The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers posing as soldiers abducted 2 Palestinian men from the Masafer Yatta area and vandalized Palestinian properties in Shaab al-Butum. Israeli forces injured 4 Palestinians in a drone strike in Nur Shams refugee camp. Israeli forces also shot and injured 3 Palestinians during a raid in Askar refugee camp. 18 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Nablus, Deir Istiya, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian after he allegedly stabbed 2 Israeli settlers in the Mishor Adumim settlement. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, Maghazi, and Gaza City, killing at least 100 people, including University College of Applied Sciences president Dr. Said Al-Zubda and his family. 2 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat. In Syria, 3 suicide drones attacked a U.S. military base, causing damage. In the Red Sea, U.S. forces attacked 3 Houthi boats, killing 10 people after the Houthi forces attempted to take over a cargo ship. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/31; AJ 1/1)

More than 21,800 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 8,800 children and 6,300 women, and around 56,165 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 313 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 79 children. More than 3,812 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. 168 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 955 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. As of 12/23, at least 65,000 housing units had been destroyed and 290,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. (HA 12/31; REU 1/1)

The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs said a large number of Palestinian prisoners in the Ofer Prison have experienced food poisoning after being given spoiled meals. Prisoners at Megiddo Prison reported frequent abuse, including assault and humiliations by Israeli guards. 2 prisoners have died at Megiddo since 10/7. The Israel Prison Service told Haaretz that it was aware of severe violence against prisoners at the Megiddo Prison. (HA 12/31; AJ 1/1)

Israel’s military said it would withdraw 5 combat brigades, amounting to thousands of troops, from Gaza. (AJ, HA 12/31; AJ, HA, NYT, REU, REU 1/1)

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics said 2023 was the deadliest year for Palestinians since the Nakba, saying at least 22,404 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of 2023, including at least 22,141 since 10/7. 98% of the Palestinians killed were from the Gaza. The Israeli human rights organization Yesh Din said 2023 was the worst year for Israeli settler violence against Palestinians since 2006 when the group started monitoring. Yesh Din noted that Israeli settlers have killed 10 Palestinians this year. (AJ 12/31; AJ 1/1)

Israel had the highest rate of murders ever recorded in 2023 at 299, including 241 among Palestinian citizens of Israel, which is double the number of 2022. 92% of the homicides involving victims that were Palestinian citizens of Israel were unresolved. (HA 12/31)

Axios reported that Israel rejected a Hamas proposal for a new ceasefire. The proposal included the release of 40 captives and the removal of all Israeli forces from Gaza during its first phase. (AX 1/1)

Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen claimed that Israel will allow ships to deliver aid from Cyprus to Gaza immediately. Under the agreement the aid would be inspected by Israel in Larnaca and shipped to Gaza. Later in the day Cohen swapped jobs with infrastructure and energy minister Israel Katz. The job swap was part of the coalition government’s founding agreement. Cohen is scheduled to return as foreign minister in 2 years. (AJ, HA, HA, REU 12/31; HA 1/2)

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said Israel would not allow 2 million Palestinians to live in Gaza after the war, saying it would benefit Israel if the number was 100,000 to 200,000 at the end of the war. Smotrich also said Israeli settlers would repopulate Gaza and “make the desert bloom.” (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU 12/31; AJ, HA 1/1)

ABC News reported that the U.S. will move its aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford out of the Middle East, returning it to Virginia. (HA 12/31; HA 1/2)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces in Nablus on 12/18. Israeli settlers began work on a settler road near Battir. Israeli forces raided 6 money exchange offices in Ramallah, Tulkarm, and Jenin, seizing millions of shekels, killing 1 person and wounding 20 others in Ramallah. Israeli forces also shot and killed a Palestinian man at a checkpoint west of Bethlehem. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished a junkyard near al-Zawiya. 25 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Rujeib, Nablus, Jericho, Hebron, Tubas, Qalqilya, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian after he stabbed and injured 2 Israeli soldiers. Israeli forces later raided the man’s home, arresting 3 members of his family. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Beit Lahiya, Nuseirat refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, Rafah, Beit Hanun, Dayr al-Balah, and Maghazi, killing 210 people, including 30 in a building in Beit Lahiya. 3 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked Shebaa Farms, Rashaya al-Fakhar, and al-Khaim, saying 12 missiles were fired at Israel. In Syria, Israeli forces attacked sites near Damascus and Tel al-Sahn, reportedly killing 11 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps at an airport. In the Red Sea, the U.S. said it shot down a drone and a ballistic missile fired from Yemen. (AJ 12/27; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/28; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, WAFA 12/29)

