The Palestine Chronology

Across the West Bank, clashes continue between the IDF and Palestinians protesting in solidarity with prisoners in Israeli jails.

In Jerusalem’s Old City, Palestinian youths and Israeli police clash after Friday prayers, with Israeli security forces briefly entering the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Palestinians protest outside Ofer detention center nr. Ramallah, at Huwara checkpoint nr. Nablus, in Abud village nr. Ramallah (where 4 are wounded including one seriously), at Jalama checkpoint nr. Jenin, and in Tulkarm and nearby ‘Anabta village. In all cases, the IDF violently disperses the protests with tear gas, rubber-coated metal bullets and live ammunition, though no serious injuries are reported. The largest protest is in Hebron, where around 1,500 Palestinians clash with IDF forces and 1 Palestinian man is shot in the foot. In addition, Palestinian and international activists demonstrate in the center of Hebron for the opening of Shuhada Street. The IDF violently disperses the demonstrators, causing 3 moderate injuries with rubber-coated metal bullets. Israeli soldiers also attack regular demonstrations by Palestinians, Israelis and international activists against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, and the occupation in 4 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, al-Nabi Salih, Budrus, Ni‘lin), 2 villages nr. Qalqilya (Kafr Qaddum, Jayyous) and 1 village nr. Bethlehem (al-Ma’sara). Injuries include, 1 Palestinian is wounded from a tear gas canister to the head in Bil‘in and 8 Palestinians wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets (5 in Budrus and 3 in al-Nabi Salih). The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning; in al-Fawar refugee camp nr. Hebron (clashes but no serious injuries reported) and Qalqilya in the afternoon; and in 2 villages each nr. Jericho and Qalqilya, and 1 village each nr. Jenin, Ramallah, and Tulkarm at night. The IDF also conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Jenin in the afternoon. In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops open fire on Palestinians close to the border fence in 2 incidents: nr. Bayt Hanun (wounding 2) and nr. Jabaliya (wounding 1). Israeli naval vessels open fire on fishermen working off the north Gaza coast, causing no injuries or damage. (MNA 2/22, PCHR 2/28)

British newspaper the Sunday Times reports that U.S. pres. Obama plans during his visit to the region in 3/2013 to offer to increase U.S. pressure on Iran in exchange for Israeli PM Netanyahu making concessions to the Palestinians. (ToI 2/10)

Palestinian demonstrators—including Israeli Palestinian MK Ahmad Tibi— set up tents in Bayt Safafa, East Jerusalem, to protest Israel’s construction of a new highway intended to give Jewish settlers quicker access to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli navy arrests 4 Palestinian fishermen working 3 naut. mi. offshore nr. Gaza City. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Jenin in the morning, and in 1 village each nr. Hebron and Ramallah at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village nr. Jenin in the morning, and in Nablus, Hebron’s Old City and 1 village nr. Hebron, Jenin and 1 nearby village, and Silwan in East Jerusalem at night. (MNA 2/10; PCHR 2/14)

Palestinian factions end talks in Cairo without reaching an agreement on specific steps forward to achieve national reconciliation. Fatah delegation head Azzam al-Ahmad claims that there was consensus on most of the issues, but disagreement on several points regarding an election law for the PNC. (AFP, MNA 2/10)

Undercover Israeli police officers arrest 6 Palestinian youths in the Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem on suspicion of throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at a Jewish settler-owned house. In the Gaza Strip, the IDF opens fire on a garbage truck close to the border fence nr. Bayt Hanun, wounding 1 Palestinian. In the West Bank, Jewish settlers from the unauthorized outpost Esh Kodesh nr. Nablus attack the Palestinian village of Qusra, provoking clashes with residents. In response, the IDF deploys troops in the area and fires tear gas and stun grenades at villagers. The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Tulkarm in the morning, in 1 village nr. Jericho in the afternoon, and in 2 villages nr. Ramallah, 1 village each nr. al-Bireh and Jericho at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in the Old City of Hebron, 1 nearby village, and 1 village nr. Jenin at night. The IDF attacks a nonviolent demonstration against the occupation and settlement expansion held by Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals in Bayt Umar village nr. Hebron, causing no serious injuries. (MNA 1/5, 1/6; PCHR 1/10)

