The Palestine Chronology

In the Gaza Strip, a bomb explodes outside a Fatah-affiliated charity, lightly injuring 2 bystanders. Shipments of domestic-use gas into Gaza resume after a dispute between local officials and the PA unity govt. is resolved on 12/10. All public institutions, ministries, and charities go on strike in protest of the PA unity govt.’s failure to pay civil servants. Several civil society organizations coordinate cleaning campaigns in Gaza’s hospitals, as the sanitation workers’ strike continues for a 10th day. IDF troops stationed along the border e. of al-Bureij arrest 2 Palestinians attempting to cross into Israel. In the West Bank, 1,000s of Palestinians attend the funeral of Ziad Abu Ein in Ramallah. Palestinians gathered for the funeral clash with IDF troops in al-Bireh; 19 are injured from rubber-coated metal bullets. Meanwhile, over 100 Palestinians gather in c. Hebron to protest Abu Ein’s death, leading to 2 separate clashes with IDF soldiers. There are also demonstrations in Turmus ‘Ayya. During the day, Israeli soldiers arrest Palestinians at a checkpoints nr. Ramallah and Hebron. The IDF conducts arrest raids nr. Jenin and Hebron; patrols in Tulkarm and n. of Jenin. Late at night, unidentified assailants open fire on the home of an imprisoned Hamas MP in Hebron, causing damage. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently disperse 100s of Palestinians gathered to protest Abu Ein’s death in Shu‘fat r.c., Issawiyya, al-‘Izzariya, and Silwan. They conduct late-night arrest raids and house searches in Jabal Mukabir, Wadi al-Juz, Ras al-Amud, and Issawiyya. Meanwhile, 75 new security guards are added to the security detail at Haram al-Sharif in response to King Abdullah of Jordan’s request. (MNA 12/10; HA, JP, MNA, NYT 12/11; IMEMC, MNA 12/12; TOI 12/13; PCHR 12/18)

UN Special Coordinator Serry holds talks with senior Hamas official Abu Marzuq at the UN building in Gaza City. Serry calls on the PA unity govt. to take on its responsibilities stipulated in the cease-fire agreements, specifically staffing the border crossings. Outside the UN building, dozens of Palestinians gather for a sit-in protest in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike. (MNA, TOI 12/11)

Egyptian pres. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi travels to Jordan to hold talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah. They discuss the draft UNSC res. that Jordan plans to introduce on behalf of the Palestinians before 12/25. Meanwhile, Jordan’s House of Deps. votes to cancel its 9/2014 gas agreement with U.S. company Noble Energy. The MPs oppose increasing Jordan’s economic ties with Israel, despite Jordan’s ongoing energy crisis. (JT, MNA 12/11; JP 12/12; NYT 12/14)

The French Senate passes a nonbinding res. inviting the govt. to recognize Palestinian statehood. The French parliament previously passed a similar res. on 12/2. Meanwhile, the Swiss govt. invites all states party to the Fourth Geneva Convention, which includes every UN mbr. and Palestine, to attend a summit on 12/17 to discuss the situation in the oPt. (AFP, AP, HA 12/11; WAFA 12/13)

White House spokesperson Jay Carney responds to a question about the consequences of the Israeli election for peace efforts by restating the administration’s call for a resumption of direct negotiations on final-status issues. Meanwhile, the UN’s special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Robert Serry, tells a UNSC meeting that courageous steps by Israeli and Palestinian leaders are required to save the two-state solution. At the meeting, Palestinian FM Riyad al-Maliki sits behind a ‘‘State of Palestine’’ nameplate, drawing criticism from U.S. amb. Susan Rice, who says that the U.S. does not recognize the UNGA vote in 11/2012 (see Quarterly Update in JPS 166). After the meeting, Maliki says that the Palestinians’ decision about whether to go to the ICC over Israel’s settlement construction will depend on what the Israeli government does in the E1 area nr. Jerusalem. (AP, REU, UNNC 1/23)

Israeli naval vessels open fire on Palestinian fishermen off the Gaza coast nr. al-Waha, causing no injuries. The IDF also makes a brief incursion into Gaza to a distance of 200 m from the border fence nr. Bayt Hanun to level land. In the West Bank, IDF soldiers open fire on Palestinians at the entrance to al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, killing 1 woman with a shot to the head. Eyewitnesses say the soldiers were traveling in a civilian car. Also, a Palestinian teenager shot by the IDF during clashes in Aida r.c. on 1/18 dies in the hospital. The IDF patrols in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the morning, in 1 village nr. Ramallah in the afternoon, and in 2 villages nr. Hebron at night; conducts house searches and arrest raids in 1 village each nr. Hebron and Jenin at night. (MNA, PCHR, WAFA 1/23)

