The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Mukhmas. Israeli forces shoot and kill a 13-year-old Palestinian boy and injure 2 others during a raid in Qabatiya. Israeli forces also shoot and injure 2 Palestinians during a raid in Tubas. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 23 Palestinians in the Old City near the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Nuseirat refugee camp, Maghazi, and Dayr al-Balah, killing at least 82 people. Israeli forces also open fire at Palestinians waiting to receive aid at the Kuwait Roundabout in Gaza City, killing at least 17. Meanwhile, Israeli forces continue to raid and besiege al-Shifa Hospital. In Sakhnin, Deir Hanna, and Kafr Kanna, thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel mark Land Day under the slogan “Stop the war on Gaza.” In Tel Aviv, Israeli police violently disperse Israeli anti-government protesters. In Lebanon, a UNIFIL peacekeeping foot patrol is bombed, wounding 4 UN personnel from Chile, Norway, Australia, and Lebanon; Israel denies responsibility. Israeli forces bomb Naqoura, Taybeh, Hanin, Tayr Harfa, Yarin, and Dhayra. Hezbollah forces attack an Israeli military base in Ya’ara with a drone and fire missiles at Kafrchouba, Khirbet Maar, and Raheb. In Jordan, police violently disperse protesters outside of the Israeli embassy for the seventh day in a row. In Yemen, U.S. forces bomb 2 aerial surveillance systems. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/30; AJ, NYT 3/31; HA 4/1; UNOCHA 4/3)

More than 32,705 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 75,190 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 445 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, 253 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. 78 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (WAFA 3/30; UNOCHA 4/3)

The Gaza Media Office reports that Israeli forces have killed more than 400 people and destroyed and damaged more than 1,050 homes in and around al-Shifa Hospital during the 13-day siege of the hospital. (AJ 3/30)

The Alliance of Palestinian Forces, which includes Hamas and Islamic Jihad, releases a statement opposing a reported Israeli plan to establish an Arab military force in Gaza. (AJ 3/30; HA 4/1)

Islamic Jihad secretary-general Ziad al-Nakhalah meets with Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Tehran, telling reporters that he promises that “we will be the victors in the war.” (AP 3/30)

Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi, Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry, and French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne call for an “immediate and permanent ceasefire” after a meeting in Cairo. Sejourne also says his government will put forward a draft resolution at the UN Security Council setting out a political settlement of the war in Gaza. (WAFA 3/30; AJ 3/31)

The Arab Parliament of the Arab League issues a statement marking Land Day, saying Israel is waging “a war of genocide and forced displacement.” (AJ 3/30)

Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel demands in a tweet on X that Israel ends “the genocide” in Gaza. (AJ, WAFA 3/31)

A video circulating online shows U.S. representative Tim Walberg (R-MI) saying that no aid should be provided to Palestinians and that Gaza “should be like Nagasaki and Hiroshima” referring to the U.S. nuclear bombings of the 2 Japanese cities during World War II. (AJ, NYT 3/31)

The Guardian reports that the UK government has received legal advice that Israel is breaking international law in Gaza. (AJ, GDN 3/30; AJ, HA, HA 3/31)

50 members of the UK House of Lords and parliament call on the government to reinstate UNRWA funding. (AJ, HA 3/30)

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, Israeli settlers physical assault and pepper spray 3 Palestinians during a raid in Fateh Sidra in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces shoot and kill 2 Palestinians during a raid in Attil. Israeli forces also raid Nur Shams refugee camp, uprooting streets, causing damage to infrastructure, including roads, water, electricity, sewage, and internet, affecting more than 84,600 people, and demolishing a home. Elsewhere, Israeli forces uproot 51 olive trees and 15 grape vines in Husan. Israeli forces also demolish 2 homes in Umm al-Tiran, displacing 7 people. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 25 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, al-Bireh, Qalqilya, Salfit, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 6 Palestinians, tying them together before dragging them through the streets in Isawiya. Israeli forces also prevent Palestinians from entering the Haram al-Sharif compound and place barbed wire fencing at the compound near the Lion’s Gate. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, and Gaza City, killing at least 67 people. 2 children die of starvation at the Kamal Adwan Hospital, bringing the death toll from starvation to at least 27. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attack 2 sites in the Beqaa Valley near Baalbek, killing one person and injuring others, and buildings in Ayta ash Shab and Naqoura. Hezbollah attacks Khirbet Maar and Kafrchouba. In Yemen, U.S. and UK forces bomb several locations, killing 11 people and injuring 14. (AJ, HA, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/11; HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/12; UNOCHA 3/13)

