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  • October 20, 2023

    In the West Bank, Israeli settlers opened fire at Palestinians harvesting olives in Yasuf, forcing the Palestinians to flee; no injuries were reported. Israeli settlers also set fire to a home and...

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  • October 17, 2023

    In Gaza, an Israeli airstrike killed 471 Palestinians in al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City. The hospital, which was filled with patients and Palestinians seeking shelter from Israeli bombardment...

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  • October 8, 2022

    In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed 2 Palestinians, including 1 minor, and injured 11 others during a raid in Jenin refugee camp. The PA called the Israeli raid “an all-out war.”...

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  • December 12, 2019

    In the West Bank, 14 Palestinians were arrested, including 11 during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Jericho; 3 were arrested at flying checkpoints near Qalqilya....

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  • January 29, 2013

    Israel boycotts a periodic review at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), becoming the 1st country to do so. Israel cut its ties with the UNHRC in 3/2012 after the council approved a fact-finding...

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  • November 3, 2010

    In the morning, Israeli drones make an air strike on a car driving w. of Gaza City, assassinating Army of Islam (AOI) senior mbr. Muhammad al-Nemnem, wounding 2 bystanders; Israel later accuses...

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  • January 2, 2009

    Israel’s security cabinet authorizes the IDF to open phase 2 of OCL at its discretion by sending ground troops into Gaza “to destroy the terrorist infrastructure of the Hamas in the area of...

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  • December 16, 2008

    Overnight, Islamic Jihad mbrs. in Gaza fire more than a dozen rockets into Israel in retaliation for the IDF’s 12/15 assassination of Nawahda, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF makes 2 air...

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  • March 18, 2008

    The IDF makes an air strike on Bayt Lahiya in a failed attempt to assassinate Islamic Jihad mbrs. Ihab Abu Jarad, Nidal Shaqqura, and Muhammad alZa’nin as they walk in a crowded residential area,...

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  • March 12, 2008

    Hamas’s Haniyeh publicly offersIsrael a comprehensive cease-fire deal covering the West Bank and Gaza in exchange for a lifting of the siege of Gaza and a halt to all Israeli “assassinations,...

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  • August 20, 2007

    The IDF shells a car driving nr. al-Bureij r.c., assassinating 2 ESF officers (Muhammad Abu ‘Arab, Ali Baroud) and 4 Hamas mbrs. (Ismail Abu Abda, ‘Abid Abu Hilu, Ahmad al-Qrainawi, Muhammad al-...

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  • June 3, 2007

    In Gaza, Hamas fires mortars at the IDF post at Erez crossing, wounding 4 IDF soldiers. In the West Bank, the IDF raids Jenin, exchanging fire with Palestinian gunmen, killing Muhammad Farhati,...

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  • April 21, 2007

    The IDF makes an air strike on a rocketlaunching site in n. Gaza, killing 1 Palestinian. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Jenin, where they ambush, fatally shoot AMB mbrs....

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  • December 10, 2006

    The IDF sends tanks, bulldozers into al-Qarara nr. Khan Yunis to bulldoze land, marking the IDF’s 1st such incident since the 11/26 Gaza cease-fire when into effect. IDF troops on the Gaza border...

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  • September 16, 2006

    The IDF sends troops into the Erez industrial zone, bulldozes 30 Palestinian and Israeli factories and workshops that have stopped operating since the IDF closed the crossings following...

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  • June 13, 2006

    Overnight, 10,000s of Hamas supporters rally outside the PC building in Ramallah in solidarity with the Hamas-led government. During the day, the IDF launches an air strike at a minibus traveling...

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  • February 20, 2006

    The IDF expands its Balata arrest operation to the wider Nablus area, fatally shooting Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigades leader Ahmad Abu Sharikh, AMB Nablus cmdr. Muhammad Shatawi in apparent...

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  • February 12, 2006

    The IDF conducts mock air raids over the Gaza Strip, breaking the sound barrier; imposes a curfew on, sends troops into al-Shayukh and Sa’ir nr. Hebron based on false reports that an Israeli pilot...

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  • July 13, 2005

    Announcing the start of a “sustained” campaign against Islamic Jihad, the IDF imposes 24-hr. curfews on Tulkarm town and r.c., al-Til, and Nur al-Shams r.c.; reinvades Tulkarm (turned over to PA...

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  • August 6, 2004

    The IDF reopens the Rafah checkpoint where some 2,500 Palestinians have been stranded on the Egyptian border since 7/18; some 1,400 enter today; it is expected to take 2 more days for all 2,500 to...

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  • May 30, 2004

    The IDF assassinates Izzeddin alQassam Brigades leader Wa’il Nassar, firing missiles at his motorcycle as he drives through Gaza City, also killing his top assistant Muhammad Sarsur (riding with...

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  • February 29, 2004

    In an apparent assassination, the IDF raids Balata r.c., fatally shoots wanted AMB mbr. Muhammad Oweiss, allows him to bleed to death. At Oweiss’s funeral later in the day, the IDF fires on...

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  • March 11, 2003

    The IDF says that it plans to deport fr. Hebron to Gaza several relatives of Muhammad Qawasmi, the 3/5 Haifa suicide bomber, claiming they either knew of or assisted in planning the bombing. An...

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  • March 5, 2003

    A Hamas suicide bomber fr. Hebron detonates a device on a bus in Haifa, killing 14 Israelis, 1 American, wounding 40; Israel seals the West Bank and Gaza borders until further notice, vows to...

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  • January 27, 2003

    The IDF fatally shoots 2 Palestinians nr. Atzmona settlement; conducts arrest raids (targeting Hamas, Islamic Jihad, PFLP) in Bethlehem, al-Fahs, Hebron, Jenin, Nablus, al-Qarara, Ramallah, Tufah...

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  • October 14, 2002

    The IDF fatally shoots 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs., Wassim Saba'na and Muhammad Musa, in Nablus in what is likely an assassination; shoots at a "suspicious figure" nr. a Jewish settlement nr. Nablus,...

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  • October 13, 2002

    AMB mbr. Muhammad Ubayyat is killed when a bomb in a pay phone he is using explodes; the IDF apparently intended to assassinate Ubayyat's brother, Bethlehem tanzim cmdr. Nassir Ubayyat,...