PA security forces arrest the Hebronbased members of the National Unity Brigades, which announced its formation and called for a 3d intifada in a video released on 12/14. (JP 1/5)

Sources tell Palestinian Ma‘an news agency that PLO leaders, the Free Syria Army, and Syrian government forces are working toward a deal to end the fighting in and blockade of Yarmuk r.c. in Damascus, including the withdrawal of rebel fighters and the end to army shelling. (MNA 1/6)

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)

Israel’s Housing and Construction Ministry publishes tenders for construction of West Bank settlement housing units in Karnei Shomron, Efrat, and Givat Ze’ev as part of the government’s decision to build 3,000 new settlement units to punish the Palestinians for their successful UN bid. The U.S. expresses disappointment with what it calls Israel’s ‘‘pattern of provocative action’’ with regard to settlement construction, saying the repeated announcements and plans ‘‘run counter to the cause of peace’’ and put the two-state solution ‘‘further at risk.’’ Britain, France, Germany and Portugal–European members of the UNSC–issue a joint statement condemning Israel’s 12/17 decision to construct homes in Ramat Shlomo settlement in occupied East Jerusalem. (ToI, AP, HA 12/18)

IDF forces make a brief incursion into s. Gaza to level land along the border fence. In the West Bank, the IDF fires rubber-coated steel bullets at Palestinians nr. Aida r.c. in Bethlehem, causing no injuries; this marks the 6th day of confrontations since Israeli forces killed a Palestinian youth in Hebron’s Old City on 12/12. The IDF also conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 each village nr. Bethlehem and Hebron at night. (PNN 12/19; PCHR 12/20)

Israeli military sources say that there are cracks appearing in the co-operation between the IDF and the PA’s security forces, though the operational relationship remains generally positive. One example of this deterioration is the PA security forces stopping IDF troops from pursuing their activities on at least 2 occasions in the past few weeks. (YA 12/18)

Reports suggest that more than 1,000 Palestinian refugees living in Syria crossed over the border into Lebanon in just 24 hours, fleeing fighting in Yarmuk r.c. (REU 12/18)

Jordan’s King Abdallah states that Jordan hopes to host Israeli-Palestinian talks in 2/2013, after U.S. pres. Obama is sworn in and Israeli elections are held. (al-Hayat, YA 12/12)

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troops make a brief incursion into Gaza around 150 ms. of the border fence nr. Bayt Lahiya and open fire on Palestinians collecting gravel, wounding 1. In the West Bank, suspected Jewish extremists carry out separate ‘‘price-tag’’ vandalism attacks on a monastery in Jerusalem and in a village nr. Ramallah. In the West Bank, the IDF shoots dead a Palestinian teenager in Hebron’s Old City at a checkpoint in disputed circumstances. The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning, and in 1 village nr. Ramallah at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in and around Hebron and Jenin r.c. (ToI, MNA 12/12; PCHR 12/13)

In Cairo, Fatah and Hamas sign an agreement laying out a timetable for implementing the 5/2010 national unity accord: (1) the Palestinian Central Election Commission (CEC) is to begin updating voter registrations in Gaza on 5/22 (previously blocked by Hamas); (2) PA pres. and Fatah head Mahmud Abbas and Hamas leader Khalid Mishal are to form an interim government within 10 days; and (3) elections are to be held and a new permanent government installed within 6 mos. (NYT, WP 5/21; HA 5/22)

The New York Times confirms that Hamas is in the midst of its secret politburo elections that are expected to take several months. (NYT 5/21)