More than 31,112 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 72,760 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 419 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 108 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, 247 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,474 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. 236 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The UAE, Egypt, Jordan, France, Belgium, and the U.S. airdrop 169 aid packages over Gaza. The Gaza Ministry of Health says more than 2,000 medical personnel are starving in northern Gaza. 95 Palestinian orphans are evacuated from Rafah to an SOS Children’s Village in Bethlehem. (AJ, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/11; HA, HA, UNOCHA 3/12; UNOCHA, WAFA 3/13)

Israel restricts entry to the Haram al-Sharif compound on the first day of Ramadan to men over the age of 55, women over the age of 50, and children under the age of 10, in addition to requiring identification to enter. The PA calls for urgent international intervention to overturn the Israeli decision. Jordan says Israel is “playing with fire.” (AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 3/11; HA 3/12; NYT, UNOCHA 3/13)

The Israeli military presents a plan to dismantle UNRWA operations in Gaza and in the West Bank, saying doing so will undermine Hamas’s civilian rule in Gaza. The plan includes slandering UNRWA and its staff with help from other Israeli governmental bodies. Israel’s military says it has assassinated the deputy head of Hamas’s military wing, Marwan Issa, saying he was the fourth highest ranking Hamas member. Military Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi issues a disciplinary note to a general who ordered the demolition of a university building in Gaza without authorization. (HA, HA, HA, NYT 3/11; HA, NYT 3/12)

The Knesset passes a law allowing Israeli victims of Palestinian attacks and their families to sue the PA for compensation. (HA 3/12)

The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) releases a statement calling on Israel to halt all planned evictions and demolitions in the al-Bustan neighborhood in Silwan. The OHCHR says the demolitions could constitute a war crime. (OHCHR 3/11)

The UN Security Council discuss the UN report on sexual violence allegedly committed in Israel and Palestine. PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour says the UN is displaying double standards by never holding a meeting on sexual violence committed by Israelis against Palestinians. U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield says the “evidence before us is damming and devastating.” Russia’s deputy permanent representative to the UN Maria Zabolotskaya says a comprehensive study covering Gaza is also needed before any conclusions can be made and points out that most of the UN data is from the Israeli government. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres tells reporters that “[i]nternational humanitarian law lies in tatters . . . [the] threatened Israeli assault on Rafah could plummet the people of Gaza into an even deeper cycle of hell.” (AJ, HA, WAFA 3/11; AP, HA 3/12)

At a U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, CIA director Bill Burns outlines the current ceasefire proposal, which includes the release of 40 Israeli captives in exchange for a “defined number of Palestinian prisoners,” a 6-week ceasefire, and “a major surge in humanitarian assistance.” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says the U.S. has not received Israel’s plan for the protection of Palestinians in Rafah during its planned invasion. The U.S. fiscal 2025 budget request includes $7.6 billion for Middle East partners, including Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. Unlike past years, the budget does not include funding for UNRWA. (AJ, HA 3/11)

8 Democratic Senators write a letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to stop providing offensive weapons to Israel until Israel lifts its blockade on humanitarian aid going to Gaza, saying the transfer of weapons violates the Foreign Assistance Act. The letter is written by Senators Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Jeff Merkey (D-OR) and signed by Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Peter Welch (D-VT), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM). (AJ, HA, NYT 3/12)

12 Israeli human rights organizations sign an open letter saying Israel is not complying with the ICJ’s provisional measure to facilitate humanitarian aid to Gaza. (AJ 3/11)

