of their special protections under international humanitarian law,” adding “international humanitarian law only allows attacking hospitals if room is made for safe evacuation.” (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 11/14; AJ, REU 11/15)

Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the prison facility where Israel is holding members of Hamas who were captured during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, saying prisoners were “handcuffed in a dark cell, iron beds, toilets in a hole in the floor and the [Israeli] national anthem constantly playing in the background.” Ben-Gvir said he will promote the death penalty for the Palestinian militants. (HA 11/14)

A New York Times investigation into an attack on al-Shifa Hospital on 11/10 said it was likely an Israeli attack that killed 7 people at the hospital and not an errant missile fired from Gaza as Israel had claimed. (AJ, NYT 11/14)

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said he welcomed “the initiative of members of Knesset Ram Ben-Barak and Danny Danon on the voluntary immigration of Gaza Arabs to countries around the world. This is the right humanitarian solution for the residents of Gaza and the entire region.” Smotrich was referencing an op-ed written by Ben-Barak and Danon that was published in the Wall Street Journal on 11/13. The PA and Hamas condemned Smotrich comments. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, REU, WAFA 11/14)

U.S. president Joe Biden discussed efforts for a prisoner exchange with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Shin Bet director Ronan Bar met with Egyptian officials in Egypt, discussing a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas. Nearly 100 members of the U.S. Congress watched a screening of a 43-minute video of the Hamas Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on 10/7. The screening was facilitated by the Israeli embassy. (HA 11/14)

Belize said it had withdrawn its accreditation for the Israeli ambassador-designate in the country, suspended activities at its consulate in Tel Aviv and the Israeli consulate in Belize, and withdrawn its request for accreditation for its consul to Israel, citing Israeli violations of international humanitarian law. (AJ 11/14)

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said “I have been clear the price of justice cannot be the continued suffering of all Palestinian civilians. Even wars have rules. All innocent life is equal in worth …. I urge the government of Israel to exercise maximum restraint …. The world is witnessing this, the killing of women and children, of babies. This has to stop.” (HA, REU 11/14; AJ, AJ 11/15)

Reuters reported that Israel had approved the delivery of 6,340 gallons of diesel to Gaza. Haaretz later reported that the fuel was only for trucks used by the UN, not for hospitals. (AJ, AX, REU 11/14; HA 11/15)

Bloomberg News reported that in late October the U.S. quietly approved an Israeli request to send it laser-guided missiles, 155mm shells, night-vision devices, bunker-buster munitions, and new army vehicles. (AJ 11/15)

The Washington Post published an op-ed by King Abdullah II of Jordan, who said Israel has undermined the peace process for 2 decades by expanding settlements and allowing Israeli settlers to attack Palestinians. He called for a “concerted international effort to develop a regional architecture of peace, security and prosperity, built on a Palestinian-Israeli peace based on the two-state solution,” saying that Israeli violence will not grant it victory. (AJ 11/14)

German chancellor Olaf Schulz said Israel is a democracy that abides by international law and said it has “the right and duty to defend itself.” (AJ, HA 11/14)

Spanish minister for social rights Ione Belarra said 60 ministers from Europe and Latin America had signed a petition calling for the ICC to investigate Israeli leaders for genocide. (AJ 11/14)

More than 500 political appointees and staff members from 40 U.S. government agencies sent a letter to President Biden protesting his support for Israel’s war on Gaza. (NYT 11/14)

Tens of thousands of pro-Israel demonstrators rallied at the Mall in Washington D.C. Among the speakers was Christians United for Israel founder John Hagee, who in the past has blamed Jewish people for the Holocaust. The American Jewish anti-occupation organization IfNotNow called the rally “a pro-war, pro-Nakba rally.” (AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU 11/14; AJ, AJ 11/15)

In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian child succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces on 10/30 in Zawata. Israeli settlers set fire to vehicles and buildings in Deir Sharaf, set fire to olive trees in Jit, and threw stones on a road between the 2 towns, causing damage. Israeli settlers also attacked Palestinian homes in Shaab al-Butum in the Masafer Yatta area, causing damage. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers attacked a motorist in the Jordan Valley, destroying his car; the man was able to escape. 1 Israeli settler wearing an Israeli military uniform was shot and killed near Beit Lid. Israeli forces shot and killed 4 Palestinians, including 1 child, during raids in Qalqilya, Jenin, and al-Bireh. Israeli forces also shot and injured 9 Palestinians during raids in Huwwara, Jenin, al-Bireh, and Qalqilya. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assaulted 1 Palestinian man in Salfit. Israeli forces also demolished 6 vending stalls in Jalamah. 65 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raided the Makassed Hospital, arresting patients from Gaza. In Gaza, Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Israel forces had surrounded Gaza City completely. At least 256 Palestinians were killed and 671 injured in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. Israeli airstrikes also killed Palestine TV journalist Mohammed Abu Hatab and 10 members of his family in what Palestine TV called a deliberate assassination of its employee. UNRWA said 4 UNRWA shelters were hit by Israeli airstrikes, killing 23 displaced Palestinians. 2 Palestinians were wounded by machine gun fire from an Israeli tank in al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City. Hamas said it hit 2 Israeli tanks with anti-tank shells in northern Gaza. 2 Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza. Rockets were fired at Israel. In Lebanon, Hezbollah said it had destroyed 19 Israeli military sites along the Blue Line. Hamas said it fired 12 rockets at Israel from Lebanon, causing damage in Kiryat Shemona. Israel reportedly killed 5 civilians in strikes on Wadi al-Sulouqi and Meiss Ej Jabal. (AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/2; AJ, AJ, AP, AP, REU, WAFA 11/3)

