The Palestine Chronology

Israel announces approval of 692 new settlement housing units in East Jerusalem (Har Homa, Neve Ya’acov, Pisgat Ze’ev); the EU, U.S., and PA criticize the move. IDF troops make a brief incursion into Gaza n. of Bayt Hanun to level land along the border fence to clear lines of sight. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats approaching the boundary of the permitted fishing zone, wounding 1 Palestinian. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late night arrest raids, house searches in Bil‘in and nr. Nablus. (PLONAD 12/28; NYT, WP, WT 12/29; PCHR 12/30; WJW 12/31; OCHA 1/6)

Israeli naval vessels intercept a Palestinian fishing boat that approaches the boundary of the permitted fishing zone off the Bayt Lahiya coast, damaging the boat, forcing the fishermen to jump into the sea, and then detaining them, taking them to Ashdod port in Israel for several hrs. of questioning, before releasing them to Gaza. A smuggling tunnel under the Rafah border collapses, killing 3 Palestinians. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, Nablus. In East Jerusalem, Palestinians in Silwan report that during the previous wk., Israeli workers and archeologists resumed work on 2 archeological tunnels under the city leading to the al-Aqsa Mosque (see Quarterly Update in JPS 154). A group of right-wing Jews breaks into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound to hold prayers marking Hanukkah, but Waqf officials ask Israeli police to intervene, and police remove them peacefully. Jewish settlers in East Jerusalem celebrating Hanukkah attack a number of Palestinian shops and residents in the Old City; Israeli security forces observe but do not intervene. The PASF crackdown on Hamas mbrs. in the West Bank winds down today, with the UN reporting at least 80 and as many as 300 detained. The Israeli High Court rules that a 2007-imposed ban on family visits by Gazans to Palestinians held in Israeli jails is valid. (OCHA, PCHR 12/16; PCHR 12/23; HA 12/31)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts rare daytime arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron for a 2d day; makes a late-night incursion into Bayt Qad village nr. Jenin, searching an agricultural facility, arresting 1 Palestinian. Jewish settlers at several sites across the West Bank scuffle with new Israeli building inspectors hired by the DMin. to enforce Israel’s 10-mo. settlement building freeze (see 11/25); no major violence or injuries are reported. In East Jerusalem, Jewish settlers escorted by Israeli police and private security guards take possession of an addition to a Palestinian home in Shaykh Jarrah neighborhood, removing the Palestinian family’s furniture, after receiving a court ruling that the property is legally owned by a Jewish organization. Local Palestinians scuffle with the Jewish settlers, leaving 1 settler and 1 Palestinian injured. UN Secy.-Gen. Ban denounces Israel’s “provocative actions.” (NYT, WT 12/2; NYT, PCHR, WJW 12/3; OCHA 12/9)

New York State assemblyman Dov Hikind leads a delegation of 50 Jewish Americans to lay the cornerstone of a new settlement housing project (Nof Zion) in the Palestinian neighborhood of Jabal Mukabir in East Jerusalem (see Quarterly Update for details). Meanwhile, the IDF demolishes a Palestinian home and store in Issawiyya (14 residents) on the outskirts of Jerusalem, 4 Palestinian structures in other Arab areas of East Jerusalem, including Silwan. In the West Bank, the IDF searches greenhouses nr. Jenin, looking for unlicensed wells; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Tulkarm and nr. Jenin. Also in East Jerusalem, an Israeli youth stabs, wounds a Palestinian laborer in Ramat Eshkol settlement. The IDF also makes 2 incursions into s. Gaza nr. Abasan and Khuza to bulldoze land along the border fence, clearing lines of sight. Late in the day, unidentified Palestinians fire a rocket into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. In response, the IDF makes air strikes on 2 smuggling tunnels along the Rafah border (injuring 1 Palestinian) and on a Hamas training site in Khan Yunis (destroying 2 structures). (NYT, XIN 11/19; PCHR 11/25; JPI 11/27)

IDF troops on the Gaza border nr. the Erez crossing fire on a group of Palestinians scavenging building materials fr. the rubble of commercial buildings in the Erez industrial zone previously bulldozed by the IDF; fire on a Palestinian farmer working on his land nr. the border, causing damage but no reported injuries. (PCHR 11/5)

