The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalize a home and throw stones at vehicles in al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya. 1 Israeli soldier is shot and killed and 7 others are injured, including both settlers and soldiers, near the Dolev settlement. Israeli forces subsequently kill the alleged Palestinian perpetrator near Deir Ibzi using missiles fired from a helicopter. In East Jerusalem, 120,000 worshipers pray at the Haram al-Sharif compound on the second Friday of Ramadan; Palestinians from the West Bank are largely prevented from entering East Jerusalem. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, Dayr al-Balah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, and Beit Lahiya, killing at least 82 people. Israeli forces also attack and besiege al-Shifa Hospital for the fifth day in a row. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Khaim, Ayta ash Shab, Kfar Kila, Hula, and Taybeh. Hezbollah forces attack an Israeli military building in Zarit and Israeli positions in Metulla and Kfarchouba. In Yemen, U.S. and UK forces carry out airstrikes on 6 sites in Sanaa. (AJ, HA, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/22; AJ, AP, REU 3/23; UNOCHA 3/25)

More than 32,072 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 74,298 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 440 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 111 children. More than 4,665 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, 250 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,489 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. 177 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/22; UNOCHA 3/25)

Israel seizes 8,000 dunams (1,976) acres of land in the Jordan Valley for settlement expansion around the Yafit settlement near Fasayil and fast-track planning and construction of settler roads west of Ramallah. The seizure brings the total amount of seized land in the West Bank in 2024 to 10,640 (2,629 acres), more than the last 10 years combined. The PA calls the decision part of an “official policy racing against time to annex the West Bank and eliminate the possibility of creating a Palestinian state.” The Arab League condemns the decision. The EU calls on Israel to reverse the decision and says it “will not recognize changes to the 1967 borders unless agreed by the parties.”  (AJ, AJ, PCN, REU, WAFA, WAFA 3/22; AJ, WAFA 3/23; AJ 3/24; PCN 3/25)

CIA director Bill Burns and Mossad director David Barnea arrive in Doha for ceasefire negotiations. (AX 3/21)

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh speaks with Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, discussing the situation in Gaza. Amir-Abdollahian also speaks with Islamic Jihad secretary-general Ziyad al-Nakhalah. (AJ 3/22)

At the UN Security Council, Russia, China, and Algeria vote against a U.S. ceasefire resolution while Guyana abstains. Hamas thanks Russia, China, and Algeria for voting against the ceasefire that “gave [Israel] cover and legitimacy for the war of extermination.” PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour calls the U.S. resolution “one-sided.” Chinese ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun says the resolution “sets up conditions for a ceasefire, which is no different from giving a green light to continued killings.” French ambassador to the UN Nicolas de Riviere says the U.S. resolution is “not strong enough” as it does not as it does not call for an unconditional and immediate ceasefire and does not draw a “red line” for the potential Israeli invasion of Rafah. Guyanese ambassador to the UN Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett explains her country’s abstention in the vote, saying the resolution does not say directly address Israeli responsibility. French president Emmanuel Macron says he will work with Jordan and the UAE to draft a resolution that would gain support from all council members. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 3/22; AP 3/23)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken. Blinken warns Netanyahu that Israel is losing international support and reiterated U.S. opposition to a ground invasion of Rafah. Netanyahu says after the meeting that Israel “will do it on our own” if the U.S. opposes its Rafah plans. Blinken also participates in a war cabinet meeting and meets President Isaac Herzog. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU 3/22)

Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, and the UAE call on Israel to open all crossings to Gaza to allow aid to enter. (AJ 3/22)

Ireland, Spain, Malta, and Slovenia agree to work toward recognizing the State of Palestine after a meeting between the countries’ prime ministers on the sidelines of the European Council meeting. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 3/22)

The U.S. House of Representatives passes a funding bill 286 votes to 135 to avoid a partial government shutdown, banning funding for UNRWA until March 2025. The Senate subsequently also passes the bill. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) votes against the bill, saying the “Netanyahu government should not receive another penny from U.S. taxpayers.” 17 Democratic senators urge the Biden administration to reject Israel assurances that it is complying with international humanitarian law in Gaza. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) calls on the U.S. government to suspend arms transfers to Israel, calling Israeli actions in Gaza “genocide.” (HA 3/21; AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, NYT 3/22; HA, HA 3/23)

Finland resumes funding of UNRWA. (AJ, HA, REU 3/22)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers physical assault and pepper spray 3 Palestinians during a raid in Fateh Sidra in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces shoot and kill 2 Palestinians during a raid in Attil. Israeli forces also raid Nur Shams refugee camp, uprooting streets, causing damage to infrastructure, including roads, water, electricity, sewage, and internet, affecting more than 84,600 people, and demolishing a home. Elsewhere, Israeli forces uproot 51 olive trees and 15 grape vines in Husan. Israeli forces also demolish 2 homes in Umm al-Tiran, displacing 7 people. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 25 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, al-Bireh, Qalqilya, Salfit, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 6 Palestinians, tying them together before dragging them through the streets in Isawiya. Israeli forces also prevent Palestinians from entering the Haram al-Sharif compound and place barbed wire fencing at the compound near the Lion’s Gate. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, and Gaza City, killing at least 67 people. 2 children die of starvation at the Kamal Adwan Hospital, bringing the death toll from starvation to at least 27. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attack 2 sites in the Beqaa Valley near Baalbek, killing one person and injuring others, and buildings in Ayta ash Shab and Naqoura. Hezbollah attacks Khirbet Maar and Kafrchouba. In Yemen, U.S. and UK forces bomb several locations, killing 11 people and injuring 14. (AJ, HA, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/11; HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/12; UNOCHA 3/13)