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 9,061 Palestinians had been killed, including around 5,980 women and children, and 22,911 had been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 1,800, including 940 children, have been reported missing. 134 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 37 children. More than 2,274 have been injured. Israel said 20 soldiers had been killed in Gaza since its ground invasion, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,400 Israelis, including foreign nationals, since 10/7. 5,431 Israelis have been injured. The UN reported that over 1.5 million Palestinians, more than half the population in Gaza, had 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. For the second day in a row, around 400 foreign passport holders and about 60 injured Palestinians were evacuated to Egypt via the Rafah crossing. 102 truckloads of humanitarian aid entered Gaza. UNRWA said 72 of its employees have been killed since 10/7. (HA 11/1; AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/2)

41 Palestinians fled their homes in Khirbet Zanuta due to Israeli settler attacks. 141 Palestinians from the same village fled on 10/28. (UNOCHA 11/2)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with Pope Francis, discussing Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. (WAFA 11/2)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Palestinian civilians to move south from northern Gaza, despite Israeli forces having seized control of the 2 main roads leading from north to south. Israeli forces have been reportedly opening fire at civilians traveling on the roads. (AJ 11/2)

The Israeli security cabinet decided to deduct funds from the PA tax revenue that is used in Gaza, in addition to the funds it deducts from the PA that are said to be used for paying stipends to the families of Palestinian prisoners and Palestinians killed by Israel. The cabinet also decided to no longer allow Palestinians from Gaza to work in Israel and to send those held in the Israeli internment camps back to Gaza. Interior Minister Moshe Arbel approved a memorandum making it easier for Israel to revoke the citizenship for people accused of supporting, inciting, or identifying with a terrorist organization. Arbel also transferred $50.4 million to 67 Palestinian municipalities in Israel after the funds had been frozen by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich since July. Israeli military chief of staff Herzl Halevi said Israel would allow fuel to enter Gaza to keep hospitals running. However, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office rejected the move. (AJ, HA, HA, HA, REU, REU 11/2; AJ, AP, HA, HA 11/3)

Haaretz reported that the Israeli military is setting up a program to train and arm Israeli settlers to guard Israeli settlements. The military said it was willing to overlook criminal records in hiring the settlers to guard the settlements. (HA 11/2)

Germany banned all activities by Hamas and the Palestinian prisoner advocacy group Samidoun. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU 11/2)

The Bahraini parliament said the country had recalled its ambassador to Israel and frozen economic ties. Israel’s ambassador to Bahrain left Manama shortly after. The Bahraini government later confirmed it had recalled the ambassador but did not mention the freezing of economic ties. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU 11/2; AP 11/3)

UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said in a report issued by the UN that Israel has used disproportionate force in the West Bank in recent years, saying some killings “appeared to amount to extrajudicial executions.” (AP 11/3)

The UN Refugee Agency said it would cut the number of Palestinian refugee families that receive cash assistance in Lebanon by a third from next year, citing budget restraints. (AP 11/2)

Chilean president Gabriel Boric met with U.S. president Joe Biden at the White House. After the meeting Boric said the Israeli response to Al Aqsa Floods operation on 10/7 had been disproportionate and unacceptable and condemned both Hamas and Israel. Boric, who recalled Chile’s ambassador to Israel on 10/31, said he would not relay what Biden had said to him about the conflict. (HA 11/2; AJ 11/3)

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would provide $14.3 billion in aid to Israel and deduct the same amount from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The bill was unlikely to pass in the Senate due to the deduction in funds from the IRS and the lack of funding for Ukraine. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) said the civilian deaths in Gaza were unacceptable and called on Israel to “immediately reconsider its strategy and shift to a more deliberate and proportionate counterterrorism campaign.” Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) called for a ceasefire, among the U.S. senators to do so. Vice President Kamala Harris said the U.S. will not condition its support for Israel. (AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU 11/2; AJ, AJ 11/3)

Irish president Michael Higgins called for an immediate ceasefire. (HA 11/2)

The American Civil Liberties Union called on 650 university leaders to reject the targeting of pro-Palestinian groups for exercising their right to free speech. (HA 11/2)

Sweden said it would donate an additional $13.4 million to Gaza on top of its $50 million in aid to Palestinians for 2023. Norway said it will increase its support to Gaza via UNICEF by $2 million. Saudi Arabia said King Salman had donated $8 million and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had donated $5 million to a relief campaign for Palestinians in Gaza. (AP, NYT 11/2)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbed to wounds sustained from Israeli forces last week in Tura. 2 Israeli settlers were injured in what was said to be an attack by Palestinians near the Rimonim settlement north of Wadi as-Seeq. Israeli settlers assaulted 5 Palestinians during raids in Deir Jarir, Qusra, Bethlehem, and Taybeh. Israeli settlers also vandalized homes, stole items, and assaulted Palestinians in Shaab al-Buum and Khirbet Saddet al-Tha’leh in the Masafer Yatta area. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers left leaflets in Deir Istiya warning Palestinians to flee to Jordan before they are forcefully expelled in the “great Nakba.” Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian child and injured another during a raid in Jalazone refugee camp. Nearly 100 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Biddu, Kobar, Arora, al-Mughayyir, al-Bireh, Bethlehem, Hebron, Sanour, and Marda. In Gaza, Israeli attacks killed at least 481 Palestinians, including 209 children. Israeli tanks entered Gaza, killing several people and damaging buildings. Israel also said it used combat helicopters to assassinate 4 Hamas members, Shadi Barud, Tareq Ma’ruf, Rafat Abbas, and Ibrahim Jadbah in Gaza City. Rockets were fired at Israel; no new injuries were recorded. In South Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked Ayta al-Shaab. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/26; HA, UNOCHA 10/27)

