In the West Bank, Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinians harvesting olives, injuring a Palestinian man, and destroy a power station, causing power outages in Yasuf. Israeli settlers also assault Palestinians harvesting olives in Madama, Tulkarm, Rujeib, and Qusra, including with pepper spray in Rujeib. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers assault a medic and an ambulance driver near Qalqilya. Israeli forces shoot and kill a 60-year-old Palestinian woman picking olives in Faqqua. Israeli forces also shoot and injure 2 Palestinian children during a raid in al-Arroub refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure 2 Palestinians during a raid in Beit Furik. Israeli forces also arrest 4 Palestinians during raids in Nablus. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Maghazi, Jabalia refugee camp, Dayr al-Balah, Nuseirat refugee camp, and Gaza City, killing at least 50 people, including 28 at the Abu Hussein School in Jabalia refugee camp. Israeli forces also continue the siege and destruction of Jabalia refugee camp for the 13th day in a row. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb Yammoune, Sarin, safri, Tamnin, and al-Hawash, killing at least 45 people. 5 Israeli soldiers are killed in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at al-Sadana. German UNIFIL forces shoot down a drone off the coast of Lebanon. In Syria, Israeli forces bomb Latakia. In Yemen, U.S. forces bomb Sanaa and Saada. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, HA, HA, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/17; AJ 10/18)
More than 42,438 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 17,000 children and 11,487 women, and around 99,246 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble. 744 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 155 children. More than 6,315 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, 353 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 2,345 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 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. Reuters reports that traders importing food to Gaza from Israel have lost access to a system set up by Israel to process import requests. According to Israel’s own statistics, so far in October an average of 29 trucks have entered Gaza daily, compared to an average of 175 trucks a day between May and September. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification finds that 86% of people in Gaza are facing food crisis levels of Phase 3 or higher, with 6% of the population facing catastrophic hunger. The UN International Labour Organization says nearly 100% of Gaza’s population is living in poverty. (AJ, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, UNOCHA, WAFA, WAFA 10/17)
Israel claims its forces killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar during combat in southern Gaza on 10/16. Israel releases drone video showing what appears to be Sinwar wounded, sitting in a chair wearing a keffiyeh, and throwing a stick at the drone filming him. After filming Sinwar with the drone, Israeli forces fired a tank shell at the building, killing him. Israel’s military spokesperson Nadav Shoshani says the soldiers did not realize it was Sinwar who had been killed until today. Hamas does not confirm that Sinwar is dead, but political bureau member Basem Naim says in a statement to AFP that Hamas cannot be eliminated because it “is a liberation movement led by people looking for freedom and dignity.” Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the killing of Sinwar does not end Israel’s war on Gaza but marks “the beginning of the end.” Netanyahu claims that Israel would end the war if Hamas disarms and returns the captives. Netanyahu also speaks with U.S. president Joe Biden, discussing restarting the ceasefire negotiations. Separately, Biden says he will dispatch Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the Middle East to work on the “day after” for Gaza. Blinken speaks with Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, discussing restarting ceasefire negotiations. Israel claims that an UNRWA staffer was with Sinwar before he was killed but UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini says the man fled to Egypt in April where he is alive with his family. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AX, AX, AX, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU 10/17; AJ, AJ, AP, AP, AP, AP, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU 10/18; NYT 10/19; AP 10/20)
The PLO Executive Committee holds a meeting, chaired by PA president Mahmoud Abbas, in Ramallah. The members discuss Israel’s General’s Plan for starving and destroying northern Gaza and reject any foreign discussion of a “day after” plan for Gaza that does not include the PLO and PA. (WAFA 10/17)
UNOCHA says Israeli settlers have vandalized more than 700 olive trees since 10/1. (UNOCHA 10/17)
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi meets with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo, marking the first time an Iranian foreign minister has visited Egypt in more than 10 years. The 2 discuss the need for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon. (AJ, AP, HA, REU 10/17)
German chancellor Olaf Scholz says Germany will continue to supply Israel with weapons, adding “supporting Israel also means that we are constantly ensuring Israel’s defense capabilities, for example by supplying military goods and weapons.” France and Spain have recently called for an arms embargo on Israel. (REU 10/17)