In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault 4 Palestinians during a raid in Arab ar-Rashaiyda. Israeli settlers also assault a Palestinian man near Dura, threatening to kill him if he continues to...
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March 31, 2024
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January 4, 2024
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian man at his home in Kisan. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man in Tammun during a raid. Israeli forces also continue the raid in...
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December 28, 2023
In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces in Nablus on 12/18. Israeli settlers began work on a settler road near Battir. Israeli forces raided 6 money...
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December 3, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers shot and injured 2 Palestinian children, aged 12 and 14, in Deir Qadis. Israeli settlers with a military escort also raided Wadi Qelt, storming 5 homes and...
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December 2, 2023
In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian child succumbed to wounds sustained by Israeli forces during a raid in Jenin on 10/9. Masked and armed Israeli settlers, with military escort, killed 1 Palestinian...
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November 8, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked 2 Palestinians harvesting olives in Burqin, injuring them with sticks and stones. 2 Israeli settlers were shot and injured at the Itamar settlement....
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October 30, 2023
In the West Bank, a Palestinian succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces during a raid in Ras Karkar last week. Israeli settlers posing as Israeli forces made 3 Palestinian families...
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October 25, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in Burin, assaulting them at gun point and stealing tools, phones, and olive crops. Israeli settlers also raided Qarawat...
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October 24, 2023
In the West Bank, a Palestinian teenager succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces last week in Anabta. Israeli settlers assaulted a Palestinian man and threatened to demolish his family...
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October 12, 2023
In the West Bank, Israeli...
October 21, 2022
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in Burin, injuring 2 Palestinians. Video footage of the incident released by Yesh Din shows Israeli soldiers directly...
December 16, 2021
In the West Bank, 1 Israeli settler was shot and killed and 2 others wounded when 10 shots were fired at their car at the Homesh settlement outpost near Nablus. Israel’s public security minister...
May 14, 2021
In the West Bank, 1 Israeli settler shot and killed 1 Palestinian and injured 1 other when the 2 confronted a group of settlers attempting to set fire to their crops near al-Rihiya, south of...
March 5, 2020
In the West Bank, PA president Mahmoud Abbas declared a 30-day state of emergency after 7 Palestinians tested positive for the COVID-19 virus in Bethlehem. All churches and mosques in Bethlehem...
February 27, 2020
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted some 200 olive trees and 80 vine trees in al-Khadir. Israeli forces demolished 2 residential structures and 2 animal barns south of Hebron; and 1 house...
December 15, 2019
In the West Bank, the Israel Electric Corporation cut power for 10s of thousands of Palestinians in Ramallah for 3 hours between 2pm and 5pm. Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian-owned...
April 11, 2019
In the West Bank, the entrance to ‘Azun east of Qalqilya was blocked by Israeli forced for the 15th day in a row. Israeli forces also sealed the entrance to al-‘Arub refugee camp north of Hebron...
March 10, 2019
Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmlands near Rafah and Khan Yunis, causing no damage. They also arrest 2 Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel near Jabaliya...
February 13, 2019
IDF troops violently disperse hundreds of Palestinians gathering along Gaza’s border near Gaza City, Khan Yunis, and Jabaliya refugee camp to continue the Great March of Return; 2 Palestinians are...
August 16, 2018
An Israeli settler is killed in a car accident involving a Palestinian driver near Nablus. The Palestinian flees the scene, but later turns himself in to the authorities. Israeli settlers...
May 10, 2018
Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on a Palestinian landfill near Dayr al-Balah and at a group of farmers and shepherds near al-Bureij refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries. They also...
May 8, 2018
Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on small groups of Palestinians approaching the border fence near Bayt Lahiya and alBureij refugee camp, injuring 2 minors. Separately, Palestinians fly...
April 23, 2018
Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land near al-Bureij refugee camp. IDF troops then arrest 4 Palestinian minors attempting to cross into Israel near the site...
February 8, 2018
In the West Bank, a Palestinian school in Hebron closes for the day after IDF troops shoot tear gas canisters onto school grounds amid minor clashes nearby. IDF troops arrest 3 Palestinians during...
December 1, 2017
Near Jenin in the West Bank, Israeli forces carry out the punitive demolition of the home of a Palestinian imprisoned in connection with the killing of an Israeli settler on 10/4/2017. Meanwhile,...
October 19, 2017
Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces shoot and injure a Palestinian sailing near Bayt Lahiya. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops arrest 2 Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel. In the West...
October 16, 2017
In the West Bank, IDF troops assault and arrest a Palestinian during a patrol in ‘Azun village near Qalqilya. They also arrest 13 Palestinians during late-night raids near Bethlehem, Ramallah,...
June 30, 2017
IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists at Friday protests against the Israeli occupation, separation wall, and settlements in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (...
February 14, 2017
Israeli forces shut down a landfill in Rujayb village nr. Nablus. They also arrest 12 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during late-night raids nr. Ramallah, Jenin, Hebron, and Qalqilya, and...
September 10, 2016
A 6-year-old Palestinian is killed when an Israeli settler rams her with his vehicle outside Bethlehem. Early reports on the incident say it was an accident, but the driver’s intentions are...
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault 4 Palestinians during a raid in Arab ar-Rashaiyda. Israeli settlers also assault a Palestinian man near Dura, threatening to kill him if he continues to herd his sheep in the area. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers steal a tractor in Battir. Israeli settlers also throw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling between Huwwara and Qalqilya. Israeli forces raid Balata refugee camp, demolishing homes and razing a main street. Israeli forces also arrest 10 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Nablus, Balata refugee camp, Qalqilya, Bethlehem, Hebron, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 5 Palestinians during raids in al-Tur and Shu’fat refugee camp. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Maghazi, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, and Gaza City, killing at least 77 people, including 4 at a tent for journalists outside of al-Aqsa Hospital in Dayr al-Balah where a WHO team is visiting to the assess needs of the hospital. Israeli forces also continue to raid and besiege al-Shifa Hospital. 4 Palestinians die of starvation at the Kamal Adwan Hospital, bringing the number of hunger-related deaths to at least 34. An Israeli soldier is killed in combat and another soldier succumbs to wounds sustained on 3/29. In Ashdod, Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man who allegedly stabbed and injured 3 Israelis in a shopping mall. In Beersheba, Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian citizen of Israel who allegedly stabbed and injured an Israeli soldier at a bus station. In Jerusalem, tens of thousands of Israelis rally, calling for new elections. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Kounine, killing Hezbollah commander Ismail al-Zin. Israeli forces also bomb Meiss Ej-Jabal, Blida, Markaba, and Kafr Kila. Hezbollah forces attack Israeli military sites in Metulla and al-Manara. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb Damascus, killing 2 people. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/31; AJ, HA, HA, NYT 4/1; UNOCHA 4/3)
More than 32,782 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 75,298 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 445 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 112 children. More than 4,700 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, 254 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,520 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. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 226 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. U.S. forces airdrop 50,000 meals over northern Gaza. UK forces also airdrop aid over Gaza. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA 3/31; UNOCHA 4/3)
Israeli military officials and soldiers tell Haaretz that Israel has designated “kill zones” in Gaza where all Palestinians entering the invisible zone are classified as terrorists and soldiers are ordered to kill all unarmed adult men. (HA 3/31)
PA president Mahmoud Abbas swears in the new PA government headed by prime minister Mohammad Mustafa, who also will be the new foreign minister. (HA 3/30; AJ, WAFA 3/31; WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/1)
A Hamas official tells Al-Aqsa TV that the PA has sent undercover security forces to Gaza using an Egyptian aid convoy and that 6 members of the security forces have been arrested. The PA denies the claim. (AJ, REU 3/31; HA 4/1)
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says in a speech that “the whole world is ganging up on us,” calling on Israelis to unite in defending Israel physically and morally. Netanyahu also says the invasion of Rafah is not delayed due to U.S. pressure and rejects calls for early elections. After the speech Netanyahu undergoes surgery for a hernia, leaving Justice Minister Yariv Levin as acting prime minister. Netanyahu will be released from the hospital on 4/2. (AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU 3/31; HA, REU 4/1)
Israeli attorney general Gali Baharav-Miara sends letters to the ministers of defense and education, telling them that ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students must be drafted into the military starting on 4/1. (AJ, HA 3/31)
Pope Francis calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of captives during his Easter address. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA 3/31)
The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. is concerned that intelligence sharing with Israel is leading to civilian deaths. The Journal also says that the Biden administration wrote a memo after 10/7/2023 expanding the scope of intelligence sharing with Israel. (AJ, HA, WSJ 3/31)
UN sources tell the Guardian that Israeli military chief of staff Herzi Halavi presented to UN officials last week a plan to dismantle UNRWA, which would include the transfer of some UNRWA staff to a replacement agency that would focus on the delivery of aid in Gaza or expanding the World Food Programme’s operations in Gaza. (GDN 3/31; AJ 4/1)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian man at his home in Kisan. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man in Tammun during a raid. Israeli forces also continue the raid in Nur Shams refugee camp for the second day in a row. The raid ends after 40 hours with 13 Palestinians suffering from broken bones during Israeli interrogations, 400 Palestinians detained, and vast destruction caused by bulldozers and drone-fired missiles on its second day; 3 Israeli soldiers are reportedly injured during the raid. Elsewhere, Israeli forces begin constructing settler roads in the Masafer Yatta area near Umm al-Khair. Israeli forces also arrest a child and confiscate 60 sheep he is herding. Israeli forces arrest 27 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Tulkarm, Salfit, Qalqilya, Hebron, Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus, Tubas, and Ramallah. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Rafah, Maghazi, Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 125 people, including at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society’s headquarters in Khan Yunis for the third day in a row. Palestinians in Maghazi report that Israeli forces massacre Palestinian civilians with snipers and bulldozers. Jabalia refugee camp floods after heavy rain, leading to sewage mixing with the standing water. An anti-aircraft missile fired at an Israeli helicopter hits a clinic in Kibbutz Nirim. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fires rockets at Israeli soldiers near al-Marj and Israeli forces target Hezbollah in Maroun al-Ras. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/4; AJ 1/5; AJ 1/6)
More than 22,438 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 8,800 children and 6,300 women, and around 57,697 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 318 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 80 children. More than 3,949 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured since 10/7, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 173 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,003 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. As of 12/23, at least 65,000 housing units had been destroyed and 290,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 177 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karim Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 1/4)