The Gaza Ministry of Health said at least 7,028 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 4,000 women and children, and 18,482 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. It is estimated that 1,600 people, including 900 children, were trapped in rubble. In addition, Israeli media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. 104 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 30 children. More than 1,956 have been injured. Israeli officials recorded no new fatalities, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals; 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. The UN reported that over 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half the population in Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7 and that since 11 p.m. on 10/12 there has been a complete electricity blackout due to the Israeli blockade. As of 10/23, at least 27,781 housing units had been destroyed and 150,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. At least 45% of all housing units have been either destroyed or damaged in Israeli airstrikes. 12 truckloads of aid entered Gaza. (AJ, HA, WAFA 10/26; UNOCHA 10/27)

The Gaza Ministry of Health published the names and ID numbers of more than 7,000 Palestinians killed, including 2,665 children, in Israeli attacks since 10/7. The publication of the names comes 1 day after U.S. president Joe Biden questioned the reliability of the ministry’s data. (AJ, NYT 10/26)

PA minister of public works and housing minister Mohammad Ziyara said 200,000 housing units have been completely or partially destroyed by Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. Israel said that 224 people are being held captive in Gaza.  (AJ, WAFA 10/26)

Hamas leaders Bassem Naim and Moussa Abu Marzouk and Iranian deputy foreign minister Ali Baghiri Kani met with Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov in Moscow. Israel condemned Russia for hosting members of Hamas. Hamas military spokesperson Abu Obeida said Israeli airstrikes have killed around 50 captives. Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a speech that Israeli attacks on Gaza will “destabilize the entire region” and that the resistance in Gaza was “doing well.” (AJ, HA 10/26; AP, HA 10/27)

At the UN Security Council, PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki said Israel was waging “a war of revenge” with no real objective. Al-Maliki also met with ICC prosecutor Karim Khan in The Hague. The UN General Assembly also convened an emergency session. (REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/26)

The UAE, Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, and Morocco released a joint statement, condemning the targeting of civilians, forced displacement, and collective punishment of Palestinians in Gaza. (AJ, HA 10/26)

EU leaders agreed on a final communique after a 7-hour-long meeting on the Israeli attacks on Gaza, calling for “humanitarian corridors” and “pauses.” (AJ 10/26)

Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said of Israeli attacks on Gaza, “it is not war, it is a genocide that has killed 2,000 children.” (AJ 10/26)

A venue in Israel canceled a Palestinian-Jewish conference after Israeli police warned the venue’s owner of “consequences.” The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee said Israel is “persecuting the Arab public, trying to prevent political meetings and silence them.” (HA 10/25; HA, HA 10/26)

The U.S. said it attacked 2 facilities with links to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in Syria. The U.S. also deployed 900 troops to the Middle East. A Pentagon spokesperson said that they were not going to Israel. (AJ 10/26; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT 10/27)

The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution denouncing anti-Semitism on campuses. In related remarks, senators conflated criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism. The Anti-Defamation League sent 200 letters to campuses in the U.S. requesting that they investigate Students for Justice in Palestine for possibly violating a law prohibiting support for a foreign terrorist organization. (Congress, HA 10/26; INT 10/27)

A Gallup poll found that U.S. president Joe Biden lost 11 percentage points among Democrats since September and that his overall approval rating has dropped from 41 to 37. (AJ, HA 10/26)

Switzerland suspended financial support for 6 Palestinian and 5 Israeli NGOs, including Adalah, Al-Shabaka, Gisha, 7amleh, HaMoked, Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Centre, MIFTAH: The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy, Palestinian Center for Human Rights, Palestinian NGO Network, Physicians for Human Rights, and the Women's Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling. Switzerland said it would analyze the feasibility of the programs. (HA 10/26)

In Gaza, 8 Palestinians, including 3 children, were injured in airstrikes on Beit Hanun, Gaza City, Beit Lahiya, and Rafah. Israeli airstrikes also caused damage to Al-Aqsa Hospital. 1 Palestinian man from Gaza was killed and 2 other Palestinians were injured by a rocket fired from Gaza, which hit a construction site near Shokeda in Israel. In the West Bank, undercover Israeli forces shot and killed 2 Palestinians, injured 4, and severely damaged a house using RPGs during a raid in Balata refugee camp. Israeli forces also shot and killed 1 Palestinian man at a checkpoint near Jenin, alleging that the man was carrying a knife. (AJ, HA, HA, HA, HA, MEE, PCHR, PCHR, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/13; TOI 5/14; AP 5/15; PCHR 5/18; UNOCHA 5/19)

