The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set up tents and caravans in ‘Ayn al-Sakut. Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man during a raid in Birzeit. Israeli forces also demolish 3 homes in al-Jiftlik and 1 in Furush Beit Dajan. Elsewhere, Israeli forces issue stop-work notices for 3 agricultural structures near Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces prevent hundreds of Palestinians from entering the Haram al-Sharif compound for the first Ramadan prayers. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Beit Lahiya, Dayr al-Balah, Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Khan Yunis, killing at least 83 people. An Israeli soldier is killed in combat. In Lebanon, Hezbollah forces attack 12 Israeli positions in Ramya, Birkat Risha, and Shebaa Farms. Israeli forces attack Hebbariye, (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/10; HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 3/11; UNOCHA 3/12)

More than 31,045 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 13,400 children and 8,900 women, and around 72,654 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 7,000 people are missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 417 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 4,665 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 1,469 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. 109 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. U.S. and Jordanian forces airdrop 11,500 meals in northern Gaza. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA 3/10; UNOCHA 3/11; UNOCHA 3/13)

In response to reports that Israel is trying set up a government in Gaza and is looking for Palestinians to work with on aid deliveries, Hamas warns that it will not tolerate people collaborating with Israel. Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh says in a speech that Israel is responsible for a ceasefire agreement not being reached. Haniyeh also says that unity is needed for the Palestinian people and that it will be achieved by the rebuilding of the PLO, the establishment of a temporary national consensus government, and an agreement of an overall political program that is based on the end of the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as the capital, and the right of return for refugees. Haniyeh also meets with International Committee of the Red Cross head Mirjana Spoljaric in Qatar. (AJ, HA, REU 3/10; AJ, REU 3/11; HA 3/12)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office releases a statement saying he has instructed his defense, national security, and finance ministers to open up space for thousands of new Palestinian prisoners. Israel’s Army Radio says Israel will deploy 15,000 extra soldiers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In an interview with the German media company Axel Springer, Netanyahu says that Israel has killed at least 13,000 militants in Gaza and that the military will invade Rafah. (AJ, AX, HA, NYT, REU 3/10; AJ 3/11)

The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Mohammad Hussein declares 3/11 the beginning of the month of Ramadan. (WAFA, WAFA 3/10)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalize a Palestinian home in Sinjil with graffiti and stones. Israeli settlers also assault Palestinian shepherds in al-Minya. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers destroy water pipes in Susiya. Israeli forces shoot and injure 4 Palestinians, uproot streets, and bomb a home in Jenin refugee camp. Israeli forces also raid Tuqu’, causing tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces raze land in Husan for the second day in a row. Israeli forces also arrest 26 Palestinians, including 2 who were released during the prisoner exchange in November 2023 and 6 children, during raids and around Abud, Ramallah, Hebron, Tulkarm, Bethlehem, Nablus, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish an 8-story residential building under construction in Bayt Hanina. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Gaza City, Khan Yunis, Rafah, Nuseirat refugee camp, al-Bureij refugee camp, Maghazi, and Dayr a-Balah, killing at least 103 people. 18 people are evacuated from the Nasser Hospital, 118 patients are still inside the hospital. An Israelis soldier is killed in combat. In Lebanon, Hezbollah launches 6 rockets at Shebaa Farms. Israeli forces attack Blida, Kafr Kila, and Ayta  ash Shab. In the Red Sea, Houthi forces launch a suicide drone at a U.S.-owned ship, causing damage. (AJ, AJ, HA, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/20; AJ, HA 2/21)

More than 29,195 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 12,000 children and 7,200 women, and around 69,170 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 4,522 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. 19 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza. (HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 2/20; UNOCHA 2/21; UNOCHA 2/22)

The World Food Programme announces that it cannot deliver aid in northern Gaza due to Israeli attacks and “complete chaos and violence due to the collapse of civil order.” The Gaza Media Office calls the decision “a death sentence for three-quarters of a million people.” (AJ, AP, HA 2/20; AJ, AJ, UNOCHA 2/21)

Israel orders the evacuation of the Zeitoun and Turkmen neighborhoods of Gaza City. (NYT 2/20; AJ 2/21)

UNOCHA releases a report saying that Palestinians in the West Bank were prevented from harvesting olives in more than 96,000 dunams (23,622 acres) of land due to Israeli restrictions during the 2023 harvesting season. Palestinians suffered a loss of $10 million from not being able to harvest olives. The report also notes that there were 113 incidents of Israeli settlers attacking Palestinians harvesting olives and stealing their crops between September and November. (UNOCHA 2/20; AJ 2/21)

The Israeli Justice Ministry is investigating 3 Israeli police officers who are suspected of sexually assaulting a man they arrested at the Hizma checkpoint in late December 2023. The unnamed victim told an Israeli court that the police officers “stuck whatever they had in the car into my anus.” A sexual assault examination conducted by the Institute for Forensic Medicine found that he had been sexually assaulted. (HA 2/20)

Israeli military chief of staff Herzl Halevi calls on Israeli military officers to “distinguish between terrorist and non-terrorist, not to take anything that is not ours – a souvenir or military item – and not to film revenge videos . . . We are not on a killing spree, revenge or genocide . . . We will not make a mistake and allow it to achieve anything in the international arena.” +972 Magazine and Local Call reports that Israeli soldiers are stealing Palestinian property in Gaza with the blessing of their commanders. (+972, HA 2/20)

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh travels to Egypt for ceasefire negotiations. Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan says the U.S. veto of a ceasefire resolution at the UN Security council (see below) shows the U.S. is an accomplice to Israeli crimes. Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich says freeing the Israeli captives is not the most important goal for Israel. (AJ, HA, HA, HA 2/20)

UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini says Israel has not presented any evidence to back its allegation against UNRWA employees despite repeated calls for Israel to cooperate with the UN in its investigation. (AJ, HA 2/20)

At the UN Security Council, the U.S. vetoes an Algerian draft resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire. The UK abstains, while the 13 other members vote in favor. U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield calls the resolution “wishful and irresponsible.” The U.S. has offered its own draft resolution calling for a temporary ceasefire as soon as it is practical, but the resolution was not formally presented for a vote. PA ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour calls the U.S. veto “absolutely reckless and dangerous.” The PA Presidency condemns the veto, saying U.S. support for Israel makes it “a partner in the crime of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and war crimes.” France, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, the OIC, and Saudi Arabia say they regret that a ceasefire resolution could not be adopted. China criticizes the U.S. for stifling “an overwhelming consensus.” (AP 2/19; AJ, AJ, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/20; AJ, AJ, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/21)

On the second day of the ICJ hearings on the legality of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, South Africa says the occupation is “inherently and fundamentally illegal,” that Israeli apartheid is even more extreme than that in South Africa, and calls Israel’s occupation settler colonialism. Algeria, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, and Chile also deliver statements on the question of Israel’s occupation. Canada was scheduled to deliver remarks but decided not to. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, NYT, REU, WAFA 2/20; NYT 2/22)

UK crown prince William says in a statement after visiting the UK Red Cross headquarters that “[s]ometimes, it is only when faced with the sheer scale of human suffering that the importance of permanent peace is brought home,” adding that “too many have been killed” in Gaza. (AJ, HA, NYT 2/20; NYT 2/22)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with a military escort prevent Palestinian farmers from cultivating their land in Atuf. Israeli forces shoot and kill 4 Palestinians during a raid in ‘Azzun; 1 Israeli soldier is injured. Israel later says it has decided to keep the bodies of the Palestinians. Israeli forces also assault a Palestinian man at a checkpoint in Yanoun, seizing his car. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assault Palestinian farmers in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces also raid Hebron, assaulting a disabled man. Meanwhile, Israeli forces violently disperse a protest in al-Arroub refugee camp, causing tear-gas related injuries. Palestinians protest the killing of Saleh al-Arouri (see below) in Jenin, Hebron, and Ramallah. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raze land, uprooting olive trees in Beit Safafa. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Khan Yunis, Maghazi, Rafah, Dayr al-Balah, Nuseirat refugee camp, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Gaza City, killing at least 207 people, including 5 in the Palestinian Red Crescent Society headquarters at al-Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis where 14,000 people are sheltering. Israeli forces also open fire at civilians at a market in Nuseirat refugee camp, killing a child. 1 Israeli soldier is injured in combat. In Lebanon, Israeli forces assassinate Hamas political bureau deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri in an airstrike on the Hamas offices in the Dahiyeh suburb of Beirut. 6 other members of Hamas are killed, including al-Qassem Brigades commanders Samir Findi and Azzam al-Aqraa and Hamas members Mahmoud Zaki Shahin, Mohammad Bashasha, Mohammad al-Rayes, and Mohammad Hamoud, and 11 are injured in the strike. In Syria, Israeli forces attack several places near Damascus, causing damage. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/2; AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, UNOCHA 1/3; AJ, AJ, HA, HA 1/4)

More than 22,185 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. 317 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 80 children. More than 3,812 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, 171 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 983 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. 143 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza via the Rafah and Karim Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings. (AJ, AJ, UNOCHA, UNOCHA 1/2; AP 1/3)

Lebanese caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati says Israel is trying to pull Lebanon into its war on Gaza by assassinating Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut. Hezbollah says in a statement that it will retaliate. Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh calls the assassination an act of terrorism. Israeli cabinet secretary Yossi Fuchs instructs Israeli ministers not to comment on the assassination. Fatah announced a general strike in the West Bank in response to the assassination. U.S. officials tell Axios that Israel did not notify the Biden administration of the assassination in advance. (AJ, AX, HA 1/2)

The International Committee of the Red Cross condemns Israel’s continued targeting of Palestinian Red Crescent Society facilities in Gaza. (HA 1/2)

The PA calls on Israel to immediately hand over a Palestinian baby that was kidnapped from Gaza by Israeli forces and brought to Israel. An Israeli soldier, who has since been killed in Gaza, told Israeli army radio that he had taken a baby to Israel. A picture of the soldier with a baby in Gaza circulated online. (AJ, AJ 1/2)

Haaretz reports it has received testimonies from Palestinian prisoners in Gilboa Prison who say they have been assaulted, humiliated, and abused by Israeli guards since 10/7. Among other transgressions, Israeli guards have been beating and threatening prisoners who refuse to kiss the Israeli flag. Others said that guards would put 11 prisoners in a cell made to fit 3, and step on their food before allowing them to eat it. (HA 1/2)

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh says Hamas has delivered its position on negotiations to Egypt and Qatar, which is based on a “complete cessation of the [Israeli] aggression.” (REU 1/2)

The Supreme Authority of Palestinian Tribes in the Gaza Strip denounces and rejects an Israeli proposal that would see Palestinian tribes have more political power in Gaza, saying it would create confusion and strife. (AJ, MEE 1/2)

Turkey says it arrested 34 people suspected of being part of a Mossad plot. 15 are later formally arrested by a Turkish court and 8 others are deported. (AJ, AP, HA, HA, REU 1/2)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson Eylon Levy says Israel will defend itself at the ICJ after South Africa triggered proceedings by invoking the Genocide Convention on 12/29. Levy calls the South African accusations “blood libel,” saying “history will judge you, and it will judge you without mercy.” The hearings are scheduled to begin on 1/11 and 1/12. Netanyahu tells families of Israeli captives held by Hamas that Hamas’ ultimatum in negotiations about a ceasefire had “softened a little.” (AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, REU 1/2; REU 1/5)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken speaks with UK foreign secretary David Cameron, discussing the situation in Gaza and in the Red Sea. (HA 1/2)

