The Palestine Chronology

An IDF drone makes an air strike on a motorcycle in Rafah, assassinating Islamic Jihad mbr. Muhammad Abu Mu‘ammar and seriously wounding Islamic Jihad’s ‘Abdullah al-Ghalban; Israel alleges the men were responsible for the 3/29 rocket fire toward Israel. The IDF also makes a brief incursion into n. Gaza nr. Bayt Lahiya, firing warning shots at farmers to force them to leave the area, then leveling land to clear lines of sight. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Bayt Umar (first blocking off all entrances to the village), Dahaysha r.c., and Hebron. Hamas authorities in Gaza break up a small national unity rally. (JP 3/30; NYT, PCHR 3/31; PCHR 4/7; OCHA 4/15)

Overnight, an IDF drone makes an air strike on a car in n. Gaza allegedly heading to launch a missile fr. Gaza into Israel, killing 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs., wounding a 3d. A 2d air strike targets a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border; no injuries are reported. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in and around Jericho, in al-Bireh, and in 5 villages nr. Jenin, Qalqilya, and Ramallah; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Bayt Umar and nr. Jericho. PLO officials note that at least 200 Bayt Umar residents, mostly teenagers, have been arrested since the beginning of 2011. (HA 3/27; JAZ, NYT, WP, WT, YA 3/28; PCHR 3/31; OCHA 4/1)

Early in the morning Palestinians fire 2 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Later in the day, Hamas announces it has secured the agreement of other factions to renew observance of a cease-fire against Israel except in cases in which Israeli forces initiate aggression or cross into Gaza. In the evening, however, unidentified Palestinians fire a 3d rocket that lands harmlessly in Israel, but raises questions over whether the cease-fire is secure. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 3 villages nr. Qalqilya and 1 nr. Ramallah. Palestinians, with Israeli and international activists, conduct a nonviolent march through Bayt Umar to protest recent IDF raids on the town; the IDF fires tear gas and stun grenades at them, causing no serious injuries; 1 Palestinian, 1 Israeli, and 1 international activist are arrested. (AFP, IsRN, JP 3/26; NYT 3/27; PCHR 3/31; OCHA 4/1)

Abbas holds talks with 7 West Bank Hamas officials in Ramallah, proposing creation of a temporary unity govt. with the sole mandate of organizing legislative and presidential elections within 6 mos., after which the 1st priority would be to rebuild Gaza. The meeting marks the 1st of a series of Fatah-Hamas reconciliation talks that take place over the next month in the West Bank, Gaza, Egypt, and Syria. (MNA, NYT, WP 3/27)

Overnight, Israel makes an air strike on Gaza, killing 1 Palestinian preparing to fire a rocket into Israel. Between dawn and mid-morning, Islamic Jihad fires 3 manufactured Grad rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing light damage and slightly injuring 1 Israeli. Later, unidentified Palestinians fire 7 mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, some of which allegedly contain white phosphorous, causing no damage or injuries. Late in the evening, the IDF carries out several air strikes on training sites, rocket launching sites, and smuggling tunnels on the Rafah border, causing no reported injuries. In the afternoon, suspected Palestinian assailants leave a bomb nr. Jerusalem’s central bus station and convention center that detonates, killing 1 British woman, injuring 38 Israelis; the PA immediately condemns the incident; no group claims responsibility. In the West Bank, the IDF blocks a funeral procession fr. using a main road in Bayt Umar village nr. Hebron, sparking a clash in which 2 Palestinian mourners are wounded by live ammunition and 4 are arrested. Hours later, the IDF sends undercover units into Bayt Umar to raid and search a gas station, beating the owners and confiscating a computer. Several hours after that, the IDF returns to block the main entrance of the village with cement blocks and sand barriers. The IDF also patrols in Jericho (photographing the Intercontinental Hotel) and 3 villages nr. Ramallah; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Hebron and in Tulkarm. (AFP, HA, IFM, IsRN, JTA, MNA, REU, YA 3/23; IsRN, JP, NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 3/24; NYT, WT 3/25; PCHR 3/31; JPI, OCHA 4/1)

