The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces arrest 25 Palestinians during raids in and around Qalqilya, Hebron, Bethlehem, Tulkarm, Ramallah, and Jenin. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Nuseirat refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, al-Bureij, and Gaza City, killing at least 92 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Naqoura, Aitaroun, Ayta ash Shab, Marwahin, and Hamool. Hezbollah forces fire anti-tank missiles at Metula; there are no reports of injuries or damage. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb the southern part of the country, wounding a Syrian soldier. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/17; UNOCHA 3/18)

More than 31,645 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 73,676 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 426 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. 192 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza, including 13 trucks that arrive in Jabalia refugee camp and Gaza City. The aid arriving in Jabalia is the first in 4 months. U.S. forces airdrop 28,000 meals and 34,500 bottles of water over northern Gaza. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 3/17; UNOCHA, UNOCHA 3/18)

Adalah says it has documented 19 clear cases of torture in Israeli prisons since 10/7/2023, including sexual violence. (AJ 3/17)

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh meets with a delegation of Chinese diplomats in Doha, discussing the situation in Gaza and the political situation in Palestine. (AJ 3/17)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas meets with Brazilian foreign minister Mauro Vieira in Ramallah, warning against the humanitarian consequences of an Israeli invasion of Rafah. (AJ, WAFA 3/17)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says during a press conference with German chancellor Olaf Scholz that Israel will invade Rafah, but that Israel will enable civilians to leave the city. Scholz says an invasion of Rafah would make regional peace “very difficult.” Scholz also says Israel has a “right to defend itself” but adds the humanitarian cost of Israel’s attacks on Gaza is “extremely high, many will argue much too high.” (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, REU 3/17)

Haaretz reports that Israeli finance minister and minister with a portfolio at the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich is trying to appoint a settler, Hillel Roth, from the Yitzhar settlement as the deputy head of the Civil Administration and transfer authority over settlement building regulations to him instead of the military’s Central Command. (HA 3/17; HA 3/18)

Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani meets with UAE foreign minister Abdullah bin Zayed in Doha, discussing ceasefire negotiations. (AJ 3/17)

U.S. president Joe Biden meets with Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar, saying that a ceasefire and more humanitarian aid is needed in Gaza. Varadkar says Irish solidarity with Palestinians is rooted in the Irish “story of displacement, of dispossession, a national identity questioned and denied, forced emigration, discrimination, and now hunger.” (HA 3/15; AJ, HA, NYT 3/17)

U.S. senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) says in an interview that Israel’s claim that UNRWA is a Hamas proxy is “just flat-out lies” and says Prime Minister Netanyahu wants to get rid of UNRWA because he wants to destroy hopes of a 2-state solution. (AJ 3/17)

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reiterates his support for Israel’s attacks on Gaza, saying Israel should “finish it up and do it quickly and get back to the world of peace,” claiming he would make a normalization agreement between Iran and Israel. (AJ, HA, HA 3/17)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian man succumbs to injuries sustained from Israeli forces on 3/4 in Burin. An Israeli settler is stabbed and injured at a bus stop near the Neve Yaakov settlement; a Palestinian child is later arrested and accused of stabbing the settler. Israeli settlers with a military escort raid Jenin to visit Joseph’s Tomb. Israeli forces shoot and injure 7 Palestinians during a raid in Dheisheh refugee camp. Israeli forces also arrest 25 Palestinians during raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, al-Bireh, Bethlehem, Tulkarm, and Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a retaining wall and raze a tract of land in Silwan. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Nuseirat refugee camp, Jabalia refugee camp, Khan Yunis, Rafah, and Dayr al-Balah, killing at least 86 people, including al-Aqsa TV presenter Muhammad Salama and his family in Dayr al-Balah. Israeli forces also open fire at Palestinians waiting to receive aid in Gaza City, injuring 8 people. A child and an elderly man die of starvation at the Kamal Adwan Hospital, bringing the death toll from starvation to at least 20 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces attack Yaroun, Kafra, Yatar, and Fardis. Hezbollah forces attack Metula. In Syria, Israeli forces fire artillery, saying 2 rockets were launched at the Golan Heights. In Yemen, Houthi militants fire a missile at the True Confidence cargo ship, killing 3 people. It is the first time that a Houthi attack enforcing the Red Sea blockade has caused casualties. (AJ, AJ, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/6; AP, AP, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/7)

