In the West Bank, Israeli settlers graze their livestock on Palestinian farmland in al-Farisiya, Wadi al-Faw, and Khirbet Samra. Israeli forces continue raids in Jenin and Jenin refugee camp for the 44th day in a row. Israeli forces also continue raids in Tulkarm, Tulkarm refugee camp, and Nur Shams refugee camp for the 38th day in a row, delivering 17 home demolition notifications in Nur Shams and raiding the Fatah office in Tulkarm, vandalizing property. Elsewhere, Israeli forces shoot and injure 4 Palestinians during a raid in Ramallah. Israeli forces also shoot and injure a Palestinian girl in the head during a raid in Qusra. Meanwhile, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian man and injure others with tear gas during a raid in al-Arroub refugee camp. Israeli forces also violently disperse Palestinians with tear gas during a raid in al-Khader. Separately, Israeli forces punitively demolish the family home of Ahmed al-Haimoni, who was arrested om 10/1/2024 in Tel Aviv after allegedly taking part in the killing of 8 people, and the family home of Muhammad Misk, who was killed in the Tel Aviv incident. Israeli forces also deliver notices to Palestinians in al-Arka that Israel will appropriate around 300 dunams (74 acres) of farmland. Elsewhere, Israeli forces arrest 15 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Kafr ad-Dik, Nablus, Balata refugee camp, Tulkarm refugee camp, Ramallah, and Tuqu’. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces punitively demolish the family home in Rafat of a Palestinian man arrested on 9/11/2024 near Ramallah. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb a vehicle in Naqoura, injuring 2 people at a nearby waste dump. (AJ, HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 3/5)
More than 48,440 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 17,881 children and 12,749 women, and around 111,845 have been injured since 10/7/2023. In addition, 14,222 Palestinians who have been missing are presumed dead. 926 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 186 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 2,579 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. (AJ, WAFA 3/5)
Ir Amim says Israel demolish an unprecedented 181 homes and dozens of other structures in East Jerusalem in 2024. (AJ, AP, HA, WAFA 3/5; HA 3/6)
The Palestinian Prisoners Society says more than 9,500 Palestinians were being held in Israeli prisons at the beginning of March, including more than 350 children, 3,405 held on administrative detention, and 1,555 abducted from Gaza. (WAFA 3/5)
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says the U.S. is holding direct talks with Hamas, adding “I am not going to detail them here, there are American lives at stake.” The Wall Street Journal reports that the talks started last month in Doha where Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler negotiated the release of American Israeli captive Sagui Dekel Chen. Boehler met with Hamas Political Bureau deputy chairperson Khalil al-Hayya later in the week. Axios reports that Israel learned of the direct talks from other channels, not the U.S., and that Israeli strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer then expressed anger with the development in a call with Boehler. President Donald Trump posts on his social media platform Truth Social “Shalom Hamas means Hello and Goodbye – You can choose. Release all of the Hostages now, not later, and immediately return all of the dead bodies of the people you murdered, or it is Over for you. Only sick and twisted people keep bodies, and you are sick and twisted! I am sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job, not a single Hamas member will be safe if you don’t do as I say.” Trump also threatens “the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD!” Trump does not point out that Israel is holding hundreds of Palestinian bodies as part of a long-standing policy. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem responds to Trump’s post, saying that the U.S. is obligated to pressure Israel into moving to the second phase of the ceasefire. Reuters reports that U.S. and Egyptian officials discussed moving to the second phase of the ceasefire deal during a meeting in Cairo. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, AX, BBC, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, REU, REU 3/5; AJ, AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, REU, REU 3/6; AX 3/7)
The PA calls on the international community to impose sanctions on Israel to force it to stop demolishing refugee camps in Jenin and Tulkarm, stop it from building 1,000 new settlement units in East Jerusalem, and allow aid into Gaza. The PA cabinet commends the Egyptian proposal for Gaza reconstruction presented to the Arab League on 3/4. (AJ, WAFA, WAFA 3/5)
Denmark, France, Greece, Slovenia, and the UK, all members of the UN Security Council, hold a joint press conference calling on Israel to “immediately let humanitarian aid flow into the Gaza Strip” and on the parties to “find a way forward to the next phases of the ceasefire agreement and hostage release deal.” The group says Hamas should not be allowed to govern Gaza and that Palestinians must not be displaced from Gaza. The foreign ministers of the UK, France, and Germany also issue a joint statement calling on Israel to abide by international law and allow aid to enter Gaza. (AJ, REU 3/5; AJ, AJ 3/6)
Qatar condemns the Shin Bet for making false accusations suggesting that Qatar supplied Hamas with aid, saying Qatar, in coordination with Israel, provided humanitarian support to Palestinians in Gaza. (HA 3/4; AJ, HA, HA 3/5)
Israel swears in Eyal Zamir as the new military chief of staff. U.S. Central Command commander Michael Kurilla attends the ceremony. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU 3/5)
Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich is in the U.S. for meetings at the Treasury Department, saying in a post on X that he was blacklisted by the Biden administration. Treasury secretary Scott Bessent and Smotrich release a joint statement saying the 2 countries will continue “deepening economic cooperation, fostering innovation, and strengthening financial and trade ties.” (AJ, AP, NYT 3/5; AJ 3/6)
The Hind Rajab Foundation files a legal complaint in Germany against the Israeli soldier Shay Friedman, who it says is in Germany and has committed war crimes in Gaza. (AJ 3/5)
New York City police raid and evacuate a sit-in protest at Columbia University, claiming they had received a bomb threat. 9 pro-Palestine protesters are arrested. (AJ, HA 3/6)