Sunday, February 18, 2018

Unidentified individuals fire a rocket from Gaza toward Israel. It lands in an open area, causing no damage or injuries. Late at night, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) conducts air strikes on 10 Hamas sites across Gaza, including a tunnel leading into Israeli territory. Earlier in the day, senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar says that Hamas does not want “to expend its energy on this escalation,” and that efforts are underway to “avert a new war.” (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA, YA 2/19; PCHR 2/22)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers traveling to the Kiryat Arba settlement outside Hebron assault and injure their Palestinian bus driver when he attempts to explain to them that inclement weather is preventing him from driving any faster. IDF troops arrest 14 Palestinians during late-night raids near Hebron, Bethlehem, Nablus, Qalqilya, and Salfit; and patrol near Hebron. In East Jerusalem, a Palestinian family demolishes their own home in Silwan to avoid paying Israeli demolition fees. Israeli forces arrest 6 Palestinians during late-night raids in Silwan and al-Ram. (WAFA 2/18; YA 2/19; PCHR 2/22)