The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raze Palestinian-owned land in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces fatally shoot a Palestinian man during a raid in Jaba’. Israeli forces seize several Palestinian-owned vehicles in Hebron and Dahariya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israel forces bomb Rafah, Khan Yunis, Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Maghazi, killing at least 112 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb an ambulance, killing 2 medics in Hanine. Hezbollah attacks Kiryat Shmona and Birket Riche. In Yemen, the U.S. and the UK launch airstrikes in several places, killing 6 Yemenis and damaging 4 airports and a Houthi military base. Off the coast of Oman, hijackers, reportedly from Iran, seize a commercial vessel carrying oil changing its course toward Iran. (AJ, AP, AX, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/11; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, WAFA 1/12; HA, HA 1/14)

More than 23,469 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 16,350 women and children, and around 59,604 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 336 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 84 children. More than 4,148 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, 184 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,085 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 69,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 145 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. The World Food Programme says it has delivered food aid to Gaza City for the first time in several weeks. (AJ, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 1/11)

Israel issues evacuation orders for al-Mawasi, telling Palestinians to flee to Dayr al-Balah. (UNOCHA 1/11)

Oxfam releases a report saying Israel’s war on Gaza is the deadliest in recent years with an average of 250 Palestinians killed per day. Oxfam compares the daily casualty numbers to 96 in Syria, 52 in Sudan, 51 in Iraq, and 44 in Ukraine. (AJ, AJ 1/11)

PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh meets with Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani in Doha, discussing the situation in Palestine. (AJ 1/11)

Hamas and Islamic Jihad condemn the U.S. and UK attacks on Yemen. Russia calls an emergency meeting at the UN Security Council in response to the attack. Saudi Arabia calls for restraint. Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and South Korea sign a joint statement with the U.S. and the UK in support of the attacks. France and Italy reportedly refuse to sign the statement. U.S. president Joe Biden cites the impact of the attacks in the Red Sea on global oil prices when asked about the attacks on Yemen. Biden also calls the Houthis “terrorists.” (AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU 1/12)

South Africa presents its case for an injunction against Israel’s war in Gaza at the ICJ, saying Israel is committing genocide. U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel says, “the allegations that Israel is committing genocide are unfounded.” U.S. congresspeople Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Cori Bush (D-MO) issue a statement in support of the case. Iraq also issues a statement in support of South Africa’s case. Amnesty International calls the case “a vital step for the protection of Palestinian lives.” Several Israeli ministers accuse South Africa of hypocrisy for not bringing similar cases against other countries and the Israeli Foreign Ministry calls South Africa the “legal arm” of Hamas. The PA thanks South Africa for trying to hold Israel accountable and calls on other countries to support South Africa’s case. (HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, WAFA 1/10; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/11; AJ, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU 1/12)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken tells reporters after a meeting with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Egypt that Israel’s integration into the Middle East and a path to Palestinian statehood would isolate Iran. Blinken also says the PA has agreed to “pursue meaningful reform.” Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Adviser for Energy and Investment Amos Hochstein tells reporters, after meeting Lebanese caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati and other senior officials, that both Israel and Lebanon prefer a diplomatic solution to end the escalation between the 2 countries. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says the U.S. is not “satisfied with the level [of aid entering Gaza] right now.” (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT 1/11)

A poll conducted by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies shows that among 8,000 people in 16 Arab countries 91% of respondents express solidarity with Palestinians and 92% say their plight should be a concern for all Arabs. 94% express a negative view of U.S. policy toward Israel’s war on Gaza. (AJ 1/11)

The Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University reportedly cancels an exhibition of Samia Halaby’s work because of her posts on social media in support of Palestinians in Gaza. (NYT 1/11)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers stole 6 sheep during a raid in Qusra. Israeli forces shot and injured 6 Palestinians during raids in Askar refugee camp, Surif, Dahariya, and Asira ash-Sharmaliya. 28 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Tubas, Dahariya, Hebron, Bethlehem, Nablus, and Qalandia. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed az-Zawayda, Rafah, Khan Yunis, Jabalia refugee camp, and central Gaza, killing more than 297 Palestinians. Israeli forces also opened fire at a Gaza Ministry of Health warehouse, injuring 3 people. 3 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes destroyed 5 homes and damaged others in Aitaroun and attacked areas near Yaroun, Rmeish, and Aita al-Shaab. Hezbollah said it had wounded several Israeli soldiers in attacks on Israel. In Syria, Israeli forces attacked areas around Damascus, causing damage. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/10; AP, HA, NYT, NYT, UNOCHA 12/11)