Israel’s military publishes on Facebook that it has closed the evacuation corridor on Salah al-Din Street and opened a new corridor on al-Rashid Street. Movement is only allowed from north to south between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. (AJ, UNOCHA 1/4)
The Palestinian Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Authority names 51 Palestinian women and children who had been abducted by Israeli forces in Gaza and taken to the Damon Prison. (AJ, WAFA 1/4)
Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant releases a framework for post-war Gaza in which a Palestinian entity that is not hostile to Israel and is not Hamas nor the PA is in control of Gaza, Israeli settlers do not return to Gaza, but the Israeli military will be able to operate in Gaza and oversee the borders. Gallant also says an international coalition will be responsible for rebuilding Gaza. The PA rejects Gallant’s framework. Gallant also meets with U.S. deputy assistant to the president and senior adviser for energy and investment Amos Hochstein, saying the window for diplomacy with Lebanon is closing. Hochstein also meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who tells him that Israel is seeking “a fundamental change on its border with Lebanon.” Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz says Israel will return its ambassador to Spain. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, REU 1/4; AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA 1/5)
Lebanon files a complaint with the UN Security Council over the Israeli assassination of Saleh al-Arouri and over Israel’s usage of Lebanese airspace to attack Syria. (AJ, HA 1/5)
Jordan says it backs South Africa’s case against Israel at the ICJ. (AJ 1/9)
The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, France, Japan, Germany, Slovenia, the Netherlands, and Qatar condemn statements made by Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir calling for the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the resettling of Gaza by Israeli settlers. UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk says he is “very disturbed” by the statements. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA 1/4; AJ, WAFA, WAFA 1/5)
U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says the U.S. has “not seen anything that would convince us that we need to take a different approach in terms of trying to help Israel defend itself.” Kirby also says that Israel should release the PA tax revenue to the PA, saying it is “Palestinian money,” and defends UNRWA from attacks by Israel and U.S. Republicans, saying “UNRWA does important work.” (AJ, HA 1/4; HA 1/5)
U.S. forces conduct an airstrike in Baghdad, killing Popular Mobilisation Forces commander Hajj Mushtaq Talib al-Saidi. Iraqi prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani condemns the attack, calling it a violation of Iraqi sovereignty and later on 1/5 says the government will start the process of removing the U.S.-led coalition from Iraq. (AJ, AP, HA, REU 1/4; AJ, AP, REU 1/5)
Israel chooses British lawyer Malcom Shaw to represent the country at the upcoming genocide hearings at the ICJ. Axios reports that Israel’s Foreign Ministry has sends out a cable to its embassies instructing its diplomats to pressure countries into issuing statements against South Africa’s case against Israel at the ICJ. (HA, HA 1/4; AX 1/5)
A political appointee at the U.S. Department of Education, Tariq Habash, resigns over U.S. support for Israel’s attacks on Gaza, saying he will not be quietly complicit. Habash was the political advisor in the department’s Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development. (HA, NYT 1/4)
Peace Now issues a report saying settlement activity in the West Bank has surged at unprecedented levels since 10/7. The report says Israeli settlers have created 9 new settlement outposts, made 18 paved roads, returned to the Amona outpost, closed roads for Palestinian vehicles, and built fences outside settlements. (PCN, PCN 1/4; NYT, WAFA 1/5)
The Intercept reports that all CNN stories related to Israel and Palestine are being reviewed at the CNN Jerusalem bureau before publication, where the stories are subject to the Israeli military’s censor. The Intercept also says CNN has issued directives to its journalists on language to avoid, directed them not to relay statements from Hamas, and has hired a former Israeli soldier from the Military Spokesperson Unit to serve as a reporter. (INT 1/4)
Former U.S. vice president Mike Pence tours northern Israel, writing a message on a bomb intended to be dropped on Lebanon. (HA 1/5; HA 1/6; HA 1/7)
In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces in Nablus on 12/18. Israeli settlers began work on a settler road near Battir. Israeli forces raided 6 money exchange offices in Ramallah, Tulkarm, and Jenin, seizing millions of shekels, killing 1 person and wounding 20 others in Ramallah. Israeli forces also shot and killed a Palestinian man at a checkpoint west of Bethlehem. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished a junkyard near al-Zawiya. 25 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Rujeib, Nablus, Jericho, Hebron, Tubas, Qalqilya, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian after he stabbed and injured 2 Israeli soldiers. Israeli forces later raided the man’s home, arresting 3 members of his family. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Beit Lahiya, Nuseirat refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, Rafah, Beit Hanun, Dayr al-Balah, and Maghazi, killing 210 people, including 30 in a building in Beit Lahiya. 3 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked Shebaa Farms, Rashaya al-Fakhar, and al-Khaim, saying 12 missiles were fired at Israel. In Syria, Israeli forces attacked sites near Damascus and Tel al-Sahn, reportedly killing 11 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps at an airport. In the Red Sea, the U.S. said it shot down a drone and a ballistic missile fired from Yemen. (AJ 12/27; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/28; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, WAFA 12/29)
More than 21,320 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 8,800 children and 6,300 women, and around 55,603 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 308 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 79 children. More than 3,812 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured since 10/7. 165 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 898 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. As of 12/23, at least 65,000 housing units had been destroyed and 290,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 76 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing. (AJ, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 12/28)
UNRWA said Gaza was suffering from “catastrophic hunger” with 40% of the population at risk of famine. UN humanitarian aid chief Martin Griffiths said the UN was facing a number of obstacles in delivering aid to Gaza, including a growing list of Israeli-rejected items, 3 layers of inspection, having to use a crossing that is made for pedestrians, constant bombardments, attacks on convoys, and aid workers being displaced and killed. UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk called Israel’s usage of military tactics and weapons in the West Bank “extremely troubling” and called on Israel to take steps to end settler violence. Turk’s office released a report that said Israel engaged in sexual violence against Palestinians who have been arrested since 10/7. (AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 12/28; AJ, HA 12/29; NYT 1/1)
The Palestine Monetary Authority said Israeli forces raided 6 money exchange companies, seizing large sums of money and arresting staff (see above). It was reported that $2.5 million was stolen from the companies. The authority said Israel sought to undermine confidence in the Palestinian banking sector. Israel said it had declared the exchange companies terrorist organizations before stealing the sums. (AJ, AJ, HA, WAFA 12/28)
Egypt said neither Hamas nor Israel had responded to its ceasefire proposal. (HA 12/28)
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a meeting of the war cabinet that was reportedly set to discuss Israel’s plans for Gaza after the war. The meeting was canceled after opposition to the discussions by members of Netanyahu’s governing coalition. (HA 12/28; AJ 12/29)
Israel claimed that it had used the wrong type of munition, leading to the killing of at least 90 people in Maghazi on 12/24. Israel also said it would not take action against soldiers who killed 3 Israeli captives who had escaped captivity on 12/15, despite saying the incident could have been prevented. (AJ, AJ, NYT 12/28; AJ, HA 12/29)
The Arab League’s legislative body held a special session titled “Supporting Palestine.” (AJ 12/28)
India contributed $2.5 million to UNRWA, bringing its contribution for 2023 to $5 million. (AJ, WAFA 12/28)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers shot and injured 2 Palestinian children, aged 12 and 14, in Deir Qadis. Israeli settlers with a military escort also raided Wadi Qelt, storming 5 homes and intimidating residents. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers destroyed water pipes leading to 3 villages in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian during a raid in Qalqilya. Israeli forces also assaulted Palestinians in Hizma. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians in al-Arroub refugee camp, causing tear-gas related injuries. Israeli forces seized a vehicle in Halawa. At least 60 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Hebron, Bethlehem, Jericho, Ramallah, Nablus, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolished an apartment on the third floor of an apartment building in Sur Baher. Israeli forces raided the home of al-Aqsa Mosque preacher Sheikh Ikrimah Sabri in Silwan, issuing a demolition notice for the 5-story building he lives in. Israeli authorities forced a Palestinian family to demolish their own home in Sur Baher. In Gaza, Israeli forces killed around 316 Palestinians and wounded more than 664 others during airstrikes on Rafah, al-Bureij, Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City, Jabalia refugee camp, Khan Yunis and Faluja, including Islamic University of Gaza president Sufyan Tayeh and his family in Faluja. Israeli forces also targeted the Kamal Adwan Hospital, killing 4 people. Israel said it had started to move its ground invasion to southern Gaza and told Palestinians in 20% of Khan Yunis to evacuate to al-Mawasi and Rafah. Israel also said its forces assassinated the commander of Hamas’ al-Shati Brigades. 3 Israeli soldiers were killed. Rockets were fired at Israel, hitting 2 buildings in Sderot; no injuries were reported. In Lebanon, militants fired anti-tank missiles at Israeli forces, injuring 11 soldiers and a civilian. Israel said it attacked several targets in Lebanon. In Syria, Israeli forces fired artillery at southern Syria, saying a rocket was fired at Israel. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/3; AJ, AJ, HA 12/4; HA 12/5; AJ, NYT 12/6)
More than 15,523 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 6,387 children and 4,257 women, and around 41,316 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 246 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 65 children. More than 3,300 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. 80 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.8 million Palestinians, nearly 80% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israeli blockade. As of 11/18, at least 45,000 housing units had been destroyed and 233,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 60% of all housing units. 100 trucks carrying aid, including around 13,000 gallons of fuel, entered Gaza. The Red Crescent said increased Israeli attacks on southern Gaza have made it much more difficult to deliver aid. As a result, aid was only distributed in Rafah. 13 injured Palestinians, 11 companions, and 566 foreign nationals were evacuated. (AJ, AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 12/3)
The PA foreign ministry said Israel was seeking to “solidify the separation” between the West Bank and Gaza. (AJ 12/3)
Shin Bet director Ronen Bar said the Israeli cabinet had discussed assassinating leaders of Hamas “in Gaza, the Palestinian territories, in Lebanon, in Turkey, and in Qatar,” calling it “our Munich.” A Turkish intelligence official said there would be “serious consequences” if Israel kills Palestinians in Turkey. Military chief of staff Herzl Halevy said Israeli forces would fight in southern Gaza “as we did strongly and thoroughly in the northern part.” Israel also claimed to have found 800 tunnel shafts in Gaza. (AJ, HA 12/3; HA 12/4)
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said his office will “further intensity its efforts to advance its investigations” in the occupied Palestinian territories. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, WAFA 12/3)
Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said Qatar calls for an “immediate, comprehensive, and impartial international investigation” into Israel’s attacks in Gaza and that his country continues to work toward another ceasefire. (AJ 12/3)
The U.S. said that an American warship and several commercial ships were attacked in the Red Sea. Yemen’s Houthi government said it had attacked an Israeli ship with a missile and attacked another with a drone. The U.S. also said that its Rumalyn Landing Zone base in Syria was attacked by 15 rockets. (AJ, HA, HA, NYT 12/3; AJ 12/4)
