The Palestine Chronology

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)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed 2 Palestinians during raids in Beit ‘Anan and Sa’ir. Israeli forces also shot and injured 10 Palestinians during raids in Tulkarm refugee camp, Arrabah, and Sa’ir. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian girl at the Qalandia crossing, claiming she was carrying a knife. Israeli forces also seized 1 vehicle and vandalized 2 others during a raid in Shaab al-Butum in the Masafer Yatta area. 56 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Jericho, Jenin, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed 306 Palestinians, including mass casualties in strikes on residential buildings and UNRWA schools in Rafah and Khan Yunis. Israel also killed WAFA journalist Mohammad Abu Hasira and 42 members of his family in an airstrike in Gaza City. 450 people were injured in the Israeli airstrikes. The Red Cross said 5 trucks carrying aid to health facilities in Gaza City came under fire, damaging 2 of the trucks and lightly injuring a driver. The Red Cross did not say who attacked the convoy. Rockets were fired at Israel, causing damage. In South Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked several sites, causing damage. Israeli fighter jets were also reported to be flying over Beirut. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/7; AJ, AJ, NYT 11/8)

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 10,328 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,100 children and 2,550 women, and 25,956 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 2,450 people were buried in rubble, including 1,350 children. 153 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 44 children. More than 2,386 people have been injured. Around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 injured since 10/7. 30 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began. Over 1.61 million Palestinians, around 70% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. At least 40,000 housing units have been destroyed and 220,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. 93 aid trucks entered Gaza. 19 Palestinians, including 12 children suffering from cancer, and around 600 foreign nationals were evacuated to Egypt. The WHO said 160 health care workers have been killed while on duty in Gaza and that in some hospitals operations are performed without anesthesia due to lack of supplies. The Israeli military released a video showing thousands of Palestinians fleeing south from the northern part of Gaza. The UN said that 15,000 people fled from the north to the south today, 5,000 on 11/6, and 2,000 on 11/5. The UN also said that there was no flour left in northern Gaza and that all bakeries are closed. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/7; AJ, AP, AP 11/8)

PA Wall and Settlement Resistance Committee head Muayad Shaaban said 9 Palestinian communities, totaling 1,000 people, in the eastern West Bank have been displaced from their homes since 10/7. (AJ 11/7)

The Israeli human rights organizations ACRI, HaMoked, and Ir Amim petitioned the Israeli High Court of Justice to lift restrictions on Kafr ‘Aqab in East Jerusalem, which has been under a strict closure since 10/7, including being completely shut off from 5 p.m. to the next morning. Only private vehicles can leave and enter the neighborhood in the period that the checkpoint is open. (HA 11/7)

Hamas said it wanted to release 12 captives but that “the situation on the ground is what hinders this from being completed.” (AJ 11/7)

PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh spoke with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh spoke with Swedish foreign minister Tobias Billström. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 11/7)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the Israeli ground invasion of Gaza a ‘phenomenal success.’ Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the intention of the ground invasion was to remove Hamas and guarantee the Israeli military free access to Gaza “without limitations on operations.” Hamas said Israel had not made big military gains in Gaza. (AJ, AP, HA 11/7)

The Israeli National Planning and Building Council approved the establishment of a new community named Hanon near Gaza. (HA 11/7)

United Arab List leader MK Mansour Abbas told Radio al-Nas that he denounced the Hamas operation on 10/7, saying innocent civilians were killed and that Islam is against taking women, children, and elderly as captives. He added that Hamas’ actions did “not represent our Arab society, nor our Palestinian people nor our Palestine nation.” (HA 11/7)

U.S. vice president Kamala Harris urged Israel to hold Israeli settlers accountable for the many attacks they commit against Palestinians in the West Bank during a conversation with Israeli president Isaac Herzog. Herzog wrote a letter to 700 U.S. university presidents demanding that they deal with students that allegedly support the actions of Hamas. (AJ, HA 11/7)

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 234-188 to censor Palestinian American representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) for defending the pro-Palestinian phrase “from the river to the sea.” 22 Democrats joined Republicans in voting to censor Tlaib. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) blocked the fast-tracking of a bill that would provide Israel $14 billion in aid and cut the same amount from the budget of the Internal Revenue Service. Democrats want the Israel funding to be part of a bill that also includes aid to Ukraine and Taiwan. (HA, NYT 11/7; AJ, AJ, AP, HA 11/8)

CIA director William Burns met with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who called on an immediate ceasefire. (AJ 11/7)