IDF troops on the s. Gaza border fire on Palestinian agricultural areas in al-Qarara, wounding 1 unarmed civilian more than 600 meters (m) fr. the border (well outside the 300-m IDF-imposed no-go zone). In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Tulkarm and 2 nearby villages, 3 villages nr. Jenin, and 1 nr. Ramallah in the morning; in 2 villages nr. Qalqilya and 1 nr. Tulkarm in the afternoon (firing tear gas at stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them, causing no serious injuries); in Jericho and 1 village each nr. Jenin and Ramallah in the evening; and in 1 village each nr. Jericho, Qalqilya, and Ramallah late at night. The IDF also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in ‘Ayn Bayt al-Ma’ refugee camp (r.c.) and Hebron. (PCHR 5/23; OCHA 5/25)

Some 30,000 Israeli Jews march through East Jerusalem and the Old City to mark Israel’s 45th Jerusalem ‘‘reunification’’ day, celebrating Israel’s seizure of East Jerusalem in the 1967 war. In commemoration, Israel’s cabinet allocates $91 m. for the creation of ‘‘public spaces’’ (not identified) in Jerusalem over the next 6 yrs. to develop tourism and infrastructure. (JTA 5/20; WT 5/21)

Hours before the Knesset is set to vote on whether to hold early elections, Israeli PM Netanyahu and opposition leader, Kadima party head Shaul Mofaz, make the surprise announcement that Kadima has agreed to join the governing coalition and that they will form a new unity government rather than send the country to early elections (see 5/6/12). The deal is contingent on meet 3 Kadima demands: (1) that Mofaz becomes a vice PM and “special minister in charge of the process with the Palestinians” (already agreed by Netanyahu); (2) that the Knesset passes legislation requiring all Israeli citizens including the ultra-Orthodox to perform military service if they are to receive government benefits; and (3) that unspecified elections reforms are enacted. With Kadima’s 28 Knesset seats, the coalition deal gives Netanyahu control of 94 of 120 seats in parliament and leaves no single faction in a position to topple the government. The deal is also a benefit to Netanyahu from the standpoint that he can keep Barak, a strong ally on the Iran issue, as DM. Kadima is seen (e.g., NYT 5/9) as being “given a life-line.” (NYT, WP 5/8; NYT, WP 5/9; WJW 5/10; JPI 5/18)

Israel’s High Court rejects appeals for the release of Islamic Jihad administrative detainees Diab and Halahleh, who have been on hunger strike for 69 days. The High Court also issues a ruling affirming the legal purchase by Jewish settlers of a Palestinian home in Jerusalem’s Old City, ordering the Palestinian family to vacate; and ruling ordering a Palestinian to vacate his shop in the Old City, ruling it is a historic Jewish property. A lower court in Jerusalem rules that Jewish settlers legally purchased a house in Shaykh Jarrah, East Jerusalem, ordering the Palestinian residents to vacate. (NYT 5/8)

The IDF raids the offices of the Palestinian People’s Party and the Public Comm. against the Annexation Wall in al-Bireh, confiscating computers, cameras, files, and photos. The IDF also conducts daytime patrols in Kafr Qaddum and 1 nearby village; conducts late-night patrols, arrest raids, and house searches in and around Tulkarm (rearresting 1 Palestinian released during the recent prisoner swap that freed captured IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit). (PCHR 5/10; OCHA 5/11)

The IDF patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah in the morning and in Jericho, 1 village nr. Jericho, and 1 nr. Jenin late at night. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall, land confiscations, and settlement expansion in Bil’in, Kafr Qaddum, and Nabi Salih. IDF soldiers fire rubbercoated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, causing no significant injuries; troops also temporarily occupy 1 Palestinian home in Kafr Qaddum as an observation post, confining the family to a single room. Some 250 Jewish settlers escorted by IDF soldiers march provocatively through Hebron’s Old City before and after conducting prayers at the Tomb of the Patriarch/al-Ibrahimi Mosque; the IDF declares surrounding areas a closed military zone for several hours, preventing Palestinian movement. (PCHR 1/19; OCHA 1/20)