In the West Bank, a Palestinian shepherd is severely beaten nr. Yitzhar settlement either by Jewish settlers or IDF troops posted outside the settlement; other IDF troops arrive on the scene and take the shepherd into custody, later transferring him to a hospital in Israel. The IDF conducts late-night raids, house searches in Tubas, nr. Jenin and Qalqilya, arresting 4 Palestinians (including 1 teenager). (OCHA, PCHR 11/5)

In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian home in the Jabal Mukabir neighborhood. (PCHR 11/5)

In the West Bank, the IDF raids a house in Bayt Fajjar nr. Bethlehem and another in Jericho, arresting 2 Palestinians (including 1 teenager). (PCHR 10/29)

New Israeli-Palestinian clashes erupt in East Jerusalem after Israel’s Islamic Movement and extremist Jewish groups call on their followers to rally in defense of the al-Aqsa Mosque and Temple Mount respectively. Israeli security forces deploy across the city to contain and prevent clashes, entering the al-Aqsa Mosque compound twice during the day with the stated aim of removing Palestinian demonstrators hiding among the approximately 200 worshippers at the site (temporarily locking worshippers inside the Dome of the Rock and the Southern Mosque), beating many Palestinians, firing tear gas and sound bombs, and arresting 10s of Palestinians (including PLC mbr. ‘Abd al-Qadir, who is ordered on 10/26 to stay out of Jerusalem for 21 days; see 10/4); as many as 25 Palestinians (including around 4 children, 7 women) and 5 journalists are injured. In a possibly related incident, Israeli security forces at Qalandia checkpoint arrest a Palestinian woman for allegedly attempting to stab an Israeli soldier; the IDF later raids her family’s house in Saffa nr. Ramallah. (NYT, WP, WT 10/26; OCHA, PCHR, WJW 10/29; PCHR 11/5)

An Israeli military court sentences 2 IDF soldiers to 20 days in a military prison, expels them fr. their unit, and prohibits them fr. serving as combat soldiers for having demonstrated in support of West Bank settlements during their swearing-in ceremony. (WJW 10/29)

Unidentified Palestinians fire 1 rocket fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Israel responds with 2 air strikes on smuggling tunnels along the Rafah border, lightly injuring at least 4 Palestinians. (Xinhua-New China News Agency 10/14; PCHR 10/15; OCHA 10/22)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night raids, house searches nr. Hebron and East Jerusalem, arresting 4 Palestinians. (PCHR 10/15)

In the West Bank, IDF troops stationed atop Hebron homes occupied on 10/11 fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas at 10s of stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them, injuring 1 Palestinian teenager. The IDF also ambushes several Palestinian vehicles attempting to evade IDF checkpoints to transport workers to jobs in Israel, burning and destroying 3 of them; conducts late-night raids, house searches nr. Nablus, Hebron, Jericho, and Jenin, arresting 10 Palestinians. Jewish settlers fr. the unauthorized settlement outpost of Mitzpe Ami nr. Qalqilya set fire to a Palestinian olive tree field and block firemen fr. reaching the area, destroying as many as 250 trees; Israeli police arrest 13 settlers who refuse to leave the area. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba stone Palestinians harvesting olives nr. Hebron and steal harvested olives; the IDF observes but does not intervene. (OCHA, PCHR 10/15; OCHA Humanitarian Monitor 10/09)

In East Jerusalem, the IDF bulldozes a Palestinian home in Bayt Hanina neighborhood, displacing 5 Palestinians. (OCHA, PCHR 10/15; PCHR 10/22).

A mysterious explosion in Tayr Filsi village in s. Lebanon injures or kills at least 1 person. Israel cites the explosion as proof that Hizballah is stockpiling weapons in violation of UN Res. 1701 that ended the 2006 Lebanon war. (NYT 10/13)

The IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets, sound bombs, tear gas at Palestinian and international activists taking part in a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Ni‘lin (10s suffer fr. tear gas inhalation) and at Palestinian activists, some of whom throw stones at IDF troops, demonstrating against the separation wall in Bil‘in (10s suffer fr. tear gas inhalation). (PCHR 10/15)