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  • May 30, 2002

    In a predawn operation, the IDF sends tanks, troops, APCs into Hebron fr. 3 directions; surrounds several houses; arrests 4 Palestinians, including senior Islamic Jihad mbr. Muhammad...

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  • May 25, 2002

    The IDF sends troops, APCs into Bethlehem, reoccupying most of the city, directing shells and heavy machine gun fire at residential areas, demolishing the home of senior Islamic Jihad mbr....

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  • April 2, 2001

    Israeli-Palestinian clashes continue to escalate. In Rafah, the IDF assassinates Islamic Jihad activist Muhammad `Abd al-Al, firing wire-guided missiles fr. helicopter gunships at his...

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In the West Bank, Israeli settlers opened fire at Palestinians harvesting olives in Yasuf, forcing the Palestinians to flee; no injuries were reported. Israeli settlers also set fire to a home and vandalized water pipes in al-‘Awja. Israeli forces shot and killed 2 minors during raids in Huwwara and Beitunia. Israeli forces shot and injured 21 Palestinians with live ammunition during raids in al-Azza refugee camp, ‘Urif, Idhna, Beit Furik, al-Bireh, Bethlehem, al-Khader, Tura, and Beitunia. Elsewhere, Israeli forces punitively demolished a home with explosives in ‘Urif. 55 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Bethlehem, Nablus, Ramallah, and Jalazone refugee camp. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed around 350 Palestinians, including Hamas member Muhammad Tzviach. Israeli airstrikes destroyed the Grand al-Omari Mosque in Jabalia. Rockets were fired at Israel; no fatalities were reported. At the Lebanese border, an Israeli soldier was killed and 3 others injured in anti-tank fire near Margaliot. Israeli forces also attacked Hezbollah camps with combat helicopters. (AJ, AP, HA 10/19; AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/20; AP, HA, REU 10/21)

The Gaza Ministry of Health said as of 5 p.m. at least 4,137 Palestinians had been killed, including at least 1,524 children, and 13,162 had been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7, including 47 entire families consisting of 500 people. The UN said that about 70% of Palestinians killed in Gaza are children and women. It is estimated that hundreds are still trapped in rubble. In addition, Israeli media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. 83 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 25 children. More than 1,434 have been injured, including at least 350 with live ammunition. Israeli officials recorded no new fatalities, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals; 4,629 have been injured since 10/7. The UN reported that over 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half the population in Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7 and that since 11 p.m. on 10/12 there has been a complete electricity blackout due to the Israeli blockade. At least 21,900 housing units have been destroyed and 121,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting around 30% of all homes in Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent said Israel has told al-Quds Hospital to evacuate its 500 patients and the 12,000 people sheltering at the hospital. UNRWA said 16 of its staff members have been killed and 10 wounded in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. The Committee to Protect Journalists said that 22 journalists have been killed since 10/7, including 18 Palestinians, 3 Israelis, and 1 Lebanese. (AJ 10/19; AJ, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/20; WAFA 10/21)

Amnesty International said it has documented Israeli actions that should be investigated as war crimes, including indiscriminate attacks leading to mass civilian casualties. (AI 10/20)

Hamas released 2 American captives, a mother and her daughter, “on humanitarian grounds” after negotiations with Qatar. It was unclear if Hamas received anything in return. A Hamas statement also said the group had released the captives “to prove to the American people and the world that the claims made by Biden and his fascist administration are false and baseless.” (AJ 10/19; AJ, HA, HA 10/20; HA 10/22)

Forensic Architecture released a preliminary analysis of the al-Ahli Arab Hospital bombing saying the “[f]ragmentation patterns may indicate the projectile came from the northeast – the direction of the Israeli-controlled side of the Gaza perimeter – and not from the west [as Israel has claimed].” UK Channel 4 and Al Jazeera have also concluded that Israeli claims that the explosion at the hospital was caused by an errant rocket are dubious. (AJ 10/19; AJ, AJ 10/20) 

PA president Mahmoud Abbas traveled to Cairo for a summit on the Hamas-Israel war and humanitarian aid to Gaza. Representatives from Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UN, the UK, and the UAE will attend. In Cairo, Abbas met with UK prime minister Rishi Sunak. Abbas also spoke with French president Emmanuel Macron, Chilean president Gabriel Boric, and Pakistani caretaker prime minister Anwar al-Haq. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/20)

The Israeli prime minister’s office said, “[t]he prime minister has defined the objective – to obliterate Hamas, any talk of decisions to relinquish Gaza to the Palestinian Authority or any other authority is a lie.” (HA, HA 10/20)

The White House made a formal request to Congress for $10.6 billion in military aid to Israel, $3.7 billion in State Department financing to cover foreign military financing and embassy support, and $9.15 billion in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, Israel, Gaza. U.S. president Joe Biden has publicly said $100 million will be allocated for Gaza. (AJ 10/16; HA 10/20)

The U.S. and EU issued a joint statement after the EU leadership met with President Biden in Washington D.C., expressing concern at the “deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.” More than 800 EU officials wrote a letter to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, criticizing her “uncontrolled” support of Israel and calling the EU’s response to the massacres in Gaza “indifference.” (AJ 10/19; AJ, AJ 10/20)

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Israeli attacks on Gaza amounted to genocide and had to be stopped. (AJ 10/19; HA 10/20)

The New York Times reported that the President Biden urged the Israeli war cabinet not to attack Hezbollah in a “preemptive strike,” fearing that the U.S. and Iran would get directly involved. (HA 10/21)

McDonald’s franchises in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, and Turkey pledged $3 million in support for Palestinians in Gaza after McDonald’s in Israel said its franchises there would give free meals to Israeli soldiers. (AJ 10/19; AJ 10/20)

