In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian after he allegedly stabs and injures 2 Israeli police officers in the Old City. Separately, Israeli forces arrest 22 Palestinians...
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December 13, 2018
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December 7, 2018
Thousands of Palestinians gather along Gaza’s border to continue the Great March of Return. IDF troops violently disperse them near Rafah, Jalabiya refugee camp, Khan Yunis, al-Bureij refugee camp...
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November 30, 2018
Thousands of Palestinians gather along Gaza’s border fence to continue the Great March of Return. Hamas reportedly orders the protesters to stay away from the fence so as not to provoke any...
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November 27, 2018
In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian residential structure in Suba village near Hebron and deliver a stop-work order to a Palestinian home under construction outside Yatta....
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October 15, 2018
IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian at a junction near Salfit after he allegedly attempts to stab several of the soldiers. Elsewhere in the West Bank, Israeli settlers flood with wastewater...
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October 11, 2018
IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian at the Huwwara checkpoint near Nablus after he stabs and critically injures an Israeli soldier. An Israeli settler is reportedly injured when the soldiers...
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September 25, 2018
IDF troops violently disperse thousands of Palestinians gathering along Gaza’s border fence near Gaza City, Khan Yunis, and Jabaliya refugee camp to continue the Great March of Return; 3...
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July 27, 2018
Thousands of Palestinians gather along Gaza’s border to continue the Great March of Return. IDF troops violently disperse the demonstrations near Khan Yunis, Rafah, al-Bureij refugee camp, Gaza...
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June 10, 2018
Israeli firefighters extinguish 17 small fires along Gaza’s border fence, reportedly sparked by incendiary kites flown across the fence. The Israeli police say they found one kite with a bomb...
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June 5, 2018
Thousands of Palestinians gather at protests, sit-ins, and other demonstrations across the oPt in commemoration of the Naksa (the anniversary of the June War of 1967). Palestinian officials...
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March 9, 2018
IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists at Friday protests against Israel’s settlements, separation wall, and occupation, as well as U.S. president Trump’...
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March 4, 2018
Israeli police shoot and injure a Palestinian driver allegedly after he rams and injures 3 Israeli security personnel in Acre in Israel. The police later say the alleged ramming was “politically...
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February 13, 2018
In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian minor amid clashes sparked by an arrest raid near Nablus, arrest 11 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem,...
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January 16, 2018
Approximately 1,000 Israeli settlers visit Joseph’s Tomb near Nablus overnight, sparking clashes between their IDF escort and Palestinians from nearby Balata refugee camp; 1 Palestinian is injured...
In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian after he allegedly stabs and injures 2 Israeli police officers in the Old City. Separately, Israeli forces arrest 22 Palestinians allegedly involved in a Hamas-affiliated wedding in the Old City. In the West Bank, armed Palestinians open fire on IDF troops setting up a mobile checkpoint outside the Ofra settlement, killing 2 soldiers and critically injuring 2 more. After the shooting, the IDF shuts down all roads leading into Ramallah and conducts extensive raids in the area searching for the assailants; 40 Palestinians are arrested. Meanwhile, IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian driver after he allegedly rams a group of Israelis outside al-Bireh, lightly injuring 1. Some Palestinian witnesses say that the initial collision appeared to be an accident. IDF troops later conduct raids in al-Bireh, arresting 5 Palestinians and sparking clashes; 2 Palestinians are injured. They also arrest 28 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during late-night raids in and around Hebron, Bethlehem, and Nablus; and patrol near Tulkarm, Hebron, Nablus, and Ramallah. Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian vehicles driving near Nablus, damaging 7 and sparking minor clashes between their IDF escort and Palestinians in the area; there are no reported injuries. Later, the IDF shuts down several checkpoints south of Nablus to secure the area for a settler protest against recent Palestinian violence. Some of the settler protesters throw stones at Palestinian homes in the area; 2 Palestinians are injured and there is no major damage reported. Israeli settlers also throw stones and otherwise assault Palestinians and their property near al-Bireh, Ramallah, Qalqilya, Nablus, and Hebron; 2 Palestinians are injured, 1 Palestinian home is damaged, and 20 Palestinian vehicles are lightly damaged. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land near Bayt Lahiya. (HA, JP, JP, JP, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, TOI, TOI, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, YA 12/13; EI, MNA, TOI, YA 12/14; PCHR 12/20)
