The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes a gas station and grocery store in Qusra village nr. Nablus, saying Palestinian youths had used the buildings as cover to throw stones at passing IDF troops; conducts late-night house searches nr. Hebron and Jenin, and in Balata r.c. and Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah, but makes only 2 arrests. (PCHR 12/30; OCHA 1/6)

Some 10,000 Jewish settlers protest the 10-mo. settlement freeze outside Netanyahu’s Jerusalem residence. Also in Jerusalem, Palestinians in Shaykh Jarrah report that in the previous wk., Jewish settlers have slashed the tires of 19 Palestinian vehicles in the neighborhood. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c. nr. Nablus and Ramallah. The Israeli High Court rejects a petition by a Palestinian student at Bethlehem University that challenged her deportation from the West Bank to Gaza in 10/09 because her legal address was in Gaza and she did not have an Israeli permit to live in the West Bank. (NYT, PCHR, WP 12/10; OCHA, PCHR 12/16)

IDF troops make a brief incursion into n. Gaza to arrest 5 Palestinians (all under the age of 18) grazing animals nr. the border fence. (PCHR 9/10)

In the West Bank, IDF troops halt a Palestinian car nr. Hebron full of laborers heading to their jobs in Israel; detain and beat the driver for more than 3 hrs. before Israeli border police intervene. The IDF also conducts late-night raids, house searches in Qalqilya, Nablus, and Balata r.c. nr. Nablus, making no arrests. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai beat 2 Palestinians (including 1 teenager), who are then detained when they attempt to inform IDF soldiers at a military checkpoint nearby. (PCHR 9/10)

In East Jerusalem, Jewish settlers beat a number of clergymen nr. the Armenian Monastery; when the clergymen complain to the police, 2 of them are arrested. (PCHR 9/10)

In the West Bank, the IDF bars Palestinians fr. al-Ibrahimi Mosque/Tomb of the Patriarchs (site of the 1994 massacre committed by Baruch Goldstein) in Hebron to allow Jewish settlers to celebrate a religious event; conducts late-night raids, house searches in Hebron and Balata r.c. nr. Nablus, arresting 3 Palestinians; raids the home of, arrests Muhammad Ibrahim Abu Rahma, the deputy mayor of Bil‘in, and a mbr. of the Public Committee Against the Wall (he is released on 8/23). (OCHA 8/25; PCHR 8/27)

Lebanese commandos recapture the FI mbr. who escaped fr. prison on 8/18. (NYT 8/20)

Israel approves the import to Gaza of cement and steel for 3 construction projects, including a flour mill. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Ramallah and al-Bireh at midday; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron and in Balata r.c., Nablus. In Jerusalem, the IDF escorts some 200 Jewish settlers into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound to hold prayers marking the anniversary of the destruction of the Jewish temple. The IDF Central Command issues an order establishing a separate military court for the prosecution of Palestinian children under the age of 16 living in the West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem), appointing separate juvenile court judges and requiring youths’ trials be held in separate rooms fr. (or at different times than) trials of adults. (NYT, PCHR 7/30; OCHA, PCHR 8/6)

The Israeli government releases its comprehensive investigative report into its conduct during OCL, concluding that “incessant” Hamas rocket fire into Israel forced Israel to act and denying any war crimes, though admitting that around a dozen criminal investigations of soldiers’ conduct are underway. (IFM 7/30; NYT 7/31)

The IDF sends troops back into n. Gaza to level more land along the border fence nr. Bayt Hanun (see 7/14). In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 19 Bedouin tents and animal pens along the Ramallah–Jericho road belonging to 7 Bedouin families, displacing 50 Palestinians, including 32 children; conducts late-night house searches in Bethlehem (including the home of Abbas adviser Brig. Kifah Barakat, stating that he had “overstepped red lines” in Jerusalem, not further explained), Jenin town and r.c., and Tulkarm r.c., making no arrests; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c. and Nablus, nr. Hebron and Jenin. Israel grants Israeli Palestinians permission to travel to Nablus by car for the mo.- long Nablus shopping festival (ends 8/16); they have previously been allowed to enter Nablus on foot only, leaving their cars at IDF checkpoints at the entrance to the city. (PCHR 7/16; OCHA, PCHR 7/23)

Israel says it has taken significant steps to improve West Bank movement and access, including reducing manned IDF checkpoints and improving wait times at checkpoints, especially around Nablus, also noting that Israeli tour buses are now routinely bringing Israeli Palestinians to Nablus to shop. Palestinians and the UN confirm that restrictions on movement have been eased considerably in Jericho, Nablus, Qalqilya, and Ramallah; but the UN notes that there are still 68 manned and 545 unmanned barriers to Palestinian travel across the West Bank. Today, in the West Bank, the IDF conducts separate synchronized late-night house searches in villages s. and e. of Tulkarm and w. of Jenin, making no arrests; carries out late-night arrest raids in Balata r.c. and nr. Hebron, Salfit, Tulkarm. (WT 7/8; OCHA, PCHR 7/9)

