The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian woman in Artas, causing fractures. Israeli settlers also assault a Palestinian street vendor in Bizarya. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers set fire to a house in Duma. Israeli settlers also set fire to farmland, damaging 21 olive trees. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man and injure a child during a raid in Balata refugee camp. Israeli forces also assault a Palestinian man during a raid in al-Arroub refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assault a Palestinian man in ‘Azzun. Israeli forces also demolish a home in Beit Umar, displacing 6 people. Meanwhile, Israeli forces demolish 3 homes under construction in an-Nuway’imah. Israeli forces also arrest 28 Palestinians during raids in and around Bethlehem, Jenin, Ramallah, Qalqilya, Hebron, and Jericho. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Jabalia refugee camp, Beit Lahiya, Dayr al-Balah, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 63 people, including senior DFLP member Talal Abu Zarifa in Gaza City. The Israeli military expands operations in Jabalia refugee camp, the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanun after ordering Palestinians to evacuate those areas. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Ramyah. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at al-Malkiyya and Shebaa Farms. (AJ, HA, HA, HA, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/12; AJ 5/13; UNOCHA 5/15)

More than 35,034 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 78,755 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 488 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 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, 271 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,610 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 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. Doctors Without Borders leave the Indonesian Hospital in Rafah due to the Israeli invasion. (HA, WAFA 5/12; AJ, AP 5/14)

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh meets with Turkish National Intelligence Organization director Ibrahim Kalin in Doha. (AJ 5/12)

The PA requests that the Arab League reactivates its monthly safety net fund in support of Palestine to keep the PA funded, as Israel continues to withhold the PA’s tax revenue, and announces that public sector employees will only receive 50% of their salaries for April. The PA also says that Israeli forces have destroyed or damaged 226 buildings in the West Bank since April 1, the vast majority of which were in Qusra, Duma, Nur Shams refugee camp, and the Ramallah area. Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa meets with a delegation from the World Bank, discussing relief efforts in Gaza and the West Bank. (AJ, REU, WAFA 5/12)

Addameer calls on the ICC to investigate Israeli war crimes against Palestinian detainees, including systematic torture. (AJ 5/12)

Egypt says it will formally join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the ICJ. Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry says there is a lack of political will to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, WAFA 5/12; HA 5/13; AJ 5/16)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken says the U.S. could expand its withholding of military aid to Israel if Israel escalates its invasion of Rafah without a clear plan to protect civilians. Blinken also speaks with Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant, saying the U.S. opposes “a major operation in Rafah.” (AJ, HA, NYT, NYT 5/12; AJ 5/13)

Cambridge University’s Trinity College withdraws its investments from all arms manufactures, complying with demands from pro-Palestine protesters. Pro-Palestine student protesters at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore dismantle their encampment after the university pledges to review its ties with Israel. (AJ 5/12; AJ 5/13)

Donors pledge more than $2 billion in aid to Gaza during a conference in Kuwait. (AJ 5/12)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces raid Beit Umar, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also order Palestinians in Nahalin to stop cultivating their land. Elsewhere, Israeli forces place barbed wire at the entrance to Shufa, preventing movement in and out of the village. Israeli forces also arrest 15 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron, Qalqilya, and Jerusalem. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Gaza City, Jabalia refugee camp, Beit Lahiya, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Dayr al-Balah, killing at least 28 people. Israeli forces also order Palestinians in more neighborhoods of Rafah to evacuate to al-Mawasi while residents of Jabalia and Beit Lahiya are ordered to evacuate to the western part of Gaza City as Israeli forces reinvade Jabalia. Rockets are fired at Ashkelon, injuring 3 people. An Israeli soldier is killed in combat. In Lebanon, Hezbollah forces attack a military base in Beit Hillel. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/11; UNOCHA 5/13)

More than 34,971 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 78,641 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 487 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 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, 271 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,610 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 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. 6 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The UN says 150,000 people have fled Rafah since 5/6. UNOCHA says food supplies at UN facilities will be depleted on 5/11. Doctors Without Borders says it has suspended operations at the Indonesian Hospital. Israel claims it is establishing a new field hospital for Palestinians in Dayr al-Balah.  (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/11; UNRWA 5/22)

The Gaza Health Ministry says that an additional 80 bodies have been exhumed from mass graves at al-Shifa Hospital. More than 520 bodies have been found in mass graves at al-Shifa, Nasser, and Kamal Adwan hospitals. (AJ, HA, WAFA 5/11)

Hamas says that the UK-Israeli captive Nadav Popplewell has succumbed to wounds sustained in an Israeli airstrike last week. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU 5/11)

The Washington Post reports that the U.S. offered Israel intelligence that would help locate Hamas leaders and to help create tent cities near Rafah in exchange for Israel not conducting a full-scale invasion of Rafah. (HA, WP 5/11)

German chancellor Olaf Scholz warns Israel against expanding the offensive in Rafah, calling it “irresponsible.” France calls on Israel to end its Rafah invasion, reopen border crossings, and return to ceasefire talks. (AJ, HA, WAFA 5/11)

6,000-8,000 people demonstrate against the participation of the Israeli contestant outside the Eurovision Song Contest venue in Malmo, Sweden. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT 5/11)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces attack Palestinian shepherds and demolish barns in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces also seize a tractor during a raid in Ni’lin. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Rafah, Gaza City, Jabalia refugee camp, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 39 people. 4 Israeli soldiers are killed in combat in Gaza City. Rockets are fired at Beersheba, injuring an Israeli. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Odaisseh, Khiam, Rab El Thalathine, Dayr Siriane, Tayr Harfa, and Ayta ash Shab, killing 2 civilians in Tayr Harfa. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at Kiryat Shmona and Khirbet Maar, causing fires. (AJ, AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/10; AJ 5/11; UNOCHA 5/13)

More than 34,943 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 78,572 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 487 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 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, 270 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,610 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 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. UNRWA says that 110,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah since 5/6. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, WAFA, WAFA 5/10)

Hamas says Israel has derailed the ceasefire talks, returning them to “square one” and that the Hamas leadership will discuss the situation with other Palestinian resistance groups. The Israeli security cabinet approves an expansion of the Rafah operation. (AJ, HA, NYT 5/10)

CNN reports new details from the Israeli detention camps holding Palestinians kidnapped from Gaza based on whistleblower accounts. Palestinians are reportedly subject to regular “horror” in the Sde Teiman camp, including arbitrary beatings, extreme physical restraint, forced stress positions, and medical neglect. Some prisoners have had their limbs amputated due to prolonged and tight hand and feet restrains. Injured Palestinians in the prison’s field hospital are forced to wear diapers and eat through straws while they are cuffed to their hospital bed. 1 of the Israeli whistleblowers tells CNN that harsh measures against the prisoners are about revenge and punishment. (AJ, CNN 5/10)  

Israel’s Channel 12 reports that Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has been withholding $46 million from the PA in tax revenue for the past 9 days. The funds are reportedly being withheld due to the PA’s calls for the ICC to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials. (AJ 5/10)

The UN General Assembly votes to approve the expansion of the rights of the State of Palestine at the UN and calls on the Security Council to reconsider the matter of Palestinian full membership “favorably.” General Assembly Resolution ES-10/23 is adopted with 143 countries voting in favor, 9 voting against, and 25 abstaining. Several countries that have not recognized the State of Palestine voted in favor of the resolution, including Andorra, Armenia, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Eritrea, Estonia, France, Greece, Ireland, Japan, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Myanmar, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, and South Korea. The 9 countries that voted against were Argentina (which already has recognized the State of Palestine), Czechia, Hungary, Israel, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, and the U.S. Among the rights granted to Palestine are the right to be seated among member states at the assembly in alphabetical order, to make statements on behalf of a group, to submit and amend proposals, to co-sponsor proposals, to propose items for the General Assembly agenda, to have members of the Palestinian delegation elected as officers in the plenary and main committees, and to have full participation in UN conferences and meetings. PA president Mahmoud Abbas welcomes the vote, saying it shows that the world stands with the Palestinian people. After the vote, the Israeli ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan shreds a copy of the UN Charter in a mini shredder he brought to the podium, claiming that this is what the UN members had done by expanding the rights of the Palestinian state and that Palestine “will be led by the [Adolf] Hitler of our times.” The U.S. says Palestinian statehood will only happen through bilateral negotiations with Israel. Separately, the Security Council calls for an investigation into mass graves found in Gaza, expressing “deep concern.” (AJ, AJ, AP, CNN, F24, GDN, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, UN, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/10; WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/11)

The U.S. State Department tells Congress in a report that U.S.-provided weapons have likely been used to violate international humanitarian law in Gaza. The report also states that the U.S. does not have “direct indication of Israel intentionally targeting civilians,” but assesses that Israel could do more to avoid civilian harm. Lastly, the report says that it has not found that Israel is blocking U.S. humanitarian assistance from entering Gaza. Central Command commander Michael Kurilla arrives in Israel, meeting with Israeli military chief of staff Herzi Halevi. (AJ, AJ, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU 5/10; AJ 5/13; AJ 5/14)