More than 31,112 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 72,760 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 419 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 108 children. More than 4,665 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, 247 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,474 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. 236 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The UAE, Egypt, Jordan, France, Belgium, and the U.S. airdrop 169 aid packages over Gaza. The Gaza Ministry of Health says more than 2,000 medical personnel are starving in northern Gaza. 95 Palestinian orphans are evacuated from Rafah to an SOS Children’s Village in Bethlehem. (AJ, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/11; HA, HA, UNOCHA 3/12; UNOCHA, WAFA 3/13)

Israel restricts entry to the Haram al-Sharif compound on the first day of Ramadan to men over the age of 55, women over the age of 50, and children under the age of 10, in addition to requiring identification to enter. The PA calls for urgent international intervention to overturn the Israeli decision. Jordan says Israel is “playing with fire.” (AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 3/11; HA 3/12; NYT, UNOCHA 3/13)

The Israeli military presents a plan to dismantle UNRWA operations in Gaza and in the West Bank, saying doing so will undermine Hamas’s civilian rule in Gaza. The plan includes slandering UNRWA and its staff with help from other Israeli governmental bodies. Israel’s military says it has assassinated the deputy head of Hamas’s military wing, Marwan Issa, saying he was the fourth highest ranking Hamas member. Military Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi issues a disciplinary note to a general who ordered the demolition of a university building in Gaza without authorization. (HA, HA, HA, NYT 3/11; HA, NYT 3/12)

The Knesset passes a law allowing Israeli victims of Palestinian attacks and their families to sue the PA for compensation. (HA 3/12)

The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) releases a statement calling on Israel to halt all planned evictions and demolitions in the al-Bustan neighborhood in Silwan. The OHCHR says the demolitions could constitute a war crime. (OHCHR 3/11)

The UN Security Council discuss the UN report on sexual violence allegedly committed in Israel and Palestine. PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour says the UN is displaying double standards by never holding a meeting on sexual violence committed by Israelis against Palestinians. U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield says the “evidence before us is damming and devastating.” Russia’s deputy permanent representative to the UN Maria Zabolotskaya says a comprehensive study covering Gaza is also needed before any conclusions can be made and points out that most of the UN data is from the Israeli government. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres tells reporters that “[i]nternational humanitarian law lies in tatters . . . [the] threatened Israeli assault on Rafah could plummet the people of Gaza into an even deeper cycle of hell.” (AJ, HA, WAFA 3/11; AP, HA 3/12)

At a U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, CIA director Bill Burns outlines the current ceasefire proposal, which includes the release of 40 Israeli captives in exchange for a “defined number of Palestinian prisoners,” a 6-week ceasefire, and “a major surge in humanitarian assistance.” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says the U.S. has not received Israel’s plan for the protection of Palestinians in Rafah during its planned invasion. The U.S. fiscal 2025 budget request includes $7.6 billion for Middle East partners, including Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. Unlike past years, the budget does not include funding for UNRWA. (AJ, HA 3/11)

8 Democratic Senators write a letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to stop providing offensive weapons to Israel until Israel lifts its blockade on humanitarian aid going to Gaza, saying the transfer of weapons violates the Foreign Assistance Act. The letter is written by Senators Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Jeff Merkey (D-OR) and signed by Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Peter Welch (D-VT), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM). (AJ, HA, NYT 3/12)

12 Israeli human rights organizations sign an open letter saying Israel is not complying with the ICJ’s provisional measure to facilitate humanitarian aid to Gaza. (AJ 3/11)

The UK Home Office grants a Palestinian citizen of Israel asylum, assessing that there is a risk he will be persecuted in Israel. In his asylum application, the Palestinian man said that Israeli apartheid systematically oppresses Palestinians and that he was at heightened risk of persecution due to his pro-Palestinian activism and anti-Zionist views. (AJ 3/12; AJ 3/13)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers bring their cattle to graze on Palestinian farmland in Khirbet al-Farisiyya, destroying crops. Armed Israeli settlers force 4 Palestinian families to leave their homes in Kisan. Israeli forces shoot 5 Palestinians with live ammunition, killing 1 child and wounding 5, and shoot 8 others with baton rounds during a raid in Beit Umar. Israeli forces also seize building equipment and arrest 4 Palestinians during a raid in Deir Balut. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 18 Palestinians during raids in Jericho, Hebron, Qalqilya, Nablus, and Ramallah. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces demolish the home belonging to the prominent Palestinian activist Fakhri Abu Diab in Silwan, displacing 10 people. The U.S. and EU condemn the demolition. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, and Gaza City, killing at least 103 people, including Al Jazeera guest analyst Ayman Rafati and his family in an airstrike on Gaza City. Rockets are fired at Zikim and Ashkelon; no damage is reported. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attack Nabatieh and as-Sawana, killing 11 civilians, including 6 children. Israeli forces also kill a Hezbollah member in Adashit. A Hezbollah strike on a military base in Safed kills 1 Israeli soldier and injures 8 others. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/14; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/15)