The UK Home Office grants a Palestinian citizen of Israel asylum, assessing that there is a risk he will be persecuted in Israel. In his asylum application, the Palestinian man said that Israeli apartheid systematically oppresses Palestinians and that he was at heightened risk of persecution due to his pro-Palestinian activism and anti-Zionist views. (AJ 3/12; AJ 3/13)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers bring their cattle to graze on Palestinian farmland in Khirbet al-Farisiyya, destroying crops. Armed Israeli settlers force 4 Palestinian families to leave their homes in Kisan. Israeli forces shoot 5 Palestinians with live ammunition, killing 1 child and wounding 5, and shoot 8 others with baton rounds during a raid in Beit Umar. Israeli forces also seize building equipment and arrest 4 Palestinians during a raid in Deir Balut. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 18 Palestinians during raids in Jericho, Hebron, Qalqilya, Nablus, and Ramallah. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces demolish the home belonging to the prominent Palestinian activist Fakhri Abu Diab in Silwan, displacing 10 people. The U.S. and EU condemn the demolition. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, and Gaza City, killing at least 103 people, including Al Jazeera guest analyst Ayman Rafati and his family in an airstrike on Gaza City. Rockets are fired at Zikim and Ashkelon; no damage is reported. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attack Nabatieh and as-Sawana, killing 11 civilians, including 6 children. Israeli forces also kill a Hezbollah member in Adashit. A Hezbollah strike on a military base in Safed kills 1 Israeli soldier and injures 8 others. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/14; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/15)

More than 28,576 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 11,500 children and 7,200 women, and around 68,291 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 389 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 4,475 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, 230 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,352 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. 130 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The WHO says Israel has prevented the organization from entering the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis since 1/29. (AJ, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 2/14; UNOCHA 2/15)

Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir says Palestinian political leader Marwan Barghouti has been moved to solitary confinement, claiming he was encouraging the outbreak of a third intifada. Hamas has demanded that Barghouti be released as part of a ceasefire deal. (AJ 2/14; AJ 2/15)

Peace Now reports that the Israeli housing ministry has issued tenders for 523 housing units in 10 different settlements in the West Bank since the beginning of 2024. (PCN 2/14)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas issues a statement calling on Hamas to quickly finalize a ceasefire deal to avoid an Israeli invasion of Rafah. The PA requests an extraordinary meeting at the Arab League. (AJ, HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA 2/14; HA 2/15)

CIA director Bill Burns meets with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad director David Barnea, discussing ceasefire negotiations. Netanyahu orders the Israeli negotiation team not to return to Cairo for further talks. Netanyahu says Israel will “fight until complete victory and this includes a powerful action also in Rafah after we allow the civilian population to leave the battle zones.” Netanyahu speaks with French president Emmanuel Macron, who warns him against invading Rafah. Foreign Minister Israel Katz tells his German counterpart Anna Baerbock that UNRWA cannot be part of humanitarian assistance efforts in Gaza. Finance Minister Bezalel Smtorich and Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer announce a plan to provide cash payments of $550 a month for 2 years to new immigrants who settle in the West Bank and in border regions in the north and south. Communications Minister Shlomo Karni approves the UAE field hospital in Gaza’s use of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service. (AJ, AX, AX, HA, NYT, REU 2/14; AJ, AX, HA, HA 2/15; AJ, HA 2/16)

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi meet in Cairo, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. (AJ, AP, HA 2/14; HA 2/15)

U.S. president Joe Biden signs an executive order preventing Palestinians from being deported from the U.S. for a period of 18 months. The order also compels the Department of Homeland Security to issue work permits to Palestinians in the U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirms that Israel is blocking flour from entering Gaza. The State Department condemns the demolition of Fakhri Abu Diab’s home in East Jerusalem. (AJ, AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU 2/14)

The U.S. House of Representatives passes a resolution 418-0 condemning Hamas over accusations that Hamas used sexual violence during 10/7/2023. (HA 2/14)

Spain and Ireland call on the European Commission to investigate whether Israel is complying with international law. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 2/14)

The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. State Department is investigating Israeli usage of white phosphorus in Gaza and Lebanon. (AJ, WAFA 2/15)

The Washington Post reports that the U.S. and several Arab countries will present a long-term plan for establishing a Palestinian state, including Israeli withdrawal from many West Bank settlements, a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem, the rebuilding of Gaza, and international oversight over the Palestinian governance. (NYT, WP 2/14; HA, HA 2/15; HA 2/16)