South Africa requests that the ICJ order more emergency measures against Israel to end the invasion of Rafah in the genocide case. Libya files a “declaration of intervention” in the case. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 5/10)

The UAE condemns Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s invitation to the UAE “to participate in the civil administration of Gaza,” saying Israel “does not have any legal capacity to take this step.” (HA 5/10; AJ 5/11)

Colombian president Gustavo Petro calls on the ICC to issue an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Netanyahu, saying Netanyahu refuses to “stop the genocide,” and calls for the establishment of a UN peacekeeping force in Gaza. (AJ, WAFA 5/10)

U.S. police raid pro-Palestine encampments at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, arresting 33 protesters at Penn and 10 at MIT. Protesters at the University of Wisconsin-Madison dismantle their encampment after the university administration agrees to discuss the university’s investments. (HA 5/10)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shoot and injure 2 children during a raid in Birzeit. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian child during a raid in Qalqilya. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assault and arrest a Palestinian in ‘Anata. Israeli forces also arrest 31 Palestinians during raids in and around Bethlehem, Ramallah, Hebron, Jenin, Nablus, Salfit, Tubas, and Jerusalem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers set fire to the walls surrounding the UNRWA headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah, forcing UNRWA to shut down the compound until proper security can be restored. Settlers also attacked the compound on 5/7. Israeli settlers also tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces punitively demolish the family home in Shu’fat refugee camp of a Palestinian who was shot and killed by Israeli forces on 2/18, displacing 5 people. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Gaza City, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, killing at least 60 people. In the Naqab, Israeli protesters block an aid convoy from Jordan from going to Gaza at Mitzpe Ramon. In Nazareth, Israeli police raid an Al Jazeera office. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Bafliyeh and Ayta ash Shaab, killing 4 Hezbollah members in Bafliyeh. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at Kafr Giladi. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb a building near Damascus, causing damage. (AJ, AP, AX, GDN, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/9; AP, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA 5/10)

More than 34,904 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 78,515 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 487 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 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, 266 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,610 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 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. The U.S. and Jordanian militaries airdrop aid over Gaza. Hamas calls for the airdrops to end after 2 Palestinians are killed when a parachute fails to open, saying that 21 Palestinians have been killed in the aid drops since they started. UNRWA says that some 80,000 people have fled Rafah since 5/6. The UN says nothing has entered or left Gaza in the past 3 days due to Israel’s closure of all crossings. (AJ, AP, AP, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/9)

Hamas says that the Israeli claim that the invasion of Rafah is limited, which has been repeated by the U.S., is “nothing but lies.” (AJ, NYT 5/9)

PA prime minister Mohammad Mustafa meets with Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Riyadh, discussing the situation in Gaza, PA reforms, and Israel’s withholding of the PA’s tax revenue. (AJ, WAFA 5/9)

The Israeli High Court of Justice orders the state to open a criminal investigation into the expansion of the Hayovel settlement outpost south of Qabalan. (HA, PCN 5/10)

CIA director Bill Burns and the Hamas and Israeli ceasefire negotiators leave Cairo after talks. Reports suggests that there are no signs of a ceasefire agreement being imminent. (AJ, HA, REU 5/9)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says in response to the U.S. halting a munitions shipment to Israel that “[i]f we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. If we need to, we will fight with our fingernails.” National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir tweets “Hamas [a heart emoji] Biden.” (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU 5/9; AP, AP, AP, HA 5/10)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken tells Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry that the U.S. opposes forced displacement of Palestinians to Egypt. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says an Israeli operation in Rafah will not defeat Hamas and that weapon shipments to Israel, apart from “bombs and heavy bomb components,” will continue. (AJ, HA, NYT, REU 5/9; AP 5/10)

Slovenian prime minister Robert Golob says his country has started the process of recognizing the State of Palestine, saying the recognition procedure will be finalized on 6/13 at the latest. EU high commissioner for foreign policy Josep Borrell says Spain and Ireland plan to recognize the State of Palestine on 5/21 and that other EU countries are expected to follow, including Belgium. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 5/9; HA, HA, REU 5/10)

Former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis files a lawsuit in a German court over Germany banning him from the country where he was scheduled to speak at the Palestine Congress conference in Berlin in April. German police raided the conference shortly after it began. (AJ 5/9)

Thousands of protesters take part in the Stop Israel demonstrations in Malmo, Sweden, as Israel participates in the semifinals of the Eurovision song contest. The Israeli contestant advances to the final on 5/12. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA 5/9)

Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda and AJ+ are awarded the Peabody Award for her coverage of life in Gaza under Israeli bombardment. (AJ 5/9; AJ 5/10)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces fire tear gas at Palestinian shepherds in al-Fardis, forcing them to flee. Israeli forces also assault and arrest a Palestinian child in al-Khader. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolish 4 Palestinians homes in al-Jiftlik, a home in Furush Beit Dajan, and a home under construction in Bayt Ta’mer. Israeli forces also seal the doors to the old municipal building in Hebron. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 34 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ya’bad, Jenin refugee camp, Nablus, ‘Asira al-Qibliya, Hebron, and Bethlehem. A Palestinian family demolishes their 4 shops in Nahalin to avoid paying Israeli demolition fees. An Israeli soldier dies of injuries sustained during a raid in Tulkarm on 5/4. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Khan Yunis, and Gaza City, killing at least 55 people. In the Naqab, Israeli authorities begin demolishing 47 homes in Umm Batin. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Kafr Kila, Ayta ash Shaab, Khiam, Maroun al-Ras, Hula, Jibbain, Tayr Harfa, and Aitaroun. Hezbollah says 2 of its fighters were killed in Israeli bombings, while Islamic Jihad says 3 of its fighters were killed. Hezbollah forces attack Metula, Manara, Malkia, and Shlomi, killing an Israeli soldier in Malkia. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA. WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/8; AJ, AP, HA 5/9; UNOCHA 5/10)

More than 34,884 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 78,404 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 487 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 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, 266 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,610 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 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. Israel allows a fuel truck to enter Gaza via the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing before closing the crossing again. Israeli claims the crossing, which has been closed since 5/5, is open again but humanitarian agencies deny the claim. UNRWA secretary-general Philippe Lazzarini says Israel must reopen the crossings to allow aid and fuel into Gaza, saying aid trucks, hospitals, and water pumps will stop functioning. The WHO says hospitals in southern Gaza will run out of fuel in 3 days. Al-Helal Al-Emirati Maternity Hospital stops receiving new patients. The hospital has been handling 85 out of 180 new births in Gaza each day. The Mohammed Yousef El-Najjar Hospital in Rafah shuts down after all staff evacuate the hospital. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/8; AP, AP, REU 5/9)

49 Palestinian bodies are uncovered in a mass grave at al-Shifa Hospital. The total number of bodies discovered in mass graves at the Kamal Adwan, Nasser, and al-Shifa hospitals now stands at 520. Hamas calls on international organizations to document the crimes related to the mass graves and submit their findings to the ICC and other courts. (AJ, HA, WAFA 5/8; AP 5/9)

Hamas political bureau member Izzat al-Risheq says Israel is using the ceasefire talks as a cover to invade Rafah and that Hamas will not compromise any further than it has already done so in accepting the ceasefire proposal. (AJ, REU, REU 5/8)

PA prime minister Mohammad Mustafa meets with Dutch foreign minister Hanke Bruins-Slot in Ramallah, discussing Israel’s withholding of aid to the PA and the situation in Gaza. PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour sends letters to the UN secretary-general and the presidents of the General Assembly and Security Council, urging immediate intervention against Israel’s war on Gaza and invasion of Rafah. (WAFA, WAFA 5/8)

Human Rights Watch says in a report that in 4 separate cases Israeli forces shot and killed 8 Palestinians in the West Bank that posed no security threat between July 2022 and October 2023. The report also states that Israel killed more than twice as many Palestinians in the West Bank in 2023, 492, including 120 children, than in any other year since systematic data started being collected in 2005, further warning that the kill rate is higher in 2024 so far. (AJ, AP, HRW 5/8)

U.S. president Joe Biden tells CNN that he is withholding large payload munitions from being transferred to Israel, but that he will still supply Israel with defensive weaponry, including Iron Dome interceptor rockets, saying “I made it clear that if they go into Rafah, they have not gone in Rafah yet, if they go into Rafah, I am not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, that deal with that problem.” House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) send a letter to Biden expressing “alarm” over the pause in weapons shipments to Israel. The J Street lobbying group express support for Biden’s decision. Axios reports that Israeli officials have threatened their American counterparts that the withholding of military aid could jeopardize the ceasefire negotiations. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller calls Israeli MK Tali Gotliv’s comment that Israeli will use “inaccurate missiles” to create more damage in Gaza “deplorable.” (AJ, AJ, AX, AX, AX, AX, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU 5/8; AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU 5/9; AP, AX, HA, REU 5/10)

