The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest a Palestinian at a checkpoint in Hebron after she allegedly draws a knife on them. Israeli forces raid a home in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem, demolishing its doors and sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian youths; 1 Palestinian is assaulted and arrested. Meanwhile, IDF troops clash with and violently disperse Palestinians throwing stones and protesting the recent Israeli crackdown on the oPt w. of Tulkarm, in 1 village nr. Qalqilya and 2 nr. Ramallah; 4 Palestinians are injured. The IDF also conducts late-night house searches and raids in 2 villages nr. Hebron, 1 each nr. Bethlehem and Nablus, in and around Tulkarm, and in Tubas, arresting 10 Palestinians; patrols in 6 villages and al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron and 1 village nr. Qalqilya. Late at night, Israeli settlers leave price-tag graffiti on a Palestinian home and throw smoke grenades through its windows nr. Ramallah, causing no injuries. On Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion e. of Khuza‘a to level land along the barrier fence. Twice off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces open fire on and detain a number of Palestinian fishing boats, arresting 4 Palestinians and confiscating 2 boats. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police arrest a Palestinian youth in the Old City after she is found to be carrying a knife; arrest and bar from Jerusalem for 5 mos. a Palestinian, on a raid in the Old City. (JP, MNA, TOI 12/21; HA, JP, MNA, TOI, YA 12/22; PCHR 12/31)

Israel’s COGAT announces the partial lifting of a series of movement restrictions on Palestinian Christians around the Christmas holidays. (HA, MNA 12/21; TOI 12/22)

A total of 3 Palestinians and 1 Israeli settler are killed across the West Bank. In a contested incident, an Israeli settler and former Samaria Regional Council head rams a Palestinian youth with his car after she allegedly attempts to stab another settler at a checkpoint nr. Nablus; the girl is shot and killed at the scene. There are conflicting reports around the shooting, with some outlets alleging the driver shot the girl and others claiming it was either another settler or IDF soldiers stationed at the nearby Huwwara checkpoint. A Palestinian taxi driver is shot and killed hours later nr. Kefar Adumim settlement by an Israeli settler, who claims that the driver attempted to ram a group of settlers on a main road nr. Bethlehem. According to the IDF, the settler opened fire after he saw the Palestinian taxi driver exit his car with a knife. However, Palestinian eyewitnesses report that Israeli settlers threw stones at the taxi, causing the driver to swerve into another car. In the final of such incidents, IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian after he stabs and seriously injures an Israeli settler at the Gush Etzion junction nr. Bethlehem (the settler succumbs to her injuries later in the day). The IDF then raids a village nearby, arresting the Palestinian attacker’s 4 brothers and sparking clashes with stone-throwers; there are no serious injuries. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA 11/22; PCHR 11/26)

Elsewhere in the oPt, IDF troops violently clash with Palestinians protesting w. of Qalqilya and outside a settlement nr. Ramallah; 3 Palestinians are injured. After reports of stone-throwing, Israeli forces impose an evening curfew and briefly close the main checkpoint in Huwwara, where a Palestinian girl was killed earlier in the day (see above). The IDF also conducts raids and house searches in 1 village nr. Nablus, as well as 4 villages and al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, confiscating personal property, arresting 11 Palestinians, and issuing arrest summons to 2; patrols in 5 villages and al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron and nr. Ramallah and Jericho. Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian property in 2 areas nr. Nablus, causing clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces after settlers throw stones at a Palestinian secondary school. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces conduct late-night raids in Ras al-Amud and Shu‘fat, arresting 6 Palestinians. In 2 separate incidents off Gaza’s coast nr. Jabaliya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. (HA, JP, MNA, NYT, WAFA, YA 11/22; PCHR 11/26)

Stabbing and other small-scale violent incidents continue in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) and Israel. In Tel Aviv, 2 Palestinians armed with knives attack a group of Israelis at an office building, killing 2 and injuring 2. Israeli police arrest 1 of the attackers and the other flees. Later, IDF troops raid the Hebron-area home of 1 of the suspects, delivering punitive demolition orders and arresting 3. Nr. Bethlehem, a Palestinian driver opens fire in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc, injuring 10 settlers and killing 3 others, including a U.S. citizen. Israeli forces shoot at the driver, causing him to crash his car and killing 1 Palestinian bystander in the crossfire; they arrest the driver at the scene. In c. Hebron, Israeli forces fire tear gas and skunk water, blocking a number of Palestinian children from accessing their school, after a Palestinian allegedly throws a tear gas canister at an Israeli checkpoint and injures a soldier. Also, a Palestinian succumbs to injuries sustained in clashes with the IDF on 11/11. (HA, MNA, NYT, WAFA, YA 11/19; PCHR 11/26)

Elsewhere, a number of Palestinian municipalities in Israel, including Nazareth, Rahat, and Sakhnin, go on strike in protest of the 11/16 outlawing of the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement. In the West Bank, IDF troops and stone-throwers clash during raids in Dahaysha r.c. and patrols nr. Jenin, injuring 4 Palestinians and arresting 1, respectively. Israeli forces continue their string of late-night house searches and raids in the Hebron, Ramallah, Jalazun r.c., and Dahaysha r.c. areas, arresting 12 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 4; patrol during the day nr. Jenin, Tulkarm, Salfit, Hebron, and Qalqilya. Israeli settlers leave racist graffiti and throw stones at Palestinian homes in a village nr. Ramallah late at night, causing minor damage. Israeli forces begin demolishing a synagogue in the Givat Ze’ev settlement nr. Jerusalem, pursuant to the Israeli govt.’s 11/16 compromise with settler leaders (the demolition will be completed by 12/10). In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces clash with and violently disperse Palestinians at a checkpoint in Abu Dis, seriously injuring 1 Palestinian; arrest 4 Palestinians on raids in Issawiyya and Jabal Mukabir; assault a Palestinian youth in Ras al-Amud. (EI, HA, MNA, NYT, WAFA, YA 11/19; MNA, TOI 11/20; PCHR 11/26)

