Israeli warplanes make 6 late-night air strikes targeting a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border in Yibna r.c. (causing no injuries); a home in Rafah (phoning the family 5 mins. in advance to warn them to leave); an open area nr. Khan Yunis (no injuries); a storage building in Nussayrat r.c. (no injuries); and a grocery store in Bayt Lahiya (damaging 13 nearby buildings; lightly injuring 3 bystanders, including 2 children). Israeli drones make air strikes on 2 Palestinian homes in Jabaliya (lightly injuring 1 Palestinian; damaging 8 homes, an elementary school nearby). In the West Bank, the IDF bulldozes 30 d. of Palestinian land in Jayyus village n. of Qalqilya, in an area where Jewish settlers have previously attempted to place mobile homes to expand Tzofim settlement; patrols in 6 villages nr. Ramallah and 2 villages nr. Qalqilya in the morning; and in Tulkarm and 3 nearby villages, and 1 village nr. Qalqilya in the afternoon. The IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Qalqilya. (JP 2/3; PCHR 2/9; OCHA 2/10)
UN Secy.-Gen Ban makes a brief visit to Gaza to inaugurate a UN-funded housing project. Relatives of Palestinians jailed in Israel try to block his entry to the Erez crossing to protest his refusal to meet with them. During the visit, Ban calls on Israel to maintain the cease-fire with Gaza and allow Gaza’s borders to open for trade. Later, he addresses the Herzliya conference, telling Israeli officials and analysts to “think carefully about how to empower those on the other side who wish for peace.” (WP, WT 2/3)