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, a Palestinian man succumbs to wounds sustained from Israeli forces in Nur Shams refugee camp on 10/19/2023. An Israeli settler shoots and kill a Palestinian man after he shoots and kills 2 Israeli settlers at a gas station near the Eli settlement. Israeli settlers also throw stones at Palestinians at the Za’atra checkpoint, injuring a man. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers ram a Palestinian man in al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, causing minor injuries. Israeli settlers also raid Arab al-Milehat, throwing stones at homes. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers disassemble and steal 2 agricultural structures in Kisan. Israeli forces shoot and kill 2 Palestinians and injure another while they are picking gundelia flowers near Bayt Awa. Israeli forces also shoot and kill a Palestinian child during a raid in Beit Furik. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Jalazone refugee camp. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian man in Jenin. Meanwhile, Israeli forces demolish a home and 2 agricultural structures during a raid in Ein ad-Duyuk al-Tahta. Israeli forces also arrest 20 Palestinians during raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, and Bethlehem. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Nuseirat refugee camp, al-Bureij refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Jabalia refugee camp, and Beit Hanun, killing at least 81 people. Israeli forces also open fire at an aid convoy where thousands of Palestinians are seeking to gather aid. Eyewitnesses report that Israel used live ammunition, tank shells, and drone-fired missiles to attack the crowd, at least 112 people are killed and 760 are injured. Israeli tanks also run over the bodies of the dead and injured. The attack is dubbed the Flour Massacre. 4 children die of starvation at the Kamal Adwan Hospital. Israeli settlers storm the Beit Hanun (Erez) crossing, attempting to create a settlement in Gaza. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fires 2 rockets at Goren. In Yemen, U.S. forces attack a missile launch site and shoot down a drone. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/29; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 3/1)

More than 30,147 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,230 children and 8,860 women, and around 71,217 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 409 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 103 children. More than 4,606 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, 240 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,431 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. The Red Crescent says its medical clinic in Jabalia is receiving 100-150 cases of patients with Hepatitis A daily. (AJ, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA 2/29)

22-year-old Palestinian prisoner Assef al-Rifai dies in an Israeli prison, becoming the 11^th Palestinian to die in Israeli prison since 10/7. Al-Rifai, who had been imprisoned since 2022, suffered from cancer. (WAFA 2/29)

In response to the Flour Massacre (see above), Israel’s military first says Palestinians were killed in a stampede trying to get aid, blaming the aid truck drivers, then later said that Israeli soldiers had opened fire due to fear of the crowds but that most of the Palestinians had been killed in a human stampede and by the aid trucks. In its defense, Israel releases edited drone footage which appears to show hundreds of Palestinians taking cover from Israeli bullets. The PA calls the incident an “ugly massacre” and Hamas calls the attack an “unprecedented war crime.” UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres labels the incident appalling and calls for an independent investigation. EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borrell calls it “totally unacceptable,” Colombia denounces Israel’s genocide, suspending weapons purchases from Israel. French president Emmanuel Macron expresses “[d]eep indignation at the images coming from Gaza where civilians have been targeted by Israeli soldiers. I express my strongest condemnation of these shootings and call for truth, justice, and respect for international law.” Spain, Belgium, Turkey, Portugal, Italy, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, China, Canada, Yemen, Australia, and other countries express shock and contempt for the Israeli actions. The U.S. blocks an Algerian statement at the UN Security Council that assigns blame to Israel for the incident, saying it needs to be “thoroughly investigated.” The Israeli newspaper Haaretz for the first time calls on Israel to end its war, citing the incident. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 2/29; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 3/1) 

Representatives from Hamas, Fatah, and many other Palestinian parties meet in Moscow for reconciliation talks and about forming a technocratic consensus government that will lead the PA. Palestinian National Initiative secretary-general Mustafa Barghouti says, “I have never seen the atmosphere so close to unity as it is today.” Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov tells the Palestinian representatives at the meeting that if they can announce a unity position on the basis of the PLO those who use the lack of Palestine unity to prevent “the settlement in the Middle East, will lose their winning cards.” Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh meets with Chinese ambassador to Qatar Zhou Jian, discussing “ways to stop the war” in Gaza. President Mahmoud Abbas meets with UN senior coordinator for humanitarian aid and reconstruction in Gaza Sigrid Kaag and USAID administrator Samantha Power in Ramallah. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 2/29; AJ 3/1)

The Israeli Civil Administration declares 2,640 dunams (652 acres) of land in Abu Dis and al-Eizariya Israeli state land. 120 Palestinian families live on the land. The area declared state land connects the Ma’ale Adumim settlement and the Keidar settlement. (AJ, REU, WAFA 2/29; HA 3/1)

Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Store says the PA has received $114 million from Israel as part of the tax revenue payments and that more money will be dispersed in “the coming days.” (REU 2/29)

UNRWA says it has not received $89 million from the European Commission that was due on 2/29. 17 rights and aid organizations, including Save the Children and Oxfam, call on the EU to disperse the funds. The UN says Israel has not provided evidence about its claims against 12 UNRWA staffers for the independent investigation by the UN. Germany says it will increase aid to Gaza by $21.6 million and that its military will start taking part in aid airdrops if enough aid cannot be dispersed by land. (AP, AP, REU 2/29)

Israel claims it has killed more than 13,000 militants in Gaza since its ground invasion. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls Hamas’s demands for a ceasefire “delusional,” saying he will not accept them and that he rejects international calls for a ceasefire. The Israeli negotiators who had been in Qatar this week return to Israel. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich calls for a “massive” settlement expansion in response to the killing of 2 Israeli settlers near the Eli settlement. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir says aid to Gaza must stop as it endangers Israeli soldiers, citing the Flour Massacre where no Israeli soldiers were injured while more than a 100 Palestinians were killed. The Israeli government says it is still reviewing whether it will severely limit the number of Muslim worshippers it will allow to enter the Haram al-Sharif compound during Ramadan. (AJ, REU 2/29; AJ 3/1)

U.S. president Joe Biden walks back his comment that a ceasefire will happen by 3/4 but says that he is still hopeful. Biden also issues a statement calling on Republicans to pass a bill providing aid to Israel to “help ensure Israel can defend itself against Hamas and other threats.” Biden speaks with Qatar emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, discussing the need for aid and a ceasefire in Gaza. Secretary of State Blinken speaks with Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, discussing the same issues. White House deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton says the U.S. is deeply concerned that it has not received an Israeli plan for how it will provide security for Palestinians in Rafah if the Israeli military invades the city. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) calls on Israel to end its military operations in Gaza, citing the Flour Massacre. (AJ, AX, HA, NYT, REU, REU 2/29; AJ, HA 3/1)

UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk condemns Israel’s war on Gaza, calling it “carnage” at the UN Human Rights Council and says that war crimes have been committed by both Israel and Hamas, calling for accountability for the perpetrators. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 2/29)

New Zealand says it will impose travel bans on “a number” of violent Israeli settlers. New Zealand also designates the entirety of Hamas as a “terrorist group.” (AJ, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/29)