Israel’s Coordinator of Govt. Activities in the Territories (COGAT) Unit cmdr. Yoav Mordechai signs an agreement with the PA Minister of Civil Affairs Hassan al-Shaykh to grant Palestinian mobile phone users in the West Bank access to 3G high-speed data services. The new services are expected to be in place by mid-2016. (AP, HA 11/19)

Amid the ongoing wave of violence, the Israeli authorities proceed with demolition-related activities today. Israeli forces enter Qalandia r.c. and punitively demolish the residence of the Palestinian accused of shooting and killing an Israeli settler on 6/19, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian youths; 2 Palestinians are killed and 3 are injured. They also take photographs and measurements of the Hebron-area homes of 2 Palestinians who were accused of recent attacks on Israelis. (MNA, WAFA 11/15; HA 11/16; PCHR 11/19)

Elsewhere in the oPt, an IDF vehicle runs over a Palestinian child in a village nr. Jerusalem, causing moderate injuries. The IDF clashes with and violently disperses Palestinians protesting outside a settlement nr. Ramallah and w. of Qalqilya (3 Palestinians are injured). IDF troops force a Palestinian family off their agricultural land nr. Hebron for the 2d time in 2 days; patrol in Salfit and 2 areas nr. Hebron; conduct late-night house searches and raids in Hebron and 3 nearby villages, ‘Askar r.c. nr. Nablus, Jenin and 1 village nearby, confiscating files and materials from an orphanage nr. Hebron for unreported reasons, and arresting 10 Palestinians. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on land e. of Jabaliya r.c., causing no damage. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 10 Palestinians on raids in the Old City, Silwan, and Issawiyya. (MNA, WAFA 11/15; HA, MNA, NYT 11/16; PCHR 11/19)

Amid the ongoing wave of violence in the oPt, IDF troops clash with and violently disperse Palestinians protesting in Hebron, Qalqilya, and 1 village nr. Qalqilya; 9 Palestinians are injured. Elsewhere in the West Bank, the IDF cracks down on the Hebron region amid searches for the Palestinians responsible for the killing of 2 Israeli settlers on 11/13. Israeli soldiers force a Palestinian family off their agricultural land; shut down entrances to several nearby villages; raid a Palestinian court and prosecutor’s office; conduct late-night raids, house searches, and patrols across the region. They also conduct house searches in 3 neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, arresting 15 Palestinians in all the day’s raids. (JP, MNA, WAFA, YA 11/14; PCHR 11/19)

The wave of small-scale violence and stabbing attacks continues in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. An Israeli security guard shoots and kills a Palestinian after he allegedly attempts to stab him nr. the Old City. A 2d Palestinian is lightly injured by errant fire. Israeli forces then raid the Palestinian’s home in Issawiyya, arresting his father and 3 brothers. Around the same time, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian youth after he and a 2d Palestinian youth stab and injure an Israeli security guard on the Jerusalem Light Rail nr. Shu‘fat r.c.; both youths are arrested. Nr. Bethlehem, Israeli soldiers shoot and kill 2 Palestinians at a checkpoint and 2 others in an Israeli settlement nr. Bethlehem after they allegedly attempt to stab Israeli soldiers and settlers. (HA, MNA, WAFA 11/10; PCHR 11/12)

Meanwhile in the oPt, Israeli forces assault and arrest 4 Palestinian youths in Issawiyya. IDF troops patrol in c. Hebron, sparking clashes with stone-throwers (several Palestinians are lightly injured); surround a school in al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, fire tear gas onto the grounds, and open fire on a number of Palestinian youths (2 are injured). IDF troops clash with and disperse Palestinians protesting in c. Hebron, w. of Tulkarm, and in Aida r.c. nr. Bethlehem (2 Palestinians are seriously injured); conduct late-night house searches and raids in 1 neighborhood in East Jerusalem, 3 villages nr. Hebron, arresting 11 Palestinians. Israeli forces demolish 3 wells, a shed, and a water tank in a village nr. Jenin. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 11/10; AP, JP, MNA 11/11; PCHR 11/12)

PA pres. Abbas instructs the PA’s Foreign Ministry to prepare a file of evidence on Israel’s 10/12 arrest and subsequent treatment of a Palestinian youth for submission to the ICC. A video depicting Israeli interrogators verbally abusing the youth was published on 11/9, prompting criticism. (TOI, WAFA 11/11; HA 11/12)

Stabbing and other small-scale incidents continue, keeping tensions high in the oPt. IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian driver at a junction nr. Nablus after he rams a group of Israelis with his vehicle, injuring 4 (a 5th Israeli is injured by errant fire during the incident). Israeli settlers block a nearby road to protest the attack. An Israeli security guard shoots and seriously injures a Palestinian woman at the entrance to a settlement nr. Bethlehem after she stabs and lightly injures him. The IDF then raids several homes in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian youths; there are no serious injuries. Later, a Palestinian stabs and moderately injures an Israeli settler in a village nr. Qalqilya. IDF troops raid the village after the attack, searching a number of houses and detaining 15 Palestinians. (EI, MNA, 11/8; HA 11/9; PCHR 11/12)

Elsewhere in the oPt, IDF troops clash with and violently disperse Palestinians protesting w. of Tulkarm and outside a settlement nr. Ramallah; 4 Palestinians are injured. The IDF conducts late-night house searches and raids in Nablus and 2 villages each nr. Hebron and Ramallah, arresting 4 Palestinians. In Gaza, unknown persons fire a rocket into s. Israel. It lands in an open area, causing no damage or injuries. IAF jets launch a retaliatory air strike on a Hamas military base nr. Rafah late at night, causing damage. Off the coast nr. Khan Yunis, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 6 Palestinians on raids and patrols in Silwan and nr. the Old City. (HA, MNA, TOI, YA 11/8; HA, JP, MNA, YA 11/9; PCHR 11/12)

