The Palestine Chronology

In Gaza, the IDF bars a Palestinian journalist from passing through the Erez border crossing, despite the fact that he was issued a permit on 6/20. In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolish 2 Palestinian structures nr. Salfit. IDF troops conduct raids and house searches in 2 villages nr. Ramallah, confiscating property and arresting 3 Palestinians. Israeli settlers spray price-tag graffiti on walls in Tiberius; assault Palestinians in c. Hebron; cut down 70 olive trees nr. Nablus. In East Jerusalem, a Palestinian stabs and seriously injures an Israeli border policeman nr. Damascus Gate of the Old City. The policeman then shoots the Palestinian man multiple times, leaving him in critical condition. Israeli forces consequently raid the Palestinian man’s home nr. Hebron. Israeli forces later clash with Palestinians gathering nr. Damascus Gate and separately with Palestinians leaving Haram al-Sharif; 4 Palestinians are injured. They conduct late-night raids in Silwan, Jabal Mukabir, and Issawiyya, arresting 3 Palestinians. In n. Israel, thousands of Christians attend a protest rally to condemn the 6/17 arson attack on a nearby church. (HA, MNA, WAFA, YA 6/21; MNA 6/22)

In response to the 6/19 shooting nr. Ramallah and today’s stabbing in East Jerusalem, Israeli PM Netanyahu and DM Ya’alon annul the 6/16 announcement permitting 500 Palestinians to fly abroad via Ben Gurion Airport during Ramadan. Additionally, they instruct the Defense Ministry to revoke the work permits of all Palestinian residents of the village nr. Hebron where today’s perpetrator is from, and say they will consider further punitive restrictions. (HA, TOI 6/22)

In Ramallah, French FM Fabius meets with PA pres. Abbas to discuss the French initiative to restart the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, including a French-drafted UNSC res. Fabius then meets with Netanyahu in Israel to discuss the same issues. Ahead of the meeting, Netanyahu opposes the French initiative, saying “we will forcibly reject any attempt to force upon us international dictates”. (JP 6/17; HA, MNA, NYT, TOI, WAFA 6/21)

The Egyptian govt. announces the appointment of a new amb. to Israel, Hazem Khairat, who will travel to Tel Aviv in the coming mos. Egypt has not had an amb. to Israel since 2012, when Atef Salem was recalled in the midst of Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense. (HA, YA 6/21)

Israeli mbr. of Knesset (MK) Basel Ghattas (Joint List) announces his plans to join the Freedom Flotilla III, an international activist effort to deliver aid to Gaza and call attention to the Israeli blockade (the flotilla will set sail on 6/25). He calls on Netanyahu and the IDF to allow the flotilla to reach Gaza without their interference. (HA 6/21; MEE, MNA, WAFA 6/22)

Iranian parliamentarians approve amendments to the bill introduced on 6/17 to increase oversight on implementation of any agreement made with the P5+1. The amendments shift oversight responsibilities, and the power to end the deal, from parliamentarians to the Supreme National Security Council, which is chaired by Pres. Hassan Rouhani and controlled by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. The bill must still be approved by the parliament and ratified by the Khamenei-controlled Guardian Council to become law. (AFP, REU 6/21)

The IDF strikes over 50 targets across the Gaza Strip, including the Interior Ministry building and a hospital, killing 23 Palestinians. Among these are 4 children, who are killed when IDF troops shell a beach nr. Gaza City, an attack witnessed by a number of international journalists. IDF troops also destroy the house of a high-ranking Hamas political figure. Palestinians fire more than 60 rockets into Israel, including rockets aimed at Ashqelon and Ashdod. Iron Dome batteries intercept 4 of the projectiles. Rockets cause damage in Ashdod and Tel Aviv, and 1 soldier is injured. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in Hebron and 1 nearby village at night. (AFP, AP, HA, MNA, NYT, REU 7/16; PCHR 7/17)

UNRWA says that the Gaza Strip’s health system is on the brink of collapse, with 600,000 people facing water shortages and 22,000 seeking refuge in school shelters. (AP, HA, MNA, NYT 7/16)

Israeli DM Ya’alon asks Netanyahu’s security cabinet to authorize the mobilization of another 8,000 reserve troops, adding to the approximately 30,000 that have already been called up since 7/8. (AP, HA, NYT, REU 7/16)

After Hamas rejected the Egyptian cease-fire proposal the previous day, Dep. Hamas leader Abu Marzuq meets Egyptian officials and offers terms Hamas seeks in a cease-fire deal, such as “fully lifting the blockade on Gaza, including opening all the crossings and releasing the rearrested prisoners.” (See the Quarterly Update in JPS 173 for more on Hamas’s terms.) Pres. Abbas meets with Abu Marzuq in Cairo, and separately with Egypt’s Pres. al-Sisi and FM Sameh Shoukri, as well as Arab League chief al-‘Arabi. He also speaks with Hamas leader Mish‘al by telephone. Meanwhile, Secy. of State Kerry says that the U.S. is doing “everything in our power” to end the violence, in remarks he makes on an official visit to Luxembourg. Kerry speaks with the FMs of Egypt, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Pres. Obama says that the U.S. supports Egypt’s efforts to secure a cease-fire and restoration of the 11/2012 agreement. (AFP, AP, HA, MNA, REU, YA 7/16)