More than 30,717 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 72,156 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 416 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 4,648 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. 195 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/6; UNOCHA 3/7)

Israel’s National Planning and Building Council approves the advancement of 3,476 new settlement units in the Ma’ale Adumim, Kedar, and Efrat settlements. 694 units in Efrat receive final approval, while 2,452 in Ma’ale Adumm and 330 in Kedar are moved to the planning process. The PA calls for sanctions to deter Israel from its settlement enterprise. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Egypt, Bahrain, Turkey, and Qatar condemn the settlement expansion. German asks Israel to withdraw the approval, ‘strongly condemning’ the decision. (AJ, HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/6; AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/7)

HaMoked says the number of Palestinian prisoners has risen to 9,077, including more than 3,500 held in administrative detention. (AJ 3/6)

South Africa asks the ICJ to order additional emergency measures against Israel, citing imminent widespread famine, and tells the ICJ that Israel is breaching the measures the court already ruled it has to follow. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA 3/6; NYT, REU 3/7)

Israeli UN ambassador Gilad Erdan says Israel may close the UN’s headquarters in Jerusalem, deport UN officials from Israel, and evacuate UNRWA compounds in Jerusalem if UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres does not invoke Article 99 of the UN Charter to force the Security Council to discuss captives held in Gaza and allegations of sexual crimes committed on 10/7/2023. Israel approves aid funded by the UAE entering Gaza via the sea. The aid will be shipped from Cyprus to a dock controlled by Israel where it will be distributed using hovercrafts. (AJ, HA 3/6)

Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani meets with UK foreign secretary David Cameron, discussing the situation in Gaza and ceasefire negotiations. Cameron and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meet Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz in London, telling him more aid needs to enter Gaza. (AJ, AP, HA, NYT, WAFA 3/6; NYT 3/7)

Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi speaks with U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken, calling for an immediate ceasefire. (AJ 3/6)

The Washington Post reports that the U.S. has secretly approved and delivered more than 100 separate arms shipments to Israel since 10/7/2023. The Post says the U.S. has circumvented congressional oversight in the majority of instances by processing arms sales that are below the threshold to notify Congress. The transfers include thousands of 155mm shells, tens of thousands of bomb guidance systems, Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, drones, Iron Dome munitions and more. (AJ, HA 3/6; HA 3/7)

Iraq and Qatar pledges $25 million to UNRWA. (AJ 3/6)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Qibya. Israeli settlers also assault and pepper spray 2 Palestinians before stealing their car in Susiya. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers open fire at a vehicle traveling near Yanun, causing it to crash; no serious injuries are reported. Israeli settlers also throw stones at vehicles traveling near an-Nassariya, causing damage. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers set fire to a vehicle during a raid in Burin. Israeli forces shoot and injure 2 Palestinians during a riad in Jalazone refugee camp. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian child during a raid in Jayyus. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian during a raid in Tell. Israeli forces also issue demolition notices for 2 homes and a water well in Khallet al-Fara. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 11 Palestinians during raids in Dheisheh refugee camp, Nahalin, Beit Fajjar, Za’atra, and Irtah. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces assault Palestinians while preventing them from reaching the Haram al-Sharif compound for Friday prayers in the Old City and Wadi al-Juz. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, and Gaza City, killing at least 104 people, including at least 24 in a home in Dayr al-Balah. A 2-year-old Palestinian dies at al-Shifa Hospital due to hunger. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Bint Jbeil, killing 2 paramedics. Israeli forces also bomb Kafr Kila and Labbouneh. In the Red Sea, the U.S. military says it shot down 3 suicide drones launched from Yemen. In Yemen, U.S. and UK forces attack 3 sites in Ras Issa. (AJ, AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/23; AJ, AJ 2/25)