Stabbing and other small-scale violent incidents continue to characterize the ongoing wave of violence. A Palestinian stabs and seriously injures an Israeli settler outside a grocery store in a settlement nr. Ramallah (he will take credit for the attack in a video uploaded to Facebook hours later and turn himself into the Palestinian authorities). The Hebron area, in particular, sees much of the day’s violence. Israeli soldiers shoot and kill an elderly Palestinian woman as she drives her vehicle toward them in an alleged ramming attack; 2 Palestinian bystanders are injured when Israeli gunfire shatters the vehicle’s windows. IDF troops surround a mosque in c. Hebron, sparking clashes with Palestinians after they finish praying inside; 8 Palestinians are injured. Also in the city, a Palestinian shoots and injures an Israeli settler n. of Hebron, and another Palestinian shoots and injures 2 Israelis nr. al-Ibrahimi Mosque. Israeli soldiers raid a nearby home after the 1st incident. Meanwhile, around 4,000 Jewish Israelis visit al-Ibrahimi Mosque. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI 11/6; EI 11/8; PCHR 11/12)

As the Israeli crackdown continues across the oPt, IDF troops clash with and violently disperse Palestinians protesting and throwing stones in 3 areas along Gaza’s border, outside a settlement nr. Ramallah, and in 2 villages nr. Hebron; 1 Palestinian is killed and 29 are injured. The IDF also violently disperses Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists at Friday demonstrations against Israel’s occupation and recent violence in the oPt in 4 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Nabi Salih, and Silwad) and 2 nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum and Jayyus); 3 Palestinians are injured. The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Hebron and 2 nr. Nablus; conducts late-night house searches and raids in Hebron and 2 nearby villages, as well as 2 villages nr. Nablus, arresting 4 Palestinians. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raid a number of homes in Silwan and open fire on a number of others (several windows are broken). (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, YA 11/6; HA, WAFA 11/7; PCHR 11/12)

The Israeli crackdown on the ongoing wave of violence continues across the oPt. IDF troops clash with and violently disperse Palestinians protesting and throwing stones along Gaza’s border nr. al-Bureij r.c., w. of Tulkarm, in Bethlehem, in 3 villages nr. Hebron, ‘Askar r.c. nr. Nablus, and outside a settlement nr. Ramallah; 10 Palestinians are injured and 2 are arrested. The IDF also conducts late-night raids and house searches in al-Fawar r.c. and 3 villages nr. Hebron, ‘Askar r.c. nr. Nablus, and 2 villages each nr. Ramallah and Nablus, arresting 12 Palestinians and issuing an arrest summons to 1. Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian man armed with a knife and a pipe bomb at a gas station across the street from a checkpoint nr. Jenin. They indefinitely close the checkpoint after the arrest (they will reopen it on 11/5). IDF troops fire tear gas canisters into Palestinian homes in Aida r.c. nr. Bethlehem, causing damage and a number of minor injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces close a checkpoint between Silwan and the Old City; raid a medical center in Issawiyya, issuing 1 Palestinian an interrogation summons and searching a number of files. They also arrest 13 Palestinians on raids and patrols in al-Thawri, Issawiyya, and the Old City. In Israel, Israeli forces demolish 2 bedouin homes nr. Beersheba. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 11/3; PCHR 11/5)

The Israeli Civil Admin.’s Higher Planning Council gives preliminary approval of a 2014 master plan for a settlement bloc nr. Ramallah, which would include the construction of 2,200 new residences and the retroactive authorization of 2 settlement outposts. A public hearing was held on the plan on 10/21 (the Civil Admin. will publish the approval on 11/5). (AP, HA 11/9)

After a mass joint funeral in Hebron for the Palestinians whose bodies the IDF returned on 10/30, dozens of stone-throwers briefly clash with IDF troops in c. Hebron; 4 Palestinians are injured. In the latest small-scale violence, IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian at a checkpoint nr. Jenin after he allegedly attacks an Israeli soldier. The Israeli authorities then close a nearby checkpoint, blocking Palestinians from traveling between Israel and the West Bank (they will reopen it on 11/1). The Israeli crackdown on the violence continues throughout the oPt as well, with IDF troops clashing with and violently dispersing Palestinian protesters nr. Ramallah and Jenin, and along Gaza’s border nr. al-Bureij r.c. (7 Palestinians are injured). They also patrol nr. Ramallah, Salfit, and Nablus; conduct late-night raids and house searches across Hebron, Nablus, and Bethlehem, arresting 11 Palestinians and issuing an arrest summons to 1. Israeli soldiers assault and seriously injure a Palestinian at a checkpoint nr. Jerusalem. Israeli settlers block Palestinian farmers from working in their olive fields nr. Nablus, causing no injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian at a checkpoint in Ras al-Amud and 8 on raids in Sur al-Bahir. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 10/31; JP 11/ 1; PCHR 11/5)

In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian nr. al-Ibrahimi Mosque in c. Hebron after he allegedly stabs a soldier nearby. IDF troops then shoot and kill a 2d Palestinian nr. an Israeli settlement in c. Hebron after he allegedly attempts to stab an Israeli soldier. After both incidents, stone-throwing Palestinians clash with Israeli forces in c. Hebron; 3 Palestinians are seriously injured. Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian homes nearby. Meanwhile, IDF troops clash with and violently disperse Palestinian protesters in and around Ramallah and Bethlehem, injuring at least 16 Palestinians. They also conduct raids and house searches in Tulkarm, Jenin, Nablus, and nr. Qalqilya, arresting 4 Palestinians. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raid a hospital in al-Tur for the 3d day in a row and violently disperse Palestinians conducting a sit-in protest against the recent raids; several Palestinians are injured. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 10/29; EI 10/30; PCHR 11/5)

Stabbing and alleged stabbing attacks continue in the West Bank. Israeli soldiers shoot and kill a Palestinian in c. Hebron after he allegedly attempts to stab a soldier. Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian in a supermarket in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc nr. Bethlehem after he stabs and moderately injures an Israeli settler; open fire on 3 Palestinians after they allegedly evade detention while on their way to work in Israel, injuring 1 and detaining 2. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 10/28; PCHR 10/29; PCHR 11/5)

