In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raid al-‘Awja, stealing several cows. Israeli settlers also uproot around 70 olive, grape, and almond trees in Qarawat Bani Hassan. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian woman near Hebron, claiming she had tried to stab soldiers. Israeli forces seize 2 vehicles during raids in as-Samu and Yatta. 15 Palestinians are arrested during late-night raids in and around Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron, and Jerusalem. In East Jerusalem, hundreds of Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Shati’ refugee camp, Gaza City, Khan Yunis, Dayr al-Balah, al-Bureij refugee camp, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Beit Lahiya, killing at least 79 people. 2 rockets are fired at Sderot; no damage is reported. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb near Al Rihan, Ramyah, Jabal Blat, Khallet Warde, Tayr Harfa, Markaba, Marwahin, and Ayta ash Shab. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at Avivim, causing damage. In the Red Sea, Houthi forces attack 2 American ships and an Israeli ship. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/24; UNOCHA 4/26)
More than 34,262 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 14,520 children and 10,000 women, and around 77,229 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 476 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 116 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, 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. 156 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The World Food Programme says Gaza will see 3 famine thresholds, food insecurity, malnutrition, and mortality, passed in the next 6 weeks. (AJ, HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 4/24; UNOCHA, UNOCHA 4/26)
Israeli announces the closure of the Ibrahimi Mosque for Muslim worshippers on 4/24 and 4/25 for the Jewish Passover holiday. (AJ, WAFA 4/24)
Hamas releases a video of Israeli American captive Hersh Goldberg-Polin. The video was previously shared with Qatar which shared it with the U.S. and Israel days before it was released on Hamas’ social media. Hamas political bureau member Khalil al-Hayya says Hamas is willing to agree to a 5-year truce with Israel in preparation for laying down arms if Israel agrees to a 2-state solution. (AJ, AX, HA, NYT, REU 4/24; AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, HA 4/25; HA 4/26)
The UN, EU, and Amnesty International call for independent investigations into the mass graves found at al-Shifa and Nasser hospitals in Gaza City and Khan Yunis. 324 bodies have been found in mass graves at the Nasser Hospital, 14 more than reported on 4/23. (AJ, AJ, UNOCHA 4/24; AJ 4/25)
The Israeli military transfers 2 combat brigades from the area near the Blue Line to Gaza. Israeli military chief of staff Herzl Halevi and Shin Bet director Ronen Bar meet with Egyptian officials in Cairo, discussing Israel’s plans to invade Rafah and ceasefire negotiations. The PA says it blames the U.S. for the Israeli threat of a Rafah invasion, saying U.S. financial and political support for Israel makes it complicit in genocide. (AJ, AX, HA, REU, WAFA 4/24)
U.S. president Joe Biden signs H.R.815 into law, providing $17 billion in financial and military aid to Israel, including $5 billion for air defense systems, and providing $1 billion in humanitarian assistance to Gaza. The bill also provides $8 billion in worldwide humanitarian assistance, some of which could go to Gaza, and stipulates that none of the appropriated funds may be transferred to UNRWA. The bill is part of a $95 billion package providing aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. (AJ, AJ, AX, Congress, GDN, HA, HA, NYT, NYT 4/24; AJ 4/25; FMEP 4/26)
U.S. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel says, in response to reporting from 4/20 that Israeli finance minister Bezalal Smotrich has instructed Israeli ministries to legalize 68 settlement outposts, that the decision is “reckless and dangerous.” (AJ, HA, REU 4/24)
Germany announces that it will resume funding of UNRWA, citing the independent investigation that did not find any links between UNRWA staffers and Hamas and Islamic Jihad. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 4/24)
93 people are arrested at pro-Palestinian student protests at the University of Southern California. 133 people are arrested at New York University and at least 20 students at the University of Texas in Austin are arrested as heavily armed police intimidate pro-Palestinian protesters. House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) warns that the National Guard could be deployed to end student protests on campuses in the U.S. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls U.S. pro-Palestinian student protests “reminiscent of what happened in German universities in the 1930s,” calling on U.S. authorities to stop them. U.S. senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) responds to Netanyahu, saying it is not anti-Semitic or pro-Hamas to protest Israel’s killing of Palestinian civilians, calling Israel’s war immoral. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU 4/24; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 4/25; AJ, AP 4/26)
Haaretz calls on the U.S. to recognize the State of Palestine in an editorial, saying “Israel is not taking a single step that would seem to advance direct negotiations with the Palestinian people, on whose behalf it rejects unilateral recognition.” (HA 4/24)