In the West Bank, Israeli settlers throw stones at a vehicle and 2 homes in Wadi Rahhal. Israeli settlers also set fire to vehicles in Susiya. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers set fire to 4 water distribution pumps and vandalize a greenhouse in Beit Lilo. Israeli forces raid Jenin and Jenin refugee camp for the 29th day in a row, bringing water tanks and temporary structures for Israeli soldiers. Israeli forces also raid Tulkarm, Tulkarm refugee camp, and Nur Shams refugee camp for the 23rd day in a row, demolishing 14 homes in Tulkarm refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Deir Abu Mash’al. Israeli forces also injure 2 Palestinian children, assaulting 1 of them and hitting the other one with a tear-gas canister in Meithalun. Meanwhile, Israeli forces assault a Palestinian man during a raid in Nabi Salih. Israeli forces also violently disperse Palestinians with tear gas during raids in Qusra and al-Khader. Separately, Israeli forces demolish a home in Kafr ad-Dik, a home in Umm al-Kheir, and 6 homes in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces also seize a home in at-Tayibe. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrest 18 Palestinians during raids in and around Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and ‘Azzun. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish 4 homes in Jabel Mukaber. In Gaza, Israeli forces shoot and kill 2 Palestinians, including a child, near Rafah. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb Sasa. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/18; WAFA 2/19)
More than 48,291 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 17,881 children and 12,287 women, and around 111,722 have been injured since 10/7/2023. In addition, 14,222 Palestinians who have been missing are presumed dead. 911 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 183 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 2,579 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. Israel allows 2 bulldozers to enter Gaza. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/18)
Hamas says it is ready to exchange all the Israeli captives in “one go” for moving to the second phase of the ceasefire deal. Hamas also rejects the Israeli demand that it leave Gaza, calling it “a ridiculous psychological war.” Separately, Hamas says it will release 6 Israeli captives on 2/22, including 2 people who crossed into Gaza in 2014 and 2015. Israel will also receive the bodies of 4 captive on 2/20. Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar says Israel will begin negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire this week. The negotiations were supposed to have begun on 2/3. Saar says Israel demands the “total demilitarization of Gaza and no presence of the Palestinian Authority.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu replaces the heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet as ceasefire negotiators with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU 2/18; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT 2/19)
UNRWA director in the West Bank Roland Friedrich says Israeli forces and municipal workers tried to enter and shut down the Qalandia Training Center in East Jerusalem but were told to leave as “UN premises are inviolable under international law.” Israeli forces also raided the Jerusalem Elementary School in Silwan and a school in Wadi al-Juz. UN secretary-general Antionio Guterres condemns the raids. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/18; AJ, HA 2/19; UNOCHA 2/20)
The Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem says the Israeli government is targeting it with “unjust” and “crippling taxes” and has put one of its buildings up for auction in order to seize it. (AJ 2/19)
PA president Mahmoud Abbas fires Palestinian Prisoners Society head Qadura Fares after Fares criticized the PA’s decision to end the stipends paid to the families of Palestinian prisoners. (AJ, HA 2/18; HA 2/19)
AP reports that Israeli use of AI tools to track and place targets on Palestinians in Gaza has led to the misidentification of students as potential militants. AP says Israel uses AI tools such as Microsoft’s Azure and Open AI’s Whisper. An Israeli military intelligence officer told AP that the AI programs had, for example, listed high school students as targets because they were identified with the word “finals.” (AP, AP 2/18; AJ 2/19)
Israeli forces withdraw from several towns and villages in southern Lebanon but remain stationed at 5 locations in Labbouneh, Jabal Blat, and near Avivim, Margaliot, and Metula, despite the extended withdrawal period ending today. Lebanon demands that Israeli forces fully withdraw, saying President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Parliament speaker Nabih Berri held discussions on the issue. France calls on Israel to withdraw completely and suggests that Israeli soldiers are replaced by UNIFIL peacekeepers at the sites. Lebanese authorities say they recovered 23 bodies after the Israeli withdrawal in Meiss Ej Jabel, Markaba, Kfar Kila, and Odaisseh. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU 2/18; HA 2/19)
Haaretz reports that satellite images reveal Israel has built 7 new military outposts in the demilitarized zone of Syria along the border of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The outposts are located in Mount Hermon, Hader, Jubata al-Khashab, al-Hamidiyah, Quneitra, al-Qahtaniyah, and Tel Kudna. (HA 2/18)
Fiji announces that it will open an embassy to Israel in Jerusalem. The PA, Hamas, and the OIC issue statements condemning the decision. (WAFA 2/18; AJ, WAFA 2/19)
Israeli public broadcaster Kan reports that 2 Israeli soldiers have fled the Netherlands after an organization published their photos and detailed crimes they allegedly committed in Gaza. (AJ 2/18)
The Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 says in a statement that German police forced the organization to relocate the “Reclaiming the Discourse: Palestine, Justice, and Truth” event to a smaller venue than it had planned. The organization also says that German authorities have harassed one of the speakers for the event, UN special rapporteur on Palestine Francesca Albanese. (AJ 2/18)