The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers steal 53 sheep in Tuqu’. Israeli forces shoot and injure a 13-year-old Palestinian girl and uproot streets and other infrastructure during a raid in Jenin. Israeli forces also raid Dayr Sharaf, uprooting paved roads and water pipelines. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolish a house under construction in Umm al-Rihan. Israeli forces also seize a concrete pump in ‘Anin. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 30 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Hizma, Husan, al-Arroub refugee camp, Halhul, Dura, Qalqilya, and Nablus. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Dayr al-Balah, and Gaza City, killing at least 59 people. 2 rockets are fired at Israel; no damage is reported. In Kochav Yair, Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man, alleging that he rammed and injured 4 Israeli police officers. In the Red Sea, U.S. forces shoot down a missile and 2 drones launched from Yemen. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/3; AJ 4/4; UNOCHA 4/5)

More than 32,975 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,750 children and 8,900 women, and around 75,577 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 446 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 4,760 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, 255 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,549 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. 160 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. U.S. and Jordanian forces airdrop 38,000 meals over northern Gaza.  (AJ, HA, UNOCHA 4/3; UNOCHA 4/5)

UNOCHA says it has documented more than 700 settler attacks on Palestinians since 10/7/2023, killing 17 Palestinians and injuring more than 400 others. (UNOCHA 4/3)

6 Israeli intelligence officers tell +972 Magazine and Local Call that Israel is using an AI program called Lavender to mark Palestinians and their homes as bombing targets on the basis that they are suspected members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad. According to the sources, 37,000 Palestinians have been marked as suspected militants. The report says that human analysts would spend on average 20 seconds evaluating the targets picked by Lavender, to make sure the target is male, before giving authorization. The reporting also says that a different AI system called Where’s Daddy would track targets to make sure they were at the family residence before an airstrike is conducted and that Israel permits 15-20 civilians to be killed for every junior member of Hamas and Islamic Jihad killed, while it has given authorization for the killing of more than 100 civilians to kill a commander. In November, the 2 news outlets revealed that Israel’s military uses an AI program called Gospel to mark buildings that are then attacked. (+972, AJ, HA 4/3; AJ, REU 4/4)

World Central Kitchen (WCK) founder Jose Andres tells Reuters that the Israeli attack that killed 7 WCK aid workers on 4/1 was systematic and not an accident. Andres says WCK had clear communications with the Israeli military which knew of the aid workers’ movements, saying “[e]ven if we were not in coordination with the [Israeli military], no democratic country and no military can be targeting civilians and humanitarians.” (AJ, AX, HA, REU 4/3)

The Lebanese military says it was a landmine that wounded the 4 UNIFIL troops on 3/30. (AJ, NYT 4/3)

Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani says in a news conference that the main issue in the ceasefire negotiations is Israel allowing Palestinians to return to northern Gaza. (AJ, HA 4/3)

PA prime minister Mohammad Mustafa speaks with Bahraini foreign minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Italian foreign minister Antionio Tajani, and Jordanian prime minister Bisher Khasawneh in phone calls. PA president Mahmoud Abbas speaks with Algerian president Abdelmadjid Tebboune in a phone call. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/3)

Fatah accuses Iran of trying to spread chaos in the West Bank. (REU 4/3)

Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz calls for early elections in September. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects the call. Israeli energy minister Eli Cohen says “[i]f the United States, our greatest friend which I value tremendously, doesn’t completely back Israel, it has nothing to do in the Middle East.” (AJ, AX, HA, REU 4/3; AJ 4/4)

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says Palestinian statehood should be determined by “direct negotiations” and not at the UN in response to a PA push to have the UN Security Council vote on full UN membership for the State of Palestine. (HA, REU 4/3; AJ, AP 4/4)

At the UN Security council, the U.S., UK, and France oppose a Russian-drafted statement condemning Israel’s attack on the Iranian consulate building in Damascus on 4/1. UN General Assembly president Dennis Francis tweets that he is outraged by the Israeli killing of World Central Kitchen aid workers on 4/1 and expresses deep concern over the risk of an escalation after the Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate. (AJ, REU 4/3; AJ 4/4

Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf writes a letter to UK prime minister Rishi Sunak, calling on him to immediately end the sale of arms to Israel. 600 UK legal professionals, including 3 former Supreme Court justices, call on the UK government to suspend arms sales to Israel, saying the UK could be complicit in genocide in Gaza.  (AJ, AP 4/3; AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU 4/4)

Polish deputy foreign minister Andrzej Szejna summons the Israeli ambassador, saying he wants “to talk to the ambassador about the new situation in Polish-Israeli relations and about the moral, political, and financial responsibility for the event that recently took place in the Gaza Strip,” referring to the killing of 7 aid workers on 4/1, including a Polish national. Israeli ambassador to Poland Yacov Livne said on 4/2 in response to reports that Israel deliberately killed the aid workers that “anti-Semites will always remain anti-Semites.” In a separate statement, the Polish foreign ministry says Israel does not have “the right to abuse force and illegal settlement” and that Poland recognizes the “right of Palestinians to establish a state.” (AJ, HA, REU 4/3; AJ 4/4; AP 4/5)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbs to injures sustained from Israeli forces during a raid in Fawwar refugee camp on 6/17/2023. Israeli settlers set fire to a vehicle in Kafr Ni’ma. Israeli settlers also vandalize olive, almond, grape, and fig trees, demolish an agricultural structure, and steal property in Qusra. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian child and vandalize wheat and barley fields in Ein al-Beida in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces raid al-Fara’a refugee camp, destroying infrastructure and property. In East Jerusalem, 80,000 Muslim worshippers attend Friday prayers at the Haram al-Sharif compound. Thousands of worshippers from the West Bank are denied entry to East Jerusalem for the prayers. Israeli forces block Palestinian Red Crescent medics from entering the compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, Beit Hanun, and Rafah, killing at least 149 people, including 36 members of the same family gathered to break their fast in a home in Nuseirat refugee camp. Rockets are fired at Sderot; no damage is reported. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Hula, Marwahin, Kafr Kila, Ayta ash Shab, and Labbouneh. Hezbollah forces attack an Israeli radar site in Shebaa Farms. In the Red Sea, a missile fired from Yemen hits a tanker. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/15; AJ, HA, HA, WAFA 3/16; WAFA 3/17)

More than 31,490 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 73,439 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 425 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 111 children. More than 4,665 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, 247 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,476 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. UNICEF says that 31% of children under the age of 2 in Gaza are suffering from acute malnutrition. The UN says the rubble caused by Israeli attacks take years to clear. 187 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. U.S. forces airdrop 35,700 meals and 31,800 bottles of water over northern Gaza. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/15; HA, REU 3/16; WAFA 3/17; UNOCHA 3/18)

Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the PFLP, and the Palestinian National Initiative criticize the appointment of the new PA prime minister Mohammed Mustafa, calling it a “unilateral” designation by President Mahmoud Abbas that “inflicts harm on our people and national cause,” saying the formation of the new government should be done by national consensus. Fatah responds by saying Hamas caused the Israeli invasion of Gaza by “undertaking the October 7 adventure.” Agence France-Presse reports that Hamas, Islamic Jihad, PFLP, and Houthi movement members discussed coordinating their actions against Israel last week. (AJ, HA, REU 3/15; AJ, HA, HA 3/16) 

PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour sends letters to UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres and the presidents of the Security Council and General Assembly, urging them to act to stop the genocide in Gaza. (WAFA 3/15)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issues a statement saying that Israel will send a delegation to Qatar to continue ceasefire negotiations and that the Israeli military is preparing to invade Rafah. U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says Hamas’s ceasefire proposal is “within the bounds” of what has been discussed in recent months. Times of Israel, Channel 12, and Ynet report that an invasion of Rafah is not imminent. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant presents the security cabinet with 4 scenarios for the political situation in Gaza after Israel’s war, including Hamas control, Israeli occupation, chaos, and local rule in coordination with the PA, saying he prefer the latter scenario. (AJ, HA, REU 3/15; AJ, AJ 3/16)

Australia resumes funding of UNRWA. Foreign Minister Penny Wong says the “best available current advice from agencies and the Australian government lawyers is that UNRWA is not a terrorist organization and that existing additional safeguards sufficiently protect Australian taxpayer funding.” Australia will also deploy a military cargo plan to help airdrop aid in Gaza. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA 3/15)

German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock tweets on X that a “large-scale [Israeli] offensive in Rafah cannot be justified.” (AJ 3/15)

The Elders’ chairperson Mary Robinson calls on the U.S. to end arms transfers to Israel and says the “government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on the wrong side of history completely.” (AJ 3/15)

The ICJ says it will hear arguments in Nicaragua’s case against Germany, in which Nicaragua accuses Germany of “facilitating the commission of genocide” in Gaza on 4/8 and 4/9. (AJ, REU 3/15)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbs to wounds sustained from Israeli forces during a raid in Jenin on 2/29. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian child in Huwwara. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Balata refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces uproot around 400 olive tree saplings in Wadi Fukin. Israeli forces also punitively demolish a home in Kafr Dan. Meanwhile, Israeli forces demolish an agricultural structure in Shuqba. Israeli forces also assault 2 Palestinians during a raid near Tubas. Separately, Israeli forces shoot and kill a cow during a raid in al-Halawa in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces also arrest 22 Palestinians during raids in and around Kober, Ramallah, al-Bireh, Hebron, Tulkarm, Qalqilya, and Jericho, including a woman who was exchanged for Israeli captives during the prisoner exchange deal in November 2023. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Jabalia refugee camp, Gaza City, Beit Lahiya, and Khan Yunis, killing at least 97 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Hula, Jabal al-Batam, Majdal Zoun, and Kafra, killing 3 people, including a child, in Hula. Hezbollah attacks Kiryat Shmona, causing damage. In Yemen, U.S. forces attack 3 missile launch sites. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/5; AJ, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/6)

More than 30,631 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 72,043 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 415 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 108 children. More than 4,606 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, 244 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,453 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. 182 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The U.S., Jordan, Egypt, and France airdrop 36,800 meals in northern Gaza. (AJ, HA, NYT, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/5; UNOCHA 3/6)

Hamas says the “ball is in the Israeli court” after concluding 3 days of ceasefire negotiations in Cairo. (AJ, HA 3/5; NYT 3/6)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas meets with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. Erdogan says during a news conference that “Netanyahu and his accomplices in murder will surely be held accountable for every drop spilled before the law and public conscience,” calling the Israeli actions in Gaza “blatant genocide.” PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh meets with Dutch foreign minister Hanke Bruins Slot in Ramallah. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/5; WAFA 3/6)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issues a statement saying the number of worshippers allowed to enter the Haram al-Sharif compound during the first week of Ramadan will be similar to 2023. (AJ, HA, REU 3/5; NYT 3/6)

Foreign ministers of OIC countries convene in Jeddah for an extraordinary meeting on the situation in Gaza. The organization calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. (WAFA, WAFA 3/5; WAFA 3/6)

U.S. secretary of defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken meet with Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz in Washington D.C. Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan meet with Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, discussing ceasefire negotiations. Blinken calls the situation in Gaza “simply unacceptable.” (AJ, HA, REU 3/5; HA 3/6)