An Egyptian and Qatari mediated ceasefire took effect in the late evening after 5 days of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, dubbed Operation Shield and Arrow. 33 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, including 6 children and 4 women, and 190 were injured, including 64 children and 38 women. The UN said at least 12 of those killed were civilians. 2 people were killed by rockets fired from Gaza, including 1 Israeli woman and 1 Palestinian from Gaza working at a construction site; 9 were injured. 103 housing units in Gaza were completely destroyed and hundreds of others damaged, displacing 1,244 Palestinians. Airstrikes also damaged al-Aqsa Hospital in Dayr al-Balah, the Indonesian hospital, 2 health-care clinics, and 6 UNRWA and 20 PA schools. According to Islamic Jihad the ceasefire agreement included Israel stopping its assassination campaign. Israeli officials claimed that Hamas had not been an active participant in the alleged firing of more than 1,000 rockets at Israel, 865 of which were said to have crossed into Israel from Gaza. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the U.S. supports Israel’s security and “also will continue our efforts to improve quality of life for Palestinians.” (HA 5/12; AJ, AJ, ALM, AP, HA, HA, HA, MEE, MEMO, NYT, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 5/13; ALM, BBC, GDN, HA, HA, HA, HA, QDS, QDS, QDS, REU, SKY, WAFA, WAFA 5/14; AP, HA, HA, HA, UNOCHA 5/15; MDW 5/18; MEE 5/19; HA 5/20; HA 5/21; AJ 5/23)

Before the ceasefire took effect, PA presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh said that the U.S. bore responsibility for the Palestinian loss of life due to its silence. PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh also called on the U.S., the international community, “and our Arab brothers” to pressure Israel to ends its attacks. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/13)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas arrived in New York City ahead of his address to the UN General Assembly on the 75th anniversary of the Nakba on 5/15. (WAFA 5/13)

In Tel Aviv, the weekly demonstration against the Israeli government was canceled by the organizers due to Israel’s attacks on Gaza, but thousands still demonstrated against the government for the nineteenth week in a row. People also demonstrated against the Israeli attacks on Gaza in Tel Aviv and Haifa. (HA 5/12; HA, HA, QDS, WAFA 5/13)

In the West Bank, unidentified assailants opened fire at a military post and at a settler vehicle near Huwwara; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces demolished 3 structures in 'Arab al-Rashayida. 19 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Hizma, Hebron, al-Arroub refugee camp, Yatta, Sa‘ir, Beit Umar, Talfit, and al-Shuyukh. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raided the home of director of al-Aqsa Mosque Shaykh Omar Kiswani in al-Tur, seizing a laptop and documents and detaining Kiswani for several hours at a police station before releasing him. 4 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/19; MEMO 9/20; PCHR 9/22; UNOCHA 9/30)

Palestinian schools in East Jerusalem observed a general strike in protest over Israeli attempts to censor Palestinian textbooks and introduce Israeli curriculum in the schools. According to the head of the parents committee union, between 90% and 95% of the some 280 Palestinian schools in East Jerusalem observed the strike. (WAFA 9/17; NA, WAFA 9/18; AJ, HA, MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/19; MEMO, PCHR 9/20; CNN 9/30)

It was revealed that Israel had installed a remote-controlled gun at a checkpoint on Shuhada Street in Hebron, capable of shooting baton rounds, stun grenades, and tear gas. The gun, which looks like a surveillance camera, was developed by the company Smart Shooter and can target people using artificial intelligence. (HA 9/24; DT, TOI 9/26 MEMO, VICE 9/27)

2 Palestinians were convicted of terrorist offenses for throwing stones at an Israeli car in East Jerusalem in May 2021. 1 baby was injured by a stone during the incident. (HA 9/19)

Representatives from Fatah and Hamas arrived in Algiers for reconciliation talks mediated by Algeria. (MEMO 9/20)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with prime minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez, UN secretary-general António Guterres, and president of the World Jewish Congress Ronald Lauder at the sidelines of the UNGA in New York. (WAFA 9/20)

In Syria, Israeli forces made incursions from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights into areas controlled by Syria, shooting 1 person who was said to be part of a group that threw objects at the border fence. The man was flown to a hospital in Israel for treatment of his injuries. (HA, JP, MEE, TOI 9/19)

Israeli historians Benny Morris and Benjamin Z. Keder published an article “’Cast Thy Bread’: Israeli biological warfare during the 1948 War” in Middle Eastern Studies, saying that declassified materials in the Israeli archives have revealed that Israel used biological weapons against Palestinians and Arab armies during the Nakba. The codename used for the biological weapons campaign used by the Zionist leaders, including David Ben-Gurion was “Cast Thy Bread.” Zionist militias were given typhoid bacteria which they were to put in water wells. Morris and Keder did not specify the number of casualties caused by biological weapons used during the Nakba. (HA 10/6; MEMO 10/11; HA 10/14; NA, WAFA 10/15)

In the West Bank, 3 Israeli settlers, including 2 minors, were injured by Palestinians throwing stones at their vehicle near Huwwara. Israeli settlers vandalized 140 olive and almond trees and water tanks in Qaryut. Israeli forces shot and injured 3 Palestinians, including a minor during a raid in Jenin; 1 Palestinian security officer was also arrested during the raid. Israeli forces also demolished 2 agricultural structures in the Masafer Yatta villages of al-Twana and al-Juwaya. Elsewhere, Israeli forces erected a watchtower in Hebron. Israeli forces also demolished 1 mosque under construction in Arab al-Ramadin, leading to a confrontation with Palestinians; 3 were injured with live ammunition and baton rounds, and others suffered tear-gas related injuries. 11 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Abu Dis, Ras Karkar, Harmala, Surif, Dura, and Aqabat Jaber refugee camp. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces arrested 2 Palestinian fishermen and confiscated their boats within 6 nautical miles northwest of Rafah; the 2 were released through the Erez crossing on 5/25. (JP, MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/24; AJ, HA, PCHR, TOI 5/25; PCHR 5/26; UNOCHA 6/4)

