The Palestine Chronology

Hamas’s military wing, the Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades (IQB), takes responsibility for shooting at a Jewish settler vehicle driving nr. Hebron (in area C, under full Israeli control, where the PASF is not allowed to operate), killing 4 Jewish settlers, including a pregnant woman, marking the deadliest West Bank attack on Israelis in more than 2 yrs. and the first staged by Hamas since before the 1/2006 elections. Both Abbas and Netanyahu say the attack should not derail peace talks. The YESHA settlement council vows to renew construction in West Bank settlements immediately, before the temporary freeze ends, to demonstrate Israelis’ “resolve against terrorism.” Following the attack and throughout the night, the IDF seals the entrances to Hebron, Halhul, and al-Fawar r.c. and imposes a curfew on nearby Bani Na‘im village, raiding and searching homes and detaining Palestinians with suspected connections to Hamas. Meanwhile, Jewish settlers implementing their “price-tag” doctrine to punish Palestinians for any state acts against settlers, beat Palestinian farmers working their land nr. Emanuel settlement nr. Salfit and stone Palestinian vehicles traveling on the Nablus–Qalqilya road (2 separate incidents) as well as on a road bypassing Yitzhar settlement nr. Nablus. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba in Hebron attempt to break into a nearby Palestinian home but are prevented by the IDF. Late at night, the IDF patrols 2 villages nr. Salfit; no incidents are reported. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that in the previous wk. 3 Palestinians were killed in 2 separate tunnel collapses on the Rafah border. (NYT, WP, WT 9/1; PCHR 9/2; OCHA 9/3)

In the West Bank, the IDF moves back into Azun village in the morning (see 8/29), raiding an auto repair shop and confiscating 6 cars with Israeli license plates; conducts afternoon patrols in 4 other villages nr. Qalqilya, 1 nr. Tulkarm, withdrawing without incident; conducts late-night patrols in Tulkarm, nearby Anabta, and Kafr al-Dik nr. Salfit, conducting no searches and making no arrests; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in al‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron. In Jerusalem, Israeli security forces raid the Wadi Hilwa quarter of Silwan, detaining 5 Palestinians for questioning, releasing all but 1 the same day. (PCHR 9/2; OCHA 9/3)

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, wounding 2 Palestinians and 2 donkeys. Late at night, the IDF sends troops into the no-go zone e. of Bureij r.c. in c. Gaza in pursuit of Islamic Jihad mbrs. operating near the border; the sides exchange fire and the IDF calls reinforcements and shells the area, lightly injuring 3 Islamic Jihad mbrs. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Haris village nr. Salfit in the afternoon, conducting no searches and making no arrests; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Qalqilya, Ramallah, and nr. Hebron. (PCHR 9/2; OCHA 9/3)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts daytime patrols in Azun nr. Qalqilya and Taybeh nr. Ramallah without incident. Palestinians (accompanied by Israeli and international activists in some locations) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, al-Ma‘sara, and Dayr Nizam/Nabi Salih. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters; 10s suffer tear gas inhalation, 6 Palestinians (including 1 journalist) and 1 American activist are injured, and 4 Palestinian paramedics and 2 Israeli activists are arrested (all are released the same day). Senior Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) officials take part in the Bil‘in demonstration to commemorate the 9th anniversary of the assassination of PFLP Secy. Gen. Abu Ali Mustafa. Jewish settlers fr. Suissa settlement nr. Hebron stone and beat Palestinian shepherds grazing flocks nr. the settlement. (PCHR 9/2; OCHA 9/3)

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)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. (PCHR 8/26; OCHA 8/27)