In Syria, security forces make a predawn assault on the main mosque in Dara‘a, where antigovernment protesters have taken refuge, killing 15. Clashes last throughout the day and spread to 4 nearby villages. Over the succeeding days, clashes spread to towns and villages across the nation, becoming nr. daily events but remaining relatively small (in the 1,000s) and uncoordinated. Hot spots include Baniyas, Hama, Homs, Idlib, Latakia (which was reported to be “near anarchy”), and the Kurdish zone. (Only a few protests are reported in Damascus.) Govt. forces routinely dispersed the rallies, violently killing around 100 nationwide by 4/4. Meanwhile, Syrian activists mobilize through online social networking sites to call for mass protests every Friday until the regime falls. (NYT, SANA 3/23; NYT, WP, WT 3/24; NYT, WP 3/26–28; NYT, WP, WT 3/29; NYT, WP 3/30; NYT, WP 3/31, 4/1; NYT 4/2, 4/3; NYT, WP 4/4; WT 4/5; NYT, WP 4/6; NYT 4/7; NYT, WP 4/8; WP 4/9; NYT, WP 4/9, 4/10)

Denmark upgrades the status of the Palestinian delegation in Copenhagen to a mission. (AFP 3/9)

Palestinians in Gaza fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF reenters Ti‘nnik village (see 3/8) in the morning, stopping and searching cars but making no arrests; demolishes an agricultural storehouse in Bayt Umar, saying it was too nr. a Jewish settlement; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Silwan in East Jerusalem. (JP 3/9; PCHR 3/10, 3/17; OCHA 3/18)

Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Israel responds with at least 3 air strikes on Hamas training sites in Dayr al-Balah, Gaza City, and Khan Yunis, causing collateral damage to 6 homes but no reported injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts patrols in Jericho and 3 villages nr. Qalqilya and Tulkarm; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Nabi Salih, arresting an organizer of the weekly demonstrations against the separation wall. Palestinians and international activists demonstrate against construction of settlements and the separation wall at the Qalandia crossing and in Bayt Umar. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, injuring 4 Palestinians (including 2 journalists) and 1 international activist. Jewish settlers fr. Taffuh settlement s. of Nablus attempt to seize Palestinian agricultural lands e. of Salfit but are removed by the IDF. Jewish settlers fr. Karnei Shomron settlement nr. Qalqilya stone Palestinian vehicles. (AFP 3/5; IsRN 3/6; PCHR 3/10; OCHA 3/18)

Gaza’s Rafah crossing opens for the 1st time since 1/29/11 to allow Palestinians trapped in Egypt to enter Gaza. In the West Bank, the IDF enters Bayt Umar village nr. Hebron in the afternoon, searching a house and arresting a 10-yr.-old Palestinian for stone-throwing; patrols in 4 villages nr. Qalqilya, 2 nr. Ramallah, and 1 nr. Tulkarm during the afternoon and evening. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Nabi Salih/Dayr Nizam nr. Ramallah, and in Bayt Umar nr. Hebron. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, injuring 8 Palestinians (including 3 children); 15 Palestinians (including 9 children) and 2 international activists are arrested. (Oxfam International 2/20; PCHR 2/24; OCHA 2/25)

Before the UNSC vote reaffirming the illegality of Jewish settlements, U.S. Secy. of State Hillary Clinton phones Abbas to warn him that that U.S. aid could be cut if the vote goes ahead. In Ramallah, the PLOEC and FCC opt to go ahead with the vote saying, “The Palestinian leadership will reject American demands even if our decision leads to a diplomatic crisis with the Americans. We have nothing to lose.” The U.S. vetoes the res. (HA, REU 2/18; HA, WP 2/19; HA 2/20; WJW 2/24; JPI 3/4)

