The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed 2 Palestinians during a late-night raid in Jenin refugee camp. 1 of the Palestinians was killed by an Israeli sniper while providing first aid to the other person who was shot. 3 Palestinians were injured by live ammunition and 1 Israeli soldier was reportedly injured by an explosive device. 15 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Yatta, Beit Umar, Tuqu’, Jenin refugee camp, and Tubas. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian family demolished their own home in the Old City. 7 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Ras al-Amud and Shu‘fat refugee camp. (AJ, ALM, AP, HA, MDW, MEE, MEMO, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 1/19; BBC, MEMO, PCHR 1/20; PCHR 1/26; UNOCHA 2/3)

Israel released Maher Younis, the second-longest serving Palestinian prisoner, from the Eshel prison. Younis was convicted in 1983 for killing an Israeli soldier in the Golan Heights in 1980 and is a cousin of Karim Younis who was released two weeks ago. Israel’s national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had ordered Israeli police to disperse the celebration of his release if Palestinian flags were waived. (AJ, AN, HA, JP, MEE, MEMO, TOI, WAFA, WAFA 1/19)

U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan met PA president Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. President Abbas urged National Security Advisor Sullivan to intervene against Israeli unilateral actions that hinder the prospects for peace and stability. Earlier in the day, Sullivan met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during the second day of his 2-day trip to Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu said he and Sullivan discussed efforts to make a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia. In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said that Saudi Arabia will not normalize relations with Israel without an agreement to create a Palestinian state. (HA 1/18; AJ, ALM, AP, AX, AX, HA, MEE, MEMO, REU, REU, WAFA 1/19; ALM, MEE, MEE, MEMO 1/20; JP, MEMO 1/21; HA, TOI 1/22; AX, AX 1/25)

In the West Bank, Palestinians in several cities observed a general strike in solidarity with residents of Shu‘fat and ‘Anata, which have been closed by Israel since 10/8. Palestinians in Nablus also observed a general strike in protest against Israeli closures of all the entrances to the city. Israeli settlers attacked 1 vehicle transporting patients to an-Najah Hospital, damaging the vehicle. Israeli settlers with military escort also visited Joseph’s Tomb, leading to a confrontation with Palestinians resisting the incursion near Nablus; 1 Palestinian was shot and injured by Israeli forces. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers raided Huwwara, attacking businesses and people and blocking a road, 1 Palestinian was injured. Israeli settlers also set fire to a poultry facility and truck in Qusra. Israeli forces shot and killed 1 Palestinian and injured 1 other while violently dispersing Palestinian protesters at al-Arroub refugee camp. Israeli forces also violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Bethlehem, injuring 1 with a baton round and causing tear-gas related injuries. Elsewhere, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Ramallah, injuring 2 with live ammunition. Israeli forces also assaulted 1 Palestinian man after forcing him out of his vehicle at a checkpoint near Bayt Lid. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers led by MK Itamar Ben-Gvir toured the Haram al-Sharif compound. Coinciding with the tour, Israeli forces assaulted and arrested 3 at the compound, including 2 Waqf guards. Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinian protesters in Isawiya, Silwan, al-Tur, Ras al-Amud, Shu‘fat refugee camp, Jabel Mukaber, Sur Baher, and Bayt Hanina, using tear gas and stun grenades. A general strike was also observed by Palestinians in East Jerusalem in solidarity with Shu‘fat and ‘Anata. (AJ, AJ, AP, HA, HA, HA, HA, MEE, MEMO, MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/12; ALM, BBC, GDN, HA, HA, MDW, MEE, MEE, MEMO, PCHR, PCHR 10/13; UNOCHA 10/16; UNOCHA 11/1)

The Israeli cabinet approved the maritime border agreement with Lebanon, sending it to the Knesset for final approval in 2 weeks. (AP, HA 10/12)

The U.S. White House released its National Security Strategy. The strategy included language referring to expanding normalization deals for Israel and a commitment to Israel as a “Jewish and democratic” state. The strategy paper also restated president Joe Biden’s position in support of a 2-state solution “along the 1967 lines, with mutually agreed swaps.” The paper did not mention any effort to restart negotiations. (White House 10/12; MEE 10/13)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers uprooted 110 olive saplings from 2 different groves in Burqin. Israeli settlers with military escort also toured Sabastia, closing parts of the town for Palestinians. Elsewhere, Israeli settlers vandalized 3 Palestinian vehicles in Kifl Haris. Israeli forces damaged agricultural lands planted with onions and garlic and a water pipeline during a military drill in Bardala. 11 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Ramallah, Silwad, Kafr Ni’ma, Qaddura refugee camp, Nablus, ‘Anata, Burqa, Kafr Qud, and al-Khader. In East Jerusalem, 1 Palestinian was arrested during a late-night raid in Ras al-Amud. (MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/10; PCHR 2/17; UNOCHA 2/28)

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society said in a statement that Palestinian prisoners held by Israel refuse to leave their cells in protest over the Israeli prison service’s decision to decrease the time prisoners have in the prison yards by more than half. (MEE, WAFA 2/10; AJ 2/13)

Israel indicted the mother of 1 Palestinian charged with killing an Israeli settler on 12/16/2021 for not having prevented the attack on the settler. (HA 2/10)

PA president Mahmoud Abbas and PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh met with German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock in Ramallah. Prime Minister Shtayyeh called on Germany to recognize the state of Palestine and to pressure Israel to respect agreements made with the PA. (WAFA, WAFA 2/11)

Israel’s foreign minister Yair Lapid and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said at a joint press conference that the 2 countries will cooperate to find ways for Germany to fund projects in the West Bank without allowing funds to go to the 6 Palestinian rights organizations deemed terror organizations by Israel. The 6 organizations outlawed by Israel’s defense ministry in October 2021 are al-Haq, Addameer, Defense for Children International-Palestine, Bisan Center for Research and Development, the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees, and the Union of Agricultural Work Committees. (HA 2/11)

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers vandalized electric poles near Jalud. Israeli forces prevented a truck with humanitarian relief supplies from reaching the demolished village of Khirbet Humsa. Israeli forces also seized 1 bulldozer in Bayt Dajan. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces violently dispersed Palestinians during a raid in Silwan, critically injuring 1 Palestinian with live ammunition. 3 Palestinians were arrested during house raids in Ras al-Amud and Silwan. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 7/11; PCHR 7/15)

Israel announced that it will withhold $180 million in PA tax revenue, about 7% of the total, saying that it is the amount that the PA pays in stipends to the families of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. PA prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh called on other countries to intervene on behalf of the PA, saying the decision will worsen the PA’s already poor economy. (AP, HA, WAFA, WAFA 7/11; WAFA 7/12)