As the Israeli crackdown continues across the oPt, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian protesters in c. Hebron, Aida r.c. and 1 village nr. Bethlehem, and along Gaza’s border nr. al-Bureij r.c., injuring 3 Palestinians (2 seriously). Late at night, the IDF conducts raids and house searches in the Tubas, Hebron, Ramallah, and Jenin areas, arresting 14 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 4. In East Jerusalem, MK Basel Ghattas (Joint List) tours Haram al-Sharif, defying Israeli PM Netanyahu’s order for all MKs to avoid the sanctuary (1st reported on 10/8). Israeli forces raid a hospital in al-Tur for the 2d day in a row; arrest 26 Palestinians on raids and patrols in Silwan, al-Tur, and Issawiyya. Late at night, Israeli forces raid the home of the Palestinian who was killed on 10/8 after allegedly stabbing an Israeli soldier, and they take measurements and photographs in preparation for a possible punitive demolition. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 10/28; PCHR 10/29; PCHR 11/5)

Stabbing and alleged stabbing attacks continue to characterize the ongoing wave of violence in the oPt. In the West Bank, Israeli soldiers shoot and kill 2 Palestinians at a bus stop in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc s. of Bethlehem after they allegedly stab and moderately injure an Israeli soldier. Later, IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian in Hebron after he allegedly attempts to stab an Israeli soldier. (HA, MNA, WAFA 10/27; PCHR 10/29)

Elsewhere in the oPt, the Israeli crackdown continues. IDF troops clash with and violently disperse Palestinians protesting and throwing stones along Gaza’s border and in 3 areas across the West Bank, injuring 32 Palestinians and arresting 8. Israeli forces install a metal gate at the main entrance to a village nr. Ramallah. The Palestinian residents of the village removed the cement blocks that were previously obstructing the entrance earlier in the day. Israeli forces conduct patrols and late-night raids in more than 10 areas across the West Bank, arresting 25 Palestinians. Separately, Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian cars s. of Jenin, causing damage. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raid a hospital in al-Tur looking to confiscate medical records and surveillance tapes relating to a Palestinian youth who was treated for a minor bullet wound days ago. Later, Israeli forces raid the Jabal Mukabir homes of 4 Palestinians accused of recent attacks on Israelis, taking pictures and measurements in preparation for possible punitive demolitions; arrest 3 Palestinians allegedly planning knife attacks in Silwan. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA, YA 10/27; MNA 10/28; PCHR 10/29)

The Israeli crackdown on the oPt amid the ongoing wave of violence continues. IDF troops clash with stone-throwing Palestinians outside a settlement nr. Ramallah and along Gaza’s border e. of Khan Yunis, injuring 4. Meanwhile, the IDF patrols in 1 village each nr. Jerusalem and Jenin, sparking clashes with stone-throwers (2 Palestinians are injured with live ammunition); conducts raids around Jenin and patrols across the West Bank. Masked assailants assault Palestinian Legislative Council mbr. Mustafa Barghouti in Ramallah, shouting “let the intifada protect you” and causing minor injuries before fleeing the area. The PA then launches an investigation into the attack. Israeli settlers continue assaults on Palestinians and their property, damaging a Palestinian greenhouse nr. Jenin; setting fire to a car in East Jerusalem and leaving price-tag graffiti nr. the scene. A Palestinian family demolishes its own home in Bayt Hanina, responding to the Israeli police’s 4/2015 order giving them until today to destroy the building or accept a fine of NIS 60,000 (around $15,430). Israeli forces arrest 8 Palestinians on raids in the Old City, al-Tur, al-Suwana, Silwan, Shu‘fat, and Issawiyya. In Israel, an Israeli rabbi succumbs to injuries sustained on 11/18/2014 when 2 Palestinians attacked a synagogue in West Jerusalem, bringing the number of Israelis killed in the attack to 6. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA 10/24; HA, JP, MNA, WAFA, YA 10/25; PCHR 10/29)

After meeting with PA pres. Abbas and Jordan’s King Abdullah in Amman, U.S. secy. of state Kerry announces that they and Israeli PM Netanyahu have reached a series of understandings, including an Israeli-Jordanian agreement to install cameras at Haram al-Sharif to broadcast live 24 hours a day. (HA, JP, MNA, NYT, TOI, YA 10/24; HA, JP 10/25)

Stabbing attacks continue in the West Bank today. Private Israeli settlement security guards shoot and kill a Palestinian youth at a checkpoint nr. Jenin after he allegedly stabs and injures an Israeli soldier. IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian youth after he stabs and lightly injures an Israeli soldier in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc nr. Bethlehem. (HA, MNA, YA 10/23; PCHR 10/29)

Elsewhere in the oPt, IDF troops clash with and violently disperse Palestinians throwing stones and protesting in 3 locations along Gaza’s border and across the West Bank, injuring 117 Palestinians and arresting 3. They also violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists at Friday demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, occupation, and recent violence in 4 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Nabi Salih, and Silwad) and Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya; 1 Palestinian is seriously injured. Meanwhile, the IDF conducts raids and house searches in Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah and 1 village nr. Nablus, arresting 2 Palestinians; patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 each nr. Jenin and Nablus. Israeli forces destroy around 90 olive trees nr. Qalqilya during a military training exercise. Israeli settlers attack and attempt to stab the head of the Israeli group Rabbis for Human Rights while he is assisting with the Palestinian olive harvest nr. Nablus; attempt to attack the Nablus-area home of the Palestinian who was shot on 10/21 after IDF soldiers thought she was trying to sneak into a settlement. Palestinian stone-throwers in the area ward off the attack. In East Jerusalem, thousands of Palestinians march in a funeral procession through al-‘Izzariya for the Palestinian killed nr. the city on 10/21; Israeli forces then violently disperse the 400-some Palestinian youths that throw stones in the area after the march (27 Palestinians are injured).Israeli forces arrest 8 Palestinians on late-night raids in Issawiyya, Ras al-Amud, al-Thawri, and s. of the Old City. (HA, MNA, TOI, YA 10/23; PCHR 10/29)