Meta apologized for inserting the word “terrorist” in the biographies of many Palestinian users on Instagram. (AJ 10/19)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed 2 Palestinians, including 1 minor, and injured 11 others during a raid in Jenin refugee camp. The PA called the Israeli raid “an all-out war.” Israeli forces also prevented Palestinian farmers from harvesting olives in Awarta. 7 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Bethlehem and Mazra’a al-Qibliya. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian gunman shot and killed 1 Israeli soldier at a checkpoint near Shu‘fat and injured 3 others. The gunman fled the scene and Israel closed the checkpoint and several others at Shu‘fat and ‘Anata, restricting movement and goods in and out of the cities until 10/13. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians marching to celebrate the birth of the Prophet Mohammed; 5 were injured and 6 were arrested. 1 Palestinian family demolished their own home in Wadi al-Juz. (AJ, AP, CNN, HA, HA, HA, MEE, MEMO, PCHR, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/8; AJ, AP, MDW, MDW, MEE, NYT, TOI, TOI, WAFA 10/9; ALM, HA, MEE, WAFA 10/10; HA, MEMO 10/11; PCHR 10/12; PCHR 10/13; UNOCHA 10/16)

In the West Bank, 14 Palestinians were arrested, including 11 during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Jericho; 3 were arrested at flying checkpoints near Qalqilya. During a raid in Ramallah, 1 Palestinian paramedic was injured by gunfire as Palestinians clashed with Israeli forces; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. In Israel, a Palestinian village was raided by Israeli extremists, slashing the tires of some 20 Palestinian-owned vehicles and writing racist graffiti like “Muhammad is a pig” on buildings, including a mosque. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA 12/12; PCHR 12/19)

A spokesperson for Israel’s military liaison said that none of the around 1,000 Palestinian Christians in Gaza would be allowed entry to the West Bank to celebrate Christmas or visit family. (REU 12/12; WAFA 12/13; HA 12/14)

Israel boycotts a periodic review at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), becoming the 1st country to do so. Israel cut its ties with the UNHRC in 3/2012 after the council approved a fact-finding mission to investigate Israeli settlements in the West Bank. (JP, REU 1/29)

Palestinian representative to the Arab League Muhammad Sbeih says that an Arab League delegation will soon visit the U.S. to submit a proposal for new ideas to move the Israeli-Palestinian peace process forward. (MNA 1/29)

A source in the Israeli PM’s Office says that Israel will renew the transfer of tax revenues to the PA, in light of the PA’s financial crisis. (HA 1/29)

A Palestinian man stabs and wounds an Israeli teenager at Tapuach Junction in the West Bank, and is subsequently arrested by Israeli security forces. Also in the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Hebron in the afternoon, firing tear gas and stun grenades at stonethrowing Palestinians; conducts house searches and arrest raids in Bethlehem, Jenin, and 1 village each nr. Bethlehem and Jenin at night. In the case of alMughayyir village nr. Jenin, around 400 IDF soldiers participate in the raid, conducting house searches in 50 residences, and asking people to stand outside their homes to be photographed holding their ID numbers. In East Jerusalem, IDF soldiers deliver demolition notices to Palestinian families in a neighborhood of Anata village, affecting around 200 people; Israel plans to remove the neighborhood because of its proximity to Anatot military base. In the Gaza Strip, the IDF shoots and wounds a Palestinian collecting scrap metal close to the border fence nr. Bayt Hanun. The IDF also opens fire on Palestinians in another incident nr. Bayt Hanun, causing no injuries. (MNA 1/29; JP, MNA 1/30; PCHR 1/31)

The Lebanese military reports that Israeli Air Force jets flew over Lebanon’s airspace for several hours overnight. (HA 1/30)

In the morning, Israeli drones make an air strike on a car driving w. of Gaza City, assassinating Army of Islam (AOI) senior mbr. Muhammad al-Nemnem, wounding 2 bystanders; Israel later accuses Nemnem of involvement in “attacks against Israeli and U.S. targets in the Sinai Peninsula.” The IDF makes a brief incursion into c. Gaza e. of al-Bureij r.c. to level land and clear lines of sight; an Israeli tank fires a shell at the surrounding area, but no damage or injuries are reported. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols without incident in al-Yamun village in the afternoon; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron and in Nabi Salih. In East Jerusalem, Israeli security forces conduct early morning arrest raids, house searches in Silwan, detaining 5 Palestinians (including 4 children ages 13–16). Of note: Israel prevents fmr. PA PM and negotiations adviser Ahmed Qurai‘ from crossing into Jordan via the Allenby crossing, citing a previously unannounced decision by the government that from now on only Pres. Abbas and PM Fayyad would receive special treatment; Israeli security officials say the decision had to do with Qurai‘’s recent statements denouncing Israel’s settlement policy. The PASF for the 1st time arrests a Palestinian for selling goods made in a Jewish settlement, enforcing the PA’s 4/2010 law prohibiting the sale of settlement-produced products (see Quarterly Updates in JPS 156–57); the defendant is jailed in Bethlehem pending trial. (MNA, YA 11/3; NYT, PCHR, UNSCO 11/4; OCHA 11/5; OCHA, PCHR 11/11)

Israel’s security cabinet authorizes the IDF to open phase 2 of OCL at its discretion by sending ground troops into Gaza “to destroy the terrorist infrastructure of the Hamas in the area of operation, while taking control of some of [sic] rocket launching area used by the Hamas”; authorizes the call-up of 10,000s of additional reservists. The IDF does not immediately take action.

Israeli action: The IDF continues air strikes and naval bombardment of Gaza, carrying out 65 air strikes and hitting 65 individual sites. Target areas include al-Atatra, Bayt Lahiya, Dahaniyya, Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City (Shaykh Ridwan, al-Shuja‘iyya, Tal al-Hawa, al-Yarmuk), Jabaliya, Khan Yunis, Nussayrat, Rafah, Tal al-Za‘atar. Primary targets include the homes of more than 12 senior Hamas officials (including senior IQB official Imad Akel, who reportedly is killed along with 3 children nearby; and Haniyeh’s chief of staff Muhammad Madhun and fmr. PA Refugee Affairs M Atif Udwan, who are believed to be in hiding); a car carrying Hamas’s Gaza City military cmdr. Muhammad (Abu Zakariya) al-Jamal, assassinating him; the Rafah airport site (already heavily damaged by yrs. of IDF attacks); the American International School in al-Atatra in n. Gaza; a public works dept. building southwest of Gaza City; tunnels on the Rafah border; and suspected weapons depots across Gaza. The estimated Palestinian toll reaches 431 killed, more than 2,200 injured.