Following a week of tensions, Israel declares a state of high alert in East Jerusalem, deploys additional security forces, and sets up additional checkpoints across the city. In the only serious incident reported, IDF troops fire rubber-coated steel bullets, sound bombs, tear gas at Palestinian protesters in Ras al-Amud, slightly injuring at least 10; 3 others are arrested and beaten by undercover security forces in front of TV cameras. (PCHR 10/15; PCHR 10/22)

U.S. special envoy Mitchell begins 2 days of mtgs. with Netanyahu in Jerusalem and Abbas in Ramallah. (WP 10/10, 10/12)

In response to escalating tensions in East Jerusalem, 1,000s of Palestinians attend a rally in Gaza organized by Hamas calling for another intifada. (WT 10/6)

In the West Bank, the IDF arrests a Palestinian by the separation wall nr. Azun Atma; conducts late-night raids, house searches in and around Nablus and nr. Jenin, arresting 2 Palestinians. (PCHR 10/8)

Israeli-Palestinian tensions in Jerusalem remain high following the 10/4 clashes. Although Israel deploys 1,000s of additional police in and around the Old City and IDF helicopters and drones monitor fr. above, some significant clashes are reported in and around the city. At a checkpoint at the entrance of Shu‘fat r.c., Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian who stabbed an Israeli soldier in the neck; IDF troops then enter Shu‘fat r.c., fire sound bombs and tear gas, and arrest 8 more Palestinians (all under the age of 18, 2 under the age of 13). At Qalandia checkpoint, Israeli security forces fire rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, sound bombs at 10s of Palestinian protesters. In Ras alAmud neighborhood, Israeli security forces arrest 13 Palestinians for stone-throwing. Israeli authorities also seal off 2 Arab neighborhoods adjacent to the Old City and bar men under the age of 50 fr. entering alAqsa Mosque. At least 7 Palestinians are wounded in clashes during the day. Israel releases 2 Palestinians detained at crossings into Jerusalem on 10/4 but bars them fr. entering Jerusalem for 90 days. (WT 10/6, PCHR 10/8)

A complaint filed by Israeli human rights organization Yesh Din results in the arrest of an IDF soldier on charges of beating the Bil‘in Coordinator of the Public Committee against the Wall and Settlement during a late-night raid on 9/15. (OCHA Humanitarian Monitor 10/09)

As agreed on 9/30, Israel releases 19 Palestinian female prisoners in exchange for a 2-min. video fr. Hamas proving that captured IDF soldier Cpl. Shalit is still alive. A 20th prisoner is expected to be released on 10/3. After Palestinians fire 3 rockets fr. Gaza into Israel (causing no damage or injuries), the IDF carries out air strikes on smuggling tunnels along the Rafah border and on a marble factory and an iron warehouse in Gaza City suspected of being used to manufacture weapons. An Israeli drone also fires a missile nr. Bayt Lahiya. No casualties are reported in any of the air strikes. (NYT 10/3; PCHR 10/8; JR 10/26)

In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubbercoated steel bullets, sound bombs, tear gas at Palestinian and international activists taking part in a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Ni‘lin (10s suffer fr. tear gas) and at Palestinian activists, some of whom throw stones at IDF troops, taking part in a demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in (injuring 2 international activists); conducts late-night raids, house searches nr. Tulkarm, arresting 1 Palestinian. (PCHR 10/8)

Israeli security forces prevent thousands of Palestinians fr. entering East Jerusalem for Friday prayers at the al-Aqsa Mosque. The overcrowded conditions at Qalandia checkpoint cause at least 35 Palestinians to faint. Additional checkpoints are also erected in the Old City. (PCHR 10/8)

Hamas mbr. Yusuf Abu Zuhri, the brother and bodyguard of Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri, dies in Egyptian custody. Hamas accuses Egyptian authorities of torturing him. Abu Zuhri was detained in al-Arish in 4/09 on charges of entering Egypt illegally through a smuggling tunnel on the Rafah border. (Agence France-Presse 10/13; JPI 10/22)

At Abbas’s request, the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) defers until 3/10 a vote to endorse the UN’s Goldstone report (see 9/15). The move is supported by Israel and the U.S. but is immediately denounced by Palestinians. (WP 10/2; WP 10/3; JR 10/26)