More than 29,514 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children and 7,200 women, and around 69,616 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 399 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 102 children. More than 4,545 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, 235 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,396 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. 50 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/23; UNOCHA 2/26)

It is revealed that Izz al-Din Ziyad al-Banna died in Ramla Prison on 2/20, becoming the 10^th Palestinian prisoner to die in Israel custody since 10/7. (AJ, WAFA 2/23; WAFA 2/24)

UNRWA says it no longer is able to operate in northern Gaza and only has “a few staff” left in the area. (AJ, WAFA 2/23)

Israel bans Palestinian vehicles from traveling on Road 417 in the West Bank between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. for 15 days, citing the attack that killed an Israeli on 2/22. (AJ, HA 2/23; UNOCHA 2/26)

Hamas releases a statement saying its delegation to Egypt for ceasefire negotiations, led by political leader Ismail Haniyeh, has left the country after 3 days of meetings with Egyptian officials, including intelligence chief Abbas Kamel. Osama Hamdan later gives a briefing calling on Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem to mobilize in defense of the Haram al-Sharif compound as Israel is planning to limit the number of people allowed to enter the compound for Ramadan. Hamdan also says Israel is not serious about reaching a ceasefire deal. (AJ, HA 2/23)

The UN Human Rights Office calls for a review of human rights violations in Palestinian territories and in Israel and for an arms embargo against Israel. (WAFA, WAFA 2/23; HA, HA, NYT 2/24)

Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz calls on the UN Security Council to pressure Lebanon to take action against Hezbollah and ensure that the area south of the Litani River is demilitarized, warning that Israel will take action. (AJ 2/23)

7 Israeli human rights organizations, including B’Tselem, Doctors for Human Rights, Breaking the Silence, and Gisha, call on countries to restore funding for UNRWA, saying the Israeli allegations do “not justify the punitive freeze on the Agency’s funding.” (AJ 2/23)

During the fifth day of the ICJ hearings on the legality of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, the UK argues against the ICJ providing an advisory opinion on the issue, calling the occupation a bilateral dispute. Norway, Namibia, Oman, Pakistan, Indonesia, Qatar, Syria, Tunisia, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Sudan criticize the Israeli occupation. (AJ, AJ, WAFA 2/23)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken calls Israeli settlements “inconsistent with international law,” reversing what is dubbed the Pompeo Doctrine, when in 2019 the Trump administration reversed U.S. policy to declare Israeli settlements “not per se inconsistent with international law.” Blinken also calls the Israeli settlement expansion announcement from 2/22 disappointing. Germany condemns the Israeli settlement expansion announcement. The UK calls the announcement “deeply concerning.” (AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, REU 2/23; AJ, NYT, NYT 2/24)

The American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) New York branch informs Columbia University that if the university does not reinstate the local chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace by 3/1 the school will be sued by the ACLU. (AJ 2/23)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian shepherd in Burqa. Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian child during a raid in Beita. Israeli forces also shoot and injure 6 Palestinians with live ammunition during a raid in Beit Furik. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrest 11 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Sinjil, and Tulkarm; 3 vehicles and NIS 2,800 are seized during the raid in Sinjil. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City, Jabalia refugee camp, and Khan Yunis, killing at least 107 people. Israeli forces also shoot 21 people outside of the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. Meanwhile, Israeli forces raid al-Amal Hospital, arresting several medical workers and patients. Israeli tanks also fire at al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City, causing damage. In Lebanon, Hezbollah attacks 5 Israeli military sites in Shebaa Farms, al-Malikiyah, and Blida. Israeli forces bomb Maroun al-Ras, Dhayra, al-Jibin, and Yarin. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/9) HA 11:04)