Saudi Arabia said that in addition to the scheduled OIC extraordinary summit on 11/12, the country will host an emergency meeting of the Arab League and an Africa-Saudi summit on the situation in Gaza. (HA 11/7; AJ, REU 11/8)

UK Labour Party MP and shadow minister for employment rights and protections Imran Hussain resigned from the party’s frontbench in protest over leader Keir Starmer’s refusal to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. (AJ 11/8)

Germany said it had decided to release $75.8 million in aid to Palestinians that it suspended nearly month ago when it said it would review its support of Palestine. Germany also pledged an additional $21.5 million in support for Palestine. The majority of the aid will go to Palestinians in Gaza and Jordan through UNRWA. (REU 11/7)

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

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 9,061 Palestinians had been killed, including around 5,980 women and children, and 22,911 had been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 1,800, including 940 children, have been reported missing. 134 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 37 children. More than 2,274 have been injured. Israel said 20 soldiers had been killed in Gaza since its ground invasion, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,400 Israelis, including foreign nationals, since 10/7. 5,431 Israelis have been injured. The UN reported that over 1.5 million Palestinians, more than half the population in Gaza, had been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. As of 10/23, at least 27,781 housing units have been destroyed and 150,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. The number is likely much higher given the lack of recent data. For the second day in a row, around 400 foreign passport holders and about 60 injured Palestinians were evacuated to Egypt via the Rafah crossing. 102 truckloads of humanitarian aid entered Gaza. UNRWA said 72 of its employees have been killed since 10/7. (HA 11/1; AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/2)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the West Bank, 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 the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinians harvesting olives in the Masafer Yatta area, injuring 2. Israeli settlers also attempted to kidnap a child in Khirbet al-Farisiyya. Elsewhere, armed Israeli settlers posing as soldiers vandalized a mosque in Menizel. Israeli forces raided Nur Shams refugee camp and attacked it with drones, killing 13 Palestinians, including 5 children, banned movement in and out of the refugee camp, and uprooted pavement with bulldozers. An Israeli soldier was killed in an IED explosion and 9 others were wounded. Israeli forces also shot and killed 3 Palestinians, including 2 minors, during raids in Budrus, Tulkarm, and Dheisheh refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 16 others during a raid in Budrus and al-Arroub refugee camp. Israeli forces also demolished the family home in Qibya of a Palestinian alleged to have killed a settler before he was shot and killed by Israeli forces near Kafr Qaddum on 7/6. Around 184 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Hebron, Ramallah, Dheisheh refugee camp, Tubas, Beita, Qalqilya, al-Eizeriya, Umm Safa, and Aqabat Jaber refugee camp, including 50 Palestinians workers from Gaza staying in Dheisheh refugee camp who had been expelled to the West Bank. In Gaza, around 285 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes. Israeli forces also assassinated the first female member of the Hamas political bureau Jamila al-Shanti, the head of the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committee Rafat Harb Hussein Abu Halal, and Hamas’ Jehad Mheisen. Israeli airstrikes also bombed the 12th century Church of Saint Porphyrius, killing at least 8 people sheltering in it and targeted 5 bakeries, killing many people waiting to purchase bread. Rockets were fired at Israel; no fatalities were reported. In Lebanon, Israeli forces shot and killed a journalist and injured 1 other in Hula. Israeli forces also attacked parts of South Lebanon with combat helicopters and killed 3 people it claimed were firing anti-tank missiles at Israel. Israel said 30 rockets were fired at Israel. (AJ, HA 10/18; AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/19; AJ, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA 10/20)

The Gaza Ministry of Health said as of 5 p.m. at least 3,785 Palestinians had been killed, including at least 1,524 children, and 12,500 had been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7, including 47 entire families consisting of 500 people. 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. 81 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 22 children. More than 1,434 have been injured, including at least 300 with live ammunition. Israeli officials recorded no new fatalities, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals; 4,562 have been injured since 10/7. The number of Israelis killed rose from 10/18 as Israel released the names of Israelis killed on 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 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 Committee to Protect Journalists said 21 journalists have been killed since 10/7, including 17 Palestinians, 3 Israelis, and 1 Lebanese. (AJ, HA 10/18; AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 10/19)

The UN reported that 74 Palestinian households, comprised of 545 people, have been displaced from Bedouin communities in Area C of the West Bank due to settler violence and access restrictions. (BTselem, UNOCHA 10/19)

Haaretz reported that on 10/12 a group of 20-25 Israeli settlers and soldiers abducted 3 Palestinians from the depopulated Wadi al-Seeq community before assaulting, undressing, and urinating on 2 of them, putting 1 of their faces in feces, and attempted to sodomize 1 of them. The 3 Palestinians were abused for 6 hours before they were dropped off at an abandoned building and photographed. The settlers and soldiers also stole their phones, a car, and $544 in cash. The Israeli military said it was investigating the incident and 1 commander of the military unit was suspended. (HA 10/19; MEMO, TOI 10/20)