The U.S. Department of Treasury sanctions former Israeli official Tal Dilian for his involvement in selling spyware that is used on Americans. Dilian is the co-owner of Intellexa, which produces the Predator spyware. (AJ, HA 3/5)

AP and Canadian media report that Canada will resume UNRWA funding after seeing the interim report into the Israeli allegations that UNRWA staff took part in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. Later, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada has not made a final decision. (AJ, AP, HA 3/6; AJ, HA, REU 3/7)

Chile bans Israeli companies from taking part in the International Air and Space Fair in Santiago in April. (AJ 3/6)

Presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says when asked if he approves of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, “[y]ou have got to finish the problem.” A poll commissioned by the Center for Economic and Policy Research show that 52% of Americans think the U.S. should halt arms shipments to Israel, including 62% of Democrats. (AJ, AJ 3/6)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set a house and a car on fire in Burqa. Israeli settlers also throw stones at a home and damage 10 vehicles in Huwwara. Israeli forces shoot and injure 2 Palestinians during a raid in Sarra. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian woman in Zeita. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man, while others suffer tear-gas related injuries during a raid in al-Arroub refugee camp. Israeli forces also raze land in Husan. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 25 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, and Jericho; a crew of journalists from Palestine TV are detained, cuffed, and blindfolded during the raid in Jericho. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli settlers also fence off a tract of Palestinian-owned land in Silwan. Israeli forces assault a Palestinian man in Silwan, stealing his phone and cash. Israeli forces also deliver a demolition notice for a sports club and a school in Isawiya. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Rafah, Gaza City, Dayr al-Balah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Maghazi, Beit Lahiya, and al-Bureij refugee camp, killing at least 107 people. Israeli forces also open fire at Palestinians waiting to receive aid in Gaza City, killing 5 people and injuring at least 10.18 patients are evacuated from the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Ghaziyeh, injuring 14 people. Israeli forces also bomb Dhayra. Hezbollah attacks Barkat Risha. In Yemen, the Houthi movement says its forces shot down a U.S. MQ9 drone over Hodeidah. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/19; AJ, AP, AP, UNOCHA 2/20)

More than 29,092 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children and 7,200 women, and around 69,028 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 393 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 100 children. More than 4,511 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, 233 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,373 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. 9 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. Israelis block the Nitzana crossing between Israel and Egypt, preventing aid entering Gaza via crossing. The Global Nutrition Cluster finds that 16% of children under the age of 2 in northern Gaza are “acutely malnourished” and that 90% of children under 5 in Gaza are infected by 1 or more infectious diseases.” (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/19; AP, AP 2/20; UNOCHA 2/22)

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) says it has received information that Palestinian women and girls have been “arbitrarily executed in Gaza, often together with family members, including their children.” The office also expresses alarm over the arbitrary detention of hundreds of women and girls in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including reports of sexual assault of detainees, including rape. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says the U.S. “strongly encourage[s] Israel to thoroughly and transparently investigate credible allegations and ensure accountability for abuses and violations” in response to the OHCHR’s statement. (AJ 2/19; AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA 2/20)

Hamas says Israel has killed 6,000 of its armed forces since 10/7/2023, contradicting Israel’s claim that the number is 12,000. (HA 2/19)

The Institute for the Study of War and the Critical Threats Project say Israeli forces are constructing a road across Gaza, dividing the north and the south. (AJ 2/20)

The ICJ begins hearings in the case of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories. 52 countries will present oral and written arguments before the court between 2/19 and 2/26. The case was triggered on 12/30/2022 when a majority of members of the UN General Assembly voted to seek an opinion on the legal consequences of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki, PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour, and academics and legal experts address the ICJ judges on the first day of the hearings. Al-Maliki urges the judges to order an end to the Israeli occupation. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel does not recognize the legitimacy of the ICJ proceedings. (HA 2/18; AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/19)

At the UN Security Council, the U.S. circulates a draft resolution calling for a temporary ceasefire and calls an invasion of Rafah, under the current circumstances, dangerous to civilians and damaging for regional security. (AJ, HA, HA 2/19; NYT 2/20)

Prime Minister Netanyahu says he will submit legislation to the Knesset to reject “international efforts to force on us a Palestinian state.” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich tells his Religious Zionism party that he has called on Netanyahu to end the Oslo Accords if “unilateral steps [are] taken against the state of Israel,” including ending all transfers of funds to the PA. (AJ, HA, HA 2/19)

The Knesset fails to expel MK Ofer Cassif, reaching 85 out of 90 required votes. The campaign to expel Cassif follows his support of the South African genocide case against Israel at the ICJ. 11 MKs voted against the expulsion while 24 were absent. (AJ, HA, HA, REU 2/19; NYT 2/20)

The Qatari foreign ministry says Prime Minister Netanyahu is seeking to prolong the war on Gaza by calling on Qatar to pressure Hamas into releasing Israeli captives. (HA 2/18; AJ, HA, REU 2/19; HA 2/20)

EU high commissioner for foreign policy Josep Borrell says 26 of 27 EU members call for an immediate pause in fighting in Gaza. The only country not to support the statement is Hungary. (AJ, HA, REU 2/19)

Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva recalls the Brazilian ambassador to Israel in response to Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz saying Lula will not be welcome in Israel until he retracts comments comparing Israel’s assault on Gaza to the Holocaust. The presidents of Colombia and Bolivia express support for Lula’s comments. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA 2/19; AJ, HA, NYT 2/20; AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/21)

Spanish foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares says that if the EU does not take action against violent Israeli settlers then Spain will proceed with sanctions unilaterally. (AJ, HA, REU 2/19)

A report by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health projects that between 2/7 and 8/6/2024 the excess number of deaths in Gaza could range from 4,200 to 259,680. In the best scenario where a ceasefire is reached and no epidemics occur the mean estimate is 6,550 excess deaths while in the worst scenario where the attacks escalate and epidemics occur the mean estimate of excess deaths is 85,750. However, projections show that the number could be upwards of 259,680. (Gaza-Projections 2/19; NYT 2/21)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers spray racist graffiti on walls and set vehicles on fire in Turmus ‘Ayya. Israeli forces shoot and kill 2 Palestinians and injure 3 others during a raid in Tulkarm refugee camp, an Israeli soldier is injured during the raid. Israeli forces also shoot and kill a member of the PA security forces near Beit Furik. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces seal off the family home in Shu’fat of a Palestinian who was shot dead on 2/16 after allegedly killing 2 Israelis. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Khan Yunis, Dayr al-Balah, Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Beit Lahiya, killing at least 126 people. Israeli forces also fire tank shells at al-Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis. Israeli attacks render the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis inoperative as an eighth patient dies due to the lack of power at the hospital. 1 Israeli soldier is killed in combat. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fires an anti-tank missile at a building in Kibbutz Yir’on, causing damage. In the Red Sea, Houthi forces fire a missile at a UK-owned ship, causing damage. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/18; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/19; AP 2/20)

More than 28,985 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children and 7,200 women, and around 68,883 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 393 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 100 children. More than 4,499 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, 232 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,361 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. 38 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (WAFA 2/18; UNOCHA, UNOCHA 2/19)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh addresses the Munich Security Conference, saying the PA and Egypt will not allow Israel to push Palestinians into the Sinai. Shtayyeh also says the PA is prepared to cooperate with Hamas to achieve national unity. EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borrell highlights the plight of Palestinians in the West Bank during a speech at the conference. (AJ, HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/18)

The Israeli High Court of Justice dismisses a request for Israel to disclose the whereabouts of 62 Palestinians from Gaza who have been taken to Israel by Israeli forces and for them to be allowed to meet a lawyer. (HA 2/18)

The Israeli cabinet unanimously approves a declaratory decision to reject any unilateral recognition of the state of Palestine. Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz says Israel will limit the number of people entering the Haram al-Sharif compound during Ramadan. Channel 13 reports that the proposal was made by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The PA calls the decision “racist incitement against Palestinians.” The Supreme Fatwa Council of Palestine warns Israel of a “religious war” if Muslims are denied access to the compound during Ramadan. The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee says Ben-Gvir is organizing his own war against Palestinian citizens of Israel. (AJ, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU 2/18; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA 2/19; HA, HA, REU 2/20)

Norway says an agreement has been reached on the transfer of PA tax funds from Israel to the PA via Norway. Norway will withhold the part of the tax revenue Israel considers is for Gaza. Prime Minister Shtayyeh says after a meeting with Norwegian foreign minister Espen Barth Eide that the funds will not be transferred to the PA. (WAFA 2/18; AP, REU 2/19; WAFA 2/20)

Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva addresses the African Union Summit, calling Israel’s war on Gaza “genocide” and compares the attacks to the Holocaust, saying it has happened before “when [Adolf] Hitler decided to kill the Jews.” Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz summons the Brazilian ambassador. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/18)

UK Labour party leader Kier Starmer calls for a lasting ceasefire. (AJ, HA, REU 2/18; AJ 2/19)

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Biden administration is looking at ways to give direct financial support to the PA to prevent it from running out of funds. (HA, WSJ 2/18)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault 3 Palestinians in ‘Asira al-Qibliya. Israeli settlers also assault 2 Palestinian children in al-Mufaqara in the Masafer Yatta area. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities force a Palestinian family to demolish their own home in Silwan. Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian during a raid in Shu’fat refugee camp. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, and Beit Hanun, killing at least 83 people. Israel’s military says it has arrested around 100 Palestinians at the Nasser Hospital, claiming they are terror suspects. In Lebanon, Israel attacks Jabel Blat and Wadi Hamoul. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb Mahajjah, causing damage. In Yemen, U.S. forces attack 5 Houthi-linked sites. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/17; AJ, NYT, REU 2/18; UNOCHA 2/19)

More than 28,858 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children and 7,200 women, and around 68,677 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 390 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 100 children. More than 4,499 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, 232 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,361 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. 4 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (WAFA 2/17; UNOCHA, UNOCHA 2/19)

Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani says ceasefire negotiations are “not very promising” but that they will continue. Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh says that Hamas will not accept anything less than an end to hostilities and the lifting of the siege. (AJ, HA, REU 2/17; AJ 2/18)

PA prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh meets with South African president Cyril Ramaphosa at the sidelines of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa. Shtayyeh also addresses the summit, saying “[l]et the voice of Africa and the voice of the union be loud for the freedom of Palestine and the right of its people to self-determination and the embodiment of the Palestinian state and its recognition as a member of the United Nations.” (AJ, AP, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/17)

North Sinai governor Mohamed Abdel Fadhil Shousha says the leveling of land and building of walls near Gaza is to provide facilities for the delivery of aid and not for receiving Palestinian refugees. (AJ 2/17)

UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini says Israel is seeking to destroy UNRWA because it thinks the agency’s abolition would resolve the status of the Palestinian refugees. (AJ, AP, WAFA 2/17)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects international pressure for a 2-state solution, calling it “a reward for terrorism” and says he halted the ceasefire negotiations due to Hamas’s demands being “delusional.” President Isaac Herzog claims that medication brought into Gaza for Israeli captives has not reached the captives yet. (AJ, HA, NYT, REU 2/17)