In Bahrain, security forces violently disperse a massive protest in Manama, wounding 10s. From this point, large antigovernment protests (1,000s to 10,000s) become nr. daily events. (NYT, WP 2/19; NYT 2/21)

In the West Bank, IDF soldiers in an observation tower at the entrance to Bayt Umar fire tear gas and percussion grenades at Palestinian mourners leaving the funeral of the Palestinian killed by a settler on 1/28, sparking clashes in which 25 Palestinians are lightly injured and 2 are arrested. The IDF also patrols inside Qalqilya in the afternoon and in villages nr. Qalqilya, Ramallah, and Salfit (searching 1 home nr. Salfit, ordering 1 Palestinian to appear for questioning). (PCHR 2/3; OCHA 2/4)

Egyptian authorities blow up a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border, killing 1 Palestinian and seriously injuring another. In the West Bank, the IDF, for a 3d day, steps up patrols in villages around Qalqilya during the daytime; fires rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at Palestinian and international activists conducting a nonviolent march fr. Bayt Umar village to Karme Tzur settlement outside Hebron to protest land confiscations and settlement expansion, injuring 1 Palestinian; conducts late-night house searches nr. Salfit, summoning 1 Palestinian for questioning; conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. (PCHR 1/20; OCHA 1/21)

Tunisia’s Constitutional Comm. swears in the head of the lower house of parliament, Fouad Mebazaa, as the interim president. Mebazaa, a Ben Ali ally, immediately taps PM Ghannouchi to form a “national unity government in the country’s best interests” within 60 days. Widespread, violent riots across the country continue, denouncing the effective perpetuation of Ben Ali’s regime. (WP 1/16)

In retaliation for Israeli air strikes on 12/18, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) and the PRCs claim responsibility for firing 4–9 mortars fr. Gaza toward IDF targets just inside the Israeli border, with at least 4 landing inside Israel, causing no damage or injuries. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire on Palestinian shepherds who stray nr. the border fence, wounding 1. In the West Bank, IDF troops raid and search homes in Bayt Umar, searching for Palestinians who threw stones at an IDF checkpoint into the village, arresting 1 Palestinian man; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron and nr. Nablus. Palestinians accompanied by Israeli and international activists hold a nonviolent demonstration against settlement expansion in Bayt Umar. IDF soldiers fire tear gas and stun grenades at the protesters (causing no injuries) and arrest 3 Israelis. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities force a Palestinian to demolish his own home or pay the government nearly $5,500 for doing the job; the owner had already been fined more than $26,000 for building without a permit. Inside Israel, Israeli police find the body of American tourist Kristine Luken stabbed to death in a nature area southwest of Jerusalem, inside Israel, nr. the West Bank border. The woman’s friend, American Kaye Susan Wilson, escaped, telling police that she and Luken were ambushed by 2 knife-wielding Arabs who bound and stabbed them. Police say they are classifying the attack as political but have not ruled out criminal motives. (JP 12/19; MNA, NYT, WP, WT 12/20; OCHA, PCHR 12/23)

In a major speech to the Saban Center in Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Clinton says the admin. has concluded that talks on extending the Israeli settlement freeze would come to nothing and opted to revive shuttle missions between the Israeli and Palestinian sides, trying to get them to discuss all core issues simultaneously and offering U.S. bridging proposals when appropriate. She says U.S. special envoy George Mitchell will return to the region within days to begin work. (NYT 12/11; HA 12/14)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials, wounding 3 in 3 separate instances (1 in the demolished Erez industrial zone and 2 in the fmr. Jewish settlement sites). IDF troops on the s. Gaza border fire on agricultural areas nr. Khuza‘a village, wounding a Palestinian teenager 800 m fr. the border. In Gaza City’s Shuja‘iya neighborhood, 2 Palestinian teenagers are killed when they accidentally trigger unexploded IDF UXO. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts early morning arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron; conducts patrols in al-Naqura village twice during the day (mid-morning and late at night) and in 5 villages nr. Qalqilya (late at night). Palestinians (accompanied by Israeli and international activists in some areas) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Bayt Umar, and Dayr Nizam/Nabi Salih. IDF soldiers fire rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; 2 Palestinians are injured and 1 Israeli, 1 American, and 1 German are arrested. (PCHR 12/16; OCHA 12/17)