Palestinian officials said that Israeli authorities have warned that Israeli forces will target the Gaza Power Plant if it tries to resume operations. (UNOCHA 10/19)

Palestinian officials also said Israel has arrested 4,000 workers from Gaza, holding them in military bases, and have arrested 1,070 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, doubling the total number of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. (AJ 10/21)

An Al Jazeera investigation into the bombing of al-Ahli Arab Hospital found that evidence presented by Israel misrepresented the event, ruling out that footage used by Israel showed a misfired rocket hit the hospital and saying that no footage from live streams suggest that rockets were fired from Gaza at the moment of the bombing. (AJ 10/19)

The U.S. said it had intercepted 3 cruise missiles and several drones fired by Houthi forces in Yemen. The Defense Department said the missiles and drones were heading north in the Red Sea, potentially toward Israel. Rockets and drones also attacked the U.S. Ain al-Asad air base and another compound hosting U.S. military forces near Baghdad International Airport. It was unclear who attacked the bases. (AJ 10/18; HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU 10/19; AP, HA 10/20)

Egyptian machinery reportedly entered Gaza to repair roads near the Rafah crossing to facilitate the transfer of humanitarian aid. However, Hamas denied that repairs had begun. Israel has bombed the Rafah crossing at least 4 times since 10/7. At least 100 trucks are waiting to enter Gaza near the crossing while others are waiting at El Arish Airport. UN officials said UN observers will inspect aid to Gaza before it enters through the Rafah crossing (AJ, AP, REU 10/19)

Israel said Hezbollah has granted Hamas permission to fire rockets at Israel and “will bear the consequences.” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told soldiers near the Gaza fence to get ready for a ground invasion. (AP, HA, REU 10/19)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi. (WAFA 10/19)

UK prime minister Rishi Sunak traveled to Israel for meetings with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog. Sunak said upon his arrival that he “stands with Israel” and that the UK is on the forefront of the effort to avoid further escalation of the conflict. 6 UK nationals were killed in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and 9 are still missing. Sunak also met with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, who called Israel’s targeting of civilians in Gaza “a heinous crime and brutal attack.” Sunak will later travel to Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar. (AJ 10/18; AJ, HA, HA, REU, REU, REU 10/19)

In an Oval Office address, U.S. president Joe Biden compared Hamas to Russian president Vladimir Putin and his attack on Ukraine, saying both want to annihilate their neighbors. Biden further claimed that Hamas uses Palestinians as human shields and said he had told President Abbas he supports the Palestinian people. Biden also said he will send an “unprecedented” aid package for Israel to Congress for approval. The package was reportedly worth $14 billion. Israel had asked the U.S. for weapons, including precision-guided munitions, JDAMs, Iron Dome replenishment, and mortar shells. The U.S. Senate unanimously adopted a resolution affirming Israel’s right to self-defense and condemning Hamas and Iran. 10 Republican senators said they will introduce legislation to redirect $100 million in planned humanitarian aid to Palestinians to replenishing the Iron Dome. House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries said he had received a briefing that suggested the al-Ahli Arab Hospital bombing was caused by a rocket misfired by Islamic Jihad. California governor Gavin Newsom said he was traveling to Israel. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, REU, REU 10/19; HA, REU 10/20)

Turkish media reported that the Israeli ambassador and other Israeli diplomats have left the country. (HA 10/19)

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said the PA should take control of Gaza after Israel concludes its attack. (AJ 10/18)

Russia said it will deliver 27 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Gaza via Egypt. Germany said it would donate $52.91 million to the World Food Programme, UNICEF, and UNWRA to help Palestinians in Gaza. (AJ 10/18; HA 10/19)

AP reported that Hamas may have used North Korean weapons during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, including F-7 rocket-propelled grenades. (AP 10/19)

A CBS News/YouGov poll found that 53% of U.S. Democrats and 55% of Independents believed that the U.S. should not send additional weapons and supplies to Israel, while 56% of all those polled disapproved of President Biden’s handling of the war. (HA 10/19)

More than 400 U.S. congressional staffers signed a letter saying they were “profoundly disturbed” by the lack of humanity extended to the Palestinian people by the U.S. Congress. Huffington Post reported that State Department officials were preparing a letter of dissent to the Biden administration’s approach to the war. (HA 10/19)

