In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalize olive trees during a raid in Qaryut. Israeli settlers also surround a Palestinian home in Arab al-Milehat with barbed wire. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers plant olive trees on Palestinian-owned land in Ein al-Beida. Israeli forces shoot and injure 3 Palestinians during a raid in Beit Umar. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian worker near the separation wall. Elsewhere, Israeli forces fire tear gas at Palestinian schools in al-Khader, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces also arrest 10 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah, Qalqilya, and Jerusalem. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Maghazi, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, Rafah, Gaza City, Beit Lahiya, and Jabalia refugee camp, killing dozens of people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Baalbek, Sohmor, Labaya, Khiam, Tyre, al-Malikiyah, Baabda, and al-Sarirah. Israeli forces also issue evacuation orders for 8 towns in southern Lebanon, telling residents to flee north of the Awali River and issue an evacuation order for all of Baalbek. Hezbollah forces launch drones at the Ein Shemer Airfield near Hadera, causing damage. In Iraq, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq launches a drone at Nahariya, damaging a factory producing aircraft components. (AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/30; UNOCHA 10/31)
More than 43,163 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 17,000 children and 11,487 women, and around 101,510 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble. 763 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 166 children. More than 6,500 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, 365 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 2,373 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. 87% of all housing units in Gaza have been destroyed or severely damaged since 10/7/2023. (AJ, HA, WAFA 10/30)
PA prime minister Mohammad Mustafa meets with Luxembourgian foreign minister Xavier Bettel in Ramallah. (WAFA 10/30)
Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati says after a meeting with U.S. deputy assistant to the president Amos Hochstein that a ceasefire in Lebanon is possible before 11/5. The Israeli Security Cabinet discusses the terms of a ceasefire in Lebanon. A New York Times analysis finds that Israel has destroyed or badly damaged at least 1,085 buildings in southern Lebanon since the Israeli invasion began. (AJ, AX, NYT, REU 10/30; AJ 10/31)
The UN Security Council adopts a statement by consensus saying no organization can replace or substitute UNRWA’s capacity and mandate to serve Palestinians in need, warning against efforts to dismantle or diminish UNRWA operations. The statement also expresses concern over Israel’s ban on UNRWA and calls on Israel to abide by its international obligations. UNRWA commissioner-general Phillippe Lazzarini writes to UN General Assembly president Philemon Yang calling for “decisive intervention” to help UNRWA carry out its mandate in the occupied Palestinian territory. (AJ, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/30; AP 10/31)
Saudi Arabia hosts a meeting of the newly formed International Alliance to Implement the Two-State Solution in Riyadh. Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud says nearly 90 states and international organizations took part in the meeting. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 10/30)
The U.S. State Department says it has not seen a significant improvement in aid reaching Palestinians in Gaza after Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin wrote a letter to Israeli officials on 10/13 saying Israel had 30 days to improve the situation or potentially face restrictions on U.S. military aid. The Washington Post reports that the State Department’s Civilian Harm Incident Response Guidance has identified 500 Israeli attacks on civilians involving U.S.-supplied weapons but that the U.S. has not taken action in response to the attacks. (AJ, REU 10/30; AJ 10/31)
The Committee to Protect Journalists says in a report that Israel has the second worst record in the world, after Haiti, in failing to provide justice for the murder of journalists. (AJ 10/30)
A commercial court in France overturns a government ban on Israeli companies participating in the Euronaval arms fair in Paris. (AJ, AP, REU 10/31)