IDF troops on the Israeli side of the Erez crossing fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials inside the demolished industrial zone, wounding 1 Palestinian. In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 2 tin houses and 4 sheep pens (killing 15 sheep) in Jiftlik village nr. Jericho; conducts late-night patrols in Jenin town and r.c.; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Bayt Umar and Safa nr. Hebron targeting organizers of weekly demonstrations against settlement expansion and land confiscation nr. Karme Tzur; conducts other late-night searches in Za‘tar village nr. Hebron, summoning 1 Palestinian for questioning. Jewish settlers move into a vacant building in al-Tur in East Jerusalem that they claimed to have purchased in 2005; the Palestinian family was evicted and building sealed in 2009 until the case could be decided by a court (ruling still pending). (PCHR 11/25; NYT 11/26; PCHR 12/2; OCHA 12/3)

In the West Bank, the IDF fires tear gas and stun grenades to disperse Palestinians and international activists demonstrating against Israeli land seizures nr. Bayt Umar nr. Hebron, injuring 2 Palestinians moderately (including an 8-yr.-old) and 6 lightly, and arresting 5 international activists and a 14-yr.-old Palestinian boy; conducts late-night patrols in Bayt Liqya nr. Ramallah (firing on stone-throwing youths who confront them, causing no injuries) and Jit nr. Qalqilya (without incident); conducts late-night house searches nr. Hebron, summoning 3 Palestinians for interrogation. (PCHR 11/25; OCHA 11/26)

IDF troops on the Israeli side of the Erez crossing fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials inside the demolished industrial zone, wounding 1. In the West Bank, the IDF enters Burin village nr. Salfit at midday, searching 2 homes and summoning 2 Palestinians for interrogation; fires tear gas and stun grenades to disperse Palestinians and international activists demonstrating against Israeli land seizures nr. Bayt Umar nr. Hebron and Iraq Burin village nr. Nablus, causing only light injuries; conducts late-night patrols without incident in a village nr. Qalqilya; conducts late-night house searches in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem and a village nr. Qalqilya, summoning 1 Palestinian for interrogation and arresting another. (OCHA 11/24; PCHR 11/25)

In the West Bank, Palestinians burn an IDF barrier blocking a road into Jayyus village nr. Qalqilya to protest the closure of the road; IDF troops enter late in the evening to reestablish the barrier. The IDF also beats and fires rubber-coated steel bullets at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists conducting a nonviolent march from Bayt Umar village to Karme Tzur settlement outside Hebron to protest land confiscations and settlement expansion, injuring and arresting 1 American activist; breaks up a nonviolent protest by Palestinians in Hebron against the closure (since 1994) of Shuhada street; patrols without incident in Ya‘bad village nr. Jenin late in the evening; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Eli nr. Nablus, cut down 14 Palestinian olive trees nearby. (PCHR 10/28; OCHA 10/29)

Israel carries out 2 air strikes on armed Islamic Jihad mbrs. preparing to fire rockets fr. the n. Gaza border area, killing 2 Islamic Jihad mbrs. In the West Bank, the IDF beats and fires rubber-coated steel bullets at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists conducting a nonviolent march from Bayt Umar village to Karme Tzur settlement outside Hebron to protest land confiscations and settlement expansion, moderately injuring 1 American activist. Jewish settlers fr. Brakha settlement nr. Nablus attack, drive off Palestinians harvesting olives nearby. (WP 10/18; PCHR 10/21; OCHA 10/22)