Palestinian actions: Palestinians fire 26 rockets and 5 mortars into Israel, including 10 rockets that strike nr. Ashqelon, 1 of which causes damage and lightly injures 2 Israelis.

Humanitarian notes: The IDF escorts 226 foreigners who opt to leave Gaza to the Allenby Bridge crossing into Jordan; allows 64 truckloads of humanitarian goods into the Strip.

Of note: By this date, nearly all of Gaza’s police stations and government buildings have been destroyed. One senior Israeli security official states that “All of the offices and databases are gone. When all this is over, no civil servant will have an office to sit in.” (HA, IDF, IFM, ITV 1/2; AFP, AP, HA, IDF, Nation, NYT, REU, WP, WT, YA 1/3; Adalah 1/4; IFM, JP, PCHR 1/8; WT 1/22; JPI 1/23)

In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists taking part in weekly nonviolent protests against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring 5 Palestinians), Ni‘lin (wounding 1 Israeli, 3 Palestinians), and Jayyus (injuring 3 Palestinians; 1 is hit with live ammunition). In Jerusalem, 100s of Palestinians clash with Israeli police after Friday prayers. Small demonstrations against OCL are reported in East Jerusalem and across the West Bank (including Bani Na‘im nr. Hebron, Bethlehem, Hebron, Issawiyya, Ramallah, Shu‘fat r.c.). IDF troops shoot at protesters in Bani Na‘im, wounding 5. The PASF breaks up large rallies against OCL in Hebron and Ramallah, firing tear gas at demonstrators, ripping up pro-Hamas placards and flags, beating and arresting suspected Hamas supporters, injuring at least 10 Palestinians. (HA, NYT, REU, WP, WT, YA 1/3; PCHR 1/8)

Overnight, Islamic Jihad mbrs. in Gaza fire more than a dozen rockets into Israel in retaliation for the IDF’s 12/15 assassination of Nawahda, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF makes 2 air strikes on Islamic Jihad mbrs. preparing to launch rockets nr. Bayt Hanun, injuring 3 Islamic Jihad mbrs., 1 bystander. OCHA reports that in recent days, Israel allowed 78 tons of chlorine and purification chemicals to be transferred to Gaza’s water authority, enough to treat Gaza’s water supply for 1 mo.; Gaza also received its 2d shipment (14 truckloads) of pharmaceutical supplies fr. the PA central pharmacy in Ramallah. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces bulldoze a tent and level land, displacing a Palestinian family whose home on the site they had bulldozed in 11/08. Inside Israel, some 200 Israeli police make an overnight raid on the Bedouin encampment of Abdallah al-Atrash in the Negev, which has existed for over 20 yrs., expelling 20 families and demolishing all structures. A Gaza court sentences Palestinian Muhammad Saidam, arrested in 2/08, to death for “treason, espionage, and collaborating” with Israel to assassinate mbrs. of the Palestinian resistance; PA pres. Abbas must approve the sentence before it can be carried out. (MM, OCHA 12/17; NYT, PCHR 12/18)

The IDF makes an air strike on Bayt Lahiya in a failed attempt to assassinate Islamic Jihad mbrs. Ihab Abu Jarad, Nidal Shaqqura, and Muhammad alZa’nin as they walk in a crowded residential area, wounding the 3, as well as 6 bystanders, including 2 children and a mentally disabled person; bulldozes land on the Palestinian side of the Qarni industrial zone (for a 2d day), nr. the border fence e. of Dayr al-Balah. Late at night, the IDF sends troops into Bayt Hanun, raiding a home and arresting 7 mbrs. of a Palestinian family. An IDF special forces unit attempts an incursion into al-Bureij r.c. but is forced to retreat by Palestinian gunmen firing machine guns and mortars; no injuries are reported. Egyptian border police find separate caches of 40 landmines, 500 kg of explosives nr. the Rafah border. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, in Bethlehem and Jenin town and r.c., and nr. Hebron, Tubas, Tulkarm. (OCHA, PCHR 3/19; PCHR 3/27)

Hamas’s Haniyeh publicly offersIsrael a comprehensive cease-fire deal covering the West Bank and Gaza in exchange for a lifting of the siege of Gaza and a halt to all Israeli “assassinations, killings, and raids.” The Israeli government does not officially reply, but hrs. later in the West Bank, IDF undercover units in Bethlehem ambush, assassinate Islamic Jihad’s Bethlehem cmdr. Muhammad Shihada, senior AMB mbr. Ahmad Balbul), and 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs. driving with them. The IDF also sends troops into Sa‘ida village nr. Tulkarm in search of Islamic Jihad’s Tulkarm cmdr. Salih Karouir, wounding him in an exchange of fire and then shooting him in the head execution style. In an “initial response,” Islamic Jihad mbrs. in Gaza resume rocket fire into Israel, damaging 1 building. The IDF also conducts house searches nr. Hebron, firing on stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them, wounding 2; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron, Nablus, Tulkarm, as well as in Qabatya, Qalqilya, and nr. Bethlehem, Jenin. In Gaza, 1 Palestinian is killed, 5 are injured when a smuggling tunnel they are renovating collapses; 1 Palestinian is killed when explosives he is handling detonate prematurely. (BBC, IFM 3/12; NYT, PCHR, WT 3/13; OCHA, PCHR 3/19)

The IDF shells a car driving nr. al-Bureij r.c., assassinating 2 ESF officers (Muhammad Abu ‘Arab, Ali Baroud) and 4 Hamas mbrs. (Ismail Abu Abda, ‘Abid Abu Hilu, Ahmad al-Qrainawi, Muhammad al-Qrainawi), wounding 1 bystander; sends troops into Abasan nr. Khan Yunis, bulldozing land, firing on residential areas, wounding 1 Palestinian. An Islamic Jihad mbr. is injured when explosives he is handling detonate prematurely. Gaza’s sole power plant, which produces 25% of Gaza’s electricity, shuts down after depleting its fuel reserves (see 8/19; 70% of Gaza’s electricity is provided by Israel, 5% by Egypt). In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, Ramallah, Tulkarm; fires on stone-throwing Palestinian youths outside ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’a r.c., wounding 2; later patrols in ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’a, exchanging fire with local gunmen, killing 1 armed Palestinian. (HA, NYT 8/21; OCHA, WP 8/22; PCHR 8/23)

