The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Qibya. Israeli settlers also assault and pepper spray 2 Palestinians before stealing their car in Susiya. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers open fire at a vehicle traveling near Yanun, causing it to crash; no serious injuries are reported. Israeli settlers also throw stones at vehicles traveling near an-Nassariya, causing damage. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers set fire to a vehicle during a raid in Burin. Israeli forces shoot and injure 2 Palestinians during a riad in Jalazone refugee camp. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian child during a raid in Jayyus. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian during a raid in Tell. Israeli forces also issue demolition notices for 2 homes and a water well in Khallet al-Fara. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 11 Palestinians during raids in Dheisheh refugee camp, Nahalin, Beit Fajjar, Za’atra, and Irtah. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces assault Palestinians while preventing them from reaching the Haram al-Sharif compound for Friday prayers in the Old City and Wadi al-Juz. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, and Gaza City, killing at least 104 people, including at least 24 in a home in Dayr al-Balah. A 2-year-old Palestinian dies at al-Shifa Hospital due to hunger. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Bint Jbeil, killing 2 paramedics. Israeli forces also bomb Kafr Kila and Labbouneh. In the Red Sea, the U.S. military says it shot down 3 suicide drones launched from Yemen. In Yemen, U.S. and UK forces attack 3 sites in Ras Issa. (AJ, AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/23; AJ, AJ 2/25)

More than 29,514 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children and 7,200 women, and around 69,616 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 399 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 102 children. More than 4,545 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 235 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,396 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 50 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/23; UNOCHA 2/26)

It is revealed that Izz al-Din Ziyad al-Banna died in Ramla Prison on 2/20, becoming the 10^th Palestinian prisoner to die in Israel custody since 10/7. (AJ, WAFA 2/23; WAFA 2/24)

UNRWA says it no longer is able to operate in northern Gaza and only has “a few staff” left in the area. (AJ, WAFA 2/23)

Israel bans Palestinian vehicles from traveling on Road 417 in the West Bank between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. for 15 days, citing the attack that killed an Israeli on 2/22. (AJ, HA 2/23; UNOCHA 2/26)

Hamas releases a statement saying its delegation to Egypt for ceasefire negotiations, led by political leader Ismail Haniyeh, has left the country after 3 days of meetings with Egyptian officials, including intelligence chief Abbas Kamel. Osama Hamdan later gives a briefing calling on Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem to mobilize in defense of the Haram al-Sharif compound as Israel is planning to limit the number of people allowed to enter the compound for Ramadan. Hamdan also says Israel is not serious about reaching a ceasefire deal. (AJ, HA 2/23)

The UN Human Rights Office calls for a review of human rights violations in Palestinian territories and in Israel and for an arms embargo against Israel. (WAFA, WAFA 2/23; HA, HA, NYT 2/24)

Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz calls on the UN Security Council to pressure Lebanon to take action against Hezbollah and ensure that the area south of the Litani River is demilitarized, warning that Israel will take action. (AJ 2/23)

7 Israeli human rights organizations, including B’Tselem, Doctors for Human Rights, Breaking the Silence, and Gisha, call on countries to restore funding for UNRWA, saying the Israeli allegations do “not justify the punitive freeze on the Agency’s funding.” (AJ 2/23)

During the fifth day of the ICJ hearings on the legality of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, the UK argues against the ICJ providing an advisory opinion on the issue, calling the occupation a bilateral dispute. Norway, Namibia, Oman, Pakistan, Indonesia, Qatar, Syria, Tunisia, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Sudan criticize the Israeli occupation. (AJ, AJ, WAFA 2/23)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken calls Israeli settlements “inconsistent with international law,” reversing what is dubbed the Pompeo Doctrine, when in 2019 the Trump administration reversed U.S. policy to declare Israeli settlements “not per se inconsistent with international law.” Blinken also calls the Israeli settlement expansion announcement from 2/22 disappointing. Germany condemns the Israeli settlement expansion announcement. The UK calls the announcement “deeply concerning.” (AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, REU 2/23; AJ, NYT, NYT 2/24)

The American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) New York branch informs Columbia University that if the university does not reinstate the local chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace by 3/1 the school will be sued by the ACLU. (AJ 2/23)

The IDF reopens the Nahal Oz pipeline (closed 7/27), the Qarni crossing to imports only (closed 7/26; exports have been banned since 6/23); makes an air strike destroying a Palestinian home nr. Bayt Lahiya after phoning the residents and warning them to leave; makes an air strike severely damaging the Gaza City home of a PA police officer, claiming he was storing weapons for militants (the officer was warned to evacuate; denies storing weapons); continues to shell residential areas of al-Shuka, wounding 1 Palestinian. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols, randomly checks IDs of residents in Qalqilya; conducts house searches in Bethlehem (targeting the home of a PA security officer), nr. Tulkarm. Some 5,000 Palestinians demonstrate outside the UN compound in Gaza City to protest the IDF’s attack on Qana, Lebanon, overnight (see below). A PSF officer is shot, wounded by unidentified armed Palestinians in Khan Yunis. A Palestinian wounded in the 7/19 IDF assault on al-Maghazi dies. (PCHR 8/3)

