The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers spray racist graffiti on walls and set vehicles on fire in Turmus ‘Ayya. Israeli forces shoot and kill 2 Palestinians and injure 3 others during a raid in Tulkarm refugee camp, an Israeli soldier is injured during the raid. Israeli forces also shoot and kill a member of the PA security forces near Beit Furik. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces seal off the family home in Shu’fat of a Palestinian who was shot dead on 2/16 after allegedly killing 2 Israelis. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Khan Yunis, Dayr al-Balah, Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Beit Lahiya, killing at least 126 people. Israeli forces also fire tank shells at al-Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis. Israeli attacks render the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis inoperative as an eighth patient dies due to the lack of power at the hospital. 1 Israeli soldier is killed in combat. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fires an anti-tank missile at a building in Kibbutz Yir’on, causing damage. In the Red Sea, Houthi forces fire a missile at a UK-owned ship, causing damage. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/18; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/19; AP 2/20)

More than 28,985 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children and 7,200 women, and around 68,883 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 393 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. 38 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (WAFA 2/18; UNOCHA, UNOCHA 2/19)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh addresses the Munich Security Conference, saying the PA and Egypt will not allow Israel to push Palestinians into the Sinai. Shtayyeh also says the PA is prepared to cooperate with Hamas to achieve national unity. EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borrell highlights the plight of Palestinians in the West Bank during a speech at the conference. (AJ, HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/18)

The Israeli High Court of Justice dismisses a request for Israel to disclose the whereabouts of 62 Palestinians from Gaza who have been taken to Israel by Israeli forces and for them to be allowed to meet a lawyer. (HA 2/18)

The Israeli cabinet unanimously approves a declaratory decision to reject any unilateral recognition of the state of Palestine. Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz says Israel will limit the number of people entering the Haram al-Sharif compound during Ramadan. Channel 13 reports that the proposal was made by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The PA calls the decision “racist incitement against Palestinians.” The Supreme Fatwa Council of Palestine warns Israel of a “religious war” if Muslims are denied access to the compound during Ramadan. The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee says Ben-Gvir is organizing his own war against Palestinian citizens of Israel. (AJ, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU 2/18; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA 2/19; HA, HA, REU 2/20)

Norway says an agreement has been reached on the transfer of PA tax funds from Israel to the PA via Norway. Norway will withhold the part of the tax revenue Israel considers is for Gaza. Prime Minister Shtayyeh says after a meeting with Norwegian foreign minister Espen Barth Eide that the funds will not be transferred to the PA. (WAFA 2/18; AP, REU 2/19; WAFA 2/20)

Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva addresses the African Union Summit, calling Israel’s war on Gaza “genocide” and compares the attacks to the Holocaust, saying it has happened before “when [Adolf] Hitler decided to kill the Jews.” Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz summons the Brazilian ambassador. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/18)

UK Labour party leader Kier Starmer calls for a lasting ceasefire. (AJ, HA, REU 2/18; AJ 2/19)

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Biden administration is looking at ways to give direct financial support to the PA to prevent it from running out of funds. (HA, WSJ 2/18)

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 open fire at Palestinian homes, uproot 10 olive trees, and bring their livestock to graze on farmland in Badia Umm Qissa in the Massafer Yatta area. Israeli settlers also place mobile homes on Palestinian-owned land in Wadi Rahal. Israeli forces raid 2 printing houses in Ramallah and Beitunia, destroying equipment. Israeli forces also issue a notice that Israel will seize 18 dunams (4.5 acres) of land in Deir Dibwan. Elsewhere, Israeli forces erect a metal gate at the entrance to Burin, obstructing movement to the village. Israeli forces arrest 20 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Tulkarm, Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian-owned parking lot located next to the Yusufiya Cemetery at the walls of the Old City. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, and Gaza City, killing at least 87 people. Israeli forces also storm the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis after besieging it for 25 days. 1 Israeli soldier is killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Naqoura, Labbouneh, Tayr Harfa, and Yarin. Hezbollah fires rockets at Birkhat Risha, Kiryat Shmona, and the Zarit military base. In the Red Sea, the Houthi movement says its forces attacked a UK bulk carrier. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/15; AJ, HA, HA 2/16)