More than 28,576 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 11,500 children and 7,200 women, and around 68,291 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 389 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 100 children. More than 4,475 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, 230 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,352 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. 130 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The WHO says Israel has prevented the organization from entering the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis since 1/29. (AJ, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 2/14; UNOCHA 2/15)

Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir says Palestinian political leader Marwan Barghouti has been moved to solitary confinement, claiming he was encouraging the outbreak of a third intifada. Hamas has demanded that Barghouti be released as part of a ceasefire deal. (AJ 2/14; AJ 2/15)

Peace Now reports that the Israeli housing ministry has issued tenders for 523 housing units in 10 different settlements in the West Bank since the beginning of 2024. (PCN 2/14)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas issues a statement calling on Hamas to quickly finalize a ceasefire deal to avoid an Israeli invasion of Rafah. The PA requests an extraordinary meeting at the Arab League. (AJ, HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA 2/14; HA 2/15)

CIA director Bill Burns meets with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad director David Barnea, discussing ceasefire negotiations. Netanyahu orders the Israeli negotiation team not to return to Cairo for further talks. Netanyahu says Israel will “fight until complete victory and this includes a powerful action also in Rafah after we allow the civilian population to leave the battle zones.” Netanyahu speaks with French president Emmanuel Macron, who warns him against invading Rafah. Foreign Minister Israel Katz tells his German counterpart Anna Baerbock that UNRWA cannot be part of humanitarian assistance efforts in Gaza. Finance Minister Bezalel Smtorich and Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer announce a plan to provide cash payments of $550 a month for 2 years to new immigrants who settle in the West Bank and in border regions in the north and south. Communications Minister Shlomo Karni approves the UAE field hospital in Gaza’s use of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service. (AJ, AX, AX, HA, NYT, REU 2/14; AJ, AX, HA, HA 2/15; AJ, HA 2/16)

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi meet in Cairo, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. (AJ, AP, HA 2/14; HA 2/15)

U.S. president Joe Biden signs an executive order preventing Palestinians from being deported from the U.S. for a period of 18 months. The order also compels the Department of Homeland Security to issue work permits to Palestinians in the U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirms that Israel is blocking flour from entering Gaza. The State Department condemns the demolition of Fakhri Abu Diab’s home in East Jerusalem. (AJ, AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU 2/14)

The U.S. House of Representatives passes a resolution 418-0 condemning Hamas over accusations that Hamas used sexual violence during 10/7/2023. (HA 2/14)

Spain and Ireland call on the European Commission to investigate whether Israel is complying with international law. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 2/14)

The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. State Department is investigating Israeli usage of white phosphorus in Gaza and Lebanon. (AJ, WAFA 2/15)

The Washington Post reports that the U.S. and several Arab countries will present a long-term plan for establishing a Palestinian state, including Israeli withdrawal from many West Bank settlements, a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem, the rebuilding of Gaza, and international oversight over the Palestinian governance. (NYT, WP 2/14; HA, HA 2/15; HA 2/16)

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology bans the pro-Palestinian student group Coalition Against Apartheid. (AP, HA 2/14)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uproot around 50 olive trees in Ein al-Beida. Israeli settlers also steal sheep and a tractor in Kisan. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near Bizarya. Israeli settlers also injure a Palestinian and damage property during a raid in Yasuf. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near Umm Safa. Israeli settlers also demolish an agricultural structure in Qusra. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man during a raid in Qalqilya. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian child in ‘Azzun. Elsewhere, Israeli forces fire anti-tank missiles at a home in Sir, causing extensive damage and displacing 6 people, and arrest 7 Palestinians. Israeli forces arrest 15 others in Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem, and Salfit. Elsewhere, Israeli forces seize a vehicle in the Jordan Valley. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Nuseirat refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, Maghazi, and Gaza City, killing at least 133 people. Israeli forces also shoot and kill 3 Palestinians at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, including a man the soldiers beat and cuff before forcing him to tell people at the hospital to evacuate after which he is shot and killed. Israeli forces fly drones over the hospital, ordering people to evacuate. 3 Israeli soldiers are killed in combat. In Lebanon, Hezbollah attacks several Israel sites, including a police building in Kiryat Shmona, injuring 2, including a child. (AJ, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/13; AJ, AJ, INT, UNOCHA 2/14)

More than 28,473 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 11,500 children and 7,200 women, and around 68,146 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 388 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 99 children. More than 4,475 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, 230 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,346 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. 100 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (AJ, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/13; UNOCHA 2/14)