A CNN investigation confirmed eyewitness reports and other independent investigations that Israeli forces shot and killed Palestinian American Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on 5/11 in Jenin refugee camp and that her killing was likely deliberate. CNN’s investigation was based on 11 video clips, forensic findings at the scene of the murder, audio analysis of the gunshots, and 8 eyewitness testimonies. Explosive weapons expert Chris Cobb-Smith found in his analysis that the markings from the shots near the body of Abu Akleh indicated that the murder was deliberate as they did not suggest they were a result of a burst of automatic fire, but intentionally targeted. CNN further confirmed through eyewitness accounts that there was no crossfire in the area where Abu Akleh was killed, as Israel continues to claim. Israel has refused to open a criminal investigation into the killing. (AP, CNN, HA, MDW, TOI 5/24; HA, JP, MEMO, WAFA 5/25)

Israel’s civil administration retroactively legalized the Mitzpe Lachish settlement outpost and approved construction of 158 new settlement units near Dura. (WAFA 5/24; MEMO 5/25)

The U.S. announced sanctions against 1 individual alleged to have raised money for Hamas and on Hamas’s Investment Office, which holds assets in Sudan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, and the UAE. (ALM, HA, MEE, MEMO, REU 5/24)

Referencing the U.S. decision to delist Kahane Chai from its list of foreign terrorist organizations on 5/13, the PA called on the U.S. Biden administration to remove the PLO from the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organizations. (WAFA 5/24; MEMO 5/25)

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) slammed the EU for withholding aid from the PA due to 1 Hungarian Commissioner’s dissatisfaction with PA school textbooks. The NRC said the withholding of aid is jeopardizing the life of more than 500 cancer patients that have been unable to access proper treatment at the Augusta Victoria Hospital in East Jerusalem and have led to salary cuts and cuts in aid to the most vulnerable Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. The EU is withholding some $230 million in aid. (AJ, WAFA 5/24; MEMO 5/25)

Former Israeli foreign minister and prominent MK of the Likud party Israel Katz boasted that he had threatened Palestinian students in Israel with a 2d Nakba if they continue to wave Palestinian flags at universities. Katz said, “Remember our independence war and your Nakba, don’t stretch the rope too much. [. . .] If you don’t calm down, we’ll teach you a lesson that won’t be forgotten.” (MDW 5/24; HA 5/26)

Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu arrived in Israel for a 2-day visit to Israel, Jerusalem, and the West Bank. Turkey’s and Israel’s normalization efforts were reported as a way for Turkey to strengthen its relations with the UAE and Egypt, for Israel and Turkey to cooperate in Syria to build a gas pipeline between the 2 countries, and for Israel to incentivize Turkey to take a tougher stance on Hamas. During the 1st day of his trip, Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu met with PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki in Ramallah, voicing support for a 2-state solution and criticizing Israeli settlements. Çavuşoğlu also met with PA president Mahmoud Abbas. The Turkish and Palestinian officials signed 9 cooperation agreements, including on economics, trade and infrastructure, and for developing an industrial area in Jenin. (AJ, ALM, AP, F24, HA, REU, TOI, TOI, WAFA, WAFA 5/24; HA, HA 5/25)

President Abbas met with president of the EU parliament Roberta Metsola in Ramallah. (WAFA 5/24)

Politico reported that U.S. president Joe Biden, in a 4/24 phone call to Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett, had assured him that the U.S. administration would not take Iran’s Revolutionary Guard off the U.S. list of terrorist organizations. President Biden’s decision was seen as an obstruction in finding common ground between the U.S. and Iran with the U.S.’s reentering the Iran Nuclear Deal. Prime Minister Bennett’s office confirmed the reporting. (HA, JP, POL 5/24; AX, MEMO 5/25; HA 5/26)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with military escort raided an archeological site near Bethlehem to perform prayers. During the raid, Israeli forces sealed off the area, impeding traffic for local Palestinians. In East Jerusalem, some 90 Israeli settlers with military escort stormed the Haram al-Sharif compound. (MNA, MNA, WAFA 5/9)

All Gaza and West Bank crossings into Israel were closed except for medical and other emergencies for the 4th day in a row. Israeli authorities announced the closure on 5/6, citing Israeli celebrations of Memorial Day and Independence Day. Additionally, Israeli forces closed a road between Nabi Salih and Ramallah in the West Bank. (HA 5/6; MNA, WAFA 5/9)

Palestinians in Israel commemorated the Nakba on Israel’s Independence Day by marching to 1 of the villages that was depopulated during the Nakba. Each year, Palestinians in Israel march to 1 of the more than 140 villages that was depopulated during the Nakba. This year, they marched to Khubbayza. (HA 5/9)

At the UN, PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki called the U.S. peace plan “conditions for surrender” and not a plan for peace. U.S. special representative for international negotiations Jason Greenblatt was at the UN meeting. Greenblatt has been actively debunking rumors on Twitter about the U.S. peace plan and criticizing the Palestinian leadership for not engaging with the U.S.. Al-Maliki told Mondoweiss at the UN that he urged European nations to start thinking about putting sanctions on Israel, as calls for stopping settlement expansions have proven ineffective. (AJ, HA, MDW, MNA 5/10)