In Gaza, Palestinian gunmen and IDF troops exchange cross-border fire, including Palestinian mortars and IDF tank fire; tank shells hit 2 homes nearby, killing 1 Palestinian girl, wounding 2 men. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c., Nablus. Jewish settlers escorted by IDF troops rally at the evacuated Homesh settlement site to protest U.S. calls for a settlement freeze. (PCHR 7/2; WP 7/3; OCHA, PCHR 7/9)

For a 3d day, Israel allows significant cross-border transit through the Rafah crossing, allowing 600 Palestinians to enter Egypt and 494 to return to Gaza. IDF troops on the central Gaza border e. of Gaza Valley, supported by IDF helicopters, engage in a cross-border exchange of fire with armed Palestinians; the only casualty is a 12-yr.-old Palestinian boy seriously wounded by IDF fire outside his home, 1,500 m fr. the border. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts a rare daytime arrest raid, house searches in Bayt Umar village nr. Hebron; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Balata r.c. and Nablus, in Bil‘in, and nr. Jenin and Qalqilya. The Israeli High Court approves construction of the 1st 50 of 1,450 housing units in Adam settlement nr. Jerusalem, intended to house families to be resettled fr. the unauthorized outpost of Migron, as agreed btwn. the government and settlers in 11/08 (see Quarterly Update in JPS 151). (OCHA, PCHR 7/2)

For a 2d day, Israel allows a significantly higher number of Palestinians to transit through the Rafah border, most of them medical cases: 568 entering Egypt and 896 entering Gaza. In the West Bank, the IDF enters Hebron in the evening and erects a checkpoint nr. Hebron University, checking Palestinians’ IDs but making no arrests; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Balata r.c. and Nablus, in Bil‘in, and nr. Hebron and Jenin. (OCHA, PCHR 7/2)

In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Bayt Fajjar nr. Bethlehem in the morning, firing on residential areas, causing no injuries; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c., Nablus. The UN reports that by this date the IDF has lifted permit requirements on Palestinian vehicles leaving Nablus. (PCHR 6/25; OCHA, PCHR 7/2)

Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Rafah, seriously wounding 1 Palestinian. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night house searches in Balata r.c., making no arrests. Jewish settlers fr. Itamar settlement nr. Nablus burn 20 d. of Palestinian crop land. Jewish settlers fr. Bet Ayn settlement nr. Hebron burn nearby Palestinian crop land and uproot olive trees. (OCHA, PCHR 6/11)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire on Palestinian farmers nearly 1,000 m fr. the border fence, wounding 2. A 7-mo.- old Palestinian boy dies of respiratory infection that doctors believe could have been successfully treated if Israel had approved requests to transfer him abroad for medical treatment. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts synchronized late-night arrest raids and house searches in Jenin town and r.c. and 2 nearby villages; makes other late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Balata r.c. and Nablus, and in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem. Jewish settlers place 2 mobile homes on a plot of Palestinian land w. of Bethlehem, declaring the establishment of a new outpost. (al-Mezan Center press release, PCHR 6/4; OCHA, PCHR 6/11)

Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishermen off the Bayt Lahiya coast, detaining 2 boats and arresting 4 fishermen. Overnight, in the West Bank, the IDF removes 2 settler tent outposts nr. Hebron; settlers vow to reoccupy and expand the sites. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Aqabat Jabir r.c. nr. Jericho, Balata r.c., and Nablus, and nr. Hebron, Jenin, and Tubas. (NYT, PCHR, WP 5/28; OCHA, PCHR 6/4)

U.S. special envoy George Mitchell meets with Netanyahu’s senior advisers in Britain to follow up on the issues discussed in the 5/18 Obama-Netanyahu mtg. The Israelis offer a partial settlement freeze that would allow continued construction to accommodate natural growth, but the U.S. continues to demand a stop to all settlement activity. (NYT 5/28; WP 6/2)

Israeli naval vessels approach within 500 m of Rafah beach, arrest 2 fishermen on 1 of 12 small boats in the area. The UN reports that in the previous wk. an 8-yr.- old Palestinian boy in Gaza was injured by unexploded IDF ordnance (UXO); 7 Palestinians were killed in tunnel-related incidents (6 in collapses, 1 electrocuted); and unidentified Palestinians fired “several” rockets and mortars into Israel causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night patrols in 4 villages nr. Jenin; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin town and r.c., Balata r.c., in Nablus, and nr. Bethlehem and Hebron. A Jewish settler violently beats a Palestinian woman waiting for a taxi nr. Zatara checkpoint outside Nablus; IDF soldiers manning the checkpoint observe the beating for 15 min. before intervening and ordering the settler to leave the area. (OCHA, PCHR 5/28)