More than 28,663 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 11,500 children and 7,200 women, and around 68,396 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 4,499 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, 230 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. 20 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza (UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/15; UNOCHA 2/16)

Hamas denies Israeli claims that it has a presence at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, saying on several occasions it has asked international organizations to inspect hospitals to debunk the Israeli claims that it uses them. Hamas calls the storming of the hospital “a continuation of the war of extermination.” (AJ 2/15; AJ 2/16)

The Committee to Project Journalists releases its annual report, saying 72 out of 99 journalists killed in 2023 were Palestinians reporting on Israel’s war on Gaza. (AJ 2/15)

The UN Conference on Trade and Development says the postwar reconstruction of Gaza will cost around $20 billion. (HA, REU 2/15)

The Washington Post reports that Egypt is building a wall along the Gaza-Egypt border in preparation for a scenario where Palestinians are forced to flee to Egypt due to an Israeli invasion of Rafah. (AJ, HA, WP 2/15; HA, HA, NYT, REU 2/16)

Peace Now releases its annual report, saying a record 26 new settlement outposts were erected in 2023 and a record 12,349 settlement housing units were advanced. (PCN 2/15)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas tells al-Sharq al-Awsat that U.S. officials have only offered him empty assurances regarding the 2-state solution that they never followed through with and that Hamas could join the PLO if they commit to its political platform and approve agreements signed with international bodies. (HA 2/15)

The Arab League meets to discuss the situation in Gaza. Arab League secretary-general Ahmed Aboul Gheit calls “on all parties that understand the gravity of the situation to act immediately in order to stop these crazy [Israeli] plans” to invade Rafah. (AJ, WAFA 2/15)

U.S. investigators from the embassy in Jerusalem visit the family and the scene of the killing of Palestinian American Mohammad Khdour, who was killed on 2/10. U.S. investigators have also visited the family of Palestinian American child Tawfic Abdel Jabber, who was killed last month. (AP 2/15)

President Joe Biden speaks with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, telling him that Israel should not proceed with plans to invade Rafah “without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the civilians.” In a tweet on X, Netanyahu says Israel “continue[s] to oppose the unilateral recognition of a Palestinians state.” U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby tells reporters “I wish I could tell you that flour was moving [into Gaza] but I cannot do that right now.” During a phone call, UK prime minister Rishi Sunak urges Netanyahu to fully open the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing to allow more aid to enter. (AJ, AX, HA, REU, REU 2/15; AJ, HA, HA, REU 2/16)

The prime ministers of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand issue a joint statement calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” and voicing concern over Israel’s planned ground invasion of Rafah. (HA 2/14; AJ, AJ, REU, WAFA, WAFA 2/15)

Ireland says it will donate $21.5 million to UNRWA. (AJ, REU 2/15)

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 assault a Palestinian shepherd in Burqa. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian child during a raid in Beita. Israeli forces also shoot and injure 6 Palestinians with live ammunition during a raid in Beit Furik. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrest 11 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Sinjil, and Tulkarm; 3 vehicles and NIS 2,800 are seized during the raid in Sinjil. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City, Jabalia refugee camp, and Khan Yunis, killing at least 107 people. Israeli forces also shoot 21 people outside of the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. Meanwhile, Israeli forces raid al-Amal Hospital, arresting several medical workers and patients. Israeli tanks also fire at al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City, causing damage. In Lebanon, Hezbollah attacks 5 Israeli military sites in Shebaa Farms, al-Malikiyah, and Blida. Israeli forces bomb Maroun al-Ras, Dhayra, al-Jibin, and Yarin. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/9) HA 11:04)

More than 27,947 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 11,500 children and 7,200 women, and around 67,459 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 384 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 97 children. More than 4,432 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, 225 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,314 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. Israelis block aid trucks from entering Egypt via the Nitzana crossing. 7 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry says Israeli forces have killed 340 health personnel, arrested 99, and destroyed 123 ambulances since 10/7/2023. UNRWA says a contractor facilitating aid shipments at the Ashdod port will no longer work with the agency, citing instructions from the Israeli government. (AJ, AP, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/9; AJ, HA 2/11; UNOCHA 2/12)