British politician George Galloway of the Workers Party of Britain wins a seat in the UK parliament in the by-election in Rochdale, telling Labour Party leader “Kier Starmer, this is for Gaza.” The Labour Party held the seat in Rochdale until last month when MP Tony Lloyd died. (NYT, NYT 2/29; AJ, AJ, HA 3/1)

Haaretz reports that AIPAC has spent $4.5 million in attack ads against Dave Min in the Democratic primary for a congressional seat in California. (HA 2/29)

The heads of 36 international news outlets sign a letter in support of journalists in Gaza, calling for their protection. (AJ, AP 2/29)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set fire to a home, a vehicle, and 2 agricultural structures in Kisan. Israeli settlers also assault a Palestinian shepherd near al-Bireh. Israeli forces deliver demolition notices for 4 homes and a restaurant in al-Walaja. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man with a baton round during a raid in Shu’fat, others suffer tear-gas related injuries. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, Jabalia refugee camp, Khan Yunis, and Gaza City, killing at least 112 people. 5 people die at the Nasser Hospital after power outages cut oxygen supplies. 2 Israeli soldiers are killed in combat. In Bnei Re’em, a Palestinian man shoots and kills 2 Israelis and wounds 4 others at a bus stop before being shot dead by Israeli forces in East Jerusalem. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fires rockets at Ramya, killing an Israeli soldier. Israeli forces attack Bint Jbeil, Labourna, al-Naqoura, al-Fardis, Rachaya, al-Foukhar, and al-Harbiyah, causing damage. In Yemen, U.S. forces attack 2 sites near Hodeidah. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/16; HA 2/17; UNOCHA 2/19)

More than 28,775 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children and 7,200 women, and around 68,552 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 390 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 4,499 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, 232 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,361 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. 199 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/16; UNOCHA 2/19)

The ICJ rejects South Africa’s request for additional provisional measures in the genocide case against Israel but says an Israeli assault on Rafah “would exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare with untold regional consequences” and orders Israel to adhere to the original provisional measures. Hamas welcomes the ICJ’s “direct and clear order to stop this brutal aggression leading to genocide against defenseless civilians.” (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA 2/16)

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) denies Israeli allegations that PRCS staff and equipment were involved in the attack on Israel on 10/7/2023, saying Israel deliberately creates a false narrative by circulating a video that clearly shows that the ambulance and staff in question are not from PRCS. (AJ 2/16)

The PA calls for sanctions on Israel, saying Israeli prime minister Benjamin “Netanyahu continues to disregard international demands and resolutions, and continues to kill our people, starve them, thirst them, and destroy their land to push them to emigrate.” (AJ 2/16)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant says the Israeli military is “thoroughly planning” its invasion of Rafah and claims that 30 UNRWA employees took part in the events on 10/7/2023. Israeli president Isaac Herzog meets with Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, discussing ceasefire negotiations. (AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA 2/16; REU 2/17)

Lebanon files a complaint with the UN Security Council over Israel’s killing of 11 civilians on 2/14. (AJ 2/16)

U.S. president Joe Biden says that he hopes Israel does not invade Rafah and stresses the need for a temporary ceasefire. At the Munich Security Conference, Vice President Kamala Harris says after Israel’s war on Gaza there should be “no reoccupation of Gaza, no change to its geographic territory, no return of terrorism by Hamas” and the PA should take over governance of Gaza. The foreign ministers of the U.S., UK, Germany, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Qatar discuss plans for Gaza after the war. (AJ, HA, REU 2/16)

Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov says Russia has invited all Palestinian factions to Russia for “inter-Palestinian” talks on 2/26. (AJ 2/16; AJ, HA 2/18)

French president Emmanuel Macron meets Jordanian king Abdullah II in Paris. In a joint press statement, Macron says that France will work with the EU and the UN Security Council to recognize a Palestinian state, adding it is no longer taboo in France. (HA, REU, WAFA 2/16; AP 2/17)

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Biden administration is preparing to send Israel around 1,000 MK-82 500-pound bombs and 1,000 KMU-572 JDAMs. (REU 2/16; AJ 2/17)

The New York Times reports that Israel was responsible for a sabotage attack on 2 gas pipelines in Iran on 2/15 and an explosion at a chemical factory near Tehran on 2/16. (HA, NYT 2/16; HA 2/17; AJ 2/18)

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 with a military escort assaulted 3 Palestinians in Khallet al-Daba in the Masafer Yatta area and stole their mobile phones. Israeli settlers also vandalized 8 olive trees in Burin. Israeli forces shot and killed 6 Palestinians, including a child, during a raid in al-Fara’a refugee camp. Israeli forces also shot and injured 8 Palestinians, including a child, during raids in Fawwar refugee camp, Kafr Ni’ma, Beit Umar, and Hizma. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrested the deputy director of the Islamic Waqf in Jerusalem, Sheikh Najeh Bkerat, in Dar Salah. Israeli forces also raided Qarawat Bani Hassan, destroying a memorial erected for a Palestinian killed by Israeli forces on 12/2. An Israeli soldier was shot and injured during a raid in Ya’bad. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians heading for the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Jabalia refugee camp, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Rafah, and Dayr al-Balah, killing around 350 people. Israeli airstrikes targeted the Yaffa Hospital in Dayr al-Balah, Al Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis, and Palestinians queuing for water in Khan Yunis. Rockets were fired at Israel; no damage was reported. 4 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked a military hospital in Ain Ebel, causing damage. Israeli forces also injured 3 Lebanese soldiers in Naqoura. In Syria, Israel said it attacked several targets near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. 4 people were reportedly killed in an airstrike on a car in Madinat al-Baath. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/8; AJ, HA, REU 12/9)

More than 17,487 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 7,729 children and 5,153 women, and around 46,480 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 264 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 68 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. 97 Israeli soldiers have been killed 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. UNRWA said that at least 273 Palestinians sheltering at its shelters have been killed and 966 injured in Israeli attacks since 10/7. Rafah remained the only governate to receive aid. 4 injured Palestinians and 585 foreign nationals were evacuated to Egypt while 13 humanitarian staff and 11 ambulances donated by Turkey entered Gaza. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 12/8; UNOCHA 12/9)

Hamas said an Israeli attempt to free a captive failed, leading to the death of the captive, Israeli solider Sa’ar Baruch. Israel said 2 Israeli soldiers were seriously injured in the rescue attempt. (AJ, HA, NYT, REU 12/8; AJ, HA 12/9)

Al Jazeera said a number of the Palestinians taken by Israeli forces from UN schools in Beit Lahiya on 12/7 and stripped to their underwear were released, while others were taken to a military base in Israel, including Al-Araby Al-Jadeed journalist Diaa al-Kahlout. (AJ, AP, NYT 12/8)