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Israel has been included in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program effective immediately, despite Israel’s entry to the program being scheduled for 11/30. (AP, HA, NYT 10/19)

Many countries urged their citizens to leave Lebanon as soon as possible. (AJ, AJ, HA 10/19)

The Hilton Houston Post Oak by the Galleria in Texas said it had determined that it cannot host the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights’ (USCPR) national conference, citing security risks to its staff and guests. Texas governor Greg Abbot called USCPR “Hamas supporters.” The Council of American-Islamic Relations canceled a banquet at the Marriott Crystal Gateway hotel in Arlington, Virginia, after receiving bomb threats. (AP, HA 10/19)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces raided Jenin refugee camp, killing 4 Palestinians, including a minor, and injuring more than 30 others using 2 suicide drones and live ammunition. 1 Israeli military vehicle was damaged by an explosive device. The Israeli forces cut off electricity in the camp during the raid. Palestinians demonstrated against PA inaction to protect the residents of the camp after the raid. Defence for Children International said that the minor was chased and killed by Israeli forces after he had seen them sneak into the camp. Israeli forces also raided ‘Anata, leading to tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces seized the rooftop of a Palestinian home in Jalbun, turning it into a watchtower and placing Israeli flags on the building. Israeli forces also raided ‘Urif, taking measurements for punitive demolitions of 3 homes. In Gaza, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters east of Rafah, Gaza City, and Jabaliyya, killing 1 and injuring 8 others, including 3 minors, with live ammunition; others sustained tear-gas related injuries. (AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, MEE, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/19; AP, DCI, MDW, PCHR, REU, WAFA, WAFA 9/20; AJ, HA, PCHR 9/21; UNOCHA 9/26)

Israeli authorities announced that they will extend the closure of the Gaza crossings indefinitely, barring Palestinian workers from entering Israel from Gaza, citing the protests in Gaza. (AP, HA, HA 9/19; MEE, REU 9/20)

UN humanitarian coordinator Lynn Hastings led a group of diplomats from Australia, Chile, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Spain, and the UK in Gaza to mark World Humanitarian Day. The group met with Palestinians who had their homes destroyed by Israel during the 2021 assault on Gaza. (UNOCHA, QDS, WAFA 9/19)

The Israeli-run Jerusalem municipality inaugurated a newly built intersection in Jerusalem, omitting the names of the Palestinian neighborhoods Sur Baher and Umm Tuba on the highway signs. (HA 9/19)

Islamic Jihad condemned the PA for threatening and arresting its members in Hebron. Hamas also called on the PA to end all arrests of political figures and release political prisoners. (QDS 9/19; MEMO 9/20)

Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har-Melech spoke at a fundraising event for the Israeli terrorist Amiram Ben Uliel, who killed 3 Palestinians in an arson attack on the Dawabsheh family’s home in Duma in 2015, calling him a “holy righteous man.” (HA, QDS 9/20; MEE 9/21)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with Brazilian president Luiz Inácio da Silva on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly meeting. (WAFA 9/20)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh met with U.S. assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs Barbara Leaf in New York ahead of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee meeting on 9/21. (WAFA 9/19)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the leaders of Turkey, Ukraine, Germany, and South Korea on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly annual meeting. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s office said he brought up recent developments concerning Palestinians. It was the first time that Erdoğan and Netanyahu had met in person. (HA, HA, MEE, REU 9/19; ALM, HA 9/20; ALM, MEE 9/21; HA 9/22)

Israel’s ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan was removed from the part of the UN building in New York where the UN General Assembly was meeting after he held up a picture Mahsa Amini who was killed by the Iranian morality police last year and walked out of the auditorium, calling Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi “the butcher of Tehran.” (HA, MEMO 9/20)

American officials told the New York Times that the U.S. and Saudi Arabia are in negotiations discussing terms for a mutual defense treaty resembling the U.S. treaties with Japan and South Korea as part of the Israeli-Saudi normalization deal. (MEE, NYT 9/19)

In a letter nearly 80 Jewish American leaders urged U.S. president Joe Biden to ensure that a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia takes Palestinians and the two-state solution into account. (HA 9/19)

An AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found that 40% of Americans describe Israel as an ally but don’t think the 2 countries share U.S. interests and values. 61% of the people polled said they disapprove of President Joe Biden’s handling of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. (AX, HA 9/19; AP 9/20)

Azerbaijan launched an attack on the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region to ethnically cleanse the area of Armenians. Israel is one of the largest suppliers of weapons to Azerbaijan and arms transfers to the country spiked in the month leading to the attack. (BBC 9/20; HA 9/27; HA 9/28; HA 10/1)