Norway says Israel and the PA are close to reaching an agreement on the unfreezing of the PA’s tax revenue. (AJ, HA 2/17; HA 2/18; AJ 2/19)

U.S. envoy for humanitarian issues in the Middle East David Satterfield says Israel has not presented evidence that Hamas is diverting UN aid in Gaza. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says at the Munich Security Conference that there is an urgent need to create a Palestinian state and an extraordinary opportunity for Israel to normalize ties with its neighbors. U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield says the U.S. will veto a ceasefire resolution drafted by Algeria at the UN Security Council. (AJ, HA, REU, REU 2/17; AJ, AJ, HA, WAFA 2/18)

EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borrell says the EU has asked Israel not to invade Rafah. (AJ, WAFA 2/17)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set fire to a home, a vehicle, and 2 agricultural structures in Kisan. Israeli settlers also assault a Palestinian shepherd near al-Bireh. Israeli forces deliver demolition notices for 4 homes and a restaurant in al-Walaja. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man with a baton round during a raid in Shu’fat, others suffer tear-gas related injuries. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, Jabalia refugee camp, Khan Yunis, and Gaza City, killing at least 112 people. 5 people die at the Nasser Hospital after power outages cut oxygen supplies. 2 Israeli soldiers are killed in combat. In Bnei Re’em, a Palestinian man shoots and kills 2 Israelis and wounds 4 others at a bus stop before being shot dead by Israeli forces in East Jerusalem. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fires rockets at Ramya, killing an Israeli soldier. Israeli forces attack Bint Jbeil, Labourna, al-Naqoura, al-Fardis, Rachaya, al-Foukhar, and al-Harbiyah, causing damage. In Yemen, U.S. forces attack 2 sites near Hodeidah. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/16; HA 2/17; UNOCHA 2/19)

More than 28,775 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children and 7,200 women, and around 68,552 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 390 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 100 children. More than 4,499 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, 232 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,361 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. 199 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/16; UNOCHA 2/19)

The ICJ rejects South Africa’s request for additional provisional measures in the genocide case against Israel but says an Israeli assault on Rafah “would exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare with untold regional consequences” and orders Israel to adhere to the original provisional measures. Hamas welcomes the ICJ’s “direct and clear order to stop this brutal aggression leading to genocide against defenseless civilians.” (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA 2/16)

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) denies Israeli allegations that PRCS staff and equipment were involved in the attack on Israel on 10/7/2023, saying Israel deliberately creates a false narrative by circulating a video that clearly shows that the ambulance and staff in question are not from PRCS. (AJ 2/16)

The PA calls for sanctions on Israel, saying Israeli prime minister Benjamin “Netanyahu continues to disregard international demands and resolutions, and continues to kill our people, starve them, thirst them, and destroy their land to push them to emigrate.” (AJ 2/16)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant says the Israeli military is “thoroughly planning” its invasion of Rafah and claims that 30 UNRWA employees took part in the events on 10/7/2023. Israeli president Isaac Herzog meets with Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, discussing ceasefire negotiations. (AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA 2/16; REU 2/17)

Lebanon files a complaint with the UN Security Council over Israel’s killing of 11 civilians on 2/14. (AJ 2/16)

U.S. president Joe Biden says that he hopes Israel does not invade Rafah and stresses the need for a temporary ceasefire. At the Munich Security Conference, Vice President Kamala Harris says after Israel’s war on Gaza there should be “no reoccupation of Gaza, no change to its geographic territory, no return of terrorism by Hamas” and the PA should take over governance of Gaza. The foreign ministers of the U.S., UK, Germany, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Qatar discuss plans for Gaza after the war. (AJ, HA, REU 2/16)

Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov says Russia has invited all Palestinian factions to Russia for “inter-Palestinian” talks on 2/26. (AJ 2/16; AJ, HA 2/18)

French president Emmanuel Macron meets Jordanian king Abdullah II in Paris. In a joint press statement, Macron says that France will work with the EU and the UN Security Council to recognize a Palestinian state, adding it is no longer taboo in France. (HA, REU, WAFA 2/16; AP 2/17)

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Biden administration is preparing to send Israel around 1,000 MK-82 500-pound bombs and 1,000 KMU-572 JDAMs. (REU 2/16; AJ 2/17)

The New York Times reports that Israel was responsible for a sabotage attack on 2 gas pipelines in Iran on 2/15 and an explosion at a chemical factory near Tehran on 2/16. (HA, NYT 2/16; HA 2/17; AJ 2/18)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attack a Palestinian vehicle traveling near Nahalin, causing damage. Israeli settlers also set fire to an agricultural structure in Ya’bad. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian child, claiming he tried to stab soldiers at a checkpoint near al-Eizariya. Israeli forces also demolish a Palestinian home in al-Burj, displacing 7 people. Elsewhere, Israeli forces erect a surveillance tower and place caravans near Beit Umar. Israeli forces also arrest 28 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Silwad, Ramallah, Tulkarm, Hebron, Jenin, Tubas, and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, Gaza City, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 113 people. Israeli naval forces bomb an UNRWA aid truck. Israeli forces abduct al-Amal Hospital general manager Haider al-Qaddura and administrative director Maher Atallah as 8,000 people are evacuated from the hospital in Khan Yunis, which has been under an Israeli siege for 2 weeks. In Beershaba, Israeli police shoot and kill a Palestinian citizen of Israel after he allegedly tries to grab an Israeli police officer’s weapon. In Lebanon, Hezbollah attacks 2 Israeli military positions in Shebaa Farms and 1 in Yiftah. Israeli forces kill 3 members of the Amal Movement in an airstrike. In Yemen, U.S. forces bomb a drone launch site. (AJ, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/5; UNOCHA, WAFA 2/6)

More than 27,478 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 11,500 children and 7,200 women, and around 66,835 have been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 375 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 95 children. More than 4,415 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, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 223 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,300 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. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. UNOCHA says Palestinians sheltering in and around Khan Yunis and Rafah need 50,000 cold weather tents, 200,000 bedding sets, 200,000 sealing kits, and 200,000 winter clothing kits. 218 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. Jordanian and Dutch forces airdrop aid to the Jordanian Field Hospital in Gaza for the second day in a row. (AJ, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 2/5; AJ, UNOCHA 2/6)

The Israeli military issues evacuation orders for parts of Gaza City and Rafah. The military also says at least 540 Israeli soldiers have been injured in friendly fire since the ground invasion of Gaza began. (AJ, UNOCHA 2/5)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh says Israel has not transferred the PA tax funds to Norway and that the PA has not received any of the money. President Mahmoud Abbas meets with French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne in Ramallah, calling on France to recognize the state of Palestine. Sejourne meets Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz earlier in the day, with Katz thanking Sejourne for suspending UNRWA funding. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 2/5)

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid says he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would enter the emergency government to provide a safety net in favor of a ceasefire deal to get the remaining captives released. A no confidence motion against the government at the Knesset gets 21 votes in favor, failing to obtain the 61 votes required. (HA 2/5)

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres appoints an independent review group led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colanna to assess UNRWA’s neutrality and Israeli allegations against the agency. UK’s Channel 4 reports, after seeing the 6-page dossier Israel used to accuse 12 UNRWA staffers of taking part in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, that Israel “provides no evidence” to back its claim. Instead, the dossier states that “from intelligence information, documents, and identity cards seized during the course of the fighting, it is now possible to flag around 190 Hamas and PIJ terrorist operatives who serve as UNRWA employees. More than 10 UNRWA staffers took part in the seventh of October.” The New York Times reports that UNRWA will lose $65 million by the end of February due to funding suspensions by Germany, Japan, and Sweden. Spain says it will donate $3.8 million in aid to UNRWA.  (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/5; NYT 2/6; HA 2/7)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken meets with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, discussing humanitarian aid to Gaza and regional diplomacy. After the meeting, Blinken says that Saudi Arabia has a strong interest in pursuing normalization with Israel but that it requires “an end to the conflict in Gaza, and a clear, credible, time-bound path to the establishment of a Palestinian state.” Blinken also announces that the U.S. will cancel visas for employees of companies that provide spyware that is used against political activists, human rights defenders, and journalists. (AJ, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU 2/5; AJ, HA, NYT 2/6)

At the UN Security Council, China and Russia criticize the U.S. for its airstrikes on Iraq and Syria on 2/3. (AJ 2/6)

Amnesty International says Israeli killings of Palestinians in the West Bank since 10/7/2023 show “a chilling disregard for Palestinian lives” and “are in blatant violation of international human rights law.” (AI, AJ 2/5)

A man on a motorbike attacks a Palestinian American man driving in Austin, Texas, stabbing and wounding him and pulling a Palestinian flag from the car. (AJ 2/6)

The Japanese company Itochu Corporation’s aviation unit announces it will end its strategic cooperation with the Israeli defense company Elbit Systems, citing the ICJ ruling from January. (AJ, REU, WAFA 2/5)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces dressed as Palestinian civilians and medical staff raid the Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin, killing 3 Palestinians receiving treatment at the hospital. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian during a raid in Qiffin. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raid Nur Shams refugee camp and Tulkarm destroying 2 homes, displacing 12 people, and causing vast destruction to infrastructure. Israeli forces also demolish the Palestinian Equestrian Club in Qalandia. 18 Palestinians are arrested during late-night raids in and around Jenin, Ramallah, Hebron, Nablus, and Tulkarm. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities force a Palestinian family to demolish their own home in Jabel Mukaber, displacing 5 people. Israeli forces demolish a commercial structure in Silwan. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Dayr al-Balah, Nuseirat refugee camp, Beit Lahiya, Rafah, Gaza City, and Khan Yunis, killing at least 114 people. Israeli forces also detain dozens of Palestinians after raiding a shelter in Shati’ refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raid al-Amal Hospital, killing at least 1 woman and forcing people sheltering there to leave. Palestinians discover 30 bodies in a mass grave at a school in Beit Lahiya. The bodies are handcuffed and blindfolded. UNRWA says its staff and thousands of displaced Palestinians have been forced to leave Khan Yunis due to Israeli attacks. 3 Israeli soldiers are killed in combat. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fires rockets at a site in Metula. In the Red Sea, U.S. forces say they shot down a cruise missile fired from Yemen. (REU 1/29; AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/30; AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 1/31; AJ, UNOCHA 2/1)

More than 26,751 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 10,600 children and 7,200 women, and around 65,636 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 374 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 94 children. More than 4,382 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, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 222 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,283 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. At least 70,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 134 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA 1/30)

Israel hands over the bodies of 80 Palestinians it has killed in Gaza through the Karem Abu Salem crossing. (AJ, REU, WAFA 1/30; UNOCHA 1/31)

Israel acknowledges it is pumping water into tunnels under Gaza. (AJ, HA, HA, NYT 1/30)

5 Israeli prison guards accused of beating Palestinian prisoner Thaer Abu Asab to death in the Ketziot prison on 11/18/2023 are transferred to a different prison unit while Israel investigates the incident. (HA 1/30)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh meets with ambassadors and representatives from European countries in Ramallah, briefing them on the situation in Palestine. President Mahmoud Abbas speaks with Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/30)