Thai officials say that they have been working with Israel for weeks tracking “a group of people who appear to be from the Lebanese group Hizballah” who allegedly planned to attack tourist sites frequented by Israelis in mid-1/2012 in response to escalating U.S.-Israeli tensions with Iran and that Thai police have detained a Lebanese man in connection with the case. The U.S. and Israel issue warnings of a “real and credible” terrorist threat against Americans and Israelis in Bangkok. Hizballah officials deny the allegations as an Israeli fabrication. The suspect later (1/16) leads police to a warehouse containing large quantities of ammonia and fertilizer, commonly used to make bombs. (NYT, WP 1/14; WT 1/17)

In the morning, IDF troops on the c. Gaza border fire toward the village of al-Mussaddar, seriously wounding a 12-yr.-old boy on a donkey cart. In the evening, an Israeli drone fires a missile at 2 mbrs. of a Salafist group riding a motorcycle in Jabaliya, assassinating 1 Salafist (Abdullah al-Talbani) and wounding a 2d Salafist and 3 civilian bystanders (including a child). In response, unidentified Palestinians fire a rocket toward Israel, but it lands inside the Strip, causing no damage or injuries. Late at night, an Israeli warplane carries out a 2d air strike on a car in Gaza City carrying 4 unidentified Palestinian resistance mbrs., wounding them. The right-wing Israeli Eldad Foundation announces plans to build a new tourism center at a disputed archaeological site just outside the Old City in East Jerusalem’s Silwan neighborhood. (JP, NYT 12/28; PCHR 12/29; OCHA 1/5)

Israel approves $23 m. for a 5-yr. project to renovate and develop the Western Wall Plaza in the Old City. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts synchronized morning patrols in 2 villages nr. Jenin, setting up checkpoints and checking Palestinian IDs and vehicles but making no arrests; patrols late at night in Qiffin village nr. Tulkarm without incident; conducts latenight arrest raids, house searches in Hebron and nr. Jericho. An Israeli military court that convicted 2 IDF soldiers of using a Palestinian boy as a human shield during Operation Cast Lead (OCL) in 2008–9 gives them a 3-mo. suspended sentence and demotion, saying that the soldiers’ misconduct had to be balanced against the difficult circumstances they faced during the war. (NYT 11/22; PCHR 11/25; OCHA 11/26)

The 2d round of direct talks opens in Sharm al-Shaykh, Egypt, with Mubarak hosting Abbas, Netanyahu, and Clinton for the first day of meetings with talks now set to continue in Jerusalem on 9/15 and Ramallah on 9/16, and thereafter alternating between Jerusalem and Jericho. The U.S. tries but is unable to secure Israeli-Palestinian agreement on the agenda for the talks. (YA 9/14; NYT, WP, WT 9/15; JPI 9/24)

As Abbas and Netanyahu meet in Egypt, Israel’s Jerusalem city planners schedule a meeting for 10/7/2010 to debate construction of 1,362 new settlement housing units in Givat HaMatos s. of the Old City btwn. Gilo and Talpiot settlements. In addition, the Israeli construction company Na’out HaPisga, citing business losses, resumes construction of 2,400 settlement housing units in Mod’in Ilit settlement west of Ramallah that had been halted under the settlement freeze. In Gaza, IDF troops make a brief incursion into c. Gaza e. of Gaza Valley village to level land in the no-go zone to clear lines of sight, firing 4 artillery shells at armed Palestinians in the area, seriously wounding 1 and cutting electricity to nearby areas. Late in the evening, armed Palestinians on the n. Gaza border fire an antitank missile at IDF troops operating inside Israel, causing no damage or injuries; IDF troops fire back, killing 1 armed Palestinian, seriously wounding at least 1 other. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts arrest raids, house searches, patrols in 5 villages nr. Qalqilya between late afternoon and late evening; also conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Hebron. In Tel Aviv, Israeli police fatally shoot an East Jerusalem Palestinian who is handcuffed and in custody on charges of car theft, claiming that the Palestinian attacked an officer, who accidentally shot him. OCHA reports that since 9/1, 1 Palestinian was fatally electrocuted in a tunnel accident on the Rafah border. (HA 9/14; PCHR 9/16; OCHA 9/17; JPI 9/24)

Direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are formally relaunched at a ceremony at the State Dept. in Washington, with Abbas and Netanyahu pledging to meet again on 9/13–14 in Egypt and then every 2 weeks thereafter to “keep momentum going.” Clinton, Abbas, Netanyahu, and U.S. special envoy George Mitchell meet, after which Abbas and Netanyahu meet privately for 90 mins. Mitchell then announces that the leaders have decided to work toward a “framework agreement” within a year that would outline “the compromises each side must be ready to make” to achieve peace as a 1st step before attempting to iron out a comprehensive peace treaty. (NYT, WP, WT 9/3)

For a 3d day in a row, IQB gunmen fire on a Jewish settler vehicle driving in West Bank area C, causing no injuries. Asked if Hamas’s political leadership approved the recent string of shootings, West Bank IQB spokesman Abu Ubaidah says the operations are “in harmony with the attitude of the political wing.” The PASF says that since the 1st shooting on 8/31, they have detained 300 Hamas mbrs. Late in the evening, the IDF patrol in villages nr. Jericho, Nablus, Qalqilya, and Salfit, making no arrests; conducts arrest raids in Hebron (shooting and wounding 1 Palestinian, releasing him to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society) and neighboring al-‘Arub r.c. Jewish settlers fr. Halamish settlement nr. Ramallah stone Palestinian vehicles driving by the settlement. Jewish settlers fr. Shilo settlement nr. Ramallah stone Palestinian cars on the Ramallah–Nablus road. Unidentified Jewish settlers stone Palestinian vehicles driving nr. Nablus. PCHR reports that Israel’s Gihon Water Company recently sent letters to churches and nunneries in the Old City of Jerusalem warning that their water service will be cut off if they do not immediately pay water consumption fees accumulated since 1967; historically, religious establishments in Jerusalem have been exempt from such fees. (PCHR 9/2; WP 9/4; PCHR 9/8; OCHA 9/17)

The IDF makes a brief incursion into s. Gaza to level land inside the no-go zone e. of Abasan to clear lines of sight. In the Old City of Jerusalem, 4 armed Jewish settlers beat a blind Palestinian man; when other Palestinians move to protect the blind man, 10s of Israeli settlement guards and police intervene, beating back the Palestinians and arresting 1 (released on 8/14 but expelled fr. the Old City for 15 days). (PCHR 8/19; OCHA 8/20)

Arab League FMs meet in Cairo to debate whether to endorse a Palestinian move to direct talks with Israel, as strongly urged by the U.S. despite unresolved Palestinian concerns. The FMs ultimately endorse the idea of direct talks but support Abbas and the PLO’s refusal to open direct talks immediately, stating that when and how direct talks resumed is “a matter for the Palestinian side to decide.” Arab League Secy.-Gen ‘Amr Musa reveals that Abbas today received a letter fr. Obama containing “some guarantees” regarding direct talks but that clarifications were necessary; neither the PA nor the U.S. confirmed the existence of a letter. (JAZ 7/29; NYT, WP 7/30)

In Jerusalem, Jewish settlers escorted by Israeli police evict an extended Palestinian family (49 individuals, including 22 children) fr. a building in the Old City’s Muslim quarter, claiming ownership of the building. UN special envoy Serry denounces the takeover as “provocative . . . at a critical time in the international community’s efforts to move the peace process forward.” The Palestinian tenants appeal their eviction, and the case is referred to an Israeli court. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches Hebron, nr. Bethlehem. (OCHA 7/30; NYT 7/31; PCHR 8/5; OCHA 8/13)

Facing increasing bipartisan pressure to tone down criticism of Israel, Secy. Clinton reiterates the U.S. call for Israel to demonstrate its “full commitment” to the peace process but assures that the U.S.- Israel relationship is not threatened, emphasizing the administration’s “absolute commitment to Israel’s security” and the U.S.’s “close, unshakable bond” with Israel. Netanyahu immediately welcomes Clinton’s “warm words” but says nothing about the U.S. demands. Meanwhile, Israel issues bids for construction of 309 settlement housing units in Neve Ya’acov in East Jerusalem (NYT, WP, WT 3/17)