In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian child succumbed to wounds sustained by Israeli forces during a raid in Jenin on 10/9. Masked and armed Israeli settlers, with military escort, killed 1 Palestinian man after abducting him, shot and injured 3 others and set fire to homes and vehicles during a raid in Qarawat Bani Hassan. Israeli settlers also raided Madama, setting fire to a home and a vehicle. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian shepherds in Deir Balut. Israeli forces shot and killed a 14-year-old Palestinian boy they claimed was approaching a checkpoint near Tell, carrying a knife. Israeli forces also shot and injured 9 Palestinians, including a 7-year-old boy who was shot in the neck and 2 other children, in Awarta, Jaba’, Beit Umar, and Beita. Elsewhere, Israeli forces prevented Palestinians from working their lands and seized a vehicle in Wadi Jahish in the Masafer Yatta area. 12 Palestinians were arrested during raid in and around Tulkarm, Nablus, Tubas, Jenin, Hebron, and Qalqilya. In Gaza, more than 200 Palestinians were killed, including at least 160 in 2 attacks on the Shuja’iya neighborhood of Gaza City and in Jabalia refugee camp. Israel said it hit more than 400 targets today, including 50 in Khan Yunis. Israeli forces dropped leaflets in Khan Yunis telling residents to leave to Rafah and told residents of the eastern part of Gaza City and Jabalia to flee towards west. Israel said it had assassinated the commander of Hamas’ Shuja’iya Brigades Wisam Farhat. 2 Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza. Rockets were launched from Gaza at Israel, reportedly injuring 1. In Lebanon, Israel attacked several places and rockets and mortar shells were fired at Israel. In Syria, Israeli forces killed 2 Iranian military advisors in airstrikes. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/2; HA, HA, REU 12/3)
More than 15,380 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 6,150 children and 4,000 women, and around 37,000 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 245 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 65 children. More than 3,200 people have been injured. Israel reported that 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. 77 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.8 million Palestinians, nearly 80% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. As of 11/18, at least 45,000 housing units had been destroyed and 233,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 60% of all housing units. 100 trucks carrying aid, including fuel, and 7 Saudi donated ambulances arrived in Gaza. 903 people were evacuated to Egypt, including 13 injured Palestinians. (AJ, AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 12/2)
French president Emmanuel Macron arrived in Qatar to help efforts for a new ceasefire. Macron said that Israel will not gain lasting security by killing Palestinian civilians. Israel said it had pulled its team of negotiators from the Mossad back to Israel from Qatar. Hamas deputy leader of the political bureau Salah al-Arouri said Hamas would not negotiate about releasing the remaining captives while Israel continues its attacks on Gaza. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, REU, REU 12/2)
PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan in Ramallah urging him to investigate Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Several Palestinian human rights groups refused to meet with Khan, calling him unprofessional. Khan had toured Israel since 11/30. (HA, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 12/2; AP 12/3)
U.S. secretary of defense Lloyd Austin said during a speech at the Reagan National Defense Forum that he had “repeatedly made clear to Israel’s leaders that protecting Palestinian civilians in Gaza is both a moral responsibility and a strategic imperative.” Austin also said he had urged them to “prevent violence by settlers in the West Bank, and to dramatically expand access to humanitarian aid.” Vice President Kamala Harris said that “too many innocent Palestinians have been killed . . . . Frankly, the scale of civilian suffering, and the images and videos coming from Gaza, are devastating.” (HA, REU, REU 12/2)
The UK said it will fly a surveillance aircraft over Gaza to locate captives. (HA 12/2)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked 2 Palestinians harvesting olives in Burqin, injuring them with sticks and stones. 2 Israeli settlers were shot and injured at the Itamar settlement. Israeli forces shot and killed 2 Palestinian during raids in Bethlehem and at-Tabaqa. Israeli forces also raided Bethlehem, injuring 64 Palestinians and firing tear gas near an orphanage, leading to the evacuation of 100 children. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 3 Palestinians, including a child, during raids at Birzeit University and in al-Mughayyir and Sabastia. 55 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, Nablus, Tulkarm, Ramallah, Tubas, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces demolished the family home in Shu’fat refugee camp of a 13-year-old boy who was arrested after he allegedly stabbed and killed 1 Israeli soldier on 2/13. The father and brother of the Palestinian child were arrested and beaten by Israeli forces ahead of the demolition. The U.S. condemned the demolition. In Gaza, 241 Palestinians were killed, including 43 members of the same family, and around 500 injured in Israeli airstrikes. Israel said it assassinated Hamas member Mahsan Abu-Zina. Israel also said 1 Israeli soldier was killed and 2 seriously wounded in northern Gaza. Rockets were fired at Israel; no injuries were reported. In Syria, Israeli forces conducted airstrikes near Damascus, killing 3 people said to be members of Hezbollah. (HA 11/7; AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/8; AJ, HA 11/9; AP 11/10)
The Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 10,569 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,324 children and 2,823 women, and 26,475 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 2,450 people were buried in rubble, including 1,350 children. 155 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 44 children. More than 2,397 people have been injured. Around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 injured since 10/7. 33 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began. Over 1.61 million Palestinians, around 70% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. As of 11/6, at least 40,000 housing units have been destroyed and 220,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting around 45% of all housing units. Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City shut down most of its operations after running out of fuel and being hit by Israeli airstrikes daily since 11/5. 106 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing. No one was evacuated from Gaza to Egypt. It was estimated that 50,000 people fled the northern part of Gaza to the south, bringing the total number to 72,000 since 11/5. UNRWA said 99 of its staff members had been killed since 10/7, including 2 in the past 24 hours. The WHO said that diarrhea and chickenpox were spreading in Gaza and warned that there was a risk of cholera and other epidemics. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate said 44 Palestinian journalists had been killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and 25 have been detained in the West Bank since 10/7. (AP 11/7; AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/8; AJ, HA, REU 11/9; AJ 11/10)
The Israeli High Court of Justice ruled to evict Israeli settlers who had been occupying Palestinian-owned land for 30 years in the Jordan Valley. The court accepted a petition by 20 Palestinian landowners filed 5 years ago but gave the settlers 7 years to leave the 1,000 dunams (250 acres) of land which was planted with date-bearing palms. The judge wrote in her ruling that the settlers’ cultivation of the land was done in violation “of international law, but also in violation of the government’s declared policy and even contrary to halakhic law.” (HA 11/9)
PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki filed a complaint to the International Atomic Energy Agency over Israeli heritage minister Amichai Eliyahu’s comment that Israel could drop a nuclear bomb on Gaza, calling the comment the “prevailing discourse in Israel” and “an official recognition that Israel possesses nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction.” PA president Mahmoud Abbas spoke with Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte, who invited Abbas to the Netherlands. Abbas also spoke with Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese, urging him to help stop the Israeli attacks in Gaza, calling it genocide. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/8; AJ, REU 11/9)
Hamas deputy political leader Saleh al-Arouri condemned the U.S. for supporting the continuation of the war on Gaza while encouraging humanitarian pauses and called on Arab states that have normalized relations with Israel to sever political and economic ties. Al-Arouri also said Hamas is ready for a comprehensive deal that would see all Palestinian prisoners released by Israel in exchange for the captives held by Hamas. (AJ 11/8)
Israeli education minister Yoav Kisch said Israel could rebuild Israeli settlements in Gaza. Military chief of staff Herzl Halevi told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that the PA has been working extensively to prevent pro-Hamas demonstrations in the West Bank. (HA 11/8; HA 11/9)
U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken said Israel should not reoccupy Gaza after the war and that Palestinians in Gaza should not be forcefully displaced from Gaza. Haaretz reported that unnamed European diplomats were worried about Israeli politicians’ call to reoccupy Gaza. (HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU 11/8)
The G7 issued a joint statement after a meeting in Tokyo condemning Hamas, supporting Israel’s right to self-defense, and calling for “humanitarian pauses.” (AP, HA 11/7; AJ, AP, HA, NYT 11/8)
26 Democratic senators signed a letter to the Biden administration requesting clarification on Israel’s strategy in Gaza. More than 1,000 staffers from the U.S. Agency for International Development signed a letter calling for an “immediate ceasefire.” 100 congressional staffers also staged a walkout demanding a ceasefire. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT 11/8; AJ 11/9)
The Wall Street Journal reported that Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi had rejected a proposal by CIA director William Burns that would see Egypt take control of the security in Gaza before the PA can take over after Israel’s war. The New York Times reported that a Qatari-mediated deal to release 50 of the Hamas-held captives failed after Israel decided to launch its ground invasion on 10/27. (AJ, HA 11/8; AJ 11/9)
The U.S. Department of Defense said the U.S. military had attacked a facility used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in eastern Syria; 9 people were reportedly killed. Yemen shot down a U.S. drone flying over Yemeni territorial waters. (AJ, HA, NYT 11/8; AJ, HA, HA, NYT 11/9)
Italy said it would send a hospital ship to the coast of Gaza to treat injured Palestinians. (AJ 11/8)
Spanish minister for social rights Ione Belarra called on the international community to sanction Israel and said Israel was carrying out a “planned genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza. Belgian deputy prime minister Petra De Sutter called on the Belgian government to place sanctions on Israel and investigate its bombings of hospitals and refugee camps. (AJ, AJ 11/8; HA 11/9)
Brandeis University banned a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, claiming the student group openly supports Hamas. (AJ 11/8)
In the West Bank, a Palestinian succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces during a raid in Ras Karkar last week. Israeli settlers posing as Israeli forces made 3 Palestinian families demolish their residential tents on the outskirts of Hizma. Israeli forces shot and killed 4 Palestinians during a raid in Jenin, 9 were injured, including 1 in a drone strike on a house. Israeli forces also shot and killed a Palestinian during a raid in Yatta. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 44 Palestinians during raids in Beita, Hebron, Zawata, Safa, al-Ram, Dura al-Qara’, ‘Anata, and Dheisheh refugee camp. 60 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Silwad, Hebron, Nablus, Bethlehem, Tulkarm, and Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian in Shaykh Jarrah, claiming he had stabbed and injured a police officer. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 304 Palestinians. Israel said it had carried out 600 airstrikes in the past 24 hours. Hamas said it had repelled Israeli advances near Gaza City, forcing Israeli tanks and bulldozers to retreat. Israel hit the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, causing extensive damage. Near Lebanon, an Israeli soldier was killed and 2 others injured when an Israeli tank rolled over them. Israel attacked several places in Lebanon; 3 mortar shells were fired at Israel. In Syria, Israeli forces carried out airstrikes, saying they had hit targets that fired rockets toward Israel. (AP 10/29; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/30; HA, NYT 10/31)
The Gaza Ministry of Health said at least 8,309 Palestinians have been killed, including around 5,000 women and children, and 21,048 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. 1,800 Palestinians, including 940 children, have been reported missing. In addition, Israeli media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. 122 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 33 children. More than 2,208 have been injured. Israeli officials recorded no new fatalities, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals; 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. The UN reported that over 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half the population in Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7 and that since 11 p.m. on 10/12 there has been a complete electricity blackout due to the Israeli blockade. As of 10/23, at least 27,781 housing units had been destroyed and 150,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. At least 45% of all housing units have been either destroyed or damaged in Israeli airstrikes. UNRWA said 10 of its staff have been killed in the past 3 days, bringing the total number of UNRWA staff killed by Israel to 63. 26 trucks carrying aid to Gaza entered via the Rafah crossing. The WHO said it had not been able to resupply al-Shifa and al-Quds hospitals because of the risk of Israeli airstrikes. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said an Israeli airstrike damaged its warehouse in Gaza City. Israel closed off the water to Gaza again after reopening 2 water lines in the past week. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 10/30)