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller calls comments by Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir in favor of depopulating Gaza “inflammatory and irresponsible.” Ben-Gvir responds to Miller’s statement saying the U.S. “is our best friend, but first of all we will do what is best for the State of Israel: the migration of hundreds of thousands from Gaza.” French president Emmanuel Macron also tells Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz that the comments are unacceptable. EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borell also condemns Smotrich and Ben-Gvir’s statements. Likud Party MK Moshe Saada tells Channel 14 that those who call for the destruction of all Palestinians in Gaza are right. (AJ, AJ, AX, HA, HA, REU 1/2; AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, NYT 1/3)

U.S. intelligence agencies release a declassified report saying that they believe the Israeli assessment that Hamas and Islamic Jihad used parts of al-Shifa Hospital to operate against Israel was at least partially correct but that captives were moved before Israel stormed the hospital. The New York Times notes that U.S. officials did not provide any visual evidence to back up the assessment. After raiding the hospital Israel changed its claim from the tunnels underneath being a Hamas command center to the tunnels being used by Hamas. (NYT, REU 1/2; HA 1/3)

U.S. senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) says, “Congress must reject that funding [referring to providing billions to Israel]. The taxpayers of the United States must no longer be complicit in destroying the lives of innocent men, women, and children in Gaza.” Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) says Israel has created a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, saying, “Stop bombing Gaza. Resume the cease-fire. Work toward a permanent peace.” (AJ 1/2)

A poll conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute shows that 75% of Israeli Jewish respondents support continuing the same scale of indiscriminate bombing of Gaza, despite U.S. pressure to tone down the assault. (HA, HA 1/2) 

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers stole 3 residential tents in al-‘Awja and a tractor in Shaab al-Butum. Israeli settlers also uprooted around 100 olive, almond, and grape trees and destroyed 15 beehives in al-Khader. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling near Haris, causing damage. Israeli residents at Meirav village near Jalbun prevented Palestinians from harvesting olives, during 1 of the 2 times a year they are allowed to harvest on the Israeli side of the separation wall on their privately-owned land; Israeli forces refused to remove the protesters leaving the Palestinians without access. Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man during a raid in Yatma. Israeli forces also shot and injured 2 people during a raid in Dahariya. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians awaiting the prisoner exchange at Ofer Prison, injuring 2, including a child, with live ammunition and a journalist with a baton round; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raided Palestinian homes in Sur Baher, Silwan, Isawiya, and al-Tur, warning families not to celebrate the release of their relatives in the prisoner exchange. In Gaza, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian farmer and wounded another in Maghazi refugee camp. Israeli forces also opened fire at Palestinians near the Indonesian Hospital and al-Quds Hospital, injuring 7. In Syria, Israeli forces attacked the Damascus International Airport, putting it out of commission. (AJ 11/25; AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/26)

The Gaza Media Office did not update the casualty numbers, leaving the comprehensive death toll as of 11/23 at around 14,800 Palestinians, including 6,000 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. 231 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 56 children. More than 2,980 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 1.7 million Palestinians, more than 70% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. As of 11/18, 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. 200 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing. Several trucks entered northern Gaza distributing aid at a hospital and UNRWA shelters. (AJ 11/25; HA, UNOCHA, WAFA 11/26)

39 Palestinian prisoners, all boys, were released during the third prisoner exchange. 17 Hamas-held captives were released to Israel via the Rafah crossing, including 14 Israelis and 3 Thai nationals. 1 of the released captives holds U.S. citizenship, while another holds Russian citizenship. Israel said 1 of the released captives, an 84-year-old woman, was hospitalized in serious condition. She was later said to be improving. A relative of 3 children released from captivity said they were treated “more or less okay.” Hamas said it was seeking to extend the temporary ceasefire and called on U.S. president Joe Biden to end the Israeli war on Gaza. Biden said that the U.S. sought to extend the ceasefire, adding that the war ends when Hamas “no longer [is] in control of any portion of Gaza.” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Red Cross visitations for the remaining captives held in Gaza was part of the ceasefire agreement and that the U.S. expects visitations to start on 11/27. (AJ 11/25; AJ, AX, HA, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, UNOCHA, WAFA 11/26; HA 11/27)

Hamas said 4 senior military officers had been killed before the ceasefire, including Northern Gaza Brigade commander Ahmed al-Ghandour. (AJ 11/25; HA, NYT 11/26)

UN World Food Programme director Cindy McCain warned that Gaza was “on the brink of famine.” (AJ 11/27; WAFA 11/28)

The Israeli military said it had stolen $1.33 million worth of cash in Israeli shekels, Iraqi dinars, Jordanian dinars, and U.S. dollars from homes in Gaza. (AJ 11/25)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Israeli soldiers in Gaza, saying Israel has 3 goals: “to eliminate Hamas, to bring back all our hostages, and to ensure that Gaza does not pose a threat to the State of Israel again.” (AJ 11/25; HA, NYT 11/26)

German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier met with Israeli president Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem, saying “[w]e stand in solidarity with Israel. It is not only with Israel as a victim of terror. Our solidarity is also with the Israel that defends itself, that fights against an existential threat.” Steinmeier later said that Germany will donate $7.5 million to rebuild an art gallery destroyed on 10/7 in Kibbutz Be’eri. (HA 11/26; HA 11/27)

Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz of the National Unity party said that if the government votes to distribute coalition funds instead of adding to the war effort his party will vote against the budget and consider its next steps. (HA 11/26)

Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi said that he hopes an upcoming meeting of officials from Mediterranean countries scheduled for next week will convince European nations that a permanent ceasefire is needed, not only pauses. (AJ, HA 11/26)

U.S. senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said U.S. lawmakers would vote on a $14 billion military aid package to Israel next week. Senators Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Chris Murphy (D-CT) had all suggested that U.S. military aid to Israel could be conditional on Israel following international law. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also said the Biden administration was considering conditioning the U.S. aid. Sullivan later said it was not something the White House would do. (AJ 11/25; HA 11/28)

The Biden administration had reportedly asked the U.S. Senate on 10/20 to lift nearly all restrictions on Israeli access to U.S. weapons. (AJ 11/26)

Human Rights Watch said that the explosion that killed and injured upwards of 500 Palestinians at al-Ahli Hospital resulted from “a rocket-propelled munition, such as those commonly used by Palestinian armed groups” but added further investigation was needed to determine the perpetrator. Other investigations have pointed to Israel as the likely perpetrator. Human Rights Watch also said it could not corroborate the death toll, saying it appeared “out of proportion with the damage visible at the site.” (HA 11/26)

Russia condemned the Israeli attack on Damascus International Airport. (AJ, HA 11/27)

Pirates from Somalia attempted to hijack the Israeli-owned Central Park oil tanker off the coast of Yemen. It was initially reported that the Yemeni Houthi government was behind the attempt. The pirates were arrested by U.S. forces. (AJ 11/25; HA, HA, NYT 11/26; AJ, AJ, AJ, AP 11/27)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces on 11/9 in Jenin refugee camp. Israeli settlers assaulted Palestinian herders and stole some of their sheep in Tuqu’. Israeli settlers also raided Kisan, stealing solar panels and a generator. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers raided Shaab al-Butum in the Masafer Yatta area, demolishing a residential structure and vandalizing solar panels, water tanks, and 70 olive tree saplings. Israeli settlers also attacked 2 Palestinians and 2 foreign journalists during a raid in Manizil and al-Rakiz in the Masafer Yatta, causing bruises. Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man during a raid near al-Arroub refugee camp. Israeli forces also shot and injured a Palestinian during a raid in Arrabah. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished a 4-story building under construction in al-Za’im. Nearly 50 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Deir al-Ghusun, Ramallah, Deir Ibzi, Bethlehem, and Qaryut. In Gaza, Israeli forces sealed off the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahiya; Israeli shelling of the hospital killed 12 people. 100 patients were later evacuated from the hospital. The Israeli seige of al-Shifa Hospital continued for the fifth day. Israeli forces also attacked a Doctors Without Borders clinic in Gaza City, destroying 4 of its vehicles that were clearly marked with the organization’s logo. Israeli airstrikes targeted Nuseirat refugee camp, killing 20, Rafah killing 15, and Khan Yunis killing a family of 5. The number of fatalities was likely much higher since the Gaza Ministry of Health was unable to communicate with hospitals and civil defense members in northern Gaza. The Israeli military said it attacked 250 sites in Gaza. 2 Israeli soldiers were killed. In Tayibe, Israeli police arrested a 14-year-old Palestinian citizen of Israel for allegedly posting support for Hamas on social media. In Lebanon, Israel attacked several areas, including the home of Amal party official Kabalan Kabalan; no injuries were reported. Israel said Hezbollah launched 25 rockets and 3 drones at Israel, hitting military sites; no injuries were reported. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, CNN, HA, HA, NYT, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/20; AJ, HA, HA 11/21)

The Gaza Ministry of Health was not able to fully update the casualty figures due to a collapse in services and communications at hospitals in northern Gaza, leaving the casualty numbers at around 13,000 Palestinians killed, including 5,500 children and 3,500 women, and around 32,000 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 3,250 people were missing in rubble, including 1,700 children. 208 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 52 children. More than 2,885 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. 71 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27. Over 1.61 million Palestinians, around 70% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. As of 11/6, at least 40,000 housing units had been destroyed and 220,000 had been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7, constituting 45% of all housing units. Some 25,000 people fled northern Gaza to the south. The UN said that since shelters are completely full newly arrived displaced people were sleeping on the streets. 51 aid trucks entered Gaza, including trucks carrying material to build 2 field hospitals run by the UAE and Jordan. 2 trucks carrying 17,000 gallons of fuel entered Gaza. 180 doctors and nurses entered Gaza. 571 foreign nationals and 67 injured Palestinians were evacuated from Gaza via the Rafah crossing. Jordanian crown prince Hussein arrived in Egypt to oversee the establishment of the Jordanian field hospital, which will be set up in Khan Yunis. The Committee to Protect Journalists said 50 journalists have been killed since 10/7, including 45 Palestinians and 1 Lebanese. (AJ, AP, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA 11/20; HA, UNOCHA 11/21)

Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak told CNN that the tunnels system Israel is claiming that Hamas uses under al-Shifa Hospital was built by Israel “five or four decades ago …. to enable more space for the operation of the hospital within the very limited size of the compound.” (CNN 11/20)

A witness said that the Palestinian man who died at the Ketziot Prison in the Naqab on 11/18, Thaer Samih Abu Assab, was beaten to death by Israeli forces after they raided his cell and assaulted 10 prisoners. (AJ 11/20)

Israeli forces reportedly arrested Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha on 11/18 while he was fleeing from northern Gaza to Rafah to get to the U.S. where his son has citizenship. (HA 11/21)

Israel indicted 2 Israelis on charges of terrorism for throwing Molotov cocktails at a court, a post office, banks, and Palestinian homes in Sheikh Jarrah. (HA 11/20)

The Israeli military said there have been several incidents of friendly fire in Gaza, saying Israeli soldiers had been killed as a result. There were more than 10,000 Israeli soldiers in Gaza. Israel’s military also said it had transferred 300 Palestinians from Gaza to Israel. (AP, HA 11/20)

Foreign ministers from the PA, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, and Indonesia and a representative from the OIC met with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Beijing, calling for a ceasefire. (AJ, AJ, HA, NYT, REU, WAFA 11/20)