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology bans the pro-Palestinian student group Coalition Against Apartheid. (AP, HA 2/14)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raid Mughayyir al-Ubeid in the Masafer Yatta area, assaulting an elderly woman and stealing 3 of her sheep. Israeli settlers also assault a Palestinian grazing sheep in Shaab al-Butum. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian child in ‘Ayn Bus. Israeli forces kill 5 Palestinians in an airstrike on a car in Balata refugee camp and raid the camp, raiding 400 homes, vandalizing 50 business, and damaging 18 vehicles. Israeli forces also raid Tulkarm, killing 6 Palestinians, including 4 in an airstrike, 2 of them children, and 2 with live ammunition; 7 Palestinians are injured, including 2 medics, and an Israeli soldier is also injured, 5 medics are arrested, while Israeli bulldozers uproot pavement. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raid Bani Na’im, injuring a Palestinian with live ammunition. Israeli forces also demolish an agricultural structure in Jayyus. Meanwhile, Israeli forces seize a vehicle in Umm al-Jimal. Israeli forces arrest 85 Palestinians, including 40 workers from Gaza, during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Qalqilya, Hebron, Tulkarm, Jericho, and Bethlehem. In Gaza, telecommunications services are down for the sixth day in a row. Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Rafah, Maghazi, al-Bureij refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City, and Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least 163 people. Israeli forces also damage the Jordanian field hospital in Khan Yunis and the Nasser Hospital, where about 7,000 people are sheltering, in airstrikes, and demolish al-Israa University in a controlled explosion after using it as a military base. An Israeli soldier is killed in combat. In Hura, Israeli police arrest 2 Palestinian citizens of Israel for writing “Free Palestine” and “Free Gaza” on a school blackboard in Meitar. In Lebanon, Hamas says its forces fire 20 rockets at an Israeli military base. Israeli forces attack Hula, Ayta ash Shab, and Dhayra. In the Red Sea, a drone launched from Yemen hits a U.S.-owned commercial ship, causing damage. U.S. forces launch 14 airstrikes in Yemen. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/17; AJ, REU, UNOCHA 1/18)

More than 24,448 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 10,600 children and 7,200 women, and around 61,504 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 359 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 90 children. More than 4,234 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, 191 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,152 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 69,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 98 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. Medical aid for Palestinians and Israeli captives arrives in Gaza via the Rafah crossing. Hamas says that for each box of medicine earmarked for captives Palestinians receive 1,000. The Gaza Ministry of Health says Hepatitis A is spreading in makeshift refugee camps, noting that more than 8,000 cases have been detected. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 1/17; AJ, UNOCHA 1/18)

A video shows Israeli forces bulldozing graves and exhuming bodies at a cemetery in Khan Yunis. The Israeli military later says it exhumed the bodies to see if they are Israeli captives. (UNOCHA 1/17; AJ, HA, UNOCHA 1/18)

The Commission for Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs says Israeli officials admitted in an Israeli court that Palestinian prisoner Abdul-Rahman Marei was tortured to death by Israeli prison guards on 11/7/2023. (WAFA 1/17)

PA prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh meets Australian foreign minister Penny Wong in Ramallah. Wong expresses “deep concern” about settler violence in the West Bank during a tour of affected communities. The PA requests an extraordinary meeting at the Arab League to discuss the ongoing assaults on Gaza and the West Bank and the Israeli efforts to Judaize Jerusalem. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/17; AJ, HA 1/18)

Palestine Investment Fund head Mohammed Mustafa tells the World Economic Forum that $15 billion will be required to rebuild homes in Gaza and more will be needed to rebuild infrastructure and hospitals. (AJ 1/18)

MK Ofer Cassif is indicted on charges of assaulting an Israeli police officer in 2022 while on his way to a protest in the Masafer Yatta area. Cassif says he did not hit the officer but deflected his push, calling the indictment “political persecution.” Cassif last week supported the South African case against Israel at the ICJ. (HA 1/17)

The Knesset approves an extension of the temporary order which allows for poorer conditions for Palestinian prisoners with 3 months. (WAFA 1/17)

Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir tells Israeli Channel 7 that Israel should hit Hezbollah with “a preemptive attack” as he thinks “no political settlement will help.” Ben-Gvir also condemns Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not making sure that Israel could examine the medical aid shipment that entered Gaza earlier. Later he tells Channel 13 that there is no other way to restore security in the State of Israel than occupying all of Palestine, saying “[v]oluntary immigration of the residents of Gaza should be encouraged.” (AJ 1/17; AJ 1/18; HA 1/19)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken says there is a need for a “pathway to a Palestinian state,” adding Israel will not “get genuine security absent that.” Blinken also describes the situation in Gaza as “gut-wrenching.” The U.S. redesignates the Houthi movement as a terrorist organization, placing them under sanctions. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says the U.S. will reconsider the terrorist designation if the Houthis end their attacks in the Red Sea. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, REU, REU 1/17; AJ, REU 1/18; AP 1/19)

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says Senate Democrats are discussing conditioning further aid to Israel. (AJ, HA 1/17)

French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne says France rejects the case brought by South Africa at the ICJ, saying “[t]o accuse the Jewish state of genocide is to cross a moral threshold.” (NYT 1/17)

NBC reports that Prime Minister Netanyahu rejected a U.S. plan that links Israeli-Saudi normalization with the rebuilding of Gaza and steps toward the creation of a Palestinian state, telling Secretary Blinken in a meeting last week that he is not prepared to allow the creation of a Palestinian state. NBC further reports that the U.S. now is working on a plan for Gaza that would start after Netanyahu no longer is prime minister. (HA 1/17; HA 1/18)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces in al-Fara’a refugee camp on 12/8. Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man, claiming he had stabbed an Israeli soldier with a knife during an Israeli raid in Dura. Israeli forces also shot and killed a Palestinian child during a raid in ‘Azzun. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities delivered evacuation orders to several Palestinian families living on around 9 dunams (2.2 acres) of land in the Moroccan Gate area of the Old City, giving them 60 days to file objections. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Rafah, Khan Yunis, Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza City Dayr al-Balah, Maghazi, Jabaliya refugee camp, and al-Bureij refugee camp, killing more than 200 people. Israel continued its siege of al-Awda Hospital in Jabalia refugee camp for the third day in a row, injuring 2 health workers. Israeli forces also shot and injured 2 paramedics in an ambulance outside of the European Hospital in Khan Yunis. The Red Crescent delivered medical supplies to al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City and evacuated 19 patients; 1 of the patients died during the evacuation and 1 Red Crescent staffer was beaten and interrogated for 4 hours by Israeli forces. 4 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat. In Tzrifin, an Israeli soldier was injured after being hit by a car; 2 were arrested, including a man from Rahat and a man from Qalqilya in the West Bank. In Lebanon, Israel attacked several targets and Hezbollah said it had attacked an Israeli naval base. In the Red Sea, France said a French warship had shot down 2 drones near Yemen. (AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/9; AJ, AP 12/10)

More than 17,700 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 7,729 children and 5,153 women, and around 49,300 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 267 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 69 children. More than 3,387 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured since 10/7. 101 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. As of 12/3, at least 52,000 housing units had been destroyed and 253,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 60% of all housing units. The World Food Programme reported that 91% of Palestinians in Gaza were experiencing hunger, with 36% experiencing severe hunger. The Palestinian Civil Defense said it only had 1 vehicle left operating in northern Gaza. Around 100 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza. (AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 12/9)

Haaretz reported that the autopsy reports for at least 2 of the 6 Palestinian prisoners that have died in Israeli detention since 10/7 showed that their bodies were bruised and had broken bones, suggesting that violence may have killed them. (HA 12/9)

Videos by Israeli soldiers of Palestinians in the underwear surrendering to Israeli forces in Jabalia refugee camps circulated in the media. However, the videos were reportedly staged as in 1 video a man is shown surrendering a weapon while holding it in his right hand while a nearly identical video shows the same man surrendering a weapon while holding it in his left hand. Videos of Israeli soldiers vandalizing Palestinian property and raising Israeli flags in Gaza also circulated. (HA, UNOCHA 12/9; AJ, HA, UNOCHA 12/10; HA 12/11)