U.S. deputy assistant secretary for Israeli and Palestinian affairs Hady Amr met with PA president Mahmoud Abbas and other senior officials in Ramallah. Deputy Assistant Secretary Amr subsequently met with Israeli officials, warning them that the PA is facing a severe financial crisis. (AX 7/9; AX 7/15; HA, MEMO 7/16)

PA president Abbas spoke with the new Israeli president Isaac Herzog, stressing the need for a comprehensive peace. (WAFA 7/11)

Israel’s foreign minister Yair Lapid met with Egypt’s foreign minister Sameh Shoukry in Brussels to discuss resumption of negotiations between Israel and Palestine. (HA, REU 7/11; HA 7/12)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces delivered a demolition order for a health clinic in Birin near Yatta. Israeli forces injured 1 Palestinian using live ammunition during a raid in Sa‘ir; others suffered tear-gas related injuries. 7 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Ya‘bad, ‘Araba, Bayt Fajjar, Hebron, and ‘Ayn Qiniya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli settlers led by Israel’s housing minister Yaakov Litzman raided the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israeli forces rammed with a car and lightly injured 1 Palestinian minor who was riding a bike with a Palestinian flag in Ras al-Amud; the child was briefly detained before being allowed medical treatment. 1 Palestinian was arrested during a house raid in the Old City. Off the coast of Gaza, Israeli naval forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen within 3 nautical miles west of Bayt Lahiya; no injuries were reported. In Israel, 1 Palestinian from Gaza was shot and injured after he allegedly stabbed and lightly injured 1 Israeli security guard in Sdei Avraham after entering Israel through the Gaza fence. (MEMO, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/30; HA, MEMO, MEMO 5/31; PCHR 6/3)

Head of Egyptian general intelligence Abbas Kamel met with PA leadership in Ramallah, including PA president Mahmoud Abbas, to discuss a long-term ceasefire between Hamas and Israel and reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas. Intelligence Chief Kamel also met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel. (HA 5/29; AJ, HA, MEMO, WAFA 5/30)

Israel foreign minister Gabi Ashkenazi met with Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry in Cairo to discuss a long-term ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Foreign Minister Ashkenazi said that Israel “won't allow the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip let Hamas rebuild its terror capabilities, without resolving the issue of the return of Israeli MIAs and civilians” held by Hamas. (HA 5/29; AJ, AJ, AP, MEE, MEMO, REU 5/30; ALM 5/31)

Israel summoned the ambassador of the Philippines to Israel because of the country’s vote at the UN Human Rights Council on 5/27 to investigate potential Israeli war crimes. (MEMO 5/31; JP 6/1)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces conducted military drills in the Masafer Yatta area, damaging crops. Israeli forces also delivered demolition notices for 3 houses and 1 agricultural structure west of Yatta and seized some 40 vegetable and fruit stalls and their contents near Jenin. 25 Palestinians were arrested during raids in and around Ramallah, al-‘Arub refugee camp, Hebron, Tubas, Barta‘a, Jenin refugee camp, and Tura; 2 Palestinians were shot and wounded during a confrontation in Kafr Malik. In East Jerusalem, 1 Israeli settler attacked an Orthodox church in the Old City, causing damage. 1 Palestinian family demolished their own home in Ras al-‘Amud, displacing 4, including 2 children, and 1 Palestinian demolished his own car repair shop. 5 Palestinians were arrested during raids in al-Tur and Issawiyya. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire at agricultural lands east of al-Maghazi and Dayr al-Balah; no injuries were reported. In Israel, 2 people were killed by Israeli police, including 1 Palestinian passerby, and 2 were wounded during a shootout in Tamra; some 10,000 people later attended the funeral of the Palestinian passerby killed. (HA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/2; HA, MEE, WAFA 2/3 HA, PCHR, WAFA 2/4; WAFA 2/5)

The PA administered its 1st COVID-19 vaccinations after receiving 2,000 vaccination doses from Israel on 2/1. The Palestinian minister of health Mai al-Kaila and several health workers were among the 1st Palestinians in the West Bank to receive the 1st of 2 shots. (AJ, AP, HA, REU, WAFA 2/2; WAFA 2/3; NYT 2/4)

The Israeli ministry of education reversed its decision not to allow high school students to submit their research proposals in Arabic, despite allowing the final exam papers to be written in Arabic. (HA 2/3)

The U.S. state department spokesperson Ned Price said during his 1st press briefing that normalization deals are “not a substitute for Israeli-Palestinian peace.” Spokesperson Price also said the U.S. would resume aid to Palestinians “very quickly.” Price praised the finalization of the Kosovo-Israeli normalization deal on 2/1. (HA 2/2)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces killed 1 Palestinian during a protest in Tulkarm. 11 Palestinians and 2 Israeli soldiers were injured during clashes in ‘Azun, where Palestinians mourned the death of the PA police officer who was killed on 2/6; 8 of the Palestinians were shot by live ammunition. Israeli forces also violently dispersed protests against the U.S. administration’s peace plan in and around Nablus, Jenin, Kafr Qaddum, and Jericho, leading to tear-gas related injuries. 6 Palestinians were arrested, including 2 at checkpoints in Hebron and near Nablus, 1 during a house raid in Hebron, and 3 during clashes with Israeli forces near Ramallah. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces raided the Haram al-Sharif compound, injuring 3 Palestinians. Israeli forces also arrested 1 Palestinian during a house raid in Ras al-Amud. In Gaza, Palestinians gathered to protest near Khuza‘a; several Palestinians suffered tear-gas related injuries when Israeli forces violently dispersed the protest. Israeli forces also opened fire on Palestinian farmland east of Dayr al-Balah and Rafah; no injuries were reported. In Israel, Israeli police turned back buses transporting Palestinians going to worship at the Haram al-Sharif compound. Israel also demolished the bedouin village al-Araqib for the 174th time since 2010. (AJ, HA, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 2/7; PCHR 2/13)

After the PA announced that it had banned some Israeli products from entering the Palestinian market, Israel banned Palestinian agricultural exports going abroad, including via Jordan. (WAFA 2/7; REU 2/8; AJ, HA, TOI, WAFA, WAFA 2/9)

Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on a group of Palestinian minors congregating near al-Bureij refugee camp; 1 Palestinian is injured. The Israeli press reports that the Palestinians were launching incendiary balloons into southern Israel. Later in the day, an Israeli tank shells a Hamas post in southern Gaza, injuring 7 Palestinians. The IDF says that the strike was retaliation for the launching of incendiary balloons into Gaza earlier in the day. In the West Bank, an Israeli settler driver rams and moderately injures a Palestinian in central Hebron. The settler then flees the scene. Separately, settlers throw stones at Palestinian homes in Urif near Nablus, causing damage and sparking a minor confrontation with residents of the village. Unidentified assailants throw a firebomb at an Israeli vehicle near Nablus, lightly injuring the 2 settler occupants and damaging the vehicle. Meanwhile, IDF troops patrol near Nablus, Hebron, and Ramallah. Israeli forces shut down a number of streets in central Hebron to make room for Israeli settlers to celebrate Purim. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces disperse an event at the French Cultural Center on the grounds that it was co-sponsored by the PA. They also arrest 2 Palestinians during late-night raids in Ras al-Amud. (HA, MNA, MNA, TOI, WAFA, WAFA 3/21; MNA 3/22; PCHR 3/28)

