In the West Bank, Israeli settlers with a military escort raid Kifl Haris, vandalizing homes and vehicles. Israeli forces shoot and injure 3 Palestinians and assault and injure another during a raid in Idhna. Israeli forces also shoot and injure 2 Palestinians, including a child, during a raid in Balata refugee camp. Elsewhere, Israeli forces dressed in civilian clothes shoot, injure, and arrest a Palestinian man in Kafr Sur. Israeli forces also demolish a home in Zaatara. Meanwhile, Israeli forces seize a truck in Khirbet al-Farisiyya. Israeli forces also uproot around 200 olive trees near Kifl Haris. Separately, Israeli forces continue raids in Jenin and Jenin refugee camp for the 94th day in a row. Israeli forces also continue raids in Tulkarm, Tulkarm refugee camp, and Nur Shams refugee camp for the 88th day in a row. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers tour the Haram al-Sharif compound. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Jabalia refugee camp, Gaza City, Dayr al-Balah, Khan Yunis, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 61 Palestinians, including 12 members of the same family in an attack on a home and 18 people in an attack on a shelter in Jabalia. Israeli forces also issue an evacuation order for Beit Hanun and Sheikh Zeid. An Israeli soldier is killed in northern Gaza. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/24; AJ, HA, WAFA 4/25)
More than 51,335 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 17,881 children and 12,749 women, and around 117,248 have been injured since 10/7/2023. In addition, 14,222 Palestinians who have been missing are presumed dead. 952 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 191 children. More than 8,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 409 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 2,584 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. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital medical director Khalil al-Daqran says Gaza has entered stage 5 of malnutrition. Al-Durra Children’s Hospital in Gaza City is reportedly out of service due to an Israeli attack on 4/22. Israel releases 12 Palestinians abducted from Gaza back to Gaza. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 4/24)
The Palestinian Central Council votes to create the role of vice chairperson of the PLO Executive Committee after a 2-day meeting. The position, which will be referred to as the vice president of the State of Palestine, was approved in 170-1 vote with 1 person abstaining. The role will be filled by a vote of the Executive Committee members with committee chairperson Mahmoud Abbas nominating candidates. (AJ, AP, AP, HA, HA, REU, WAFA 4/24; AJ 4/25)
Israel acknowledges that it killed a Bulgarian UN staff member in tank shelling in Dayr al-Balah on 3/19. Israel initially denied killing the man. (AP, HA, HA, NYT 4/24)
Norway formally establishes diplomatic relations with the State of Palestine as Palestinian ambassador to Norway, Marie Antoinette Sedin, presents her credentials to King Harald. (AJ 4/25)
Mossad director David Barnea arrives in Doha for meetings with Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, discussing a potential ceasefire deal. (HA, HA 4/24)
The ICC Appeals Chamber accepts an Israeli appeal to reconsider the ICC’s jurisdiction over crimes committed in Palestine. The Appeals Chamber also rejects a request to cancel the arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. (AP, HA, REU, WAFA 4/24)
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez rescinds a $7.5 million deal with the Israeli company IMI Systems to buy ammunition after the Sumar party coalition threatens to leave the government over the purchase. (AJ, REU, REU, WAFA 4/24)
The U.S. Justice Department tells a federal judge in New York City that UNRWA and its officials are entitled to immunity in the U.S, reversing a policy position taken during the Biden administration. The reversal comes as a group of 100 Israelis have brought a lawsuit against UNRWA, claiming it has provided more than $1 billion to help Hamas in attacking Israel on 10/7/2023. (AP, HA, NYT, WAFA 4/26)
U.S. representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) gives a speech at a protest against Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir in New York City, saying he will introduce legislation to allow sanctions on Israeli settlers as was done by former President Joe Biden. Nadler also calls Ben-Gvir “a racist, terrorist, Jewish supremacist bent on enacting Meir Kahane’s vision.” 2 pro-Palestine protesters are assaulted at the protest and Zionists counter-protesters chant “death to Arabs.” (HA 4/24; HA, TOI 4/25; NYT 4/27)
Jewish Currents reports that New York Police Department officers took part in a training seminar on how to combat anti-Semitism on 1/8 held by the Combat Antisemitism Movement, in which Palestinian symbols such as the watermelon and the keffiyeh were presented as anti-Semitic. Phases such as “settler colonialism” and “all eyes on Gaza” were also presented as examples of anti-Semitism. (JC 4/24)