Al Jazeera says Israel intentionally targeted their correspondent Ismail Abu Omar in Rafah, leading to the amputation of his leg and serious injuries to his cameraperson. (AJ, AJ 2/13; AJ 2/15)

South Africa files an urgent request to the ICJ, asking it to consider whether an Israeli invasion of Rafah would breach the provisional measures issued by the court against Israel. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, WAFA 2/13; HA 2/14)

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh meets with Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in Doha. (AJ, HA 2/13)

Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah says in a televised speech that the conflict along the Blue Line will end when Israel stops its attacks on Gaza. (AJ, AJ, HA 2/13)

CIA director Bill Burns, Mossad director David Barnea, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and intelligence chief Abbas Kamal, and Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani meet in Cairo, discussing Hamas’s ceasefire counterproposal. Axios reports that Barnea was only there to listen to the discussions and was sent by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the request of U.S. president Joe Biden. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, NYT 2/13; HA 2/14)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken meets with Jordanian king Abdullah II. (AJ, HA 2/13)

France imposes sanctions on 28 Israeli settlers. France also proposes a truce between Hezbollah and Israel that would see Hezbollah move 6 miles north of the Blue Line and calls for negotiations to resume over delineating the land border between Israel and Lebanon. (REU 2/12; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, NYT, WAFA, WAFA 2/13; HA, HA 2/14)

Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani calls Israel’s response to 10/7/2023 “disproportionate,” saying there are “too many victims who have nothing to do with Hamas.” (AJ 2/13)

Axios reports that Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich is blocking flour shipments to Gaza that Prime Minister Netanyahu had promised President Biden would be allowed in several weeks ago. (AJ, AX, HA 2/13; NYT 2/14)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers open fire at Palestinian shepherds near Kisan, forcing them to flee. Israeli forces shoot and injure 2 Palestinians with live ammunition during a raid in Bayt Rima. Israeli forces also assault a Palestinian child in Hebron. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently disperse Palestinians in Husan, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also issue notices that Israel has seized 154 dunams (38 acres) of land in Deir Istiya and Haris. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Nuseirat refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, al-Shati refugee camp, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Rafah, killing at least 165 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb near Yaroun, Zibqin, and Houla. Hezbollah attacks a site near Shtula. In Jordan, the U.S. says 3 U.S. service members are killed and 25 injured in a strike on a U.S. base near Syria, claiming the attack was carried out by Iranian-backed militant groups. Jordan says the base where the 3 U.S. soldiers are killed is in Syria. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claims responsibility. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/28; AP, AX, NYT, REU, REU 1/29; AP, AP, AP 1/30)

More than 26,422 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 10,600 children and 7,200 women, and around 65,087 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 366 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 92 children. More than 4,366 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, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 219 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,269 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. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 84 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah crossing. 30 Palestinians are buried in a mass grave inside the besieged Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. Al-Amal Hospital runs out of oxygen supplies, forcing the staff to suspend all surgeries. The Israeli military declares the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing a closed military zone to prevent further protests obstructing aid deliveries to Gaza, citing the ICJ ruling on 1/26 to allow aid to enter Gaza. (HA 1/27; AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 1/28; NYT, WAFA 1/29)

UNRWA spokesperson in Gaza Adnan Abu Hasna says UNRWA only has funds to provide services in Gaza until the end of February. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres says any UNRWA staffer who may have taken part in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on 10/7/23 will be held accountable, but pleads for countries that have suspended their funding for UNRWA to reverse their decisions. Japan and France follow 8 other countries in suspending funding for UNRWA. PA president Mahmoud Abbas issues a statement condemning the Israeli campaign against UNRWA, saying Israel is seeking to destroy the agency. Amnesty International calls the decisions by the countries that have suspend funding for UNRWA “sickening.” The WHO, OIC, Iran, Turkey, and Jordan call on countries to reverse their decisions.  (AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/28; AJ, NYT, WAFA 1/29)

Mossad director David Barnea, Shin Bet director Ronen Bar, CIA director Bill Burns, Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel meet in Paris, France, discussing a ceasefire. Progress is reportedly being made on a ceasefire deal that would last 2 months and see more than 100 Israeli captives released. During the first month women, elderly, and wounded Israeli would be released while in the second month Israeli soldiers and men would be released. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls negotiations for a hostage deal “constructive.” (NYT, NYT 1/27; AJ, HA, HA, REU 1/28; REU 1/29)

12 Israeli ministers, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and several MKs attend the Conference for the Victory of Israel – Settlement Brings Security: Returning to the Gaza Strip and Northern Samaria in Jerusalem, laying out plans for the reestablishment of 15 Israeli settlements and 6 new settlements in Gaza. The attendees are filmed dancing and celebrating the plans. Ben-Gvir tells the attendees that the “only humane solution for Gaza is the mass deportation of its inhabitants.” Smotrich says “Israeli soldiers waging war in Gaza will remain as settlers and rebuild settlements, we have come back to inherit the land.” Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi says in war “’voluntary’ is at times a state you impose [on someone] until they give their consent.” France condemns the conference. Germany calls it “totally unacceptable” and condemns the participation of “parts of the Israeli government.” U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby calls the language used by some ministers “irresponsible, reckless, incendiary.”  (AJ, HA, HA, REU, WAFA 1/28; AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 1/29; AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/30)

