In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raze farmland in Qarawat Bani Hassan and Umm Safa. Israeli forces raid Dahariya, shooting and injuring 3 with live ammunition and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also demolish a home in al-Jiftlik and a home and a water well in Idhna. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrest 16 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah, Tubas, and Salfit. 2 Palestinians are injured by shrapnel from a rocket near Deir Istiya; it is unclear if the rocket was fired from Lebanon or if it was an Israeli interceptor. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Dayr al-Balah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza City, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least 24 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces launch the largest assault on Lebanon in decades, killing more than 492 people, including 50 children, 92 women, and 2 UNHCR workers, and injuring more than 1,835 in over 1,400 strikes on Beirut, Bodai, Hazerta, Hadath, Aitaroun, Tayri, Bint Jbeil, Hanine, Zawtar, Hermel, Zboud, Harbata, Qaliya, Karak, Nabi Aila, Yunin, Baalbek, Byblos, Ghassanieh, Deir Qatine, Marjayoun, Tyre, and Nabatieh. Israeli forces also tell people in southern Lebanon to stay 3,280 feet away from posts used by Hezbollah as thousands of people flee north. Israel dubs its attacks Operation Northern Arrows. Hezbollah forces fire around 180 projectiles at Israel. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AX, AX, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/23; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT 9/24; NYT 9/25)
More than 41,455 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 16,456 children and 11,088 women, and around 95,878 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble. 706 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 151 children. More than 5,420 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, 346 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 2,287 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. (AJ, UNOCHA, WAFA 9/23)
The Karami Crossing (Allenby Bridge) partially reopens for the movement of commercial goods. (WAFA 9/23)
PA president Mahmoud Abbas meets with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi in New York, discussing Palestine’s wish to become a member of the BRICS group. Abbas also meets with Chilean president Gabriel Boric, Norwegian foreign minister Espen Barth Eide, Maldivian president Mohamed Muizzu, Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelatty, ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan, and World Jewish Congress president Ron Lauder. PA prime minister Mohammad Mustafa addresses a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement, urging it to take action for Palestinian freedom and against the occupation. Mustafa also addresses the UN Summit for the Future, promising to strengthen the PA’s institutions and governance. Mustafa says that the PA’s work is impeded by the occupation, including settler violence, raids, restrictions on movement, and the piracy of Israel withholding the PA’s tax revenue. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/23; WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 9/24)
Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant says to the Israeli public, “in the days ahead, the public will need to show calm, discipline, and full compliance with Home Front Command instructions,” adding Israel is further escalating its attacks on Lebanon. The Israeli military claims that Hezbollah is hiding missiles in civilian homes. (HA, HA, REU 9/23)
Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati says the Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon are “a genocide in every sense of the word,” calling on the international community to “deter the aggression.” The Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry calls on “all parties to exercise the utmost restraint.” The UAE expresses “deep concern” over the attacks on Lebanon. Egypt urges the UN to intervene immediately to stop the Israeli escalation. (AJ, AP, HA 9/23; AJ, REU 9/24)
U.S. president Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris meet with UAE president Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, discussing efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza and ways to deescalate the situation along the Blue Line. After the meeting the Biden administration announces that it has designated the UAE as a major defense partner. The State Department says Israel’s closure of Al Jazeera’s office in Ramallah “is inconsistent with U.S. support for freedom of the press in the West Bank and around the world.” The U.S. announces it will send more troops to the Middle East. (AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU 9/23; AJ 9/24)
U.S. deputy treasury secretary Wally Adeyemo speaks with Bank of Israel governor Amir Yaron, expressing concern over Israeli threats to sever correspondent banking relations between Israeli and Palestinian banks. (HA, REU 9/23)
3 Israeli organizations write a letter to Israeli attorney-general Gali Baharav-Miara calling on her to open a criminal investigation into Israel’s Channel 14, which they say has platformed more than 50 statements calling for genocide or in support of genocide against Palestinians and aired more than 150 statements calling for war crimes and crimes against humanity since 10/7/2023. (HA 9/24)
The leaders of 16 UN agencies call on Israel to end the “atrocities” in Gaza in a joint statement. (AJ, AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 9/23)
Australia donates $6.8 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza through UNICEF and UNFPA. (HA, WAFA 9/23)