In Gaza, the IDF makes an air strike on an open area nr. Bayt Hanun, causing no casualties. (PCHR 10/1)

Israel imposes a general closure on the West Bank for the 2-day Yom Kippur holiday. The IDF conducts late-night raids, house searches nr. Tulkarm, arresting 1 Palestinian. Jewish settlers fr. Kiryat Arba nr. Hebron attack Palestinians exiting the nearby al-Ras Mosque and throw stones, empty bottles at Palestinian vehicles; no serious injuries are reported. (PCHR 10/1)

Outraged by rumors that right-wing Jews plan to invade the al-Aqsa Mosque compound to mark Yom Kippur, Palestinians throw stones at French tourists visiting the mosque, mistaking them for Jewish activists. Israeli police disperse the crowd of approximately 150 Palestinians with stun grenades, leading to a number of disturbances throughout East Jerusalem. Palestinians also throw rocks, Molotov cocktails, and garbage at Israeli border police. As many as 38 Palestinians and 18 mbrs. of Israeli security forces are injured, and 11 Palestinians are arrested. (NYT 9/28; OCHA Humanitarian Monitor 9/09; WJW 10/1; OCHA 10/2; JPI, OCHA 10/8)

In the West Bank, IDF undercover units raid a village in the Hebron hills, arrest wanted IQB Tulkarm head Muhammad Harwish and his aide Adnan Samara. The IDF conducts late-night raids, house searches nr. Ramallah, arresting 3 Palestinians. In Bil‘in, the IDF raids the home of ‘Abdallah Abu Rahma, the Bil‘in Coordinator of the Public Committee against the Wall and Settlement, violently beating him and attacking a number of international activists. Jewish settlers fr. Yitzhar beat a Palestinian shepherd and shoot another Palestinian who attempts to phone Israeli authorities for help. (PCHR 9/17; JPI 9/24)

In East Jerusalem, the IDF conducts raids, house searches in Silwan, arresting 4 Palestinians (including 1 teenager). (PCHR 9/17)

U.S. special envoy Mitchell begins a 2-day trip to Israel and Ramallah to discuss settlement construction with Netanyahu and PA pres. Mahmud Abbas. (WP 9/16; WJW 9/17)

The UN’s Goldstone mission, which investigated Israeli and Palestinian actions during Operation Cast Lead (OCL), issues its advance report accusing both Israel and Hamas of extensive war crimes and possible crimes against humanity, giving them until 2/5/10 to respond. (NYT, WP 9/16) 

In Gaza, 2 mbrs. of Hamas’s military wing, the Izzeddin al-Qassam Brigades (IQB), are killed in a mysterious explosion e. of Jabaliya; Hamas accuses the IDF of targeting the men with artillery fire, but Israel denies involvement, and a medical worker at the scene reports no evidence of shelling in the area. Egyptian police discover approximately 2 tons of TNT underground nr. Sarsuria in the Sinai that they believe was intended for militants in Gaza (cf. 8/30). (WP 9/2; OCHA, PCHR 9/3)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts raids, house searches nr. Jenin and Hebron, arresting 3 Palestinians. (PCHR 9/3)

In East Jerusalem, ultra-Orthodox Israeli Jews protesting a parking lot that operates on the Sabbath attack a Palestinian cab driver passing by, heavily damaging his taxi and lightly injuring him. (OCHA 9/11)

For unknown reasons, IDF troops on the n. Gaza border nr. Bayt Hanun fire at Palestinian farmers and houses, wounding a farmer who is at least 1,800 m fr. the border. (OCHA 8/25; PCHR 8/27; OCHA Humanitarian Monitor 8/09)

Israel announces a general easing of restrictions on movement of West Bank Palestinians during Ramadan (which began on 8/22), though Palestinian access to East Jerusalem is restricted to men over 50 yrs. old, women over 45, and children under 12. In the West Bank, the IDF violently beats a Palestinian who allegedly threw rocks at a checkpoint in Hebron; conducts late-night raids, house searches in and around Jenin town and r.c., arresting 3 Palestinians. Jewish settlers fr. Avraham Avino throw stones, empty bottles, garbage at nearby Palestinian houses; the IDF observes but does not intervene. Muhammad Ibrahim Abu Rahma, the deputy mayor of Bil‘in arrested by the IDF on 8/19, is released on bail under strict conditions, including that he agree not to participate in demonstrations, remain at least 6 km away fr. the separation wall every Friday, and make a 3-hr. visit to an Israeli police station every day. (PCHR 8/27, 9/3; OCHA Humanitarian Monitor 9/09)