As the quarter opens, Israel has eased (as of 6/2010) its blockade on Gaza, replacing the blanket ban on imports with two lists of prohibited and regulated items, allowing in more (and more varied) food items, construction materials, and commercial goods, but keeping imports only slightly above subsistence and continuing to bar exports. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) enforces a 300-meter-deep no-go zone inside the full length of the Gaza border and limits the Palestinian fishing zone off Gaza to 500–1,000 m off the immediate Bayt Lahiya (northern) and Rafah (southern) coasts, and 3 nautical miles elsewhere—placing 17% of Gaza’s total landmass, including 35% of its viable agricultural areas, and 85% of the maritime areas allocated under the Oslo accords off-limits to Palestinians. In the West Bank, Israel’s easing of restrictions on Palestinian movement between major population centers (which began in summer 2009) continues, and IDF operations are relatively few. Today, IDF troops on the s. Gaza border e. of Khan Yunis fire on a group of Islamic Jihad mbrs. burying explosive devices nr. the border fence, killing 1 Islamic Jihad mbr.; the Palestinians return fire, lightly wounding 1 IDF soldier. Hrs. later, unidentified Palestinians fire 2 Qassam rockets fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in al-‘Arub refugee camp (r.c.) and 2 villages nr. Hebron. Jewish settlers fr. Shvut Rachel nr. Nablus uproot 100 nearby Palestinian olive trees. Israel’s Housing Min. approves construction of a new settler-only bypass road to link Ma’ale Adumim settlement e. of Jerusalem with the new E1 settlement area in East Jerusalem; explaining the decision, the Housing Min. states that “the decision to freeze construction in [West Bank settlements] does not include services for existing structures.” (JP, YA 8/16; NYT 8/17; PCHR 8/19; OCHA 8/20)

Netanyahu and his security cabinet approve construction of a new “student town” within the construction boundaries of Migdalim settlement e. of Nablus that will house 30 Jewish settlers affiliated with Ariel College in Ariel settlement; they also approve construction of 23 school buildings in 8 West Bank settlements to accommodate 600 Jewish settler children; public-use structures such as schools were excluded fr. Israel’s temporary West Bank settlement construction ban. Citing the prolonged West Bank calm, the IDF removes a small concrete “sniper barrier” running s. of Gilo settlement in East Jerusalem, erected in 2002 and considered the precursor to Israel’s separation wall. The IDF conducts synchronized late-night arrest raids, house searches in al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron and 2 nearby villages; conducts similar late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Tubas. (NYT, WT 8/16; PCHR 8/19; OCHA 8/20)

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, Dayr Nizam/al-Nabi Salih, al-Walaja, and outside Beit Romano settlement in Hebron. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, leaving scores suffering tear gas inhalation, injuring 1 Palestinian and 1 Israeli, and arresting 2 Palestinians, 4 Israelis, and 1 international activist (all released later in the day). Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba vandalize 3 Palestinian homes in Hebron. (PCHR 8/19; OCHA 8/20)

U.S. special envoy Mitchell ends a 2-day visit to the region aimed at securing Israeli and Palestinian agreement to resume direct peace talks by 9/1 based on a letter of assurances fr. the Quartet. After separate talks with Abbas in Ramallah and Netanyahu in Jerusalem he is unusually upbeat and says he is optimistic that direct talks will resume soon, but gives no details. He leaves Dep. Asst. Secy. of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Hale in the region to continue discussions and finalize details of a Quartet statement. (State Dept. daily press briefing, WT 8/11; see also WP 8/10)

The IDF announces that for the month of Ramadan (8/10–9/10) it is extending operating hours at some checkpoints along the separation wall in the Bethlehem, Jenin, and Ramallah to facilitate travel to Jerusalem; removing earthen mounds along 3 routes in Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron to improve traffic flow; and issuing an additional 200 visitor permits for nationals of select Arab countries to enter the West Bank. Israel has also, however, limited Palestinian access to Jerusalem during Ramadan to men over 50 and women over 45 years of age. Meanwhile, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, nr. Ramallah. As a goodwill gesture to mark the start of Ramadan, Hamas authorities in Gaza release 100 Fatah-affiliated prisoners, while the PA in the West Bank releases 8 Hamas-affiliated prisoners (MNA 8/11; PCHR 8/12, 8/19; OCHA 8/20)

The UN reports that Israel has expanded the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza allowing the number of truckloads of goods crossing daily to increase fr. 100 to 250; despite Israel’s easing of restrictions since 6/17, imports to Gaza are still only 36% of what they were before Hamas’s takeover of Gaza in 6/07. In the West Bank, the IDF raids and threatens to seal Palestinian stores across fr. the Beit Romano settlement in Hebron (site of weekly protests against Israeli settlement expansion); Palestinian and international activists race to the scene to block the soldiers; the IDF arrests 4 Palestinians (released several hrs. later) and 1 international activist (deported). (PCHR 8/12; OCHA 8/13)