U.S. president Donald Trump tweets, “After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!” His tweet reverses decades of U.S. policy and runs counter to several UN Security Council resolutions and international law. It comes in response to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s call for the international community to recognize Israeli control over the Golan Heights, and it is widely seen as a boon for Netanyahu’s chances the upcoming Israeli election on 4/9. Trump later says, in an interview with Fox Business Network, that his tweet was not an effort to support Netanyahu’s re-election campaign. “I hear [Netanyahu] is doing okay,” he says. “Whoever’s against him is also in favor of what I just did.” In response to Trump’s tweet, an EU spokesperson says that the EU has no plans to change its position on the Golan Heights. “The EU, in line with international law, does not recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967, including the Golan Heights, and does not consider them to be part of Israel’s territory.” (HA, JP, MNA, NYT, TOI, YA 3/21; HA 3/22)

After a meeting of the Israeli security cabinet, an Egypt- and UN-backed cease-fire between Israel and Hamas goes into effect. It is reportedly based on the principles of the cease-fire deal that halted Operation Protective Edge, Israel’s 2014 assault on Gaza, and it provides for a cessation of all hostilities. The Israeli cabinet reportedly approved the agreement in principle on 8/12 and only met today to review the details one last time. Earlier, Israeli DM Lieberman announced the reopening of the Kerem Shalom border crossing (effectively lifting the last of the restrictions the Israeli authorities imposed on 7/9) and the expansion of the fishing zone off Gaza’s coast to nine nautical miles, up from as few as three at the peak of the Israeli crackdown. “The opening of the Kerem Shalom crossing, after four days of quiet, is intended to indicate to the population in Gaza that maintaining quiet is first and foremost an interest for Gaza’s residents,” he says. (EI, HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 8/15; AHR, MNA, TOI 8/16)

Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Bayt Lahiya and Dayr al-Balah, causing no damage or injuries. In the West Bank, Israeli settlers assault a Palestinian farmer outside Salfit, preventing him from working his land. They also break into a Palestinian home in central Hebron and violently attack 2 Palestinian minors; there are no reported injuries. IDF troops conduct raids in central Hebron, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian minors; 1 Palestinian is injured. They arrest 5 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during further raids near Jericho, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Qalqilya; and patrol in and around Hebron and Qalqilya. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian residential building under construction in Issawiyya. They also detain 9 Palestinian women at Haram al-Sharif for undisclosed reasons (8 are released later in the day and banned from the sanctuary for 15 days); and arrest 4 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during late-night raids in Silwan, Ras al-Amud, Sur Bahir, and the Old City. (MNA, WAFA 8/15; MNA, PCHR 8/16; PCHR 8/30)

The Palestinian Central Council convenes in Ramallah for its 29th regular meeting. The PLO body discusses a variety of issues related to statehood, including the stalled national reconciliation process, and plans to meet again on 8/16. In a speech kicking off the meetings, PA president Abbas says that Hamas is not serious about reconciliation. “Hamas principally does not have intentions to achieve reconciliation,” he says. Abbas also criticizes the Trump administration’s peace efforts and reiterates that he wants to unify the West Bank and Gaza with “one government, one law, and one legitimate force without militias.” (TOI, WAFA 8/15)

The Israel Land Authority (ILA) publishes tenders for the construction of 602 new housing units in the Ramat Shlomo settlement of East Jerusalem. The 603 units are part of a larger development plan that dates back to 2010. The ILA separately reaches a $380 million agreement with the Jerusalem Municipality for a series of development projects across the city, including 20,000 new housing units. The Jerusalem City Council is expected to approve the plan next week. (HA, YA 8/15)

Along Gaza’s border fence, an Israeli drone bombs a vehicle and an observation post allegedly being used as a staging area for incendiary kite and balloon attacks near Jabalyaia refugee camp, causing damage. After the strikes, armed groups in Gaza fire at least 11 rockets into Israel. The Iron Dome missile defense system intercepts 3; the rest cause no major damage. The IAF then retaliates with air strikes across Gaza into the night; 1 vehicle reportedly belonging to a senior Hamas official is destroyed in Nuseirat refugee camp. Separately, Israeli forces conduct limited incursions to level land near Gaza City, Khan Yunis, and Jabaliya refugee camp. In the West Bank, unidentified assailants damage 35 grapevines and 7 fig trees in Palestinian farmland near Nablus. IDF troops arrest 6 Palestinians, issue 1 arrest summons, and confiscate NIS 25,000 (approximately $6,836) during late-night raids in and around Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Hebron; and patrol near Tulkarm and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces assault and moderately injure a Palestinian in the Old City; issue an arrest summons to 1 Palestinian during an arrest raid in Ras al-Amud; and demolish a home and a steel fence in Bayt Hanina. Two Palestinian families demolish their own homes in Silwan to avoid paying Israeli demolition fees. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 6/26; HA, JP, WAFA, YA 6/27; PCHR 6/28)

For a 5th day in a row, Palestinians across the oPt gather to protest U.S. pres. Trump’s 12/6 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Israeli troops violently disperse them in Tulkarm, Ramallah, Hebron, Jericho, and along Gaza’s border near Bayt Hanun, Jabaliya refugee camp, Gaza City, Rafah, Khan Yunis, and al-Bureij refugee camp; at least 45 Palestinians are injured and 3 are arrested. Meanwhile, the IDF uses cement blocks to seal the main road connecting Ramallah and Jalazun refugee camp; arrests 16 Palestinians during raids in and around Nablus, Hebron, Qalqilya, Bethlehem, Tulkarm; and patrols near Tulkarm and Tubas. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian land and other property near Khan Yunis, causing no damage. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 3 Palestinian youths on the way home from school in Ras al-Amud and 4 during raids in Shu‘fat refugee camp and Silwan. (MNA, TOI, WAFA 12/11; HA 12/12; PCHR 12/14)

Unidentified parties launch a rocket from Gaza into southern Israel. It lands in an open area, causing no damage or injuries. The IAF conducts air strikes on 2 Hamas positions in southern Gaza. Later, unidentified parties fire another rocket from Gaza, into Israel near Ashqelon. It is intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. Late at night the IDF shells Hamas sites in northern Gaza, causing minor damage. (HA, YA 12/11; HA, TOI 12/12; PCHR 12/14)