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh says Hamas is reviewing the ceasefire proposal formulated by Israeli, Qatar, Egypt, and American officials in Paris over the weekend. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will not agree to a ceasefire deal that includes a large-scale release of Palestinian prisoners and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. (AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT 1/30)

The Knesset House Committee votes to expel Hadash-Ta’al MK Ofer Cassif, referring the impeachment to the Knesset plenum. (AJ, AP 1/30; HA, REU 1/31)

The UN Security Council expresses concern over the “rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.” U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield says the U.S. needs to see “fundamental changes” to UNRWA before it resumes its funding. Thomas-Greenfield also says the U.S. has reached out to Israel for more information about the allegations made by Israel against 12 UNRWA staffers. (AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA 1/30; AJ, NYT, NYT, UNOCHA 1/31)

The heads of UN agencies issue a statement calling on countries that have suspended aid to UNRWA to reverse their decisions. Sweden and New Zealand join the list of countries that have suspended funding of UNRWA. After suspending funding for UNRWA on 1/26, Canada announces a $28.8 million contribution to the World Food Programme, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization, earmarked for Gaza. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 1/30; WAFA 1/31)

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says Israel has a right to “bring terrorists to justice” in response to questions about the Israeli raid at the Ibn Sina Hospital. The Red Cross says the Israeli killing of the 3 people contravenes international law. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani in Washington D.C., discussing a “just and durable solution for the Palestinian cause,” according to a Qatari statement. (AJ 1/30; AJ 1/31)

U.S. senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) issues a statement calling on the Biden administration to restore funding of UNRWA. (AJ 1/30)

Kataib Hezbollah announces a suspension of hostilities against U.S. forces, saying it does not want to “embarrass” the Iraqi government. (REU 1/30; AJ 1/31; REU 2/1)

Times of Israel reports that Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant told Israeli lawmakers that Israel should be able to operate in Gaza the same way it operates in the West Bank after the war, using the Israeli raid on the Ibn Sina Hospital as an example. (AJ 1/30)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers open fire at Palestinian homes in Jalud. Israeli settlers also begin construction of a settler road on Palestinian-owned land in Battir. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian child during a raid in Arrabah. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a 9-year-old Palestinian in Kobar. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian during a raid in Dura. Israeli forces also raid a home in al-Minya, vandalizing it and seizing money and a vehicle. Meanwhile, Israeli forces issue stop-work orders for 3 agricultural structures in Khallet al-Farn in the Masafer Yatta area. In Gaza, mobile phone services are cut off again after they were partially restored on 1/19, internet services have been cut off since 1/12. Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Jabalia refugee camp, al-Bureij refugee camp, Gaza City, and Rafah, killing at least 190 people, including more than 65 people in Khan Yunis. Israeli forces storm al-Khair Hospital in Khan Yunis, arresting medical staff. Israeli forces also surround the Red Crescent ambulance headquarters in Khan Yunis, preventing ambulances from rescuing wounded people. Meanwhile, Israeli forces exhume graves at a cemetery in Khan Yunis. Hamas says Israeli forces bombed their own tank after it is incapacitated by Hamas fighters, suggesting that Israeli soldiers were still in the tank when Israel bombed it. A water treatment plant in Gaza floods with sewage water after being hit by Israeli bombs. 21 Israeli soldiers placing mines in 10 homes near Maghazi are killed when Palestinian militants fire rocket-propelled grenades at a tank at the site, causing the mines to explode while the soldiers are in the building. 3 other Israeli soldiers are killed in combat. In Lebanon, Hezbollah fires rockets at Israeli troops in Even Manachem and Shebaa Farms. Israeli forces attack several places, including Taybeh, Marwahin, Chihine, Tayr Harfa, Kafr Kila, and al-Adisa. In Yemen, U.S. and UK forces attack 8 Houthi-linked sites. The Houthis say their forces attacked a U.S. military cargo ship; the U.S. denies the claim. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/22; AJ, AP, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA 1/23; HA 1/24)

More than 25,295 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 10,600 children and 7,200 women, and around 63,000 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 363 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 92 children. More than 4,310 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, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 219 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,232 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. At least 69,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 154 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. The WHO delivers fuel to al-Shifa Hospital. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA 1/22; UNOCHA 1/23; UNOCHA 1/24)

PA prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh meets with UN humanitarian relief coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag, calling on her to pressure Israel to open all entry points to Gaza to get sufficient relief in. Shtayyeh also calls on the international community to impose sanctions on Israel during the weekly PA cabinet meeting. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 1/22)

The Arab League holds an extraordinary meeting on the situation in Palestine, issuing a statement calling on Israel not to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza, allow more aid into Gaza, and discussing ways to end Israeli attacks. (WAFA 1/22)

20 relatives of Israeli captives held in Gaza storm a Knesset committee session, demanding that Israel does more to get their relatives back. The Israeli Labor Party brings forward a no confidence motion against the Israeli government which receives 18 out of 61 required votes in support. Coalition parties boycott the vote. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, REU 1/22; HA 1/23)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant tells French defense minister Sebastien Lacornu that Israel may continue striking Lebanon even if Hezbollah enters a unilateral ceasefire, saying Israel will secure a safe return of the northern Israeli communities. Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich says Israel must “dramatically increase the intensity of the war” on Gaza during a meeting of his Religious Zionist Party. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir says at a meeting of his Jewish Power Party that if the government decides to stop the war on Gaza he will leave the coalition. (AJ, HA 1/22)

EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borell calls on Israel to tell the world what it envisions if it does not want a 2-state solution, saying “[w]hich are the other solution they have in mind? To make all the Palestinians leave? To kill off them?” A discussion paper sent to EU countries ahead of a meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict shows that the EU is planning to call for a “preparatory peace conference” to be organized by the EU, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the Arab League. Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz shows EU foreign ministers a video of an envisioned artificial island off the coast of Gaza he suggests can be a place for Palestinians to live. Borell says Katz evaded talking about the pertinent issues and suggests he could use his time spent with EU foreign ministers better. EU foreign ministers also meet with PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki and the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan, discussing the situation in Gaza. A spokesperson for UK prime minister Rishi Sunak calls Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection of a 2-state solution “disappointing.” (HA 1/21; AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/22; WAFA 1/23)

Axios reports that Israel has suggested a 2-month ceasefire that would see 130 Hamas-held captives released in exchange for the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners. During the ceasefire period, Israeli forces would leave major population areas allowing some Palestinians to return to Gaza City and further north. U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says negotiations on a ceasefire deal are ongoing as National Security Council Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk arrives in Egypt for the talks. (AJ, AX, HA, REU, REU 1/22; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU 1/23)

The American pro-Israel lobby group J Street says “time has come for diplomacy” to end the war on Gaza. The U.S. labor union Service Employees International Union calls for a ceasefire. (AJ 1/22)

Columbia University bars several people from its campus who are alleged to have sprayed skunk water on pro-Palestine demonstrators on 1/19, calling the act a possible hate crime. (AJ 1/23)

Data collected by Morning Consult shows that out of 43 countries surveyed, 42 countries view Israel less favorable now than before 10/7/2023. According to the data, the net favorability globally dropped 18.5% between September and December 2023. (HA 1/22)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raid Mughayyir al-Ubeid in the Masafer Yatta area, assaulting an elderly woman and stealing 3 of her sheep. Israeli settlers also assault a Palestinian grazing sheep in Shaab al-Butum. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian child in ‘Ayn Bus. Israeli forces kill 5 Palestinians in an airstrike on a car in Balata refugee camp and raid the camp, raiding 400 homes, vandalizing 50 business, and damaging 18 vehicles. Israeli forces also raid Tulkarm, killing 6 Palestinians, including 4 in an airstrike, 2 of them children, and 2 with live ammunition; 7 Palestinians are injured, including 2 medics, and an Israeli soldier is also injured, 5 medics are arrested, while Israeli bulldozers uproot pavement. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raid Bani Na’im, injuring a Palestinian with live ammunition. Israeli forces also demolish an agricultural structure in Jayyus. Meanwhile, Israeli forces seize a vehicle in Umm al-Jimal. Israeli forces arrest 85 Palestinians, including 40 workers from Gaza, during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Qalqilya, Hebron, Tulkarm, Jericho, and Bethlehem. In Gaza, telecommunications services are down for the sixth day in a row. Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Rafah, Maghazi, al-Bureij refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City, and Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least 163 people. Israeli forces also damage the Jordanian field hospital in Khan Yunis and the Nasser Hospital, where about 7,000 people are sheltering, in airstrikes, and demolish al-Israa University in a controlled explosion after using it as a military base. An Israeli soldier is killed in combat. In Hura, Israeli police arrest 2 Palestinian citizens of Israel for writing “Free Palestine” and “Free Gaza” on a school blackboard in Meitar. In Lebanon, Hamas says its forces fire 20 rockets at an Israeli military base. Israeli forces attack Hula, Ayta ash Shab, and Dhayra. In the Red Sea, a drone launched from Yemen hits a U.S.-owned commercial ship, causing damage. U.S. forces launch 14 airstrikes in Yemen. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/17; AJ, REU, UNOCHA 1/18)

More than 24,448 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 10,600 children and 7,200 women, and around 61,504 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 359 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 90 children. More than 4,234 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, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 191 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,152 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. At least 69,000 housing units have been destroyed and 290,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting over 60% of all housing units. 98 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. Medical aid for Palestinians and Israeli captives arrives in Gaza via the Rafah crossing. Hamas says that for each box of medicine earmarked for captives Palestinians receive 1,000. The Gaza Ministry of Health says Hepatitis A is spreading in makeshift refugee camps, noting that more than 8,000 cases have been detected. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 1/17; AJ, UNOCHA 1/18)

A video shows Israeli forces bulldozing graves and exhuming bodies at a cemetery in Khan Yunis. The Israeli military later says it exhumed the bodies to see if they are Israeli captives. (UNOCHA 1/17; AJ, HA, UNOCHA 1/18)

The Commission for Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs says Israeli officials admitted in an Israeli court that Palestinian prisoner Abdul-Rahman Marei was tortured to death by Israeli prison guards on 11/7/2023. (WAFA 1/17)

PA prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh meets Australian foreign minister Penny Wong in Ramallah. Wong expresses “deep concern” about settler violence in the West Bank during a tour of affected communities. The PA requests an extraordinary meeting at the Arab League to discuss the ongoing assaults on Gaza and the West Bank and the Israeli efforts to Judaize Jerusalem. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/17; AJ, HA 1/18)

Palestine Investment Fund head Mohammed Mustafa tells the World Economic Forum that $15 billion will be required to rebuild homes in Gaza and more will be needed to rebuild infrastructure and hospitals. (AJ 1/18)

MK Ofer Cassif is indicted on charges of assaulting an Israeli police officer in 2022 while on his way to a protest in the Masafer Yatta area. Cassif says he did not hit the officer but deflected his push, calling the indictment “political persecution.” Cassif last week supported the South African case against Israel at the ICJ. (HA 1/17)