An Egyptian security delegation arrived in Gaza to meet with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and other officials from Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Palestine. The officials discussed demonstrations on Nakba Day held on 15 May and efforts to ensure a relative calm. (HA 5/9)

The Lebanese president Michel Aoun said, during a meeting with a delegation from the Middle East Council of Churches, that “Lebanon would never survive if half a million Palestinian refugees and 1.6 million Syrian refugees remained in the country.” (MNA 5/10)

Canada announced that it contributed $2.4 million to the UN World Food Programme for vulnerable Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. New Zealand pledged $2 million for the UNRWA. (MNA, WAFA5/9)

Today, Great March of Return demonstrations see tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza gathering along the border fence to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Nakba, to protest the opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem today, and to call for the Palestinian refugees’ right to return to their homes. IDF troops violently disperse demonstrations near Khan Yunis, Rafah, Gaza City, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Jabaliya refugee camp; 58 Palestinians are killed, including 3 who allegedly attempted to plant an explosive along the border near Rafah, and more than 1,300 are injured. After unidentified assailants open fire on IDF patrols along the border near Jabaliya refugee camp, the IAF conducts air strikes on Hamas posts near Jabaliya refugee camp, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Gaza City, causing moderate damage. The killings today bring the death toll related to the Great March of Return to 102. Elsewhere in the oPt, thousands of Palestinians gather across the West Bank and Jerusalem to protest the official opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem today. They also release 70 black balloons in Ramallah, marking the 70th anniversary of the Nakba. IDF troops violently disperse the protests at Qalandia checkpoint, Bethlehem, and Hebron; at least 2 Palestinians are injured. Meanwhile, IDF troops arrest 19 Palestinians during latenight raids in and around Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus, and Hebron; and patrol near Jenin and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 7 Palestinians during late-night raids in Issawiyya and the Old City. (AJ, EI, HA, JP, MEE, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 5/14; PCHR 5/17)

Hours after Israeli troops open fire on peaceful Palestinian protesters along the border fence in Gaza, senior U.S. and Israeli officials gather for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new U.S. embassy in Jerusalem. In a recorded video, U.S. president Trump celebrates the opening and says the U.S. “remains fully committed to facilitating a lasting peace agreement” between Israel and the Palestinians. Outside the ceremony, Israeli police violently disperse approximately 200 protesters, including Joint List MKs Ahmad Tibi, Dov Khenin, Jamal Zahalka, Yousef Jabareen, and Masud Ganaim; 12 Palestinians are arrested. (AJ, BBC, JP, MEE, NYT, TOI 5/14; EI 5/15)

In the evening, the Palestinian leadership convenes in Ramallah to discuss the opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem and the violence in Gaza. PA president Abbas calls the new U.S. embassy in Jerusalem a “settlement outpost” and reiterates that he has no plans to engage in any U.S.-mediated peace talks “in any way, shape, or form.” The assembled officials decide to file a war crimes complaint against Israel to the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague over settlement construction in the West Bank. According to PLO secretary-general Erakat, they also agree to a number of other unspecified responses. (TOI 5/14; AP, YA 5/15)

The South African government recalls its ambassador to Israel and Turkey recalls its ambassadors from Israel and the U.S. in protest of the killings in Gaza today. “The victims were taking part in peaceful protests against the provocative inauguration of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem,” a South African statement reads. Meanwhile, the U.S. blocks the UNSC from adopting a Kuwait-backed statement condemning the deadly violence in Gaza and calling for an “independent and transparent investigation” into Israel’s actions. (ANA, TOI, WAFA 5/14; HA, TOI 5/15)

The Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing in both directions for the 3d consecutive day. (AHR 5/14; OCHA 5/24)

On the anniversary of the Nakba, 1,000s of Palestinians fr. the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria stage marches (mostly nonviolent, though some stone throwing) toward the Israeli border. In Lebanon, though troops, riot police, and UNIFIL soldiers deploy to prevent marchers fr. reaching the border, a large group succeeds in reaching the border fence nr. Hizballah-controlled Maroun al-Ras village, where they throw stones at IDF troops. IDF troops open fire into Lebanon, leaving 10 Palestinians dead and at least 112 wounded. Palestinians refugees marching fr. Syria knock down the border fence into the Golan Heights, enter the Druze village of Majdal Shams, and rally in the village square, erecting Palestinian flags. IDF troops open fire to drive them back across the border, killing 4 Palestinians and wounding around 200. On the border with Jordan, Jordanian troops fired tear gas and scuffle with some 800 Palestinians, preventing them fr. reaching the border, leaving 14 demonstrators and 3 police officers lightly injured. In Egypt, govt. forces reinforce their border, preventing some 250 Palestinians fr. marching to the Rafah crossing. In Cairo, riot police fire tear gas, disperse protesters converging on the Israeli embassy, injuring around 120. On the Gaza border, IDF troops fire live ammunition and artillery at Gazans marching toward the border, wounding at least 125. In the West Bank, IDF troops fire tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets to disperse around 1,000 stone-throwing Palestinians marching toward the Qalandia crossing (injuring 10s) and violently beat scores of Palestinians marching fr. Palestinian-controlled area A toward Israeli security-controlled area B in Hebron (injuring 10s). A large peaceful rally commemorating the Nakba is held in Ramallah. Numerous smaller and protests clashes are also reported in the West Bank and East Jerusalem; rights groups say some 185 Palestinians have been injured in these clashes over the past 3 days, 153 of them in Jerusalem. Netanyahu accuses the demonstrators of “incitement” and challenging “the very existence of Israel.” Other Israeli officials accuse Iran and Syria of instigating the Palestinians, noting that Syrian security did nothing to prevent Palestinians fr. approaching the border. (DS, IFM, IsRN, JAZ, JP, MA, YA 5/15; Christian Science Monitor, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 5/16)