Israel allows 636 Palestinians to transit through the Rafah crossing (618 going into Egypt, 18 returning to Gaza). Israeli naval vessels halt and confiscate 2 Palestinian fishing boats operating 600 m off the Rafah coast, taking the fishermen to Ashdod port and returning them to Gaza after interrogation. IDF troops make a brief incursion into Gaza nr. Qarni crossing to level at least 60 d. of crops obscuring soldiers’ lines of sight into the Strip. In the West Bank, the IDF imposes a curfew on Kafr Haris nr. Salfit, patrols streets for several hrs. before escorting 10s of Jewish settlers into the village to visit historic tombs; they all depart late in the evening. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Nablus. In East Jerusalem, the IDF forces a Palestinian family to demolish their home in the Wadi al-Juz neighborhood, threatening to levy a $2,500 fine if the IDF were to carry out the demolition. (OCHA, PCHR 8/13) 

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)

Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Bayt Lahiya, forcing them to return to shore; 2 hrs. later the navy posts warning signs 500–1,000 m fr. shore warning fishing boats not to sail beyond that point, firing warning shots at boats that pass the line throughout the day. In the West Bank, the IDF makes a rare midday incursion into Silat al-Dahir s. of Jenin, searching homes and arresting 1 Palestinian; conducts latenight house searches in and around Jenin town and r.c., making no arrests; stages late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. Jewish settlers escorted by IDF troops seize a plot of land and a Palestinian home in Shaykh Jarrah in East Jerusalem (the Farhan-Hijazi properties), evicting a Palestinian family and beginning construction on the property; settlers have tried for years to seize the property, resulting in an Israeli court ruling in 2003 that the Palestinian family could remain in the home until the judiciary reached a final verdict, which it has not yet done; the Palestinian family immediately petitions the court to order the settlers to leave. The UN notes that in the previous wk., Palestinian residents of an area of Bayt Yatir village btwn. the separation wall and the Green Line nr. Hebron that the IDF declared a closed military zone in 1/09 have had their “permanent resident” permits required to access the area revoked by the IDF and replaced with “worker” permits, raising concerns that Israel intends eventually to evict them. (OCHA, PCHR 7/30; OCHA 8/18)

U.S. envoy Mitchell stops in Damascus to meet with Syrian pres. al-Asad, then heads to Israel for a 3-day visit to meet with PM Netanyahu and DM Barak, pressing both sides for the revival of the Israeli-Syrian track toward a comprehensive Israeli-Arab peace. Mitchell will also touch base with Abbas in Ramallah. (NYT 7/26; WP 7/27)

In Washington, Israeli DM Barak presents U.S. envoy Mitchell and other U.S. officials with a compromise settlement freeze proposal, offering a “complete freeze” to settlement construction for 3–6 mos., excluding construction already under way and/or in East Jerusalem. (WP 7/1)

The Israeli navy halts a ship of international peace activists organized by the Free Gaza Movement attempting to sail fr. Cyprus to Gaza with humanitarian supplies to challenge Israel’s blockade; the IDF detains the 21 persons on board, including former House rep. Cynthia McKinney (D/Green Party-GA) and Nobel laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire (all 21 are deported on 7/6). The UN reports that in the previous wk., 1 Palestinian was killed and 6 were injured in a tunnel collapse on the Rafah border. In the West Bank, the IDF partially demolishes a Palestinian home in al-Tur nr. Jerusalem; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron and Jenin. (IFM, WP, WT 7/1; OCHA, PCHR, WJW 7/2; NYT 7/3; WT 7/7; WJW 7/9)