The Knesset approves an extension of the temporary order which allows for poorer conditions for Palestinian prisoners with 3 months. (WAFA 1/17)

Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir tells Israeli Channel 7 that Israel should hit Hezbollah with “a preemptive attack” as he thinks “no political settlement will help.” Ben-Gvir also condemns Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not making sure that Israel could examine the medical aid shipment that entered Gaza earlier. Later he tells Channel 13 that there is no other way to restore security in the State of Israel than occupying all of Palestine, saying “[v]oluntary immigration of the residents of Gaza should be encouraged.” (AJ 1/17; AJ 1/18; HA 1/19)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken says there is a need for a “pathway to a Palestinian state,” adding Israel will not “get genuine security absent that.” Blinken also describes the situation in Gaza as “gut-wrenching.” The U.S. redesignates the Houthi movement as a terrorist organization, placing them under sanctions. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says the U.S. will reconsider the terrorist designation if the Houthis end their attacks in the Red Sea. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, REU, REU 1/17; AJ, REU 1/18; AP 1/19)

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says Senate Democrats are discussing conditioning further aid to Israel. (AJ, HA 1/17)

French foreign minister Stephane Sejourne says France rejects the case brought by South Africa at the ICJ, saying “[t]o accuse the Jewish state of genocide is to cross a moral threshold.” (NYT 1/17)

NBC reports that Prime Minister Netanyahu rejected a U.S. plan that links Israeli-Saudi normalization with the rebuilding of Gaza and steps toward the creation of a Palestinian state, telling Secretary Blinken in a meeting last week that he is not prepared to allow the creation of a Palestinian state. NBC further reports that the U.S. now is working on a plan for Gaza that would start after Netanyahu no longer is prime minister. (HA 1/17; HA 1/18)

In the West Bank, armed Israeli settlers harass and intimidate Palestinians in Hebron. Israeli settlers also bring livestock to graze on Palestinian crops in the Masafer Yatta area. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers set up mobile homes near Tuqu’. Israeli forces shoot and injure 11 Palestinians during raids in Qatanna, Sabastia, Anabta, Zeita, and Tulkarm. Israeli forces also seize printing equipment and a vehicle from a printing shop in Nablus. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Maghazi, Beit Lahiya, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, and Dayr al-Balah, killing more than 150 people, including 70 in a residential building in Jabalia refugee camp, 43 in 2 homes in Khan Yunis, 27 in 2 homes in Dayr al-Balah, and 4 in an UNRWA school sheltering internally displaced people. Israeli snipers also shoot a Palestinian outside of al-Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis. Doctors Without Borders says it will evacuate staff and patients from al-Aqsa Hospital in Dayr al-Balah after Israel orders the evacuation of the area in which the hospital is located, noting that Israel has attacked the area around the hospital for several days. Israel claims it forces have assassinated the commander of the al-Qassam Brigades Nuseirat battalion Ismail Sirah and his deputy Ahmed Wahba. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb a home in Kawthariyat al-Siyad 25 miles north of the Blue Line and several places south of Tyre. Hezbollah attacks a group of Israeli soldiers in Avivim and fires 62 missiles at the Meron air base. In the Red Sea, the U.S. says it shot down a drone launched from Yemen. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/6; AP, HA, HA, UNOCHA 1/7)

More than 22,750 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 8,800 children and 6,300 women, and around 57,910 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 319 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 81 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 1,020 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. 116 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karim Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. (AJ, WAFA 1/6; UNOCHA 1/7)

The Gaza media office says Israel has exhumed 1,100 graves in the Tuffah cemetery, stealing 150 bodies. (AJ 1/6)

Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari says Israel has dismantled the Hamas “military framework” in northern Gaza and killed 8,000 militants in the area. Military chief of staff Herzl Halevi and Shin Bet director Ronen Bar tour Khan Yunis. (AJ, HA 1/6; AJ 1/7)

The PA says Israeli settlements in the Jordan Valley are quickly increasing while the world focuses on Gaza. The PA calls on the U.S. to urge Israel to end the settlement expansion. (AJ, WAFA 1/6)

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres submits a report to the UN Security Council warning that “widespread famine looms” in Gaza. Guterres says in the report that Israel must restore water and electricity services in Gaza. (AJ, HA 1/7)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken visits Greece and Turkey, meeting with Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Crete and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Istanbul. Blinken later arrives in Jordan ahead of a meeting with King Abdullah II. Blinken also speaks with the Algerian foreign minister Ahmed Attaf telling him that the U.S. rejects the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU 1/6)

U.S. senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Jeff Merkey (D-OR) visit the Rafah crossing. Van Hollen tells reporters that the Israeli authorities are stymying the flow of aid by arbitrarily rejecting supplies from entering Gaza, calling the aid screening process “unnecessarily cumbersome.” A congressional delegation visits Qatar, meeting with prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and discussing the situation in Gaza. (AJ, AP 1/6; AJ 1/7)

EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borell meets with Lebanese caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati in Beirut, discussing Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and Gaza. (AJ 1/6)

100 lawyers from Chile file a complaint with the ICC accusing Israel of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, blaming Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (AJ 1/6)

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, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man, saying he had rammed and injured 5 Israeli soldiers near Hebron. Israeli forces also shot and killed a Palestinian man during a raid in al-Eizariya. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man after he allegedly tried to stab Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Israeli forces also shot and injured 3 Palestinians and arrested 5 others during a raid in al-Fara’a refugee camp. Meanwhile, Israeli forces shot and injured 4 Palestinians, including a child, in at-Tayiba, Fawwar refugee camp, al-Arroub refugee camp, and Tuqu. Israeli forces also assaulted 2 Al Jazeera journalists in Dura, stealing all their equipment and mobile phones. Separately, Israeli forces assaulted 2 Palestinian shepherds in Jinba. 11 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Qiffin, Ein as-Sultan, Deir Abu Masha’al, al-Am’ari refugee camp, and Surif. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians trying to reach the Haram al-Sharif compound with skunk water and baton rounds. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Khan Yunis, Maghazi, Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City, Rafah, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 187 people, including 3 at the Jordanian Field Hospital near Khan Yunis. Israeli forces also opened fire at an aid convoy despite coordination with the Israeli military, damaging a truck. In Lebanon, Islamic Jihad said 2 of its members were killed in Israeli assaults. Israel attacked sites around 10 miles north of the Blue Line. Hezbollah said it had attacked 6 Israeli positions. In Syria, Israeli forces attacked several places, saying rockets fired from Syria landed in the Golan Heights. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/29; UNOCHA 12/30)

More than 21,507 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 8,800 children and 6,300 women, and around 55,915 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 311 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. (AJ, UNOCHA 12/29; UNOCHA 12/30)

The WHO said it had recorded 180,000 cases of upper respiratory infections, 136,400 cases of diarrhea, half of which were in children under the age of 5, 55,400 cases of lice and scabies, and 5,330 cases of chickenpox in Gaza. (AJ 12/29; UNOCHA 12/30)

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor said Israeli forces systematically loot Palestinian homes in Gaza, stealing money and valuables worth more than tens of millions of dollars. Healthcare Workers Watch-Palestine said it had collected testimonies from 10 medical workers arrested by Israel who all say they were tortured while detained.  (WAFA 12/28; AJ 12/29; WAFA 12/30)

The PA foreign ministry said Israel was preventing sufficient aid from entering Gaza, deliberately depriving Palestinians of their basic needs. PA ambassador to the UN Majed Bamya told the UN Security Council that Israel was giving Palestinians in Gaza the option to die or be displaced. UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini said Israel was “creating a stream of baseless misinformation” about UNRWA’s responsibility for the lack of aid deliveries to Gaza, saying it is Israel that is impeding aid deliveries. (AJ 12/29; AJ 12/30)

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said Israel will not transfer the PA its tax revenue while he is finance minister. It has been reported that U.S. president Joe Biden told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel should hand over the withheld PA funds to Norway, which will keep them until an arrangement is made to safeguard against the funds going to Hamas, a proposal Netanyahu made himself and that the PA reportedly accepted. (AX 12/28; AJ, HA 12/29)

South Africa invoked the Genocide Convention calling on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to expedite hearings on the issue of Israel committing genocide and to order Israel to immediately stop the killing of Palestinians in Gaza. In its report delivered to the ICJ, South Africa described Israel’s actions as “genocidal in character because they are intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial, and ethnical group.” The Israeli Foreign Ministry called the South African action “blood libel.” The PA welcomed the South African action. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 12/29; AJ 12/30; HA 1/1)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken approved the sale of M107 155mm projectiles worth $147.5 million to Israel, bypassing congressional approval. It was the second time the Biden administration bypassed congressional approval for weapons transfers to Israel since 10/7. Relatedly, unnamed Israeli officials told Al-Monitor that the U.S. had started to scale down its military support to Israel due to Israel’s failure to discuss its plans for Gaza after the war. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked the Biden administration for forcing through the military aid and said Israel would continue with its war “for many more months.” Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) condemned the congressional bypass, saying it was “keeping the American public in the dark.” (AJ, AX, HA, REU 12/29; AJ, AJ, HA, NYT 12/30)

Walla News reported that Qatari officials have told Israel that Hamas is ready to resume negotiations. Hamas officials have continuedly stated that they will not negotiate while under attack. (AJ, AX 12/29)

Israel claimed the Colombian foreign minister Alvaro Leyva had accepted an invitation by its foreign minister Eli Cohen to discuss repairing ties after Colombia recalled its ambassador to Israel and Colombian president Gustavo Petro called Israeli attacks on Gaza “genocidal.” (AJ 12/29)

Berlin police banned a pro-Palestinian demonstration planned for 12/31. (HA 12/29)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces in al-Fara’a refugee camp on 12/8. Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man, claiming he had stabbed an Israeli soldier with a knife during an Israeli raid in Dura. Israeli forces also shot and killed a Palestinian child during a raid in ‘Azzun. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities delivered evacuation orders to several Palestinian families living on around 9 dunams (2.2 acres) of land in the Moroccan Gate area of the Old City, giving them 60 days to file objections. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Rafah, Khan Yunis, Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza City Dayr al-Balah, Maghazi, Jabaliya refugee camp, and al-Bureij refugee camp, killing more than 200 people. Israel continued its siege of al-Awda Hospital in Jabalia refugee camp for the third day in a row, injuring 2 health workers. Israeli forces also shot and injured 2 paramedics in an ambulance outside of the European Hospital in Khan Yunis. The Red Crescent delivered medical supplies to al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City and evacuated 19 patients; 1 of the patients died during the evacuation and 1 Red Crescent staffer was beaten and interrogated for 4 hours by Israeli forces. 4 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat. In Tzrifin, an Israeli soldier was injured after being hit by a car; 2 were arrested, including a man from Rahat and a man from Qalqilya in the West Bank. In Lebanon, Israel attacked several targets and Hezbollah said it had attacked an Israeli naval base. In the Red Sea, France said a French warship had shot down 2 drones near Yemen. (AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/9; AJ, AP 12/10)