Thousands of Palestinians gather across the oPt to protest U.S. pres. Trump’s 12/6 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The IDF deploys additional battalions in the West Bank to quell the protests, and Israeli forces violently disperse them in Tulkarm, Bethlehem, Nablus, Jenin, Shu‘fat refugee camp, at a checkpoint near Ramallah, in the Old City of Jerusalem, and along Gaza’s border near Khan Yunis and al-Bureij refugee camp; at least 30 Palestinians are injured, including 9 with live ammunition, and 16 are arrested. Palestinians also observe a general strike throughout most of the oPt. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats near Jabaliya refugee camp, causing no damage or injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 14 Palestinians during raids in Issawiyya, Ras al-Amud, and Wadi al-Juz. (HA, MNA, NYT, REU, TOI, WAFA 12/7; PCHR 12/14)

Unidentified parties fire 3 rockets from Gaza toward Israel; 2 fall short of the border, and 1 lands in an open area in southern Israel, causing no damage or injuries. The IDF targets 2 Hamas positions in Gaza with artillery shelling and air strikes. (HA, MNA, WAFA 12/7)

In response to U.S. pres. Trump’s 12/6 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the Palestinian delegation at the UN files a formal complaint, requesting that the UN Security Council (UNSC) work toward reversing Trump’s decision. Senior PA official Jibril Rajoub says that U.S. VP Mike Pence, who is set to visit Israel and the oPt later this month, is “unwelcome in Palestine.” He says the Palestinians “will not welcome Trump’s deputy in the [oPt].” The response from the international community is near-universal condemnation, with few exceptions. Israeli PM Netanyahu says that some countries have reached out to discuss similar recognitions of Jerusalem. “I have no doubt than when the U.S. embassy will move there, and even before that, many embassies will relocate to Jerusalem,” he adds. Czech Republic pres. Miloš Zeman says Trump’s announcement made him “truly happy.”(HA, REU, TOI, WAFA 12/7; HA 12/8)

In the West Bank, Israeli forces impose a curfew on Kafr Haris near Salfit, arrest 1 Palestinian during a raid in the village, then escort approximately 1,000 Israeli settlers to perform religious rites at a site nearby. IDF troops arrest 9 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during raids near Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron, and Bethlehem, and patrol near Jenin and Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 8 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during raids in Issawiyya, al-‘Izzariya, and Ras al-Amud. (MNA 8/21; PCHR 8/24)

Mohammed Tahsin al-Bazam, a Palestinian man, is killed in the Swedish town of Limmared. The Swedish police (8/21) will report that “several people wearing masks entered the apartment through a balcony and shot the man inside. They disappeared after the shooting as quickly as they arrived.” Palestinians in Gaza, including the local Fatah branch, accuse Israel’s spy agency, the Mossad, of assassinating the man. (HA 8/22; HA 8/23)

Palestinians in the West Bank, Israel, and across the world join in a general strike in solidarity with the 1,500-plus Palestinian prisoners’ Dignity Strike. IDF troops violently disperse protesters at the Qalandia checkpoint, Nabi Salih nr. Ramallah, ‘Azun nr. Qalqilya, outside Dayr Sharaf nr. Nablus, and along Gaza’s border nr. al-Bureij r.c.; at least 10 Palestinians are injured. Meanwhile, IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian at a checkpoint nr. Bethlehem. No Israelis are injured. They also arrest 5 Palestinian youths throwing stones at an Israeli settlement nr. Jericho; and patrol nr. Hebron during the day. Approximately 4,000 Jewish settlers, as well as former Arkansas gov. Mike Huckabee, visit Joseph’s Tomb nr. Nablus overnight, sparking clashes between their IDF escort and stone-throwing Palestinians; 2 Palestinians are arrested. IDF troops also conduct raids in Bayt Umar nr. Hebron, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinians; there are no serious injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 7 Palestinians during late-night raids nr. Jabal Mukabir, Silwan, and Ras al-Amud. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers working nr. Khan Yunis and agricultural areas nr. al-Maghazi r.c. Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Rafah twice, causing no damage or injuries. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 5/22; PCHR 5/25)

Upon his arrival in Israel, U.S. pres. Trump gives a short speech on the tarmac at Ben Gurion Airport to a crowd of Israeli leaders, including PM Netanyahu. (The Israeli PM reportedly orders his ministers to greet Trump on the tarmac after many, including several party heads, said they were not planning to attend). “We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and to its people, defeating terrorism and creating a future of harmony, prosperity, and peace,” Trump says, referencing the peace initiative he hopes to advance during his visit to Israel. “But we can only get there working together. There is no other way.” Trump then meets with Israeli pres. Reuven Rivlin and visits the Western Wall, the first time a sitting U.S. pres. has done so. In his major policy speech of the day, Trump links the fight against Iran with Israeli-Palestinian peace, saying that the Arab states are willing to work with Israel to normalize relations, if Israel ends its occupation of Palestinian lands. (HA, NYT, TOI 5/22; HA 5/23)

Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Bayt Lahiya and Khan Yunis, causing no injuries. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers working nr. Rafah, causing no damage or injuries. In East Jerusalem, a number of right-wing Jewish activists tour Haram al-Sharif in the morning, sparking a nonviolent confrontation with Muslim worshippers. Israeli forces arrest 14 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during raids in Jabal Mukabir, al-Tur, Ras alAmud, Shu‘fat r.c., and the Old City. In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct raids in Qarawat Bani Hassan village nr. Salfit in the evening, sparking clashes with stonethrowing Palestinian youths; there are no serious injuries. They arrest 11 Palestinians and issue 1 arrest summons during further raids nr. Ramallah, Hebron, and Nablus, and patrol nr. Ramallah, Hebron, and Qalqilya during the day. (JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 2/5; JP, MNA 2/6; PCHR 2/9)

Israel’s High Court of Justice delays by 1 mo. the demolition of 9 buildings in the Ofra settlement nr. Ramallah. The demolition was set to go forward by 2/8, but the court relented, arguing that a demolition this mo. would put undue burden on the residents, and promising to evacuate them peacefully in exchange for the delay. Meanwhile, thousands of settlers gather in Ofra to protest the planned demolition. (TOI 2/5)

In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian youth allegedly carrying a knife and planning a stabbing attack in Shu‘fat r.c., and arrest another Palestinian on a late-night raid in Ras al-Amud. In the West Bank, IDF troops arrest 3 Palestinians during raids nr. Nablus, Ramallah, and Jenin; and patrol in 2 villages nr. Nablus, and 3 villages and al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron. Around 12,000 Palestinians attend a funeral for the Palestinian killed by PASF troops in Nablus on 8/23. After the funeral, hundreds of mourners break off from the procession, chant anti-Palestinian Authority (PA) slogans, and clash with PASF troops (there are no serious injuries). Off Gaza’s coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats nr. Bayt Lahiya, causing no damage or injuries. (JP, MNA, TOI 8/28; PCHR 9/1)