The Israeli Education Ministry ordered school principals in East Jerusalem to suspend Palestinian students who were released as part of the prisoner exchange last week until 2024. (HA 12/8)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant signed an order to place an Israeli settler in administrative detention for attacks on Palestinians. Gallant also spoke with U.S. secretary of defense Lloyd Austin, who urged him to “increase efforts to protect civilians in Gaza, increase delivery of humanitarian assistance, and curb extremist settler violence in the West Bank.” Israel said an Israeli military helicopter killed an Israeli soldier during an attack on a building in Gaza last week. (HA, HA 12/8)

A UN Security Council resolution calling for ceasefire and the unconditional release of the Hamas-held captives was vetoed by the U.S., with the UK abstaining and the remaining 13 members voting in favor. Before the vote, PA UN envoy Riyad Mansour said the objective of the Israeli campaign was to ethnically cleanse Gaza, adding Israeli representatives were publicly admitting it. U.S. UN ambassador Robert Wood said the Hamas attack on 10/7 was the “worst attack on our people” in decades. After the vote Wood explained the veto, calling the resolution imbalanced for not condemning Hamas’ operation on 10/7. UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini said the constant Israeli bombings have made UNRWA’s ability to operate extremely limited. After the vote, Mansour called the U.S. vote a disaster. Hamas called the veto “unethical and inhumane.” Israeli UN ambassador Gilad Erdan thanked the U.S. for “standing firmly by our side.” Human Rights Watch UN director Louis Charbonneau said that the U.S. risks being complicit in Israeli war crimes by continuing to provide weapons and diplomatic cover. Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf called the UK’s abstention “incomprehensible.” (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/8; AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/9)

During an interview with Reuters, PA president Mahmoud Abbas called for an international conference to end the war in Gaza and to create the foundations for a lasting end to the Israeli occupation. Abbas said he was for “peaceful resistance” that led to a 2-state solution with a sovereign Palestinian state in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. Abbas also said he would accept a future election result if Hamas won. Later, Abbas’ office released a statement saying the U.S. veto at the UN Security Council made it complicit in war crimes against Palestinians. (HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 12/8; REU 12/9)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his opposition to the PA governing Gaza after Bloomberg News ran an interview with PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh on 12/7, where he said the PA was working with the U.S. in preparation for taking over the governing of Gaza. (AJ, HA 12/8)

French president Emmanuel Macron spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu, urging him to open the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing and calling on Israel to protect civilians in Gaza and the West Bank. (AJ, HA 12/8)

The Arab-Islamic Summit Ministerial Committee met with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken, discussing the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The committee expressed their disappointment with the U.S. veto at the UN Security Council. The committee was represented by foreign ministers from the PA, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt. Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud also met with Blinken separately, calling for a ceasefire. (AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA 12/8; AJ, HA, NYT 12/9)

The Biden administration bypassed congressional review of the sale of 14,000 tank shells to Israel worth $106.5m. The Biden administration had asked Congress to approve the sale of 45,000 shells with the sale of the remaining 31,000 pending congressional approval. (AJ 12/8; AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, REU 12/9)

The European Commission announced that the EU will provide Palestine with at least $135 million in humanitarian aid through 2024. (HA 12/8)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted 12 olive trees in Salfit and vandalized Palestinian property in al-Twana in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces shot and killed 3 Palestinians, including a 12-year-old during raids in Balata refugee camp, Beita, and Burqa. Israeli forces also shot and injured 5 people during raids in Balata refugee camp, Habla, and Burqa. Israeli forces also issued stop work orders for 8 homes in al-Khader. 76 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around ‘Azzun, al-Arroub refugee camp, Nablus, Balata refugee camp, Jenin, Tubas, Bethlehem, Aroura, and Abu Dis. 3,130 Palestinians have been arrested in the West Bank since 10/7. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shot, injured, and arrested a Palestinian child in Jabel Mukaber. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed around 270 Palestinians, including 30 in an airstrike on an UNRWA school in Jabalia refugee camp, 15 in Khan Yunis, 14 in Rafah, 10 in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City, and 5 in Nuseirat refugee camp. Israel also bombed the Zeitoun neighborhood, Bani Suhaila, al-Daraj, and al-Tufah. Israel said it had assassinated Hamas naval commander Omar Abu Jallah. Israeli forces also attacked the Indonesian Hospital’s main gate, power generators, and administrative office. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrested al-Shifa Hospital director Mohammad Abu Salmiya and other medical staff. After the arrest, the Gaza Ministry of Health suspended coordination with the WHO. 4 wounded Palestinians died during an evacuation from the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital to Khan Yunis. Israel said it attacked 300 sites in Gaza during the day. Rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel; no injuries were reported. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked several sites, saying they had been used to fire 35 rockets toward Israel, causing damage to 2 homes. In the Red Sea, the U.S. said it shot down drones launched from Yemen. (HA 11/22; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/23; UNOCHA 11/24; AJ 11/25; AJ 11/25)

The Gaza Media Office reported that 14,800 Palestinian have been killed, including 6,000 children and 4,000 women, and around 35,000 have injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 220 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 54 children. More than 2,885 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. 75 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.7 million Palestinians, more than 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 11/18, 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. 18,000 gallons of fuel and 80 truckloads of aid entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing. 433 foreign nationals and 17 wounded Palestinians were evacuated to Egypt. Less than 500 people fled northern Gaza to the south; UNOCHA noted that there were more people arrested by Israeli forces while crossing than in previous days. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 11/23)

Qatar announced that the ceasefire will begin at 7 a.m. on 11/24 with 13 captives being released to Israel at 4 p.m. The ceasefire was reportedly delayed due to a disagreement over the list of captives that would be released. The Israeli High Court of Justice rejected 2 petitions against the prisoner exchange, saying the court did not have justification to intervene in the ceasefire deal. Israel said Palestinians will not be allowed to return to the north of Gaza during the ceasefire. Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant said he expected the Israeli attacks on Gaza to continue for 2 months after the ceasefire period is over. Egypt said 35,000 gallons of diesel, 4 trucks of gas, and 200 trucks carrying aid would enter Gaza daily from 11/24 during the ceasefire.  (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AX, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT 11/23; HA, HA 11/24)

Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that an Iranian brokered deal would see 23 Thai captives released by Hamas without conditions. (HA 11/23)

Displaced Palestinians returning to the homes they fled from in al-Qanoub near Sa’ir said Israeli settlers had demolished and stolen all their belongings, including 5 homes, tents, and solar panels. The settlers had threatened the Palestinians with displacement or death. (WAFA 11/23)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with the Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez and Belgian prime minister Alexander de Croo in Ramallah, discussing the situation in Gaza and the West Bank. (WAFA 11/23)

A delegation of foreign ministers from Arab and Islamic countries, including the PA, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, and Nigeria met with French president Emmanuel Macron in Paris, discussing the situation in Gaza. The delegation had met with leaders in the UK, Russia, and China in the past week. (WAFA 11/23)

Israeli Channel 12 reported that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had instructed police not to deal with Israeli settler violence against Palestinians. Ben-Gvir also instructed prison authorities to use “an iron fist” in repressing celebrations of prisoner releases. (AJ 11/23)

Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah met with Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Lebanon. (AJ 11/23; HA 11/24)

