In the West Bank, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 6 with rubber-coated bullets and others with tear gas. 2 Palestinians were arrested, including 1 during a late-night raid in Qalqilya and 1 at a checkpoint in Kafr Qaddum. In East Jerusalem, 5 Palestinians were arrested in the Old City. In the Naqab desert, Palestinians continued to protest, for the 5th day in a row, the forestation project that is seeking to displace Bedouins near Sawa by throwing stones at vehicles, injuring 1 police officer at the Nevatim air base southeast of Beersheba. (HA, WAFA, WAFA 1/14; PCHR 1/20)
Hamas official Basem Naim said Hamas and Fatah officials are meeting separately with Algerian mediators in Algiers to reconcile their divisions. Naim said meetings could continue until February and that Hamas has not ruled out direct meetings with Fatah. (MEMO 1/17)
The Israeli Defense and Security Forum, led by 3 former Israeli generals, wrote an op-ed in Haaretz, saying that Israeli leaders need to address the growing issue of Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. (HA 1/14)
U.S. ambassador to Israel Tom Nides said he would not be visiting West Bank settlements during his tenure as ambassador, restoring the norm from before the Trump administration. Former ambassador David Friedman was an outspoken settler activist. (MEMO 1/15)