The Arab League holds an extraordinary session called by the PA to reach a “unified Arab stance” on the ICJ ruling from 1/26. (AJ, WAFA 1/28)

Former House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) tells CNN that the FBI should investigate links between protesters demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and Russian president Vladimir Putin. (NYT 1/28; AJ 1/29)

NBC News reports that the Biden administration is considering scaling down weapon sales to Israel to use it as leverage to get Israel to scale back its assault on Gaza. The White House denies the reports. (HA, REU 1/28)

In the West Bank, an Israeli settler stabbed and injured a Palestinian and rammed his livestock with a car, killing 2 goats in Khirbet al-Farisiyya. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles near Rawabi. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers assaulted Palestinians with pepper spray at the Ibrahimi Mosque. Israeli forces shot and killed 4 Palestinians, including 2 children, during a raid in al-Fara’a refugee camp. Israeli forces also shot and injured 3, including a journalist near Jaffna and 2 others in Tell. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished a home under construction in Majdal Bani Fadel and electricity networks connecting Majdal Bani Fadel and Aqraba. An Israeli settler was shot and injured near the Ateret settlement. 35 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Tulkarm, Jericho, Ramallah, Hebron, Qalqilya, and Bethlehem. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza City, Khan Yunis, Jabalia refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, and Rafah; it was unclear how many casualties there were. Israeli forces also raided al-Ahli Arab Hospital, causing injuries and arresting dozens. 2 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fired missiles at Kiryat Shmona and Israeli forces attacked a funeral in Aita al-Shaab. In Syria, Israeli forces fired tank shells at a Syrian army position, saying missiles had been launched at Israel. In the Red Sea, Houthi forces attacked 2 ships with drones, saying they failed to respond to calls. (AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/18; AJ, UNOCHA 12/19)

As of 12/17 more than 19,453 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 7,729 children and 5,153 women, and around 54,000 had been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 294 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 74 children. More than 3,387 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. 132 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 719 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 12/3, at least 52,000 housing units had been destroyed and 253,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 60% of all housing units. 60 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing and 64 entered via the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing. 55 injured people, accompanied by 56 others, and 548 dual nationals were evacuated to Egypt. (AJ, UNOCHA 12/18; UNOCHA 12/19)

Human Rights Watch issued a report saying Israel was using starvation as a weapon of war by deliberately denying civilians access to food and water. The report pointed out that 3 Israeli ministers have made statements confirming the policy. (AJ, HA, HRW, WAFA 12/18)

Hamas released a video of 3 elderly Israeli captives. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU 12/18)

U.S. secretary of defense Lloyd Austin arrived in Israel for meetings with Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. During the meetings, Austin said the U.S. support for Israel was unshakeable but that the U.S. urged Israel to protect civilians and increase the flow of aid. Israeli and U.S. sources told Axios that Gallant and Netanyahu told Austin they want Hezbollah to move its forces 6 miles north of the Blue Line. CIA director William Burns met with Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Mossad director David Barnea in Warsaw. (AJ, AJ, AX, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU 12/18; REU 12/19; AJ 12/20)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas congratulated Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on his re-election. Egypt’s National Election Authority said el-Sisi won with 89.6% of the vote and the voter turnout was 66.8%. (AP, NYT, WAFA 12/18; HA 12/19)

The U.S. launched a new patrol mission in the Red Sea to counter Yemeni attacks on commercial ships. The UK, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the Seychelles, and Spain joined the U.S.-led mission. A Houthi spokesperson called the mission unnecessary, saying waters around Yemen are safe, except for Israel-linked ships or vessels traveling to Israel. The Taiwanese shipping company Evergreen said it has stopped accepting Israeli cargo. (AJ, HA, HA, REU, REU 12/18; AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU 12/19)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked 2 Palestinians harvesting olives in Burqin, injuring them with sticks and stones. 2 Israeli settlers were shot and injured at the Itamar settlement. Israeli forces shot and killed 2 Palestinian during raids in Bethlehem and at-Tabaqa. Israeli forces also raided Bethlehem, injuring 64 Palestinians and firing tear gas near an orphanage, leading to the evacuation of 100 children. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 3 Palestinians, including a child, during raids at Birzeit University and in al-Mughayyir and Sabastia. 55 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, Nablus, Tulkarm, Ramallah, Tubas, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces demolished the family home in Shu’fat refugee camp of a 13-year-old boy who was arrested after he allegedly stabbed and killed 1 Israeli soldier on 2/13. The father and brother of the Palestinian child were arrested and beaten by Israeli forces ahead of the demolition. The U.S. condemned the demolition. In Gaza, 241 Palestinians were killed, including 43 members of the same family, and around 500 injured in Israeli airstrikes. Israel said it assassinated Hamas member Mahsan Abu-Zina. Israel also said 1 Israeli soldier was killed and 2 seriously wounded in northern Gaza. Rockets were fired at Israel; no injuries were reported. In Syria, Israeli forces conducted airstrikes near Damascus, killing 3 people said to be members of Hezbollah. (HA 11/7; AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/8; AJ, HA 11/9; AP 11/10)