Human rights NGO the Palestinian Center for Human Rights publishes a list of media workers in the Gaza Strip arrested by Hamas security services over the previous 48 hours. Meanwhile, dep. head of Hamas politburo Musa Abu Marzuq says that there is no disagreement within Hamas about Mahmud Abbas heading a unity government. (MNA 1/23)

PA fin. min. Nabil Qassis says that the government’s financial crisis is structural, requiring systematic changes in the budget and culture. He reveals that the deficit has now exceeded $1.4 b. (MNA 1/23)

Jordan holds parliamentary elections, which are boycotted by the Muslim Brotherhood–affiliated Islamic Action Front. The boycott is based on claims that the electoral system is biased in favor of rural tribal areas where pro-regime sentiment is highest, in contrast to large, more densely populated urban areas, where pro-Brotherhood views are strong among poor Palestinians. In the election, 1,425 candidates compete for 150 seats, up from 120, in the lower house. King Abdallah has agreed to cede some powers to the new legislature, such as choosing the PM and running day-to-day affairs. There are numerous reports of vote-buying and small-scale clashes in Karak governorate and some districts of Amman. The results see pro-government candidates maintain their dominance of the parliament, though 37 Islamist and other government critics win seats in the legislature. (AKH, AP, NYT, REU 1/23; AP, REU 1/24)

The Lebanese army states that 12 Israeli warplanes violated Lebanese airspace overnight, claiming that the breach of Lebanon’s sovereignty is a violation of UN Res. 1701, which was accepted as the basis for the cease-fire that ended the Israeli-Lebanon war of 2006. (Daily Star 1/23)

U.S. Dep. Secy. of State Burns meets with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss ways of reviving peace talks with the Palestinians. U.S. officials say that they are trying to find ways around Palestinian demands for a settlement freeze in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, but give no details. (NYT 11/22; JPI 12/2)

The IDF makes a late-night incursion into s. Gaza, patrolling in and firing on residential areas of Rafah, causing no injuries and making no arrests. Israeli naval vessels fire on Palestinian fishing boats off the n. Gaza coast, forcing them back to shore. In the West Bank, the IDF raids and searches the home of a PA police officer nr. Jenin, arresting him; patrols in 7 villages nr. Ramallah, in 1 instance firing rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at stone-throwing Palestinian youths who confront them. (PCHR 11/24; OCHA 11/25)

PA Tourism and Antiquities M Hamdan Taha says that now that Palestine has full membership in UNESCO (see QU in JPS 162), it is planning to seek world heritage status for the old cities of Hebron and Jericho. An application for Bethlehem is already in the works and is expected to have a better chance now that Palestine has membership. The PA also plans to seek recovery of artifacts looted by Israel, increase funds for preservation and excavations, and use its status to force Israel to stop calling West Bank sites “Israeli antiquities.” (WP 11/22)

King Abdallah of Jordan makes an official visit to Ramallah (his 1st in 10 yrs.) to hold talks with PA pres. Abbas on their independent efforts to reconcile with Hamas and personally to inform Abbas that Jordan has invited Damascus-based Hamas leader Khalid Mishal (barred fr. visiting Jordan since 1999) for an official visit to Amman. The king stresses that any improvement in ties with Hamas is not intended as a move against the PA or as a gesture to Jordan’s Islamist opposition. The U.S. reportedly has expressed displeasure to Jordan over the Mishal visit and hinted that U.S. aid could be cut if Jordan reconciles with Hamas. (NYT, WP 11/22; JPI 12/2)

At the weekly cabinet mtg., PM Barak says that although he still has not found a suitable person to lead the final status team, comprehensive staff work has been done to formulate Israel's position in the political-security sphere and on the subject of economic separation. (MM 10/18; al-Quds 10/19 in WNC 10/20; AYM 10/21 in WNC 10/25; WT 10/23)

Opening of s. safe-passage route, scheduled for today, is delayed for 2d time, because Israeli, PA officials cannot agree on the location of a joint office in Gaza that would hand out travel permits to Palestinians. (WP 10/17; AYM 10/21 in WNC 10/25) (see 10/4)