In Gaza, unidentified Palestinians fire 2 mortars toward Israel, which land harmlessly in Gaza. IDF troops on the n. Gaza border nr. Bayt Lahiya fire in the air to disperse Gazans staging a nonviolent march to the border fence to protest Israel’s no-go zone. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Madama village nr. Nablus late in the evening, firing stun grenades, arresting 3 Palestinians; conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Bethlehem, Hebron. In East Jerusalem, 100s of Palestinians protest Israel’s efforts to Judaize East Jerusalem in light of the 3/15 synagogue opening in the Old City and the 3/9 Ramat Shlomo announcement, throwing stones at Israeli forces, who respond with rubbercoated steel bullets, stun grenades, tear gas; 166 Palestinians are injured (at least 10 seriously), 60 arrested; 15 Israeli police are also injured. Separately, Israeli police storm a small section of Jerusalem’s Old City known as the African quarter, raiding and searching homes, firing tear gas, detaining 5 Palestinians (including 1 child and 1 journalist). Protests spread to the rest of the West Bank, with clashes between Palestinians and the IDF reported in Bethlehem, Hebron, and Ramallah, leaving another 23 Palestinians, 2 IDF soldiers, and 2 Jewish settlers injured. (JP 3/16; NYT, WP, WT 3/17; OCHA, PCHR 3/18)

Israel officially inaugurates a rebuilt synagogue in Jerusalem’s Old City, raising tensions with Palestinians and the U.S., which see the timing as politically incorrect; no violence occurs, however. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches nr. Ramallah. (NYT 3/16; OCHA, PCHR 3/18)

IDF troops make an incursion 500 m into Gaza nr. Wadi al-Silqa village to level 9 d. of agricultural land. In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night arrest raids, house searches in al-Am‘ari r.c., Jenin.

In Jerusalem, Israeli security forces seal entrances of Jerusalem’s Old City to Palestinians, deploy 200 security officers inside the al-Aqsa Mosque compound (locking the doors of the mosque and corralling Palestinian worshipers), escort 500 Jewish settlers to pray at the site for Purim; when some 20 masked Palestinians inside the compound stone tourists below the wall, Israeli riot police fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, stun grenades at the Palestinians in the compound, injuring 6; Israeli police escort settlers away around noon, but small clashes continue in alleyways around the mosque, leaving 10s more Palestinians and 4 Israeli police lightly injured and at least 7 Palestinians under arrest.

Israel’s Jerusalem district court orders Palestinian resident of Jerusalem Mansur Abu Gharbiyya expelled for 2 yrs. for “participating in public activities” (not further specified). (NYT, WT 3/1; OCHA, PCHR 3/4)

In the West Bank, the IDF makes latenight incursions into Jenin city and nearby Jalbun village, patrolling streets, but making no arrests. An Israeli municipal court in Jerusalem rules that Jewish settlers may take possession of the top floor of a Palestinian home in Aqabat al-Saraya in the Old City of Jerusalem. (OCHA 1/27; PCHR 1/28; OCHA 2/4)

In the West Bank, the IDF makes a brief incursion into Jenin r.c., setting up an observation point outside a Palestinian home, firing tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets at stone-throwing youths who approach them, injuring 1; stages synchronized latenight arrest raids, house searches in villages around Jenin; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Nablus and nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli work on an archeological tunnel from Silwan to the Old City causes a road outside Silwan to collapse. (OCHA 1/20; PCHR 1/21)