More than 27,947 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 11,500 children and 7,200 women, and around 67,459 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 8,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 384 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 97 children. More than 4,432 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, 225 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 1,314 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. Israelis block aid trucks from entering Egypt via the Nitzana crossing. 7 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry says Israeli forces have killed 340 health personnel, arrested 99, and destroyed 123 ambulances since 10/7/2023. UNRWA says a contractor facilitating aid shipments at the Ashdod port will no longer work with the agency, citing instructions from the Israeli government. (AJ, AP, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/9; AJ, HA 2/11; UNOCHA 2/12)

Israel confirms its military killed a captive held in Gaza in an airstrike in January. (AJ, HA 2/9)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders the Israeli military to prepare to move ground forces to Rafah and to evacuate the city. PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour tells the Arab Group of ambassadors at the UN that the PA will not allow Palestinians to be forcefully displaced to Egypt, saying it is working with the UN Security Council to prevent the ground invasion. President Mahmoud Abbas says the U.S. and Israel bear full responsibility for the consequences of moving the ground troops to Rafah. UN General Assembly president Dennis Francis expresses shock and deep dismay over the Israeli plans. EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borell calls the plans “alarming.” Human Rights Watch says the evacuation of Palestinians in Rafah would have “catastrophic consequences.” Amnesty International says “Palestinians in Gaza are at grave risk of genocide.” Dutch foreign minister Hanke Bruins Slot says an Israeli ground force attack on Rafah would be “unjustifiable.” UK foreign secretary David Cameron, Canadian foreign minister Melenie Joly, and German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock express deep concern over the Israeli plans. Saudi Arabia and Qatar call on the UN Security Council to convene over the announcement.  (AJ, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/9; AJ, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, WAFA, WAFA 2/10; AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/11; REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/12; WAFA 2/13)

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, the UAE, and Jordan and PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh meet in Riyadh to discuss the situation in Gaza. (AJ, HA, REU 2/9)

UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini says he did not give due process to the 9 staffers he fired after Israeli allegations that they aided in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood because he determined that UNRWA’s reputation was at stake. (AJ 2/11)

U.S. president Joe Biden meets with German chancellor Olaf Scholz at the White House, discussing the situation in Gaza. (HA 2/9; HA 2/10)

EU diplomats say Hungary and Czechia are stalling EU efforts to impose sanctions on Israeli settlers. (HA, REU 2/9)

Kan reports that Israeli forces have stolen more than 350 bodies from Gaza, allegedly to determine if they are captives. (AJ 2/9)

The credit rating agency Moody’s downgrades Israel’s credit rating from A1 to A2, citing Israel’s war on Gaza. (AJ, HA, NYT, REU 2/9; HA 2/11)

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 settlers block a road between Ramallah and Nablus with burning tires. Israeli forces dressed as Palestinians raid Balata refugee camp, injuring 3 Palestinians, including a 4-year-old who is bitten by a dog and the 2 others with live ammunition. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Sarra. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raid Shu’fat refugee camp, injuring a Palestinian with a baton round. Israeli forces also raid Ramin, demolishing a monument erected to commemorate Palestinians killed by Israeli forces. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 14 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Qalqilya, Nablus, Tulkarm, Ramallah, and Jenin. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Rafah, Gaza City, Dayr al-Balah, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 127 people, including at least 30 in strikes on homes in Dayr al-Balah. In Lebanon, Hezbollah says it has attacked 6 sites in Israel, including 2 buildings in Manara. In Yemen, U.S. and UK forces bomb Hodeidah and Saada. (AJ, HA, NYT, NYT, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/4; UNOCHA, WAFA 2/5)

More than 27,365 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 11,500 children and 7,200 women, and around 66,630 have been injured since 10/7. At least 8,000 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 4,408 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 1,296 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. 207 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. The Jordanian and Dutch air forces drop aid near the Jordanian Field Hospital. (AJ, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/4; UNOCHA 2/5)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas meets with UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Tor Wennesland in Ramallah. (WAFA 2/4)