In the West Bank, the IDF demolishes 1 Palestinian home and an addition to a 2d home in East Jerusalem, displacing 15 Palestinians (including 8 children), with 1 family fined $3,000 for unlicensed construction; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron, Nablus and neighboring ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’, and Hizma village northeast of Jerusalem (arresting 3 12-yr.-old Palestinians and a 14-yr.-old), and nr. Jenin. The UN reports that in the previous wk., the IDF vacated 3 checkpoints around Qalqilya (including completely dismantling 1: Izbat Jalud) and increased the operating hours of 4 main checkpoints around Nablus (Asira al-Shamaliyya, Bayt Iba, Hawara, Shavei Shomron) to 24 hrs./ day 7 days/wk., significantly easing Palestinian travel btwn. Qalqilya and Nablus. The UN also reports that since the 5/31 and 6/4 Fatah-Hamas clashes in Qalqilya, Hamas police have arrested 73 Fatah-affiliated Palestinians on charges of “seeking to undermine internal security in Gaza.” Meanwhile, the PASF has arrested at least 74 Palestinians in the West Bank, making this the 2d wk. that the PASF has arrested more Palestinians than the IDF. (OCHA, PCHR 6/11)

U.S. special envoy Mitchell begins a 2-day visit to Israel and Ramallah (his 4th trip to the region) to follow up with Israeli and PA leaders regarding Obama’s 6/4 speech. (IFM 6/9; NYT, WT 6/10; NYT, WJW, WT 9/11) 

As the quarter opens, Israeli-Palestinian cross-border violence in Gaza is moderate and rising, while, in the West Bank, violence remains low. Israel’s siege of Gaza, intended to pressure the Hamas government there, enters its 24th month, hampering efforts to maintain basic services and repair infrastructure and other damages fr. Israel’s Operation Cast Lead (OCL, 12/27/08– 1/18/09; see JPS 151). Israel allows an average of 106 truckloads/day of humanitarian goods and commodities into Gaza through Kerem Shalom crossing 6 days/ week (far less than the 500 truckloads/day the UN estimates are necessary to meet Gazans’ basic needs); limited fodder and seed through the Qarni crossing; and enough fuel through the Nahal Oz crossing to maintain emergency services and run Gaza’s electricity plant at 69% capacity, as well as some cooking gas. Only very limited numbers of medical cases, employees of international organizations, and VIPs are allowed to transit through the Rafah and Erez crossings. Restrictions on Palestinian movement and access in the West Bank remain tight, with some 630 Israel Defense Forces (IDF) checkpoints and roadblocks dividing the territory into 3 cantons, and strictly limiting Palestinian access to Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley. Today, the IDF demolishes a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Hebron. (OCHA 5/20; PCHR 5/21)

The IDF imposes a general closure on the West Bank through 4/29 for Israel’s independence day celebrations, barring all West Bank Palestinians access to East Jerusalem and Israel. In the West Bank, the IDF makes a rare daylight incursion into Rantis village nr. Ramallah, patrolling streets, firing on residential areas, seriously wounding a Palestinian woman; fires on a 62-yr.-old Palestinian man at the Tarqumiyya crossing s. of Hebron when he reportedly ignores orders to stop, wounding him twice in the feet; demolishes a monument in al-Mukabir in East Jerusalem dedicated to Iyad Awaysat, killed by the IDF in East Jerusalem on 4/7; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in Khirbat Safa and Bethlehem, nr. Hebron and Nablus. A Jewish settler shoots, seriously wounds a 15-yr.-old Palestinian boy cultivating almonds on his family’s land s. of Nablus. At least 15 Jewish settlers fr. Bet Ayn settlement ambush and stone 2 Palestinian men (ages 62 and 69) farming land in Bayt Umar village nearby. (PCHR 4/29)