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 10,569 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,324 children and 2,823 women, and 26,475 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 2,450 people were buried in rubble, including 1,350 children. 155 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 44 children. More than 2,397 people have been injured. Around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 injured since 10/7. 33 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. As of 11/6, at least 40,000 housing units have been destroyed and 220,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting around 45% of all housing units. Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City shut down most of its operations after running out of fuel and being hit by Israeli airstrikes daily since 11/5. 106 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing. No one was evacuated from Gaza to Egypt. It was estimated that 50,000 people fled the northern part of Gaza to the south, bringing the total number to 72,000 since 11/5. UNRWA said 99 of its staff members had been killed since 10/7, including 2 in the past 24 hours. The WHO said that diarrhea and chickenpox were spreading in Gaza and warned that there was a risk of cholera and other epidemics. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate said 44 Palestinian journalists had been killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and 25 have been detained in the West Bank since 10/7. (AP 11/7; AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/8; AJ, HA, REU 11/9; AJ 11/10)

The Israeli High Court of Justice ruled to evict Israeli settlers who had been occupying Palestinian-owned land for 30 years in the Jordan Valley. The court accepted a petition by 20 Palestinian landowners filed 5 years ago but gave the settlers 7 years to leave the 1,000 dunams (250 acres) of land which was planted with date-bearing palms. The judge wrote in her ruling that the settlers’ cultivation of the land was done in violation “of international law, but also in violation of the government’s declared policy and even contrary to halakhic law.” (HA 11/9)

PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki filed a complaint to the International Atomic Energy Agency over Israeli heritage minister Amichai Eliyahu’s comment that Israel could drop a nuclear bomb on Gaza, calling the comment the “prevailing discourse in Israel” and “an official recognition that Israel possesses nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction.” PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte, who invited Abbas to the Netherlands. Abbas also spoke with Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese, urging him to help stop the Israeli attacks in Gaza, calling it genocide. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/8; AJ, REU 11/9)

Hamas deputy political leader Saleh al-Arouri condemned the U.S. for supporting the continuation of the war on Gaza while encouraging humanitarian pauses and called on Arab states that have normalized relations with Israel to sever political and economic ties. Al-Arouri also said Hamas is ready for a comprehensive deal that would see all Palestinian prisoners released by Israel in exchange for the captives held by Hamas. (AJ 11/8)

Israeli education minister Yoav Kisch said Israel could rebuild Israeli settlements in Gaza. Military chief of staff Herzl Halevi told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that the PA has been working extensively to prevent pro-Hamas demonstrations in the West Bank. (HA 11/8; HA 11/9)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken said Israel should not reoccupy Gaza after the war and that Palestinians in Gaza should not be forcefully displaced from Gaza. Haaretz reported that unnamed European diplomats were worried about Israeli politicians’ call to reoccupy Gaza. (HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU 11/8)

The G7 issued a joint statement after a meeting in Tokyo condemning Hamas, supporting Israel’s right to self-defense, and calling for “humanitarian pauses.” (AP, HA 11/7; AJ, AP, HA, NYT 11/8)

26 Democratic senators signed a letter to the Biden administration requesting clarification on Israel’s strategy in Gaza. More than 1,000 staffers from the U.S. Agency for International Development signed a letter calling for an “immediate ceasefire.” 100 congressional staffers also staged a walkout demanding a ceasefire. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT 11/8; AJ 11/9)

The Wall Street Journal reported that Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi had rejected a proposal by CIA director William Burns that would see Egypt take control of the security in Gaza before the PA can take over after Israel’s war. The New York Times reported that a Qatari-mediated deal to release 50 of the Hamas-held captives failed after Israel decided to launch its ground invasion on 10/27. (AJ, HA 11/8; AJ 11/9)

The U.S. Department of Defense said the U.S. military had attacked a facility used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in eastern Syria; 9 people were reportedly killed. Yemen shot down a U.S. drone flying over Yemeni territorial waters. (AJ, HA, NYT 11/8; AJ, HA, HA, NYT 11/9)

Italy said it would send a hospital ship to the coast of Gaza to treat injured Palestinians. (AJ 11/8)

Spanish minister for social rights Ione Belarra called on the international community to sanction Israel and said Israel was carrying out a “planned genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza. Belgian deputy prime minister Petra De Sutter called on the Belgian government to place sanctions on Israel and investigate its bombings of hospitals and refugee camps. (AJ, AJ 11/8; HA 11/9)

Brandeis University banned a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, claiming the student group openly supports Hamas. (AJ 11/8)