CIA director Bill Burns arrives in Israel, meeting with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad director David Barnea. Burns returns to Cairo after the meeting. (AJ, AP, HA, NYT 5/8; AJ, AP 5/9)

Qatar and the UAE condemn Israel’s bombardment and invasion of Rafah, calling for international intervention. Indonesia, the OIC, and the African Union also condemn the attack. Tunisia “calls upon all the free people of the world to stand united against the genocide and forced displacement being carried out by the Zionist occupation forces.” WHO director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus says a “ceasefire is needed urgently for the sake of humanity.” (AJ, AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/8)

Haaretz reports that on 5/2 Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed to the war cabinet that Israel start its Rafah invasion as soon as possible, as Israeli officials had assessed that Hamas was close to agreeing to a ceasefire deal. The war cabinet reportedly rejected the idea. (HA 5/8)

Ireland’s national broadcaster RTE News reports that Ireland, Spain, Malta, and Slovenia are considering making a joint announcement on 5/21 to recognize the State of Palestine. (AJ, HA, REU 5/9)

Data for Progress and Zeteo release a new poll showing that a plurality of all respondents think Israel is carrying out genocide in Gaza, including 56% of Democrats. 70% of all respondents support a permanent ceasefire, including a majority of Republican voters. (AJ 5/8)

Police in Washington D.C. clear the encampment at the George Washington University, arresting around 30 people. Dutch police arrest 32 protesters at an encampment at the University of Amsterdam. Students at Trinity College in Dublin end their protest after the university meets their demand to divest from Israeli companies that have activities in the occupied territories and appear on the UN blacklist. Xavier University in Louisiana cancels the commencement speech that was supposed to be delivered by U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU 5/8; AJ, AP, AP 5/9; NYT 5/10)

Switzerland resumes funding for UNRWA, contributing $11 million earmarked for operations in Gaza, which is half what the country originally had pledged to the agency. (AJ, WAFA 5/8)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raid al-Muarajat and Khan al-Ahmar, stealing tents and vandalizing homes. Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian home in al-Juwaya in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces also seize a bulldozer and arrest the driver in Qarawat Bani Hassan. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 22 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Tulkarm, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Nablus, Jericho, and Tubas. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers attack UNRWA’s headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, Beit Hanun, Shati’ refugee camp, and Gaza City, killing at least 54 people. Israeli forces also continue its invasion of eastern Rafah, including the Rafah crossing, firing tank shells at buildings. Patients and displaced people flee the Mohammed Yousef El-Najar Hospital in Rafah. In the Red Sea, Houthi forces launch 3 drones and a ballistic missile at a vessel; no damage is reported. (AJ, AX, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/7; AJ, AP, UNOCHA 5/8)

More than 34,780 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 78,204 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 487 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 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, 266 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,605 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 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. The Karem Abu Salem (Karem Shalom) crossing is closed for the third day in a row while the Rafah crossing is also closed after Israel took control of the Palestinian side on 5/6. The UN reports that Gaza is running out of fuel to power water pumps, bakeries, and other essential facilities, adding the UN only has 30,000 liters of fuel left and that Israel is denying the UN access to the Rafah crossing. Doctors Without Borders says it has begun discharging patients from Rafah’s Indonesian Field Hospital and suspended activities at the Shaboura Clinic. It will also handover its operations at al-Helal al-Emirati Maternity Hospital to the Ministry of Health in Gaza and relocate its staff to the Nasser Hospital on 5/8. (AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/7; AJ, AP, UNOCHA 5/8)

Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan says Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to prevent a ceasefire agreement by attacking the Rafah crossing. A Hamas statement calls Israel “the Nazi occupation” that is subjecting Palestinians in Gaza “to a war of extermination and systematic starvation.” Hamas negotiators, led by Khalil al-Hayya, arrive in Cairo from Doha to continue ceasefire talks. Israeli negotiators also arrive in Cairo. Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant tells Israeli soldiers in Rafah that Israel will expand the operation if ceasefire talks fail. Hamas says an Israeli captive has succumbed to injuries sustained last month in an Israeli airstrike. The PA calls on the U.S. to intervene to stop the Israeli invasion of Rafah. (AJ, AX, HA, HA, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 5/7; NYT 5/8)

Israel tells international organizations to leave the areas of Rafah where it has called for evacuations. UNRWA said on 5/6 that it would not comply with the order. (AJ 5/7)

The PA says Israel is withholding $1.6 billion in tax revenue. (WAFA 5/7)

The U.S. military announces that it has completed work on the offshore pier that will facilitate deliveries of aid to Gaza via sea, but states that the weather is making it unsafe to move the pier into place. (AJ 5/7; AP 5/8)

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller claims that Hamas did not accept the ceasefire proposal on 5/6 but rather responded to it, making several suggestions. The New York Times reports that the changes are “minor wording changes.” Miller also says that Israel has committed to reopening the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing on 5/8. Lastly, Miller says that it is not the U.S.’s assessment that Israel has begun “a major military operation” in Rafah. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says Israel has informed the U.S. that the Rafah invasion is limited and focused on preventing the smuggling of weapons and money to Gaza. Haaretz reports that Israel committed to the U.S. and Egypt to limit the invasion of Rafah to the eastern part of the city and the crossing. The newspaper also reports that the 3 parties agreed to have a private American security company take control of the Palestinian side of the crossing when Israel withdraws from it. Miller says when asked about the private security company that he is not aware of such an agreement. PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh says the PA will not accept “any form of guardianship over the Rafah crossing.” (NYT 5/6; AJ, AJ, AX, HA, HA, HA 5/7; HA, WAFA 5/8)

Jordanian king Abdullah II meets with U.S. secretary of defense Lloyd Austin, while Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi speaks with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. (HA 5/7; HA 5/8)

U.S. president Joe Biden says in a speech hosted by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum at the Capitol that the attack on Israel on 10/7/2023 was driven by “ancient desire to wipe out the Jewish people off the face of the earth” and links the attack to the Holocaust. (AP, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT 5/7)

Several media outlets report that the U.S. decided to withhold a transfer of 3,500 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs to Israel last week to dissuade Israel from invading Rafah. Reuters reports that the Biden administration will miss its own deadline to have the State Department report to Congress on whether Israeli claims that it is acting within U.S. and international law are credible. 9 U.S. senators call on the administration to apply the Leahy Law, which bans the U.S. from supplying foreign military units that violate human rights. (HA 5/6; AJ, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, POL, REU, REU 5/7; AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AX, HA, REU 5/8)

Bahamas announces that it has formally recognized the State of Palestine, becoming the 142nd country to do so. Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago have also recently recognized the State of Palestine. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 5/8)

Mexico, Egypt, Turkey, and Brazil condemn Israel’s assault on Rafah. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres calls for an immediate ceasefire and for Israeli allies to use their leverage to stop the invasion of Rafah and on Israel to immediately reopen the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) and Rafah crossings. German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock warns Israel against “a major offensive in Rafah,” saying a “million people cannot simply vanish into thin air. They need protection.” Baerbock also calls on Israel to reopen the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem crossings. Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi calls on the UN Security Council to “act firmly and immediately” against the Israeli invasion of Rafah, saying “[Prime Minister] Netanyahu must face real consequences.” China calls on Israel to stop the invasion of Rafah. (AJ, AJ, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/7; AJ 5/8)

German police remove pro-Palestine protesters from the Free University in Berlin. Dutch police violently disperse student protesters at Amsterdam University, arresting 169 people. Students have set up encampments in support of Palestine in the U.S., the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Canada, Finland, Ireland, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, France, and the UK, including at Cambridge University and Oxford University. (AJ, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA 5/7; AJ, AP, REU 5/8)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers block a road, stopping an aid convoy headed to Gaza from Jordan, and stealing some of the aid. Israeli settlers also set up a new outpost near al-‘Awja. Israeli forces raid Tulkarm and Tulkarm refugee camp, shooting and killing a Palestinian, injuring 2 others with live ammunition and attack dogs, blowing up a Red Crescent medical point, uprooting paved streets, and damaging Palestinian homes and vehicles. Israeli forces also shoot and injure 3 Palestinians during a raid in Beit Furik and cause tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure an 8-year-old boy before arresting him in Aqabat Jaber refugee camp. Israeli forces also demolish the second floor of a Palestinian home in Ras Karkar. Meanwhile, Israeli forces raid a home in Jalbun, turning it into a military outpost. Israeli forces also arrest 15 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Qalqilya, Ramallah, Hebron, Jericho, Bethlehem, and Salfit. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Jabalia refugee camp, Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanun, Nuseirat refugee camp, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Gaza City, killing at least 52 people. Israeli forces also drop leaflets telling Palestinians to evacuate eastern Rafah to al-Mawasi by the Mediterranean Sea, later invading the Rafah crossing and intensifying the bombing of Rafah. Palestinian militants fire rockets at Sderot and Nir Am. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Ramyah, Ayta ash Shaab, Marwahin, Safri, and Jabal Blat, injuring 3 in Safri. Hezbollah forces fire rockets and launch a drone at Metula and Kidmat Zvi, killing 2 Israeli soldiers in Metula. In Syria, a Syrian soldier succumbs to wounds sustained in the Israeli shelling of Deraa province on 5/5. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/6; AJ, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 5/7; UNOCHA 5/8)