New Zealand’s UN envoys distribute to the mbrs. of the UNSC a draft res. encouraging Israel and the Palestinians to undertake confidence-building steps as a prelude to a new round of peace negotiations. (AFP, TOI 10/23; JP, MNA 10/24; HA, TOI 10/28; AP 10/30)

The wave of small-scale violence continues in Israel and the West Bank. Israeli police open fire on 2 Palestinians, killing 1 and injuring the other, after they stab and moderately injure an Israeli civilian in Beit Shemesh, w. of Jerusalem. An Israeli settler and an IDF soldier open fire on a Palestinian youth in c. Hebron after he allegedly attempts to stab an Israeli in the area; there are no serious injuries. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA 10/22; PCHR 10/29)

Elsewhere in the oPt, IDF troops stationed along Gaza’s border violently disperse Palestinians protesting e. of Gaza City and e. of al-Bureij r.c., injuring 3. They also conduct an overnight raid in Qalandia r.c. nr. Ramallah, arresting 3 Palestinians, assaulting 1, and sparking a brief firefight with armed Palestinians; there are no serious injuries. Throughout the day, IDF troops clash with and violently disperse Palestinians protesting at a checkpoint nr. Qalqilya and w. of Tulkarm, injuring 4 Palestinians. The IDF conducts raids nr. Ramallah, sparking clashes with stonethrowing Palestinians (4 Palestinians are injured and 2 are arrested). Israeli forces also conduct late-night house searches and raids and patrols across the West Bank. Israeli settlers throw stones and glass bottles at Palestinian homes e. of Hebron, causing damage. (HA, JP, MNA, NYT, TOI, WAFA, YA 10/22; PCHR 10/29)

Israel’s High Court of Justice issues an injunction temporarily freezing the punitive demolitions of 7 West Bank homes of Palestinians accused of serious crimes against Israelis in recent mos. The demolition orders were delivered on 10/14 (the court will reject petitions calling for indefinite suspension of 6 of the demolitions on 11/12, effectively allowing them to go forward). (HA, JP, TOI, YA 10/22)

U.S. secy. of state Kerry meets with Israeli PM Netanyahu in Berlin to discuss a series of proposals to quell the ongoing violence in Israel and the oPt. Kerry says he is “cautiously optimistic” about the proposals discussed, and says that he will bring them to Jordan’s King Abdullah and PA pres. Abbas on 10/24. (HA, JP, NYT, TOI 10/22)

Cross-border violence continues in Gaza as IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians protesting nr. the Erez border crossing and e. of al-Bureij r.c., injuring 14 Palestinians. The Israeli authorities then temporarily close the crossing. Later, IDF troops armed with sniper rifles open fire on a group of Palestinians in an agricultural area along the border fence nr. al-Bureij r.c., killing 1 and injuring 2. The IDF releases a statement describing the incident as an operation designed to “eradicate” a group of armed Palestinian fighters allegedly responsible for several attacks on IDF patrols along the border in recent weeks. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA 10/20; PCHR 10/21)

Stabbing and alleged stabbing attacks continue amid the ongoing wave of violence. In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian during early morning clashes in a village nr. Hebron. The IDF says that the soldiers used live ammunition only after the man attempted to stab 1 of them. In the evening, IDF troops shoot and kill 2 Palestinian youths in c. Hebron as they are walking home amid a minor protest (the IDF says that they stabbed a soldier in the area). A Palestinian driver rams and kills an Israeli settler nr. Hebron. The Palestinian driver reports the incident later in the day to Palestinian police as an accident. Later, another Palestinian driver rams an Israeli soldier and a settler outside a settlement nr. Jerusalem, injuring both. IDF troops shoot and kill the Palestinian when he exits his vehicle, allegedly holding a knife. After the incident, the IDF raids the Palestinian driver’s home nr. Hebron, issuing an arrest summons to his brother. (EI, HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 10/20; PCHR 10/21; EI 10/22)

Elsewhere in the oPt, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian protesters across the West Bank, injuring 18 Palestinians. Israeli forces also obstruct the entrance to Ni‘lin village nr. Ramallah with cement blocks, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian youths and injuring 2 Palestinians with live ammunition. The IDF conducts late-night raids throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem, arresting 41 Palestinians. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers assault Palestinians and their property in the Hebron, Jenin, and Salfit areas. Palestinian schools and businesses in Issawiyya, East Jerusalem, conduct a general strike in protest of the Israeli authorities’ recent restrictions on access to the neighborhood. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 10/20; JP, MNA, PCHR, WAFA 10/21; HA, PCHR 10/22; OCHA 10/23)

For the 4th day in a row, hundreds of Gazans gather along the s. border with Israel to protest the recent Israeli crackdown, and the IDF violently disperses them, injuring 2 and detaining 1 of dozens who briefly break through the border fence. In a related development, an Israeli military source says that the IDF’s Southern Command has ordered soldiers to focus on using tear gas and firing warning shots in the air in their efforts to disperse groups of Palestinians nr. the border fence. The source says there has been no official change in the rules of engagement, but that the IDF’s commanders hope to reduce the number of Palestinians killed in similar confrontations. Separately, off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA 10/12; JP, 10/13; PCHR 10/15)

Small-scale attacks and stabbings continue amid the ongoing wave of violence in the oPt and Israel. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian man outside the Old City overnight after he allegedly attempts to stab a border police officer, according to the Israeli police, but Palestinian witnesses contest the claim. Later, 2 Palestinian youths attack a group of Israeli settlers nr. Shu‘fat, stabbing and seriously injuring 2. Israeli police shoot the attackers, killing 1 and injuring the other. Around the same time, Israeli police shoot and seriously injure a Palestinian youth after she stabs and injures 2 Israelis in Shaykh Jarrah. In West Jerusalem, IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian on a bus nr. Chords Bridge after he attempts to stab 1 of them and take a gun. Meanwhile, IDF troops clash with and violently disperse Palestinians throwing stones and protesting in various neighborhoods in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, injuring 29 Palestinians. Elsewhere in the West Bank, IDF troops conduct raids in 1 village each nr. Salfit and Ramallah, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian youths in both cases; 2 Palestinians are injured. Late at night, Israeli forces raid a village nr. Ramallah, surrounding a Palestinian’s home, firing live rounds through the windows, and sparking clashes with Palestinian stone-throwers, injuring 1 Palestinian and arresting 3. They arrest another Palestinian on a late-night raid nr. Hebron. In Israel, Israeli police arrest a senior official of the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement in Rahat on charges related to incitement. (HA, JP, MNA, NYT, TOI, WAFA, YA 10/12; JP, MNA, YA 10/13; PCHR 10/15)