More than 17,700 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 7,729 children and 5,153 women, and around 49,300 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 267 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 69 children. More than 3,387 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. 101 Israeli soldiers have been killed 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 12/3, at least 52,000 housing units had been destroyed and 253,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 60% of all housing units. The World Food Programme reported that 91% of Palestinians in Gaza were experiencing hunger, with 36% experiencing severe hunger. The Palestinian Civil Defense said it only had 1 vehicle left operating in northern Gaza. Around 100 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza. (AJ, AJ, AJ, HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 12/9)

Haaretz reported that the autopsy reports for at least 2 of the 6 Palestinian prisoners that have died in Israeli detention since 10/7 showed that their bodies were bruised and had broken bones, suggesting that violence may have killed them. (HA 12/9)

Videos by Israeli soldiers of Palestinians in the underwear surrendering to Israeli forces in Jabalia refugee camps circulated in the media. However, the videos were reportedly staged as in 1 video a man is shown surrendering a weapon while holding it in his right hand while a nearly identical video shows the same man surrendering a weapon while holding it in his left hand. Videos of Israeli soldiers vandalizing Palestinian property and raising Israeli flags in Gaza also circulated. (HA, UNOCHA 12/9; AJ, HA, UNOCHA 12/10; HA 12/11)

Responding to videos of hundreds of Palestinians detained by Israeli forces in Gaza stripped to their underwear, advisor to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mark Regev, said the Middle East is warmer than Europe so “to be asked to take off your shirt, it might not be pleasant, but it is not the end of the world.” Israel later claimed that 10-15% of the Palestinians in the videos were Hamas operatives or identified with the Hamas. Israeli national security advisor Tzachi Hanegbi claimed that Israel has killed 7,000 members of Palestinian militant groups during its attacks on Gaza. Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant visited Israeli soldiers in northern Gaza. (HA 12/9; AJ, HA 12/10)

A UN official said Israel was testing the screening process for the delivery of aid to Gaza through the Karim Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing. (HA, REU 12/9)

The PA issued corrections to an interview given by Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh to Bloomberg News on 12/7, saying Shtayyeh had not said that the PA and the U.S. were discussing “a plan to manage Gaza.” (WAFA 12/9)

The foreign ministers of the PA, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia met with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa. (WAFA 12/9; AJ 12/10)

German chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu, calling for more aid to be delivered to Gaza and expressing concern over settler violence. (HA 12/9)

Yemen’s Houthi-led government said it would prevent Israeli ships and ships traveling to Israeli ports from operating near Yemeni maritime borders but would respect other international seafaring. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT 12/9; HA 12/10)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with a military escort assaulted 3 Palestinians in Khallet al-Daba in the Masafer Yatta area and stole their mobile phones. Israeli settlers also vandalized 8 olive trees in Burin. Israeli forces shot and killed 6 Palestinians, including a child, during a raid in al-Fara’a refugee camp. Israeli forces also shot and injured 8 Palestinians, including a child, during raids in Fawwar refugee camp, Kafr Ni’ma, Beit Umar, and Hizma. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrested the deputy director of the Islamic Waqf in Jerusalem, Sheikh Najeh Bkerat, in Dar Salah. Israeli forces also raided Qarawat Bani Hassan, destroying a memorial erected for a Palestinian killed by Israeli forces on 12/2. An Israeli soldier was shot and injured during a raid in Ya’bad. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians heading for the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Jabalia refugee camp, Gaza City, Nuseirat refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Rafah, and Dayr al-Balah, killing around 350 people. Israeli airstrikes targeted the Yaffa Hospital in Dayr al-Balah, Al Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis, and Palestinians queuing for water in Khan Yunis. Rockets were fired at Israel; no damage was reported. 4 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked a military hospital in Ain Ebel, causing damage. Israeli forces also injured 3 Lebanese soldiers in Naqoura. In Syria, Israel said it attacked several targets near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. 4 people were reportedly killed in an airstrike on a car in Madinat al-Baath. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/8; AJ, HA, REU 12/9)

More than 17,487 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 7,729 children and 5,153 women, and around 46,480 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 264 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 68 children. More than 3,387 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. 97 Israeli soldiers have been killed 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 12/3, at least 52,000 housing units had been destroyed and 253,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 60% of all housing units. UNRWA said that at least 273 Palestinians sheltering at its shelters have been killed and 966 injured in Israeli attacks since 10/7. Rafah remained the only governate to receive aid. 4 injured Palestinians and 585 foreign nationals were evacuated to Egypt while 13 humanitarian staff and 11 ambulances donated by Turkey entered Gaza. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 12/8; UNOCHA 12/9)

Hamas said an Israeli attempt to free a captive failed, leading to the death of the captive, Israeli solider Sa’ar Baruch. Israel said 2 Israeli soldiers were seriously injured in the rescue attempt. (AJ, HA, NYT, REU 12/8; AJ, HA 12/9)

Al Jazeera said a number of the Palestinians taken by Israeli forces from UN schools in Beit Lahiya on 12/7 and stripped to their underwear were released, while others were taken to a military base in Israel, including Al-Araby Al-Jadeed journalist Diaa al-Kahlout. (AJ, AP, NYT 12/8)

The Israeli Education Ministry ordered school principals in East Jerusalem to suspend Palestinian students who were released as part of the prisoner exchange last week until 2024. (HA 12/8)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant signed an order to place an Israeli settler in administrative detention for attacks on Palestinians. Gallant also spoke with U.S. secretary of defense Lloyd Austin, who urged him to “increase efforts to protect civilians in Gaza, increase delivery of humanitarian assistance, and curb extremist settler violence in the West Bank.” Israel said an Israeli military helicopter killed an Israeli soldier during an attack on a building in Gaza last week. (HA, HA 12/8)

A UN Security Council resolution calling for ceasefire and the unconditional release of the Hamas-held captives was vetoed by the U.S., with the UK abstaining and the remaining 13 members voting in favor. Before the vote, PA UN envoy Riyad Mansour said the objective of the Israeli campaign was to ethnically cleanse Gaza, adding Israeli representatives were publicly admitting it. U.S. UN ambassador Robert Wood said the Hamas attack on 10/7 was the “worst attack on our people” in decades. After the vote Wood explained the veto, calling the resolution imbalanced for not condemning Hamas’ operation on 10/7. UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini said the constant Israeli bombings have made UNRWA’s ability to operate extremely limited. After the vote, Mansour called the U.S. vote a disaster. Hamas called the veto “unethical and inhumane.” Israeli UN ambassador Gilad Erdan thanked the U.S. for “standing firmly by our side.” Human Rights Watch UN director Louis Charbonneau said that the U.S. risks being complicit in Israeli war crimes by continuing to provide weapons and diplomatic cover. Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf called the UK’s abstention “incomprehensible.” (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/8; AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/9)

During an interview with Reuters, PA president Mahmoud Abbas called for an international conference to end the war in Gaza and to create the foundations for a lasting end to the Israeli occupation. Abbas said he was for “peaceful resistance” that led to a 2-state solution with a sovereign Palestinian state in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. Abbas also said he would accept a future election result if Hamas won. Later, Abbas’ office released a statement saying the U.S. veto at the UN Security Council made it complicit in war crimes against Palestinians. (HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA 12/8; REU 12/9)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his opposition to the PA governing Gaza after Bloomberg News ran an interview with PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh on 12/7, where he said the PA was working with the U.S. in preparation for taking over the governing of Gaza. (AJ, HA 12/8)

French president Emmanuel Macron spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu, urging him to open the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing and calling on Israel to protect civilians in Gaza and the West Bank. (AJ, HA 12/8)

The Arab-Islamic Summit Ministerial Committee met with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken, discussing the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The committee expressed their disappointment with the U.S. veto at the UN Security Council. The committee was represented by foreign ministers from the PA, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt. Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud also met with Blinken separately, calling for a ceasefire. (AJ, HA, NYT, WAFA 12/8; AJ, HA, NYT 12/9)

The Biden administration bypassed congressional review of the sale of 14,000 tank shells to Israel worth $106.5m. The Biden administration had asked Congress to approve the sale of 45,000 shells with the sale of the remaining 31,000 pending congressional approval. (AJ 12/8; AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, REU 12/9)

The European Commission announced that the EU will provide Palestine with at least $135 million in humanitarian aid through 2024. (HA 12/8)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces in Tulkarm on 11/14. Israeli forces shot and injured 6 Palestinians during raids in Qiffin and al-Khader. Israeli forces also assaulted a Palestinian man in Huwwara. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raided a printing shop in Ramallah, sealing the shop, and closed and sealed the offices of an orphanage in Beit Umar, seizing files and computers. Israeli forces also issued notices that it will seize 501 dunams of land in Jaba’a and 12 dunams in Wadi Rahal. 44 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Far’un, Qusin, Dheisheh refugee camp, Hebron, Bethlehem, and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police dispersed a march by Israeli extremists who called for full Israeli control over the Haram al-Sharif compound. The march was dispersed after marchers violated the agreement with Israeli police. 6 Palestinians were arrested in Sur Baher and at the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Gaza City, Beit Lahiya, Khan Yunis, Jabalia refugee camp, and Rafah, killing around 350 people. Israeli airstrikes also destroyed the 13th century Othman bin Qashqar Mosque in Gaza City and put al-Awda Hospital under siege, opening fire at the hospital. Hamas said it had destroyed 135 military vehicles in the past 72 hours. 2 Israeli soldiers were killed, including the son of Israeli war cabinet member Gadi Eizenkot. In Lebanon, an Israeli airstrike on Majdal Zoun injured several people. Islamic Jihad said 2 of its members were killed by Israel near the Blue Line. 1 Israeli was killed and 2 Israeli soldiers were lightly injured by an anti-tank missile in Matat and near Shtula. Israel said it attacked Syria after 2 missiles were launched toward Israel. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/7; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU, REU 12/8)

More than 17,177 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 7,729 children and 5,153 women, and around 46,000 have been injured since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 258 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 67 children. More than 3,325 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. 93 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.9 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 12/3, at least 52,000 housing units had been destroyed and 253,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 60% of all housing units. The Jordanian military air dropped medical supplies at its field hospital in Gaza. 69 trucks carrying aid, including 13 gallons of fuel, entered Gaza. Rafah remained the only place where aid was delivered to, except for the delivery of medical supplies to 2 hospitals in Khan Yunis. 121 wounded Palestinians and 491 foreign nationals were evacuated to Egypt. (AJ, HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 12/7; AJ, HA 12/8)

Israeli videos of dozens of Palestinian men being stripped to their underwear, forced to sit on the ground, and taken by Israeli forces to a large hole dug in the ground circulated in Israeli media and on social media. What happened to the men, who were taken from UN schools in Beit Lahiya, remained unknown as some of them were identified as civilians, including journalists, doctors, and academics. Hamas condemned the Israeli action, calling it revenge for Israel’s failed invasion and calling on human rights organizations to intervene. Al-Araby Al-Jadeed identified one of the Palestinians as their journalist Diaa Kahlout and said several of his family members were among the detainees. (AJ, AP 12/7; AJ, NYT, REU 12/8)

Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir ordered the Israel Prison Service to move members of Hamas’ Qassam Brigades to an underground wing of the Nitzan Prison. The underground wing was said to have not been used for years. (AJ 12/8)

UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator Martin Griffiths said the current humanitarian mission in Gaza could not be described as an “humanitarian operation” given the pace of the Israeli attacks on southern Gaza, which prevent the UN from delivering aid. (AJ, AP, UNOCHA 12/7)

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said their investigation into the Israeli killing of Lebanese Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah on 10/13 revealed the killing was likely deliberate and should be investigated as a war crime. U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken said the killing should be investigated, noting that he believed Israel was already doing so. Lebanon said it would add the investigation to its complaint it has filed with the UN over Israeli attacks. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said “Israeli criminality has no limits.” (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, WAFA 12/7; AJ, REU, REU 12/8)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh told Bloomberg News that the PA was working with the U.S. to plan for the political situation in Gaza once Israel’s war is over. Shtayyeh said Hamas could become a partner under the PLO umbrella if it accepts the PLO’s political platform. The Times reported that a team of UK advisors were in Ramallah to help the PA prepare for governing Gaza. Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry expressed support for the PA governing Gaza. (AJ 12/7; AJ, HA, HA, REU 12/8)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will turn “Beirut and South Lebanon into Gaza and Khan Yunis” in a warning to Hezbollah. (AJ, AP, HA 12/7; AJ 12/8)

Secretary of State Blinken said at a press conference with UK foreign secretary David Cameron that there was a gap between Israel’s stated intent to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza and the reality on the ground. (AJ, AP, HA, REU 12/7; AJ, REU 12/8)

U.S. president Joe Biden spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu. According to the White House, Biden told Netanyahu that more aid is required to enter Gaza, Israel needed to do more to protect civilians, and expressed concern over settler violence in the West Bank. Biden also spoke with Jordanian king Abdullah II, who demanded he call for an immediate ceasefire. U.S. officials said Israel had agreed to open the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing to allow more aid to enter Gaza. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA 12/7; HA 12/8)

The U.S. said it had resumed flying drones over Gaza to locate captives. (HA 12/7)

Russian president Vladimir Putin met with Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi in Moscow, discussing the situation in Palestine. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU 12/7)

The G7 released a statement saying Israel should do more to protect civilians and allow more aid into Gaza. (AJ 12/7)

13 U.S. senators announced they were working on introducing an amendment to the bill that includes $14 billion in military aid to Israel, requiring that U.S. arms are used in accordance with U.S law., international humanitarian law, and the law of armed conflict.  (AJ, AP, HA 12/7)

Al-Haq and Global Legal Action Network filed a legal challenge to UK exports of weapons to Israel in the UK High Court. (AP 12/7)

Axios reported that Egypt had warned Israel and the U.S. of a “rupture” in Egyptian-Israeli relations if Palestinian refugees begin to flee to Egypt as a result of Israeli attacks on Gaza. (AX 12/7)

The Council on American-Islamic Relations said it had received 2,171 complaints of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate between 10/7 and 12/2. (AJ 12/7)

Austria ended its suspension of aid to Palestinians, saying there was no indication the funds had been spent on funding or promoting terrorism or to spread anti-Semitic content. (HA 12/7)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raided Jalud, setting fire to vehicles and throwing stones at homes. Israeli settlers also assaulted Palestinians and stole olive harvest in Khirbet Yanun. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers raided a store in al-Zawiya, vandalizing it and steal items. Israeli settlers also threatened Palestinians in the al-Ka’abneh community near Jericho with death if they did not flee their village; the settlers threw stones at Palestinians, vandalized a vehicle and stole another. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers with military escort also attacked Palestinians in Qarawat Bani Hassan, stealing cash and vandalizing property. Israeli settlers also attacked Palestinian shepherds in the Masafer Yatta area and vandalized 50 olive trees in Qusra. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 2 with live ammunition and others with tear gas. Israeli forces also shot and injured 1 child during a riad in Sa’ir. East Jerusalem, Israeli forces sealed off the family homes in Sur Baher of 2 Palestinians who were killed after they shot and killed 3 Israelis in West Jerusalem on 11/30 in preparation for punitive demolitions. In Gaza, Israeli forces killed at least 180 Palestinians and injured more than 589 after the ceasefire expired at 7 a.m, including a family of 5 fleeing northern Gaza to the south on Salah al-Din Street and in bombardments on Rafah, al-Maghazi refugee camp. Israeli forces also bombed an ambulance outside of al-Shifa hospital, killing 2 paramedics. Elsewhere, Israeli forces attacked al-Awda Hostpial, causing damage and dropped leaflets in al-Qarara, Khuza’a, Abasan, and Bani Suheila, telling Palestinians to flee to Rafah. Rockets and mortar shells were fired at Israel, injuring 5 soldiers in Nirim. In Lebanon, Israeli forces shelled Hula, killing 2 civilians and 1 member of Hezbollah. Rockets were fired from Lebanon at Israel. In Yemen, Israeli forces reportedly attacked a missile warehouse in Saana. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/1; AJ, UNOCHA 12/2)

More than 15,180 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. 242 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 63 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. 75 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. The Red Crescent said Israeli forces prevented aid trucks from entering Gaza via the Rafah crossing. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate said 67 Palestinian journalists had been killed by Israel since 10/7. UNRWA reported a Hepatitis A outbreak at 1 of its shelters. (AJ, AJ, AX, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 12/1; AJ 12/2)

Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S. said they were working on reinstating the ceasefire which expired at 7 a.m. Israel confirmed that 4 captives held by Hamas had died. The U.S. parroted Israel’s explanation for the not extending the ceasefire, saying that Hamas did not produce a list of captives for exchange. Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to announce that Israel will not negotiate another ceasefire until all captives are released from Gaza. Hamas said it was Israel who undermined extending the ceasefire by rejecting 3 separate options presented to them by mediators, but that Israel had already decided to resume its attacks. The PA said it held the U.S. responsible for the resumption of Israeli attacks on Gaza. Israel said that Hamas still holds 137 captives, including 4 from before 10/7. During the temporary ceasefire 240 Palestinians, 107 children and 133 adults, including 65 18-year-olds and 68 women, were exchanged for 105 captives held by Hamas. 75% of the Palestinians were not convicted of a crime, most were arrested within the past year with 37 since 10/7. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AX, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 12/1; HA 12/3)

Israel published a map of Gaza dividing it into hundreds of small parcels, saying it will notify Palestinian civilians to leave the parcels when Israel intends to attack them. (AJ, UNOCHA 12/1)

Addameer said conditions in Israeli prisons had deteriorated significantly since 10/7, noting that 6 Palestinians had died and that prisoners are denied medical care, electricity, family and lawyer visits, and sufficient food and water. The UN Human Rights Office in the occupied Palestinian territories expressed concern over the “massive rise in the number of Palestinians arrested and detained, the number of reports of ill-treatment and humiliations suffered by those in custody, and the reported failure to adhere to basic due process.” (AJ, HA, REU, UNOCHA 12/1)

Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Israel “must return to and crush Gaza with all our might.” (AJ 12/1)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken claimed that Israel had taken steps to minimize civilian causalities by telling Palestinians in Gaza where they can go to safe zones. Blinken also spoke with Israeli strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer calling on Israel to allow the same amount of aid into Gaza as during the ceasefire period. (HA 12/1; AX 12/2)

Reuters said Israel had informed Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia that it intends to create a buffer zone in Gaza. The 4 countries reportedly opposed Israel’s plans. Reuters also reported that the U.S. has told Israel that it will impose visa bans on violent Israeli settlers in the coming weeks.  (AJ, HA, REU 12/1; AJ, REU 12/2; HA 12/3)

1 person self-immolated outside of the Israeli consulate in Atlanta. Authorities said a Palestinian flag was recovered at the scene. The individual was said to be in critical condition. The Israeli consul general in Atlanta Anat Sultan-Dadon called the self-immolation an act of hate towards Israel. (AJ, HA, NYT 12/1; AJ 12/2)

The UN said Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process Lynn Hastings would be replaced after Israel refused to renew her visa. UN secretary-general spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said “[w]e need to make sure that there’s agreement and everybody is ok with the people we send,” calling Israeli slander against Hastings “unacceptable.”  (AJ, HA 12/1)

Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez spoke with Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz, saying Israel had a right to defend itself but said they civilian death toll in Gaza was unbearable. (AJ 12/1)

The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. had provided Israel with BLU-09 bunker busting bombs weighing 2,000 pounds each. The Journal said the U.S. had provided Israel with 15,000 bombs and 57,000 artillery shells since 10/7. (AJ 12/1; AJ 12/2)

The United Auto Workers union in the U.S., representing 400,000 people, called for the U.S. to pressure Israel to end its war in Gaza. (AJ, HA 12/1)

The New York Times reported that staff at the World Food Programme were angered at Executive Director Cindy McCain’s timid response to the situation in Gaza and that she had compromised the neutrality of the organization by sharing a stage on 11/18 with former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak as a prize named after her late husband John McCain was awarded to the “People of Israel.” (NYT 12/1)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted 10 olive trees in Kafr ad-Dik. Israeli settlers with a military escort also raided al-Twana, assaulting Palestinians. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers blocked the entrance to Deir Balut. Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man, claiming he had injured 2 Israeli soldiers in a car ramming near Atuf. Israeli forces also shot and killed a Palestinian outside of the Ofer Prison, injuring 4 others with live ammunition. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raided Tulkarm, damaging infrastructure and Palestinian property. Israeli forces also assaulted and detained 3 Palestinian farmers in Khirbet Yanun. Meanwhile, Israeli forces shot and injured 2 Palestinians during raids in Idhna and Arrabah. Israeli forces also demolished 5 homes and 6 water tanks in Farasin. Separately, Israeli forces seized a home in Karma, turning it into a military outpost. In the western part of Jerusalem, 2 Palestinian gunmen were killed after they opened fire at a bus station, killing 3 people and wounding 16 others. An Israeli civilian was killed by the soldier who killed the 2 Palestinians after the soldier mistook him for a Palestinian. The soldier was later arrested for the killing of the Israeli after a video circulated showing he had his hands raised in the air. Hamas said the 2 gunmen were members of its armed wing. Israeli forces subsequently arrested members of the families of the 2 Palestinians in Sur Baher. In Gaza, a Palestinian man succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces on 11/29 in Beit Hanun. Israeli forces shot and injured an Israeli journalist in southern Gaza. In Lebanon, Israel said it shot down an “aerial target” crossing from Lebanon. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/30; AP, HA 12/3; HA 12/4)

The Gaza Media Office did not update the casualty numbers, leaving the death toll from Israeli attacks at 15,000 as of 11/27, including 6,150 children and 4,000 women, and around 35,000 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 242 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 63 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. 75 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. Israel said that at least 2,005 soldiers have been wounded since 10/7. Dozens of trucks carrying aid entered Gaza, including 7 trucks carrying fuel. 14 ambulances provided by Saudi Arabia also arrived in Gaza. Gaza’s Ministry of Health said hundreds of Palestinians needed to be evacuated to hospitals outside of Gaza for treatment. 30 people were evacuated to Egypt, including 9 wounded. 91 Palestinians returned to Gaza from Egypt and 31 medical staffers from the UAE and 2 UN staffers entered Gaza. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 11/30; UNOCHA 12/1)