Spanish foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares said before a meeting in Israel between Prime Minister Sanchez and Israeli president Isaac Herzog and prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Spain wants to recognize a Palestinian state in the “very short term,” adding the existence of a Palestinian state is the “best guarantee for peace in the Middle East.” During the meeting with Netanyahu, Sanchez proposed an international conference to settle the overall conflict. UK prime minister David Cameron also met with Netanyahu. (AJ, HA, REU 11/23)

Israeli communications minister Shlomo Karhi submitted a proposal to the Israeli cabinet that would end the publication of government notices in Haaretz and halt all government payments to the newspaper, including by canceling all state employees’ subscriptions. (AJ, HA 11/23)

German police raided 15 properties it claimed were linked to Hamas and Samidoun. (AJ, AP 11/23)

The UN said its member states had raised $218 million in funding for its flash appeal for Gaza, constituting 18% of the 1.2 billion requested. (UNOCHA 11/23)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed a disabled man and destroyed infrastructure during a raid in Jenin. Israeli forces also shot and killed a Palestinian man during a raid in Dheisheh refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 6 Palestinians during a raid in Balata refugee camp. Israeli forces also seized 3 vehicles in Dahariya. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 70 Palestinians in Khan Yunis and 32 in 2 strikes on residential buildings in Nuseirat refugee camp. The number of fatalities was likely much higher since the Gaza Ministry of Health was unable to communicate with hospitals and civil defense members in northern Gaza. 47 people were evacuated from al-Shifa Hospital, including 31 premature babies. 259 patients remained at the hospital, which continues to be under Israel siege. 7 Israeli soldiers were killed. In Lebanon, Israel said it attacked several areas, saying mortar shells were fired at Israel. (HA 11/18; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/19; HA 11/20)

The Gaza Ministry of Health was not able to fully update the casualty figures due to a collapse in services and communications at hospitals in northern Gaza. However, it stated that at least 13,000 Palestinians have been killed, including 5,500 children and 3,500 women, and around 32,000 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 3,250 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 206 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 47 children. More than 2,730 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. 69 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. 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 45% of all housing units. 29 premature babies were evacuated to Egypt via the Rafah crossing. About 20,000 Palestinians fled northern Gaza to the south. Around 15,000 gallons of fuel and 69 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza. The Committee to Protect Journalists said 48 journalists had been killed since 10/7, including 44 Palestinians and 1 Lebanese.  (AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 11/19; AJ, NYT, REU, REU 11/20)

The Commission of Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs said Israel has imposed additional punitive measures on Palestinian prisoners, including not allowing doctors to visit sick patients, decreasing the quality of the food, denying yard access, confiscating several personal belongings, daily cuts of electricity from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., and denying prisoners visits from lawyers and family members. (WAFA 11/19)

The PA foreign ministry issued a statement it later retracted, saying it was Israeli helicopters that killed 364 Israelis during a festival on 10/7 and not Hamas militants. Haaretz had reported on 11/18 that Israeli combat helicopters likely hit some Israelis while attacking militants. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the retracted statement and called PA president Mahmoud Abbas a Holocaust denier. (HA 11/19)

Israel said it had taken more than 100 Palestinians captive during its raids in Gaza and brought them to Israel. The Israeli military released a video showing that 2 injured captives of Nepalese and Thai nationality were taken to al-Shifa hospital for treatment on 10/7 but did not provide evidence that the hospital was used by Hamas for captives after 10/7. Israel also claimed it found a 180-foot-long tunnel under al-Shifa Hospital. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU 11/19; NYT 11/20)

Israeli intelligence minister Gila Gamliel said the international community should stop funding UNRWA and instead start taking in Palestinians from Gaza in “voluntary settlement.” (AJ 11/19)

U.S. deputy national security advisor Jon Finer said Israel should not move its ground invasion to southern Gaza until the hundreds of thousands Palestinian who have fled the north to the south “have been accounted for in their military planning.” (HA, HA 11/19)

Haaretz reported that U.S. officials believed that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s stance against the PA taking control of Gaza after Israel’s war would soften if the PA agreed to stop seeking justice in international bodies and ended its payments to the families of Palestinian prisoners and Palestinians killed by Israeli forces. (HA 11/19)

French president Emmanuel Macron said France will send more medical supplies and a second hospital ship to Gaza, adding that he told Prime Minister Netanyahu that there were “too many civilian losses” in Gaza. Macron also spoke with President Abbas. (AJ, HA, WAFA 11/19; AJ, AJ 11/20)

EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen called the settler violence in the West Bank “unacceptable.” Von der Leyen met with King Abdullah II of Jordan, who called for an immediate ceasefire to protect Palestinians from Israel’s “ugly war against civilians.” (HA, WAFA 11/19)

The Houthi-led Yemeni government said it had seized an Israeli ship in the Red Sea and taken it to a port in Yemen. Israel said the ship did not have Israeli owners or crew. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU 11/19)

An NBC News poll found that 70% of 18-to-34-year-old Americans disapprove of the U.S. handling of Israel’s war on Gaza. Overall, 56% said they disapproved. 49% of Democrats said they opposed providing military aid to Israel. (AJ, HA 11/19)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian herders in Kisan with sticks, injuring 2, including a child. Israeli forces killed 14 Palestinians, including a PA officer, during a raid in Jenin and Jenin refugee camp. During the raid Israeli forces opened fire at ambulances, used drones to attack buildings with airstrikes, and used 4 bulldozers to raze paved streets. Israeli forces also shot and killed 4 Palestinians during raids in al-Am’ari refugee camp, Balata refugee camp, Hebron, and Bethlehem. Meanwhile, Israeli forces shot and injured 69 Palestinians during raids in Bethlehem, Beit Furik, Aqraba, Ni’lin, Jenin, Balata refugee camp, and al-Bireh. Israeli forces also displaced 20 Palestinian families from their homes in Khirbet Tana, demolishing homes and destroying beehives. 50 Palestinians, mostly people from Gaza working in Israel before 10/7, were arrested in Barta’a. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed 243 Palestinians and injured around 430 others. Israeli airstrikes targeted the vicinity of al-Nasr Hospital, al-Awda Hospital, the Indonesian Hospital, and al-Shifa Hospital, killing at least 3 people and causing significant damage to the hospitals and 2 ambulances.  Israeli said it assassinated Hamas member Ibrahim Abu-Ma’asiv in an airstrike. 2 Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza. In South Lebanon, anti-tank missiles were fired at Israel and Israel attacked Lebanon. In Eilat, Israel said a drone launched from Syria damaged a school in Eilat. Israel also said it deployed its Arrow 3 missile defense system for the first time to intercept a surface-to-surface missile fired at Eilat, reportedly from Yemen. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/9; AJ, AJ, HA, REU 11/10)