In Gaza, Hamas fires mortars at the IDF post at Erez crossing, wounding 4 IDF soldiers. In the West Bank, the IDF raids Jenin, exchanging fire with Palestinian gunmen, killing Muhammad Farhati, cmdr. of a joint AMB–Islamic Jihad squad called Belt of Fire; conducts additional arrest raids, house searches in Jenin and nr. Bethlehem, Tulkarm; bars members of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) fr. patrolling nr. the Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs. In Gaza, a Haniyeh bodyguard is kidnapped by Fatah’s elite Force 17 mbrs., who hold him for 7 hrs., beat him, shave off his eyebrows and beard, shave the number 17 into his hair. In Gaza City, 50 PA TV employees protest threats by a little-known group, Swords of Truth, to its female anchors accused of “destroying Islamic culture” by appearing on broadcasts unveiled and wearing makeup. (WT 6/3; NYT 6/4; OCHA 6/6; PCHR 6/7; NYT 6/9)

Exchanges of fire intensify btwn. the Lebanese army, FI at Nahr al-Barid r.c. In ‘Ayn al-Hilwa r.c. nr. Sidon, Jund al-Sham mbrs. attack soldiers surrounding the camp after hearing news of the death of its senior mbr., Abu Raid, in Nahr al-Barid; 1 soldier, 2 Jund al-Sham mbrs. are wounded in the fighting, which involves heavy machine gun, automatic weapon, and RPG fire. (NYT, WP, WT 6/4; WT 6/5)

The IDF makes an air strike on a rocketlaunching site in n. Gaza, killing 1 Palestinian. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Jenin, where they ambush, fatally shoot AMB mbrs. Muhammad al-Dumaj and Ahmad al-Issa, Islamic Jihad mbr. Mahmud Ghalail in an apparent assassination; sends undercover units into Nablus, fatally shooting 2 wanted AMB mbrs. in an exchange of gunfire, also heavily damaging a Palestinian home; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Bethlehem, in Jenin r.c. (firing on residential areas, fatally shooting a 17-yr.-old Palestinian girl inside her home), nr. Jenin (fatally shooting a Palestinian bystander who steps out on his roof to observe operations). In Gaza, the Army of Islam claims responsibility for a bombing at the American International School in n. Gaza; no injuries are reported. Unidentified gunmen shoot, wound an ESF mbr. nr. Nussayrat r.c. Unidentified assailants throw a hand grenade at a PA General Intelligence vehicle in Gaza City, missing the vehicle and causing no damage or injuries. (WP 4/22; MM 4/24; OCHA 4/25; PCHR 4/26; NYT 5/10)

The IDF sends tanks, bulldozers into al-Qarara nr. Khan Yunis to bulldoze land, marking the IDF’s 1st such incident since the 11/26 Gaza cease-fire when into effect. IDF troops on the Gaza border shoot, wound a Palestinian farmer working his land nr. the border fence outside Bayt Lahiya. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Bethlehem to arrest PA intelligence officer Muhammad Salahat, no explanation is given; patrols in Jenin, Tulkarm town and r.c. (firing on residential areas, causing no injuries); conducts arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c., in and around Hebron. In Gaza, suspected Fatah gunmen open fire on Hamas-affiliated Interior M Said Siyam’s convoy in an apparent assassination attempt, causing no injuries. (NYT, WP 12/12; OCHA 12/13; PCHR 12/14)

The IDF sends troops into the Erez industrial zone, bulldozes 30 Palestinian and Israeli factories and workshops that have stopped operating since the IDF closed the crossings following disengagement; shells areas around Bayt Lahiya, wounding 1 Palestinian inside her home. Palestinians fire several rockets fr. Gaza toward Israel, 1 of which lands in Bayt Hanun, injuring 2 Palestinian girls. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in villages around Jenin (firing on stone-throwing youths who confront them, wounding 1); conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Bethlehem and in Hebron, Nablus. Palestinians attack 5 West Bank churches (including 3 in Nablus, 1 in Tubas, 1 in Tulkarm) with fire bombs, gunfire in protest of Pope Benedict’s 9/12 supportive reference to a 14th century Byzantine text stating that Muhammad had brought things “only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached” and the Vatican’s statement today that the pope “regrets that certain passages of his address could have sounded offensive.” (WT 9/17; WP 9/18; OCHA 9/20; PCHR 9/21; WP 9/26)

Overnight, 10,000s of Hamas supporters rally outside the PC building in Ramallah in solidarity with the Hamas-led government. During the day, the IDF launches an air strike at a minibus traveling in downtown Gaza City, assassinating 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs. (Shawqi al-Saiqali, Hamad Wadiya); 7 minutes later, as medics and crowds gather at the scene, the IDF makes a 2d air strike on the site, killing 4 Palestinian medics, 5 Palestinian bystanders, wounding 32; IDF chief of staff Dan Halutz says, “We are saddened by the deaths of these innocent Palestinians but hold absolutely no responsibility for them.” The IDF also occupies a Palestinian home in Jenin as a sniper post, then assassinates AMB mbr. Muhammad al-Wahish with a bullet to the chest (the target of an assassination attempt earlier in 2006); fires across the border on a funeral procession in Jabaliya r.c., wounding 3 Palestinian teenagers; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus. In addition, the IDF claims that its investigation of the 6/9 explosion on the Bayt Lahiya beach that killed 8 Palestinians was not caused by Israeli fire but by a Palestinian land mine; Palestinians and a Human Rights Watch senior military analyst dispute this based on the crater pattern, shrapnel at the scene, injuries of the wounded. Jewish settlers fr. Avraham Avino settlement vandalize several Palestinian homes in Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Ma’on settlement beat several Palestinian farmers working their fields in Yatta, outside Hebron, pouring toxic substances onto their agricultural land, setting fire to 1,500 sq. m. of crops. In Nablus, Hamas mbrs. rally against Fatah rampages in Ramallah on 6/12. (MM, NYT, PCHR 6/13; IFM, NYT, WP, WT 6/14; PCHR 6/15; MM 6/16; Guardian, HA, Independent 6/17; OCHA, REU 6/21)

