The Palestine Chronology

Hundreds of Israeli settlers visit Joseph’s Tomb nr. Nablus, sparking clashes between their IDF escort and stone-throwing Palestinians; 1 Palestinian is injured. Elsewhere in the West Bank, the IDF expands its crackdown on the Ramallah region in the wake of the 12/25 shooting; they set up mobile checkpoints and impose closures around at least 9 villages. IDF troops also arrest 4 Palestinians during late-night raids nr. Jenin and Hebron, and patrol during the day nr. Nablus, Hebron, and Salfit. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers working nr. Dayr al-Balah, causing no serious injuries. (MNA 12/26; PCHR 12/29)

PLO secy.-gen. Erakat announces that the Palestinian leadership plans to follow up on the 12/23 UNSC res. condemning Israeli settlements with other measures, including lawsuits against Israel at the ICC and new efforts in other UN agencies. (WAFA 12/27)

IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists at Friday demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and occupation in 3 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, and Nabi Salih), Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya, and in 4 areas along Gaza’s border (nr. Gaza City, Khan Yunis, Dayr al-Balah, and al-Bureij r.c.); 2 Palestinians are injured and 1 of their vehicles is confiscated. After reports of stone-throwing in Huwwara village nr. Nablus, the IDF shuts down all the stores in the village and blocks off the main road. IDF troops patrol nr. Hebron and Salfit throughout the day. Israeli settlers assault a number of Palestinian farmers harvesting olives nr. Salfit, sparking clashes between their IDF escort and the Palestinians; 2 Palestinians are arrested. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Gaza City, and then detain 2 fishermen and confiscate 1 boat. (MNA 10/7; PCHR 10/13)

One Palestinian is killed and 3 others are injured in a tunnel collapse nr. Bayt Hanun in Gaza. Also along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers working nr. Dayr al-Balah, causing no injuries or damage. In the West Bank, the IDF temporarily forces 19 Palestinians from their homes in the n. Jordan Valley to make space for military drills in the area, and patrols nr. Nablus and Hebron during the day. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces fire sound bombs during a raid in al-Tur, striking 1 Palestinian in the back of the head and causing serious injuries. (JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 9/29; PCHR 10/6)

The Israeli authorities cancel elderly Gazans’ weekly trip to Haram al-Sharif for Friday prayers due to the planned funeral for former Israeli pres. Peres, set for 9/30. Meanwhile, PA pres. Abbas asks to attend Peres’s funeral, drawing criticism from across the Palestinian political spectrum. (HA, JP, MNA, YA 9/29)

For the 2d time this week, IDF troops fire artillery shells and machine gun rounds at Hamas and PIJ military sites in Gaza nr. Bayt Lahiya, Dayr al-Balah, and Bayt Hanun, causing minor damage to the sites and at least 3 neighboring homes. The IDF reports that the shelling was in response to gunfire emanating from Gaza earlier in the morning. (MNA, WAFA 9/6; PCHR 9/8)

The Israeli authorities return the body of a Palestinian to his family in East Jerusalem, having punitively withheld it since Israeli forces killed him on 2/19. His family is forced to pay a security deposit of NIS 20,000 (approx. $5,000), bury the body at al-Mujahidin Cemetery in c. Jerusalem, and limit the attendance at his funeral at 25 people. Elsewhere in East Jerusalem, a Palestinian demolishes the walls of his own home in the Old City to avoid paying Israeli demolition fees. Israeli forces arrest 5 Palestinians and issue 2 arrest summons during raids in Issawiyya, Qalandia r.c., and Abu Dis. In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian nr. Jenin in unclear circumstances. Meanwhile, the IDF arrests 9 Palestinians and issues 3 arrest summons during raids nr. Tulkarm, Hebron, Nablus, and Jenin; and patrols nr. Qalqilya, Hebron, and Nablus. Israeli undercover forces arrest 4 Palestinian customs officers who are conducting a surveillance operation outside Nur Shams r.c. overnight. The officers attempted to detain the Israelis without knowing they were undercover troops. (JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 9/6; WAFA 9/7; PCHR 9/8)

The Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for humanitarian cases passing in both directions. (MNA 9/6; OCHA 9/8)

In East Jerusalem, an unidentified Palestinian stabs and lightly injures an Israeli youth with a screwdriver in al-Tur. Meanwhile, 129 Jewish settlers tour Haram al-Sharif, and 3 of them allegedly perform prayers at the sanctuary. Israeli forces assault and injure a Palestinian amid clashes sparked by a raid in Silwan late at night. They arrest 14 Palestinians during further raids in the Old City around the same time. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers and shepherds working nr. Dayr al-Balah, causing no injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish a stonecutting workshop in a village nr. Jenin. IDF troops arrest 5 Palestinians and issue 4 arrest summons during late-night raids and house searches in Hebron and nr. Nablus, Ramallah, and Bethlehem; and patrol during the day nr. Hebron. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 8/11; MNA 8/12; PCHR 8/18)

As the IDF continues its closure of Hebron and the surrounding district that was put in place on 7/1, Israeli PM Netanyahu visits the separation wall under construction nr. Hebron and remarks on the necessity to “prevent illegal residents and attackers from reaching Israel’s cities.” Meanwhile, IDF troops arrest 14 Palestinians and issue 6 arrest summons during late-night raids nr. Bethlehem, Nablus, and Hebron; and patrol throughout the day nr. Hebron. Israeli forces uproot a number of olive trees outside Dayr Istya village nr. Salfit to clear space for Israeli settlers to build a road. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish several Palestinian structures nr. the Israeli settlement of Atarot. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces shoot and injure a Palestinian farmer working nr. Dayr al-Balah and conduct a limited incursion to level land nr. Jabaliya r.c. Off the coast, Israeli naval forces arrest 4 Palestinian fishermen. (HA, JP, MNA, REU, WAFA, YA 7/20; PCHR 7/21; PCHR 7/28)

Along the Israeli-Syrian border, unidentified fighters open fire on an IDF position on the Israeli side of the border, causing minor damage. Later in the day, Syrian rebels report that an Israeli air strike hit a Syrian army position, causing an unknown amount of damage. (HA, JP, MNA 7/20)

To facilitate travel to and from Gaza for Ramadan, the Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing to traffic from both directions for the first of 4 planned days this week. Elsewhere along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct limited incursions to level land nr. Khan Yunis and Dayr al-Balah, and arrest a Palestinian armed with a knife attempting to cross the border into Israel. In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 7 Palestinians during late-night raids and house searches in Hebron and nr. Jenin and Tulkarm. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 6/1; PCHR 6/2; OCHA, PCHR 6/9)

A PA spokesperson criticizes Israeli PM Netanyahu’s 5/30 pledge of support for the Arab Peace Initiative, saying “the Israeli statements regarding the 2-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative must be accompanied by actions on the ground and recognition [of] an independent Palestinian state.” (HA, JP, TOI 6/1)

A Gazan farmer is injured when he accidentally detonates a piece of unexploded Israeli ordnance nr. Dayr al-Balah. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian youth allegedly planning to carry out a stabbing attack in Shu‘fat. They also arrest 6 Palestinians during raids in Silwan, Jabal Mukabir, al-Tur, and Issawiyya. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols nr. Ramallah, Hebron, Tulkarm, and Salfit. (MNA, WAFA 5/19; PCHR 5/27)

A day after offering him the defense portfolio, Israeli PM Netanyahu agrees to Yisrael Beytenu chair Lieberman’s main demand for bringing his party into the ruling coalition: support for new legislation lowering the bar for death penalty sentences for Palestinians found guilty of serious crimes in military courts, meaning it would only affect Palestinians living in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt). (HA, JP, TOI 5/19)

U.S. secy. of state Kerry confirms that he plans to attend the upcoming Paris peace summit, which the French have now rescheduled for 6/3 to accommodate his schedule. Russian FM Sergey Lavrov is also set to attend. (HA, JP 5/19)