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh met with International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) president Mirjana Spoljaric in Qatar, who demanded that Hamas release all captives immediately and that the ICRC be allowed to visit the captives. The Hamas information ministry called on Egypt to open the Rafah crossing permanently, saying it fears epidemics and famine will hit Gaza due to the lack of food and basic medical services. A Hamas military spokesperson said the Qassam Brigades had destroyed 60 military vehicles in the past 3 days and that Israeli forces had killed their own soldiers after thinking they were captured by Hamas militants. (AJ, AP, HA 11/20)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas met with Latvian president Edgars Rinkević in Ramallah, discussing the situation in Gaza and the West Bank. (WAFA 11/20)

Israeli interior minister Moshe Arbel demanded that the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) build an aid program for Israelis evacuated from the area around Gaza and near the Blue Line, during a meeting with UNHCR representative in Israel Matthias Larota. The Knesset Ethics Committee banned Likud MK Nissim Vaturi from speaking at the next 10 Knesset sessions after he accused 2 Palestinian, MKs Aida Touma-Sliman and Iman Khatib-Yassin, of supporting Hamas. (HA 11/20)

Israel recalled its ambassador to South Africa. South Africa recalled its ambassador to Israel weeks ago and referred the situation in Gaza to the ICC on 10/7. The South African parliament is also scheduled to vote on 11/21 to close the Israeli embassy and cut all ties with Israel until a ceasefire is implemented. (AJ, HA 11/20; AJ, HA 11/21)

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he will not allow the issue of Israeli nuclear weapons to be dropped from the international agenda and said the “shame of the Holocaust has literally taken European leaders hostage,” referring to their support for Israel. (HA 11/20)

White House senior adviser for energy and investment Amos Hochstein met with Israeli officials, discussing the situation at the Blue Line and the development of the Gaza Marine gas field off the coast of Gaza, which he said would benefit the Palestinian economy. Hochstein arrived in Israel after meetings with Lebanese officials. (AJ, AX, HA, REU 11/20)

Amnesty International said Israel had committed war crimes by attacking a church in Gaza City on 10/19 and a residential building in Nuseirat refugee camp on 10/20, which killed 46 civilians, including 20 children. Amnesty said it had visited the sites, interviewed witnesses and survivors, and analyzed satellite imagery to reach its conclusion. (HA, WAFA 11/20)

13 U.S. senators urged President Joe Biden to work with Israel to increase aid to Gaza, including by reopening the Karem Abu Salem (Karem Shalom) crossing and to protect Palestinian civilians. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) called for a ceasefire, the second U.S. senator to do so after Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). 41 members of the House have called for a ceasefire. (AJ, HA 11/20)

Qatar said the revenue from the Asia Cup 2023 soccer tournament held in the country will go to Palestinian relief efforts. The Australian soccer team, which is playing against the Palestinian soccer team in a World Cup qualifying game in Kuwait on 11/21, said its players and soccer association will donate a 5-figure sum to Palestinians in Gaza. (AJ, WAFA 11/20)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed 2 Palestinians during raids in Beit ‘Anan and Sa’ir. Israeli forces also shot and injured 10 Palestinians during raids in Tulkarm refugee camp, Arrabah, and Sa’ir. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian girl at the Qalandia crossing, claiming she was carrying a knife. Israeli forces also seized 1 vehicle and vandalized 2 others during a raid in Shaab al-Butum in the Masafer Yatta area. 56 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Jericho, Jenin, and Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed 306 Palestinians, including mass casualties in strikes on residential buildings and UNRWA schools in Rafah and Khan Yunis. Israel also killed WAFA journalist Mohammad Abu Hasira and 42 members of his family in an airstrike in Gaza City. 450 people were injured in the Israeli airstrikes. The Red Cross said 5 trucks carrying aid to health facilities in Gaza City came under fire, damaging 2 of the trucks and lightly injuring a driver. The Red Cross did not say who attacked the convoy. Rockets were fired at Israel, causing damage. In South Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked several sites, causing damage. Israeli fighter jets were also reported to be flying over Beirut. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/7; AJ, AJ, NYT 11/8)

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 10,328 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,100 children and 2,550 women, and 25,956 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. At least 2,450 people were buried in rubble, including 1,350 children. 153 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 44 children. More than 2,386 people have been injured. Around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,431 injured since 10/7. 30 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began. Over 1.61 million Palestinians, around 70% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12 due to the Israel blockade. At least 40,000 housing units have been destroyed and 220,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. 93 aid trucks entered Gaza. 19 Palestinians, including 12 children suffering from cancer, and around 600 foreign nationals were evacuated to Egypt. The WHO said 160 health care workers have been killed while on duty in Gaza and that in some hospitals operations are performed without anesthesia due to lack of supplies. The Israeli military released a video showing thousands of Palestinians fleeing south from the northern part of Gaza. The UN said that 15,000 people fled from the north to the south today, 5,000 on 11/6, and 2,000 on 11/5. The UN also said that there was no flour left in northern Gaza and that all bakeries are closed. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, UNOCHA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/7; AJ, AP, AP 11/8)

PA Wall and Settlement Resistance Committee head Muayad Shaaban said 9 Palestinian communities, totaling 1,000 people, in the eastern West Bank have been displaced from their homes since 10/7. (AJ 11/7)

The Israeli human rights organizations ACRI, HaMoked, and Ir Amim petitioned the Israeli High Court of Justice to lift restrictions on Kafr ‘Aqab in East Jerusalem, which has been under a strict closure since 10/7, including being completely shut off from 5 p.m. to the next morning. Only private vehicles can leave and enter the neighborhood in the period that the checkpoint is open. (HA 11/7)

Hamas said it wanted to release 12 captives but that “the situation on the ground is what hinders this from being completed.” (AJ 11/7)

PLO secretary-general Hussein al-Sheikh spoke with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh spoke with Swedish foreign minister Tobias Billström. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 11/7)

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the Israeli ground invasion of Gaza a ‘phenomenal success.’ Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the intention of the ground invasion was to remove Hamas and guarantee the Israeli military free access to Gaza “without limitations on operations.” Hamas said Israel had not made big military gains in Gaza. (AJ, AP, HA 11/7)

The Israeli National Planning and Building Council approved the establishment of a new community named Hanon near Gaza. (HA 11/7)

United Arab List leader MK Mansour Abbas told Radio al-Nas that he denounced the Hamas operation on 10/7, saying innocent civilians were killed and that Islam is against taking women, children, and elderly as captives. He added that Hamas’ actions did “not represent our Arab society, nor our Palestinian people nor our Palestine nation.” (HA 11/7)

U.S. vice president Kamala Harris urged Israel to hold Israeli settlers accountable for the many attacks they commit against Palestinians in the West Bank during a conversation with Israeli president Isaac Herzog. Herzog wrote a letter to 700 U.S. university presidents demanding that they deal with students that allegedly support the actions of Hamas. (AJ, HA 11/7)

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 234-188 to censor Palestinian American representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) for defending the pro-Palestinian phrase “from the river to the sea.” 22 Democrats joined Republicans in voting to censor Tlaib. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) blocked the fast-tracking of a bill that would provide Israel $14 billion in aid and cut the same amount from the budget of the Internal Revenue Service. Democrats want the Israel funding to be part of a bill that also includes aid to Ukraine and Taiwan. (HA, NYT 11/7; AJ, AJ, AP, HA 11/8)

CIA director William Burns met with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who called on an immediate ceasefire. (AJ 11/7)

Saudi Arabia said that in addition to the scheduled OIC extraordinary summit on 11/12, the country will host an emergency meeting of the Arab League and an Africa-Saudi summit on the situation in Gaza. (HA 11/7; AJ, REU 11/8)

UK Labour Party MP and shadow minister for employment rights and protections Imran Hussain resigned from the party’s frontbench in protest over leader Keir Starmer’s refusal to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. (AJ 11/8)

Germany said it had decided to release $75.8 million in aid to Palestinians that it suspended nearly month ago when it said it would review its support of Palestine. Germany also pledged an additional $21.5 million in support for Palestine. The majority of the aid will go to Palestinians in Gaza and Jordan through UNRWA. (REU 11/7)

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, a Palestinian teenager succumbed to injuries sustained from Israeli forces last week in Anabta. Israeli settlers assaulted a Palestinian man and threatened to demolish his family’s home in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli settlers also rammed a Palestinian vehicle in Ras Karkar, opening fire at the driver and passengers, injuring 3, including 2 with live ammunition. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers set fire to a Palestinian home in Talfit and vandalized 10 vehicles in Beit Iksa. Israeli forces shot and injured 3 Palestinians in Ras Karkar. 51 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, and Jenin, including Hamas member Adnan Hamarsheh. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities closed the Haram al-Sharif compound for Muslim worshippers, allowing Israeli settlers to tour the compound. Israeli forces also demolished a house in Jabel Mukaber and a commercial structure in Sur Baher. In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes killed 704 Palestinians, including 305 children. Israel said that its military has attacked 400 sites in Gaza and assassinated 3 members of Hamas. Rockets were fired at Israel, causing damage. Israel said it killed 10 militants who had tried to enter Zikim by sea. In Syria, Israeli forces fired artillery at what it said were militants near the Golan Heights. (AJ 10/23; AJ, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/24; WAFA 10/25)

The Gaza Ministry of Health said as of 5.pm. at least 5,791 Palestinians had been killed, including at least 3,600 women and children, and 16,297 had been injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 10/7. It is estimated that 1,500 were trapped in rubble. In addition, Israeli media reported that 1,500 Palestinian militants have been killed near Gaza. 95 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7, including 27 children. More than 1,833 have been injured, including at least 360 with live ammunition. Israeli officials recorded no new fatalities, leaving the Israeli death toll at around 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals; 5,431 have been injured since 10/7. The UN reported that over 1.4 million Palestinians, more than half the population in Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7 and that since 11 p.m. on 10/12 there has been a complete electricity blackout due to the Israeli blockade. At least 27,781 housing units have been destroyed and 150,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7. At least 45% of all housing units have been either destroyed or damaged in Israeli airstrikes. The Indonesian Hospital, the largest hospital in northern Gaza, lost power for a period of time overnight. 8 trucks carrying aid, including 5 with water, 2 with food, and 1 with medical supplies, entered Gaza (AJ 10/23; AJ, AJ, HA, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 10/24; AJ 10/25)

25-year-old Palestinian Arafat Hamdan died in the Ofer Prison, a day after Omar Daraghmeh died at the Megiddo Prison. Hamdan was arrested by Israeli forces on 10/22. The Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council urged the Red Cross to visit the 2 Israeli prisons and investigate the deaths. (AJ 10/23; HA, WAFA 10/24; WAFA, WAFA 10/25)

PA health minister Mai al-Kaila said hospitals in Gaza were no longer able to receive new patients, saying 12 hospitals were no longer operational due to Israeli airstrikes or lack of fuel and that 65 doctors and nurses have been killed by Israel since 10/7. (AJ 10/23)

Israel dropped leaflets in Gaza saying Israel will provide security and monetary rewards for information on where Israeli and foreign captives are being kept. (AJ 10/23; HA 10/24)

Israeli attorney general Galia Baharav-Miara approved an emergency regulation to allow Israel to detain members of Hamas for 90 days without access to a lawyer. (HA 10/24)

The New York Times published an investigation into what Israel called evidence that an errant rocket caused the explosion at al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City on 10/17, finding that the Israeli-presented video did not prove that a rocket fired by Islamic Jihad caused the explosion. The Times suggested that the video footage pointed to a projectile fired from the Nahal Oz area of Israel at Gaza as the cause. (NYT 10/24)