More than 34,735 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 78,108 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 487 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 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, 266 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,605 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 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. Israel keeps the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing closed for the second day in a row. (AJ, AP, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 5/6)

Hamas announces that it has accepted the ceasefire proposal. The proposal includes 3 stages of 42 days, with first seeing 33 Israeli captives, mainly women, children, and elderly, released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and a plan to allow displaced Palestinians to return to their homes. The second stage will see all remaining captives exchanged for Palestinian prisoners and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. The third stage includes an exchange of bodies, the reconstruction of Gaza, and an end to the Israeli siege. Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh speaks with Islamic Jihad secretary-general Ziyad al-Nakhalah, discussing the Hamas decision. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the ceasefire proposal Hamas accepted does not meet basic Israeli demands, but that a team will be sent to Egypt for negotiations. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AX, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA 5/6; AP, AP, AP, HA, NYT, NYT 5/7; NYT 5/8)

The Israeli war cabinet decides to begin its operation in Rafah. PA presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh says Israel is “preparing to commit the greatest crime of genocide by invading Rafah,” adding the U.S. is encouraging Israel to commit massacres against the Palestinian people. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says the U.S. “cannot support an operation in Rafah as it is currently envisioned.” EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borell calls the Israeli evacuation orders in Rafah “unacceptable.” Germany and France reiterate their opposition to a Rafah invasion. Saudi Arabia calls on the international community to “stop the genocide carried out by the occupation forces.” UNRWA says it will not comply with the Israeli evacuation order for eastern Rafah. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/6; AJ, AP, AP 5/7; NYT 5/8)

7 UN special rapporteurs issue a statement condemning violence, including sexual violence and forced disappearances, by Israeli forces in Gaza. (AJ, WAFA 5/6)

U.S. president Joe Biden speaks with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, discussing ceasefire negotiations and the planned Israeli invasion of Rafah. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks with Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant, who tells him that Israel has no choice but to invade Rafah. President Biden also meets Jordanian king Abdullah II at the White House, discussing the situation in Gaza. (AX, AX, HA, REU, REU 5/6; AP, HA 5/7)

Ynet reports that in 2018 Prime Minister Netanyahu sent a letter to the Qatari government asking it to provide Hamas with $30 million in funding a month. At the time the U.S. reportedly promised Qatar that the funding would not be considered funding for terrorism. (AJ 5/6)

Israeli ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan calls on the U.S. to stop funding the UN if the General Assembly passes a draft resolution recognizing Palestine as qualified to become a full UN member. The vote is scheduled for 5/10. (REU 5/6; AJ 5/7)

Belgian deputy prime minister Petra De Sutter says Belgium will “continue to push for recognition of the State of Palestine and full UN membership” after a meeting with PA president Mahmoud Abbas’s advisor on international affairs, Riyad al-Maliki. Belgian media reports that Prime Minister Alezander De Croo told aides that he does not think that Belgium can continue considering Israel as a trading partner and that Ireland, Luxembourg, and Malta would also consider ending trade relations with Israel if Belgium leads the way. (AJ, HA, WAFA 5/6)

State Department spokesperson Miller says the U.S. is “quite concerned” about Israel’s closure of Al Jazeera operations. (AJ, HA, REU 5/6)

Zeteo publishes a letter sent to ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan by 12 Republican senators on 4/24, warning him, his staff, and their families of U.S. sanctions if he issues arrest warrants for Israeli officials. The senators wrote “[t]arget Israel and we will target you . . . You have been warned.” (Zeteo 5/6)

Columbia University cancels its main commencement ceremony, citing pro-Palestine protests on campus. Police arrest 64 people at a pro-Palestine encampment at the University of California San Diego. (AJ, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/6; AJ, AJ, HA 5/7)

The Pulitzer board awards the 2024 Pulitzer Prize Special Citation to “Journalists and Media Workers Covering the War in Gaza.” The phrasing is criticized for not mentioning Palestinians. (AJ 5/6)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault Palestinian farmers near Kafr Ra’i. Israeli settlers also throw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near Sarra. Israeli forces raid al-Khader, leading to tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also issue demolition notices for 5 homes and an agricultural structure in Arab al-Milehat. Elsewhere, Israeli forces seize a crane in Bardala. Israeli forces also arrest 25 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Tulkarm, Qalqilya, Jericho, Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron, Jenin, and Jerusalem. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Gaza City, Nuseirat, Maghazi, al-Bureij refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 29 people. Hamas forces fire rockets at an Israeli military installment near the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, killing 4 Israeli soldiers and wounding 9 others. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Meiss Ej Jabal, Kafr Kila, and Markaba, killing 4 civilians in Meiss Ej Jabal. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at Margaliot, Kafr Giladi, Yuval, al-Samaqa, and al-Malkiyya. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb the southern part of the country. 2 rockets are fired at the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/5; AP, UNOCHA 5/6)

More than 34,683 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 78,018 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 486 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 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, 266 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,605 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 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. 128 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. Israel closes the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing after a military installment near the crossing is hit by rockets. (AJ, AJ, WAFA 5/5; HA, UNOCHA, UNRWA 5/6)

UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini says Israel is preventing aid from reaching northern Gaza and in the past 2 weeks has shot at aid convoys and arrested UN staff. (REU, WAFA 5/5)

The Hamas ceasefire negotiation delegation leaves Egypt for Qatar, saying it engaged in “in-depth and serious discussions.” Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh says Hamas is keen to reach ceasefire to end the war. CIA director Bill Burns travels to Qatar for ceasefire talks. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU 5/5)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas meets with Slovenian foreign minister Tanja Fajon in Ramallah, discussing the situation in Palestine and efforts to have more countries recognize the State of Palestine. (WAFA, WAFA 5/5)

The Israeli government votes unanimously to ban Al Jazeera from operating and broadcasting in Israel for an initial period of 45 days. Israeli forces raid the Al Jazeera office in East Jerusalem, seizing equipment. Al Jazeera calls the decision a criminal act that violates human rights and says it will continue its operations in the West Bank and Gaza, saying Israel cannot close its operations there without a military order. Reporters Without Borders, Human Rights Watch, the Foreign Press Association, the UN Human Rights Office, and the Committee to Protect Journalists condemn Israel’s actions. (AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 5/5; HA, HA 5/6)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Hamas has the same intensions as the Nazis and that ending the war now will keep Hamas in power. French president Emmanuel Macron speaks with Netanyahu, encouraging him to accept a ceasefire. AP reports that Israeli officials briefed the U.S. last week on Israel’s plans to evacuate Palestinians from Rafah. (AJ, AP, HA, REU 5/5; AP, NYT 5/6)

AFP reports that the OIC has passed a resolution calling on its members to impose sanctions on Israel and halt all exports of weapons and ammunitions, citing Israel’s genocide in Gaza. (AJ 5/5)

Axios reports that the Biden administration halted a shipment of ammunition to Israel last week. (AJ, AX 5/5)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault Palestinian shepherds in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli settlers also attack Palestinian vehicles traveling in Qalqas, causing damage. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers destroy irrigation water pumps in Khirbet al-Dayr. Israeli settlers also raid 4 Palestinian homes in Arab al-Milehat. Israeli forces shoot and kill 6 Palestinians and demolish a building with anti-tank rocket-propelled grenades and bulldozers during a raid in Dayr al-Ghusun. Israeli forces also shoot and critically injure a Palestinian man in Shuweika. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assault a child in Beit Rima. Israeli forces also seize a tractor and a motorcycle in Duma. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 5 Palestinians during a late-night raid in Sabastia. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian child jogging near the Old City. Israeli forces arrest the personal guard of the Greek consul at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre during the celebration of the Holy Fire. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Dayr al-Balah, killing at least 32 people. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/4; HA, WAFA, WAFA 5/5; UNOCHA 5/6)

More than 34,654 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 77,908 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 486 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 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, 262 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,605 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 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. 290 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (AJ, WAFA 5/4; UNRWA 5/6)

A Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya meets with Egyptian and Qatari officials in Cairo, discussing a ceasefire. A Hamas official says Israel is preventing a ceasefire by refusing to agree to end the war. Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan commends the Qatari and Egyptian efforts to reach a ceasefire but says the U.S. should tell Israel that it needs to end the war. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, REU 5/4)

Palestinian doctor Ghassan Abu Sitta is denied entry into France where he was scheduled to address the Senate. Abu Sitta says Germany put a 1-year ban on his entry to the Schengen zone after denying him entry to the country to address a Palestinian conference in Berlin last month. (AJ, AJ 5/4; AP 5/5)

