The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attempt to set a Palestinian vehicle on fire and throw rocks at Palestinian homes in Urif village near Nablus, causing minor damage. After some Palestinian residents confront the settlers, IDF troops enter the village, sparking clashes with stone-throwing residents; 8 Palestinians are injured. Separately, IDF troops arrest a Palestinian at Qalandia checkpoint when she is found with a knife on her person; arrest 6 Palestinians during further raids near Bethlehem, Hebron, and Qalqilya; and patrol near Hebron, Tulkarm, and Salfit. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian mobile home in Qalandia refugee camp near Jerusalem. The Palestinian owner was living in the mobile home since Israeli forces demolished his previous home on 6/20. Israeli forces raze a plot of Palestinian land and confiscate a vehicle, demolish 2 car washes, a food shop, several storage buildings and offices in Silwan and Jabal Mukabir; and arrest 5 Palestinians during late-night raids in Issawiyya. Meanwhile, hundreds of Palestinians gather along Gaza’s northern coast to continue the Great March of Return and to cheer on a number of Palestinian boats sailing in a symbolic challenge to the Israeli blockade. IDF troops and Israeli naval forces violently disperse the protests; 10 Palestinians are injured. Earlier in the day, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land near the site of the planned protest. (MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/19; MNA 11/20; PCHR 11/22)

Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, both of the Jewish Home Party, announce that they intend to remain in Prime Minister Netanyahu’s ruling coalition and that they are dropping their demand for Bennett to take over the Defense Ministry. “There’s no apocalypse on the way. There are enemies, but not an enemy that worries me,” Bennett says. (HA, JP, YA 11/19)

Haaretz reports that Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority last week increased by 1,500 the number of permits awarded to West Bank Palestinians hoping to work as dishwashers and cleaners in Israeli restaurants, bars, and cafes. The increase is reportedly designed to ease the strain on restaurant owners who are struggling to find enough low-cost labor. Before this increase, approximately 30,000 West Bank Palestinians were permitted to come into Israel to work such jobs. (HA 11/19)

UNRWA commissioner general Pierre Krähenbühl tells reporters that the agency’s budget shortfall, which was created by U.S. president Trump’s decision to slash U.S. aid to UNRWA earlier this year, has been cut to $21 million, following another round of pledges from the EU and several Gulf countries. The deficit was reportedly $64 million as recently as last week. “This is a very encouraging result at the end of a lot of work,” Krähenbühl says. (AFP, TOI 11/19)

Airbnb, a U.S.-based home-share company with listings all over the world, announces that it is removing all 200-some of its listings in Israel’s West Bank settlements. “We concluded that we should remove listings in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank that are at the core of the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians,” a statement from the company reads. In response, Israel’s Tourism Minister Yariv Levin instructs his deputies to restrict the company’s operations across Israel. Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan calls on the settler-hosts who used Airbnb to sue the company using Israel’s anti-boycott law. “National conflicts exist throughout the world,” he argues. “Airbnb will need to explain why they chose a racist political stance against some Israeli citizens.” (EI, HA, JP, YA, YA 11/19; AJ, BBC, CNN 11/20)

Marking the second major BDS victory of the day, the Canadian Federation of Students, Canada’s largest and oldest students’ association, endorses the BDS movement and condemns the “ongoing occupation of Palestine.” Marking the third, the Quakers in Britain Church, a group 17,000 strong, announces that it is divesting from companies that profit from the Israeli occupation. “This includes companies—whichever country they are based in—involved for example in the illegal exploitation of natural resources in occupied Palestine, and the construction and servicing of the separation barrier and Israeli settlements,” a senior church official explains. (TOI, TOI 11/19; JP, JP, JTA, TOI 11/20; EI 11/21)

Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers, shepherds, and bird-hunters working near Khan Yunis and Gaza City; there are no reported 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 shoot and injure a Palestinian during clashes sparked by an arrest raid in Abu Qash near Ramallah. Separately, IDF troops open fire on a Palestinian vehicle driving outside Dayr Abu Mash‘al near Ramallah; 3 Palestinian minors are injured (1 critically). Meanwhile, IDF troops arrest 16 Palestinians during raids near Ramallah, Qalqilya, Salfit, Jenin, and Nablus; and patrol in and around Hebron. Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian homes in Urif village near Nablus, sparking a minor confrontation with residents of the area; there are no major injuries or damage reported. In East Jerusalem, dozens of right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif in the morning. Israeli forces arrest 2 Palestinians during late-night raids in Qalandia refugee camp. (MNA, MNA, WAFA 11/18; HA, MNA, MNA 11/19; PCHR 11/22)

