In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attack Palestinian farmers in al-Masoudiya near Sabastia. Israeli settlers also bring their sheep to graze on Palestinian-owned crops in Arab al-Milehat and return in the evening to intimidate Palestinian residents. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers attack Palestinian homes and vehicles during a raid in Susiya. Israeli forces raid Jenin and Jenin refugee camp for the 14th day in a row, forcing Palestinians to flee their homes in Jenin refugee camp. Israeli forces also raid Tulkarm and its refugee camps for the eighth day in a row, shooting and injuring a Palestinian child and continuing the siege of the Thabet Thabet and Israa hospitals. Tulkarm governor Abdullah Kamil says 75% of Tulkarm refugee camp’s residents, around 9,000 people, have been displaced by Israeli forces. Elsewhere, Israeli forces continue raids in Tammun and al-Far’a refugee camp for the second day in a row, demolishing the main market in al-Far’a refugee camp and bulldozing infrastructure. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian child in Sa’ir. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli settlers also raid the UNRWA headquarters in Sheikh Jarrah, raising Israeli flags. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/3; HA 2/4; UNOCHA 2/6)
More than 47,498 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 17,818 children and 12,287 women, and around 111,592 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 11,000 people are missing in rubble. 901 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 180 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, 408 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 2,485 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 Gaza Media Office announces that authorities have added 14,222 missing Palestinians to the list of Palestinians killed in Gaza since 10/7/2023 as they are now presumed dead. The updated death toll of 61,709 includes 17,881 children. The office also calls on donor countries to prioritize sending tents and temporary shelters to Gaza. The PA Health Ministry says 70 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the beginning of the year, including 10 children. 39 patients and 55 companions are evacuated from Gaza. The UN says more than 545,000 Palestinians have crossed from southern to northern Gaza in the past week. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, WAFA, WAFA 2/3)
The PA presidency condemns the expansion of Israel’s war on Gaza to the West Bank, saying Isael is trying to ethnically cleanse Palestinians in Jenin and Tulkarm. The presidency calls on the U.S. “to intervene before it is too late.” PA prime minister Mohammad Mustafa meets with UN undersecretary for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordination Tom Fletcher in Ramallah, discussing relief efforts for Gaza. Mustafa also meets with Greek foreign minister Giorgos Gerapetritis. (HA, WAFA, WAFA 2/3)
PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh and the foreign ministers of Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE send a letter to U.S. secretary of state Marco Rubio, opposing U.S. plans to ethnically cleanse Gaza by forcibly displacing Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan. The letter says that Palestinians should stay in Gaza and help rebuild it. (AX, HA, REU 2/3)
Hamas political bureau member Musa Abu Marzouk meets with Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov in Moscow. Bogdanov urges Marzouk to see that Russian Israeli captive Alexander Troufanov is released from Gaza. (AP, HA, REU 2/3)
U.S. president Donald Trump tells reporters when asked about potential Israeli annexation of the West Bank that Israel is a “pretty small piece of land.” Trump also says that he has “no assurances” that the Gaza ceasefire will hold and that he has seen “people brutalized … nobody has ever seen anything like it before.” The Trump administration also notifies Congress that it intends to advance a $1 billion weapons sale to Israel, including $700 million worth of 1,000-pound bombs and $300 million worth of armored bulldozers. (HA, HA 2/3)
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Wifkoff in Washington D.C., discussing the second stage of the Gaza ceasefire. Israeli sources say Netanyahu will not commit to moving to the second stage without Hamas being destroyed. Netanyahu has reportedly decided to replace Mossad director David Barnea with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer as the leader of ceasefire negotiations. Haaretz reports that the change will be made due to pressure from the U.S. to have a person with broader authority lead the Israeli negotiation team. Netanyahu also says he met with Trump advisor Elon Musk on 2/2. Haaretz reports that Israel and the U.S. are considering deporting Hamas leaders from Gaza to prevent Hamas from ruling there. Netanyahu announces that he will extend his trip to the U.S. to 2/8 because of “numerous requests for meetings with officials.” (AP, NYT 2/2; AJ, HA, HA, HA, REU 2/3; AJ, HA, HA 2/4)
New Syrian president Ahmad al-Sharaa warns Israel that further advancing into Syrian territory “will cause a lot of trouble in the future.” Al-Sharaa also calls Israel’s displacement of Palestinians “a big crime” and says in response to a question about potential normalization with Israel that Syria seeks peace with all parties, but that Israel must leave the occupied Golan Heights before any agreement. (HA 2/3)
The Bolivian Foreign Ministry issues a statement condemning the “barbaric Israeli aggression” against Palestinians in the West Bank, supporting PA president Abbas’s call for a UN Security Council meeting on the attacks. (WAFA 2/3)
The U.S. Department of Justice announces the formation of a task force to combat anti-Semitism in schools and on university campuses, picking Leo Terrell to head it. Since 10/7/2023, Terrell has regularly targeted pro-Palestine demonstrators and conflated criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism. (DoJ, JDF 2/3)
NPR and Politico report that U.S. president Donald Trump is expected to sign executive orders to end U.S. engagement with the UN Human Rights Council and extend the funding ban for UNRWA. (HA, REU 2/3; AJ 2/4)
The ACLU sues the University of Michigan for barring 5 students from campus because of their participation in pro-Palestine demonstrations. (AP, HA 2/3)