The PRCs claim responsibility for firing a mortar fr. Gaza into Israel, causing damage but no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols without incident in Dayr Istya in the afternoon; prevents Palestinians fr. accessing their land nr. Qalqilya to harvest olives; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Qalqilya; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists conducting a nonviolent march from Bayt Umar village to Karme Tzur settlement outside Hebron to protest land confiscations and settlement expansion; 10s suffer tear gas inhalation and 4 internationals and 3 Palestinians are arrested (the internationals are released the same day). (PCHR 10/14; OCHA 10/15)

Abbas convenes the PLO Exec. Comm. along with the Fatah Central Comm. in Ramallah to discuss the lapsed settlement freeze, issuing a statement afterward that the Palestinian leadership is in agreement that direct negotations should not resume without a halt to Israeli settlement construction. The statement is welcomed by Hamas. Abbas then leaves for Jordan and Egypt to urge Arab support for the Palestinian decision. (AP, HA, NYT, REU, WP 10/3; XIN 10/4; MNA 10/5)

Unidentified Palestinians fire a mortar fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists conducting a nonviolent march from Bayt Umar village to Karme Tzur settlement outside Hebron to protest land confiscations and settlement expansion; 10s suffer tear gas inhalation and a 14-yr.-old Palestinian is lightly injured. (JP 10/2; PCHR 10/7; OCHA 10/8)

Secy. of State Clinton races to broker a deal with Israeli officials to extend the settlement freeze 1 day before it is scheduled to expire, while Mitchell meets with Abbas in New York to urge him not to walk away from peace talks immediately if Netanyahu allows the freeze to expire. On the ground Jewish settlers begin positioning construction equipment in some settlements. In addition, Jewish settlers in Revava settlement nr. Salfit seize 30 d. of Palestinian agricultural land, raze crops, and install 2 mobile homes as a “new quarter” of the settlement. Jewish settlers fr. Nokdim settlement nr. Bethlehem place 3 mobile homes on nearby Palestinian land. Jewish settlers fr. Barqan settlement nr. Salfit raze adjacent Palestinian land to expand the settlement’s industrial zone. Jewish settlers fr. Givat Ze’ev settlement enter Beitunia town nr. Ramallah and make preparations to celebrate the Sukkoth holiday; the IDF removes them. (NYT, WP 9/26)

Meanwhile, Israeli-Palestinian clashes in Issawiyya, which began on 9/22, taper off by the end of the day, leaving a total of 99 Palestinians (including 17 children) and 9 Israelis injured (7 lightly, 2 moderately), and 70 Palestinians under arrest; during the rioting, Palestinians set fire to or damage 8 Israeli cars and vandalize an Israeli tourist information center. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Iraq Burin village nr. Nablus in the afternoon, firing tear gas and stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them, causing no serious injuries; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists conducting a nonviolent march from Bayt Umar village to Karme Tzur settlement outside Hebron to protest land confiscations and settlement expansion; 10s suffer tear gas inhalation and 2 Palestinians and 3 Americans are injured. An Egyptian hospital reports that an armed Palestinian transported to Egypt for treatment has died of injures sustained in the 9/14 IDF shelling nr. Gaza Valley village. (NYT, WP 9/26; PCHR 9/30; OCHA 10/1)

Delegations headed by Hamas Political Bureau chief Khalid Mishal and senior Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad meet for 3 hours in Damascus, afterward issuing a statement confirming a restart of national unity talks. (AP 9/24; AP, REU 9/25; JP 9/27; MNA 11/1) 

