The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers burn down a Palestinian home in al-Muarajat. Israeli settlers also try to demolish a home in al-Jiftlik. 3 settlers are injured when gunmen open fire at vehicles near Jericho. Israeli forces shoot and injure 4 Palestinians during a raid in Qalandia refugee camp. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian during a raid in Nablus. Israeli forces arrest 25 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, Tulkarm, Jenin, and Salfit. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Beit Lahiya, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least 62 people. Israeli forces also continue the sieges of al-Shifa and al-Amal hospitals, shooting and killing Sawt al-Quds Radio journalist Muhammad Abu Sakhil at al-Shifa. A Palestinian child dies of starvation at the Kamal Adwan Hospital. In Lebanon, Hezbollah forces attack Israeli positions in Kfarchouba. In Jordan, large protests near the Israeli embassy continue for the fifth day in a row. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb Damascus, injuring 2. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/28; AP, AP, REU, UNOCHA 3/29)

More than 32,552 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 74,980 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 444 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 4,700 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, 252 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. Reuters reports that Israel is delaying visa requests for aid workers, hindering aid efforts. UNICEF says Israel has directly hit 212 schools in airstrikes since 10/7/2023, including 53 that have been completely destroyed. 7 members of Palestinian Red Crescent are released by Israel after being arrested at al-Amal Hospital on 2/9. (AJ, REU, REU, WAFA 3/28; UNOCHA 3/29)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas approves the new government presented to him by prime minister Mohammed Mustafa. The government will be sworn in on 3/31. The PA says Israel is showing “total contempt” for the UN Security Council ceasefire resolution with its continued attacks on Gaza. Abbas meets with Belgian foreign minister Hadja Lahbib. Lahbib says during a tour of West Bank villages “[c]olonization and increasing violence perpetrated by settlers in the West Bank are illegal. They must stop.” (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, REU, WAFA, WAFA 3/28; HA, NYT 3/29)

Hamas deputy political leader Khalil al-Hayya says he is not optimistic about a ceasefire deal in the near future but that Hamas is ready to resume negotiations and ready to show “the greatest level of flexibility for the sake of our people.” Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades leader Mohammed Deif calls on Muslims to “[s]tart marching today, now, not tomorrow, towards Palestine” in a recorded speech. (AJ, AP 3/28)

Islamic Jihad secretary-general Ziyad al-Nakhalah meets with Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran. (AJ 3/28)

Israel claims to have killed Hamas commander Raad Thabet at al-Shifa Hospital, calling him a top 10 commander. The Gaza Media Office says Israeli forces have killed around 200 people on the hospital grounds since 3/18, including 65 members of the civil defense. The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor says Israel has executed 13 children in and around al-Shifa since 3/18. (AJ, HA 3/28)

The ICJ issues new provisional orders against Israel, including ordering Israel to ensure the unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance to Gaza, including food, water, electricity, fuel, shelter, clothing, hygiene and sanitation requirements, and medical supplies. The ICJ also orders Israel to open up more crossings and keep them open for “as long as necessary.” The ICJ says that since the provisional measures were first ordered on 1/26 the situation in Gaza has changed from a risk of famine to the beginning of a famine. The PA and South Africa welcome the new measures. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, REU, REU, WAFA 3/28; AJ, AP 3/29)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells families of Israeli soldiers held captive in Gaza that the Israeli military is preparing to enter Rafah. (AJ 3/28)

U.S. military chairperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Brown says the U.S. has not provided Israel with all the weapons they have asked for due to a lack of capacity and not being willing to provide certain types of weapons or ammunition. Politico reports that the Department of Defense is exploring creating a fund for a multinational or Palestinian peacekeeping force in Gaza. (AJ, AP, HA 3/28)

The German bank Berliner Sparkasse freezes the account of the Jewish anti-Zionist group The Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Middle East and request a list of its members and their addresses. (AJ 3/28)

France will reportedly pursue legal action against French Israeli soldiers implicated in war crimes in Gaza. (HA 3/28)

Japan says it will resume funding of UNRWA after foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa meets UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini in Tokyo. France says it will provide $32.41 million to UNRWA in 2024. Kuwait donates $2 million to UNRWA. (AJ, HA, REU, REU 3/28; AJ 3/29)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and injured 5 Palestinians with live ammunition during a raid in Dheisheh refugee camp. Israeli forces also ordered Palestinian farmers near Jenin to stop drilling water wells for irrigation, delivered stop-work orders for 4 houses under construction in al-Karmel, and demolished 4 residential structures in al-Jiftlik. 17 Palestinians were arrested, including 16 during late-night raids in Silwad, Ras Karkar, Deir Jarir, Dheisheh refugee camp, and Hebron, and 1 was arrested at a checkpoint near Jericho. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolished 1 banquet hall in Isawiya and delivered a demolition notice against 1 apartment building in the neighborhood. 3 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Isawiya. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces arrested 4 Palestinian fishermen and seized their boat west of al-Sudaniyya. (MEMO, MEMO, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/16; PCHR 8/18; UNOCHA 8/19; UNOCHA 9/2)