A Lebanese, Mahmud Rafih, confesses to running a network for Mossad, killing asenior Islamic Jihad mbr. on 5/26. (WP 6/14; MM 6/16; XIN 6/17; MM 6/20; SFR 6/21)

The IDF expands its Balata arrest operation to the wider Nablus area, fatally shooting Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigades leader Ahmad Abu Sharikh, AMB Nablus cmdr. Muhammad Shatawi in apparent assassinations; firing on stone-throwing youths, wounding 12. The IDF also shells the n. Gaza no-go zone, damaging several homes in Um al-Nasser n. of Bayt Lahiya but causing no injuries; severely beats a Palestinian teenager in Hebron; demolishes a Palestinian home nr. Tulkarm; fires on residential areas of al-Fawwar r.c. nr. Hebron, wounding 2 Palestinians; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Azariyya nr. Jerusalem, Tulkarm, and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin. Palestinians fire a rocket fr. n. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. (AP, IMEMC, MM, NYT, WT 2/20; VOI 2/20 in WNC 2/21; IMEMC, NYT 2/21; PCHR 2/23; YA 3/1)

The IDF conducts mock air raids over the Gaza Strip, breaking the sound barrier; imposes a curfew on, sends troops into al-Shayukh and Sa’ir nr. Hebron based on false reports that an Israeli pilot had landed a glider in the area, fires percussion grenades, tear gas, and live ammunition at residents to keep them in their homes during the search, causing no injuries; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron, nr. Jenin and Tulkarm, and in Aida r.c., alAzza r.c., Bethlehem, Dahaysha r.c. Jewish settlers write slogans in Hebrew defaming the Prophet on the walls of a mosque in Nabi Elias nr. Qalqilya. (PCHR 2/16)

Announcing the start of a “sustained” campaign against Islamic Jihad, the IDF imposes 24-hr. curfews on Tulkarm town and r.c., al-Til, and Nur al-Shams r.c.; reinvades Tulkarm (turned over to PA security control on 3/22) and al-Til in its largest military operation since Israeli and the Palestinians agreed to an unofficial cease-fire on 2/8, fatally shooting a PA policeman, leaving a 2d PA policeman clinically dead, arresting at least 6 Palestinians with Islamic Jihad ties; 2 IDF soldiers are injured. Israel says it was forced to act in Tulkarm because the PA had not reined in militants there, citing the bombing as proof; the PA says the assault on Tulkarm is unjustified, since the 7/12 bomber came fr. al-Til, 5 mi. away, under Israeli military control. Late in the evening, the IDF raids Nablus, fatally shoots Islamic Jihad cmdr. Muhammad al-Assi when he attempts to elude arrest; detains an Islamic Jihad mbr., a British woman with him. The IDF also demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem; razes 4 bedouin tents, 6 animal pens outside Bethlehem; conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin, Nablus. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba stone a Palestinian vehicle driving the Palestinian section of Hebron, injuring the driver. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar vandalize a Palestinian home, burn a Palestinian car nr. Nablus. In Bureij r.c., the PA security forces secure the release of 2 international aid workers (1 British, 1 Australian) kidnapped by a Palestinian family that hoped to use them as bargaining chips to secure the release of relatives jailed by the PA. An Israeli dies of injuries received in the 7/12 bombing. (AFP, IMEMC, JTA, NYT, PR, XIN 7/13; VOP 7/13 in WNC 7/13; VOI, VOP 7/13 in WNC 7/14; NYT, PCHR, PRCS, WP, WT 7/14; VOI 7/14 in WNC 7/15; JAZ 7/17; OCHA, PR 7/20; PCHR 7/21)

The IDF reopens the Rafah checkpoint where some 2,500 Palestinians have been stranded on the Egyptian border since 7/18; some 1,400 enter today; it is expected to take 2 more days for all 2,500 to cross. The IDF also fatally shoots an Islamic Jihad mbr. attempting to lay a roadside bomb outside a Gaza settlement; fatally shoots wanted Hamas mbr. Muhammad Balasma nr. Nablus in what may be an assassination; fatally shoots a Palestinian teenager nr. the Qarni crossing into Israel; fires on residential areas of Rafah; demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in Dahaysha r.c.; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem, Hebron, several villages around Jenin. (BBC, MM 8/6; VOI, VOP 8/6, YA 8/7 in WNC 8/10; NYT, WP, WT 8/7; NYT 8/8; PR 8/11; PCHR 8/12)

The IDF assassinates Izzeddin alQassam Brigades leader Wa’il Nassar, firing missiles at his motorcycle as he drives through Gaza City, also killing his top assistant Muhammad Sarsur (riding with him) and 1 bystander, wounding 9 bystanders. The IDF reopens checkpoints around Nablus to Palestinians over age 35; fires on farmers working a field outside Gaza’s Gadid settlement, wounding 1; demolishes a Palestinian home in Husan nr. Bethlehem; raids Ramallah, firing on residential areas, raiding the shari‘a court, arresting 1 Palestinian, wounding 4; conducts arrest raids nr. Jenin, Nablus, Tulkarm. 3 Jewish settlers fr. Tekoa nr. Bethlehem beat, seriously injure a Palestinian farmer grazing sheep nr. the settlement. Jewish settlers fr. Hebron, escorted by IDF troops, throw stones, bottles at local Palestinians, their homes. (NYT, WP, WT 5/30; VOI, VOP 5/30 in WNC 6/1; MM 6/1; PR 6/2; PCHR 6/3; al-Quds 6/3 in WNC 6/5)