Palestinian officials announce the beginning of preliminary discussions about a possible summit meeting in Moscow between PM Netanyahu and Pres. Abbas, to be mediated by Russian pres. Putin. Separately, a senior PLO official says that the Palestinians recently rejected a U.S. offer for a trilateral peace summit with Israel, and that the Palestinians instead insisted on 2 central preconditions for any meetings: release of the 4th tranche of prisoners that were set to go free in connection with the last round of talks in 3–4/2014 and a settlement freeze. (HA, JP, TOI 8/28)

As the Palestinian school year begins, the PA Education Ministry accuses Israel of withholding the delivery of around 300,000 textbooks to schools in Gaza. Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) says the books must be examined and approved before being released. (HA 8/28)

An Israeli settler on a motorcycle runs over and seriously injures an elderly Palestinian outside Duma village nr. Nablus; he dies later in the day. It is unclear if the collision is an accident or an intentional ramming attack. Elsewhere in the West Bank, IDF troops conduct raids in al-Am‘ari r.c. nr. Ramallah overnight, arresting 1 Palestinian and sparking clashes with stone-throwing residents; 4 Palestinians are injured. IDF troops arrest 4 more Palestinians during late-night raids and house searches in Jenin and around Bethlehem. Israeli forces uproot around 500 olive trees outside a village nr. Salfit. Overnight, unidentified suspects throw Molotov cocktails at a structure in an Israeli settlement nr. Nablus, causing damage. In East Jerusalem, Israeli police escort around 100 Jewish settlers and 13 Israeli archaeologists on a tour of Haram al-Sharif, and bar Palestinian maintenance workers from entering the sanctuary. They arrest 2 Palestinians during raids in Ras al-Amud, the Old City, and Silwan. In Gaza, 8 Palestinians are injured when a tunnel collapses in e. Gaza City. In Israel, dozens of Palestinian protesters gather outside the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashqelon in solidarity with hunger-striking prisoner Bilal Kayed. A counter-protest by right-wing Israeli activists sparks minor clashes; 13 Palestinians and Israelis are arrested, and there are no serious injuries. (JP, MNA, WAFA 8/10; PCHR 8/11; PCHR 8/18)

The Israeli police announce a NIS 1 b. (approx. $260 m.) plan to increase their presence in Palestinian areas of East Jerusalem by adding 1,200 officers and 5 new outposts in Ras al-Amud, Jabal Mukabir, Silwan, Issawiyya, and Sur al-Bahir. The outposts will be headquartered in buildings that already offer civic services, such as national insurance and post, reportedly to stop them from becoming sources of tension, as police outposts in East Jerusalem have been in the past. (HA, JP 8/10)

In an unusual incident in Ramallah, 9 Israelis try to visit a Palestinian’s home for a fastbreaking meal, but stone-throwing Palestinian youths block them and set their vehicle on fire. PASF and IDF troops secure the group’s departure from the oPt. Meanwhile, the IDF arrests 3 Palestinians during late-night raids nr. Bethlehem and Tulkarm and patrols nr. Hebron and Ramallah throughout the day. Israeli forces deliver stop-work orders to 2 residential buildings under construction and demolition notices to 4 structures nr. Hebron. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 15 Palestinians during late-night raids in Ras al-Amud, Silwan, Qalandia r.c., and Wadi al-Juz. In Israel, Israeli forces demolish the bedouin village of al-Araqib for the 100th time in 6 years. (MNA, TOI 6/29; JP, PCHR 6/30; PCHR 7/14)

The Egyptian authorities open the Rafah border crossing for the 1st of 5 planned days over the course of the next week. (OCHA 7/5)

Israel’s security cabinet approves the reconciliation deal with Turkey announced officially on 6/27. Only 3 ministers vote against it: DM Lieberman, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked. During a debate over the deal in the Knesset, MK Haneen Zoabi (Joint List) calls the IDF soldiers who raided the Mavi Marmara in 5/2010 “murderers,” sparking a heated confrontation with several right-wing MKs. Later, PM Netanyahu pledges to expel Zoabi from the Knesset. (HA, JP, YA 6/29).

Following pressure from the Israeli NGO Adalah, Israeli police make public portions of their new rules of engagement, approved by Israel’s atty.-gen. in 9/2015 amid the surge of violence. The new rules authorize the police to respond to stone- or firecracker-throwing with live fire. (JP 7/4; HA 7/5)

In the West Bank, IDF troops conduct late-night raids nr. Tulkarm, Ramallah, and Jericho, arresting 4 Palestinians, and patrol during the day in Tulkarm, nr. Jericho, Qalqilya, and Hebron. Off Gaza’s s. coast, Israeli naval forces open fire on Palestinian fishing boats overnight, injuring 1 fisherman (3 others are arrested and 2 boats are confiscated). In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces assault a group of Palestinian youths in Ras al-Amud, injuring 1. In Israel, Israeli forces destroy the bedouin village al-‘Araqib in the Negev for the 97th time. Meanwhile, around 2,000 Israelis gather in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv to demonstrate in support of Azaria, the Israeli soldier who shot and killed a detained Palestinian on 3/24. (EI, MNA, WAFA 4/19; PCHR 4/21)

Following Jordan’s 4/18 announcement that it is no longer planning to support the installation of cameras at Haram al-Sharif, an Israeli official says that “Israel’s support [for the initiative] remains unchanged.” (TOI 4/19)

An explosive device detonates on a bus in s. Jerusalem, injuring at least 20 Israelis (2 seriously). A Palestinian injured in the blast will succumb to his wounds on 4/20. Israeli officials treat it as a terrorist attack, and the Israeli police and security services begin investigations. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 3 Palestinian youths after they allegedly assault an Israeli youth in the Old City; arrest 7 Palestinian youths and confiscate some property during raids in Shu‘fat r.c., Qalandia r.c., Ras al-Amud, and the Old City; and shoot tear gas canisters at Palestinian schoolchildren in Ras al-Amud, causing no serious injuries. Israeli forces also raid and search a newspaper company’s offices. In the West Bank, IDF troops shoot tear gas canisters at a school nr. Hebron, causing minor injuries; conduct raids and house searches nr. Bethlehem, Ramallah, Qalqilya, and in and around Hebron, arresting 10 Palestinians, issuing arrest summons to 4, and confiscating some property; patrol nr. Ramallah and Jericho. Along Gaza’s border, Egyptian forces flood and partially destroy a smuggling tunnel leading into the n. Sinai Peninsula. A military court in Gaza sentences 5 Palestinians to death on charges related to collaborating with Israel. A Palestinian woman is injured when she accidentally detonates a piece of unexploded Israeli ordnance in Gaza City. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 4/18; JP, MNA, TOI 4/19; HA, MNA 4/20; PCHR 4/21)