Responding to videos of hundreds of Palestinians detained by Israeli forces in Gaza stripped to their underwear, advisor to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mark Regev, said the Middle East is warmer than Europe so “to be asked to take off your shirt, it might not be pleasant, but it is not the end of the world.” Israel later claimed that 10-15% of the Palestinians in the videos were Hamas operatives or identified with the Hamas. Israeli national security advisor Tzachi Hanegbi claimed that Israel has killed 7,000 members of Palestinian militant groups during its attacks on Gaza. Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant visited Israeli soldiers in northern Gaza. (HA 12/9; AJ, HA 12/10)

A UN official said Israel was testing the screening process for the delivery of aid to Gaza through the Karim Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing. (HA, REU 12/9)

The PA issued corrections to an interview given by Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh to Bloomberg News on 12/7, saying Shtayyeh had not said that the PA and the U.S. were discussing “a plan to manage Gaza.” (WAFA 12/9)

The foreign ministers of the PA, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia met with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa. (WAFA 12/9; AJ 12/10)

German chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu, calling for more aid to be delivered to Gaza and expressing concern over settler violence. (HA 12/9)

Yemen’s Houthi-led government said it would prevent Israeli ships and ships traveling to Israeli ports from operating near Yemeni maritime borders but would respect other international seafaring. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT 12/9; HA 12/10)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers razed 5 dunams (1.2 acres) of land and threw stones at Palestinians and Israeli activists in Khirbet al-Farisiyya. Israeli settlers also vandalized 15 vehicles in Umm Safa. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers wearing military uniforms raided Khirbet Zanuta, demolishing a residential structure, 2 agricultural structures, and part of an EU-funded school. Israeli forces shot and killed 5 Palestinians during raids in Qalqilya, Sa’ir, and Qalandia. Israeli forces also shot and injured 35 Palestinians, including 5 children, during raids in Bani Naim, Qalqilya, and Qalandia. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished 6 agricultural structures in al-Ubeidiya. 60 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Dheisheh refugee camp, Jericho, Ramallah, Silwad, Jalazone refugee camp, and Abu Dis. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raided Kafr ‘Aqab, injuring 10 with live ammunition, 1 with a baton round, 3 with beatings, and others with tear gas. In Gaza, Paltel said telecommunications were cut off in all of Gaza. At least 349 people were killed and 750 injured in Israeli attacks, including 108 in Beit Lahiya and 40 in Khan Yunis and others in Gaza City and Khan Yunis. Israeli forces ordered Palestinians in the Dayr al-Balah district to evacuate south as Israel continued to heavily bomb the Rafah and Khan Yunis districts. Israeli forces also demolished Gaza’s main courthouse with explosives. 5 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat. Hamas’ military spokesperson Abu Obeida said Hamas had destroyed 28 Israeli military vehicles in the past 24 hours. Rockets were fired at Israel; no injuries were reported. In Lebanon, Israel conducted airstrikes, saying mortar shells were fired at Israel, injuring 3 soldiers. (AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/4; AJ, AX, HA, HA, UNOCHA 12/5)

More than 15,899 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 6,387 children and 4,257 women, and around 41,316 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 251 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 65 children. More than 3,313 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. 85 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. 100 trucks carrying aid, including around 13,000 gallons of fuel, entered Gaza. Aid was only distributed in Rafah for the second day in a row. 25 wounded Palestinians and 583 foreign nationals were evacuated to Egypt. The WHO said Israel had ordered the organization to remove its supplies from its medical warehouse in southern Gaza within 24 hours. (AJ, HA, HA, UNOCHA 12/4; AJ, AJ 12/5)