The IDF begins installing 12-m-high concrete barriers along a new segment of the separation wall northeast of Jerusalem that will separate Shu‘fat r.c., Anata village, and the neighborhoods of Ras alKhamis, Ras Shihada, and al-Salam from c. Jerusalem. In the West Bank, the IDF seals off the entrance of Issawiyya village leading to Jerusalem for the Yom Kippur holiday, sparking clashes with stone-throwing youths, injuring 7 Palestinians; conducts late-night patrols without incident in Dayr Ghassana village nr. Ramallah; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Ramallah, Salfit. The IDF also fires rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists conducting a nonviolent march from Bayt Umar village to Karme Tzur settlement outside Hebron to protest land confiscations and settlement expansion; 10s suffer tear gas inhalation; 2 Palestinians, 1 American, and 1 British activist are arrested; and 1 Palestinian activist, 1 Israeli activist, 1 Japanese activist, and a Swedish journalist are moderately injured. (PCHR 9/23; OCHA 9/24)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging for construction materials in the fmr. Jewish settlement sites nr. the border, causing no injuries. IDF troops make a brief incursion into n. Gaza nr. Bayt Lahiya, patrolling the border area without incident. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Azun village nr. Qalqilya in the afternoon without incident; sends undercover units in vehicles with Palestinian license plates into Bayt Umar village nr. Hebron, where they raid a home and arrest 1 Palestinian; conducts late-night house searches in Tulkarm and nr. Bethlehem and Salfit, arresting 1 Palestinian and summoning others for interrogation. (PCHR 8/26; OCHA 8/27)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border nr. the Erez crossing fire warning shots at Palestinians scavenging construction materials fr. destroyed buildings in the Erez industrial zone, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF enters Bayt Umar village nr. Hebron late in the evening, raiding and searching houses and randomly checking Palestinian IDs, firing rubber-coated steel bullets at stone-throwing Palestinians who confront them, injuring 4; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem, nr. Hebron. (OCHA, PCHR 5/27)

Egyptian naval forces fire on a Palestinian fishing boat fr. Gaza that strays nr. Egyptian territorial waters, killing 1 Palestinian fisherman, wounding 3. The UN reports that 1 Palestinian has been killed in a tunnel collapse on the Rafah border since 5/4. Israel’s Peace Now reports that construction has begun of 14 new Jewish homes in Ras al-Amud in East Jerusalem. The PA informs the U.S., calling the construction a violation of Israel’s pledges at the start of proximity talks. Israel says the homes are being built privately and the government has no authority to stop it. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Bayt Umar village in the afternoon, firing live ammunition at stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them, wounding 1; makes a late-night raid on a Palestinian home in Bil‘in, summoning 1 resident for interrogation; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Salfit, arresting 11 Palestinian teenagers. Israel’s Jerusalem municipality orders Palestinian business owners to evacuate a 3 d. plot of land nr. the U.S. consulate, saying it is state-owned land; the order is not immediately enforced. (OCHA, PCHR, WJW 5/13)

In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubbercoated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, international activists taking part in a nonviolent march to Karme Tzur settlement to protest Israeli settlement activity in Hebron; troops chase protesters into Bayt Umar village, firing at least 4 tear gas canisters into a Palestinian home, where a 7-mo.-old Palestinian girl is overcome by the fumes and later dies at a hospital. The IDF also fires rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists taking part in nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in (10s suffer tear gas inhalation; 3 Palestinians, 2 Israelis, and 1 American are detained) and against settlement expansion in Dayr Nizam/al-Nabi Salih (10s suffer tear gas inhalation; 2 Palestinians, including a 12-yr.- old boy, are detained); fires rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades, and tear gas at stone-throwing Palestinian, international activists taking part in weekly protests against the wall in Ni‘lin (10s suffer tear gas inhalation); conducts late-night patrols in Fasayil village n. of Jericho, making no arrests. Jewish settlers fr. Keddumim throw stones at Palestinian vehicles traveling the Nablus–Qalqilya road, causing no injuries. (OCHA, PCHR 5/13)

IDF troops make a brief incursion into the s. Gaza border area e. of Abasan and Khuza to level lands and clear lines of sight. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts early morning arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem; makes a late-night incursion into Bayt Umar, raiding the homes of Palestinians involved in organizing local separation wall protests, firing stun grenades and tear gas in homes, breaking widows, arresting 5 Palestinians (4 are released on 4/25); conducts other late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin, Ramallah. Jewish settlers fr. the Gush Etzion settlement blocks n. of Hebron pump settlement wastewater into nearby Palestinian land in Bayt Umar, flooding 70 d. of grape vines and washing away 300 m of stone fences; the PA Agriculture Min. believes the land will need to be treated for 2 yrs. before it can be used to grow crops for human consumption. (OCHA, PCHR 4/29)