The IDF lifts a gag order on the news that it discovered a tunnel leading from s. Gaza into Israel earlier this week (they will demolish it on 4/19). Hamas’s military wing says “this tunnel is just a drop in the ocean of what the resistance has prepared for the defense of its people and the liberation of holy places, land, and prisoners.” (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, YA 4/18; JP 4/19)

Citing Palestinian complaints and reservations, Jordan’s PM Abdullah Ensour says that Jordan has decided to halt the process of installing cameras at Haram al-Sharif following mos. of stalled negotiations with Israeli officials. (JP, MNA, TOI, YA 4/18; HA 4/19, 4/27)

In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces carry out the punitive demolition of the Jabal Mukabir home of an imprisoned Palestinian accused of attacking Israeli soldiers on 10/10/2015, and also demolish a half-built home in Ras al-Amud. Also in Ras al-Amud, a Palestinian family demolishes their own home on Israeli orders. Later, the Israeli authorities return 2 bodies of Palestinians killed in confrontations with Israeli forces since the beginning of the habba (“surge” or “revolt” in English) in the oPt in 10/2015. One family rejects the body of their relative when they discover it is frozen, allegedly in violation of the deal they made with the Israelis (they had agreed to limit the size of the funeral and deposited a NIS 20,000 [around $5,250] guarantee). Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian woman at Haram al-Sharif after she confronts Jewish Israeli MK Shuli Mualem-Rafaeli. In the West Bank, IDF troops raid a number of quarries nr. Qalqilya, confiscating millions of dollars’ worth of equipment. They also raid a number of chicken farms and erect a mobile checkpoint outside a village nr. Ramallah, sparking clashes with stone-throwing Palestinians; 1 Palestinian is injured. The IDF violently disperses stone-throwing Palestinians in a village nr. Tulkarm, causing no serious injuries; raids a village council’s office in a village nr. Bethlehem, destroying property and breaking its main doors; conducts further raids and house searches nr. Tulkarm, Jenin, Nablus, and Bethlehem, arresting 4 Palestinians, issuing arrest summons to 2, and confiscating property; and patrols nr. Tulkarm, Jenin, and Hebron. Israeli forces begin razing 650 dunams (around 160 acres) of Islamic Waqf–owned land nr. Jericho, and confiscate heavy equipment from a factory nr. Bethlehem. Along Gaza’s border, Israeli forces conduct limited incursions to level land nr. Bayt Lahiya and Dayr al-Balah. (MNA, WAFA 3/21; MNA 3/22; PCHR 3/24)

A PA official who monitors settlement growth in the West Bank reveals that Israeli officials recently informed Palestinians in villages nr. Nablus of their intention to confiscate 1,200 dunams (around 300 acres) of nearby land. The IDF’s Coordinator of Govt. Activities in the Territories Unit (COGAT) disputes this figure, saying that only 612 dunams will be seized and incorporated into the nearby settlement of Eli. (MNA, WAFA 3/21; EI 3/30)

At the annual AIPAC conference in Washington, leading presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump present their foreign policy ideas and pro-Israel credentials. All the remaining candidates, except Sen. Bernie Sanders, are set to address the conferees (AIPAC rejected Sanders’s offer to give a speech via satellite after he declined to attend). (HA, JP, YA 3/21; JP 3/22)

The IDF cracks down on Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank, and several Palestinians are injured and 2 others are killed during the ensuing clashes. First, the IDF clashes with stone-throwers during a late-night raid in Qalandia r.c. nr. Ramallah, and 2 Palestinian drivers are killed after they allegedly attempt to ram Israeli forces amid the chaos; 4 Palestinians are injured, and 3 Israeli soldiers are lightly injured. Further clashes break out during IDF raids in Dahaysha r.c. nr. Bethlehem, injuring 10 Palestinians. Meanwhile, IDF troops conduct raids and house searches in Jenin r.c. and 1 village nearby, ‘Askar r.c. and 3 villages nr. Nablus, Hebron and 3 villages nearby, and Tulkarm, arresting 12 Palestinians; patrol in Qalqilya and 1 village nearby, as well as 4 villages and al-Fawar r.c. nr. Hebron. They also assault and injure 4 Palestinians at a checkpoint nr. Ramallah; open fire on a Palestinian car at the same checkpoint before assaulting and temporarily detaining the driver. Along Gaza’s border, IDF troops open fire on Palestinian farmers working e. of Dayr al-Balah, causing no damage or injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian in the Old City when she is found with a screwdriver; arrest 5 Palestinians on raids and patrols in Ras al-Amud, the Old City, and Jabal Mukabir. In Israel, a Palestinian armed with a hammer attacks his Jewish Israeli boss and a fellow Palestinian employee at a construction site in Modi’in, injuring both. (JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA, YA 12/15; HA, JP, MNA, YA 12/16; PCHR 12/17)

Stabbing and other small-scale violent incidents continue in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) and Israel. In Tel Aviv, 2 Palestinians armed with knives attack a group of Israelis at an office building, killing 2 and injuring 2. Israeli police arrest 1 of the attackers and the other flees. Later, IDF troops raid the Hebron-area home of 1 of the suspects, delivering punitive demolition orders and arresting 3. Nr. Bethlehem, a Palestinian driver opens fire in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc, injuring 10 settlers and killing 3 others, including a U.S. citizen. Israeli forces shoot at the driver, causing him to crash his car and killing 1 Palestinian bystander in the crossfire; they arrest the driver at the scene. In c. Hebron, Israeli forces fire tear gas and skunk water, blocking a number of Palestinian children from accessing their school, after a Palestinian allegedly throws a tear gas canister at an Israeli checkpoint and injures a soldier. Also, a Palestinian succumbs to injuries sustained in clashes with the IDF on 11/11. (HA, MNA, NYT, WAFA, YA 11/19; PCHR 11/26)

Elsewhere, a number of Palestinian municipalities in Israel, including Nazareth, Rahat, and Sakhnin, go on strike in protest of the 11/16 outlawing of the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement. In the West Bank, IDF troops and stone-throwers clash during raids in Dahaysha r.c. and patrols nr. Jenin, injuring 4 Palestinians and arresting 1, respectively. Israeli forces continue their string of late-night house searches and raids in the Hebron, Ramallah, Jalazun r.c., and Dahaysha r.c. areas, arresting 12 Palestinians and issuing arrest summons to 4; patrol during the day nr. Jenin, Tulkarm, Salfit, Hebron, and Qalqilya. Israeli settlers leave racist graffiti and throw stones at Palestinian homes in a village nr. Ramallah late at night, causing minor damage. Israeli forces begin demolishing a synagogue in the Givat Ze’ev settlement nr. Jerusalem, pursuant to the Israeli govt.’s 11/16 compromise with settler leaders (the demolition will be completed by 12/10). In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces clash with and violently disperse Palestinians at a checkpoint in Abu Dis, seriously injuring 1 Palestinian; arrest 4 Palestinians on raids in Issawiyya and Jabal Mukabir; assault a Palestinian youth in Ras al-Amud. (EI, HA, MNA, NYT, WAFA, YA 11/19; MNA, TOI 11/20; PCHR 11/26)