The Israeli military’s psychological warfare unit acknowledges that it runs the Telegram channel 72 Virgins – Uncensored, on which graphic and incendiary content is posted about killings of Palestinians and the destruction of homes in Gaza. (HA 2/4)

The Israeli housing ministry publishes a tender for the construction of 62 housing units in the Efrat settlement south of Bethlehem. The Israeli government also approves the continued funding of settlement farming outposts. (AJ, PCN, PCN 2/5)

The Israeli government extends the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law for a year, barring Palestinians married to Israelis from obtaining Israeli citizenship. The government also says it plans to hire 65,000 construction workers from India, Sri Lanka, and Uzbekistan to replace the 72,000 Palestinians employed at construction sites before 10/7/2023. Foreign Minister Israel Katz says UNRWA “perpetuates the false narrative of Palestinian ‘refugees’ needing to return to Israel. We are actively working to disengage UNRWA from Gaza.” National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir tells the Wall Street Journal that the Biden administration “is busy giving humanitarian aid and fuel” to Gaza instead “of giving us his full backing.” Ben-Gvir also says he encourages Palestinians in Gaza to “emigrate to places around the world.” The High Court of Justice rejects a petition to recuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from office. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, REU, WSJ 2/4; HA 2/5)

U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan says “[a]t this point, it is up to Hamas to come forward and respond to a serious [ceasefire] proposal, and we will continue to press Qatar and Egypt to try and generate a positive response.” (HA, HA 2/4; HA 2/5)

The U.S. Senate publishes a new proposal for a bill to provide aid to Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel, earmarking $14.1 billion to Israel and $10 billion in humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, stipulating that no funds can go to UNRWA. The House has proposed a standalone bill for Israel to avoid funding Ukraine and Taiwan. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel says bill would prevent the U.S. from funding UNRWA and the U.S. would instead divert funds to “other partners.” (AJ, HA, HA, NYT, NYT 2/5)

UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini tells the Financial Times that Israel has not provided evidence to back its claim that 12 UNRWA staffers were involved in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. EU high commissioner of foreign affairs Josep Borell calls the suspension of funding for UNRWA “disproportionate and dangerous.” Haaretz reports that Israel’s Bank Luemi has notified UNRWA that it will block the agency’s bank account due to “tangible suspicions it is transferring funds to terror groups in Gaza.” The bank also suspends the account of 1 of the settlers sanctioned by the U.S. on 2/1. (AJ, HA, HA, HA, REU, WAFA 2/4; REU 2/5)

Canadian foreign minister Melanie Joly says Canada will sanction some Israeli settlers and place new sanctions on Hamas leaders. (AJ, REU, WAFA 2/4)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers raided at-Tuba and Wadi Ijheish in the Masafer Yatta area, assaulting Palestinians and stealing 6 sheep and agricultural equipment. Israeli settlers also raided Qaryut, vandalizing property. Israeli forces shot and killed 5 Palestinians during raids in Askar refugee camp, Dheisheh refugee camp, Bayt Rima, Balata refugee camp, and Tammun. Israeli forces also shot and injured 38 people, including at least 3 children, during raids in Tammun, Dheisheh refugee camp, Balata refugee camp, ‘Urif, Askar refugee camp, Nablus, and Bayt Rima. Meanwhile, Israeli forces punitively demolished the family home in Askar refugee camp of a Palestinian man killed by Israeli forces in Nablus in May; the man was accused of taking part in the killing of 3 Israeli settlers in April. Israeli forces also punitively demolished the family home of a Palestinian killed by Israeli forces in Burqa and delivered a punitive demolition notice to the family of a Palestinian killed in Rumana. Elsewhere, Israeli forces razed land near Abu Basal to expand a nearby settlement. Israeli forces also closed the Dream Radio station in Hebron, threating to destroy its contents if it did not stop broadcasting. 35 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Nablus, Jenin, Hebron, Qalqilya, Tubas, Salfit, and Tulkarm. The PA Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs said more than 1,590 Palestinian have been arrested in the West Bank since 10/7. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces fired tear gas at Palestinians in Silwan, igniting a fire and causing injuries. In Gaza, some communications were restored after being cut off by Israel on 10/27. At least 302 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks. Islamic Jihad said Israel has assassinated 1 of its senior political officials, Taysir Alghouti, and killed several members of his family in Rafah. Islamic Jihad also said it attacked some Israeli military vehicles in Gaza. 2 Israeli soldiers were injured by a mortar shell in Gaza. Rockets were fired at Israel, causing damage. In Hanita, Islamic Jihad said 2 al-Quds Brigades fighters had been killed during an operation near the Blue Line. In Lebanon, Hezbollah said it had downed an Israeli drone. (AJ, HA 10/28; AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/29; AP, AJ 10/30)