Israel imposes a general closure on the West Bank through 4/20 for Israel’s memorial and independence days. In the West Bank, the IDF enters Bayt Umar nr. Hebron at midday to break up a demonstration in support of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, firing rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and beating some demonstrators, seriously injuring 2 teenagers. The IDF also conducts synchronized late-night arrest raids in Aida r.c., al-Azza r.c. and al-Duha village nr. Bethlehem; conducts separate late-night arrest raids, house searches in ‘Askar r.c., Hawara, and al-Thawri neighborhood in East Jerusalem. (OCHA, PCHR 4/22)

Late in the evening, unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Meanwhile, Israel lifts the seal on the West Bank imposed on 3/12 and eases restrictions on Palestinians accessing al-Aqsa Mosque; Palestinian demonstrations in the city fall off. IDF troops manning a checkpoint at the entrance to Bayt Umar village nr. Hebron chase stone-throwing youths into the village and fire on them with rubber-coated steel bullets, moderately injuring a 14-yr.-old Palestinian boy. The IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Nablus. (YA 3/17; NYT, PCHR 3/18; OCHA, PCHR 3/25)

Unidentified Palestinians fire a Qassam rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF fires stun grenades, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists protesting the separation wall and settlement construction in Bayt Umar nr. Hebron (injuring 2 Palestinian journalists, arresting 2 other Palestinian journalists and 2 Israelis); closes the Qalandia checkpoint and fires on stone-throwing Palestinians attempting to march to Jerusalem to mark International Women’s Day (injuring 5 women); conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in al-Bireh, Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem. (YA 3/17; OCHA, PCHR 3/18)

In the morning, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border nr. Bayt Lahiya fire on Palestinians collecting scrap metal from destroyed sites nr. the border fence (no injuries are reported). In the West Bank, an off-duty Palestinian policeman (not in uniform) stabs, kills an IDF soldier parked in a jeep at a junction s. of Nablus in Israeli-controlled area C and is detained by an Israeli security guard from a nearby Jewish settlement; PA Pres. Abbas denounces the attack, urging Palestinians to participate only in nonviolent protests against Israel. In response, the IDF raids, searches several Palestinian houses and the assailant’s home in al-Khiljan village southwest of Jenin, confiscating computers and cell phones, and arresting 6 Palestinians, including 4 of his brothers. The IDF also fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas to disperse Palestinians and international activists planting 500 olive trees on Palestinian land slated for Israeli confiscation in Bayt Umar village nr. Karme Tzur settlement; levels Palestinian land nr. Bayt Sahur for construction of an IDF observation post; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Bethlehem, Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah (arresting 20 Palestinians, all between the ages of 15 and 18), and nr. Hebron. (NYT, OCHA, PCHR, WP 2/11; OCHA, PCHR 2/18)

In the West Bank, the IDF makes a rare daytime incursion into Bayt Umar village, 1 of the 4 Hebron-area villages raided on 2/4, setting up a checkpoint in the center of town and chasing away Palestinians; they withdraw after 3 hrs. without staging any raids or making any arrests. Late at night, the IDF raids an apartment building in al-Bireh nr. Ramallah that houses international activists working with the International Solidarity Movement, searching for individuals “known to have been involved in illegal riots that interfered with Israeli security operations [e.g., weekly separation wall protests],” checking visas and passports, and arresting 1 Spanish journalist and 1 Australian activist. The PA calls (2/7) the arrest raid a violation of the Oslo interim accords, which gave the PA full security and civil control of Ramallah. Jewish settlers fr. Brakha escorted by IDF troops attempt to enter Iraq Burin village; soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at 10s of Palestinians who try to block their entry, injuring 3. (OCHA, PCHR 2/11)