Israel confirms its military killed a captive held in Gaza in an airstrike in January. (AJ, HA 2/9)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders the Israeli military to prepare to move ground forces to Rafah and to evacuate the city. PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour tells the Arab Group of ambassadors at the UN that the PA will not allow Palestinians to be forcefully displaced to Egypt, saying it is working with the UN Security Council to prevent the ground invasion. President Mahmoud Abbas says the U.S. and Israel bear full responsibility for the consequences of moving the ground troops to Rafah. UN General Assembly president Dennis Francis expresses shock and deep dismay over the Israeli plans. EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borell calls the plans “alarming.” Human Rights Watch says the evacuation of Palestinians in Rafah would have “catastrophic consequences.” Amnesty International says “Palestinians in Gaza are at grave risk of genocide.” Dutch foreign minister Hanke Bruins Slot says an Israeli ground force attack on Rafah would be “unjustifiable.” UK foreign secretary David Cameron, Canadian foreign minister Melenie Joly, and German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock express deep concern over the Israeli plans. Saudi Arabia and Qatar call on the UN Security Council to convene over the announcement.  (AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/9; AJ, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA 2/10; AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/11; REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/12; WAFA 2/13)

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, the UAE, and Jordan and PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh meet in Riyadh to discuss the situation in Gaza. (AJ, HA, REU 2/9)

UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini says he did not give due process to the 9 staffers he fired after Israeli allegations that they aided in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood because he determined that UNRWA’s reputation was at stake. (AJ 2/11)

U.S. president Joe Biden meets with German chancellor Olaf Scholz at the White House, discussing the situation in Gaza. (HA 2/9; HA 2/10)

EU diplomats say Hungary and Czechia are stalling EU efforts to impose sanctions on Israeli settlers. (HA, REU 2/9)

Kan reports that Israeli forces have stolen more than 350 bodies from Gaza, allegedly to determine if they are captives. (AJ 2/9)

The credit rating agency Moody’s downgrades Israel’s credit rating from A1 to A2, citing Israel’s war on Gaza. (AJ, HA, NYT, REU 2/9; HA 2/11)

In the West Bank, Palestinians protest outside the UNRWA headquarters in Ramallah against the countries that have suspended funding to the agency. Israeli settlers assault Palestinians in Khillet al-Farra in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces raid Nur Shams refugee camp, killing 3 Palestinians and injuring 1, uprooting streets, and destroying property. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian during a raid in Wadi al-Fara’a. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolish a home under construction in Bayt Jala. Israeli forces also arrest 25 Palestinians during raids in Jenin, Hebron, Qalqilya, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Tulkarm. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Khan Yunis, and Gaza City, killing at least 123 people, including 13 people collecting water from a truck distributing aid in Gaza City. Israeli forces also shoot and kill a paramedic and injure 2 others while they are evacuating injured people in Gaza City and open fire at al-Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis, injuring 2. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and kill a woman trying to collect water for the Nasser Hospital. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinian fishermen northwest of Rafah. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Khiam, killing 1 civilian and wounding 2 others. Israeli forces also bomb Marwahin and Bani Haiyyan. In Iraq, U.S. forces kill at least 3 people, including a senior member of Kataib Hezbollah, in an airstrike on Baghdad. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/7; AJ, UNOCHA 2/8)

More than 27,708 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 11,500 children and 7,200 women, and around 67,147 have been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 379 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 96 children. More than 4,426 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, 225 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,304 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 169 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The Gaza Ministry of Health says 11,000 sick and wounded Palestinians need evacuation for treatment. The Gaza Media Office says Israeli has burned 3,000 housing units in Gaza during its ground invasion. The UN says Israel has prevented 51 out of 61 planned aid missions to northern Gaza. Israelis continue to block the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing for the second day in a row. (AJ, AP, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/7; AJ, UNOCHA 2/8)

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society says that there are 3,484 Palestinians held in administrative detention, including 40 children and 11 women. (WAFA 2/7)

An Israeli soldier dies of a fungal infection after being exposed 7 weeks ago in Gaza. (HA 2/7)