More than 18,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 7,729 children and 5,153 women, and around 49,300 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 267 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 69 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. 101 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. Around 100 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza. 25 injured Palestinians and 468 dual nationals were evacuated to Egypt. (AJ, HA, HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 12/10)

The Israeli military said 1,593 Israeli soldiers have been wounded since 10/7, including 255 who were in serious condition and 446 who were moderately injured. Of these, 559 were said to have been injured in Gaza. 425 soldiers have been killed since 10/7, including 97 since the ground invasion began. Haaretz said a comparison of numbers between hospital reports and the military reporting showed a significant gap, indicating that the military was underreporting the number of injuries. (HA 12/10)

The Palestinian Prisoners Society said Israel has abducted 142 Palestinian women and children and taken them to prisons in Israel. (AJ, WAFA 12/10)

The Israeli socioeconomic cabinet voted unanimously against lifting the ban on entry for Palestinian workers from the West Bank into Israel. The security cabinet later postponed voting on the recommendation after it became clear that most ministers would vote against allowing Palestinian workers to enter Israel again. Israel is having a labor shortage after expelling all Palestinian workers from Gaza and the West Bank and is expecting thousands of workers from India and Nepal to arrive within 2 weeks. (HA 12/10; HA, HA 12/11)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh told the Doha Forum that the PA’s “main concern is not the day after. It is today. We want the stop of atrocities and genocide that is happening today,” and called for sanctions on Israel. Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi said Israel is trying to “empty Gaza of Palestinians” calling its campaign “genocide.” UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said the UN Security Council was paralyzed due to geopolitical divisions and said he would not give up on a ceasefire. Shtayyeh also met with Algerian foreign minister Ahmed Attaf and Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on the sidelines of the Doha Forum. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/10)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Russian president Vladimir Putin. In an Israeli readout of the conversation, Netanyahu was said to have expressed displeasure with the Russian stance against Israel at the UN. The Russian readout said the main focus of the conversation was the “catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.” Later during a cabinet meeting, Netanyahu thanked the U.S. for providing “important ammunition” for Israel to continue attacking Gaza and for the U.S. veto at the UN Security Council on 12/8. A spokesperson for Netanyahu said that Israel is not seeking to force the Palestinian population to flee Gaza. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU 12/10; HA 12/11)

Egypt and Mauritania invoked UN Resolution 377, prompting UN General Assembly president Dennis Francis to convene a special session of the General Assembly on 12/13. Resolution 377, adopted in 1950, allows the General Assembly to act if the UN Security Council fails to “exercise its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.” (AJ 12/10; AP, REU 12/11)

The WHO executive board approved a resolution calling for the “immediate, sustained, and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief, including the access of medical personnel” to Gaza. (WAFA, WAFA 12/10; AJ 12/11)

UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini said dehumanization of Palestinians allowed the international community to accept the continued Israeli attacks in Gaza. (REU 12/10) 

The New York Times reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu had encouraged Qatari payments to Gaza to keep Hamas as a strong counterweight to the PA as this would lessen pressure on Israel to negotiate a 2-state solution. (NYT 12/10)

The Israeli Finance Ministry said the Israeli budget deficit rose by $4.5 billion in November, citing expenses due to Israel’s war on Gaza. (REU 12/10)

Moroccan protesters in Rabat called on the Moroccan government to cut ties with Israel. (REU 11/10)

Reuters reported that Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bodanov had spoken to officials from Hamas and other Palestinian factions, saying they should release the remaining captives. (REU 12/11)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers a with military escort shot and injured a Palestinian during a raid in Sarra. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinians traveling near Tuqu’, causing damage. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers vandalized 200 olive, grape, and almond trees, water pumps, irrigation pipes, and a water tank in Ein al-Beida. Israeli settlers also assaulted Palestinians during a raid in Susiya. Israeli forces shot and killed 4 Palestinians during raids in Jenin and Qalqilya; during the raid in Jenin, Israeli forces vandalized the memorial of Shireen Abu Akleh and used bulldozers to destroy infrastructure. Israeli forces also shot and injured 19 Palestinians, including at least 1 child, during raids in Jenin, Hebron, Deir Abu Masha’al, Qalqilya, Bethlehem, al-Bireh, and Nablus. Elsewhere, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian Red Crescent medics in Tubas. 45 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in as-Samu, Dahariya, Dura, Beit Umar, Ni’lin, Kafr Ni’ma, Hizma, Jericho, Aida refugee camp, Dheisheh refugee camp, and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces blocked entrance to the Haram al-Sharif compound and assaulted worshippers. In Gaza, Israeli attacks killed 298 Palestinians, including 125 children. Israeli forces made incursions and fired tank shells at Palestinian infrastructure near Gaza City. At night, all telecommunications were cut off in Gaza; several humanitarian organizations and media outlets said they were unable to reach their people on the ground. The communications blackout started prior to Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza. Hamas said its military wing had repelled Israeli attacks on Beit Hanun and al-Bureij and from a beach in Rafah. Israel said it assassinated Hamas member Madhat Mubashe. Rockets were fired at Israel; no injuries were reported. In Egypt, explosives hit a medical facility in Taba and an electric plant near Nuweiba, lightly injuring 6 people; it was later reported that the explosives came from the south of the Red Sea. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/27; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, REU 10/28)