At a press conference in Tel Aviv, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announces that he is taking on the position of defense minister following Avigdor Lieberman’s resignation on 11/14. He also says it would be “irresponsible” to force early elections during “one of our most difficult security periods.” (HA, JP, JP, MNA 11/19)

A U.S. State Department official says that the Trump administration is considering retaliatory measures against the Palestinians following PA president Abbas’s “premature” and “counterproductive” decision to sign accession documents for 11 international treaties and conventions on 11/15. “The U.S. continues to make clear, both with the parties and with international partners, that the only realistic path forward is through direct negotiations aimed at achieving a comprehensive and lasting peace,” the official says. “We are currently reviewing possible consequences of the Palestinians’ recent actions.” (TOI, USSD 11/18)

Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian farmer working near al-Bureij refugee camp. It’s unclear why they opened fire. Separately, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land near Dayr al-Balah. In the West Bank, IDF troops violently disperse dozens of Palestinians gathering to plant olive trees outside Urif village near Nablus; 5 Palestinians are injured (the mass planting was organized by Fatah and the local Palestinian authorities as a protest against the Israeli occupation). Separately, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinian journalists at a protest organized by the International Federation of Journalists at Qalandia checkpoint near Ramallah; there are no serious injuries. They also arrest 3 Palestinians during raids near Bethlehem; and patrol near Hebron and Nablus. Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian family picking olives near Hebron, causing no serious injuries. A separate group of settlers throws stones at a Palestinian ambulance in central Hebron, breaking the windshield. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 2 Palestinians during late-night raids in Silwan. (MNA, MNA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/17; MNA 11/18; PCHR 11/22)

Along Gaza’s northern border, IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian fisherman working from the shore near Bayt Lahiya. The incident comes hours after the Israeli authorities informed their Palestinian counterparts in Gaza that fishermen were allowed to return to the sea today. As ordered by Israeli defense minister Lieberman on 10/31, the fishing zone is limited to 6 nautical miles from Gaza’s northern shore and 9 nautical miles from its southern shore. (EI, MNA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 11/14; PCHR 11/15)

Also along Gaza’s border, IDF troops shoot, injure, and arrest a Palestinian approaching the border fence near Jabaliya refugee camp The IDF claims he was throwing grenades at Israeli posts. Dozens of right-wing Israeli activists stand in the road leading to the Kerem Shalom border crossing for several hours, blocking the entry of goods and fuel into Gaza in protest of the recent rocket fire. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian outside a police station in Jabal Mukabir after he allegedly stabs and lightly injures 4 Israeli police officers (the Palestinian will succumb to his injuries on 11/20). The Israeli police deploy in force in the neighborhood after the incident, conducting arrest raids and blocking off several roads. In the West Bank, Israeli settlers torch a Palestinian-owned vehicle and spray racist graffiti on nearby walls in Urif village near Nablus. IDF troops arrest 3 Palestinians during raids in Tubas and near Hebron; shoot and injure a Palestinian during clashes sparked by further raids near Nablus; and patrol near Hebron and Salfit. (HA, HA, MNA, TOI, TOI, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/14; HA, MNA, PCHR 11/15; PCHR 11/22)

In response to the Israeli security cabinet’s 11/13 decision to agree to a cease-fire with the armed Palestinian groups in Gaza, Israeli defense minister Avigdor Lieberman announces his resignation and calls for snap elections. Lieberman takes specific issue with both the cease-fire and the decision to allow Qatari money into Gaza to pay the civil servants of the Hamas-run government. “There is no other definition, no other significance, but a capitulation to terror,” he says. “What we are doing now as a country is buying short-term quiet at the cost of our long-term security.” Without Lieberman’s Yisrael Beytenu in the ruling coalition, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc still holds a majority of the seats in the Knesset (61–59). (BBC, HA, HA, IHY, TOI, TOI, TOI, YA 11/14; HA 11/15)

Israel Television News Company publishes a poll showing that 74% of the Israeli public is dissatisfied with Israeli prime minister Netanyahu’s handling of the recent conflict with Hamas. The poll was reportedly taken in the hours after Defense Minister Lieberman resigned earlier today. The results also show that Netanyahu’s Likud party would only win 29 seats in the Knesset if elections were held today, marking the weakest Likud has polled since 3/2018. Meanwhile, dozens of right-wing Israelis gather in Sderot for a 2d day in a row to protest Netanyahu’s handling of the recent escalation of violence. (HA, JP, TOI 11/14)

The Israeli bombardment of Gaza continues for a 3d day in a row, with air strikes and artillery fire reported across the region. Two Palestinians are killed by Israeli drone strikes near Gaza City and Bayt Lahiya, at least 20 more are injured in other strikes throughout the day, and at least 1 residential building in Gaza City is destroyed. The Israeli authorities also shut down the Erez border crossing and bar Palestinian fishermen from the sea. With the violence ongoing in Gaza, Egyptian, UN, and Norwegian mediators work to de-escalate the situation. In the early afternoon, the main Palestinian factions in Gaza reportedly agree to a cease-fire brokered by those international mediators. It’s unclear if Israel is party to the agreement or what the terms are. Shortly after the first reports of a cease-fire, Israel’s security cabinet concludes a 7-hour meeting about the situation in Gaza and decides to resume the air strikes in Gaza “as necessary.”