French president Emmanuel Macron visited PA president Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, who called for an immediate end to the Israeli aggression. Macron had visited Israel earlier in the day, meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Macron called for the international coalition fighting ISIS to also fight Hamas and said that 30 French nationals were killed by militants during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. (AJ 10/23; AJ, AP, HA, WAFA 10/24; AP 10/25; HA 10/26)

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi spoke with PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki and Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen, urging steps be undertaken to prevent further escalation and establish a lasting peace. (AJ, WAFA 10/24)

U.S. president Joe Biden spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu, urging him to not interfere with humanitarian aid for Gaza. Biden also spoke with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. is not calling for a ceasefire as a “ceasefire right now really only benefits Hamas.” (AJ, HA 10/23; HA, NYT, REU 10/24)

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said the Hamas operation did not happen in a vacuum, referring to “56 years of suffocating occupation” and that the Hamas operation did not justify Israeli “collective punishment of the Palestinian people.” Israeli UN ambassador Gilad Erdan called on Guterres to resign. Foreign Minister Cohen canceled a meeting with Guterres. Israel also said it would refuse visas to UN officials. (AJ 10/23; AJ, AJ, HA, HA, NYT, WAFA 10/24; AJ, REU, WAFA 10/25; AP, WAFA 10/26)

At the UN Security Council, Foreign Minister al-Maliki called on the council to act to stop Israeli massacres of Palestinians, labelling them savage and systematic. Iranian UN ambassador Saeed Iravani said the U.S. was exacerbating the conflict by providing “unwavering support for the [Israeli] occupation.” Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry said the governments that remain silent on Israeli attacks on civilians are “participating in the crimes.” Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud called for an immediate ceasefire and for Israel to lift its siege on Gaza. Foreign Minister Cohen rejected calls for a ceasefire. (AJ 10/23; HA, NYT, WAFA, WAFA 10/24; AP, AP 10/25)

NBC News reported that 24 U.S. soldiers suffered minor injuries in attacks on U.S. bases in Syria and Iraq on 10/18. (AJ 10/24)

Florida governor, and republican presidential candidate, Ron DeSantis, banned the group Students for Justice in Palestine, falsely claiming it supports terrorism. (HA 10/24; AJ 10/25)

The Council on American-Islamic Relations called the Biden administration’s refusal to call for a ceasefire “unacceptable.” (AJ 10/23; HA 10/25)

Palestine Legal said it has responded to 260 incidents of people in the U.S. being targeted for supporting Palestine, including people being fired and losing job opportunities. (AJ 10/24)

Japan donated $10 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza, including $7 million to UNRWA and $3 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross. (WAFA 10/24)

Khader Adnan, a popular member of Islamic Jihad, died in his cell in the Magen-Nitzan prison in Ramle after an 86-day hunger strike in protest over his administrative detention. Adnan was the first Palestinian prisoner to die while on hunger strike since 1992 and several organizations had for weeks warned about his condition. In response to the death of the 45-year-old Adnan, Hamas and Islamic Jihad fired rockets at Israel, injuring 3 Chinese nationals working at a construction site in Sderot. Israeli forces conducted airstrikes and fired artillery shells at Gaza, killing 1 Palestinian man, injuring 5 in Beit Hanun, and causing damage in Gaza City, Khan Yunis, and Jabalia refugee camp. A ceasefire, brokered by the UN, Egypt, and Qatar took effect on 5/3 at 4 a.m. In the West Bank, PA forces violently dispersed a march in support of Adnan in Jenin using tear gas and stun grenades, arresting 3, including activist Ghassan al-Saadi. 1 Israeli settler was injured when unidentified assailants opened fire at vehicles near the Avnei Hefetz settlement north of Shufa. Israeli settlers threw stones at a Palestinian home in Kisan. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians protesting the death of Adnan in Beit Umar, al-Khader, Ramallah, Hebron, al-Ram, Nabi Salih, Kafr al-Labad, and Qalqilya, leading to tear-gas related injuries. A general strike in protest over the death of Adnan was observed in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. 13 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Jalazun refugee camp, Fawwar refugee camp, Beit Umar, and Beit Tamer, including former cabinet minister Khaled Abu Arafeh. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, ALM, AX, HA, HA, HA, MDW, MEE, MEE, MEE, MEE, NYT, PCHR, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/2; AI, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, MDW, MEE, NYT, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA 5/3; HA, MDW, PCHR 5/4; MEE, UNOCHA 5/5; MDW 5/6; UNOCHA 5/19)

Islamic Jihad spokesperson Daoud Shihab said that Israel had ignored attempts by Islamic Jihad, through Egyptian mediators, to secure Khader Adnan’s release. PA prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called Adnan’s death a “premeditated assassination” and the PA called for an international investigation. The International Committee of the Red Cross called on Israel to immediately release the body of Adnan to his family. (AJ, AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/2; HA 5/7)

A Jerusalem court convicted a former border police officer of assaulting a Palestinian woman in East Jerusalem in November 2021 while she was still working for the Israeli military. (TOI 5/2; HA 5/3)

Amnesty International released the report “Automated Apartheid,” saying that Israel is using a new advanced facial recognition technology called Red Wolf to collect biometric data on Palestinians in the West Bank. The facial recognition cameras are installed at checkpoints in Hebron and are linked to the Blue Wolf and Wolf Pack database systems. Amnesty called on the international community to prohibit companies from providing surveillance technology to Israel. (AI, HA, MEE, WAFA 5/2; AJ 5/7)

EU high representative for foreign affairs Josep Borrell met with Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen in Brussels more than a month after Cohen signaled that Borrell would not be allowed to visit Israel and the West Bank due to his criticism of the Israeli occupation. The 2 parties agreed to hold an Israel-EU association meeting by the end of 2023. Cohen said the meeting could take place in Jerusalem. (HA 5/1; ALM 5/2)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set up caravans near Qusra. Israeli settlers also threw stones at commercial structures and vehicles in Burqa, causing damage. Israeli forces delivered stop-work orders for 1 house and electricity cables in al-Twana. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen northwest of Rafah; no injuries were reported. In Israel, 2 Palestinian citizens of Israel opened fire on Israelis in Hadera, killing 2 Israeli soldiers and wounding 5 others, including 1 soldier, before being shot and killed by Israeli undercover police. Israel said that the 2 attackers were affiliated of ISIS. 5 Palestinian citizens of Israel were arrested during subsequent raids in Umm al-Fahm under suspicion of having prior knowledge of the attack. (AJ, AP, DW, HA, HILL, MEE, NYT, TOI, WAFA, WAFA 3/27; ABC, AP, AX, CNN, GDN, HA, HA, HA, JP, MEMO, NPR, REU, SKY, TOI, WSJ 3/28; ALM, ALM 3/29; F24, PCHR 3/31; UNOCHA 4/10)

Members of the settler organization Ateret Cohanim entered the 1st floor of the Little Petra Hotel in East Jerusalem with Israeli police escort in an effort to cement the organization’s hold of the building. The ownership of the building is part of an ongoing legal case at the Israeli supreme court between the Greek Orthodox patriarchate in Jerusalem and Ateret Cohanim. The lawyers of the Palestinian family that runs the hotel were attacked with pepper spray by the Israeli settlers when they entered the building and Israeli police detained 1 of the 2 lawyers present at the site. (HA 3/27; MEE, WAFA 3/28; WAFA 3/29; WAFA, WAFA 3/30; PCHR 3/31)

The Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories announced that Israel will approve up to 20,000 work permits for Palestinians in Gaza for workers in construction and agriculture. The International Committee of the Red Cross in Israel also announced that Israel will allow family visits by Palestinians in Gaza to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisoners, for the 1st time since March 2020. (ALM 3/31)

U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken met with PA president Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. During the meeting, President Abbas called on the U.S. to help curb settler violence and end settlement expansion. Abbas warned Blinken that the PA may rescind its recognition of Israel and end security cooperation if Israeli unilateral actions are not curbed. Abbas also criticized the U.S. and its allies for its double standards in not applying sanctions against Israel for its violations of international law as they have done against Russia. (HA, MEE, WAFA 3/27; JP 3/28; AX 3/30)

The foreign ministers of the U.S., UAE, Morocco, Egypt, Bahrain, and Israel met in Sde Boker for the 1st day of a 2-day summit comprised of countries that have normalized ties with Israel with U.S. support. Among the subjects discussed at the summit were the perceived threat from Iran and the U.S.’s efforts to reenter the Iran Nuclear deal. The 1st day of the summit coincided with the 20th anniversary of the Arab Peace Initiative. Secretary Blinken also met with Israel’s prime minister Naftali Bennett, who shortly after, tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. (AJ, AP, GDN, HA, HA, HA, HA, JP, JP, REU, TOI, WP 3/27; HA, MEMO 3/28; AX, AX 3/30)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters during a raid in Kafr Qaddum, injuring 4 with rubber-coated bullets and others with tear gas. 3 Palestinians were arrested during a late-night raid in Idhna. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian family demolished their own home in Silwan and 1 Palestinian demolished his own shop in Sheikh Jarrah. 1 Palestinian was arrested in Silwan. In Gaza, 2 rockets launched from Gaza City landed in the sea; differing accounts of what happened were conveyed by Hamas sources, including that a weather storm had caused a malfunction and that it was unclear which group had launched the rockets. Israeli forces opened fire at agricultural lands east of Juhor ad-Dik and al-Qarara; no injuries were reported. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 6 nautical miles west of Gaza; no injuries were reported. (HA, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/1; REU 1/2; PCHR 1/6)

The International Committee of the Red Cross expressed grave concern for a Palestinian prisoner who had been hunger striking for 138 days in protest over his administrative detention. (WAFA 1/2)

Palestinian prisoners held by Israel in administrative detention started a boycott of Israeli military courts in protest against the practice. Administrative detainees are held without charges for an indefinite period. The Palestinian prisoners seek to end the practice of administrative detentions with their boycott. (WAFA 1/8; WAFA 1/10; WAFA 1/16)

In the West Bank, 6 Israeli settlers attacked 3 Red Cross workers monitoring the olive harvest with pepper spray in Burin. Israeli settlers also uprooted 25 olive saplings in al-Masara. Israeli forces demolished 4 Palestinian stores under construction in Deir Qaddis. Israeli forces also delivered stop-work orders for 4 houses under construction in Idhna. 8 Palestinians were arrested, including 6 during late-night raids in Dheisheh refugee camp, Hebron, Beit Umar, and Dura; 1 was arrested at the Container checkpoint and 1 in his shop in Arrabah. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians protesting the demolition of graves at al-Yusufiya Muslim cemetery; 1 was arrested. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/26; MEMO 10/27; PCHR 10/28)

Israel’s public security minister Omer Bar-Lev ordered a ban on a cultural festival put on by the Catholic Church, claiming it was connected to the PA. The festival funded by Austria and France was set to take place for 3 days at Beit Abraham at the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem. Israeli forces closed a performance attended by the French consulate general. The organizer Bernard Thibaud said he was shocked by the Israeli behavior and would speak to the French foreign ministry to complain and possibly take Israel to court. (HA 10/26; I24 10/27; WAFA 10/28)