Amid an uptick in Israeli violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, PA president Mahmoud Abbas accuses Israel of creating a climate of incitement through repeated incursions into major Palestinian cities. “Our constant policy is to reject violence, incursions and settlers’ terror and that incitement should stop and not to create an atmosphere that contributes to the aggravation of the situation.” Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, announces plans to promote the retroactive authorization of thousands of Israeli settler homes in the West Bank, the construction of 82 new homes in the Ofra settlement, and the establishment of 2 new settlement industrial zones in response to the violence. “They are thinking of uprooting us from our land, but they will not succeed,” he says. According to a senior Israeli official, Netanyahu also conveyed a message to Hamas threatening to break the cease-fire in Gaza if violence in the West Bank continues. In the evening, approximately 1,000 right-wing Israeli protesters gather outside Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem to call for his resignation, burn pictures of Abbas, and push for the IDF to “crush the terrorist authority,” as one protester puts it. (MNA, TOI 12/13; HA, HA, TOI 12/14)
Thousands of Palestinians gather along Gaza’s border to continue the Great March of Return. IDF troops violently disperse them near Rafah, Jalabiya refugee camp, Khan Yunis, al-Bureij refugee camp, and Gaza City; at least 33 Palestinians are injured. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists at Friday protests against the Israeli occupation in Kafr Qaddum near Qalqilya; several Palestinians are injured. IDF troops also patrol near Hebron, Salfit, Tulkarm, and Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces issue an order banning the PA’s governor in Jerusalem, Adnan Ghaith, from the West Bank for 6 months. When he was released from detention on 12/2, he was banned from the West Bank for 2 weeks. (JP, MNA, WAFA 12/7; MNA 12/8; PCHR 12/13)
Unidentified assailants shoot and kill a West Bank Palestinian in Jaljulia, a small town in northern Israel. The Israeli police reportedly suspect he was killed by Palestinians who disagreed with his practice of selling land in the West Bank to Israeli settlers. In a video posted online before the man’s death, he can be heard saying, “You can say I’m an agent or a collaborator... whoever owns land over the fence [in the West Bank] and isn’t thinking of selling will experience the same thing that happened to [Palestinian] refugees who are still holding keys [for their old houses] and believe the UN and UNRWA.” (HA 12/8; TOI 12/9)
Thousands of Palestinians gather along Gaza’s border fence to continue the Great March of Return. Hamas reportedly orders the protesters to stay away from the fence so as not to provoke any escalation of violence. Nevertheless, IDF troops violently disperse the demonstrations near Gaza City, Khan Yunis, and Jabaliya refugee camp; 60 Palestinians are injured. Also along Gaza’s border fence, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land near Khan Yunis and open fire on Palestinian youths approaching the border fence near Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians at a Friday protest against the Israeli occupation in 3 villages near Ramallah (Ras Karkar, al-Mughayyir, and Bil‘in) and Kafr Qaddum near Qalqilya; 4 Palestinians are injured. They also arrest 2 Palestinians during raids in and around Bethlehem; and patrol near Nablus, Hebron, Tulkarm, and Qalqilya. Israeli forces confiscate a bulldozer from a Palestinian construction site near Salfit. Israeli settlers puncture the tires of several Palestinian-owned vehicles and spray racist graffiti on nearby walls in al-Jaba‘ village near Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian during a late-night raid in al-Salam. (JP, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, TOI, TOI, WAFA, WAFA 11/30; JP 12/1; PCHR 12/6)
A Jordanian laborer assaults and moderately injures 2 Israelis in Eilat. The Israeli police say they suspect the attacker of having political motivations. The Jordanian was in Israel with a work visa. His first day of work in Israel was 11/29. (HA 11/30)