In an apparent assassination, the IDF raids Balata r.c., fatally shoots wanted AMB mbr. Muhammad Oweiss, allows him to bleed to death. At Oweiss’s funeral later in the day, the IDF fires on mourners outside the mosque, killing wanted AMB mbr. Rihad Abu Shallah, wounding 3 bystanders. The IDF also fires on residential areas of Rafah; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus. Israel’s High Court orders a 1-wk. halt to construction of the separation wall, while it considers a petition fr. the Israeli-Palestinian group, Popular Comm. Against the Wall. In Gaza City, 1,000s of Palestinians take part in the funeral of Islamic Jihad military leader Judah, assassinated on 2/28. In Yatta nr. Hebron, Jewish settlers seize Palestinian land, begin constructing concrete platforms for mobile homes. (NYT, WP 3/1; PCHR 3/4; Gush Shalom press release 3/6)

The IDF says that it plans to deport fr. Hebron to Gaza several relatives of Muhammad Qawasmi, the 3/5 Haifa suicide bomber, claiming they either knew of or assisted in planning the bombing. An Israeli wounded in the 3/5 attack dies of her injuries, bringing the toll to 17. The IDF demolishes 5 Palestinian homes in al-Mughraqa, 3 in Rafah, 1 in Jenin, 1 in al-Qarara (killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 3 in the operation); fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis, Rafah; conducts arrest raids in Hebron, Nablus (detaining a wheelchair-bound Palestinian); fires shells at an ambulance in Rafah, injuring the driver. The IDF also arrests senior PFLP leader and PLO Exec. Comm. mbr. Adnan Jabir in Bethlehem, making him the 4th PLO Exec. Comm. mbr. arrested by the IDF; the others are Taysir Khalid (DFLP), ‘Abd al-Rahim Maluah (PFLP), and Raqad Salim (Arab Liberation Front). (HA 3/11; NYT 3/12; LAW, PCHR 3/13)

A Hamas suicide bomber fr. Hebron detonates a device on a bus in Haifa, killing 14 Israelis, 1 American, wounding 40; Israel seals the West Bank and Gaza borders until further notice, vows to respond “but not [on] a scale that would disrupt any U.S. preparations for a possible attack on Iraq.” Overnight, Palestinians also reportedly fire 13 antitank missiles and grenades at IDF forces on the Rafah border, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF demolishes 1 Palestinian home in Nablus, 1 in Qalqilya, a mosque in Rafah r.c. that had been heavily damaged in earlier attacks; conducts arrest raids in Bethlehem, Qalqilya (targeting Fatah), Ramallah (nabbing senior Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades mbr. Abdallah Barghouti), Yamun; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis. Late in the evening, the IDF launches a major raid into Jabaliya r.c., sending in 50 tanks and helicopters, firing several missiles, killing 3 Palestinians, wounding 11; fatally shoots Islamic Jihad mbr. Muhammad al-‘Asas in an exchange of gunfire in Bethlehem, leaving 1 IDF soldier wounded. A Jerusalem court sentences Israeli Arab Murad Ajluni to life plus 20 yrs. for taking part in a 3/02 AMB shooting in Tel Aviv that left 3 Israelis dead. (HA 3/5; Interfax, VOI 3/5 in WNC 3/6; HA, MM, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 3/6; MA 3/6 in WNC 3/7; HA 3/7; LAW, PR 3/13; PCHR 3/13; JPI 3/14)

The IDF fatally shoots 2 Palestinians nr. Atzmona settlement; conducts arrest raids (targeting Hamas, Islamic Jihad, PFLP) in Bethlehem, al-Fahs, Hebron, Jenin, Nablus, al-Qarara, Ramallah, Tufah; demolishes a Palestinian home in Ras al-Amud, 1 in `Aqbat Tafuh. Late in the evening, IDF helicopters fire missiles at the Gaza City home of senior Hamas mbr. Muhammad Atil, killing his 2 teenage children, wounding 11. The IDF reports that it has removed fr. his post an intelligence officer who “disrupted” a planned air strike in retaliation to the 1/5 Tel Aviv bombing in order to “prevent harm to innocent Palestinians”; the officer was in possession of, refused to share intelligence information critical to the mission. The IDF begins work on a 45 km stretch of the separation fence btwn. Kafr Salim and Beit She’an, nr. Jenin. (HA, REU 1/27; HA, NYT, WT 1/28; MA 1/28 in WNC 1/29; LAW, PCHR, PR 1/29; PR 2/5)

Palestinian factions close 4-days of talks in Egypt without reaching an agmt. on a cease-fire and national unity platform. (HA, MM 1/27; MENA 1/27 in WNC 1/28; MENA, SA, XIN 1/28 in WNC 1/29; PCHR, PR 1/29; MM 1/30; MEI 2/21)

International Atomic Energy Agency, UN inspectors report that Iraq has generally cooperated with inspections but has not been proactive; they have found no evidence of biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons but say some questions remain. (MM 1/27; MM, NYT, WP, WT 1/28; MM 1/31)

The IDF fatally shoots 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs., Wassim Saba'na and Muhammad Musa, in Nablus in what is likely an assassination; shoots at a "suspicious figure" nr. a Jewish settlement nr. Nablus, wounding 1 Palestinian; demolishes 1 Palestinian home in Jenin; fires on a Birzeit University dormitory; shells residential areas of Bayt Hanun, Khan Yunis; conducts arrest raids in Jenin, Rantis; lifts curfews on Nablus, Tulkarm, Ramallah for several hrs. Late in the evening, the IDF raids Dayr al-Balah, bulldozes 2.5 dunams of agricultural land. Palestinians detonate a roadside bomb nr. an IDF APC in Nablus, another device nr. Qalqilya, neither causing damage. In Hebron, Jewish settlers assault Israeli police investigating complaints of settler violence on 10/12. Following the funeral in Bethlehem for Muhammad Ubayyat, assassinated by the IDF on 10/13, several mourners seriously beat Fatah prisoner's club head Issa Qaraqa', toss a grenade into the home of Bethlehem mayor and new elections comm. head Hanna Nassir; Fatah says it considers the attacks an assault on Fatah itself. (HA 10/14; NYT, PM, WT 10/15; LAW, PCHR, PR 10/16)