In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces earlier this week in al-Eizariya. Israeli settlers set up 5 caravans near Tuqu’. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles and assaulted a Palestinian man near Sabastia. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling north of Ramallah. Israeli forces shot and killed 4 Palestinians during raids in Abu Dis and Nuba, including 1 in a missile strike on a building in Abu Dis. Israeli forces also shot and injured 8 Palestinian during raids in ‘Usarin, Hebron, and Abu Dis. Elsewhere, Israeli forces vandalized several vehicles in Bayt Jala and uprooted 70 olive trees in Haris. 46 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Birzeit, Bil’in, Nuba, Jenin, Nablus, Tulkarm, Bethlehem, and Tubas. In Gaza, Israel cut internet and phone communications for the third time since 10/7. Israeli forces killed 243 Palestinians and injured 635 others. Israel bombed Maghazi refugee camp and al-Bureij refugee camp, killing 71 Palestinians and injuring dozens of others. 1 Israeli soldier was killed in Gaza, bringing the total death toll to 28 since the ground invasion started. Rockets were fired at Israel; no damage was reported. In Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes killed 4 Lebanese, including 3 children and an elderly woman, traveling in a car between Ainata and Aitaroun. 4 medics were also injured in Israeli attacks in Southern Lebanon. Hezbollah responded by attacking Kiryat Shmona, killing 1 Israeli. 1 Israeli soldier succumbed to injuries he sustained last week when his tank overturned. (AJ, HA 11/4; AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/5; AJ, AP, AP 11/6)

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 9,770 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,008 children and 2,500 women, and 24,173 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 2,260 people were buried in rubble, including 1,270 children. 144 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 43 children. More than 2,386 people have been injured. Around 1,400 Israelis, including foreign nationals, have been killed and 5,431 injured since 10/7. Over 1.5 million Palestinians, more than half 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. 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. Egypt said the evacuation of injured Palestinians and foreign passport holders has been suspended since 11/4 due to the Israeli attack on an ambulance on 11/3. (AJ, HA 11/4; AJ, AP, HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 11/5; NYT 11/6)

Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Israeli forces had divided Gaza into “a south Gaza and a north Gaza.” The Israeli military called on Palestinians in northern Gaza to travel south on Salah al-Din Street between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Israeli heritage minister Amichai Eliyahu suggested that Israel use nuclear bombs in Gaza. He was later suspended from cabinet meetings but not as a minister. Eliyahu also suggested that the Palestinian population in Gaza should be forcefully displaced to Ireland or the desert. Saudi Arabia condemned the comments and called on Israel to fire him. Israeli military rabbi Amichai Friedman told Israeli soldiers, “[t]his is our country. All of it. Including Gaza. Including Lebanon, the entire Promised Land.” Newly appointed chairperson of the Knesset subcommittee on West Bank Issues Zvi Sukkot called on Israel to prevent all Palestinians from harvesting olives, claiming the harvest endangers Israeli settlers. (AJ 11/4; AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/5; AP, HA, HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA 11/6)

Israeli police banned an anti-war protest in Umm al-Fahm. (HA 11/5)

King Abdullah II of Jordan said Jordanian military had airdropped medical aid for a field hospital run by Jordan in Gaza. Israel later claimed it coordinated with Jordan on the airdrop. (AJ 11/4; HA 11/5; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU 11/6)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken in Ramallah, calling on Blinken to support a ceasefire. Abbas said that the PA could return to power in Gaza if a “comprehensive political solution” is found to the Israeli occupation. U.S. officials said Blinken had told Abbas that the PA will play a central role in “what comes next for Gaza.” Palestinians protested Blinken’s visit to Ramallah. Blinken also traveled to Iraq, meeting with prime minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani. PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh met with the French consul-general to Jerusalem Pierre Cochard, discussing the upcoming French conference on aid to Gaza. (AJ 11/4; AJ, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 11/5; AJ, AJ, AP 11/6)

The Fatah Central Committee held a meeting discussing the situation in Gaza. In a statement after the meeting the committee condemned the “barbaric war of extermination by the occupying army.” (AJ 11/6)

CIA director William Burns arrived in Israel for meetings with Israeli officials. (AJ 11/4; NYT 11/5)

The New York Times reported that Israeli officials have been pushing other countries to lobby Egypt to allow Israel to displace Palestinians to the Sinai. The Times also reported that U.S. officials overseeing arms transfers to foreign countries will approve the sale of 24,000 assault rifles to Israel, despite concerns that some of the rifles will be handed out to settlers and civilian militias in Israel. Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has handed out weapons to settlers and promised more will arrive. Axios reported on 11/6 that the Biden administration, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the House Foreign Affairs Committee have approved the Israeli purchase of M16 rifles from U.S. companies on the condition that they would not be handed to civilians in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. (NYT, NYT 11/5; AX 11/6)

Thousands of Turkish protesters demonstrated outside of a U.S. airbase in Incirlik after traveling 584 miles from Istanbul in solidarity with Palestine. Turkish police violently dispersed some protesters with water cannons and tear gas. (AJ, AJ 11/4; AP, HA, REU 11/5; AP 11/6)