The Israeli navy fires warning shots at a Lebanese fishing boat that strays into Israeli territorial waters after it ignores several verbal warnings to turn back. The boat is not damaged and the crew is not harmed. In the West Bank, the IDF fires tear gas and stun grenades at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists taking part in weekly nonviolent demonstrations against land confiscation and settlement expansion nr. Karme Tzur settlement nr. Hebron and nr. Beit Romano settlement in Hebron, beating 2 Palestinian cameramen and 1 U.S. activist. (PCHR, WJW 8/12; OCHA 8/13)

Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall and land confiscations in Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Dayr Nizam/alNabi Salih. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, leaving scores suffering tear gas inhalation, injuring 2 Palestinians, and arresting 1 Israeli activist. Some 20 Jewish settlers fr. Harsina nr. Hebron attack 3 Palestinian vehicles parked nearby with rocks and iron bars, heavily damaging them; the IDF intervenes when Palestinians emerge fr. their homes to challenge the settlers, beating the Palestinians back into their houses, arresting 2 and moderately injuring 1. (PCHR 8/12; OCHA 8/13)

Israeli government bulldozers working overnight begin removing some 300 tombstones in the historic Mamilla cemetery, the disputed West Jerusalem site where the Simon Wiesenthal Center plans to build a “museum of tolerance.” Waqf officials denounce the destruction (completed by 8/10) of the headstones which were part of its restoration over the past 7 mos. of graves still in use. Jerusalem municipal officials accuse Palestinians of “a despicable publicity stunt,” calling the tombstones fakes placed on vacant park land to manufacture a dispute. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Silwad nr. Ramallah and al-‘Awja village nr. Jericho during the day without incident; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron; raids and searches 2 homes in Azun village nr. Qalqilya, setting up observation posts on their roofs. Before dawn, Jewish settlers escorted by IDF troops enter Nablus to pray at Joseph’s Tomb. Jewish settlers in Hebron intercept and stone a car driven by a Palestinian woman transporting her daughter and 3 grandchildren, heavily damaging the car and moderately injuring the woman. (AFP, PCHR 8/12; OCHA 8/13; NYT 8/14)

The Israeli human rights group Peace Now issues an 8-mo. assessment of Israel’s temporary settlement construction freeze documenting that: (1) construction of at least 600 housing units in over 60 different settlements has begun during the freeze, with at least 492 of those units being constructed in direct violation of the freeze; (2) some 2,000 housing units started before the freeze was implemented on 11/26/09 are currently under construction; and (3) new construction starts during the freeze constitute approximately half of the normal settlement construction pace. (Peace Now press release 8/2)

Unidentified assailants fire 5–7 modified Grad-type rockets apparently fr. the Egyptian desert toward the Aqaba-Elat resort; 1 rocket lands harmlessly nr. the entrance to the Israeli resort town, 2 land inside Jordan (1 harmlessly, the other striking a taxi outside the InterContinental hotel in Aqaba, killing 1 Jordanian and wounding 3), 2 land in the Red Sea. Israel believes the rockets were all intended to strike Elat and calls Hamas “responsible” for the rocket fire; Hamas denies involvement. (JP 8/2; YT 8/3; WT 8/4; KUNA 8/5; HA 8/6; JPI, OCHA 8/13)

Israel’s Jerusalem municipal authority approves construction of 40 settlement housing units in Pisgat Ze’ev settlement in East Jerusalem. In the West Bank, the IDF dismantles and confiscates a Palestinian irrigation network nr. Hebron; patrols in 2 villages nr. Salfit at midday, making no arrests; arrests 3 Palestinian children (ages 13–14) nr. the separation wall nr. Bil‘in; sends undercover units in Jafna village nr. Ramallah late in the evening, raiding 2 Internet cafes and arresting 1 Palestinian; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, Qalqilya. In Gaza, unidentified Palestinians apparently mishandle explosives in a home in Dayr al-Balah, triggering an explosion that injures 58 Palestinians (including 13 children, 9 women) and damages several surrounding homes. (AP 8/3; PCHR 8/5)

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, wounding 1 Palestinian. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts daytime patrols in 3 villages nr. Salfit and 1 nr. Qalqilya, making no arrests; conducts daytime house searches nr. Hebron, making no arrests; conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches in and around Bethlehem, nr. Hebron and Nablus; makes another late-night incursion into Salfit, patrolling streets but making no arrests. (PCHR 8/5; OCHA 8/13)