Israel announces it will lift restrictions on the import of foodstuffs to Gaza, “provided that the source of the shipments is approved by the Israeli authority” (not further clarified). IDF troops enter s. Gaza nr. Abasan to bulldoze land along the border fence. Israeli warplanes repeatedly break the sound barrier over Gaza City. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the Rafah coast, damaging several and forcing them to return to shore, but causing no injuries. In the West Bank, IDF troops demand that a Palestinian move his car, parked nr. the Beit Shalom outpost site evacuated last quarter; when the man refuses, troops scuffle with him, prompting Palestinians nearby to come to his aid; the situation escalates, with IDF troops beating 6 Palestinians and storming and damaging a nearby Palestinian grocery. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. The Israeli High Court approves the confiscation of 30 d. of land in Shu‘fat r.c. northeast of Jerusalem for construction expansion of an existing IDF checkpoint and extension of the separation wall to create a new permanent crossing point into Jerusalem; 30 Palestinian shops are expected to be demolished and at least 45,000 Palestinians are expected to lose direct access to Jerusalem. The local council of Har Adar settlement in East Jerusalem issues instructions that Palestinian “laborers are strictly forbidden to move around the community on foot, between the construction sites,” and must be accompanied at all times by their employer or the employer’s representative, stating “this instruction is meant to protect the community’s residents”; the IDF says it will enforce the order, which the Association for Civil Rights in Israel denounces as “a racist instruction based on a general fear of Arabs.” Alleging corruption by Fatah-affiliated employees, Hamas authorities in Gaza take control of the PA Referrals Abroad Dept. which assesses medical cases for specialized treatment in hospitals in the West Bank, Egypt, and Jordan. In response, the PA Health Min. in Ramallah and the Egyptian government say they will no longer finance the transportation or treatment of medical patients referred by the office and Israel says it will not grant travel permits for referrals to exit Gaza. (Yedi’ot Aharonot 3/22; WP 3/23; OCHA 3/24, 3/25; PCHR 3/26)

A 200-lb. car bomb malfunctions and fails to detonate outside a shopping mall in Haifa, preventing what would have been the 1st car bombing inside Israel since 2002; the car was stolen fr. East Jerusalem; a little-known Israeli Palestinian group called the Free Men of the Galilee claims responsibility, but Israel says it is not certain the claim is valid and is still investigating. Israeli security forces break up several Palestinian events in East Jerusalem (including dispersing a children’s march and popping balloons at a school, dispersing a folklore show at a children’s center) marking the Arab League’s designation of Jerusalem as the capital of Arab culture for 2009, saying the programs violate the ban on Palestinian political activity in the city (see 2/21). The Israeli government has also banned several events planned by the Israeli Palestinian comm. inside Israel to celebrate Jerusalem, including an oud performance and soccer match, claiming they were initiated by the PA to “meddle in Jerusalem.” The IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron, Jenin. (IFM, WP 3/22; WP 3/23; OCHA 3/24, 3/25; PCHR 3/26; Jerusalem Report 4/27)

In the West Bank, the IDF begins work on a new electricity network on Palestinian land to supply Jewish settlements n. and s. of Hebron; enters Thinnaba and Izbat al-Jarad villages nr. Tulkarm in the evening, patrolling the streets and firing percussion grenades; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Ramallah, in Nablus, nr. Jenin. The IDF also demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in Silwan and Sur Bahir in East Jerusalem, displacing 21 Palestinians. (OCHA 3/4; PCHR 3/5; OCHA 3/10)

In Sharm al-Shaykh, Egypt and Norway host an international donor conference to raise $2 b. for the reconstruction of Gaza. In total, 75 states pledge more than $4 b. (WP 3/2; HA, WP, WT 3/3; see also VOA 2/27, WP 3/1)

After attending the donor conference, U.S. Secy. of State Hillary Clinton arrives in Israel for 3 days of talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. (IFM 3/3; NYT, WP, WTW 3/4; NYT, WP 3/5; WT 3/11)

Palestinians fire 2 rockets into Israel, causing no injuries. The IDF responds with air strikes on 5 smuggling tunnels on the Rafah border, wounding 3 Palestinians (2 of them young children). In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night house searches nr. Jenin, but makes no arrests. A Palestinian teenager is killed and 2 are wounded when they accidentally trigger IDF UXO at a site nr. Tubas used by the IDF for live fire exercises. Israel begins construction of 65 new housing units on 3.5 d. of Palestinian land in the Arab al-Sawahara neighborhood of East Jerusalem, expanding Talpiot settlement. (HA 2/26; NYT, WP 2/27; OCHA 3/3, 3/4; PCHR 3/5, 4/29)

U.S. envoy George Mitchell begins his 2d regional tour with planned stops in Turkey, Israel, Ramallah, and Cairo. He stresses U.S. support for a 2-state solution and a halt to Israel’s settlement construction. (IFM 2/26; NYT, WP 2/27)