Details of Hamas’s counterproposal to the Israeli, U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian ceasefire proposal are unveiled. The Hamas proposal includes 3 stages of 45 days. In the first stage, Israel and Hamas would exchange the remaining female, child, and elderly Israeli captives for 1,500 Palestinian prisoners, see 500 trucks of aid enter Gaza daily, allow Palestinians to return to their homes in Gaza, allow the entry of 60,000 temporary homes and 200,000 tents, and stop Israeli settlers from entering the Haram al-Sharif compound. In the second stage, male captives would be exchanged for more Palestinian prisoners. In the third phase, the bodies of those killed would be exchanged. The proposal also calls for securing the reconstruction of Gaza and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces. Hamas political bureau member Mohammad Nazzal says the Hamas proposal has clear deadlines which the original proposal lacked, that Qatar, Egypt, Russia, Turkey, and the UN will be guarantors for maintaining the ceasefire, and that the proposal is final. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls the counterproposal “delusional,” saying Israel will not end its war on Gaza and will continue until “total victory.” (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU 2/7; NYT, NYT 2/8)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken meets with PA president Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, discussing negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza, Israel’s withholding of PA tax funds, and settler violence. Abbas also expresses the importance of the U.S. recognizing the state of Palestine. Blinken also meets with Prime Minister Netanyahu, military Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and President Issac Herzog. The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reports that Netanyahu promises Blinken that Israel will not invade Egypt at the Philadelphi Corridor without coordination with Egypt. Blinken says at a press conference that Hamas will not play a role in the future governance of Gaza, that the death toll in Gaza remains too high, and that Israel should open the Beit Hanun (Erez) crossing to allow more aid to enter Gaza. Blinken also says that the Hamas response to the ceasefire deal has “clear non-starters,” but that he thinks there is space for an agreement to be reached. Lastly, Blinken says that Israel cannot use the events of 10/7/2023 as a “license to dehumanize others.” Netanyahu says he complained to Blinken about the U.S. executive order allowing the U.S. sanction Israeli settlers, calling the order “inappropriate” and “highly problematic.”  (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AX, AX, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/7; HA, HA, NYT, REU 2/8)

Hamas says a delegation led by political bureau deputy leader Khalil al-Hayya will travel to Egypt for continued ceasefire talks with officials from Egypt and Qatar. (AJ 2/7)

PA health minister Mai al-Kaila sends a letter to UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, calling on him to ensure that medical personnel in Gaza are protected as 340 doctors and health workers have been killed by Israeli forces. Al-Mezan says in a letter to Guterres that the UN Office on Genocide Prevention has failed in its mandate, calling it “double standards.” (AJ, WAFA 2/7)

The Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry issues a statement saying “in light of what has been attributed to the U.S. National Security Spokesperson, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms that the position of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has always been steadfast on the Palestinian issue . . . The Kingdom has communicated its formal position to the U.S. administration that there will be no diplomatic relations with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is recognized on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and that the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip stops and all Israeli occupation forces withdraw from the Gaza Strip.” In the statement, Saudi Arabia also calls on UN Security Council members to recognize the state of Palestine. The PLO and PA welcome the Saudi statement. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/7)

Argentinian president Javier Milei meets with Prime Minister Netanyahu in Jerusalem, saying Argentina will designate Hamas as a terrorist organization. On 2/6, Milei said he would move the Argentinian embassy to East Jerusalem. The Arab League and OIC condemn Milei’s promise to move the embassy. (AJ, HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA 2/7)

The U.S. Senate rejects a $118 billion bill that would fund Israel’s war on Gaza, send military aid to Ukraine, and fund the U.S.-Mexico border. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VA) says he voted against the bill because the military aid to Israel is “unconscionable” given the Israel’s “horrific war against the Palestinian people,” and because of the provisions in the bill that would prevent UNRWA funding. (AJ, AJ, HA 2/7)

The American Civil Liberties Union writes a letter to U.S. secretary of education Miguel Cardona, calling on him to reject the International Holocaust Remembrance Association’s working definition of anti-Semitism, saying it conflates anti-Semitism with political speech. (AJ 2/7)

Canadian immigration minister Marc Miller says Egyptian and Israeli authorities have not allowed 1,000 Palestinians who have been granted permission to come to Canada to be evacuated. (AJ 2/7)

Norway transfers $26 million to UNRWA, saying millions of people should not be collectively punished for the alleged wrongdoing of 12 staff members. (AJ 2/7)