The U.S. state department said it was “deeply concerned about the Israeli government’s plan to advance thousands of settlement units, many of them deep in the West Bank. In addition, we are concerned about the publication of tenders on Sunday [10/24] for 1,300 settlement units in a number of West Bank settlements.” Haaretz reported that U.S. officials secretly had conveyed to Israel that the main concern for the U.S. is construction deep within the West Bank. When asked about the state department’s harsher tone toward Israel, state department spokesperson Ned Price said, “our public messaging on this is consistent with what we are seeing transpire so far. It only stands to reason that our public messaging may shift over time.” It was later reported by Axios that secretary of state Antony Blinken had a “tense” phone call with Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz over the issue of settlements. According to an Israeli official, the Israeli understanding was that the U.S. gave Israel a “yellow card,” a soccer reference for a warning. (AJ, AX, DW, FOX, HA, HILL, REU, TOI, TOI 10/26; ALM, AX, MDW, TOI 10/27)

Israel rebuked the U.S. statement that the U.S. had not been informed about Israel’s decision, from 10/22, to designate 6 Palestinian rights organizations as terrorists. The Israeli deputy director-general of strategic affairs in the foreign ministry Joshua Zarka said that he had told the U.S. about the Israeli decision when he visited the U.S. the week of the announcement. Deputy Director Zarka said that Spokesperson Price probably had not been updated on the issue. UN human rights commissioner Michelle Bachelet also condemned the terrorist designations by Israel, saying they should be overturned immediately. The Swedish foreign ministry said Israel had made such allegations before but never provided evidence. (HA 10/25; HA, HA, MEMO, WAFA 10/26)

An Israeli private jet landed in Saudi Arabia, marking the 1st time a direct flight from Israel landed in the country. On 10/25, the 1st ever direct flight from Saudi Arabia landed in Israel. It was an aircraft registered in the UAE. (JP, MEMO 10/27)

Israel launched a 2-day military drill, Southern Storm, simulating war with Hamas in Gaza. (TOI 10/26)

The U.S. secretary of homeland security Alejandro Mayorkas said Israel was among 4 countries the U.S. is considering for its visa waiver program. The subject of an Israeli visa waiver was discussed when Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett met President Joe Biden in August. (REU 10/26; HA, TOI 10/27)

It was announced by Israel that the country will join the EU Horizon Europe research program. The program provides funding for research and innovation and has a budget of $110 billion. Israel will be prohibited from using program funds to invest in East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, and the West Bank, according to the deal with the EU. Israel will formally join the EU program in December. (HA 10/26; MEMO 10/27)

Republican senators in the U.S. congress introduced a bill co-sponsored by 35 senators seeking to block the Biden administration from reopening the U.S. mission to Palestinians in Jerusalem. The bill “Upholding the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Law of 2021” was introduced by Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN). (TOI 10/27)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted 900 olive and apricot saplings and stole olive harvests in Sabastia. Israeli settlers also uprooted 70 trees in the Masafer Yatta area. Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian man with live ammunition during a late-night raid in Tammun. Israeli forces also shot and injured 1 Palestinian minor in Silwad before arresting him. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished 1 structure in Haris and 1 house in Abu Nawwar, displacing 8 Palestinians, and delivered a stop-work notice for a house under construction in Deir Balut. 10 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in and around Ramallah, Kobar, Beita, ‘Azzun, al-Shuyukh, and Beit Umar. In East Jerusalem, 1 Israeli police officer was filmed hitting 1 Palestinian teenager at the Damascus Gate plaza. The teenager was filmed approaching the officer to complain that he was beaten by another officer. As the officer asked the Palestinian which of his colleagues had beaten him, the officer started beating the Palestinian with his club. Later, on 10/14, the officer was suspended for 5 days. 3 Palestinian minors were arrested in Silwan and al-Tur. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces confiscated 1 Palestinian fishing boat anchored some 6 nautical miles west of Gaza. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/12; HA, MEMO, WAFA 10/13; HA, PCHR 10/14; AJ 10/17)

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a statement that 9,300 olive trees had been destroyed in the West Bank from August 2020 to August 2021. The ICRC further stated that Palestinians growing olives face 3 challenges: impediments to their movement and access, harassment and violence by settlers, and impacts of climate change. (ICRC 10/12; MEMO 10/13)

The Palestinian prisoner administration said that some 400 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons soon will start an open-ended hunger strike to protest new restrictions imposed after 6 prisoners escaped Gilboa prison on 9/6. Most of the prisoners going on hunger strike are said to be affiliated with Islamic Jihad. (HA 10/12; AJ, AP 10/13)

The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) canceled a meeting with FIFA president Gino Infantino due to his participation in an event hosted by former U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman at the Israeli Museum of Tolerance, built on a Muslim cemetery in East Jerusalem that dates back to the 11th century. The PFA said in a statement that it views Infantino’s participation in the event “as a total affront to the values of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence, both endorsed by the FIFA statutes.” (WAFA 10/12; WAFA 10/13)

The commander of an Israeli military unit that was attacked by Israeli settlers from the Yitzhar settlement on 10/11 said they did not respond violently because his unit was in a Jewish community. The commander said that “the core of Yitzhar are good people.” (HA 10/12)

Israel’s justice minister Gideon Saar said at a conference that the U.S. consulate to Palestinians will not reopen in Jerusalem, saying, “It needs Israeli approval . . . We will not compromise on this issue.” (REU 10/12; MEMO 10/13)

Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid met with U.S. vice president Kamala Harris in Washington D.C. Foreign Minister Lapid is scheduled to meet with secretary of state Antony Blinken on 10/13. (REU 10/12; ALM, HA 10/13)

90 Google employees and more than 300 Amazon employees wrote an open letter published in the Guardian calling on the 2 companies to “pull out of Project Nimbus [a cloud server sold to Israel for $1.2 billion] and cut all ties with the Israeli military.” The employees complained that the 2 companies’ cooperation with Israel will “make the systematic discrimination and displacement carried out by the Israeli military and government even crueler and deadlier for Palestinians.” (NA 6/22; GDN, MEE 10/12; HA, MEMO, WAFA 10/13)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian house in Burqa, causing damage to the house; and raided Madama, leading to a confrontation with local Palestinians; no injuries or damage were reported. Separately, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians protecting their land northwest of Ramallah; at least 2 sustained injuries. Israeli forces shot and injured 1 Palestinian minor west of Ramallah, alleging that he had thrown stones at Israeli settler-owned vehicles. Elsewhere, Israeli forces closed metal gates to the Hebron area villages of al-Fawar, Yatta, and Dura; and razed Palestinian-owned land near Jalud. 4 Palestinians were arrested, including 2 during a raid in ‘Ayn al-Hilwa and 2 at a checkpoint near Nablus. In East Jerusalem, 3 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Issawiyya. In Gaza, Israeli forces made incursions to level land east of Khuza‘a. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/24; PCHR 3/27)

PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh met with the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Jerusalem to request that the ICRC work to protect Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons from the COVID-19 virus. Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons started returning their food portions in response to Israel’s lack of help in protecting them from the virus. Prime Minister Shtayyeh also called on all Palestinians from the West Bank working in Israel to return to the West Bank, citing Israel’s reckless response to Palestinians showing signs of the COVID-19 virus (see 3/23). (WAFA, WAFA 3/24; WAFA 3/25)

The EU donated $88 million to UNRWA projects. (WAFA 2/24)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces handed demolition notices for 4 Palestinian-owned homes in al-Tuwani south of Hebron; delivered notices for land seizures near Bethlehem; and confiscated 2 residential tents near Nablus. Elsewhere, Israeli forces set up roadblocks on roads to several villages north of Ramallah. 6 Palestinians were arrested, including 5 during raids in and around Ramallah, Hebron, and Kafr Qaddum; 1 was arrested at a checkpoint near Jenin. During a raid in Ramallah, Israeli forces seized a vehicle. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian farmland east of Khan Yunis; no injuries were reported. In Israel, 1 Palestinian was arrested for working without a work permit. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/12; PCHR 2/13)

The Lebanese army opened fire at Israeli drones flying over Lebanese territory, causing the Israeli drones to vacate Lebanese air space. (HA 2/12)

The UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner released the UN database of companies with ties to Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The long-awaited list included 112 business, 94 in Israel and 18 in 6 other countries. Among the companies are Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, Motorola Solutions, and Tripadvisor. (HA, OHCHR (see A/HRC/43/71), REU, WAFA, WAFA 2/12)

Japan announced that it was providing $33 million in aid to Palestinians via a number of UN institutions and through the International Committee of the Red Cross. (WAFA 2/12)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces seized agricultural tools near Bethlehem. Protesters in Ramallah sealed off the offices of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Ramallah, demanding action on behalf of a Palestinian prisoner said to be in critical condition after torture during his interrogation on 9/25. 2 Palestinians were arrested at a flying checkpoint between Bethlehem and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolished 4 Palestinian-owned sheep barns in Jabal Mukabir. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen 3 nautical miles from Bayt Lahiya; no injuries were reported. Israeli forces also opened fire on agricultural lands northeast of Khan Yunis; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/2; PCHR 10/3)

In Israel, the pre-indictment hearings in the 3 corruption cases against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began. (AJ 10/2)

In Aachen, Germany, a Lebanese artist was denied a prize because the mayor of the city deemed that the artist supported BDS and had refused to distance himself from the movement. (WAFA 10/3; WAFA 10/4)

A West Bank Palestinian stabs and injures 4 people in Tel Aviv before the Israeli police arrest him. Hours after the attack, COGAT suspends single-day work permits granted to various organizations and groups to allow Palestinians to enter Israel and begins an investigation into the matter. The alleged attacker hailed from Nablus and obtained one such permit from a group called Natural Peace Tours, which facilitates relationships between individual Israelis and Palestinians. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 4/23)

In the West Bank, the IDF shuts down the main entrance to a group of villages nr. Ramallah. It’s unclear what prompted the closure. IDF troops shoot and injure 3 Palestinians during clashes sparked by reports of stone throwing in Kafr Malik village nr. Ramallah; establish mobile checkpoints outside Bayt Umar, sparking further clashes (there are no serious injuries). Meanwhile, IDF troops arrest 6 Palestinians and issue 2 arrest summons during late-night raids nr. Ramallah and Hebron, and patrol nr. Hebron throughout the day. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian and issue 1 arrest summons during raids in Silwan. An Israeli settler driver allegedly rams and injures 2 Palestinian youths s. of the city, sparking minor clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians in the area; there are no serious injuries. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 4/23; PCHR 4/27)

The International Comm. of the Red Cross (ICRC) announces that it may consider the Palestinian prisoners’ demand for increased family visits, which they made in the context of the Dignity Strike. The ICRC used to coordinate 2 family visits per prisoner per mo. In 5/2016, however, the organization reduced the monthly visits to 1 due to an increased number of “no-shows” on the part of the families, according to an ICRC spokesperson. Meanwhile, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians marching from c. Ramallah to the Beit El checkpoint in solidarity with the prisoners; 3 Palestinians are injured. (TOI 4/23)

Israeli forces launch an air strike on a proSyrian govt. militia group nr. Qunaytra in the Golan Heights, killing 3 soldiers, according to a statement from the group. The IDF does not comment on the strike. (HA, JP, TOI 4/23)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish 5 bedouin Palestinian residential structures in the E1 area nr. Jerusalem, displacing 26 bedouins; begin leveling land s. of Bethlehem in preparation for the construction of a military tower. The IDF conducts late-night raids and house searches in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem, Tulkarm r.c., and 1 village each nr. Salfit and Ramallah, arresting 10 Palestinians; patrols in 4 villages and al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police raid the International Comm. of the Red Cross office overnight, arresting 6 Palestinian activists who have been staging a sit-in in protest of the Israeli orders to deport 2 of them. Israeli forces demolish 2 Palestinian homes in Silwan; arrest a Palestinian at Haram al-Sharif; arrest 2 Palestinians during late-night raids in Jabal Mukabir and al-‘Izzariya. In Israel, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian bedouin mosque in a so-called unrecognized village in the Negev. (HA, MNA 1/6; PCHR, WAFA 1/7; HA, MNA 1/8; PCHR 1/14)