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 10,818 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,412 children and 2,918 women, and 26,905 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 2,450 people were buried in rubble, including 1,350 children. 173 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 46 children. More than 2,492 people have been injured. Around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 injured since 10/7. 35 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 45% of all housing units. 65 trucks carrying aid to Gaza and 7 ambulances entered via the Rafah crossing. 12 injured Palestinians and 695 foreign passport holders were evacuated from Gaza to Egypt. Around 50,000 people fled north Gaza to the south, bringing the total number to 122,000 since 11/5. UNRWA launched a flash appeal for $481 million to address the humanitarian needs in Gaza and the West Bank. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 11/9; WAFA 11/10)

The PA Finance Ministry said it returned its tax revenue to Israel due to Israel deducting $600 million Israel said is earmarked for administrative expenses in Gaza. (WAFA 11/9)

Israel arrested High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel chairperson Mohammed Barakeh and former MKs Haneen Zoabi, Sami Abou Shehadeh, and Mtanes Shehadeh who were planning to attend a small anti-war protest in Nazareth. Since Israel has banned large anti-war protests, Barakeh said he had told Nazereth police that he and 40 others would rally together, leading to his arrest. Protesters later demonstrated against the arrests of the Palestinian leaders outside of a police station in Tel Aviv; 15 were arrested. After the Palestinian leaders were released, Abou Shahadeh said he was arrested for “being a Palestinian citizen calling to end the war. By contrast, If I were a Jewish citizen calling for a genocide of Palestinians I could become a minister.”  (AJ, HA, HA, HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA 11/9; NYT 11/10)

Hamas said 1 Israeli soldier held captive in Gaza was killed in an Israeli airstrike. Islamic Jihad released a video of an Israeli child and elderly woman that it said it wanted to release for humanitarian reasons. (AJ, HA, HA, REU, REU 11/9; NYT 11/10)

Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Mashal arrived in Cairo, reportedly to discuss a prisoner exchange. (AJ, HA 11/9)

During a speech at an aid conference in Paris, PA prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said that Hamas could not be eliminated because it is not just a military organization but “also an idea.” Shtayyeh also said Israel was waging war against all Palestinians, violating international law. French president Emmanuel Macron, who hosted the conference, said civilians in Gaza must be protected, calling for humanitarian pauses and for countries to work on a ceasefire. Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry complained that the international community has an “imbalance” in its conscience when it ignores Israeli violations of international law. Separately, PA presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh said Israel’s aim is to kill as many Palestinians as possible, referring to the many killed in the West Bank as Israel attacks Gaza. Abu Rudeineh called on the U.S. to force Israel to stop its attacks. PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki met with UK foreign secretary James Cleverly in Riyadh, calling on the UK to help achieve a ceasefire. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/9)

Haaretz reported an increase in Israeli soldiers publishing videos of themselves beating and humiliating Palestinians they have arrested in the West Bank. (HA 11/9)

A report by the UNDP and the ESCWA said Palestinian GDP had shrunk 4% during the first month of Israel’s attacks on Gaza. It projected that if the attacks continue for a second month it will drop by 8.4%, and by 12% if attacks continue for a third month. (AJ, HA 11/9; AJ, AJ, AP, AP 11/10)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson Ofir Gendelman tweeted a video he claimed showed Palestinians staging people being injured and evacuated. However, the video was backstage footage from the Lebanese short film The Reality. Gendelman kept the tweet up even after X (formerly known as Twitter) clarified what the video actually showed. (DB 11/9)

U.S. president Joe Biden said Israel had agreed to daily 4-hour pauses in its attacks on Gaza to allow Palestinians in the north to flee south, saying it had taken longer for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to the pauses than he had hoped. Biden also said had asked for longer pauses that would help facilitate the release of captives. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said Palestinians fleeing the north of Gaza should be able to return. Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called the pauses a “particularly serious mistake.” Netanyahu clarified in an interview with Fox News that he does not seek to govern Gaza. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, REU 11/9; AJ, AP, HA, REU 11/10)

The Israeli organization HonestReporting said it had identified CNN, AP, and Reuters contributors who covered the Hamas Operation Al Aqsa Flood on 10/7, claiming they must have had knowledge of the operation prior to it or participated in it. Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz and National Security Minister Ben-Gvir said the journalists should be treated as terrorists. Likud Party MK Danny Danon said the journalist would be added to Israel’s kill list. The New York Times, which employs one of the freelance journalists, called HonestReporting’s allegations “reckless” and said it endangered their journalists in Gaza and Israel. CNN said it cut relations with 1 of the freelance journalists that HonestReporting posted a photo of standing next to Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU 11/9)

CIA director William Burns and Mossad director David Barnea traveled to Doha for meetings with Qatari prime minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani regarding a potential prisoner swap. Al Thani reportedly held a meeting with Hamas officials in Qatar on 11/8. (AJ, HA, HA, REU 11/9)

Belgian minister of development cooperation Caroline Gennez said her government was considering recognizing the state of Palestine and would donate $2.1 million in aid to Palestine and $5.3 million to the ICC. (AJ 11/9)

Media workers staged a sit-in demonstration at the New York Times headquarters, criticizing the newspaper’s pro-Israel bias. The American Postal Workers Union called for a ceasefire. (AJ, HA 11/9; AJ 11/10)

The Syrian Aviation Authority said the Damascus International Airport would not reopen for another week. The airport has been closed since 10/12 due to Israeli airstrikes damaging the runway. (HA 11/9)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian teenager succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces last week in Anabta. Israeli settlers assaulted a Palestinian man and threatened to demolish his family’s home in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli settlers also rammed a Palestinian vehicle in Ras Karkar, opening fire at the driver and passengers, injuring 3, including 2 with live ammunition. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers set fire to a Palestinian home in Talfit and vandalized 10 vehicles in Beit Iksa. Israeli forces shot and injured 3 Palestinians in Ras Karkar. 51 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, and Jenin, including Hamas member Adnan Hamarsheh. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities closed the Haram al-Sharif compound for Muslim worshippers, allowing Israeli settlers to tour the compound. Israeli forces also demolished a house in Jabel Mukaber and a commercial structure in Sur Baher. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed 704 Palestinians, including 305 children. Israel said that its military has attacked 400 sites in Gaza and assassinated 3 members of Hamas. Rockets were fired at Israel, causing damage. Israel said it killed 10 militants who had tried to enter Zikim by sea. In Syria, Israeli forces fired artillery at what it said were militants near the Golan Heights. (AJ 10/23; AJ, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/24; WAFA 10/25)

The Gaza Ministry of Health said as of 5.pm. at least 5,791 Palestinians had been killed, including at least 3,600 women and children, and 16,297 had been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. It is estimated that 1,500 were trapped in rubble. In addition, Israeli media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. 95 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 27 children. More than 1,833 have been injured, including at least 360 with live ammunition. Israeli officials recorded no new fatalities, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals; 5,431 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 27,781 housing units have been destroyed and 150,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. At least 45% of all housing units have been either destroyed or damaged in Israeli airstrikes. The Indonesian Hospital, the largest hospital in northern Gaza, lost power for a period of time overnight. 8 trucks carrying aid, including 5 with water, 2 with food, and 1 with medical supplies, entered Gaza (AJ 10/23; AJ, AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 10/24; AJ 10/25)