The Gaza Ministry of Health said at least 8,005 Palestinians have been killed, including around 5,000 women and children, and 20,242 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. 1,800 Palestinians, including 940 children, have been reported missing. In addition, media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. 115 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 33 children. More than 2,150 have been injured. Israeli officials recorded no new fatalities, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals; 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. The UN reported that over 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half the population in Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7 and that since 11 p.m. on 10/12 there has been a complete electricity blackout due to the Israeli blockade. As of 10/23, at least 27,781 housing units had been destroyed and 150,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. At least 45% of all housing units have been either destroyed or damaged in Israeli airstrikes. The bodies of 62 unidentified Palestinians were buried in a mass grave near al-Shifa Hospital. It was the third time Palestinians in Gaza had to resort to burying Palestinians killed by Israel in a mass grave since 10/7. 33 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza. Israel opened a second water pipe to Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said Israel has ordered it to evacuate al-Quds Hospital; airstrikes later damaged the hospital as well as the al-Shifa and Indonesian hospitals. UNRWA said the slow flow of aid has prompted thousands of Palestinians in Gaza to take food supplies from its warehouses. The UN said nearly 1,000 Palestinians have been displaced from their homes in the West Bank since 10/7 due to Israeli settler attacks and Israeli military demolitions. (AJ 10/28; AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 10/29; AJ, AJ, AP, WAFA 10/30)

Save the Children said more children have been killed in Gaza in the past 3 weeks than the total number of children killed in conflicts around the world since 2019, saying so far 3,324 have been killed in Gaza and 36 in the West Bank. (AJ 10/29; AJ 10/30)

A Palestinian citizen of Israel, actress Maisa Abd Elhadi, was charged by Israel with incitement to terrorism and expressing solidarity with a terrorist organization for an Instagram post. Interior Minister Moshe Arbel directed the Population and Immigration Authority to determine if he could revoke her citizenship. Elhadi was arrested on 10/12. (HA 10/30)

Reporters Without Borders said their investigation into the Israeli killing of Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah on 10/13 in Lebanon concluded that Israel intentionally targeted him and other journalists. (AJ 10/28; REU 10/29; AJ 10/30; AP 10/31)

Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant signed an order to place the settler activist Ariel Danino on administrative detention for 4 months for his involvement in settler attacks on Palestinians. (HA 10/29)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with Bahraini foreign inister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani in Ramallah. PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki spoke with UK foreign secretary James Cleverly. (WAFA, WAFA 10/29)

A leaked internal U.S. State Department memo recommended that President Joe Biden pressure Israel to allow more aid to enter Gaza, estimating that 52,000 pregnant women and 30,000 babies were drinking brackish or contaminated water due to the lack of water in Gaza. (HA 10/29; AJ 10/30)

The Washington Post reported that the U.S. pressured Israel to turn communications back on in Gaza. (AJ 10/30)

International Committee of the Red Cross president Mirjana Spoljaric said “[i]t is unacceptable that civilians have no safe place to go in Gaza amid the massive bombardments, and with a military siege in place there is also no adequate humanitarian response currently possible. This is a catastrophic failing that the world must not tolerate.” (HA 10/28)