Some 400 Gazans protest on the Rafah border demanding that Egypt unilaterally open the crossing into Gaza. Egypt deploys 100s of additional police and border patrol officers along the Rafah border, fearing another breach, as occurred in 1/08 (see Quarterly Update in JPS 147). On the Rafah border, 5 Palestinians are killed, 3 are injured when a smuggling tunnel collapses. In the West Bank, the IDF raids and occupies a Palestinian home nr. Bethlehem as an observation post; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Jenin, Tulkarm. Israeli security forces raid a theater in East Jerusalem to prevent a Palestinian folklore troupe fr. performing as part of a series of events billed as celebrating the Arab League designation of Jerusalem as the capital of Arab culture for 2009), saying the program violates the ban on Palestinian political activity in the city. (WT 2/22; OCHA 2/24, 2/25; PCHR 2/26)

Unknown assailants fire a Katyusha rocket fr. s. Lebanon into n. Israel, lightly injuring 3 Israelis. A 2d rocket lands inside Lebanon, causing no damage or injuries. Israel files a formal complaint with the UN, demanding stepped-up UNIFIL and Lebanese government enforcement in s. Lebanon in keeping with UN Res. 1701’s provisions to halt arms smuggling into s. Lebanon and reiterating Israel’s right to self-defense. (WJW 2/26)

UNRWA accuses Hamas-affiliated police of raiding a UN compound in Shati’ r.c. on 2/3 and confiscating 400 food parcels and 3,500 blankets intended for the needy after UNRWA refused Hamas’s request to turn the aid over to Hamas-run Social Affairs Min. Meanwhile, Israel allows 101 truckloads of humanitarian aid and commercial goods into Gaza. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts early morning house searches in Hebron, photographing homes but making no arrests; bulldozes 90 d. of Palestinian land near 3 Jewish settlement and the separation wall w. of Qalqilya; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus, Tubas. In the East Jerusalem environs, Israeli authorities demolish 1 Palestinian home in Jabal al-Tur, 2 homes in Issawiyya as part of the project to link the E1 and Ma’ale Adumim settlement areas. (NYT, PCHR, WP, WT 2/5; PCHR 2/12)

Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the Rafah coast, causing no injuries. Palestinians fire a Grad rocket fr. Gaza into Israel (the 1st Grad fired since the end of OCL), causing damage in Ashqelon but no injuries. Hamas denies responsibility. Late in the evening, the IDF responds with air strikes on smuggling tunnels along the Rafah border and a Hamas outpost nr. Khan Yunis, causing no injuries. Israel allows 185 truckloads of goods (much of it seed and fodder), 15 tons of medicine and medical equipment into Gaza. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late night arrest raids, house searches in Bil‘in, nr. Salfit. In the East Jerusalem environs, Israeli authorities bulldoze a parking lot, fence, guard house of a Palestinian bus company in Abu al-Tur, a Palestinian fuel depot and tract of land at the entrance to al-Za‘im, and a Palestinian commercial building in Jabal al-Tur as part of Israel’s project to link the E1 and Ma’ale Adumim settlement areas. Jewish settlers and IDF troops bulldoze 50 d. of Palestinian agricultural land in Sa’ir village nr. Hebron; Palestinian residents attempt to block the Israelis, but troops fire in the air and troops and settlers beat back the Palestinians, injuring 6. (MM, NYT, WP 2/4; PCHR, WJW 2/5; JPI 2/13)

An IDF drone fires on a car e. of Rafah, assassinating PRC mbr. Ayman Shihada, wounding 2 teenagers nearby. Palestinians fire at least 2 mortars fr. Gaza into Israel, causing no damage or injuries. Israel allows 180 truckloads of goods (much of it seed and fodder) and 10 tons of medicine and medical equipment into Gaza. In the West Bank, armed Palestinians fire on an IDF patrol nr. Beit Yatir settlement nr. Hebron from a moving vehicle, causing no reported injuries; the soldiers return fire on the car, killing 1 armed Palestinian. The IDF patrols in Bil‘in, fires on stone-throwing youths who confront them, wounding 1 teenager; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin, nr. Bethlehem. In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities demolish 2 Palestinian homes in Shu‘fat for being close to the separation wall. (MM 2/2; NYT, WP 2/3; PCHR 2/5)