In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attack Palestinians in Asfi, injuring 2. Israeli settlers also raid Susiya in the Masafer Yatta area, assaulting Palestinians and destroying solar panels and water tanks. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers bring their sheep to graze on Palestinian farmland in Khirbet al-Farisiya. Israeli forces continue raids in Jenin and Jenin refugee camp for the 41st day in a row, injuring a Palestinian infant with tear gas. A Palestinian journalist documents how Israeli forces used an apartment in Jenin as a military base, vandalizing it and spray painting a Star of David on a wall. Israeli forces also continue raids in Tulkarm, Tulkarm refugee camp, and Nur Shams refugee camp for the 35th day in a row, ramming and injuring a Palestinian man and demolishing homes in Nur Shams refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assault a Palestinian man during a raid in Awarta. In East Jerusalem, 500 Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound on the second day of Ramadan. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Beit Hanun, killing 2 Palestinians and injuring another. Israeli forces also bomb Khan Yunis, killing a woman and injuring 2 others. Elsewhere, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, killing 3 Palestinians and injuring 2 others. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/2; AJ 3/3; UNOCHA 3/6)
More than 48,394 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 17,881 children and 12,749 women, and around 111,803 have been injured since 10/7/2023. In addition, 14,222 Palestinians who have been missing are presumed dead. 922 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 186 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.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will block the entry of all aid to Gaza and tells his cabinet that Israel will adopt the U.S. proposal for a temporary ceasefire during the month of Ramadan, reneging on the ceasefire deal agreed with Hamas. Israel is reportedly considering cutting off water and electricity as its next move and will wait on resuming its active genocide until after U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff visits next week. U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes says the U.S. supports Israel’s decision on the “next steps” regarding the ceasefire. Hamas calls the decision “cheap blackmail” and a “coup” against the ceasefire deal. The PA urges the international community to compel Israel to rescind the decision. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan condemn Israel for blocking aid to Gaza. The EU condemns Hamas’s refusal to extend the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire. Hamas has made clear that it wants to move to the second stage of the ceasefire as agreed when the ceasefire was first announced. Egypt calls on the EU to pressure Israel into moving to the second phase. 5 Israeli human rights groups petition the Supreme Court to block the Israeli order to bar aid from entering Gaza. Oxfam condemns Israel’s “reckless act of collective punishment.” (NYT 3/1; AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/2; AJ, HA, HA, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/3)
Prime Minister Netanyahu thanks the Trump administration for “sending us all the munitions that were being held up [by the Biden administration]. This way he is giving Israel the tools we need to finish the job against Iran’s terror axis.” (AJ 3/2)
The Palestinian Israeli film No Other Land wins the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Palestinian filmmaker Basel Adra says at his acceptance speech, “my hope to my daughter that she will not have to live the same life I am living now, always fearing settlers, violence, home demolitions, and forcible displacements that my community is living and tasting every day under Israeli occupation,” calling on the world to “take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.” (NYT 3/2; AJ, AP, HA, WAFA 3/3)