Israel approves the construction of a new Jewish settlement neighborhood in Jerusalem funded by U.S. settlement financier Irving Moskowitz to build 4 apartment buildings (24 units total) on East Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives, creating Israeli territorial contiguity between Mount Scopus and the Mount of Olives, completely surrounding the Old City of Jerusalem with Jewish settlements; the U.S. issues a stern protest stating the project harms the peace process. Early in the morning, the IDF makes 2 incursions into s. Gaza nr. Abasan and Khuza to bulldoze land to clear lines of sight. Later, unidentified Palestinians fire a rocket into Israel, causing no damage or injuries; the IDF immediately carries out an air strike on smuggling tunnels on the Rafah border (causing no reported injuries). Later, the IDF carries out an air strike in s. Gaza nr. al-Qarara on a group of PRC mbrs. preparing to fire a rocket, killing 1 PRC mbr. and wounding 3 others. In the West Bank, the IDF patrols in Palestinian areas of Hebron in the morning and in nearby Sa‘ir village in the afternoon. (Globes 1/5; JP, OCHA, PCHR, WP, WT 1/6; PCHR 1/14; JPI 1/15)

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)

IDF troops on the c. Gaza border e. of Gaza Valley open fire on 7 Palestinians nr. the border fence, killing 1 Palestinian teenager and wounding another, then enter Gaza to detain the entire group. The IDF claims they were engaging in hostile activity, a charge local Palestinians deny. (NYT, WP 11/14; PCHR 11/19; OCHA 11/20; OCHA Humanitarian Monitor 11/09)

In the West Bank, the IDF completes construction of a segment of the separation wall along bypass road No. 55 nr. Qalqilya, completely isolating Azun village and separating the farmers in the village fr. at least 1,300 d. of their land; fires live ammunition at Palestinian and international activists taking part in a nonviolent demonstration against the separation wall in Ni‘lin (injuring at least 2 Palestinians); fires rubber-coated steel bullets, sound bombs, tear gas at Palestinian activists, some of whom throw stones at IDF troops, taking part in a demonstration against the separation wall in Bil‘in (10s suffer fr. tear gas inhalation). Jewish settlers fr. Avraham Avino occupy a Palestinian commercial building on al-Sahla street in the old city of Hebron for several hrs. to conduct religious ceremonies. (MNA 11/14; PCHR 11/19; OCHA 11/20)

To mark the Muslim holiday ‘Id al-Adha, Israeli officials allow the import of 3,000 cattle to Gaza. (WJW 11/12; JPI 11/19)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night raids, house searches in and around Hebron, in Jericho and Tubas, and nr. Ramallah, arresting 11 Palestinians (including 1 teenager). (PCHR 11/12)

In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities paste demolition orders on the walls of 15 Palestinian homes in the ‘Ayn al-Luza, alBustan (in Silwan), and Yemen quarters of the Old City. Although residents of the houses are given 20 days to appeal the demolitions, the notices are back-dated 18 days. Elsewhere in Silwan, Israeli forces demolish 1 Palestinian home and deliver a demolition order to the Old Town Women Society, which provides aid to at least 70 Palestinian families. (OCHA, PCHR 11/12; PCHR 11/19)

Israeli naval vessels fire on a Palestinian fishing boat off the Rafah coast, wounding 1 Palestinian. (PCHR 11/5; OCHA 11/12; OCHA Humanitarian Monitor 11/09)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night raids, house searches in and around Nablus, Jenin town and r.c., in alFara‘a r.c., nr. Tubas, Qalqilya, and Hebron, arresting 5 Palestinians (including 1 teenager). (PCHR 11/12)

In East Jerusalem, Israeli security forces raid a Palestinian home in the African Colony Quarter nr. Jerusalem’s Old City, arresting 1 Palestinian teenager for his alleged participation in the 10/25 al-Aqsa Mosque protests. (PCHR 11/12)

Late in the evening, Israeli security forces deploy heavily in Jerusalem’s Old City and close al-Jab’a checkpoint into Jerusalem. (PCHR 10/29)

Abbas issues a decree calling for PA presidential and parliamentary elections to be held in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem on 1/24/10. (NYT, WP 10/24; NYT 10/27)