PA advisor to President Mahmoud Abbas on international affairs, Riyad al-Maliki, addresses the OIC summit in Banjul, Gambia. (WAFA 5/4)

Al Monitor reports that the U.S. State Department has notified Congress that 4 out of 5 Israeli military units found to have committed human rights violations have had their issues remedied while the Netzah Yehuda Battalion is still under review. The other 4 units are reportedly the Shimshon Battalion of the Kfir Brigade, the Shahar Battalion of the Search and Rescue Brigade, the crossing unit in the Border Police, and the West Bank branch of COGAT. (HA 5/4)

U.S. police arrest 68 pro-Palestine protesters at the Art Institute of Chicago and 25 protesters at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. (NYT 5/4; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU 5/5)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Zeita. Israeli forces also raid Khirbet al-Dayr in the Jordan Valley, preventing farmers from irrigating their fields with water from a spring. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrest 3 Palestinians during a raid in Jaba’. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities force a Palestinian family to demolish their 3 shops in Silwan. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Gaza City, Maghazi, and al-Bureij refugee camp, killing at least 26 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Kfar Kila, Maroun al-Ras, Bint Jbeil, and Aitaroun. Hezbollah forces attack Kfarchouba. (AJ, AP, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/3; UNOCHA 5/6)

More than 34,622 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 77,867 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 480 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 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, 262 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,605 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 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. 340 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (AJ, AP, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 5/3; UNRWA 5/6)

World Food Programme director Cindy McCain says that northern Gaza is experiencing a “full blown famine” that is headed south. (AP 5/3; AP, HA, NYT, NYT, WAFA 5/4; AJ, AJ, HA 5/4)

CIA director Bill Burns arrives in Cairo for ceasefire talks. Hamas says it will send a delegation, led by Khalil al-Hayya, to Cairo on 5/4 to “complete” ceasefire negotiations. The Washington Post reports that the U.S. has told Qatar to expel Hamas if it does not agree to the current ceasefire proposal.  (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, REU, REU, WP 5/3; HA, HA, REU 5/4)

Addameer, Al Mezan, Al-Haq, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights call on the international community to take “immediate and concrete action” to ensure investigations of torture and killings in Israeli prisons, saying Dr. Adnan al-Bursh, who was taken from al-Awda Hospital, was killed by Israeli forces while at Ofer Prison. (AJ 5/3)

PA prime minister Mohammad Mustafa speaks with Luxembourgish foreign minister Xavier Bettel, discussing the situation in Gaza and efforts to recognize the State of Palestine. (WAFA 5/3)

Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz says Israel will reduce economic ties between Turkey and the PA in retaliation for Turkey cutting off trade relations with Israel. (AP 5/3)

ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan says in a statement that the court’s “independence and impartiality are undermined” when “individuals threaten to retaliate against the court or against court personnel.” While the statement does not mention Israel, it follows several threats from Israeli officials against the court and the PA if Israeli leaders are issued with arrest warrants. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, WAFA 5/3; HA 5/4)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken warns Israel against invading Rafah, saying the casualty numbers would be “beyond what is acceptable.” 88 members of the House of Representatives sign a letter to President Joe Biden saying that they believe there is sufficient evidence that Israel is failing to comply with the Foreign Assistance Act. (AX, REU 5/3; AJ, HA 5/4)

The UK announces new sanctions against 2 Israeli settler groups, including the Lehava organization, and 4 individuals, Noam Federman, Elisha Yered, Neirya Ben Pazi, and Eden Levy. (AJ, HA, HA, REU, WAFA 5/3)

The New York Times reports that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to present a plan for Gaza which would see Israel and Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the U.S. share oversight of Gaza after Israel ends its war as part of an agreement that would normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The plan includes working with Palestinian leaders in Gaza to redevelop the area, overhaul the education system, and maintain order, and stipulates that after 7-10 years Palestinians in Gaza would vote on whether to be absorbed by the PA. (HA, NYT 5/3)

French police raid a building occupied by pro-Palestine protesters at the Paris Institute for Political Studies. A protest leader at Goldsmiths University of London says the university will review its investments in Israeli companies in exchange for pro-Palestine protesters ending their occupation of university buildings. The student protests spread to Switzerland and Ireland. AP says there has been more than 2,200 pro-Palestine protesters have been arrested at 43 different U.S. universities since 4/18. The University of Vermont cancels the commencement speech by U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield after pressure from Pro-Palestine students. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, REU 5/3; AJ, AP 5/4)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers shoot and injure a Palestinian child during a raid in Qusra. Israeli settlers also bring livestock to graze on farmland and attack homes in Arab Milehat. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling northeast of Ramallah, causing damage. Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man and vandalize vehicles during a raid in Jalazone refugee camp. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Anabta. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian-owned building and 2 shacks in Hizma. Israeli forces also seize a bulldozer in al-Mughayyir. Meanwhile, 15 Palestinians are arrested during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Ramallah, al-Bireh, Jalazone refugee camp, Nablus, Hebron, Tulkarm, and Jerusalem. In East Jerusalem, 163 settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb al-Bureij, Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza City, Khan Yunis, and Rafah, killing at least 28 people. Israeli forces also open fire at an aid convoy at the Kuwaiti Roundabout in Gaza City, killing the driver of an aid truck and injuring several others. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Ayta ash Shaab. Hezbollah forces attack Israeli targets in Kfarchouba and Shebaa Farms. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb a Syrian military building near Damascus, injuring 8 soldiers. (AJ, AP, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/2; WAFA 5/3)

More than 34,596 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 77,816 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 480 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 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, 262 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,602 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 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. 252 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (AJ, AP, REU, WAFA 5/2; UNRWA 5/3)

2 Palestinians are pronounced dead while in Israeli detention, including 50-year-old Dr. Adnan al-Bursh, the head of the orthopedic department at al-Shifa Hospital. Al-Bursh was arrested in December at al-Adwa Hospital and Israel says he died on 4/19. The Palestinian Prisoners’ Affairs Commission and the Palestinian Prisoners Society say the deaths are a result of torture and medical neglect. At least 496 workers in the Gaza health sector have been killed, 1,500 injured, and 309 are held in Israeli detention. The National Campaign to Retrieve the Bodies of the Martyrs says Israel is withholding the bodies of 500 Palestinians. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/2; AP 5/3)

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) says Palestinian GDP has contracted by 25% since 10/7/2023 and that it will cost $30-40 billion and take up to 80 years to reconstruct Gaza. UNDP says 370,000 housing units have been damaged, including 79,000 that have been destroyed. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, REU 5/2)

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh speaks with Qatari prime minister Mohammed Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate director Abbas Kamal in separate phone calls, discussing ceasefire negotiations. A statement by Hamas says it will send a delegation to Egypt to continue talks. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, REU 5/2)

PA ambassador to Egypt Diab al-Louh says around 100,000 Palestinian have fled Gaza to Egypt and that the PA is seeking temporary status for the refugees. PA prime minister Mohammad Mustafa speaks with Greek foreign minister Giorgos Gerapetritis in a phone call. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 5/2)

Turkey says it has ended all exports and imports to and from Israel, citing the situation in Gaza. Turkish officials say the country’s new policy will remain until a permanent ceasefire is secured. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, REU 5/2; AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, WAFA 5/3)

Trinidad and Tobago announces that it has recognized the State of Palestine, becoming the 141th UN member to do so. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 5/3)

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says the U.S. is close to reaching an agreement with Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel, adding Saudi Arabia has 2 demands, calm in Gaza and a path to an independent Palestinian state. (HA 5/2)

German chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (AJ, AP, HA 5/2)

Haaretz and Amnesty International report that 4 Israeli spyware companies, including NSO Group, Candiru, Wintgo, and Intellexa, have sold their technology to Indonesia since 2018. Indonesia has recently moved toward recognizing and normalizing ties with Israel as part of an Israeli-imposed requirement for the country to join the OECD. (HA 5/2)

47 NGOs and humanitarian organizations send a letter to U.S. president Joe Biden warning of an Israeli invasion of Rafah. (AJ 5/3)

Palestinian journalists in Gaza are awarded the UNESCO World Press Freedom prize. (AJ 5/3)