In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian residential structure in Suba village near Hebron and deliver a stop-work order to a Palestinian home under construction outside Yatta. Unidentified assailants throw rocks at an Israeli settler vehicle driving near Ramallah, causing minor damage and lightly injuring 1 settler. IDF troops arrest 14 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Tulkarm, Qalqilya, Hebron, Tubas, and Nablus; and patrol near Qalqilya, Tulkarm and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police disperse a small protest against the detention of the PA’s governor of Jerusalem, Adnan Ghaith, outside a police station near the Old City; several Palestinians are arrested. Israeli forces also arrest a Palestinian during a raid in the Old City. (TOI, WAFA 11/27; MNA 11/28; PCHR 11/29)
Haaretz reports that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is planning to lay off more than half of its employees in the West Bank and Gaza in the coming weeks, following U.S. president Trump’s decision to slash U.S. aid to the Palestinians earlier this year. (HA, TOI 11/27)
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announces that the prime minister is planning to visit Chad soon to re-establish diplomatic ties. The announcement comes hours after Netanyahu meets with Chadian president Idriss Déby in Jerusalem. “The two discussed shared threats and the struggle against terrorism, increased cooperation between the nations in the areas of agriculture, counter terrorism, border security, technology, solar energy, water, health and more,” the prime minister’s office statement reads. (HA, JP, TOI 11/27)
Czech president Milos Zeman formally inaugurates the new Czech House, a cultural center in Jerusalem that he has described as the “first step” toward moving the Czech embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. In a joint press conference with Zeman, Israeli prime minister Netanyahu says, “We have no greater friend than the Czech Republic in the eastern hemisphere.” (HA, JP, TOI 11/27)
In a wide-ranging interview with the Washington Post, U.S. president Donald Trump says that Israel is the “one reason for the U.S. to remain in the Middle East.” He is responding to a question about the future of the U.S. military presence in the Middle East specifically. “Oil is becoming less and less of a reason because we’re producing more oil now than we’ve ever produced.” Meanwhile, Israeli ambassador to the UN Danny Danon says that the Trump administration is planning to release its long-awaited plan for Palestinian-Israeli peace in early 2019. (WP, YA 11/27; HA, MNA, MNA, TOI 11/28)
The Israeli authorities announce the seizure of 66 acres of Catholic Church-owned land in the northern Jordan Valley for “military purposes.” In response, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem says, “The Patriarchate is looking into the aspects of this decision in order to address it in the appropriate manner, have it contested and to stop further damage.” (MNA 11/27; FMEP 12/7)
IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian at a junction near Salfit after he allegedly attempts to stab several of the soldiers. Elsewhere in the West Bank, Israeli settlers flood with wastewater parts of Khan al-Ahmar, the Jerusalem-area Bedouin village slated for evacuation and demolition. Later, Palestinian and international solidarity activists block the roads leading into the village, sparking clashes with the Israeli forces attempting to prepare for the demolitions; 7 Palestinians are injured and 4 activists are arrested. Separately, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians gathering in al-Lubban near Nablus to protest the recent closure of the village’s school; 1 Palestinian is injured. They also arrest 20 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during raids near Bethlehem, Ramallah, Tulkarm, Hebron, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, and Salfit; and patrol near Nablus and Tulkarm. Israeli settlers assault and moderately injure a Palestinian harvesting olives near Nablus. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops violently disperse hundreds of Palestinians gathering near Jabaliya refugee camp to continue the Great March of Return and to cheer on a number of Palestinian boats sailing offshore in a symbolic challenge to the Israeli blockade; at least 24 Palestinians are injured. Separately, an Israeli aircraft bombs a Hamas post near Rafah after 2 Palestinians detonate a small explosive along the border fence in the area, causing minor damage. In East Jerusalem, Israeli MK Yehuda Glick tours Haram al-Sharif, performing prayers with an Israeli police escort. (HA, JP, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, TOI, TOI, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, YA 10/15; MNA, MNA 10/16; PCHR 10/18)
In response to the recent threats of a full-scale IDF operation in Gaza, Hamas puts out a statement: “The threats serve as an incentive for increased participation in the Great March of Return, its continuity and its development.” (JP 10/15)