The Israeli Knesset passes, 41–11, the 1st reading of 2 bills designed to deter stone-throwing, including mandatory minimum sentences and the imposition of penalties on parents of minors convicted for such crimes. The 2 bills comprise several measures agreed to by the security cabinet on 9/24 and the full cabinet on 10/11 (key provisions of the measures will pass into law on 11/2). (JP, KNE 10/13)

Israel’s High Court of Justice reaffirms its 2014 order to demolish a synagogue in the West Bank settlement Givat Ze’ev, rejecting a petition from settler leaders. The court orders the synagogue’s demolition within 1 week (the demolition deadline will be delayed to 11/19, following another petition). (JP 10/13)

In the West Bank, Palestinian assailants shoot and injure 4 Israeli settlers in a vehicle outside an Israeli settlement nr. Nablus; 1 will succumb to his injuries on 6/30. IDF troops impose a curfew on a nearby village, search the area, and conduct a series of raids. Dozens of Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian vehicles on the Ramallah-Nablus road. Earlier, a Palestinian woman stabs an Israeli soldier at a military checkpoint in Bethlehem, moderately injuring her. Israeli forces arrest the Palestinian. The IDF conducts house searches and raids in 4 villages nr. Ramallah, confiscating surveillance and recording equipment; patrols in 2 villages nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police arrest a Muslim worshipper at Haram al-Sharif after he throws rocks and shoes at Jewish visitors. (HA, JP, MNA, YA 6/29; AFP, HA, MNA, WAFA 6/30; PCHR 7/2; NYT 7/19)

Palestinian prisoner Adnan ends his hunger strike overnight after making an agreement with the Israeli authorities to release him on 7/12. An Israeli official says that the deal was made after Adnan withdrew his demand that Israel never again administratively detain him. Beginning on 5/5, Adnan’s hunger strike lasted 55 days. (AP, HA, MNA 6/29)

More than 100 mi. off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces board, search, and escort the Marianne of Gothenburg, the flagship of the Freedom Flotilla III, toward the port at Ashdod overnight. Prior to the boarding, the other 3 ships of the flotilla turned around, sailing away from Gaza and back to their ports of origin. (AFP, EI, HA, JP, NYT, YA 6/29; TOI 6/30)

Hamas calls for an emergency meeting of the various Palestinian factions, finding it “unacceptable” that the PLO Exec. Comm. appointed a comm. on 6/27 to consult with the various PLO factions about the composition of a new consensus govt. (MNA 6/29)

French FM Fabius proposes the formation of a new international group with a mandate of supporting peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. He describes the group as “a kind of Quartet plus,” referring to the Middle East Quartet, which has been relatively inactive since former Quartet rep. Blair’s resignation. Fabius’s comments are interpreted as a shift in French strategy away from the UNSC. (NYT, TOI 6/29)

U.S. pres. Obama signs the Defending Public Safety Employees’ Retirement Act into law, renewing his authority to “fast track” approval of trade agreements in Congress. The new law includes an American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)-backed provision establishing a series of anti-BDS objectives to be pursued in all trade negotiations. (HA 6/30; PNN 7/1)

In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians protesting the Israeli occupation in Kafr Qaddum village nr. Qalqilya and outside al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, injuring 1 with live ammunition in the former. Unknown assailants open fire on an Israeli ambulance on a road nr. the Beit El settlement outside Ramallah, causing damage but no injuries. IDF troops then conduct raids in a nearby village. The IDF patrols in 3 villages and al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron; conducts a late-night raid in a village nr. Hebron, arresting 2 Palestinians and sparking minor clashes with stone-throwing youths. Israeli settlers throw stones at a Palestinian man nr. Hebron, moderately injuring him. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian man in Bayt Hanina, moderately injuring him. Israeli forces conduct raids in the Old City, arresting 3 Palestinian youths. (HA, MNA 6/27; MNA, YA 6/28; PCHR 7/2)

The PLO Exec. Comm. appoints senior Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad to lead a comm. to consult with the various Palestinian factions and determine a more representative structure for a new consensus govt. The comm. begins talks with both Hamas and Islamic Jihad. A senior Palestinian official says that Hamas has placed impossible conditions on its participation in the govt. (YA 6/27; MNA 6/28)

Off Gaza’s coast nr. Jabaliya and later nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, damaging 1 in the earlier incident. IDF troops on the Gaza border e. of Jabaliya open fire on Palestinian farmers on multiple occasions, causing no damage or injuries. Israeli forces level land in a late-night incursion across the border fence e. of al-Maghazi r.c. In the West Bank, an Israeli settler assaults a Palestinian boy in c. Hebron, lightly injuring him. The IDF conducts house searches and raids in 2 villages nr. Hebron, 1 nr. Bethlehem, and 2 nr. Ramallah, arresting 11 Palestinians and confiscating property. In East Jerusalem, Palestinian security guards at Haram al-Sharif intervene when a group of right-wing Jewish activists provokes a group of Palestinians nr. the sanctuary’s gates. The Jewish activists then assault the guards, causing no serious injuries. Israeli forces conduct house searches and raids in al-Tur and Bayt Safafa, arresting 6 Palestinians after assaulting 3 of them. (JP, MNA, WAFA 5/19; PCHR 5/21)