Hamas released a video of 3 Israeli captives, calling on Israel to facilitate their release. Israel said it had rescued 1 captive from Hamas during an operation in Gaza. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU 10/30)
Al Jazeera journalist Youmna ElSayed said her family had received a phone call from Israel warning them to flee south from Gaza City. Al Jazeera condemned the threat against their journalist in a statement, saying “Israel’s actions continue with impunity as they attempt to silence the messenger.” (AJ, AJ 10/30)
PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki met with Cypriot foreign minister Constantinos Kombos, discussing the need for an immediate ceasefire. (WAFA 10/30)
Israeli media reported that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, informing him that monthly payments to the PA delivering the PA’s tax revenue had stopped. (AJ 10/30)
A draft document written by the Israeli Ministry of Intelligence said Israel may try to forcefully displace Palestinians in Gaza to Egypt. 2 other options in the document included that Israel hands control of Gaza to the PA or that is establish “local Arab rule” by Palestinians in Gaza. Israeli sources verified the authenticity of the document but said the government is not expected to debate the proposals. (HA 10/30; AP 10/31)
The Israeli High Court of Justice denied a petition by 3 Israeli organizations to remove a temporary order allowing worsening conditions for Palestinian prisoners. The judges said “[t]he assessment of human rights violations in times of war is not comparable to such assessments in peaceful situations.” (HA 10/30)
Al-Haq, al-Mazan, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights urged ICC prosecutor Karim Khan to issue arrest warrants for “Israeli authorities and military personnel.” (AJ 10/30; WAFA 10/31)
At the UN Security Council, PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour criticized the international community for not forcing Israel to stop its bombing of Gaza, saying “they are besieged and bombed with nowhere safe to go.” Israeli UN ambassador Gilad Erdan wore a yellow Star of David, resembling the markings forced on Jewish people by Nazi Germany, saying “Never Again.” Dani Dayan, the chairperson of the Israeli Holocaust Remembrance Center, Yad Vashem, said Erdan’s actions “disgraces both Holocaust victims and Israel.” UNRWA commissioner-general Phillippe Lazzarini told the Security Council that a ceasefire was a “matter of life and death for millions,” and charged Israel with collective punishment. (AJ, NYT, WAFA 10/30; AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, WAFA 10/31; HA 11/1)
Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant said Hamas will “die fighting” or “surrender without any conditions.” (AJ 10/30)
U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. does not support a ceasefire, reiterating the White House’s position that a ceasefire would only benefit Hamas. Kirby stated the U.S. position was to support “temporary, localized humanitarian pauses for aid, and for people to get out.” The U.S. also said 4 rockets were launched at the Ain al-Asad air base, causing no injuries or damage. Saudi defense minister Khalid bin Salman said he discussed the need for a ceasefire during a meeting with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. (AJ, HA, REU, REU 10/30; AJ 10/31)
UK foreign secretary James Cleverly said the UK was working to facilitate a temporary ceasefire to allow more aid to enter Gaza. UK parliamentary private secretary Paul Bristow was fired from the Conservative government for writing a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak calling for a ceasefire. (AJ, REU 10/30; AJ, AJ, HA 10/31)
Axios reported that Mossad director David Barnea traveled to Qatar over the weekend for meetings with Qatari officials regarding a prisoner exchange with Hamas. U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken spoke with Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, discussing the humanitarian situation in Gaza and Qatari efforts to mediate a prisoner exchange. (AJ, AX, HA 10/30)
OIC secretary-general Hussein Brahim Taha condemned the Israeli attacks on Gaza, calling on the international community to intervene. (WAFA 10/30)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in Burin, assaulting them at gun point and stealing tools, phones, and olive crops. Israeli settlers also raided Qarawat Bani Hassan, opening fire at Palestinians harvesting olives, forcing them to flee. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers uprooted 55 trees using a bulldozer in al-Twana. Israeli settlers also assaulted Palestinians in Khallet ad-Dabi, causing fractures and bruises on several of them. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian homes in Arab al-Milehat near Jericho. Israeli forces killed 7 Palestinians, including 2 children, during raids in Jenin refugee camp, Qalqilya, and Qalandia refugee camp; 5 of the Palestinians were killed in a drone strike on Jenin refugee camp. Israeli forces also shot and injured 28 Palestinians during raids in Jenin refugee camp and Qalandia refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces razed land and uprooted 25 trees near Beit Umar. 52 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, Salfit, Jenin, Tubas, Bayt Awa, and Beit Umar. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli settlers with a military escort also attacked Palestinians in al-Sawana, injuring 3, including 2 with baton rounds and 1 by assault. Israeli forces demolished a Palestinian home in Shaykh Jarrah, displacing 9. Israel also forced a Palestinian family to demolish their own home in Bayt Hanina. 20 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed 756 Palestinians, including the wife, son, daughter, and grandchild of Al Jazeera Gaza bureau chief Wael Dahdouh in an airstrike that was said to be targeting him. Israeli airstrikes also destroyed a bakery in Dayr al-Balah shortly after it received a shipment of flour. Rockets were fired at Israel, causing damage and injuries. In Lebanon, Israeli attacks killed 2 members of Hezbollah, increasing the number of Hezbollah members killed to 40 since 10/7. In Syria, Israeli forces attacked Aleppo International Airport, rendering it out of service, and killed at least 8 and wounded 7 others in a different attack in southwestern Syria. (AJ 10/24; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/25; AJ, AP, AP, AP, WAFA 10/26)
The Gaza Ministry of Health said as of 5 p.m. at least 6,547 Palestinians had been killed, including at least 4,000 women and children, and 17,439 had been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. It is estimated that 1,500 were trapped in rubble. In addition, Israeli media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. 102 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 29 children. More than 1,833 have been injured. Israeli officials recorded no new fatalities, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals; 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. The UN reported that over 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half the population in Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7 and that since 11 p.m. on 10/12 there has been a complete electricity blackout due to the Israeli blockade. At least 27,781 housing units have been destroyed and 150,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. At least 45% of all housing units have been either destroyed or damaged in Israeli airstrikes. The Committee to Protect Journalists said at least 24 journalists have been killed since 10/7, including 20 Palestinians, 3 Israelis, and 1 Lebanese. The UN said the shortage of fuel was undermining its efforts to help Palestinians in Gaza. Israel told 40,000 Palestinians in Dayr al-Balah and Khan Yunis to evacuate to al-Mawasi. (AJ 10/24; HA, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA 10/25; AP 10/26)
The Palestinian Federation of Trade Unions said between 9,000 and 9,500 Palestinians from Gaza, employed in Israel, were in Israel on 10/7. 5,000 of them made it to the West Bank, with some 2,000 of them subsequently being arrested by Israel while 1,000 are unaccounted for. A Palestinian worker told Haaretz after he was released from an Israeli detention camp that Palestinians were held in the sun for 2 days without food, while they were blindfolded and their hands were tied. He also said he was beaten and threatened with death during an interrogation. (AJ 10/24; HA 10/25; HA, WAFA 10/26; AJ 10/28)
Oxfam said Israel was using starvation as a weapon of war, saying only 2% of the food that circumstances would have entered Gaza under normal circumstances has been delivered since 10/7 and that 104 trucks of food are needed daily to cover the needs of the population. (AJ 10/25)
Hamas deputy political leader Saleh al-Arouri and Islamic Jihad secretary-general Ziad al-Nakhalah met with Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. (AJ 10/24; AJ, HA, REU 10/25; HA 10/26)
U.S. president Joe Biden questioned the accuracy of the death toll reported by the Gaza Ministry of Health. Human Rights Watch said the data provided by the ministry is accurate, saying their own investigations are aligned with the ministry’s data. Biden also criticized Israeli settlers for “attacking Palestinians in places that they are entitled to be.” After a call with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a readout of the conversation stated that they discussed a “pathway for a permanent peace.” Newly elected House of Representatives speaker Mike Johnson’s first act as speaker was to bring a pro-Israel resolution to the floor, which passed 412-10, with 6 voting present. The U.S. said it will send 2 Iron Dome batteries and 300 interceptors to Israel. (AJ, REU 10/24; AJ, HA, HA, NYT, NYT 10/25; AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, REU 10/26)
At the UN Security Council, the U.S. and UK vetoed a Russian resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire. China, Gabon, Russia, and the UAE voted for the resolution while the 9 other members abstained. Russia and China vetoed a U.S. resolution calling for “humanitarian pauses.” The UAE also voted against it, while Albania, France, Ecuador, Gabon, Ghana, Japan, Malta, Switzerland, and the UK voted in favor. Brazil and Mozambique abstained. (AJ 10/24; AJ, REU 10/25; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, WAFA 10/26)
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a speech that he will not visit Israel as planned and that relations between the 2 states will not improve, calling Israel’s attacks on Gaza “inhumane.” Erdoğan also said Hamas is a liberation group that protects its lands and people. (AJ 10/24; AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU 10/25; NYT 10/26)
French president Emmanuel Macron met with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who said the 2 discussed the “many, many civilian casualties” that could result from an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza. Macron also met with King Abdullah II of Jordan in Amman. Macron said France will deploy a navy ship to bring aid to Gaza hospitals via Egypt. (AJ 10/24; HA, REU, REU 10/25; AP 10/26)
Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf called UK prime minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer’s refusal to call for a ceasefire “infuriating.” (AJ 10/24)
The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. has asked Israel to hold off on its planned ground invasion of Gaza until the U.S. has bolstered its defenses in Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, and the UAE. Haaretz reported that as of 10/22, 80 U.S. military planes have landed in Israel, Jordan, and Cyprus. (HA 10/24; HA, HA, NYT, REU 10/25)
Axios reported that U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken has asked Qatar to “tone down” Al Jazeera’s rhetoric on the Israeli attacks on Gaza. (AJ 10/24)
Fans of the Scottish soccer club Celtic waived 100s of Palestinian flags during a Champions League match against Atletico Madrid in Glasgow. (AJ 10/24; AJ 10/26)
In the West Bank, a Palestinian teenager succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces last week in Anabta. Israeli settlers assaulted a Palestinian man and threatened to demolish his family’s home in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli settlers also rammed a Palestinian vehicle in Ras Karkar, opening fire at the driver and passengers, injuring 3, including 2 with live ammunition. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers set fire to a Palestinian home in Talfit and vandalized 10 vehicles in Beit Iksa. Israeli forces shot and injured 3 Palestinians in Ras Karkar. 51 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, and Jenin, including Hamas member Adnan Hamarsheh. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities closed the Haram al-Sharif compound for Muslim worshippers, allowing Israeli settlers to tour the compound. Israeli forces also demolished a house in Jabel Mukaber and a commercial structure in Sur Baher. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed 704 Palestinians, including 305 children. Israel said that its military has attacked 400 sites in Gaza and assassinated 3 members of Hamas. Rockets were fired at Israel, causing damage. Israel said it killed 10 militants who had tried to enter Zikim by sea. In Syria, Israeli forces fired artillery at what it said were militants near the Golan Heights. (AJ 10/23; AJ, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/24; WAFA 10/25)