More than 21,320 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 8,800 children and 6,300 women, and around 55,603 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 308 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 79 children. More than 3,812 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. 165 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 898 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. As of 12/23, at least 65,000 housing units had been destroyed and 290,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 76 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing. (AJ, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 12/28)

UNRWA said Gaza was suffering from “catastrophic hunger” with 40% of the population at risk of famine. UN humanitarian aid chief Martin Griffiths said the UN was facing a number of obstacles in delivering aid to Gaza, including a growing list of Israeli-rejected items, 3 layers of inspection, having to use a crossing that is made for pedestrians, constant bombardments, attacks on convoys, and aid workers being displaced and killed. UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk called Israel’s usage of military tactics and weapons in the West Bank “extremely troubling” and called on Israel to take steps to end settler violence. Turk’s office released a report that said Israel engaged in sexual violence against Palestinians who have been arrested since 10/7. (AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 12/28; AJ, HA 12/29; NYT 1/1)

The Palestine Monetary Authority said Israeli forces raided 6 money exchange companies, seizing large sums of money and arresting staff (see above). It was reported that $2.5 million was stolen from the companies. The authority said Israel sought to undermine confidence in the Palestinian banking sector. Israel said it had declared the exchange companies terrorist organizations before stealing the sums. (AJ, AJ, HA, WAFA 12/28)

Egypt said neither Hamas nor Israel had responded to its ceasefire proposal. (HA 12/28)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a meeting of the war cabinet that was reportedly set to discuss Israel’s plans for Gaza after the war. The meeting was canceled after opposition to the discussions by members of Netanyahu’s governing coalition. (HA 12/28; AJ 12/29)

Israel claimed that it had used the wrong type of munition, leading to the killing of at least 90 people in Maghazi on 12/24. Israel also said it would not take action against soldiers who killed 3 Israeli captives who had escaped captivity on 12/15, despite saying the incident could have been prevented. (AJ, AJ, NYT 12/28; AJ, HA 12/29)

The Arab League’s legislative body held a special session titled “Supporting Palestine.” (AJ 12/28)

India contributed $2.5 million to UNRWA, bringing its contribution for 2023 to $5 million. (AJ, WAFA 12/28)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed 2 Palestinians, including a child, during a raid in Fawwar refugee camp. Israeli forces also raided Nur Shams refugee camp for 9 hours using 40 armored vehicles, demolishing 3 homes. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished 5 homes in Furush Beit Dajan, displacing 70 people. 55 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Nablus, Tubas, and Tulkarm, including former PLC member Khalida Jarrar. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities forced 3 Palestinian families to demolish their own homes in Jabel Mukaber and Shu’fat. In Gaza, telecommunications were down throughout Gaza. Israeli forces bombed Khan Yunis, Rafah, al-Bureij refugee camp, Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza City, and Maghazi, killing dozens of people, including at least 100 in Maghazi. Israeli forces also directly hit the Palestinian Red Crescent Society’s headquarters in Khan Yunis, causing damage. Israel said it had assassinated Hamis al-Najar, a member of the Hamas Legislative Council, in an airstrike in Khan Yunis that also killed his wife, 2 children, and several of his grandchildren. 3 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked several sites and Hezbollah injured 9 Israeli soldiers using anti-tank missiles. In the Red Sea, a drone was shot down near Dahab, Egypt. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/26; AJ, AJ, HA, HA 12/27; AJ 12/28 AJ 12/29)

More than 20,915 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 8,000 children and 6,200 women, and around 54,918 have been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 298 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 76 children. More than 3,800 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. 162 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 874 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. As of 12/23, at least 65,000 housing units had been destroyed and 290,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 83 trucks carrying aid and 7 ambulances entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing. Israel said the Karem Abu Salam (Kerem Shalom) crossing was closed due to “logistical constraints.” (AJ, UNOCHA 12/26)

Israel returned the bodies of 80 Palestinians Israeli soldiers had seized in northern Gaza during its ground invasion. The bodies were buried in a mass grave in Rafah. The Gaza media office said Israel stole organs from the bodies. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA 12/26)