Jordanian newspaper ad-Dustour reports that Hamas and Israel have been involved in secret talks in Israel and in Europe in recent mos. over outstanding issues from the 8/26/2014 cease-fire that ended Operation Protective Edge (OPE), quoting unnamed “Western diplomatic sources”. Neither Hamas nor Israel confirm the reports. (HA, JP, MNA 5/19)

Israel’s Civil Admin. initiates a 3-mo. pilot project of new regulations on Palestinian travel in the West Bank, requiring Palestinian workers to return to the West Bank through the same checkpoint they entered Israel and banning them from Israeli bus lines. Several human rights organizations plan to appeal the new regulations. (HA 5/20)

UN special coordinator Nickolay Mladenov briefs the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt). He urges Israel to freeze settlement construction, saying “there should be no illusions about the impact of these unilateral actions.” He also says that he and Secy.-Gen. Ban Ki-moon will engage with the new Israeli govt. to explore “realistic options” for a return to peace negotiations with the Palestinians “within a reasonable timeframe.” (MNA, REU 5/20)

In Gaza, Hamas-hired civil servants in all ministries except schools go on strike, protesting unpaid wages and particularly the PA unity govt.’s recent “recklessness” on the issue, according to a statement issued by a comm. representing the workers. In the West Bank, armed Palestinians open fire on PA presidential guards nr. Balata r.c. nr. Nablus, causing no injuries. IDF troops arrest 1 Palestinian on a late-night raid in a village nr. Ramallah and another Palestinian in c. Hebron accused of an attempted stabbing; patrol in another village nr. Ramallah. Israeli forces demolish 2 buildings in an Israeli settlement nr. Jerusalem after Israeli authorities determine they were built illegally; deliver 2 demolition notices for residential tents under construction nr. Hebron; demolish a wall in a village nr. Ramallah. In Israel, Israeli forces demolish a mosque under construction in a bedouin village nr. Beersheba. (MNA, TOI 5/12; MNA 5/13; PCHR 5/14)

EU envoy to the Palestinian territories John Gatt-Rutter says that the EU is working to restart negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. (MNA 5/12)

P5+1 and Iranian negotiators meet in Vienna for 4-day negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program. They will be joined by U.S. reps. on 5/13 to continue drafting the main text of a comprehensive, final deal ahead of the 6/30 deadline. (REU 5/5; AFP 5/11; HA 5/12)

Egyptian pres. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi says that at least 80% of the tunnels between Gaza and Sinai have been destroyed and that the buffer zone being constructed along the border with Gaza has been expanded to 3 km in some places since construction began in 10/2014. (MNA 5/12; TOI 5/13)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts a house search and raid in Jericho, arresting 2 Palestinians; patrols in Nablus, al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, and 1 village nr. Jenin. Israeli settlers park a group of mobile homes on Palestinian land nr. Nablus, establishing a new settlement outpost. Elsewhere, Palestinians in a village nr. Ramallah say that the Israeli authorities have informed them that they are planning on opening a major road e. of the city, having kept it closed since 2001 (Israeli forces will open the road on 5/25). Israeli authorities also inform farmers nr. Salfit that they plan to demolish 20 olive trees in the area. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces and settlers surround and attempt to evacuate a Palestinian-rented home in the Old City, but the tenants’ lawyer secures a stay on a 3/15 eviction order until 5/2015; small clashes break out. Separately, Israeli forces conduct house searches and raids in Issawiyya and Ras al-Amud, arresting 7 Palestinians. (HA, MNA, WAFA 3/16; PCHR 3/19; EI 3/25)

Israeli PM Netanyahu says that if he is chosen to serve a 3d consecutive term as PM, there will be no Palestinian state, responding to the confusion on 3/8 when his office refuted a Likud Party statement that said he was disavowing his 2009 Bar Ilan speech, in which he 1st came out in favor of the 2-state solution. (AFP, HA, MNA, TOI, YA 3/16)

Palestinian amb. to Iraq Ahmad Aqil says that the Iraqi Higher Judicial Council has issued a res. applying equal status as Iraqi citizens to Palestinian refugees in Iraq—except for full Iraqi nationality. While it is consistent with existing law protecting the rights of Palestinian refugees that passed under Saddam Hussein, those laws were not thoroughly enforced after his overthrow and around 22,000 Palestinians left Iraq. (MNA 3/16)

Iranian FM Zarif and U.S. Secy. of State Kerry, along with other reps. of Iran and the U.S., meet in Lausanne, Switzerland, for a week of negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program. Zarif travels to Brussels to meet with envoys from several EU mbr. states as well as EU foreign policy chief Mogherini. (AFP, JP, TOI 3/16)

In c. Gaza, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian homes nr. the border fence, causing damage. Off the coast nr. Bayt Lahiya, Israeli naval forces fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct raids in 1 village each nr. Qalqilya and Bethlehem, sparking clashes with stone-throwing residents in both and arresting 2 in the former. They also patrol in 1 village each nr. Ramallah and Qalqilya, and 2 areas nr. Hebron; arrest a Palestinian man n. of Hebron who attempted to stab an Israeli soldier at a checkpoint; assault a Palestinian at a checkpoint nr. Jenin. The IDF violently disperses Palestinian and international activists nonviolently protesting in 2 villages nr. Qalqilya, detaining 2 Palestinians, moderately injuring 2, and lightly injuring several. Israeli forces deliver demolition notices to a school and 2 homes in Hebron. Israeli settlers deface the walls of a Palestinian school nr. Nablus, leaving price-tag graffiti. Separately, Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian youth from another village nr. Nablus, forcing him to remove his clothes in the cold weather. In East Jerusalem, Jewish Israelis set fire to a Greek Orthodox seminary and leave price-tag graffiti. An Israeli court bans 4 Palestinian women from entering Haram al-Sharif for periods ranging from 10 to 60 days. They were detained on 2/25. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 2/26; MNA 2/28; PCHR 3/5)