The IDF makes a brief incursion into c. Gaza to level land in the al-Shuja‘iyya neighborhood of Gaza City; IDF tanks fire 7 shells nr. a secondary school in the area, causing damage to the school but no injuries. (OCHA, PCHR 10/8)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night raids, house searches nr. Hebron, arresting 2 Palestinians (including 1 teenager). Also nr. Hebron, 2 Jewish settlers beat a Palestinian child after stones were thrown at their vehicle. (PCHR 10/8)

Following clashes in Jerusalem on 10/4 and 10/5, Israeli security forces patrol the city in numbers. In the Wadi al-Juz neighborhood of East Jerusalem, Israeli security forces raid a sit-in tent set up 2 yrs. ago by the Islamic Movement and arrest Islamic Movement head Shaykh Raed Salah on charges of inciting violence. An Israeli court ruling authorizes Salah to be released but bars him fr. Jerusalem’s Old City for 1 mo. Israeli police break up Palestinian protests against the court decision, arresting 2 Palestinians. (WT 10/7; PCHR 10/8)

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)

IDF troops on the n. Gaza border nr. Bayt Lahiya shoot and seriously wound 1 Palestinian teenager who says that he was throwing stones at a dog on the beach when he was shot. (OCHA, PCHR 10/8)

In the West Bank, the IDF arrests 5 Palestinian workers by the separation wall nr. Azun Atma nr. Qalqilya; conducts latenight raids, house searches in and around Qalqilya, arresting 3 Palestinians. (PCHR 10/8)

Major clashes erupt in Jerusalem sparked by rumors that Israeli authorities plan to allow Jewish settlers to enter the al-Aqsa Mosque compound to mark the Sukkoth holiday. In reaction, Muslim leaders call on Palestinians to rally to defend the mosque, prompting Jewish religious leaders to call followers to defend the Temple Mount. As some 200 Palestinians inside the mosque compound and some 150 Palestinians on the periphery hold off 100s of Jewish settlers fr. reaching the compound, Israeli security forces attempt to seal off the holy site and Jerusalem’s Old City to disperse the protesters and prevent violence fr. spreading. Minor incidents are reported in Ras al-Amud and al-Tur neighborhoods. Some Palestinians throw stones at security forces, who respond with stun grenades and a water cannon. Israeli security forces also arrest 10 Palestinians and violently beat 10s of others who attempt to force their way through IDF checkpoints around the Old City to reach the mosque. Among those arrested are 2 public figures—Shaykh Kamal al-Khatib and Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) mbr. Hatim ‘Abd al-Qadir (both quickly released on bail and forbidden fr. entering the Old City for 15 days). (WT 10/6; PCHR, WJW 10/8; OCHA Humanitarian Monitor 10/09)

The IDF makes air strikes on smuggling tunnels along the Rafah border, killing 2 Palestinians and trapping at least 11 others (who are freed and hospitalized). IDF tanks on the s. Gaza border nr. the Dahaniyya airport site fire on and injure a Popular Resistance Comm. mbr. monitoring IDF movements along the border. Meanwhile, Israeli DM Barak authorizes the export of palm fronds fr. Gaza for use in Jewish Sukkoth celebrations because Egyptian suppliers are overcharging (JP 9/30; PCHR 10/1; OCHA 10/2; JPI, OCHA 10/8)

In the West Bank, the IDF conducts late-night raids, house searches nr. Ramallah, Qalqilya, Jenin, and in Tulkarm, arresting 8 Palestinians (including 1 teenager) and summoning 1 mbr. of the Bil‘in Public Committee Against the Wall and Settlement for interrogation; issues demolition orders for 6 Palestinian homes in Azun that allegedly provided cover for stone-throwing Palestinian youths. Unidentified Palestinians shoot at a Jewish settler vehicle outside Kida settlement n. of Jerusalem, wounding the driver, who is airlifted to a hospital in Jerusalem; stone Israeli vehicles traveling nr. Bethlehem, damaging at least 1 car. (PCHR 10/1; JPI 10/8)

In Jerusalem’s Old City, Israeli security forces arrest at least 50 Palestinians in search and arrest operations targeting those who participated in riots on 9/27. (OCHA 10/2)