The Israeli press reports that DM Moshe Ya’alon has approved, in recent weeks, the Gush Etzion settlement’s request to incorporate a nearby property into its municipality. (HA, JP, TOI 1/6)

In the Gaza Strip, Palestinians fire 3 rockets into s. Israel, causing no damage or casualties. Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion nr. Khan Yunis to level land. Israeli forces at the border fence also open fire on land nr. al-Qarara village, causing no injuries. There are also 3 separate incidents of Israeli naval vessels opening fire on Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the Gaza Strip nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF opens fire with live ammunition on al- ‘Arub r.c. residents during clashes sparked by a raid, wounding 1. Meanwhile, IDF troops uproot around 120 palm trees nr. Jericho because they were not allowed to be planted in Area C. Separately, the Red Cross announces it has suspended the supply of tents to Palestinians displaced by Israel in the Jordan Valley, in protest at the IDF’s confiscation of the materials. The IDF patrols in 4 villages nr. Tulkarm in the morning, in Hebron and nearby al-‘Arub r.c., and 1 village nr. Jenin in the afternoon, and in 1 village each nr. Jenin and Nablus at night. Jewish settlers attack Palestinian farmers in Qusra village nr. Nablus, causing no injuries. (JP, MNA, WAFA 2/6; PCHR 2/13)

Palestinian chief negotiator Erakat meets with U.S. envoy Martin Indyk in Jericho, but no details about the contents of discussions are made public. Meanwhile, EU foreign affairs chief Ashton expresses “deep concern” about Israel’s decision to build 558 new settlement housing units in East Jerusalem. (HA, MNA 2/6)

Gaza’s power plant shuts down completely for lack of fuel imports— a result of Israeli import restrictions; OCHA reports that because of ongoing fuel and electricity shortages, more than 40% of Gazans have been without running water for the past week and rolling blackouts across the Strip have increased to 18 hrs./day. Israel allows the International Comm. of the Red Cross (ICRC) to bring in enough fuel to supply back-up generators at Gaza hospitals for 2 weeks. Unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians and international activists staging a nonviolent march to the Erez crossing to protest Israel’s imposition of a no-go zone along the border; no injuries are reported. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Zabbuba village nr. Jenin in the afternoon, firing on residential areas to keep Palestinians indoors and then firing tear gas at stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no serious injuries; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, and nr. Qalqilya and Salfit. Jewish settlers enter a Palestinian a Palestinian area n. of Hebron but are followed and removed by Israeli border police. (JP, YA 2/28; PCHR 3/1; OCHA 3/2)

In the morning, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border w. of the Erez crossing direct gunfire and 1 artillery shell at open areas around the former Nisanit settlement site, causing no reported injuries. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border nr. Bayt Lahiya launch 4 artillery shells at open areas near the border, causing no reported injuries. Late at night, Israeli warplanes make a total of 7 air strikes on greenhouses and open areas nr. the Bayt Lahiya border in the north, a suspected weapons factory in c. Gaza, and a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border, causing no injuries. A Palestinian civilian dies of injuries sustained in a 11/14/01 IDF air strike on a UNRWA school in Khan Yunis. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 9 Palestinian stores in al-Oja village in the Jordan Valley, n. of Jericho; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Ramallah (where they target the home of Hamas-affiliated Reform and Change PC mbr. ‘Abd al-Jabir Fuqaha, arresting him, summoning his son for interrogation, and confiscating his computer, phone, and files), in Nablus, and nr. Hebron; conducts late-night patrols in 1 village nr. Qalqilya (summoning 3 Palestinians for interrogation). In East Jerusalem’s Shaykh Jarrah neighborhood, Israeli security forces raid the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) office and a protest tent outside, detaining Hamas-affiliated PC mbrs. Muhammad Toutah and Khalid Abu Arafa, who had been living at the ICRC offices since 6/2010 to protest Israel’s 9/2009 decision to revoke their Jerusalem IDs on the grounds that they are affiliated with a “terrorist organization” (i.e., Hamas); Israeli authorities expel them to the West Bank. Hamasaffiliated PC mbr. Ismail Ashkar comments, “Every time we move toward reconciliation and reactivating the Palestinian parliament, we see Israel targeting our lawmakers.” (AFP, JP, NYT, YA 1/24; WP, WT 1/25; PCHR 1/26; OCHA 1/27)

Israeli embassies and mission in the Hague, Brussels, London, New York, Boston, and Houston receive envelopes containing a suspicious white powder that turns out to be flour, raising fears of an anthrax attack. No one takes responsibility. (DS 1/24; JPI 2/3)

In Gaza, an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) jeep is damaged by a roadside explosion along a route nr. the Erez crossing; no injuries are reported. Hamas rejects speculation that the explosion was caused by a roadside bomb, alleging the jeep accidentally triggered IDF UXO fr. OCL; no group claims responsibility. The IDF makes a brief incursion into s. Gaza to level land in the no-go zone e. of Khan Yunis to clear lines of sight. In the West Bank, the IDF makes a rare daytime incursion into Bayt Ula village nr. Hebron, raiding a furniture company and arresting 2 Palestinians; stages 1 late-night arrest raid nr. Hebron, followed several hrs. later by synchronized arrest raids, house searches in 3 other villages nr. Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Revava nr. Salfit bulldoze 50 d. of nearby Palestinian olive groves and agricultural land, fence off 24 d., block off 3 roads leading to the area, and install mobile homes to expand the settlement. Jewish settlers fr. Adi Ad nr. Nablus place 4 mobile homes on a nearby plot of Palestinian land to create a new settlement outpost. (WT 2/5; OCHA, PCHR 2/11)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border nr. Bayt Lahiya shoot and wound a mentally ill Palestinian nr. the border fence; the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Palestinian Liaison Office secure his release fr. Israeli custody. (PCHR 11/5)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night raids, house searches in and around Tulkarm town and r.c., but makes no arrests. Nr. Nablus, 8 Jewish settlers fr. Brakha raid Burin village, where they are confronted by 10s of stone-throwing Palestinians; IDF troops in the area (possibly escorting the settlers) fire rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas at the Palestinians, injuring 1 and arresting 1 other. (PCHR 11/5)

U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton arrives in the Middle East and meets with Netanyahu and Abbas, hoping to help them reach an agreement on settlements that would allow resumption of peace talks. (NYT 10/31; NYT, WP 11/1; JR 11/23)

The 20th day of OCL is marked by serious diplomatic steps toward a cease-fire but also by Israel’s heaviest attacks on Gaza since operations began. Israel’s envoy receives the Egyptian-Hamas cease-fire offer in Cairo, returns to Israel to brief the security cabinet. Olmert dispatches Livni to Washington to finalize a bilateral “memorandum of understanding” (MOU) regarding U.S.-led international efforts to halt arms smuggling into Gaza.

Combat notes: The IDF sharply escalates air, naval, and ground attacks across Gaza. IDF ground forces push deep into Gaza City under cover of air strikes and heavy tank and artillery fire. Residents report almost constant air, naval, artillery bombardment from 1:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. local time, and particularly heavy ground engagements in al-Atatra n. of the city and Tal al-Hawa neighborhood on the southern outskirts, as well as in Jabaliya r.c. Thousands of Gaza City residents attempt to flee the fighting, but many cannot leave their homes because of the intensity of Israeli fire. During the operations, Israeli troops surround the home of Hamas’s Mahmud Zahhar (in hiding), killing his security guards. Gaza City fighting eases slightly in the afternoon, but IDF troops remain in the city overnight. The IDF also takes up new positions in Bayt Hanun’s alFarta and al-Nazzaza quarters under cover of heavy shelling and gunfire, ordering residents of the 2 areas (some 20 families) to evacuate.

The IDF reports carrying out more than 80 air strikes today, hitting at least 23 rocket and mortar launching sites, 19 groups of armed Palestinians, 6 suspected weapons depots (including 2 mosques in Gaza City, 1 in Rafah), 4 tunnels, 1 radio station in Gaza City. Air strike target areas include al-Atatra, Bayt Hanun, Bayt Lahiya, Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City (al-Rimal, al-Sabra, Tal al-Hawa, al-Yarmuk), Jabaliya, Khan Yunis, al-Maghazi r.c., Nussayrat r.c., Rafah, Yibna r.c. Heavy tank and artillery fire are reported in Abasan, Bayt Hanun, Bayt Lahiya, al-Bureij r.c., Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City (al-Sabra, Tal al-Hawa, al-Tuffah), Jabaliya, Khuza, al-Mughraqa, al-Nasser (n. of Rafah), Nussayrat r.c., al-Qarara, Rafah. UNRWA reports 100s of Palestinians fleeing areas of northeastern Rafah to escape heavy bombardments. Reports of Israel using white phosphorous munitions spike sharply, with confirmed use in 3 areas (Abasan, Khuza, al-Qarara) and suspected use in 5 areas (Bayt Hanun, Bayt Lahiya, al-Bureij r.c., Khan Yunis, Nussayrat r.c.). Israeli naval bombardment concentrates on Khan Yunis and the neighboring al-Mahatin area. Closecombat fighting is reported around Jabaliya r.c.

In a major air strike on Jabaliya, the IDF assassinates Gaza’s acting Interior M Said Siyam in his brother’s home, along with his brother and nephew, Hamas internal security head for Gaza Salah Abu Sharah, 4 Palestinians in an adjacent home. In addition, IDF air strikes hit buildings in Gaza City housing UNRWA’s main food depot (3 white phosphorous missiles incinerate tons of food and medicine brought in during the humanitarian lulls); Palestinian Red Crescent Society offices and the adjacent al-Quds Hospital (both hit repeatedly over a 5-hr. period; the patient wing of the hospital is not targeted); and the shared media offices of Abu Dhabi TV, al-Arabiyya TV, Reuters, and the Russian TV channel Rusiya al-Yaum, causing serious damage and injuring 2 journalists. A number of other hospitals in Gaza City are damaged by Israeli mortar fire. Palestinian medical workers say the Palestinian toll is at least 1,090 dead (including 375 children, 150 women, 14 medical workers), more than 5,000 wounded.

Palestinians fire 15 rockets and 8 mortars into Israel, seriously injuring a 7-yr.-old Israeli boy in Beersheba and causing significant damage in 2 instances (both by Qassams in Sederot); at least 3 of the rockets are Grads (2 in and nr. Beersheba, 1 in Gadera).

The Palestinian toll is estimated to be at least 1,090 dead, more than 5,000 wounded.

Humanitarian notes: With diplomacy toward a cease-fire showing progress, Israel extends the daily humanitarian lull to 4 hrs./day, allowing in up to 170 truckloads of humanitarian aid; permits the Qarni crossing conveyor belt to resume operation for the 1st time since 12/27 for the import of grain. Israel also allows the ICRC and Palestinian Energy Authority to begin repairs to part of Gaza’s electricity network. (AFP, AP, HA, IDF, IFM, IHY, MM, RFM, UNOSAT, YA 1/15; HA, IDF Radio, JP, MA, MM, NYT, REU, Scotsman, WP, WT, XIN, YA 1/16; IFM, NYT, XIN 1/17; ITIC 1/19; PCHR 1/22, 1/29)

Citing unspecified security concerns, the IDF imposes a total closure on the West Bank through 1/17. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar attempt to close a road nr. Nablus to Palestinian traffic, stone Palestinian cars; the IDF forces them to leave. (IDF 1/15; PCHR 1/22)

The IDF significantly increases attacks on Gaza for the 2d straight day, as international mediation efforts led by Egypt to secure a cease-fire also intensify.