An Israeli soldier reportedly died of a fungal infection he had been exposed to in Gaza while 10 were sick with the infection. (HA 12/26; HA 12/27)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas gave a speech calling the events in Gaza greater and more horrific that the Nakba. Abbas said Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan was to rid historic Palestine of all Palestinians and said he would continue to work toward Palestinian political reconciliation. PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour wrote a letter to the UN Security Council president, saying Israel has ignored Security Council Resolution 2720, adopted on 12/22. (AJ 12/26; AJ 12/27)

The UN appointed former Dutch minister Sigrid Kaag as the Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, a position created by the UN Security Council on 12/22. (AJ, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 12/26; AP, HA 12/27)

Israel said it would no longer grant visas to UN employees automatically, instead judging applicants on a case-by-base. Government spokesperson Eylon Levy said the UN had failed to condemn Hamas for operating out of schools and stealing aid, both charges that Hamas has denied. (AP 12/26)

Israeli minister of strategic affairs Ron Dermer met with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Washington D.C., discussing Israel’s plans after its war on Gaza. (AJ, REU 12/26; HA 12/27)

Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani spoke with U.S. president Joe Biden about the situation in Gaza and efforts to mediate a ceasefire. (HA 12/26)

The French government issued a statement reiterating its call for an “immediate truce leading to a ceasefire,” and condemned the “systematic bombing that has again left many civilian victims in recent days.” (AJ 12/26)

Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel said Israel was a “terrorist state” that commits genocide against Palestinians. (AJ 12/27)

Israel announced that it had granted Intel Corporation $3.2 billion to build a new chip plant in Israel worth $25 billion. The deal also commits Intel to buy goods and services from Israeli providers worth $16.6 billion over the next decade. (AJ, HA, REU 12/26; NYT 12/27; HA 1/1)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces during a raid in Tulkarm on 11/7. Israeli settlers opened fire at Palestinian vehicles near Bethlehem; no injuries were reported. Israeli settlers also began constructing a settlement road on Palestinian-owned land in Birin. Israeli forces shot and killed 4 Palestinians, including 2 children, and injured 17 others during raids in al-Fara’a refugee camp, Ya’bad, and Balata refugee camp. Israeli forces also opened fire at a Palestinian vehicle and detained the driver in Husan. Elsewhere, Israeli forces also demolished a home in Umm Rukba near al-Khader and 2 homes and 2 agricultural structures in Umm Qissa in the Masafer Yatta area. 42 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Jenin, Ramallah, Nablus, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, and Tubas. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces demolished parts of a home in Silwan. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Maghazi, Khan Yunis, Jabalia refugee camp, Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Gaza City, killing hundreds of people, including more than 100 in Jabalia. Prominent Palestinian poet and academic Refaat Alareer was also killed along with several family members in Gaza City. 3 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat. Rockets were fired at Israel, injuring 1 in Nir Yitzhak. In Lebanon, rockets were fired at Israeli military sites and soldiers in Tal Shaar and Karm al-Tuffah and Israel attacked several places. In Yemen, the Houthi-led government said it had fired ballistic missiles at Israeli military posts near Eilat which were shot down by Israel’s Arrow missile defense system. The U.S. said it had shot down a drone launched by Yemen. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/6; AJ, AJ 12/7; AJ 12/8)

The casualty numbers for Gaza were not updated, leaving the number at more than 16,248 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 6,387 children and 4,257 women, and around 43,616 injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 257 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 67 children. More than 3,325 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. 90 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.9 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. As of 11/18, at least 45,000 housing units had been destroyed and 233,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 60% of all housing units. The Red Crescent said its ambulance center in the northern province of Gaza has stopped working due to a lack of fuel. Patients and staff were evacuated from the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Jabalia as the hospital had stopped working. 20 patients that could not be evacuated stayed at the hospital. 80 trucks carrying aid, including 15 gallons of fuel, entered Gaza. Only Rafah received aid for the fourth day in a row. 23 wounded Palestinians and 680 foreign nationals were evacuated to Egypt. (AJ, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA 12/6)

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter, forcing the UN Security Council to convene on 12/8 on the basis of threats to “international peace and security,” saying a ceasefire is needed in Gaza to avoid “irreversible implications for Palestinians as a whole and for peace and security in the region.” Israeli ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan said Guterres had reached “a new moral low.” Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen called Guterres a “danger to world peace.” After the invocation of Article 99, the UAE circulated a draft resolution calling for “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” and for all parties to comply with international law. (AJ, AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA 12/6; AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 12/7; AP, WAFA 12/8)

