In the West Bank, a 7-year-old Palestinian boy succumbs to injuries sustained from Israeli forces during a raid on 1/28 in Tulkarm. Israeli settlers assault and injure 4 Palestinians near Husan. Israeli forces raid Jenin and Jenin refugee camp for the 18th day in a row, demolishing homes. Israeli forces also continue raids in Tulkarm and Tulkarm refugee camp for the 12th day in a row, seizing homes for military outposts. Elsewhere, Israeli forces continue raids in Tammun and al-Far’a refugee camp for the sixth day in a row, shooting and injuring a Palestinian man and conducting an airstrike in Tammun. Israeli forces also raid Balata refugee camp, uprooting streets with bulldozers. Meanwhile, Israeli forces fire a stun grenade at an ambulance in Beita, injuring a paramedic. Israeli forces also assault and arrest 2 Palestinians in Hebron. Separately, Israeli forces arrest 14 Palestinians during raids in and around Jenin, al-Far’a refugee camp, Beit Surik, Idhna, and al-Zawiya. In Gaza, a child is killed by an unexploded ordnance in Rafah. (AJ, AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/7)
More than 47,583 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 17,881 children and 12,287 women, and around 111,633 have been injured since 10/7/2023. In addition, 14,222 Palestinians who have been missing are presumed dead. 903 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 181 children. More than 6,500 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, 408 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 2,485 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. 92% of all housing units in Gaza have been destroyed or severely damaged since 10/7/2023.
Hamas spokesperson Abdul Latif al-Qanou says Israel is delaying aid shipments of tents, rubble removal equipment, and fuel. (AJ, AP 2/7)
The New York Times reports that the Trump administration’s decision to cut thousands of jobs at USAID is jeopardizing the delivery of USAID-provided supplies to Gaza. The Times reports that USAID has been involved in the transfer of a third of the aid that has entered Gaza. Of USAID’s more than 200 officials in the Middle East, only 21 will remain in the region after the initial cuts. (NYT 2/7)
AP reports that Egypt has informed the U.S. that President Donald Trump’s plan to ethnically cleanse Gaza risks jeopardizing the Egypt-Israel peace agreement. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi speaks with UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, discussing their opposition to the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and the ceasefire deal. Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty says he has been in communication with 11 of his counterparts to shore up support for Egypt’s rejection of Trump’s plan. Trump tells reporters that he is “in no rush” to implement his plan and calls it a “real estate transaction.” German chancellor Olaf Scholz says at a campaign event “[w]hat President Trump put on the table gets a total rejection from me.” (AJ, AP, AX, HA, REU, WAFA 2/7)
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with U.S. House speaker Mike Johnson at the Capitol building. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) says Netanyahu told him that the Biden administration was not informed about the pager attack in Lebanon over concerns that the White House would notify Hezbollah. (AJ, HA 2/7)
The U.S. State Department approves a $7.4 billion arms deal with Israel, including $6.75 billion worth of bombs, guidance kits, and fuses and $660 million worth of Hellfire missiles. The deal was first announced during the Biden administration, but the New York Times reports that the Trump administration has decided to bypass the informal review process in the House of Representatives with the approval. Central Command commander Erik Kurilla meets with Israeli military chief of staff Herzi Halevi, Mossad director David Barnea, and Shin Bet director Ronen Bar during a trip to Israel. The U.S. deputy special envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus meets with Lebanese president Joseph Aoun, telling him that Hezbollah cannot be part of the Lebanese government. Aoun’s office later issues a statement saying Ortagus’s view is not of concern to the Lebanese government. Ortagus’s demand prompts protests near the Beirut airport. (AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, NYT, REU 2/7; NYT 2/8)
79 countries, including France, Germany, and the UK, issue a joint statement in support of the ICC, criticizing the U.S. for imposing sanctions on the court’s officials and staff. (AJ, WAFA 2/7)
President Trump signs an executive order cutting off aid to South Africa, citing the South African genocide case against Israel at the ICJ and South African land policies. (AJ, HA 2/7; AJ 2/8)
Ireland pledges an extra $20.8 million to UNRWA. (AJ, WAFA 2/7)