The temporary ceasefire that was set to expire at 7 a.m. was extended for an additional day into 12/1. 30 Palestinian prisoners, 8 women and 22 children, were released from Israeli prisons on the seventh day of the prisoner exchange. 8 Israeli captives were released from Gaza. 2 Russian Israelis released on 10/29 were counted as released today to uphold the 1 to 3 prisoner release ratio that the parties had agreed to. Israel reportedly rejected a proposal from Hamas to exchange 7 captives and the bodies of 3 captives who had been killed in Israeli airstrikes. Egypt and Qatar said they continued efforts to extend the ceasefire by 2 days. Parents of Palestinians released in the prisoner exchanges called on the Red Cross to investigate the treatment of Palestinians after freed Palestinians said they were beaten and mistreated in prison.  (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, AX, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/30; AJ, AP, NYT 12/1)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and attended a meeting of the Israeli war cabinet. Blinken urged Israel to account “for humanitarian and civilian needs in southern Gaza before any military operation there,” and to curb settler violence in the West Bank. Blinken also reportedly expressed support for Israel’s continued war but warned that the longer it takes the more pressure there would be on Israel and the U.S. Blinken also met PA president Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, saying the 2 discussed the need for reforms in the PA to combat corruption, aid to Gaza, and settler violence. Abbas presented Blinken with a file documenting Israeli crimes in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and urged Blinken to support a lasting ceasefire. (AJ, AJ, AX, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 11/30; AP 12/1; HA 12/4)

Israeli energy minister Israel Katz called on Israel to punish the families of the 2 Palestinian gunmen that killed 3 Israelis in Jerusalem, saying they should lose their East Jerusalem residency cards. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir responded to the shooting by saying Israel will distribute more weapons to Israeli civilians. (AJ 11/30)

Higher Arab Monitoring Committee chairperson Mohammed Barakeh petitioned the Israeli High Court of Justice to end the Israel’s ban on protests in Palestinian communities in Israel. (HA 11/30; WAFA 12/2)

Qatari minister of state for international cooperation Lolwah al-Khater visited Gaza, meeting with Thomas White, the director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza. (AJ 11/30)

ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan visited Israel, touring areas attacked by Hamas on 10/7. Khan was invited to visit Israel by Israeli families that have relatives held captive in Gaza. In an interview with Haaretz, Khan said he had “reason to believe” that Hamas had committed crimes under international law on 10/7. Khan also said he was looking into settler attacks in the West Bank and the large casualty numbers in Gaza. Palestinian rights organizations urged Khan to visit Gaza. (AJ 11/30; HA 12/2)

Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez said he doubted that Israel respected international humanitarian law and called Israel’s resumption of attacks in Gaza unacceptable. Israel subsequently summoned the Spanish ambassador for a reprimand and recalled its ambassador to Spain for consultations. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 11/30)

Jordan hosted an aid conference for Gaza. King Abdullah II condemned Israel for not allowing sufficient aid into Gaza. (REU 11/29; AJ, REU 11/30)

A +972 Magazine and Local Call investigation based on interviews with 7 current and former members of the Israeli intelligence community, Palestinian testimonies, data, and documentation from Gaza revealed that Israel had increased its attacks on what it calls “power targets,” which include private buildings, infrastructure, and high-rise blocks, to create a shock effect among civilians. According to the sources, the goal of bombing these civilian targets is to “lead civilians to put pressure on Hamas.” Several sources also said Israel has files that show its assessment of how many civilians will be killed in the bombing of these civilian targets. A source told the 2 publications that Israel had increased its permitted “collateral damage” from dozens when targeting a Hamas commander to hundreds and that Israel is fully aware how many civilians will be killed in its attacks. The sources also revealed that Israel use AI-based systems, such as Habsora, to identify targets, including the suspected homes of junior members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The investigation also said that Israel had broken from previous protocol by allowing the targeting of residential buildings without warning the residents, with Israeli Air Force chief of staff Omer Tishler saying that the “roof knocking” policy does not apply to war. Israel estimated that it had killed 1,000-3,000 Palestinian militants in Gaza out of at least 15,000 casualties. (+972, AJ 11/30)

The Washington Post reported that in late October Pope Francis told Israeli president Isaac Herzog in a phone call not “to respond to terror with terror”. (AJ, HA 11/30)

German and Belgian police searched homes of people who allegedly made social media posts in support of Hamas in Munster, Nordhorn, and Eupen. (AJ, HA 11/30)

Al Jazeera said its analysis of hundreds of speeches at the UN found that 55% of nations that have spoken on the issue of the situation in Gaza have called for a ceasefire, while 23% have called for a “pause,” and 22% did not call for either a pause or a ceasefire. (AJ 11/30)

The New York Times reported that Israeli military and intelligence officers knew of Hamas’ plans for Operation Al-Aqsa Flood but dismissed the attack as aspirational. The Israeli military obtained a 40-page document it called “Jericho Wall” outlining the plans for the operation, which the Times said was followed “with shocking precision.” The document showed that Hamas had intricate knowledge of Israeli military bases, prompting questions of whether it had informants in the Israeli military. (NYT 11/30; AP 12/1; NYT 12/2)

MSNBC cancelled The Mehdi Hasan Show, hosted by Mehdi Hasan, from 1/1/2024, saying it was making changes in preparation for the 2024 U.S. presidential elections. MSNBC was criticized for silencing voices critical of Israel with its cancelation of the show. Hasan was pulled off air for a period after the Israeli attacks started on 10/7. (AJ 11/30)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers began constructing a settler road to Givat Allam on land belonging to residents of Khirbet Yanun. Israeli settlers also assaulted Palestinians and stole sheep in Arab al-Milehat. Israeli forces also shot and killed 3 Palestinians, including 2 children, during raids in Beitunia, Tayasir, and Kafr Ein. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 7 Palestinians during raids in Dheisheh refugee camp, al-Arroub refugee camp, Beitunia, and Deir Abu Mash’al. Israeli forces also punitively demolished the family home in Deir ‘Ammar of a Palestinian who was killed by Israeli forces on 8/3, damaging nearby homes and shooting and injuring 2. Meanwhile, Israeli forces demolished a Palestinian home in Bani Na’im, displacing 20. Israeli forces also notified residents of Husan, Wadi Fukin, and al-Jaba’ that it will seize 1,500 dunams (370 acres) of land to construct a settler-only road. In Gaza, Israeli forces shot and injured 4 Palestinians trying to reach their homes in northern Gaza. Israel claimed that several Israel soldiers had been injured in 2 separate attacks involving explosives and live ammunition. Hamas its fighters had responded to a “blatant breach of the ceasefire” by Israel. 300 Palestinians who were working in Israel before 10/7 were expelled to Gaza. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked Aita al-Shaab. (AJ, AP, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/28)

The Gaza Media Office did not update the casualty numbers, leaving the death toll from Israeli attacks at 15,000 as of 11/27, including 6,150 children and 4,000 women, and around 35,000 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 7,000 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 234 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 58 children. More than 3,174 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. 75 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. 4 trucks carrying fuel and 4 carrying cooking oil entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing. The Palestinian Red Crescent said Israel prevented it from bringing fuel for ambulances into northern Gaza. 31 trucks carrying aid entered northern Gaza. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 11/28)

30 Palestinians were released from Israeli prisons, 15 women and 15 children, on the fifth day of the prisoner exchange. 12 captives held in Gaza were released to Israel, including 10 Israeli women and 2 Thai nationals. Hundreds of Palestinians cheered the release of the captives, and members of both Hamas and Islamic Jihad were present during the handover to the Red Cross. Israel added 46 Palestinian prisoners to the list of people it is willing to exchange for Hamas-held captives, including 20 Palestinian citizens of Israel who had been arrested after 10/7 on charges of incitement. The Hadash party condemned the Israeli decision, saying it could serve as a justification for the Israeli government to revoke their citizenship. Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar reportedly visited some of the Hamas-held captives on 10/8, telling them they would not be harmed. The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society said Israel had arrested 168 Palestinians in the West Bank, while it had released 150 as part of the prisoner exchange. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AX, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 11/28; HA 11/29)

The WHO warned that more people could die from disease than from the Israeli attacks if the health and sanitation systems in Gaza are not repaired. (AJ, REU 11/28)

Egyptian intelligence director Abbas Kamal, Mossad director David Barnea, CIA director William Burns, and Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met in Doha, discussing extending the ceasefire and prisoner exchanges. Egyptian sources reported that Israel and Hamas had agreed to extend the ceasefire for an additional 2 days from 11/30. Haaretz reported that Israel is not willing to extend the ceasefire beyond 12/3. (AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, NYT 11/28; HA 11/29)

PA UN envoy Riyad Mansour addressed the UN General Assembly, saying the Israeli government’s “priority is not security, it is the destruction of the Palestinian nation,” calling on the assembly to make Palestine a full member of the UN. (AJ 11/28)

PA health minister Mai al-Kaila and Egyptian health minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar met in Cairo to discuss aid to Gaza and treatment of wounded Palestinians in Egypt. (WAFA 11/28)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant spoke with U.S. secretary of defense Lloyd Austin, discussing U.S. military assistance to Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the German newspaper Die Welt that Israel must “demilitarize” and “de-radicalize” Gaza, like Germany was after World War II. (HA 11/27; AJ, HA 11/28)

Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote on X that stopping the war on Gaza would equal the dissolution of the government coalition. (AJ 11/28; NYT 11/29)

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told UN secretary-general Antonio Gutterres that Israel should be tried in international courts for its war crimes in Gaza. (REU 11/28)

In what appeared to be a call for a permanent ceasefire, U.S. president Joe Biden tweeted, “Hamas unleashed a terrorist attack because they fear nothing more than Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace. To continue down the path of terror, violence, killing, and war is to give Hamas what they seek. We can’t do that.” (AJ 11/28; AJ, NYT 11/29)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken spoke with Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, thanking him for “Qatar’s partnership and critical efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the U.S. had airlifted 54,000 pounds of humanitarian aid to Egypt for Gaza. U.S. officials said that the Biden administration had told Israel it had to avoid “significant further displacement” in its planned invasion of southern Gaza. (HA 11/27; AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU 11/28; AX 11/29)

U.S. senator Peter Welch (D-VT) joined senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) in calling for a permanent ceasefire. 40 U.S. senators from both parties viewed a screening of an Israeli film about Hamas’ Operation Al-Aqsa Flood at the U.S. Capitol. (AJ, HA 11/28)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized around 1,000 olive, almond, and grape trees in al-Khader. Israeli forces shot and injured 2 Palestinians during a raid in Ya’bad. Israeli forces demolished 2 homes and razed land, uprooting 120 olive trees and water pipes in Birin. 56 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, Kafr Ni’ma, Jaba’, Nablus, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israel forced a Palestinian family to demolish their apartment building in Jabel Mukaber. Israeli forces raided Palestinian homes in Sheikh Jarrah, Isawiya, and al-Tur, warning families not to celebrate the release of their relatives in the prisoner exchange. (AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/27)