Unrelated to the “March to Palestine,” IDF troops fired across the border into Gaza, killing a Palestinian who allegedly was planting an explosive device. Inside Israel, an Israeli Palestinian drives his truck into several cars, a bus, and pedestrians in Tel Aviv, killing 1 Israeli and injuring 17 in what Israeli police say was a deliberate terrorist attack; the driver, who is arrested, strongly denies deliberately harming anyone, saying he lost control of his vehicle when a tire blew. The IDF also patrols in 2 village nr. Qalqilya (arresting 1 Palestinian teenager for throwing stones) and 2 nr. Tulkarm; sends undercover units into Nur al-Shams r.c. nr. Tulkarm late at night, surrounding and raiding a house and arresting 1 Palestinian; conducts other late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around al-‘Arub r.c. and Hebron, and nr. Salfit. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba settlement in Hebron throw 4 Molotov cocktails at a nearby Palestinian home, causing minor damage. Israel resumes transferring VAT taxes to the PA (see 5/1), having received PA assurances that none of the money would be accessible to Hamas under the new Fatah-Hamas unity deal, but warning that it would reconsider suspending transfers if Hamas was allowed to join a PA govt. (NYT 5/16; PCHR 5/19; OCHA 5/20)

At quarter’s end, fierce fighting is ongoing in Libya and NATO intervention continues. Rebel-held areas increasingly report shortages of food and medical supplies. No reliable figures on casualties are available since independent media access and communications are extremely difficult. Deaths are thought to be well into the 1,000s and perhaps as high as 10,000. (WP 5/16; REU 6/9)

On the day Israel marks independence day and Palestinians commemorate the Nakba, Hamas’s Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades fires 6 rockets and 8 mortars into Israel, causing no injuries, reiterating that it will no longer abide by the 11/26/06 cease-fire; the IDF responds with helicopter air strikes on n. Gaza and fires on an open area e. of Rafah; no damage or injuries are reported on either side. (Also in Gaza, a Palestinian is injured in Jabaliya r.c. while trying to dismantle an unexploded IDF shell.) Meanwhile, moderates in Hamas’s political wing say they are working to preserve the cease-fire. In the West Bank, the IDF occupies a Palestinian home in Saffa nr. Ramallah as an observation post; patrols, fires on residential areas of Nablus; conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches in Hebron. Nr. Jenin, 2 Palestinian children (ages 4, 7) are injured when they accidentally trigger unexploded IDF ordnance. Thousands of Jewish settlers march to the evacuated Homesh settlement site to protest the 2005 disengagement despite the IDF’s declaration of the area as a closed military zone; 2 IDF soldiers are injured trying to keep settlers from the site. Jewish settlers escorted by IDF troops bar Palestinians fr. using a road s. of Jenin for several hrs. (BBC, MM 4/24; IFM, MM, NYT, OCHA, WP 4/25; PCHR 4/26)

Palestinians mark Nakba commemoration day by observing 3 minutes of silence. Large rallies are held in every major Palestinian city in the West Bank and Gaza, after which a recorded message by Arafat is read over loudspeakers. Israeli Arabs hold marches to the sites of their destroyed villages. Marches, rallies are also held in Amman (where 1,000s demonstrate), Cairo, Tehran, Washington. (MM 5/15; IRNA, MENA 5/15 in WNC 5/16; SA 5/15, HJ, JT, al-Quds 5/16 in WNC 5/17; NYT, WP, WT 5/16; WJW 5/17; HA, WP 5/18)

Israeli-Palestinian clashes escalate due to the Nakba anniversary, leaving 5 Palestinians, 1 Israeli settler dead, some 250 Palestinians wounded. In an apparent assassination in Gaza, the IDF fires a tank shell at the car driven by `Abd al-Hakim al-Manama, bodyguard of Hamas spiritual leader Shaykh Yasin, killing him and a passenger. In Ramallah, an IDF soldier shoots French TV reporter Bertrand Aguirre, who captures his targeted shooting on video; Aguirre escapes fatal injury because he is wearing a bulletproof vest. A Palestinian woman gives birth at an IDF checkpoint when soldiers refuse to let her pass to reach a hospital. The IDF directs shells, heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of Rafah, Tulkarm. (AP, LAW 5/15; HP, NYT, WP, WT 5/16; PCHR 5/17; CSM 5/18; JP 5/25)

The Higher Follow-Up Comm. for the Arab Community (HFCAC), composed of Israeli Arab political and community leaders, reports that Israel is restricting the freedoms of Israel Arabs in light of the al-Aqsa intifada. Israeli Arab journalists, poets have been detained for questioning, warned against "incitement" for writing on the intifada; community activists have received threatening telephone calls fr. police, intelligence officials; Israel police have opened investigations against 4 Israeli Arab MKs; 1 Israeli Arab has been placed under administrative detention; several Israeli Arabs have had their passports confiscated for taking part in a trip to Syria. (HFCAC press release 5/15)