Combat notes: The IDF tightens the cordon around Gaza City (focusing attacks on the outlying neighborhoods of Shaykh Ajlin, Tal al-Hawa, and al-Zaytun and open areas n. of the city), with troops reportedly taking fire from Palestinian rocket-propelled grenade antitank missiles and mortars. The IDF also launches a major incursion into Jabaliya under heavy shelling, engaging in heavy exchanges of fire with Palestinian gunmen, killing at least 13. In s. Gaza, the IDF continues heavy attacks on Khuza, including air strikes, intense shelling, and widespread bulldozing of some 50 houses and farms; Israeli fire is so heavy and constant that residents report being unable to reach the injured or flee their homes to seek shelter outside the village; IDF troops pull back fr. Khuza after nightfall.

The IDF reports carrying out more than 160 air strikes across Gaza. Air strike target areas include Bayt Hanun, Bayt Lahiya, Gaza City (al-Sabra, Shaykh Ridwan, al-Zaytun), Jabaliya r.c., Khan Yunis, Khuza, Nussayrat r.c., Rafah, al-Shuka, Tal al-Za‘atar, and the Twam area. Israeli gunboats shell Nussayrat r.c. Heavy tank and artillery fire are reported nr. Bayt Lahiya (white phosphorous suspected) and in Dayr al-Balah, Jabaliya town, Khan Yunis (white phosphorous suspected), Khuza, Nussayrat r.c. (confirmed use of flechette shells). For a 2d day, nearly half of the air strikes take place after nightfall, targeting Gaza City. Palestinians report 12 hrs. of constant Israeli bombardment of the Rafah border, with the IDF claiming to destroy 90 smuggling tunnels. (The IDF also demolishes 1 tunnel on the Gaza–Israel border nr. the Nahal Oz crossing.) Specific targets include a Hamas police headquarters in Gaza City, 31 groups of armed men, 25 rocket-launching sites, and 13 suspected weapons manufacturing and storage facilities.

On the ground, the IDF reports a total of 6 soldiers wounded (2 moderately, 4 lightly) in 2 exchanges of gunfire with Palestinians. In a 3d incident, IDF reservists open fire on an IDF paratrooper unit, seriously wounding 1 and moderately wounding 3. Palestinians report around 70 Gazans killed today, putting the estimated Palestinian toll at 971 dead and 4,400 wounded. The Israeli toll stands at 13–14 dead, more than 125 injured. (Israeli military intelligence confirms that 1 soldier killed on 1/6 or 1/8 was targeted by a suicide bomber, stating that several Palestinian suicide bombers, including some women and some dressed as IDF soldiers, have approached combat units.)

Palestinians fire about 11 rockets and 6 mortars into Israel, causing no reported damage or injuries.

Humanitarian notes: The IDF observes another 3-hr. lull, allowing 102 truckloads of aid into Gaza. (The IDF states that 1,028 truckloads of humanitarian goods have been allowed into Gaza since 12/27.) During the lull the ICRC rescues 100 Palestinians trapped in Jabaliya. Heavy IDF attacks in Rafah force UNRWA to close a medical center just n. of the border to ensure the safety of patients and to open more shelters for displaced residents. Human Rights Watch calls Israel’s 3-hr./day breaks to facilitate humanitarian aid “woefully insufficient.” Other aid groups (including Doctors Without Borders, the ICRC, the UN) complain that they are still able to import and distribute only a fraction of the emergency supplies available for Gaza because of Israeli delays and restrictions. (BBC, HA, IDF, IFM, MA, MM, REU, YA 1/13; AYM, IDF, IFM, MM, NYT, WP, WT, YA 1/14; NYT, PCHR, WP, XIN 1/15; ITIC 1/19)

In the West Bank, IDF troops at the Tarqumiyya crossing nr. Hebron fatally shoot a Palestinian who allegedly attempts to grab the gun of a border patrol officer after being denied permission to cross the checkpoint. Late in the evening, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches in Bayt Awa, Dura, and Kafr Khalil (all nr. Hebron). A Jewish settler driving nr. Azun village e. of Qalqilya opens fire on Palestinian youths who stone his car, killing 1 Palestinian teenager, wounding 2. (HA 1/13; PCHR 1/15)

A Jordanian soldier fires on an Israeli border patrol unit operating along the Negev border with Jordan n. of Elat. The border police return fire. No injuries are reported. (MM 1/13; WT 1/14; JPI 1/23)

The UNSC passes (14–0, with the U.S. abstaining) res. 1860, calling for an “immediate, durable, and fully respected cease-fire, leading to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza” but not outlining an implementation or enforcement mechanism (see Doc. A8). Israel says it will not halt its operations until a Hamas cease-fire can be guaranteed. Meanwhile, Egypt begins intensive bilateral talks with Israeli and Hamas envoys to mediate a cease-fire.

Combat notes: The IDF carries out another 60 air strikes across Gaza, with heavy bombing of the Rafah border. Targets include more than 18 homes of senior IQB members (all believed to be in hiding), “a number of armed operatives” assassinated (not named), several groups of armed men, 15 tunnels (including some homes believed to be covering entrances to tunnels), 11 suspected weapons depots (including 1 mosque in n. Gaza), 15 rocket-launching sites, the PASF headquarters and PA Youth and Sports Min. offices in Rafah, and an Islamic Jihad office in Abasan. Target areas include Abasan, Bani Suhayla, Bayt Hanun, Bayt Lahiya, al-Bureij r.c., Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City (city center, al-Nasser), Jabaliya town and r.c., Khan Yunis, al-Nasser (n. of Rafah), Nussayrat, Rafah. Heavy naval shelling of Dayr al-Balah and the nearby al-Qur’an area of c. Gaza is also reported. As ground operations continue, the IDF begins moving a small number of reservists into the Strip for the 1st time since OCL began. Heavy artillery and ground fire is reported in Abasan, Gaza City (al-Sha‘af, al-Shuja‘iyya, Tal al-Hawa, alZaytun), al-Qarara. Late in the evening, IDF troops withdraw from al-Qarara; residents report at least 20 homes destroyed since the IDF took up positions in the city on 1/6.

Palestinians fire at least 15 rockets and 1 mortar into Israel, lightly injuring 4 Israelis. Areas hit by rockets include Ashdod, Ashqelon, Beersheba (4 Grads), Ofakim.

The Palestinian toll, including bodies recovered during the humanitarian lull today (see below), reaches at least 758 dead and more than 3,100 injured. In addition, a Ukrainian woman (married to a Gazan) and her toddler are killed by an IDF shell in Gaza City, becoming the 1st foreign casualties inside Gaza (1 Egyptian was killed on the Rafah border on 12/28). Today, 3 IDF soldiers are killed and 14 are wounded (1 seriously, 1 moderately, 12 lightly) during clashes inside Gaza, bringing the Israeli toll to 13–14 dead and more than 100 injured.

Humanitarian notes: IDF soldiers fire on relief workers in 3 incidents in which the UN and ICRC had fully coordinated their movements with the IDF in advance (providing the IDF with the license plates of the vehicles, giving precise times and routes of travel, and using clearly marked vehicles) and received IDF assurances that travel would be safe. One UN driver is killed and 2 other UN employees and 1 ICRC employee are wounded. The UN and other groups scale back or suspend aid deliveries to Gaza, citing security concerns.

During the humanitarian lull, the IDF allows ICRC workers back into a heavily damaged residential block of al-Zaytun (see 1/7), where they rescue 103 injured Palestinians who have been stranded since 1/5 and report finding 40–50 bodies, fearing that more dead and injured may be trapped under demolished homes. The Israeli human rights group B’Tselem reports (WP 1/9) new evidence that IDF soldiers stationed outside the destroyed houses were aware people were trapped but denied aid. UN Undersecy. Gen. for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes urges Israel to investigate, calling (WP 1/9) it “a particularly outrageous incident” and “absolutely horrifying.”

Israel allows 223 Palestinian dual nationals to exit Gaza via the Erez crossing for Jordan (see 1/2).

The UN estimates that 20,000 Gazans have been internally displaced by the fighting. (AP, HA, IDF, IHY, JP, MA, NYT, UNIS, YA 1/8; AFP, Daily Star, IDF, IFM, ITARTASS, MET, NYT, RFM, UNIS, WP, WT 1/9; AFP, AP, NYT, WT 1/12; AYM, JP, NYT, WT 1/13; IHY, MM 1/14; PCHR 1/15; WJW 1/16; NYT 1/17; ITIC 1/18; JPI 1/23)

In the West Bank, the IDF fatally shoots a Palestinian who allegedly attempts to set fire to a gas station outside the Ma’ale Adumim settlement e. of Jerusalem; fires live ammunition and rubber-coated steel bullets at Palestinians demonstrating against OCL in al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron, seriously wounding 2 (including a 12-yr.-old boy); fires live ammunition at Palestinians protesting against the separation wall in Bil‘in, wounding 1; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus, in Qabatya nr. Jenin. (PCHR 1/15)

The PFLP General Command fires 4 rockets fr. s. Lebanon into Israel, 3 of which explode near Nahariya, lightly wounding 4 Israelis (5 others are treated for shock). The IDF fires 5 shells the border as a “measured response” and intensifies surveillance overflights of s. Lebanon. Hizballah, the Lebanese government, and Fatah and Hamas reps. in Lebanon condemn the fire, assuring Israel they have no intention of opening a 2d front. The Lebanese army and UNIFIL pledge to step up surveillance in s. Lebanon (ITV, MM, MNR, RFM 1/8; Guardian, HA, MM, NYT, WP, WT, SFR, al-Watan, YA 1/9; YA 1/10; AFP, AP, NYT, WT 1/12; HA, MM 1/15; JPI 1/23)

Israel agrees in principle to the 1/6 Egyptian-French cease-fire proposal, agreeing to send an envoy to Cairo on 1/8 to discuss details with Egyptian officials. On the ground, Israeli air, naval, and ground attacks continue across the Strip, “tightening the noose” around Gaza’s population centers. IDF reservists begin to complete their training and deploy to staging areas on the Gaza border. IDF officials say that since Israeli troops entered Gaza on 1/3, Hamas and other Palestinian fighters have largely pulled back into the cities and refugee camps, sniping and engaging IDF troops on the edges of densely populated areas but not coming out to engage directly.

Combat notes: The IDF carries out more than 40 air strikes on targets across Gaza, hitting the PA presidential compound in Gaza City (already hit several times), 14 rocketlaunching sites, more tunnels on the Rafah border, 9 homes allegedly hiding smuggling tunnels, 4 groups of armed Palestinians, 1 Hamas outpost, 1 suspected weapons depot, 2 mosques (Bani Suhayla, Khan Yunis). Target areas include Abu Middayn (c. Gaza), Bani Suhayla, Bayt Lahiya, al-Bureij r.c., Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City (Shaykh Ridwan), the al-Fukhari area (nr. Khan Yunis), Jabaliya, Khan Yunis, Khuza, Ma’an (e. of Khan Yunis), al-Maghazi, Nussayrat, Rafah, the Western Sawahira area (c. Gaza). Particularly heavy IDF artillery fire and exchanges of gunfire are reported in al-Atatra, the al-Salatin area northwest of Bayt Lahiya, the Izbat ‘Abid Rabbuh area e. of Jabaliya, alQarara, and al-Zaytun in Gaza City. In the afternoon, the IDF drops leaflets on houses nr. the Rafah border, ordering residents to evacuate their homes; aerial bombing there begins after dark.