Israel’s Coordinator of Govt. Activities in the Territories (COGAT) Unit cmdr. Yoav Mordechai signs an agreement with the PA Minister of Civil Affairs Hassan al-Shaykh to grant Palestinian mobile phone users in the West Bank access to 3G high-speed data services. The new services are expected to be in place by mid-2016. (AP, HA 11/19)

After a mass joint funeral in Hebron for the Palestinians whose bodies the IDF returned on 10/30, dozens of stone-throwers briefly clash with IDF troops in c. Hebron; 4 Palestinians are injured. In the latest small-scale violence, IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian at a checkpoint nr. Jenin after he allegedly attacks an Israeli soldier. The Israeli authorities then close a nearby checkpoint, blocking Palestinians from traveling between Israel and the West Bank (they will reopen it on 11/1). The Israeli crackdown on the violence continues throughout the oPt as well, with IDF troops clashing with and violently dispersing Palestinian protesters nr. Ramallah and Jenin, and along Gaza’s border nr. al-Bureij r.c. (7 Palestinians are injured). They also patrol nr. Ramallah, Salfit, and Nablus; conduct late-night raids and house searches across Hebron, Nablus, and Bethlehem, arresting 11 Palestinians and issuing an arrest summons to 1. Israeli soldiers assault and seriously injure a Palestinian at a checkpoint nr. Jerusalem. Israeli settlers block Palestinian farmers from working in their olive fields nr. Nablus, causing no injuries. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian at a checkpoint in Ras al-Amud and 8 on raids in Sur al-Bahir. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 10/31; JP 11/ 1; PCHR 11/5)

Stabbing attacks continue in the West Bank today. Private Israeli settlement security guards shoot and kill a Palestinian youth at a checkpoint nr. Jenin after he allegedly stabs and injures an Israeli soldier. IDF troops shoot and injure a Palestinian youth after he stabs and lightly injures an Israeli soldier in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc nr. Bethlehem. (HA, MNA, YA 10/23; PCHR 10/29)

Elsewhere in the oPt, IDF troops clash with and violently disperse Palestinians throwing stones and protesting in 3 locations along Gaza’s border and across the West Bank, injuring 117 Palestinians and arresting 3. They also violently disperse Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists at Friday demonstrations against Israel’s separation wall, settlements, occupation, and recent violence in 4 villages nr. Ramallah (Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Nabi Salih, and Silwad) and Kafr Qaddum nr. Qalqilya; 1 Palestinian is seriously injured. Meanwhile, the IDF conducts raids and house searches in Jalazun r.c. nr. Ramallah and 1 village nr. Nablus, arresting 2 Palestinians; patrols in 2 villages nr. Ramallah and 1 each nr. Jenin and Nablus. Israeli forces destroy around 90 olive trees nr. Qalqilya during a military training exercise. Israeli settlers attack and attempt to stab the head of the Israeli group Rabbis for Human Rights while he is assisting with the Palestinian olive harvest nr. Nablus; attempt to attack the Nablus-area home of the Palestinian who was shot on 10/21 after IDF soldiers thought she was trying to sneak into a settlement. Palestinian stone-throwers in the area ward off the attack. In East Jerusalem, thousands of Palestinians march in a funeral procession through al-‘Izzariya for the Palestinian killed nr. the city on 10/21; Israeli forces then violently disperse the 400-some Palestinian youths that throw stones in the area after the march (27 Palestinians are injured).Israeli forces arrest 8 Palestinians on late-night raids in Issawiyya, Ras al-Amud, al-Thawri, and s. of the Old City. (HA, MNA, TOI, YA 10/23; PCHR 10/29)

New Zealand’s UN envoys distribute to the mbrs. of the UNSC a draft res. encouraging Israel and the Palestinians to undertake confidence-building steps as a prelude to a new round of peace negotiations. (AFP, TOI 10/23; JP, MNA 10/24; HA, TOI 10/28; AP 10/30)

The Israeli crackdown on the oPt continues amid the ongoing wave of violence. In the West Bank, Israeli forces punitively demolish the Hebron apartment of the Palestinian who stabbed an Israeli woman to death outside the Gush Etzion settlement nr. Bethlehem on 11/10/2014. Throughout the day, IDF troops violently disperse Palestinians protesting w. of Tulkarm and outside a settlement nr. Ramallah, injuring 3 Palestinians. The IDF conducts a raid in a village nr. Bethlehem, sparking clashes with stonethrowing Palestinian youths; 1 Palestinian is injured with live ammunition. IDF troops also conduct late-night raids and patrol in other areas across the West Bank, arresting 21 Palestinians, including 1 senior Hamas official on charges related to incitement, and issuing arrest summons to 4. Israeli settlers burn tires and verbally confront Palestinians nr. Salfit. In East Jerusalem, a large group of Israeli settlers escorted by Israeli forces forcibly evict Palestinians from 2 homes in Silwan. The property was allegedly purchased by the Israeli settler association Ateret Cohanim. Later, Israeli forces raid the Jabal Mukabir home of 1 of the Palestinians who attacked a group of Israelis on a bus in East Jerusalem on 10/13 and the Old City home of the Palestinian who attacked a group of Israelis in Tel Aviv on 10/8, taking measurements and preparing for a possible punitive demolition. They also arrest 7 Palestinians on late-night raids in Abu Dis, Ras al-Amud, and Issawiyya. In West Jerusalem, Jewish Israelis attempt to assault a Palestinian man on his way home from work, but his boss intervenes. (HA, MNA 10/19; EI, HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 10/20; PCHR 10/22)

Israeli PM Netanyahu orders the Israeli police to suspend their construction of a concrete barrier in East Jerusalem between Jabal Mukabir and the nearby Israeli settlement East Talpiot, responding to complaints from his cabinet about dividing Jerusalem. The police erected sections of the planned 300 m barrier on 10/18. (HA, TOI 10/19)

Israel’s Foreign Ministry summons the French amb. to Israel to a disciplinary meeting, during which Israeli officials criticize the French plans to push for the UNSC to sponsor an international observer force at Haram al-Sharif, as reported in the French press on 10/17. Meanwhile, U.S. secy. of state Kerry says that the U.S. opposes the French proposal for an international observer force. (HA, JP, TOI 10/19)