Israel announced that it had approved the Lower Aqueduct plan in East Jerusalem, the first major new settlement plan to be fully approved in East Jerusalem since 2012, according to Ir Amim. The final approval greenlit the construction of 1,792 housing units on 186 dunams (46 acres) of land, including on privately owned land belonging to Palestinians in Umm Tuba. Jordan condemned the approval. The PA Foreign Ministry called on the international community to stop the implementation of the plan. (AJ 12/4; AJ, TOI, WAFA 12/5; PCN 12/6)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with U.S. vice president Kamala Harris in a phone call, discussing the situation in Palestine and need for aid to enter Gaza. PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh met with a delegation from the EU parliament in Ramallah. Harris also spoke with Israeli president Isaac Herzog about plans for Gaza after Israel is done with its assault. (HA 12/3; NYT WAFA, WAFA 12/4)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Argentinian president-elect Javier Milei, thanking him for saying he will move the Argentinian embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and inviting him to Israel. (HA 12/3; AJ, REU 12/4)

The corruption trial against Prime Minister Netanyahu resumed. Netanyahu did not attend the hearing. The judge presiding over the trial agreed to hold 2 hearings a week instead of 3 as happened before 10/7. (NYT 12/4; AJ, HA 12/5)

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Prime Minister Netanyahu will be tried as a war criminal for Israel’s attacks on Gaza. (HA, REU 12/4)

U.S. senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) called the proposed U.S. military aid package to Israel “absolutely irresponsible,” labelling Israel’s attacks on Gaza immoral and in violation of international law during a speech at the Senate. (AJ, HA 12/5)

Haaretz said that several stories about Hamas militants’ actions during Operation Al-Aqsa flood were unfounded, including that 40 babies were killed, some of which were said to be beheaded, a story recounted by U.S. president Biden. Other stories recounted by Prime Minister Netanyahu, such as children being bound together and burned, also appeared to be false. Netanyahu’s wife Sara also relayed a false story in a letter to Biden’s wife Jill, saying one of the captives held by Hamas was pregnant and had given birth in captivity. The woman, who has since been released, was not pregnant. (HA 12/4)

The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel is considering flooding the tunnels in Gaza with seawater. (HA, WSJ 12/4; HA, HA, REU 12/5)

3 human rights organizations in the Netherlands sued the Dutch state over its export of F-35 parts to Israel. (AJ, HA, HA 12/4)

Former State Department office of public and congressional affairs director Josh Paul, who resigned on 10/18 in protest over the Biden administration’s policy toward Israel’s attacks on Gaza, told CNN that Israel had raided the offices of Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCI – Palestine) in 2021 after the State Department had shared credible evidence of a Palestinian child being raped at al-Mascobiyya Interrogation Center in Jerusalem with Israel. DCI – Palestine’s office was raided on 7/29/2021 and the organization declared a terrorist organization on 10/22/2021 along with 5 other groups. Paul suggested a link between the sharing of the DCI – Palestine investigation and the Israeli terrorist designation. (X 12/4)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces seized a shipping container and a vending stall south in Qalqas; and delivered stop-work orders for several residential and agricultural structures near Tubas and in Jiftlik. 3 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Jenin, Ya‘bad, and ‘Araba. Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian-owned house in Hebron, damaging a water tank and erecting an Israeli flag on the roof. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers with military escort raided Qusra, leading to confrontations with Palestinians; no injuries were reported. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities extended the detention of PA governor Adnan Ghaith. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on agricultural lands east of Dayr al-Balah and Bayt Hanun; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces also made incursions to level land east of Khuza‘a. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/6; PCHR 4/9)

PA Jerusalem affairs minister Fadi Hidmi filed a complaint to the Israeli justice department for his arrest on 4/3. Minister Hidmi said that he was beaten and repeatedly forced to wear a dirty mask with blood on it. The complaint further said that Israeli police blasted down his front door without trying to knock on it and that the police seized $2,800. Hidmi was ultimately released 6 hours after his arrest without any charges. (HA 4/6)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Kahol Lavan leader Benny Gantz agreed on preliminary terms for a unity government, which includes that Netanyahu can propose to the Israeli cabinet a West Bank annexation plan if it’s backed by the U.S. (HA, JP 4/6)

Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian youth in the Old City of Jerusalem after she allegedly attempts to stab an Israeli police officer at Damascus Gate, causing no injuries. Palestinian witnesses say that she did not pose a threat to the police, and that she was “executed in cold blood.” Elsewhere in East Jerusalem, the Israeli police open a new station in Shu‘fat r.c. It’s the first of 5 new stations planned across East Jerusalem as part of the NIS 1 b. plan to increase security announced in 8/2016 (see JPS 46 [1]). Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 6 Palestinians during late-night raids in Silwan and the Old City. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct limited incursions to level land nr Dayr al-Balah and Khan Yunis. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault Palestinian farmers protesting the expansion of a settler bypass road nr. Ramallah; there are no serious injuries. IDF troops confiscate surveillance tapes, arrest 8 Palestinians, and issue 2 arrest summons during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Qalqilya, and Hebron; and patrol nr. Nablus and Hebron during the day. (HA, MNA 5/7; MNA 5/8; PCHR 5/11)

The Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for the 2d of 3 planned days. They also announce that the crossing will be open an additional day on 5/9. (WAFA 5/7)

The IPS releases footage, taken on 4/27 and 5/5, purportedly showing Marwan Barghouti eating cookies and candy in his prison cell. Barghouti, the Fatah leader who organized the Dignity Strike, is currently being held at Kishon Prison. Some IPS sources say that they provided him with the food to see if they could get him to break his strike. Barghouti’s lawyer and various Palestinian leaders dismiss the videos as forgeries. (JP, NYT, TOI 5/7; HA 5/8)

Israel’s Ministerial Comm. for Legislation approves a new version of the so-called nation-state bill, which would cancel Arabic’s status as an “official language” of Israel and codify Israel’s status as the “national home of the Jewish people”. Disagreements over previous drafts of this bill led to the dissolution of the Knesset and national elections in 3/2015 (see JPS 44 [3, 4]). Unlike earlier drafts, the version approved today does not subordinate Israel’s democracy to its Jewish character. (HA, JP, TOI 5/7)

A Palestinian driver crashes through an IDF checkpoint on the Green Line nr. Qalqilya, injuring 1 soldier; commandeers a 2d car fr. an Israeli couple; continues to Tel Aviv, where he hits, injures an Israeli policeman and is fatally shot by security personnel and bystanders. Meanwhile, the IDF fires on residential areas of Dayr al-Balah, Nablus. (JP [Internet], MM 1/28; NYT, WT 1/29; PCHR 1/30)

Israel's Internal Security M Uzi Landau presents to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Comm. his ministry's new "Enveloping Jerusalem" plan to ring West Jerusalem with barriers to prevent West Bank Palestinians fr. entering. (HA, JP [Internet] 1/28; BBC, MM 1/29; MM, NYT, WT 1/30; WJW 1/31; CSM 2/6; JP 2/8)

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Arab merchants in E. Jerusalem continue commercial strike. About 600 police and border police stand guard outside al-Haram al-Sharif; 4 Palestinians are arrested on charges of inciting demonstration. Jerusalem Police Chief Yosef Yehudai asks for, receives emergency security powers; Jerusalem neighborhood of al-Tur is placed under curfew [WP 1/23]. Military closes al-Quds for 45 days [FBIS 1/22]. Israel reports capture of 8-member armed PFLP cell in W. Bank, alleges group was responsible for October 1987 murder of Yigdal Shahaf [FBIS 1/26]. Arsonists set fire to customs department in Hebron [FJ 1/24].

Other Countries: UN Sec. Gen. Javier Perez de Cuellar releases report on Palestinian uprising in occupied territories, condemning Israeli use of harsh methods against demonstrators and endorsing plan for international peace conference on Middle East [WP 1/23].

Military Action

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Military lifts curfews on Rafah, Khan Yunis, Beach, and Dayr al-Balah refugee camps. Curfews remain in effect in Gaza Strip's Jabalya, Nusayrat, Maghazi, and Burayj camps. Curfews continue in W. Bank's old and new 'Askar camps and villages of Sa'ir and al-Mazra'ah al-Sharqiyyah. Curfews are imposed on Tulkarm refugee camp and Ramallah-area village of Bayt 'Ur al-Tahta after marches and stone throwing [FBIS 1/22; FJ 1/24].

Arab World: Amal releases 3 Palestinians [FBIS 1/22]. Salah Salah, Palestinian command secretary in S. Lebanon, announces his forces will withdraw from Sidon and Iqlim al-Tuffah roads [FBIS 1/25].