U.S. police raid a pro-Palestine encampment at the University of California in Los Angeles, firing flashbangs and rubber-coated bullets at protesters. Police also arrest 90 protesters at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and 12 protesters at Portland State University in Oregon. At Portland State University, a man is arrested after driving his car toward protesters and pepper spraying students. AP reports that at least 2,000 protesters have been arrested at 30 universities in the U.S. since 4/18. President Biden addresses the nationwide protests, saying they will not change his administration’s policies toward Israel and condemning property damage and alleged anti-Semitic language used during the protests. Israeli president Isaac Herzog calls the American protesters anti-Semitic. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU 5/2; AJ, AP 5/3)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attack a Jordanian aid convoy, dumping aid on the ground and damaging trucks. Israeli forces raid Qusra, firing tear gas at Palestinians protesting the raid, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also demolish a home and a water well in Burin and issue stop-work orders for 3 other homes. Elsewhere, Israeli forces place barbed wire around the entrances to 2 homes in the Old City of Hebron. Israeli forces also arrest 26 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Qalqilya, Bethlehem, Ramallah, Tubas, Nablus, Jericho, and Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 30 settlers while clearing a settlement outpost near the Ofra settlement. PA forces shoot and kill a member of Islamic Jihad in Tulkarm. Islamic Jihad says the PA killed the man on behalf of Israel. 3 schools in Hebron’s Old City open for the first time since 10/7/2023 after Israel allows teachers to gain access to area H2. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, and Rafah, killing at least 33 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Marwahin, Ayta ash Shaab, and Tayr Harfa. Hezbollah forces launch anti-tank guided missiles at a home in Shtula. Hezbollah forces also fire rockets at Metulla and Kafrchouba. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/1; AJ, HA, REU 5/2)

More than 34,568 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 77,765 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 480 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 5,000 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, 262 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,602 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. 253 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. Aid begins to enter Gaza through the Beit Hanun (Erez) crossing. The Palestinian and Kuwaiti Red Crescent Societies begin constructing a field hospital in Mawasi. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 5/1; UNRWA 5/3)

UNOCHA says a Palestinian boy was injured on 4/29 when he opened a booby-trapped can of food from aid supplies. The agency says many Palestinians have been injured from aid supplies rigged with hidden explosive charges. (UNOCHA 5/1; AJ 5/2)

The Commission for Detainee’s Affairs, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, and Addameer issue a joint statement, saying that around 1,000 Palestinian workers from Gaza who were in Israel on 10/7/2023 are still missing. (AJ 5/1)

UNOCHA says Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinians and their property more than 800 times since 10/7/2023, resulting in the killing of 31 Palestinians, 500 injuries, and the vandalization of 80 homes, 450 vehicles, and 11,700 trees. 1,765 Palestinians have been displaced by Israeli home demolitions during the same period. (AJ, UNOCHA 5/1)

Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri says U.S. secretary of State Antony Blinken is misleading the public on who is to blame for the delay in reaching a ceasefire agreement, adding the Israeli negotiating team has admitted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is responsible for the delay. Abu Zuhri also calls Blinken the foreign minister of Israel. (AJ, HA, REU 5/1)

An Israeli court rejects an appeal by Palestinian political prisoner Marwan Barghouti, who is held in solitary confinement, to receive hygiene equipment, magazines, an electric kettle, a television, and access to buy groceries. Barghouti said in his appeal that he has been attacked in his cell until he lost consciousness. Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh’s sister Sabah Haniyeh is moved from an Israeli prison to house arrest. Sabah was arrested on 4/1 on accusations of incitement and identification with a “terror group.” (AJ, HA, HA 5/1)

The Israeli military says that about 1,000 soldiers are stationed in the West Bank, down from about 8,000 last year, while an agreement between the military and settler leaders will allow more settlers to carry arms. Military chief of staff Herzi Halevi says Israel is “preparing for an offensive in the north” during a visit near the Lebanese border. (HA, REU 5/1)

Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan says his country will intervene in the South African genocide case against Israel at the ICJ, saying “Turkey will continue to support the Palestinian people in all circumstances.” (AJ, REU, WAFA 5/1; WAFA 5/2)

Secretary Blinken meets with Israeli president Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Netanyahu reportedly tells Blinken that he will not accept a ceasefire deal that ends the war on Gaza and that Israel will invade Rafah if Hamas does not accept the terms of the temporary ceasefire deal. Blinken tells Netanyahu that a Rafah invasion would diminish chances of a ceasefire deal to free captives and impact U.S. efforts to secure a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Herzog tells Blinken that the reported ICC investigation into Israeli leaders is a “clear and present danger to all democracies and to free and peace-loving nations.” Axios reports that a group of Democratic and Republican U.S. senators held a virtual meeting with ICC officials, telling them that the court should not issue arrest warrants against Israeli officials. Netanyahu reportedly spoke to some of the senators before the meeting. Axios also reports that the Israeli government has warned the U.S. that it will retaliate against the PA if the ICC issues arrest warrants for Israelis. The Guardian reports that Saudi Arabia has drafted a plan that excludes normalization with Israel but still allows for a U.S.-Saudi defense pact and U.S. help with creating a Saudi nuclear program in case Israel refuses to end its war on Gaza and work toward a Palestinian state.  (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, AX, AX, GDN, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU 5/1; AJ, AX, HA, NYT, REU 5/2)

Colombian president Gustavo Petro says his country will sever ties with Israel over its war on Gaza. Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz calls Petro “hate-filled and anti-Semitic.” (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA 5/1; HA, WAFA 5/2; AP 5/3)

At the UN Security Council, U.S. deputy ambassador to the UN Robert Woods defends the U.S. decision to veto Palestine’s bid for full UN membership, citing Hamas’s influence in Gaza and the U.S. assertion that Palestinian statehood is a bilateral matter between Israel and Palestine, making Palestinian statehood an issue for Israel to approve. PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour calls on countries that have not recognized the State of Palestine to do so, saying “[t]hose who want to destroy a Palestinian state and with it any chance of peace are not waiting.” (AJ 5/1)

The U.S. House of Representatives pass a bill 320-91 that would codify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The IHRA definition conflates anti-Zionism and criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism. 57 House Democrats send a letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to withhold offensive military aid to prevent an Israeli invasion of Rafah. (AJ, AJ, AP, REU, WAFA 5/1; AJ 5/2)

U.S. police arrests pro-Palestinian protesters at university campuses throughout the U.S., including several at the University of Arizona, 20 at Northern Arizona University, more than 12 at the University of Wisconsin, and more than 20 at the University of Texas at Dallas. (AJ, AJ 5/1; AJ 5/2)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces kill a Palestinian man, assaulting him before throwing him off a roof in Dahariya. Israeli forces also storm a secondary school in Hebron, injuring students and staff with tear gas. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assault a Palestinian man at the Huwwara checkpoint. Israeli forces also seize 2 bulldozers in Silwad. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 10 Palestinians during raids in and around Rantis, Shuqba, Anabta, Bethlehem, and Hebron. Palestinian students at Birzeit University force the German representative to the PA Oliver Owcza to leave an event at the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit over Germany’s support for Israel’s war on Gaza. In East Jerusalem, a Turkish national is shot and killed after he allegedly stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier in the Old City. During the incident, Israeli forces assault 2 Palestinian bystanders. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, al-Bureij, Beit Lahiya, Maghazi, and Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least 47 people. (AJ, HA, HA, HA, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/30; UNOCHA 5/1)

More than 34,535 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 77,704 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 480 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 4,974 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, 260 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,586 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. 111 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini calls for an independent investigation into the killing and detention of UNRWA staffers, saying 182 have been killed and 160 UNRWA facilities have been attacked, resulting in the deaths 400 people sheltering in them, during Israel’s war on Gaza. (AJ, HA, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 4/30; UNOCHA 5/1; UNRWA 5/3)

The Gaza Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs issues a statement, saying Israel has mutilated the bodies of hundreds of dead Palestinians, including postmortem decapitations and dismemberment. (AJ 4/30)

PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour tells AP that the UN General Assembly will vote on 5/10 to have the Security Council reconsider Palestine’s bid for full UN membership. The General Assembly resolution would also give Palestine “the rights and privileges” to ensure its full and effective participation in the work of the assembly and other UN organs. (REU 4/30)

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian says Fatah and Hamas representatives have met in Beijing and held discussions on reconciliation, making “positive progress.” (AJ, HA, NYT, REU 4/30)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will invade Rafah regardless of a ceasefire deal and that if the ICC issues arrest warrants against Israeli leaders it would be “an act of anti-Semitic hatred.” French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne meets with Netanyahu, telling him that invading Rafah “is a bad idea.” A senior Qatari official says Netanyahu is trying to prevent a ceasefire deal with his comments on Rafah. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU 4/30; NYT 5/1)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken visits Jordan, touring an aid warehouse and meeting with King Abdullah II and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi before traveling to Israel. (AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 4/30)

Qatari emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani discusses ceasefire negotiations with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in a phone call. (AJ 4/30)

The ICJ rules 15-1 against issuing emergency measures to end German arms sales to Israel in the Nicaraguan case against Germany for enabling Israel’s genocide in Gaza. The judges also rule to continue the case, despite voting against the emergency measures. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 4/30)

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres calls for an independent investigation into the mass graves found in Gaza. Guterres also calls on Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire and warns against an Israeli invasion of Rafah. (AJ, AJ, AP, UNOCHA, WAFA 4/30)

UNRWA high commissioner Philippe Lazzarini says that $267 million in contributions are still being withheld from the UNRWA despite many countries resuming funding. Israeli interior minister Moshe Arbel denies a request by Lazzarini to enter Gaza via Israel. (AJ, HA, REU 4/30)