The Gaza Ministry of Health said as of 5.pm. at least 5,791 Palestinians had been killed, including at least 3,600 women and children, and 16,297 had been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. It is estimated that 1,500 were trapped in rubble. In addition, Israeli media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. 95 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 27 children. More than 1,833 have been injured, including at least 360 with live ammunition. Israeli officials recorded no new fatalities, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals; 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. The UN reported that over 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half the population in Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7 and that since 11 p.m. on 10/12 there has been a complete electricity blackout due to the Israeli blockade. At least 27,781 housing units have been destroyed and 150,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. At least 45% of all housing units have been either destroyed or damaged in Israeli airstrikes. The Indonesian Hospital, the largest hospital in northern Gaza, lost power for a period of time overnight. 8 trucks carrying aid, including 5 with water, 2 with food, and 1 with medical supplies, entered Gaza (AJ 10/23; AJ, AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 10/24; AJ 10/25)
25-year-old Palestinian Arafat Hamdan died in the Ofer Prison, a day after Omar Daraghmeh died at the Megiddo Prison. Hamdan was arrested by Israeli forces on 10/22. The Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council urged the Red Cross to visit the 2 Israeli prisons and investigate the deaths. (AJ 10/23; HA, WAFA 10/24; WAFA, WAFA 10/25)
PA health minister Mai al-Kaila said hospitals in Gaza were no longer able to receive new patients, saying 12 hospitals were no longer operational due to Israeli airstrikes or lack of fuel and that 65 doctors and nurses have been killed by Israel since 10/7. (AJ 10/23)
Israel dropped leaflets in Gaza saying Israel will provide security and monetary rewards for information on where Israeli and foreign captives are being kept. (AJ 10/23; HA 10/24)
Israeli attorney general Galia Baharav-Miara approved an emergency regulation to allow Israel to detain members of Hamas for 90 days without access to a lawyer. (HA 10/24)
The New York Times published an investigation into what Israel called evidence that an errant rocket caused the explosion at al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City on 10/17, finding that the Israeli-presented video did not prove that a rocket fired by Islamic Jihad caused the explosion. The Times suggested that the video footage pointed to a projectile fired from the Nahal Oz area of Israel at Gaza as the cause. (NYT 10/24)
French president Emmanuel Macron visited PA president Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, who called for an immediate end to the Israeli aggression. Macron had visited Israel earlier in the day, meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Macron called for the international coalition fighting ISIS to also fight Hamas and said that 30 French nationals were killed by militants during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. (AJ 10/23; AJ, AP, HA, WAFA 10/24; AP 10/25; HA 10/26)
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi spoke with PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki and Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen, urging steps be undertaken to prevent further escalation and establish a lasting peace. (AJ, WAFA 10/24)
U.S. president Joe Biden spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu, urging him to not interfere with humanitarian aid for Gaza. Biden also spoke with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. is not calling for a ceasefire as a “ceasefire right now really only benefits Hamas.” (AJ, HA 10/23; HA, NYT, REU 10/24)
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said the Hamas operation did not happen in a vacuum, referring to “56 years of suffocating occupation” and that the Hamas operation did not justify Israeli “collective punishment of the Palestinian people.” Israeli UN ambassador Gilad Erdan called on Guterres to resign. Foreign Minister Cohen canceled a meeting with Guterres. Israel also said it would refuse visas to UN officials. (AJ 10/23; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, WAFA 10/24; AJ, REU, WAFA 10/25; AP, WAFA 10/26)
At the UN Security Council, Foreign Minister al-Maliki called on the council to act to stop Israeli massacres of Palestinians, labelling them savage and systematic. Iranian UN ambassador Saeed Iravani said the U.S. was exacerbating the conflict by providing “unwavering support for the [Israeli] occupation.” Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry said the governments that remain silent on Israeli attacks on civilians are “participating in the crimes.” Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud called for an immediate ceasefire and for Israel to lift its siege on Gaza. Foreign Minister Cohen rejected calls for a ceasefire. (AJ 10/23; HA, NYT, WAFA, WAFA 10/24; AP, AP 10/25)
NBC News reported that 24 U.S. soldiers suffered minor injuries in attacks on U.S. bases in Syria and Iraq on 10/18. (AJ 10/24)
Florida governor, and republican presidential candidate, Ron DeSantis, banned the group Students for Justice in Palestine, falsely claiming it supports terrorism. (HA 10/24; AJ 10/25)
The Council on American-Islamic Relations called the Biden administration’s refusal to call for a ceasefire “unacceptable.” (AJ 10/23; HA 10/25)
Palestine Legal said it has responded to 260 incidents of people in the U.S. being targeted for supporting Palestine, including people being fired and losing job opportunities. (AJ 10/24)
Japan donated $10 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza, including $7 million to UNRWA and $3 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross. (WAFA 10/24)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers shot and killed 2 Palestinians during a funeral procession for 4 Palestinians killed by Israeli settlers in Qusra on 10/11. Israeli settlers also attacked Palestinians and Palestinian property in Nabi Salih, Huwwara, Abu Kabash, Khirbet Zanuta, Jaba’, and al-Twana, injuring at least 2. Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian minor in Jayyus. Israeli forces also shot and killed a Palestinian who allegedly shot and injured an Israeli soldier near Ibziq. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian woman traveling in a car with her son, who was injured, in Ein Yabrud. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters, injuring 7 with live ammunition in Nabi Ilyas, Sinjil, Bethlehem, and Beit Umar. Meanwhile, Israeli forces assaulted 2 Palestinians, including a 9-year-old, demolished a gate to a school, and seized a Palestinian flag in Khirbet Zanuta. Israeli forces also demolished 2 Palestinian homes in al-Janiya. Separately, Israeli forces sealed a pizzeria in Huwwara that had used a picture of one of the Israeli captives for an online ad; Israeli settlers had earlier tried to attack the pizzeria. 60 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Jenin, Jericho, Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah, Nablus, Qalandia, Qalqilya, and Tulkarm. The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said Israel has arrested more than 200 people in the West Bank since 10/7. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian after he allegedly shot and injured 2 Israeli police officers in near Bab al-Zahra. The PFLP said that the man was of a member of its organization. In Gaza, an Israeli airstrike killed at least 45 people in Jabalia refugee camp. Further airstrikes killed hundreds of Palestinians and destroyed at least 8 high-rise residential towers, with the most severely hit areas being Gaza City, Rafah Nuseirat, and Dayr al-Balah. The UN said that while rockets were still fired from Gaza they had dissipated in intensity. Rockets from Gaza killed 2 Israelis and wounded several others. In the Naqab, Israeli police shot and injured 2 Palestinian citizens of Israel in Rahat, claiming they were from Gaza. In Lebanon, militants killed an Israeli soldier using an anti-tank missile. A drone from Lebanon was shot down over Israel. In Syria, Israeli forces attacked the international airports in Damascus and Aleppo, damaging the runways. (AP 10/7; AJ 10/11; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AP, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/12; AJ, AJ, HA, WAFA 10/13; HA 10/14)
Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor confirmed earlier reports that Israel had used white phosphorus munitions to attack Gaza and Lebanon. The Israeli military said that it was “currently not aware of the use” of white phosphorous munitions in Gaza. The Gaza Ministry of Health said at as of 2 p.m. least 1,417 Palestinians had been killed and 6,268 had been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. In addition, Israeli media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. 34 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 6 children. More than 500 Palestinians had been injured, including at least 175 with live ammunition. Israeli media reported that around 1,300 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 3,391 injured in Israel since 10/7. The UN reported that 423,000 Palestinians have been displaced since 10/7 and that since 2 p.m. on 10/11 there has been a complete electricity blackout due to the Israeli blockade. At least 4,626 housing units have been destroyed in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said hospitals in Gaza were turning to graveyards as medical equipment has stopped working due to the lack of power and that 3 out of 5 water plants in Gaza, serving 1.1 million people, were out of service due to the Israeli bombing and blockade. The ICRC also said it was in contact with Hamas and Israel about the captives held in Gaza. The Israeli Air Force bragged on X that Israel had dropped 6,000 bombs on Gaza since 10/7. (AJ 10/11; AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HRW, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/12; AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 10/13)
Israeli energy minister Yisrael Katz said Israel would continue preventing energy, water, and fuel from entering Gaza until the Israeli captives are released. (AJ 10/11; AJ, REU 10/12)
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said that Israel must allow fuel, food, and water into Gaza. (AJ 10/11)
Jordan said it will send a military plane with humanitarian aid for Gaza to Egypt. (AJ 10/11; HA 10/12)
Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Palestinians must “stay steadfast and remain on their land” as Egypt feared that allowing Palestinians to flee to Egypt would mean their permanent displacement from Gaza. Egypt also said planes carrying international aid to Gaza should use the al-Arish Airport 28 miles from the Gaza border. (AJ 10/11; REU 10/12; REU 10/14)
The UK said it had deployed 2 naval ships and a surveillance aircraft to the eastern Mediterranean to support Israel. (AJ 10/11; HA 10/12)
The Commission for Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs said that, starting on 10/11, Israel cut off water and electricity to Palestinian prisoners in the Naqab Prison. (WAFA 10/12)
Hamas military spokesperson Abu Obeida said Hamas began preparing for Operation Al-Aqsa Flood in 2022 and managed to recruit 4,500 fighters for the operation. He added that Hamas is prepared for an Israeli ground invasion. Hamas deputy political leader Salah al-Arouri called the operation a “preemptive strike” based on intelligence that Israel was planning to attack after the Sukkot holidays. Al-Aruri also said it initially only took soldiers as captives but that the entry of armed civilians resulted in chaos and that many of the Israeli deaths were the result of Israeli actions, citing the Hannibal Directive that allows Israeli forces to kill Israelis rather than allow enemies to hold them captive. Hamas also released a video produced last month of its training exercise “Strong Pillar” preparing militants for Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. (AJ 10/11; AP, HA 10/12)
PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with Jordanian king Abdullah II in Amman, saying that he rejects the killing of civilians by Israel and Hamas. (AJ 10/11; HA, REU, REU, WAFA 10/12)
The Knesset approved the new war cabinet and swore-in National Unity Party members Benny Gantz, Gadi Eisenkot, Gideon Sa’ar, Chili Tropper, and Yifat Shasha-Biton as ministers without portfolio. (HA 10/12)
U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken landed in Israel for meetings with Israeli leaders. In a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken invoked the Holocaust and said he was in Israel to support the country “as the United States Secretary of State, but also as a Jew.” Blinken and Netanyahu compared Hamas to ISIS, with Blinken saying the Israeli government had showed him pictures and videos of infants shot, soldiers beheaded, and people burned alive. Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari claimed that a guide by ISIS and al-Qaeda on producing IEDs was left behind by militants near Gaza. Blinken is expected to meet with PA president Mahmoud Abbas and King Abdullah II of Jordan in Amman on 10/13 and later travel to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Qatar. The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. is in contact with Egyptian and Israeli officials to help evacuate around 500-600 U.S. citizens living in Gaza via the Rafah crossing. 17 members of Congress, led by Sara Jacobs (D-CA), signed a letter to the State Department urging it to evacuate Palestinian Americans from Gaza and the West Bank. (AJ 10/11; AJ, HA, HA, HA, REU, REU, REU 10/12; REU 10/13)
Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant spoke to NATO defense ministers, claiming Israeli women were raped and dragged to Gaza and that the Hamas operation was the worst for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. These widely circulated rape claims have not been verified. (HA, HA 10/12)
Lebanese caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati urged all Lebanese groups not to get pulled into “Israel’s plans,” and condemned the Israeli attacks. (AJ 10/11)
The OIC condemned Israel’s attacks on Gaza. (WAFA 10/12)
South Africa offered to help mediate a “conflict resolution,” calling for the immediate and unconditional opening of “humanitarian corridors.” (AJ 10/11; HA 10/12)
Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called on Israeli president Isaac Herzog to establish a humanitarian corridor to Egypt and to end the total blockade of Gaza, allowing electricity, water, and medicine in hospitals. (AJ 10/13)
German chancellor Olaf Scholz criticized PA president Mahmoud Abbas for not speaking out against the Hamas operation on 10/7 and said Germany will suspend all development aid to Palestine until Germany has completed a review of its aid. Scholz also said Germany would ban the organization Samidoun because it handed out pastries at a pro-Palestinian protest on 10/7. (AP, HA 10/12; HA 10/16)
The Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee said it had received multiple calls about Palestinians being detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or receiving visits from the FBI, and that the FBI visited several mosques in the U.S. (AJ 10/11; REU 10/13)
France banned pro-Palestinian protests, claiming they would “generate disturbances to public order.” When protesters took to the street in Paris in defiance of the ban, French police assaulted them using water cannons and tear gas. More than 1,000 Tunisians also protested in Tunis. (AJ 10/11; AJ, AP, HA 10/12; REU 10/13)
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan spoke for the first time since Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, saying the ICC does have jurisdiction over potential war crimes carried out by either Israel or Palestinian militants in the current war. (REU 10/12; AJ 10/18)
Former U.S. president and current Republican front-runner for the next presidential election, Donald Trump, said that he will “never forget that Bibi Netanyahu let us down,” and called Defense Minister Gallant “a jerk.” Trump complained that Netanyahu tried to take credit for killing Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in 2020, saying that “did not make me feel too good.” Rolling Stone reported that Trump had told allies that he wants Netanyahu impeached. (HA, HA, HA 10/12; REU 10/13)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in Burin, injuring 2 Palestinians. Video footage of the incident released by Yesh Din shows Israeli soldiers directly aiding the settlers in the attack by handing them smoke grenades. The settlers also threw stones at homes nearby, smashing solar panels. Israeli settlers also threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near Duma, causing damage. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers raided Huwwara, injuring 2 by physical assault and others with pepper spray and by throwing stones at vehicles, causing damage. Israeli settlers also razed Palestinian land and an agricultural road in al-Farisiyya. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles near Hebron, causing injuries. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian and injured 3 others with live ammunition during a late-night raid in Jenin refugee camp. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinians harvesting olives in Qaffin, causing tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Aida refugee camp, injuring 1 minor with live ammunition and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Qalqilya, injuring 1 minor with live ammunition. Meanwhile, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 2 with baton rounds and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters at the Huwwara checkpoint, causing tear-gas related injuries. Separately, Israeli forces raided the funeral house where family and friends were mourning their relative shot by Israeli forces on 10/19. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Hebron and al-Arroub refugee camp, causing tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians protesting the siege of Nablus at the Beit Furik checkpoint, injuring 2 with baton rounds and others with tear gas. (AP 10/20; AJ, HA, MEE, PCHR, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/21; HA 10/22; ALM 10/24; PCHR 10/27; UNOCHA 11/1)
Haaretz reported that there had been more than 100 incidents of Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the past 10 days. (HA, MEE, TOI 10/21)
In Syria, Israeli forces conducted air strikes near Damascus, causing damage at Dimas military airport. (HA 10/21; HA 10/23)
In the West Bank, 1 Israeli settler was shot and killed and 2 others wounded when 10 shots were fired at their car at the Homesh settlement outpost near Nablus. Israel’s public security minister Omer Bar-Lev called it “Palestinian terror,” despite not having identified a perpetrator. Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian-owned vehicles traveling near Jenin, causing damage. Israeli settlers also made roadblocks and threw stones at Palestinian vehicles in the Hebron area. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near Huwwara and Nablus. Israeli forces physically assaulted 4 Palestinians, including 1 minor, in Hebron. Israeli forces also demolished 2 houses under construction in Jericho. Elsewhere, Israeli forces confiscated 1 tractor and 1 digger in Masafer Yatta. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters during a raid in al-Arroub refugee camp, injuring 2 minors with rubber-coated bullets and others with tear gas. 6 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Silat al-Harithiya, Madama, Jericho, Beit Fajjar, and Hebron. (AP, HA, MEE, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/16; AJ, HA, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 12/17; PCHR 12/23)
The PA health ministry said that it had identified 3 cases of the highly infectious strain of the COVID-19 virus, the Omicron variant. The 3 were said to have returned to the West Bank from abroad before testing positive. 1 of 3 Palestinians in the West Bank are fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, and less than 140,000 have received a booster shot. (AP, HA, REU, WAFA 12/16)
Israel indicted a Palestinian taxi driver for having driven a Palestinian man from Qalqilya to the Damascus Gate plaza, before the man allegedly stabbed an Israeli and was subsequently executed by Israeli forces. The taxi driver is charged with negligence for not realizing that the man would commit an act of violence. (HA 12/16)
2 Palestinian men—1 a resident of Jaffa and 1 from Gaza—were charged with spying on behalf of Hamas by gathering information about the Iron Dome system and taking photos of Israeli soldiers in Ashkelon. (HA, MEMO 12/16)
In Syria, the Syrian military said Israeli missiles fired from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights had killed 1 Syrian soldier and caused damage in the south of the country. The Syrian military said its air defense system had intercepted most of the Israeli missiles. (AP 12/15; REU 12/16)
Israel’s environmental protection ministry said it had blocked a plan to allow oil tankers unloading crude oil from the UAE in the port of Eilat, which had been negotiated as part of the 2 countries’ normalization agreement. The plan would have seen the crude oil transferred from Eilat to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea. (REU 12/16)
The Times of Israel reported that the U.S. had shelved its plans to reopen a consulate to Palestinians in Jerusalem. ToI also said the Palestinian affairs unit at the U.S. embassy to Israel had begun reporting directly to the U.S. state department, rather than reporting to the U.S. ambassador to Israel, as had been the case since the Trump administration merged the consulate in Jerusalem with the U.S. embassy as part of its move from Tel Aviv. (TOI 12/15; MEMO 12/16; ALM 12/20)
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee announced it is launching 2 political action committees, which will allow the lobby organization to spend unlimited funds on political campaigns in the U.S. without having to report its spending to the U.S. government. (HA 12/17)
Meta Platforms Inc., the owner of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, announced that it had suspended some 1,500 fake accounts used to spy on people. The accounts are linked to 6 companies, including the Israeli companies Black Cube, Cognyte, Cobwebs Technologies, and Bluehawk CI. The 6 companies were said to have been targeting some 50,000 people. (HA 12/16; AJ 12/17; HA 12/21)
AP reported that the state of Oregon was exploring ways to divest $233 million of its employee retirement fund from Novalpina Capital, which owns a majority share in the Israeli spyware company NSO Group. NSO Group was blacklisted by the U.S. government in November for assisting in human rights abuses. The Oregon decision follows criticism from Oregon senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), who has been vocal about U.S. sanctions on NSO Group for abuses related to its Pegasus spyware. (AP 12/15; AP 12/17)
Ukrainian ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk said that Ukraine recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel during a speech at an event marking 30 years of relations between the 2 countries. Ambassador Korniychuk also said that he is seeking to open a branch of the Ukrainian embassy to Israel in Jerusalem. Israeli media speculated that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will open the embassy branch during a scheduled visit to Israel in 2022. (ALM, HA 12/17)
In the West Bank, 1 Israeli settler shot and killed 1 Palestinian and injured 1 other when the 2 confronted a group of settlers attempting to set fire to their crops near al-Rihiya, south of Hebron; +972 reported that the settlers mutilated the body of the Palestinian man they had shot dead. 10 Palestinians were killed and 209 wounded by Israeli forces throughout the West Bank. The casualties included: 1, and 39 injured during a protest in Shwaika near Tulkarm; several others were reported injured; 1 protester, and 2 injured in Salem; 1 protester in Asira; 1 protester, and 4 injured in Beita; 1 protester, and 18 others injured by live ammunition in Ya‘bad; 1 protester in Marda; 1 protester in Iskaka; 1 protester, and 4 injured in ‘Urif; 1 protester in Jericho; 1 Palestinian at a checkpoint, who allegedly tried to ram Israeli soldiers near Silwad; 148 protesters injured by live ammunition and rubber-coated bullets during protests in and around Dayr Nidham, Bayt Dajan, Bayt Furik, al-Fawar refugee camp, al-Khadir, Salfit, Tayassir, Huwwara, Aqraba, Ni‘lin, Jenin, Qalqilya, Tulkarm, and Qusra. 13 Palestinians were arrested, including 6 during late-night raids in and around Qalandia refugee camp, Bayt Umar, and Sa‘ir; 7 were arrested during protests at the al-Jalama checkpoint near Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shot and injured 19 Palestinians using live ammunition, rubber-coated bullets, and sound bomb canisters during protests in and around Shaykh Jarrah, Bayt Hanina, Silwan, and the Old City. 7 Palestinians were arrested during raids in al-Tur, Silwan, and Sur Bahir. In Gaza, 22 Palestinians were killed, including 6 children, and dozens injured, raising the comprehensive death toll since 5/10 from 114 to 136, including 33 children and 2 pregnant women. The casualties included: 9, including 3 children, and 73 injured, including 20 children, in air strikes on buildings in Bayt Lahiya and Bayt Hanun; 4 in an air strike on Gaza City, including 1 child; 3, including 1 child, in air strikes on Jabaliya; 1, and 16 injured, including 2 children, in air strikes on al-Bureij refugee camp; 1, and 1 wounded in an air strike on Abasan; 1 in an air strike while riding a motorbike in Rafah; 1 Palestinian was found dead in rubble from an air strike in Dayr al-Balah on 5/13; 1 Palestinian child succumbed to wounds sustained in an air strike on Gaza City on 5/12; 1 Palestinian succumbed to wounds sustained in an air strike on 5/12 in Bayt Lahiya. Israel also said it had assassinated 3 Hamas operatives, Shadi Abed Al-Hadi, Osama Shehadeh, and Zakaria Zarendah. Israeli air strikes also destroyed an interior ministry building west of Gaza City and 3 poultry farms near Rafah, killing more than 10,000 chickens. Israeli forces also struck the fishing ports in Gaza city and Khan Yunis. Damage to power lines in Gaza was reported, significantly reducing the amount of available electricity. In Israel, Israeli forces killed 2 people after several people crossed from Lebanon into Israel by Metula. Israel also said that 3 rockets were fired at Israel from Syria, with 2 landing in open land in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and 1 in Syria. 2 rockets from Gaza hit 2 houses in Sderot, causing damage and 1 injury. 1 rocket from Gaza lightly injured 1 Israeli driving near Beersheba. Israel barred people from outside of Lydda from entering the city from 4 p.m. and barred all its residents from leaving their homes after 9 p.m. 1 Palestinian-Israeli minor was seriously injured, and another minor lightly injured, after a firebomb was thrown at their house in Jaffa; Israeli police claimed without evidence that it was 2 Palestinian-Israeli men that had thrown the firebomb. Israeli forces were filmed kicking Palestinian-Israeli vehicles traveling in Umm al-Fahm and firing stun grenades at them for no apparent reason. Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian-Israeli minor in Lydda, claiming he tried to throw a firebomb at them. 5 Palestinian-Israelis were arrested in Umm al-Fahm after a fire was ignited at the town’s city hall. 9 Palestinian-Israelis were arrested in ‘Akka. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian-Israeli protesters in Kafr Kana, injuring 28. Israel also told international news outlets that it would conduct a ground invasion of Gaza shortly and then later apologized to the news outlets for providing false information; analysts suspected that Israel used the media outlets to lure Hamas militants into tunnels before heavily bombarding said tunnels; Israel said that dozens were killed in the attack on the tunnels. Israel also shot down 1 drone sent from Gaza. 1 Israeli woman succumbed to injuries sustained after falling while running to a shelter in Neta’im on 5/11, raising the Israeli death toll to 9. In Jordan, some 500 protesters tried to enter the West Bank through the Allenby bridge, but were dispersed by Jordanian forces 3 miles from the border. In Amman, thousands of protesters called for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador and ending the Jordanian-Israeli peace treaty. (AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, PCHR, PCHR, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/14; AJ, AP, AP, GDN, HA, HA, HA, PCHR, PCHR 5/15; TOI 5/16; HA 5/19; PCHR 5/20; MEE 5/21; NYT 5/26; +972 6/8; INT 7/15)