AMB mbr. Muhammad Ubayyat is killed when a bomb in a pay phone he is using explodes; the IDF apparently intended to assassinate Ubayyat's brother, Bethlehem tanzim cmdr. Nassir Ubayyat, and killed Muhammad in error. The IDF makes a predawn raid on Rafah r.c., demolishing 6 Palestinian homes allegedly hiding tunnels to Egypt, killing 2 Palestinians (including a 4 yr. old crushed by a falling wall), wounding 25, bulldozing 10 dunams of land; fatally shoots 2 Palestinians nr. the Rafah border; fires on a Palestinian vehicle nr. Jenin, killing 1 Palestinian woman, injuring 2 others; fatally shoots a stone-throwing Palestinian teenager in Tulkarm; bulldozes 3 bird farms, a water network in Abasan; demolishes a Palestinian home in Jenin; conducts arrest raids in Hebron, Jenin, Ramallah. (LAW, NYT, PM, WP, WT 10/14; LAW, PCHR 10/16)

In a predawn operation, the IDF sends tanks, troops, APCs into Hebron fr. 3 directions; surrounds several houses; arrests 4 Palestinians, including senior Islamic Jihad mbr. Muhammad Sidr. The IDF also reenters Jenin, imposes a curfew; conducts arrest raids in villages around Bethlehem, Tulkarm; raids, shells residential areas of Khan Yunis and Rafah, killing 1 Palestinian, wounding 15, arresting 23. (The IDF withdraws to the outskirts of Bethlehem, Hebron by nightfall.) At least 3 Palestinians are killed before dawn: 1 shot by the IDF emerging fr. a taxi in Salfit, 1 shot by the IDF while trying to circumvent a checkpoint nr. Nablus, 1 who dies of a heart attack at an IDF crossing in Khan Yunis. The IDF is reportedly setting up numerous new roadblocks, checkpoints n. of Jerusalem. Israeli police arrest a Palestinian man, his Israeli Christian wife on charges of driving 2 suicide bombers fr. the West Bank into Israel. (HP, NYT, WT 5/30; HP, NYT, WP 5/31; WT 6/1; WP 6/2, LAW 6/5; WJW 6/6; NYT 6/13)

U.S. Asst. Secy. of State William Burns arrives in Cairo on the first leg of a 4-day regional tour to confer with Egyptian, EU, Israeli, Jordanian, Palestinian leaders. (HA 5/30; MENA 5/30 in WNC 5/31; MM, NYT, WT 5/31; WP, WT 6/1; MENA 6/1 in WNC 6/3)

The IDF sends troops, APCs into Bethlehem, reoccupying most of the city, directing shells and heavy machine gun fire at residential areas, demolishing the home of senior Islamic Jihad mbr. Muhammad Shihada; troops still hold most of Bethlehem at nightfall. The IDF also fires tank shells, machine guns a Palestinian mother, daughter working their farm nr. the Gaza border with Israel, killing them; the IDF says they were in a prohibited area. Denied passage by the IDF, a Palestinian woman gives birth at a checkpoint; the baby dies. The IDF withdraws to the outskirts of Tulkarm r.c.; at least 9 more IDF soldiers have been injured in the operation since the fatal ambush on 5/24. The IDF imposes curfews on Palestinian villages along the Green Line nr. Qalqilya, Tulkarm. (AFP, NYT, WP, WT 5/26; WP 5/27; LAW 5/29; PCHR 5/30; MEI 5/31)

An "intense debate" is reportedly underway among U.S. Pres. George W. Bush and his senior advisers over whether to press for Arafat's removal. Arafat adviser Muhammad Rashid, in Washington for several days for a low-key meetings with U.S. officials at the CIA, Pentagon, State Dept. and with Jewish leaders, argues that Arafat is central to the peace process. (NYT 5/26)

Israeli-Palestinian clashes continue to escalate. In Rafah, the IDF assassinates Islamic Jihad activist Muhammad `Abd al-Al, firing wire-guided missiles fr. helicopter gunships at his truck. (2,000 Palestinians attend his funeral later in the day.) After an Islamic Jihad sniper kills an IDF soldier nr. Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem in retaliation, the IDF fires missiles, tank shells, machine guns, grenades at Palestinian residential areas of the city, damaging 15 homes and wounding 8 Palestinians, including a 2-yr.-old girl, 3-mo.-old baby. The IDF also eases open-fire regulations; shells residential areas of Aida camp, Bayt Jala, Nablus; demolishes 1 Palestinian home in al-Khadir, 1 in al-Tur. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) detonates a car bomb nr. an IDF patrol outside Qeddumim settlement, causing no injuries. In Hebron, Jewish settlers blow up 4 Palestinian shops; afterward, the IDF bulldozes the buildings, surrounding area to create a buffer around the Abraham Avino settlement. Palestinians fire homemade mortars at the Qarni industrial zone. In Jerusalem, a Palestinian attacks, injures an IDF soldier, steals her M-16. (JP [Internet] 4/2; AFP, MA 4/2 in WNC 4/3; MA 4/2, QA 4/4 in WNC 4/5; HP, JP [Internet], LAW, MM, NYT, WP, WT 4/3; NYT 4/4; MEI 4/6; NYT 4/7)

In Washington, Mubarak briefs Bush on the Jordanian-Egyptian "nonpaper" (see 4/1), urges him to support the proposal and to become more involved in the peace process. Bush says the nonpaper ideas should be discussed; the U.S. can "facilitate" talks btwn. Israel, the PA, but it "can't force a peace." Bush also urges Egypt to return its amb. to Israel. (MM 4/2; MENA 4/2, JT, MENA, al-Quds 4/3, MENA, al-Ra'i 4/4 in WNC 4/5; JP [Internet], MM, NYT, WP, WT 4/3; WJW 4/5; MEI 4/6; MENA 4/6 in WNC 4/9; MENA 4/11 in WNC 4/12; WJW 4/12)

The State Dept. certifies PLO compliance with the Oslo agmts. for the period 6/16/00+n12/15/00, saying PA security coordination with Israel was very high prior to 9/28/00, it is uncertain to what degree PLO or PA officials were actively involved in starting or encouraging violence after 9/28. (JP [Internet] 4/4; MM 4/10; MM 5/2)