An Israeli court extended the solitary confinement of Palestinian prisoner Ahmad Manasra to November. Manasra, who is now 21 years old, has been held in Israeli prison since he was 13 and suffers from mental health issues. Manasra was arrested in 2015 after his cousin allegedly stabbed 2 Israeli settlers in East Jerusalem while with Manasra. (AJ, MEMO, WAFA 8/16; MDW 8/17; WAFA 8/18)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with German chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin. During a press conference, President Abbas responded to a question of whether he would apologize for the 1972 Munich Olympics killing of Israeli hostages by remarking that “[f]rom 1947 to the present day, Israel has committed 50 massacres in Palestinian villages and cities. 50 massacres, 50 Holocausts, and until today, and every day there are casualties killed by the Israeli military.” Abbas’s Holocaust remark drew widespread condemnation, including from Chancellor Scholz, who issued a statement on the matter after the press conference. On 8/17, the PA released a statement saying that Abbas’s remarks were “not intended to deny the singularity of the Holocaust,” and that Abbas condemns the Holocaust “in the strongest possible terms,” calling it the “most heinous crime in modern human history.” (AP, HA, MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/16; AP, AX, MEE, NYT, REU, WAFA 8/17; AJ, AP, CNN, HA, HA, HA, MEMO, MEMO 8/18; AP, WAFA 8/19; WAFA 8/20)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized some 100 olive trees east of Bethlehem. Israeli forces delivered demolition orders against 2 Palestinian-owned homes in al-Twana. 26 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Jericho, Aqabat Jaber refugee camp, Ein as-Sultan, Jiftlik, Jalazun refugee camp, Qatanna, Beit ‘Anan, Deir Sammit, Qarawat Bani Hassan, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian family demolished their own home in Jabel Mukaber. Israeli forces also delivered a notice to a family in Isawiya ordering them to demolish an extension to their house under construction. (MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/31; MEMO 2/1; PCHR 2/3)

An Israeli court ordered the Salem family in Sheikh Jarrah to leave their home between 1 March and 1 April. The eviction will displace 10 Palestinians, including 4 children. (WAFA 1/31; MEMO 2/1)

The Israeli military said it had sent its findings relating to the death of an 80-year-old Palestinian American man who died while being detained by Israeli forces on 1/12 to the U.S. A statement said that the military’s investigation had found wrongdoing, moral failure, and failure of judgement in relation to the death. The commander of the Netzeh Israel unit was rebuked, and 2 company and platoon commanders were dismissed, but no one was held directly responsible for the killing of the Palestinian man. U.S. state department spokesperson Ned Price said on 2/1 that the U.S. “expects a thorough criminal investigation and full accountability in this case.” PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh called the military investigation a “sham” and pointed out that Israel only conducted the investigation due to the man’s American citizenship. (HA 1/31; AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, MEE, MEMO, NYT, TOI 2/1; HA, HA, WAFA 2/2)

An Israeli military court convicted 1 member of Hamas for attempted manslaughter in relation to the killing of 1 Israeli soldier in on 8/7/2019. The Palestinian man was not at the scene of the murder. (HA 2/1)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken in a phone call. According to a state department readout of the conversation, the 2 spoke about “the importance of strengthening the U.S. relationship with the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian people, as well as the need to improve quality of life for Palestinians in tangible ways . . . [and] challenges facing the Palestinian Authority and the need for reform.” Secretary Blinken also spoke with Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid. (REU, WAFA 1/31; HA, JP, MEMO, WAFA 2/1)

Israel’s defense minister Benny Gantz defended his meeting with PA president Mahmoud Abbas during a session at the Knesset, saying that it is in Israel’s interest to strengthen the PA. Gantz further stated, “[w]hether we like it or not, the Palestinian Authority is the legitimate and recognized leadership of our neighbors and has been for years.” (HA 1/31; MEMO 2/1)

Lebanon said it had arrested 35 people claiming to be Israeli spies working to infiltrate Palestinian organizations in Lebanon, Hezbollah, and the Lebanese intelligence agency. 15 had since been released, as Lebanon found that they were not spies working for Israel, and Lebanese intelligence confirmed that at least 12 were connected to Israel. (HA, MEMO 1/31)

Israeli forces fired several missiles at Damascus. Syrian air defense intercepted the missiles; however, material damage occurred during the interceptions. (AJ, AP, HA, JP, MEMO, TOI 1/31)