The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said that 42% of the 119 people who have been killed in the Israeli attack on Gaza, at the time of reporting, were women and children. It also said 830 people had been injured. The UN estimated that 10,000 Palestinians have been internally displaced during the current escalation so far. (AJ, HA 5/14)
Spokesperson for PA president Mahmoud Abbas Nabil Abu Rudeineh said that the silence of the U.S. administration was encouraging Israeli war crimes in Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank. (WAFA 5/14)
Morocco sent 40 tons of emergency aid to Palestine and denounced Israel’s aggression toward Palestinians. (HA 5/15)
The U.S. deputy assistant secretary for Israel and Palestinian affairs Hady Amr landed in Tel Aviv in an attempt by the U.S. administration to deescalate the situation. (AX, HA 5/14; HA 5/15)
A letter co-signed by 11 Jewish Democrats in the house of representatives, led by Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), urged the Biden administration to be more active in ending the escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas and to do more to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The 11 members of Congress also expressed concern about the violence in East Jerusalem and urged Israel to halt the “unjust eviction” of Palestinians from their homes in Shaykh Jarrah, and said that the U.S. must address the deepening occupation. (HA 5/15)
Democrats in the House also debated the attack on Gaza on the floor, with 1 group of 11 speaking in defense of Palestinians and 1 group of 10 defending Israel’s actions. (AJ, HA 5/14)
ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said that she will continue with her inquiry into potential war crimes committed by Israelis and Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories despite Israel’s refusal to cooperate. Chief Prosecutor Bensouda also said that the investigation will include the current escalation of the conflict. (HA, REU 5/14)
The Italian trade union of port workers said that its members in Livorno had refused to load a shipment of weapons and explosives to be shipped to Israel, citing Israel’s attack on Gaza. (AA 5/15; WAFA 5/16; IN 5/17)
In the West Bank, PA president Mahmoud Abbas declared a 30-day state of emergency after 7 Palestinians tested positive for the COVID-19 virus in Bethlehem. All churches and mosques in Bethlehem were told to close for at least 2 weeks and all schools, tourist sites, and national parks throughout the West Bank were to be closed for 30 days. Israeli forces carried out 2 punitive demolitions of the homes of 2 alleged Palestinian attackers in Birzeit. Israeli forces also handed a stop-work order for agricultural structures near Qalqilya and demolished a retaining wall for a farm in Ni‘lin. 11 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Jenin, Burin, and Tubas. In Gaza, 10 people were killed and at least 60 were injured by a fire that started in a bakery and spread to a crowded market in Nuseirat refugee camp in the central part of Gaza. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/5; AJ 3/6; PCHR 3/18)
Israel attacked 2 different positions in central and southern Syria. According to Syrian media, 1 person was killed and the attacks were carried out over Lebanese air space. (HA 3/5)
In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted some 200 olive trees and 80 vine trees in al-Khadir. Israeli forces demolished 2 residential structures and 2 animal barns south of Hebron; and 1 house and 1 workshop in al-Walaja. 12 Palestinians were arrested in and around Hebron, Jenin, Qalqilya, and Ramallah. 1 Fatah official from Jericho was placed in 6-month administrative detention without charges. During a raid in Jenin, Israeli forces and Palestinians clashed; 1 Palestinian was injured by a rubber-coated bullet. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian minor was arrested. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian agricultural lands east of Dayr al-Balah and al-Maghazi; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/27; PCHR 3/5)
In Syria, an Israeli drone strike killed 1 person near Quneitra. Syrian opposition media reported that the man was a Hezbollah operative, while Syrian state media said he was a local policeman. (HA 2/27)
Japan donated $22.4 million for various UNRWA projects throughout Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. (WAFA 2/28)
In the West Bank, the Israel Electric Corporation cut power for 10s of thousands of Palestinians in Ramallah for 3 hours between 2pm and 5pm. Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian-owned vehicles driving on a road between Nablus and Qalqilya, causing damage. Israeli settlers also vandalized a number of Palestinian-owned bulldozers in the Jordan Valley by filling their fuel tanks with sand. 5 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Jenin, and Qalandia. In East Jerusalem, 3 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids, including a Fatah official. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on agricultural lands, damaging a municipality truck. In a separate incident, Israeli forces fired tear gas near Khuza‘a; no injuries were reported. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen 3 nautical miles off the coast of Jabaliya; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/15; PCHR 12/19)
The Qatar Fund for Development signed a $20.7 million contribution agreement with the UNRWA for Palestinian refugees in Syria. (WAFA 12/15)
In the West Bank, the entrance to ‘Azun east of Qalqilya was blocked by Israeli forced for the 15th day in a row. Israeli forces also sealed the entrance to al-‘Arub refugee camp north of Hebron and al-Fawar refugee camp south of Hebron. Separately, Israeli forces conducted raids in Sair, Bayt Umar, and Sabastiyya. During the raid in Sabastiyya, several Palestinians suffered from tear gas inhalation after clashes with Israeli forces. During late-night raids in and around Sair and Jenin, Israel forces arrest 7 Palestinians and injure 2 others. In East Jerusalem, the Israeli minister of agriculture Uri Ariel toured Haram al-Sharif along with a group of Israeli settlers and security forces. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces fired toward Palestinian fishermen 3 nautical miles from the shore of al-Sudaniyya; no injuries were reported. 2 Palestinians were arrested by Israeli forces near the Gaza fence. (MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/11; MNA, MNA, WAFA 4/12)
It was announced that the Saudi Arabian government, through the Saudi Fund for Development, donated $23 million to UNRWA projects across Syria, Jordan, Gaza, Lebanon, and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, to maintain school and health centers. (WAFA, UNRWA 4/11)
U.S. senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced to the Senate a resolution (S. Res. 171) seeking to restore bilateral assistance to the West Bank and Gaza after the Trump administration slashed all aid to Palestine in 2018. The bill was co-sponsored by Chris Coons (D-DE), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). (Congress 4/11; HA, WAFA 4/18)
Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmlands near Rafah and Khan Yunis, causing no damage. They also arrest 2 Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel near Jabaliya refugee camp. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries (1 fisherman is arrested and his boat is confiscated). In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raze a swath of Palestinian land to set up an illegal settlement outpost near Nablus. Also near Nablus, settlers also uproot 33 olive trees from a Palestinian grove and throw stones at Palestinian vehicles, causing no reported damage or injuries. Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian barn and uproot a number of nearby trees outside al-‘Arub refugee camp near Hebron. They also deliver stop-work orders to a Palestinian home under construction near Hebron. IDF troops arrest 10 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Qalqilya, Ramallah, Salfit, Jenin, and Nablus; and patrol near Nablus and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, dozens of right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif in the morning. Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian during raids in the Old City. (MNA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/10; MNA, MNA, WAFA 3/11; PCHR 3/14)
PA president Mahmoud Abbas appoints senior Fatah official Mohammed Shtayyeh prime minister, replacing outgoing prime minister Rami Hamdallah. Abbas calls on Shtayyeh to form a new government that can work toward reuniting Gaza and the West Bank and prepare for a new round of elections. Meanwhile, PA finance minister Shukri Bishara announces that the PA will only be paying 50% of its civil servants’ salaries for 2/2019 due to budget constraints stemming from Israel’s decision to withhold a fraction of the tax revenues transferred monthly to the PA. (AP, HA, MNA, REU, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, YA 3/10; MNA 3/11)
A Palestinian minor succumbs to injuries sustained when IDF troops violently dispersed Palestinian demonstrations along Gaza’s border fence on 2/22. This brings the death toll stemming from the Great March of Return to 208. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 3/11; EI 3/13)
Hours after the Israeli Air Force bombed several Hamas sites across Gaza, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Hamas should not expect Israel to abstain from a full-scale assault on Gaza because there is an Israeli election coming up on 4/9. “I suggest to Hamas—don’t count on it,” he adds. “We will do everything necessary to restore security and quiet to the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip and to the south in general.” (TOI 3/10)
In response to an Israeli television personality saying that Israel is a country for all its citizens, Israeli prime minister Netanyahu says that Israel is a state for Jews alone. “Israel is not a state of all its citizens. According to the Nation-State Law that we passed, Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish People—and them alone.” (HA 3/11)
Japan announces a $7 million contribution to UNRWA to support Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and Syria. (MNA, WAFA 3/10)
IDF troops violently disperse hundreds of Palestinians gathering along Gaza’s border near Gaza City, Khan Yunis, and Jabaliya refugee camp to continue the Great March of Return; 2 Palestinians are injured. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Khan Yunis and Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian home in Bayt Jala near Bethlehem and remove a stretch of pipeline supplying water to Yatta near Hebron. IDF troops arrest 16 Palestinians during raids in and around Ramallah, Hebron, Salfit, and Qalqilya; and patrol near Jenin, Tulkarm, Qalqilya, and Hebron. (MNA, WAFA, WAFA 2/13; MNA, PCHR 2/14; PCHR 2/21)
Representatives of 60 countries, including Israel, convene in Warsaw for a U.S.- and Poland-sponsored conference on security in the Middle East. The conference was initially intended to focus solely on Iran, but has been broadened to focus on other security issues across the region, including the wars in Syria and Yemen, as well as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Before getting on a plane to Warsaw, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says, “I think that holding this conference, in which Israel, the U.S., various countries around the world and from the region sit down in one place and discuss one topic—which, in my opinion, is the most important for our national security—is a very important achievement.” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Vice President Mike Pence represent the U.S. (REU, YA 2/13)
Japanese ambassador Takeshi Okubo signs an agreement for Japan to provide $15.93 million in aid to the PA, specifically for the improvement of the PA’s solid waste collection and transportation system. (MNA, WAFA 2/13)
An Israeli settler is killed in a car accident involving a Palestinian driver near Nablus. The Palestinian flees the scene, but later turns himself in to the authorities. Israeli settlers retaliate for what they interpret as an attack by throwing rocks and bottles at Palestinian vehicles near Nablus (40 cars are damaged), torching an excavator being used for a Palestinian construction project in nearby Urif village, and attempting to set fire to a Palestinian home in nearby Jalud village. Late at night, settlers destroy 200 olive trees in a Palestinian grove near Nablus. Also in the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 4 Palestinians during raids in Qalqilya and near Bethlehem; and patrol near Qalqilya, Jenin, and Hebron. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries (4 fishermen are detained and 2 boats are confiscated). In southern Israel, Israeli forces demolish the Bedouin village al-Araqib for the 132d time since 2010. (MNA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 8/16; JP, WAFA, WAFA 8/17; PCHR 8/30)
UNRWA Commissioner General Pierre Krähenbühl announces that despite a massive budget shortfall the agency will be able to open its schools in the occupied Palestinian territories, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria on time on 8/29. “I wish to be clear that UNRWA is by no stretch of the imagination out of the woods,” he adds. “We need a further $217 million to ensure that our schools not only open but can be run until the end of the year.” (JP, MNA, WAFA 8/16)
Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on a Palestinian landfill near Dayr al-Balah and at a group of farmers and shepherds near al-Bureij refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries. They also violently disperse Great March of Return protesters near Rafah; 1 Palestinian is injured. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians marching through Bethlehem to commemorate the Nakba and protest the U.S. embassy’s impending opening in Jerusalem; there are no serious injuries. They also arrest 3 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during late-night raids near Qalqilya and Hebron, and patrol near Jenin, Tulkarm, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 2 Palestinians during a raid in Silwan. (WAFA 5/10; PCHR 5/17)
