In the West Bank, Israeli settlers begin construction of a settlement outpost in ‘Ain al-Hilweh. Israeli settlers also block the Allenby crossing, preventing aid trucks from Jordan entering the West Bank before being transferred to Gaza. Israeli forces demolish 3 agricultural structures in Nabi Ilyas and issue demolition notices for 7 homes in Ibziq. Israeli forces also arrest 25 Palestinians in and around Qalqilya, Hebron, Jenin, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces punitively demolish the family home in Bayt Hanina of a Palestinian man killed by Israeli forces in the Old City on 10/12/2023. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Maghazi, Dayr al-Balah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, Beit Hanun, and Gaza City, killing at least 46 people, including 7 police officers in Gaza City. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Kafr Dunin, Shehabiya, and Yarine, killing 3 people, including a Hezbollah commander. Hezbollah forces launch drones at Beit Hillel, injuring 3 Israelis. In the Red Sea, U.S. forces shoot down 2 drones launched from Yemen. (AJ, HA, HA, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/16)
More than 33,843 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 76,575 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 456 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 114 children. More than 4,890 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, 259 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,574 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. 109 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. UNRWA says there has been no significant change in the amount of aid entering Gaza since Israel promised to allow more aid in. (AJ, REU, WAFA 4/16; UNOCHA 4/17; UNOCHA 4/19)
Israel hands over the body of a Palestinian man who died in an Israeli prison on 4/13 to his family. The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society says Israel is withholding the bodies of 26 Palestinians who have died in Israeli prisons. UNRWA issues a report saying Palestinian men and women are experiencing threats and incidents that “may amount to sexual violence” while in Israeli detention. Male victims have reported being beaten and electrocuted on their genitals while women have described psychological sexual abuse. UNRWA also says its employees have been tortured to force false confessions of ties to Hamas. (AJ 4/16; HA, NYT 4/17)
Al Jazeera reports that Israeli drones have been playing sounds of children crying to lure out Palestinians in order to kill them in Nuseirat refugee camp. (AJ 4/16)
Al-Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights say in a joint statement that Israeli military and settler attacks have significantly increased in scale and intensity since 4/12. UN spokesperson for the high commissioner for human rights Ravina Shamdasani calls on countries “with influence to do everything in their power” to end violence in the West Bank. (AJ, REU, WAFA 4/16)
At the UN Security Council, the committee considering granting Palestine full UN membership is unable to reach a unanimous recommendation. U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield says she does not think that the UN granting full membership to Palestine will help lead to a 2-state solution. Thomas-Greenfield also says Hamas should agree to the ceasefire deal it has been presented as the group “is not in a position to make demands.” (REU 4/16; AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 4/17)
The UN says Israel is actively obstructing its efforts to investigate allegations of sexual violence committed by Hamas in Israel on 10/7/2023. (AJ, NYT 4/16)
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says the U.S. will ask Israel for more information about the killing of 6-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab and 7 others after the Washington Post reported that Israeli armored vehicles were in the area when she was killed, contrary Israeli claims that its forces were not within firing range, and that damage to the vehicle that Hind and her family were killed in is consistent with damage caused by Israeli weapons. (HA, REU, WP 4/16; HA 4/17)
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez meets with Slovenian prime minister Robert Golob in Slovenia, discussing recognizing the State of Palestine. Golob says for his country it is not a matter of if, but when it will recognize Palestine. (AJ, REU 4/16; AJ 4/17)
UK foreign secretary David Cameron and German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock arrive in Israel for meetings with Israeli officials. UK prime minister Rishi Sunak speaks with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging for more aid to enter Gaza and calling Israeli restrain over its plans to attack Iran. (AJ, HA, REU, REU 4/16; HA 4/17)
U.S. House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) tells Democratic members of the House of Representatives that they should not accept less than $9 billion in aid to Gaza if House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) introduces a standalone bill for military aid to Israel. (AP, HA 4/16)
At the Venice Biennale, the Israeli artist chosen to represent Israel, Ruth Patir, says she will not open her show until there is a ceasefire in Gaza. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU 4/16)