25-year-old Palestinian Arafat Hamdan died in the Ofer Prison, a day after Omar Daraghmeh died at the Megiddo Prison. Hamdan was arrested by Israeli forces on 10/22. The Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council urged the Red Cross to visit the 2 Israeli prisons and investigate the deaths. (AJ 10/23; HA, WAFA 10/24; WAFA, WAFA 10/25)

PA health minister Mai al-Kaila said hospitals in Gaza were no longer able to receive new patients, saying 12 hospitals were no longer operational due to Israeli airstrikes or lack of fuel and that 65 doctors and nurses have been killed by Israel since 10/7. (AJ 10/23)

Israel dropped leaflets in Gaza saying Israel will provide security and monetary rewards for information on where Israeli and foreign captives are being kept. (AJ 10/23; HA 10/24)

Israeli attorney general Galia Baharav-Miara approved an emergency regulation to allow Israel to detain members of Hamas for 90 days without access to a lawyer. (HA 10/24)

The New York Times published an investigation into what Israel called evidence that an errant rocket caused the explosion at al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City on 10/17, finding that the Israeli-presented video did not prove that a rocket fired by Islamic Jihad caused the explosion. The Times suggested that the video footage pointed to a projectile fired from the Nahal Oz area of Israel at Gaza as the cause. (NYT 10/24)

French president Emmanuel Macron visited PA president Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, who called for an immediate end to the Israeli aggression. Macron had visited Israel earlier in the day, meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Macron called for the international coalition fighting ISIS to also fight Hamas and said that 30 French nationals were killed by militants during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. (AJ 10/23; AJ, AP, HA, WAFA 10/24; AP 10/25; HA 10/26)

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi spoke with PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki and Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen, urging steps be undertaken to prevent further escalation and establish a lasting peace. (AJ, WAFA 10/24)

U.S. president Joe Biden spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu, urging him to not interfere with humanitarian aid for Gaza. Biden also spoke with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. is not calling for a ceasefire as a “ceasefire right now really only benefits Hamas.” (AJ, HA 10/23; HA, NYT, REU 10/24)

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said the Hamas operation did not happen in a vacuum, referring to “56 years of suffocating occupation” and that the Hamas operation did not justify Israeli “collective punishment of the Palestinian people.” Israeli UN ambassador Gilad Erdan called on Guterres to resign. Foreign Minister Cohen canceled a meeting with Guterres. Israel also said it would refuse visas to UN officials. (AJ 10/23; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, WAFA 10/24; AJ, REU, WAFA 10/25; AP, WAFA 10/26)

At the UN Security Council, Foreign Minister al-Maliki called on the council to act to stop Israeli massacres of Palestinians, labelling them savage and systematic. Iranian UN ambassador Saeed Iravani said the U.S. was exacerbating the conflict by providing “unwavering support for the [Israeli] occupation.” Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry said the governments that remain silent on Israeli attacks on civilians are “participating in the crimes.” Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud called for an immediate ceasefire and for Israel to lift its siege on Gaza. Foreign Minister Cohen rejected calls for a ceasefire. (AJ 10/23; HA, NYT, WAFA, WAFA 10/24; AP, AP 10/25)

NBC News reported that 24 U.S. soldiers suffered minor injuries in attacks on U.S. bases in Syria and Iraq on 10/18. (AJ 10/24)

Florida governor, and republican presidential candidate, Ron DeSantis, banned the group Students for Justice in Palestine, falsely claiming it supports terrorism. (HA 10/24; AJ 10/25)

The Council on American-Islamic Relations called the Biden administration’s refusal to call for a ceasefire “unacceptable.” (AJ 10/23; HA 10/25)

Palestine Legal said it has responded to 260 incidents of people in the U.S. being targeted for supporting Palestine, including people being fired and losing job opportunities. (AJ 10/24)

Japan donated $10 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza, including $7 million to UNRWA and $3 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross. (WAFA 10/24)

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 vandalized 69 olive and almond trees near Salfit. Israeli forces delivered stop-work orders for 4 structures east of Yatta and agricultural structures east of Tubas. Israeli forces also arrested 1 Palestinian working his land east of Khirbat Einoun and confiscated 1 vehicle. Elsewhere, Israeli forces placed dirt mounds on 4 roads linking Huwwara to ‘Ayn Bus, ‘Urif, and Jamaeen. 13 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Hebron, Dura, al-Doha, Jalazun refugee camp, and Beita. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian was arrested during a late-night raid in Silwan. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 7/18; PCHR 7/21; UNOCHA 7/22)

Israel said it had downed 1 drone entering Israel from Lebanon, claiming it belonged to Hezbollah. (HA 7/18; AP, HA 7/19; ALM 7/20)

The PA called on Israel to address a situation at the Allenby Bridge where thousands of Palestinians reportedly have been waiting for days to cross from Jordan to the West Bank. (WAFA 7/19; MEE 7/20)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas landed in Romania for the 1st day of 3-day trip to Romania and France where he will meet with Romanian president Klaus Iohannis and French president Emmanuel Macron. (WAFA, WAFA 7/18)

The Israeli defense ministry sent a letter to the lawyers representing 6 Palestinian rights organizations placed on the Israeli terrorism list, telling them they would need to get official permission to represent the organizations or face up to 7 years in prison. The letter was sent 2 days ahead of a hearing on the legality of the terrorism designations. (+972, HA 7/18)

Chief of staff of the Israeli armed forces Aviv Kochavi visited Morocco for meetings with Moroccan defense officials. During his visit, Chief of Staff Kochavi will meet his Moroccan counterpart Belkhir El-Farouk and Moroccan defense minister Abdellatif Loudiyi. (MEE 7/17; HA, REU 7/18; ALM, HA 7/19; TOI 7/21)

21 Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives led by Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) wrote a letter to secretary of state Antony Blinken and director of national intelligence Avril Haines, expressing concern over Israel’s decision to label 6 Palestinian rights organizations terrorist organizations without producing any credible evidence to support the claim. Earlier this month, 9 EU countries dismissed Israel’s allegations from 10/2021 due to the lack of evidence against the rights organizations. (AJ 7/18; MDW 7/19; AA, WAFA, WAFA 7/20)

EU foreign ministers agreed to restart the EU-Israel Association Council set up in 1995 but suspended in 2012 due to Israel’s settlement policy. EU high representative for foreign affairs Josep Borrell said that the situation in Palestine was deteriorating and that the annual meetings of the Association council “would be a good occasion to engage with Israel on these issues.” (HA 7/18; ALM 7/19; HA 7/26)

