In the West Bank, Israeli settlers injure 2 Palestinians during an attack on Umm al-Khair in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli settlers also set up an outpost in Umm al-Khair. Israeli forces shoot and injure 2 Palestinians during a raid in Shuqba. Israeli forces also raid Nablus, firing tear gas at Palestinians. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian home near Far’un, displacing 7 people. Israeli forces also issue demolition notices for 12 homes in Tarqumiyah and 2 homes and several agricultural structures in al-Mughayyir. Meanwhile, Israeli forces continue raids in Jenin and Jenin refugee camp for the 76th day in a row. Israeli forces also continue raids in Tulkarm, Tulkarm refugee camp, and Nur Shams refugee camp for the 70th day in a row. Separately, Israeli forces arrest 12 Palestinians during late-night raids in Qalqilya, Jenin, Tubas, Hebron, and Beit Ula. Palestinians in Ramallah, Hebron, al-Bireh, Nablus, Tulkarm, and East Jerusalem go on a general strike in protest against Israel’s genocide in Gaza. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Gaza City, Jabalia refugee camp, and Dayr al-Balah, killing at least 59 Palestinians, including at least 2 people at a journalist camp outside of the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Dardara, killing 2 Syrians and injuring another person. Israeli forces also bomb Taybeh, killing 1 person. Elsewhere, Israeli forces bomb Beit Lif, injuring 1 person. In Yemen, Houthi forces launch a drone at Israel and a drone and a missile at 2 U.S. destroyers; no damage is reported. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/7; UNOCHA 4/8)
More than 50,752 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 17,881 children and 12,749 women, and around 115,475 have been injured since 10/7/2023. In addition, 14,222 Palestinians who have been missing are presumed dead. 943 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 189 children. More than 6,500 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 408 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 2,584 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. 92% of all housing units in Gaza have been destroyed or severely damaged since 10/7/2023. The WHO says 90% of pregnant and breastfeeding women in Gaza suffer from severe malnutrition. The UN says nearly 400,000 Palestinians have been displaced in Gaza since the end of the ceasefire. (AJ, AP, WAFA, WAFA 4/7)
The PA Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs says Israel has placed locks on 4 rooms leading to shrines in the Ibrahimi Mosque that are administered by the ministry and the Hebron Municipality. Israel also bans mosque director Moataz Abu Sneineh and another employee from entering the mosque for 15 days. (WAFA 4/7; AJ 4/8; UNOCHA 4/10)
Satellite images show widespread destruction in Jenin refugee camp, Nur Shams refugee camp, and Tulkarm refugee camp because of months-long Israeli raids and demolitions of Palestinian homes. (HA 4/8)
PA prime minister Mohammad Mustafa meets with representatives from the EU, UK, U.S., World Bank, IMF, and the Office of the Quartet in Ramallah, discussing the situation in Gaza and the PA’s financial situation. The PA summons the Hungarian representative to Palestine to protest Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Hungary last week. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/7)
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with U.S. president Donald Trump at the White House, discussing Gaza, Iran, and tariffs. Trump says at a press gaggle in the Oval Office that he would like to see the war in Gaza end and that he thinks it will not “be in the too distant future,” saying “we are looking at a ceasefire, we will see what happens.” Trump also calls Gaza “an incredible piece of important real estate,” suggesting it could be controlled by a U.S. “peace force.” Trump and Netanyahu both reiterate their desire to ethnically cleanse Gaza, with Netanyahu claiming that there are countries that have expressed willingness to take in Palestinians from Gaza. Trump also announces that the U.S. is having direct talks with Iran about the 2 countries’ disagreement on Iran’s nuclear program. A press conference with the 2 leaders is cancelled without explanation. (AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU 4/7; AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT 4/8; HA, NYT 4/9)
French president Emmanuel Macron meets with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Jordanian king Abdullah II in Cairo, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and for Israel to lift its blockade. Macron says the 3 countries “stand against the forcible transfer of any people out of their land, including Gaza, as well as the annexation of the Gaza Strip or the West Bank.” Macron also says that neither Israel nor Hamas should rule Gaza. The 3 leaders also speak with President Trump in a phone call. Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reports that Egypt proposed a new ceasefire deal which would last 70 days and include the release of 9 living captives and the bodies of 3 dead captives in exchange for Israel allowing aid into Gaza and releasing 2,500 Palestinian prisoners. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA 4/7)
The heads of UNOCHA, UNICEF, the UN Office for Project Services, UNRWA, the World Food Programme, the WHO, and the International Organization for Migration issue a joint statement, saying “we are witnessing acts of war in Gaza that show an utter disregard for human life … With the tightened Israeli blockade on Gaza now in its second month, we appeal to world leaders to act, firmly, urgently, and decisively, to ensure the basic principles of international humanitarian law are upheld. Protect Civilians. Facilitate aid. Release hostages. Renew a ceasefire.” (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 4/7)
Israeli ambassador to Ethiopia, Abraham Ngusi, is expelled from the African Union headquarters after several members refuse to participate in the annual commemoration of the Rwandan genocide while the Israeli representative is present. (AJ 4/7)
Germany calls the video of Israel’s killing of 15 emergency workers in Rafah on 3/23 “shocking,” saying “there are very significant questions about the actions of the Israeli army now.” Germany and Australia call for an independent investigation of the mass killing. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 4/7)
The Netherlands says it has tightened export controls for all military and dual use goods to Israel. (AJ, WAFA 4/7)
UK lawyers submit a war crimes complaint against 10 UK citizens who have been deployed to Gaza as Israeli soldiers. The complaint is based on a 240-page dossier by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and the UK-based Public Interest Law Centre. (GDN, HA 4/7)
200 Americans file a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for Washington D.C. against Palestinian American businessperson Bashar Masri, accusing him of assisting the construction of infrastructure that allowed Hamas to carry out the attack on 10/7/2023. Masri’s office calls the lawsuit baseless. (NYT, REU 4/7; AJ 4/9; HA 4/10)