The Gaza Ministry of Health said at least 7,326 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 4,000 women and children, and 18,967 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. It is estimated that 1,700 people, including 940 children, were trapped in rubble. In addition, Israeli media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. 108 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 30 children. More than 1,967 have been injured. 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. As of 10/23, at least 27,781 housing units had been destroyed and 150,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. At least 45% of all housing units have been either destroyed or damaged in Israeli airstrikes. UNRWA said 14 of its staff members have been killed in the last 24 hours, raising the total number of UNRWA staff killed in Israeli attacks to 53. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said the monitoring regime for the aid trucks that pass into Gaza via the Rafah crossing was too slow. At least 10 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 10/27)

Israel indicted 5 Israeli citizens on charges of inciting terrorism or identifying with Hamas. A total of 24 have been indicated on similar charges since 10/7. (HA 10/27)

The Israeli military released a video illustration claiming al-Shifa Hospital has a vast network of underground facilities. The head of the Government Media Office in Gaza, Salama Marouf, called the illustration “false fabricated allegations.” (AJ, AJ, REU 10/27)

Reuters reported that Israel had told the news agency and Agence France-Presse that as Israel ramps up its attacks on Gaza, it cannot guarantee the safety of the 2 agencies’ journalists. 29 journalists have been killed since 10/7, including 25 Palestinians and 1 Lebanese. (AJ, REU 10/27)

UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini defended the data from the Gaza Ministry of Health, saying it has been reliable in the past “5, 6 cycles of conflict in the Gaza Strip.” U.S. president Joe Biden said on 10/25 that he did not have confidence in the data. (AJ, AJ, REU, WAFA 10/27)

Israeli soldiers were filmed singing “Ahmad Tibi is dead,” referring to the Palestinian member of Knesset for the Ta’al party. (HA 10/27)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen, discussing the situation in Gaza. (WAFA 10/27)

The UN General Assembly voted to adopt a non-binding resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian truce between Israel and Hamas and demanding humanitarian aid access in Gaza. 120 countries voted in favor, 45 abstained, and 14 voted against. Tunisia and Iraq explained their abstentions, saying the resolution did not support Palestine strongly enough. Israel’s UN ambassador said the passage of the resolution was “a dark day for the UN and for mankind.” An amendment introduced by Canada and co-sponsored by the U.S., condemning Hamas for “the taking of hostages,” failed as it did not get the 2/3s majority support needed to pass.  (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/27; AJ, AP, WAFA 10/28)

The Council of the European Union accepted a Spanish proposal for the country to host a peace conference on Middle East peace within 6 months. (AJ, AP 10/27)

French president Emmanuel Macron said France and several other European countries will make a “humanitarian coalition” for Gaza. (AJ 10/27)

The Washington Post reported that the Biden administration was pushing Israel not to undertake a full ground invasion of Gaza. ABC News reported that the U.S. State Department was not aware that Israel would “expand its ground invasion.” U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. supports humanitarian pauses if captives held by Hamas were released. A U.S. official told Reuters that Qatar is open to reconsidering allowing Hamas to have a presence in the country. (AJ, HA, REU, REU 10/27; AJ 10/28)

New York City police arrested more than 200 people at a mass sit-in at Grand Central Station arranged by Jewish Voice for Peace, which temporarily closed the station. The protesters called for an immediate ceasefire. (HA, WAFA 10/27; AJ, AJ, AP, AP, NYT 10/28)

The U.S. told its citizens in Lebanon that they should leave the country due to the “unpredictable security situation.”  (AJ 10/27; AJ, HA 10/28)