The IEC agrees to stop cutting power to areas in the West Bank (as it did on 2/23 and 2/25) in exchange for the Israeli govt.’s promise to offset the Palestinians’ debts with the tax revenues that it has punitively withheld from the PA since 1/2. The PM’s office also announces a deal that will connect Rawabi, the 1st planned Palestinian city, to the water grid, enabling new residents to move in to the city. The agreement will also connect several Israeli settlements in the area to the grid. (HA, TOI 2/26; NYT 2/27)

On the 6 mo. anniversary of the 8/16 cease-fire that ended Operation Protective Edge (OPE), 30 UN agencies and other international organizations in Gaza jointly express their alarm at the slow pace of reconstruction and the dire conditions in the Strip. In their statement, they say, “We must not fail Gaza,” and that “since 7/2014, the situation has deteriorated dramatically.” (WAFA 2/26)

The Jordanian and Israeli govts. sign a deal that will govern the construction of a pipeline to link the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, the 1st phase of a Dead Sea revitalization project that has been debated and discussed for over a decade. They plan to begin preparing tenders to offer to construction companies in the coming weeks. They ultimately plan to build a desalinization plant n. of Aqaba, Jordan. In 12/2013, reps. of Jordan, Israel, and the PA signed a memorandum of understanding at the World Bank to guide their joint efforts on the project. (AFP, TOI 2/26)

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli authorities detain a Palestinian businessman as he is passing through the Erez border crossing. In the West Bank, after Palestinian and international activists rebuild the “Gate of Jerusalem” protest camp over the last few days, IDF troops raid the camp and pass along a 24-hour evacuation notice, demolishing the camp for a 5th time late at night. IDF troops raid the home of a deceased Palestinian in Hebron, confiscating NIS 50,000 (around $13,000) and issuing a summons to his father. The man was killed in a firefight with Israeli soldiers on 9/22 after he and 2 others kidnapped and killed 3 Israeli settler teenagers in 6/2014. Israeli forces raze 30 dunams of land nr. Bethlehem, preparing the area for the expansion of nearby Efrat settlement. The IDF conducts arrest raids and house searches nr. Hebron, Jenin, and Bethlehem; patrols nr. Hebron, Tulkarm, and Jenin. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a home in Silwan, displacing 14 Palestinians; deliver 3 demolition orders to families in Silwan. They also arrest a Palestinian at the Shu‘fat checkpoint. In c. Israel, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian family’s home in Lydda. (MNA, WAFA 2/10; EI, JP, MNA, WAFA 2/11; PCHR 2/12)

PA Pres. Abbas meets with the Swedish PM Stefan Lofven in Stockholm, then inaugurates a new Palestinian embassy. Lofven announces a new aid program that will see 1.5 b. kronor (around $180 m.) spent on projects that help fight corruption, promote gender equality and human rights under the PA. (AFP 2/9; REU, WAFA 2/10)

The Gaza power plant resumes operations of a 2d turbine (of 4 total), following the recent receipt of fuel shipments. The plant was shut down completely between 12/28 and 1/4. (WAFA 1/6; MEMO, MNA 1/7; OCHA 1/15)

UN Secy.-Gen. Ban Ki-moon confirms that the State of Palestine will become a mbr. of the ICC on 4/1, hours after the ICC acknowledges that Palestinian authorities have formally recognized the court’s jurisdiction over the oPt starting retroactively on 6/13, a key legal declaration. (MNA, WAFA 1/6; JP, RT, WAFA 1/7)

Hamas accuses the PA unity govt. of reallocating funds meant for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the PA cabinet condemns the 1/4 Israeli settlement announcement. (MNA, WAFA 1/6)

A Hamas delegation arrives in Iran to participate in the 28th International Conference on Islamic Unity. (AP, CNN, HA, JP, REU 1/6; IRNA 1/9; AP 1/12)

The French govt. denounces the Palestinian resubmission of their UNSC draft res., with FM Fabius saying, “We are against this spiraling out of control.” (REU 1/6)

In the Gaza Strip, the Gaza power plant resumes operation of 1 of its 4 turbines, having received new shipments of fuel after shutting down completely on 12/28. However, scheduled power outages stay at up to 18 hours per day. Off the coast nr. Gaza City, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats, causing no damage or injuries. Also, the IDF begins pulling troops stationed nr. Gaza, as announced 12/28. In the West Bank, 1 Palestinian is injured during a clash in Hebron between stone-throwing Palestinians and private Israeli settlement security guards. IDF troops rebuild mounds of earth outside a village nr. Salfit, closing the main entrance. The village’s residents cleared the mounds on 12/31 during demonstrations marking Fatah’s 50th anniversary. In East Jerusalem, an Israeli court bars 5 Palestinian women (arrested on 1/1) from entering Haram al-Sharif for 21 days. Israeli forces detain another Palestinian woman as she exits the sanctuary. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 1/4; OCHA 1/15)

A senior Israeli FM official says that Israel is not planning any new settlement construction in response to the Palestinians’ accession to the ICC. Meanwhile, PM Netanyahu and DM Ya’alon agree to use NIS 70 m. (around $17.8 m.) from the Defense Ministry’s budget to strengthen infrastructure in the Beit El settlement and relocate an IDF base to make room for 300 new residences. Then-Fin. Min. Lapid blocked their prior attempt on 11/25. Separately, the Israeli High Court of Justice freezes construction on the separation wall in the Battir Valley of the West Bank, responding to complaints from the Palestinian residents and UNESCO’s 6/20 decision to place Battir’s terraces on its list of World Heritage sites. (JP, HA, MNA, TOI 1/4)

Egyptian authorities prepare for the demolitions and evictions required to expand the buffer zone along the Gaza border to 1 km. The 2,044 families that live in the 1,200 homes set to be demolished will receive 1,500 Egyptian pounds (approximately $209) to pay for 3 mos. of housing, and 700–1,200 Egyptian pounds per sq. m of their house that is demolished. (JP, MNA 1/4)

Jordan suspends talks with Israel regarding the 9/2014 memorandum of understanding set to govern their $15 b. joint gas deal with U.S. company Noble Energy. Israel’s Antitrust Authority revoked its approval of the Delek Group-Noble Energy alignment on 12/23. (JP, JTA, TOI 1/4)