In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian succumbed to injuries inflicted by Israeli forces on 8/3 in Jenin. Israeli forces demolished 1 poultry farm in al-Walaja, 1 rainwater collection well in Khallet al-Dabe’, 1 car wash in al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, and 1 agricultural structure in al-Fakhit. Israeli forces also handed an evacuation order to Palestinians near Tuqu’ for their livestock, forcing them to remove their livestock and dismantle their agricultural structures within 14 days. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians protesting Israeli construction at al-Ibrahimi Mosque, leading to tear-gas related injuries; 3 were arrested. 9 other Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Jaba‘, Huwwara, and Yatta. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces summoned 2 Palestinian activists for questioning after they protested the arrest of a local activist in Sheikh Jarrah on 8/10. In Israel, Israeli authorities said they shot down a drone entering the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Lebanon, claiming the drone was operated by Hezbollah. Israel also said it had shot down a drone flying from Gaza into Israel, claiming it was operated by Hamas. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/11; HA, PCHR, REU 8/12; HA, MEMO 8/13)

The Israeli government gave its initial approval for the construction of more than 2,000 new settlement units in the West Bank and 863 housing units for Palestinian villages in Area C, including 150 units in Ma‘asara, 270 in Bir al-Basha, 223 in al-Masqufa, 160 in Khirbet ‘Aaba, and 50 in Khirbet Zakariya. Of the advanced settlement expansion plans, 908 are expected to get final approval next week, including 58 in Beit El, 285 in Har Brakha, and 105 in Alon Shvut. An Israeli official told Haaretz that the move was a “calculated risk” made by the government vis-à-vis the U.S. Biden administration. The Meretz party wrote a letter to Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz, calling the decision to expand Israeli settlements “a dangerous move.” The U.S. later criticized Israel’s decision to expand Israeli settlements, on 8/13, saying that settlement activity is an obstacle to a 2-state solution. (AA, AX, HA, REU 8/11; MEMO, WAFA, WAFA 8/12; HA, MEMO 8/13; JP 8/16)

IDF chief of staff Aviv Kochavi said the Israeli army will take harsher measures against Israeli soldiers who do not follow regulations, in response to the killing of 40 Palestinians by Israeli forces in the West Bank since May. The statement came after Chief of Staff Kochavi met with senior staff of the Israeli central command on 8/8 and urged them to take steps to reduce lethal shootings. Kochavi said the military will back soldiers who make mistakes in their judgements in relation to lethal shootings, but not if the soldiers act reckless. (HA 8/12)

Israel’s police commissioner Kobi Shabtai inaugurated a new police department focused on combatting crime in Palestinian Israeli communities, which seeks to increase the number of Palestinian Israeli police officers by 300%. 69 Palestinian citizens of Israel have been killed in Israel since 2021 and only 23% of the cases have been solved, whereas 71% of the cases involving Jewish Israelis have been solved by Israeli police. (HA 8/12)

Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid visited Morocco to meet with his Moroccan counterpart and open the new Israeli mission to Morocco as part of the 2 countries’ normalization deal. The 2 foreign ministers signed cooperation agreements related to air travel, culture, sports, and youth. Foreign Minister Lapid said the 2 countries would open mutual embassies within 2 months. The leader of the PJD party in Morocco condemned the decision to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel. Part of the 2 countries’ normalization deal was for the U.S. to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara during the Trump administration, a controversial recognition that the Biden administration has not reversed. (MEMO 8/10; AJ, AJ, AX, HA, MEMO, REU 8/11; AJ, ALM, AX, HA, HA, MEMO, REU 8/12; ALM 8/13; MEE 8/16)

U.S. CIA director William J. Burns met with Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennet and other Israeli officials during a trip to Israel. Director Burns is expected to meet with PA president Mahmoud Abbas and other senior PA officials on 8/12. Axios reported that Director Burns voiced concern to Prime Minister Bennett about Chinese investment in Israel. (AX 8/9; HA, MEMO 8/10; ALM, HA, MEMO, MEMO, REU 8/11; AX, HA, HA 8/12; AX 8/18; MEE, MEMO, TOI 8/19)

The private equity firm KKR announced that it will be funding a server farm in Israel to be completed in the 2d quarter of 2023. The server farm will be located underground in Petah Tikva. (HA 8/11)

Palestinian Israeli NGO Combatants for Peace asked the ICC to open an investigation into potential war crimes committed by Israel in demolishing the bedouin village Khirbet Humsa on 7/7. (HA 8/11; MEMO 8/13)

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said its investigation into the events of the Israeli assault on Gaza in May, dubbed Operation Guardians of the Wall, had showed that Hamas’s rockets fired at Israel “violated the laws of war and amount to war crimes.” HRW also said that Hamas’s rockets had killed 12 civilians in Israel and a misfired rocket had killed 7 Palestinians in Gaza. HRW released its investigation into Israeli actions during the assault on 7/27, finding that Israel had also committed war crimes. (HA, HRW 8/12; ALM 8/23)

France donated $575,000 to the UN World Food Programme for its programming in Gaza. (WAFA 8/11)