Amnesty International and Citizen Lab published a report saying that at least 30 cell phones belonging to Thai pro-democracy activists, academics, lawyers, and NGO workers were implanted with NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware in 2020 and 2021. (AI, HA 7/18)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed 1 11-year-old boy near Beit Umar who was sitting in his father’s car; according to the family, the child’s father decided to turn his car around after seeing a flying checkpoint near the city, when the Israeli forces fired 13 bullets at the car. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters near the Evyatar settlement outpost, injuring 8 with rubber-coated bullets and others with tear gas. Elsewhere, Israeli forces delivered demolition orders against 1 water well and 1 agricultural structure in al-Fakheit in the Masafer Yatta area. 11 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Hebron, and Jenin refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces razed land and demolished 1 agricultural structure in al-Tur. 1 Palestinian was arrested during a late-night raid in Silwan. (AA, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 7/28; AA, MEE, MEE, PCHR 7/29; MEMO, WAFA 7/30; HA 8/3; AA, WAFA 8/4; MEE 8/5; HA 8/8)

The Israeli ministry of defense said it had informed the PA that it would increase the number of work permits for Palestinians by 16,000. 15,000 of the permits would be for construction work and 1,000 would be for work in hospitality. The Israeli government would still need a final approval for the increase. (MEMO, TOI 7/28)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh met with EU envoy for the Middle East peace process Sven Koopmans in Ramallah, where he called for a revival of the peace process under the auspices of the Quartet on the Middle East. Envoy Koopmans also met with PA foreign minister Riyad Maliki and head of the civil affairs authority Hussein al-Sheikh. (WAFA 7/28; MEMO 7/29)

PA health minister and head of the PA environmental quality authority Mai al-Kaila and Jamil Matour met with the Israeli health and environmental protection ministers Nitzan Horowitz and Tamar Zandberg, both of the Meretz (Vigor) party, in Jerusalem to discuss cooperation on health and environmental issues. The agreements reached included direct ambulance service from Gaza to the West Bank via the Beit Hanun crossing, easing restrictions on Palestinian medical teams accessing East Jerusalem and Area C, and for Israel to accept vaccination certificates produced by the PA. The meeting was arranged by Israel’s minister of regional cooperation Issawi Frej upon the request of the U.S. The last time PA and Israeli ministers met was in 2018 when PA prime minister Rami Hamdallah met with Israeli finance minister Moshe Kahlon. (HA 8/28; MEMO 7/29; ALM 8/5)

Israel’s defense minister Benny Gantz visited the French defense minister Florence Parly in Paris to relay Israeli findings in regards to the news that the Israeli company NSO Group’s spyware Pegasus had been used to spy on French President Emmanuel Macron’s phone. (AJ, HA, HA, REU 7/27; REU 7/28; ALM, MEMO, MEMO 7/29)

In a briefing at the UN security council, the deputy special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Lynn Hastings said that the UNRWA was facing “an imminent cash flow crisis” amounting to $100 million. Deputy Special Coordinator Hastings also called for Israel to ease restrictions on the entry of goods and people into Gaza. (MEMO 7/28; MEMO, WAFA 7/29)

In the West Bank, 3 Israeli settlers set fire to a Palestinian marble factory in Jamma’in near Huwwara, causing damage of around $920,000. 6 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Zabbuba and al-Walaja. In East Jerusalem, 4 Palestinians were arrested in the Old City. In Gaza, an explosion at the Zawiya market killed 1, injured 14, and caused damage. According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), the explosion was caused by explosives stored in a residential building at the market. After the PCHR reported its findings, it was smeared and threatened by the National and Islamic Factions’ Follow-up Committee in the Gaza Strip. In Israel, Israeli forces arrested 2 people who had crossed into Israel from Lebanon. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, MEMO, WAFA 7/22; PCHR 7/23; PCHR 7/25; AQ 7/26; PCHR 7/29)

Israel’s public security minister Omer Bar-Lev called PA president Mahmoud Abbas to wish him well on Eid al-Adha and said he used the oppounity to discuss more communications between the 2. (ALM, WAFA 7/22 HA 7/23)

Haaretz reported that although the ban on family reunifications for Israeli citizens married to Palestinians expired on 7/6, it has not been possible to make an appointment to process an application. According to Haaretz, interior minister Ayelet Shaked has ordered her ministry not to handle any of the requests until a new policy has been formulated. (HA, MEMO 7/22)

The Israeli government told the Israeli high court of justice that it would not grant work permits to Palestinians seeking asylum in Israel based on anti-LGBTQ persecution or domestic violence, saying that the PA “does not systematically persecute people because of their sexual orientation.” (HA 7/23)

In Syria, Israeli forces conducted air strikes for the 2d time in 1 week, this time in the Quseir region. It was unclear if there were any casualties. Syria’s military said its air defenses had intercepted most of the missiles. Russian officials later claimed that it was its air defenses in Syria that had intercepted the Israeli missiles. (AJ, AP, HA, REU 7/22; MEMO 7/23; HA 7/25)

French president Emmanuel Macron called Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett for clarification about Macron being a target of Pegasus spyware exported from the Israeli company NSO Group with Israeli government approval. (HA 7/24; MEMO 7/25)

The African Union (AU) said it would readmit Israel as an observer country. Israel was ejected as an observer 19 years ago after pressure from then brotherly leader of Libya Muammar Gaddafi. The Israeli foreign ministry had prior to the readmission sent a senior official to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to meet with 30 ambassadors to the AU. Hamas later issued a statement calling the AU decision “shocking and reprehensible.” The South African government called the AU decision appalling, “unjust and unwarranted.” Algeria, Egypt, Comoros, Tunisia, Djibouti, Mauritania, and Libya later voiced opposition to Israel’s readmission, saying that the decision could divide the AU nations. (HA, TOI 7/22; AJ, ALM, MEMO 7/23; MEMO, MEMO 7/26; AA, AJ 7/28; WAFA 8/1; MEMO, MEMO, MEMO 8/2; AJ, MEMO, MEMO 8/4; MEMO 8/9; MEE 8/11; AA 8/17; WAFA, WAFA 8/19)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian shepherds and international activists using stones and batons near Yatta, damaging 1 vehicle. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near Umm Safa and Ya‘bad. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers with military protection raided al-Twana; 1 Palestinian was shot by Israeli forces using live ammunition and 7 others were shot by rubber-coated bullets. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian who allegedly shot and injured 2 soldiers at a checkpoint near Madama. 6 Palestinians were arrested, including 5 during house raids in and around Bethlehem, Surayf, Abu Dis, and al-Khadir, and 1 at a checkpoint near Jenin. In East Jerusalem, 11 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Issawiyya and the Old City. In Gaza, 50 Palestinians were killed, including 11 children and 2 pregnant women, and dozens were injured, raising the comprehensive death toll since 5/10 from 64 to 114, including 27 children and 2 pregnant women. The casualties included: 6, including 2 children, and 25 wounded, including 7 children, in artillery fire at Um al-Nasar village near Bayt Lahiya; 10, including 4 children and 1 pregnant woman, and 52 wounded, in air strikes on apartment buildings in Bayt Lahiya; 2 in air strikes on al-Bureij refugee camp; 1 in al-Turkman in an airstrike; 1 child, and 8 others injured, in an air strike on an apartment building in Bayt Hanun; 2 in an air strike near a hospital in Bayt Hanun; 2 in air strikes on Tal al-Hawa; 4, including 2 children, and 5 wounded, in air strikes on a residential building in al-Bureij refugee camp; 6, including 2 children and 1 pregnant woman, and 22 wounded, including 10 children, in air strikes on 2 houses in Rafah; the bodies of 14 Palestinians were found at a military site; Hamas claimed that the 14 had died of toxic gases from Israeli weapons. Additionally, the headquarters of the interior ministry’s security division was destroyed near Bayt Lahiya and Khan Yunis, as well as 1 ministry of transportation building in Bayt Lahiya. In Israel, 1 Jewish-Israeli man was injured in a stabbing in Lydda. 1 Muslim cemetery and 1 synagogue were vandalized in Lydda. Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian-Israeli man with a rubber-coated bullet as he was filming the soldiers from the inside of his house in Jaffa. Israeli right-wingers attacked Palestinian-Israelis and Israeli journalists in the Hatikva neighborhood of Tel Aviv. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in ‘Akka and Israeli right-wingers attacked 1 Palestinian-owned grocery store. 3 rockets were fired at Israel from Lebanon; all 3 landed in the sea. Dozens of rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza, most of them intercepted. 1 Israeli woman died after falling while running to a shelter near Ashdod, raising the Israeli death toll to 8. Israel said it had sent 9,000 troops to the vicinity of Gaza (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, HA, PCHR, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/13; AP, HA, PCHR, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA 5/14; GDN 5/15; TOI 5/16; PCHR 5/20; MEE 5/21; NYT 5/26)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with French president Emmanuel Macron about the escalation of violence in Gaza and eviction of Palestinians in Shaykh Jarrah. (WAFA 5/13)

Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz ordered 10 reserve border police companies to cities in Israel where violence has been rising. Several Israeli media outlets also reported that Israeli military officials were preparing to approve plans for a ground invasion of Gaza. Defense Minister Gantz also spoke with senior executives of social media companies Facebook and TikTok to convince them to prevent content critical of Israel on their platforms. (HA, JP, TOI 5/13; AS 5/14)

U.S. president Joe Biden said that he did not believe that the Israeli bombardment of Gaza is a “significant overreaction.” The Biden administration also rejected a publicly held UN security council (UNSC) meeting on 5/14 discussing the situation in Israel and Palestine. The U.S. has prevented any statements from the UN security council on the matter from 2 other UNSC meetings held in the past week. The Biden administration also notified Congress that it will be sending $10 million to Palestinian groups in the West Bank and Gaza to support exchange and reconciliation projects with Israelis. (HA, HA, REU 5/13; AP 5/14)

As pro-Palestine demonstrations were happening in many countries all over the world, the French interior ministry asked the French police to ban a pro-Palestine protest in Paris. (AJ 5/13)

In the West Bank, Israel delivered demolition notices for 1 residential tent and 1 animal barn in Atuf. Israeli forces razed Palestinian-owned agricultural lands southeast of Tulkarm. Israeli forces also shot and injured 1 Palestinian man trying to enter Israel for work near Tulkarm. 2 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities banned PA governor of Jerusalem Adnan Ghaith from entering the West Bank for 6 months. Governor Ghaith was summoned by Israeli forces earlier in the day. 1 Palestinian was arrested during a raid in Issawiyya. In Gaza, Israeli forces fired missiles at Gaza after incendiary balloons from Gaza sparked fires in southern Israel. Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz ordered the entire Gaza fishing zone closed as collective punishment for incendiary balloons and rockets sent toward Israel. 1 Palestinian man was also seriously injured after coming in contact with an Israeli unexploded ordnance near al-Zaytun. Palestinian officials said that Gaza’s only power plant would stop producing power from 8/18 due to Israel’s embargo on fuel going to Gaza. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen 1.5 nautical miles off Gaza City and Khan Yunis; no injuries were reported. (AJ, HA, HA, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 8/16; PCHR 8/19)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with French president Emmanuel Macron. President Macron said that the 2 spoke about resumption of peace negotiations. (HA, WAFA 8/16)

Israel and the UAE began direct talks to arrange the details of establishing full diplomatic relations. The 2 countries and the U.S. announced on 8/13 that the UAE would normalize ties with Israel. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview that the U.S. had asked him to suspend annexation of parts of the West Bank in exchange for normalization with the UAE. He further stated that he had no choice in the matter and that annexation was still part of the U.S administration’s peace plan. In an interview with Haaretz, UAE director of strategic communications of the ministry of foreign affairs Hend Al Otaiba said that the UAE and Israel are working toward exchanging ambassadors. When asked about if the embassy would be located in Jerusalem, Al Otaiba answered, “We’re bound by international resolutions as well as an Arab position that wants an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.” The PA ambassador to the UAE arrived in Ramallah after being withdrawn because of the UAE-Israel deal. (HA, HA 8/16; HA, HA, 8/17)

In the West Bank, 2 apartments in Hebron belonging to the family of a Palestinian convicted for the murder of an Israeli in February were demolished by Israeli forces. In Salfit, Israeli forces raided and took measurements for demolition of a home belonging to the family of a Palestinian alleged to have attacked Israeli settlers in the settlement of Ariel on 3/17. The alleged perpetrator was killed by Israeli forces on 3/20. Israeli forces also violently dispersed the weekly anti-settlement protests in Kafr Qaddum using live ammunition, rubber-coated bullets, and tear gas, injuring 6. One French activist was arrested during the protest. In East Jerusalem, a soccer tournament in Bayt Safafa was shut down by Israeli police, claiming that it was organized by the PA. In Gaza, Israeli forces attacked 2 Hamas posts east of al-Bureij refugee camp after shots allegedly were fired at Israeli soldiers near the Gaza fence, causing damage, but no injuries were reported. Israeli forces also fired live ammunition, tear gas, and rubber-coated bullets at protesters partaking in the weekly Great March of Return protests, injuring at least 46 Palestinians. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen; no injuries were reported. According to Israeli sources, an incendiary balloon was found on a beach near Ashqelon in Israel. Israeli authorities announced that it would institute a week-long closure between 4/19 and 4/27 of entry points to Israel from Gaza and the West Bank for the celebration of Passover. (HA, HA, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/19; HA, MNA, WAFA 4/20)

In an interview with the Atlantic, the outgoing French ambassador to the U.S. Gérard Araud, in discussing the Trump administration’s “peace plan,” called Israel an apartheid state. He said, “They [Israel] have the West Bank, but at the same time they don’t have to make the painful decision about the Palestinians, really making them really, totally stateless or making them citizens of Israel. They won’t make them citizens of Israel. So they will have to make it official, which is we know the situation, which is an apartheid. There will be officially an apartheid state. . . . They are in fact already.” Araud also recounted a conversation between French president Emmanuel Macron and U.S. president Donald Trump, in which Trump said “I have given everything to the Israelis; the Israelis will have to give me something.” (AM 4/19; HA 4/24)

The U.S. envoy to the Middle East Jason Greenblatt rebuffed in a tweet speculations that part of the Trump administration’s “peace plan” includes transferring parts of Egypt’s Sinai to the Gaza Strip. (HA 4/19)