For the 8th day in a row, IDF troops stationed along Gaza’s border open fire on Palestinians protesting and throwing stones throughout the region, killing 2 Palestinians and injuring at least 142 (a 3d Palestinian will succumb to injuries sustained today on 10/23). Stabbing incidents continue, as IDF troops shoot and kill a Palestinian in the Kiryat Arba settlement nr. Hebron after he stabs and moderately injures an Israeli soldier. Elsewhere in the West Bank, IDF troops clash with and violently disperse Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists at Friday demonstations and violent protests in 4 areas nr. Ramallah (outside the Beit El settlement, Silwad, Budrus, and Bil‘in), and nr. Hebron, Bethlehem, Nablus, and Qalqilya, killing 1 Palestinian and injuring 73. The IDF patrols outside Ramallah and in Nablus, sparking clashes with stone-throwers (2 Palestinians are injured); conducts house searches and raids throughout the region, arresting 4 Palestinians. Palestinian gunmen open fire on IDF vehicles nr. Ramallah, causing minor damage. In East Jerusalem, the Israeli police bar Palestinian men under the age of 40 from entering Haram al-Sharif; clash with stone-throwing Palestinians in Ras al-Amud (2 Palestinians are injured); conduct raids nr. the Old City and Issawiyya (4 Palestinians are arrested). (EI, HA, JP, MNA, TOI, YA 10/16; PCHR 10/22)

The UNSC convenes to discuss the recent violence in Israel and the oPt as well as Israeli restrictions on Palestinian access at Haram al-Sharif, at the request of Jordan. French amb. to the UN François Delattre says that France has prepared a draft presidential statement that would, inter alia, urge all parties to maintain the status quo at the sanctuary. (AFP, HA, JP, TOI, YA 10/16; HA 10/17)

Stabbing incidents continue in Jerusalem. In West Jerusalem, Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian after he allegedly stabs and moderately injures an Israeli woman nr. the c. bus station. They later raid his Ras al-Amud home. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces shoot and kill a Palestinian outside a gate to the Old City after he attempts to evade them and ignores their calls, according to PCHR. (HA, JP, MNA, WAFA, YA 10/14; PCHR 10/22)

For a 6th day in a row, Israeli forces violently disperse Palestinians protesting along Gaza’s border, injuring 5 with live ammunition e. of al-Bureij r.c. They also level land n. of Bayt Hanun. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI, WAFA 10/14; PCHR 10/22) 

The wave of violence and Israeli crackdown continues across the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Pursuant to the Israeli security cabinet’s order on 10/13, Israeli forces set up roadblocks and checkpoints around al-Suwana, Wadi al-Juz, Sur al-Bahir, Jabal Mukabir, Issawiyya, and Silwan overnight. They also arrest 20 Palestinians on early morning raids throughout the area. IDF troops injure 13 Palestinians in clashes with protesters throughout the West Bank. They also assault and critically injure a Palestinian man nr. Ramallah after stopping his vehicle to investigate alleged stone-throwing in the area (the man will have a heart attack and die on 10/15). Late at night, the IDF delivers punitive demolition notices to 7 homes around Nablus and Ramallah belonging to Palestinians accused of attacking Israelis in recent mos.; conducts raids and house searches across the West Bank, arresting 14 Palestinians; patrols nr. Nablus, sparking clashes with stone-throwers (1 Palestinian is injured). Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian agricultural land outside a village nr. Nablus and chase local farmers off with stones and gunfire, seriously injuring 4 Palestinians and 1 international activist. IDF troops arrest 4 settlers after the incident. (HA, JP, MNA, NYT, TOI, WAFA, YA 10/14; EI, MNA 10/15; PCHR 10/22)

Following Israel’s security cabinet meeting on 10/13, Public Security Min. Gilad Erdan approves a series of temporary measures aimed at easing restrictions on the acquisition of firearms, stating that “citizens with firearms training are a multiplying force for the police in their fight against terror.” (JP, TOI 10/14; HA, TOI 10/15)

On the 2d day of Yom Kippur, Israeli forces escort a number of right-wing Jewish activists around Haram al-Sharif. The group attempts to perform Jewish rites in commemoration of the holiday, but they are blocked by Islamic Waqf guards. All Palestinian men under the age of 40 are barred from the sanctuary and all but 3 entrances are closed for the 2d day in a row. (HA, MNA, WAFA 9/23; PCHR 10/1)

In the West Bank, thousands of Palestinians march through c. Hebron for the funeral of the Palestinian woman who was killed by the IDF on 9/22, and clashes ensue between stone-throwing youths and Israeli forces. Late at night, Palestinians throw firebombs at an Israeli settlement nr. Ramallah, causing minor damage. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 12 Palestinians on late-night raids in Sur al-Bahir and Ras al-Amud. Meanwhile, Jewish Israeli youths throw stones at a Palestinian boy, causing minor injuries, and separately at Palestinian cars in s. Jerusalem. Unknown assailants throw a firebomb at a Jewish family’s home in Abu Tor, causing damage. On Gaza’s border e. of Jabaliya r.c., Israeli forces arrest 1 Palestinian attempting to cross into Israel for work. (HA, MNA, TOI, WAFA 9/23; MNA, TOI 9/24; PCHR 10/1)

Israel’s Defense Ministry announces the easing of additional restrictions on Palestinian movement and access during the Muslim holiday ‘Id al-Adha, supplementing the restrictions announced on 9/21: border crossings hours will be extended; married men older than 45 and married women older than 30 from the West Bank will be allowed to pray at Haram al-Sharif on 9/24 and 9/25. (HA, JP, MNA, TOI 9/24)

Overnight in Gaza, purported ISIS affiliates blow up cars belonging to mbrs. of Hamas and Islamic Jihad’s military wings in 5–6 simultaneously timed blasts in c. and s. Gaza City, lightly injuring 2 people and damaging several homes. No armed group claims responsibility. In the West Bank, Israeli authorities deliver stop-work orders to 3 homes under construction in a village nr. Hebron. IDF troops conduct a late-night raid in a village nr. Hebron; patrol in 1 village and al-‘Arub r.c. nr. Hebron, and ‘Aqabat Jabir r.c. and 1 village nr. Jericho. Israeli settlers fire 2 shots toward Palestinian farmers working nr. Ramallah, causing no injuries; conduct 3 demonstrations nr. Ramallah and Bethlehem calling for increased settlement construction. In East Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrest 3 Palestinians on raids in Ras al-Amud. (JP, MNA, NYT, YA 7/19; MNA, WAFA 7/20; MNA 7/21; PCHR 7/30)

Israel’s National Labor Court rejects a complaint filed by 3 Palestinian laborers on 7/14 calling for recognition of their rights to the same working conditions as Israelis in special industrial zones in Israeli settlements. (JP 7/19)

The Financial Times reports that “senior levels” of the European Commission have approved the preparation of a technical guidance document to facilitate the labeling of goods produced in the Israeli settlements. (FT 7/19)

The Obama admin. formally delivers the nuclear deal reached with Iran on 7/14 to Congress, which begins the legislature’s mandated 60-day review period (it will end on 9/17). (NYT, REU 7/19)