Columbia University students occupy a school building after the school’s administration threatens harsher measures against the students protesting in the encampments. New York City riot police later raid the building, arresting around 50 people. New York City mayor Eric Adams says around 300 protesters are arrested in New York. Pro-Israel protesters attack pro-Palestine protesters at the University of California in Los Angeles. Police at California State Polytechnic University in Humboldt arrest 32 people, including 13 students and a faculty member. Police fire tear gas at protesters at the University of Southern Florida in Tampa, arresting at least 10 people. Police arrest 14 students at Tulane University in New Orleans. Students at Brown University in Providence agree to dismantle their encampment after reaching a deal which will see the university vote on divesting from companies connected to the Israeli military. The UN high commissioner for human rights’ spokesperson Marta Hurtado expresses concern about disproportionate U.S. police action against pro-Palestine protesters on U.S. campuses. U.S. president Joe Biden says in a statement that he condemns the use of the Arabic word “intifada” at student protests, calling it hate speech.  (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, WAFA 4/30; AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, WAFA 5/1; AJ 5/2)

59 journalism professors in the U.S. call on the New York Times to address criticism of the integrity of its story “Screams Without Words,” which charged Hamas militants with systematic rape of Israeli women on 10/7/2023. Many of the accounts in the story have been proven false and the inexperienced Israeli journalists working on the story have admitted to confirmation bias. (AJ 4/30)

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump tells Time Magazine that he doubts the feasibility of a 2-state solution. (TIME 4/30; AJ, HA 5/2) 

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shoot and injure 3 Palestinians, including a child, during raids in Qalqilya. Israeli forces also assault a Palestinian man in Khirbet Sarura in the Masafer Yatta area. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raid Jalbun, demolishing power poles and infrastructure and razing farmland. Israeli forces also fire tear gas near a school in al-Mughayyir, injuring students. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 12 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Arrabah, Hebron, Jenin, Jericho, and Tulkarm. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Jabalia refugee camp, al-Bureij refugee camp, Beit Hanun, Beit Lahiya, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Gaza City, killing at least 34 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Jabal Blat, Khiam, Rachaya Al Foukhar, Ayta ash Shaab, and Marwahin. Hamas forces fire 20 rockets at Kiryat Shmona; no damage is reported. In the Red Sea, U.S. and Italian forces shoot down 6 drones launched from Yemen. A container ship is reportedly damaged in a missile attack emanating from Yemen. (AJ, AP, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/29; UNOCHA 5/1)

More than 34,488 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 77,643 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 479 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 4,974 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, 260 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,586 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. 229 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (AJ, UNOCHA, WAFA 4/29; UNRWA 5/3)

A Hamas delegation discusses the current ceasefire proposal with Egyptian officials in Egypt. (AJ, HA, NYT 4/29)

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich says of the Israeli war on Gaza, “there can’t be half-finished work. Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, Nuseirat – total obliteration. ‘Now go and smite Amalek’ from under the sky – there is no place under the sky.” Haaretz calls for his dismissal in an editorial, citing his clearly genocidal call.  (HA, HA 4/30)

Reuters reports that ICC prosecutors have spoken to several employees from the Nasser and al-Shifa hospitals. (REU 4/29; AJ, AJ, AP 4/30)

During the second day of the World Economic Forum’s special meeting in Saudi Arabia, U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken says there must be a real political horizon for Palestinians and that a postwar plan for Gaza must include security, governance, and humanitarian reconstruction. Blinken also says U.S. and Saudi officials have done “intense work in the past month” on Saudi-Israeli normalization and calls for Hamas to accept Israel’s latest “extraordinarily generous” ceasefire proposal. Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud says a deal with the U.S. on Israeli normalization is “very very close,” adding “most of the work has already been done. We have the broad outlines of what we think needs to happen on the Palestinian front.” Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi says “[i]t is clear that [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu does not want peace” and that Israel has turned “into a pariah state.” EU high commissioner for foreign policy Josep Borell says several EU member states are expected to recognize the State of Palestine by the end of May. Arab and European foreign ministers meet on the sidelines of the meeting, discussing ways to advance a 2-state solution.  PA President Mahmoud Abbas meets with French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne, Norwegian foreign minister Espen Barth Eide, and Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of the meeting. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, AX, HA, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/29)

U.S. president Joe Biden speaks with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Qatari emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in phone calls, discussing ceasefire negotiations. (AJ, AP, AP, HA, REU 4/29; AJ 4/30)

U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel says the State Department has found that 5 Israeli military units have committed “gross violations of human rights” outside of Gaza and before October 2023, but that Israel has effectively addressed issues with 4 of the units and conversations over the fifth unit continue between the U.S. and Israel. Patel also says that the U.S. does not believe that the ICC has jurisdiction over Israel’s war on Gaza. Politico reports that dozens of lawyers, including 20 who work in the Biden administration, have called on President Biden to halt military aid to Israel, arguing that Israeli actions in Gaza do not comply with U.S. and international law. (AJ, HA, POL, REU 4/29; AJ, HA 4/30)

U.S. House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) says the Biden administration must act against the ICC investigation of Israel. Axios reports that members of Congress have told the ICC that they will legislate against the ICC if it issues arrest warrants against Israeli officials. (AX 4/29)

The student protest encampment movement spreads to France, where students set up tents in the courtyard of Sorbonne University before French police clear the encampment. U.S. police arrest 43 pro-Palestine protesters and assault several protesters with pepper spray at the University of Texas. Columbia University says it will begin suspending students defying an order to leave the tent encampment. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU 4/29; AJ, AP 4/30)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces arrest 15 Palestinians during raids in and around Tulkarm, Qalqilya, Jenin, Tubas, Salfit, and Jerusalem. In East Jerusalem, 270 settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Beit Lahiya, and Khan Yunis, killing at least 66 people. Israeli forces also fire tank shells at a building where Israeli soldiers are staying, killing 2 soldiers and injuring 2 others. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Ayta ash Shaab, Tayr Harfa, Maroun al-Ras, and Yarine. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at Shebaa Farms. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/28; UNOCHA 4/29; HA 4/30)

More than 34,454 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 77,575 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 479 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 4,974 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, 260 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,584 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. UNRWA says that at least 2 Palestinian children have died due to the heat in Gaza and that displaced people have access to less than 35 ounces of water per day for all their needs. World Central Kitchen says it will resume operations in Gaza on 4/29. (AJ, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA 4/28; NYT 4/29; UNRWA 5/6)

A Hamas official tells AFP that Hamas does not see major issues with the most recent ceasefire proposal. A Hamas delegation will reportedly travel to Egypt on 4/29 to discuss the proposal. (HA, HA, REU 4/28)

The PA Council of Ministers approves a set of reforms to combat corruption and ensure transparency, including clear guidelines for government appointments, enforcement of retirement ages for officials, introducing citizen complaint mechanisms, and reducing government spending. (WAFA 4/28)

In Saudi Arabia, PA president Mahmoud Abbas says at a World Economic Forum special meeting that a Rafah invasion would be the “biggest catastrophe in Palestinian people’s history,” adding only the U.S. can prevent the invasion. Abbas also says Israel is trying to displace Palestinians from Gaza and that Israel will attempt to displace Palestinians from the West Bank to Jordan once it is done in Gaza. Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud says at the meeting that the world has failed Gaza, adding only “a credible, irreversible path to a Palestinian state” will prevent similar situations in the future. Abbas meets with Jordanian prime minister Bisher Khasawneh on the sidelines of the meeting, thanking Jordan for its support of Palestine. The Ministerial Committee of the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit on Developments in the Gaza Strip also convenes with participation from Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, the OIC, the PLO, and Qatar. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/28)

U.S. president Joe Biden speaks with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call. A readout of the conversation says Biden reiterated his opposition to a Rafah invasion. Israel’s Channel 12 reports that the Israeli government has received indications from ICC officials that the court may issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials including Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and military chief of staff Herzi Halevi. War cabinet member Benny Gantz says the Israeli government will “have no right to continue to exist” if it rejects a deal to exchange Israeli captives, while expressing his support for a Rafah invasion. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says the government will have “no right of existence” if it does not invade Rafah and agrees to a ceasefire. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir says a “reckless” ceasefire deal will lead to the end of the government. Gallant signs administrative detention orders for 5 Israeli settlers. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, WAFA 4/28; AP, AP, NYT, REU, REU 4/29)

U.S. senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) says the reports that State Department memos saying that Israel is not complying with international law are being ignored “cast serious doubt on the integrity of the process in the Biden administration for review whether the Netanyahu government is complying with international law in Gaza.” Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) describes Israeli actions in Gaza as “ethnic cleansing.” (AJ, HA, REU 4/28)

AP reports that nearly 900 pro-Palestine protesters have been arrested on U.S. campuses since 4/18. (AJ, AJ 4/28; AP 4/29)