Breaking with Israeli policy not to take responsibility for any strikes in Syria, Israeli officials acknowledge the extensive attacks on Iranian infrastructure on 5/9. “If Iran hits us with rain—we will hit them with a deluge,” says Israeli DM Lieberman. He also says that the IAF destroyed “nearly all” of Iran’s military infrastructure in Syria. (JP, NYT, TOI 5/10)
The U.S. Treasury announces new sanctions on 9 Iranian individuals and entities deemed complicit in an “extensive currency exchange network” that funneled millions of U.S. dollars to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. (AFP, TOI 5/10)
Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on small groups of Palestinians approaching the border fence near Bayt Lahiya and alBureij refugee camp, injuring 2 minors. Separately, Palestinians fly incendiary kites across the border fence into Israel, where they land and set fire to Israeli farmlands, causing damage. Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land along the border fence near al-Bureij refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 8 Palestinians during raids in Issawiyya. (They arrest 19 Palestinians in the neighborhood within this week.) They also demolish a commercial facility and a gas station in Issawiyya. In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 16 Palestinians during raids near Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin, Qalqilya, and Salfit; and patrol near Hebron. (WAFA, YA 5/8; HA 5/9; PCHR 5/10)
U.S. president Trump announces his decision to pull the U.S. out of the 7/14/15 Iran nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), calling it “disastrous.” Trump reportedly plans to reimpose all sanctions waived in the context of the deal, and to impose new ones. (ALM, BBC, HA, JP, NYT 5/8)
Hours after Trump’s announcement, the IAF conducts air strikes on a military base near Damascus used by Iranian forces, killing at least 15 people, including 8 Iranian soldiers, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The IDF also goes on high alert and instructs local authorities in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to prepare bomb shelters in case of an Iranian attack from Syria. (HA, JP, YA 5/9)
Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land near al-Bureij refugee camp. IDF troops then arrest 4 Palestinian minors attempting to cross into Israel near the site of the incursion, and violently disperse Palestinian protesters throwing stones at the border fence near the main Great March of Return tent camp outside Khan Yunis (1 Palestinian is injured). Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli forces carry out the punitive demolition of the Jenin home of a Palestinian imprisoned in connection with the 1/9/18 killing of an Israeli settler. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers damage 20 Palestinian vehicles and spray-paint “Death to Arabs” on a nearby wall in Bayt Iksa. Some of the same settlers vandalize more Palestinian property in Rammun village near Ramallah later in the day. IDF troops arrest 1 Palestinian during a raid in Bethlehem, and patrol near Nablus, Hebron, and Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 5 Palestinians during raids in Silwan, Issawiyya, and the Old City. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 4/23; PCHR 4/26)
A deaf Palestinian succumbs to injuries sustained on 4/1 when the IDF violently dispersed peaceful protesters along Gaza’s border. A Palestinian witness to the shooting says that the deceased was walking away from the border fence when an Israeli sniper shot him in the back of the head. His death brings the death toll stemming from the Great March of Return to 36. (HA, MNA, WAFA 4/23; EI 4/24; PCHR 4/26; HQ 5/5)
A mortar fired from Syria lands in the Israelioccupied Golan Heights, causing no damage or injuries. IDF artillery then shell the area from which the mortar was fired, causing an unclear amount of damage or injuries. “The IDF sees the Syrian civil regime as responsible for all that happens on its territory, and will not tolerate any attempt to harm the sovereignty of the State of Israel or the security of its citizens,” the IDF states after the exchange. (HA, YA 4/23)
Palestinian diplomats file a formal complaint against Israel with the UN office in Geneva responsible for monitoring the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The complaint alleges that Israel has violated the convention in a variety of ways, including the parallel justice systems for Palestinians and settlers in the West Bank. “Not only is the purpose of the settlement regime discriminatory in itself, it is further maintained by a system of discriminatory measures, severely depriving Palestinians of their fundamental rights,” one diplomat says. (MNA 4/24)
In the West Bank, a Palestinian school in Hebron closes for the day after IDF troops shoot tear gas canisters onto school grounds amid minor clashes nearby. IDF troops arrest 3 Palestinians during raids in Ramallah and Jenin, and patrol near Tulkarm, Salfit, Qalqilya, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces issue an arrest summons to an Islamic Waqf guard during a raid at Haram al-Sharif. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land near Khan Yunis. (MNA 2/8; PCHR 2/15)
The Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing in both directions for the 2d of 3 days. (JP 2/8; OCHA 2/15)
Unidentified persons in Syria open fire on an Israeli drone flying over the Israelicontrolled Golan Heights. Errant bullets hit a home in Majdal Shams, causing minor damage. (HA, YA 2/8)
Near Jenin in the West Bank, Israeli forces carry out the punitive demolition of the home of a Palestinian imprisoned in connection with the killing of an Israeli settler on 10/4/2017. Meanwhile, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists at Friday protests against the 11/30 killing of a Palestinian farmer and Israel’s occupation, settlements, and separation wall in 3 villages near Ramallah (Nabi Salih, Bil‘in, and Ni‘lin), Kafr Qaddum near Qalqilya, Khirbat Qalqas near Hebron, and Qusra near Nablus; 1 Palestinian is injured. They also arrest 1 Palestinian and issue arrest summons for 2 more during raids in and around Bethlehem and Jenin. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers working near al-Maghazi refugee camp and on agricultural lands near Bayt Lahiya, causing no injuries. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Jabaliya refugee camp and Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 12/1; PCHR 12/7)
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) launches an air strike at a military base outside Damascus, Syria. According to Syrian press sources, the target was an Iranian military base 13 km south of the city. The extent of the damage is not reported. (HA, TOI 12/2)
Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces shoot and injure a Palestinian sailing near Bayt Lahiya. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops arrest 2 Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel. In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish 2 Palestinian homes in Halawa village south of Hebron and an agricultural structure in the nearby village of al-Tuwani. IDF troops arrest 6 Palestinians during late-night raids near Hebron, Qalqilya, Bethlehem, and Jenin, and patrol near Hebron, Qalqilya, and Salfit. (MNA, WAFA 10/19; HA, MNA, YA 10/20; PCHR 10/26)
Two days after Israel’s security cabinet imposed new conditions on Israel’s participation in a new round of peace talks with the Palestinians, U.S. special representative Greenblatt issues the first official U.S. response to the 10/12 Palestinian national reconciliation agreement: “All parties agree that it is essential that the PA be able to assume full, genuine, and unhindered civil and security responsibilities in Gaza and that we work together to improve the humanitarian situation for Palestinians living there,” he says, in a statement. “The U.S. reiterates the importance of adherence to the Quartet principles: any Palestinian government must unambiguously and explicitly commit to nonviolence, recognize the State of Israel, accept previous agreements and obligations between the parties—including to disarm terrorists—and commit to peaceful negotiations. If Hamas is to play any role in a Palestinian government, it must accept these basic requirements.” In response, a senior Hamas official accuses the U.S. of “blatant interference” in the reconciliation process. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 10/19)
A mortar fired from inside Syria lands in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, causing no damage or injuries. In response, Israeli tanks fire on a Syrian army position near Qunaytra. (TOI, YA 10/19)
In the West Bank, IDF troops assault and arrest a Palestinian during a patrol in ‘Azun village near Qalqilya. They also arrest 13 Palestinians during late-night raids near Bethlehem, Ramallah, Hebron, Jenin, and Nablus, and patrol near Hebron. Palestinian youths throw stones at an IDF patrol outside a settlement near Hebron, sparking minor clashes; 1 Palestinian is arrested. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces clash with Palestinians in Qalandia refugee camp and Issawiyya; there are no serious injuries. They also arrest a Palestinian during a late-night raid in the Old City. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land near Bayt Lahiya. Off Gaza’s coast late at night, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries. (MNA, WAFA 10/16; PCHR 10/19)
After days of positivity from both Hamas and the PA in the wake of the 10/12 reconciliation deal, a Hamas spokesperson criticizes the PA for not prioritizing the rollback of sanctions on Gaza. “It is not justified to continue the sanctions on Gaza, while the [PA] government is content with talking about getting control of border crossings and exploration for [natural] gas in Gaza,” he writes, on Twitter. His comments come after the Fatah Central Committee neglected to discuss the sanctions at a meeting on 10/15. Meanwhile, the PA’s director of border crossings, Nazmi Muhanna, arrives in Gaza. He says he is there to “to carry out the first article of the reconciliation agreement signed in Cairo [on 10/12] regarding taking over the crossings.” (TOI 10/16; MNA, TOI 10/17)
The Israeli NGO Peace Now reports that the Licensing Subcommittee of Israel’s Civil Administration has approved 31 building permits for new housing units in central Hebron, marking the first approval of new settlement construction in Hebron in 15 years. (AP, PCN, REU, TOI, YA 10/16; TOI 10/17)
A Syrian antiaircraft battery positioned east of Damascus fires on Israeli fighter jets allegedly flying in Lebanese air space, causing no damage or injuries. In response, the IAF launches an air strike on the battery. (HA, JP, NYT, TOI, YA 10/16)
IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists at Friday protests against the Israeli occupation, separation wall, and settlements in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Nabi Salih) and Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya; at least 1 Palestinian is injured. Elsewhere in the West Bank, an armed Palestinian opens fire on IDF troops conducting a late-night operation in Jenin, causing no injuries. (The Israeli soldiers were removing a memorial for Khaled Nazzal, a Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine [DFLP] leader assassinated by Israeli Mossad agents in 1986.) Meanwhile, IDF troops arrest 4 Palestinians and issue 2 arrest summons during late-night raids in and around Jenin and Bethlehem; and patrol nr. Nablus and Hebron during the day. Along Gaza’s border, a former resident of Gaza who moved to Israel 5 years ago under family unification law crosses back into Gaza. Hamas security forces take him into custody. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. In Israel, a deceased Palestinian from East Jerusalem washes ashore at Lake Tiberias. The cause of his death is not known. (HA, MNA, TOI 6/30; PCHR 7/6)
For the 5th time this week, errant mortar fire from Syria lands in an open area in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, causing no damage. The IDF returns fire at the source of the mortar. (MNA, TOI 6/30)
Israeli forces shut down a landfill in Rujayb village nr. Nablus. They also arrest 12 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during late-night raids nr. Ramallah, Jenin, Hebron, and Qalqilya, and patrol nr. Hebron. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no injuries or damage. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish 3 homes in Issawiyya, including 2 that are under construction. (MNA, WAFA 2/14; PCHR 2/16)
PA pres. Abbas meets with U.S. CIA dir. Mike Pompeo in Ramallah. They discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the ongoing conflict in Syria. No further details are released. (HA, JP, TOI 2/15)
An errant missile fired from Syria lands in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, causing no damage or injuries. (MNA 2/14)
A 6-year-old Palestinian is killed when an Israeli settler rams her with his vehicle outside Bethlehem. Early reports on the incident say it was an accident, but the driver’s intentions are unclear. IDF troops arrest 2 Palestinians and issue 2 arrest summons on late-night raids nr. Jenin and Bethlehem; and patrol nr. Hebron during the day. Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian farm lands nr. Qalqilya, destroying 13 olive trees. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers working nr. Gaza City. Off the coast nr. Jabaliya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats. There are no injures in either incident. (MNA 9/10; PCHR 9/22)
In the 3d such incident this week, an errant mortar from Syria lands in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, causing no serious damage. The IDF responds by firing artillery shots at Syrian govt. sites nr. the border. It is not clear how much damage is caused. (HA, JP, TOI 9/10)