Overnight, the IDF drops 2 2,000-lb MK84 guided missiles on a 3-story residential building in Qana in s. Lebanon killing at least 28 Lebanese (including 16 children), wounding 9, and leaving 11 missing and presumed dead (including 6 children; initial reports say 57 Lebanese are killed, including 37 children, and 8 are wounded but Lebanese government, hospital, independent reports downgrade the figures by 8/3); the Israeli FMin. issues a statement blaming Qana residents for ignoring IDF warnings to leave. U.S. Secy. of State Rice, in Israel to discuss a cease-fire, announces that she will return to Washington but succeeds in securing Israel’s agmt. to a 48-hr. partial suspension of air strikes on s. Lebanon, including a 24-hr. window for relief agencies to transport goods and civilians; Israel says it will observe the suspension until the IDF “detects an imminent launch” of Hizballah rockets, but ground operations in s. Lebanon, air and artillery strikes n. of the Litani would continue. During the day, the IDF launches new ground operations in southeastern Lebanon nr. Taybeh and n. of the Israeli town of Metula, reporting 8 IDF soldiers wounded, 3 Hizballah mbrs. killed; makes air and artillery strikes across Lebanon, including in Yarun (killing at least 5 Lebanese civilians); calls on UNIFIL to evacuate Aita al-Sha‘b, Ramieh before sunset (UNIFIL refuses to comply). Hizballah fires more than 150 rockets into Israel in the heaviest barrage since the conflict began on 7/12, with some 80 rockets hitting Kiryat Shimona. (IFM, JAZ, UNIS 7/30; NYT, WP, WT 7/31; NYT 8/1; WT 8/4)

Overnight, the IDF withdraws fr. alMaghazi r.c., leaving a total of 207 d. of land, 4 Palestinian homes demolished, 9 other homes partially demolished. Also in Gaza, the IDF fires a tank shell at a home in Gaza City, alleging that a Hamas mbr. on the roof was preparing to fire an RPG, killing a handicapped Palestinian on the roof, 3 relatives inside, wounding 2; shells areas nr. Khan Yunis and the Sufa crossing in the south and in n. Gaza, wounding at least 6 Palestinian civilians. In the West Bank, the IDF withdraws troops fr. Nablus, ending a 3-day operation; before leaving, troops blow up the main government offices (killing a Palestinian bystander), fire on stone-throwing Palestinians youths, wounding 21. The IDF also conducts arrest raids, house searches nr. Qalqilya. (WP 7/21; NYT, PCHR 7/22; PCHR 7/27; B’Tselem 8/3)

The IDF calls up 3 battalions (several 1,000) additional reserves, positions troops and armor on the n. Israel border in preparation for “limited” ground operations to “mop up” Hizballah strongholds and weapons sites, continues pinpoint special forces operations inside s. Lebanon, urges residents to evacuate n. of the Litani River immediately (see 7/20; local officials estimate that 70% of the southern population has left). The U.S. approves Israel’s request to expedite delivery of precision-guided missiles (including at least 25, possibly 100, 5,000-lb GBU-28 bunker busters) to maintain the intensity of IDF air strikes. IDF artillery hits a UN observation post in Zarit, s. Lebanon, causing extensive damage but no injuries; makes air strikes on the Beirut–Damascus highway and several bridges, targeting empty passenger busses returning fr. Syria after evacuating foreigners; continues air strikes on Baalbek (killing at least 5 Lebanese civilians, wounding 20) and on s. Lebanon. At least 12 Lebanese are killed during the day. Hizballah fires 35–50 rockets into n. Israel, 10 of them hitting Haifa (injuring 3 Israelis) and others hitting Carmiel, Kiryat Shimona, Nahariya, Safad, Tiberias, and several n. Israeli villages. Hizballah acknowledges that 6 Hizballah mbrs. have been killed since 7/12, whereas Israel claims that around 100 have been killed. UN humanitarian relief coordinator Jan Egeland estimates that 500,000 Lebanese are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, but says that the UN cannot provide it without Israel, Lebanon guaranteeing safe corridors for movement of civilians and aid. Today, Israel allows 1 Greek ship carrying 22 tons of humanitarian goods to enter Beirut. (AP 7/21; NYT, WP, WT 7/22; NYT 8/11)

Arye Bar, Israeli construction and housing min. dir. gen. meets with Fin. Min. Yitzhak Modai on behalf of hospitalized Housing Min. Ariel Sharon; Modai instructs treasury to approve construction of 4,000 new housing units in Israel and o.t. (Modai had earlier approved 2,000 of the housing min.'s 4,500-unit request.) Housing min. announces more than 16,000 housing units are in various stages of construction in o.t. (Yedi'ot Aharonot 7/5 in FBIS 7/6)

Hamas members storm houses of Fateh members in Khan Yunis, wounding several. IDF opens fire on residents of Jabaliya, Dayr al-Balah camps, Gaza, wounding 3. (AFP 7/5 in FBIS 7/6)

Hizballah attacks Israeli intelligence position in Bint Jubayl (inside S. Lebanon "security zone"); Israel shells Litani River basin. Armed dispute in 'Ayn al-Hilwa camp near Sidon kills 2. (VOL, Voice of the Oppressed 7/6 in FBIS 7/6)

Israel releases 4 Palestinians into custody of Red Cross in Tyre, Lebanon. The 4 "Fateh activists" had served out sentences at Asqalan prison following their arrest 12/20/90 on a "suspicious vessel" (embarked in Cyprus) off the Lebanese coast. (Qol Yisra'el 7/5 in FBIS 7/6; AFP 7/5 in FBIS 7/7)

Arab League Council concludes 2-day emergency meeting in Cairo to discuss situation in S. Lebanon; endorses 2 draft resolutions urging an end to Israeli aggression and promoting reconstruction, as well as a statement urging UNSC to resort to Chapter VII of UN Charter to halt Israeli aggression, implement res. 425. (MENA 7/5 in FBIS 7/7; MM 7/6)

Jordanian parliament passes law legalizing independent political parties; first multiparty elections since 1954 will be held in 11/93. (MM 7/6)