In the West Bank, 2 Israeli soldiers were injured after being hit by a vehicle in Huwwara; 1 Palestinian man was arrested in relation to the incident. Israeli settlers raided Kafr Thulth, throwing stones at Palestinians and Palestinian property and setting 1 vehicle on fire; 1 Palestinian was also injured by a baton round fired by Israeli forces who intervened to aid the settlers. Israeli settlers also raided Ein Samiya, uprooting trees and throwing stones at Palestinian vehicles. Israeli forces issued notifications that Israel will seize 42 dunams (10.3 acres) of land in Sarta and Bruqin to expand a settler road. Israeli forces also seized 1 tractor in Beit Furik. 24 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in al-Mughayyir, Aqabat Jaber refugee camp, Tuqu, Hebron, Beit Umar, Dahariya, and Deir al-Ghusun. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/5; PCHR 6/8; UNOCHA 6/18)

A 2-year-old boy who was critically injured by Israeli forces on 6/1 succumbed to his wounds. The PA condemned the killing, saying that 28 Palestinians children had been killed by Israeli forces since the beginning of 2023. The PA also called the Israeli investigation into the incident whitewashing. (ABC, AP, BBC, CNN, GDN, HA, MEE, REU, WAFA, WAFA 6/5; HA, PCHR, WAFA, WAFA 6/6; HA, WAFA 6/7; HA 6/8)

Israel handed over the body of 1 Palestinian man killed by Israeli forces on 4/24 to his family in East Jerusalem and ordered the family to limit the number of participants at the funeral to 25. (WAFA 6/5)

Hamas political bureau head Ismail Haniyeh and other high-ranking officials met with Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel in Cairo, discussing reconciliation. PA prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh met with Kamel last week. Islamic Jihad secretary-general Ziyad al-Nakhalah also met with Kamel in Cairo. It was reported that the Hamas and Islamic Jihad leadership were invited to Egypt to discuss Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s plan to develop Gaza, including increasing Egyptian electricity supply, rebuilding infrastructure, building a port, and developing a gas field. (QDS, QDS, QDS 6/5; MEMO, QDS 6/6; HA 6/8)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with representatives from Palestinian parties in the Knesset and local council to discuss the rising murder rates in those communities. Netanyahu said he agreed to form a ministerial committee, that he would chair, to address the issue. 89 Palestinians have been killed in Israel in mostly gun-related violence in 2023. (HA, HA 6/5; HA 6/6)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken spoke at the annual AIPAC conference in Washington D.C., saying that the Biden administration is committed to normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, but that such a deal is “not a substitute for progress between Israelis and Palestinians.” Blinken will travel to Saudi Arabia in the coming days to promote a normalization deal. (AJ, AX, DoS, HA, NYT 6/5; ALM, CNN, MDW, REU 6/6)

U.S. senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said in a statement that the U.S. Security Coordinator for Israel and the PA’s report on the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh contains important insights and that it should be released to the public. Van Hollen was able to review the report after weeks of delays by the State Department in providing the report. (AJ, HILL, REU 6/5; MEE 6/6)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with military escort raided Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus, leading to a confrontation with Palestinians protesting the incursion; no injuries were reported. Israeli settlers also attacked Palestinian farmers with pepper spray east of Hebron. Israeli forces delivered stop-work orders for 1 mosque, 3 houses, and 1 commercial structure in Marda. Israeli forces also forced Palestinian business owners to close their shops in Huwwara, claiming that stones had been thrown at Israeli settlers near the shops. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished 4 water wells in Khallet al-Dabe. Israeli forces also demolished 1 commercial structure in ‘Anata. Israeli military said that shots were fired from a car at Israeli soldiers near Nablus; no injuries were reported. 13 Palestinians were arrested, including 10 during late-night raids in Dahariya, Za‘atra, Silwad, and Zeita; 3 were arrested at checkpoints near Bethlehem and Nablus. (TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/2; MEMO, MEMO, PCHR 2/3)

Haaretz reported that Israeli attorney general Avichai Mendelblit authorized establishing an Israeli settlement on the evacuated Evyatar settlement outpost near Beita. Attorney General Mendelblit is leaving office this week. Palestinians have held weekly protests at the site since the outpost was erected in May 2021. The outpost was evacuated in June 2021, but the houses erected remained as the settlers struck a deal with the Israeli government that they could move back if Israel deemed that the land is state-owned. Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz will have to declare the area state-owned, after which there will be a 45-day period to file objections. Several Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the past year while protesting the outpost. In a letter from Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid to Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett, Lapid warned that if the Israeli government legalized the Evyatar settlement outpost, it “could have serious diplomatic consequences and damage foreign relations, first and foremost from the United States,” saying that the U.S. has already made this clear to him. Labor and Meretz publicly opposed legalizing the settlement outpost. (AP, HA, IN 2/2; HA, JP, MEE, TOI, TOI, TOI 2/3; HA, HA, HA 2/4; UNOCHA 2/11)