The Israeli Air Force then strikes several sites across Gaza, killing 1 Palestinian near Jabaliya refugee camp and injuring 3 near Khan Yunis. Hours later, the security cabinet reportedly agrees to a cease-fire along the lines of the agreement that ended Israel’s assault on Gaza in the summer of 2014, and an uneasy calm returns to Gaza in the evening. “The situation remains very precarious and can blow up again,” says a foreign source involved in the talks. “Israel reserves its freedom to operate,” says a senior Israeli official who also confirms that the cabinet agreed to the cease-fire. The Palestinian factions, including Hamas, later release a joint statement indicating their commitment to the cease-fire “as long as Israel doesn’t break it.” Meanwhile, hundreds of right-wing Israelis gather in Sderot to protest the cease-fire. They chant, “Bibi go home,” and clash with the police.  (EI, JP, MNA, MNA, MNA, NYT, HA, HA, HA, JP, TOI, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, YA, YA 11/13; PCHR 11/15)

A Palestinian succumbs to injuries sustained in an Israeli air strike in Rafah on 11/13, bringing the Palestinian death toll from this latest Israeli assault to 14. (WAFA 11/13)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian-owned vehicles driving between Jenin and Nablus, causing minor damage to several. A separate group of settlers torches a Palestinian vehicle late at night outside Urif village near Nablus. IDF troops arrest 1 Palestinian during raids near Hebron and Tulkarm; and patrol in and around Tulkarm, Qalqilya, and Salfit. (WAFA 11/13; PCHR 11/15)

Hundreds of right-wing Jewish activists visit Joseph’s Tomb near Nablus overnight, sparking clashes between their IDF escort and Palestinian residents of the area; 20 Palestinians are lightly injured and 1 is arrested. Elsewhere in the West Bank, IDF troops injure 4 Palestinians during clashes sparked by an arrest raid in ‘Askar refugee camp near Nablus; arrest 6 Palestinians during additional raids near Hebron, Bethlehem, Tulkarm, and Jenin; and patrol near Nablus and Tulkarm. Israeli forces demolish the outer wall of a Palestinian cemetery and the foundation of a planned multi-purpose center near Jenin. Israeli settlers enter the grounds of Palestinian high school in Urif village near Nablus, throwing rocks and sparking minor confrontations with the students; there are no reported injuries or arrests. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a 4-story Palestinian residential building in Shu‘fat refugee camp They also demolish a memorial to a Palestinian killed by Israeli forces on 7/21/17 in Abu Dis, sparking clashes with residents of the neighborhood; there are no injuries reported. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct a limited incursion to level land near Khan Yunis. (MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, TOI, TOI, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 11/7; HA, PCHR  11/8; PCHR 11/15)

A Palestinian succumbs to injuries sustained when Israeli soldiers opened fire on Palestinian protesters along Gaza’s border on 10/26. This brings the death toll stemming from the Great March of Return to 187. (PCHR 11/8)

Off Gaza’s southern coast, Egyptian naval forces shoot and kill a Palestinian fisherman. It’s unclear why they opened fire. (WAFA 11/7; MNA, TOI 11/8)

The organizing committee behind the Great March of Return announces that the protests will resume on 11/9 as planned, but that the demonstrations will be quieter and protesters again will stay away from the border fence, as they largely did during the protests on 11/2. Meanwhile, The Hamas-run Finance Ministry in Gaza pays partial salaries to civil servants across the region. The payment is reportedly made in connection with developments in the ongoing Egyptian effort to broker a de-escalation of violence. (HA 11/8)

After meeting with PA foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki in Brussels, Belgian foreign minister Didier Reynders tweets that Belgium is upgrading the status of the Palestinian mission in Brussels, a significant step toward recognition of the State of Palestine. The specific nature of the upgrade is unclear. Reynders and al-Maliki also sign a joint declaration affirming their intention to further develop bilateral relations in a variety of ways. (WAFA 11/7; JP, MEMO, MNA 11/8)