The Australian press reports that Australian prime minister Scott Morrison recently told Israeli prime minister Netanyahu that he is considering following the U.S. lead and moving the Australian embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. “I am saying I’m open to considering it,” Morrison reportedly said. (HA, HA, YA 10/15)
The Syrian authorities re-open the Qunaytra border crossing in the Golan Heights, allowing UN peacekeepers to travel between Israel and Syria for the first time in 4 years. The Syrian army recaptured the territory surrounding the crossing in 7/2018. (AP, HA, TOI, YA 10/15)
IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian at the Huwwara checkpoint near Nablus after he stabs and critically injures an Israeli soldier. An Israeli settler is reportedly injured when the soldiers open fire. The Palestinian assailant evades injury and arrest, and he flees the scene. The IDF then establishes numerous roadblocks and mobile checkpoint across the Nablus region, and conducts extensive raids and home searches in search for the assailant. Late at night, Israeli special forces arrest the alleged assailant during a raid in Jama’in village. Elsewhere in the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish a number of makeshift Palestinian housing and agriculture structures in Hadida village in the northern Jordan Valley; and raze 5 dunams (approximately 1.2 acres) of Palestinian farmland near Bethlehem. IDF troops arrest 11 Palestinians during raids in and around Tulkarm, Nablus, and Tubas; and patrol near Hebron, Nablus, and Qalqilya. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Jabaliya refugee camp and Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries (2 fishermen are arrested). Along Gaza’s border, 2 incendiary balloons flown from Gaza land in open areas in southern Israel. Israeli police deactivate the devices, and they cause no major damage or injuries. In the evening, IDF troops violently disperse dozens of Palestinians gathering along the border fence near Jabaliya refugee camp to continue the Great March of Return; 4 Palestinians are injure. (HA, JP, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, YA 10/11; HA, MNA, MNA 10/12; PCHR 10/18)
The IDF announces that it recently demolished a tunnel leading from the Khan Yunis area of Gaza into southern Israel. The tunnel was reportedly 1 kilometer long, with the final 200 meters extending into Israel. According to the IDF, it was connected to a network of other tunnels. “It has different construction methods to what we've seen. IT phone and power lines,” an IDF spokesperson says. This marks the 15th tunnel from Gaza the IDF has demolished since 10/2017. (HA, JP, TOI, YA 10/11)
IDF troops violently disperse thousands of Palestinians gathering along Gaza’s border fence near Gaza City, Khan Yunis, and Jabaliya refugee camp to continue the Great March of Return; 3 Palestinians are injured. Meanwhile, Israeli firefighters put out 12 fires in southern Israel that were reportedly sparked by incendiary balloons and kites flown from Gaza. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Gaza City, causing no damage or injuries. In East Jerusalem, 420 right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif in the morning to commemorate Sukkot. Meanwhile, Israeli police detain 2 Islamic Waqf guards attempting to bring tools and other equipment into the sanctuary. They also assault and arrest 2 Palestinians in the Old City and arrest a 3d during a late-night raid in Abu Dis. In the West Bank, IDF troops order a number of Palestinian shops in central Hebron to close and set up mobile checkpoints in the area, easing access to al-Ibrahimi Mosque for right-wing Jewish activists commemorating Sukkot. They also arrest 7 Palestinians during late-night raids near Hebron, Qalqilya, and Tulkarm; and patrol in the Hebron area throughout the day. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers uproot at least 6 olive trees in a Palestinian grove near Hebron. (MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, TOI, WAFA, WAFA 9/25; PCHR 9/27)
A Hamas spokesperson denies that the Egyptian-mediated talks on a long-term cease-fire with Israel and a reconciliation agreement with Fatah have stalled. “The efforts of our Egyptian brothers continue,” he says. “We in Hamas are responsive to these ongoing efforts.” (AFP, TOI 9/25)
The World Bank reports that Gaza’s economy is in “free fall,” having contracted by 6% in the first quarter of 2018. World Bank officials are planning to present the report to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee, the main policy-level fundraising body for the Palestinians, at its meeting in New York City on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on 9/27. (HA, JP, YA 9/25)
Thousands of Palestinians gather along Gaza’s border to continue the Great March of Return. IDF troops violently disperse the demonstrations near Khan Yunis, Rafah, al-Bureij refugee camp, Gaza City, and Jabaliya refugee camp; 2 Palestinians are killed and at least 90 are injured. Their deaths bring the Great March of Return death toll to 137. In response to shots allegedly fired at IDF border patrols in the evening, Israeli forces strike a Hamas observation post near Jabaliya refugee camp, causing damage.