The Shin Bet admitted to having threatened random Palestinians in Israel that it would “settle the score” if they had participated in protests related to the May 2021 uprising in Israel that coincided with Israeli attacks on Gaza and eviction threats against Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah. (HA, MEE 2/3)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with Amnesty International’s secretary-general Agnès Callamard in Ramallah, discussing the report Amnesty released on 2/1 that charged Israel with the crime of apartheid. (WAFA 2/2)

Defense Minister Benny Gantz said, at a conference in Tel Aviv, that the Israeli military on 4 occasions had offered assistance to Lebanon. According to Gantz, the offers were made to strengthen the Lebanese army in facing “the strengthening of Hezbollah under Iran’s support.” Israeli military sources later denied that Israel had made such offers and that Israel had only offered humanitarian aid following the explosion in the Beirut port. (HA 2/2; MEMO 2/3)

Israel, Oman, and Saudi Arabia all took part in the International Maritime Exercise 2022, led by the U.S. and with the participation of nearly 60 countries. It was the 1st time that Saudi Arabia and Oman partook in a naval exercise with Israel, which they have no formal relations with. (AJ, ALM 2/2)

The FBI confirmed reporting from the New York Times published on 1/28 that the agency had bought the NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware, but claimed to never have used it. The FBI further stated that it had bought the spyware for “product testing and evaluation.” (ALM, AP, HA, REU 2/2; MEMO 2/3)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian houses and vehicles in Kafr Qaddum, causing damage. Israeli forces raided the homes of 4 of the Palestinians accused of participating in the killing of an Israeli settler on 12/16 and took measurements for punitive demolitions in Silat al-Harithiya; the forces also violently dispersed Palestinians protesting the raids, injuring 1 with live ammunition. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinians protesting an Israeli incursion near Ramallah, inuring 1 with live ammunition and 1 minor with a rubber-coated bullet. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raided al-Lubban Ash-Sharqiya, assaulting the mayor of the village and several students. 13 Palestinians were arrested during house raids in Birzeit, Dura, al-Bireh, Kafl Haris, Abu Dis, Qatanna, Beit Umar, and Dahariya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities handed eviction orders to 2 families living on a plot of land in Sheikh Jarrah that Israel wants to construct a school on. The families were given until 1/25/2022 to leave their property, displacing 12 people. In Gaza, Israeli forces made incursions and leveled land east of al-Fukhari. Israeli forces also opened fire at Palestinian bird hunters east of Khuza‘a; no injuries were reported. In Israel, Israeli forces demolished the Bedouin village al-‘Araqeeb for the 196th time since 2000. (TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/20; MEMO 12/21; PCHR 12/23)

In East Jerusalem, EU representative to Palestine Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff led an EU delegation, meeting Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah threatened by Israeli forced evictions. (MEMO 12/21)

1 Palestinian prisoner in the Israeli Nafha prison allegedly stabbed 1 Israeli prison guard, lightly wounding the guard. There were subsequent reports of collective punishment of Palestinian prisoners in the same ward, including beatings and outdoor confinement in cold weather. (HA 12/20; WAFA 12/21)

Representatives for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel on administrative detention said the prisoners have decided to boycott sessions in Israeli military courts and in the supreme court from 1/1/2022 because of Israel’s arbitrary use of administrative detention on Palestinians. (HA 12/20)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said during the weekly cabinet meeting that the PA has sent a letter to the UN urging it to intervene against Israeli settler violence. (WAFA 12/20)

Palestinian member of the Knesset for United Arab List and chairperson of Knesset’s interior committee Walid Taha said he had canceled all official meetings for the week in protest over Israel’s interior minister Ayelet Shaked’s opposition to a bill that would provide electricity to Palestinian homes built in Israel without a permit. (HA 12/20)

Israel’s ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan wrote a letter to UN secretary-general António Guterres demanding that he acts to prevent UN funding from going to Palestinian rights organizations deemed terrorist organizations by Israel. The UN OCHA agency had mentioned its partnership with Health Work Committees in its plan for 2022, a Palestinian organization deemed illegal by Israel. (HA 12/20)

Israeli NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware was found on a Tunisian national’s phone. The man is part of a UN-mandated investigation into crimes committed in relation to the Saudi-led war in Yemen. (HA 12/20)