Palestinian author Basim Khandaqji, who has been in Israeli prison since 2004, wins the 2024 International Prize for Arab Fiction for his book A Mask, the Color of the Sky. (AJ, WAFA 4/29)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault Palestinian shepherds in Nahalin and Maeen in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli settlers also steal the wheat harvest from Palestinians in al-Maniya. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers destroy residential tents in Khirbet as-Sakout. Israeli settlers also set fire to olive trees in al-Mughayyir. Israeli forces shoot and kill 2 Palestinians and wound 2 others near the Salem checkpoint west of Jenin, preventing ambulances from reaching them for more than 1 hour. Israeli forces also arrest 20 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Nablus, Tulkarm, Jenin, and Jerusalem. Elsewhere, Israeli forces also arrest 2 Israeli settlers in Susiya after they attack Israeli soldiers. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Shati’ refugee camp, killing at least 32 people. In Baqa al-Gharbiyye, hundreds of Palestinians demonstrate, demanding that Israel releases the body of Walid Daqqa to his family. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb a house in Srobbine, injuring 14 civilians. Israeli forces also bomb Markaba. Hezbollah forces fire 30 rockets at the Golan Heights. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb Daraa. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/27; HA 4/28; UNOCHA 4/29)

More than 34,388 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 77,437 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 479 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 4,974 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, 260 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,584 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. 262 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (AJ, HA, WAFA 4/27; UNOCHA 4/29)

Axios reports that Israel is willing to discuss the “restoration of sustainable calm” in Gaza and allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza in the current ceasefire negotiations. Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz says a ceasefire deal would lead Israel to suspend its planned invasion of Rafah. Hamas says it has received the ceasefire proposal. Hamas also releases a video of 2 Israel captives who demand an exchange deal. Haaretz reports that an Israeli business jet arrives in Riyadh after visiting Cairo and Doha. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU 4/27)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas meets with Algerian foreign minister Ahmed Attaf in Riyadh and sends a letter to Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez expressing his appreciation for Sanchez’s efforts to have EU countries recognize the State of Palestine. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 4/27)

Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud chairs a meeting on Gaza in Riyadh, attended by Jordanian foreign minister Ayman al-Safadi, Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry, PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh, UAE diplomatic advisor Anwar Gargash, and Qatari minister of state for foreign affairs Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi. (WAFA 4/28)

The Lebanese government votes in favor of instructing its foreign ministry to file a declaration with the ICC to accept its jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute crimes committed in Lebanese territory since 10/7/2023. (AJ, REU 4/27)

Iran says the crew of the Israeli-owned ship seized on 4/13 have received consular support and will be released. (AJ, REU 4/27)

Reuters reports that U.S. State Department officials have told Secretary of State Antony Blinken that they do not find Israel’s assurances that U.S.-provided weapons are being used in accordance with international law “credible or reliable.” (AJ, REU 4/27; AJ, WAFA 4/28)

Police in St. Louis arrest 80 pro-Palestine protesters at Washington University, including Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein. Police also arrest 23 pro-Palestine protesters at Indiana University’s Bloomington campus. Police in Boston arrest 102 protesters and remove tents from the Northeastern University campus. Arizona State University campus police arrest 69 protesters, mostly students, faculty, and staff. Police in Washington D.C. decline a request by George Washington University to remove tents from its campus, saying the demonstrations are peaceful. The university has threatened students participating in the protest with having their student housing and course credits taken from them. Students at Columbia University issue 5 demands for ending their protest, including that the university divests from companies that aid the Israeli government, sever ties with Israeli universities, stop policing Palestinian students, issue a statement calling for a permanent ceasefire, and stop displacement of residents in Harlem. (AJ, AJ, NYT, NYT 4/27; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, WAFA, WAFA 4/28; AP 4/29)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with a military escort raid al-Karmil archaeological site in Yatta. Israeli settlers also raid ‘Ayn al-Hilweh, intimidating Palestinians in their homes. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers try to steal agricultural equipment in Kisan before being confronted by Palestinians. Israeli settlers also vandalize olive trees in al-Mughayyir. Israeli forces shoot and injure 2 Palestinians near the Jalama checkpoint. Israeli forces seal off the family home in Duma of a Palestinian accused of killing an Israeli child earlier this month in preparation for a punitive demolition. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrest 7 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Jalazone refugee camp, Qabatiya, Balata refugee camp, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces assault Palestinians trying to enter the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Khan Yunis, Nuseirat refugee camp, Maghazi, Beit Lahiya, and Gaza City, killing at least 51 people. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces kill 1 fisherman and injure another. In Ramla, a Palestinian man is shot dead after allegedly stabbing an Israeli. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Kfarchouba, Tayr Harfa, Ayta ash Shaab, and Markaba. Israeli forces also assassinate Jama’a Islamiya member Mosab Khalaf, killing 1 other person in an airstrike near Meidoun. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at Shebaa Farms, killing an Israeli, and at military sites in the Golan Heights. In the Red Sea, Houthi forces attack a British-owned oil tanker and shoot down a U.S. drone.  (AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/26; AJ, AP 4/27; AP 4/28; UNOCHA 4/29)

More than 34,356 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 77,386 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 477 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 117 children. More than 4,974 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, 260 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,584 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. 206 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The UN Mine Action Service says it could take up to 14 years to clear the debris from Israeli bombings in Gaza. (AJ, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 4/26; UNOCHA, UNOCHA 4/29)

The U.S. military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff chairperson Charles Brown says Israel is “building a buffer zone or bubble around the distribution of the pier” which will be used to offload trucks arriving from the U.S.-constructed floating pier when it is finished. According to the U.S. plans, a floating platform will be placed off the coast of Gaza where empty trucks will be loaded with aid arriving from Cyprus and then shipped to the pier in Gaza, west of Gaza City. (HA 4/26; NYT 4/27)

Hamas responds to an open letter from 18 countries calling for the release of the Israeli captives, saying it is open to proposals that address a permanent ceasefire and basic rights for Palestinians. A Chinese diplomat tells Reuters that China will host reconciliation talks between Fatah and Hamas. A Fatah official says head of the Fatah delegation for reconciliation Azzam al-Ahmad is leading a delegation that has left for China while a Hamas official says deputy head of Hamas’s external political bureau Moussa Abu Marzouk will be leading a Hamas delegation.  (AJ, AJ, REU 4/26; HA, HA 4/27)

PA prime minister Mohammad Mustafa speaks with Dutch foreign minister Hans Bruins Slot, discussing the situation in Palestine and Dutch aid to UNRWA. The Dutch government separately says that it is considering resuming funding for UNRWA. (AJ, REU, WAFA 4/26)

The ICJ says it will announce its ruling in the Nicaraguan case against Germany for facilitating genocide in Gaza on 4/30. (AJ, WAFA 4/26)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says potential ICC arrest warrants against Israeli leaders will not change Israeli actions. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is lightly injured after his car overturns as it crashes into another car while running a red light. One of Ben-Gvir’s children and his bodyguard are also injured. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, REU 4/26; AJ 4/27)

Turkish president Recep Tayyib Erdogan says in a speech that Palestinians are “subjected to one of the most brutal oppressions in history” and calls Prime Minister Netanyahu “the butcher of Gaza.” (AJ 4/26)

U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan says there is new momentum in ceasefire talks. Axios reports that Israeli officials have told Egyptian counterparts that Israel will give negotiations “one last chance” before invading Rafah. Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate director Abbas Kamel is reportedly in Israel for ceasefire meetings. Secretary of State Antony Blinken tells CNN that the framework for Saudi-Israeli normalization and a proposal for a 2-state solution could be presented before a ceasefire agreement is reached between Israel and Hamas. (AJ, AP, AX, HA 4/26; HA 4/27)

ABC News reports that the U.S. State Department will not sanction the Israeli military’s Netzah Yehuda battalion and 2 other battalions, despite determining that the units have violated international law. ABC says Secretary Blinken told House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) in a letter that Israel has taken steps to address issues in the battalions.  (ABC, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, REU 4/26; HA 4/27)

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition says its planned flotilla to Gaza from Turkey has been delayed due to Israeli pressure on Guinea-Bissau where 2 of the 3 ships scheduled to take part are registered. The coalition says on 4/27 that the flotilla is further delayed after Guinea-Bissau removes its flag from the 2 vessels. (AJ 4/26; AP, REU 4/27; HA, HA 4/28)

Around 40 pro-Palestine protesters are arrested at the University of Colorado’s Auraria campus in Denver. 300 Yale University faculty call on the university’s administration to drop charges against 48 protesters who have been arrested at the school’s campus while taking part in pro-Palestine demonstrations. Pro-Palestine protesters have set up encampments on dozens of universities in the U.S., many of which have been raided by U.S. police. Secretary Blinken addresses the protests on U.S. campuses, saying he understands the passion but that it is “notable that there is silence about Hamas.” The student protest movement has also spread to universities in Australia, France, and the UK. In Germany, Berlin police disperse pro-Palestine protesters at a tent camp near the Chancellery. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, REU 4/26; AJ, AJ, AJ 4/27)