In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces enter Haram al-Sharif after Friday prayers and fire sound bombs at Palestinian worshippers, clearing them from the sanctuary; 7 Palestinians and 4 Israeli police officers are injured, and 24 Palestinians are arrested. Some witnesses say that the Israelis entered the sanctuary after children threw firecrackers at them. After the clashes, Israeli forces seal the entrances to the sanctuary. The Islamic Waqf then organizes a sit-in protest outside, and the Israeli authorities order the entrances reopened hours later. Separately, Israeli forces arrest 5 Palestinians during late-night raids in Silwan and Wadi al-Juz. In the West Bank, Israeli settlers set fire to a Palestinian home under construction and surrounding wheat fields near Nablus, causing extensive damage. The IDF seals off the entrance to Kobar village near Ramallah, the hometown of the Palestinian who allegedly stabbed 3 Israeli settlers on 7/26. IDF troops conduct raids in the village throughout the day, sparking intermittent clashes; 5 Palestinians are injured (1 critically). Israeli soldiers also violently disperse Friday protests at Kafr Qaddum near Qalqilya; 5 Palestinians are injured. Dozens of Palestinians gather outside Khan al-Ahmar, a Bedouin village near Jerusalem, to protest the impending Israeli evacuation and demolition of the village. Throughout the day, the IDF patrols near Hebron, Qalqilya, Tulkarm, and Jenin. (EI, HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 7/27; EI, MNA 7/28; PCHR 8/2)
Israeli DM Lieberman pledges to advance the construction of 400 new housing units in the Adam settlement near Ramallah, justifying the settlement growth in response to the stabbing attack on 7/26. The “best response to terrorism is increased settlement,” Lieberman tweets. The 400 units are reportedly part of an existing plan to build 1,000 new units in the settlement. (HA, MNA, TOI 7/27)
Israeli firefighters extinguish 17 small fires along Gaza’s border fence, reportedly sparked by incendiary kites flown across the fence. The Israeli police say they found one kite with a bomb attached to it in a residential area. Separately, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmland near Gaza City, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, more than 1,500 Palestinians gather in Ramallah to call on PA president Abbas to lift his punitive sanctions on Gaza. IDF troops arrest 8 Palestinians during raids in and around Bethlehem, Salfit, Jenin, Hebron, and Qalqilya; and patrol near Hebron and Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 2 Palestinians during raids near the Old City and in Issawiyya. (TOI 6/10; HA 6/11; PCHR 6/14)
The IDF announces that it destroyed a Hamas-built tunnel last week. It was reportedly constructed several meters into the Mediterranean for the purpose of allowing Hamas fighters to enter Israel from the sea. “They tried to make it possible to covertly move from land to sea in order to perpetrate attacks inside Israel,” a senior IAF officer says. “We have known about this tunnel for a few months and decided that this was the right time for us to destroy it.” (HA, JP, TOI, YA 6/10)
Thousands of Palestinians gather at protests, sit-ins, and other demonstrations across the oPt in commemoration of the Naksa (the anniversary of the June War of 1967). Palestinian officials declare 6/8 a “day of rage,” encouraging the public to protest the Israeli occupation at Haram al-Sharif. In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 3 Palestinians and issue 3 arrest summons during late-night raids near Qalqilya, Jenin, and Hebron; and patrol near Tulkarm, Qalqilya, and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, approximately 50 right-wing Israeli settlers tour Haram al-Sharif in the morning. Meanwhile, Israeli police confront a group of Muslim worshippers praying at the sanctuary; 12 Palestinians are arrested. Along Gaza’s border fence, unidentified Palestinians fly incendiary kites and balloons into Israel, sparking fires in the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council and near Moshav Netiv Ha‘asara and Kibbutz Nir Am. Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian attempting to cross the border near Khan Yunis and violently disperse Great March of Return protesters gathering near Khan Yunis and Bayt Hanun (7 Palestinians are injured). Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. (MNA, TOI, YA 6/5; PCHR 6/7)
IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists at Friday protests against Israel’s settlements, separation wall, and occupation, as well as U.S. president Trump’s 12/6/17 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in 4 villages near Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Budrus, and Nabi Salih), al-Bireh, Kafr Qaddum near Qalqilya, Hebron, and along Gaza’s border in various locations; 1 Palestinian is killed and at least 13 are injured. Reportedly for the first time, the IDF uses a drone to drop tear gas on Palestinian protesters in Gaza. Meanwhile, IDF troops assault and arrest 2 Palestinians at a mobile checkpoint near Bethlehem, issue arrest summons to 3 Palestinians during raids in Bethlehem, and patrol near Qalqilya, Salfit, and Hebron. Israeli settlers clash with Palestinians in Madama village near Nablus; 2 Palestinians are injured and 1 is arrested. Settlers erect tents in the yards of al-Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron and throw stones at Palestinian vehicles and homes outside nearby Yatta village. Palestinians set fire to an Israeli settler’s home near Nablus, sparking minor clashes with IDF troops; 1 Palestinian is injured. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police block Palestinian activists from organizing a running race to coincide with the Israeli government–organized Jerusalem Marathon, an annual race through the city that requires the closure of a number of main streets; 2 Palestinians are arrested. Approximately 5,000 runners participate in the Jerusalem Marathon. Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian during a raid in Shu‘fat. (HA, JP, TOI, WAFA 3/9; MNA, WAFA 3/10; PCHR 3/15)
Israeli police shoot and injure a Palestinian driver allegedly after he rams and injures 3 Israeli security personnel in Acre in Israel. The police later say the alleged ramming was “politically motivated.” In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 8 Palestinians during raids near Ramallah, Nablus, Bethlehem, Hebron, and Jenin; and patrol near Hebron, Qalqilya, and Tulkarm. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli drones spray herbicides on Palestinian farmlands near Jabaliya refugee camp. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. (HA, WAFA 3/4; PCHR 3/8)
In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian minor amid clashes sparked by an arrest raid near Nablus, arrest 11 Palestinians during late-night raids in and around Bethlehem, Ramallah, Hebron, Nablus, Qalqilya, Jenin; and patrol near Qalqilya, Salfit, and Hebron. Israeli settlers slash the tires of 5 Palestinian vehicles near Qalqilya and leave price-tag graffiti on the walls nearby. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian shop and cut down a number of trees in Issawiyya. They also arrest 17 Palestinians during late-night raids in Issawiyya, Abu Dis, and al-Ram. Construction begins on a new center for Jewish religious studies in Jerusalem’s Old City, just a short distance from Haram al-Sharif. (MNA, WAFA 2/13; EI, PCHR 2/15)
The Israeli police recommend charging PM Netanyahu in 2 cases where there is sufficient evidence he accepted bribes “against the public interest.” Atty.-gen. Avichai Mandelblit is now tasked with deciding whether or not to formally charge the PM. Netanyahu says that the recommendations are “biased” and have “more holes than Swiss cheese.” (HA, NYT 2/13; NYT, YA 2/14)
Approximately 1,000 Israeli settlers visit Joseph’s Tomb near Nablus overnight, sparking clashes between their IDF escort and Palestinians from nearby Balata refugee camp; 1 Palestinian is injured and another is arrested. The IDF later says that a cell-phone bomb was planted at Joseph’s Tomb prior to the activists’ visit, but that Israeli soldiers detonated it safely, causing no injuries. Elsewhere in the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 12 Palestinians during late-night raids near Bethlehem, Ramallah, Hebron, and Nablus; and patrol near Hebron. Israeli settlers vandalize several Palestinian vehicles in Bayt Iksa village near Jerusalem, and enter ‘Azun village near Qalqilya, sparking clashes between their IDF escort and stone-throwing residents (28 Palestinians are injured). In East Jerusalem, Israeli police prevent Islamic Waqf staff from doing routine maintenance at Haram al-Sharif. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 1/16; JP 1/17)
The U.S. State Dept. announces that the Trump administration has decided to withhold $65 million from a $125 million transfer of aid to UNRWA. “There is a need to undertake a fundamental reexamination of UNRWA, both in the way it operates and the way it is funded,” a spokesperson says, explaining that the $65 million may be transferred after “future consideration” from the Trump administration. (JP, NYT, TOI 1/16; EI, HA, YA 1/17)
The Israeli authorities re-open the Kerem Shalom border crossing into Gaza, having closed it on 1/14 following Israeli air strikes in Gaza on 1/13. (MNA, WAFA, YA 1/16)