The Israeli security cabinet approved an increase in the amount of fuel entering Gaza from around 13,000 gallons to 26,000 gallons a day. Axios reported that the decision was made after pressure from the Biden administration, which had called on Israel to allow 39,000 gallons to enter Gaza daily. The decision was opposed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. (AJ 12/6; AX 12/7)

Birzeit University published pictures of the central archive of the Gaza municipality, saying Israel had deliberately destroyed thousands of valuable documents to erase the history of Gaza. (AJ 12/6)

The PA Wall and Settlements Commission said it had recorded 610 Israeli settler attacks, which killed 10 Palestinians, since 10/7. (AJ 12/6)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant signed an administration detention order for an Israeli settler who was arrested on 10/3 for attacking Palestinians. (HA 12/7)

PA UN envoy Riyad Mansour addressed the assembly of parties to the Rome Statute, saying “Israel has effectively destroyed every single requirement for live in the Gaza Strip” and complaining that the ICC has not delivered justice for Palestine. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 12/6)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with U.S. vice president Kamala Harris’ National Security Advisor Phil Gordon in Ramallah, discussing the future of the political situation in Gaza after Israel’s war. (HA, WAFA 12/6; HA 12/7)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the PA will not govern Gaza as long as he is prime minister. (AJ 12/6)

Israel revoked the residency visa for UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Lynn Hastings, saying she did not condemn Hamas’ Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. The UN said on 12/1 that Hastings would be replaced in anticipation of the visa revocation. The PA condemned the revocation of Hastings’ visa. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 12/6)

Israel’s military discussed closing the “Desert Frontier” unit made up of Israeli settlers in the West Bank after a series of incidents where soldiers from the unit attacked and abused Palestinians and Israeli activists. (HA 12/6)

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) said Israel has established 100 “Community Security Squads” equipped with M16 rifles, adding the members of the militias have only received 7 hours of training and lacked proper oversight. ACRI also said there have been reports of Palestinian citizens of Israel being rounded up by the militias to show their identity cards. (AJ, HA 12/6; HA 12/7)

UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk said he had asked Israel for weeks to have his team investigate Israeli allegations of sexual violence committed by Hamas militants in Israel on 10/7 but said Israel had not responded. (AJ, WAFA 12/6)

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said “I consider even the debating of this plan as disrespectful to my Palestinian siblings. For us, this is not a plan that can be debated, considered, or discussed,” referring to Israeli suggestions that a buffer zone should be made within Gaza. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller also said the Israeli plan was in violation of U.S. policy, suggesting Israel could make a buffer zone in its own territory. (AJ, HA, REU, REU 12/6)

Russian president Vladimir Putin met with UAE president Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi and Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, discussing energy cooperation, the situation in Gaza, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Saudi state media reported that Putin and bin Salman shared “deep concern” for the situation in Gaza. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA 12/6; AJ, REU 12/7)

The U.S. Senate failed to pass a $111 billion bill to provide $50 billion to Ukraine and $14 billion to Israel in a 49-51 vote. All Republicans and Democratic senators Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) voted against the bill. Republicans sought to separate the aid for Israel from the aid for Ukraine as many Republican senators are opposed to significant spending on Ukraine, while Sanders opposed spending on Israel given the Palestinian death toll in Gaza. Schumer changed his vote from in favor to against to allow him to bring the bill up again at a later date. (HA, NYT 12/6; AJ, HA 12/7)

Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo said his government will work with the U.S. to sanction “individuals involved in actions that undermine peace, security, and stability” in the West Bank. (AJ 12/6; HA, HA, REU, WAFA 12/7)

Reuters reported that an “orientation note” circulated among EU foreign ministers ahead of a meeting showed the EU was considering tougher sanctions on Hamas and imposing sanctions against violent Israeli settlers. EU commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic condemned an Israeli settler attack in Khirbet Zanuta which destroyed an EU-funded school. Nils Schmid, foreign policy spokesperson of Germany’s ruling Social Democratic Party, said imposing sanctions on settlers was a good idea. (HA, REU, REU, REU 12/6)

Haaretz reported that Foreign Minister Cohen had bypassed objections from foreign ministry staff to issue diplomatic passports for Prime Minister Netanyahu’s son Yair, Likud politician and settlement leader Israel Gantz, and senior Likud member Benny Biton. (HA 12/7)