In the West Bank, Israeli settler raid al-‘Awja, grazing their cattle on Palestinian farmland. Israeli settlers also set up a new outpost near ‘Ain al-Hilweh. Israeli forces continue raids in Jenin and Jenin refugee camp for the 60th day in a row, demolishing parts of al-Hadaf neighborhood in Jenin. Israeli forces also continue raids in Tulkarm, Tulkarm refugee camp, and Nur Shams refugee camp for the 54th day in a row, forcing Palestinians to leave their homes, seizing vehicles, and blocking off Nablus Street with earth mounds in Tulkarm. An Israeli soldier is severely injured during a raid in Nablus. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Beit Lahiya, Rafah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, and Jabalia refugee camp, killing around 100 Palestinians. Israeli forces also demolish the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, the only cancer hospital in Gaza, and the adjacent medical school, in a controlled explosion. Meanwhile, Israel's military issues evacuation orders for the al-Salateen, al-Karama, and al-Awda areas of northern Gaza. Hamas militants fire rockets at Ashkelon; no injuries are reported. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb near Damascus and Palmyra, injuring 12 people. In Yemen, Houthi forces fire a missile at Israel which is intercepted before making impact. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/21; HA, WAFA 3/22)
More than 49,617 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 17,881 children and 12,749 women, and around 112,950 have been injured since 10/7/2023. In addition, 14,222 Palestinians who have been missing are presumed dead. 935 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. The Red Crescent says less than half of all emergency vehicles in Gaza are operational due to a lack a fuel. UNRWA warns that there is only enough flour left in its depots to last for 6 days. UNOCHA says 120,000 Palestinians have been displaced in Gaza since 3/18. (AJ, REU, REU 3/21; AJ 3/22)
Israeli defense minister Israel Katz says Israel will seize and annex parts of Gaza, saying the “more Hamas persist in its refusal to release the hostages, the more territory it will lose.” French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot says France rejects “any form of annexation whether it concerns the West Bank or the Gaza Strip.” (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA, WAFA 3/21)
U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff tells Tucker Carson in an interview that Hamas wants to continue ruling Gaza but that the Trump administration wants Hamas out of governance roles and demands that the party demilitarize. Witkoff says Hamas can stay in Gaza “a little bit, be involved politically.” Witkoff also says the Trump administration's goal of stability in Gaza would mean that some displaced people would come back while others would not and that a 2-state solution may not be the best solution. Hamas says in response that it is open to a new arrangement for the governance of Gaza and that it is not interested in being part of it. Hamas also says it reviewing the “bridge” ceasefire proposal the U.S. and Israel are insisting on replacing the previously agreed to ceasefire deal with. (HA, REU 3/21; AJ, HA, HA 3/22; HA 3/24)
The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reports that Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has said Egypt is ready to agree to take in 500,000 Palestinians from Gaza temporarily. The Egyptian State Information Service denies that such plans exist. (HA, WAFA 3/21; HA 3/24)
France, Germany, and the UK issue a joint statement saying they “are appalled by the civilian casualties [in Gaza] and urgently call for an immediate return to a ceasefire.” (HA, REU 3/21; AJ 3/22)
The UN Security Council convenes to discuss Israeli attacks in the West Bank and Gaza. U.S. ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea says Hamas is responsible for the Israeli attacks on Gaza because it did not accept the new ceasefire deal presented by Israel and the U.S. UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Sigrid Kaag says Israeli settlement activity and demolitions of Palestinian property have accelerated despite the passing of UN Resolution 2334, which demanded that Israel cease all settlement activity. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres says the expansion of Israeli settlements “is dramatically altering the landscape and demographics of the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem … presenting an existential threat to the prospects of a contiguous, viable, independent Palestinian state.” (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 3/21)
U.S. secretary of defense Pete Hegseth orders 2 aircraft carriers be moved to the Middle East over the next 6 months. (AP, HA 3/21)
The Israeli Supreme Court freezes the government's decision to fire Shin Bet director Ronen Bar. (AJ, AJ, AX, HA, HA, REU 3/21)
Columbia University accepts the Trump administration's conditions for receiving $400 million in federal funding, including banning face masks on campus, empowering security officers to remove and arrest people, and placing the Middle East, South Asian, and African Studies department under receivership for 5 years. (AX, HA 3/21; AJ, HA 3/22)