30 Israeli human rights and civil society organizations urged the international community to “act urgently to stop the state-backed wave of settler violence which has led, and is leading to, the forcible transfer of Palestinian communities in the West Bank.” The French foreign ministry called on Israel to take action to protect Palestinians in the West Bank. (AJ 10/28; HA, WAFA 10/29)

President Biden told Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that more humanitarian aid has to enter Gaza immediately. Before the 2 spoke, U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan said Israel “has a responsibility to rein in the settlers.” Sullivan also said Israel must distinguish between “terrorist targets” and civilians and claimed Hamas was using human shields. Biden also spoke with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. (AJ 10/28; AJ, HA, REU, REU, WAFA 10/29)

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said, “the world is witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe taking place before our eyes,” in reference to the situation in Gaza. (AJ 10/28; HA 10/29)

Pope Francis called for a ceasefire and the release of the Hamas-held captives. (HA, REU 10/29)

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan visited the Rafah crossing, saying the ICC has ongoing investigations into potential war crimes committed by Hamas and Israel. Khan said impeding aid to Gaza could constitute a war crime. (AJ 10/28; AJ, HA, HA, REU, WAFA 10/29; AJ 10/30)

Jordan said it has asked the U.S. to deploy the Patriot air defense system in Jordan. (AJ 10/28; REU 10/29)

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations were held in many cities across the world, including in Islamabad, Beirut, Berlin, Madrid, Athens, and Ottawa. (AJ 10/28; AJ, REU, WAFA 10/29)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers prevented an Israeli road company from carrying out work to reopen a road for Palestinians connecting the village of Azzariyeh to Bethlehem. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian minor during a raid in Husan, saying he had thrown a Molotov cocktail at the Israeli forces; 4 others were injured by live ammunition. Israeli forces also shot and killed 1 Palestinian man during a raid in Silwad; 6 others were injured. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian man during a raid in Nablus and injured 16 others. Israeli forces also shot and killed 1 Palestinian man during a raid in Beita. Meanwhile, Israeli forces raided Joseph’s Tomb near Nablus, violently dispersing Palestinian protesters; 2 were injured with baton rounds. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters during a raid in al-Khader, injuring 1 elderly Palestinian man who was sitting on his balcony with a concussion bomb to his face; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. Separetly, Israeli forces raided the Palestine Technical University in Tulkarm, injuring 3 Palestinians with baton rounds. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Beit Umar, injuring 2 with baton rounds. Palestinians threw stones at 1 Israeli settler who entered Husan; no injuries were reported in relation to that incident. 28 Palestinians were arrested, including 26 during late-night raids in Hebron, Kobar, Beit Umar, al-Bireh, Beita, al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, ‘Urif, Qabatiya, Kafr Rai, Jaba‘, Jenin, Tubas, and Silwad, and 2 were arrested at checkpoints near Jericho and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, 3 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in al-Tur and Isawiya. (AJ, AP, F24, GDN, HA, HA, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, PCHR, PCN, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/13; ABC, AJ, HA, MEE, PCHR, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/14; HA 4/18; HA 4/21; UNOCHA 4/23)

Commander of the Samaria Brigade Roi Zweig told his soldiers, in a televised speech, that they had to “restore the honor to this land and the people of Israel,” before the troops entered Nablus to guard the site of Joseph’s Tomb, which is undergoing restoration work after it was vandalized on 4/9. Zweig made many references to the Hebrew Bible and the promises made to the people of Israel in his speech. (HA 4/13; HA 4/14; HA 4/18)

Turkish foreign minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told Israeli journalists in Ankara that Israel must respect “the international law on the Palestinian issue” to normalize ties with Turkey. Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu said that Turkey condemns the recent attacks in Israel and the killing of 1 unarmed Palestinian woman on 4/10. (AX, HA, TOI 4/13)

Qatar donated $1.5 million to UNRWA, earmarked for food assistance programs in Gaza. (MEMO 4/14)