In Damascus, Syrian pres. Asad receives Jordanian FM Khatib for talks on the peace process, briefing on King Abdallah's mtg. with Pres. Clinton. (GIU 10/18; CSM 10/19; SA 10/20 in WNC 10/21)

Arab Human Rights Organization calls on Jordan to immediately release the 20 Hamas political leaders, activists it has detained since 8/31. King Abdallah says he believes that a "formula" can be reached to resolve the issue. The Muslim Brotherhood is still mediating. (AFP 10/19, JT 10/20 in WNC 10/21; WT 10/20; JT 10/21 in WNC 10/22; MEI 10/29) (see 9/22)

Jordan's Interior Min. says that it has detained 3 Israeli Arabs on charges of selling Palestinian land in Jerusalem to Israelis using forged land-sale affidavits. 3 other men are wanted. (al-Quds 10/19 in WNC 10/21; JT 10/31 in WNC 11/2)

Israeli Interior M Sharansky rescinds the regulation allowing the residency rights of East Jerusalem Palestinians to be revoked on the grounds that their tax, water, electricity, rental, school or enrollment records suggest they may have lived outside the city for some time during the past 7 yrs.; does not say whether Palestinians who had their residency revoked under this law will have their rights restored. (MM, NYT 10/18; al-Quds 10/18, AYM 10/19 in WNC 10/21; al-Quds 10/21 in WNC 10/25; JP 10/29) (see 7/20)

Some 5,000 Jewish settlers, angered by Barak's plans to fully or partially dismantle 12 settlements, protest outside the PM's home. (MM, WP, WT 10/18; AYM 10/19 in WNC 10/21; MEI 10/29)

In Nazareth, a group Muslim Palestinians angry over the city's plans to construct a large plaza next to the Church of the Annunciation on a site that was slated for construction of a mosque attack, slightly injure the town's Christian mayor, Ramiz Jaraisi. Israeli police arrest 2 suspects. (WT 10/18, 10/20) (see 4/20)

A new press and publication law goes into effect in Jordan, replacing the controversial 1998 press law. While the new version lifts the ban on nearly 1,000 books, reduces the amounts that journalists can be fined for violations, and lowers the minimum capital a newspaper must hold to be licensed, the Jordan Press Association cautions that it does not ban the arrest of journalists for political reasons. (JT 10/18 in WNC 10/19; JT 10/30 in WNC 11/2)

On the 6th anniversary of the Oslo I signing, Israel, the PA hold ceremony at Erez crossing to mark official resumption of final status talks. PA chief negotiator Abbas, Israeli FM Levy host the event. U.S. special envoy Dennis Ross, Russian FMin. dir. for the Middle East Alexander Saltanov, EU special envoy Miguel Moratinos attend. (MM 9/13; XIN 9/13 in WNC 9/14; NYT, WP, WT 9/14; ITAR-TASS, SA, al-Wafd 9/14 in WNC 9/15; VOA 9/15 in WNC 9/16; WJW 9/16; MEI 9/17; JP 9/24)

While the Erez ceremony is taking place, Barak convenes ministerial comm. on Jerusalem to discuss consolidating Israel sovereignty over Jerusalem "especially in this year of intensive discussions on the permanent status agreement." (MM 9/14)

PA Culture and Information M Yasir `Abid Rabbuh says that the PA will not unilaterally declare a Palestinian state before the end of the 1-yr. period allotted under Wye II for completion of a final status agmt. (AFP 9/14 in WNC 9/15; WT 9/15; VOA 9/15 in WNC 9/16)

King Abdallah of Jordan arrives in Lebanon for 2 days of talks, meets with PM Salim al-Huss. Abdallah focuses on expanding Jordan's economic and political relations with Lebanon and Syria, says the 3 countries have a "strategic interest" in coordinating their positions on the peace process, especially on refugees, water. (MM 9/13; RL 9/13 in WNC 9/14; JT, RL, VOL 9/14 in WNC 9/15; NYT 9/15)

Muslim Brotherhood head `Abd al-Majid Dhunaybat meets with Jordanian PM `Abd al-Rauf al-Rawabida to mediate a reconciliation btwn. Hamas, the Jordanian government. (MM 9/13; al-Istiqlal 9/16 in WNC 9/26; SA 9/21 in WNC 9/24; AFP 9/25 in WNC 9/27; WT 9/26) (see 9/4)