In the Gaza Strip, Palestinians fire 3 rockets into s. Israel, 2 are intercepted by Iron Dome missile defense batteries and 1 causes minor damage, but no injuries. A 4th rocket fired by Palestinians lands inside the Gaza Strip, killing a child in Bayt Lahiya and injuring 3 other family mbrs. In response to the rocket fire, the IDF attacks 7 sites in the Gaza Strip, causing damage and injuring 2 police officers. Israeli military sources say that Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigades are responsible for some of the rocket fire, along with smaller groups that operate independently, and often contrary to, Hamas’s authority. In the West Bank, the IDF scales back OBK, removing some of the mobile checkpoints set up in the Hebron area. Israeli DM Ya’alon says that “a large part of the operation against Hamas has been exhausted.” Meanwhile, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Hebron in the morning, 1 village nr. Jenin in the afternoon, and in 5 villages nr. Hebron, in Jenin, and Tulkarm at night. Jewish settlers chop down olive trees and grapevines nr. Nahalin village west of Bethlehem. (HA, JP, MNA, PCHR, WAFA 6/24)

PA Pres. Abbas tells Egypt’s al-Watan newspaper that “we completely reject” the kidnapping of the Israeli youth and “are sorry it happened.” Abbas also says that Israel wants a PA “without authority or power.” Israeli PM Netanyahu praises Abbas’s condemnation of the abduction. (AFP, MNA 6/24)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops shoot and kill an unarmed Palestinian nr. al-Bureij r.c. as he attempted to cross the border fence. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Hebron and 1 village nr. Bethlehem at night; patrols in 1 village nr. Jenin and 1 village nr. Bethlehem in the afternoon, and in 1 village nr. Hebron at night. (PCHR 8/15)

Five suspected Islamic militants are killed in a drone strike nr. Rafah in Egypt, in what the group in question, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, as well as anonymous Egyptian officials say was carried out by the Israeli military. Israel does not confirm or deny the report, and DM Moshe Ya’alon says that Israel “respects full Egyptian sovereignty.” The strike also destroyed a rocket launcher directed at Israel. (APF, AP, HA 10/8)

In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Jenin in the morning, in 3 villages nr. Jenin in the afternoon, and in 2 villages nr. Hebron, 1 village each nr. Ramallah and nr. Tulkarm at night. At night, IDF soldiers conduct house searches and arrest raids in al-Azza r.c. in Bethlehem, Aida r.c. in Bethlehem, 1 village nr. Bethlehem, 2 villages nr. Hebron, and 2 villages nr. Jenin. (PCHR 4/25)

U.S. Defense Secy. Chuck Hagel begins a Middle East tour in Israel, where he is expected to have meetings with Pres. Shimon Peres, PM Benjamin Netanyahu, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz and DM Moshe Ya’alon. Hagel will discuss Iran, Syria, and also the sale of U.S. military equipment to Israel. Hagel’s weeklong tour of the region will also include Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. (HA, NYT 4/20; WP 4/21)

U.S. Secy. of State John Kerry meets Palestinian pres. Mahmud Abbas in Istanbul to continue discussions about restarting negotiations, particularly a proposal to focus on boosting the Palestinian economy. Palestinian amb. to Turkey Nabil Maarouf says that the meeting fails to make any substantial progress with regards to Palestinian conditions for resuming negotiations. Secy. Kerry says that restored ties between Turkey and Israel can allow both countries to work with Washington on Iran and Syria. Kerry asks Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan to delay his planned trip to the Gaza Strip in order not to disrupt efforts to improve Turkish-Israeli relations. Secy. Kerry also attends a major meeting between the Syrian opposition and its main 11 foreign supporters. After the meeting, Secy. Kerry says that Washington will double its nonlethal aid to the Syrian opposition to $250 million, support that will be funnelled through the rebels’ Supreme Military Council. (AFP 4/20; MNA, NYT, REU 4/21; JP 4/22)

In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 village nr. Tulkarm in the morning; conducts house searches and arrest raids in al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, the Old City of Hebron, and 1 village each nr. Nablus and Tubas at night. (PCHR 12/27)

Israel’s min. of strategic affairs Moshe Ya’alon claims that Egypt has cracked down on arms smuggling to the Gaza Strip since the end of Operation Pillar of Defense. (ToI 12/25)

Israeli PM Netanyahu promises to do even more to strengthen Israel’s West Bank settlements should he win reelection. He also says that Likud will defend the country’s security interests in the face of international pressure. (JP 12/25)

Senior Fatah official Nabil Shaath says that Hamas, despite its statements on 12/17, is refusing to allow Fatah to celebrate its anniversary in both the al-Katiba and al-Saraya Squares in Gaza, citing security pretexts. Meanwhile, the Gaza government announces it will release Fatah detainees convicted of security and criminal offenses. (MNA 12/25)