Palestinians fire 17 rockets and 5 mortars into Israel, lightly injuring 2 Israelis; around a dozen are Grads that land in Ashdod and Ashqelon, the rest are Qassams that land closer to the Gaza border. With IDF troops now in control of open areas around Bayt Hanun and Bayt Lahiya, most rocket and mortar fire is coming from densely populated urban areas.

At least 29 Palestinians are killed today, bringing the estimated Palestinian toll to at least 682 dead and 3,085 injured. One IDF soldier is moderately wounded, 8 are lightly wounded in exchanges with Palestinians inside Gaza.

Humanitarian notes: In the afternoon, the IDF observes a 3-hr. cease-fire nr. Gaza City to allow 80 truckloads of humanitarian aid to enter the Strip and to give Gazans an opportunity to seek food, fuel, and medical care. Some Israeli gunfire is reported (WP 1/22) during the lull, leaving at least 2 Palestinian girls (ages 2, 7) dead and their father and sister wounded. Aid groups say the imports do not come close to relieving the dire crisis. Moreover, Palestinians are reportedly (NYT 1/8) running low on cash to buy supplies because Israel has barred the import of currency; banks are closed because of the fighting; and ATMs do not work because of the lack of electricity.

The ICRC reports finding 16 bodies (7 women, 6 children, 3 men) and 18 seriously wounded Palestinians (including 4 emaciated children too weak to stand) in a cluster of destroyed houses in Gaza City’s al-Zaytun neighborhood. The ICRC received specific reports of these casualties on 1/3, but the IDF had barred ambulances and rescue workers fr. reaching the site; international aid workers finally enter the area with donkey carts to evacuate the wounded, ignoring IDF efforts to chase them away. The ICRC later attempts to return to the area to remove the bodies and check reports of additional casualties but is blocked by the IDF. The ICRC’s headquarters in Geneva issues a rare denunciation of Israel, calling (WP 1/8) the IDF’s handling of the incident “unacceptable,” stating that it had “failed to meet its obligations under international law to care for and evacuate the wounded.” (AP, Arutz 7, AYM, BBC, HA, IDF, JP, MA, MM, REU, RFM, RIA, YA 1/7; IDF, IFM, IHY, JP, MA, MM, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT, YA 1/8; WP 1/14; PCHR 1/15; NYT 1/17; ITIC 1/18; WP 1/22)

The IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron; fires rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, percussion grenades to disperse Palestinian and international activists demonstrating against OCL in Ni‘lin; no injuries are reported. (PCHR 1/8, 1/15)

As OCL enters day 10, IDF ground forces tighten the circle around Gaza City and continue to operate against Palestinian rocketlaunching units across n. Gaza, still avoiding entering densely populated areas. Troops deploy to segment the Strip into 3 main operational zones: a northern zone running fr. the n. Gaza border south to Netzarim Junction (the Qarni Crossing–Netzarim settlement line drawn on 1/4); a central zone fr. Netzarim Junction to Khan Yunis; and a southern zone fr. Khan Yunis to the Rafah border. While IDF troops are still entering Gaza, IDF reservists have not yet been sent in.

Meanwhile, French pres. Nicholas Sarkozy begins a regional tour to press for a 48-hr. humanitarian cease-fire, meeting with Mubarak in Cairo and Olmert in Israel).

Combat notes: In Gaza City, residents and medical workers report that IDF troops are concentrated in the al-Shuja‘iyya, al-Tuffah, and al-Zaytun neighborhoods (al-Zaytun is a strategic high point, providing a view over the breadth of the Strip) and that fighting is so intense (involving heavy Israeli tank and helicopter fire) that bodies of the dead have been left lying in the street and ambulances are unable to reach the area. IDF troops occupy at least 3 high-rise buildings in eastern areas of Gaza City as observation posts, expelling the residents and exchanging heavy gunfire with Palestinian gunmen. Israeli aircraft drop leaflets over Gaza City warning residents to evacuate their neighborhood; 1,000s of Gazans report receiving automated phone messages form the IDF saying “We are getting rid of Hamas.”

In addition to carrying out air strikes in support of advancing ground troops, the IDF reports making 40 air strikes targeting tunnels on the Rafah border, weapons caches, homes of senior Hamas and PFLP mbrs. (most of whom are in hiding), the Gaza airport site. Target areas include Abasan, Bayt Hanun, Bani Suhayla, Bayt Lahiya, al-Bureij r.c., Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City (the center city, al-Tuffah, al-Shuja‘iyya, Tal al-Hawa, alZaytun), Jabaliya, Khan Yunis, Khuza, the al-Mawasi area (w. of Khan Yunis), Nussayrat, Rafah, al-Shabura r.c. (nr. Rafah), Shati’ r.c., al-Shuka, Yibna r.c. (nr. Rafah).

Of particular note: A home in Gaza City’s al-Zaytun neighborhood, where the IDF placed 110 Palestinians it had rounded up on 1/4, is hit by an air strike and repeatedly shelled, killing at least 30 mbrs. of an extended family (including 5 children age 4 and younger) and wounding scores; the IDF bars relief workers fr. reaching the scene until 1/7. A shell fired from an Israeli naval vessel hits a Palestinian home in Shati’ r.c., killing a family of 7 asleep in their beds. A late-night air strike hits an UNRWA school in Shati’ r.c. being used as a shelter, killing 3 members of a single family. The IDF also makes air strikes hitting the offices of the Hamas-affiliated al-Risala for a 2d time (see 1/3). Photographs and live footage of the ongoing operations clearly show IDF artillery firing white phosphorus shells on densely populated areas, though Israel denies using the munitions. The IDF fires flechette shells on residential areas nr. Bayt Hanun, killing at least 1 Palestinian, wounding at least 3.

Palestinians fire 28 rockets, 5 mortars into Israel, hitting Ashdod, Ashqelon, Beersheba, Sederot, and Shaar Hanegev, damaging an empty kindergarten in Ashdod, injuring 2 Israelis in Shaar Hanegev.

More than 40 Palestinians are killed today (almost half of them children), bringing the estimated Palestinian toll to 550 dead, 2,500 injured. The Israeli toll reaches 9–10 dead, more than 70 wounded: 3 IDF soldiers are killed, 24 wounded (4 seriously) by friendly fire when their unit is hit by an Israeli tank shell outside Gaza City; an IDF officer is killed during an exchange of fire in n. Gaza, possibly by an IDF tank shell; 6 IDF soldiers are wounded in clashes with Palestinians nr. the e. Gaza border.

Humanitarian notes: Israel allows 80 truckloads of food, medicine, and medical equipment into Gaza, but the UN says much more is needed. Relief agencies (including the ICRC, UNRWA, and UNSCO) warn that two-thirds of the Strip is still without power, suffering freezing winter temperatures; 250,000 Gazans are without any running water; and water supplies for another 500,000 Gazans are expected to run out within days because of lack of fuel for pumps and backup generators. Shifa hospital, which has been running fully on generators for 3 days, warns that it has only a 2-day supply of generator fuel. (BBC, CNN, IDF, IDF Radio, MM, NYT, REU, RFM, UNIS, UNOSAT, WT 1/5; AFP, BBC, Guardian, HA, IDF, IFM, Israel Radio News, MA, MM, NYT, WP, WT, YA 1/6; IFM, PCHR, WJW, WT 1/8; Committee to Protect Journalists, MM, YA 1/9; NYT, WP 1/10; NYT 1/17; WP 1/27; BBC 2/23)

The IDF arrests 2 12-yr.-old Palestinians at an OCL protest nr. Hebron; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem and in al-Bireh, Ramallah. Clubwielding PASF officers violently disperse a protest against OCL by students attempting to march fr. Ramallah’s Birzeit University to a main IDF checkpoint at Atarot. (PCHR 1/8)

As OCL enters day 6, Israel announces that it will allow 443 foreign passportholders living in Gaza (mostly the spouses and children of Gazan Palestinians, including U.S., Russian, Moldovan, Ukrainian, Turkish, and Norwegian passport-holders) to leave on 1/2, raising concerns that a major ground incursion into Gaza is imminent.

Israeli actions: The IDF continues air strikes and naval bombardment of Gaza, hitting at least 70 targets and carrying out at least 40 air strikes. Primary targets include the PA parliament building, Justice Min., Education Min., the headquarters of the PA presidency in Gaza City, homes of several other Hamas and PRC cmdrs., tunnels on the Rafah border, suspected weapons depots, 2 mosques in Jabaliya r.c., a fishing harbor w. of Khan Yunis, a water reservoir in Bayt Hanun. Target areas include Abasan, Bani Suhayla, Bayt Hanun, al-Bureij r.c., Gaza City, Jabaliya, Khan Yunis, al-Maghazi r.c., Nussayrat, al-Qarara, Rafah, Tal al-Za‘atar. By day’s end, the Palestinian toll is at least 412 dead.

Palestinian actions: Palestinians fire 59 rockets (at least 10 of them fired by Islamic Jihad) and 1 mortar into Israel, with 1 longrange rocket hitting an apartment building in Ashdod (causing heavy damage but no major injuries) and 3 in open areas outside Beersheba (causing no damage or injuries). Beersheba municipal official Shimon Krief says that city emergency workers received only 18 calls from concerned citizens during incoming rocket warnings today, stating “People are relaxed.” Beersheba hospital reports that since the city first came under rocket fire on 12/30, it has treated 10 Israelis for moderate physical injuries and 154 for stress, adding that “with each attack, we’ve gotten significantly fewer patients.”

Humanitarian notes: Israel allows 60 trucks of humanitarian aid into Gaza. The International Comm. of the Red Cross (ICRC) warns that humanitarian needs are growing sharply despite the limited entry of aid, noting severe shortages of water, cooking gas, electricity. Israeli human rights groups issue an appeal to DM Barak to restore fuel shipments to Gaza to allow proper functioning of hospitals, water services, and so on.

Of note: Air strikes today include an attack on the home of Hamas’s Nizar Rayyan, a cleric and chief liaison btwn. Hamas’s political and military wings, in a densely populated residential area inside Jabaliya r.c., assassinating him and killing his 4 wives and 11 of his 12 children, causing heavy damage to surrounding buildings; Rayyan is the most senior Hamas official to be killed since Israel assassinated Abd al-‘Aziz Rantisi in 2004 and one of the only Hamas figures who has not gone into hiding since OCL began. (AFP, AP, BBC, HA, IDF, REU 1/1; Bloomberg, HA, ITV, NYT, REU, WP, WT 1/2; IDF 1/3; NYT, WP 1/4; MM, QA 1/6; IFM, PCHR 1/8)

The IDF seals the West Bank through 1/3, citing unspecified security concerns. IDF troops at Ni‘lin checkpoint fire rubbercoated steel bullets, percussion grenades, tear gas at mbrs. of a funeral procession that refuses to lower a Palestinian flag while going through the crossing, injuring 2 Palestinians; 1 tear gas canister lands inside a nearby Palestinian home, sparking a fire that guts the 1st floor. (IDF 1/2; PCHR 1/8)