In the West Bank, 5 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Burqin and Jenin. Israeli forces seized an agricultural irrigation network in Jiftlik near Jericho. Israeli forces also demolished a playground, several water wells, and trees in the southern Hebron Hills. In East Jerusalem, Israel’s minister of agriculture and rural development Uri Ariel toured the Haram al-Sharif compound with a group of 42 Israeli settlers and police escort. In Gaza, Israeli authorities prevented a soccer game from being held between a team from Gaza and a team from the West Bank as Israel delayed issuing permits for the Gaza players. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 7/3; WAFA 7/4)

Concluding 2 days of talks in Cairo, representatives of Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Fatah, reaffirm the 10/12 reconciliation agreement (see JPS 47 [2]), emphasize the need for the PA to take control of Gaza, and call for a new round of elections for the PA presidency, the Palestinian Legislative Council, and the Palestinian National Council by the end of 2018. They do not reach a resolution on the issue of Hamas’s military wing, however. (TOI, WAFA 11/23)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish 2 Palestinian homes under construction in Batir village near Bethlehem, a residential structure and an animal barn in Jiftlik village near Jericho, and a residential building in Bayt Dajan village near Nablus. IDF troops arrest 7 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jenin, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian home under construction in Issawiyya and another in Shu‘fat, and arrest 2 Palestinians during a late-night raid in Silwan. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on and then arrest 2 Palestinians as they are attempting to cross into Israel near Bayt Lahiya (1 Palestinian is injured). Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Gaza City, causing no damage or injuries. (HA, MNA, WAFA 11/22; PCHR 11/23; PCHR 11/30)

An Israeli youth succumbs to injuries she sustained in a bombing attack on a bus stop in Jerusalem in 3/2011. (HA, TOI 11/22)

The Arab press reports that PA pres. Abbas has refused a phone call from senior advisor to U.S. pres. Trump Jared Kushner, apparently implementing the Palestinians’ threat, reported on 11/21, to cut off communication with the U.S. in response to the Trump administration’s threat to close the PLO office in Washington. Instead of taking the call, Abbas reportedly referred Kushner to the PLO office in Washington. (HA, TOI 11/22; HA 11/23)

IDF troops on the Israeli side of the Erez crossing fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials inside the demolished industrial zone, wounding 1 Palestinian. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 2 tin houses and 4 sheep pens (killing 15 sheep) in Jiftlik village nr. Jericho; conducts late-night patrols in Jenin town and r.c.; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Bayt Umar and Safa nr. Hebron targeting organizers of weekly demonstrations against settlement expansion and land confiscation nr. Karme Tzur; conducts other late-night searches in Za‘tar village nr. Hebron, summoning 1 Palestinian for questioning. Jewish settlers move into a vacant building in al-Tur in East Jerusalem that they claimed to have purchased in 2005; the Palestinian family was evicted and building sealed in 2009 until the case could be decided by a court (ruling still pending). (PCHR 11/25; NYT 11/26; PCHR 12/2; OCHA 12/3)

In the West Bank, the IDF raids, searches a Palestinian home in Jiftlik village nr. Jericho early in the morning, making no arrests; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches northwest of Jerusalem and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, Ramallah. (PCHR 5/6; OCHA, PCHR 5/13)

Israel announces that the IDF will resume targeting Islamic Jihad mbrs. for assassination. The PA warns that the move could rupture the unofficial cease-fire, but Israel argues that the targeting would still be in line with truce provisions, which it claims allow Israel to defend itself against imminent attack if the PA security forces fail to do so; the PA rejects this. Later, the IDF fires missiles at a group of Islamic Jihad mbrs. in Bayt Lahiya in an apparent assassination attempt. The IDF also conducts major arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c. and Nablus, clashing with local gunmen, leaving no reported casualties; conducts other arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, nr. Jenin; demolishes 10 Palestinian homes in Jiftlik nr. Jericho; bulldozes 5 d. of land in, fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis; conducts patrols in Kafr Dik nr. Nablus, Tamun nr. Jenin. A Palestinian grabs the gun of an Israeli security guard at the Barkan industrial zone nr. Ariel settlement, shoots and wounds the guard, flees. Palestinian gunmen fire on an IDF outpost nr. Gush Katif, causing damage but no injuries. Palestinian gunmen fire on a building in Balata r.c. where Qurai‘ is giving a speech, detonate a roadside bomb as he and his convoy leave the area; no injuries are reported in either incident, no group claims responsibility. (AFP, HA, WP, WT, XIN 6/22; PCHR 6/23; VOP 6/23 in WNC 6/24; OCHA, PR 6/29; PHRC 6/30)