Sunday, June 30, 2024

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian land in ‘Asira al-Qibliya. Israeli forces assassinate Islamic Jihad commander Saeed Jaber in an airstrike on a home in Nur Shams refugee camp, 5 others are injured. Israeli forces also arrest 20 people during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Tulkarm, Nablus, and Jerusalem. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Khan Yunis, Beit Lahiya, and Rafah, killing at least 43 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Taybeh, Markaba, Ayta ash Shab, and Rab El Thalathine. Hezbollah forces launch an explosive drone at Israeli soldiers in the Golan Heights, injuring 18. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 6/30)

More than 37,877 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 15,694 children and 10,000 women, and around 86,969 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 547 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 131 children. More than 5,370 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, 316 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,977 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 Gaza Health Ministry says hospitals in Gaza will have to cease operations within 48 hours if they are not supplied with fuel. (AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA 6/30)

Al Jazeera releases footage of Israeli forces in Gaza using Palestinians as human shields to clear buildings. The BBC reports that 2 Palestinians told their reporters that they were placed on Israeli vehicles and used as human shields during raids in the West Bank last week. The accounts follow the widely circulated video of a third Palestinian man being tied to the hood of an Israeli military vehicle during a raid in Jenin on 6/22. (AJ, BBC 6/30)

Reuters reports that Israel has renewed a waiver allowing Israeli banks to handle transactions with the PA. (AJ, REU 6/30)

Israel’s Ministerial Committee for Legislation approves a bill that effectively bars Jewish Israelis from being placed in administrative detention. The bill states that only people in cases where there is reasonable grounds for assuming that the person belongs to a terrorist organization “whose goal is to undermine the existence of the state [of Israel] or commit terror against its citizens” can be place in administrative detention. (HA 6/30)

Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir says Palestinian prisoners should receive a minimum amount of food until the Knesset passes a law to reinstate the death penalty for Palestinians. (MEMO, WAFA 7/1; NA 7/3)

Turkish airport workers at the Antalya Airport refuse to refuel an Israeli El Al plane after it makes an emergency landing on its way to Tel Aviv from Warsaw. The plane flies to Rhodes to refuel before reaching its final destination. (AJ 6/30)

Israel’s Labor Party and the Meretz party announce that they will merge and form a new party called The Democrats. (HA 6/30)