Thousands of Palestinians gather at demonstrations across Gaza and the West Bank in commemoration of Nakba Day. Reps. of several political factions use the Gaza City rally to call for national reconciliation. In the West Bank, the IDF violently suppresses a protest in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem, causing no major injuries. PASF troops prevent dozens of Palestinian demonstrators from reaching an Israeli checkpoint nr. Ramallah. Separately, IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian attempting to cross into Jerusalem for work, and conduct raids and house searches in and around Qalqilya, Tulkarm, Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem, Jenin, and Nablus, arresting 16 Palestinians and damaging some property. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces detain 10 Palestinian fishermen working nr. Gaza City, confiscating 2 of their boats, and open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Dayr al-Balah, causing no damage. (MNA 5/15; MNA, WAFA 5/16; PCHR 5/19)

In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces carry out the punitive demolition of the Jabal Mukabir home of an imprisoned Palestinian accused of attacking Israeli soldiers on 10/10/2015, and also demolish a half-built home in Ras al-Amud. Also in Ras al-Amud, a Palestinian family demolishes their own home on Israeli orders. Later, the Israeli authorities return 2 bodies of Palestinians killed in confrontations with Israeli forces since the beginning of the habba (“surge” or “revolt” in English) in the oPt in 10/2015. One family rejects the body of their relative when they discover it is frozen, allegedly in violation of the deal they made with the Israelis (they had agreed to limit the size of the funeral and deposited a NIS 20,000 [around $5,250] guarantee). Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian woman at Haram al-Sharif after she confronts Jewish Israeli MK Shuli Mualem-Rafaeli. In the West Bank, IDF troops raid a number of quarries nr. Qalqilya, confiscating millions of dollars’ worth of equipment. They also raid a number of chicken farms and erect a mobile checkpoint outside a village nr. Ramallah, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinians; 1 Palestinian is injured. The IDF violently disperses stone-throwing Palestinians in a village nr. Tulkarm, causing no serious injuries; raids a village council’s office in a village nr. Bethlehem, destroying property and breaking its main doors; conducts further raids and house searches nr. Tulkarm, Jenin, Nablus, and Bethlehem, arresting 4 Palestinians, issuing arrest summons to 2, and confiscating property; and patrols nr. Tulkarm, Jenin, and Hebron. Israeli forces begin razing 650 dunams (around 160 acres) of Islamic Waqf–owned land nr. Jericho, and confiscate heavy equipment from a factory nr. Bethlehem. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct limited incursions to level land nr. Bayt Lahiya and Dayr al-Balah. (MNA, WAFA 3/21; MNA 3/22; PCHR 3/24)

A PA official who monitors settlement growth in the West Bank reveals that Israeli officials recently informed Palestinians in villages nr. Nablus of their intention to confiscate 1,200 dunams (around 300 acres) of nearby land. The IDF’s Coordinator of Govt. Activities in the Territories Unit (COGAT) disputes this figure, saying that only 612 dunams will be seized and incorporated into the nearby settlement of Eli. (MNA, WAFA 3/21; EI 3/30)

At the annual AIPAC conference in Washington, leading presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump present their foreign policy ideas and pro-Israel credentials. All the remaining candidates, except Sen. Bernie Sanders, are set to address the conferees (AIPAC rejected Sanders’s offer to give a speech via satellite after he declined to attend). (HA, JP, YA 3/21; JP 3/22)

IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian youth nr. Tulkarm who was attempting to sneak into Israel for work. The youth allegedly pulled a knife on the soldiers after they started chasing him. Meanwhile, Israeli forces demolish 4 Palestinian bedouin homes nr. Ramallah, displacing 22 people. The IDF raids a mobile phone shop in a village nr. Nablus, shooting and injuring a Palestinian, arresting him and 2 others they suspect are also affiliated with Hamas, and confiscating personal property. IDF troops conduct further raids and house searches in Aida r.c. and 1 village nr. Bethlehem, Jalazun r.c. and 1 village nr. Ramallah, Qalqilya, 1 village nr. Salfit, and Hebron and 1 village nearby, arresting 15 Palestinians; patrol in 5 villages nr. Hebron and 4 nr. Ramallah. After a “situational assessment” in the evening, the IDF ends the partial closure of the Ramallah area that was imposed after the 1/31 shooting attack in the area. Israeli forces pull out of the area before midnight, remove all mobile checkpoints, and return the checkpoints to normal use. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian youth after they find a knife on his person; arrest 14 Palestinians on latenight raids in al-‘Izzariya, Issawiyya, and the Old City. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Dayr al-Balah, causing no damage or injuries. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 2/1; JP, MNA 2/2; PCHR 2/4)

For a 2d day in a row, unknown Gazans fire a rocket toward Israel. It lands in an open area, causing no damage or injuries. IAF jets then launch air strikes on Hamas military sites nr. Dayr al-Balah and Khan Yunis late at night, causing substantial damage. Meanwhile, IDF troops stationed along Gaza’s border open fire on agricultural fields nr. Khan Yunis, causing damage. In the West Bank, armed Palestinians fire at an Israeli settler’s car nr. Ramallah, causing damage. Israeli forces assault and detain 4 Palestinians as they are being released from an IDF detention center nr. Jenin. IDF troops conduct house searches and raids in Qalqilya, 1 village nr. Nablus, Jenin r.c., and Balata r.c. nr. Nablus, arresting 9 Palestinians and confiscating personal property; patrol in al-‘Arub r.c., al-Fawar r.c. and 6 villages nr. Hebron, as well as 2 areas nr. Salfit. In Israel, Israeli forces demolish a home in a Palestinian village nr. Jerusalem, sparking clashes between dozens of Palestinian residents and the Israeli police; 5 Palestinian citizens of Israel are arrested. The Israeli authorities say that the house was 1 of 7 in the area built on land zoned for agriculture. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, YA 1/24; HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 1/25; PCHR 1/28)

Israeli PM Netanyahu confirms that his govt. will allow the settlers who were forcibly evicted from 2 homes in c. Hebron on 1/22 to return once their proper paperwork is in order. He also says he will form a ministerial comm. to deal with related issues, acquiescing to a request from Education Minister Naftali Bennett (his proposal will be approved on 1/25). (HA, JP, TOI, YA 1/24)

In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian at a checkpoint nr. Nablus after he allegedly throws a knife at them. Israeli forces seal off with cement blocks the main road leading to Nabi Salih nr. Ramallah, after the previous day’s protests in the village. The IDF conducts late-night raids and house searches in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem and Hebron, arresting 1 Palestinian and issuing arrest summons to 3; patrols in 7 villages nr. Ramallah, 2 nr. Hebron, Tulkarm and 2 villages nearby, and 1 village nr. Jenin. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Khan Yunis and later nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers working nr. Dayr al-Balah, causing no injuries or damage. In East Jerusalem, right-wing Jewish activists leave anti-Christian graffiti on the doors of Dormition Abbey nr. the Old City late at night. (JP, MNA, WAFA 1/16; HA, MNA, TOI, YA 1/17; PCHR 1/21)

The International Atomic Energy Agency reports that Iran has abided by its obligations under the 7/14/2015 nuclear deal it made with the P5+1, and the U.S. and EU formally begin lifting sanctions on Iranian banking, money transfers, trade, insurance, shipping, and other industries (sanctions relating to human rights and terrorism will remain in place). Meanwhile, Iran releases 4 U.S. prisoners, including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian. In exchange, the U.S. releases 7 Iranian-Americans imprisoned on sanctions-related charges, inter alia. U.S. officials later confirm the swap, and say that Iran has agreed to release a 5th U.S.- Iranian dual citizen outside of the agreed swap. (AP, GDN, HA, FNA, WP 1/16; AFP, JP 1/17)