In Washington, PA senior negotiator Abbas holds talks with Secy. of State Powell, National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice on halting violence, Arafat visiting the U.S. (WP, WT 5/16; MENA 5/16 in WNC 5/17; NYT 5/17, 5/21)

Israel, the PA submit their official responses to the Mitchell Comm. report, generally welcoming the report as a basis for a cease-fire. (MM 5/15; NYT 5/16; AYM 5/16 in WNC 5/18; NYT 5/17)

Israel reinforces troops in Shaba` Farms, directs machine gun fire across the border into Lebanon, flies helicopters along the border area. (RL 5/15 in WNC 5/16)

At a PC mtg., PA chief negotiator `Abid Rabbuh resigns in protests after learning that secret PA-Israeli final status talks recently started in Stockholm. The Stockholm talks are being held btwn. Israel's Internal Security M Ben Ami, lawyer Gilead Sher and PC speaker Qurai`, PC mbr. Hassan Asfour, PSF chief Muhammad Dahlan. (MENL 5/15; MENA 5/15 in WNC 5/16; NYT, WT 5/16)

U.S. Consul General John Herbst delivers Arafat a letter fr. Pres. Clinton regarding the peace process. No details are released. (MENL 5/15)

PA, Israeli interim issue team meet. PA interim affairs negotiator Saeb Erakat says Arafat instructed him to discuss only the immediate demand that 230 Palestinian prisoners be released. Israeli negotiator Eran, however, asks that the Palestinian demonstrations in support of the prisoners be halted so the talks can be held in a positive atmosphere. (NYT, WT 5/15)

Across the West Bank and Gaza, Palestinians marking the 52d anniversary of the Nakba hold demonstrations to protest the continued detention of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and to demand that the PA push the refugee issue in negotiations with Israel. In several locations, the IDF clashes with protesters, opening fire with live ammunition and rubber bullets, killing 1 Palestinian and wounding at least 30. 2 IDF soldiers are also injured. The worst clashes are in nr. Netzarim junction in Gaza and in Nablus, Qalqilya, and Ramallah in the West Bank. (AYM 5/14 in WNC 5/17; NYT, WP, WT 5/15; MEI 5/19)

Some 150 Palestinians fr. Dahaysha, Aida, Azza refugee camps nr. Bethlehem make a symbolic visit to the sites of their villages of origin, which were destroyed by Zionist forces in 1948: Bayt Nattif, Zakriyya, and Bayt Jibrin. (BDL 5/15) (see 5/10)

The PA and Israel announce that the PA has captured Muhammad Dayif, a leader of Hamas's Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades who is Israel's most wanted for allegedly organizing a series of suicide bombings in 2+n3/96. Israel also releases Salah Shihada, a Hamas leader who has been jailed for 12 yrs. It is uncertain whether the Shihada release and Dayif capture are part of a reciprocal agmt. related to the negotiations. (MM, NYT, WP 5/15; NYT 5/17; WJW 5/18)

PM Netanyahu arrives in China for 3-day visit. (MM 5/26)

In Cairo, Arafat attends Arab League mtg. called to commemorate the 50th anniversary of al-Nakba; calls for Arab summit on the peace process. (MENA, RE 5/26 in WNC 5/27)

Egyptian FM `Amr Musa arrives in Amman for talks with King Hussein on Mubarak's trip to France, possible Arab summit; says Pres. Mubarak is discussing summit idea with other Arab leaders, including Morocco's King Hassan, who arrived in Cairo today for 3-day official visit, and Syria's Pres. Asad. (MENA, RE, RJ 5/26 in WNC 5/27; MM 5/27, 5/28)

In Tel Aviv, Israel's DM Yitzhak Mordechai meets with Turkey's dep. chief of staff, Gen. Cevik Bir, for talks on the peace process, furthering military cooperation, possible joint arms projects. (WT 5/27)

Saudi Arabia's FM Prince Saud al-Faisal arrives in Iran for 2-day talks on improving bilateral ties. (WT 5/27)

Hamas's Shaykh Yasin visits Syria's Yarmuk refugee camp, where he receives warm welcome fr. Palestinian refuges. (WP 6/11) (see 5/25)

In East Jerusalem, Israeli border policemen clash with Palestinians protesting illegal construction by Jewish settlers (see 5/25). To halt violence, Israel's Jerusalem mayor Ehud Olmert bans the construction in the name of Israel's Antiquities Dept., orders the demolition of the settlers' illegal dwellings. (ITV 5/26 in WNC 5/27; MM, NYT 5/27; WJW 5/28; MM 6/3; MEI 6/5; WT 6/9)

Yemen reports that over the past 2 days, Saudi troops have seized the island of Harim in the Red Sea as part of an attempt to pressure Sana' to make territorial concessions in the 2 countries' border demarcation negotiations, which just resumed last wk. The island is 1 of 3 uninhabited but strategically significant Red Sea islands in dispute. (MM 5/26)

3 SLA mbrs., 3 Hizballah mbrs. are killed in 2 clashes in s. Lebanon. 4 civilians are injured, over 100 flee their homes. (ITV, RL, VOL 5/26 in WNC 5/27)