In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes a Palestinian home in Issawiyya outside East Jerusalem; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Balata r.c., Nablus. (OCHA, PCHR 5/28)

Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the Rafah coast, detaining 2 fishermen. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border fire on Palestinian farmers working their fields nr. Bayt Hanun, wounding 1. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Nablus and neighboring Balata r.c., nr. Bethlehem and Jenin. Palestinians report that over the previous wk., the IDF has bulldozed Palestinian land in Abu Dis, Azariyya, and al-Sawahara to expand the Container checkpoint southeast of Jerusalem, which obstructs travel btwn. the n. and s. West Bank; has confiscated 300 dunams (d.; 4 d. = 1 acre) of land southwest of Jenin, giving residents 45 days to evacuate. (PCHR 5/21; OCHA, PCHR 5/28)

Palestinians fire a rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF responds with at least 1 air strike on a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border, causing no injuries. The IDF fires on a Palestinian woman grazing sheep nr. the border fence e. of Jabaliya, wounding her. In the West Bank, the IDF fires tear gas at stone-throwing Palestinians taking part in weekly demonstrations against the separation wall in Bil‘in, injuring 2; fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas on Palestinian, Israeli, and international human rights activists taking part in a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in al-Ma‘sara (10s suffer tear gas inhalation) and Ni‘lin (injuring 5); conducts late-night house searches in Nablus and neighboring Balata r.c., but makes no arrests. Jewish settlers fr. Gilad settlement nr. Qalqilya, escorted by IDF troops, attack Palestinian farmers working their land in nearby Jit village, slashing tires of a tractor and ordering the farmers off the land, saying it belonged to them; the IDF troops confiscate the agricultural tools of the Palestinians and order them to leave the area, giving the tools to the settlers. (WT 5/3; OCHA 5/6; PCHR 5/7)

The IDF imposes a general closure on the West Bank through 4/18 for the Passover holiday, barring all West Bank Palestinian access to East Jerusalem and Israel. Israeli police fatally shoot East Jerusalem Palestinian Iyad Awaysat when he allegedly attempts to run over 3 officers guarding workers partially demolishing the East Jerusalem home of a Palestinian who killed 3 Israelis with a bulldozer in West Jerusalem in 7/08; the shooting (protested by Palestinian witnesses who say Awaysat was only speeding) and demolition spark stone-throwing by some 50 Palestinians against Israeli border police who fire tear gas to disperse them, causing no serious injuries. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in ‘Askar r.c., Balata r.c., al-Fara‘a r.c., and Nablus for a 2d night, as well as nr. Tulkarm. (NYT, OCHA, WP, WT 4/8; PCHR, WJW 4/9)

Israeli naval vessels fire on and chase 30 Palestinian fishing boats (69 fishermen) off the n. Gaza coast to force them back to shore, seizing 3 boats, demanding that the 8 crew mbrs. of 1 boat strip naked and jump into the water, then detaining them and taking them to the Ashdod port. In the West Bank, the IDF lifts the closure on Khirbat Safa imposed on 4/2 and withdraws fr. the area, but reenters the vicinity later in the day after Jewish settlers fr. Bet Ayn fire toward the village, causing no injuries; fires on stone-throwing Palestinian youths nr. Jericho, wounding 1; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in ‘Askar r.c., Balata r.c., al-Fara‘a r.c., Nablus, Tulkarm, and nr. Hebron, Jenin, Ramallah. Israeli security forces demolish a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem. (OCHA 4/8; PCHR 4/9)

The IDF sends troops into s. Gaza around midday to patrol inside al-Shuka village nr. Rafah, firing on residential areas, wounding a 13-yr.-old boy. In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists taking part in a nonviolent protest against the separation wall in Ni‘lin, hitting American protester Tristan Anderson in the head with a tear gas canister, critically injuring him; he is left on a ventilator in an Israeli hospital in “life-threatening” condition; 8 Palestinians are also injured. The IDF also fires live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and percussion grenades at Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists taking part in nonviolent protests against the separation wall in Bil‘in, Burin nr. Nablus, and al-Ma‘sara nr. Bethlehem; makes a rare daytime raid into Nazlat Issa nr. Tulkarm, raiding and searching homes, arresting 3 Palestinians; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around ‘Askar r.c. and Balata r.c. nr. Nablus, and nr. Jenin and Salfit. (WP 3/13; WP 3/17; OCHA 3/17, 3/18; PCHR 3/19; WP 3/24; JPI 3/27)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches in Nablus and neighboring Balata r.c., in Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah, and nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Tulkarm. (OCHA 3/3, 3/4; PCHR 3/5)